Garlic Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon {Rachael Ray}

1 ½ to 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks 
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 stems fresh rosemary, leaves stripped (2-3 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (ex. Montreal Seasoning by McCormick, or salt & freshly ground black pepper)
½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Arrange chicken in a baking dish.
Add garlic, rosemary, EVOO, lemon zest, and grill seasoning.
Toss chicken to coat, then place in oven.
Roast 20 minutes.
Add wine/broth and lemon juice to the dish and combine with pan juices, then spoon over chicken.

Return to oven and turn oven off. Let stand 5 minutes longer, then remove chicken from oven. Place baking dish on trivet and serve, spooning pan juices over the chicken pieces.

Rachael Ray

Buffalo Hummus {No Meat Athlete: Matt Frazier}

This stuff is legit. We all love it in the house! From NO MEAT ATHLETE by Matt Frazier

1 can or 1 1/2 cups (246 g) cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons (30 g) tahini
1 tablespoon (15 ml) hot sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
1/2 cup (90 g) jarred roasted red pepper
2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil, water or liquid from can
Cayenne pepper, to taste, for serving

1. Combine all the ingredients except the oil (or water) and cayenne. in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine and then scrape down the sides. With the motor running, stream in the oil (or water) through the feed tube.

2. Continue to run the motor until you reach the desired consistency; I like to let it for for 5 minutes to get it really smooth.

3. Add more salt, lemon juice, or hot sauce, to taste, and then sprinkle with cayenne pepper before serving. Angela’s note: I also sprinkled it with cumin, smoked paprika, and more hot sauce.

rosemary chicken, bacon and avocado salad.{HowSweetEats}

Found this recipe while perusing Instagram in the middle of the night while nursing the babe. I almost got up and made it right then and there. Not really. But it IS just THAT good. Thank you HowSweetEats... you are my new favorite food gal. So, so good. And perfect for your Texas summers. 

ingredients:
4 slices thick-cut bacon
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
6 cups spring greens and/or butter lettuce
1 bunch watercress
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large avocado, thinly sliced

rosemary vinaigrette
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
salt and pepper

directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the bacon. Cook until it's crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon and place it on a paper towel to drain any excess grease.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Cover with the rosemary. In the same skillet, over medium-high heat, add the chicken and cook until golden and crisp on both sides, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and let sit for a moment while you assemble the salad, then slice it.

Toss the greens with the watercress and the tomatoes. Top with the sliced chicken, the bacon and the avocado. Drizzle with the rosemary vinaigrette!

rosemary vinaigrette 

Whisk together the mustard, oil and vinegar. Whisk in the rosemary and a pinch of salt and pepper.

RIP 90% Plant-based Diet.

My blog header use to read like this....

"Set up to chronicle my families journey's into healthy eating. After a lot of reading, wanting the best health for my family... we've adopted a "foodstyle" that has changed our lives. 90% of the time we try to eat meals that are plant-based, no animal products, no oils, using natural sweeteners and foods with a low glycemic index. We eat lots of fruits, veggies, grains, beans and nuts. This is a blog of the bites I've found that have sat happy in our bellies... and notes along the way. And I promise... it's yummy!"

It's been about a year since I started cooking meat again... I love the plant-based diet. KNOW of it's goodness and help it was for my husband and I. About 6 months after my husband and I got married his doctor diagnosed him as "borderline diabetic". We both took it very seriously and that's what led us to living a mostly plant-based diet for about 5 years. It was awesome. His levels evened out and he's not even close to the diabetic life anymore. 

After all those years of loving on plants we decided to find moderation in all things. It's been a great balance. I still prefer GOOD vegan food. But love that I can have my meat and cheese and balance it all out. 

Simple Tomato and Mushroom Pasta. {DeliciouslyElla}

This pasta has easily become my favorite. Deliciously Ella basically sold me on it with her introduction on Instagram... I'm pretty sure I was drooling as I laid in bed and laid my eyes upon it. Just like the name - simple - but so yummy.

"This is one of favourite winter recipes this year. Pasta has always been my comfort food; whenever I’m feeling a bit tired after a long day I head straight to this or a bowl of pesto pasta! This has a good three portions of veggies, so it makes me feel good, but it’s also just the easiest thing in the world and it’s so comforting and warming – plus it doesn’t feel scarily healthy, which is never what you want when you’re not feeling your best! The sautéed garlic, chill, paprika and miso adds a beautiful flavour to the sautéed tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach, which then perfectly coats the pasta in deliciousness."

