The Yummy Vegan

Peanut Butter Cups

2011-12-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

Vegan peanut butter cups - how can you beat that for a sweet treat? I came across this recipe in a magazine and though I've never attempted to make any kind of filled candy or treats using candy molds before, this looked like an easy enough recipe to finally give this a try. The recipe calls for just a few basic ingredients, and though there are a number of separate steps involved, it's all very straightforward.

Now, the recipe I followed said to use 4 sheets of 12 small peanut butter cup candy molds. What I discovered, however, was that the recipe for the filling made more than twice the amount to fill the 4 sheets. Not a problem in my books, especially if I've already gone to the trouble of making something, may as well make lots! Because I only had the 4 sheets I had to make these in 2 batches, and I still have enough filling left over for at least one sheet. If you happen to find large, regular size peanut butter cup molds, then 4 sheets of 12 molds will suffice.

I also ignored the quantity of chocolate to melt - I keep a big bag of vegan chocolate chips on hand and melt in a double boiler as I go. I don't use a microwave, so its all a big stove-top affair for me. I use up any left over melted chocolate (and there always is some) by throwing in some Sahale snacks and making little chocolate nut clusters. Extreme yum factor, especially with the cashew vanilla pomegranate variety. Mmmmm...

ingredients:

1 cup smooth peanut butter (I find MaraNatha brand to be the most exceptional)
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Spread
3/4 cup crumbled vegan chocolate cookies*

*I use Whole Foods 365 brand chocolate graham bears and crush them in a hand powered food processor until I have a mixture of powder and small crumbs. A blender would work okay as well.

Several cups vegan chocolate chips or vegan melting chocolate
8 small 12 cup peanut butter cup candy molds, or do 2 batches of 4 (see above notes)

method:

In a large bowl using an electric mixer beat together peanut butter, the powdered sugar, Earth Balance and cookie crumbs until well combined. You may need to add a bit more peanut butter if the mixture is very dry and powdery. I had to add about another 1/4 cup of peanut butter. You want the mixture to be sticky, so that it will hold together if you press it together with your hands. Place in fridge until ready to use.

Prepare a small double boiler for melting the chocolate. Pour about an inch of water in to the saucepan, place double boiler over top and pour in about a cup of chocolate chips. Bring water to a boil, turn down to simmer once boiling. When chips begin to melt stir them well to cream them together.

Using a small pastry brush, (I used a #3 flat paint brush), paint a thin layer of chocolate on the inside of each cup. Place the prepared molds in the fridge until set.

Once the chocolate has hardened in the molds, drop small teaspoonfuls of the peanut mixture into each cup, pressing down firmly with your fingers and leaving just a sliver of space at the top for the final chocolate layer.

Once all cups are filled, melt more chocolate over the double boiler and using a small spoon pour melted chocolate on top of peanut butter in each cup. You will need to smooth out the tops with the spoon to make an even layer that coats the mold around all the sides.

Place finished molds in the fridge for at least an hour until set. Pop out candies and place in small paper cups, store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Black Bean Soup

2011-11-03T16:29:00.000-07:00

This is an amazingly tasty and easy vegan black bean soup. Serve it up with some tortillas or tortilla chips and a big green salad for a hearty and satisfying meal.

This recipe makes about four large portions. The first time I made it I didn't have enough beans on hand so I halved the recipe.

ingredients:

4 cans (14 oz), or the equivalent freshly cooked, black beans
2 - 3 medium tomatoes, diced, or use 1 14 oz can
1 Tbsp olive or grapeseed oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 small - medium red onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
2 cups vegetable stock
1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs; a combination of parsley and cilantro is really great
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
salt and black pepper to taste

method:

Place half the beans and all the tomatoes in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Heat oil in soup pot and saute onions, carrots and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add vegetable stock, bean puree, the remaining beans, the corn and the spices. Bring to a simmer, turn to low heat and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring every so often so the beans don't stick to the bottom.

Add the chopped fresh herbs once soup is simmering.

If you like a thinner soup you may like to add some more vegetable stock.

Tip: Serve with a bit of shredded Daiya vegan cheese sprinkled on top!

Vegan Pumpkin Scones

2011-10-06T16:02:00.000-07:00

These scones are the perfect autumn late afternoon snack, or treat with dinner. Light and healthy yet rich and satisfying at the same time - can't beat that!

I've listed the ingredient amounts for both the full and half recipe, just in case I (or you) don't have enough ingredients on hand (like the first time I made them). I know, it's easy to just half it yourself, but a quick reference is always handy too :)

12 scones:

1/2 cup organic cane sugar
3 1/2 cups flour (I use whole spelt)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 cup Earth Balance buttery spread
2 cups pumpkin (canned or not)

6 scones:

1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1 3/4 cups flour (I use whole spelt)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp allspice
1/4 cup Earth Balance buttery spread
1 cup pumpkin (canned or not)

method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line two cookie sheets (or 1 for the half recipe) with parchment paper.

Soften Earth Balance if it has been in the fridge.

In a large bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients.

Cut in the Earth Balance, a bit at a time, then add the pumpkin.

Mix until very well combined. I use a large serving fork to mix.

Knead lightly on a floured surface.

Form dough in to a fat circle and cut in to 12 or 6 pie shapes. Or, divide dough as you wish in to the sizes you like.

Place on cookie sheet and bake 12 - 15 minutes. (In my oven it's 15)

Remove from oven when slightly golden brown on top, and top of scones spring back under a gentle touch.

Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.

Enjoy!

Mexican Ratatouille

2011-09-21T20:41:00.000-07:00

ingredients:

1 medium zucchini
1 small eggplant
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup broccoli florets
1 large clove garlic, crushed
oil for frying (I use grapeseed oil)
1 bag Daiya vegan cheese cheddar style shreds
2 Tbsp chili powder
salt to taste

method:

Heat about 1 Tbsp of oil in a large skillet. When hot add the crushed garlic. Fry 30 seconds, then add the chili powder. Sir for about 20 seconds, then add all the vegetables. Stir well to thoroughly mix vegetables with the oil/garlic/chili powder. Add a bit of salt according to your taste. If the garlic and chili powder is sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a splash of water. Place a lid on the skillet and let simmer, stirring every so often.

When the vegetables are almost done stir the black beans. Allow the beans to warm up for a minute or so, then add 1/2 - 3/4 bag of the cheddar shreds. Mix well. Sprinkle the remaining shreds over the top of the dish, place the lid back on and keep the heat on low until the Daiya has melted. Turn off heat, serve and enjoy!

Recipe by Trudel

french toast

2011-09-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

This French toast is super satisfying on a laid back weekend morning. I like to use a whole grain sprouted bread for added heartiness.

Yield: enough for about 5 pieces of toast

ingredients:

3/4 cup soy or almond or rice beverage (I prefer to use plain, unsweetened)
3 Tbsp flour
2 tsp agave nectar or other sweetener
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Earth Balance buttery spread
sliced bread of your choice

method:

Combine all ingredients except the Earth Balance in a shallow, wide bowl.

Heat a skillet over medium - low heat. When hot, add some Earth Balance (the amount is completely up to you) and while it is melting quickly dip a slice of bread in the milky mixture, making sure to completely coat both sides.

Place the slice in the skillet and move it around just a bit so it doesn't stick, just for the first few seconds. Flip when first side is done, move to a serving place and repeat.

Enjoy!

Kale Chips

2011-07-22T16:34:00.000-07:00

Mmmm - Kale Chips! All the yum and crunch you want in a tasty snack, plus all the benefits of raw kale - can't go wrong with that, can you?

Note: This recipe will vary in proportion of sauce to kale depending on the variety of kale used. The curlier the kale, the more sauce you will use, and vise versa. You may end up with a good amount of extra sauce, so you may just have to get yourself some more kale and make more.

Note 2: I use a dehydrator. I know this can be done in an oven at a low temperature setting, but please don't ask me as I have no experience with this. There is lots of info on the web about how to do that. This recipe, as all on this blog, are really there to serve me with a quick reference for my favorite recipes.

ingredients:

lots and lots of kale
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water (you may need more)
2 Tbsp miso
1 large clove garlic, or the equivalent
1 very small lemon, squeezed
1/2 tsp salt

method:

Cut the tough stems off the kale, including right up between the leaves. This just ends up being really tough and stringy otherwise. Wash and dry, and with your hands break into large potato chip size pieces. Transfer the kale into a large bowl.

Blend the remaining ingredients in a blender until very smooth. The consistency should be quite thin, almost like salad dressing, so you may need to add more water.

Pour the sauce over the kale and combine well, making sure all the leaves are thoroughly covered. I find using my hands is the most effective method.

Transfer the leaves to your dehydrator trays. I always have my dehydrator set to the highest temperatre as it makes the process go a little faster. This will take about 4 - 5 hours, depending on the relative humidity of where you live (prairies as opposed to coast). The kale chips are done when they're all nice and crispy.

Enjoy!

Carrot Cake with "Cream Cheese" Icing

2011-05-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm, carrot cake. Who doesn't love carrot cake? This is a deliciously moist cake - lots of carrots, rasins, walnuts and icing, yum! If you don't want as much icing as the above photo, just make half the recipe, or make the whole recipe and save the remainder for some cupcakes or something else tasty.

cake ingredients:

3 cups flour (I use 1/2 whole spelt flour, 1/2 white flour)
1 1/2 cups organic cane sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum (can omit if you don't have it)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil of your choice
1 cup soy, rice, or almond milk (plain or vanilla)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups finely grated carrots
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup rasins

frosting ingredients:

1/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread
8 oz vegan cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
optional: 1 tsp lemon or vanilla extract

method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line a 12" x 9" loaf pan with parchment paper, or grease the pan with some Earth Balance

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the cake and combine well.

