Garlic Red Mashed Potatoes

This is another recipe I found here, I have found a few gems at this site that I love!  These mashed potatoes are vegan and sooo good.  I will be honest when I say I prefer them over a traditional mashed potato recipe.  These are quick, simple, and so yummy and healthy.  Enjoy!

Garlic Red Mashed Potatoes

8-10 large red potatoes, quartered
1/8 cup of non-dairy milk (more or less as desired-I always use more, about 1/4 a cup.  I like mine creamier and we use coconut milk)
2 Tbsp. of Cold-Pressed Olive Oil (more or less as desired)
2 garlic cloves, minced
Handful of fresh parsley. chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

DirectionsPut quartered red potatoes in pot, cover potatoes with water, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat just a bit and cook for about 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Drain water.  Add other ingredients and mix with hand mixer.  

Carrot & Yam Lentil Soup

I feel like I have been in a dinner rut lately.  It seems like we have been having the same meals on repeat every other week and I'm kind of over it.  But when I look up new vegan recipes on the internet a lot of what I find is a roasted artichoke with some weird sauce or roasted asparagus with fake cheese...yuk.  I'm not a fan of the vegan cheese (maybe that is why I just can't seem to give up normal cheese) nor am I a fan of one roasted vegetable for a meal.  For dinner I'd like something hearty and filling yet nourishing.  So I went to my fridge looked around and pulled out some carrots, yams, an onion, and fresh parsley and decided to whip up a soup.  I was trying to decide what to add to it to make it more hearty and I settled with red lentils.  That was a good choice.  I was very pleased with how this soup turned out and with how filling it was.  I served it with vegan mashed potatoes and salad. Enjoy!

Carrot & Yam Lentil Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large carrots, diced
1 small garnet yam
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup parsley, loosely packed,
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves 
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup red lentils
7 cups vegetable broth

Directions

Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium heat.  Chop all your vegetables and when the oil is hot add the onion and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes.  Add garlic and stir for a minute.  Add the carrots and yams.  Add vegetable broth, lentils, bay leaves, parsley and salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer a half hour or until vegetables are tender and lentils are cooked.  If the soup gets to thick you can add more vegetable stock or water to make it less like a stew and more like a soup.   Discard the 2 bay leaves before serving.  Enjoy!

*Serving Suggestion: You can add some mashed potatoes to the soup to give it a creamier texture.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Uh huh you read that right, chocolate chip cookie dough truffles.  And yes it tastes every bit as good as it sounds.  And yes it doesn't have refined sugars or flours in it and oh yes it is vegan AND if you have a gluten intolerance they can be made gluten free, in fact the version I made was gluten free.  The idea for these was inspired by a wedding we went to recently where there were some amazing truffles being served.  But of course they were not vegan, nor refined sugar or flour free so you know what that means?  I had to set out to make my own version and here it is.  They are delicious and super easy!  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

1/2 cup brown rice flour (or whole wheat, spelt, barley, or oat flour)
1/2 cup oats (gluten free if you have a gluten intolerance)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 bag or 5 oz chocolate chips, divided (I use Enjoy Life brand- refined sugar, dairy, soy, and nut free)
3 tbsp Earth Balance (melted) or grapeseed oil
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Combine the brown rice flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and 3 tablespoons of chocolate chips in a bowl.  Mix well and set aside.

Melt the Earth Balance so it becomes liquid and combine with the maple syrup and vanilla extract.  Add this mixture to the dry ingredients.  Stir well.

Place a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and drop small little balls (about 1tsp in size or you can do 1 tbsp in size if you want them to be bigger) onto the parchment paper.  Once you have used up all of the dough place the cookie dough balls in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up.

In the meantime add 1 1/2 cups water to a small sauce pan.  Place a large glass bowl over the top of the saucepan so it rests inside the saucepan.  Make sure that the water is not touching the bowl so that the chocolate won't burn.  Add the remaining chocolate chips to the glass bowl and stir with a spatula until the chocolate melts.

If your cookie dough balls are hard enough you can dip them in the chocolate without them falling apart.  However, mine were not so I just drizzled the chocolate over the top of them until they were completely covered.  Place the truffles back in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up before serving.  Keep the truffles stored in the fridge.  Enjoy!

