Wheat Berry Salad with Orange Curry Dressing

Patrick came home one day a month or so ago with a bit of leftover salad. It was so good that one of his coworkers helped me hunt down the general ingredient list. (Thanks Ginny!)

This wheat berry salad is a bit different than its inspiration. I used dried apricots instead of dried cranberries and it is a bit spicier although, this would be remedied with less curry powder.
We really liked it. Obviously, this is not for the gluten free group but it is dairy and soy free.

Wheat Berry Salad with Orange Curry Dressing 
 
For the salad -
1 cup wheat berries
1 cup brown rice
2 cups chopped kale
5 green onions chopped
1/3 cup cashew pieces
1 small can (7 oz) crushed pineapple drained
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots (could substitute dried cranberries or raisins)

For the dressing -
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
1/2 cup orange or mango marmalade
2 T fennel seeds
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 T curry powder (scant)
1/2 t salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions -
1. Cook the wheat berries and the brown rice per package instructions using vegetable broth instead of water.
2. Allow wheat berries and rice to cool.
3. While the first two ingredients are cooling, chop kale, green onions and apricots.
4. Add all salad ingredients to large bowl.
5. To make the dressing, add all dressing ingredients to a small food brocessor or blender (I used my small Ninja Express) and blend until smooth.
6. Pour dressing over salad and mix well.
7. This salad is best to let sit in the fridge for a few hours to let flavors mix.
8. Serve on a bed of greens. 

Curry Bowls with Rice Noodles

I found this recipe on A Pinch of Yum's website. Check out this site for lots of great recipes. As usual, I made some modifications to it but Patrick and I enjoyed it. I found that prepping the vegetables earlier in the day or the night before and storing them in the fridge was a great way to save a bit of time later on when everyone was hungry and cranky.

Curry Bowls with Rice Noodles

Ingredients

For the Curry Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or broth
• 2 green onions
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 1 14-ounce can lite coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon hot chili paste (sambal oelek)
• 4 tablespoons coconut aminos (could also use liquid aminos or soy sauce)

For the Bowls:

• 4 ounces brown rice noodles
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• half a sweet onion OR red onion chopped
• 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 red pepper diced into medium sized chunks
• 1 cup chopped asparagus
• 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
• sesame seeds for topping
• limes for serving
• a handful of fresh basil for serving

Instructions

1. Soak the noodles in a bowl of very cold water for at least 20 minutes. When soft, drain and rinse.
2. For the sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan. 
3. Add the green onions and ginger; stir fry for 5 minutes. 
4. Add the curry paste; stir fry for 1 minute. 
5. Add the coconut milk, sugar, chili paste, coconut aminos and simmer for 15 minutes - it should thicken a bit.
6. For the veggies, in a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. 
7. Add the onion, carrots, broccoli, and asparagus. (I usually have these chopped and ready to go so that all I have to do is dump them in.) Stir fry until the broccoli and asparagus are bright green. 
8. Add the cabbage and cook for 1 more minute.
9. Add the softened noodles to the saucepan with the sauce and gently mix. 
10. Add the veggies and toss together until just combined.
11. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and basil and a squeeze of lime.

Chocolate Mixed Berry Oat Bars

3 year old approved

I came across a version of this recipe at Texanerin Baking's blog. Go check out her original and peak around at some of her other recipes! I made some of my own modifications but otherwise I liked what she created. This is my version of Texanerin's bars.
 

Chocolate, Mixed Berry, Oat Bars

 Ingredients

• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups rolled old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup soft (but not liquid) refined coconut oil 
• 1/3 cup soy free Earth Balance Spread
• 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries
• 1/3 cup mixed berry jam (or any berry flavor that you happen to have on hand)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Directions

1. Line an 8"x8" square baking pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375°F. 
2. Stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt.
3. Cut in the coconut oil and mix until the dough just comes together.
4. Gently press two thirds of it onto the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
5. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until the edges just start to brown.
6. While baking, prepare the berry filling. In a small sauce pan, stir together the berries and jam. Heat through until it is mashed with a fork.
7. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
8. Spread this mixture over the baked crust and then sprinkle about 1/2 of the chocolate chips over the berry layer.
9. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate chips.
10. Bake for another 25-28 minutes or until the top has lightly browned and the filling is bubbly.
11. Remove from the oven and top with the rest of the chocolate chips.
12. Let the bars cool completely in the pan and then refrigerate at least 3 hours before cutting.
    