4 servings of pasta, about 300g (I use brown rice pasta)

1 packet of cherry tomatoes (about 250g)

1 and a half packets of chestnut mushrooms (about 350-400g)

1/2 a packet of spinach (about 100g)

5 cloves of garlic

3 heaped teaspoons of tomato puree

2 teaspoons of brown miso paste

1 teaspoon of chili flakes

1 teaspoons of paprika

salt and pepper

Optional – 1/2 a lemon

Chop the tomatoes into quarters and the mushrooms into slices.

Put the pasta on to cook.

Peel the garlic and crush it into a pan with a glug of olive oil, salt and pepper. Let this heat for a few minutes until it’s bubbling. Then add in the tomatoes, mushrooms, chilli and paprika. Let this cook for about five minutes, until it’s all soft.

At this point stir in the spinach, tomato puree and miso and let the spinach wilt.

Once the pasta has cooked and been drained, then stir the sauce into the pasta.

Squeeze the lemon on top, if you’re using it, and add a little salt and lots of black pepper to finish.

Honey Glazed Granola {Nutty4Nutrition}

This stuff is the best! I love that it's more nuts and less granola... unlike a lot of granola and lighlty sweetened. And it doesn't hurt that it's laced with the memory of Carrie and I devouring the bag she made while at a women's conference at church. I was mumbling through - talking with my mouth full, nuts stuck in my teeth - asking her whose recipe it was. Turns out I pinned the exact one months ago. Huh. Who knew people actually made the stuff they pinned. 

1 and 1/2 cups of nuts and seeds of your choice (I used almonds, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin and sunflower seeds).

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup organic honey, maple syrup or coconut nectar

1 and 1/2 tablespoon melted coconut oil

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon hemp hearts (optional)

1/4 cup dried fruit (I used cranberries)

Pulse larger nuts in a food processor just to break them up a little bit.

Place in a bowl and mix with all other ingredients except your hemp hearts and dried fruit.

Place in parchment paper and bake at 325•F for 12-15 minutes.

Once your mixture is cool, break apart to make it nice and loose and add your hemp and dried fruit.

Nutty4Nutrition

Holiday Cranberry Salad {Marilyn Hunt}

I wouldn't be a true Mormon if I didn't have a jell-o recipe on this blog. This is the one and only jell-o recipe that I love. My mom makes it every Thanksgiving and Christmas because that's what her mom did. And because it's SO good. It's that dish that I saw growing up and was like "ew" because of the celery and nuts (oh, how I hated nuts) IN the jell-o. Then, thankfully, I matured. Recipe from my grandmother, Marilyn Hunt.

21.5 oz. can crushed pineapple

6 oz. pkg cherry jell-o

¾ cup sugar

2 cup hot water

1/2 cup cold water

1- 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 lb (1 ½ cup) ground raw cranberries

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup broken walnuts

1 small orange (cut off ends, cut into pieces and process in food processor)

Drain pineapple, reserve syrup.  Combine jell-o & sugar, dissolve in hot water.

Add cold water, lemon juice & pineapple syrup. 

Chill till partially set… then add remainder of ingredients and chill till firm.   

Yummy!!!

Sweet Wheat Lemon Blueberry Crepes {Veganomicon}

1 1/2 cups almond, soy or rice milk
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1 tablespoon arrowroot flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
2 drops lemon essential oil or 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend for a few seconds... scraping the sides of the blender until everything is smooth. The batter will be very thin. Pour the batter into an airtight container, cover, and chill in the fridge for at least an hour - or as lo g as overnight. When ready yo cook, briefly stir the batter if the ingredients have separated.

Over medium-high heat, heat a crepe pan or heavy skillet (I just use my big griddle). The pan is ready when a few drops of water flicked into it sizzle. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Ladle 1/3 to 1/2 into the center of the pan. The battery should sizzle when it hits the pan. Holding the pan firmly by the ladle, use your wrist to tilt the pan in a circular motion so that the batter spreads in a thin layer across the bottom. Continue to tilt the pan until the battery is fully spread and then sets.

Cook until the top of the crepe is dry, the center is bubbling, and the edges appear firm and lightly browned when gently lifted with the spatula... usually 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Gently run the spatula under the crepe to loosen it, then carefully flip and cook on the other side for 30 seconds. Slide the crepe onto a regular-sized dinner plate. Finish cooking the rest of the batter.

