Tag Archives: vegan

Broccoli Chowder |vegan|oil-free|gluten-free

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BroccoliChowder

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!

I know, I know.  It’s been forever since I posted a recipe.  In my defense, we had a lot going on.  The last year has been the busiest, and best, ever.  We were involved in a not-so-fun lawsuit (are they ever fun?); planned and executed an incredible destination wedding for our daughter and now son-in-law; put our CA home of 14 years on the market and sold it; purchased our forever home on Maui; packed up and/or purged many years of memories and other junk; moved to Maui!!  So, while it’s all great as you can see, my head wasn’t really in the game for posting recipes, even though creating recipes and cooking is always a regular thing for me.

This particular recipe is one I came up with as a way to use a huge bag of broccoli I had gotten at Costco.  It turned out great.  I’ve made it a few times since and it really is yummy – the family loves it.  It’s easy too.  As with most healthy, plant-based dishes, there is prep and chopping involved but once that’s taken care of, the rest is a cinch.

And remember, while Earth Day is a great way to commemorate our amazing planet, we need to do it EVERY DAY!  Do your best, every day, to avoid animal products (nothing damages the planet more than livestock production and over-fishing), minimize use of single-use products that pollute our oceans and harm sea life, use less electricity, walk or bike instead of driving, consider a hybrid or electric car, pay close attention to water usage and avoid using chemicals in your home.  YOU GOT THIS!

Amazing Banana Bread – dairy, egg, gluten and oil free!!

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bananabread2Ok, so I’ve been attempting to create a vegan, oil-free, gluten-free banana bread for years with little success.

UNTIL NOW!

Everything I have come up with in the past was fine, edible of course, but wasn’t reminiscent of true banana bread. You know, the super moist, dense, fattening-tasting kind (though I will say I could always taste egg in traditional banana bread and it really grossed me out). This recipe has a special ingredient to give it those qualities it was missing before.  Wait for it……

Almond flour!

I know quite a few people are using almond flour these days (think Paleo. Ugh. Pulease). Most people using it are avoiding grains (again, pulease), and using way too much of the stuff, making the baked goods super fattening. I have created this quick-bread with a combination of flours which helps cut down the fat but still gives it that yummy, dense and moist texture of traditional banana bread. Of course, the other trick to amazing banana bread is overripe bananas. I’ve tested this recipe 5 times and it’s come out great every time using 1 1/2 to 1 2/3 cups of banana, which is the equivalent of about 3-4 bananas.

One of the best things about this recipe, other than the texture and flavor, is how quick and easy it is to make. I have the batter ready to go before the oven is even preheated! You can dump all the ingredients in one bowl and mix!

Again, this banana bread is vegan, oil-free, gluten-free, egg-free and refined sugar-free, using only 1/3 cup maple syrup to sweeten. It’s not nut-free of course, so if you must avoid almonds I’m so sorry!! I haven’t spent time experimenting with a substitute but I could if there is interest out there. Anyway, I hope you try this and love it as much as we do. Add 1/3 cup chocolate chips for a special treat!

Mexican Quinoa Salad w/Lime Cumin Dressing

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I thrMexQuinoaSalad1ew this together recently for dinner when it was over 100 degrees outside.  Didn’t feel like a hot meal, and definitely didn’t feel like turning on the oven or spending a lot of time at the stove.  The only cooking required is for the quinoa and that’s super quick, especially if you have a pressure cooker in which it quinoa takes 5 minutes at high pressure.

This is a great dish to share at a potluck, picnic, or for this coming weekend, a Labor Day BBQ.  It holds up well in the fridge for a few days; the sauce/dressing soaks in quite a bit but the flavor is still there.  Delicious on its own or on a bed of lettuce.

