Greener Eating

{ STICKY TOFFEE PECAN PUDDING CAKE }

2012-02-13T21:04:00.003-07:00

And yet another from Miss Angela of Oh She Glows. Altered slightly for a little less fat, and oh so delicious!

{ The Cake }

3/4 c. chopped pecans, toasted and divided

1 1/2 c. pitted dates, roughly chopped
1 1/2 c. almond milk
1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 c. wonderslim (prune puree)
1/2 c. sucanat

1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt

Preheat oven to 325. Toast pecans for 8 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375.
In a medium pot, bring almond milk to a low boil. Add chopped dates and reduce heat to low.
Cook for 1 minute, remove from heat, and add baking soda. It will froth a bit.
In a large bowl, whisk together prunes and sucanat. Add almond milk and date mixture and stir.
In a small bowl, sift together dry ingredients, including 1/2 c. pecans.
Add dry ingredients to wet, and stir until just combined.
Spoon/pour mixture into lightly greased 8x8 pan or 9-inch pie dish.
Bake at 375 for 25-28 minutes, or until cake springs back when you touch it.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Using a toothpick or fork, poke several (100) holes in the cake.

{ The Toffee Sauce }

1/4 c. + 2 T. honey, or other liquid sweetener

1/4 c. + 2 T. sucanat

2 T. Earth Balance

1 T. vanilla extract

1 T. almond milk

1 pinch salt

About 10 minutes before the cake is done, whisk together sauce ingredients in a pot (use the same one).
Bring to a low simmer, reduce heat to low, and heat for about 5 minutes while standing over the pot, watching and whisking. Remove from heat.
Pour 2/3 sauce over holey cake and smooth out with a spoon.
Serve cake warm, topped with more sauce and toasted pecans. Serve with vegan ice-cream!

{ TART CHERRY CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES }

2012-02-13T20:45:00.002-07:00

This is another gem from Oh She Glows. So good!

1 c. walnuts, finely chopped and toasted
1 c. dried tart cherries*
2 T. agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener)
1 pkg. (1 1/2 c.) vegan chocolate chips
3/4 c. full-fat coconut milk (cream from the top of the can)
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. almond extract
3/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
12 drops red/pink food coloring

Preheat oven to 325. Toast chopped walnuts for 10 minutes. Set aside.
Meanwhile, soak cherries for about 10 minutes. Drain and process with 2 T. agave. Process until finely chopped. Set aside.
In medium pot, heat chocolate chips over low heat, stirring as necessary, until mostly melted.
Add coconut milk and stir well.
Add walnuts, cherry mixture, almond extract, and salt. Adjust salt and sweetener to taste.
Spoon mixture into a bowl and place in the freezer, uncovered, for 90 minutes, stirring every 30 minutes.
Transfer bowl to the fridge for another 20 minutes, until chocolate is firm and workable.
In a small bowl, mix coconut and food coloring until pink.
When truffle mixture is firm enough to handle, wet your hands slightly, and roll chocolate into small balls, rewetting hands as necessary. (It's very sticky.)
Roll balls in coconut. Mine made 27 balls.
Store in an air-tight container in the freezer or fridge. (They get very soft at room temperature.)

*I only had 2/3 c. cherries, so I added 1/3 c. dates. Worked great. I'll probably do 1/2 and 1/2 next time.

{ PUMPKIN MOLASSES COOKIES }

2011-11-01T13:24:00.001-06:00

I haven't posted in forever, and I have a bunch of recipes photographed and ready to post, but life has been insanely busy. Someday . . . .

But, these pumpkin molasses cookes, inspired by Mama Pea's pumpkin molasses cookie dough balls, were SOOO good. And, 'tis the season for pumpkin, so I couldn't put off posting this one. I was a bit skeptical at first, because I love our ginger snaps so much, but these are seriously good!

2 c. whole wheat flour
1 T. ginger
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. salt

1/3 c. pureed prunes
2/3 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. sucanat
1/4 c. molasses

1/4 c. evaporated cane juice, for rolling

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
Cream together wet ingredients and sucanat, using an electric or stand mixer.
Gradually add dry ingredients to wet. Mix until a dough comes together.
Chill dough for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350.
Roll dough into balls and roll in evaporated cane juice.
Place on lightly greased baking sheet.
Flatten them into rounds or leave as balls (like Mama Pea).
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
Allow to cool on baking sheet.

Note: These, of course, are delicious with some coconut cream!

{RAW CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH} and {BLIZZARD}

2011-10-11T23:22:00.002-06:00

Warning: Do not make this if you love chocolate chip cookie dough and you are trying to lose weight. There are mostly healthy ingredients, but they are NOT low fat. So if you feel like eating the whole batch, you have been warned and do not blame me.

I found this recipe here. It's really perfect as it is, so I'll just list the recipe like she has it. We have a ton of frozen bananas right now, so I was looking for something new to do with them besides smoothies and the normal soft serve ice cream. This blizzard looked pretty good, and it opened up a whole new world with the cookie dough that was made to be eaten, not cooked!

{COOKIE DOUGH BALLS}
yield: 1 cup packed cookie dough
1/2 c. unsalted raw cashews
1/4 c. oats
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 T. natural cane sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
3-4 T. pure maple syrup (or a bit more if dough is dry)
1/4 c. chocolate chips (vegan)

Put cashews and oats in a food processor.
process until it forms a fine crumble
add salt, sugar, and flour and process a few seconds more
add in the maple syrup and vanilla and process until combined
add chocolate chips and stir by hand, or process
form into balls and store in the freezer

{BLIZZARD}
yield: 2 servings
3 frozen bananas, cut into 1 inch chunks
splash of non dairy milk, if needed
2 T. cookie dough

put frozen bananas in processor
process until smooth, adding small amounts of milk if necessary
add cookie dough and process until combined
stir in desired amount of mini cookie dough balls
put in a glass and serve with a spoon

*I did the nutrition profile for just the cookie dough part- obviously it will be healthier if you mix it with the bananas! The cookie dough is 43% fat, 48% carbs, 9% protein. Each 2 T. serving has 8 g. fat, 2 g. fiber, 4g. protein.

{ POTATO PEEL PIE MINIS }

2011-07-23T20:05:00.009-06:00

I hosted my book group a couple weeks ago. We read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (a MUST read, if you ask me), so, naturally, I had to serve potato peel pie.

I didn't use the original World War II recipe (potato peels + 1 T. milk to form a crust; 1 potato + 1 beet boiled in salt water and mashed for filling). I found a few ideas online and then made my own version. They were really tasty!

{ POTATO PEEL CRUST }

3 c. fleshy potato peels, grated
1 small onion, chopped

1 T. egg replacer + 1/4 c. water
2 T. baby food prunes
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 t. salt

Cut peels off of 8 small to medium potatoes. (I basically squared off the long sides of the potatoes and peeled the short sides, so you have some potato flesh with the peels.)
Grate peels using a food processor.
Chop onion and combine with potato peels.
In a separate bowl, whisk together egg replacer and water until frothy.
Whisk in prunes, flour, and salt.
Add potato peels and onions and mix until well combined.
Press a heaping tablespoon of peel mixture into each of 24 cupcake holders (lightly oiled).
Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

{ FILLING }

I basically used my twice baked potato recipe for the filling and then sprinkled tiny diced (boiled) beets on top.

flesh of 8 small to medium potatoes, steamed

1 1/2 c. butternut squash, steamed

1/2 c. roasted garlic sauce
3/4 c. non-dairy milk
1/3 c. nutritional yeast
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. paprika

1 beet, boiled and diced small

While crust is cooking, chop and steam potatoes and squash, then mash with potato masher.
Add remaining ingredients and mix until well combined.
When crust is ready, spoon potato mixture on top and sprinkle with beets.
Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

{ "CHEESE"CAKE MINIS }

2011-07-23T19:31:00.000-06:00

I hosted my book group a couple weeks ago and served these. They were a hit!

I used this "cheese"cake recipe. I made the full crust recipe and half the filling recipe. It made 24 minis (regular cupcake size). Next time I might do the whole filling recipe instead of half.

Directions:

{ CRUST }

For the crust, I used a little less than a tablespoon of mixture for each mini. (The backside of the tablespoon worked great for pressing and molding the crust.)

Bake the crust at 315 for 5 minutes (instead of 8). Allow to cool to room temperature before pouring in filling.

{ FILLING }

When crust has cooled, pour 1 to 2 tablespoons filling on top of each crust.

Bake at 315 for 30 minutes (instead of 50-60).

Allow to cool to room temperature before covering and putting in the fridge.

{ CHILLED DOUBLE CHOCOLATE TORTE }

2011-07-23T13:41:00.002-06:00

Thanks, Angela, of Oh She Glows (again)! This dessert is beyond-words good! (Mom: "Quite possibly the best thing I've ever put in my mouth!") Yeah, it's really good.

{ NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE CRUST }

2 c. pecans
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1 T. peanut butter (original: 2 T. coconut oil)
1/4 c. pure maple syrup
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. salt

{ CHOCOLATE AVOCADO MOUSSE }

2 c. avocado flesh (2-3 avocados)
1/3 c. almond milk
2/3 c. pure maple syrup
1 T. peanut butter
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1 T. arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
1/4 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
1 c. + 2 T. chocolate chips, melted

Lightly oil a 7-10 inch pie dish (or springform pan).
Process pecans until crumbly (you want some chunks).
Add remaining crust ingredients and pulse until just mixed.
Scoop mixture onto prepared pan and press down firmly and evenly with slightly wet fingers or a spatula.
Put crust in freezer to set while making the mousse.
Place all mousse ingredients, except chocolate chips, in food processor. Process until smooth.
Melt chocolate chips in microwave and scoop into processor.
Process until smooth.
Remove crust from freezer and scoop mousse on top of crust. Smooth out as much as possible and then freeze for 2 hours to firm.
Allow to sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Cover leftover torte and store in freezer.

This is delicious served with this coconut cream!

{ HEAT WAVE SUMMER SALAD }

2011-07-23T13:15:00.000-06:00

Oh She Glows has quickly become one of my favorite sites. This is another one of hers, with a couple of adaptations. I served it last night with cabbage pitas, and I'm eating the leftovers right now. So good!

{ SALAD }

1 c. wheatberries (2 c. cooked)
1 can garbanzos, drained and rinsed*
2 c. chopped peaches
1 c. chopped strawberries
1 c. blueberries
1/2 c. chopped almonds

{ DRESSING }

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
2 T. pure maple syrup
1 t. dijon mustard
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt

fresh baby spinach

Cook wheatberries.
Combine all salad ingredients.
Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad.
Serve over fresh baby spinach. (Original recipe has sauteed kale instead.)

*I forgot the garbanzos last night, and it was still delicious. I added them into my leftovers today, and I like them. In the future, I'll just do with or without depending on my mood.

{ BROCCOLI RAISIN SALAD }

2011-07-10T19:04:00.001-06:00

Elna and Mom found this one on Rawmazing and tweaked it slightly. Loved it!

{ SALAD }

6 c. chopped raw broccoli
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1 c. raisins
1 c. sunflower seeds

{ DRESSING }

1 c. raw cashews, soaked 2 hours
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. pineapple juice
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. water
1 shallot (2 T. chopped) (or red onion, or sweet onion)
1 clove garlic
1 to 2 T. agave nectar
1 t. mustard powder
1 pinch salt (optional)

Blend dressing until silky smooth.
Pour over salad and combine until well coated.

{ PISTACHIO CAKE }

2011-07-10T14:56:00.004-06:00

I recently read Jeanne Ray's Eat Cake for my book group. I thought it was a fun read, and the recipes all looked delicious but very un-vegan and very high fat. The pistachio cake recipe was the only one that seemed remotely convertible. Here it is--veganized, whole wheat, and with no processed fats. It was delicious!

3/4 c. shelled pistachios

1 c. whole wheat flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt (omit if using salted pistachios)

1/2 c. non-dairy milk
1/4 t. vanilla

1/3 c. water + 1 1/2 T. egg replacer powder

3/4 c. wonderslim
1/2 c. evaporated cane juice
1/2 c. sucanat

Preheat oven to 350.
Process pistachios in food processor until finely ground, but not pasty.
Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse to mix.
In a mixing cup, combine milk and vanilla.
In a separate bowl or mixer, whisk water and egg replacer until frothy.
Add wonderslim, evaporated cane juice, and sucanat, and mix well.
While mixing on low speed, add the pistachio flour and milk in batches, alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
Mix just until combined.
Pour batter into a lightly greased 9x13 baking pan.
Bake on 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

(We ate half of it a couple days ago, and I'm serving it like this for my daughter's birthday today: with vegan lemon cream cheese frosting.)

