Sweet Potato Apple Hash

I first published a recipe for this years ago but it desperately needing updating, both with the method and the photos (see original pic at the bottom - it makes me cringe).  So about this dish, simply put it is all about Fall with my favorite 2 produce items of the season!  It only has a few ingredients and it's easy to make so that's a big win in my book.  I like the red onion in this for a little color but any onion will do.  Also, a favorite of sweet potatoes or yams (what is the difference anyway? Read this) is the Garnet Yam!  

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Makes 2 servings


Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 in cubes
Olive oil
1 apple, cored and diced
1/2 red onion, diced (about ½ cup is good)
1-2 Tbsp vegan butter (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste


Method

Heat iron skillet (or nonstick skillet) over medium heat with enough olive oil to coat the bottom.  Let warm for a few minutes.  You don't want to throw your sweet potatoes into a cold skillet with cold oil - it should sizzle a little bit.

Add sweet potatoes and stir around a little to coat in the oil.  Let cook untouched for about 5 minutes.  Then give them a toss, bottoms should be a little browned, and cook another 5 minutes.  Add additional oil in needed to keep them from sticking.

Add onion and apple, cook 4-5 minutes until everything is tender and the sweet potatoes are browned.

Stir in butter if using, give a toss to melt it and coat everything.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

This was the original picture I posted in 2011 - I mean who would want to make that!?!  Thank goodness for today's amazing iPhone cameras!

meal.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries & Pecans

I showed these brussels sprouts a little extra love by adding in the dried cranberries and pecans.  A simple, perfect fall veggie side dish.  It makes a perfect vegetarian and vegan side dish for Thanksgiving too! You can even go simpler and just do these basic Roasted Brussels Sprouts without the cranberries and pecans, and they will still be awfully tasty.

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Serves 4 

Ingredients

1 16oz bag of brussels sprouts

Olive oil

Salt 

Pepper

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped roasted pecans

Method

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl toss brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Transfer to a baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Turn oven off and take brussels sprouts out.  Add in cranberries and pecans and toss everything together.  Return to oven for 5 minutes or until cranberries are soft, then serve.

BEFORE

10 Vegetable Soup

A hearty, veggie packed with soup with carrot, celery, onion, tomato, potato, cauliflower, zucchini, kale, peas and lima beans (I guess these are technically a legume but I'll just count them as a vegetable too).  This soup will freeze well too! I created a batch with 6 servings and for some of the vegetables I only used smaller amounts so here are some tips to getting the most out of some of the fresh vegetables:

Carrots:  With a bunch of whole carrots cut up the extra for snacking or use baby carrots.

Celery: I get it off the salad bar because I never end up using a whole bunch.

Cauliflower: Make Roasted Cauliflower or Mashed Faux-tato with extra.

Zucchini: I also got this off the salad bar but if you don't use a whole zucchini, saute extra with olive oil and add to pasta and sauce.

Kale: Make Lemon Garlic Kale or Spicy, Saucy Kale Chips with extra.

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Serves 6

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 small onion, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 carrot, diced

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 cup diced zucchini

1 small yukon gold or red potato, cubed (about 1/2inch)

1 can diced tomato w/ juice

4-5 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1 cup small cauliflower florets

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen lima beans

1 large kale leaf, rib removed, chopped into small pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Add oil to a large soup pot and warm over medium heat for a minute.  Add onion, celery and carrot with a pinch of salt.  Cook 4-5 minutes.  Add garlic and basil and cook another 2 minutes.

Add zucchini, potato, cauliflower and toss to coat; cook for a minute.  Add tomatoes and 4 cups of broth.  Increase heat and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add peas and lima beans, cook 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in kale. Season with salt and pepper.

Lemon Garlic Kale

Glorious green kale! Simply sauteed with just olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Spritzed with lemon before serving.  One tip: don't cook the hell out of it since we want to preserve some of those wonderful nutrients kale has to offer.  Just a few minutes until it lightly wilted is all it needs!

