Israeli Couscous.

I got this one day at the Central Market deli counter. Fell in love. Tried to recreate it myself the next day. Fell in love again. A little pat on my back, and here ya go. Cheaper and a healthier version...

The portions are pretty forgiving. The measurements here are a starting off point that I just adjust. I combine it all then let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours to give everything time to get along. The key ingredients to me? The olives, sundried tomatoes and toasted sunflower seeds. Don't skimp on those.

1 cup israeli couscous
14 oz. spinach, frozen or fresh
1 cup peas
1/2 red bell pepper, small dice
1/2 green bell pepper, small dice
handful tomatoes, oven roasted
4 or 8 halves sundried tomatoes, small dice
1-12 kalamata olives, quartered lenth-wise
2 scallions, chopped
1 cup sunflower seeds, toasted

1/2 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
1/2 tablespoon thyme, chopped
1-2 tablespoons italian parsley, chopped

1/2-1 teaspoon harissa
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
a swirl around the bowl evoo
black pepper

pretty similiar to the one from Central Market, huh?

5/15/2012

Disappearing Lasagna. {Chef AJ}

I don't care who you are... meat-eater or a plant-eater... this stuff is gooood! While we eat our plant-based dinners, my husband and I are always asking ourselves if this meal would satisfy a "normal" meat-eater. This is a for sure, a yes. It's from Chef AJ's book Unprocessed... and is the best nonmeat lasagna I've had. And I've made a lot. And it quite possibly could beat out my meat one. You for sure don't have the cheese and meat hangover with this one.

 

It is somewhat of a pain to make because of the long ingredient list and the different steps. BUT, I make double and freeze the other. It does awesome being baked right out of the freezer too.

2 boxes of no boil rice lasagna noodles (or whole wheat)

6 cups of your favorite marinara sauce

 

"ricotta"

2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed OR 1 box extra firm water packed tofu (19 oz. each)

2 ounces of fresh basil

1 cup pine nuts, raw cashews or hemp seeds

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup low-sodium miso

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 pounds frozen, chopped spinach  OR 1 pound frozen kale (defrosted, drained with all liquid squeezed out)

 

Mushroom Mixture "Meat"

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds mushrooms, sliced (love crimini here)

1/4 cup low-sodium tamari

1 large red onion, finely diced

 

1 4oz. can sliced olives, rinsed and drained

faux parmesan (optional)

 

To make the "ricotta" filling in a food processor fitted with the "S" blade add the beans, basil, garlic, lemon juics, miso and nutritional yeast, pine nuts and red pepper flakes. Process until smooth. Add drained spinach/kale and process again.

 

In a large non-stick saute pan, saute the onion in 2 tablespoons water until translucent; about 8 minutes. Add more water if necessary. Add 2 cloves of garlic, the mushrooms and tamari and saute until browned. Taste mixture and add more garlic or tamari according to your taste. Cook until mushrooms appear to be glazed and there is no or very little liquid in the pan.

 

Pour 3 cups of the marinara in a 9x13 pan. Place one layer of the noodles on top. Cover the noodles with half of the ricotta mixture, then with half of the mushroom mixture. Place another layer of noodles on the mushroom mixture and add the remaining half of the ricotta and the remaining half of the musthroom mixture. Place one more layer of noodles on top of the mushroom mixture and smother evenly with the remaining marinara sauce. Sprinkle the sliced olives on top of the sauce alond with a liberal sprinkling of faux parmesan.

 

I like my dumbed down version...

3 cups marinara

noodles

1/2 ricotta

1/2 mushroom

noodles

1/2ricotta

1/2mushroom

noodles

remaining marinara

olives/faux parm

 

Bake uncovered in a preheated 375*F oven for an hour. Let sit 10 minutes before slicing. 

And... you're welcome! And Thank YOU Chef AJ!!

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.

Cajun 15-Bean Soup

This is from FatFreeVeganKitchen... a site that I found and have been checking out for a while... and finally decided to make something from. And honestly, it's been almost 2 months since I made it and I can't remember how much we liked it... but I know we did.

