Blueberry Coconut Lemon Bars

I had some leftover blueberries this week that I wanted to use in something yummy.  Since I've recently gone refined sugar free, it made my search a little bit more difficult.  Thanks to thesweet-toothlife.com, I found this recipe!  Yum, yum, yum!

And, family approved!  Everyone liked them.  Mom said, "I give them 4 out of 5 stars."

BLUEBERRY COCONUT LEMON BARS

Base:

3/4 c. oats

5 T. pure maple syrup

3/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut

Lemon Layer:

1/3 c. melted coconut oil

1/4 c. pure maple syrup

3 T. lemon juice

1 t. lemon extract

1/2 c. unsweetened shredded coconut

1 banana

Blueberry Swirl:

2/3 c. fresh blueberries

3 T. pure maple syrup

1/2 t. vanilla extract

2 T. water

1/2 T. lemon juice

Make the base: Pulse the oats and shredded coconut in blender or food processor until it becomes a rough flour.  Add the maple syrup and process until it all sticks together.  Press into the bottom of an 8x8 square baking pan.  Put in the fridge.

Make the lemon layer: Blend all the ingredients until smooth.  See if you like the taste and adjust if you would like more maple syrup.  Pour into pan over already made base/crust.  Put back in fridge.

Make blueberry swirl: Combine blueberries, water, and lemon juice in a saucepan and boil for one minute.  Transfer to blender/food processor, add maple syrup and vanilla and puree until smooth.  Spoon onto the top of the lemon layer.  Marble using a knife.  Cover and freeze overnight.  Enjoy!

Vegan French Toast

Oh my goodness, this stuff is so good!!

VEGAN FRENCH TOAST

8 Slices French bread (a couple days old is best)
1 c. flour
2 c. almond milk
4 T. silken tofu
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
vegan butter

In a blender, blend all ingredients except the butter and bread.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl and dip the bread in, covering both sides.

Melt butter in a pan and place dipped bread in pan.  Brown on both sides.  Serve topped with fresh fruit or maple syrup.

Millet and Black Beans

MILLET AND BLACK BEANS

1 t. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 c. uncooked millet
2 c. vegetable broth
1 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. frozen corn kernels
15 oz black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
lemon juice

Wash, drain, and pan toast the millet until slightly colored in a dry frying pan, however if strapped for time, simply wash and drain the millet.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.

Mix millet into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth.  Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.  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, cilantro and a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.  Serve hot or chilled.

Sauteed Zucchini

I wanted to cook up some zucchini in a different way than just steaming it.  I found this recipe online and loved it!!



SAUTEED ZUCCHINI

1 clove garlic
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
2 t. olive oil
1 pound zucchini (4 med), trimmed and cut into 2 x 1/4 inch matchsticks
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Smash garlic clove.  Remove and discard the peel and set aside.

Heat oil in frying pan over med-high heat until shimmering.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant but not browned.  Remove garlic and discard.

Add zucchini to the pan and toss until coasted with oil.  Let cook undisturbed until the bottoms of the matchsticks are golden brown.  Toss again and cook until crisp-tender.  Remove the pan from the heat and season with salt and pepper.

Almond "Chicken" Salad

Gave this one a try and really liked it!  (no pictures taken of it, though...)


ALMOND "CHICKEN" SALAD

1 c. raw almonds, soaked
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 T. vegan mayo
1 t. dijon mustard
1/2-1 T. fresh lemon juice (to taste)
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Soak almonds 3-6 hours, until plump.  Then drain and rinse well.

Place almonds in food processor and process till finely chopped.  Place in mixing bowl.  Add all other ingredients and mix well.

Chik'n Broccoli Casserole

CHIK'N BROCCOLI CASSEROLE

1 package Gardein Meatless Chik'n Strips
2 bags frozen broccoli florets
double recipe of "Cheese" Sauce
Bread crumbs
Cooked rice

Preheat oven to 350.

Steam broccoli half-way (should still be very crisp and bright green).  In pan, sautee chik'n strips in a couple tablespoons of olive oil.  Season chik'n with salt and pepper.  Sautee until cooked through and browned slightly.

Cut chik'n into bite-sized pieces.  Add broccoli and chicken together and pour into 8x8 baking dish.  Add "cheese" sauce and mix throughout.  Spinkle bread crumbs over top.  Bake for 15 minutes - until bubbly and hot.

Enjoy over rice!

Eggplant Non-Parmesan

We got some eggplants last week from a lady at church.  I've never cooked with eggplant before and was kind of scared to try.  But, I found this recipe and decided to give it a try.  And guess what?  It turned out really good!!  Will definitely be making it again!   (Recipe courtesy of: Oh She Glows.)

