Homemade Salad Dressing

Three go-to dressings so you never buy store-bought again. These are great on greens packed high with raw or roasted veg, beans, grains...whatever you like on your salads!

Lemon Dressing

1/4 cup lemon juice

4T olive oil

2t dijon mustard

1t honey

splash of water

small grated garlic clove

(this is a great one to massage into kale for a kale greens salad! Cut 1 bunch kale into strips and pour dressing over. Massage with hands for a few minutes. keep in fridge in sealed container until ready to eat. keeps pretty well for a couple days!)

Tahini Dressing

3T lemon juie

2T tahini

small grated garlic clove

1t chickpea miso paste

1/2t maple syrup
water to thin

Yummy Creamy Dressing

3T rice vinegar

pinch of chili powder

1T vegenaise

1T coconut aminos

juice of a lime

Wish each dressing, whisk all ingredients together and pour over salad. 

Keep in sealed jar in fridge for up to 1 week.

Vegan Cheese Sauce

Vegan Cheese Sauce to go on EVERYTHING. Veggie burgers, nachos, tacos, roasted veggies, pasta, baked potatoes....the list goes on. No flour thickeners. LOVING this sauce! I'm toying with the idea of omitting nightshades (peppers, tomatoes...foods that cause inflammation in joints in the body) because I have what I call "runners knees" and because I had arthritic joints during both pregnancies. I'm just curious if food exacerbate the issue....anyway, that's why the tomato paste is optional. It adds a depth of flavor but is not necessary.

3/4 cup soaked raw cashews

1 cup roasted carrots

1T turmeric

1 med sized onion

1 clove garlic

1/2t salt

2 cups veggie broth

1T dijon mustard

3T nutritional yeast

1T tomato paste (optional)

1t dried italian herbs (optional)

To soak cashews: cover with water and let soak for at least 2 hours or overnight

To roast carrots: cut in half lengthwise and then half again across the width. toss in a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 400* for 20-25 min, flipping half way through. Until fork-tender and a little browned.

-Chop and saute onion in medium sized pan over med-high heat. after a few minutes, add minced garlic and saute for another minute or so, until onion is translucent. 

-Put sauteed onion and garlic into blender.

-Add roasted carrot, cashews and the rest of the ingredients to blender. 

-Blend until smooth. If it's a little too thick, add more veggie broth 1T at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.  

Heat up the sauce on the stove if you wish. Keep in airtight container in fridge for up to a week.

Flourless Chickpea Cookies

These are so easy to make, you just need a food processor or high speed blender. Throw everything in, fold in the carob chips and then you only bake for 11 minutes! So you can have a warm cookie in your mouth 15 minutes after you decide to make them! Made with only feel good ingredients, high in protein, they are a great cookie to have in your recipe box.

Recipe:

1.5 cups chickpeas

1/2 cup plus 2T peanut butter

2 big scoops carob powder

2t vanilla

1t aluminum free baking powder

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup carob chips 

Place all ingredients but the carob chips into the blender and blend into a dough. Empty dough into bowl and fold in the carob chips. Form the dough into flattened circles (about 1/5-2" diameter, helps to wet hands) and bake on greased baking sheet at 350* for 11 min.

Raw Kohlrabi Salad

Kohlrabi is one of my favorite vegetables. Eaten raw, it is refreshing with the same crunch as an apple and a mild, crisp, easy to love taste. It is low in calories and rich in vitamins and dietary fiber. To prepare the bulb to eat: cut off the greens and stems (save for smoothies or saute!) and peel the outer layer (purple or green) off. The outside layer is tough but the inside of the bulb is white and tender.

This salad is yummy and refreshing and super quick to throw together. Use a mandolin to julienne the Kohlrabi and apple if you have one.

Raw Kohlrabi Salad:

3 medium Kohlrabi bulbs peeled and julienned 

1 large apple julienned

1 large carrot, grated

handful of cilantro

2 green onions, white and light green parts chopped

2 radishes thinly sliced

lemon vinaigrette

Toss all together in a bowl and enjoy!

Lemon Vinaigrette:

2T olive oil

Juice of a lemon

 1t dijon mustard

1t sweetener (agave, honey, maple syrup)

pinch salt

Add all to mason jar and shake

Fresh & Easy Phyllo Dough Strawberry Pie

 This is a great light and easy pie to bake for your family for an afternoon treat or weekday dessert. It's one you want to eat right when it comes out of the oven...not one I would make and take to a party or potluck. It's a super yummy, quickly made, really fresh tasting, won't weigh you down pie!

