Berry Scones

Ok. My scones are blue. Maybe purple. It's possible that's because I used a different type of berry. Or my lack of patience for the art of "folding" the berries in could be to blame... it was really more of a "stir". But it doesn't really matter, does it? These scones taste wonderful! They are fluffy and just sweet enough. They are great with a cup of coffee or tea and would pair nicely with some vanilla soy ice cream.

I used the recipe Ali posted on her Whole Life Nutrition Facebook page. I substituted Earth Balance for the palm shortening, marionberries for the raspberries, vanilla soy milk for the hemp milk, and I was just a bit short on maple syrup so I topped off the measuring cup with agave nectar. I made these changes only because of the ingredients I had on hand at the time. I bet if you follow Ali's recipe and patiently fold in your berries they won't be blue! Or purple... 

Regardless of the color, they were very quick to prep and bake. Try them right away!

Smoked Tofu and Vegetable Pizza

I picked up a package of smoked tofu at the grocery store the other day. I have a love hate relationship with tofu. It is full of protein and a great meat replacement, but I have found very few recipes where tofu actually enhances the flavor of a dish.

Until now! Smoked tofu may very well be my new best friend. If you've never had smoked tofu, it actually resembles the texture and taste of a smoked cheese, which is prefect for trying to replace cheese or meat in a dish. It is firm, salty and, well, smoky. It was the perfect combination of textures and flavors.  Not soggy and no need to drain or press before using. My kids and husband snacked on slices as I made dinner. 

I found a vegan pizza site that has a Smoked Tofu and cheese pizza along with other delicious pizza recipes. I decided to make my own version and combine several of their pizza topping combinations.

The result was fantastic! A pizza you could serve to guests, vegan and non-vegan.

Give it a try, you'll love it!

Smoked Tofu and Vegetable Vegan Pizza

Ingredients:
½ recipe of your favorite pizza dough
½ cup tomato sauce
1/2 package smoked tofu, cut into small pieces
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 small red bell pepper, cut into narrow strips
1 cup small broccoli florets
1 small zucchini sliced
 ¾ cup grated vegan cheese ( like Veggie shreds Mozzarella & Romano blend)
 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the roasting pan
                

Makes 8 slices

Preheat oven to 500°F  for at least 30 minutes before baking your pizza (the pizza stone should be on the lowest rack position in your oven). Dust your pizza peel with flour or corn meal, and set aside.

Combine the bell pepper, broccoli, zucchini, tofu, mushrooms, and oil in a bowl. Stir together. Transfer vegetables into a roasting pan and place in oven until the vegetables are browned on some spots. About 4- 6 minutes.

Place the dough on prepared peel. Spread the sauce on the pizza dough and sprinkle evenly with the veggies and top with the cheese. Bush the edges of the crust with olive oil. Carefully transfer your pizza from peel to pizza stone, and bake for 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely melted. Remove from the oven and let stand for a minute before cutting.

Crispy Cajun Chickpea Cakes (gluten-free friendly)

These chickpea cakes are fantastic. They are a perfect fix when you want something crunchy and a little bit fried. But they don't leave you feeling guilty for eating crunchy fried food. I have made them a few times now, but needing to substitute the flour for a gluten-free variety has made it difficult to get the cakes to stick together. 

This time I tried chickpea flour (rather than brown rice flour) and they stuck together perfectly. I also didn't have celery or hot sauce, so I doubled the onion and substituted 1 tsp red curry paste. 

The author of this recipe, Vegan Dad, says to add salt and pepper to taste. I added 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp Herbamare, and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. 

I used 1 tsp olive oil for sauteing the onion and bell pepper and then 1 tsp per batch of cakes for frying.

You can find Vegan Dad's recipe at his blog.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies

Honestly, I don't do too much baking since learning of my gluten intolerance. I tried at first but I kept being disappointed with the outcome. I blamed the failed outcomes on my need to substitute ingredients in order to meet my vegan protocol. After all, gluten-free AND vegan can be challenging at times,and as I've mentioned, I'm just too busy to mess around with the non-essentials. Although... sometimes a cookie is an essential item!

Tonight I decided to put my trust in Karina at Gluten Free Goddess as she has never disappointed me before with her dinner items (more reviews to come). Her site is easy to navigate and has many recipes in each of her categories.

