Chick'n and Broccoli Casserole

 Ingredients:

12 oz broccoli florets, cut into bite size pieces

1 small yellow onion, diced

16 oz crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, diced

12-14 oz chicken style seitan, cut into bite sized pieces (thawed, if frozen)

3 tbsp all purpose or whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups plain, unsweetened plant milk (I used almond milk)

1/2 cup dairy free Greek yogurt (I used Kite Hill plain, unsweetened)

1/4 cup vegan mayo (I used Hellmans Vegan)

3/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

2-3 oz vegan cheddar shreds (I use Violife)

1 oz vegan parmesan, grated (Violife or Follow Your Heart are both great)

1. Put onion, broccoli, mushrooms and chick'n in a large deep pan and cook on medium high heat with lid on, stirring occasionally, adding water a tablespoon at a time as needed to keep from sticking, for 5-6 minutes, until the broccoli is soft. 

2. Sprinkle on flour and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in milk and stir to combine. Cook 2-3 minutes until milk thickens. Remove from heat.

3. Add vegan yogurt, mayo, salt and pepper. Stir and taste, adding additional salt and pepper if desired. Keep in mind the cheese you add will also add salt, so don't overdo it here.

4. Pour broccoli mixture into a casserole dish and sprinkle cheeses on top. Broil for 2 minutes to melt cheese. Serve hot. 

Walnut Pesto Veggie Burgers

  

These burgers are delicious! I like to serve mine with some baked sweet potato fries like these super creamy garnet sweet potatoes/yams. I made my own vegan pretzel buns and oil free pesto, but you can feel free to use any bun you want and get store bought vegan pesto.

Walnut Pesto Veggie Burgers

makes 8 burger patties

Patties:

1 small onion, diced 

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup walnuts

2 tbsp ground flaxseed  + 1/4 cup water

1 tbsp vegan pesto

1 1/2 cups (or 1 15 oz can) cooked chickpeas 

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup red pepper flakes

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Burgers:

8 vegan pretzel or whole wheat burger buns

1/4 cup vegan mayo

1 tbsp vegan pesto

2 roasted red peppers, sliced thinly

lettuce or baby kale

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. Put 1/4 cup water in a heated pan, and add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, adding water as needed to prevent sticking.

3. Pulse the nuts in a food processor until they become a coarse meal. Add the onion and garlic mixture and pulse to combine. Add all other patty ingredients except breadcrumbs and pulse to combine. Stir in breadcrumbs.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop a little more than golfball sized amount of dough and flatten into a patty and place on baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough, it should make 8 patties.

5. Bake for 15 minutes, then gently flip and bake another 5-10 minutes, until crisp on the outside. 

6. In the meantime, lightly toast your buns in a frying pan, and mix together additional pesto and mayo.

7. Stack your burgers: Add a light layer of pesto mayo to both top and bottom halves of the buns. Top the bottom half with some baby kale or lettuce. Put burger patty on next, then a light layer of sliced roasted red peppers. Top with the top bun and serve with your favorite side dish. Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Biscotti

While some people may love to have chocolate cake for dessert, or chocolate ice cream as a midnight snack, I personally like my chocolate in the morning. A little indulgence in the morning makes me feel less of a need to indulge on other things throughout the day. Hence, a great morning chocolate treat in the form of Double Chocolate Biscotti.

Biscotti are essentially just a twice baked cookie, so they are crisper and sturdier than regular cookies. This makes them ideal for dunking in beverages like coffee, hot cocoa, or even just a cup of nondairy milk. Their long, thin shape makes them perfect for dunking as well.

This particular biscotti recipe is my favorite, because they taste like a crunchy brownie. Once dunked in coffee, they soften and the chocolate chips melt a little and it's pure bliss!

These are made with the standard cookie method. Cream together sugars and fats, add liquids, then add the dry ingredients.

Double Chocolate Biscotti
makes about 25, depending how thin you cut them

2 tbsp ground flaxseed
3/4 cup cane sugar
2 tbsp (1/4 stick) Earth Balance

6 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp vanilla extract T
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup raw cacao or cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Make flax eggs.
2. Cream together sugar and Earth Balance until there are no lumps. Add applesauce, it will be wet.
3. Add flax eggs and vanilla to the sugar mixture and whip until smooth.
4. Whisk together dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then mix into wet mixture, a little at a time.
5. Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and spread the dough onto it in a long log. Press the log down into a long rectangle, about 3/4 in high, 5-6 inches wide and around 1 1/2 feet long (see picture above).
7. Bake for 35 min, until firm to the touch. Let cool for around 5 minutes.
8. Cut the rectangle making 3/4 inch slices. It's easier to cut straight down with a large knife than to try and slice them.
9. Turn the biscotti on their sides (cut side down) and bake another 10 minutes. Allow to cool, then either dust lightly with powdered sugar, or serve as is. Stored in an airtight container they will stay fresh for about a week, though you'll probably eat them all by then!

Harry Potter Butterbeer and butterscotch recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free, copycat)

I am a huge Harry Potter fan. So when my family and I went to Universal Studios in Florida last spring I had to try the butterbeer. No, it isn't vegan. I wouldn't buy myself one, but when my family members bought some I did give in and have a few sips so I could know what it tasted like. I felt a guilty for having the non-vegan drink, but was drawn in for two reasons. 

