Category: Vegan

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Outrageous Brownies

I have been wanting to make some brownies, but I wanted them to be healthy. I know an oxymoron, but that is what I wanted. Now, you do not have to feel guilty eating  brownies. They are a moist chocolatey all in one bite and good for you.

Another good thing about this recipe is that it is all mixed in a food processor.

  • 1 15 oz can black beans, drained, rinsed
  • 1 c Date Paste
  • 1/2 c cocoa powder, unsweetened
  • 3/4 c rolled oats
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine beans, date paste and cocoa powder into the food processor. Process until creamy and smooth. Add oats, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla and apple cider vinegar. Process until well combined.

Spread batter into prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the batter.

Bake for 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

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Serve. Eat. Enjoy.

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Mushrooms & Peas Caserecce

Caserecce is my favorite pasta shape. They are made into a “S” shape and trap all the goodness of the sauce into the curves. This recipe is an updated version of my Mushrooms & Peas Pasta. both versions are delicious, but this new updated version has more mushroom flavor due to the porcini powder.

For easy cleanup this dish is made in one pot. Less time cleaning up means more time with the family.

  • 12 oz  GF Caserecce (I like Jovial)
  • 1/2 c onion, diced
  • vegetable broth as needed or sautéing
  • 16 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 tsp All-Purpose Seasoning
  • 1 tbsp garlic, minced
  • 6 oz. white wine, or vegetable broth
  • 4 Porcini mushrooms, dried, grind into powder
  • 1 1/2 c Cashew Béchamel- Basic White Sauce
  • 1 1/2 c peas, frozen, thawed

In a large dutch oven cook the caserecce according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In the same pot sauté onions until softened. Add mushrooms, garlic and All-Purpose Seasoning.

Deglaze pot with wine or vegetable broth. Add porcini powder and stir.

Add caserecce back to the pot along with the Cashew Béchamel Basic White Sauce and the peas. Stir until well incorporated and the peas are heated through.

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Serve. Eat. Enjoy.

 

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Fruit Nut & Seed Salad

What is nice about this salad is that you can change it up with anything you have handy. Just mix a couple of fresh fruits, a dried fruit, your favorite nut and seeds. You could never eat the same salad again. This is what I had in my kitchen.

I brought this salad to a church function and came home with an empty bowl.

Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and and toss together with the Strawberry-Vanilla Vinaigrette.

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Serve. Eat. Enjoy.

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Strawberry-Vanilla Vinaigrette

I was making a Giant Fruit Nut & Seed Salad to take to a church function. This dressing is a little twist to my Strawberry Vinaigrette. It is a strawberry lemonade with a little vanilla. And, it is oh so delicious.

  • 1/2 c strawberries, sliced
  • 1 lemon, zested, juiced
  • 1 tbsp sweetener of choice
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla powder, or half a vanilla bean seeds
  • Pinch of Himalayan salt
  • Pinch pepper

Combine all the ingredients into a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning. Pour on top of salad and toss ingredients.

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Vanilla-Pumpkin Spice Pecans

These pecans are addictive. they have a hint of vanilla, sweetness and pumpkin spices. They are perfect and you can make them on the stovetop. I tasted one, and I wanted more.

  • 1 1/2 c pecan halves
  • 3 tbsp maple sugar
  • 1 tsp Baking Spice Blend
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
  • pinch of Himalayan Salt
  • pinch of ground black pepper

Add all the ingredients to a ziplock bag and shake.

Add pecan mixture to a non-stick skillet. Toast nuts on medium heat, until the maple sugar is melted . Stir the nuts frequently to coat. Once the maple starts to sugar it will go very quickly, about 30-60 seconds. Transfer nuts to a silicone mat. Let nuts cool.

Note: I have used these nuts to top cakes or salads. There are so many possibilities.

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Pumpkin Sheet Pan Bars

I have been trying to come up with different recipes using pumpkin, because I really like pumpkin season.I made these Pumpkin Bars for a church function. It is a take off of my Banana Date Cake with a few changes.

Wet Ingredients:

  • 20 Dates, pitted, soaked until softened
  • 2 c pumpkin puree
  • 2/3 c maple syrup
  • 1/2 c almond butter
  • 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 c Almond Milk, unsweetened, vanilla
  • 1 1/2 c sparkling water

In a large bowl cover dates with hot water, until softened and plump (about 15 minutes).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all the wet ingredients into food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a stand mixer bowl.

Dry Ingredients:

  • 5 c GF All-Purpose Flour blend (I used Cup 4 Cup Wholesome Flour)
  • 2 tbsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp Baking Spice Blend

In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.

Transfer dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the stand mixing bowl. Blend together, starting on low and then increase the speed slowly until batter is well combined.