In a medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients for the cake and mix well.

Make a hollow in the dry ingredients and pour the wet inside, mix gently with a large spoon. Fold in carrots, rasins, and walnuts.

Pour batter in to the prepared tin and bake 50 - 55 minutes, or until cake gently springs back when touched in the center.

Allow cake to cool on a wire rack before frosting.

To prepare the frosting, combine frosting ingredients in a bowl and mix with a beater. Spread on cake and enjoy!

Lemon Squares

2011-05-06T20:08:00.000-07:00

If lemon squares are your deal, then this is the recipe for you. I found it on the Vegweb site five years ago, added it to my recipe box, and then never made it until today! And me being a total lemon square fiend, I really have no clue how this happened. Well, there's no looking back after today, that's for sure. And best of all, this recipe whips together in less than 20 minutes, how's that, eh? (Okay, now you know I'm Canadian...)

ingredients:

crust:

1 cup all purpose flour
5 tablespoons (or 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp) Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1/4 cup granulated sugar

filling:

3 egg equivalents, prepared (all I had in the house was cornstarch, so I did 6 Tbsp with equal parts water)
2 1/2 - 3 lemons, juiced and zested
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract if you have it, you can omit this if you don't have it
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt

method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line an 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper, right up the vertical sides as well. This makes removal of the squares so much easier.

In a bowl combine the crust ingredients and press into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

While the crust is baking, prepare the egg replacer, whip it up a bit and add the remaining ingredients, mixing together really well.

Pour over baked crust, pop in the oven and bake 20 - 25 minutes, or until somewhat set.

Allow to cool, preferably in the fridge, before cutting.

Recipe from vegweb

Zombie Fingers (Mozzarella Sticks)

2011-05-05T19:24:00.001-07:00

These mozzarella sticks (aka 'Zombie Fingers' - keep reading!) made with Daiya vegan cheese are truly out of this world.

I came across the recipe on Daiya Foods' You Tube channel - its one of the entries to their 'Get Cooking' contest where the prize is a much coveted iPad. The video is made by 'The Vegan Zombie', a highly entertaining vegan cook that makes insane food and really great videos. In my humble opinion, he is by far the front runner in the competition thus far; the recipe consists of pretty much entirely Daiya cheese, its both super easy & fun to make, is insanely, stupidly, disgustingly good, and the video itself is really well made and fun to watch.

Enough is enough! This evening I made these mozzarella sticks and Andre and I had to really exercise some serious control not to eat the whole shebang. Wow, are these beauties ever tasty.

I don't need to print out the recipe, all you have to do is watch the video a couple times and you'll have it committed to memory. Like I said earlier, very easy to make.

Watch the video, link over to You Tube if you want to give it a thumbs up or comment, and make yourself some Zombie Fingers!!

Potato Broccoli Soup with Leek

2011-04-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

I'd never made a potato or broccoli soup of any kind, but had both ingredients in the fridge and it being a cold, wet day the mood called for soup! I was pretty impressed with my creation, and my husband deemed it "one of the best soups ever". I don't know if I'd go that far, but it did turn out good enough for me to want to preserve the recipe!

ingredients:

oil for sauteeing (I use grapeseed oil)
1 cup chopped leek greens with some whites
3 - 4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 medium sized russet potatoes, roughly cubed into square inch pieces
1 large stalk broccoli, stem included, chopped very fine
7 cups water
2 Tbsp spelt (or wheat) flour
2 cups plain rice, or soy, or almond beverage
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
a few dashes oregano & marjoram
salt to taste
a couple dashes cayenne
shredded cheddar or pepperjack style Daiya vegan cheese for topping

method:

In a large stock pot heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, transfer in the leeks and cook about 2 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook 1 more minute.

Pour in the water and rice beverage and bring to a boil. When boiling add in the bouillon cube and flour and stir until there are no more lumps of flour.

Reduce heat, keeping the water at a low boil. Add in the potatoes and cook about 10 minutes. Add in the broccoli and cook until the potatoes and broccoli are soft. Turn off heat, but leave pot on burner.

Using a hand immersion blender, blend soup until it is mostly creamed. (I wait until it's not super hot and bubbly)

Add in the bay leaf, oregano, marjoram and salt to taste, and if you wish a few dashes of cayenne.

Serve hot, and top with a few spoons of Daiya brand vegan cheese, both the cheddar and pepperjack style are really nice with this soup.

Enjoy!

Date Squares

2011-03-31T10:57:00.000-07:00

Date squares are pretty much a staple at any bakery, coffee shop and in many a kitchen. But when trying to find a recipe on my favorite vegan go-to site, vegweb.com, I found not a single date square recipe - go figure! It had me so confused with disbelief that I spent about half an hour looking, and then came back later in the day again just to make sure. Very odd. So I dug up an old recipe I'd made up over a decade ago and modified it to fill a bigger pan. Hey - if you're going to the trouble of making something you may as well make lots! So here's my modified version which fills my roughly 9" x 12" stoneware baking pan.

The base turned out a little thicker than I personally wanted, but my husband loves it and it does taste really good. Next time I think I'll reduce the base ingredients by a touch.

filling ingredients:

4 cups dates
3 cups water
1/2 cup maple syrup

base ingredients:

2 cups flour (I use whole spelt flour)
3/4 cup oats (whole or quick)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup Earth Balance, softened
1/2 - 3/4 cup soy / rice / almond beverage, plain or vanilla
1 tsp vanilla extract

topping ingredients:

3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup oats
1/3 cup nuts (I use a mix of slivered almonds & walnut crumbs)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup light oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare the filling place the dates and water in large saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer with lid removed for 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Prepare a large baking dish, I use a lasagna tray that's about 9" x 13", by rubbing in some Earth Balance.

Prepare the base layer: Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add the wet and mix well. Press into the baking dish to make a firm, even layer.

To make the topping, combine the dry ingredients in the empty bowl you used for the base layer. While stirring drizzle in the oil and vanilla and mix until you've achieved a crumbly texture. Set aside.

Pour the date - water mixture into a blender, add the maple syrup and blend until smooth. You will likely have to do this in two batches. Careful of any pits - they'll make a terrible racket and could damage your blade.

Pour the date mixture over the base layer and smooth it out nice and evenly. Spread the crumbly mixture over top and pop into the oven. Bake 30 minutes or until topping is slightly browned.

Daiya Mac 'n Cheese

2011-02-08T13:36:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on the Daiya Foods website and adapted it ever so slightly. Basically, I omitted all steps beyond cooking the pasta and making the sauce as these first two steps are totally adequate if you have a desperate craving for mac 'n cheese. The original recipe goes on to transfer the mac 'n cheese into a casserole dish, top with breadcrumbs and paprika and bake. To see the original recipe, click here.

ingredients:

16 ounces (1 pound) pasta of your choice
1 full package Daiya cheddar style shreds
3 tablespoons vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
2 cups unsweetened soy / rice beverage
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp black pepper
salt to taste

method:

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain well and pour pasta into a large bowl.

In a small saucepan melt the vegan butter. When melted add pepper and nutritional yeast and stir well.

Stir in the soy / rice beverage and the cheddar. Cook over low - medium heat and stir well for about 3 minutes, making sure the bottom does not burn.

Add sauce to pasta, stir well and add a bit of extra salt if desired.

Berry Bread Pudding

2011-01-19T16:46:00.000-08:00

This is an amazingly simple, dinner-guest-worthy dessert that's actually quite healthy. It's loaded with mixed berries, whole grain bread, and your choice of soy / rice / almond milk. The only sweetener is some maple syrup and a couple tablespoons of organic cane sugar, and for the volume of dessert this recipe makes I think the sugar is a non-issue. And c'mon, it is dessert after all!

Prep time: 10 minutes

ingredients:

2 cups frozen berries (I use PC brand 4-berry mix)
1 cup either dried or frozen cranberries, both work equally well
4 cups, slightly packed, cubed whole grain bread (roughly 7 slices)
2 cups soy / rice / almond milk, vanilla flavour if you have it on hand
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp organic cane sugar
3 1/2 Tbsp arrowroot powder or corn starch
1/2 - 1 cup slivered almonds and walnut pieces
2 - 4 Tbsp maple syrup (depending on how many nuts you use)
vanilla or almond extract
Optional: 1 - 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine and mix well: berries, bread, "milk", maple syrup, sugar, arrowroot powder or corn starch, and optional lemon juice.

Pour into a baking or casserole dish and pat down with a spoon.

Combine nuts, remaining maple syrup, and extract in a small bowl and sprinkle over top of the pudding, leaving 1/4" air space around the edge for steam to escape.

Bake, uncovered, 45 minutes

Allow to cool for an hour at room temperature before serving.

Vegetable Pot Pie with Daiya Vegan Cheese

2011-01-14T18:14:00.000-08:00

This is a fairly basic veggie pot pie recipe, but the addition of wonderful Daiya vegan cheese makes it a step way above the ordinary. I used to make veggie pot pies years ago, but there was no vegan cheese on the market that I would put anywhere near my mouth, so though the pies were tasty, they were really just a bunch of vegetables in a crust. Well, hello Daiya!! Daiya vegan cheese will spike up any meal giving dishes that restaurant-made quality. You can buy it at any Whole Foods in North America, plus a wide, wide variety of other natural grocers. For a listing of where to buy near you just click here for their locator page.

