Lemon Chia Seed Muffins.

These are my new favorite muffins and have been for 6 months now (it's now May when I'm actually posting it). I love lemon. And I love the health benefits of chia seeds. The combo is a match made in heaven. Shayne even likes these, and he's not a huge lemon fan. Ya done it again Mama Pea. Thank.you.

"Slightly sweet, moist and just lemony enough, they are classic, but won't hinder any drug tests."
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (i use almond)
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup unbleached organic flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/3 cup coconut oil
2/3 cup agave nectar and/or maple syrup
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon extract
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine milk and lemon juice and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chia seeds.

To the milk mixture, add coconut oil, agave or maple syrup, applesauce, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon zest.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just combined.

Fill each well of a muffin tin that has been lightly greased or line with muffin cups 2/3rds of the way full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until slightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Monkey Buns.

This was a recipe I merged into making it vegan from a recipe from Rachael Ray and Reversing Diabetes. I loved these little buns prevegan days and remembered the yummy Oatmeal Drop Scones, and figured I could merge them. And I did. And they were yummy! Here goes...

1 large banana, thinly sliced
1 cup honey
2 to 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon sugar/agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups nondairy milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Spray 10 cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In each cup of the tin, lay down a few slices of banana and cover with about 1 tablespoon honey and a pinch of cinnamon.

Grind the oats to a fin meal in a dry blender. Pour into a medium bowl and add the flour, sugar/agave, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.

Mix the nondairy milk and lemon juice or vinegar in a small bowl. Pour into the dry mixture and stir briefly with a fork. Drop spoonfuls into muffin tins. Smooth the tops a bit with a wet fingertips. Bake for about 15 minutes.

When the scones come out of the oven, let them cool for a couple of minutes then place a large platter or baking sheet on top of the muffin pan. Carefully, but quickly, invert the biscuits. Remove the muffin tin and serve warm. Yum.

Vegan Berry Shortcakes with Lemon and Thyme Scones.

It was high time to veganize one of my favorite desserts... these yummy shortcakes. And I done gooooood! The combo of thyme and lemon with berries still floors me that it actually tastes good - but it does. And the crust the raw sugar makes on the scones is yummy!

berries
4 cups fresh berries (21 to 22 ounces), rinsed, drained well
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons water

biscuits
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups nondairy milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon raw sugar
whipped cashew cream

Berries: Combine all ingredients in large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until berries are slightly softened and syrup coats spoon, about 10 minutes. Transfer to medium glass bowl. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Biscuits: Preheat the oven to 400*F. Grind the oats to a fine meal in a dry blender. Pour into a medium bowl and add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well.

Mix the milk, agave, lemon juice, lemon zest and thyme in a small bowl. Pour into the dry mixture and stir briefly with a fork, until just combined. Drop by large spoonfuls onto 2 nonstick baking sheets (or baking sheets lined with parchment paper), making 12 mounds. Smooth the tops a bit with wet fingertips. Sprinkle with raw sugar. 

Bake for about 15 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool slightly. 

Using serrated knife, carefully cut scones horizontally in half. Place bottom half of each biscuit on each of 6 plates. Spoon berries syrup over, dividing equally. Cover with biscuit tops. Place scoop a dollop of whipped cashew cream ontop each and serve.

***A merge of the bon appetit shortcake recipe with the oatmeal drop scones from Reversing Diabetes.

Veggie Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce.

I've been meaning to try this for about forever. First dilemma, I couldn't find them - I'm blind. They're basically in every grocery store. Second dilemma, needed a good dipping sauce -- not from a jar. When I went to my friend Kelly's baby shower - her sister (Crysta) had this awesome spread of yummy food. And there were her spring rolls. I knew she'd have my back, since she's a crazy healthy eater, and so she posted it up where she got her recipe for the yummy peanut dipping sauce (lovesveggiesandyoga). These are so... sooo... sooo... SO good. 

Inside Veggies... whatever you like, I like...
carrots, julienned
cucumbers, julienned
peppers, sliced 
sprouts
avocado, sliced


Averie’s 2 Minute Peanut Sauce
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup maple syrup/agave nectar blend
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 
1 teaspoon ginger powder (optional)

Whisk all together. (I try to chill it before I use it...just a preference.)