20 ounces dried mixed beans (you can find these prepackaged in most grocery stores), rinsed
12 cups water
1 large onion — chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic — minced
juice of one lemon
15-ounce can stewed tomatoes
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1 1/2 teaspoons salt — or to taste

1. I saved some time by putting the beans into the pressure cooker with 8 cups water, cooking at high pressure for 15 minutes, and then releasing the pressure and cooking until the beans were completely cooked. If you use a pressure cooker, I advise letting the pressure come down naturally rather than quick-releasing. And if you have a quick-release setting on your PC, do not use it! I had beans stuck in my valve when I tried that.

2.If you don’t want to pressure cook them, then place the washed beans in a pot with 12 cups of water, bring to a boil, and simmer, covered,for 60-75 minutes until beans are tender.

3.When the beans are almost finished cooking, brown the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic in a non-stick skillet.

4.Add onion mixture, stewed tomatoes, and lemon juice to beans along with the spices and simmer 30-45 minutes. (If you started the beans in the pressure cooker, add 2 cups water at this time if they seem dry or thick.) Add liquid smoke and salt at the end. Serve with bread or over rice, or just by itself, as I did.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 1 hour(s) 45 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8

Perfect Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms.

These are the yummiest little pockets of shrooms. I'm loving Chef AJ's cookbook, Unprocessed. You can also see her make these on YouTube with "The Chef and the Dietitian".

12 crimini mushrooms
1 cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon yellow miso
1 cup fresh basil
juice of one lemon, or to taste

Destem mushrooms and set aside. Remove some of the center if necessary. Place the rest of the ingredients in a food processor fitted with the "S" blade and process until smooth. Fill the mushroom cups and dehydrate 2-4 hours until warm. OR bake at 350*F for 45 minutes or until soft.

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.

Raw Cashew Dreamcake.

These are sooooo good! A for sure treat staple in my house. I first had these at Mandy's house, who got the recipe on our friend Brooke's blog, who got it on My New Roots (just giving credit where credit is due... very important). And holy yum! It's originally made in a pie pan, but I converted them to mini muffin tins so I could freeze and have them on hand whenever the hankering for some yumminess came.

The hankerings came real fast... and they were gone from my freezer all too fast. Which means I need to stock pile again. My whole family loved these, and I don't feel a bit bad for them eating them either. Good, and good for you!

Crust

1/2 cup raw almonds (pecan or walnuts will also work)

1/2 cup soft Medjool dates
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Filling
1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 5 hours, overnight is best
juice of 2 lemons
the seeds of 1 whole vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract)
1/3 cup raw coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup raw honey (Vegans use agave nectar.)
1 cup raspberries (thaw completely if using frozen) [i've used blueberries too]

Place nuts and dates in a food processor with sea salt and pulse to chop until they are to your desired fineness (process a finer crust longer than a chunky one). Test the crust by spooning out a small amount of mixture and rolling it in your hands. If the ingredients hold together, your crust is perfect. Scoop out crust mixture in a 7” spring-form pan (if you don’t have a spring-form pan, use a pie plate lined with saran wrap), and press firmly, making sure that the edges are well packed and that the base is relatively even throughout. Rinse food processor well. [I filled my mini muffin pan with liners, used my small pampered chef cookie scoop, dropped mixture into liners and pressed.]

Warm coconut oil and honey in a small saucepan on low heat until liquid. Whisk to combine.

In the most powerful food processor / blender you own (you decide which one has the most torque) place all filling ingredients (except raspberries) and blend on high until very smooth (this may take a couple minutes so be patient).

Pour about 2/3 (just eyeball it, you can’t make a mistake!) of the mixture out onto the crust and smooth with a spatula. [I used the same small cookie scoop, filled it halfway, and filled each muffin tin] Add the raspberries to the remaining filling and blend on high until smooth. Pour onto the first layer of filling. [Then I used the same scoop and scooped about a full scoop onto the cheesecakes.] Place in freezer until solid.

To serve, remove from freezer 30 minutes prior to eating. Run a smooth, sharp knife under hot water and cut into slices. Serve on its own, or with fresh fruit. Store leftovers in the freezer (what leftovers?). [I froze them in the muffin tray, then when they were all good and frozen transferred them to a freezer ziplock and had them on hand for a few days.]