Note on amount of vegetables to use: Use as many as will fill up whatever size pie dish you have, so you kind of have to eyeball the amount. My theory is it's better to have too much than too little. I have a very deep pie dish as well, so all my veggies almost filled up a 4 liter cooking pot (see photo below).

ingredients:

1 double layer pie crust; either store bought or home made
2 - 3 average sized potatoes, cubed
3 medium carrots, chopped
a variety of veggies, whatever you have on hand (I used 1 small zucchini, green beans, peas, corn, mushrooms, broccoli florets and stem chopped up)
1 head red or green chard or large bunch spinach, chopped
2 - 3 cups vegetable broth (from cooking the veggies, see method below)
herbs of your choice (I used Italian herbs, but cumin & garlic is good too)
cornstarch or flour
1/2 bouillon cube
1 package Daiya vegan cheese (you may not use the whole package, depends how cheesy you want it)

method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

If using pre-made pie shells, thaw and place into pie dish. If making from scratch, make the crust while the veggies are cooking and line the pie dish with the bottom layer crust.

Cook chard or spinach in a pot with about 1 cup water.

In another pot, a large one, cook the remaining chopped veggies in about 2 cups water until about half done.

Prepare your pie crust if making from scratch and line pie dish with bottom crust.

When veggies are done strain them over a bowl so that you reserve the liquid. Strain the chard / spinach separately as it is used as a topping layer at the end, make sure to reserve the broth from the chard / spinach as well.

Transfer veggies to a large bowl, set chard aside.

Pour the reserved broth into one of the used cooking pots, put on low heat and add 1/2 bouillon cube and herbs & spices. Add cornstarch (about 1 Tbsp) or flour (about 2 - 3 Tbsp) and mix well, until sauce thickens a bit.

Pour sauce over veggies and stir to combine.

Spread a handful or two of Daiya vegan cheese in the bottom of the pie dish. Pour all the veggies over top and top with cooked chard / spinach. Add some more Daiya over top, the amount is up to you.

Place the top pie shell over everything and seal up as best you can. Make a few small holes in the top shell for venting.

Bake 45 minutes, or until crust is slightly browned.

Let cool a bit before serving. I make pot pies in the afternoon if I have time, then leave them in the warm oven until dinner and they're just the perfect temperature.

brownies with chocolate icing

2011-01-14T15:44:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love a great brownie? I just made this recipe for the first time today and am pleased with how it turned out. However, I personally love really dense, gooey brownies and this came out a bit more cake-like. The original recipe calls for more granulated sugar and no agave nectar, so I think next time I make this I will use 1 cup brown sugar instead of 1/2 and scrap the agave nectar. I'll also take it out at exactly 25 minutes; it still felt pretty "wet" so I left it in an extra 5 minutes and I believe this is what really made the difference.

The icing on these brownies is just an adaptation of a truffle recipe I have on this site and is the absolute bomb for brownie or any cake icing. The recipe for the icing is at the very bottom.

Yield: This recipe fills a 9" x 13" pan, so how many brownies exactly depends on how you cut it up!

ingredients:

2 cups flour (I use 1 1/2 white, 1/2 whole wheat)
1 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (slightly heaped) vegan cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup soy / rice / almond beverage (can use choc. flavour if you have on hand)
1/2 cup light vegetable oil
1/4 cup Earth Balance, softened
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
1/3 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)

method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Prepare a 9" x 13" pan: "Grease" the sides with Earth Balance and lay parchment paper on the bottom of the pan.

Combine the flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Mix with a whisk until thoroughly combined.

Remove 1 Tablespoon of the oil and pour into a small saucepan along with the chocolate chips.

In a small bowl combine the "milk" beverage, remaining oil, Earth Balance, agave nectar and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.

Place the saucepan on the stove on low heat and melt the chocolate chips. Be careful not to burn them.

While the chips are melting, pour the "milk" mixture into the dry ingredients, and mix just a bit, then add the melted chocolate chips and thoroughly mix the batter, adding in the nuts at this point.

Batter will be thick and wet.

Pour into pan and bake 25 - 30 minutes. They are done when the top feels a bit firm and springs back under your touch.

Let cool before cutting and eating.

Make the frosting once the brownies come out of the oven and then spread on top right away. You can cool the whole shebang in the fridge if you like for a faster set.

frosting:

1 cup vegan chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon oil
1/3 cup cashews
1/3 cup water

Add cashews and water to a blender and blend until very smooth and creamy. Pour into a small bowl.

Add oil and chocolate chips to a small saucepan and set on low heat. Stir until melted, then transfer to cashew blend and combine really well using a fork.

Linzertorte Cookies

2010-12-14T17:51:00.000-08:00

These are a Christmastime regular in my kitchen and a favorite treat to add to Christmas gift baskets.

Yield: approximately thirty 2.5" diameter cookies

ingredients:

1 cup nuts, toasted and coarsely to finely ground (any combination of almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts and pecans is great - just use what you have on hand)
1 cup oats, regular or quick, ground in with the nuts (see instructions below)
1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder (optional)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup light vegetable oil (I use sunflower)
1/2 cup maple syrup
zest of 1 orange or lemon (I usually prefer orange)
1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
1/4 cup jam (I use raspberry, but really any jam will do)

method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a blender, grind nuts and oatmeal together into a coarse meal.

In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients.

In a smaller bowl, combine all wet ingredients.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to form a stiff dough. Add a bit more flour if the dough looks too wet. You will be rolling it between sheets of wax paper, so it must not be wet or sticky.

Place a sheet of wax paper on your work surface and place a dough ball of about 1/3 the total mass onto the sheet. Press flat, then top with a second sheet of wax paper and roll out the dough until it is about 1/4" thick.

Stamp out the desired shape with a cookie cutter and transfer cookies to baking sheet.

Once all the dough has been used up, make shallow indentations in the center of each cookie with your finger or thumb. Fill indentations with a small amount of jam.

Bake until slightly golden, about 15 - 17 minutes.

Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Recipe adapted from: Sweet and Natural by Meredith McCarty

Cranberry Orange Nut Loaf

2010-12-14T17:45:00.000-08:00

ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup unbleached white flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup light vegetable oil
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
zest and juice of 1 small or 1/2 large orange
1/4 cup soy or rice beverage (plain or vanilla)
1 cup whole cranberries
1/4 - 1/2 cup walnuts (you decide the amount)

method:

Preheat oven to 350.

Line the bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper and oil the sides (I use Earth Balance).

Thaw cranberries and slice each one in half.

In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl combine wet ingredients and add to dry. Mix until combined, then fold in cranberries and nuts.

Transfer batter to pan and bake 40 - 45 minutes, until cake bounces back when pressed with a finger, is quite golden and has pulled away from the sides of the pan a bit.

Transfer to wire rack and let cool.

Recipe adapted from: Sweet and Natural by Meredith McCarty

Caramel Chocolate Popcorn

2010-11-16T16:51:00.000-08:00

Perfect treat for the winter holidays!

I triple this recipe, as 5 cups popped popcorn really isn't all that much. And, if you're going to the trouble of making some, you may as well make lots 'cause it won't stick around long! (the original recipe called for 4 cups, but I find that quite a bit too sweet)

I'm not sure what the dry volume of popcorn kernels is, but it's about 1/4 cup. I use an air popper.

ingredients:

5 cups popcorn, popped
1/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery spread
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 non-dairy chocolate chips

method:

Line enough baking sheets for the amount of popcorn you've made with parchment paper (about 1 baking sheet / batch).

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt together olive oil and Earth Balance. Once melted, add brown sugar and maple syrup and bring to a low boil. Cook 3 - 5 minutes, without stirring, until it turns a rich caramel colour.

Remove from heat and mix in baking soda. Pour over popcorn and mix thoroughly.

If eating right away (movie night?), pour onto prepared baking sheet. Melt chocolate and drizzle overtop.

If preparing ahead of time, pour the popcorn mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and heat in a 250 degree oven for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. This dries out the popcorn so that it does not get soggy. Remove from oven and drizzle with melted chocolate. Allow to cool completely, then transfer to airtight containers or bags and store at room temperature.

Recipe adapted from: Rachel Klein; VegNews Magazine Nov+Dec 2010 (issue 76), pg. 81

Vegan Lasagna with Daiya

2010-10-15T16:03:00.000-07:00

We've made many a vegan lasagna over the years, but the availability of Daiya vegan cheese has truly revolutionized this recipe. Daiya comes pre-shredded, and for lasagna we use the "mozzarella style shreds". The "cheese" melts absolutely beautifully, and this lasagna is always the biggest hit at any gathering we take it to. I have a brother-in-law who is a seriously ravenous meat eater. He's big, beefy, races motorcross....and is a HUGE Daiya fan. It's actually quite funny to hear him rave about it!

Important Recipe Notes:

This "recipe" is actually more of a guideline so that we can replicate it again in the future. There are no exact measurements and you will have leftover veggies and maybe sauce.
Dish size: The lasagna dish I use is made by Le Creuset and is 8" wide x 11.5" long x 3" deep (not including lid)
We pack the dish 3 layers deep, it ends up looking too tall for the dish but the heavy lid keeps everything down. It shrinks down quite a bit during cooking, leaving you with nice thick slices.
Do not pre-cook the lasagna noodles!! The veggies provide enough liquid to cook the noodles during baking!

Ingredients:

2 jars tomato sauce of your choice
1 large eggplant
1 large, or 2 small zucchini (green or yellow)
approx. 4 cups sliced mushrooms (or half a brown "mushroom" bag)
red chard, 1 large bunch or 2 small
500 grams regular lasagna noodles
lots of Daiya vegan cheese, have at least 5 cups on hand
salt
olive oil

Method:

Slice eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms very, very, very thin. It's time consuming, but necessary.

Wash, dry and chop red chard.

In the very bottom of your lasagna dish spread a thin layer of tomato sauce and layer the first noodles side by side. DO NOT OVERLAP THE NOODLES.

Spread another thin layer of sauce over the first layer of noodles. Sprinkle a bit of salt over top.

Layer eggplant slices on top, then layer zucchini slices on top of the eggplant, followed by mushrooms on top of the zucchini.