Printing Error

2011-07-07T13:19:00.000-06:00

Users beware: Sometimes when using the printing option for a recipe, random ingredients are left out (no obvious sign they're missing). It just happened to me twice.

Does anyone know how to fix this problem? And, in the meantime, if you use the print option, double check the ingredient list before printing.

{ STRAWBERRY BANANA SOFT SERVE }

2011-06-28T19:17:00.005-06:00

This tastes as good as it looks! (I was reminded of this little treat browsing through recipes on Oh She Glows.)

3 parts frozen bananas
1 part frozen strawberries

Process in food processor until desired consistency.

I put the extra into 2 oz. containers and made popsicles. They were a hit!

Here's one of my princesses enjoying her first of two popsicles!

{ WALNUT POLENTA MEATLESS LOAF }

2011-06-27T20:36:00.002-06:00

If you like(d) meat loaf, this is a great one to try. I started with this recipe from The Health Seeker's Kitchen, but couldn't find green chili polenta, so I ended up changing quite a few things slightly and adding some other things. I used (and changed) this recipe from Oh She Glows for the sauce. Here's what I did (and I'll do it again):

1/4 c. water to saute
2 c. sweet onion, chopped

1 T. canned green chilies
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. dried cilantro
1 T. fresh chopped parsley
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. nutritional yeast
1 t. sesame seeds
2 T. tomato paste

1/2 c. sun-dried tomato garlic polenta*

1 c. walnuts, coarsely ground
1 1/4 c. cooked brown rice (1/2 c. uncooked)**

{ SAUCE }

3 T. ketchup
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. unsweetened applesauce

Preheat oven to 350.
Saute onions in water until translucent.
Add chilies through tomato paste and mix well.
Add polenta and mix well. Make sure there aren't any lumps.
Add walnuts and rice. Mix well.
Press into a loaf pan.
Top with sauce. (I made extra sauce for dipping.)
Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

*This was my first time using polenta. I've looked online, and as far as I can tell, it freezes well. So I plan on just dividing the remaining polenta into 1/2-cup portions and freezing it for next time.

**I knew I would be needing Spanish rice later this week, so that's what I made and used this time. It was great.

{ CHILLED STRAWBERRY ALMOND SOUP }

2011-06-23T13:27:00.001-06:00

I made some changes to this recipe to make a whole-foods version. Yum!

1/2 c. water
2 T. almonds
1/4 t. almond extract
6 dates

3-4 c. sliced strawberries

Chopped strawberries and slivered almonds for garnish.

Blend water, almonds, extract, and dates until very smooth.
Fill blender to 4 cups with strawberries.
Blend until smooth.
Chill before serving.
Top with slivered almonds and chopped strawberries.

{ QUINOA ALMOND BERRY SALAD }

2011-06-23T13:21:00.002-06:00

Ok. This salad is one of the most delicious things I've ever had! Mom and Elna told me about it a couple days ago. I immediately hauled all 3 kids to the store for berries, and we had it for dinner that night. And lunch the next day. Then I made it again for dessert the second night. And I had the leftovers for breakfast this morning. I'm not kidding; it's delicious! (I'm making it AGAIN for a Relief Society breakfast on Saturday. That'll make 3 times in 4 days.) You can find the original recipe here.

3/4 c. dry quinoa

3 c. sliced strawberries
2 c. fresh (or frozen) blueberries
1 c. cherries, pitted and sliced*
1/2 c. almonds, slivered or chopped

{ DRESSING }

1/4 c. pure maple syrup
2 T. fresh lime juice
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 pinch salt

Prepare quinoa according to package instructions.
Combine fruit and almonds in a large bowl.
Fluff cooked quinoa with a fork and add to fruit. Combine.
Pour on dressing and mix well.
Serve immediately or chill in fridge until serving time. (Mike and I both liked it better chilled. In fact, the second night I made it, I rinsed the cooked quinoa in cold water, so we wouldn't have to wait for it to chill.)

*Mom and Elna used mangoes and said it was delicious. Any fruit, I'm sure, would be good.

{ ARTICHOKE PASTA - FAT-FREE VERSION }

2011-06-21T13:16:00.000-06:00

Posted with original recipe, here.

{ SWEET POTATO PUDDING - WHOLE-FOODS VERSION }

2011-06-21T13:03:00.000-06:00

Check it out here.

{ CORN CHOWDER - NEW VERSION }

2011-06-21T13:01:00.000-06:00

Check it out here.

{ CRISP RICE FRUIT BITES }

2011-05-25T13:45:00.002-06:00

Thanks, Elna, for sharing this recipe! (The original recipe is here.)

1 c. almonds
1 c. walnuts
1 c. prunes
1 c. dried fruit*
1/4 c. honey
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon

1 1/2 c. Barbara's Brown Rice Crisps cereal

Place almonds in a food processor and pulse to coarsely chop.
Add remaining ingredients except cereal and process until finely chopped, but not pureed.
Place in a large bowl and mix in cereal by hand.
Using your hands, press firmly into a 3/4-inch thick square on a cutting board.
Cut into 1-inch squares.
Place squares on parchment paper or lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake at 200 for 30 minutes.
Allow to cool.
Store in an airtight container.

*The original recipe calls for 1-inch pieces of dried mango. I didn't have mango, so I used dried apples.

{ WHOLE WHEAT BURGER BUNS }

2011-05-25T13:30:00.005-06:00

I found these on Notes From the Vegan Feast Kitchen. Bryanna was kind enough to give permission to post the recipe.

I changed a couple things to make them 100% whole wheat. They worked great, and we loved them! We had them with bean burgers and oven fries.

1/4 c. warm water + 2 t. yeast

1 c. leftover soft mashed potatoes, warm (or 1/2 c. instant mashed potatoes mixed with 1 c. boiling water)
1 c. medium-firm tofu, drained and mashed
3/4 c. to 1 c. non-dairy milk, warm
1/4 c. ground flaxseed
1/4 c. wheat bran
2 T. sucanat
2 T. oil (or wonderslim)
1 T. nutritional yeast flakes
2 t. salt

4 c. whole wheat flour*

non-dairy milk for brushing
sesame or poppy seeds, or onion flakes for garnish

Proof yeast in water for a few minutes.

Add potatoes through salt and mix well. (I used a Bosch mixer, dough hook.)

Add flour and knead on speed 2 for 5 minutes. (Original instructions are to knead for 5-10 minutes, with a mixer or by hand.)

As the dough is kneading, keep an eye on it, and add more non-dairy milk or water, a couple tablespoons at a time, if it seems too dry.

Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place (corn warmers in the microwave worked great) for 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down and divide into 9-12 equal balls. (I made 9.) Dough should be pretty sticky.

With wet hands, press the balls down on greased or cornmealed baking sheets to make circles 3-4 inches across.

Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Brush the buns with non-dairy milk for a shiny glaze and sprinkle with garnish.

Bake at 350 (325 convection) for 20 minutes.

Cool on racks.

*The whole wheat flour we use is home-ground from hard white wheat. It makes a much lighter bread than other wheat varieties.

{ STRAWBERRY (SHORT)CAKE }

2011-05-22T13:42:00.002-06:00

Wow! This was good! Thanks, Mom (source?).

{ Cupcakes }

Mix together dry ingredients:
2 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. evaporated cane juice
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder

In a separate bowl, whisk together:
1 c. water + 1 T. egg replacer

Add to egg replacer and whisk together:
3 T. baby food prunes
1 T. Earth Balance margarine
1 t. vanilla
1 t. lemon juice

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and gently fold together by hand until only a few lumps are left. Do not use an electric mixer.
Fill 12 muffin tins about 3/4 full.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
Wait 5-10 minutes before removing muffins to cool on a rack.

{ Strawberry Sauce }

12 oz. apple juice concentrate

1/4 c. corn starch

1 t. to 1 T. lemon juice

1 to 2 t. lemon zest

3 lbs. fresh strawberries, chopped

Combine first ingredients in saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly.
Stir in strawberries.
Chill before serving.

Serve with coconut cream. So good!

Forks Over Knives

2011-05-15T19:39:00.001-06:00

Check here to see if it's playing near you!

{ YOGURT PARFAIT }

2011-05-15T13:43:00.003-06:00

This recipe comes from May's issue of The Friend magazine. We had them two days in a row! Delish! (This recipe makes four 1-cup parfaits.)

2 c. granola
2 c. non-dairy yogurt*
2 c. fresh berries
1/4 c. shredded coconut
2 t. orange zest
2 T. evaporated cane juice

Mix coconut, zest, and evaporated cane juice together in a bowl.
Put 1/4 c. granola in the bottom of each cup.
Pour 1/4 c. yogurt over granola.
Add 1/4 c. berries.
Sprinkle with coconut orange mixture.
Repeat layers - granola, yogurt, berries, coconut.

*The original recipe calls for vanilla yogurt. We used lemon one day, and strawberry the next.

{ CASHEW ALFREDO SAUCE }

2011-04-21T19:25:00.001-06:00

Aunt Elna emailed this recipe to me (original source?). It was super easy and really good. I think I like this recipe a little bit better, but the very best might be the 2 recipes combined. I'll try that next time and let you know.

1/2 c. raw cashews
1 t. fresh lemon juice
1-3 cloves garlic
2 T. nutritional yeast
1/2 t. salt
1 dash pepper
1 1/2 c. boiling water (best to use starchy pasta-cooking water)

Blend all ingredients until very smooth and thickened.
Serve over whole grain pasta.
Top with freshly ground black pepper.

{ WONDERSLIM (home-made fat replacer) }

2011-04-13T23:28:00.001-06:00

There are a lot of posts on Greener Eating that call for wonderslim, or baby food prunes. Wonderslim is a product that used to be sold at health food stores as a fat and egg replacer. All that was in it was pureed prunes and water, with a little soy lecithin and citric acid (I'm assuming just to preserve it's color or make it more shelf stable). We just puree our own prunes now, and it works great! I always replace at least half of the oil or butter in recipes with it the first time I make something, and if it works well then the next time around I replace all the fat. Use a 1:1 ratio.

Here are the amounts I use and it works every time. I either store the extra in the fridge if I think I'll be using it soon, or I freeze it in 1/4 cup containers (the same ones the baby food prunes come in) and just thaw it out when I'm ready to use it.

water
prunes (or dried plums, if that sounds better!)

Fill blender with water up to the 3 cup mark
Add prunes until water reaches the 4 cup mark (this is the easiest way to measure, because you don't have to worry about how packed down they are in a measuring cup - plus it's less dishes to wash!)
Blend until completely smooth

*Remember that if the thought of eating prunes makes you feel like an old lady (or man), it's actually what's going to keep you young! Prunes are very good for you and replacing fat in recipes just makes it doubly good. Don't be scared!

{ LEMON BARS }

2011-03-25T13:23:00.003-06:00

We went to Marian's for a day last week, and she said something about lemon bars. I've been thinking about them ever since and had to find a vegan recipe and make some. The original recipe can be found on Savvy Vegetarian.

Mike, Mariah, and I really liked them. Elaine (2) said they were too spicy.

{ CRUST }

1/4 c. coconut oil
1/4 c. baby food prunes
1/4 c. powdered evaporated cane juice
1 c. whole wheat flour

{ FILLING }

1/2 c. silken tofu
1 c. evaporated cane juice
zest from 2 lemons
1/3 c. fresh lemon juice
2 T. whole wheat flour
2 T. cornstarch

1 T. powdered evaporated cane juice

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream coconut oil, prunes, and powdered evaporated can juice with an electric mixer.

Add flour, and beat until the dough just comes together.

Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a greased 8x8 baking pan.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Remove crust from oven and place on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling.

Blend filling ingredients in blender until very smooth.

Pour over the cooled crust.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is set. (It will also continue to set as it cools.)

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Sprinkle top with sifted powdered evaporated can juice.

{ PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES }

2011-03-20T21:25:00.003-06:00

These are some of my favorite cookies right now. I'm doing a new thing with my kids where if they give me the treats that they get at school/church/parties etc., I exchange it for healthier cookies that I've made. I've always got to have a few selections in the freezer in order to keep it up. So far it's been fun but I CAN'T BELIEVE how many treats they bring me (which means they would have been eating all that before- which is the reason I did this in the first place!). I know that even vegan cookies aren't super healthy, but at least they are better than the alternative!

