Coconut Banana Bread Muffins

These muffins are amazing!  You'll want to dive into the batter!!

1 cup white cornmeal
1/2 cup spelt flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour * If you don't have this, just sub spelt or even whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 scoop chia seeds (I used the scoop that comes with the seeds - approx. 2 tbsp.)
1 cup plain soy milk (or any non-dairy milk)
1/2 cup raw agave nectar
1/4 cup oil (I used canola)
2 bananas (1 mashed, 1 cut into chunks)
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tbsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl combine dry ingredients (including coconut and walnuts).  Mix well.  Next - add in rest of ingredients.  This is a one bowl recipe!  :)  Mix until well combined; spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray and fill to top.  Bake for approximately 22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  These muffins are very moist so your toothpick may not be 100% clean, so you can just use your best judgement.  These muffins get a nice golden brown color and are pretty dense.  I know you will enjoy these! :)

Vegan Kielbasa w/ 3 "Greens"

A hearty meal with broccoli raab aka broccoli rabe or rapini, escarole and broccoli.  I added white beans and had it all over organic long grain brown rice. 

You'll need:
1 head of broccoli raab, cut into small pieces
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
1 head of escarole, cut into small pieces - wash this VERY well - it's extremely sandy
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
3 cloves garlic, minced
brown rice, cooked (you can serve it over couscous or quinoa too)
4 vegan kielbasa links
splash of balsamic vinegar, optional

I sliced the vegan kielbasa and drizzled a tiny bit of olive oil on top and baked it in the oven until crispy - turning once to get it browned evenly.  In a large pot I added olive oil and garlic and let simmer over a low flame until fragrant.  Now you can add in your broccoli raab, escarole and broccoli.  Season with sea salt.  Cook until almost tender.  Add in beans and cook until greens are tender.  You can add a splash of balsamic vinegar to the greens and mix well if you'd like - it gives it a nice "bite".  Mix in the kielbasa and serve over rice.  Enjoy!  :)

Creamy Summer Squash Bisque

Please forgive these not-so-nice pictures.  But, this soup is really comforting and delicious!

You'll need:

3 large summer squash, cut into cubes
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 yukon gold potatoes, cubed
1 1/2 tbsp. Veggie - Better Than Bouillon (or any vegan bouillon - or sub vegan broth) mixed with 10 cups of water
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 -1/2 cup plain vegan creamer (I used soy)
salt/pepper to taste
fresh parsely, optional

In a large pot heat the oil; add the onion and garlic & cook until translucent.  Next add in the summer squash and cook until soft.  Add in the rest of the ingredients except the soy creamer and parsley.  Let simmer on low for 35 minutes or until potatoes are soft.  I used an immersion blender and blended soup right in the pot until creamy.  If you don't have an immersion blender, wait until the soup cools down and use your blender or food processor. Once you get the consistency you want then you add in the soy creamer.  Season to taste and cook an additional 5-10 minutes.  Garnish with parsley, if using.  Enjoy!  :)

Whole Wheat Oatmeal-Nut Muffins

Cinnamony & Delicious!

You'll Need:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups quick oats
3/4 cup vegan brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 cups vanilla almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)
1 tbsp. cinnamon (more or less to your liking)
2 tbsp. flaxseed meal mixed with 4 tbsp. water (or equivalent of 2 Eggs using an egg replacer)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

*another variation is to add a mashed banana to the mixture for a banana oatmeal muffin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add all dry ingredients together and then add wet to dry.  Mix well and fill muffin cups 3/4 full.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Enjoy!

Vegan Baba Ganouj (Roasted Eggplant Dip)

Roasted Eggplants

2 large eggplants
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. Vegenaise (or any vegan mayo)
Juice of 1 lemon
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
sea salt, to taste

Directions:

Set oven on 450 degrees.  Put eggplants on a baking sheet and prick a few times with a fork; coat with a little olive oil and bake for about 25 minutes until skin is charred.  Turn over once while cooking to get both sides evenly cooked.  Let eggplants get cool enough to handle and then peel off skin.  Put the flesh in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients and pulse until well combined.  Enjoy with crackers, raw vegetables or even on top of pasta.

Slow Cooker: Whole Wheat Lasagna with Mushroom Marinara

Delicious layers!

Cheeze Layer

All ready to start cooking!

Delicious!!  It came out better than expected in the slow cooker!  The "ricotta" was amazing - you absolutely could not tell it was a cashew-tofu based cheeze.  It had a drier consistency to me this time than usual compared to baking it in the oven and I really loved it.  My husband is who is nowhere near a vegan, let alone a vegetarian loved it! 

You'll need:

Tomato sauce (my previous post has my mushroom marinara recipe)
whole wheat lasagna noodles, uncooked
vegan mozzarella (I used Daiya)
1 lb. soft tofu (not silken)
1/2 cup cashews
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large clove garlic
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. sea salt
fresh parsley, small handful, optional

Cashew-tofu ricotta
In a food processor combine the cashews, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, parsely & salt until a paste forms.  Then drain the tofu and add it to the cashew mixture and process it until it gets a creamy consistency.  You will have to scrape down the sides a few times.  Set aside.

Set your slow cooker on high and coat with a non-stick spray

Cover bottom with marinara sauce, then lasagna noodles - you'll probably have to break the noodles to fit your slow cooker.  Don't worry about this as the noodles will expand while cooking.  Just try to cover the space as best as you can with the noodle pieces.  Then cover the noodles with more sauce; then the "ricotta" cheeze mixtures; vegan mozzarella. Start again.  I did 2 layers and the third layer was just lasagna noodles, marinara sauce and vegan mozzarella.  Cover and cook for about 1 1/2 hours.  The lasagna is done when the noodles are tender - just test with a sharp knife. (yours might be done sooner, so check after an hour).  Enjoy!

Slow Cooker: Mushroom Marinara

Just starting to cook:

Still too hot to comfortably put the oven on... the slow cooker has been a life saver! :)  The marinara came out delicious and super easy!  I may just continue doing it this way in the future!

You'll Need:

Crushed tomatoes or puree - whatever you prefer
(I used a 7 qt. slow cooker and used a 4 lb.+ can of crushed tomatoes)
*water - I filled up my can a 1/4 way (you don't want your tomatoes to be too thick so thin it out a bit w/ water, but don't make it too watery)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. sliced mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
fresh basil (from my dad's garden)  :)
sea salt, to taste
extra virgin olive oil

Put the slow cooker on high and cover the bottom with olive oil. (approx. 3 tbsp.); add the minced garlic and the rest of ingredients.  Mix and cook for approximately 3 hours on high; stirring occasionally.  My slow cooker tends to cook on the hot side, so you may need to cook yours a little longer.  Enjoy!