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.

Blender Mac & Cheese.

Yet again, another ole college try to find a healthy version of Ava's favorite junked out mac & cheese. She wasn't a fan... (and now I officially give up trying to find one - I think that's just gonna be her 'thing')... but everyone else liked it. I love that you dirty only 2 things and it comes together super fast. Thanks again "GlowGirl".

1 pound vegan pasta (or regular if you prefer!)
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup plain non-dairy milk
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon garlic puree
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (curry powder)
1 tablespoons tahini
black pepper to taste

Cook your preferred pasta according to the directions on the bag or box.

While that is cooking, throw ALL ingredients (including 1 + 1/4 cup water) into the food processor or blender and blend for 30-60 seconds.

Once pasta is cooked and drained, add sauce into sauce pan with pasta and simmer over low-medium heat stirring frequently. The thickening process takes 5-10 minutes. Don’t despair if you think the pasta is too watery- it REALLY thickens up nicely thanks to the cornstarch!

You can get creative with this and mix in some vegetables or spinach too.

OhSheGlows

A Hummus Recipe.

I posted this forever ago when I posted my Rainbow Wraps... but never posted it's on it's own... with a picture. Love how it looks in the blender. All fluffy, yummy and creamy.

2 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed {i've used navy & pinto beans in here too}

1/3 cup fat-free oil substitute (or olive oil)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons sesame tahini
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup water, more or less for desired thickness
pinch of ground cumin or ground coriander (optional - did both)
salt and pepper
paprika (preferably Hungarian smoked - or just smoked)

Place half the chickpeas and oil substitute in a blender {makes it more creamier then a big ole food processor}. Pulse several times, stopping to stir with a rubber spatula. When the mixture is almost pureed and creamy, add the remaining chickpeas and oil, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, cumin, and a little salt. Pulse, stopping to stir several times, until the mixture is very creamy. Season with salt and pepper; add more lemon juice to taste if necessary.

Transfer to an airtight container and chill for 30 minutes before serving. To serve: spread into a shallow bowl, dust with paprika, and drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil on top. (i just added the paprika when i mixed and forgot about the pretty drizzle of olive oil - no need for cute presentation for lunch)

I've added 2 roasted red peppers to this, and it turned out yummy. Another recipe variation is to add 2-3 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill and parsley to it.

Veganomicon, pg 67

serves 4

time: 10 minutes, plus chill time

Spicy Doritos Cheezy Dip.

My friend Crysta turned me onto the blog, loveveggiesandyoga. And what I've tried has been some pretty good stuff. This one included. I have a dream of my kids sitting in front of a platter of all raw veggies and gobbling them up with some really yummy and healthy dip. The did like, but didn't gobble... at least not yet. But I'll try again. But that night for dinner we had this with nachos... yum!

1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup hemp seeds (if you don’t have these, use Cashews, all Sunflower Seeds.Mix & Match your seeds as necessary)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 of a red pepper
3 tablespoons lemon juice 
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (add more to taste if desired)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and well combined.

lovesveggiesandyoga

Chili Cheese Fries.

I had a craving for chili cheese fries... you'd think I'm pregnant - but I'm not. Who has those sort of cravings?! I worked up this little combo and loved it. We had a huge garden salad to make the not-even-naughty meal seem a little less not-even-naughty. It just felt like the right thing to do.

Fries
4 large Idaho potatoes, cut lengthwise into 6 wedges
grill seasoning

Chili
1-2 cups cooked lentils
1 large onion, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1-2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Hot sauce, to taste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
(adapted from Rachael Ray)

Cheezy Sauce
2 cups vegetable broth or water
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of dried thyme (crumbled in your fingers)
1/4 teaspoon salt
several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
(from Veganomicon)


Preheat oven to 450ºF.

Place the potatoes into a large bowl. Spray them with EVOO spray and sprinkle with the grill seasoning and combine. Using a cookie cooling rack on top a baking sheet, pour the fries on top. With the cooling rack it'll allow the air to circulate all around the fries so they'll crisp everywhere. Plus it won't be necessary to flip them. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes.

