Greek Vegan Moussaka (with Eggplant & Potatoes), from PPK

Props to Post Punk Kitchen for this kick-ass recipe! We love this casserole, but it does take a good amount of time to create this labor of love. We also add other veggies to the mix (mushrooms and peppers). Enjoy!! 

In our version of this traditional Greek casserole, layers of tender roasted eggplant, potatoes and zucchini are layered with a sublime cinnamon-scented tomato sauce and topped with velvety, creamy topping of pine nut custard. While you might not want to attempt this after a long day of work, it’s a great dish for a potluck or a special Sunday night dinner. The pine nut cream is also a great trick to have up your sleeve or lasagna, pizza or anything calling out for a rich, savory topping. This recipe is modified from Veganomicon.
Note: The zucchini will likely be very watery after roasting, so when it’s cool enough to touch gently but firmly squeeze slices, by the handful, to remove any excess water. This will prevent an overly wet casserole and will help concentrate the flavors.

For the vegetable layer:
1 lb eggplant (2 eggplants)
1 lb zucchini (2 zucchini)
1 1/2 lbs russet-type baking potatoes (using large, long potatoes works perfectly in this recipe) (sweet potatoes & white potatoes)
1/4 cup olive oil

For the sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 large shallots, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup vegetable broth or red wine
2, 15 oz. cans crushed tomatoes, with juice (4 boxes of tomatoes)
2 teaspoons oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
salt to taste

Pine Nut Topping:
1 lb. soft tofu (3 boxes tofu)
1/2 cup pine nuts
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
1 clove garlic
pinch nutmeg
1 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
white pepper to taste
 
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Extra pine nuts for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly oil three baking sheets or shallow pans.
Wash and trim stem from eggplant and zucchini. Scrub and peel potato. Slice the eggplant, zucchini and potato, lengthwise, into approximately 1/4 inch thick slices. Rub eggplant slices with a little salt and set aside in a colander in the sink or in a big bowl for about 15 minutes to soften, briefly rinsing with cold water and squeezing out any excess liquid water.

Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper and place each vegetable on a separate baking sheet. Distribute 1/4 cup oil between the three sheets and sprinkle vegetables with salt (except eggplant if salted already). Toss to coat, making sure each piece is completely coated with oil. Spread vegetables out with minimal overlapping. Roast the zucchini and eggplant for 15 minutes or until tender. Roast the potatoes for about 22 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool.

While vegetables are cooking prepare the tomato sauce. Add remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and minced garlic to a large heavy bottom sauce pot. Bring to medium heat and let garlic sizzle for about 30 seconds, then add shallots and cook until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and simmer until slightly reduced, another 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, ground cinnamon and bay leaf. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 12 to 14 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce should reduce slightly. Turn off the heat, remove bay leaf and adjust salt.

Make the pine nut topping:
In a food processor blend together pine nuts and lemon juice, scrapping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula until a creamy paste forms. Add tofu, garlic, arrowroot, nutmeg, salt and white pepper. Blend until creamy and smooth.

Lightly oil a 9 x 13 pan and pre-heat oven again to 400 F. Spread 1/4 cup of sauce in the pan, then add a layer of the following; eggplant, potatoes, sauce, and half of the breadcrumbs. Spread all of the zucchini on top of this. Top with a final layer of eggplant, potatoes, sauce and breadcrumbs. Use a rubber spatula to evenly spread the pine nut topping over the entire top, smoothing out any uneven spots. Scatter a few pine nuts on top if desired. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until top is lightly browned and a few cracks have formed in the topping. Allow to cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Best vegan PESTO for PIZZA from Oh She Glows

 We are lovin' Oh She Glows recipes lately...here is some cheese and pesto sauce for an incredible vegan pizza night.

Vegan Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. Toast sesame seeds in the oven until golden and then throw all ingredients into a blender. Process for 30-60 seconds. Enjoy your vegan Parmesan cheese!

