Apple & Spinach Wrap, plus Earth Balance Contest Prizes

Feel like fooling some carnivores?  I mean, pleasantly surprising your non-vegan friends and family?  I wish I could claim this recipe as my own but it actually originated from Cuisine At Home magazine's April 2006 issue.  I simply veganized it and tweaked it a bit to my liking.  I used to make this all the time and am so glad I found it again because it's sweet and sour flavor is really refreshing if you're tired of the usual lunches or dinners.

Apple & Spinach Wrap

serves 4

1/4 C. slivered almonds

1 1/2-2 C. faux chicken strips, roughly chopped (I used the breaded kind)

2 Tb. vegetable oil

4 strips vegan bacon

1 C. apple, sliced thinly

1/2 C. red onion, sliced thinly

1/4 C. apple cider vinegar

1/4 C. apple jelly

1 Tb. Dijon mustard

6 C. fresh spinach leaves

3/4 C. soft tofu

1 1/2 Tb. vegan cream cheese

4 whole wheat tortillas

Toast almonds in small skillet over medium heat, being careful not to brown them too much. Set aside. 

  Cook vegan bacon according to package directions (most likely in the microwave) and set aside.  

In food processor, blender or with beaters, mix together tofu and cream cheese until creamy consistency. Set aside. 

Add oil to large saute pan and heat apples and onions until softened, about 3 minutes.  Pour in the apple cider vinegar and continue to cook over medium heat.

Add jelly and mustard; cook until jelly is melted and dressing has thickened, about 3 minutes.  

Stir in almonds. Crumble in bacon.  Add in creamy tofu mixture and spinach.  Stir until well combined, then add in faux chicken.  

Place in center of warmed tortilla shell.  Roll up and enjoy!

*You could easily omit the faux chicken as it's delicious without it too.

Remember that contest I told you about way back in April?  (You can see the post here) It was Earth Balance's Made Just Right Recipe Contest where you could submit various recipes and win some cool prizes.  Anyway, one of my recipes was a winner and my prize finally came in the mail last week!  

I received a very nice, large bamboo cutting board, kitchen measuring cup, oven mitt, a Forks Over Knives t-shirt (the DVD is on the way), and a year's supply of free Earth Balance coupons (the best part)!  

Thank you Earth Balance!

Mashed Sweet Potatoes & Roasted Veggies

If you're like me, you tend to gravitate towards the same vegetables in the supermarket over and over again.  For me, it's usually broccoli, peas, carrots, bell peppers and salad with the occasional artichoke thrown in.  However, when I start to be more deliberate in my menu planning I like to add in some variation.  And by variation I'm talking about sweet potatoes, yellow squash and zucchini.  Oh, yeah.

There's something comforting about mashed potatoes with butter and sea salt.  To make it even healthier though, use a sweet potato instead.  I realize this is probably a no-brainer but sometimes we (I) tend to forget the simplest dishes.  And according to this, it will keep your skin looking young and beautiful.  There's nothing wrong with that!  (I'm just not sure my kids would go for this one quite yet.)

Now for the yellow squash and zucchini, I like to roast them in the oven with onions and bell peppers.  It's great for a main dinner dish; just add a grain (try brown rice or even quinoa).  But the best part is the next day when you can throw it into your salad.  Oh, so good!  Try this simple but full-flavored roasted veggie recipe.  It's one I whip up for dinner guests often!  (That sounds so fancy, which I am not.  But you get the drift.)

Roasted Vegetables

makes 6-8 servings

4 medium sized yellow squash

4 zucchini

1 large red onion

2-3 bell peppers, your choice of colors

1/3 C. balsamic vinegar

1/3 C. extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tsp. dried sage

sea salt & ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray (use a baking sheet with an edge a.k.a., jelly roll pan, if you have one).  

Chop squash, zucchini, onion and peppers into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl.

In small bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, herbs and salt & pepper.  Pour over chopped veggies in large bowl and use a large spoon or your hands to coat each piece thoroughly.  

Spread it all out onto the baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes, turning throughout, or until veggies are slightly browned on all sides.  

Remove from oven and let cool.  Enjoy by itself or add it on top of brown rice, quinoa or couscous.  

*At first it may seem like a lot of food but it cooks down in size drastically.  

*Variations may include adding eggplant, potatoes or tomatoes (just add the tomatoes half-way through cooking so they don't get too soggy.)  