If not serving immediately,  cover the entire batch with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.

MEANWHILE, warm some fresh or frozen blueberries in a pan on low heat.

TO SERVE, lay out crepe and put warmed blueberries down the middle and fold up the sides. Powder with powdered sugar and top with a dollop of coconut whipping cream. YUM.

{Veganomicon,  page 77-78}

Pineapple Thai Fried Quinoa. {PeasandThankYou}

A family favorite!!

1 cup dry quinoa

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup vegetable broth

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1 tablespoon minced ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup pineapple

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup scrambled tofu (optional)

garnishes: lime wedges, peanuts, cilantro, cherry tomatoes

Place a saucepan over medium-high heat and add quinoa, stirring every minute or so until quinoa is toasted.

Combine coconut milk and vegetable broth and add to quinoa.

Bring to boil. Lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile, coat a large skillet with cooking spray or a light spritz of oil and place over medium-high heat. Add green onion, ginger and garlic and saute for a minute or two.

Add peas, pineapple and cilantro and saute for an additional minute.

Add quinoa to the skillet and cook until starting to slightly brown and crisp.

Finish with lime juice and soy sauce and add in scrambled tofu (if using).

Garnish and serve!!

Spicy African Peanut Stew {Peas and Thank You}

This was SO gooooood! I cooked it in the crockpot. Everyone loved. Except Ava. She would have given her first born to NOT eat it. Sigh.

1 can (14 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1  sweet potato, cubed (approximately 1 cup)

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon garam masala (depending on how spicy you like it)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon minced ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

sweetener to taste (organic sugar or stevia)

dash cinnamon

1 can (14 ounces) organic fire-roasted tomatoes, in juice

1 can (14 ounces) light coconut milk

2 cups vegetable broth powder

2 tablespoons natural peanut butter

1/2 cup red lentils, drained and rinsed

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a Crock-Pot and set on high for about half an hour, and then switch to low for an additional 3 to 4 hours. Serve and pass garnishes at the table.

Chef Suggestions

Garnish with chopped cilantro, chopped peanuts, dairy-free or organic sour cream or organic plain yogurt.

Smoky Butternut Squash Sauce with Pasta and Kale. {OhSheGlows}

Another yummy one from OhSheGlows. Yummy AND creamy!! They all loved it, except Ava.... but what else is new. Picky little girl.

Garden Enchilada Bake {Peas and Thank You}

This stuff is SO good! The kids all love it, so it's a total win. The only thing I change is adding a can or 2 of black beans. YUM! Good job Mama Pea!

"Zesty quinoa and zucchini, all smothered in cream enchilada sauce, and baked up until bubbly and melty." -from Mama Pea

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cup vegetable broth

1-15 oz. can organic tomato sauce, divided

2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder, divided

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 zucchini, shredded and squeezed to release all excess moisture

1/3 cup non-dairy cream cheese (i.e. Tofutti)

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup non-dairy mozzarella cheese, shredded

1-3 oz. can sliced olives, drained

1 avocado, sliced

cilantro for garnish

Preheat oven to 375*F.

In a medium stockpot, combine quinoa, broth, 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, 2 teaspoons of chili powder and oregano. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat, stir and cover, simmering for 15-20 minutes. Remove lid and cook for an additional minute or two, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed and quinoa is fully cooked. 

Add shredded zucchini, remaining tomato sauce, remaining chili powder, cream cheese, garlic and cumin and heat until fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer mixture to a large casserole dish (2 qt. or larger) that has been lightly spritzed with olive oil or cooking spray.

Top casserole with grated cheese and sliced olives. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

To brown the top of the casserole, you can switch the oven over to the broil setting for the last several minutes.

Garnish with avocado slices and fresh cilantro, if desired. 

Roasted Tomato, Garlic & Onion Coconut Soup {OhSheGlows}

This is SO yummy. A little prep work at the beginning of the day, then comes together fast.

Me, Nolan & Coco: loved
Ava: got her 8 bites down
Shayne: TBD

Tortilla Soup. {Happy Herbivore}

This is a family favorite from Happy Herbivore. We LOVE it! I change it up a bit to feed my family with some leftovers. I also add black beans and hominy.... and if I have any leftover Tex-Mex Fried Rice I add that.