Vegan Pesto
Ingredients:
• 2/3 cup of my Vegan Parmesan Cheese (see above)
• 6 tbsp raw cashews
• 4 cups fresh basil, stems trimmed off and roughly chopped
• Juice of 1 fresh lemon (approx 2 tbsp)
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Two small handfuls of fresh spinach
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp sea salt
Directions: In a food processor, add the cashews and oil and process until smooth. Now throw in the garlic, Parmesan, and fresh lemon juice and process more. Add in the basil and spinach and
process until smooth. This will make enough for about two crusts.

There should be left over pesto to dip crust in or to freeze for future pizza heaven!

Our Favorite Chana Dal, from Herbivoracious

This is our FAVORITE chana dal recipe. So delicious, especially on a cold day in Finland. Recipe from: Herbivoracious. (A few of our recipe notes in red.)

Puri Jagganath Temple Chana Dal, Herbivoracious Style
Serves 4 as a main course with rice, or 8 as a side dish
Vegetarian and gluten free; vegan if you use oil instead of butter
(We like to double the recipe and freeze some for quick meals)

• 1.5 cups of chana dal
• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons salt
• pinch of sugar
• 1/4 cup dried unsweetened coconut
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• seeds from 4 cardamom pods or 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 4 whole cloves or 1/4 teaspoon clove powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon ghee, butter, or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (we cannot find these in Finland, so we have never used them in this recipe--still turns out delicious!)
• optional: cilantro for garnish

1. Carefully pick through the dals looking for any stray pebbles and such. Rinse them thoroughly. Bring to a boil with 4 cups of water, the turmeric, salt, and sugar. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until the chana dal (and lentils) are almost tender. Don't let them scorch, and do add more water as needed. (this process takes about 45 minutes)
2. Meanwhile, in a small food processor, combine the coconut, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, and coriander seeds with 1/2 cup of very hot water. Puree until it is a rough paste and the coconut has started to soften. Add more water if needed. Add this mixture to the dal and cook for 20 more minutes. We have found that letting the dal cook for an additional 45 minutes here makes it creamier.



It tastes so good, you will want to lick the bowl!

3. Just before serving, heat the butter (we do not roast them in butter, we simply put the mixture on a hot skillet) over a medium-high flame in a small skillet and toss in the remaining cumin seeds along with the mustard, fennel, and fenugreek. Fry for about a minute, until the mustard seeds begin to pop. Don't burn the seeds. Stir them into the dal, taste for any final season adjustments needed, garnish with cilantro, and serve. 

Tofu Scramble, from Food

Dying for a tasty breakfast without eggs? This savory tofu scramble served up with home fries/hash browns and a fruit salad will give you a full dash of energy for the day.  

From: Food.com

  

(see red for our recipe modifications)

1 small onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb firm tofu, crumbled (extra firm is fine, too) (we did not use "crumbled"--we used regular firm tofu and cut it into squares)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon tamari (we did not use tamari)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon sage (I like to use dried rubbed sage)
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 medium tomato, chopped

more veggies: add more mushrooms, carrots, celery, spinach, peppers, and zucchini (empty your veggie drawer!)

Directions:

1.)  In a large saucepan on medium-high heat, saute the onions (and additional veggies except spinach) in oil until translucent.

2.)  In a medium bowl, stir together the crumbled tofu, garlic, nutritional yeast, tamari, mustard, turmeric, sage, basil, salt and pepper (and spinach) until well-mixed.

3.)  Add tofu mixture to onions and scramble until tofu is browned and all the liquid has evaporated.

4.)  Toss with tomatoes and serve immediately.

Delicious Vegan Portabella Pizza!