1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. oats
1 c. sucanat or brown sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 t. vanilla
1/4 c. baby food prunes
2 T. applesauce
1/2 c. maple syrup
1/2 c. peanut butter

Preheat oven to 325.
Mix all ingredients together (I use a Bosch)
Drop rounded balls onto greased cookie sheet.
Smash down with a fork
Sprinkle with sugar or ECJ if desired
Bake 10-12 minutes

{ GOT (THE FACTS ON) MILK? }

2011-03-20T12:55:00.002-06:00

{ PEANUT BUTTER POPCORN }

2011-03-13T19:20:00.000-06:00

This is a fun and easy snack my kids (and I) love. I guessed on the amounts here, so play with it if it doesn't work for you.

air popped popcorn (1/2 c. kernels)
1/2 c. healthy peanut butter (no added sugar or oil)
1/3 c. honey

Combine the peanut butter and honey and heat in the microwave until it's melted and can be easily stirred together.
Pour over popcorn and stir.

{ APPLE PECAN FLIP }

2011-03-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Plant Based Health and thought it looked yummy. But I also just really like the name. Anything called "flip" should be good, right?

It was really easy and quite good. I served it (of course) with leftover coconut cream.

1 c. whole pecans
1 apple, 1/4-inch diced
1/3 c. maple syrup
1/2 c. non-dairy milk

1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

3/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. agave nectar
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.
In a 9-inch baking dish, spread a single layer of pecans and top with a layer of apple.
Drizzle with maple syrup and non-dairy milk.
In a bowl, mix dry ingredients.
Add applesauce, agave, and vanilla and stir until well combined.
Dollap batter over apples and pecans, and carefully spread evenly.
Bake for 25-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. (Original recipe said 30-35, but mine was a bit over done at 30 minutes. I think I'll try a few minutes less next time.)
Remove from oven and carefully flip cake onto a platter.

{ LIME SOUP }

2011-02-25T14:36:00.004-07:00

This soup has a really great flavor. I think the original recipe may have come from the Linford family (maybe Uncle Ray?) but I've changed it quite a bit. The flavor is still very similar, though. Since the revised recipe doesn't have chicken, we like it served over cilantro lime rice.

3 c. water
3 t. vegetable bouillon
3 cloves garlic
½ white onion, chopped
3 small sprigs cilantro
1 ½ t. salt
½ t. ground cumin
1 1-inch stick cinnamon (⅓ t. if ground)
2 whole cloves
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. olive oil
¾ c. red onion, finely chopped
¾ c. green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 14-oz. cans tomatoes (I use petite diced)
2 14-oz. cans great northern beans
4 limes, 2 halved, 2 sliced
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
tortilla strips*
cilantro lime rice

• Toast the cumin, cinnamon, clove, and oregano in a small skillet, then transfer to a blender. Add water, bouillon, garlic, and onion. Blend until smooth. Add cilantro and pulse a few times, until the cilantro is finely chopped.

• Transfer the blended mixture to a pot. Add the red onions and bell peppers. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

• Add the tomatoes and great northern beans and bring to a boil again.

• When the soup comes to a boil, add the 2 halved limes. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the limes at this point, even if you serve soup immediately. The soup will take on the flavor of the rind if the limes are left in too long.

• Serve over cilantro lime rice, with sliced limes, avocados, and tortilla strips*.

* To make healthy tortilla strips, preheat the oven to 400°. Slice several corn tortillas into very thin strips and spread them thinly on a cookie sheet. Mist lightly with water (or cooking spray) and sprinkle with salt. Bake them for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. You may want to turn them once or twice during baking.

{SNICKERDOODLES}

2011-02-25T14:01:00.010-07:00

These cookies aren't super healthy, but better than they could be and they're VERY good.* We love to eat them with some vanilla soy ice cream and chopped pecans.

COOKIES:

½ c. applesauce
½ c. vegan butter (I use Smart Balance)*
2 c. evaporated cane juice
1 T. egg substitute
1 t. vanilla
⅛ t. almond extract (just a few drops)
3 c. whole wheat flour
2 t. cream of tartar (if you have it)**
1 t. baking soda**
¼ t. salt

CINNAMON SUGAR:

2 T. evaporated cane juice
1 T. sucanot
1½ t. cinnamon
1 t. pumpkin or apple pie spice (or mixture of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice)

• Mix applesauce, butter, evaporated cane juice, egg replacer, vanilla, and almond extract thoroughly.

• Sift flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Blend into evaporated can juice mixture.

• Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

• Combine cinnamon sugar ingredients.

• Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture.

• Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 400° for 11-13 minutes. Cookies will puff up at first, then flatten out. Remove from oven while still somewhat puffy and soft. Immediately remove from pan and cool on cooling rack.

*To make these fat free, you can replace the margarine with baby food prunes (or wonderslim) and double the salt (1/2 t.). They're really quite good. If you do this, be sure to smash the cookies down after rolling them, because they won't flatten on their own.

Here's a picture of the fat free variety:

**If you don't have cream of tartar, you can replace it with 1 T. baking powder, and reduce the baking soda to 1/4 t. It also works just fine to leave the recipe as is and just omit the cream of tartar.

{BEST CHOCOLATE SHAKE EVER}

2011-02-19T21:46:00.004-07:00

Mom came up with this Chocolate Shake and it really is a perfect mix of ingredients for a perfect flavor. It's made from healthy whole foods so it's a delicious treat that you don't have to feel guilty eating!

1 c. cold water (like really cold from the fridge water)
1/2 c. ice
1/3 c. raw almonds
6-8 pitted dates (about 1/2 c.)

Put above ingredients in blender
Blend 90 seconds or until smooth
Add:
3 whole frozen bananas (6 halves cut into 1 inch pieces- should raise the almond date milk from about 2 cups to 4 cups)
1/4 t. coconut extract (Don't leave this out! It's what makes the shake not taste like a banana/chocolate shake)
1/2 t. vanilla extract
8 t. cocoa powder
Blend until smooth, scraping down sides of blender as necessary.
Pour a nice tall glass and enjoy! We like to eat it with a spoon.
Serves 2-4

{ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH}

2011-02-18T11:00:00.001-07:00

I saw this recipe here and remembered I had some frozen, uncooked butternut squash. I made a couple changes (omitted the oil, for one), and it turned out great! The girls and I are eating it with our fingers as I post this.

I also think the same seasoning would be great on sweet potatoes or red potatoes.

3 c. cubed butternut squash
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 t. smoked paprika
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/4 t. pepper

Preheat oven to 375.
Toss all ingredients in a medium bowl.
Spray a cookie sheet and spread squash in single layer.
Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Turn squash and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until desired crispiness.

{MOROCCAN VEGETABLES}

2011-02-16T19:51:00.001-07:00

I found this recipe in the February issue of Better Nutrition magazine. I really liked it; Mike said it was ok. The original recipe is for a slow cooker, and calls for chicken. Baked tofu would be great in it, but I left it out this time. I made it in the pressure cooker, so that's what I'll post.

prepared brown rice or quinoa

water to saute
2 c. onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. fresh ginger, grated (or 1 t. ground ginger)

2 cans diced tomatoes, blended
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 c. green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 large carrots, sliced
2 medium zucchini, sliced
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. turmeric
1/2 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. cumin
1/4 t. cinnamon

raisins
fresh parsley
toasted sliced almonds

Saute onions, garlic, and ginger in water (in pressure cooker) while you prepare and chop vegetables.
Add tomatoes, garbanzos, carrots, zucchini, and spices.
Cook on low pressure for 1 minute. Quick release.
Serve over brown rice or quinoa.
Top with raisins, fresh parsley, and almonds.

{BRYANNA'S BARLEY AND WINTER SQUASH CHOWDER}

2011-02-07T21:21:00.001-07:00

Mom and I saw this one on Vegan Feast Kitchen. You can find the original recipe here. Bryanna was kind enough to allow us to post the recipe on our site.

I didn't have some of the ingredients, so I did some improvising, and I opted to not use the tofu or fake chicken. I'm just going to post what I did. It was delicious!

4 c. vegetable broth (I used 4 c. water + 1 T. Better-than-Bullion)
1 c. onion, chopped
1/2 c. celery leaves and tops, chopped
3/4 c. pearled barley
1 bay leaf
3/4 t. dried thyme
1/4 t. dried mint leaves
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

4 c. red potatoes (I used regular)
4 c. butternut squash

1 1/2 c. non-dairy milk

fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Place broth, onion, celery, barley, and spices into a soup pot and bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, chop the potatoes and butternut squash.
Add potatoes and squash and turn down to low heat.
Simmer until vegetables are tender.
Add non-dairy milk.
Garnish each bowl with fresh parsley.

{NOT POT PIE}

2011-02-01T19:16:00.005-07:00

Wow! So good! This is Aunt Amy's pot pie recipe, veganized by Elna and Lucy and served over these biscuits. We loved it! Perfect for a snowed-in day here in Oklahoma.

water for sauteing
1 c. onion, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped

3-4 c. vegetable broth
1 t. poultry seasoning*
3 c. carrots, sliced or diced
3 c. potatoes, diced
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 c. non-dairy milk
1 c. raw cashews
1 t. poultry seasoning
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

1/2 c. frozen corn
1/2 c. frozen peas**

Saute onions and celery in water for a few minutes.
Add broth, 1 t. poultry seasoning, and carrots and bring to a simmer.
Add potatoes and garbanzo beans.
Simmer until veggies are tender but not overcooked.
Remove from heat.
Blend non-dairy milk, cashews, 1 t. poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, and 1 c. broth/potato mixture. (Try to avoid carrots and garbanzos, but don't stress over a few strays.)
Add "cream," corn, and peas to veggies.
Serve over drop biscuits, regular or herb.
*I happened to have fresh (frozen) poultry seasoning (equal parts rosemary, thyme, sage) this time. So I put 2 T. of this in the pot and did not put additional in the blended part.

**I did not have peas, so I added an additional 1/2 c. corn.

{CASHEW CHEEZ BALL}

2011-01-05T15:10:00.001-07:00

This was delish! We served it at our New Year's Eve party to very normal, non-vegan people. It was a hit!

I just doubled this cashew cheeze recipe, processed it for a lot longer to make it creamy, and chilled it for several hours. Here it is:

2 c. raw cashews
1/2 c. water
5 T. fresh lemon juice (juice from 1 lemon)
1 t. salt
2-4 cloves garlic

1/2 c. cilantro, packed

Process all ingredients except the cilantro until very smooth.
Add cilantro and process until desired consistency.

Line a round mould with saran wrap. (I used one of my baby's stacker balls.)
Fill mould with cheez.
Cover and chill for several hours.
Turn onto serving tray and remove mould and saran wrap.
Brush with water to smooth lines.
Serve with vegan crackers.

{POMEGRANATE SALSA}

2011-01-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

This stuff is amazing! Mom got the recipe from her sister.

seeds of 1 pomegranate
1 avocado, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 T. onion, finely chopped
1/4 t. ground coriander
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients.
Mix well.
Chill before serving.
Serve with healthy tortilla chips.

{CHRISTMAS GINGERBREAD COOKIES}

2010-12-15T10:27:00.001-07:00

I served these with coconut cream at book group last night. They were a huge hit!

The dough worked great rolling it out instead of rolling it into balls. I tried parchment paper, floured surface, and pam-sprayed surface. The latter worked the best, but all were fine.

I decreased the cooking time from 10 to 9 minutes. They were perfect!

{EASY PECAN PIE BITES}

2010-12-01T21:19:00.001-07:00

Mom happened upon these here. They are my new favorite snack. So good!

dates
pecans

Replace date pits with pecans. Done.

{WHOLE WHEAT FAT-FREE TORTILLAS}

2010-12-01T20:52:00.005-07:00

These turned out really good! I was so sick of trying to find anything close to a healthy whole wheat tortilla-- without the sugar, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oil, shortening, etc. On my last trip to the grocery store, I decided I would just make my own and never buy those lousy things again.

So, we had fajitas today. I did some searching online, looked at several different recipes, and came up with this.

This makes 12 to 16 tortillas (all photos are of half the recipe).