1 large sweet onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder (rounded for my family)
1 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano (rounded for my family)
2 teaspoons ground cumin (rounded for my family)
2 cups vegetable broth (4 cups for my family)
1 15 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies, drained
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 corn tortillas, chopped (4 for my family)
Hot sauce, to taste
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
¼ cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
Crispy tortilla sticks (recipe below)
Avocado, diced
{black beans, hominy or leftover brown rice... for my family}

Line a medium pot with a thin layer of water.

Add onion, then cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook until onion is translucent and most of the water has evaporated.

Add chili powder, marjoram or oregano, and cumin, stirring to cover the onion and garlic with the spices, then continuing to stir until all the liquid has been absorbed and the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add broth, tomatoes with their juices, and chilies, stirring to combine.

Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.

Transfer half of the mixture to your blender and whiz until smooth, or use and immersion blender to slightly, but not completely, puree the soup.

Return to the pot, add ketchup, 1 cup of water, soy sauce, and corn tortillas.

Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook over medium heat until tortillas have fallen apart and thickened the soup, about 5 to 10 minutes. Use a whisk to help incorporate if necessary.

Add hot sauce, salt, and pepper if desired, Let soup rest 5 minutes.

Stir in cilantro and ladle into bowl. Top with Crispy Tortilla Sticks and serve.

Crispy Tortilla Sticks
Happy Herbivore
Makes 1 cup
About 4 servings

4 6-inch corn tortillas

Preheat toaster oven to 350*F (conventional oven to 325*F).

Grease a cookie sheet or toaster oven tray and set aside.

Cut tortillas in half crosswise, then into 1/8 inch wide strips, about the width of a matchstick.

Transfer to a bowl, spray with cooking spray, and toss to coat.

Repeat a second time, making sure all of the strips are lightly covered.

Place on the cookie sheet or tray in a single layer and bake for 5 minutes, until crispy.

Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes, allowing them to crisp up a bit more.

Tingly Szechuan Pepper (Beef) Noodles. {RR}

I knew I had to make this when I caught it on Rachael Ray's show. I had some ground beef in the freezer, so I made the recipe as is. Meat and all. It was so, SO good! And next time I will leave the meat out because the meat wasn't where this dish was getting it's flavors. The spices are amazing!! I cut down on the szechuan because of my 14 months - 8 year old kids. 

While I was cooking, my 4 year old informed us that she would not be eating dinner because "it stinks and I not like it". We negotiated with her and told her she needed to take her bites or she wouldn't have any of the super bowl snacks. She just had finished her first bite when minutes later we turned and looked at her and she was done and was pretty much licking the bowl. Yeah... now that's a good recipe! I took a picture of her holding her empty bowl for future reference to show her when she gives me that stink face and defiant attitude again. Mommies always right. ;)

1 pound dried Chinese noodles or thin spaghetti
{1 pound ground beef (used 1/4 pound)}
1 onion, minced
1 small red chile pepper, such as fresno, minced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 piece (1 inch) ginger, minced
2 teaspoons Szechuan pepper (went with 1 teaspoon so the littles could handle it)
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/4 to 1/3 cup tamari (dark soy sauce) or Bragg's liquid amino
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
Chili oil or sriracha, for serving

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the noodles and cook until al dente. Drain.

{{OMIT if doing vegan. While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat the oil, 3 turns of the pan, over high heat until smoking. Pat the ground beef dry with a paper towel, then crumble it into the hot oil.}}

Heat pan and water to steam-fry the onion, chile, garlic, ginger, Szechuan pepper and five-spice powder to the beef. Stir-fry until the onion is slightly softened, 2 minutes.

Add the drained noodles to the {beef} mixture. Stir in the tamari (or liquid amino). Remove from the heat and toss with the cabbage and scallions. {Serve with the chili oil (or sriracha)... spicy enough, didn't need.}

Southwestern Taquitos.

My sister-in-law, Jenn, told me about this recipe she found and made off pinterest. She LOVES it... and it totally delivered. Instead of in egg roll form, I used wheat tortillas and did taquitos instead. Yum.

2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1-15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1-9 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry with paper towel
1-7oz can diced green chiles, drained
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
10-12 wheat tortillas

Preheat oven to 425*F. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.In a large bowl mix together corn, beans, spinach, chiles, onions, cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Scoop and roll in tortillas. Bake 15-20 minutes or until lightly brown. They'll crunch up some more as they cool. 

Adapted from Cake & Allie who adapted from Annies Eats then adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

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

Red Lentil & Squash Curry Stew. {Oh She Glows}

I made this on Halloween... and told the kids it was my witch's stew... and cackled the whole time. Good times. It was the perfect healthy fix before their sugar fix. It's an OhSheGlows and it is GOOOOD!