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Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 bunch of curly kale, large rib removed, torn into pieces

3 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced or chopped
Water

Salt and pepper to taste

Juice of about half a lemon

Method

Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the a large skillet or sauce pan and heat over medium heat.  Add garlic and saute about 3 minutes.

Add kale and 2-3 tablespoons of water, cover and allow to steam just 2 minutes.  Remove lid and toss kale around to cook evenly.  If needed, return lid and let steam additional minute.

Season with salt and pepper, transfer to a dish and toss with lemon juice and also a drizzle of olive oil if desired.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

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Serves 3-4

Ingredients

1 heaping cup of grape tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

2 Tbsp live oil
1/2 large onion, diced
Pinch of salt
3 large garlic cloves
1 tsp dried thyme
1 28oz can whole plum tomatoes
2-3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup fresh basil leaves (or about a handful)
Salt and pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper for heat (optional)

Method

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss grapes tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Add to parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.

While tomatoes are in the oven, add olive oil to saucepan and heat over medium-low.  Add onion and pinch of salt and cook 3-4 minutes.  Add garlic and thyme; cook 2 minutes.  

Add whole can of tomatoes with juice, 2 cups of the broth and basil. Break up the tomatoes slightly with a wooden spoon.  Bring to a boil then reduce to low and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes.  

Let cool slightly and add to a blender along with roasted tomatoes.  Puree, add more broth if you like a thinner consistency.  Transfer back to pot and season with salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper to taste.

Middle Eastern Red Lentil Soup

This is seriously one of the best things I've ever made.  It's one of those "wow this is so good I can't believe I made this" moments.  It's crazy flavorful and it's easy to make.  Proof that amazingly delicious good food doesn't have to be complicated with fancy schmancy ingredients and techniques.  One of my secrets to this is a good vegetable broth.  Some have zero flavor.  I happen to love Edward and Son's Not-Chick'n bullion cubes that I get at Whole Foods.  I use one cube dissolved in three cups of water for this recipe (package says one cube in two cups water but I reduce the sodium).

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Serves 3-4

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

5-6 baby carrots diced (that's what I always have on hand or use 1 carrot)

3 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)

1 Tbsp tomato paste 

3/4 cups red lentils

3 cups vegetable broth (see note)

Juice of half a lemon (about 1 Tbsp)

Salt and black pepper to taste

Crushed red pepper for heat (optional)

Method

Add olive oil to saucepan and heat over medium-low.  Add onion and carrots with a dash of salt and cook 3-4 minutes.  Add garlic, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika and cook 2 minutes.  

Stir in the tomato paste and the lentils, then add the broth and lemon juice.  Bring to a boil then reduce to low and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes.  

Season with salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper to taste.

Puree in a blender or with an immersion blender.

Note: recommend using a quality, flavorful broth such as Edward and Son's Not-Chick'n bullion cubes. Dissolve one cube in three cups hot water for this recipe.

Maple Cinnamon Twice Baked Sweet Potato

Simply sweet potato its best.  Try this with a garnet yam (which is really a sweet potato!), my personal favorite.   The only difficult part of the this recipe is waiting for the sweet potato to bake, but rest assured it is well worth it.  After the wait is over, all you have to do is mix the sweet potato flesh with a few other tasty ingredients and bake again for just 10 minutes.  The applesauce adds a nice little tang but it can easily be left out.  Love it extra sweet?  Add a touch more maple syrup, or try a sprinkle of brown sugar on top.  Definitely do splurge and a the vegan butter as it adds just that little bit of richness.  Let's also not forget about the wonderful health benefits of the sweet potato, that bright orange flesh is a sure indicator of all the beta-carotene packed in this tuber.  They also deliver a nice dose of vitamin C, vitamin B and iron, so eat up!