    
    
    
    
    

Grilled "Sausage" and Veggie Sandwich

I was using up leftovers and vegetable on their "last legs" in my fridge for lunch today and it turned out quite good.

We had green pancakes, VeganEgg, and vegan sausages for dinner last night. There were several sausage links left that Patrick crumbled in a wrap and I used one for this sandwich. I also roasted a few veggies late morning to use them before they went bad.

Roasted Veggie and Hummus Sandwich

Ingredients
- 2 slices good whole wheat bread or sandwich bread of choice
- 2 tablespoon of roasted red pepper hummus
- 1 teaspoon Earth Balance soy free spread
- Roasted Brussels sprouts, celery, broccoli, carrots, and red onion (see specifics below)
  - salt and pepper
  - olive oil or vegetable broth
  - brown sugar
  - garlic powder
- 1 slice vegan cheese
- two slices of tomato
- 1 vegan sausage link

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Chop veggies and arrange on baking sheet sprinkling with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper and brown sugar for Brussels Sprouts.

Roasted Carrots, Celery, Red Onion and Broccoli

• 1 cup baby carrots
• 1 cup broccoli florettes
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 red onion 
• 1 tsp olive oil or veggie broth (or to taste)
• pinch of salt
• garlic powder
• black pepper, to taste

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

• 1½ cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• ½ tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• pinch salt
• black pepper, to taste

3. Roast vegetables for 20 minutes (or to liking) stirring once halfway through.
4. Cook vegan sausage link according to instructions or reheat if leftover.
5. When vegetables are nearing completion, spread Earth Balance on one side of each slice of bread.
6. With the buttered side down, place one slice of vegan cheese on one slice of bread and spread hummus on the other slice. (Note the Earth Balance is used on the toasting side.)
6. Place desired amount of roasted veggies on the sandwich on top of the cheese.
7. Slice sausage link the long way for a flat surface and add both pieces to the sandwich.
8. Add sliced tomato and press two slices together to form sandwich.
9. On a lightly oiled, preheated skillet, cook the sandwich for 2 minutes or so on medium. Watch the bottom so as not to burn. Flip when adequately toasted. Toast on the other side for 1 to 2 minutes.

Enjoy!

Tomato Peanut Curry Soup aka How NOT to Use Your Blender

Anyone who has a Vitamix, or other blender that they use regularly, knows that you don't blend hot soup or liquid. Why you ask? Because explosions occur. Cooling off the substance to be blended is key. Leaving the lid partially off the blender and covering that bit with a tea towel would work but did I listen to my own advice? No, of course not. Due to this, I created a curry covered cupboard. Lovely. Luckily, it cleaned up quickly. I also managed to cover myself in it. Thankfully, it wasn't so hot it burned. Whoops.

Anywho, this is delicious. I had a Tomato Peanut Curry Soup at a restaurant in Lincoln called Bread and Cup just before we moved. My mom watched the boys for a couple of hours and Patrick and I went on a lunch date for our anniversary! It was lovely, and so was the soup. I wanted to recreate something like it. Their version was definitely better but maybe it was just because I didn't end up wearing that particular meal... question mark? I highly recommend that you visit that restaurant if you are in the area. It is owned by a local couple who lived down the street from us and they source everything they can at the Farmer's Markets. The menu changes with the season and it was quite good. They didn't have many vegan options. Everything was very meat and egg heavy but vegan isn't their goal and with a little scouring of the menu I was able to find a plantcentric meal.

Yes that is a plastic spoon. Don't judge. The moving truck with the other half of our belongings has not yet arrived.