I am so pleased with how these cookies turned out. I have never baked with quinoa flakes, and now I must say... quinoa flakes are where it's at! These cookies were easy to make and the end result is the perfect combination of chewy and crunchy, as well as sweet and salty. They are perfect for dunking in a cup of vanilla soy milk or eating all on their own. 

                                    

I can't wait to bake these for unsuspecting gluten and animal product eaters!!   

Please check out Karina's recipe immediately!

I followed the recipe exactly, using Ener-g egg replacer for the eggs and Enjoy Life chocolate chips. Adding the water as she suggests turned out to be essential. My cookies ended up needing 5 tablespoons of water throughout the "rolling into a ball" process.

Oat Free Granola Two ways

My Dear Old Dad has recently been diagnosed with Celiac Disease. He has found gluten free cookies he likes, dinners that fill him up, and a few good breads. But breakfast is still a problem. Many Celiacs are sensitive to oats too which limits cereal options even more. For a hearty cereal lovin' man, Rice Chex just wont cut it. I decided to make oat free, gluten free granola. I was a bit skeptical a decent granola could be made without oats, so I made two recipes. Just in case.

 My first stop for grain free recipes is always the Spunky Coconut. The author, Kelly, is Celiac and writes grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free recipes. She has some super delicious looking baked goods (and donuts which I'm going to try) on her site and granola. I love how each she explains the reason behind choosing the ingredients she uses. You really get an education in food when making her recipes.

This granola was fantastic! After blending a slurry of wet ingredients, I mixed in the nuts and spread it all on the racks of my dehydrator. I used the tray liners to make life easier. I was doubtful that the mush would turn into something crunchy.

But, a little over 24 hours later we had delicious crunchy granola. And the house smelled fantastic! Kelly used strawberries and I used blueberries. Other than that I didn't make any changes. If you like a subtly sweet, clumpy, crunchy granola you'll be thrilled with this recipe.

The second recipe was from a site I'd never been to before. The author is battling cancer and using her food choices to help heal her body. Her recipe called Rice and Spice Granola sounded perfect for my dad and very different from Kelly's. Anna's recipe calls for nuts and seeds mixed with oil, agave, and lots of spices (I loved the nutmeg) then baked for an hour. The nuts toasted, spice flavor warmed, and it turned a nice 'granolaish' brown. This granola didn't clump and wasn't easy to eat as a snack.

  But in almond milk with fruit on top... delicious.

If you love granola, you'll love either one of these recipes. For snacking try Kelly's for delicious 'toasty-ness' try Anna's.

Enjoy!

Marion Berry Scones

There's a fantastic little bakery near us called Ovenbird Bakery. They have delicious vegan and gluten free treats as well as fresh artisan bread and baked goodies made with regular flour. My kids love their Salted White Chocolate chip cookies. If you are anywhere near Independence Oregon, you should give them a try.

I drove the twenty miles the other day just for a slice of their gluten free chocolate pie and a berry scone. But...no scones. Sold out by 11:00 am. They are that good.

I was forced to try recreating them on my own. After searching the web for a vegan scone, I settled on Post Punk Kitchen's Marion berry Lavender Scones.

I don't have any lavender, but I do have mint spreading wildly though my flower beds. For this recipe, I substituted the lavender for the mint and swapped out the flour for the same amount of Pamela's Gluten Free Baking mix. The flour substitution was simple and tasted good but the scones were definitely better the first day. They were so moist they became sticky on day three. If you can use regular flour, you will get a longer shelf life and a bit more crumb.

The mint substitution was fantastic and refreshing. I think you could add Rosemary, coconut, lemon peel or chopped nuts. I will definitely playing with this recipe again!

 These were delicious warm from the oven for breakfast and would make a great dessert with a little dairy free vanilla ice cream.

 So, if you're too far from Ovenbird Bakery or want to try making your own vegan scones, head over to Post Punk Kitchen for the recipe.

Pink Pancakes (Gluten-Free Friendly)

When I first started cooking for my husband, he happily ate whatever I put in front of him. Then, he found a bean I'd tried to hide in his meatloaf. Soon after, he discovered the brown dots mixed into the coating on his chicken were flax seed. But, when he caught me mixing cauliflower into the mashed potatoes, I lost all his trust.

I am stubborn. Now, I puree more finely, hide cans, packages, and recipes. I can fool the biggest skeptic!

