Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Vegan

Ingredients (Yields 9 Full Size Muffins):

• 3 Bananas, mashed or blended
• 2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 2 Tbs Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips (Stevia-Sweetened and Vegan)
• 1 Cup Stevia
• 1 Tbs Banana Extract
• 1/2 Cup Filtered Water
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 Tsp Sea Salt

Instructions:

Add all ingredients above into a large mixing bowl and mix with a large fork or a medium-sized spatular until blended evenly – do not over mix. Add even amounts into a non-stick muffin tin and place into an oven that has been pre-heated to 350 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow 10 minutes to cool after removing from the oven, then remove muffins from muffin tin and place onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Rum Raisin Cupcakes with Tofu Frosting

Rum Raisin Cupcakes with Tofu Frosting

An odd cupcake combination, I know, but these babies are absolutely delicious! I could eat them all day!

Vegan

Ingredients (Yields 8 Cupcakes):

Cupcake

• 1 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1 Cup Stevia in the Raw
• 1/2 Cup Raisins
• 1 3/4 Tsp Baking Soda
• 3 Tsp Rum Extract
• 2 Neat Eggs (2 Tbs Neat Egg + 4 Tbs Water)
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
• 1/2 Cup Melted Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks

Tofu Frosting

• 255 Grams Silken Tofu (Half of a Full-Sized Package)
• 1/2 Cup Stevia in the Raw
• 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon

Instructions:

Cupcake

Combine all of the dry ingredients in one bowl and all the wet ingredients in another. Blend the wet ingredients together until smooth and thoroughly combined, then add to dry ingredients. Mix together until thoroughly blended, then spoon into a muffin/cupcake tin. Place onto the bottom rack in an oven that has been preheated to 350 degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until you can press on the top of the cakes and they bounce back. Remove from the oven and place onto an uncovered plate inside the refrigerator for cooling. Do not place into the freezer.

Tofu Frosting

Combine tofu, stevia, vanilla extract, and cinnamon into a bullet, processor, or blender and blend until smooth. Spoon into a piping bag or a ziplock bag for piping onto the cupcakes.

Final Step

Once cupcakes are cool to the touch, remove from the refrigerator and pipe the tofu frosting onto each cupcake.

Double Chocolate Belgian Waffle

Double Chocolate Belgian Waffle

Vegan

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 2 Tbsps Stevia
• 1 Tbsp Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips (available at Whole Foods – Stevia sweetened and vegan!)
• 1/2 Cup Filtered Water
• 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder

Instructions:

Add all ingredients together in a mixing bowl and mix together until well blended. Add to a preheated non-stick Belgian waffle maker and let cook until waffle iron turns off, or for 3-5 minutes until crispy. Remove carefully when done and serve with your favorite toppings!

Nutty Chocolate Avocado Brownies

Nutty Chocolate Avocado Brownies

Vegan

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1 Cup Stevia
• 1 Avocado
• 1/2 lb Crushed Roasted Hazelnuts
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut Flakes
• 1/3 Cup Cocoa
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce
• 1/2 Cup Filtered Water
• 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp Baking Soda

Instructions:

STEP 1: Roast the hazelnuts in an air fryer for 15 minutes at 200 degrees. After roasting, wrap in a towel and crush with a hammer.

STEP 2: Add avocado and cocoa together in a food processor and blend until smooth.

STEP 3: Add crushed hazelnuts, avocado cocoa blend, and the additional ingredients listed above into a mixing bowl and stir until blended. Do not over stir.

STEP 4: Add mixture into a sprayed bread loaf pan or brownie pan and place into an oven that is preheated to 350 degrees. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes. You will know the brownies are done when you can press down on the top and it is firm, but slightly gives.

STEP 5: Remove from baking pan onto a cooling rack and allow time to cool.

Vegan Thanksgiving – The Results!

As a follow-up to my Thanksgiving menu post I wanted to make sure and post the results – and they were grander than I could have ever imagined! Drum roll…

Everything came out incredibly delicious and I did a couple things different than how I planned in my previous post. Instead of persimmons mini cakes I made a pumpkin-tofu pie, I created a vegan cheese sauce to make the mac n cheese as “cheesy” as possible, and I bought a Gardein Holiday Roast instead of a Tofurkey (so glad – never going Tofurkey again now!)

Final menu:

Gardein Holiday Roast

Oh yes…once you try a Gardein Holiday Roast you will never get a Tofurkey again. Even my meat eating husband LOVED it! I ended up using the packs of gravy that came with the roast for my mushroom and onion gravy and it was equally as delicious (and husband-approved).

Mushroom & Caramelized Onion Gravy

I used the gravy packs that came with the Gardein Holiday Roast. First I caramelized onions and mushrooms in a pan, then I added the gravy and cooked until hot.

• Crimini mushrooms
• White onions

Mashed Parsnips

Check a couple posts below for the full recipe!