Tomato Peanut Curry Soup

(Recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped (or garlic powder)
1/2 teaspoon curry powder

3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt

1 15 -ounce can fire roasted tomatoes

3 T tomato paste
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 1/2 teaspoon packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter (I used my homemade variety because it was what I had)
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh cilantro and chopped peanuts, for topping

Directions

Chop veggies into similar size pieces. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery; cook, stirring, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, spices and 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste) and cook, stirring, 3 more minutes.

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable broth, brown sugar and 1 cup water to the pot, then stir in peanut butter. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on med low. Stir occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly, about 20-30 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender (ideally) or in a regular blender in batches. If using a regular blender make sure that the soup is very cool. Trust me on this one. Season with salt and black pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls; top with cilantro and peanuts. 

Can I just say....

"Yay for soup!"?

And...

Thank you to Betsy and Pam for the use of some odds and ends kitchen equipment while I await the arrival of my own. The cutting board, knife, and pot/lid were integral in this meal. :)

Frozen Mint Chip Birthday Dessert

For the last 20 years, my mom has made a mint chocolate chip ice cream dessert for my birthday. It was adapted from a Better Homes and Gardens recipe I think. I really wanted to veganize it but I specifically didn't want it to taste like coconut. After several attempts at the sauce and multiple ice cream varieties, this version was a smashing success. And better yet, the chocolate sauce was edible off the spoon on its own. Yum. I didn't get great photos of it, it disappeared too quickly. Maybe next time...

Ingredients:

Crust-
Crushed chocolate wafers - 1 pkg (I used one package of Enjoy Life Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies and 1 package of Chocolate Graham Teddy's from Whole Foods)
1/2 cup vegan butter melted (I used Miyoko's cultured vegan butter)
1/4 cup sugar

Ice Cream- 
3 containers of NadaMoo Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Chocolate Sauce-
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used the semi sweet chocolate chips from the bulk bin at my local grocery store but any vegan variety would be fine. You could use Enjoy Life brand as well.)
1/3 cup vegan butter (Miyoko's cultured vegan butter)*
1 cup powdered sugar
2 - 2.5 cups oat or cashew milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp sea salt

* I tried several varieties including using Earth Balance but I found the flavor to be "off". Miyoko's was the best choice. 

Directions:
1. Heat the oat milk or cashew milk to a simmer. Let simmer slowly for 20 minutes or until reduced to 1 1/2 cups.  STIR FREQUENTLY.
2. While the milk is reducing, crush the chocolate cookies in a ziplock to crumbs.
3. Stir together crushed cookies, sugar, and melted butter.
4. Press the mixture into the bottom of 9x13 pan and set in freezer for 15-20 minutes.
5. Remove crust from freezer and tear open the cardboard containers of ice cream.
6. Lay the ice cream on it's side and slice into 1/2"-3/4" rounds.
7. Lay over crust filling in gaps as needed to completely cover.
8. Place back in the freezer.
9. To make the chocolate sauce, melt the chocolate chips and vegan butter in small sauce pan on low heat.
10. Add powered sugar and 1 1/2 cups of evaporated milk from above.
11. Cook and stir 20-25 minutes until slightly thickened.
12. Stir in vanilla.
13. Cool sauce completely.
14. Poor over ice cream layer and freeze until firm.

A-MAZ-ING.

Noodle Soup

I have always loved a good, homemade chicken noodle soup but I ALWAYS left all the chicken in the bottom of the bowl. (Sorry about that mom.) This recipe hits the spot and maintains a great flavor. Yum. My mom and I tossed around the idea of exchanging the pasta for wild rice and maybe adding mushrooms but I suppose then it would be mushroom and wild rice soup. Another soup for another day.