*Of course, you could add fresh herbs instead of dried but be sure to add 1 Tb. of fresh herbs instead of 1 tsp. of dried.

Carrot Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting

 I have been meaning to bake this super moist and delicious carrot cake recipe for so long and finally got around to it, only to see it gone within hours!  (I suppose that's a good sign, right?)  

Anyway, my former vegan, currently raw vegan (such a rock star!) brother used to have our mom make it for him all the time.  She says she got it from PETA's recipe pamphlet but it was over a decade ago.  

 When I searched their current recipes, the carrot cake recipe they had was quite a bit different from this one.  By the way, if you haven't tried this yummy recipe from PETA, you've got to!  

I have to say, I'm impressed with their recipe selection-take a browse if you have chance.  (You don't have to look at any cruel pictures of animals either!)

Also, I'm happy to say that the vanilla bean frosting that pairs well with this cake is made WITHOUT CONFECTIONER'S SUGAR!!!  Don't get me wrong, I love me some sugary buttercream frosting.  It's just that this cake is sweet enough as it is.  And it's made from a vegetable.  So why go messing it up with sugar-filled frosting?  Don't.  Try this creamy spread instead.

Carrot Cake

makes 18 large pieces or one 9" x 13" cake

3 C. whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1/2 lb. soft tofu (although I've used firm and it turns out fine)

1 lb. carrots, grated (4 1/2-5 C.)

3/4 C. cooking oil

1 Tb. vanilla

2 C. brown sugar*

1/4 C. orange juice concentrate 

Preheat oven to 350F.  Prepare a 9" x 13" pan by spraying with non-stick cooking spray. 

In medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. 

In food processor, blend tofu until smooth. (I grated my carrots in here too, separately, although you could grate them by hand too.)

In large bowl, mix together blended tofu, grated carrots, oil, vanilla, brown sugar and orange juice concentrate.  

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until moistened (do not over-mix).  

Optional: you could add 3/4 C. walnuts, raisins or shredded coconut

Pour batter into prepared cake pan.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until fork or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Let cool completely before frosting or eat sans-frosting (I serve it to my kids without frosting but if it's for guests, the frosting makes it pretty.)

*I usually don't like to use brown sugar so instead I substituted brown rice syrup.  Just remember to use 3/4 C. liquid sweetener for every 1 C. sugar (i.e., I used 1 1/2 C. brown rice syrup instead of 2 C. brown sugar)

By the way, I cut this recipe in half and made a square cake out of it using a 9" x 9" pan.

Vanilla Bean Frosting

1/4 C. arrowroot powder

3/4 C. vegan butter (unsalted)

1/4 C. vegan cream cheese

1 C. raw agave nectar and/or brown rice syrup

2 Tb. pure maple syrup

3 tsp. vanilla bean paste (you can find it here-and it's so worth it!!)

Place all of the above in medium bowl and mix with electric beaters until smooth.  You may need to add a bit more arrowroot powder, depending on the consistency you want.  

*I like to add shredded carrots mixed into the frosting for fun.  Try sprinkling on a bit of nutmeg too!

See my lil' helper?  He couldn't get enough of the batter even!  That's another thing I love about vegan baking, you don't have to worry about raw eggs in batter.  Normally, I wouldn't let him be so "hands on" but I knew this was going to be eaten by my family only.  He even tried to take a bite while I was setting up my shot!  Such a stinker.


You mean you don't like baby slobber in your cake batter??

Party Food

My husband and I have been in party/entertain mode lately which really makes me have to put on my thinking cap with which types of food to roll out.  With mixed crowds of mostly omnivores, adults and kids of all ages, it can get tricky.  I've found through trial and error (lots of error) that simplicity is the key!  

Main dishes that folks can assemble themselves seem to be the most logical choice, like "build-your-own tacos" or fajitas.  That way the meat can be kept separate.  We usually lean towards the fajitas!

Here's the menu from last weekend's shindig:

Drinks:

Water with fresh fruit slices and ice in a large pitcher

Flavored sparkling water

Lemonade

Wine

Beer

Appetizers:

Garden veggies (grape tomatoes, snap peas)

Tortilla chips

Fresh Guacamole

Fresh pico de gallo

Fruit salad

Side Dish:

Caesar salad with croutons

(check out Alicia Silverstone's recipe from her book)

Main Dish:

Chicken (both real and faux) fajitas with

Grilled bell peppers and onions

Mixed greens

Sour cream (Tofutti has a great one that fools non-vegans or try this recipe)

Dessert:

Soy vanilla ice cream

Chocolate sauce 

Fresh berries

Mini chocolate chip cookies

I didn't have time to take good pictures of anything but here's what I got:

Ambiance is important too! I still have a lot to learn in this department but here's what I do know:

 -Fun patio lights strung them up all over the patio and backyard make such a huge difference when it becomes dusk.  The lights just make everything seem charming...even the plastic lawn furniture!