EGGPLANT NON-PARMESAN

1 large, or 2 medium, eggplant(s), peeled and sliced vertically - keep slices same thickness
1 c. almond milk
3/4 c. flour
1 t. apple cider viengar
1/2 t. salt
black pepper to taste
1/4 t. dried oregan
1/4 t. dried parsley
1/4 t. dried basil
2 c. Panko bread crumbs
Oil for frying
Pasta sauce of your choice
Cooked pasta of your choice


Peel and slice eggplant.  Spinkle each slice liberally with salt and spread it around with fingers.  Let it stand for 30 minutes allowing salt to draw out the water.

Make batter by whisking milk, flour, vinegar, salt, pepper, a seasonings together in a medium sized bowl.

After 30 minutes are up, rinse eggplant with water and pat dry with a towel.  Heat a couple inches of oil in frying pan on the stove top over medium heat.  Dip each piece of eggplant into the batter and then into the bread crumbs on each side.  Place in oil and fry on each side for a couple minutes until nice and golden brown.

Place eggplant slices on top of cooked pasta, and top with heated pasta sauce and optional "cheese" sauce.

***Does not reheat well in microwave.  You will need to bake for 5 minutes on each side at 450 to keep them nice and crispy.


"CHEESE" SAUCE

3/4 c. almond milk
6 T. nutritional yeast
1 T. vegan "butter"
1 T. flour
2 t. Dijon mustard
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. onion powder
1/2 t. salt
black pepper to taste

In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour and milk until all clumps are gone.  Add milk and flour mixture, and nutritional yeast to pot and whisk well.  Reduce heat to low-medium.   Add Dijon, and seasonings and whisk frequently until the sauce thickens up.  If it's still too think you can add more flour to achieve the thickness you desire.

Peanut Butter Cookies

I was craving peanut butter cookies this week, so I veganized my Mom's recipe.  They turned out great!!

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

3/4 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. shortening
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
3 T. almond milk
1 T. vanilla
1 flax "egg" (1 T. flax meal + 3 T. water)
1 3/4 c. flour
3/4 t. salt
3/4 t. baking soda

Wisk up flax "egg" in a small bowl, then place in fridge to set up for a few minutes.

Combine first 5 ingredients.  Add flax "egg".  Combine dry ingredients and add to wet.  Bake at 375, on ungreased cookie sheets, after making a criss-cross pattern with a flour dipped fork, for 8-10 minutes (until bottom is barely golden brown).

Chewy Sugar Cookies

I tweaked this recipe today.  They turned out pretty good!

CHEWY SUGAR COOKIES

2 3/4 c.  flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1 c. softened vegan "butter"
1 1/2 c. white sugar
1 flax egg
1 t. vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 375.

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.  Beat in the egg and vanilla.  Gradually blend in dry ingredients.  (If needed add additional flour until batter is to correct consistency).

Roll out dough on floured surface and place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-12 minutes or until slightly golden.  Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to cool on a rack.

Tex-Mex Spaghetti Squash with Black Bean Guacamole

Sounds weird, I know.  But I gave it a try.  And you should too :)

TEX-MEX SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH BLACK BEAN GUACAMOLE

1 med. spaghetti squash
olive oil
ground cumin
ground chili powder
dried oregano
salt
pepper

Guacamole:

2 med avacado
1 med roma tomato, seeded and diced
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
lemon juice
seasoned salt
dried minced onions


Preheat oven to 375.  Slice spaghetti squash in half.  Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place cut side down into baking dish and roast 30-50 minutes - until flesh is soft and easily able to be scraped out.

Prepare quacamole - peel and dice avacados then smash with a fork.  Add tomato and black beans.  Season with lemon juice, seasoned salt and minced onions to taste.

Remove squash from oven.  Scrape flesh out.  Sprinkle with cumin, chili powder, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.  Top with guacamole and serve warm.

Jumbo Stuffed Pasta Shells

These turned out super yummy!  I'm excited to have leftovers to eat for lunch this week.

JUMBO STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

2 1/2 - 3 c. favorite pasta/spaghetti sauce
30 Jumbo pasta shells

3 cloves of garlic (I used the bottled minced garlic - 1/2 t. = 1 clove)
1 med. yellow onion, diced
2 t. olive oil
2 celery stalks, diced
1/2 c. fresh basil leaves, minced
1/2 c. fresh parsley, minced
1 (14 oz) firm tofu, pressed
3 T. nutritional yeast
salt and pepper to taste
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. red pepper flakes

Cook pasta shells until al dente (8-11) minutes.  Drain and set aside to cool.  Preheat oven to 400.