4 c. whole wheat flour
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 T. nutritional yeast
1 to 2 drops stevia (I use an actual "drop" measuring spoon. Very very small amount!)
1/2 c. baby food prunes (or blended prunes and water)
1 1/2 c. cold water

Mix together dry ingredients.
Cut in baby food prunes.

Mix in water, forming dough into a ball.
Cover with saran wrap and let sit 15 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll dough into 2 logs.
Cut each log into 6 to 8 even pieces.

Put pieces back in bowl and recover with saran wrap.
Heat a skillet over medium high.
Remove one piece of dough and roll into a ball.
Flatten onto floured surface. Flip over (so both sides are floured) and flatten again, into about a 4-inch disc.

Roll with a rolling pin until very very thin. The easiest way I found (after some trial and error) was to hold the dough down with one hand and use my other palm on the rolling pin, turning the dough slightly with the holding hand between each roll.

Carefully transfer rolled dough to the skillet. (I found it best to drape the dough over the rolling pin to pick it up.)

Dry fry for a few minutes on each side, until bubbles form on the first, and then until bubbles are brown but not burned on the second.

While it's cooking, roll out your next tortilla. Be careful, however, not to over cook the first.
Keep tortillas covered with a towel until ready to serve. (They do rewarm well, between paper towels, 20 seconds in the microwave.)
These should store well in a bag in the refrigerator, or in the freezer.

(The bullets are all messed up on my computer; I hope they're not on yours. I don't know how to fix it.)

{CRANBERRY JELLO}

2010-11-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

This recipe has been around in our family for as long as I can remember. Source, Mom?

Anyway, it's really good!

4 pkgs. no-flavor gelatin
12 oz. cranberry, rasberry, or apple juice concentrate (or combination)
20 oz. can crushed pineapple
2 c. cranberry sauce
1 c. pecans or walnuts, chopped
1/2 to 1 c. vegan sour cream
Strain pineapple, reserving juice.
Mix concentrate with pineapple juice to make 4 1/2 c. (Add water if necessary.)
Sprinkle gelatin on 1 c. juice mixture.
Let sit for 1 minute.
Meanwhile, boil remaining 3 1/2 c. juice.
Add boiling juice to cold and stir to dissolve gelatin.
Pour into 9x13 dish.
Refrigerate until half set. (30 minutes to an hour. Check every 5-10 minutes after 30 minutes. It can go very quickly from liquid to set.)
Meanwhile, combine and mix crushed pineapple, cranberry sauce, and nuts.
When jello is half set, mix in fruit and nuts.

Refrigerate 5 more minutes.
Swirl or mix in sour cream.
Refrigerate to set completely.

{STUFFING}

2010-11-25T19:23:00.003-07:00

We have Susan (Fat Free Vegan) to thank for this one. So good! Marian and I are going to make more tomorrow to go with our other Thanksgiving leftovers. (I'll put the original recipe in parenthesis where I made some changes.)

1/2 c. onion, chopped

4 c. whole wheat bread cubes (4 thick-ish slices)
1 t. each of fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme, minced (3/4 t. poultry seasoning)
1 T. dried parsley or 3 T. fresh parsley, minced
1 T. nutritional yeast
1/2 t. salt
1 dash freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. celery, chopped
1/2 c. dried cranberries (raisins)
1/4 c. pecans or walnuts, chopped

1-2 T. soy sauce
1/2 c. boiling vegetable broth (or water)
Preheat oven to 350.
Saute onions in water until soft. (I added this step.)
Meanwhile, mix bread cubes with all seasoning, celery, cranberries, and nuts.
Strain onions and add to mixture.
Toss/mix until well combined.
Add soy sauce to boiling broth and pour over bread mixture, stirring to moisten completely.
Bake covered for 20 minutes.
Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes.

{MASHED POTATOES}

2010-11-25T19:00:00.001-07:00

This isn't really a recipe, but here's what we do for delicious vegan mashed potatoes:

potatoes
non-dairy milk
vegan margarine
salt
pepper
Peel potatoes and cut into 2-inch chunks.
Put 1 inch water and steaming rack in pressure cooker.
Add potatoes to cooker, and cook on low pressure for 3 minutes.
Quick release.
Poor steamed potatoes into electric mixer (Bosch).
Do initial mashing with potato masher.
Warm milk in microwave.
Use whisk beaters in mixer. Turn mixer on, and add milk and margarine to desired texture, consistency, and taste.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with this gravy.

{A VEGAN THANKSGIVING}

2010-11-25T14:57:00.007-07:00

When people find out we're vegan, they often ask, "What do you eat for Thanksgiving?" Our answer: "Everything!"

My girls and I are at Marian's. (Mike has Dental Boards on Saturday; we left him this week so he could study in peace.) This was our menu:

Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Stuffing
Carrots
Peas
Candied Yams
Rolls
Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry Jello
Wassail
Apple Pie with Coconut Cream
Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce

Here's the Spread:

And here's my plate:

Everything was delicious! And I absolutely love eating a Thanksgiving Feast and not feeling that rock-in-my-stomach fullness afterward!

{CHERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP SNACK BARS}

2010-11-18T14:17:00.003-07:00

Another variation on breakfast bars:

1 1/2 c. oats
1 1/2 c. shredded wheat cereal
1 1/2 c. cashews
1 1/4 c. dates
3/4 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. salt

1 1/4 c. dried cherries
3/4 c. vegan chocolate chips

1/3 c. water
1 1/2 T. egg replacer powder
1/2 c. honey
1/2 T. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.
Place first ingredients and 3/4 c. dried cherries in food processor. (If you don't have a large-capacity processor, you may need to do this in 2 parts.)
Process until finely chopped.
Add remaining 1/2 c. cherries and the chocolate chips, and process until they're the size you want.
In a large bowl, whisk together water through vanilla.
Add oat mixture and stir to combine.
Transfer to a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish, and lightly press flat.
Bake on 350 for 20 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.
Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving. (They're even better chilled in the fridge or freezer.)

{APPLE CINNAMON SNACK BARS}

2010-11-18T14:10:00.004-07:00

Another variation on breakfast bars:

1 1/2 c. oats
1 1/2 c. shredded wheat cereal
1 1/2 c. walnuts
1 c. dates
2 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. salt

1 1/3 c. dried apples

1/3 c. water
1 1/2 T. egg replacer powder
1/2 c. honey
1/2 T. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.
Place first ingredients and 2/3 c. apples in food processor. (If you don't have a large-capacity processor, you may need to do this in 2 parts.)
Process until finely chopped.
Add remaining 2/3 c. apples, and process until they're the size you want.
In a large bowl, whisk together water through vanilla.
Add oat mixture and stir to combine.
Transfer to a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish, and lightly press flat.
Bake on 350 for 20 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.
Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving. (They're even better chilled in the fridge or freezer.)

{CHOCOLATE CHIP SNACK BARS}

2010-11-18T14:02:00.004-07:00

These are a variation of the breakfast bars. So yummy! I make a bunch and freeze them for my husband to pack in his lunch.

1 1/2 c. oats
1 1/2 c. shredded wheat cereal
1 1/2 c. pecans
2 1/4 c. dates
3/4 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. salt

3/4 c. vegan chocolate chips

1/3 c. water

1 1/2 T. egg replacer powder
1/2 c. honey
1/2 T. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.

Place first ingredients in a food processor. (If you don't have a large capacity processor, you might have to do this in 2 parts.)

Process until finely chopped.

Add chocolate chips and pulse a few time, until they're the size you want.

In a large bowl, whisk together water through vanilla.

Add the oat mixture, and stir to combine.

Transfer to a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish and flatten down gently.

Bake on 350 for 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting and serving. (They're even better after being chilled in the fridge or freezer.)

{RAW TACOS}

2010-11-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

I saw this on The Cooking Lady (Thanks!). I really liked it, but the cheeze was pretty rich, so I couldn't eat enough of it to get full.

I think the ground walnut "meat" would be a great addition to any taco salad, tostada, soft taco, etc.

And the cilantro-cashew cheeze reminded me a bit of ranch dressing. I might try to tweak it a bit to make a salad dressing. I've been wanting a good vegan ranch for a long time.

I also think the cheeze would make a great vegetable dip!

{GROUND WALNUT MEAT}
1 c. raw walnuts
1/2 T. ground cumin
1/2 T. ground coriander
1/2 T. liquid aminos, tamari, or soy sauce
1 pinch salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor.
Process until mixture resembles ground meat. (Be careful to not over process into butter.)

{CILANTRO-CASHEW CHEEZE}

1-2 cloves garlic
1/2 t. salt
1 c. raw cashews
2 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 c. water
Place garlic and salt in a food processor and process into small pieces.
Add cashews and process into a paste.
Add lemon juice, cilantro, and water.
Process to mix well.
To Serve:
Spread 2 T. cheeze down center of Romaine lettuce leaf.
Sprinkle with 2 T. ground walnut meat.
Top with salsa and avocado slices.
Wrap and enjoy!

{APPLE PIE}

2010-11-05T19:17:00.006-06:00

We had a Relief Society meeting last night and learned how to make pie crust. After watching the demo, I was bound and determined to make a whole wheat, vegan pie crust without using shortening. Here it is. It's not a flaky, melt-in-your mouth crust, but it's not too hard or tough either. I'm not sure if the non-flakiness was due to my inexperience (probably handled the dough too much), or just because coconut milk doesn't act like shortening. But, it was tasty, and for my first pie ever, I'll call it a success.

I took elements from this recipe and this one, along with a crust recipe my friend sent to me.

{APPLE FILLING}

6 c. apples, peeled and thinly sliced (food processor)
2 T. lemon juice

2/3 c. apple juice
3 T. flour
3/4 c. sucanat
1 dash salt
1 t. cinnamon
2 t. lemon zest
Peel and slice apples (reserve and freeze peels for later use in green drinks), toss with lemon juice, and set aside.
Combine flour, sucanat, salt, and cinnamon in a small saucepan.
Over medium heat, slowly add apple juice, stirring (whisking) constantly.
Add lemon zest and continue to stir.
Bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and set aside.

{WHOLE WHEAT PIE CRUST}

2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 t. salt
1 c. hardened half of chilled Thai Kitchen coconut milk
Up to 6 T. cold water (put ice in some water to make it really cold)

Put coconut milk in fridge to chill for at least a couple of hours, better overnight.
Combine flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and put in the freezer to chill, at least one hour.
Put rolling pin and pastry blender (or knife and fork) in freezer to chill.
After everything has chilled for long enough, puncture bottom of coconut milk can to allow liquid to drain out. (Reserve and freeze for later use in pina colada shake!)
Scoop out solid(ish) part. Should be about a cup. If not, add liquid back to make 1 cup.
Cut into flour, using a pastry blender or knife and fork, until the dough resembles small peas.
Sprinkle water 1 T. at a time, and mix with a fork, just until dough starts to hold together.
Form into 2 balls, one slightly larger than the other. (Handle dough as little as possible.)
Roll out on floured parchment paper until slightly bigger than a 9" pie dish.
Carefully pick up parchment paper and fold over to lay crust into dish.
Pour apples into crust.
Pour sauce slowly over apples. If you pour too fast, it will run off the pie instead of seeping down into the apples.
Cover top with 2nd crust.
Fold edge of bottom crust over top crust and make a fluted edge.
Cut design in top.

Brush with non-dairy milk.
Cover edges with foil to avoid over browning.
Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.
Remove foil and bake for another 25-30 minutes.

Serve topped with this coconut whipped cream.

{GARLIC HERB DROP BISCUITS}

2010-11-01T19:46:00.002-06:00

I served these tonight with this skillet lasagna. Very good. I had planned to make garlic bread but hadn't made any french bread, so I just tweaked the drop biscuit recipe, and they turned out great. Very mild, so add more herbs if you're wanting a stronger flavor.

2 c. whole wheat flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
2 T. nutritional yeast

3/4 c. non-dairy milk, cold
1/4 c. (heaping) applesauce
1/2 T. fresh basil*, finely chopped
1/2 T. fresh rosemary*, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400.
Combine dry ingredients.
Mix wet ingredients together (I include fresh herbs in "wet") and then add to dry.
Mix until well combined, but not too long.
Drop onto lightly greased baking sheet. (I always make 9 biscuits.)
Allow to sit 2-3 minutes.
Bake at 400 for 12 minutes.
*I've started buying these herbs, along with parsley and cilantro, fresh. I chop them up and then freeze them in recipe-friendly amounts. I've loved having them on hand!