Phyllo dough Strawberry Pie Recipe:

2.5 cups fresh strawberries

6 1/2 sheets phyllo dough

2 T melted coconut oil + 1T for greasing cookie sheet

2 T maple syrup

1T tapioca flour

-pre-heat oven to 350*

-Generously grease rimmed cookie sheet with coconut oil

-Dip your fingers into the melted coconut oil and rub a little oil on each sheet of phyllo dough, layering them on top of each other in a clockwise formation on the cookie sheet. Rub a little more coconut oil all around the outside edge of the layered phyllo dough and roll it up to create the circular outer crust.
- Blend up two cups of the strawberries, the maple syrup and the tapioca flour until strawberries are broken down a bit and all ingredients are combined. No need to go crazy blending here.
-Pour the blended strawberry mixture into the phyllo dough
-Slice up the rest of the strawberries and arrange however you would like on the top of the pie. 
-Cover loosely with tinfoil and bake 20 min
-Uncover and bake another 5-10 minutes until edges are golden brown. Check on it while its baking the last 5-10 so the edges dont burn

I had about 1/4 cup of strawberry mixture leftover this time (because of the size of my pie...they always turn out a little differently because you're just rolling the outer edge by hand) and made these SUPER easy little phyllo dough rectangle tartlet things (based off a My California Roots recipe). I'm giving you all the recipe I came up with because they were really yummy and even easier than the super easy pie above!

Phyllo Dough Tartlet Recipe:

(makes 3 tartlets but you can easily make as many as needed)

3-4 strawberries
2 sheet of phyllo dough
1T coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup leftover strwberry mixture from above

-Preheat oven to 425*
-Grease a rimmed cookie sheet generously with coconut oil and set aside
-Slice the two phyllo sheets in half and then slice those in half again so you have 4 long rectangle shapes.
-Place the four rectangles on top of one another and slice those into 3 sections. You should have 3 small rectangles now, each with 8 layers of phyllo.
-Take one of the small rectangle piles and pull off the top 4 layers. Use your fingers and rub coconut oil on the top of the bottom pile. Add back the top four layers and rub with more coconut oil (you are not greasing every layer. Only the middle and the top of the pile). Place on greased cookie sheet.
-Slice a strawberry and arrange on top of the coconut oiled rectangle pile, then spoon on 1/3 of the strawberry mixture. 
-Repeat with the other two phyllo dough piles. 
-Bake at 425* for 10-15 minutes, careful not to burn.

Baked Ziti

The ultimate Vegan Baked Ziti recipe! Seriously soooo good. Warm, gooey, creamy and cheesy (but without any cream or cheese!) Easy to throw together too because you just throw everything for the
"ricotta" into your high speed blender. Non-vegans will love this ziti too! The vegan ricotta recipe is the same one I use for the Ricotta Pie found here.

Recipe:

Box of pasta of your choice (I usually do a whole wheat spiral kind)

1.5 to 2 jars tomato sauce (depending on how saucy you like it)

1 package extra firm tofu

1 1/2 T tahini

2 cloves garlic

3 T nutritional yeast

pinch of nutmeg

1 1/2 t. white miso

juice of half a lemon

pinch of salt and pepper

2T shallot

Two big handfuls spinach (optional) 

-Pre heat oven to 350*

-Spray 9"x13" baking dish with oil

-Cook pasta according to box directions

-While pasta is cooking, crumble tofu into high powered blender, then add the tahini, garlic, nutritional yeast, nutmeg, miso, lemon juice, salt, pepper and shallot. 

-Blend until combined but don't over process. 

-Mix tomato sauce with two handfuls spinach. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the sauce into the prepared baking dish and spread around.

-When pasta is done, drain. Spread half of the cooked pasta into the bottom of the baking dish.

-Scoop out half the ricotta mixture, 1 big spoonful at a time onto the pasta in the baking dish. place each scoop about an inch or two apart in three long rows over the pasta.

-Pour half the remaining tomato sauce into the baking dish. With the back of your spoon, spread the tomato sauce and the ricotta mixture a little bit over the pasta.

-Repeat with the remaining pasta, ricotta mixture and tomato sauce.

-Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350* for 30 min.

(serves 8 or gives your family great leftovers!)

 

Vegan French Toast (no egg)

This French Toast recipe is sweet and warm and comforting...everything you want in a hearty breakfast! The banana mixture creates a light and sweet, caramelized coating on the bread that tastes incredible. 

Ingredients:

  (Makes two servings)

4 slices of bread 

2T ground flaxseed

1 mashed banana

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2t cinnamon

fruit, maple syrup, vegan butter for the top!

-In small bowl, combined flaxseed with 6T warm water and set aside for a minute, then whisk together until gelatinous.

-In shallow baking dish, whisk together mashed banana, flaxseed mixture, almond milk and cinnamon.

