belly bites by week: 6th addition

it's the end of the month and i'm out of money... but i think i managed fairly well with what I had on hand. so glad i didn't have to revert to ramen... which was recommended to me by my facebook friends. and so, sooo glad that my coconut oil arrived in the mail - which I had forgotten I ordered - just in time to make some granola since i ran out of steel cut oats for breakfast. so between that and spiced pumpkin oatmeal, we were good for breakfast.

sunday, 24th

leftovers/pb&j's

monday, 25th

three-layer quesadilla

tuesday, 26th

white corn tortilla soup

wednesday, 27th

black bean pumpkin soup

thursday, 28th

double dave's

{seems to be our pick lately, must be the cookie dough pizza...}

friday, 29th

wheatberry pancakes & shrek shakes

saturday, 30th

freebirds

{indulging to get ready for our cash budget next month, yikes!}

Black Bean Pumpkin Soup.

I don't know what I was thinking trying yet another black bean soup... we've got 2 that we love. But, when I saw this one from Swanson's with pumpkin, flour, balsamic vinegar & ham... I had to give it a whirl. Tis the season for pumpkin, right!?

It turned out awesome, the 2nd day. Good the first, but awesome the 2nd. Why? In the original recipe it tells you to use flour, but it never tells you when to put it in. Well, I put it in way too late - not even thinking. And formed little flour balls all throughout the soup. No bueno to my texture challenged husband. So, when it was eaten for leftovers I sent it through the BlendTec and it was creamy, whippy, and lump free. So much better.

Adapted from the original... i made it vegan, took out the wine - adding grape juice, took out the ham - adding liquid smoke...

3 cans black beans, (4 1/2 cups cooked) rinsed and drained

1 can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon Himalayan Crystal salt
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns, ground
2 tablespoons earth balance butter
4 cups vegetable broth
1 can (15oz) pumpkin puree
1/2 cup red grape juice
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
3 to 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

In a food processor or blender coarsely puree beans and tomatoes.

In a 6 quart heavy kettle cook onion, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper in butter over medium heat, stirring until onion is softened and beginning to brown. Add flour, and stir until well mixed. Stir in bean puree. Mix in broth, pumpkin and grape juice until combined and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Just before serving, add liquid smoke and vinegar and simmer, stirring, until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds.

White Corn Tortilla Soup.

This one is from my friend Brooke's, Simply Real Food blog. It's sooo yummy. I never really thought about how you make tortilla soup so yummy, til now. I honestly didn't realize you actually ground chips in with the soup. I thought that it just meant you ate it with tortilla chips. What was I thinking? Did I really just admit that? Duh. I added a little more spices to mine, and it turned out awesome. Even better the next day for lunch.

5 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch squares
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced white onion
1 1/2 teaspoons minced jalapeño pepper
1 pound white corn kernels, divided
1 can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 pounds red tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup tomato paste
3 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 cups water
1 quart vegetable broth
Garnish: tortilla squares, fresh cilantro, etc.
 

Spray tortilla squares with cooking spray, lay on baking sheet and bake in oven at 375* for about 5-8 minutes until toasted.

 

Over medium-high heat, steam-fry garlic, onion and jalapeño; cook 1-2 minutes, until onion becomes translucent. Add half the corn along with all other ingredients (except garnishes), reserving other half of corn to be added at the end. Bring the soup to a low, even boil. Boil for 5 minutes.

Remove soup from heat. Add in tortilla squares (reserve some for garnish). Use a hand-held processor, food processor, or blender to process soup in batches to the consistency of a course puree.

Return the soup to the burner and add the reserved corn. Bring the soup to a boil once again being extremely careful to avoid scorching or burning. Serve with garnishes. Makes 6-8 servings.

Salads & Sun Drenchers.

I've never really gotten into salads. Weird, huh? My problem with them is that it takes so many ingredients to make it taste really good... which means a little more work then I'd like. And, salad dressings are notorious for being crap in bottles.

But, after I saw this video on Green Smoothie Girl... and went to their website and read all about it... I had to order the Sun Drenchers salad dressing right away... and give them the old college try (thanks to Shayne, I've added that phrase into my repertoire).

The salad dressing is amazing... and it should be at $10.99 a bottle. No worries, I go way easy on my dressings. But now I usually have a big ole salad for lunch, followed by a Shrek Shake for afternoon snack. How's that for some awesome raw, whole foods?!