While the potatoes are roasting, place a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat... add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, chili powder and cumin to the pot. Cook until the veggies soften, 5-6 minutes, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the tomato paste to the pot and cook for about 1 minute, until it smells sweet and has caramelized slightly. Add the hot sauce, Worcestershire and broth to the pot. Bring everything up to a bubble, then reduce the heat and simmer the chili until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add in cooked lentils to warm.

Cook the cheese sauce... Combine the broth and flour in a measuring cup and whisk with a fork until dissolved.

Preheat a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Place the oil and garlic in the pan and gently cook for about 2 minutes (or just steam-fry), stirring often and being careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 15 seconds. Add the broth, turmeric, and nutritional yeast, and raise the heat to medium. Use a whisk to stir constantly. The mixture should start bubbling and thickening in about 3 minutes; if it doesn't, turn the heat a bit higher.

Once the mixture is bubbling and thickening, stir and cook for about 2 more minutes. Add the lemon juice and mustard. The mixture should resemble a thick, melty cheese. Taste for salt (you may need more depending on how salty your vegetable broth is), turn off the heat, and cover the pan to keep it warm until ready to use. The top might thicken a bit while it sits, but you can just stir it and it will be fine.

Lay the fries out on a plate, pour over the chili and then add the cheese sauce. Yum. 

A perfect combo of Rachael Ray & Veganomicon

Baked Vegan Mac & Cheese.

So I've been struggling with my almost 6-year-old with all things healthy eating. She use to be an amazing eater and eat any and everything healthy. Would ask me for healthy food and beg for shrek shakes. Long gone are those days, and I blame it all on kindergarten. It's like after seeing how the "other side" eats... and setting her eyes on that cafeteria line - it's all she wants. It's a constant battle.

One day, post kindergarten corruption, she told me she wanted to go have a playdate at her friend Emily's house because her Mom makes them yummy macaroni & cheese... I almost cried. Ouch. So, I was on a quest to find my baby girl some healthy mac & cheese. Found this recipe, on an awesome new site my friend Natalie told me about. I spent a good 3 hours drooling over all her recipes.

The bummer is, we all loved it, except her. I'm beginning to think that we're dealing with some sort of power struggle combined with the food issue. Lovely.

1/2 medium potato, peeled and chopped (about 1/4-1/3 cup)
1/2 large carrot, peeled and chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 small onion, peeled and chopped (about 1/4-1/3 cup)
1 ½ cups raw cashews
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
4 garlic cloves
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon mustard
~300-340 grams dry/uncooked whole wheat macaroni or other pasta
1 slice bread
1 tablespoon Earth Balance or butter
Fresh or dried parsley, to garnish (optional)
Paprika, to garnish

Preheat oven to 350*F. Grab a small casserole dish and set aside. In a medium sized pot, add the chopped potatoes, carrots, and onion and fill with water until just covered. Bring to a boil and then reduce to low-medium heat. Cook for about 15 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, process 1 slice of bread until crumbs form in a food processor. Add in 1 tablespoon of Earth Balance and process until incorporated. Place in a small bowl and set aside.

Now assemble your cheese sauce ingredients (cashews, almond milk, garlic, lemon, salt, yeast, pepper, mustard) and add just the cashews to food processor. Process until a fine crumb forms similar to corn meal. Now add in the rest of the cheese sauce ingredients and process until smooth.

Once the veggies are cooked, drain and add to cheese sauce mixture in food processor. Process until smooth.

Add your pasta to a medium sized pot and fill with water until the pasta is covered by about 1 inch or so. Bring to a boil and reduce to low, cooking for about 7 more minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

In a large bowl, mix together your cheese sauce and drained + rinsed pasta. Scoop into your casserole dish and sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture. Now garnish with paprika and bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 350*F. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley or dried parsley if you’d like.

Note: This is a heavy and drier mac ‘n cheese. If you want it less dry, you might want to add some Earth Balance/butter or additional milk.

from ohsheglows

my friend Natalie told me about her sight, and our friend Mimi told her

Peach Crumble.