Sprinkle a very light amount of Daiya over the mushrooms, then drizzle a thin stream of olive oil over the cheese. This may seem odd - please read the following note....

**The only fat content in this lasagna is coming from Daiya, and with all the volume of veggies, noodles and sauce that's not all that much. Traditional lasagnas are full of meat and dairy, so the addition of a small amount of olive oil just "rounds out" the dish.

Place a layer of the chopped red chard over the "cheese".

Cover with another layer of noodles, taking care not to overlap the noodles (the overlapped portions will not cook properly).

Important Step! Using a small pan, gently but firmly press the noodles down. This compression will help you get an extra layer in the dish.

Spread tomato sauce over the noodles and repeat exactly as above for the second and third layer, making sure to top off the third layer with noodles, spreading sauce on top but no cheese!

The third layer will be itching to bust out of the edge of your dish. Not to worry, it'll shrink down during cooking.

Place the lid on the dish - this will ensure that all the steam from the veggies will remain inside and cooks the noodles.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Both times we've made this, we've left it in the oven overnight before baking, then baked it the following day in the afternoon. I'm not sure if this affects the consistency, so if it's not completely done after 1 hour (test with a knife, it should slice easily through all the layers), just cook a bit longer.

Remove from oven, remove lid, sprinkle a generous amount of Daiya vegan cheese over top, replace the lid and let sit for 10 minutes.

Once you lift the lid, the top layer of "cheese" will have melted beautifully.

Your lasagna is now ready to eat!

Outrageously Awesome Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-09-28T16:56:00.000-07:00

The title says it all! These are "the" perfect oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, and of course the recipe can be adapted to really contain any kind of goodies. Substitute or add raisins, walnuts, dried apricot, you name it. If adding to the choco chips, you'll have to reduce their amount a bit.

Yields: about 2 dozen

ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats; quick or whole
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup light oil (I use sunflower)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
1/3 cup of something else; raisins, chopped walnuts, dried apricots, etc.

method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Prepare several cookie sheets, I like to cover them with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt and whisk together to mix.

In a small bowl combine the water, oil and vanilla extract, stir well to combine.

Pour liquid ingredients over dry, mix well to form a stiff dough. Add in chocolate chips and other goodies.

Drop tablespoon sized balls of the dough onto your prepared cookie sheet, about 2" apart. Bake 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly browned.

Remove from oven, but let cookies cool on pan for at least 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Watch them magically disappear!

Daiya Cheese Breadsticks

2010-09-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to make these for at least a year and finally got around to it. I've never made bread sticks before, but am an old hand at the bread machine thing, so thought I'd give it a whirl. We used to love the cheese sticks that the Queensdale Market on Lonsdale sells, but these are easily just as tasty.

So, you do need a bread machine for this recipe, unless you're savvy at adapting these for the traditional method.

ingredients:

In a breadmachine, add the following ingredients in the order as they appear:

1 1/3 cups tepid water
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 Tbsp Earth Balance buttery spread
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp bread machne yeast

You will also need about 4 - 5 cups Daiya vegan cheese (2 packages should cover you)

method:

Fit pan into bread machine and select "Dough Cycle"

Once done, remove dough onto a lightly floured surface, cover with a large bowl and let rise for 10 - 15 minutes.

Divide dough into sections (however many you want, size is up to you), and roll into long stick-like shapes, like in the photo below.

Pop your pan, or pans, into an oven preheated to 375 degrees, and bake for 10 - 15 minutes, depending on size of bread sticks.

Remove from oven, brush dough with olive oil, and sprinkle generously with Daiya, patting it onto the dough to "stick" and letting it crumble around the edges too. The more the better!

Bake another 5 - 7 minutes, or until edges of the Daiya cheese are just slightly crispy. Remove from oven and try not to eat them all within 24 hrs!

Perfect Blueberry Muffins

2010-08-25T17:59:00.000-07:00

This recipe makes 6 medium - large muffins. I highly recommend doubling the recipe! These are very light and fluffy, they'll be gone before you know it!

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour (I use 1 cup white, 1/2 cup whole wheat)
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp xanthan gum (can omit if you don't have it)
3/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line a muffin tin with paper cups.

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in the soy milk, oil and vanilla extract.

Mix lightly, then fold in blueberries.

Drop batter into prepared muffin cups, then bake 25 - 30 minutes. Let cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to wire cooling rack.

Banana Split Muffins

2010-08-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

This recipe came to me in my weekly email from the VegNews Recipe Club. I happened to be really hungry the moment the email came in, had all the ingredients in the house, so I very quickly whipped up a batch and, woah, these little guys are dynamite! I think between Andre and myself we went through half of them in 24 hours! I actually did sub out the dried cherries for dried cranberries, which worked great, but am going to try the cherries next time.

ingredients:

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat flour (I used 1/2 cup white in there)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (or 1/2 package) firm Mori Nu silken tofu, mashed well
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup dried cherries (or cranberries)
3/4 - 1 cup walnuts, crushed

method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Fill 12 muffin cup tins with paper liners, or just "grease" if you don't have any on hand. (I buy unbleached liners and find they really help with the cleanup of the tins after baking. The muffins pop out and once the tins are cool they just go right back in the cupboard. I find washing muffin tins a deterrent from making muffins)

In a large bowl combine mashed bananas, tofu, sugar, oil, vanilla extract. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix in just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips, cherries and walnuts.

Spoon mixture into muffin tin. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Chickpea Spinach Wraps

2010-05-07T18:09:00.000-07:00

This is not an exact recipe, but more of a guideline. With these sort of ingredients you can't really go wrong anyways, it's just one of those things you throw together and its always a bit different but always really tasty!

ingredients:

lots of chickpeas (pre-cooked or canned)
lots of cooked rice (or potatoes will work well too)
1 large bunch spinach, washed & steamed
green peas, maybe a cup or so
red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium onion
a few cloves garlic
chopped fresh ginger if you have it
chili
tumeric
salt

method:

In a skillet fry the onion in some oil for about one minute. Add garlic & ginger and cook one more minute. Add the spices and cook for about 30 seconds.

In a large pot on low - medium heat combine the chickpeas, rice (or potatoes), peas, spinach (chop it up a bit first), and red bell pepper.

Add in the onion mixture and combine well.

Heat through and turn off heat.

Spoon mixture into wrap shells of your choice and serve with my "Cheater Chutney".

recipe by Trudel

Cheesy Scones

2010-05-04T20:34:00.000-07:00

ingredients:

2 cups flour
3 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 Tablespoon organic cane sugar
1/3 - 1/2 cup shredded cheddar style Daiya vegan cheese
1/4 cup Earth Balance buttery spread, softened
3/4 - 1 cup milk substitute

mtehod:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients together.

Cut in Earth Balance until crumbles form.

Stir in milk and "cheese".

Drop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until just brown on top.

adapted from this recipe on vegweb.com

maharagwe (spiced beans in coconut milk)

2009-05-01T12:46:00.000-07:00

A friend loaned me a tiny recipe book he picked up in New Zealand, "Vegetarian Main Dishes from Around the World", and this is the very first recipe in the book. It's incredibly tasty, and incredibly easy to make, so it's become a staple in my house! The only change I've made is that I more than double the amount of beans (the recipe only calls for 1 cup cookes; I use 2 - 3 cups) for a heartier and "stretched" meal.

Cook up a pot of rice, serve up a green salad and you have a restaurant-ready meal!

ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 - 3 cups black-eyed or pinto beans (I usually use black eyed)
1.5 tsp tumeric
1 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp fresh (or frozen) chopped cilantro leaves
1.5 cups (approx) coconut milk
oil
salt to taste (probably at least 2 tsp)

method:

Using a deep heavy pan (I use a cast iron skillet), heat oil on medium heat and cook onion until soft and golden.
Partially mash the beans with a fork and then spoon them into the onion. Add the chopped tomatoes and mix well.
Now put in the tumeric and chili powder, salt and half the cilantro leaves. After that, pour in the coconut milk, stirring to blend the ingredients.
Cover the pan and leave it to simmer for 10 minutes before garnishing with the remaining cilantro leaves. Server over rice, quinoa or potatoes.

oatmeal rasin basics

2009-04-08T15:50:00.000-07:00

This is a good, solid oatmeal rasin cookie recipe. Great on it's own, or with embellishments such as chocolate chips, slivered almonds, dried cranberries, shredded coconut, etc.

dry ingredients:

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
4 tsp corn starch or arrowroot powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

wet ingredients:

1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup soy milk or water
3/4 cup organic cane sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

extra:

3/4 cup rasins

method:

Preheat oven to 350 deg.

In a medium sized bowl, combine dry ingredients.

In a large bowl, combine wet ingredients.

Pour dry ingredients into wet, mix thoroughly. Add rasins and any other extras.

Drop large spoonfuls onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

For fairly thick cookies, about 1/2" thick, bake 14 - 15 minutes. Smaller cookies = less time. You want the edges to look a bit golden

Cool on wire rack.

chocolate chocolate cake

2009-03-31T10:02:00.000-07:00

You're in a rush, you have 1 hour, and you want chocolate cake. This recipe is your speedy ticket to heavenly choclate cake, from mixing bowl to your plate in 1 hour.

dry ingredients:

2 cups flour (I use 1 white, 1 whole wheat)
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 Tbsp corn starch or arrowroot powder
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

wet ingredients:

1 cup granulated organic cane sugar
1 1/2 cups soy (or rice) milk; plain, vanilla or chocolate
1/3 cup sunflower oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

method:

Preheat oven to 325 deg. (yes, 325, not higher)

Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl combine wet ingredients and mix with a hand blender / egg beater until well mixed.