-Fresh flowers from the garden make things look pretty.  You can never have too many of them around.  

-Placement of drinks/food/seating/tables requires more thought than I usually put into it but it is worth it!  I turned my kids craft area (a.k.a., credenza) into a bar/drink area because it already had a mirror over it and a glass top.  I put a few trays out and placed glasses, cut up lime wedges, ice, etc. on it.

-Most importantly, put away any and all toys or items you don't want to get potentially broken.  Plus it just makes things look neater.  (I actually learned this the hard way thinking people wouldn't go into the bedrooms...I was wrong!)

Lastly, this is a dish that I will NOT be making again.  I make a lot of failed recipes...  this one is pretty bad.  (Although, oddly enough, my husband polished it off in a moment of extreme hunger-weird.)

I think I went wrong with using black olives instead of kalamata or even green.

It's an olive tampenade.  I used black olives, olive oil, garlic, vegan cream cheese, lemon zest, salt & pepper.  

Do not try this at home. 

Gourmet Granola

There's nothing like homemade granola!  Pair it with some vegan yogurt and you've got yourself a healthy and delicious breakfast parfait, snack or dessert.  Put it in a fun, clear glass and you'll find kids (and adults) gravitating towards it instantly!

Gourmet Granola

makes 4 cups

Ingredients:

2 C. old-fashioned oats

1/4 C. ground flax seed

1/4 C. wheat germ

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/3 C. chopped walnuts or slivered almonds

1/4 C. sunflower seeds

1 Tb. chia seeds

1 Tb. sesame seeds

1/3 C. shredded coconut (optional)

1/3 C. pure maple syrup

2 Tb. brown rice syrup

2 Tb. vegetable oil

1 Tb. water

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/3 C. raisins (optional)

Optional toppings:

Non-dairy yogurt

Fresh fruit

Honey

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 300F.   Line cookie sheet (preferably with an edge) with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray.  

2.  In large bowl, mix together oats, flax seed, wheat germ, salt, nuts, seeds and coconut.  

3.  In small saucepan, bring syrups, oil, water and vanilla to simmer over low heat.  

4.  Pour liquid over oat mixture and combine.  

5.  Dump the entire mixture onto cookie sheet and spread out.  Using your hands, make small clumps by squeezing together small sections at a time (the clumps are the best part!).  

6.  Bake for 25 minutes, then add raisins (so as not to dry them out).  

7.  Bake 10-15 minutes longer.  

8.  Remove from oven and let cool.

9.  Store in air-tight container for up to 3 weeks.

Find a special glass or bowl and layer the granola with vegan yogurt and fresh fruit.  Drizzle on some honey or maple syrup for an extra sweet treat!

Most people who make their own granola have a preferred recipe.  This is one my family seems to prefer the most out of all the times I've tried to mix it up.  I still love experimenting with other flavors like dried cranberries, chocolate nibs, banana chips, etc.  

Watch the Video Recipe!

Crispy Veggie Curls & Homemade Playdough

Oh, these "summer" days have me brainstorming trying to stay a step ahead of my kids' so-called boredom.  With play dates galore and not much of a time schedule to keep, it's all about snacks and playing.  For a fun, healthy, crunchy snack, try peeling some veggies and roasting them in the oven.  Then cook up some edible play dough, in hopes that it occupies little ones for more than 20 minutes!

Cripsy Veggie Curls

makes about 2 cups worth of snacking

1 sweet potato, peeled

3 medium sized zucchinis

2 medium sized yellow squash

1-2 Tb. olive oil

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400F.  

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray.  

Using a vegetable peeler or mandolin, peel long pieces of sweet potato, zucchini and squash.  

Add vegetable pieces to cookie sheet and pour on olive oil.  Using your hands, coat each piece with oil, tossing and spreading out evenly.

Sprinkle on salt and garlic powder.

Bake for 30-35* minutes, turning several times throughout to ensure even crispiness.  

Let cool and serve.