I've been wanting to make this for about forever... but always forgetting the kuzu when I was at a health food store. We were celebrating 2 birthdays, the super bowl was upon us... My parents, my sister and her family were coming over... so, I said forget it... and just subbed arrowroot.

SO glad I did... and I think they were too. It was quickly gone and everyone wanted more. I put a dollop of whipped cashew cream on top... yum....

When I made it the first time, there was way too much topping for fruit... so, I saved the topping and made it again later that week. The next time I make I'll either double the fruit or half the topping... just depending on what I need it for. Also, the second time around I swapped the blueberries with raspberries and loved it even more. SO good.

2 1/2 - 3 cups peaches, sliced fresh or thawed frozen
1 cup organic blueberries
1 3/4 cups apple juice
2 tablespoons kuzu, arrowroot or corn starch
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of fine sea salt

topping
3 cups rolled oats
2 cups barley flour, spelt flour, brown rice flour, or sweet rice flour {just grind in the blender until it's fine}
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup safflower/coconut oil
3/4 cup brown rice syrup/date syrup
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Combine the peaches and blueberries in a 9" x 13" baking dish.

Reserve 1/4 cup of the apple juice in a small bowl, and heat the remaining 1 1/2 cups in a small saucepan. Place the kuzu in a small bowl, and add in the reserved apple juice. Let the kuzu mixture sit for about 10 seconds so that the kuzu can dissolve into the liquid. Stir with a fork, and immediately whisk he kuzu mixture and the lemon juice into the hot apple juice, stirring continually to prevent lumps from forming. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, and add the vanilla extract and the salt. Pour over the peaches and blueberries in the pan.

To make the topping, dry-roast the oats, flour, salt, and cinnamon in a skillet over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Heat the oil and syrups together in a separate pan, then pour over the flour mixture and mix well. Stir in the nuts.

Crumble the topping over the fruit, then cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake 15 to 25 minutes longer or until the topping is golden and the fruit filling bubbles a little. Cool crumble for about 30 minutes before serving.

The Kind Diet

Alicia Silverstone

serves 4 to 6

page 194

Whole Wheat Penne with San Marzano Tomatoes

I was so excited to try this one out because I love fennel... knowing full well that I'd need to puree it before I fed it to the kids to avoid any nose turning ups. It was good but it didn't shine the way I thought it would... I think the pureeing mutilated the tastes. If that even makes sense. 

I'm not giving up on it that easily though... next time: I won't puree, cut the fennel really small, serve the swiss chard on the side, and go with regular tomatoes. I'm not convinced paying the extra bucks for the san marzano's is entirely worth it.

2 onions, quartered and sliced
2 fennel bulbs, halved and sliced
1 (28-ounce) can peeled Italian San Marzano tomatoes, drained
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup vegetable stock
½ cup white grape juice (wine)
4 cups roughly chopped Swiss chard
Freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
¾ cup Manzanilla (green) olives, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
8 ounces whole wheat penne, cooked al dente according to package

Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and heat for 30 more seconds, being careful not to let it smoke. This will create a nonstick effect.

Add the onions and fennel and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes, crushing each with your hand, along with the garlic, stock, wine, and chard. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the lemon juice and olives and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until the olives are tender. Fold in the tarragon, thyme, and parsley, along with the hot pasta. Serve immediately.

**Swap out anything you don’t like or don’t have on hand – chard for kale or olives for capers (which I did instead of the olives).

belly biters: Coco: awesome - Shayne, Nolan & I: good -

Ava: no way {she saw me cutting up the fennel and swiss chard}

The Conscious Cook

Tal Ronnen

Hurry Up Alfredo.

Ya'll are going to love me for this one. Like, "L-O, L-O, L-O, L-O-V-E, L-O, L-O, L-O... I'm talkin bout... I'm talkin bout love!" (Any Ashlee Simpson Wentz fans out there? Nope? No one? Yeah, me neither!)

Anyhow, back to this amazing pasta. It's for sure going into the Hatch Family rotation. It couldn't be more delicious. It couldn't be more easy. And it couldn't be more any on-hand, go-to meal to make, whatsoever. [any Chandler fans catch that one?... Man, I have got to stop writing these up late at night!] Although if you're just starting up on this vegan/plant-based thing it won't seem at all 'on-hand' ingredients to you at first. But this one alone is well worth the investment of the ingredients.