Guacamole Sandwich

Simply put this sandwich is DIVINE.  It is a sandwich that should belong on the favorites list of a sandwich shop. It honestly is that good.  We love guacamole.  I love giving it to Carson and I love that he loves it because of all of the healthy fats that are in it.  So I thought why not turn some guacamole into a meal?  Are lives have not been the same since.  So whip yourself up one of these sandwiches and thank me for changing your life :) Enjoy!

Guacamole Sandwich

2 ripe avocados
1/3 cup red onion, diced
2 roma tomatos
1 red bell pepper
1 lime, juiced
salt to taste
Earth Balance or butter
mozzarella cheese (can omit if wanting it to be vegan)
1 loaf italian or artisan bread

Directions

Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit and place the flesh of the avocados in a food processor.  Add the juice of the lime and a little salt and blend until the mixture is creamy and smooth, free of any chunks.  Transfer this mixture to a small mixing bowl.

Dice the red onion, roma tomatos, and red bell pepper and add to the guacamole mixture.  Taste and add a little salt if needed.  

Cut the bread into thin slices and spread Earth Balance or butter on the outside of each piece of bread.  Place a little bit of mozzarella cheese on the inside of the bread and then spread some of the guacamole mixture on top of it.  Then top off with a little more mozzarella cheese and the other piece of bread.  Grill in a skillet or on a griddle over medium heat until the bottom piece of bread is golden brown and the cheese is melting.  Flip the sandwich and grill until the other side is golden brown.  Serve right away.  Enjoy!!

*This recipe makes about 12 sandwiches

Vegan Pot Pie

Pot pie...just the thought of one makes my mouth water.  But don't worry then my next thought is ouch my arteries clogging and developing atherosclerosis from all the bad fat found in a traditional pot pie.  So I knew there was a way to make a vegan version or almost vegan version depending on how you make the crust...Here is what I found and came up with and it rocks!!  The only problem with it was that the crust took WAAAYYYY too long to make, or maybe it just seemed like that because sweet Carson couldn't think of spending a few minutes without his mom's attention while she prepared dinner...bummer.  Anyways, we survived that melt down, we always do :) and we enjoyed a delicious dinner as payoff.  But next time I'll just buy a pre-made organic whole wheat pie crust from the health food store to save on time.  This recipe makes 2 pot pies so you can freeze one and use at a later date :)  If you don't want to make two cut the measurements for this recipe in half.

Vegan Pot Pie

Crust

4 pre-made organic whole wheat pie crusts
or
homemade pie crust. I found the recipe for the pie crust I made here.  I used an olive oil and butter combination (far less butter than olive oil) so it wasn't strictly vegan.  I'm sure you could use a vegan butter in place of the regular butter if you didn't wan't to use all olive oil either. 

Filling

2 16 oz bags ogranic frozen peas and carrots
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup cold water
4 tablespoons corn starch
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves
3 tbsp olive oil
4-5 cups vegetable broth

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large stock pot heat oil over medium heat.  Once oil is heated through add onion and saute until soft and translucent.  Add garlic and cook for a minute longer.  Add potatoes and frozen vegetables and add enough vegetable stock so vegetables are barely covered (so this may end up being a little less or more than 4-5 cups) bring to boil and then return to a simmer and simmer until potatoes are tender.  Mix cornstarch into the cold water and whisk until there are no lumps.  Slowly add cornstarch mixture to the filling and stir at a simmer until has thickened.  Add basil, oregano, salt and pepper, and adjust spices if needed.  Distribute filling between two pie crusts.  Place the top pie crust over the filling and seal the edges.  Cut a few slits in the top and bake for 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden and appears flaky (mine probably took about 45 minutes but my oven is crappy so I would start checking it at 30 minutes if you have a normal oven :) ).  And then for the frozen pie you should let it sit out for a half our to an hour before you begin cooking it and then you will need to bake it for about an hour but start checking it at 50 minutes.  Enjoy!

Squash Tacos

We love tacos in this family, a lot.  I make them all the time with different variations.  One variation I have really been loving lately is with squash...mmm yum!  I love squash and this is a great way to make your tacos more hearty while getting more vegetables at the same time, it's a win win :)  Enjoy!