{BLACK BEAN AND CHIPOTLE SOUP, REVISED}

2010-10-28T13:49:00.001-06:00

Check it out.

{BLACK BEAN SALSA}

2010-10-22T18:29:00.000-06:00
This salsa is supposed to be served over these corn waffles, but it's a great salsa for anything.

6 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
⅓ c. sliced green onions
2 T. snipped fresh cilantro
2 T. lime juice
1 to 2 serrano peppers, chopped*
¼ t. salt
¼ t. cumin
1 ripe avocado, chopped

• Roughly chop tomatoes and combine with black beans, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, serrano pepper, salt, and avocado.

* I only use one half of a serrano pepper because they are so hot, and I don’t use any seeds. You might want to wear gloves or put your hand in a sandwich bag while chopping, and make sure you wash your hands after and don’t touch your eyes or face. They do add a good flavor, and they don’t make the whole thing too spicy, but you have to be careful with them.

{VEGAN ALFREDO WITH PEAS}

2010-10-19T13:38:00.001-06:00

I made a few changes to this recipe. We liked it even better. (A bit less tofu-y, and a bit more complex flavor.)

1 lb whole wheat pasta, cooked al dente.

1/2 c. water
2 c. shallots or onions, chopped
1 lb. frozen peas (about 2 1/2 c.)

1 12.3-oz. pkg. firm silken tofu, pressed
1 1/2 c. non-dairy milk
1/3 c. nutritional yeast
1 head garlic, roasted*
1 t. onion powder
1/2 t. salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch nutmeg

1/4 c. fresh parsley

In a medium saucepan, saute onions in water until soft.
Add peas and saute an additional 2 minutes.
Blend 2nd group of ingredients (tofu through nutmeg) until very smooth (2-3 minutes).
Add cream mixture to onions and peas.
Heat on low until heated through.
Add parsley, and serve over whole wheat pasta.
*To roast garlic, peel off flaky paper stuff, leaving the whole head of garlic intact. Wrap in foil. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Allow to cool. Squeeze out garlic cloves.

{SQUASH ENCHILADAS WITH SPICY PEANUT SAUCE}

2010-10-16T13:44:00.003-06:00

Thanks, Lucy! This was really good. I actually changed the recipe to make a smaller amount for my small family; I'll post the original (9x13) and the smaller one (8x8). I also cut the spice way down. I'll post the spice amount as a possible range. I used the smallest amount.

8-10 whole wheat or corn tortillas (5 for an 8x8 pan.)

{FILLING for both 9x13 and 8x8}

1/4 c. water
1 carrot, diced
1 1/4 c. mushrooms, diced (I left these out.)
1/2 c. onion, diced

1 1/2 c. butternut squash, cubed and steamed
1/2 c. jicama, diced
1/2 c. Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
1/4 c. sunflower seeds
1 T. white or apple cider vinegar
1/2 t. salt
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
Saute carrot, mushrooms, and onion in water until the carrot is tender.
Add the cooked squash, jicama, apple, sunflower seeds, vinegar, salt, and cilantro.
Mix well and set aside.

{SAUCE FOR 9X13]

2 c. water
1 T. bouillon
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cumin
1-2 garlic cloves, minced (1/2 t.)
1-2 canned chipotle chilies, chopped*
1-3 T. chili powder

1/4 c. water
1/2 t. dried oregano
1 T. onion, minced
1 T. flour

3/4 c. creamy peanut butter
In a medium saucepan, combine first ingredients (water through chili powder).
Bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, in a small skillet or saucepan, saute the oregano and onion in water until the onion is soft.
Whisk in flour.
Slowly whisk chili sauce into onion/flour mixture.
Bring to a boil and cook about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Strain and discard chunks.
Add peanut butter to remaining liquid.
Mix well and set aside.
*You may want to wear gloves while handling the chilies. The oils can irritate your skin.

{SAUCE for 8x8}

2 c. water
1 T. bouillon
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cumin
1-2 garlic cloves, minced (1/2 t.)
1-2 canned chipotle chilies, chopped
1-3 T. chili powder

1/4 c. water
1/2 t. dried oregano
1 T. onion, minced
1 T. flour

1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
In a medium saucepan, combine first ingredients (water through chili powder).
Bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, in a small skillet or saucepan, saute the oregano and onion in water until the onion is soft.
Whisk in flour.
Slowly whisk chili sauce into onion/flour mixture.
Bring to a boil and cook about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Strain and discard chunks.
Combine 2/3 c. chili sauce and 1/4 c. peanut butter. (Freeze extra chili sauce for next time.)
Mix well and set aside.

{ASSEMBLY}
Preheat oven to 350.
Place a spoonful of squash mixture down the center of each tortilla. (I packed all of the filling into 5 whole wheat tortillas.)
Roll up and place seam side down in a lightly oiled 9x13 (or 8x8) baking dish.
Pour peanut sauce over the top.
Bake for 20 minutes.

{CHEESECAKE}

2010-10-15T21:29:00.009-06:00

{9-INCH GRAHAM CRUST}

1/2 c. grape nuts cereal
2 c. Mother's Graham Bumpers cereal*
1/3 c. applesauce
1/4 t. almond extract
Preheat oven to 315.
Process grape nuts in processor until it's the consistency of heavy sand.
Add graham bumpers and pulse cereal in food processor until it's the consistency of bread crumbs or heavy sand.
Add almond extract.
Slowly add applesauce, mixing by hand, until it's moist but still kind of crumbly. You don't want it globby. You may not need all the applesauce.
Press into a 9-inch pie dish to form a crust. (Don't worry if it seems like you won't have enough; just keep spreading and pressing. It will work.)
Pack the crust down tightly.
Bake at 315 for 8 minutes.
Remove crust from oven and allow to cool completely before adding filling.
*You can use whole wheat graham crackers instead, but they have added oil. Or you can use GrapeNuts cereal, processed really small. Or a combination of any of those will also work. GrapeNuts make a chewier crust. The Graham Bumper crust was nice and soft. Definitely my favorite so far.

{FILLING}

2 boxes firm Silken tofu, pressed
12 oz. (1 1/2 tubs) vegan cream cheese
1 c. evaporated cane juice
1 t. almond extract
2 T. lemon juice
1 t. lemon zest
1 1/2 T. egg replacer
3 T. cornstarch
Blend all ingredients until very smooth (2-3 minutes).
Pour into cooled pie crust.
Bake at 315 for 50 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove from oven and place away from heat.
Allow to cool to room temperature (2-3 hours). (The cheesecake will fall as it cools.)
Chill in refrigerator for at least 10 hours before serving.

{FRUIT TOPPING}

1 can apple juice concentrate
4 c. fruit
2 T. lemon juice
1 t. lemon or lime zest
2 T. cornstarch
Pour 3/4 of the apple juice concentrate into a saucepan.
Add fruit, lemon juice, and zest.
Over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Mix cornstarch into remaining apple juice concentrate, and pour into sauce.
Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened.
Remove from heat.
Serve hot or chilled.

{THE TRUTH: WHAT'S REALLY IN MEAT}

2010-10-13T20:17:00.004-06:00
If you have an hour (and if you can get over this guy's quirkiness) this video is well worth your time.

{SWEET POTATO CHIPS}

2010-10-13T20:00:00.002-06:00

This is a normal sized cereal/soup bowl with about 1 1/2 sweet potatoes. As you can imagine, it's easy to go through LOTS of sweet potatoes this way.

These kind of take a long time to cook, and they're gone in about 30 seconds when they're done, but they're oh-so-good and worth it!

Preheat oven to 350-400 degrees. (Experiment in your climate, humidity, and altitude.)
Scrub sweet potatoes; you don't need to peel them.
Slice sweet potatoes into thin, even slices. (Easiest to use a food processor or mandoline.)
Spread slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
Bake for a long time (45-90 minutes, depending on temperature, thickness of slices, etc.), flipping every 10-15 minutes.
Keep a close eye on them, and remove them as they reach the desired texture and crispiness. Some chips may be done before others.

{IRONIC}

2010-10-12T15:02:00.004-06:00
I've read a few of these articles lately- it seems some people are catching on to the craziness of pinkwashing.

Susan Silberstein, PhD, Editor
Ironic Breast Cancer News:
CLUCK FOR THE CURE?
adapted from an article by Ralph Moss, PhD

Recently we learned that in order to fight cancer, we should buy a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken. This past spring, the chicken purveyor and Susan G. Komen for the Cure teamed up on a "Buckets for the Cure" campaign at 5000 KFC restaurants nationwide "to raise funds and spread breast cancer awareness." "Spread breast cancer" may be more on target.

Participating franchises sell specially designed pink buckets of chicken, and KFC then donates 50 cents for every bucket that is ordered during the promotion period. The names of "breast cancer survivors and those who have lost their battle with breast cancer will be listed on the sides of the bucket."

KFC has been in the news recently for a great innovation in dining: the "Double Down." This gluten-free all-meat sandwich consists of two pieces of bacon, two slices of cheese, and the famous Colonel's sauce -- which contains soybean oil, sugar, chicken fat, MSG, etc. -- packed between two fried chicken fillets! This "breadless wonder" was launched across the entire US in April of this year.

Then there's the acrylamide issue. In 2000, Swedish scientists discovered this chemical in such foods as potato chips and french fries. The US Food and Drug Administration estimates the acrylamide content in KFC french fries at 117-313 parts per billion, a very high amount.

Acrylamide is classified as a "probable human carcinogen." In rat studies, it increased the incidence of breast cancer, as well as thyroid tumors and scrotal mesothelioma. In humans, there is an increased risk of ovarian and endometrial cancers, renal cell cancers, and mouth cancers. In 2009 a Dutch study showed a positive association between dietary acrylamide intake and breast cancer. The highest consumption of acrylamide correlated with a 43% increase in breast cancer in women with estrogen or progesterone receptor positive cancers.

According to Barbara Brenner of Breast Cancer Action, this is "an egregious example of 'pinkwashing' which occurs when a company purports to care about breast cancer by promoting a pink ribboned product, but manufactures products that are linked to the disease....Make no mistake, every pink bucket purchase will do more to benefit KFC's bottom line than it will to cure breast cancer."

She also points out that KFC, like most fast food chains, is overwhelmingly present in poor and minority communities that tend to have higher breast cancer mortality rates.... It is unfortunate that Komen has chosen to associate itself with products that may, ironically, be linked to increased incidence of breast cancer!

At www.BeatCancer.org, we are not raising money for research and we are not searching for the "cure." Prevention is the cure! There's plenty of research already published on diet and breast cancer, and we teach women every day how to apply that science in their lives -- whether that be for primary prevention, prevention of recurrence, or creating an inner environment that will no longer host cancer.

{THE ORIGINAL DATE BALLS}

2010-10-10T20:10:00.001-06:00

We already have different varieties of this recipe posted: date balls, date squares, and cashew cookie squares. But this is the original date ball recipe, with flax and walnuts. Very good for brain health.

1 c. sesame seeds
1 c. walnuts
1/2 c. ground flax
1 c. coconut
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. ginger
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
1 c. dates, very packed
1/3 c. peanut butter

Process sesame seeds in food processor until ground to powder.
Add and process walnuts, flax, coconut, and spices.
Add and process dates and peanut butter.
Roll into balls, or press into a dish and cut into squares.

{GUTSY and TRUE}

2010-10-06T19:39:00.001-06:00

{CARROT AVOCADO CURRY WITH TOFU}

2010-09-22T20:39:00.007-06:00

Thanks, Elna and Lucy! This is my new favorite dish. So good!

I cooked it in the pressure cooker; it worked great. (I'll include the original/non-pressure cooker recipe in parenthesis.)

{Tofu}

2 12-oz. boxes firm or extra firm tofu, pressed* and frozen**
1/4 c. apple juice (2 T. water)
1/2 t. ginger
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. curry powder
1/2 t. salt
1 dash pepper (1/2 t.)
Thaw tofu in the refrigerator overnight, or at room temperature for several hours.
Slice into 1/4 to 1/2-inch cubes.
Saute in apple juice and spices until completely coated.
Transfer to a baking sheet.
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Set aside.
*To press tofu, remove it from the package, draining off any water. Wrap the tofu in a paper towel and then a cloth hand towel, and place it on a plate (or cookie sheet if doing several blocks at a time). Place another plate (or cookie sheet) on top, and put something heavy on top (canned food or books work great). Leave the tofu to press for one to several hours.