I seriously wanted more and more of this one, and couldn't believe that it was vegan. Seriously, just try this tonight. Or, right now. I can't wait to play with it some and add roasted red peppers... or try it into a rose sauce... and try roasted garlic with it... yum!

The only downfall was the garlic is not cooked, so the garlic flavor is strong - be ready for that. Too strong for my little Ava... "it's so good Mom... but it's just too strong!" I'll tone that down or try some roasted garlic cloves next time.

1 cup soy or almond milk

1/3 cup raw, unsalted cashews

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

3 tablespoons low-sodium tamari/soy sauce/bragg's liquid amino's

2 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine

1 tablespoons tahini

1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon paprika (smoked is awesome)

1 pinch nutmeg

2-4 cloves of garlic, optional (used 2, will use 1 next time)

Black pepper, to taste

whole wheat thin spaghetti

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. This may work best in a high-speed blender (like a Vita-Mix), but you can definitely make it in a regular blender. Just blend extra-long, or perhaps strain if you want it perfectly smooth. Tiny bits of cashews won’t hurt anyone though!

If you’re making this sauce for pasta, drain the pasta and return it to the hot empty pan. Pour the sauce over, place on medium heat, and stir until heated through. Serve with lots of fresh cracked black pepper. I love it with steamed broccoli added in!

belly biters: amazing!!

5 Star Hurry-Up Alfredo...

I just moved this already yummy dish up to 5 star yumminess... I cut up sundried tomatoes and added to the pasta water 1 minute before it's done. And sauted baby bella mushrooms and added them in after I mixed the pasta and sauce together. SOOOOOOO yummy!

Sunflower Seed Ranch Dip.

I think that those that have known me from way back only knew it was a matter of time before I layed up here a vegan version of ranch. I love ranch. I use to put it on everything. Salad, pizza, salsa, hamburgers, popcorn...

My kids like carrots, but I thought if they had a little dipper they may just love them. Turns out I know my kids better then I thought I did. They love this. Coco loves this. And not getting fat from meat, they need to get it from somewhere - so I love this healthy alternative. I merged 2 recipes... one from my friend Brooke and her Sunflower Seed Sour Cream and the other from OurBestBites. Thank you both. Ya'll did all of the hard work for me, all I had to do is merge, and then some.

With this baby, I can see updating my pork-fave with vegan tomatillo black bean burritos in my very near future...

1 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 cup water

4 tablespoons lemon juice

1 garlic clove pressed (or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white vinegar {double all down?}

1 teaspoon parsley

1/8 teaspoon dill

1 1/2 teaspoon dried chives

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon dry mustard

Place first 7 ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth... like, really really smooth. I didn't do it all that long the first time, like in the picture above because I was so excited to get it done. Then, add the rest - here you can blend or just stir in.

Now, here's the important part... put it in the fridge and let it chill. Warm ranch is no bueno. Especially if you're using dried... they need a little time to let out their flavor. It's only until after it cools that I'd taste it and adjust... you've gotta give the flavors time to mush. It got better and better each day. You'll have to stir it each time you pull it out... and I wouldn't keep it for much longer then 3-4 days.

*note that all spices/herbs listed are dried. If substituting fresh, use the rules 1 part dry = 3 parts fresh.

Lemon-Poppy Seed Poundcake.

I made this poundcake to take to a couple of friends during Christmas... but only one of the mini loaves actually made it out to them. Why? Anything that happens at my house that is crazy can usually be related back to Coco. While cutely bowed, labeled and wrapped in saran wrap... she got a hold of them with her little fists and squeezed the crud outta them. Sigh. At least I got a picture before all that happened... and the remainder friends that had to settle for some granola got a kick out of it. "That sounds like her!" They'd say. So Shayne and I enjoyed the crumbled loafs. They were awesome, crumpled and all.

But... at the sole house that the lone loaf safely made it to, Matt & Mandy's... I told Matt that it was vegan and he said, "Really? It is? I'm sold, I cold be vegan if I can eat this." Whether he was teasing me or just making me feel good is still to be decided. But, he did eat like half the loaf while I was standing there... that's a good sign.