Squash Tacos

3/4 cup brown rice or quinoa
3/4 cup x2 vegetable stock (I don't know what 3/4 + 3/4 makes so it is easier to write it this way ;) )
half of a butternut squash peeled, cubed, and roasted
1 15 oz can black beans
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
lettuce
guacamole
olive oil
salt and pepper
corn tortillas 

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel, deseed, and cube your butternut squash.  This recipe only calls for half of a butternut squash so save the other half for tacos next week :)  The smaller you cut the squash the quicker it will roast.  Place squash in a glass baking dish and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Stir the squash with a spoon or using your hands to make sure oil and salt and pepper are evenly distributed.  Roast for 30-40 minutes.  

In the meantime bring your vegetable stock to a boil.  Once it is boiling add your rice, cover and reduce heat to low.  About ten minutes before rice and squash are done in a skillet heat 1/4 cup of water or vegetable stock (to give it more flavor) on the stove.  Rinse your can of black beans and add it to the water.  Let the beans simmer until there is no more water left (about 6 min) and stir frequently.  Once rice and squash are cooked add to the bean mixture and season with cumin, chili powder, and onion powder.  Serve with tortillas, guacamole, lettuce, and whatever other taco toppings you like. Recently we have used purple cabbage and alfalfa sprouts which has been something different then the normal taco toppings for us.  Hope you Enjoy!

Carrot Pineapple Muffins

Carson and I took a couple hour drive last week and visited my great friend Lindsay in Tucson while Ryan stayed home and studied for a week full of tests.  It was great to see her and her cute family! She is an exceptional cook so when she busted out a carrot pineapple cupcake recipe I knew I would have to come home and try my hand at vegan and refined sugar free option.   Here is what I came up with, they are WONDERFUL!!  I put a glaze on top that was made with sucanat but I put too much liquid in it so I had to add a bunch of cornstarch to thicken it up, so next time I make these and make a glaze that has correct ratios of ingredients I'll post that :)

Carrot Pineapple Muffins

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed (if you don't have this you can substitute for another 1/2 cup of flour)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 honey
• 1/4 cup coconut or grapeseed oil (I have used both and it turned out great both ways)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 chia or flax eggs (1 tbsp ground chia or flax seeds in 3 tbsp water, mix together well and let sit 15 minutes in fridge.  Make two of these)
• 1 1/2 cup carrots, peeled and shredded (squeeze carrots after they are shredded to release the excess water)
• 1/4 cup canned pineapple (if the pineapple is in big chunks run it through the blender to break up into smaller chunks, include juice in 1/4 cup measurement as well)
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Directions

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. 2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves into a medium sized bowl.
3. 3. Using a mixer or whisk, beat the honey, vanilla extract, applesauce, coconut or grapeseed oil,  and chia or flax eggs until thoroughly combined.
4. 4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
5. 5. Add the carrots and pineapple and beat until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
6. 6. Line 12 muffins cups with liners
7. 7. Scoop batter into cups, filling 3/4 full.
8. 8. Bake for 30 minutes 
9. 9. Cool
10. 10. Spread top of each muffin with icing

Vegan Minestrone

I love minestrone.  It is such a flavorful homey soup that will never get old.  I have been using this recipe since we got married and I think we will continue to use it until Ryan and I are two old love birds that can't get up out of our rocking chairs :)  This soup is a classic that nearly everyone loves and it is healthy.  My sweet angel Carson loves this and it does my heart good to see him getting spoonfuls of fresh greenbeans, zucchini, carrots, and beans. He even seems to understand the benefit of good health this soup can bring because after each bite he puts his spoon down and claps :)  Anyways, serve this up on one of these cold winter days and warm your insides. Enjoy!


Minestrone

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1- 1 1/2 cups carrot, chopped
1-1 1/2 cups zucchini, chopped
1- 1 1/2 cups green beans, chopped
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup sea shell pasta (or whatever pasta you have on hand)
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth 
2 15oz cans tomato sauce
2 tablespoons dried basil (add more to taste if needed)
1.5 tablespoons dried oregano (add more to taste if needed)
salt and pepper to taste (I would say at least 1/2 tsp each)

Directions

In large stock pot over medium low heat, heat olive oil and saute onion for 4-5 minutes, or until tender.  Add garlic and saute for about a minute longer.  Add chicken broth, tomato sauce, and vegetables.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender (about 15 min).  Then add kidney beans, pasta, basil, oregano, salt and pepper and simmer until noodles are cooked through. If there doesn't seem to be enough liquid add a cup more of vegetable broth (I sometimes add up to 3 additional cups) or you could add another can of tomato sauce.  Reduce heat to low and serve.  