Slowly add dry ingredients and mix in thoroughly until there are no lumps. You may have to add a bit more soy / rice milk; the desired consistency is on the thinner side (close to pancake batter).

"Grease" a bundt pan with Earth Balance buttery spread and pour in the batter.

Pop into oven and bake 45 - 50 min.

Recipe by: Trudel, March 30, 2009

cream of cauliflower soup

2009-02-06T15:20:00.001-08:00

Mmmmm, smooth and creamy cauliflower soup to warm your tummy!

ingredients:

1 large head cauliflower
2 - 3 medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes
6 cups water
2 veggie boullion cubes
1 medium onion, diced
1 twig rosemary
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup ground toasted almonds
2 Tbsp olive oil
dash of nutmeg
salt to taste
fresh parsley, chopped, if you have on hand

method:

In a large pot sautee the onion and rosemary until the onion is soft, then add the crushed garlic.

Add diced potatoes, cauliflower florets, ground almonds, water and boullion cubes. Bring to a boil and simmer on low - med heat until the cauliflower is very soft, about 20 - 30 minutes.

Transfer soup in small batches into a blender and blend until very smooth and creamy. Season with more salt if needed.

Serve in individual bowls with a dash of nutmeg and sprinkle of parsley.

apple pie with carmel topping

2009-02-01T16:56:00.001-08:00

freshly sliced, uncooked apple slices are nice and tender baked with a hint of caramel drizzled throughout

ingredients:
· 1 double pie crust recipe
· 5 granny smith apples
· carmel topping:
· ¼ cup Earth Balance
· 1 ½ Tbsp flour
· ¼ cup cane sugar
· ¼ cup packed brown sugar
· 2 ½ Tbsp water

method:

Preheat oven to 425 ◦

Peel & core the apples, then slice thinly and set aside

Prepare pie crust recipe. Place bottom layer in oiled pie dish and layer in all the apples.

For the top crust layer, roll out dough out and slice into strips. Layer strips in a basket weave pattern over the apples.

To make the carmel topping, combine all ingredients in a saucepan and over low – medium heat bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Pour caramel over top of pie so that it seeps into the apples and covers the lattice. Use a pastry brush to even out the glaze on the lattice.

Bake for 15 minutes uncovered, then cover with foil and continue to bake at 350 ◦ for another 35 minutes.

perfect pie crust

2009-02-01T16:53:00.000-08:00

quantity: 1 double layer (top & bottom) for 9” pie shell

ingredients:
· 1 1/3 cups flour (whole wheat, white or combo)
· 1 tsp salt
· 2/3 cup oil (sunflower, olive or melted coconut)
· 6 Tbsp soy or rice milk

method:

Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl.
Combine oil and soy / rice milk in another bowl.
Pour oil mixture slowly over dry, mixing in with a fork. Once there is no dry flour left, use your hands to form a ball.
Divide dough into 2 portions.
Roll out each section between 2 sheets of waxed paper.

tip:
try subbing out some of the oil with a bit of unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana

Cheater Chutney

2009-01-09T11:27:00.001-08:00

My hubby came up with this quick method of making a nice dipping chutney. I have no idea about how chutney is traditionally made, but this ends up tasting like the real thing served at one of our favorite Indian restaurants.

Note on Proportions: Just start with a conservative amount of each ingredient and adjust to taste from there.

Ingredients:

apricot jam
soy sauce / tamari
rice vinegar
chili powder
water

Method:

Start with a few tablespoons of apricot jam in a bowl and add about half that amount in soy sauce. Add a very small amount of the rice vinegar (too much will ruin it, you can always add more), a decent amount chili powder (about 1/3 the volume of the apricot jam), and a small amount of water.

Using a fork, mix very thoroughly unitl there are as few as possible jam lumps.

Adjust to taste and enjoy!

truffles

2008-12-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

These are the proverbial melt-in-your mouth truffles that taste like sin itself!

ingredients

3/4 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup cold water
16 ounce vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Optional: 1/2 tsp pure mint or peppermint extract
chopped nuts and / or shredded coconut for topping
cocoa powder for topping

method

Puree the cashews and water for 1-2 minutes until they make a heavy cream consistency

In a saucepan, directly on the burner (not over a double boiler), heat the oil and melt the chocolate over medium heat until smooth, turn the heat down until the chocolate is cool enough to work with, fold in the cashew cream. Don't let it bubble!

Pour into a fridge friendly container, mix in the mint extract if desired, then let the mixture chill until it's easy to work with, about 2 hours

Form into small walnut sized balls and roll in whatever garnish/topping you prefer (the easiest is just to drop the ball into a bowl with some cocoa powder and without touching the ball shake the bowl around in a circular motion to completely coat the ball)

Recipe from www.vegweb.com

breads

2008-12-18T10:55:00.001-08:00

banada bread
cornbread-in-a-skillet
cranberry orange bread

Cornbread-in-a-skillet

2008-12-18T10:35:00.001-08:00

ingredients

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup flour (white, whole wheat or combination)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder

1 1/2 cups "Buttermilk" (Add one tablespoon of vinegar to a measuring cup and fill the rest of the way with soymilk)

1/3 cup oil (sunflower)

1/4 cup very warm water

method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place skillet into the oven to heat up

Sift together all dry ingredients

Pour the oil, 1 cup of the "buttermilk", and the water into the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. The batter should be somewhat thin and puffy (i.e. the leavening agents should really be working). If not, add the other 1/2 cup of "buttermilk"

Carefully remove skillet form the oven and coat with earth balance buttery spread

Pour the batter into the skillet

Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a inserted toothpick comes clean

Let cool for a few minutes and then carefully flip the cornbread onto a plate

Recipe from VegWeb.com; "Cathie's Southern Cornbread"(http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=17789.0)

CoCo Orb Balls

2008-10-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

Yum! Deliciously dense and nutritious snacking treats.

This recipe makes about 24 balls; more if you make small walnut sized appetizers.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sunflower seeds
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup dates
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 oats (rolled or quick)
1 - 3 Tbsp protein powder (your choice; if none on hand add extra cocoa powder)
1/2 - 1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup almond butter
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 - 3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/ tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
few dashes cloves

Method:

Cut up dried apricots and dates and place in a bowl. Add sunflower seeds, coconut, oats, protein powder, and half the maple syrup. Combine, and place half of the mixture in a food processor and blend until as fine as possible. Transfer to a very large bowl and repeat with the remaining mixture; transfer to bowl.

Add all remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly. It's most effective if you get in there with your hands and really mix and squish it around. When completely mixed into a dense dough, lick off your hands before washing - you do want to know what this stuff tastes like, right?

Form into balls of your choice of size and roll in shredded coconut. If the balls are too dry to pick up the coconut shavings, roll the balls in a small amount of maple syrup first.

Place in fridge to firm up.

Recipe by: Trudel on her birthday (Oct.22); inspired by 'Capers' CoCo Orb Balls

The Real Deal Pound Cake

2008-09-23T15:25:00.001-07:00

If you love pound cake like I do, this one's the real deal! Pound cake was my favorite cake growing up and for years now I've been searching high and low for an authentic vegan pound cake recipe. Well, my search just ended!!

TIP: Make sure the oven is nice and hot and at temperature for a good 20 min. before you pop her in the oven to make sure she rises properly.

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 cup sunflower oil
1/2 cup plain or vanilla soy yogurt
1/2 cup blended silken tofu (blend first, then measure)
3/4 cup soy or rice milk (vanilla or plain)
1 1/4 cups cane sugar
2 tsp vanilla & 2 tsp lemon extract OR 4 tsp vanilla extact

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour (ie; white. Sorry, if it's whole weat it ain't pound cake)
3 Tbsp arrowroot powder (or corn starch)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Lightly oil a loaf pan

In a large bowl combine wet ingredients. Use an electric mixer to beat until smooth, about 2 min.

Sift dry ingredients into wet mixture. Stir to combine then beat with electric mixter for 1.5 to 2 minutes until a very thick batter forms. Do not overmix.

Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake 60 - 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Make sure the top inside isn't still 'gooey'.

Important: The following steps ensure a "moist" pound cake without a hard outer 'crust': Remove from oven and let rest in pan 10 minutes, then cover with foil and let rest another 15 minutes or so. Remove from pan, place on wire rack and loosely cover with foil, including as well as you can under the wire rack. Cake should cool a few more hours before slicing.

Harvest Cake with "Buttercream" Icing

2008-09-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

This moist double-decker delight will leave your guests at your mercy!

Cake Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat flour (pastry or regular)
1 1/4 cups cane sugar
1 Tbsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
1 cup water
1/4 cup safflower oil
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp vanill extract

Cake Method:

Preheat oven to 350 deg.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt with and electric mixer (using the whisk attachment).

Add pumpkin, water, oil, vinegar and vanilla and whisk well to form a smooth batter.

Divide batter and pour each half into a lightly greased 8" or 9" cake pan.

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or untila toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes in the pans, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool fully before icing.

Vegan "Buttercream" Icing:

Link to this page or follow directions below:

Ingredients:

2/3 cup softened vegan margarine (Earth Balance, Soy Garden)
4 cups powdered icing sugar
1/4 cup vanilla soy or rice milk
2 tsp vanilla

Optional:

1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Method:

In a large bowl beat margarine with an electric mixer for 30 seconds.

With beaters going, slowly add powdered sugar, almond milk, and vanilla and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat an additional 30 seconds.

For the filling, transfer one-third of the frosting to a small bowl, add the coconut and nuts and stir well to combine.

Source: VegNews Magazine, October 2008, pg.64

Vanilla "Buttercream" Icing

2008-09-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

Yum Yum Icing!!