Not-Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 10 large long celery stalks (you will need 3 cups sliced)
• 3 cups sliced or chopped carrots
• 3/4 to 1large white or yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 heaping cup)
• 2-3 large garlic cloves, finely minced (about a tablespoon)
• 2½ cups diced potatoes, cut into ½ inch cubes
• 10 cups water
• 3 vegan bouillon cubes (I used Rapunzel brand with sea salt.)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (optional)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast to taste
• 1 cup rotini noodles

Instructions

1. Chop all veggies.
2. Add the water to a large pot and bring to a boil, add the bouillon cubes and whisk to dissolve. Add all of the veggies and seasonings including thyme, salt, and nutritional yeast. Stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn to low heat, cover and simmer 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
3. Add the pasta and bring back to a boil. Leave the lid off and turn the heat to medium-high and cook until the pasta is al dente. 
4. Remove from heat. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and black pepper.

Green Pancakes

At our house, we don't believe in hiding foods such as vegetables in other more kid friendly foods. We do believe in letting kids help and taste and create the food for the family. It is no secret that spinach is what makes these pancakes green! E watched me rinse and dry the spinach leaves, pack them into the measuring cup and whir them into a green liquid with the other ingredients in the  blender.

These are a bit more savory that traditional pancakes but were quite good with a bit of Earth Balance spread and a squeeze of honey.

Green Pancakes

Spinach Pancakes? I'm kinda worried that you're going to want to skip this recipe based on the name, but I beg you to give these pancakes a try. I originally made them as a St. Patrick's Day-themed recipe for my monthly "Snack Mom" column in the...

Spinach Pancakes? I'm kinda worried that you're going to want to skip this recipe based on the name, but I beg you to give these pancakes a try. I originally made them as a St. Patrick's Day-themed recipe for my monthly "Snack Mom" column in the...

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp coconut oil + 2 Tbsp water + 2 tsp baking powder
•  1 cup packed fresh spinach
• 1 cup original unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. In a small bowl combine 1 Tbsp coconut oil + 2 Tbsp water + 2 tsp baking powder and let sit for one to two minutes.
2.  In a blender, combine the spinach, almond milk, and oil and the above mixture and blend until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.
5. Heat a large pan over medium heat and grease. 
6. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the pancake mixture onto the griddle, making as many pancakes as will fit and cook for 2-4 minutes depending on the heat of your stove.
7. Flip the pancakes when bubbles begin to appear and cook or 2 minutes or until cooked through.
8. Serve with Earth Balance spread and Agave or Maple syrup or honey.

Vegan "Meatball" Subs

First of all.. I just want to say that as soon as my brother sees this post (providing he ever reads my blog, wink wink) he will send me a text that says, "those are not meatballs. They cannot be called meatballs." Semantics. Anywho, these came about because I had an abundance of leftover marinara that I had pulled from the freezer. I didn't think it would be wise to freeze it... again. I asked P what he could think of to use it for. This is a bit funny because usually he looks at me and says something like, "can't you find something on Pinterest?"Ahaha. This time he said (without hesitation) "Meatball Subs". Well, ok then.  Excellent idea, except that I don't think I have ever had a meatball sub... in any form. Hmmmm. Despite this fact as well as the extra toasty buns, I thought these were quite good.

Meatball Sandwich

For the tomato sauce

•  1 medium onions, peeled and minced 
•  vegetable broth for sauteing
• 1 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 
•  2 cups canned crushed or diced tomatoes, along with their juice
• 3/4 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoons dried oregano 
•  1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• one bay leaf 
• 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar 

For the Lentil "Meatballs"

        This made enough for 5 sandwiches and then freezing an entire second meals worth

• 2 cups cooked lentils (I used one package of Melissa's brand precooked because I had them in the fridge
• Salt and Pepper
• Vegetable Broth for sauteing
• 1/3 Red Onion, finely chopped
• 2 tsp Minced Garlic (or one clove)
• 1/2 Zucchini, finely chopped
• 12 Baby carrots finely chopped
• 1 Celery Stalk, finely chopped
• 2 tsp Dried Parsley
• 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
• 1 T Ground Flax Seed
• 2 T Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 tsp each Paprika, garlic powder, Italian Seasoning
• 1 T Garbanzo flour (or regular if not gluten free) plus 1 T water

Additional Ingredients

Daiya Cheese

Gluten Free Vegan Hoagie Buns

For the tomato sauce

- Sauté the onions in vegetable broth in large saucepan. Season them with salt and black pepper, stir frequently, until the onions start to become translucent. Add the garlic and cook until the onions are completely soft

- Add the canned tomatoes, the tomato paste, salt, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, the bay leaf and the sugar, and let simmer for 10 to 12 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

- Heat the sauce with the meatballs in it until everything is warmed through. If the sauce is very thick, it can be thinned with a bit of warm water.

