Pineapple Whip

 

Recipe is by Dreena Burton

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen pineapple chunks

1 cup frozen sliced overripe banana or room temp overripe banana; must be overripe

1/3 cup of non-dairy milk of choice

small pinch salt

2-3 tsp pure maple syrup to sweeten if desired

Instructions

Add all ingredients except maple syrup to a high-powered blender. 

Pulse initially, then puree to blend. Add extra milk if mixture is too thick to blend well. 

Once fully pureed and smooth, add the sweetener if desired. 

Serve or transfer to freezer for an hour or more to set, then serve.

Stir Fry Sauce

1 tbsp sugar 

1 tbsp chickpea miso

3 tbsp tamari

1 tbsp mirin

1 tsp sesame oil 

1 tbsp chili miso sauce

1/2 tsp chili flakes 

1 large clove garlic

1 tsp minced ginger 

1/4 tsp white pepper

1 tbsp arrowroot starch 

Combine ingredients in a bowl until there are no lumps. Store in fridge up to 3 days. If sauce separates during storage, briefly stir before using.

Spicy Cilantro Dressing

by @avocado_skillet

This makes 2-3 servings

1/2 cup cashew butter (sub tahini if sensitive to nuts)
1/2 cup water
1 tsp maple syrup
1/2 cup cilantro
1 garlic clove
1/2 jalapeno with seeds removed

Combine all ingredients in high speed blender. Blend until creamy. Store in airtight container for 5 days. 

This makes a great marinade as well as salad dressing. 

Tuscan kale and white bean soup

 6 large Tuscan kale leaves, stemmed and roughly chopped 

I cannot remember where I got this recipe, but it is very good.

2 cups cannellini beans, cooked and rinsed
1 medium sweet onion 
3 garlic cloves
1 carrot 
1-2 celery stalks
1 14 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes 
1 tbsp olive oil 
4 cups vegetable broth 
1 tsp dried thyme and rosemary each 
1 tbsp miso paste 
1/2 cup water 
Sea salt and black pepper to taste 

Croutons: 
Day old crusty Tuscan (or sourdough) bread, cut into large cubes
1-2 tbsp olive oil 
2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed 


Method:
Finely dice onion, carrot, celery, and mince garlic.
Heat up olive oil in a Dutch oven or deep pan with lid, and sauté onions, carrot and celery for about 10 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant. Add minced garlic towards the end. 
Add thyme and rosemary, and stir for 30 seconds, then pour in the canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, and beans. 
Bring to a boil, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes. 
Take away 2 cups of the soup, blend with 1/2 cup of water until smooth, and add mix back to the pot. For a more “brothy” soup, omit this step. 
Add chopped kale, and simmer for a few more minutes. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. 

For the croutons, heat up olive oil, toast garlic until fragrant (set it aside and use it for another recipe), then toss bread in the garlic oil until browned.

BBQ Jackfruit

1 diced onion 

2-3 tablespoons of minced garlic

2 cans of jackfruit, drained and shredded (or you can shred at the end after it has cooked)

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

several shakes of red pepper flakes

1 cup of BBQ sauce (feel free to eyeball teh amount)

1/2 cup vegetable broth

Saute diced onion with minced garlic for several minutes, add the jackfruit and cumin, paprika, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and bbq sauce. 

Add the vegetable broth. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

If it is too runny from the added broth then simmer without the lid, if the consistency looks good to you, simmer with the lid on to retain moisture. 

Remove from heat and shred if you need to, then serve!

For vegan ranch I took a jar of vegannaise that was half empty and added 1-2 tablespoons of onion powder and garlic powder into the jar. I didn't measure, just eyeballed. I chopped about 1 cup of fresh parsley with my nut chopper and dropped that into the jar (again, just eyeballed). I put in a dash or two of vinegar and shook the jar really hard with the lid on. Then I repeated the shaking after adding 1-2 tsp of almond milk to get it to a consistency that was good for spreading.

Serve on toasted bread or buns with the fixings you'd normally serve pulled pork with. Top with the ranch sauce. Very very good!