Soak rice paper wrappers in warm water for 15 seconds. Put on a flat surface like a cutting board. Fill with veggies and wrap up like a egg roll folding in the sides. And dip. Yum.

Fruity Kale Salad with Coconut Lime Dressing.

When I saw this on Crysta's blog, I immediatly wanted to try it. It sounded so, so good. And it was. I was totally worried about the kale tasting bitter... but knew being soaked in the lime juice for a while would break it down. I didn't know how my kids would like it... but knew there was enough of what they like in there they'd be happy. And then for Shayne... he's a man... and salads typically aren't a main meal for him - but he really liked this.

6 large leaves of fresh kale, rinsed and dried

1 banana, chopped
3 strawberries, sliced
4 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 half of an avocado, cubed
1 clementine, or half of an orange peeled and divided
1 apple, chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped fresh is best, but can use dried)
toasted & sliced almonds {my addition}


dressing
1/4 cup dried coconut
2 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon agave
1 teaspoon flaxseed

Chop up kale into bite sized pieces and toss with a pinch or 2 of salt. Mix up the ingredients for the dressing in a separate small bowl until well blended.

Massage the dressing (using your very clean hands) into the leaves until the kale becomes wilty and well coated with the dressing.

Now, in a separate bowl, take all of the chopped fruit (except for the avocado) and toss with cilantro. Mix fruit with the wilted kale.

Top with the chopped avocado and a little more of the dried coconut & toasted almonds.

from my friend Crysta who got it from ManifestVegan

Vegan Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding.

I found this on LovesVeggiesAndYoga and it's Ava's favorite dessert to go in her little ziploc lunch container for school. Yeah for all the protein, fiber and little Omega 3's these little seeds have! Hardly a dessert! I usually double or triple this batch.

2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 cup nut milk
2 tablespoons agave and/or stevia to taste
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all the ingredients. Stir all the ingredients together and leave on countertop for 20 minutes. Use a whisk if necessary & it may seem like all that chocolate will never dissolve, but it will. And the results will be so worth it.

Come back to it 20 minutes later and stir again. Either devour now...

...Or pop in the fridge for a few hours. Know that the pudding will continue to thicken for the next 4-6 hours. What I like to do is put it in the freezer after it's thickened in the fridge to create an almost ice-creamy like treat with frozen chocolate chia pudding.

This is after 4 hours in the fridge. Whatever you do with it, it'll be chocolaty & yummy, plus you're getting all the great health benefits of chia seeds like extra Omega 3's, yay for the little chia seeds!

Vegetarian Mixed-Bean Chili Express.

This stuff is goooood... and everyone tore it up! Never thought I'd say something with TVP is good. But it is!

6 garlic cloves, minced or crushed

1 tablespoon chili powder (preferably a dark variety, such as ancho)

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 (28-ounce) low-sodium diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans, rinsed & drained (or 1 - 15ounce can)

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed & drained (or 1 - 15ounce can)

1 1/2 cups cooked small red beans, rinsed & drained (or 1 - 15ounce can)

3 cups hot water

1 1/2 cups dry textured vegetable protein
1 cup frozen whole-kernal corn
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon hot-pepper sauce
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon agave nectar
2 tablespoons cornmeal or mas harina
salt to taste
cilantro for garnish

Steam-fry the garlic in a large, heavy nonstick skillet for 2 minutes. Add the chili powder, oregano, cumin, and red pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes (with juice), beans, hot water, vegetable protein, corn, bell pepper, soy sauce, hot-pepper sauce, onion powder, cocoa powder, and agave.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes.

During the last 5 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the cornmeal or masa harina over the top and stir in thoroughly. Season with salt. Garnish with cilantro. Serve.

Make 6 Servings. 57 gram carbohydrates per serving


page 226



Pumpkin Crumb Cake with Pecan Streusel.