These pink pancakes are a perfect way you can fill your family with nutrition secretly too. I call them 'Strawberry Pancakes'. I first got the recipe from Jessica Seinfeld's book Deceptively Delicious. She was on Oprah explaining how she hid veggies in all her kid's food and I was sold. I bought the book to hide veggies from my husband! This book is not gluten free or vegan, but some recipes can be modified.

Jessica's recipe for pink pancakes includes a few non-vegan ingredients I substitute out.For the ricotta I used an equal amount of vanila soy yogurt and I used Bob's Red Mill GF pancake mix. With my skeptical family, I have to explain the pink color, so I add strawberries (and beats) instead of the apples. I buy sliced cooked beats in the produce section at my grocery store. These blend nice and smooth in a food processor with a few drops of water.

My kids and my husband love these pancakes. Try them. It feels good to be sneaky!
Find Jessica's recipe in her book or here.

Fiesta Salad Two Ways

This salad is great to take to a picnic or potluck. Full of fresh, bright ingredients that just get better while waiting for dinner.

I first found this recipe on the Daily Bites Blog, which is full of gluten free, dairy free, recipes. Hallie is a certified holistic nutrition educator and cookbook author. What a great combination. I have had good luck with each recipe of hers I have tried.

With this salad, you throw the dressing ingredients in a blender, toss with everything else, and you're done. Simple.

To keep you avocado from browning, add it to the salad just before serving. Store it in an air tight container, with the pit to keep it nice and green.

 This salad works great for a hot summer evening meal. Just spread a little Earth Balance on a gluten free tortilla, stuff in to a ramekin and bake for about 5 minutes to make your own taco salad bowl. Or add cooked noodles to be a salad. Either way, it's easy and worth a try!

You can find Halle's original recipe here: http://www.dailybitesblog.com/2011/03/29/southwest-pasta-salad-with-black-beans-avocado/)

'Chicken' Nuggets (product review)

We stick to a whole foods diet for the most part in my house, but who doesn't need a frozen standby in their freezer from time to time? I have tried a few brands of meatless chicken nuggets on the two meat and gluten eaters in my house. Since the nuggets aren't gluten-free, I don't know what they taste like or how close they come to the "goodness" of meaty chicken nuggets. But my two taste-testers haven't been thrilled. Which is why I am happy to have found Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders. 

These are not gluten-free either, so I can't actually describe their taste, but they have gotten rave reviews from my family.

The ingredients are reasonable, they look like chicken nuggets, and they make a great side at dinner or a quick bite. Give them a try!  

Tasty Sesame Tempeh

Being the only vegan in my house, I am constantly looking for ways to cook a vegan entree and a meat entree at the same time. Finding a marinade, cooking time and temperature, along with great taste that works for both is a challenge. This recipe easily fits the bill!

This recipe was originally designed for tilapia, but I have modified it to work well with tempeh. I really like Trader Joe's Organic Three Grain Tempeh.


First I slice the tempeh into small two-bite triangles. Then I simmer the slices in vegetable broth for about 10 minutes. Simmering the tempeh softens it and allows for more flavor absorption.









While your tempeh simmers, make your marinade. I double the recipe and marinate the tilapia in one dish and my tempeh in the other. If you like extra sauce, double again. This is a really forgiving recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup orange marmalade
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

      

Mix all your marinade ingredients, add the tempeh, turning once to evenly coat. Cover the dish with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes. After marinating, remove the plastic wrap, and bake at 425 degrees for 9 to 11 minutes. 

Simple and tasty! Enjoy.              

Veggie Corn Dogs (gluten-free friendly)

My kids love to eat corn dogs. I love the ease of corn dogs: pop a frozen dog in the microwave, squeeze out some ketchup and there's lunch. A traditional corn dog is full of preservatives, fat, and chemicals. Not what I want to fill a toddler with!

Several months ago I made the vegan corn dogs on Vegan Dad's site. Vegan Dad is my go-to site when I want a meal, dessert, or bread that would most likely have animal products. Easy vegan food to sneak into a meat eater.

  I was in a hurry the first time I made these corn dogs and didn't follow his directions for letting the dough rest several times throughout the recipe, but the result was passable. This time, I followed all of his 'let rest for 5 minutes' recommendations while making the batter and it was well worth the additional time. After all, it is just waiting, not actual working time.