This recipe makes enough for a 9" layered cake; for both frosting and the filling.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup softened vegan margarine (Earth Balance, Soy Garden)
4 cups powdered icing sugar
1/4 cup vanilla soy or rice milk
2 tsp vanilla

Optional:

1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Method:

In a large bowl beat margarine with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. With beaters going, slowly add powdered sugar, almond milk, and vanilla and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat an additional 30 seconds.

For the filling, transfer one-third of the frosting to a small bowl, add the coconut and nuts and stir well to combine.

Source: VegNews Magazine; October 2008, pg.65

Dressing for Carrot / Beet Salad

2008-09-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

2 Tbsp sunflower oil
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger root (or use 1 tsp powdered if fresh is not available)
small handfull toasted cashews or almonds
small handfull rasins

In a small bowl blend together all dressing ingredients except for the nuts.

Pour over grated carrots and / or grated beets. (about 4 - 5 cups grated veggies in all, or more to taste if dressing is too strong)

Add nuts & rasins

Source: ivu.org (International Vegetarian Union); Sept. 08

Cinnamon Buns

2008-09-10T09:04:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from the Sept/Oct 2008 issue of 'VegNews' magazine

Cinnamon Buns:

2.5 tsp active dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
3 Tbsp warm water
1 cup soy or rice milk
2 Tbsp vegan margarine
3 cups flour (whole wheat, white, spelt or blend - your choice)
Optional: 1 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
1/2 tsp salt

Cinnamon Filling:

1/2 cup (heaped) sugar
3 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 Tbsp vegan margarine, melted & divided
Optional: rasins and chopped toasted hazlenuts

Vanilla Icing: (not shown in photo above)

2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp vegan margarine
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup soy or rice milk

Method:

For the cinnamon buns, mix the yeast, sugar and water in a small bowl. Let mixture sit until yeast is bubbly.
While the yeast is getting started, heat the soy/rice milk and margarine until warm, then remove from heat.
In a large bowl, mix the flours, gluten and salt. Add the yeast and milk mixtures and blend until dough begins to hold together.
On a well floured surface, turn out the dough and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form into a ball, place in a lightly-greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Punch the dough down and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll into a rectangle shape about 12 x 16 inches.
For the cinnamon filling, mix the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in small bowl. Lightly spread 2 - 3 Tbsp of melted margarine over the dough, then sprinkle on the sugar mixture. Tightly roll up the dough along the longer side, moistening the final edge with water and sealing. Cut into 8 equal portions and place evenly apart on a lightly-greased (or parchment covered) 9 x 13 inch pan.
Cover pan with a dish towel and let rolls rise until they are almost touching each other, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush rolls lightly with remaining melted margarine and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
For the Vanilla Icing, beat the powdered sugar, margarine, and vanilla with an electric mixer until the margarine is distributed into the sugar (the mixture should be crumbly). Slowly drizzle in the soy/rice milk and beat until the icing is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. After the rolls have cooled slightly, slather on icing and serve.

Award-winning Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

2008-09-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

Well, they haven't won any awards yet but they should!

You will need a blender, a large bowl and some muffin tins. This recipe yields roughly 18 small-ish muffins.

If you want to get extra creative & yummy, top these nuggets with some lemon icing!

Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl combine:

5 cups flour (I use 1 spelt, 1 white, 3 whole wheat)

1/3 cup + 1/4 cup poppy seeds

coarsly grated rind of 1 or 2 lemons

2 Tbsp baking powder

1.5 tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp citric acid (avail. at health food stores)

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 1/4 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients: In a blender, combine and blend until smooth:

300 grams silken tofu

1 whole lemon (minus seeds and the peel you grated off for the dry ingredients)

1 1/4 cups soy or rice milk

1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp sunflower oil

1/3 cup honey

2/3 cup cane sugar

2 - 3 tsp vanilla extract (or lemon if you have it)

Method:

Combine dry ingredients well. Slowly pour wet batter overtop, stirring in and mixing thoroughly.

Drop into lined muffin tins (unbleached muffin cups are widely available).

To form "smooth" tops wet the tip of a small spatula and smooth out the top. You'll need to wet the spatula between each muffin.

Bake @ 350 deg. for 30 min.

Created by: Trudel; September 5, 2008

Cranberry Orange Muffins

2008-07-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

Just like from your local bakery, but without all the sugar and nasty oils!

Dry Ingredients

2 cups flour (white, wheat, spelt, or combination)

1/3 cup organic cane sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp xanthan gum

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 - 1/3 cup walnut pieces

grated rind of 1 orange

optional: choc. chips if you've got a hankerin'

Wet Ingredients

1/4 cups juice (pretty much any juice will do)

1 cup firmly packed dried cranberries

1 Tbsp organic cane sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

juice of 1 orange - the one you grated would be perfect! (this is optional - sometimes I squeeze it and then end up drinking it instead)
1/4 cup light oil (like sunflower)

Method

Preheat oven to 350 deg.

Pour the 1 1/4 cups juice, dried cranberries and 2 Tbsp sugar into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer on low for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients.

Remove saucepan from heat, add the oil, juice from the orange you grated and the 2 tsp vanilla extract. Pour over dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. If mixture is too stiff and thick, add a little bit more juice.

Transfer to muffin cups and bake 25 minutes.

Recipe by: Trudel; July 2008

Yummy N' Easy Cauliflower

2008-07-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

This is a very simple & basic side dish that boasts big flavour. This recipe calls for a full head of cauliflower; if you have less on hand or just don't want to make as much just half the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower
approx. 450 gram soft tofu
4 Tbsp Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1/3 cup water
1.5 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp herbs of your choice (dill or tarragon work nicely)
Salt to taste

Method:

Steam cauliflower and tofu until cauliflower is done (not too soft, you don't want it falling apart).

In a small saucepan, heat the buttery spread over low heat. When melted, turn off heat and add water, nutritional yeast flakes, herbs and salt.

Transfer cauliflower and tofu to a serving dish. Pour sauce overtop and mix.

Un-Brown Brownies

2008-07-04T17:11:00.000-07:00

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups flour (whole wheat, white, spelt, or combination)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup toasted walnut halves & pieces
3/4 cup chocolate chips (dark chips are usually vegan - check first depending on brand)
1 cup chopped dates

Wet Ingredients:

1/4 cup sunflower oil
1/4 cup rice syrup
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup soy or rice milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 deg.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Whisk together wet ingredients and pour over dry.

Thoroughly combine, add more soy milk if too dry, and pour into an oiled brownie pan.

Bake 30 min. or until center springs back when pressed gently with a finger.

Recipe by: Trudel; 2006 or 2007

Banana Walnut Bread

2008-06-12T13:06:00.000-07:00

After 15 years of trying to create the "perfect" banana bread, I finally came across a recipe in a Whole Foods magazine which I challenge any person to 'one-up' using conventional baking with eggs, milk, etc. (I did alter the recipe ever so slightly) A touch of xanthan gum (completely natural, avail. at any health food store) acts as a thickener and binding agent, giving that perfectly light and bouncy "mouth feel".

This recipe also makes amazing muffins - see below!

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup flour (white, wheat, combination thereof)

3/4 cup spelt or oat flour

1/2 cup organic cane sugar

1/2 cup walnuts, plus some extra for topping

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients:

3 overripe bananas (the blacker the better)

1/3 cup soy or rice milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 deg.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

In a blender, combine all wet ingredients and blend until completely smooth.

Pour wet mixture over dry and mix until completely combined.

Transfer to a loaf pan and top with walnut pieces or crumbs.

Bake 60 minutes or until top bounces back when lightly pressed with a finger.

Muffins:

Pour batter into muffin cups (should make about 12 muffins), top with walnut pieces and bake 30 minutes.

Source: Adapted from Whole Foods magazine, March / April 2008 issue, pg. 45

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

2008-05-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

Topping:

canned pineapple rings

1/4 cup reserved pineapple liquid

1 Tbs melted Earth Balance spread

1/3 cup granular sweetner (cane sugar or turbinado sugar both work great)

Cake:

1 3/4 cups juice (remaining canned pineapple juice supplemented w/ any other juice)

1/4 cup oil

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour (whole wheat, spelt, or white or blend)

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 F

Topping:

Coat the bottom of a circular 9" pan with the melted "buttery spread". Sprinkle granular sweetner overtop, then pour 1/4 cup pineapple juice over sweetner.

Arrange pineapple slices over bottom of pan. Cut small pieces to fill gaps and holes between rings.

Cake:

In a large bowl, combine well 1 3/4 cups juice, the oil and vanilla.

Add flour, baking soda & vanilla.

Beat batter until smooth and immediately pour batter over pineapple slices.

Bake 25 - 30 minutes.

Cool in pan 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake, then invert pan over a flat surface to remove cake.

Variations:

Use apple or pear slices instead of pineapple, and apple juice instead of pineapple juice.

Can also sub 2 tsp baking powder for the soda and flavour cake with ground cinnamon & cloves.

Recipe from www.ivu.org/recipes

marinated tofu strips

2008-04-21T16:57:00.000-07:00

Freezing the tofu, then thawing and squeezing out the excess water gives tofu a chicken-like consistency and makes it absorb the marinade so much more effectively than just soaking without having frozen it first.

Below is just a sample marinade; you can really play around with any flavourings you like or other pre-packaged marinades - this is just a guideline.

ingredients:

45o grams (16 oz) firm or extra firm tofu
1/2 - 3/4 cup water
3 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
optional: 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 large (or 2 small) cloves garlic; crushed or minced
1 tsp powdered ginger (or 2 tsp freshly grated)
1/3 - 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

method:

Freeze tofu for at least one day.

Thaw tofu completely. Remove from package and squeeze out as much excess water as you can without crumbling the block.

Cut into strips, cubes or slabs - its up to you.

Combine ingredients #3 - 6 for marinade and pour into a flat pan.