I love, love, love Carrie's Pumpkin Pie Cake. Like, it's the best... I dream of it... But, I'm not able to enjoy it as much as I'd like with my 10% animal time. So, I was totally stoked when I saw this in my Veganomicon cookbook. I adapted it to my natural sweeteners, and with only a tablespoon of oil in the whole cake - I can now have me some pumpkin goodness any ole time I want to.

It's been a total hit with my family, my parents, and Julie & Stas. Although my Mom said she's cut out the cloves and half the ginger... that's where we differ - I loved it all, she hates cloves. Mom's are always the toughest critics though. Having asked to bring dessert when we went to their house for dinner, I knew exactly what to bring. Even though my family had almost overdosed on it just a day ago - it was time for another. I walked into their house and told my Mom not to have a heart attack... then I unveiled the cake... she saw the nuts... and was totally proud of me for including nuts - in baked goods - because I actually liked them. You see, I've always hated nuts... and despised it when she used them in her Christmas morning cinnamon rolls. She loves my sister and I enough to make some for us without them. But I have a feeling now, my sister is on her own - and my Mom's gonna bring on the nuts! I know this diet has helped me like things that I've never really liked before. So, I made it twice in one week... and am giving me a one week break before I make it again.

The cookbook describes it as... "How does moist, sublime, spiced pumpkin cake get better? A crummy mess of pecan streusel topping would get your vote any day." I couldn't have said it better myself.

Pecan Streusel:

1/4 cup whole wheat flour (all-purpose)

3 tablespoons maple sugar (brown sugar)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Cake:

1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

3/4 cup almond milk

3/4 cup applesauce (oil)

1/2 cup maple sugar (or 1 1/2 cups sugar & omit agave too)

1/2 cup agave nectar

3 tablespoons light molasses

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 2/3 cups whole wheat flour (all-purpose flour)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking pan.

Prepare the streusel: In a small bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and spices. Drizzle in the canola oil and mix with your fingertips until crumbs form. Add the chopped pecans and mix.

Prepare the cake: In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, almond milk, applesauce, sweeteners, molasses and vanilla. Mix well. Add roughly half the flour, the baking powder, salt, and spices... and use a fork to fold everything together. Add the remaining flour and mix gently until combined. Don't use a hand blender for this, as pumpkin can get gummy if it's mixed too aggressively. Blending with a fork helps maintain the texture.

Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and spread in out with a spatula. Scatter the streusel on top as evenly as possible. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a knife inserted through the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven, let cool, and cut into squares.

VEGANOMICON
by: Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero
page 255

Almond-Quinoa Muffins

I originally wasn't going to post them because they were the biggest bomb when I followed the original recipe. I have never used the spice, cardamom, and should have known to omit it when I smelled it for the first time. To me, it smells like road trips as a family growing up because my Dad was always eating black licorice. And while I love black licorice... I do not like it in my muffins! I made them at night so Ava could put them in her lunch the next day. After I made them... I was repulsed...and I gave it to Shayne - my other taste tester. While he was not grossed out, he didn't think they should be a repeat offender. So, maybe Ava would like them. Not so. When I asked her if she liked her muffins, she gave me the same face I had when I first ate them.

Not wanting to give up on them all together, because they had great and healthy bones - I omitted the cardamom and doubled the cinnamon... pure yumminess!

1 cup almond milk, unsweetened

1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds

1/4 cup applesauce {or oil}

1/4 cup agave nectar or pure maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour {or all-purpose flour}

1/4 cup almond meal or almond flour {i ground the almonds in my blender}

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

{1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom - or if you like licorice muffins, be my guest}1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa

1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots or currants {I haven't tried it with these yet}

Preheat the oven to 350*F and lightly grease a non-stick 12-cup muffin tin. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the soy milk and ground flaxseed. Allow to sit for 1 minute, then whisk in oil, agave nectar and vanilla.

In a separate large bowl, sift together flour, almond meal, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until just incorporated. Gently fold in the cooked quinoa and the apricots and mix until only the large lumps are gone.

Pour into the prepared muffin tin and bake for 20 to 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin tin comes out clean.



Veganomicon
by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
& Terry Hope Romero
page 227-8

Robyn's Granola.