From: Oh She Glows
See red for our recipe modifications...
Easy Stuffed Portabella Pizza in a Cashew Basil Cheese Sauce

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10-12 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 8 Portabella mushrooms

• 2 cups pizza sauce

• Vegan Cashew Basil Cheese Sauce (see recipe below)

• 1/3 cup of each: red, green, orange pepper, diced

•  1/2 zucchini diced

• 1/3 cup sweet onion, diced

• 2-3 large basil leaves, finely diced

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions: Preheat oven by setting the broiler on low. Take a baking sheet and cover with a silicone non-stick baking mat or parchment paper for easy clean up. Make your Vegan Cashew Basil cheese sauce by using the recipe below. Set aside. Remove stems of Portabellas and gently rub Portabellas with a wet cloth to clean. Place Portabellas ‘belly’ side up on the baking sheet. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of pizza sauce into each Portabella. Now spoon about 2 teaspoons of Vegan Cashew basil Cheese Sauce on top of the pizza sauce (see recipe below). Sprinkle cut-up veggies on top of mushrooms and sauce. Finally, shake on some red pepper flakes and sprinkle finely diced basil on top. Broil in the oven on the lowest temperature setting on the middle rack for about 10-12 minutes (in our oven it took closer to 30 minutes to cook), watching closely as broiler temperatures vary. Serve immediately and enjoy! Serves 3-4. We served it up with a side green salad, quinoa (with walnuts and parsley), and warm bread. OMG, delicious dinner!

Vegan Cashew Basil Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw cashews

• 1/3-1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt, to taste

• 1/2 tsp cold-pressed sunflower oil/olive oil

• 1 fresh basil leaf

• 1 small clove garlic

• 1.5 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions: Place 1 cup of raw cashews in a bowl of water, cover, and soak overnight in the fridge. When cashews are ready, drain and place all ingredients (cashews, Himalayan sea salt, cold-pressed sunflower oil, basil, garlic, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice) into a food processor and process until smooth (we always add a little water to help the "smoothing" process), stopping to scrape sides of processor as necessary. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Place any leftover cheese in a container in the fridge and enjoy with chopped vegetables, crackers, bread, and chips!

Quinoa Burgers From the Vegan Project

Recipe from: The Vegan Project
Inspired by: Vegan Diner

Ingredients:
(Makes about 6 burgers)
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
12 ounces chickpeas (about 1 1/2 cups), canned or homemade, drained
1/2 cup quick oats (not instant)
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning or favourite spice blend
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
2 tablespoons chickpea flour (I used coconut flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Brown rice flour or wholewheat/all purpose flour, for dusting
Olive oil, for cooking
Buns, condiments (lettuce, tomato, mustard, avocado)
Sauteed maple onions:
saute half an onion in 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon maple syrup until slightly caramelized and golden

Method:
In a food processor, add the onion and garlic and pulse until finely chopped. Add the chickpeas and oats and pulse until well mixed.  Don’t puree the mixture. Remove the mixture to a large mixing bowl, and stir in the quinoa, parsley, poultry seasoning, smoked paprika, Bragg Liquid Aminos, and chickpea flour.  Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water, if needed to help the burger mixture stick together, although you don’t want to make the mixture too moist.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Thoroughly mix the ingredients, cover the bowl and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Form the burger mixture into 6 balls, and press into 3 1/2 to 4-inch patties.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, and lightly coat or spray with olive oil.  Place the brown rice flour on a small plate and dust the burgers on all sides with the rice flour.  Add the burgers to the hot skillet.  Cook the patties for about 5 minutes, or until nicely browned and crispy.  Reduce the heat to medium, if necessary, to continue cooking without burning.  Add more olive oil as necessary, to keep the burgers from sticking.  Flip the burgers over and cook on other side.

Remove the burgers from the skillet and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.  Letting them rest will give them a better texture.  Serve the burgers on a fresh, whole grain bun with all the fixings: lettuce, tomato, sauteed maple onions – and don’t forget the mustard!

Vegan Burgers from Oh She Glows!

 A favorite recipe from Oh She Glows! Enjoy!