Lay tofu strips in the marinade and rock the pan around to cover all the tofu.

Once most of the marinade has been absorbed (1 min), lay tofu strips on a plate

On another, larger plate, spread out the flour. Add a few dashes of sea salt for extra flavour.

Fold the strips into the flour, making sure all sides are covered.

QUICK TIP** if you cut your tofu into small cubes, the easiest thing to do is pour the flour into a small plastic bag (bread bag), place the tofu chunks inside, blow air into the bake and shake around to fully cover.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, place the strips (or slabs or cubes) in the pan. Fry on all sides until slightly crispy and browned.

Recipe by: Trudel

blueberry "cream" pie

2008-04-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

A very delicious, no-guilt dessert that's quick & easy to make with lots of room to play around with ingredients you may / may not have.

pie crust:

1 1/2 cups nuts (a mixture of whatever you have on hand; pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup (generous) maple syrup
1/4 tsp sea salt

filling:

1 package (about 300 gm; 12 oz.) silken tofu
1 can blueberry pie filling
1/2 - 3/4 cup organic cane sugar (can omit for lower sugar content but filling will have virtually no sweetness)
1 Tbsp soy butter (Earth Balance, Soy Garden)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
4 tsp xantham gum**

**this results in less of a "cream" pie and more of a "gummy" pie. I haven't tried yet, but perhaps another starch would firm it up more smoothly

crumble topping:

2/3 cup nuts
1/3 cup slivered almonds
2 Tbsp brown sugar (brown sugar is technically not vegan; can use organic cane sugar)
2 Tbsp maple syrup

method: for most efficient use of the food processor, prepare in the following order

step 1: Begin by preparing crumble topping:

grind 2/3 cup nuts into small broken pieces in food processor
pour nuts into a pan, add slivered almonds and toast @ 250 for 10 min.
remove from oven; pour into small bowl
combine with sugar and maple syrup

step 2: Prepare the pie crust

preheat oven to 350 f
blend all ingredients together in food processor until it turns into a large, sticky mass
press into a well-oiled pie plate (I use a bit of Earth Balance)
bake 15 min.
allow to cool for at least 1 hr before pouring in pie filling

step 3: Prepare the filling

blend all ingredients together in food processor until fully mixed
pour into pie crust & smooth out the top
sprinkle crumble mixture overtop and chill in fridge before serving

Recipe adapted by Trudel from "The Uncook Book"

vanilla cake with variations

2008-04-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

This is a good base recipe which really lets you play around with tasty enhancements depending on what you have on hand.

The following recipe makes enough for a double layer 9" round cake. I usually just make the one cake and cut it in half rather than making 2 cakes with half the batter each.

dry ingredients:

1/2 cups flour of your choice
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
optional: 1 Tbsp vanilla flavored soy protein powder

wet ingredients:

3/4 cup soy or rice milk (vanilla or plain)
1/4 cup sunflower oil
2/3 cup organic cane sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

method:

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl sift together dry ingredients.

In a small bowl whisk together wet ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.

Pour wet ingredients over dry and mix well.

"Grease" a 9" round springform pan (or other pan of your choice - an 8"x8" brownie pan will work as well); I use Earth Balance.

Place in oven and bake 25 min. or until top is golden and springs back to the touch.

Cool on wire rack for 1 hr. before cutting in half and allowing to cool more before icing and decorating.

a few icing ideas:

chocolate frosting (this mousse recipe works very well if you use about 1 1/2 cups vegan chocolate chunks instead of 1 cup)
raspberry jam
combine the chocolate frosting with some raspberry jam - super yum!!
strawberries
lemon icing (sorry, no recipe yet...)

Recipe by: Trudel; April 2008

wild rice & apple salad

2008-04-18T15:20:00.000-07:00

ingredients:

1 cup uncooked brown rice
1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
3 cups water
1 Tbsp sunflower oil
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped apple
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3/4 cup raisins
salt to taste
optional: additional oil such as flax, hemp or walnut

method:

Combine the brown & wild rice, water, oil and cinnamon in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until all water is absorbed and rice is soft.

Transfer to a bowl, toss in remaining ingredients.

Add salt to taste and any additional essential oil if desired.

Serve warm or cold.

Source: "Vegetarian Cooking for Good Health", Gary Null

cran-orange & grains salad

2008-04-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

Call me crazy, but when I created this recipe I became so hooked on it that I had to have it available in my fridge for the next 4 months! I don't make it quite as often now, but it always seems to be the first thing that disappears from the kitchen - yes, even before those crazy amazing chocolate almond cookies. (I make those as decoys for my hubby so there's more of this salad for me!)

If you love the combination of cranberry-orange even half as much as I do, then this recipe is for you! Haven't tried kamut or spelt before? They take a little longer to cook than brown rice, but yield a wonderful moist and chewy texture.

ingredients:

1 cup each dry kamut & spelt grains
1/2 - 3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 - 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
zest of 1 orange

dressing:

juice of 1 large orange, or 1 1/2 small - med oranges
4 Tbsp flax oil
1 scant Tbsp vegan mayonnaise or soy yogurt
salt to taste
optional: 1 tsp honey

method:

Cook kamut and spelt grains in about 4 cups water.

When cooked, transfer grains to a bowl and add the cranberries, orange zest and sunflower seeds.

In a small bowl combine dressing ingredients. Pour over grains and mix well.

Recipe by: Trudel; Aug. 2006

japanese carrot salad

2008-04-18T15:02:00.000-07:00

ingredients:

6 - 7 medium carrots, grated
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black pepper
sesame oil to taste
sesame seeds for decoration

method:

In a bowl combine the carrots, lemon juice and salt.

In a small skillet, heat the oil on medium heat and fry the cumin seeds and black pepper for 1 minute. Be careful not to burn it. Pour over the carrots and mix well.

Drizzle sesame oil overtop and combine.

Before serving sprinkle salad with sesame seeds.

Source: somewhere on the internet around 2000, 2001

pumpkin pie bars

2008-04-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

If you like pumpkin pie, make way for these bars! These bars have a spongy, moist texture with a rich fullness to them despite being virtually fat free. If you're not too concerned about a bit of sugar, they're actually quite healthy.

ingredients:

4 oz. silken tofu
1/2 mashed banana
3/4 cup applesauce (sweetened or unsweetened - up to you)
1 1/2 cups organic cane sugar (a bit less if sweetened applesauce is used)
2 1/4 cups unsweetened canned pumpkin
2 cups unbleached flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Optional: maple syrup for topping

method:

Preheat oven to 375.

Oil a 9"x12" pan (I use Earth Balance)

In a food processor, blend together tofu, banana, applesauce, pumpkin and sugar. You may need to stop the processor a couple times to scrape down the sidewalls with a spatula to ensure everything is evenly mixed.

Slowly blend in flour (I do it in 1/2 cup increments), baking powder, soda and spices. Blend until mixture is very smooth.

Pour mixture into pan and spread out evenly with a spatula.

Bake 25 minutes.

Cool for 1 hour on counter, then in refrigerator for several hours to "set" tofu.

Once fully cooled, into squares and drizzle maple syrup overtop for added yumminess.

Recipe from: vegweb.com

coconut raspberry squares

2008-04-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

This is probably the most popular dessert I make. It's extra nice around Christmas with all the red & white, but truly yummy any time of year. Best of all, it's really quick and easy so you can make it if you need a great dessert in a pinch.

Yields: This recipe is sized for an 8"x8" pan. Frankly, that's just not enough. I always double the recipe and use a 9"x12" pan.

bottom layer:

1 1/4 cups sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup unbleached flour

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 cup soy or rice milk (vanilla or plain)

1/4 cup maple syrup or honey

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. sunflower oil

filling:

LOTS of raspberry jam (just have a big jar on hand and use as much or little as you need when spooning out the filling. You want to err on the side of generous-ness)

topping:

3/4 - 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup unbleached flour

dash sea salt

2 Tbsp. sunflower oil

method:

Preheat oven to 350.

Bottom Layer: Mix together dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients and mix into dry, stirring until just well mixed.

Spoon mixture into "greased" pan (I use Earth Balance) and press down.

Filling: Spread raspberry jam over bottom layer. It's better to use more than less; juicy squares are always tastier than dry ones.

Top Layer: Combine topping ingredients and work into a crumbly mixture with your hands. Sprinkle over raspberry jam and press down to lightly pack. (it will make cutting, serving & eating a lot easier)

Bake 28 - 30 minutes, until topping is a light golden brown and jam is bubbling a little.

Remove from oven and let cool before cutting into pieces.

Recipe from: "The Everyday Vegan", Dreena Burton

curried squash soup

2008-04-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

ingredients:

2 - 3 pounds squash (acorn or butternut)
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic; crushed or minced
2 carrots; chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
4 cups water
2 veggie bouillon cubes
optional: chopped fresh cilantro, cayenne

method:

Bake squash at 400 f. until softened enough to remove skin; about 25 min.

Remove skin from squash and chop into chunks.

In a large, heavy saucepan on medium heat saute onion, garlic, carrot and squash in olive oil for about 5 minutes.

Stir in curry & cumin and cook 1 more minute.

Add water & bouillon cube, bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until all veggies are tender.

Puree in blender until smooth.

Top with optional cilantro and cayenne when serving.

Recipe source: "The North Shore Outlook"; Dec. 2005

lentil soup

2008-04-18T10:24:00.006-07:00

ingredients:

1 cup brown lentils
8 cups water
1/2 veggie bouillon cube
1/2 red pepper
1 small - med. onion
2 carrots
1/2 - 3/4 leek
1 1/2 cups corn (optional)
1 tomato (optional)
1 - 2 cloves garlic; crushed
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. ground savory
1 tsp. basil leaves (optional)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt & tamari or soy sauce to taste

method:

Bring lentils to a boil in a large pot; add bouillon cube and simmer for 30 min.