• Parsnips
• Unsweetened almond milk
• Adobo seasoning

Balsamic Glazed Roasted Brussel Sprouts & Petite Carrots

These came out amazing – and until now I didn’t realize that I forgot to add the hazelnuts! DARN IT! I ended up mixing balsamic vinegar and imitation honey together, then brushed it over brussel sprouts and petite carrots and seasoned with sea salt. I roasted these in the oven at 425 degrees for 20 minutes on the top shelf.

• Balsamic vinegar
• Imitation honey
• Petite carrots
• Brussel sprouts
• Sea Salt

Baked Mac n’ Cheese

I created a vegan cheese sauce to make the mac n cheese as cheesy as possible. I chopped and boiled the carrot and potato until tender, then added into the food processor with the adobo, yeast seasoning, water, and olive oil and blended until smooth. I then mixed into the cooked pasta. In a square glass baking dish I added half the pasta and spread throughout and topped with Daiya cheddar shreds. I then added the rest of the pasta as a top layer, topped with the rest of the Daiya shreds and sprinkled panko over the top. I baked in the oven at 425 degrees for 20 minutes on the bottom shelf.

• Brown rice penne pasta
• Daiya cheddar shreds
• Panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 large carrot
• 1 russet potato
• 2 tbs adobo seasoning
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast seasoning flakes
• 1 tbs olive oil

Pumpkin Tofu Pie

I created the crust using 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour, 1/4 cup of water, 1/4 cup of apple sauce. I rolled and spread evenly into a glass pie dish and baked at 350 for 10 minutes. As it was baking I added a container of firm tofu, 1/2 cup stevia, a full can of pumpkin, 1 tbs cinnamon, 1 tbs pumpkin pie spice, 1 tbs vanilla extract, and 1/2 tbs nutmeg to the food processor and blended until fine. I added it all into the pie dish and put it back in the oven for 20 minutes. Once out of the oven, I cooled, wrapped in plastic wrap, and then refrigerated until cold.

• Tofu
• Canned organic pumpkin
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Whole wheat pastry flour
• Unsweetened apple sauce
• Stevia
• Vanilla extract

 

My Vegan Thanksgiving Menu

If you are still trying to decide what to make for the holiday, I’ve posted the dishes I will be making below. Since each one of these recipes will be an experiment, besides the mashed parsnips (you can find the recipe from last week) I will be posting general preparation ideas versus exact instructions. Part of making new food is the fun of figuring it out as you go! I hope you get some good ideas from this post – please feel free to steal them all!

MY THANKSGIVING MENU

Tofurkey Veggie Roast

Just following the instructions on this one!

Mushroom & Caramelized Onion Gravy

I’m going to caramelize the onions and oven roast the mushrooms. Once done I’m going to add them all to a small pot with a cup of vegetable stock. I’m going to cook them on a low simmer, and add just enough whole wheat flour to thicken to a gravy-like consistency. I’m not planning on adding any spices because I think the flavor from the stock, mushrooms, and onions will add a good share of richness.

• Crimini mushrooms
• White onions
• Vegetable stock
• Whole wheat flour

Mashed Parsnips

I have already posted this recipe — it is available on the blog. Simple and delicious!

• Parsnips
• Unsweetened almond milk
• Adobo seasoning

Balsamic Glazed Roasted Brussel Sprouts & Hazelnuts

I’m going to blend the balsamic vinegar and imitation honey together until they have a glaze consistency. I’m going to cut all the brussel sprouts in half and place them onto a sprayed baking sheet face down so they can crisp up real nicely. I’ll also put the hazelnuts in with them after lightly crushing them – I don’t want a powder, just nice, large pieces of hazelnuts. I’m anticipating about 20 minutes here, but will be checking frequently. Once the sprouts are lightly browned, I’m going to flip them over and apply the glaze. Then, I’m going to allow them to broil for just about a minute or so to where the browning deepens. Once removed from the oven I’m going to sprinkle the crushed hazelnuts over the top of the sprouts.

• Balsamic vinegar
• Imitation honey
• Hazelnuts
• Brussel sprouts

Baked Mac n’ Cheese

After the pasta is done cooking I’ll mix together with the Daiya shreds and enough almond milk to add a creamy element to the cheese. Then, I’ll add the mac n cheese to a baking pan, cover with another layer of shreds, and sprinkle panko over the top. I’m going to bake for 15-20 minutes at 350.

• Brown rice penne pasta
• Daiya cheddar shreds
• Panko bread crumbs
• Unsweetened almond milk

Persimmons Mini Cakes

This is going to be the real experiment! My plan is to use the whole wheat pastry flour mixed with unsweetened apple sauce as the “crust” by mixing them together until thick and sticky, then rolling them out, cutting out circles, and placing those circles at the bottom of a sprayed muffin tin. Once I’ve done that, I’m going to blend tofu, cinnamon, nutmeg, stevia, and cooked persimmons together in my food processor. I’m going to then layer that mixture on top of the “crust” in the muffin tin. I’m planning to bake for 20-25 minutes at 350.