**Freezing tofu changes the texture significantly; it becomes more spongy and "meaty." After the tofu is pressed, unwrap it, put it in a freezer bag/container, and freeze. To thaw the tofu, I just took it out of the freezer this morning and set it on the counter. Quite a bit more water drained out of the tofu as it thawed.

{Curry Sauce}

1 c. water + 1 t. vegan chicken flavored Better-Than-Bullion (1 1/2 c. chicken broth)
1/2 c. apple juice
6 medium carrots, sliced thin
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 t. ginger
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. curry powder
1/2 t. salt
1 dash pepper (1/2 t.)
1 2-inch cinnamon stick

1/3 c. non-dairy milk
1/4 c. raw cashews
1/4 t. almond extract

1 avocado, peeled and sliced
slivered almonds

Pressure Cooker Instructions:
Combine first ingredients (broth through cinnamon stick) in the pressure cooker.
Cook on low pressure for 1 minute.
Quick release.
Meanwhile, blend milk, cashews, and almond extract until smooth. Set aside.
When pressure is released, add cream and tofu.
Serve over brown rice or quinoa, topped with avocado slices and slivered almonds.

Normal Instructions:
Combine first ingredients (broth through cinnamon stick) in a skillet or saucepan.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.
Meanwhile, blend milk, cashews, and almond extract until smooth. Set aside.
When vegetables are soft, add cream and tofu.
Heat on low until heated through.
Serve over brown rice or quinoa, topped with avocado slices and slivered almonds.

{PAN SEARED PORTABELLOS}

2010-09-21T20:49:00.006-06:00

Mom shared this recipe a while ago in an email. I tried it the other day and loved it! Mariah (my 3-year-old) also loved them; Elaine (2) and Mike wouldn't even try them. Not mushroom fans.

2-3 large portabello mushrooms (or 1 lb. baby portabellos)
1 T. water
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1/2 t. dried oregano
1 1/2 T. apple juice concentrate
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 T. soy sauce
Trim mushroom stems flush with base of the mushroom. Discard stems (or cook them with the mushrooms).
Combine sauce ingredients in a skillet or sauce pan with a lid.
Warm over medium heat until bubbly.
Place mushrooms, top side down, in the pan.
Cover, and cook for 3-5 minutes.
Turn mushrooms over.
Cook, covered, for another 5 minutes.

Here's a how-to video:

{TWICE BAKED POTATOES, REVISED}

2010-09-11T20:04:00.001-06:00
I tried the twice baked potatoes again, with some revisions. They turned out much better. Click here.

{HOT PASTA}

2010-08-31T19:25:00.002-06:00

This recipe comes from Mom's good friend. We call it "Tammy's Hot Pasta."

16 oz. whole wheat rigatoni noodles
3 cans stewed tomatoes, blended to desired chunkiness
1/4 to 1/2 c. vegan parmesan (or nutritional yeast)
3 small cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. fresh parsley
1/8 to 1/4 t. crushed red pepper
olives (optional)

• Prepare noodles, drain, rinse, and set aside.
• Saute garlic, parsley, crushed red pepper in water.
• Toss all ingredients together.

{VEGAN WHIPPED CREAM}

2010-08-29T20:03:00.011-06:00

This stuff is delicious!! Mom shared this little secret with us last week, and I made gingerbread cake today just so we could have something to try it on.

1 can Thai Kitchen brand coconut milk
1/4 c. powdered evaporated cane juice (or agave nectar or other sweetener)
1 T. corn starch
1 t. vanilla

Chill the coconut milk in the fridge overnight.

Chill a mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 1 hour.

Pierce the bottom of the coconut milk can to allow coconut water/liquid to drain.

Open top of can, and scoop hardened coconut fat into chilled mixing bowl.

Mix with chilled electric beaters until broken up and starting to smooth.

Add powdered sugar, corn starch, and vanilla.

Whip with beaters until resembles consistency of whipped cream. If the coconut milk was set up, the texture should quickly become very much like whipped cream. If it was a bit (or a lot) runny, it'll take longer.

*Watch a how-to video here.

{BREAKFAST BARS}

2010-08-16T23:03:00.009-06:00

I found these on everwell.com and changed them just a bit to be vegan. We all really liked them and they were easy to send to school for a lunch treat. I think I'll do some experimenting with different kinds of dried fruit (we used raisins, but I'd like to try apricots or cranberries).
Makes 16 (small) Bars

1 cup Oats
1 cup Shredded Wheat Cereal
1 cup walnuts
1 1/2 cups dried fruit
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs (1 T. egg replacer + 1/4 c. water)
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray.
Place the oats, shredded wheat, walnuts, dried fruit, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg replacer, honey, and vanilla. Add the oatmeal mixture and chocolate chips and stir to combine.
Transfer to the baking pan and flatten down gently with the back of a spoon or spatula to spread evenly.
Bake about 18 minutes until the edges turn golden brown and the bars are done. Let bars cool completely in pan before slicing and serving.
* These bars freeze well so if you have leftovers, you can wrap individual portions in plastic baggies or aluminum foil and freeze.

* These tasted just a bit honeyish to me, but I don't know if that's because the Shredded Wheat I used was honey sweetened too. I might try agave nectar next time and see if they still hold together as well.

{CANDIED YAMS}

2010-08-13T15:19:00.007-06:00

7 medium sized yams/ sweet potatoes
6 2-inch strips orange zest, white, spongy pith removed
4 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
1 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
2/3 c. pure maple syrup
1 T. light sesame oil (or olive oil)
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 t. peeled and finely chopped ginger root
1/2 t. course sea salt

preheat oven to 375
peel and halve the yams crosswise, cut each half lengthwise into 4 wedges
place the yams in a baking dish that will hold them snug in a single layer
tuck the orange zest and cinnamon sticks amongst the yams
in a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, maple syrup, oil, lemon juice, ginger, and salt.
pour the mixture over the yams
bake for 1 hr 15 min, basting every 15 min, until the yams are tender and glazed and the pan juices are syrupy
remove the orange zest and cinnamon sticks before serving

{THREE BEAN SALAD}

2010-08-13T15:05:00.006-06:00
Salad

2 15 oz. cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 15 oz. cans cut green beans, drained and rinsed
2 15 oz. cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 c. finely chopped onions
1 c. chopped green, red, orange or yellow peppers

Dressing

1/2 c. blended white beans (or stir 2 T. white bean flour into 1/2 c. water, heat and stir until
thickened) or (3/4 cup water total w/ 2 heaping T. of white bean flour)
2/3 c. vinegar (I use 1/3 part balsamic, 2/3 part apple cider vinegar-white vinegar is ok too)
1 1/2 t. veggie chicken broth powder or (veggie broth paste-Better than Boullion)
1/4 c. water
2 T. sucanat and 1/8 t. Stevia (or a total of 1/4 c. sweetener) (I like 1/4 t. Stevia)
1/4 t. celery seed
1 t. minced garlic

*This is a double recipe that stores well in the fridge.

{INDIAN FRESH FRUIT SALAD}

2010-08-13T13:21:00.005-06:00
Fruit Salad Sauce

Blend these ingredients:

1 pkg. (12.3 oz.) Mori-nu silken Lite Tofu (soft is best)
1/4 c. pineapple juice
2 T. maple syrup of brown rice syrup
1/2 t. fresh ginger, peeled & grated
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. cinnamon

Fruit

2 c. sliced strawberries
2 peeled and diced mangoes
1 small sweet pineapple (1 1/2 c.)
2-3 sliced large bananas

*optional- 1 handful blueberries, 2 peeled and diced kiwis
Pour the sauce over the sliced fruit and enjoy!

{CRUNCHY BANANA/APPLE MUFFINS}

2010-08-12T12:15:00.008-06:00
2 c. mashed bananas (or applesauce)
3/4 c. applesauce
2 c. soy milk
2 T. egg substitute whisked into 1/2 c. water
1 c. honey
1 1/2 t. baking soda
4 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
4 c. whole wheat flour
3 c. oats
Mix everything but the flour and oats just to blend. Don't overmix.
Add flour and mix slightly.
Add oats and mix slightly.
Fill greased/sprayed muffin tins 3/4 full.
Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes.
Makes 3 dozen muffins.

{HOT CHOCOLATE}

2010-08-11T18:18:00.006-06:00
4 c. plain/vanilla soy milk, or rice milk
1/4 t. stevia
2T. cocoa
1/8-1/2 t. vanilla (1/8 t. if using vanilla soy milk)

The easiest way to heat this is in a blender, but you can also just use a saucepan.

{CHILI "CHEESE" FRIES}

2010-08-09T22:58:00.007-06:00

This is another recipe that's not really a recipe, but it's one I really enjoy and do a lot.

Potatoes, sliced in wedges and baked with a little bit of cooking spray and salt
Chili beans (pinto beans in a can with chili sauce)
“cheese” sauce (recipe below)
Avocados, diced
Green onions, diced

• Slice the potatoes into thin wedges and bake them until golden and slightly crispy (or use frozen “Simply Potatoes” brand of fries).
• Top potatoes with heated chili beans and then drizzle with “cheese” sauce and top with avocados and green onions.

"CHEESE" SAUCE

1 c. water
⅓ c. nutritional yeast
2 T. cornstarch
1 T. flour
1 T. miso
1 t. lemon juice
¼ t. salt
¼ t. garlic powder
¼ t. paprika

¾ c. soy milk

• Place all ingredients, except soy milk, into a blender and blend until smooth.
• Pour the mixture into a small sauce pan and stir over medium heat until the mixture starts to thicken.
• Whisk in the soy milk and remove from heat.

{TOSTADAS}

2010-08-09T22:48:00.008-06:00

(I discovered using large pieces of lettuce as "lids" works well.)
I don't really have an official recipe for these, but they are my husband's favorite meal. He's picky and doesn't like eating the same meal over and over again, but this is one he says he could eat every other day and be happy.

corn tortillas
cooking spray
salt
refried beans
nutritional yeast
mild salsa
taco seasoning
lettuce
tomatoes
avocados
olives
corn
Mexican or cilantro lime rice

• Preheat oven to 425. Spread 6 corn tortillas on a cookie sheet. Lightly spray them with cooking spray and then sprinkle with salt (you can omit the cooking spray and the salt if you’d like). Bake at 425 for 12 minutes, until golden and crispy.
• Mix one can of refried beans with about ¼ c. nutritional yeast, ½ c. mild salsa, and ½ T. taco seasoning. Heat in the microwave, stopping to stir every minute or two.
• Top tostadas with a thin layer of the bean mixture and any other topping you’d like. We usually do the toppings I listed above.

{PIZZA VARIATIONS}

2010-08-09T22:25:00.006-06:00
I've done some experimenting with pizza, using Bekah's crust and sauce from the Roasted Garlic Broccoli Pizza. I wish I had pictures of all of these, but if I waited for that, they'd never get posted.

Here are the ones we've loved the most. With all of these, I just use the same crust and sauce recipe in the link above - the only variation is in the toppings, so I'll just list the toppings here along with any necessary instructions.

HAWAIIAN BARBECUE PIZZA
roasted garlic sauce
barbecue sauce
soy chicken strips, grilled (or baked bbq tofu*)
fresh pineapple, roasted
red onions
jalapenos (be careful)
fresh cilantro

• Lightly spread the pizza with barbecue sauce, right over the roasted garlic sauce (I use a little less garlic sauce than I otherwise would have and spread the barbecue sauce very lightly).
• Grill soy chicken strips, using cooking spray.
• Slice the fresh pineapple into 2-inch chunks. Thread the chunks onto a skewer and grill them on an electric griddle. You can skip the grilling step if you’d like, or even used canned pineapple – it’s just not quite as tasty.
• De-seed the jalapenos (unless you’re brave) and finely dice them.
• Spread the pizza with all the toppings and bake according to the original pizza instructions.

* To make the bbq tofu:

Press and freeze firm or extra firm tofu. (For instructions, click here.)
Thaw tofu in the refrigerator overnight, or at room temperature for several hours.
Slice into 1/4 to 1/2-inch cubes.
Saute in barbecue sauce and water until completely coated.
Transfer to a greased baking sheet.
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.

SPINACH POTATO PIZZA

*This may not seem that great, but it may be my favorite one we do.

Yukon gold potatoes
Fresh spinach
Salt
Pepper

• Bake potatoes and then allow to cool slightly. Slice very thinly.
• Top crust with garlic sauce, then spinach, then potatoes. I cover the entire surface with the spinach and then again with the potato slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Bake according to the original pizza instructions.

