Strawberry Swirl Brownies

Ingredients:

1.5 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp salt
0.75 cup sugar
1/3 cup chocolate chips
1 tbsp arrowroot starch
2 tbsp soymilk
0.5 cup soymilk
3 tbsp liquid sweetener (maple, agave, brown rice syrup)
0.5 cup canola oil
1.5 tsp vanilla

0.5 cups strawberry jam – or any other fruit topping you like.

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray. Sift together the flour through chocolate chips in a large bowl. Make a slurry of the arrowroot starch and 2 tbsp soymilk, combine that with all the remaining wet ingredients, except the jam, and stir the wet into the dry until combined.

Spread evenly into the pan and then dollop the jam across the top. using a fork swirl the jam around the brownies. Bake 20-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

These brownies are a bit more cake like than fudgy – just an FYI!

Blueberry Oat Bars

Ingredients:

Blueberry Sauce:
2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries
0.25 cup sugar
1 tbsp arrowroot starch
3 tbsp water

Dough:
1.5 cups flour
1.5 cup oats – measured, then ground
0.5 cup oats
1.5 tsp baking soda
0.5 tsp salt
0.25 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sugar
0.5 cup canola oil
0.25 to 0.5 cup almond milk
1 tbsp vanilla

Method:
For the sauce mix berries and sugar and set aside until they start to burst or release liquid. Then simmer on medium low heat until there is more liquid than berries. Make a slurry with the arrowroot starch and water (mix until foamy) stir into the blueberry sauce and once it thickens slightly remove from heat.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 2qt oblong pan. For the dough sift together all dry ingredients, except the sugar, in a large bowl. Then in another bowl mix together all the wet ingredients and the sugar until well combined. Add the wet to the dry and form a stiff dough. Spread all the dough into the pan, then spread the blueberry sauce over top. Sprinkle with some oats for garnish and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the edges brown.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
0.75 tsp baking soda
0.25 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
0.5 cup sugar
0.25 cup canola oil
0.25 cup water
2 very well mashed and very ripe banana’s
0.5 tsp vanilla

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8×8 pan with nonstick spray. Sift together the dry ingredients (except sugar) in a large bowl, stir in the chocolate chips. Combine the wet ingreidnts until mixed well, add them to the dry until the batter is just combined. Pour into the prepared pan and bake 20 to 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is lightly browned.

Basic Beer Simmered Seitan

Ingredients:

1.75 cups vital wheat gluten
1.3cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
0.5 tsp salt
1.75 cup vegetable broth
2 tbsp EVOO

Simmering Liquid:
2 bottles of pale ale, whatever you like
2 cups vegetable stock
extra water as needed.

Method:
In a large stock pot heat the simmer liquid over medium high heat. Sift together all the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet and kneed the dough for 3 to 5 minutes, until a nice firm dough is formed. Form into an oblong loaf and gentle set into the simmering liquid. Be sure the seitan does not rest on the bottom of the pot and is fully covered with liquid. Simmer for 1 hour, do not boil.

Remove from simmering liquid and cool in an 8×8 pan (it works well to keep any excess liquid from spilling while it cools. Cool the simmer liquid as well. To store you can slice and submerge the slices in the simmer liquid. Refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months (maybe longer, that’s the longest any has lasted for me).

Black Bean Tamale Bake

Ingredients:

Filling:
2 cups dry black beans, that comes to something like 4 cups prepared
1 vidiala onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 yellow bell pepper, diced (or bell pepper color of your choice)
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup salsa

Topping:
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup corn kernels
1 tbsp EVOO
1/2-1 cup unsweetened soymilk

Method:

If starting with dried beans, soak over night, cook the next day. I use the slow cooker method (soak dried beans over night, cook 3-6 hours in slow cooker on high). Drain, set aside. I started this monday – soaking, tuesday, cooking the beans, wednesday I made this dish.

Spray a pan with nonstick spray, saute onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes, add bell peppers. Saute until onions are soft. Remove from heat, stir in beans and salsa.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the topping in a bowl mix together all the dry ingredients, then stir in the corn kernels. Start adding the soymilk, start with half the amount and then add more until you get a thick batter (kind of like waffle batter). Pour the filling into a 9×13 casserole dish

 

spread the topping over the filling

bake for 45 minutes, until the topping i firm and lightly browned.