Chop veggies and add to lentils along with herbs, & some salt.

Simmer another 20 min.

Turn off heat. Add olive oil and more salt & tamari / soy sauce if desired.

Recipe adapted by Trudel from "Cooking from the Right Side of the Brain"

mains

2008-04-18T10:24:00.005-07:00

tofu

2008-04-18T10:24:00.003-07:00

spicy broccoli & tofu
gingered yams / sweet potatoes & tofu

grains

2008-04-18T10:24:00.001-07:00

cran-orange & grains salad
wild rice & apple salad

soups

2008-04-18T10:23:00.001-07:00

lentil soup
curried squash soup
cream of cauliflower soup

coconut macaroons

2008-04-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

how many: 12 large or 24 small macaroons
how long: 12 min. not including baking & chocolate topping

ingredients:

1 cup soy or rice milk (preferably vanilla)
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups firmly packed shredded sweetened coconut

method:

Preheat oven to 350.

Pour soy milk into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add cane sugar and salt. Whisk in flour.

Boil for about 2 min. and lower temperature to medium-low and cook until it is slightly thinner than pudding (about 5 min).

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Mix in shredded coconut, combine well.

Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for about 16 min. or until golden.

chocolate coating:

once macaroons are fully cooled & set, melt 3/4 cup of vegan chocolate* in a double boiler. Once melted, dip in the macaroons and place on parchment paper to set.

*most dark chocolate contains no dairy; check ingredient listings to be sure

Recipe source: vegweb.com

sides

2008-04-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

spicy broccoli & tofu
gingered yams / sweet potatoes & tofu
yummy n' easy cauliflower

Sauces:

cheater chutney

salads

2008-04-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

black bean & quinoa
cran-orange & grains
dressing for carrot / beet salad
japanese carrot
wild rice & apple

spicy broccoli & tofu

2008-04-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

ingredients:

2 large broccoli crowns

approx. 200 gm. firm tofu

1 Tbsp. olive oil

3 small or 2 large cloves garlic (minced or crushed)
2 - 3 tsp. mustard seeds

1/4 cup toasted almonds; optional

method:

Separate broccoli florets & cube tofu into desired size of cubes.

Heat olive oil in pan. Sprinkle mustard seeds into pan, immediately covering with a lid. Turn heat on low-medium so seeds don't burn.

Once seeds have stopped popping add garlic. Stir until slightly browned.

Add broccoli and tofu, mixing well with seasonings. Stir fry until tender. Mix in almonds if desired.

Recipe by: Trudel; spring '08

sweet things

2008-04-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

cookies

chocolate almond cookies
coconut macaroons
date filled cashew cookies
ginger snaps
oatmeal rasin basics

cakes & squares

banana walnut bread
chocolate chocolate cake
coconut raspberry squares
pineapple upside-down cake
the real deal pound cake
pumpkin pie bars
harvest cake w/ "buttercream" frosting
un-brown brownies
vanilla cake with chocolate raspberry frosting

muffins

cranberry orange muffins

award-winning lemon poppyseed muffins

grand desserts

chocolate mousse
blueberry "cream" pie
raspberry banana apple crumble
pumpkin pie

other

cinnamon buns
co-co orb balls
vanilla "buttercream" icing
truffles

pies

pie crust
apple pie with carmel topping

gingered yams / sweet potatoes & tofu

2008-04-17T22:22:00.000-07:00

Nice and simple - can't go wrong...

Judge the amount of yams or sweet potatoes you have on hand
Chop them into roughly large, 1" sized cubes
Decide how much tofu (firm works better than soft) you want to use
Cube the tofu into a desired size
Select a casserole dish that will fit the root veggies, plus the tofu, when chopped
Place the veggies & tofu in the dish
Drizzle with olive oil
Sprinkle with salt
Sprinkle copious amounts of good quality powdered ginger overtop
Cover with a lid
Bake at 400 for 30 minutes

Recipe by: Trudel; March '08

raspberry banana apple crumble

2008-04-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

Move over apple cobbler, here comes the ultimate in fruity crumbles!

fruit base:

2 cups "juicy" fruit - frozen raspberries (or strawberries), or fruity pie filling

1 apple; chopped

2 bananas, sliced into thin wedges

large handful dates; chopped

handful of cranberries

2 tsp cornstarch

2 tsp carageenan or xantham gum

crumble topping:

2 - 2 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick oats)

2 handfuls slivered almonds

3 handfuls walnut crumbs

1/4 cup oil (coconut, or safflower)

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 tsp salt

method:

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine all ingredients for fruit base in a large bowl. Transfer to a large baking dish / casserole dish.

Combine all ingredients for crumble topping and spread evenly overtop of fruit, pressing down to make a firm layer.

Bake in oven about 30 min., or until top is golden.

Recipe by: Trudel; Jan.08

chocolate mousse

2008-04-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

ingredients:

1 package silken tofu (about 300 grams)
1/2 cup soy milk (vanilla, chocolate or plain)
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
5 oz. non-dairy chocolate chunks (about 1 cup)**

**most dark chocolate is non-dairy

method:

Blend together tofu, soy milk and cocoa powder in a blender.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Once melted, quickly pour into blender and blend until mixed completely.

Pour into serving dish (or several small dishes) and chill in fridge.

Recipe by: This isn't mine, but I just can't recall where I found it...

pumpkin pie to die for

2008-04-17T16:00:00.001-07:00

This is "THE" official recipe in my house for pumpkin pie. I was fooling around with some pumpkin pie making ingredients and thought I'd see how this turned out as I've never been 100% pleased with my pumpkin pie recipes in the past (usually too strong tasting and too gooey / wet). Well, I finally hit the nail on the head! The key is to puree it in the blender past what you think it'll need to make it extra silky smooth.

ingredients:

1 28 oz can pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
1/2 package silken tofu (approx. 150 gram, {6 oz})
1 cup + 1 Tbsp brown sugar or organic cane sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp plus a few shakes allspice
4 - 5 Tbsp corn starch (or arrowroot powder)

crust:

your favorite pie crust recipe

method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a food processor, blend together all ingredients. Blend until very smooth. Blend past what you think is done, and then it will be smooth enough. Adjust flavouring to your taste if necessary (more spices, sugar, etc).

Pour into a pie shell.

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes, then turn down to 350 and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and let set at room temperature for 1 - 2 hours. Place in fridge and let set for 6 hrs before serving.

Recipe by: Trudel; definitely

date filled cashew cookies

2008-04-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

date filling:

1 cup pitted dates
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup maple syrup

optional topping:

shredded Coconut

cookie:

1 cup raw cashews
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar of your choice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tsp. maple extract (optional; if not avail. use 2 teaspoon vanilla)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour (any blend will do - white, wheat, spelt, etc.)
2 teaspoons baking powder

prepare filling:

Place dates and water in small saucepan and cook over medium heat about 10 minutes. Add maple syrup and blend the mixture in a blender. Pour into a small bowl and set aside until needed.

cookies:

Place first 6 ingredients in blender (doesn't matter if there's some date filling residue). Blend until smooth.

Combine flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Pour blended mixture overtop and combine well.

Form small balls (roughly 1 tablespoon in size) by rolling between your hands. Place on cookie sheet. Using your fingers, make deep wells in each cookie and fill with the date filling. Top with shredded coconut if desired.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool on a cooling rack.

Makes: 28+ (depends on size)

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Recipe by: Trudel

black bean & quinoa salad

2008-04-17T15:42:00.000-07:00

ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup white corn
2 green onions; chopped
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red peppers
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

dressing:

3-4 tablespoon olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice or balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic; minced
salt and pepper to taste
freshly chopped cilantro

method:

Soak quinoa for five minutes then drain. Cook either in vegetable stock or water for 15 minutes. Add corn in the last five minutes of cooking if using frozen. Drain and cool.

Mix the remaining ingrediants in a bowl. (Substitutions can be made for the vegetables...red onions, grated carrots, etc...)

Pour the dressing overtop and mix well.

ginger snaps

2008-04-17T15:17:00.001-07:00

dry:

2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp. ginger powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves

wet:

1/2 cup sunflower oil
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup soy milk
1 cup organic cane sugar
2 tablespoons freshly ground ginger
1 tsp. vanilla

topping (optional) :

turbinado sugar (or demerrera sugar)

method:

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Whisk together wet ingredients until well blended.

Pour the wet mixture over the dry and stir until thoroughly combined.

Using a deeply-rounded tablespoon measuring spoon (some are flat, some are circular and deep - that's the kind you want here) drop tablespoon-fulls of the batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet. The cookies will flatten and spread to the sides, so leave a good amount of space between them.

Top with the turbinado sugar by sprinkling overtop and pressing in the granules very lightly.

Bake 11 min. Let cool on cookie sheet 5 min. then transfer to wire cooling rack.

Recipe by: bunnyfoot.blogspot.com

chocolate almond cookies

2008-04-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

These are what angels eat in heaven...all...day...long

dry:

3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds
1/2 cup chocolate chips

wet:

1/4 cup sunflower oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

method:

Preheat oven to 350.

Chop whole almonds, then measure off 1/3 cup, then toast for no more than 10 min.

In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients.

In a smaller bowl whisk together wet ingredients until well blended.

Pour wet mixture into dry and stir until combined. The batter will be thick, and it will seem as though there are too many chocolate chips for the amount of dough. (I know, you ask, how can this possibly be?)

Roll dough into little balls between your hands and flatten into thick disks on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake 11 min for crisp cookies, 10 min. for slightly softer cookies.

Cool on wire rack.

Try not to eat them all in one day.

Recipe by: bunnyfoot.blogspot.com