This is a GreenSmoothieGirl one, you can see her video of it here. And, we're all in love here. This is Ava's favorite thing to take for lunch {almond milk in the soup container, peaches and granola in ziplocks... and she makes it at the table herself.} Shayne and the rest of us eat it as a snack. So yummy. Plus, when you make it your house will smell amazing. Bottle that up and put it in a candle.

8 cups rolled oats

1 cup raw wheat germ

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup ground flax seed

1 1/2 cup nuts (walnuts, pecans, cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds)

1/4 cup sesame seeds

2 tablespoons cinnamon

Combine all in a big 'ole bowl (yes, that's a technical term). I always like to pulse the nuts in a food processor. Not into nut dust, but broken up since the kids aren't fans of big 'ole chunks of nuts (there's that technical term again). The nuts are SO yummy after they're roasted a bit... so keep 'em a little chunky.

1/2 cup agave nectar

1/2 cup grade B maple syrup (or molasses)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup coconut oil (cold pressed, unrefined)

1 tablespoon vanilla

Combine all in a pot and heat on stove until barely melted. Add to oat mixture and stir til well combined. Lay out on baking sheets, with a lip, or in a big baking roasting pan. Bake at 250* for 45-90 minutes until dry, stirring well every 20 minutes.

Yum! I love it with unsweetened vanilla almond milk and peaches.




{{p.s. - I totally took that picture up top, and I think I actually may have gotten the hang of photographing my food. Na, probably just really good lighting.}}



Chocolate Crunch Hazelnut Macaroons.

These babies are from my new favorite raw website, KristensRaw. When I first posted about Shrek Shakes back in 2008 on  Lugubrious Delights, she commented on the post...

"I love love love this post :)

And, I love the name "Shrek Shakes." Brilliant!!!

Cheers, Kristen"

I don't know how she found it... but I felt totally cool that #1, someone commented on one of my recipes and called me brilliant (or at least the Shrek Shake name) #2, it was from a legit chef and #3, someone was complementing me on something new, and very unmainstream that I was trying to do for the benefit of my family. Obviously something that has become very dear to my heart.

Well, it took me a couple years to get back to her... and with the recommendation of these macaroon-beauts from a friend... I've found her again... and can't wait to try more of her recipes. So, thank you Crysta and Kristen, these are AMAZING!! 

They're my new favorite go-to freezer treat... and probably even edge out chocolate balls... though my raw banana cheesecake cups are such a close second.

I altered the amounts a little bit to stretch the more expensive ingredients and give me a cheaper bang for my buck! Her recipe is here.

1 1/2 cup hazelnuts*
1/2 cup raw chocolate powder
1 cup dried coconut, shredded & unsweetened
3/4 cup raw agave nectar
2/3 cup coconut butter/oil
1/4 cup raw cacao nibs {i used part of a cacao bar that I got in the baking section at walmart}
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan crystal salt

Using a food processor, fitted with the “S” blade, grind the hazelnuts to a fairly medium/fine grind. Transfer to a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir all the ingredients together well by hand, or use a mixer with a paddle attachment to make it easier. {{After I ground the nuts, I just added everything to the food processor and pulsed everything all together. Which, I prefer because it breaks up the coconut so you don't have crazy coconut threads sprouting off each macaroon.}}

Use a tablespoon measurement to spoon out the batter and place on a cookie sheet {I like using a tablespoon size cookie scoop}. Freeze for up to an hour and enjoy.

*My favorite way to make these is with hazelnuts, but if you don't have those on hand, you could try other nuts or seeds.

Serving suggestion:

My favorite way to enjoy these is straight from the freezer or refrigerator. When I take them to a party, I put them in the host’s refrigerator, or freezer, until I’m ready to serve them. If they sit at room temperature they can get a little soft (but still yummy). An option to help prevent the softening at room temperature is to dehydrate them at 105 degrees for 16 - 24 hours right after you make them. ~~ from Kristen

Raw Banana Split Cheesecake Cups.