Confused about the difference between a sweet potato and yam?  It's really just because sweet potatoes are often mislabeled as yams.  Check out this article for more clarification. 

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Ingredients

1 medium sweet potato, washed

2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce

2 tsp maple syrup

1-2 tsp Earth Balance vegan butter

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

Pinch ground ginger

Pinch salt

Chopped pecans for garnish

Method

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Pierce sweet potato a couple times with a fork.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for 50-60 minutes.

Remove from oven, cut a slit down the center of the sweet potato, and scoop out flesh into a bowl.  Add remaining ingredients except pecans, a mix thoroughly and until creamy.  Make any adjustments to taste.

Spoon back into the sweet potato skin, sprinkle with pecans, return to baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. 

Falafel Spiced Roasted Chickpea Tacos

I really love falafel.  So much in fact that at one point I created a baked falafel recipe in my early days of blogging.  I've been meaning to revisit this recipe to see how I could revamp it, but to have to bust out the food processor, form little patties, and all that, just hasn't been something I've had time for.  So I had this brilliant idea to take all those spices and flavors and just coat the chickpeas in them, then roast them.  I do love roasted chickpeas. I substitute onion for onion powder, fresh garlic with garlic powder that way I wouldn't have to worry about it burning in the oven and the flavors would be all combined.   It worked like a charm!  I got my falafely goodness without the work. Yep, I'll pat myself on the back for this one.  It's pretty freakin' good.

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Makes 4 tacos

Ingredients

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings:
Diced tomato
Diced onion
Diced dill pickle (yes this goes very well with falafel)
Lettuce
Tahini dressing (I love the one from Trader Joes that you can find by the hummus or try my recipe)

Taco size tortillas

Method

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Chickpeas to a bowl and add olive oil and lemon juice.  Give it a toss to coat.

In a small bowl, mix all the spices together.  This is important so that you have an even flavor throughout.  Add the spices to the chickpeas along with the fresh herbs and lastly the salt and pepper.  Toss to thoroughly coat.

Spread chickpeas on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 30-40 minutes (depending how crispy you want them).

Southwest Black Bean Burger

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Makes 4 large burgers or 6 small

Ingredients

1/2 small onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp chipotle powder or cayenne (optional)
1/3 cup pepitas
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
Salt and pepper to taste

Flour for dusting
Oil or cooking spray

Method

Add onion, garlic, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, chipotle powder, and pepitas to a food processor.  Pulse several times until it all comes together.  Add remaining ingredients and pulse again until it comes together.  Do not over blend or the mixture can become too wet.  Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate 20-30 minutes to chill.  Once chilled it will be easier to handle. 

Shape into 4 patties.  Lightly dust both sides of each patty in flour. 

Heat lightly oiled skillet over medium heat.  Once hot, add burgers and cook a few minutes on each side until browned and heat through. 

Spiced Quinoa with Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is actually not grain but rather a seed. What makes it so wonderful is that it's a plant-based, complete protein meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids (the ones your body can't produce).  Yea, that's pretty cool.  One cup cooked gives you 8 grams of protein with just over 200 calories and about 3.5g fat.  For long time I wanted so badly to love this little protein-packed wonder seed, but everytime I cooked it I found it tastless and mushy.  Yuck.  So, I decided to try using less liquid and swapped broth for water, threw in spices, garlic, etc. and voila, I was converted.

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Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients

Olive oil or cooking spray
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth (water can be substituted)
Salt and pepper to taste

Pepitas (already roasted pumpkin seeds) or regular raw pumpkin seeds
Chopped cilantro

Method

Heat oil in a skillet.  Add onion and garlic with a pinch of salt and cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent.  Add vinegar, cumin, smoked paprika, quinoa; stir o combine everything and cook just a minute.  Add in broth and stir.  Turn heat up and bring to boil, then reduce to low and simmer covered 15-20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  If there's still too much liquid, you can removed cover and cook a few minutes longer.  Garnish with pumpkin seeds and cilantro. Serve as a side dish, add beans to make it a main dish, or add to a wrap with veggies.