I'm diggin mine with romaine lettuce, corn, peas, tomatoes, sunflower seeds, beans, sprouts, sweet peppers and carrots.

Spiced Pumpkin Oatmeal.

It's the end of the month... I'm out of my budget money for groceries... my 50 pound bag of steel cut oats is gone... and I'm having to figure out something good for breakfast. I remember seeing this pumpkin oatmeal in my new cookbook... so I pulled it out. Luckily had all the ingredients for... prepped as  much as I could the night before... got up a little earlier to start cooking it for the kids... and bam! It was yummy! I think the cinnamon was a bit strong - so when I do it again I'll tone it down some. It was yummy, but we missed our steel cuts. Creatures of habit. You could do a whole lot worse with no money, that's for sure!

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup raisins

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 tablespoons agave nectar

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients with 4 cups of water in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the oatmeal is creamy.

the get healthy, go vegan cookbook
dr. neal barnard, md
and robyn webb
page 65

Sunflower Seed Sour Cream.

I love real sour cream. I remember while growing up and clearing off the table... I'd use the spoon from the leftover sour cream, get a big scoop, eat it, then stick the spoon in the dishwasher. While it doesn't repulse me to think about it now, I'll never know - but it should. This is from my friend Brooke and is a great sub, and super easy to make.

If I think about it the night before or morning of, I'll soak the sunflower seeds. Makes it so they blend up a lot creamier. If not, no biggie. So good!

1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup water
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove pressed (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

belly bites by week: 5th addition

sunday, 17th

wheatberry pb&j

monday, 18th

quinoa & black beans

tuesday, 19th

red lentil soup

wednesday, 20th

double dave's

thursday, 21st

white chili

friday, 22nd

vegan mexican spaghetti

saturday, 23rd

family dinner at Sweet Tomatoes

Vegan Mexican Spaghetti.

So I updated a classic from about a year ago, which was originally a Rachael Ray... I just took out the beef, alcohol, cinnamon and added tomato. Turned out awesome.

2 ancho chili peppers, stemmed and seeded {i found a big bag of them at Wal-mart}
3 cups vegetable stock
3/4 pound soyrizo {Sprouts}
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 12-ounce can tomato sauce
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
Finely chopped scallions, cilantro or parsley, to garnish

Simmer peppers in stock for 15 minutes to reconstitute, then purée stock and softened peppers in a food processor.

Meanwhile, heat heavy pot over medium-high heat add soyrizo, brown 8-10 minutes. Then add onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper, and cook 8-10 more. Then add tomato paste and cook 1 minute, stirring.

Add tomato sauce, stir a minute more then add the stock and pepper purée. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

While sauce simmers, bring water to boil for spaghetti. Salt water and cook pasta to al dente. Serve in bowls with pasta, sauce on top, and garnish with scallions and cilantro or parsley.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups.

Once I made these yummy raw banana split cheesecake cups, I knew I had to try it with pumpkin. Tis the season! They turned out so yummy and rich and cute. Now, I just need to do them again and take notes along the way. Stay tuned.

White Chili.

When I was first interested in healthier eating I found Ellie Krieger on the Food Network channel, dvred her shows, and watched them... and trying a few. She's a good go between because she still uses all "real" ingredients and none of the stuff you can't find at a normal grocery store. She uses meat and cheeses, but makes them as healthy as she can.

So it was fun to pick up her newest cookbook from the library and see how I can tweak some to fit us. This recipe spoke to me with the white beans, hominy, cumin and coriander... all of which I love. It also called for turkey (1 lb. white meat), which I omitted. And only used 1 instead of the 3 poblano peppers she used. I learned a few recipes back that they were a tad too strong for the kids. Although, it may be the cayenne.... I don't know. I'm too scared to try each on their own to decide which one it is... so I just ease back on both.

White Chili.
1 medium onion
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium poblano pepper, seeded, white ribs removed, and finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
2 - 15 ounce cans white beans (or 3 cups cooked) drained & rinsed
4 cups vegetable broth
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 - 15.5 ounce can hominy, drained and rinsed
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
lime wedges

In a large pot, over medium heat, steam fry the onion, celery, and poblano peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the white beans, broth, and oregano. Cook, partially covered and stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes. 

Add the hominy, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and more cayenne pepper to taste and continue cooking, partially covered, for 10 minutes longer. Ladle into individual bowls and top each serving with cilantro. Garnish with lime wedge. 

adapted from So Easy
by Ellie Krieger
"White Turkey Chili"
page 189

Red Lentil Soup.