Our Perfect Veggie Burger

Crunchy, chewy, with a crispy outer shell, these delicious veggie burgers have all the right elements we love in a veggie burger. Light on the beans, these burgers aren’t mushy in the middle, but have a nice mixture of breadcrumbs, chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, and seasonings to round them out. Best of all, they work great in the oven, frying pan, or even on the BBQ. They can also be made gluten-free by using gluten-free oats, Tamari, and breadcrumbs. Don’t have breadcrumbs? Just process a few slices of bread in the food processor for instant breadcrumbs. I used 3 slices of Ezekiel bread.
Inspired by Whitewater Cooks.
Yield: 8 burgers
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• Flax eggs: 2.5 tbsp ground flax + 1/2 cup warm water, mixed in bowl
• 1 cup oats, processed into flour* (other flours might work)
• 1.5 cups bread crumbs (I processed 3 pieces of Ezekiel bread until fine crumb)*
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and roughly pureed or mashed
• Heaping 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (or fresh herb of choice)
• 1/3 cup almonds, chopped (toasted if preferred)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, (toasted if preferred)
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp Tamari (soy sauce)
• 1.5 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp kosher salt)
• 1 cup quinoa (optional...packs another protein kick!)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F (if baking). In a large skillet, sauté onions and garlic in 1/2 tbsp oil. Mix your flax egg together in a small bowl and set aside for at least 10 mins while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Place all ingredients (except spices and salt) into a large mixing bowl and stir very well. Now, add seasonings and salt to taste.
3. With slightly wet hands, shape dough into patties. Pack dough tightly as this will help it stick together. I made 8 medium patties.
4. Cooking methods: You can fry the burgers in a bit of oil on a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side. If baking in the oven, bake for 25-30 mins (15-17 minutes on each side) at 350F, until golden and crisp. For the BBQ, pre-bake the burgers for about 15 minutes in oven before placing on a pre-heated grill until golden and crisp on each side. Our preferred method of cooking was frying in the skillet!!
GF Note: To make these burgers gluten-free, use certified GF oats, GF Tamari, and gluten-free breadcrumbs.

Vegan Almond French Toast from Whole Foods!

 Ah-yeah, vegan french toast that is amazingly delicious with an almond flavor and protein kick. Check out this recipe, from Whole Foods, it even comes with nutrition digits at the bottom. Don't forget to cut up some fresh fruit and serve it on the side.

Ingredients

1 cup vanilla almond milk
2/3 cup mashed plain firm tofu (about 1/4 of a pound)
2 tablespoons smooth roasted almond butter
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
12 slices bread (whole grain or white, as desired)
6 tablespoons lightly toasted sliced almonds
1/8 teaspoon powdered sugar for garnish

Method

Preheat oven to 200°F. Place a large dinner plate in the warmed oven. Combine almond milk, tofu, almond butter, almond extract and cinnamon in a blender. Puree until completely smooth. Pour into a wide shallow dish. Heat a non-stick skillet that has been lightly sprayed or oiled over medium high heat. Dip each piece of bread, one by one, into the almond milk mixture. Drain excess almond milk mixture before placing on hot skillet. Cook French toast until just browned on the bottom (a couple of minutes), turn, and brown the other side. Adjust heat to medium, if necessary, to prevent burning. Place in the oven on warmed plate while preparing the remaining pieces. Serve with toasted almonds and a light sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Nutrition

Per serving: 230 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 11g protein, 29g total carbohydrate (5g dietary fiber, 6g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 300mg sodium

Vegan Oat-Filled Pancakes

Thanks to the author of the (never home) maker blog, this recipe has become one of my FAVORITE pancake recipes (and we lovingly call them "colon-blow pancakes" because they are fiber rich). Loaded with oats (and not much flour) these vegan pancakes give you pure love. I think the mashed banana makes them taste a little like banana bread--another favorite! I have added a little Leasa personality to the original recipe (added in red). Enjoy!
 
What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (unbleached) OR 1/4 c. wheat flour and 1/4 c.buckwheat flour
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened) I only use 1/4 c. coconut and I blend it up with the oats
• 1/3 cup flax meal
• 1/2 cup rolled oats, processed into flour (just put 1/2 cup oats into your food processor and pulse until flour-eeeee)
• 1 ripe banana (the riper, the better)
• 1 cup soy milk OR rice, almond, or oat milk
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon agave
• 1/3 cup rolled oats (you may not need this...the last time I made them I forgot to add the un-blended oats and they turned out not as dense and fluffier...your choice.)