Crumbly Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

I came across this recipe here and was so excited to try it! This is my new go-to dessert recipe.  We love it around here, especially Ryan's brother Darren who loves peanut butter anything.  I have added and changed a few things from the original recipe but either way this is one tasty treat.  I have tried making this with pure maple syrup but unfortunately it just works out better with sucanat, still a slightly refined cane sugar, but the purest form of crystalized cane sugar you can get.  Sucanat contains so many more nutrients than refined white cane sugar.  Anyways, when I use sucanat I run it through my blender for a few seconds so it's not so gritty because the crystals are much bigger than those in refined white sugar and are quite noticeable in baking if you don't blend them a bit and will give whatever you are baking a gritty texture.  This is super easy to whip up and a crowd pleaser every time :)  Enjoy!

Crumbly Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

2/3 cup oats

2/3 cup whole wheat  flour

1/2 cup sucanat

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 Tablespoons vegan butter or grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)

1/3 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips, optional 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325*F. Spray an 8 x 8-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a bowl, stir together peanut butter and honey.  In a separate bowl, mix together oats, whole wheat flour, sucanat, salt and baking powder.  Drizzle Earth Balance or oil,vanilla, and milk over oat mixture.  Mix with a fork until evenly moistened and crumbly. Stir in chocolate chips.  Set aside heaping 1/2 cup for topping and press the remaining oat mixture into the prepared pan.  Spread peanut butter mixture over the top – I microwaved it first to make this easier.  Sprinkle reserved oat mixture over peanut butter mixture.  Bake for about 25 minutes.

Refried Beans

This is an America's Test Kitchen recipe that I LOVE!!!  I used to make this all of the time and then forgot about it until a week and half ago when I was thinking of something healthy I could serve on a tortilla for my little boy that didn't involve cheese. I racked my brain for what I could use and during church I remembered this recipe, it was pure inspiration...church is a great thing :) I have already made this 4 times again since then. This is great on tortillas or as a dip with chips, we eat it either way and all but snarf it down.  Yum!  Hope you enjoy! 

Refried Beans

5 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup water 
1/2 of a medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 15oz cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained (orginal recipe calls for 3 cans we use 2)
1/2 teaspoon salt (can add more if you want)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 jalepeno pepper, chopped and deseeded (optional)
tabasco sauce (optional) 
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions

Process the beans and water in a food processor until smooth.  I use my blendtec and run it through the "sauces, dips, and batters" cycle.  Heat the oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Once oil is heated add the onion, jalapeno (if using), and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cumin and cook until fragant about 15 seconds.  Stir in the pureed beans and cook until the beans are thickened, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the cilantro and tabasco if using.  Enjoy!
 

Vegan Creamy Potato Soup

I love myself a good creamy potato soup but I wanted to opt out of all the cheese and bad fat content generally found in a traditional creamy potato soup so I came up with this recipe.  I loved the way this turned out!  It was so simple but very flavorful and still had a creamy texture to it.  I totally enjoyed eating this and felt great giving it to my babe knowing he wasn't consuming dairy.  And it is another grain free recipe to add to the list :) Ryan did top his with a little cheddar cheese and bacon bits so if you feel like you need a little cheese you can top it off with some.

 
Vegan Creamy Potato Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 of a small yellow onion
2-3 cloves garlic
7 cups vegetable stock/broth
4 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2-1 tsp pepper, depending on how spicy you want it
1 tsp salt
2-3 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 cup cold water
4 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté until soft and translucent.  Add garlic and sauté for about a minute.  Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil.  Once stock is boiling add potatoes and boil for about 15 minutes, until potatoes are soft.  In the mean time prepare your cornstarch mixture by adding 4 tablespoons of cornstarch to half a cup of cold water.  Mix well until there are no lumps in the mixture.  Once potatoes are tender slowly add the cornstarch mixture and mix constantly while still at a boil until the soup reaches the desired thickness or consistency that you want (don't let it get too thick).  Reduce heat to low and add salt, pepper, and parsley.  Enjoy!