There are 2 different glazes... Alicia couldn't decide between the 2 to put in her book so she did both. One is "sweet, glossy, and elegant while the other is fruity and colorful."

Lemon-Poppy Seed Poundcake

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup maple sugar
2 teaspoon egg replacer
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup soy, rice or nut milk
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup safflower oil (i used coconut)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

lemon maple glaze
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons kuzu, diluted in a bit of cold water

berry glaze
1 bag frozen berries, thawed
maple syrup to taste
vanilla to taste

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Oil the pans (you can use 3 mini loaf pans, a muffin tin, or 4 mini bundt pans).

Combine the flours, sugar, egg replacer, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the milk with the lemon juice and set aside for a few minutes; it will look curdled. Whisk in the oil, syrup, and lemon extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir just until combined. Fold in the poppy seeds.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans, and bake for 15 to 25 minutes (mini loafs and muffins take about 15 to 18 minutes; loaf and bundt pans take 20 to 25 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake completely in the pans on a baking rack.

If using the lemon maple glaze, combine the syrup and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the diluted kuzu, and continue stirring until the glaze comes to a boil. Simmer for 1 minutes. Drizzle over the cake, and serve.

If using the berry glaze, whiz the berries in a blender with the syrup and vanilla extract to taste. Drizzle over the cake, and serve.

The Kind Diet

Alicia Silverstone

page 188

Artichoke Pesto Pasta

I made this for the first time back in May (which feels like worlds away with how far I've come on all this foodstyle thing)... and have revamped it a couple of times. Every time it got better and better. Because my kids weren't big fans of eating the actual artichokes, I now puree them, and it turns them into this thick, cream-like stuff. Yum. Which has made this amazing pasta even yummier because now it's just full of yummy, creamy goodness. One of my most favorite recipes - by far.

Other then the taste, it's also my favorite because it's amazingly easy too. When I make it, I always double the pesto and freeze half of it. It's the best on-hand meal you could have on your shelf (artichokes) and in your freezer (pesto). Yum.

1/2 pound spinach or whole wheat pasta1 medium-size red onion, sliced into thin half-moons
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons white grape juice, veggie broth, or water
1/2 teaspoon salt
several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe Basil-Cilantro Pesto (see below)
1 (15-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and pureed

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions, usually about 10 minutes. Once you've added the pasta to the water, proceed with the recipe.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat and steam-fry the onion until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Puree in blender the rinsed artichokes. Add the garlic to the skillet and saute for a minute more. Add the white grape juice, salt and pepper, and cook for another minute or two. Lower the heat to low. At this point, the linguine should be done.

When the pasta is ready, don't drain it. Use a pasta spoon to transfer it to the pan in batches. This is a good method because you can use the pasta water to thin out the pesto and make sure that everything gets evenly coated. When you add one batch, add a bit of the pesto, too, and using the pasta spoon, saute to coat. Proceed with the rest of the pasta and pesto until you've added all of it. Stir in the artichoke heart puree. If it seems dry, add extra splashes of pasta water.

Cook gently over low heat just until all is heated through, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately!

adapted from Veganomicon
page 191
serves 4
cook time: 35 minutes





Basil-Cilantro Pesto

In the book they say this is their "cheapskate" pesto because they're using a cheaper nut, almonds, instead of the traditional pine nuts. I guess "cheapskate" translates to awesome in my book, because that's what this stuff was... awesome! I could eat it by the spoonful. And with using my fat-free oil substitute instead of oil - I could... and did...

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
1/3 cup slivered  or sliced almonds
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fat-free oil substitute

Place the basil, cilantro, almonds, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor and blend until pasty, scraping down the sides occasionally. With the food processor on, slowly drizzle in the oil substitute. Blend until relatively smooth and no large chunks of almonds are left. If you don't have a food processor and are using a blender (i did this so i didn't have to get out the big food processor), then just add the olive oil at the end, since many blenders aren't equipped with and opening to drizzle into.

Veganomicon, pg 214

makes about 1 cup

time: 10 minutes