Method . . .

1. Combine all ingredients in the large bowl (fold in the whole rolled oats after everything is sufficiently mixed).
2. Add more milk if necessary (the mixture shouldn't be TOO thick, but it will be relatively dense).
3. Oil a pan (I used canola oil--I prefer safflower oil) and set over medium heat.
4. Do your pancake thing. I found it was easier to make these guys pretty small (4 to 5 inches in diameter) . . . cook them briefly on the one side, then flip and FLATTEN (because they'll tend to fluff up), continue cooking until nicely browned and done the whole way through.
5. Top with vegan butter and maple syrup. Walnuts. Fruit. Whatever else you enjoy.

Vegan "Ancho Lentil Tacos" from Post-Punk!

We LOVE Mexican food and living in Europe makes cooking up a Mexican meal rather challenging because you cannot find all of the ingredients you have at your fingertips in the U.S., but we manage to make it happen about once a week. This recipe (verbatim) is from Post Punk Kitchen, a blog we frequent often these days...red ink are our additions.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups cooked lentils (from about 1 cup dried)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons hot sauce (preferably Cholula)
Spice mix:
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground ancho chile
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt

First combine all of the ingredients for the spice mix and set aside. Also, keep a cup of water within reach, you’ll need to add splashes as you cook.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sautee the onion and garlic in the oil with a pinch of salt for about 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Add spices and toss them for 30 seconds or so to toast.

Lower heat to medium, add lentils, a few splashes of water, tomato paste and hot sauce; use a spatula to mash them a bit as they cook, until they hold together. If your spatula isn’t strong enough to accomplish this, just use a fork. Do this for about 5 minutes, adding splashes of water as necessary if it appears dry. Taste for salt and seasoning; you may want to add more spices or hot sauce. And that’s it, time to serve!

We use this lentil taco mix as a filling for burritos...so, we cut up many vegetables, make guacamole, a black bean dip, make homemade salsa and waaaaaaaah laaaaaaa...you have yourself a delicious Mexican meal.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie (DELICIOUS!)

From the fabulous Alicia Silverstone, "Kind Life" Blog:

Tofu Pumpkin Pie
Serves 8
Ingredients:

• 1 can (16 ounces) pureed pumpkin
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
• 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch to firm up the pie filling
• 1 package (10-12 ounces) silken/soft tofu
• 1 9-in unbaked vegan pie shell

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. 
2. Blend the pumpkin and sugar.
3. Add salt, spices, cornstarch and tofu, mix thoroughly. 
4. Pour mixture into pie shell and bake for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 F and bake for another 60 minutes. 
5. Chill and serve.

NOTE: Don't use the low fat tofu, then the pie tastes like it was made with tofu.

Gwyneth Paltrow's Vegan Buckwheat & Banana Pancakes

Props to Gwyneth for sharing this delicious pancake recipe on her GOOP blog.

INGREDIENTS:

    * 1 1/4 cups fat free soy or rice milk
    * 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    * 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    * 1 tablespoon maple syrup, plus more for serving
    * 1/2 cup buckwheat flour

    * 1 teaspoon baking soda
    * 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour or white spelt flour (substitute rice flour to make pancakes completely gluten-free)
    * 1/2 teaspoon salt
    * 2 bananas, thinly sliced

PREPARATION:

   1. Mix all the wet ingredients together in a small bowl.
   2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a slightly bigger bowl.
   3. Add the wet to the dry and stir just enough to combine – be careful not to over-mix (that’s how you get tough pancakes).
   4. Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat (I love Jamie Oliver’s nonstick cookware – it’s so slippery that I don’t need to use any oil or butter).
   5. Ladle as many pancakes as possible onto your griddle.
   6. Place a few slices of banana on top of each pancake.
   7. Cook for about a minute and a half on the first side or until the surface is covered with small bubbles and the underside is nicely browned.
   8. Flip and cook for about a minute on the second side.
   9. Repeat the process until you run out of batter.
  10. Serve stacked high with plenty of maple syrup.