*To roast pumpkin seeds just lay on a baking sheet, spray with cooking oil, and bake at 350 for a few minutes until they start to turn golden.  I’ve never actually timed it but they always turn out ok.

Vegan Frijoles Charros

One day I'll get around to soaking dried beans overnight and cooking them for hours, but that's not today.  There's never enough time.  So I figured out a way to cheat use canned pinto beans while still developing a sauce for them to bathe in.  Very flavorful and so easy!  

Bonus: you can puree them or mash with a fork and you've got healthier refried beans or add a little extra broth or some salsa, puree and you've got yourself a dip.  I just love taking one recipe and morphing it into several different dishes.

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Makes about 2 - 1 cup servings

Ingredients

Cooking spray or oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup green pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp chopped jalapeno (optional)
1/2 cup diced tomato
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp chipotle powder (spicy) or smoked paprika (mild)
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Method

Heat a lightly oiled, high-sided skillet over low-medium then add onion, pepper, garlic, and jalapeno with dash of salt.  Cook 5 minutes being careful not to let the garlic get brown.  Stir in tomato, cumin, chipotle or paprika, vinegar and let it cook for a minute, then stir in broth.  Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Transfer mixture from the pan to a blender or food processor and puree.  Add back to the pan, season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the beans.  Let them cook over low heat for 5 minutes, then serve.

 

 

Summer Strawberry & Avocado Salad with Basil Dressing

I must confess I often roll my eyes when I see salad with fruit in it on a menu.  It's definitely not one of my favorite food combinations.  However, I love pairing avocado with fruit so I thought I'd give strawberries a shot.  Normally I try everything in sandwich form but I this time I thought I'd get some mache lettuce (pronounced "mosh"), throw in some toasted nuts, and top with some leftover basil cashew cream sauce that I use on pasta.  Turns out it doubles as a salad dressing and basil goes so well with strawberries.  If just making it as a dressing, I simplify it a bit, cutting out the onion and sauteeing. 

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Ingredients

Lemon basil cashew cream dressing (makes about 1 cup)
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup cashews soaked overnight
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 - 1/3 cup vegetable broth, water from cashews or plain water
1 handful of basil leaves (or more to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mache lettuce (or spring greens)
Sliced strawberries
Sliced avocado
Slivered almonds, toasted (also good with toasted pine nuts or pepitas which are roasted pumpkin seeds)

Method

Add dressing ingredients to a blender and puree.  Simply plate your salad ingredients and pour dressing over it.

Crispy Tofu Tacos

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner so it couldn't be a better time for perfecting some of those Mexican inspired recipes, of course done vegan and healthy.  When I teach cooking classes people always ask me for tips on cooking tofu.  I think getting the right texture is the biggest challenge when cooking with tofu.  In this recipe I've used one of my secret weapons, the vacuum packed tofu that's already been pressed.  Not the kind in water that you have to drain and press yourself.  This way you cut out a step and the tofu already has that firm texture.  You definitely wouldn't a watery, mushy mesh of tofu in your tacos. Yuck.

 I love the House Foods Vacuum Packed Tofu, and the Cutlet is great too because it also has a "skin" on it, as well as great texture. And bonus - they're CERTIFIED ORGANIC and NON-GMO CERTIFIED. So, so important when buying soy products. You can read more about GMO's (Genetically Modified Organisms) on the Non-GMO Project site.

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Makes 4 tacos

Ingredients

1 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chipotle powder or cayenne (optional)
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari)
1 8oz. package vacuum packed tofu such as House Foods (not the kind in water)
1/4 cup diced onion (or add 1/2 tsp onion powder to spices)
4 crispy taco shells, warmed in the oven

Fixins: Avocado (mashed with a pinch of salt), pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, hot sauce

Method

Mix spices in a bowl, then add soy sauce.  Crumble tofu into the bowl and mix with a fork to further break up tofu and thoroughly coat with spices. 