-Add in the bread slices to the baking dish one at a time, soaking one side then flipping to soak the other. Let all the slices sit side by side in the mixture for about five minutes. Then flip and let sit another few minutes. (note: if you are using dense bread or day old bread, soak for an additional 5 minutes.)

-Meanwhile, while bread is soaking, heat up large skillet over medium heat and spray with non-stick spray.

-When the bread is done soaking, place the bread slices in the heated skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes per side. 

-Serve with fresh fruit, vegan butter and maple syrup!

Happiness Cookies :)

These are still our favorites!! Updated recipe below. We make these about every other week because in every plant-based diet, there must be a delicious cookie!! ;)

HAPPINESS COOKIES

1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1T  ground flaxseed
1t vanilla
  3/4 cup plus 2T spelt flour
  1 cup oats
1/2t aluminum free baking powder
1t cinnamon
1/2t fine iodized sea salt
1/3 cup crushed walnuts
1/4 cup raisins or grain sweetened chocolate or carob chips (optional)
 

-Preheat oven to 350* and spray a baking sheet

 -Add 3T hot water to the flaxseed in a small bowl and set aside. 

-In a separate mixing bowl, mix up coconut oil and maple syrup with a hand held mixer (or in mixing bowl) until combined. 

-Whisk the flaxseed and water until it looks gelatinous (30 seconds or so) and add to mixing bowl. -Add vanilla and mix until combined. 

-Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and mix until combined. 

-Add oats and stir until combined. 

-Add nuts and raisins or chocolate/carob chips and mix

-Drop cookie dough rounds onto prepared baking sheet and Bake at 350* for 15 minutes. 

-Should make about 15 cookies.

*I call these happiness cookies because of the DHA/Omega 3s in the walnuts and flaxseed, the dietary fiber and phytochemicals in the oats (oatmeal is one of the foods to nourish the central nervous system) and the lauric acid in the coconut oil which helps your body fight off infection. These cookies help your brain function and help keep your body and brain healthy and happy!

Cardamom Breakfast Cookies

These breakfast cookies are perfect with a cup of tea in the morning or for a nice, relaxing moment during the day.  Just the right little touch of sweetness, they are dense, crumbly and flavorful. Plus you don't even need to get out a mixer to whip them up, you just stir everything together and throw them in the oven. It's really nice having these ready to grab if i'm on the go or if I need a zen moment.  Seriously, with a cup of tea, they are heaven. Cardamom has magical calming powers! ;)

Recipe:

3/4t cardamom

1/4t cinnamon

1/2 cup almond flour or almond meal

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

4T coconut oil, melted

1 flax egg (1T ground flaxseed mixed with 3T water)

3T nut butter

3T maple syrup

1 cup oats

1/4t salt

1/2 cup golden raisins or chopped dates or dried apricots or a combination

1/4 cup chopped raw pecans (optional)

-Heat oven to 350* and spray a cookie sheet

-In a bowl, stir together coconut oil, maple syrup, peanut butter and flax egg.

-Add the cardamom and cinnamon and stir.

-Add the flours, oats, dried fruit, pecans and salt and stir to combine

 -Form cookie dough into balls and flatten a little bit with your hand into a cookie shape (these cookies will not spread out while they cook) and place on cookie sheet.

-Bake for 18 min (makes about 15 cookies) 

*these cookies are crumbly when they are warm, but firm up when cooled.

Hearty Carrot Lentil Soup

I try to cook a meal with lentils at least once a week because they are just so good for your body. This soup is thick and hearty and a great one to make when you barely have any groceries. Somehow I always have a bag of carrots (I guess because I make veggie stock on a weekly basis), and the rest of the ingredients are regular staples that we always have around. Give it a try on a cold day with a nice rustic slice of bread. It's really filling and hearty but wont weigh you down because the ingredients are so clean and healthy!

Recipe: 

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

8 peeled and chopped carrots

1t cumin

1t tumeric

1t coriander

1/2t paprika

1/4t cinnamon

2 cups red lentils

1 tomato chopped or 1 small can diced tomato

6 cups water or veggie broth

unsweetened coconut milk (or almond or soy)

cilantro and crushed red pepper for serving

-Chop and saute onion in olive oil over medium heat in large pot until translucent.

-Add minced garlic and spices. Stir around for a minute or two.

-Add carrots and saute for about 10 min, stirring frequently.

-Add water (or broth), tomato and lentils.

-Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to simmer for 20 min or until lentils are tender.

-Add salt and pepper to taste

-Carefully pour hot soup into high speed blender and blend until smooth.

-Pour back into pot and add some milk so thin to your desired consistency. 

-Serve with cilantro and crushed red pepper.