For the Lentil “Meatballs”

- Place the lentils to a large mixing bowl. Mash them with a fork, potato masher or your hands until they are completely mashed.

- Heat a large skillet and add the vegetable broth. Sauté the onions for about 5 minutes until translucent.

- Add the rest of the vegetables and the garlic, salt and pepper. Sauté about 6 minutes until the veggies are soft.

- Add the veggies to the mixing bowl with the lentils.

- Add the parsley, bread crumbs, flaxseed, Worcestershire sauce, and spices.

- In a small bowl, put garbanzo flour. Add 1 Tbs. of water and mix into a loose paste. This will help to hold the mixture together. Add to the bowl.

- Mix everything well. I used clean hands, which seemed to be the best option. If the texture seems too wet, add more bread crumbs. If it feels too dry add water.

- Wet your hands, scoop up about 2 Tbs. worth of the mixture (more or less depending what size you like your meatballs) and shape into a ball.

- Place them in a casserole dish or on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

- Cook for 20 minutes at 375 degrees watching closely and turning halfway through.

- Turn on broiler after 20 minutes and broil for a minute or two to get a bit more browned. WATCH CLOSELY.

- Pull from the oven and cut one open to check for doneness. Meatballs should be well heated all the way through.

To make sandwiches, take hoagie buns, cut open almost all the way through. Slice some of the meatballs in half and put them between the bread, pressing down with a fork a bit. Top with a small amount of  shredded Daiya and heat in 400º oven or under the broiler, until the cheese melts. WATCH CLOSELY (I only know this from experience. See photo.)

A Very Happy Party

July 2014

Aug 2013

 

 

Today is my littlest one's first birthday. We made it to one. Phew. He is wonderful. He adores his big brother, wants to be on the move always, still has the cutest toothless grin, sucks the third and fourth fingers of his right hand, and LOVES to eat. He has a short fuse, loves to cuddle with his momma and carries his little cream colored lamb everywhere. We decided to have a quiet little get together for his birthday, well, as quiet as it can be with a very excited three year old and a tired, 12 month old, birthday boy. We had blue and white and green table settings and a sweet little lamb cake that I made for him.

I found a tutorial for a Fluffy Lamb Cake at Handmade Charlotte. The cake was a guest post from Lyndsay at Coco Cake Land. Check out both of their blogs for cute cakes and DIY projects. I made some adaptations to this cake. For one, both the cake and frosting are vegan and turned out great! Also, I chose to tone down the amount of icing on the cake with less piping as my kids are small and less sugar is always good. 

 

Lamby Cake

 

Dairy Free Vanilla Birthday Cake 

with Coconut Oil Vanilla "Buttercream" Frosting

 

For the Cake:

 

Ingredients

• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups sugar
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 1½ cups cold water
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• ¾ cup canola oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Grease and flour two 8" round cake pans.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together water, oil, vanilla, and lemon juice.
5. Add wet ingredients to dry and combine with whisk. Do not overmix.
6. Immediately pour into prepared pans and place into the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

For the Frosting (made enough to frost the entire cake as well as pipe with some leftover)

Ingredients

• 6 cups confectioner's sugar 
• 2/3 cup refined coconut oil  - solid form 
• 5 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Spread (I used whipped)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 6 teaspoons vanilla unsweetended almond milk(or any non-dairy milk)

Directions

1.  Whip the coconut oil and Earth Balance until it forms peaks. 
2.  Slowly pour in sugar and beat until creamy. Repeat.
3.  Add milk a teaspoon at a time to desired consistency.
4.  Add vanilla extract and whip.