Lemony Coconut Clusters [vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, nut-free, soy-free)

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LemonCoconutClusters1I threw these together one morning when I knew my green smoothie wasn’t going to be enough.  I just needed something to chew and help me feel satiated.  These little bundles did the trick. If you’re looking for light, airy and fluffy, run away.  They are dense, fiber-filled clusters of lemony, oaty goodness.  I love oats, and I adore lemon, especially during warm months, so the combo seemed like a good fit.  Just zesting lemons instantly elevates my mood so I especially love dishes that call for lemon.  This recipe is super easy and quick to make, and very healthy consisting of healthy, whole foods.  These are every bit as good without coconut so if you don’t care for it or can’t have it, feel free to omit.  Make sure your bananas are very ripe; if they aren’t you may need to add more than the called-for 1 tablespoon of maple syrup.

Enjoy!

Red Lentil Taco “Meat”

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TacoMeat TacosTacos are the world’s best food.  That’s how we feel in my house, anyway.  Tacos are just so versatile and easy.  You can put practically anything in a tortilla and call it a taco! We use all sorts of different things like mushrooms, squash, potatoes, veggies, and all different types of beans.  This one, using red lentils, is a staple for us.  It’s super easy and is reminiscent of ground taco meat, like the kind we used to have back when we ate like crap and fried our tortillas (did I just say that?).

Of course, you can make tacos with the fake taco meat sold in stores, but that stuff is highly processed and has a ton of fat and oil.  I’d much rather use healthy, fiber-rich filling and save my fat for avocado and Sour Un-Cream.  I use my own, homemade taco seasoning but you can use store-bought if you’d like.  For me, most of them are too spicy, salty and many have MSG. See below for my recipe.  Also, see in Recipe Notes for slow cooker directions.

2 TBS chili powder, 2 TBS cumin, 1 TBS smoked paprika, 1 TBS sea salt, 1/2 TBS onion powder, 1/2 TBS garlic powder, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne.  Shake everything up in a small jar and use whenever you make Taco “Meat”.

Now have at it!

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal [dairy, oil, egg, gluten and refined sugar-free]

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bakedoatmeal1 In honor of National Oatmeal Day on 10/29/16 (tell me about it; they have a day for everything), I wanted to share this recipe for Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal.  I love it! The texture sort of reminds me of firm bread pudding. Better yet, it has no dairy, eggs, oil, gluten and is sweetened only with fruit! It’s really easy to make and great to serve for a brunch, your own breakfast or I often eat it as a snack.  I like to eat it cold with a little soy milk poured on top, but it’s also really good warm.  It’s mildly sweet so a little maple syrup drizzle wouldn’t be the worst idea.  🙂  One quarter of the pan is officially a serving but when eating it as a snack I generally slice up an eighth of the pan.

Baked Chickpeas

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bakedchickpeas2I try to have a batch of these around as often as possible.  They are so flavorful and easy to make.  Great to have on hand to grab when you need something quick.  They don’t quite come out crunchy but they are firm, and the sauce hardens somewhat as the chickpeas cool.  If you want them crunchy, I would try cooking them longer, at a higher temp or use a dehydrator.

Lemon Blueberry Loaf [gluten-free + vegan + oil-free]

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LemonLoaf2 This was one of those recipes in which I had a craving for flavor (in this case, lemon) and a new dish was born.  Yummy! I’ve been experimenting more and more with aquafaba, the juice from canned chickpeas, and really liking the results.

It looks like there are a lot of ingredients here but a lot of them are spices.  It really isn’t any more labor intensive than any other loaf, muffin or cookie recipe I’ve got.  The key is to put the blueberries in the bottom of the loaf pan so that when it cools and you flip it over, you have a yummy, dark purple blueberry topping.  Cool looking and even better tasting.

Salted Chocolate Brownies [vegan, gluten-free, oil-free]

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Salted Chocolate Brownies

Recipe updated/improved 1/8/17.  

I realize I have a brownie recipe on this site already but you can never have too many brownie recipes! This one is my favorite and really easy to make.  I’ve made them for dessert aficionados and non-vegan foodies alike and neither could believe they 1) were made with black beans and 2) weren’t made with refined sugar, oil or eggs like most brownies.  If you like peanut butter I recommend using it here, even though the flavor in the finished product is mild.  If you don’t like it or can’t have it, by all means use almond butter or the nut/seed butter of your choice.