(Leftovers make a great tamale filling too)

Plant-based Tamales

This recipe is from the Dr McDougall website. It is easy to compile and stores well for several days. The masa mixture can be made a few days ahead of time to save time on the actual tamale-making day. Same goes for tamale filling. Because there is no oil or lard, cooked tamales are best unwrapped while hot to avoid the husk sticking to the tamale. Uneaten tamales should be heated up by wrapping in a damp paper towel, then microwaving for 1 minute. This will allow the husk to be removed easily. Tamales can also be frozen for up to 3 months after initial cooking. 

Tamale Batter:

6 cups masa harina (treated corn flour)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 scoop nutritional yeast

2 cups water, soymilk, vegetable stock or a combo of all three

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

 Dried corn husks

Rinse off corn husks, then soak 20 minutes in a large bowl. Leave soaking until time to use each husk.

In a large bowl (I use my bosch), combine the masa harina, salt, pepper, oregano, and baking powder.  Stir.

Combine the water/stock/milk and the vinegar.  Stir the wet into the dry, using your hands or a spoon or a mixer.

Spread the batter over an opened corn husk.  Spoon about 1-2 tablespoons filling of your choice into the center.  Leave 1-2 inches of space at top and bottom of husk. Wrap the batter around the filling and then wrap in the husk.  Tie the ends*.  Steam for 30 minutes on stove, or 10 minutes in a Instapot (use steamer basket).  Serve at once, either plain or with Enchilada sauce spooned over the top.

Hint: For the filling, you can use:  Seasoned black beans, roasted tofu, sweet potato and beans and corn, vegetarian chili, taco seasoned jackfruit, etc.

*I have found that a 6-inch length of yarn works easily for tying tamales. Different colors of yarn help differentiate different types of tamales. Cut the yarn before compiling tamales, start out with 30 pieces of yarn. 

Green Chili Corn Tamales

 These plant-based tamales came as a result of tweaking nacho 'cheese' sauce by Taesha Butler with Dr McDougall's tamale recipe, and adding my own spin to get the tamales I desired. They are easy to eat by hand as a snack while running out the door, and taste delicious on a plate with mexican rice, refried beans, and salsa. 

Cheese Sauce

2 cups butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into small cubes (or 1 package prepared butternut squash from costco). 
2 cups raw cashews
2 cups water or vegetable broth
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup almond milk unsweetened and plain
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
1 tsp  paprika
1 large clove garlic or to taste. Sub 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder if needed.

1 jar green chilies from costco, or 3 cans mild diced green chilies

optional: water or vegetable broth

Instructions
In a medium saucepan, combine butternut squash, cashews and water. 

Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and cook 10-15 minutes or until squash is tender.

After the butternut squash and cashews are done cooking, pour into a high-speed blender or food processor blender, including cooking liquid. Add remaining ingredients to blender too. 

Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add some water or veggie broth ad lib to make for a thinner cheese sauce. 

Mix in 1/2 jar of green chilies or all cans of chilies. 

Store in an air-tight container in fridge for up to 5 days.

Make Dr McDougall's tamale mixture with one differnce: substitute this cheese mixture for the wet ingredients at a 1:1 ratio. The consistency should be barely looser than soft play dough. Mix in a drained can of corn, or 1-2 cups of frozen corn. This can then be stored in the fridge in a covered container for several days until ready to use, or used immediately. No filling is needed with these tamales. 

A Red Lentil Soup for the Books

This is one of my family's favorite red lentil soup recipes. If you make it do yourself a favor and don't multi-task while compiling the soup....you *might* accidentally add 1 tsp of cayenne powder instead of 1 pinch and doing this absolutely ruins the entire pot. Sticking with 1 pinch creates a dish of wonder and beauty. 

small diced onion

clove of minced garlic

pinch of fenugreek seeds (1/4 tsp ground fenugreek)

1 cup dry red lentils

1 cup butternut squash cubes. Can be raw or previously roasted.

1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro

2 cups water

1 can coconut milk

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tsp curry powder

1 pinch cayenne powder

1 pinch ground nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot over medium heat, and cook the onion, ginger, garlic, and fenugreek until onion is tender.

