Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Banana-Chocolate Chip Squares with Walnuts (Sugar Free!)

These squares have no sugar added but if you use ripe or over-ripe bananas they will definitely be sweet enough (..."No thank you, Turkish... I'm sweet enough." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54GJA83JFI4)

Sugarfree Banana-Chocolate Chip Squares with Walnuts

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 cups flour
-1/2 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. baking powder
-1/2 tsp. salt
-2 large ripe bananas, mashed
-5 tbsp. coconut oil 

-3/4 cup cold water
-1 tsp. vanilla
-1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
-1/2 cup walnuts


Method:

Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9x9 square cake pan with soy butter. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mash bananas and stir in oil, water, and vanilla until blended. Make a well in dry ingredients and pour in wet mixture. Stir until just blended. Fold in in chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour into pan and bake 30 min, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Citrus-Chipotle Aioli

Sweet potatoes are so good for you and so easy to bake with! These are a great snack and the dip is fantastic and flavorful.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Citrus-Chipotle Aioli

Ingredients:
-3 medium sweet potatoes, washed but skin on
-1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
-freshly ground pepper, to taste
-sea salt

Ingredients for aioli:
-1/3 cup tahini
-1/3 cup water
-1/4 cup nutritional yeast
-3 tbsp. lemon juice
-1 clove garlic
-1/2 tsp. olive oil
-3/4 tsp. salt
-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (canned)

Method:
Preheat oven to 400F. Cut potatoes into fry-size slices (about 1/2" width) and put in a bowl with olive oil, pepper and salt and toss with your hands. Spread out on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 10-12 minutes. Then flip them and bake for another 10 minutes (or until desired done-ness). I like mine a little well done.

For aioli, put all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend extremely well, making sure there are no lumps. You might have to scrape down the sides with a spatula if the tahini sticks.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Lime-Jalapeno Guacamole

This is one of the best guacamoles I have ever had - but fair warning, it's only good if you like lime!!

Lime-Jalapeno Guacamole

Ingredients:
-3 medium avocados, ripe - peeled and chopped
-1 medium vine-ripened tomato, seeded and diced
-1/4 cup yellow onion, finely diced
-1/4 cup pickled jalapenos (I used from a jar), coarsely chopped
-1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
-2 limes, squeezed and juice reserved
-2/3 tsp salt

Method:
Mix the onion, cilantro, jalapenos and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Pour the lime juice over the mix and using a fork or muddler, muddle the ingredients until well combined and slightly crushed. Let this sit for about 5-10 minutes.

After allowing the mix to sit, add in the chopped avocado and stir with a fork until you get the chunky consistency you prefer. Then fold in the diced tomato.

Bonus: Because there is so much lime juice, the guac will keep the fresh green color for a WHILE. No browning!

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Vegan Chipotle Taco Lasagna

Though I do get cravings for cheesy dishes sometimes, I try to make cashew cheese or some other creamy topping (creamy tahini sauce, avocado-based sauce, etc.) rather than buy vegan cheese to melt, because vegan cheese so often is made mostly of oil and still full of additives and/or chemicals to replicate the texture of real cheese. So this recipe was a little experiment with "cheese" sauce and it was fantastic!! Multiple steps but would be great made in advance for a dinner party so when your guests arrive you can just pop it in the oven. This recipe is adapted from Natalie Slater.

Vegan Chipotle Taco Lasagna

Lasagna before last layer of tortillas and baking
Ingredients for the filling/construction:
-2 tsp. olive oil
-1 lb. button mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 tsp. salt
-freshly ground pepper
-6-8 soft tortillas
-12-16 oz. of your favorite salsa
-Chalupa chipotle sauce, or Tabasco chipotle sauce 

Ingredients for chipotle "cheese" sauce:
-1 1/2 tsp. salt
-2 cups warm water
-1/4 cup raw cashews
-1 cup nutritional yeast
-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced (I get this in a can in the Mexican area of the grocery store)
-2 tbsp. cornstarch
-1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
-1/2 tsp. onion powder
-3/4 tsp. garlic powder
-3 cans of black beans (drained and rinsed)
-2 cans of corn, drained

To top:
-diced red onion
-guacamole (recipe to follow in another post!)
-sliced black olives (optional)

Mushrooms cooking with garlic
Method:
1st step: One hour before you prepare! Mix the salt and warm water until salt is dissolved, then add cashews and soak for 1 hour!

Preheat oven to 400F. Heat olive oil in a skillet over med-high heat and once it's hot, throw in mushrooms. Cook about 6-8 minutes until browned, then add garlic, salt and pepper. Mix for 1-2 more minutes then remove from heat.