ARTICHOKE ZUCCHINNI PIZZA

Artichoke hearts, finely chopped
Zucchini, chopped
Yellow squash, chopped
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Almonds

• Layer all ingredients on top of crust and garlic sauce and bake according to original pizza instructions.

APPLE CINNAMON DESSERT PIZZA

*For this recipe, do NOT use the garlic sauce from the original pizza recipe – only use the crust*

2-3 apples, peeled and then thinly sliced
Vegan spray butter
Honey
Cinnamon and evaporated cane juice mixture

• Form the crust, pinching the sides around the edge to create a raised wall. The honey and butter tend to bubble over the edge if you don’t.
• Spray the crust with spray butter, then drizzle with melted honey.
• Put one layer of thinly slice apples over honey and sprinkle generously with the cinnamon and evaporated cane juice mixture.
• Layer again with apples, honey, spray butter, and cinnamon and evaporated cane juice mixture.
• Bake according to original pizza instructions.

*This tastes incredible by itself, but is also quite tasty with vanilla soy ice cream*

*When I reference the original pizza instructions, I am referring to this pizza.*

*With all of these, I usually bake my crust for a few minutes and then pull it back out to add the toppings and then finish baking. I find the crust is a little bit more crispy/crunchy and less soggy that way.*

{SWEET POTATOES WITH BLACK BEAN CHILI}

2010-08-09T22:24:00.001-06:00

SWEET POTATOES:

3 sweet potatoes, peeled
1 T. fresh rosemary, chopped (about half that amount if using dried)
salt (or garlic salt)
cooking spray

• Preheat oven to 400°. Coat cookie sheet with cooking spray.

• Cube sweet potatoes. Combine potatoes and rosemary in a bowl. Transfer to cookie sheet, sprinkle with salt, spray with cooking spray, and bake at 400° for 35 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the chili.

BLACK BEAN CHILI:

⅓ c. onion, diced
⅓ c. green or red pepper, diced
⅓ c. tomatoes, diced
2 t. garlic, minced
½ t. chili powder
½ t. ground cumin
¼ t. salt
⅛ t. pepper
1 can black beans, drained
8 oz. can of tomato sauce

• In a medium saucepan, sauté the onion in water for 3 minutes to soften.

• Add the pepper and sauté an additional 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

• Add the tomatoes, garlic, and seasonings and sauté for 2 more minutes.

• Add the black beans and tomato sauce. Stir well to combine and simmer for 10 minutes.

• Serve over cooked sweet potatoes.

{ SKILLET LASAGNA with TOFU RICOTTA CHEESE }

2010-08-09T22:20:00.002-06:00

SKILLET LASAGNA

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1/8 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1 c. zucchini, chopped
1 c. yellow squash, chopped
1 c. carrots, chopped
1 T. dried basil
6 Lasagna noodles, broken into about 2-inch lengths
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. tofu “Ricotta” cheese (recipe below)
1 T. fresh basil chopped

• Pour tomatoes and their liquid into a 1-quart measuring cup; add enough water to measure one quart. Set aside

• In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté onions in water until translucent. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and continue to cook for another minute or so.

• Add carrots and cook for another minute or two.

• Add zucchini and squash and cook until tender-crisp. Add basil, blend well.

• Add broken pasta to the veggie mixture, but do not stir or blend in. Spoon tofu ricotta cheese evenly over noodles. Pour tomato sauce and diced tomatoes (with added water) over the cheese and pasta. Bring to a low boil, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until pasta is tender.

*I use a lot more vegetables than it calls for – you can also put in different veggies.

TOFU “RICOTTA” CHEESE

1 pkg. extra firm tofu, rinsed and crumbled
1 t. salt
2 t. dried basil
1 t. dried rosemary
1 t. dried marjoram
1 T. lemon juice
2 T. nutritional yeast
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

• Combine all ingredients with a fork until consistency resembles ricotta cheese.

{RAW CHOCOLATE PUDDING}

2010-08-09T22:17:00.008-06:00
I tried this today for the first time and it's soooo good (at least I think so)! I found it on aniphyo.com originally, but couldn't find it there today so I found a slightly different version here. I changed it a bit.

I think you could easily use this for frosting if you omitted the water at the end.

1/2 c. dates (soaked)*
1/4 c. maple syrup or agave nectar (or maple syrup/honey)
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. mashed avocado
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. water

Place first 3 ingredients in food processor and blend.
Add avocado and cocoa powder and process until smooth.
Add the water and process briefly.
Chill.

*I didn't know what soaking dates involved, so I just put them in water and let them soak for about 15-20 minutes. Seemed to work for me!

{QUINOA STUFFED ZUCCHINI}

2010-08-09T22:11:00.004-06:00

Quinoa is a super healthy grain that can be found in bulk in health food stores, or in flavored boxes at normal grocery stores. If you buy it in bulk, it does need to be rinsed before cooking

½ c. quinoa, rinsed*
1 c. water
4 medium zucchini
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 c. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
½ c. nutritional yeast
½ c. almonds, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ c. bread crumbs
1 t. water

• Preheat oven to 400.

• In a large saucepan, brown the quinoa over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 c. water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, 12-15 minutes.

• Meanwhile, cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Arrange the zucchini in a large baking dish, cut-side up.

• Fluff the quinoa and fold in the beans, tomatoes, nutritional yeast, almonds, and garlic.

• Spoon the quinoa mixture into the zucchini.

• Combine the bread crumbs and the water and sprinkle over the quinoa and zucchini. I sometimes spray the tops with a bit of spray butter, too.

• Cover with tin foil and bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Remove the tin foil and bake another 8-10 minutes, until bread crumbs are golden brown.

• Serves: 4

* You may also use flavored quinoa in this dish, such as Sun-dried Tomato Basil or Savory Herb. I usually just use plain quinoa but add some basil and Italian Seasoning to the water I cook it in. *

{JAMAICAN BLACK BEAN STEW}

2010-08-09T22:07:00.003-06:00

This is a fabulous stew with a really great flavor. Even though it may seem like an odd combination, I highly recommend topping it with the cucumbers and tomatoes (cherry tomatoes are especially delicious) as suggested.

2 c. uncooked brown rice
3 lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¾ -inch cubes (about 5 c.)
2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾ -inch cubes (about 4 c.)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 can vegetable broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. curry powder
1½ t. ground allspice
½ t. ground red pepper
¼ t. salt
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
½ c. raisins*
3 T. lime juice
1 c. diced tomato
1 c. cucumber, peeled and diced

• Prepare rice according to package directions.

• Combine squash, potatoes, onion, broth, garlic, curry powder, allspice, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 5 minutes.

• Add beans and raisins. Simmer 5 minutes more, until potatoes and squash are tender and beans are hot.

• Remove from heat and add lime juice.

• Serve stew over brown rice and top with tomato and cucumber.

• Serves 8.

*We don't do raisins at our house, so I just leave these out.

{CHIP AND SALSA SOUP }

2010-08-09T22:04:00.005-06:00

This is a Dr. McDougall recipe. It's a different take on the typical "taco soup" that both my husband and I like better.

3 ½ cups vegetable broth
1 15 oz. can black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed*
¼ cup chopped green onions
1 ¼ cups fresh salsa, mild or medium
1 T. canned diced green chilies
1 cup corn kernels
2 cups fat-free tortilla chips
1 cup avocado chunks

• Place the broth, beans, salsa, corn, green onions and chilies in a medium saucepan.

• Cook over low heat for 10 minutes to blend flavors

• Place ½ cup of chips and ¼ cup of avocado in each of four bowls. Ladle the soup over the avocado and chips and serve at once.

* I usually do both!

{BLACK BEAN AND SQUASH ENCHILADAS}

2010-08-09T21:58:00.005-06:00

I promise, the enchiladas are under there . . . .
I've served this to non-vegan friends and it always goes over well.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (about 1½ c.)
1 can white corn kernels, drained and rinsed (about 1½ c.)
2-4 cans enchilada sauce (about 3-6 c.)
1 small zucchini (about 1 c.)
1 small yellow squash (about 1 c.)
1 T. fresh cilantro (or 1 t. dried cilantro)
1/2 t. coriander
1-2 t. cumin
1/4 t. black pepper
1/2 t. salt
small corn tortillas
nutritional yeast (optional)

vegan sour cream
olives
lettuce
tomatoes
avocados

• Preheat oven to 375°.

• Mix beans and rice with 1/2 enchilada sauce.

• Add diced zucchini and squash.

• Add chopped cilantro and other spices. Mix together and set aside.

• Steam tortillas until they are soft.

• Cover the bottom of a casserole dish with some enchilada sauce. Place a spoonful of zucchini/bean mixture into each tortilla and roll them up. Place side by side in the dish until it is full. (Or just layer the whole thing like an enchilada casserole.)

• Once dish is full, cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast if desired and cover with foil.

• Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until cheese is completely melted.

• Top with lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, olives, vegan sour cream.

{STROGANOFF}

2010-08-09T21:55:00.007-06:00

This has baked tofu in it rather than ground soy. The mushrooms were also sautéed separately (in apple juice).
This is one of my very favorite meals, but because of the soy hamburger, we don't have it too often. It's adapted from one of my aunt's real beef stroganoff recipes.

Enjoy!

8 oz. - 1 lb. ground soy, or baked tofu**
1 c. onion, chopped (about 1 large onion)
1 T. fridge garlic (or 4 cloves, crushed)
½ lb. mushrooms, sliced (8 oz. or 1 c.)
3 T. flour
1 T. ketchup
2 t. Bragg’s liquid amino acids (or soy sauce)
½ t. salt
⅛ t. pepper
1 can vegetable broth (about 1½ c.)
¼ c. apple juice or water
½ - 1 c. vegan sour cream
noodles or rice, to serve (2 c. uncooked rice or 3 c. uncooked noodles)

• Sauté onion, garlic, and mushrooms in a little bit of water or spray vegan butter for 1-2 minutes*.

• Add (frozen) ground soy hamburger and cook for 2-3 minutes

• Remove from heat and add flour, ketchup, Bragg’s, salt, and pepper. Stir until smooth.

• Return mixture to heat and gradually add broth. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

• Over low heat, add apple juice and sour cream, stirring until well combined.

• Serve over noodles or rice.

* My husband is not a fan of onions or mushrooms in whole form. I usually make this stroganoff sauce without the mushrooms and onions - just start with cooking the ground hamburger for a minute or two and then add all the sauce ingredients. I then slice the onion and mushrooms and saute them separately and add them as "toppings" on my own plate.

**{BAKED TOFU}

1 12-oz. box firm silken tofu, pressed and frozen

1/4 c. water
1/4 c. apple juice
1 t. Better Than Bouillon
1 T. ketchup
2 T. soy sauce, or Bragg's
1 pinch pepper

Thaw tofu at room temperature for several hours, or in the oven at 170 degrees for an hour.
Cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch cubes.
Combine marinade ingredients.
Marinate tofu for a couple of hours (or just sauté until pieces are completely coated).
Transfer to a baking sheet.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes to 1 hour, stirring after 30 minutes. (I leave my tofu in the oven even after I turn it off. I like it really dry and chewy.)
Add the tofu to the stroganoff a few minutes before serving to allow it to moisten a bit. (The texture is great if you bake it dry and then allow it to soak up some new moisture from the sauce.)

{CILANTRO LIME RICE}

2010-06-11T10:02:00.006-06:00
This rice is so yummy! Mom adapted the recipe from a couple of different online sources. (Mom, original sources?) It's fabulous with these beans in taco salad. I also used some in beanritos; very tasty!

I only know the pressure cooker instructions. If you don't have a pressure cooker, just change the amount of water, and cook the rice as you normally would.

2 c. brown rice
2 3/4 c. water
1/4 c. lime juice
4 t. vegan boullion
2 t. garlic (3-4 cloves)
1/2 T. cumin
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro (4 T. dried)
1/2 onion (4 T. dried)
1 smidgeon stevia

• Combine all ingredients in pressure cooker.
• Low pressure, 23 minutes.
• Natural release.