Mix the lentils, squash, and cilantro into the pot. Stir in the water, coconut milk, and tomato paste. Season with curry powder, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, or until lentils and squash are tender.

**I've subbed baked potato chunks for the squash with success. 

**Soak the red lentils the night before or all day long prior to using.

**When doubling the recipe just toss everything into the pot including 1 bunch of cilantro, then use the immersion blender to puree when its done cooking. 

Incredible Lentil Soup

 This soup is from the popular blog Monkey & Me which is a fun place to check out recipes created by a mother-daughter duo. I like this soup because its one of the closest I've found to Amy's canned lentil soup with the brown label which my kids like. Its easy to come together, and easy to double or triple for freezing. It tastes great fresh, chunky, or partially blended. They did a fantastic job and I saved this recipe years ago but make it every winter. Sometimes I stir in chopped spinach along with the parsley at the end. With some brown bread toast and a side salad this soup makes for a complete meal. 

Base Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow onion, fine dice
• 2 medium celery ribs, small dice
• 2 medium carrots, small dice
• 2 Tablespoon minced garlic 
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water (or broth)
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes 
• ¾ to 1 cup dry brown lentils (or green lentils)

Spice/Herb Ingredients:

• 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 Tablespoons dried minced onions
• 1 bay leaf
• ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 ¾ teaspoons cumin
• ¼ teaspoon dried coriander 
• 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• pinch cayenne pepper

Other Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Optional Toppings:

• Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (or cilantro)
• 
  
• Instructions

1. Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients in a small bowl (except the bay leaf and cayenne pepper), mix well, set aside.
2. In a large ceramic/enamel-lined Dutch oven, skillet or similar stock pot, add the diced onions, celery, and carrots; sauté over medium heat until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 9 minutes.  Add a tablespoon or so of vegetable broth or water if they start to stick and/or to prevent burning.
3. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste, sauté for one minute, stirring constantly. Then add the Spice/Herb Mix (minus the bay leaf and cayenne pepper) stirring for 30 seconds until the spices release their fragrance then add all the remaining Base Ingredients and bay leaf, bring to a boil, cover with a lid, then lower to a simmer.  Simmer for 30 to 35 minutes or until the lentils tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Once the lentils are very tender, stir in the lemon juice and cayenne pepper.  Remove the bay leaf.  If you wish you to create a thick soup, use an immersion blender and pulse off and on for about 20 seconds or less, then remove the pot from the stove and allow to sit uncovered for 15 minutes.  This will allow the flavors to marry and develop.
5. Serve topped with chopped fresh parsley.

Korean Cauliflower

 I tried this recipe of crunchy Gochujang Cauliflower from the Korean Vegan with most of my own ingredients in my wok which is the perfect kitchen pan for this. I did swap tapioca starch for corn starch with mixed results---half of the family didn't mind and the other half claimed it was definitely not the same thing. I used my air fryer at 400 for 10 minutes twice instead of heating oil on the stove...and I didn't spray it with oil before doing teh air fryer. Maybe I'll do that next time (but probably not because I tend to not cook with oil). I didn't use any oil in this recipe at all when I made it and it still turned out amazing. I thought the flavor was amazing. The one thing I made a trip to the grocery store for was the actual gochujang, and it was my local Asian grocery store. So, now I will be looking up more recipes for using gochujang because the container I have is a lot bigger than just 1 teaspoon. If I were making this for my family again I would probably triple the recipe and defintely double the recipe at minimum, because we are a big family who all enjoy eating cauliflower. Also so I don't forget---prepping the veggies in the food processor's grater function is a must to save time. 