Carmel Corn- Vegan & Refined Sugar Free

Here is a great carmel corn recipe. I am thrilled about it because it is vegan AND best part, it is refined sugar free! Can't beat that. So I put up our Christmas tree this week, yes I am one of those, and we watched a Christmas movie while munching on our carmel corn. It was a perfect way to ring in the absolute best time of the year! Enjoy! (I halved the recipe below and it was plenty for two people to eat)

Carmel Corn

12 cups popped popcorn (about 1/2 cup kernels)

1 cup sucanat

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/3 cup vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Air pop your popcorn and if you don't have a popcorn machine place the kernels in a large pot over medium high heat with tight fitting lid. For 1/2 cup kernels you will need at least a 6 quart pot. Keep the pot moving around the burner to avoid burning the kernel, hold down the lid, and wait for the kernels to pop. Remove from heat as the popping slows down, keeping the lid on for any remaining kernels to finish.

In a medium sized pot combine sugar, maple syrup, and vegan butter over medium heat.

Stir together and bring to a boil. Let boil for five minutes, stirring once.

Remove from heat and adding salt and vanilla. Immediately pour over the popcorn slowly while mixing it in with a spatula.

Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

100% Whole Wheat Vegan Butterhorn Rolls

My little babe was sick a couple of weeks ago, so we were avoiding all dairy products for a while so that we could make sure his little lymphatic system was working properly and not getting clogged up with a bunch of mucous (which dairy creates in the body).  So I searched and searched for a vegan butterhorn roll recipe that was 100% whole wheat...well unfortunately I didn't find one.  So that means I had to come up with one on my own.  And it turned out pretty good.  We enjoyed them and I felt great knowing my babe wasn't consuming dairy :)  Enjoy!

100% Whole Wheat Vegan Butterhorn Rolls

4 1/2 teaspoons yeast

1 3/4 cups warm almond milk (or whatever non-dairy milk you want to use)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup honey

2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons vital wheat gluten

4 1/2- 5 cups whole wheat flour (I only used 4 1/2 but if dough is too sticky use a little more)

4-6 tablespoons vegan butter (if you don't care about it being vegan you can use normal butter)

Directions

Dissolve yeast in almond milk (I heat my almond milk up in the microwave for about a minute before I dissolve in yeast) until the yeast starts to foam.  Add olive oil, honey, salt, vital wheat gluten, and 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour.  Mix well.  Mix in remaining flour until it makes a stiff dough. I let my dough knead for about ten minutes.  Allowing the dough to knead for a longer period of time allows the dough to rise better. 

Let dough rise for about an hour.

Punch down dough and separate into four equal sections.  Roll each section into a circle and spread with a vegan butter. Then cut each section up into 16 pie-like slices (I use a pizza cutter) and roll up. 

*If you are not planning on using all of the rolls at once after after this step you can place rolls on a cookie sheet and freeze all the rolls you won't be using and then when you want to use them pull them out and let rise for 3 hours and then bake*

Put  rolls on cookie sheet and let raise for 3 hours.  

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Penne Pasta With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

I got this recipe last fall here.  It is a recipe by Emily Duffy at the Emporium kitchen at Thanksgiving Point.  I really like this recipe and it is easy to make.  I always make this when red peppers go on sale.  My baby loves this and will eat tons of it when I make it.  I always use a little more parsley and basil than the recipe calls for and fresh herbs taste a lot better in this recipe than dried.  You can find basil by all the herbs in a refrigerated section at the grocery store, it will probably be in a little plastic package.  And the parsley is always next to the cilantro.  Enjoy!

Penne Pasta With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

1 box penne pasta (I use whatever pasta I have on hand-as you can tell by the pic)

6 red peppers roasted

1 tbsp tomato paste (I never use this)

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup pasta water

3 tbsp olive oil, separated

3 basil leaves, chopped

1 tbsp parsley, chopped

1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes (if I don't have these on hand I don't worry about it and serve it without)

shaved parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Quarter and seed red peppers.  Place them skin side up on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking oil.  Roast at 400 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, until skin is browning and bubbling.  Remove from oven and cool slightly.  Place roasted peppers into a food processor or blender with 2 tbsp olive oil, tomato paste, salt and pepper.  Blend until smooth. 