To make the Lamb

1. Bake your cakes accord­ing to the recipe instruc­tions. Let cakes cool com­pletely on wire racks in their pans.
2. Make your but­ter­cream accord­ing to recipe instruc­tions.
3. Place a dollop of but­ter­cream on a cake plate to hold the cake to the plate.
4. Remove one of the cake layers from the cake pan. Use a ser­rated knife to slice the top of your cake so the top is level.
5. Place the cake cut-side-up on the cake plate.
6. Using an off­set spat­ula or but­ter knife, spread an equal layer of but­ter­cream on top.
7. Remove the sec­ond cake layer from your cake pan. Level the second cake layer as you did with the first layer. Place the sec­ond cake layer cut-side-down onto the first frosted layer. 
8. Frost­ the top and sides of the cake.
9. Gently use your bench scraper against the side of the cake to scrape all the way around to smooth out the frost­ing.
10. Use a pip­ing bag and a star tip with a cou­pler and plastic ring, pipe little rosette dabs around the outside edge of the cake.
11. Fill in the top third with more dabs of piped frosting.

To make the ears

Shape two pieces of white fon­dant into ears. I tinted a little bit of white fondant into pink with the all natural red food coloring and kneaded it in until it was evenly distributed. I found that it took a little more coloring than typical food dyes. Out of the pink fondant, make two small tri­an­gles to put in the middle of the ears. Stick them on with a drop of water. Place each ear onto a toothpick. Gen­tly push the other end of the toothpick into the sides of the cake for his sweet little ears.

To make the nose and mouth

Use the pink fon­dant to make a lit­tle tri­an­gle and then rolled a small piece of fondant between my hands and shaped. Place on top of the cake and gently press down.

  

To make the eyes

Tint a little bit of white fondant into blue with the all natural food coloring and kneaded it in until evenly distributed. Roll in between your hands, as you did with the mouth, until it is even. Shape it into lines for the eyes. Place on top of the cake and gently press down.

Bacon Flavored Coconut - Vegan alternative

 I don't miss meat. I don't even miss cheese, which was a surprise. I do, however, miss BLTs. Especially in the summer with a big piece of juicy watermelon and an ear of locally grown corn. Yum. I have been trying out some bacon alternatives to see if there is something that will make for a great sandwich. Last year I tried a marinaded tempeh which I thought was pretty good. My husband choked it down with a fake smile, gritted teeth,  and no complaints, but it was clearly not a favorite of his. Last week I thought maybe roasted mushrooms in a marinade would work well. However, between the dog and two small boys I got distracted and they burned. Laughably, this probably made them taste quite similar to the turkey bacon we used to eat because I inevitable burned that each time as well. So... last night I tried coconut flakes. There are some recipes out there using coconut flakes to mimic bacon in recipes. I liked the combination of seasonings I had used for the mushrooms so I based mine on that. They turned out great. Obviously, the goal is not a bacon replica. It is to find a substitute that has some similar characteristics (touch of hickory, salty, and a little crunch). They worked well on the sandwich, with the exception of not staying put as well as a longer piece of bacon and I ate them on a salad the next day for lunch and they were even better. I am seeing them turning up in soups and salads in the future. Yum. 

 

Coconut "Bacon"

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
• 4 tablespoon Braggs liquid aminos or soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 
• 4 cups large flaked coconut

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
3.  Pour in flaked coconut.
4. Stir or toss to coat the coconut in the liquid mixture. 
5. Once the coconut is evenly coated, pour it onto a parchment lined baking sheet 
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes so it cooks evenly. It WILL burn if you’re not careful, so make sure to stir!
7. For storage, place in glass storage container with lid and refrigerate.  

Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Bars

These Oatmeal Raisin Bars turned out so well that they are definitely worth sharing.  A great treat for a potluck, an after school snack, or a picnic. Yum. I discovered, as well, that people don't even know they are vegan. Now, that is the ultimate compliment on a baked good.

Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars
Yields 12 servings

Ingredients:
for the bars
 1 1/2 cups oats
3/4 cup wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder + 2 teaspoons (divided)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted Earth Balance
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon sunflower sunflower seed oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup raisins

for the glaze
confectioners sugar
Vanilla Almond Milk
Vanilla Extract
2 Tablespoons Earth Balance or Coconut Oil

Directions:

For the bars:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).  Line an 8 inch X 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper so that it overlaps the sides and set aside.
2. In a small mixing bowl stir together the oats, flour, baking soda, 1/8 teaspoon baking powder and salt.
3. In a small bowl mix the  2 Tablespoons water, 1 Tablespoon sunflower sunflower seed oil, and 2 teaspoons of baking powder and let sit.
4. In a large mixing bowl (or standing mixer) cream the Earth Balance and 1/4 cup coconut oil for about 3 minutes on medium speed.  Add the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about another 3 minutes.
5. Add the sunflower seed oil mixture and vanilla and beat, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure it is completely combined.
6. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed just until combined.  Stir in the raisins.
7. Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan and bake for 25 minutes or until the edges are brown and the middle is light  brown and set.  A toothpick will not come out clean from these bars as they will still be a bit moist in the middle.
8. Let cool completely. (This was the hardest part.)

For the glaze: 
1. Place the Earth Balance (or coconut oil) and about 1 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar in a bowl.  Using a hand mixer, mix a bit and then pour in almond milk 1 Tablespoon at a time until desired drizzling consistency is reached. You may need to add a bit more confectioners sugar, it's ok to play with the proportions.
2. Remove the bars from the pan to a cutting board.  Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the top and let sit until glaze has crusted over.
3.  Cut into bars and serve.

Green Lentil Borscht

We had a fantastic meal tonight. The flavors were perfect. I started with a recipe but then ventured outside of it as I usually do. The result was magnificent. And very red. Very, very red. In fact, Patrick said that this would be an excellent plant based meal to take to a Husker tail-gate. It was that red. :)

This recipe is oil free, sugar free, dairy free, nut free, gluten free, soy free, and totally plant based. Whoo hoo! That makes it a "safe" option for vegans, vegetarians, MSPI mommas and people who are gluten intolerant. Perfect.

 

Green Lentil Borscht

made 8 1/2 servings (1 cup)

Ingredients

Vegetable broth

1 medium onion (minced)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

3 medium beets (peeled and chopped)

5 small red potatoes (cleaned and chopped with skin on)

15-20 baby carrots (cleaned and chopped)

2-3 vegetable bullion cubes

3 bay leaves

2 cups cooked lentils

2 tsp dried dill

1 can diced tomato 

1 1/2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat the vegetable broth in a large soup kettle or sauce pan over medium high heat.

2. Saute the onion until translucent.

3. Add the garlic and saute for one minute more.

4. Add the potato, carrots, and beets, 6 cups of water, bay leaves and bullion. Stir to combine.

5. Cook until the beets are tender, about 25-30 minutes, stirring occassionally.

6. Once the beets are tender, add lentils, tomatoes, and dill and cook 10-15 minutes more or until heated through.

7. Just before serving add the apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.

8. Adjust the herbs to taste and remove the bay leaves.

9. Serve topped with a nut based cream sauce.

NOTE: You could certainly use uncooked lentils in this recipe as well. Add them in at step 4 with the root vegetables. They should take about the same time to cook as the beets. I used precooked lentils because I typically cook a large quantity of lentils or black beans at one time and freeze them in portions so I have them ready to go into recipes. Lentils have a 1:2 1/2 or 3 cup ratio so use approximately 1 cup dry lentils for similar proportions above.

 My 3 year old insisted that his truck needed to be part of the photo shoot. I think it is a nice touch, don't you?

Dairy free "sour cream"

This nut based "cream" sauce mimics sour cream quite well. I serve it with tacos, soups, as the base for dips, in wraps and burritos and anywhere else sour cream is called for. The trick is to plan ahead in order to allow time to soak the cashews as well as to use a good blender to get the creamy consistency. Neglecting either of these will still give you a good tasting condiment but will most likely result in a different texture.