INGREDIENTS

  

• 1 head cauliflower -- washed and prepped into large chunks
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon paste
• 3 tablespoons plant milk
• 2 2 cups plus ½ tablespoon corn starch
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon vegetarian oyster sauce (I used Amy's brand vegan worcestershire sauce)
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1 teaspoon gochujang
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 4 cups vegetable oil for frying
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup onion chopped
• 5-6 cloves garlic minced
• 2 leaves red cabbage chopped (I used a combination of red and napa cabbages)
• 1 carrot chopped into very small pieces
• 2 whole scallions chopped
• 1/3 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• Place cauliflower chunks into a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable base (I like “Better than Boullion”),together with the plant milk. Mix the cauliflower so that they are evenly coated and set the bowl aside (you can also refrigerate it overnight).
• To another large bowl, add 1 cup of corn starch (save the rest for later), ½ tablespoon of garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper.  Stir everything together with a whisk and set it aside.
• Prepare the sauce in advance by whisking together the 1 teaspoon of the vegetable base, regular soy sauce, light soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, mustard, gochujang, maple syrup, and ½ tablespoon of corn starch.  
• In a very large cast iron pan or deep fryer, bring the vegetable oil to350°F.  While you are waiting for the oil to get hot, dredge some of the cauliflower in the corn starch + garlic powder mixture.  Make sure that each chunk is thickly coated with the corn starch. You want the cauliflower to be super dry.  
• Place the dredged cauliflower in the hot oil, ensuring not to crowd the pan.  You will have to work in batches and once the corn starch is all used up, add the second cup of corn starch, together with the garlic powder and black pepper, so that you can continue to fully dredge your cauliflower.
• Fry your cauliflower for approximately 3 to 5 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Remove them from the oil and place them on a cooling rack to drain the excess oil.  Repeat for the remaining cauliflower.
• Once all the cauliflower has been fried once, you can fry them all a second time(without worrying about over-crowding the pan) for extra crunch.
• Once you have completed frying all your cauliflower, begin making the sauce by adding extra virgin olive oil to a large pan over medium high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the garlic, onion, carrot, cabbage, and scallions to the pan. Sautee the vegetables until the onion starts to turn translucent, about 2 minutes.
• Add the vegetable broth and cook for another 30 seconds.  Then, stir in the sauce you prepared earlier.  Cook the sauce over medium high heat for about 1 minute, until it gets thick.
• Turn off the heat and pour the fried cauliflower into the sauce.  Stir the cauliflower gently until they are evenly coated.  Drizzle them with a the sesame oil and sprinkle the sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Lava Cakes

This recipe makes 8 lava cakes.  These amazing little cakes get baked in a ramekin. Do yourself a favor and do the prep steps hours before dessert time to make the finished product feel like simple luxery to your tastebuds. These lava cakes are best served fresh from the oven. I am talking literally spooning the goodness into your mouth within 5 minutes of removing from the heat. I adapted this from a recipe by Melanie McDonald's blog A Virtual Vegan.

Ingredients: 

For Cake

1/2 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup gluten free flour (I used a commercial oat flour blend from costco)

1 1/2 cups cocoa powder

3/4 cup white sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups oat milk

For Lava

1 package dairy-free chocolate chunks

3 Tablespoons coconut oil

Prep steps: 

Use a paper towel to wipe a very thin layer of coconut oil around the sides and bottom of 8 ramekins. 

Do the same thing to 12 brownie bite cups in a brownie bite pan (or mini muffin pan). 

Mix all dry ingredients and set aside until time to add wet ingredient. 

Using double boiler, melt the chocolate chunks with the coconut oil. Once it is smooth, pour evenly into the prepared brownie bites pan. Place in refrigerator for several hours or until set. Invert pan over a flat surface, chocolate should easily come out. Store chocolate in the fridge for later. 

Method:

Heat oven to 375F. In a bowl combine all dry ingredients. Slowly pour in the milk while stirring constantly to incorporate. Ladle into ramekins; each ramekin will need 1 ladlefull to fill it 1/3 full. Place prepared chocolate into each ramekin. Ladle remaining cake batter over chocolate to fill ramekins evenly. *Allow 1/4 of ramekin to be headspace between top of batter and top rim of ramekin*

Place all ramekins onto a cookie sheet to bake, or carefully place them together on one oven rack. Bake 15 minutes. Remove promptly. May be eaten straight from the ramekin or inverted to make a true lava cake appearance. 

For lava cake appearance: Use a small knife to run around edge of cake to ensure edges aren't stuck to the ramekin. Let it sit 2 minutes after removal from oven. Invert over small plate, immediately remove ramekin. 

Serve with plant-based vanilla ice cream!