This soup is from my friend, Brooke's "Simply Real Food" food blog. It's yummy. It's also the soup that my Coco-koala climbed up the spindles on our kitchen chair to get to. It's also the soup that she ate so fast I wondered if she even chewed anything up. Basically, it was really good. Thanks Brooke!

1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 carrots, chopped (1 cup)
1 can diced tomatoes (or use fresh to equal about 1 1/2 cups)
1 celery rib, chopped
5-6 kale leaves, stems removed, finely chopped
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 cup dried red lentils
1/2 cup millet, optional
5 1/2 cups water
2-3 vegetable bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Steam fry in a 4-5 quart saucepan over med high heat, onion, stirring until golden. Add garlic, carrots, tomato, celery, kale, cumin, coriander, and salt and saute 2 minutes. Add lentils, millet, water, and broth and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in parsley, season with salt and pepper as desired, and serve.

Snack Wrap.

We're in need of a little snack switch-me-up around here. The kids are tiring of veggie cookies and muffins. So I thought these would be a winner.

With Ava's sass lately, she's not a good judge of goodness.

And Nolan will eat most anything - especially if I feed it to him (I know, it's seriously pathetic that I still sometimes feed my 3, almost 4 year old!).

And then there's Coco. One tuff critic. And she liked these. All except the apple peel. Somehow she managed to get that off and spit that, and only that out.

whole wheat wrap/tortilla

natural peanut butter

sliced bananas

thinly sliced apples

pitted dates, chopped

ground cinnamon

Assemble how you like it and as much as you like it... yum. And obviously you could take this concept and take it anywhere your little heart desires. My kids just love things in wraps.

Quinoa and Black Beans.

Yum... Shayne said, "It's good, but it's not like I'm going to request this one." Well, that's all good and all until we saw how much Corynn tore-it-up. And if that stubborn girl likes it... we'll be having it again! It was real good the next day for lunch, wrapped up in a whole grain tortilla with avocado and tomatoes. Thanks Jami!

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels (or one can corn)
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
Juice of one lime
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
garnish with avocado or sour cream

First start by soaking quinoa in water. Before you add it to your sauce pan rinse very well and drain.

Heat some water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Steam-fry the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.

Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Add canned tomatoes (drained). Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro and lime juice.

Wheatberry pb&j

I think I just had the leftover taste in my mouth of the fried peanut butter jelly and banana sandwich I had at the Texas State Fair yesterday... but this sounded soooo good to me.

I just took our regular favorite wheatberry pancakes, slathered some natural peanut butter on it and then put homemade jam dribbling down the sides. Yum. And we called that for dinner tonight... with a shrek shake.

This'll have to tide me over until I can get another fried pbj&b at the fair next year.

belly bites by week: 4th addition

such an easy week...

sunday

spaghetti with roasted veggies & garlic

monday

 family dinner with Stas, Julie, Mom & Dad... Stas cooked his Russian specialty

tuesday

fajitas

wednesday

mexican bowtie pasta & fiber bullets

thursday

 leftover spaghetti

friday

state fair, Jack in the Box on the way home

saturday

dinner with Stas & Julie... Stas' signature Russian dish

{having a BIL who cooks is turning out to be almost as good as a husband that cooks... almost. Thanks Stas & Julie!!}

Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats.

I've been having a taste for those treats I had once when I was little that was made with peanut butter and cheerios and kinda like a rice crispy treat. Are there such things? Or is this a childhood dream that never happened. Until then, I found these... and they did not disappoint. Yum. The original is from YourVeganMom.

6 cups crispy brown rice cereal 
1 cup brown rice syrup (I used date syrup)
1 cup raw, unrefined sugar (I used 1/2 cup)
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon dark molasses (or you can just sub 1c. of brown sugar)
pinch of salt (if your peanut butter's not salted, then add another couple pinches)

Lightly grease a 9 by 12 baking dish, and set aside. Pour cereal into a large bowl and set aside. In a sauce pan over medium heat, stir together the sugar, brown rice syrup, and molasses until just melted and beginning to bubble. Stir in the peanut butter and salt and return to a boil. Pour hot peanut butter mixture over cereal and stir to combine. Press into prepared baking dish. Let cool for about 5 to 10 minutes. Cut into squares. You can eat them at this point or let them cool completely. Do not chill.