Cool slightly and then serve, cuts into about 8 servings, 4 if you’re really hungry.

Sausage

Makes 8 sausages.

Ingredients:

1 cup pinto beans, mashed
1 TBSP Fennel Seeds
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion granulars
1.5 tsp oregano
1.5 tsp rubbed sage
1 tsp thyme
1/2 cup nutritional yeast (nooch!)
3/4 cup TVP
1.5 cup Vital Wheat Gluten
4 TBSP Soy Sauce (I used low sodium)
2 TBSP EVOO
2 cups water (or vegetable stock, whichever you prefer)
a few dashes liquid smoke

Method:
Set up a large pot with a steamer basket and water over medium heat, covered, get it steamy. Get 8 sheets of aluminium foil ready to wrap the sausages in. The rest comes together quickly, so by the time you’re ready to steam, you should have actual steam!

Mash pinto beans, then add all the remaining dry ingredients, mix until everything distributed (the last thing you want in a mount full of fennel seeds!). Then in a large measuring cup (4cup size) or a bowl combined all the wet ingredients. Pour the wet inter the dry and then knead with your hands. Knead until combined and the liquid is all absorbed and then knead a little bit more (about 2-5minutes of kneading total)

Break the dough in half then keep breaking each half until you have 8 pieces. Shape into logs, they don’t have to be perfect logs as they’ll even out in the steaming process. Wrap in foil, much like tootsie rolls. Set on to the steam basket and steam for an hour.

Remove from steamer and let cool. They can then be frozen for several months (I leave them in the foil, inside of a ziploc freezer bag, remove individually to thaw what I need) or in the refrigerator (still in the foil, in a ziploc bag or container) for several days.

Once thawed or ready to eat you can either heat it up, grill it, slice it, whatever your heart desires. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

I’m still working on perfecting my spice cake recipe and this one was pretty darn good, but still not quite there. I’m improving though! This recipe makes a 9×13 sheet cake:

For the cake:

Ingredients:

1 can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

3 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9×13 pan with non-stick spray. Cream together the pumpkin, oil and sugar. Then sift in the remaining ingredients until combined. Spread into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven to cool.

While the cake is in the oven you can start your glaze.

Ingredients:

8oz vegan cream cheese

2 tbsp earth balance butter

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Cream the above together until smooth and thick. Place in the refrigerator to chill until ready to use.

Once the cake is cooled, spread the glaze on top. Eat and enjoy!

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burritos

This quick meal I made for me and The Dad. He had two massive sweet potatoes in the kitchen so I quickly decided we should use one and make burritos:

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato, peeled, baked, diced – what I did was peeled, diced, then “baked” in the microwave for 5 minutes, until tender

1 tbsp EVOO

1/2 large sweet onion (we got a vidalia onion…so yummy!)

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic (or if you have garlic cloves 1-2 crushed cloves)

1 cup salsa

Method:

Saute onion in EVOO until soft (about 5-10 minutes).

Stir in the spices to coat onions and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in diced sweet potatoes and black beans to heat

Then stir in the salsa until the mixture is heated through.

Serve in tortilla of choice:

Other serving suggestions: top with vegan cheese, vegan sour cream, lettuce, roasted veggies, and so on. This recipe makes about 4 burritos – we used 6inch burrito shells.

Kale Chips

Take Kale, rinse, tear into bits and pieces like you would for salad, scramble, etc. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Toss with some EVOO to lightly coat, then sprinkle with topping of choice. I opted for a some nutritional yeast and sea salt.

Layer onto a lined baking sheet and bake until chip like – about 10 to 15 minutes.

Eat & Enjoy!

Mexican Rice

Purely as an experiment I decided to make mexican rice to go with the oodles of cooked pinto beans I have stashed in the freezer. I also opted to make a large batch in order to freeze and eat for lunches or quick dinners.

This makes 8-1 cup servings

1 tbsp EVOO
1 yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
2 cups brown rice (I used long grain)
4 cups vegetable stock
4 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups frozen peas
2 cups frozen corn
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:
Heat EVOO over medium, add diced onion and saute until soft. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Stir in spices and sautee another minute. Add rice, vegetable stock, and tomato paste, simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Stir in peas and corn until heated.

Serve as a side or in burritos, tacos, or whatever you like!