Heat a skillet sprayed with cooking spray or lightly coated with oil.  Add tofu and onion.  Cook over medium-heat, stirring a few times, for about 5-8 minutes.  Spoon into tacos shells and pile on the fixins!



No-Bake Lemon Coconut Bars

I love lemon anything and I love coconut anything.  And I love the two together .  One of my all-time favorite desserts is the lemon coconut bundt cake in my Veganomicon cookbook but unfortunately I can't eat cake everyday. Since I've been experimenting with making my own version of Lara Bars, I had to do one of my favorite flavor combinations.  Oh boy, it did not disappoint.  I feel way less guilty about devouring these little treats that are raw, vegan, whole food ingredients, with no sugar added.  

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Makes about 20 1-2 inch squares

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews
2 cups dried dates, pitted
3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
Zest of one lemon
2 tsp lemon juice
Pinch of salt

Method

Note: If your dates aren't very soft, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes or until softened.

Blend cashews in a food processor until it's just beginning to turn from a powder to a nut butter.  This will take a few minutes so be patient.  Now add your dates and process until it all comes together.  This could also take a few minutes.  Scrape down the sides if needed.  Now add remaining ingredients pulse several times until all incorporated. 

Remove and place on parchment paper.  Press into a square or rectangle and place another sheet of parchment on top.  Optional: use a cast iron skillet to flatten the top.  Chill in the refrigerator for about an hour, then cut into squares.  Store in the refrigerator.

Southwest Black Bean, Corn, and Rice Salad

So many great things about this dish - it's an easy mix some stuff together kind of recipe, it's vegan and healthy, it's delicious, and it doesn't really require cooking if you get the kind of rice you can just microwave.  Oh and it's versatile too.  You can switch up the grains (I used a combination or brown rice and barley), add avocado if you like, use it as a side or a main dish, in tacos or burritos, whatever you want.  The recipe makes 2-3 side dish servings but it can easily be doubled for a 4-5 person dinner or for a party.

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Serves 2-3 as a side dish

Ingredients

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp chipotle powder or cayenne (optional)

1 Tbsp canola oil

1/4 cup vegetable broth

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

2 cups cooked brown rice, barley or another grain

3/4 cup cooked black beans (about half a can drained)

3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Mix spices, oil, broth and vinegar in a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and stir until everything is combined and mixed with the dressing.  This is best if left to chill in the refridgerator 1-2 hours before serving.



Mango Coconut Rice



Yummy, creamy coconuty rice studded with chunks of sweet mango makes an easy tropical treat for breakfast or even dessert.  I prefer champagne mangoes but you can use regular ones as well and frozen mango is also an option.   Opt for unsweetened shredded coconut but if you can't find it, just omit or lessen the agave.  Another possible add-on for this, garnish chopped macadamia nuts and enjoy this tropical island vacation in a bowl!



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Serves 2

Ingredients

1 cup cooked brown rice
1/3 cup light coconut milk
Pinch of salt
1-2 tsp agave nectar
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 champagne mango, diced (just shy of a cup)

Method

Place rice and coconut milk in a small pot over medium heat.  Bring to a simmer.  Once simmering, begin stirring and it will thicken quickly.  Once desired consistency is reached, remove from heat and stir in agave, coconut, and mango.  Spoon into a bowl and serve.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

This is my way of duplicating my favorite Lara Bar.  I figured they're so simple with just a couple ingredients that I could just make my own.  There's no sugar in these either, well except for the chocolate chips.  Keep them in the freezer and they'll be firm but still totally soft enough to eat without thawing.  Warning: these are addictive!

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Makes about 20 squares or tablespoon size ball

Ingredients

20 dried dates, soaked in hot water 15-20 minutes

1/2 cup natural peanut butter, divided (no other ingredients except peanuts and salt!)