And, if you cut them into 30 equal pieces, there's 18.2 grams of carbs in each one. I know this because I love a little boy who has diabetes.

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



Broccoli-Potato Soup with Fresh Herbs.

We call this Shrek Soup... what else would something green be called in this house?! When I first read the recipe I thought simple enough, should be good. But as I was making it, I was worried it wouldn't have enough flavor. Especially since I knew I'd be omitting the mint. I don't eat toothpaste in my soup. But it surprised me, the tarragon and dill really pulled through and everyone liked it. Success!

1 medium-size onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups vegetable stock
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
4 cups broccoli (including the stalks: chop them into thin slices, and the tops into small florets)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Steam-fry the onion in water for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, tarragon, black pepper, and salt, and cook for 1 more minute. Pour in the vegetable stock and add the potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, lower the heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook for 15 more minutes.

Use and immersion blender to blend about one-third of the soup; we like to keep it chunky with lots of whole potato chunks. Puree and then add it back to the rest of the soup.

Add the fresh dill and mint, then let the soup sit for about 10 minutes to let the flavors melt and to cool down. Serve!



page 138-9



 

Spanish Frittata.

I loved this as a regular meat-eater... so after I had to buy some eggs for a craft I was doing for Nolan's preschool - I decided to use up the eggs and halfway fit this recipe back into our food lifestyle. The real deal Rachael Ray recipe is here. It was soooo good. And all was well until I was reminded just why I don't eat eggs. Eggzeronious!

1/2 pound soyrizo {sprouts}
1 jar whole roasted red peppers, drained
1 medium to large onion, chopped
2 cups frozen diced hash brown potatoes, defrosted
4 eggs
1/2 cup almond milk
A few dashes hot sauce (add more if you like it spicy!)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (about a small handful) parsley, chopped
1 cup Manchego cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Place a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the soyrizo in the hot pan until cooked, 5-6 minutes.

While the soyrizo is cooking, prepare a pie plate by lining it with the roasted peppers -- if they're not already broken open, run a knife down the side of them to open up the pocket, just like you're butterflying a chicken breast. Slightly overlap the edges of the peppers so you don't see the bottom or sides of the pan. Put your pie plate onto a baking sheet so it's easier to move later on.

When the soyrizo is cooked, transfer it to the pepper-lined pie plate, spreading it out to evenly cover the bottom. Sprinkle the chopped onion and potatoes over the soyrizo spreading everything out evenly.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, some salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss the parsley into the egg mixture at the last minute, give it a quick stir, then pour the mixture slowly into the pie plate (it may take a second for the liquid to settle into all the nooks and crannies of everything already in the pie plate, so wait for it to settle before adding the rest of your egg mixture). Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top.

Carefully transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the frittata until the eggs are slightly wobbly in the middle and the cheese is golden brown, 30-35 minutes.

Cut the finished frittata into 8 wedges and serve.

Spaghetti with Roasted Veggies & Garlic.

I love spaghetti... and I've been trying to concoct the perfect recipe for a while now. And I think I've got it. The trick is in the roasted garlic. Yum. It obviously doesn't have to be exact - especially if I came up with it.

1 red pepper, seeded & chunked
1 yellow pepper, seeded & chunked
1 orange pepper, seeded & chunked
1 green pepper, seeded & chunked
2 handfuls cremini mushrooms, chunked
1 squash, chunked
1 zucchini, chunked
1 bulb of garlic
1 - 14 oz. tomato sauce, no salt added
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon fennel seed
salt to taste
whole wheat thin spaghetti

Preheat oven to 375*. Cut the top off the bulb of garlic, spray with evoo cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and ground pepper. Wrap in foil and put in the oven, roast for 20-30 minutes.

Cut up the rest of the veggies and put on 1 or 2 baking sheets. Spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes.

Put water onto boil for the pasta. Cook according to package directions.

Put the tomato sauce in a pot over warm heat. When the veggies are done roasting, add them along with the seasonings. Salt to taste - remember you salted the veggies before roasting them. Get all of the roasted garlic cloves out of the bulb and smash them into a paste on a cutting board with a fork. Add to the pot. Let the flavors combine for 10 or so minutes... then chow down.

I also do this in a crockpot. You've got to do the roasted garlic separately... otherwise just put it all in the crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Serve over whole wheat thin spaghetti noodles. Yum. It's even better the next day.

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