Saturday, July 7, 2012

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

From:  http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2009/10/raw-vegan-chocolate-chip-cookie-dough.html
Makes: around 17 balls

2/3 c raw cashews
1/3 c oats
1-2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 c Chocolate Chips

Take Oats & Cashews and get ready to Blend until you have a flour.
Add the Maple, & Vanilla Extract
Blend Again
Add the Chocolate Chips
Stir them
Roll Into Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Chocolate Avocado Buttercream

From:  http://www.passion4eating.com/2010/02/no-butter-chocolate-buttercream-frosting/

Chocolate Avocado Buttercream

  • 1 medium, ripe avocado
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 12 dates or 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • tiny pinch of salt
  • small splash of vanilla
Put dates in hot water for about 10 min to soften.  Make sure to remove seed.  Put in food procssor to get it as close to a paste as possible.  Scoop out the avocado flesh, rough dice it and put into food processor or blender.  Here I used a mini food processor.  Add the cocoa powder, dates or half the powdered sugar, tiny pinch of salt and a little splash of vanilla.  Blend, scrape down sides and blend again.  Taste, add more sugar if you want, blend again.  Taste, again, adjust seasoning like more cocoa if you want a stronger hit.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Warm Spinach Feta and Orzo Salad

servers:  4
From: http://www.grouprecipes.com/18487/warm-spinach-feta-and-orzo-salad.html
Ingredients

  • In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups water with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
  • Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  • Add the orzo and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, combine the feta, olive oil, vinegar, a large pinch of salt, and pepper to taste in a medium bowl.
  • Drain the orzo through a strainer (not a colander—some of the orzo may escape through the holes!) and add to the bowl.
  • Gently stir to coat the orzo with the dressing.
  • Add the spinach, onion and toss once more.

Baked Fish Packets with Broccoli and Squash

Servers: 4
From: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/1634

4 (4-ounce) fillets of fish (cod, halibut, salmon, snapper, sea bass, etc.)
1 large sliced yellow squash
1 large sliced zuccini
2 large carrots pealed and sliced
2 cups small broccoli florets
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
4 sprigs fresh herbs, such as oregano, thyme, rosemary or basil
1 small shallot, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon

Method

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut foil into four 12-inch squares and arrange them on a work surface. Fold each piece in half to form a crease down the middle.

Divide squash, zuccini, and carrots between the squares, arranging it just to the right of each crease. Top squash with broccoli and garlic, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange one fillet on top of each pile of vegetables, then season fillets with salt and pepper. Top each fillet with an herb sprig and some of the chopped shallots.

Drizzle lemon juice over fillets, then wrap up each square of paper or foil to form a sealed pouch. Transfer pouches to a baking sheet and bake until the fish is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Set aside to let cool for 3 to 4 minutes, then cut pouches open and serve immediately.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Pear salad

From: Health.com
servers: 4

10 cups mixed baby lettuce
2 red Bartlett or other red skinned pears
1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons walnut oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
a pinch of sugar
a little black pepper
seeds from a pomegranate

Place lettuce, pear wedges, and walnuts in a bowl; In a separate bowl whisk oil, vinegar, water, mustard, sugar, and pepper; Dress salad; Top with pomegranate seeds.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Almond, Chocolate and Date Torte Recipe (sugar free)

From:  http://www.exclusivelyfood.com.au/2008/06/almond-chocolate-and-date-torte-recipe.html
Serves: Serves about 8
This is sugar free with the exception of the chocolate chips.

1 cup almond
1 cup pitted dates
1 cup mini chocolate chips
4 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease a 8 inch round cake pan. I used a silicone pane for easy removal.

Place almonds in a single layer on a baking tray and bake for seven minutes. Remove from oven and set aside until almonds have cooled to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Alternatively, transfer almonds to a plate or bowl and place them in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

Rinse and drain dates. Dry dates well to avoid making the torte too wet (we lightly press the dates between paper towels). Finely chop dates and place in a medium bowl.

Add chocolate chips to the bowl with the dates.