Vegan Berry Crisp...

This recipe is perfect as a sensational breakfast or a sweet, comforting dessert.

Ingredients:
* 12 ounces frozen blueberries or strawberries or raspberries (or a mixture), rinsed--but save juice
* 5 tbsp agave nectar
* 1 tbsp honey
* 1 cup rolled oats
* ⅓ cup whole wheat flour
* 2 tbsp raw sugar
* Cinnamon to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Place berries (with juice) into 10" glass dish and sprinkle with sugar...let sit in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight to allow sugar to seep into berries. In another bowl, mix oats, agave and flour together until it crumbles. Place crumbs over blueberries and sprinkle cinnamon and just a little honey over top. Bake 10-20 minutes, or until the top is crisp. Add your favorite cream (ice cream, sorbet, whipped cream, apple-soy cream, etc.)

Massaged Kale Avocado Salad

Ingredients:
- 1 bunch purple kale
- 1-2 avocados
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1/2 red onion
- 1 tomato
-1 cup grated carrots
- 1/2 cucumber (optional)
- lemon juice, pepper and sea salt to taste
-sesame seeds
-1/2 tbspn. soy sauce
Directions:
- Wash veggies and chop into small pieces.
- In a bowl literally massage everything (particularly the avocado and lemon juice) into the kale. Massage, massage, massage! Get those hands dirty, become one with your salad.
- Let sit, chill. The salad gets better over time.
*This recipe borrowed from Whole Foods & Healthy Ashley's blog.

Vegan Banana-Molasses Bread

2-3 Overly ripe bananas (the browner & gooey-er the better)
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar (or 1/4 c. sugar & 1/4 c. honey)
2 tbsp. molasses

Mix all of these ingredients together. If you have time let it all marinate in the fridge for a few hours.

Then add:
1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tspn. baking soda
1/2 tspn. salt

Add vegan chocolate chips, if you want a little sweetness.

350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

You are SO Granola!

Mark Bittman's Homemade Granola Recipe:

Makes: About 8 cups
Time: 30 minutes

6 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking or instant)
2 cups mixed nuts and seeds: a combination of sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, sesame seeds, etc.
1 cup shredded coconut (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
Dash salt
1 /2 to 1 cup agave and/or maple syrup, or to taste (*I use less to make it a little more savory. Then, once I pull it out of the oven I squirt a little honey over the cooling granola.*)
1 cup raisins or chopped dried fruit (to be added after baking!)

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl, combine the oats, nuts and seeds, the coconut if you’re using it, cinnamon, salt, and sweetener. Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or a little longer, stirring occasionally. The mixture should brown evenly; the browner it gets without burning, the crunchier the granola will be.
2. Remove the pan from the oven and add the raisins. Cool on a rack, stirring once in a while until the granola reaches room temperature. Transfer to a sealed container and store in the refrigerator; it will keep indefinitely.
Peanut Butter Granola. Any nut butter or tahini will work nicely here; toss in some chocolate chips if you like very sweet granola: Add 1/2cup peanut butter and mix with the 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup until blended. Proceed with the recipe; stir the granola every few minutes while it’s baking to prevent the peanut butter from burning.
Spiced Granola. Add another teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon each ground anise and cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon each freshly grated nutmeg and ground cloves, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

Vegan pancake recipes (Brazilian Style)!

Now that the world knows about Leasa and Charlie's new revolutionary eating style, meat- and dairy- free, I'd like to share three recipes for vegan pancakes. These were collected from different websites a long time ago, but I can't remember which websites. I am not a vegan, but for the past 3 years am having difficulties with processing milk and decided to adopt a dairy-free diet.

There are no beautiful photos of the pancakes as they usually get eaten while they are being made. Let's see if the pancakes survive longer with Leasa, so that she can actually post a photo on this entry afterwards!

All recipes are for two people, or perhaps one very hungry person.

1. Basic /plain vegan pancakes

1 cup flour (white or wholemeal)

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup soy milk

2 tbsp oil (any except olive oil)

1 tsp soda

Mix all together until you get a smooth batter and make the pancakes in a non-stick frypan with some oil in it... which you already know. Sorry.