Spread batter onto a large sheet pan. bake for 20 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Chocolate Ganache Spread:

  • 2 c Vegan Chocolate Chips
  • 1/2 c Almond Milk, unsweetened, vanilla

Melt the chocolate chips with the Almond Milk in a double boiler, until the chocolate is melted and pourable. You may need to add more milk.

Note: If you are using your microwave, heat at 30 second increments, stirring each time.

Pour ganache over pumpkin bars and spread with an offset spatula. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top of the ganache.

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Optional:

Sprinkle some vanilla powder on top of the ganache and pumpkin seeds.

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Creamy Caesar Dressing

Are you missing Creamy Caesar Dressing? I was missing it, so I decided to make my own. This Caesar Dressing is creamy and delicious. I had been thinking of how I could make caesar dressing vegan. I thought of soy, but I really like the lusciousness of cashews blended into a creamy goodness. Kelp flakes give it that slightly taste of the sea that you would normally get from anchovies. Now I can have homemade… I know what is in it…Caesar Dressing.

I am already thinking of ways to use this Creamy Caesar Dressing. I bring them to you soon.

  • 1/2 c raw cashews, soaked
  • water for cashews
  • 3/4 c Almond Milk, unsweetened
  • 2 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 tbsp kelp flakes
  • 1 tbsp Date Paste
  • 1 tbsp miso paste
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced

Combine all the ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend for about 60 seconds, until smooth and creamy.

Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

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Pumpkin-Cranberry Pecan Cookies

It is that time of year that I start thinking of ways to use pumpkin. So you might see quite a few recipes using pumpkin in the near future. This recipe is an adaptation from my original Pumpkin-Cranberry Cookies. This particular recipe uses a fruit paste for part of the sweetener. I like these cookies because they are not overly sweet, just the right amount of sweetness. These cookies are – Oh So Delicious.

Wet Ingredients:

  • 1/2 c Date Paste
  • 1 c pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 c maple syrup
  • 1/2 c almond butter
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper/silicone mat.

Mix together wet ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.

Dry Ingredients:

In a separate bowl mix together dry ingredients: GF All-Purpose Flour Blend, baking powder, salt, Baking Spice Blend, cranberries and pecans.

Mix the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture. Stir until well combined.

I used an ice cream scoop so the cookies are a substantial size. That is just the way I like my cookies. Bake 12-13 minutes. Let cool for at least 5-10 minutes.

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Note: This recipe makes 15 large cookies. Also, these cookies do not spread.

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Share. Eat. Enjoy.

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Zucchini-Pumpkin Casserole

This casserole was a conglomeration of different ingredients I had leftover from previous meals. I had zucchini, Pumpkin Filling (from pumpkin lasagna), Marinara sauce and Cashew Béchamel – Basic White Sauce. That is basically the recipe.

I like to come up with different kinds of meals from the remnants from previous meals. It is a great way to clean out the refrigerator and nothing goes to waste. Here is how I made it.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Zucchini Rolls:

Take two slices of zucchini and slightly over lamp them side by side. Spoon some Pumpkin Filling at one end and roll zucchini like a cigar, tucking the zucchini as you go. Continue making the zucchini cigars and set aside. This is what takes the longest, but it is kind of fun to do.

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Layering:

Pour half of the Marinara into an 8×8 baking dish.

Layer in the zucchini cigars on top of the Marinara.

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Pour half of the Cashew Béchamel- Basic White Sauce on top of the first layer of zucchini cigars. Spread with the back of a spoon.

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Layer another of zucchini cigars.

Sprinkle nutritional yeast over the second layer of zucchini cigars.

Pour the remaining Marinara over the the zucchini cigars. Spread with the back of a spoon.

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Spread the remaining Cashew Béchamel – Basic White Sauce over the Marinara in top of the Marinara.

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Bake for 30 minutes, the top will be golden. Remove from oven and set aside for 10-15 minutes.

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Serve. Eat. Enjoy.

 

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Fruit Paste

I need to make some date paste for some baking I was planning to do. Fruit pastes are a great way to substitute for sugar in recipes and they are so easy to make. They store well in the refrigerator, so you can make a batch and store it for whenever it is needed.

You can make fruit pastes out of just about any dried fruits. Here is the basic recipe using dates. However, you could use dried apricots, mangoes and many other dried fruit.

  • 20 Medjool dates
  • water, just to cover dates.

In a medium saucepan add dates and water just to cover.  Bring water to a boil. remove from heat and let dates soak and plump up, about 20-30 minutes. the dates should be softened and plump.

Transfer dates to a high-speed blender, and some of the water used to plump up the dates. Just enough to cover the dates in the blender.(You probably will not use all the water from the soaking.) Blitz until dates are smooth and creamy.

Refrigerate unused fruit paste in a sealable container.

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