1 teaspoon Extra virgin olive oil

1 sweet onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon good quality curry powder (or more to taste)

1 carton broth (4 cups) I used low-sodium

1 cup red lentils

3 cups cooked butternut squash

1 cup greens of choice

Fresh grated ginger, to taste (optional)

Kosher salt & black pepper, to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp salt)

1. In a large pot, add EVOO and chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes over low-medium heat.

2. Stir in curry powder and cook another couple minutes. Add broth and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in cooked butternut squash and greens of choice. Cook over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and add some freshly grated ginger to taste.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls. {OhSheGlows}

General Conference time... so I continue on my search for the cinnamon roll recipe. I grew up with awesome ones, made by my Mom. BUT, I was always a fan of the big fat, oooey gooey ones. I tried some last April, and they were good. But not "the" ones. This year I went pumpkin. I was going to go all out and do nonvegan and crack white sugar. But remembered the suger coma I put my family and I in last year... and the insuing sugar headache that went along with it, and decided against it.  

I found this recipe from one of my favorite sites, OhSheGlows, and knew it'd be goood. I loved the idea that she put the pumpkin flavor in the filling and not in the dough. Well played Angela. Well played.

So.Stinkin.Good.

Here's her recipe, and my notes... I wanted to knock out the white sugar (remembering the headache) so I used coconut sugar. And I did whole wheat pastry flour instead of white. That's what I think is funny about some vegan recipes.... you take out the animal product - but then use white sugar and white flour - and it makes it just as dumb. And like all good cinnamon roll recipes... here's the long sucka...

Yeast Mixture
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon coconut sugar
1 cup very warm water (but not too hot to touch)

Dough

1 cup almond milk
2/3 cup coconut sugar
2/3 cup vegan butter (Earth Balance)
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg replacer egg ---OPTIONS
       #1 - 1 tsp Ener-g egg replacer + 2 tbsp warm water), optional
       #2 - 2 T. flaxseed meal + 3 T. water + 1/8 teaspoon baking powder... stir together and let gel}
yeast mixture, from above
6 cups all purpose flour + more for kneading (4 cups whole wheat pastry flour & 3 cups all purpose flour)

Pecan Cinnamon Streusel Filling

1/2 cup vegan butter, softened but not melted
1 cup coconut sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup pecans, chopped and toasted

Pan Sauce

1/2 cup vegan butter, melted (i used 3 T.... the butter was starting to add up)
1/3 cup coconut sugar

1. Mix together yeast ingredients and set aside for about 5 minutes until foamy and bubbly.

2. Meanwhile, combine the wet dough ingredients (almond milk, sugar, vegan butter, salt and optional egg replacer) in a small sauce pan. Heat on medium until all ingredients are combined, mixing well as you go. Turn off the heat on the saucepan and allow this mixture to cool so it is not too hot to touch.

3. Grab 4 cups of the flour and place in a very large bowl. When the saucepan mixture has cooled off; add in the proofed yeast and mix. Add this mixture to the flour and stir with a large wooden spoon. The mixture will be very wet. Stir for about 15-20 seconds or so.

4. Add in the remaining 2 cups of flour. Mix with a spoon for about 10 seconds and then place spoon aside and use your hands to roughly knead the dough for another 10 seconds or so. Now place the dough (and flour) onto a floured counter.

5. Knead the dough, starting off quite slow as the mixture will look very dry and rough. This is normal so do not worry! Knead the dough for 8 minutes until it is no longer sticky to the touch. Only add more flour if the dough starts to stick to the counter as you are kneading.

6. After 8 minutes of kneading, shape into a ball and place into an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the oven with the light on and let it rise for 90 minutes.

7a. Meanwhile, prepare the pumpkin pie filling.

7b. Prepare the Pecan cinnamon streusel filling. In a bowl, mix 1 cup chopped and toasted pecans, 1 cup sugar, and 3 tbsp cinnamon together and set aside.

8. After 90 minutes of rising, poke the dough to make sure that it is ready. If you poke the dough and it does NOT spring back up, it is ready to roll! Now grab a rolling pin or simply use your hands to spread out the dough into a large 15 inch by 20 inch rectangle (approximate measure only). Go very slow so you do not rip the dough.