Firstly, because the way butterbeer is described in the books it just sounded too tasty to pass up on this insight into the experiences of my favorite characters. Although it isn't warm, as the books describe, I still had to give it a try. The second reason was because I had to know exactly what it tasted like so that I could veganize it, and replicate it as closely as possible. Luckily, I have done just that! So now I never have to give in and have more next time we go to Universal Studios, because I can make it at home any time I like. Plus, it is a great drink to have while having a Harry Potter movie marathon. 

The creamy froth atop the drink was my favorite part of it. The drink itself is actually quite simple and easy, but the froth is what takes the drink to a whole other level. The drink is really just cream soda with a little rum or butter flavoring added. I have the Watkins butter flavoring, which I think is vegan. I haven't been able to find anything that says it isn't anywhere. However, don't get McCormick butter extract, as they say in their description that it is made with real butter. If you are wary of the butter flavoring you can skip it, and just stir a little of the butterscotch into the cream soda to enhance the flavor. Or you can even get butterscotch cream soda and not need to mix anything, just make the froth to top it with.

When you assemble the drink you have two options: you can stir a little of the froth into the cream soda before topping it with more to give it a creamier texture, or you can just top it with the froth and the soda will still be clear. Your choice! The top picture is of it stirred in, the lower picture is of it just topped with the froth. 

BE WARNED!: Sometimes the cream soda mixing with the froth will make it bubble and expand a bit. So be ready to get sipping right away, or don't fill your cup all the way to the top, lest it spill over!

First make your butterscotch. It's a really easy recipe, and you don't need a candy thermometer. Don't be intimidated! Once you make it and see how easy it really is, you'll never want to buy the premade stuff again! It's super good on vanilla nice-cream!

Vegan Butterbeer:

1 batch vegan butterscotch (recipe below, makes enough for 2 batches of butterbeer)

4 bottles cream soda

1 cup Ricemellow Creme (or other vegan marshmallow fluff)

2 heaping tablespoons vegan butterscotch

1 1/2 cups Cocowhip! topping

1/2 tsp imitation butter extract (optional)

1/2 tsp rum extract (optional)

1. Combine Ricemellow Creme and butterscotch and stir until well incorporated. Add Cocowhip! and fold in. If it is thicker than you'd like, just stir in a few tablespoons of cream soda. Set aside.

2. Pour cream soda into chilled glasses and add 1/8 tsp of the extracts you choose to each glass. Gently stir to combine.

3. Optional step: stir about a tablespoon of froth into each glass of cream soda. This makes it have a creamier texture and makes it less clear looking.

4. Top each glass with some of the butterscotch froth and serve!

---- Vegan Butterscotch Recipe ----

1/4 cup vegan butter (I used earthbalance)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup coconut cream

1. Warm the coconut cream in the microwave so it is warm to the touch, but not boiling. 20-30 seconds, depending on the strength of your microwave.

2. In a heavy based sauce pan, melt the butter on medium low heat. Add the brown sugar, salt and lemon juice and stir to combine.

3. Stir continuously until the brown sugar all melts. 

4. Add the warm coconut cream and stir to combine.

5. Stir slowly, but continuously another 2-3 minutes. Then remove from heat. 

6. Done! Allow the butterscotch to cool completely before making the butterbeer froth.

Pumpkin Pie Fruit Leather (vegan + gluten free)

Oh fall.... I love the red, yellow and orange leaves on the trees (along with the leaves on the ground making the crunch crunch noise as you walk on them). The dried corn stalks and the gourdes, the crisp fall air. It all puts me in my happy place.

Especially the pumpkins. I love pumpkins. The way they look, the way they smell, and most of all the way they taste.

This year I got a couple adorable little organic pie pumpkins in the last box of the summer farm share we participated in. I put them out as decorations for a few weeks, then finally cooked them down before they could go bad. Now, what to do with all that delicious pumpkin puree I made?

Firstly, I made some pumpkin pie poptarts. All I had was whole wheat flour, so they turned out a bit grainy, but everyone loved the filling. I had a lot of puree left over even after those, so I used the same seasonings, along with a few other ingredients, and made the poptart filling into fruit leather with my brand new dehydrator. It was a smash hit! Everyone loves it! So now to share the recipe.

One batch of this is enough to fill 1 1/2 of my 10x11 inch dehydrator sheets. So I usually make a double batch and fill 3 sheets. 


Pumpkin Pie Fruit Leather
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 can sweetened condensed coconut milk
1/4 cup coconut sugar (sub brown sugar if you don't have coconut)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
2 tbsp shredded coconut
1 tbsp dried cranberries, finely chopped
Coconut Oil

1. Combine all ingredients except the coconut and cranberries and stir well.

2. Add coconut and cranberries and fold in.

3. Use coconut oil to grease the fruit leather sheets for a dehydrator. Then pour mixture on and spread out into a 1/4 inch thick layer for leathery pieces, or thinner for crispy pumpkin pie chips. It will shrink as it dehydrates.