2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa

1/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Method

After soaking your dates they should be soft and pliable.  Add them to a food processor with half the peanut butter, and the cocoa.  Process until it's all combined and smooth.  Transfer to a bowl and stir in remaining peanut butter, chopped peanuts, and chocolate chips. 

You can either scoop tablespoon size amount of the mixture and roll into balls or take the mixture and press into a 1/4 inch thick disc on parchment paper.  Lay another piece of parchment and press on top so it is flat. Try a large cast iron skillet or just use your hands.  Chill in the freezer an hour or so. 

Remove from freezer, with a knife trim edges so they're straight (optional) and then cut into squares.  With the extra you've trimmed, you can roll into balls or just eat right then!

Store in the freezer.



Lemon Garlic Cashew Cream Sauce



Yep, I'm pretty obsessed with making creamy sauces out of soaked cashews.  It's just so amazingly rich you forget you're eating something vegan.  This is one of my simplest sauces that you can definitely build upon.  It's great on pasta as pictured but also good poured on veggies or salad or as a dip too.  You can even use a little less liquid to make it thicker as a spread which is really great on sandwiches or on pizza in lieu of cheese. Oh so many things you can do with this!

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Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

1/2 cup cashews, soaked overnight, water reserved

1/4-1/2 cup reserved soaking water or unsweetened almond milk

2-3 tsp lemon juice

2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Place ingredients in blender or food processor and blend until smooth and desired consistency is reached. 









Hoe Cakes (aka Cornmeal Pancakes)

Hoe cakes, also known as cornmeal pancakes, are basically a pancake that is typically made with a equal parts flour and cornmeal.  They get their name from way back in the day when they were cooked on hoe over a fire.  These little treats were George Washington's breakfast of choice and he enjoyed them with honey.  I like mine with raw agave or maple syrup and vegan Earth Balance (note: the Whipped one tastes like butter and is much better than the Original).

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Makes 3-4 small hoe cakes

Ingredients

1/4 cup almond milk

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup flour (I use half whole wheat and oat flour)

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce

1 Tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup

Canola oil

Method

Recommended: use a cast iron skillet and set on burner over medium heat to allow it to heat while you mix ingredients. 

Measure your almond milk in a measuring cup and then add the lemon juice.  Give it a stir and set aside.

Add cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt to a bowl and whisk or stir.  Add applesauce, agave, and almond milk mixture and stir.

For each cake add about 2 tablespoons of batter to lightly oiled, heated skillet. Spread out to form a small circle.  Let cook about 4 minutes (will depend on how hot your skillet is) or until the edges start to dry and crust.  Flip and cook about 3-4 more minutes. 







Mushroom, Kale, Potato Tacos

I've probably said it a hundred times but I really love handheld foods.  If I can stuff it in a tortilla or bread, I will.  If you want to make this easier, skip the potato and use frozen shredded hashbrown potatoes.  That will save you the step of having to boil a potato.

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Makes 4 tacos

Ingredients

1 small potato, peeled and cut into 1" cubes (or 1 cup frozen shredded potatoes)

2 cups diced mushrooms

1/3 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

1/5 block of drained and pressed extra-firm tofu (optional)

2 kale leaves, large rib removed, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Broth, cooking spray or oil for sauteing

4 corn tortillas

Method

Fill a small pot with cold water, add potato.  Bring to a boil and cook 7-8 minutes. 

In a skillet add either a little broth or cooking spray/oil and heat over medium heat.  Add mushrooms and onion and pinch of salt, cook about 5 minutes. 

Add garlic, nutritional yeast and if using tofu, crumble into the skillet. Stir and cook and when potato is done drain from water and add to mushroom tofu mixture along with kale. Stir and cook just a few minutes until kale is just wilted. 

Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and serve in tortillas with desired toppings. My faves are avocado and salsa or hot sauce.