In a large saute pan, heat remaining olive oil.  Add chopped onion and cook for 2 minutes.  Add minced garlic and cook for a minute longer.  Turn heat to low and add blended sauce and reserved pasta water.  Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.  Toss with cooked pasta, tomatoes, basil, and parsley.  Top with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately. 

(If you wanted to make this vegan don't add the cheese) 

Chocaroos

I saw this recipe at greenshakesandgiggles.com.  It looked easy enough and sounded great and of course had no sugar which I love so I tried them out and my baby and I LOVE them.  This is a great treat recipe that I know I will be making for years to come.  Enjoy!

Image from greenshakesandgiggles.com

Chocaroos

Treats:

3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup natural or organic peanut butter
2.5 Tablespoons organic coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 cups organic Crispy Rice cereal

Chocolate Coating:

1 cup dairy-free, gluten-free chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life mini-chips)
1/2 cup canned coconut milk, full-fat
4 Tbsp. agave nectar

Directions

Line a 9 x 13" glass pan with parchment paper that extends up along the sides. Set aside.

In a saucepan, heat the honey over medium heat and stir until it begins to bubble a little bit. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt. As you stir the mixture it should thicken and become glossy and smooth.

Pour the rice cereal into a large heat-safe mixing bowl. Carefully pour in the warm syrup mixture, and stir to coat all the cereal.

Scoop the coated cereal into the lined baking pan and spread evenly, gently smoothing out the top surface.

Put in the fridge to chill for about 10 min.  While the treats are chilling, combine chocolate chips, coconut milk, and agave nectar in a saucepan on low heat, and stir until melted.  Be careful not to burn the chocolate.  When melted, pour the chocolate mixture over the semi-chilled treats and spread until coated evenly.  Then chill for at least 1-2 hours.  They are the very best (more crunchy and firm) when chilled all day or overnight. Cut into squares and Enjoy!

Mexican Bean Salad

A couple of nights ago for dinner I wanted something that was really fresh, grain free, yet filling.  So I set out to find a bean salad that we could eat over a bed of leafy greens.  I found this at here at allrecipes.com.  This was so good and would be great as a salsa too.  Enjoy!

Mexican Bean Salad

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (I used great northern beans)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn kernels (I omitted this since I didn't have fresh corn)
1 red onion, chopped (I used half a red onion)
1/2 cup olive oil (I used 1/3)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar (I used 1/3)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons white sugar (I used turbinado sugar and I used 1.5 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon salt
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 dash hot pepper sauce (I omitted this)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Directions

In a large bowl, combine beans, bell peppers, frozen corn, and red onion.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, salt, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and black pepper. Season to taste with hot sauce (if using) and chili powder.  (I put mine in my blender and blended the the dressing that way.)
Pour olive oil dressing over vegetables; mix well. Chill thoroughly, and serve cold.

Zucchini-Quinoa Lasagna

I had some zucchini in my fridge that I needed to use up so I set out to find a zucchini recipe and this is what I found.  The recipe is from vegetariantimes.com.  Ryan really liked this which I was actually surprised by because he doesn't typically like quinoa.  The recipe calls for a 25 oz jar of marinara sauce, I made my own but I'm not sure that I love the recipe so I'm not going to post it.  If you have a marinara sauce you make that you love I would use that because I think homemade always tastes so much better than canned.  Anyways, if you make this I hope you enjoy!