4. Put in a food dehydrator 8-24 hours at around 134 degrees for leather, or 155ish for chips. Check after 8 hours to see if it is becoming the consistency you are looking for.

5. Take out of the dehydrator and cut into smaller pieces, I usually use a pizza cutter. Store in baggies, or other air tight container.

Dill Tofu Salad Sandwiches (vegan + gluten free options)

Last weekend we went camping! Well... if you can count staying in a camper with several beds, a couch, table, tv, full bathroom and full kitchen camping. Either way, we went to a place in the woods and out on a lake for the weekend and I wanted to make something we could bring with to eat that didn't involve cooking so that we could eat it on the pontoon.
So, as usual, I looked to things that I liked to have before I was vegan. The first thing I came up with was chicken salad sandwiches. I used to copy one that I got at Caribou Coffee all the time, with rosemary and parmesean in it. So I tried to figure out what I could make that would be like my old chicken salad. My solution was making a copy (with some improvements) to the dill tofu salad wrap I periodically get from our local co-op.
This tofu salad works very well as a sandwich, or as a wrap. We like to snack on it by just wrapping a spoonful or two in a leaf of butterhead lettuce (which also makes it gluten free). Plus the recipe is quick, so when I made it to take camping I was able to just toss it together right before we left, in about 10 minutes. Maybe faster if you can chop quickly. My sister (who isn't veg) requested this recipe after trying it while we were camping. It keeps really well (I wrote a week, but have had ours last just fine for two weeks if we don't eat it all first), so it is great to make a big batch for the whole week for a lunch, after work snack, or any time you don't want to cook but want a quick and easy meal.

Dill Tofu Salad Sandwiches
Makes 8-10 sandwiches (or wraps!), depending how much you put in each one

1 14-16 oz block Extra Firm tofu, pressed to drain liquid and crumbled
1/2 cup vegan mayo
1 bunch scallions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/3 c packed fresh dill, minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced (or 1/2 tsp rosemary powder)
2 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

1 loaf bread of choice, we used Dave's Killer Organic Bread
1 head butterhead or romaine lettuce

1. To get the excess water out of the tofu you can put it on a plate with paper towels on it, and then place more paper towels on top of it, followed by another plate and then some cans of food or books on top to put weight on it. Leave it like this for about a half hour before crumbling.
      Another option is to just break off chunks of tofu small enough to fit into your palm and just squeeze out the extra water. It is more labor intensive (and cold!), but much quicker than waiting the half hour for the tofu to drain.

2. Prepare and add all the ingredients (except bread and lettuce) together in any order. Stir and taste to see if you'd like more of any particular ingredient. Store in the fridge for up to a week.

Raw Peppermint Brownies (vegan + gluten free)

I use a wonderful recipe by Oh She Glows to make these amazing raw brownies whenever Ryan gets a sweet tooth. I love her recipe as is, but like it even better with the addition of some peppermint! I made these for a party awhile ago and everyone said they taste like Fannie May chocolate mint bars.

Oh She Glows is also an amazing photographer, so I'll toss in one of her photos since they are so much better than mine:

Mine aren't nearly as pretty, but are even tastier! Ryan doesn't really like walnuts, so I process them all until they are powdery rather than leaving some as chunks.

The only issue I've had with these is that sometimes maple syrup doesn't want to stay combined with the top layer. It seems less likely to separate if the bottom layer is nice and cold before you put the top layer on, and if you mix and add the top layer quickly.

Raw Peppermint Brownies:
Serves 16 (or 2... depending on if you want to share ;)

FOR THE BROWNIES:

• 1 cup raw walnut pieces
• 1/2 cup hulled hemp seeds
• 1.5 cups pitted Medjool dates* (approx. 275g)
• 1/2 cup raw cacao powder or dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt or fine grain sea salt

FOR THE HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE TOPPING:

• 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
• 1/2 cup raw cacao powder or dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or agave nectar for a raw sweetener)
• small pinch pink Himalayan sea salt (or fine grain sea salt)
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp peppermint essential oil or extract (I used Young Living Essential Oil)

Directions:
1. Put walnuts through a food processor until they are very small pieces, almost sand textured.

2. Add the dates and hemp seeds and process until fine and sticky. It should look like a larabar consistency. Add cocoa powder, vanilla and salt and process until combined. 

3. Line an 8x8 square dish with parchment paper. I find it easiest to make a 10x10 square of parchment and cut in 2 inches at each corner towards the middle. Then the parchment edges will overlap and fit perfectly into the dish. 

4. Put dough into the parchment line dish and spread out and press into an even layer with a spatula or your fingers. Put into the freezer for at least 10 minutes.

5. Melt coconut oil over low heat on the stove or for about 15-20 seconds in the microwave. Add all other ingredients and stir to combine. Pour over the brownie layer and put back into the freezer for at least 1 hour. 

6. To serve, lift brownies out of the dish by lifting the parchment paper. Cut slowly with a sharp knife that has been run under hot water to warm the blade. This will keep the top layer from cracking. Instead it will melt through the top layer where you want the pieces cut. 

Keep the finished brownies in the freezer, or the top layer could melt and separate!