My challenge this time was to find a veggie dog that our resident carnivore would approve of. We typically use Smart Dogs by Lightlife. The ingredients are not chemicals and they only have 45 calories and 310 grams of sodium (low for a hot dog). But... they look like erasers and taste like smokey erasers. Not convincing to my carnivore. This time we tried Yves Tofu Dogs. They have a few ingredients I can't pronounce, 45 calories, and 300 grams of sodium. BUT... they won the taste test!

So, as far as fast food goes, I think we've found a winner. Not something I want to feed my kids every day, but a fantastic alternative to a traditional dog! Take a look at these labels:

Look at all that fat. Gross, right?                     8 grams of protein and zero cholesterol!

My second challenge for this menu was to make these corn dogs gluten-free. Super limiting in the veggie dog selection! We were back to the more eraser-like dog with Tofu Pups from Lightlife. Not the favorite amongst my taste testers, but  considered "good when wrapped up and dipped in lots of ketchup". My recommendation is to stick with the Yves unless you need gluten-free. Chances are your kiddos won't know the difference.

To make my GF Veggie Corn Dogs, I followed Vegan Dad's recipe but switched out the all-purpose flour for Pamela's Gluten Free Baking Mix. This was simple, except I nearly doubled the amount of flour during mixing. The dough was so sticky, I had to keep adding a tablespoon of flour at a time. Finally, after about a cup and a half of additional flour, I had a dough that didn't stick to the sides of my mixer.

I found it was easier to roll dough around the dog after the stick was in place. I had to keep my mat and rolling pin well-floured to keep my dough from sticking. Also, be sure to cover the dough that you're not using so it doesn't dry out. That's a juicy looking dog, right?

                       

I was able to cover 32 veggie dog halves. We ate a bunch, shared a bunch, and froze the rest. This recipe is well worth the time and later, when you pop a dog in the microwave, you'll know you're not serving grease and chemicals.

Head on over to Vegan Dad for the recipe. Just remember, if you choose to go gluten-free, you will need lots more flour than the 1.5 cups he suggests.
Enjoy!

Summer Squash Lasagna (gluten-free friendly)

Summer Squash Lasagna

When I first realized my gluten intolerance, favorite meals flashed through my mind like memories from a former life. Additionally, I had never known a lasagna without ricotta, mozzarella, egg, and meat. My newly gluten-free, vegan self was saddened by the loss. Happily, with this recipe I can once again enjoy a favorite meal!  

Even if you do not need to eat gluten-free, consider using gluten-free pasta in your favorite pasta dishes. The ingredients in rice pasta or quinoa/rice pasta are much healthier than those in traditional pasta. Be sure you use plenty of water when you're cooking it and check the firmness by tasting it every few minutes toward the end of the designated cooking time. If you follow these tips you will never taste or feel a difference between this healthy, yummy pasta and the traditional variety, but your body will be better off! 

I have served this lasagna to carnivores and gluten-eaters and received rave reviews! It's easy to make and tastes amazing. The recipe is from the June/July 2012 issue of Living Without magazine. The magazine is designed for people with gluten intolerance as well as other food allergies. Check out www.LivingWithout.com for other great allergy-friendly recipes that everyone will enjoy. 

Ingredients (my changes are in italics):

• 1tsp salt
• 15 lasagna noodles I used Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles
• 1 (5 oz) bag fresh baby spinach
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 large shallot, minced 1 bunch green onions, minced
• 2medium zucchini,cut into 1/8-inch thick discs
• 2 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/8-inch thick discs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 pounds part-skim ricotta cheese or dairy-free replacement 1 16oz package firm tofu
• 4 large eggs or flax gel Ener-g egg replacer---just enough for 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp dry parsley or 4 tbsp fresh parsley
• 4 cups good-quality gluten-free marinara sauce I used Amy's Family Marinara
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded I used 1 cup Daiya mozzarella
• 1cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Directions:

1. In a large pot, bring 6 quarts water to a boil, add 1 tsp salt. Add pasta and cook until softened, but not fully cooked, about 6 minutes 5 minutes only. Rinse with cold water and drain. Lay noodles flat on foil to cool. 