2. Apple cinnamon vegan pancakes

1 + 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp soda

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp sugar

1 + 1/4 cup soy milk

2 tbsp oil (any except olive oil)

1 apple, grated.

Blend all ingredients together.

Finally, add 1 tbsp baking powder. Mix well and make the pancakes the usual way.

3. Coconut vegan pancakes

1 + 1/4 cup wholemeal flour

1/2 cup grated coconut (dried)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp nutmeg powder

1/4 tsp soda

3/4 cup coconut milk

3/4 cup warm water

1 tbsp maple syrup or honey

1 tbsp vanilla extract - or 1 tbsp vanilla sugar.

Mix well until a smooth batter and make the pancakes the usual way. Serve with diced fruit and maple syrup sauce.

Ratatouille...for you & me!

Charlie recently made me this delicious dish...and I loved it so much I have to share it. It is perfect for a cold night by the fire.

As envisioned by Smitten Kitchen:

1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced

1 cup tomato puree (such as Pomi)

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 small eggplant (my store sells these “Italian Eggplant” that are less than half the size of regular ones; it worked perfectly)

1 smallish zucchini

1 smallish yellow squash

1 longish red bell pepper

Few sprigs fresh thyme

Salt and pepper

Few tablespoons soft goat cheese, for serving
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

1.) Pour tomato puree into bottom of an oval baking dish, approximately 10 inches across the long way. Drop the sliced garlic cloves and chopped onion into the sauce, stir in one tablespoon of the olive oil and season the sauce generously with salt and pepper.

2.) Trim the ends off the eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash. As carefully as you can, trim the ends off the red pepper and remove the core, leaving the edges intact, like a tube.

3.) On a mandoline, adjustable-blade slicer or with a very sharp knife, cut the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper into very thin slices, approximately 1/16-inch thick.

4.) Atop the tomato sauce, arrange slices of prepared vegetables concentrically from the outer edge to the inside of the baking dish, overlapping so just a smidgen of each flat surface is visible, alternating vegetables. You may have a handful leftover that do not fit.

5.) Drizzle the remaining tablespoon olive oil over the vegetables and season them generously with salt and pepper. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs with your fingertips, running them down the stem. Sprinkle the fresh thyme over the dish.

6.) Cover dish with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside. (Tricky, I know, but the hardest thing about this.)

7.) Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, until vegetables have released their liquid and are clearly cooked, but with some structure left so they are not totally limp. They should not be brown at the edges, and you should see that the tomato sauce is bubbling up around them.

8.) Serve with a dab of soft goat cheese on top, alone, or with some crusty French bread, atop polenta, couscous, or your choice of grain.

Veggie Soup

By: Mama Weimer

You can make this soup with any combo of fresh vegetables. Just be sure to include some potatoes or carrots. Leave veggies chunky for a robust soup, or puree half of veggies for extra body.

2 tbsp. Olive oil, 1 large onion (coarsely chopped), l potato (coarsely chopped), l cup broccoli(coarsely chopped), 2 carrots (coarsely chopped), 3 cups vegetable stock, 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. thyme, 1 bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste.

In large saucepan saute onions in oil (3-5 min.) Add remainder of ingredients and simmer(15-20 minutes) or until vegetables are done. Discard bay leaf. Serves 4-6 people. You can always double this to make a large batch.

Tomato Bread Salad with Herbs

1 T red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced & mashed to a paste w/a pinch of salt
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
2 C crusty bread cut into 3/4" cubes
1 lb vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into 3/4" wedges
1/4 C kalamata and/or nicoise olives
1/4 C fresh basil leaves, washed well, chopped fine
1 T fresh marjoram leaves, chopped fine

In a bowl, whisk together vinegar and garlic paste; add pepper to taste. Whisk in oil until emulsified. Add remaining ingredients, salt to taste and toss to combine well. Let stand at room temp for 15 minutes to allow bread to soak up some liquid.