Dairy Free "Sour Cream"

Ingredients

1 cup cashews (presoaked for at least 4 hours)

Juice of one lemon

1/4 teaspoon of Himalayan sea salt or to taste

1/4 cup water

Directions

1. Process cashews, lemon juice and salt until well combined.

2. Add water little by little and process until desired consistency.

3. Continue to blend until lite and fluffy.

Strawberry Chia Energy Bars

I could use some convection over tips. Do you prop the door of the oven open? Or close it so the convection fan kicks on?  I ended up using a combination of the two. I couldn't find any instructions on this anywhere. The thought was that with the door open, the moisture could escape and the temperature could be a bit lower so as to be more like a dehydrator. Isn't that what the fan on the convection oven is for? Who knows, anywho, this open/closed method seemed to work well for me. I am going to try another flavor this weekend, more of a Hawaiian coconut, pineapple. Yum!

Just some of the delicious reasons for using some of the ingredients in this snack...

Pumpkin seeds have lots of antioxidants, vitamin E, phosphorus, copper, zinc, iron, and magnesium.  The oils in these little guys may even help to regulate insulin. (Very preliminary but so cool.) They also have antiviral, antimicrobial, and antibacterial properties. Can't beat that.

Sunflower seeds are packed with vitamins E and B1 as well as copper. Vitamin E helps protect your cells against free radicals, chemicals that oxidize and damage your proteins, cell membranes and DNA. This vitamin also promotes healthy circulation by helping you make red blood cells. An ounce of hulled sunflower seeds contains 10 milligrams of vitamin E! That is two-thirds of your recommended daily intake of the nutrient.

Sesame seeds also have loads of zinc which decreases the risk for osteoporosis, phytoserols that may enhance the immune response, sesamin which provides liver protection, as well as copper, anti-inflammatory, and anti oxidants.

Chia seeds are a hot topic right now. These odd little seeds are full of fiber, calcium, and Omega-3 fatty acids. Another great thing about chia seeds is their ability to absorb up to 12x their weight. This means that once ingested, they can draw out toxins in your body. Pretty cool, huh?

Flax seeds also contain Omega-3s. I have been hearing about a study (yes that is a link to Yahoo news but the actually article from Neurology is cited at the bottom of the link) where Omega-3 fatty acids were shown to possibly reduce age related brain shrinkage, especially in women. Shoot, I am all for that. Flax seeds are antioxidant power houses with ounce for ounce, more antioxidants than blueberries. This has been correlated to a reduction in insulin resistance.

As my mom said, when I told her about the above health benefits, "Whew! That is lots of good health." Ha. 

So try these out and be on the look out for the next variety. I already have several more ideas.

Strawberry Chia Energy Bars 

Ingredients

• 2 cups Fresh Strawberries, topped and hulled
• 19 Medjool Dates, pitted (about 2 cups)
• ¼  cup Pumpkin Seeds
• ¼  cup Sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup Flax Seeds
• ½ cup Sesame Seeds
• ⅛ cup Chia Seeds
• Sea Salt, optional to taste

Instructions

1. Place strawberries and dates in the food processor. Pulse into a slightly chunky mixture, not completely smooth.
2. Pour fruit puree into a bowl and using a wooden spoon, gently mix in all remaining ingredients. Salt to taste.
3. Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The mixture should be about ⅛” thick.
4. Place in convection oven at 170 deg F for about 6 hours. (This was the lowest my oven would go.) 
5. After about 4-5 hours, when the top is no longer sticky to the touch and the bottom can easily peel off the parchment, flip the mixture over so the top is now the bottom. This will help evenly dehydrate both sides. I found the best way to do this was to place a new piece of parchment on top of the bars and flip the whole thing. I then peeled the old layer of paper off the top.
6. The bars are done when they have a fruit leather texture, not completely crispy.
7. Cut into bars using a pizza cutter.
8. Can be stored 6 months – 9 months in an airtight container in the fridge.