Process the cooled almonds in the food processor on high speed until the texture is pretty fine or very small chucks - no bigger then chocolate chips.  Add almonds to the bowl with the dates and chocolate.
Stir the dates, chocolate and almonds together until well combined. Separate any clusters of date pieces.

Place egg whites in a large, clean bowl and beat with an electric mixer or electric hand-held beaters on high speed until the egg whites just hold a peak when the beaters are raised.
Sprinkle the date mixture over the egg white mixture. Using a spoon or spatula, gently fold the ingredients together until just combined. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and spread evenly.
Bake torte for 45-50 minutes, until the outside is browned, crisp and dry. The inside of the torte will still be moist.

Remove torte from oven, cover pan with greaseproof paper or a clean tea towel, and set aside to cool to room temperature. Once the torte has completely cooled, remove it from the pan and store in an airtight container (in the refrigerator or at room temperature).
The original recipe does serve it with a whipped cream topping.  It looks more showy with it, but I find the taste of this to be wonderful without the extra topping.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Comment

When I mention egg replacer, I am specifically referencing a product called Egg Replacer by EnerG.  It is a powder that is mixed with water.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Pumpkin Pecan Cookies/bars

From:  Whole Foods

makes about 30 cookies

For Bars see the notes at the bottom.

Toasted pecans are the foundation of this spiced oat cookie, sprinkled with cinnamon and cloves and scented with orange juice and zest. These cookies are tough to resist fresh from the oven...so don't. Dig in when they're warm, or store them for snacking later.

Ingredients

2 cups pecans, toasted and cooled
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup puréed pumpkin
1 tablespoon orange zest (from 2 small oranges)
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 3 small oranges)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped, pitted dates

Method

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Put pecans and oats in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until a fine meal forms, about 25 times. Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves and pulse another 20 times to combine all the ingredients. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Add pumpkin, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla extract and dates to the food processor. Blend until a smooth puree forms, scraping the sides down occasionally, about 1 minute. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Scrape the pumpkin mixture into the well and fold all the ingredients together with a large spatula.

Scoop little heaps (about 2 tablespoons) of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Flatten the batter slightly. Bake 20 minutes, until the bottoms are just browned. Remove to a cooling rack and cool slightly before serving. Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 cookie): 100 calories (50 from fat), 6g total fat, .5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 80mg sodium, 11g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 5g sugar), 2g protein

Pumpkin pecan bars: Because I dislike the length of time it takes to bake out drop cookies, I altered it slightly to make bars. A one stop shop instead of pan after pan. Gotta love that!

Ingredients

2 cups pecans, toasted and cooled
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup sorghum flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 can puréed pumpkin
1 tablespoon orange zest (from 2 small oranges)
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 3 small oranges)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 majool dates or 12 smaller dates

Prepare ingredents just as they mention above. I use a 8x11 pan because I like them really thick. Spray it with cooking oil before putting the batter in. Bake at 375 for 30 min. They will still be slighly soft to the touch when you pull them out. Store in fridge.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Slow Cooker Irish Oatmeal

From: Everything Vegan
Servers: 8

4 cups vanilla almond milk
1 3/4 cups steal cut oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cups pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Coat 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray.  Combine milk, oats, raisins, maple syrup, allspice, and 4 cups water in slow cooker.  Cook on high for 2-4 hours.

Turn off slow cooker.  Add water if needed to get to right consistency.  Add pecans.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Viva Panzanella

Prep/total time: 40 min
Servings: 6

3/4lb Italian bread, cubed (about 8 cups)
21/2 lbs tomatoes (about 8 med chopped)
1 can (15oz) white kidney beans rinsed and drained
1 can (14oz) water packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and quartered
1 cup thinly sliced roasted sweet red peppers
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup Greek olives, sliced

Dressing:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp minced fresh thyme
oregano to taste
1 garlic clove, minced

1.  Place bread on baking sheet and spray with Pam.  Bake at 450 for 8-10min or until golden brown.  Cool to room temp.
2.  In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, beans, artichokes, peppers, basil, onion, olives, and bread.
3.  In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients.  Drixxle over salad and toss to coat.  Serve immediately.