• Tofu
• Persimmons
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Whole wheat pastry flour
• Unsweetened apple sauce
• Stevia

 

Acorn Squash Muffins

Acorn Squash Muffins

Vegan

Preparation Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 Medium Acorn Squash
• 2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1 Cup Stevia in the Raw
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Water
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt

Instructions:

As a first step, bake your acorn squash. Cut off both ends, cut the squash in half, and remove all the seeds. Place the squash face down on a non-stick baking pan and heat in the oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Once finished, remove from the oven and allow time to cool. After cool enough to handle, spoon the squash out of the shell into a food processor and blend until smooth.

Add your blended squash into a mixing bowl and add all other ingredients: whole wheat pastry flour, water, apple sauce, stevia in the raw, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking power, nutmeg, and sea salt. Hand mix until blended together – do not over mix! Add to a non-stick muffin tin – regular or mini-muffin both work fine based on preference. Place onto the bottom rack of the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

When finished baking, remove from oven and allow 10 minutes for cooling before removing from tin and placing on a cooling rack.

No Bake Raw Vegan Pumpkin Pie

No Bake Raw Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Welcome to October! It’s October 1st so I can officially start posting the pumpkin recipes! Fill all your pumpkin desires with this healthy, nutrition-packed raw vegan pumpkin pie.

Vegan

Preparation Time: 25 Minutes

Ingredients:

Pie Filling

• 16 Ounces Pumpkin Puree
• 1 Container of Firm Tofu (510 grams)
• 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract
• 1 Cup of Stevia
• 3 Tablespoons of Cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons of Nutmeg

Pie Crust

• 1 Cup of Diced Pecans
• 1 Cup of Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
• 1/2 Cup of Chopped Dates
• 1/4 Tablespoon of Sea Salt

Instructions:

For Pie Filling: Add tofu into a food processor and blend until fine. Then, spoon out into a mixing bowl. Add pumpkin puree, cinnamon, stevia, vanilla extract, and nutmeg. Using a whisk, or more preferred, an electric mixer beat the ingredients together until blended finely.

For Pie Crust: Add diced pecans, chopped dates, coconut flakes, and sea salt into a food processor and blend until fine. Spoon out into a 12-inch pie dish. Press crust mixture firmly into the pie dish and along the sides using the bottom of a spatula. The pie crust should start to adhere together and stick, forming a consistent crust.

Add your pie filling to the pie dish evenly over the crust. Cover with plastic wrap and place in your refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours.

Nutrition Facts (Based on 1 Slice):

Vegan Eating – My Top 5 Favorite Products

Everyone has favorites and staples in their diet. Growing up in a vegetarian household we always had tofu and tvp – you could say these were my mother’s staples. Since adopting a vegan lifestyle, I’ve found that having “food staples” is even more important, because although good vegan products are fortunately becoming easier to find, they are still not readily available everywhere. This list represents my top-5 favorite products that are staples in my household. Vegan and vegetarian eating has really come a long way since tofu and tvp!

Daiya Pepperjack Style Shreds

As a vegetarian, my number one vice was always cheese – cheese on everything. As a lover of Mexican and Southwestern food, I always have Daiya’s pepperjack on-hand. Not only does it melt, probably better than most actual cheeses, but it has a creamy consistency too. Tacos, tostadas, and burritos are all happier, healthier, and more humane with Daiya!

So Delicious Coco Whip

I love this company. Coconut milk, coconut creamer, and their sugar-free ice cream lines all make their way through my fridge most weeks. You can always find their Coco Whip in my fridge though! My favorite dessert is fresh fruit mixed in coco whip – you can even sprinkle from crushed nuts or granola over the top to make it a fruit parfait!

Boca Veggie Ground Crumbles

Did I mention I love tacos? And in the cold months, what’s better than a good bowl of chili? Every Sunday night at my house is taco night, and has been for the last 6 years! My husband and I still get just as excited for tacos every week, thanks in large part to Boca’s awesome veggie ground crumbles. My husband, who is an occasional meat-eater (essentially when I’m not feeding him), continues to say he far prefers the veggie protein to meat because it “tastes better” and doesn’t leave him feeling “gross” afterwards. I’d say that is a huge win for Boca and an even bigger win for cows everywhere!

Sweet Earth Seitan

Seitan is one of the highest veggie protein sources around. It’s delicious, juicy, and very malleable. I’ve used Sweet Earth’s seitan in everything from sandwiches, to tacos, to Indian food, to gyros and more – it’s that versatile!

Bragg Liquid Aminos

Everyone has that condiment we “put on everything”. Hot sauce, ranch dressing (in the South), ketchup, mustard – mine is liquid aminos! Liquid aminos tastes just like soy sauce without the added table salt or preservatives.  Bragg Liquid Aminos also contain the following essential Amino Acids: Arginine * Aspartic * Lysine * Glutamic * Serine * Threonine * Alanine * Glycine * Proline * Isoleucine * Methionine * Valine * Phenylalanine * Tyrosine * Leucine. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and essential amino acids are those that your body does not synthesize on its own – they must be consumed from a food source. So not only is this product great for added flavor, but it’s also great for maintaining healthy organs and tissues!

So what are your favorite staples? Feel free to post them in the comments section! We can all benefit from being introduced to great vegan foods.