Cheese sauce thickening

In a food processor, blend the soaked cashews with the soaking water, yeast, peppers, cornstarch, lemon juice and onion and garlic powders until VERY smooth. Then transfer to a saucepan and over medium heat whisk until thickened (about 10 minutes). (Do try to whisk almost constantly so it doesn't burn.) Remove from heat.


In a very large bowl, mix the mushrooms, cheese sauce, beans and corn. Set aside.





First layer of tortillas on the sals
Pour about 1/3 of the salsa into the bottom of a 9x13" Pyrex lasagna dish. Then set down one layer of tortillas (cutting if necessary, like lasagna noodles). Then spoon about 1/3 of the mushroom/bean/cheese/corn mixture on top and sprinle with a few drops of Chalupa sauce. Then spoon about 1/3 of the remaining salsa on, followed by another tortilla layer. Then another cheese/bean layer, Chalupa and salsa, tortillas, etc. The top should be a layer of tortillas.

Put it in the oven and cook about about 20-25 minutes, until the tortillas on top are browned and the juices are bubbling. Remove from oven and let sit for about 5-10 minutes, then cut and serve like lasagna. Top with onions, olives, more Chalupa, and guacamole if desired.





 
 
 

Dark Chocolate-Blackberry Cupcakes

I adapted this recipe from a non-vegan one and also changed it a bit because I had blackberries and blackberry liqueur instead of what it originally called for (Chambord). The jam somehow makes these cupcakes so insanely moist; absolutely delicious.

Deep Chocolate-Blackberry Cupcakes

Ingredients:
-1 cup flour
-1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
-1/2 tsp. baking powder
-1/2 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1/2 cup vegan butter
-3/4 cup sugar
-1 tsp. vanilla
-1 egg substitute
-3/4 cup soy/almond/oat milk (your choice)
-3 tbsp. blackberry jam
-3 tsp. blackberry liqueur 

Ingredients for frosting:
-1/2 cup vegan butter
-5 tbsp. unsweetened dark cocoa powder
-1 lb. powdered sugar
-1 tsp. vanilla
-1/4 cup soy/almond/oat milk
-1/8 cup blackberry liqueur

Method:

Mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream vegan butter and sugar until light and fluffy; reduce speed to low and add vanilla and egg substitute. Add milk substitute and flour mixture alternately while still mixing. Fold in jam and liqueur. Pour into lined cupcake tin and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

For the frosting:
In a saucepan, melt vegan butter at a low temp. In another bowl, mix cocoa powder and sugar. Add the melted butter, vanilla, and milk substitute and beat at low speed. Mix in the liqueur. Frost (cooled) cupcakes GENEROUSLY!        

Monday, August 5, 2013

Raspberry-Hazelnut Biscotti

This recipe is so delicious because the raspberry flavor is really inflused throughout the entire cookie - not just in spurts where the berries are - because it doesn't use whole berries but instead a very fine raspberry puree. I think the hazelnuts were a great complementary flavor but of course you can use almonds or walnuts or even macadamia nuts if you prefer.

Raspberry-Hazelnut Biscotti

Ingredients:
-2 cups flour
-1 1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/4 tsp salt
-2/3 cup sugar
-1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped (or nut of your choice)
-2 cups fresh or defrosted raspberries
-2 tbsp vegetable oil
-1 tsp lime zest
-1 tsp vanilla


Method:

Biscotti is twice-baked, that's why it's so crunchy. In between bakings, make sure you let the loaves cool a bit before you slice them into the biscotti shapes.

Preheat oven to 325F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and chopped nuts. In a food processor or blender, puree the raspberries completely until very smooth. Then add in the oil, lime zest and vanilla. Puree again.
Loaves after the first bake, while cooling, before slicing.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well enough that it is combined but don't overmix. Take half of the batter and shape with your hands on the parchment paper into a loaf-shape. It should be about 9-10 inches long and about 2 1/2 inches wide, and no thicher/taller than 1 inch. Do the same with the other one. Don't worry about making them perfect; it will be a bit hard to shape and the batter should be sticking to your hands. (And be pink!)

Bake for about 40-45 minutes until the tops are getting a little brown. Remove from the oven but keep the oven on; let cool on the pan for about 15 minutes. Then slice into biscotti-shaped logs about 5-6 inches long and 3/4 inch wide. Place these on a new sheet of parchment paper, one sliced side down, and put back in the oven for about 8-10 minutes. Then remove, flip the slices over so the other sliced side is down, and put back in the oven for another 8-10 minutes.

Cool completely before eating.