In a large skillet saute garlic and onion in the olive oil for about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add celery, basil, parsley and cook for another 5 minutes.  Pulse tofu in blender and add to skillet.  Stir in nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes.  Over medium heat, cook about 10 minutes until most of the water cooks off.

Spoon 1 c. of the pasta sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish.  Spread around evenly.  Add 1 1/2 - 2 T. of tofu mixture into each shell.  Cover with remaining pasta sauce and any remaining tofu.  Cover dish with foil.  Poke a few air vent holes in foil  Bake about 20 minutes, or until heated through.

The Best Damn Chocolate Cookies Ever

So...I have this chocolate chip cookie recipe that, seriously, is the best damn thing ever.  I've been craving them recently because I haven't made them since ditching all things animal related.  I decided to try an vegan-ize the recipe this weekend.  And guess what?  They're just as good as ever!!

THE BEST DAMN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES EVER

Cream together:

1 c. Earth Balance vegan "butter" spread
1 1/2 c. shortening
3 3/4 c. brown sugar
6 T. almond milk
3 T. vanilla

Add and mix in well:

3 flax meal "eggs" (1 "egg" = 1 T. flax meal + 3 T. water)*

Add combined dry ingredients and mix well:

6 1/2 c. flour
1 T. salt
2 1/4 t. baking soda

Add and stir in with wooden spoon:

2 (12 oz) bags of chocolate chips (I use ghiradelli because they don't use milk fat)

Preheat oven to 350.  Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheets.  Bake 12 minutes - until just barely golden and still a little gooey.  Cool on wire racks and enjoy!!

*It's best to mix up the flax "eggs" a few minutes before you start and let the mixture sit in the fridge to set up a little bit before you're ready to use it.

Peanut Butter Frito Deliciousness

Oh.  My.  Deliciousness.

Seriously.  This stuff is like crack.

Beware.

PEANUT BUTTER FRITO DELICIOUSNESS

1 1/2 bags of Fritos Scoops
1 c. light corn syrup
1 c. light brown sugar
1 c. creamy peanut butter
chocolate chips or M&Ms for garnish


Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Spread Fritos out on parchment paper.

In saucepan, over medium heat, melt corn syrup and sugar.  Stir constantly until sugar is disolved and mixture begins to boil.  Once boiling, remove from heat.  Stir in peanut butter, until melted.  Pour over Fritos.  Sprinkle chocolate chips or M&Ms (if wanted).  Allow to cool.  Then enjoy!!

Sweet Potato Soup

Turned out good, but not perfect yet.  I need to make it again and play around with some different spices to get it just right...

SWEET POTATO SOUP

4 medium sweet potatoes

4 c. vegetable broth

1 (15 oz) can of white beans, drained and rinsed

1-2 t. salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 400.  Bake potatoes until tender (about 1 hour).  Once done, peel and cube potatoes and place in blender or food processor.  Add other ingredients and season to taste.  The soup will be warm enough to serve, but you can put it in a large pot on the stove and heat more if desired.  

Garnish with avocados, croutons, sunflower seeds, or whatever tickles your fancy at the moment.   

**I added some paprika into the soup I made, and ate it with avocados and some tortilla chips.  

**Mom put avocados, croutons, and sunflower seeds and added nutmeg to hers.

Thin Mints

So easy and SO GOOD!


THIN MINTS

1 sleeve of Ritz crackers
2 c. vegan chocolate chips (my fav is Ghirardelli semi-sweet)
2 T. shortening
1 t. mint extract

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave in 10-15 second intervals - stirring between each time - until melted.  Drop Ritz crackers one by one into the chocolate.  Once coated, use a fork to scoop covered crackers out and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Place cookies in fridge or freezer to let chocolate set up.  Then enjoy!

Chik'n Pot Pie

Winner, winner, fake chicken dinner!!


CHIK'N POT PIE

1 vegetable bouillon cube
2 1/2 c. hot water
1/2 c. nutritional yeast
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. olive oil
1 t. garlic salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1 (15 oz) can white potatoes, drained and cut into small pieces
1 1/2 c. frozen mixed corn, peas, and carrots
1 (10oz) bag Gardein teriyaki chik'n strips (save sauce pack to use for something else)
1 box puff pastry sheets

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix vegetable bouillon with hot water to make broth.  Set aside.

Combine nutritional yeast and flour in large pot and stir constantly over low-med heat until lightly toasted.  Add oil, stirring to make a roux.  Slowly whisk in stock, then add garlic salt and pepper.  Add vegetables and chik'n.  Increase heat to med-high and cook until mix just starts to boil.