{CHIA SEEDS}

2010-05-25T13:02:00.006-06:00

Chia seeds aren't really a recipe, but i thought they might be worth posting. They are pretty much a super food. They don't really have a taste at all, and kind of look and feel like poppyseeds. When they absorb water, they look like little frog eggs. (Don't worry they're not that gross) Just a few of the many good things about them: they are the number one source of Omega 3 fatty acids, even more than flax seeds. This Omega 3 helps circulation and the heart. The omega 3s break up the lipids which cause blood clots, varicose veins, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attacks, cardiac arrhythmias, and high triglycerides. Besides this aspect of them, they help diabetics by slowing blood sugar spikes. They have 3 times the antioxidants than blueberries. The fiber in chia seeds helps with digestion. In 2 ounces of milk there are 120 milligrams of calcium. In 2 ounces of chia, there are 600 milligrams of calcium. That means chia has 5 times the amount of calcium than milk! The other aspect of chia seeds, is their ability to fuel endurance activity such as running, which is why i love them so much. They have 2 times the potassium as a banana which means more electrolytes than in Gatorade. The seeds absorb up to 30 times their weight when put in water so they are great for keeping hydrated during athletic events and just throughout the day. The other reason why they are so good for endurance sports is because the chia gel (formed when you soak the seeds in water) causes a slow release of carbohydrates, which slowly convert to glucose that your body can use for energy.

The way that we've been eating them is by putting them in our green drinks in the morning. For four people you would soak 1/4 cup chia seeds in a little water while you make a normal spinach fruit smoothie. Then, after the seeds have soaked for about 5 minutes (soaking time isn't very important because the seeds absorb any stomach liquid as well so they are affective even if swallowed dry) anyways after they have soaked, blend them in with the green drink and enjoy. You can also just stir a spoonful of the seeds into an 8 ounce glass of water, let it sit, then drink it up. You will be hydrated and energized for the rest of the day!

{RAW OATMEAL COOKIES}

2010-05-16T22:27:00.003-06:00

This picture doesn't do these justice! They are really good (I probably just shouldn't post until I get a good picture, but then it might never happen...) Anyway, fun to try and I've made them several times since I found the recipe here (I'll be checking her blog lots- good stuff to try!) They are a great after school snack!

1.5 to 2 cups rolled oats
1 c. pitted dates, chopped
1 c. raisins
1 t. cinnamon

Place oats in glass bowl with cinnamon, stir together until mixed.
Chop dates into a semi-fine mush (I used a food processor)
Add dates to oatmeal mixture
Add raisins (just so you know, I'm NOT a big raisin fan and I still love these)
Oil your hands with coconut oil, water, or cooking spray and mash together (might take a while).
Once the mixture is a dough like consistency, form them into golf ball size rounds and flatten them into a cookie.
They are ready! Just you try to stop eating them!

{CROCKPOT ENCHILADA CASSEROLE}

2010-05-16T22:05:00.004-06:00

This is so easy to make! I throw it together before church or when I've got a busy afternoon, and then every body is happy at dinner time! I also like it because even if I haven't been shopping in a while, I still have all of these ingredients. I got the original recipe from my friend Shelly and just substituted an extra can of beans for the chicken and simplified the rest. We usually serve with avocados and mexican rice, but it would also be great (although not low fat) with vegan sour cream.

1 Onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T. oil (I used veggie broth)
10 oz. can enchilada sauce
8 oz. can tomato sauce
small can of chopped olives
1/2-1 can green chillies
salt to taste
pepper to taste
8 corn tortillas
1 can ranch style or chili beans
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 can black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Saute onion and garlic in water, veggie broth, or oil.
Stir in enchilada sauce, tomato sauce, olives, and chillies.
Salt and Pepper to taste
Mix beans and corn together in a bowl.
Place 2 tortillas in bottom of slow cooker. Layer 1/3 of sauce mixture, then 1/3 of bean mixture on top.
Repeat above step two more times, and then top with 2 tortillas and any extra sauce.
Cook on low 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4.

{CABBAGE PITAS}

2010-05-06T18:23:00.006-06:00

This isn't really a precise recipe, so just play with it. We really like these, and they're great for summer time. (We hit 90 degrees today.) I'm not sure where the original "recipe" came from; my mother-in-law makes it.

1/2 head cabbage, grated
1 large carrot, grated
raw sunflower seeds
vegan mayo (I use fat-free Nasoya Nayonaise)*
vegan plain yogurt*
a few squirts mustard
cayenne pepper to taste (be careful)

• Mix all ingredients.
• Serve on whole wheat pita or flatbread with whatever sandwich fixings your heart desires. (I like avocados, tomatoes, red bell peppers, cucumbers . . . really anything I'd put on a veggie sandwich.)

*I have used just Nayonaise, just yogurt, and nothing at all. Just depends on what I've got on hand, and how moist I want it.

{GARLIC BREAD SPREAD}

2010-04-22T13:00:00.006-06:00
Last night we had company. I made this pasta (with bow-tie noodles) and this french bread. I made a garlic spread for the bread that turned out really good. Sorry, no picture.

1/4 c. vegan margarine (I used Earth Balance)
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 t. dried parsley
1 T. nutritional yeast

• Mix well.
• Cut loaf of French bread lengthwise.
• Spread with thin layer of garlic spread.
• Cut bread into pieces of desired size, but don't cut all the way through.
• Place loaves onto cookie sheet.
• Broil until top is golden brown (5-7 minutes).

{GINGERSNAP COOKIES}

2010-04-17T16:09:00.009-06:00

I can't believe these haven't been posted on here before. I think my brothers eat about 6 of them every day- they are seriously good!

2 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. ginger
1 t. cloves
1 t. cinnamon
1/4-1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1/4 c. + 2 T. baby food prunes (1 small Gerber container)
1 c. sucanat
1 1/2 T. water
1/4 c. molasses
Mix sucanat, prunes, molasses, and water.
Add the spices.
Add the flour.
Refrigerate dough for a few hours (if you can wait that long!)
Roll into ball, dip the top in sugar (evaporated cane juice)
Smash with your hand and put on lightly greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
(Well, I just turned a perfectly fat-free cookie into a very not-so-fat-free one. But, oh my! It's delicious with this coconut cream on it!)

{LEAFY GREENS}

2010-04-06T14:37:00.004-06:00
Leafy greens are so important! Here's a great short article about what they can do for you. Smoothies are one of the easiest ways to get enough!

{BLACK BEAN BROWNIES}

2010-03-25T18:43:00.005-06:00
These are somewhere between brownies and fudge, and my kids loved them! I came across the recipe here. The banana taste was a little strong, so we used baby food prunes instead and they turned out great.

1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 c. baby food prunes
1/3 c. agave nectar
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 T. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
1/2 to 1 c. rolled oats, processed slightly

• Combine all ingredients, except the oats, in a food processor or blender. (I used a blender this time, but will definitely use a food processor from now on. It was too hard to clean the batter out of my blender.)
• Mix in oats.
• Poor batter into slightly greased 8x8 pan.
• Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

The batter was TASTY!!

*I added a bit more cocoa powder last time and halved the cinnamon, and we liked that variation.

{"CAFE RIO" BLACK BEANS}

2010-03-25T18:30:00.010-06:00
These are really good in taco salad! Squeeze a little lime on top, and voila! (Marian found the original recipe here.)

I'm posting pressure cooker instructions. If you don't have a pressure cooker, just adjust the liquid amount and cook the beans as you normally would.

1 lb dry black beans, rinsed and sorted
1 c. tomato sauce/juice/whatever
3 1/2 c. water
1/2 large sweet onion (or 1 regular onion), chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 T. salt
1 to 2 T. cumin (depending on desired spiciness)

• Put all ingredients in a pressure cooker.
• Cook on high pressure, 50 minutes, natural release.

{LEMON GLAZE}

2010-03-15T12:54:00.010-06:00
This is a slight variation from the one I did for the carrot cupcakes. Today I used it on cinnamon rolls!

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 to 1 1/4 c. evaporated cane juice
1/2 lemon (I just threw the whole thing in--peel and all)
1 t. vanilla

• Blend all ingredients until very smooth.

Notes: I also added a few drops of yellow food coloring today, just for fun.

This makes a lot. I'm freezing what I didn't use today.

{GARLIC PARMESAN BREAD STICKS}

2010-03-13T12:19:00.005-07:00
I made this pizza last night. We were having company, and I was a little worried one pizza wouldn't feed us all, so I decided to make breadsticks as well. I just used the pizza dough recipe, rolled the dough, cut it into strips, sprinkled garlic salt and vegan parmesan on top, and baked them at 500 for 10 minutes. They were great. We dipped them in both the roasted garlic sauce and a store-bought marinara.

I've made this a few times now; we love them! I actually don't add quite as much flour to the pizza dough recipe, and they turn out much lighter and better. I also cook them for less time than the pizza. I'm not sure the exact amounts I use, but try this:

1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 T. honey
1 T. yeast
1/2 t. salt
2 T. applesauce
1 c. comfortably hot water

1/4 to 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

• Mix first group of ingredients.

• Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

• Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour. Dough should be pretty sticky and barely workable.

• Spray hands with Pam, if necessary, and knead dough and roll onto a sprayed cookie sheet.

• Sprinkle top with garlic salt, nutritional yeast, and/or vegan parmesan.

• Use pizza cutter to cut dough into strips. Let stand for 5-10 minutes.

• Bake at 500 for 7-8 minutes.

{BROWNIES}

2010-03-11T21:09:00.009-07:00

I found the original recipe for these on McDougall's website, changed a few things, and this is the end result. We're always up for brownies!

Dry Ingredients:
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/3 c. cocoa powder
2 t. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. chopped cashews or walnuts (optional)*

Wet Ingredients:
2 c. blended prunes*
1 c. sugar (or whatever you use)
1/4-1/2 t. stevia (or 1 c. sugar...)
2 t. vanilla
4 T. Ener-g Egg Replacer mixed in 1 c. water*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
Mix blended prunes and sugar together in a separate bowl.
Stir in vanilla.
Mix egg replacer and water together and whisk until frothy.
Add to sugar mixture and stir to combine.
Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until mixed.
Try not to eat all the batter.
Spoon into a lightly greased 9x13 pan or two 8x8 square pans.
Bake for 30 minutes
*The walnuts in this are great- I just have to chop mine up super tiny so they disappear, otherwise my family rebels.

*To make the prune mix, put 3 cups of water in the blender and add 1 to 1.5 cups of dried prunes until the water hits the 4 cup mark. Blend until smooth. Use 2 cups for the recipe, and then you can freeze the extra or just put it in the fridge to use later. It's a great fat replacer! You can also just buy baby food prunes, but when you are using 2 cups you'd have to buy 8 because they come in 1/4 c. containers.

*Ener-g egg replacer is available at most health food stores. You can also order it on Amazon. It's way cheaper than eggs and it works great! This is what you're looking for:

{CHEEZ SAUCE}

2010-03-06T18:40:00.010-07:00

This is not a new recipe; I just decided to post it separate from the Mac & Cheez to make it easier access. We use this sauce on pasta, pizza, veggies, grilled cheez sandwiches, etc. (The original recipe is here.)

1 c. water
1 potato
1 carrot

1/3 c. raw cashews
1 T. miso
3 T. sesame seeds (1 T. tahini)
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. dijon mustard
1/3 c. nutritional yeast
1/8 t. pepper
1/4 t. paprika
1 t. salt

• Peel and chop potato and carrot (I actually don't peel them anymore) and boil them in 1 c. water.
• Meanwhile, place all other ingredients in a blender.
• When the potatoes and carrots are tender, add them, with their water, to the blender.
• Blend until very smooth.

Note: Marian and I once used white beans instead of a potato. I've also substituted leftover butternut squash for the carrot. Both worked great.

{A 3-YEAR-OLD'S THOUGHTS ON DAIRY}

2010-03-06T18:35:00.005-07:00
My 3-year-old is very interested in knowing what is or is not good for her body. Tonight we had pizza. She was dipping hers in cheez sauce. We had the following conversation:

Mariah: This cheez sauce is good for my body. Most cheese sauces have sugar in them, so they're not good for my body.
Me: Actually, most cheese sauces don't have sugar in them. They have cows' milk. And cows' milk isn't good for your body.
Mariah: But it's good for cows' bodies.

Enough said . . . .

{DROP BISCUITS}

2010-03-06T18:20:00.009-07:00
These are really quick and easy; they're great with soup. The original recipe is here.

2 c. whole wheat flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. applesauce
3/4 c. cold soymilk

• Mix dry ingredients.
• Add applesauce and soymilk.
• Mix to make a soft dough.
• Allow to sit for 2 minutes.
• Drop on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

*I usually make 9 biscuits.