9. Once you have your rectangle shaped, spread on the vegan butter (1/2 cup slightly softened) with a pastry brush. Take the pumpkin pie filling and spread it onto the vegan butter. It will be difficult to spread and slippery, but have no fear it will all work out! Once the pumpkin pie filling is spread out as well as you can, covering the rectangle, now sprinkle on the entire amount of the pecan cinnamon streusel sugar topping.

10. Grab the end of the dough (short side of rectangle), and roll all of the dough, being careful to try and keep the sides as straight as you can. Don’t worry if it is a bit off though (and it will be!), all will work out. Let it rest on the seam once it’s rolled up completely.

11. Once the dough is rolled up, grab some floss about 1 foot long (mint flavored OK!) and cut the rolls taking the piece of floss and placing it underneath the dough and then bringing it up and crossing it to cut the roll (see my pictures). Let go of floss and gently pull away and repeat about 15 times.

12. Pan Sauce: Mix butter and sugar mixture together and pour into large casserole dish or deep dish cake pans. Grab your cut rolls and place into the pan. Cover with plastic wrap, place into the oven with the light on, and allow it to rise for 45 more minutes.

Note: You can make these the day beforehand if you want to make them for breakfast. Simply cover the casserole dish and let them rise in the fridge overnight. In the morning, remove from the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes until the casserole dish is no longer cold. After that, you simply bake and serve!  This saves a lot of time in the morning.

13. Meanwhile, prepare the vegan cream cheese frosting. See recipe below.

14. After the second rise, remove the buns from the oven and preheat to 350F.

15. After preheating the oven, remove plastic wrap and place casserole dish into the oven. Bake rolls for 25-27 minutes at 350F until golden in color. Remove from oven and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.

16. Frost your buns any way you like! You may have to thin out the frosting a bit with more almond milk depending on how you want to use the frosting. If you want to pipe it on, it is the perfect consistency as is, but if you want to drizzle, more almond milk (start with 1 tsp at a time) may be needed.

Ideas for frosting:

1) Pipe on the frosting with a pastry bag and round tip, 2) Use a plastic baggie with one corner cut off, 3) Spread on frosting with a palette knife, or 4) Drizzle thinned out frosting with a spoon.

 17. Serve immediately and enjoy! Makes about 16-17 large rolls. Please note that your rolls will vary in size and shape and this is normal- it all depends on what type of pan you use and where they were baking in the pan. A little character never hurt a cinnamon roll!

Pumpkin Pie Filling

1 cup pumpkin, canned
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons almond milk
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

In a small bowl, mix together the arrowroot powder and almond milk until no clumps remain. In a saucepan over medium heat, mix the pumpkin and the arrowroot + milk mixture. Now add in the vanilla, sugar, and stir well. Finally stir in the spices. Heat over low and stir frequently until mixture thickens. Be careful not to burn as it burns easily. It takes about 5-8 minutes to thicken up. You want to use this mixture within about 5-10 minutes of preparing it so it spreads on a bit easier.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup vegan buttery spread (Earth Balance)
2/3 cup vegan cream cheese (Tofutti)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar (blended coconut sugar in the blender to make it powder)
[cut this in half, and glad I did... 1/2 was plenty!]

In a large bowl, mix together the butter and cream cheese with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Add in the vanilla to help along the process. Now slowly add in the icing sugar, stirring frequently until mixed. You want to keep mixing it until no clumps remain. This process takes at least 5 minutes or longer, so be patient. You could also use a mixer too of course!

Note: You may add milk if you want the frosting a bit thinner for drizzling, but I suggest waiting until it is fully mixed. The recipe above makes a frosting perfect for piping, but you may want it thinned out.

They just kept getting better and better with each passing day... warmed up in the microwave.

Mom's Homemade Whole Wheat Bread.

This is THE bread that I use to loathe as a kid.... with my brown bag lunch at school eating my 2-inch thick homemade peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Looking back I seriously appreciate all the love that went into those thick ole slices. And the flavor.

14 cups whole wheat flour (my mom uses a couple cups of regular flour, and then the remaining wheat flour)
1 cup honey
2/3 cup cooking oil
1 tablespoon sugar
4 ½ cups hot water
2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons yeast

Set yeast in ½ cup water and sugar to rise.
Put all other liquids in bowl & mix.
Add 13-14 cups flour while mixing in with the honey, oil, remaining water and salt.
Knead 10-15 minutes.
Form into 4 loaves. Let rise until double
Bake at 325* for 40 minutes.