I got this recipe off a new blog I've been diggin, Chocolate Covered Katie... then just adapted it to these little cheesecake cups. I'm into finding treats that I can have on hand in the freezer and just pull out what little bit I need to get my fix or help someone else get theirs. These do the trick... I think they're awesome. And the crust is awesome by itself... even awesomer if you add a little mint to the dough and roll them into balls. They're the same concept as my chocolate balls... but sweeter and simpler. Try them, you'll thank me or Chocolate Covered Katie later!

Fudge Babies Crust
1 cup walnuts
1 1/3 cups pitted dates
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1. Blend all the ingredients, using a food processor or blender.
2. Line mini muffin tin with muffin holders.
3. Use a 1/2 tablespoon and scoop into each cup, and then press down to form a crust.

Banana Split Cheesecake Filling
1 cup raw cashews
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 medium frozen banana
1 teaspoon lemon juice
scant 1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water {and possibly extra to get it to blend}
1 tablespoon agave or maple syrup, for sweetener

1. Soak the cashews overnight, then drain.

2. Blend everything very, very well... about a minute. 

3. Scoop into cups, I like to use my small cookie scoop. Or, you can use the ziplock trick... would probably make for prettier 'cheesecups'.

You can eat it now, or you can put it in the fridge to help set, or in the freezer for later. Frozen, it’ll keep for weeks, and it thaws perfectly. A-mazing!

Chocolate Balls.

These are now our go to treat...

There are about a million different variations out there... and ours have evolved a few times (Balls of Joy!). Where we're at now is mostly a recipe from The Kind Diet, but just adapted a bit to our needs. We like more nuts to stretch the other ingredients. The kids love them, they think the dates are chocolate balls... so it's only fitting we call them "Chocolate Balls". This is where we're at now... and the way Shayne likes them the best...

2 cups of nuts & seeds{i use: walnuts (they're the healthiest nut), almonds, pecans & sunflower seeds}

6 med jool dates, pitted

1/2 cup scant maple syrup or agave nectar

1/2 cup scant cocoa powder or carob powder

1/2 cup peanut butter or almond butter {we like pb the best}

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup coconut, shredded and unsweetened

Place the nuts in the food processor and process until coarsely ground. Add the dates, and pulse until well combined with the nuts. Add the cocoa/carob powder, syrup/nectar, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt. Process until the mixture is thick and smooth.

Form into small balls... I use a small cookie scoop. These are really rich, so I like small balls. You can also roll the balls in the shredded coconut...(the picture up top)... I like these best.

Put in a container or ziplock, and then stick them in the freezer until hardened.

To eat? Grab one out of the freezer, and you can risk knocking a tooth out by taking a bite right then and there - because you'll want to. Or, even better, and less risky - let it sit for a minute or so to soften a tad. SO YUM!

Variation: add a banana to the mixture just before you roll them into balls. Pulse to get it all incorporated. Don't massacre them, or they'll be juicy. Juicy is no bueno. These are a little more sticky, but are SO yummy!! And you can actually eat them right out of the freezer because they don't get super duper hard.

Graham Crackers.

pic from veganyumyum.com

We love the cinnamon graham goldfish... here's a vegan take on them that we found yummy! I'm going to try to have these on hand for Coco to have at church. Thank you veganyumyum... they're yum. {be sure to watch her videos... way cute.}

2 1/2 cups graham flour* or stoneground flour or whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup earth balance margarine
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup agave nectar (or a little more sugar mixed with water)
3/4 cup water

Mix the all the dry ingredients together. Cream together Earth Balance and sugar. Add vanilla and agave and beat with a whisk until smooth. Add a little of the flour and a little of the water to the earth balance/sugar mixture and combine. Continue adding in flour and water, a little at a time, until all flour and water is added. Work the dough with your hands until everything is evenly combined.

Divide dough in half and cover. Let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 325º F. Roll out the dough into a rectangle that measures approximately 11″x15″. Trim edges. Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into squares or rectangles (I cut mine into 1′x1′ squares). Prick the squares with a fork.

Bake for 30-40 minutes at 325º F or until the crackers are turning golden brown around the edges. You can sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top of the crackers during the last 10 minutes of baking if you like.

Remove from the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack.

*Make your own graham flour: 

1 cup~= 2/3 cup white flour + 1/3 cup wheat bran + 1.5 teaspoons wheat germ