Roll out 1 sheet of puff pastry and place in 9" pie dish.  Trim to fit.  Place pastry in oven 5-10 minutes, until it starts to puff.  Remove from oven.  Pour in filling and place other pastry sheet on top.  Cut and press edges together.  Make several 1" slits in top.

Bake 20 minutes until golden.

So good!!

Carrot Cake Cookies

I love making cookies!  I found this recipe online this week and immediately knew I had to try them out.  I made a few modifications to make them vegan and they turned out SO GOOD!!

CARROT CAKE COOKIES

1 c. shortening
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 c. raw, grated carrots
1/3 c. crushed pineapple
1 flax egg (1 T. flax meal whisked with 3 T. water)
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking powder
2 1/4 c. flour

FROSTING
6 oz. Toffuti Better Than Cream Cheese (soy cream cheese) - room temp.
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T. pineapple juice
1/2 t. vanilla


Preheat oven to 350.

Make flax egg in a small dish and place in fridge for a few minutes.

Cream shortening and sugar.  Grate, then add carrots and pineapple and mix well.  Add flax egg and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add rest of cookie ingredients and beat until well combined.  It will be a softer dough.  Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes.  DON'T OVERCOOK!

Cool completely on wire racks.  While cookies are cooling, beat all frosting ingredients together until smooth.  Frost cookies and sprinkle with a little extra nutmeg.  Delicious!

Hawaiian Waffles with Tropical Rum and Maple Syrup

Oh my goodness!!  New favorite thing ever!  I got this recipe from meettheshannons.net.  

HAWAIIAN WAFFLES

2 c. Bisquick
2 T. coconut flour
1 c. almond milk
1 T. unsweetened applesauce
1 T. flax meal
1/3 c. pineapple juice

Pineapple slices and sweetened coconut for toppings

Mix all ingredients until smooth and creamy.  Follow instructions on your individual waffle iron for making the waffles.


TROPICAL RUM AND MAPLE SYRUP

2 c. pure maple syrup
2 t. rum extract
1 T. pineapple juice
2 t. margarine

In saucepan, mix all ingredients together and heat over low heat.  Once margarine begins to melt, use spatula to blend in it.  Let it simmer until it begins to bubble.  Remove from heat.

Glazed Lentil Walnut Loaf

I got this recipe from ohsheglows.com.  I changed it a bit by taking out the raisins that she puts in it.  Because I hate raisins.  When I'm president of the United States I'm abolishing raisins.

LENTIL WALNUT LOAF

1 c. uncooked green lentils

1 c. walnuts, finely chopped and toasted

3 T flax meal + 1/2 c. water

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 c. diced yellow onion

1 c. diced celery

1 c. grated carrot

1/3 c. sweet apple (firm variety - I used a honeycrisp), peeled and grated

1/2 c. oat flour

3/4 c. bread crumbs

3/4 t. dried thyme

3/4 t. salt

pepper to taste

GLAZE

1/4 c. ketchup

1 T. pure maple syrup

2 T. unsweetened applesauce

2 T. balsamic vinegar

Rinse and strain the lentils.  In a pot, with 3 c. water bring to a boil and season with salt.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for at least 40-45 minutes.  Stir frequently and add more water as needed (I ended up adding an additional 2 c. of water).  You want to overcook the lentils slightly until they are a doughy consistency.  Mash lentils slightly with a spoon when done.  

While lentils are cooking, toast walnuts at 325 for 8-10 minutes.  Set aside and increase heat to 350.  

Whisk flax meal and water and set aside.  

Heat 1 t. of olive oil over medium heat.  Saute garlic and onion for 5 minutes.  Season with salt.  Then add celery, carrot, and apple.  Saute 5 minutes more.  Remove from heat.  Mix all ingredients together in large bowl.  Adjust seasoning to taste.  

Grease loaf pan.  Press mixture in firmly.  Whisk glaze ingredients and spread half on top of loaf.  Save the rest for dipping sauce.  Bake 40-50 minutes, uncovered, until edges are lightly brown.  Cool 10 minutes then serve!

No-Bake Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Holy crap, these were amazing!  They're not healthy, by any means, but they made my mouth very happy last night!


NO-BAKE PUMPKIN OATMEAL COOKIES

1 1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
3/4 cup margarine
2/3 c. almond milk
1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix + 1 T. pumpkin pie spice
3 1/2 c. quick oats
1 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. vanilla

In a saucepan combine sugars, margarine, and milk.  Bring to a boil.  Boil for two minutes.

Remove from heat and add pudding mix and 1 T. pumpkin pie spice, stirring to combine completely.  Add teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and oats.  Stir to combine and let stand 5 minutes.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto waxed paper and allow to cool completely.  Store in airtight container.