2. Preheat oven to 375degrees.

3. In a large skillet, saute spinach in 1 tbsp olive oil just until wilted. Remove from pan and transfer to a plate to cool. Add 1 tbsp additional oil and saute minced green onions for 1 minute. Add zucchini and yellow squash and saute for about 3 minutes or just until squash begins to soften but is not wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

4. In a food processor combine recipe for Ener-g egg replacer, parsley, spinach and tofu and mix well. 

5. Spread a small amount of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch glass pan with a 2-inch high rim. Arrange 4 noodles lengthwise over sauce and one across the bottom, overlapping edges. Spread one-half tofu mixture over pasta. Arrange half the squash over the top. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Daiya cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Top with another layer of noodles followed by half the remaining marinara sauce. Top with remaining tofu mixture, squash, and 1/4 cup Daiya. Top with remaining noodles. Spoon remaining sauce over pasta. 

6. Cover lasagna loosely with aluminum foil. Set on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle with remaining Daiya cheese and Parmesan. Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving or serve at room temperature.   

       

Black Bean Veggie Burger

Make no mistake, this burger will not taste like a beef hamburger. But, if you like veggie burgers, after one bite of this spicy black bean burger you'll never go back to those prepackaged, over-priced ones in your grocery store. Best part: it's completely cholesterol free, has about 3 grams of fat, and 11 grams of protein each.

 I whipped up a soy yogurt chipotle dressing too for the kids to dip into and to drizzle on top. The kids and I like our burgers bun-free. These were good enough to please even the adult carnivore in my home (with a bun and lots of toppings, but I call that a success).

I found this recipe on the website allrecipes.com. I had to substitute out the egg to make it completely vegan. After some googling I found a site that suggested using ground flax seed mixed with water to create a binder.

I chopped up all the veggies in my food processor, mixed the spices with the ground flax seed and warm water, then mashed with the beans and bread crumbs. These formed nice little patties.

I froze the patties for about a half an hour before throwing them on the BBQ. They held together surprisingly well. Yeah! Success without the egg!

These were so good I wished I'd doubled the recipe. They'd be great to freeze and pull out for a quick lunch.

We grilled some yummy corn along with these burgers.

After brushing the corn with olive oil, I sprinkled on salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Unique and delicious!

Here's the burger recipe (my changes are in italics):

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 onion, cut into wedges
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 egg (1 T ground flax seed mixed into 3 T warm water)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
• 1/2 cup (1 cup) bread crumbs

Directions

1. If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.
3. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into mashed beans.
4. In a small bowl, stir together egg flax and water mixture, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.
5. Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.
6. If grilling, place patties on foil freeze patties until fim then place directly on the grill , and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.

Enjoy!

Kale Salad

One of my favorite cooking websites is 101Cookbooks. All of the recipes are vegetarian with a whole foods approach. And the photography is beautiful.

One recipe I go back to quite often is called Raw Tuscan Kale Salad. Kale is one of those super foods everyone should try. This salad is an easy way to sneak a little Super Green into your family. My  husband likes it, my kids gobble it down, and it's fast to prepare. An all around winner!

We planted rows and rows of kale this year. Today we thinned the rows and had a perfect little bundle to make our Raw Kale Salad.

Here is the recipe from 101 Cookbooks (my suggestions are in italics):

Raw Tuscan Kale Salad

1 bunch Tuscan kale  (the kids prefer the curly or flat leaf. but it does wilt faster)
2 thin slices country bread, or two handfuls good, homemade coarse breadcrumbs

1/2 (1) garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch

1/4 cup (or small handful) grated pecorino cheese (omit for vegans)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for garnish

Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon (scant 1/4 cup or ~50ml)

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Trim the bottom few inches off the kale stems and discard. Slice the kale into 3/4-inch ribbons. You should have 4 to 5 cups. Place the kale in a large bowl.

If using the bread, toast it until golden brown on both sides and dry throughout. Tear into small pieces and pulse in a food processor until the mixture forms coarse crumbs, or crumbs to your liking.

Using a mortar and pestle or a knife, pound or mince the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a paste. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup cheese, 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, pinch of salt, pepper flakes, and black pepper and whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the kale and toss very well (the dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat the leaves). Let the salad sit for 5 minutes, then serve topped with the bread crumbs, additional cheese, and a drizzle of oil.

Adapted from the Raw Tuscan Kale Salad with Chiles and Pecorino recipe in Melissa Clark's In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 5 min

Enjoy!