Zucchini-Quinoa Lasagna

2 large zucchini, cut lengthwise into 12 ¼-inch-thick slices
1 tsp. salt
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
½ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp. dried oregano
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1 tablepoon dry basil leaves)
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dry parsley flakes)
2 Tbs. nondairy cream cheese, such as Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, optional (I didn't use this)
1 25-oz. jar marinara sauce
½ cup shredded nondairy cheese, such as Daiya Mozzarella, optional (I used regular/dairy mozzarella cheese)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place zucchini slices on bed of paper towels. Sprinkle with salt, cover with paper towels, and let stand to release moisture while preparing quinoa.
2. Bring broth, quinoa, tomato sauce, onion, and oregano to a boil in saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 25 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, and stir in basil, parsley, and cream cheese, if using.
3. Spoon 1/3 cup marinara sauce over bottom of 8-inch square baking dish. Blot remaining moisture and salt from zucchini slices, and lay 4 zucchini slices over marinara sauce in pan. Spoon half of quinoa over zucchini, and cover with 1/3 cup marinara. Repeat with 4 more zucchini slices, remaining quinoa, and 1/3 cup marinara. Top with remaining 4 zucchini slices, remaining marinara, and shredded cheese, if using. Bake lasagna 30 minutes, or until zucchini is tender and top is bubbly.

1 Minute Coffe Cake in a Mug

I found this recipe here at Chocolate Covered Katie-a fantastic site!  This is so so simple and so so good.  This is a great vegan treat that I'm sure will satisfy any sweet tooth :)  Enjoy!

Image from chocolatecoveredkatie.com

Batter:

3 tbsp spelt flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/16 tsp salt
1 stevia packet (or 1/32 tsp pure) or 1 tbsp sugar (I used 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup instead)
1 tablespoon plus 2 tsp water
2 tsp oil or melted margarine or applesauce (I used grape seed oil)

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Streusel: (If you like a lot of streusel, feel free to double all ingredients below.)

1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 and 1/4 tsp sucanat or brown sugar (I used agave nectar)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp oil or melted margarine (once again, use applesauce if a fat-free version is desired)
tiny, tiny pinch salt
2 pecan halves (or walnut halves)

(If using an oven, preheat to 330 F.) Combine batter dry ingredients and mix well. Add wet and mix until just mixed. In a tiny bowl, combine all streusel ingredients. Fill a greased muffin tin 1/2 way with the batter (or a ramekin or mug, if using the microwave). Sprinkle on two-thirds of the streusel, then spoon the remaining batter on top. Finally, sprinkle on the rest of the streusel. Cook 12-13 minutes in the oven, or around 1 minute in the microwave. (Microwave times may vary.)

*I doubled the recipe and cooked mine in a 2 cup pyrex dish- worked perfectly.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

I found this recipe at simple-nourished-living.com.  This is hands down the best "healthy" chocolate chip cookie recipe I've ever had.  I have experimented with a few and this one is leaps and bounds better than all of the others.  It tastes so good you would never know there isn't sugar, eggs, and butter in these.  Enjoy!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup rolled oats

6 tablespoons canola, safflower, or sunflower oil (I used grapeseed oil)

6 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chocolate chip or vegan carob cookies (I use Enjoy Life brand- they are sugar, dairy, & soy free)

1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional- I didn't use nuts)

1 cup barley flour (I used spelt)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Directions

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Position one of your oven’s racks in the center. Preheat oven to 350 F. Process the oats in a food processor or blender until they are the consistency of coarse flour. (I didn't do this I just left the oats in there whole form.)

In a large bowl mix all ingredients until well combined.

With a small ice cream scoop or two 2 spoons, scoop out a heaping tablespoon of the batter onto the prepared cookie sheets. Flatten the cookies slightly with damp fingers or the bottom of a flat glass (Dip the glass in water first to prevent sticking.)

Bake one cookie sheet at a time on the center rack, for 11 minutes. 

Makes about 2 dozen

Vegan Banana Pancakes

I have a blendtec blender and get weekly emails from them with new recipes.  I generally just skip over them but since I have been loving pancakes and the word "vegan" was in the title it caught my attention and I thought I would give this recipe a try.  We loved them and I was surprised at how good this vegan pancake tasted.  Enjoy!

Vegan Banana Pancakes

1 ½ C water
⅓ C raw almonds
2 Tbsp agave or honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp kosher or sea salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
2 ripe bananas
2 C whole wheat flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder

Directions

Add first 6 ingredients to WildSide Jar and secure lid.  Select “Whole Juice”.  Add remaining ingredients in order listed and secure lid.  Select “Batters”.  Allow batter to rest 5 minutes.  Heat griddle or other pan over medium heat and grease.  Pour approximately ⅓ cup batter onto heated pan and cook until bubbles break the surface of the pancake and the underside is golden brown.  Flip and cook until done.  Repeat with remaining batter.