*depending on preference and ovens, you may need to bake these a bit longer than the 35 minutes to get them crispy enough.

Now, onto the playdough.  

I searched and searched for a good playdough recipe that was EASY.  I found a Kool-Aid recipe that sounded fun here.  Using Kool-Aid makes the dough smell so good and makes nice colors.  The funny thing is, when we went to purchase the Kool-Aid packets, my kids had no idea what the heck it was.  Although I remember drinking it by the pitcher-fulls as a kid, I would never buy it for my kids (food coloring + chemicals = no thank you!).  It's great for this project though.

Homemade Playdough

I tripled the recipe and broke it up into three separate bowls for three colors

1 C. flour

1 Tb. vegetable oil

1 package unsweetened Kool-Aid

1/4 C. salt

2 Tb. cream of tarter

1 C. water

Mix flour, salt, Kool-Aid and cream of tarter in medium sauce pan.  

Add in water and oil; stir over low-medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until it forms a "ball".  

Remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes.  

Place dough "ball" onto floured or non-stick surface and knead until smooth.  

Let it cool completely before letting the kids handle it.  

You can store it in an airtight container.  

*Although this is edible, it's still Kool-Aid which is full of icky ingredients so beware

Creamy Vegan Fettucini Carbonara

Fettucini time!  I've been looking for excuses to use my kids' new chopsticks.  We tried them with sushi and it went over okay so we've moved on to noodles.  This dish is totally satisfying with it's creamy "cheesy" sauce.  I'd say this is comfort food for sure.  (Tofutti makes a great vegan cream cheese and sour cream that works well for this recipe.)

Creamy Vegan Fettucini Carbonara

makes 8 servings

6 oz. or 1/2 standard box of whole wheat fettucini

1   8oz. package soft tofu

1/4 C. vegan sour cream

1/4 C. vegan cream cheese

1 Tb. vegan butter

1 1/2 Tb. nutritional yeast

1 Tb. vegan parmesan cheese

1/2 C. almond/soy/rice milk (original flavor)

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

broccoli florets

vegan bacon* (optional)
more salt & pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions.  

Prepare broccoli florets.  (If using frozen, steam until just cooked but still bright green.)

Meanwhile, add tofu, sour cream, cream cheese, butter, nutritional yeast, parmesan cheese, milk, garlic powder , salt & pepper to blender.  Blend until all ingredients are well combined and consistency is creamy.  (If it's not creamy enough for you, add a bit more milk.)

Drain pasta and put it back into the pot you cooked it in.  Pour the alfredo sauce over the pasta and mix through, heating it all over low heat.  

Add in the broccoli and mix again.  Remove from heat.

Cook vegan bacon according to package directions and crumble on top of pasta!

*I was disappointed to find out that Morning Star's veggie bacon contains egg whites (duh, I guess I never really checked the ingredients) so use this one instead if you can find it

You could easily mix it up by adding peas, grape tomatoes or whatever you (or your kids) like!

I've posted a vegan mac'n cheese recipe that I like here but it has a different flavor than this alfredo one.  That one is made with cashews.  This one is creamier and more alfredo-esk.

Mini Vegan BLT, Real Fruit Slushy, PB Cookie Dough Bites

We have officially kicked off the first week of summer around here (meaning no school for the kiddos)! I'm still standing but boy, was it a lonngggg day.  On the menu for today was fruit slushies, mini vegan BLT's, and peanut butter cookie dough bites for dessert.  

If you need to cool down (which may not be some of you yet, but in my neck of the woods, it's time), these real fruit slushies are a fun drink.  

Real Fruit Slushy

frozen fruit

crushed ice (or throw regular cubes in a plastic bag & have the kids hammer away...safely)

sparkling water (be sure it's sodium-free, our fave is Calistoga lime)

optional: splash of real fruit juice

The frozen fruit keeps the drinks cool longer and eventually they become edible too!  You could use them in place of ice cubes too.  Mix it up with whatever fruit you have on hand in the freezer.

I keep seeing sliders everywhere I turn and although I must admit, they do look tasty, I decided to come up with an even better, healthier, quicker alternative!  I found some 100% whole wheat mini burger buns  that were vegan (it pays to check the ingredients), vine ripe tomatoes, vegan bacon and salad greens. Put it all together and you've got one tasty burger, uh, slider, uh...BLT!  (I have about 10 tomato plants growing in the garden right now and boy, as soon as those babies turn from green to red, I'll be making many more of these...hurry up already!)

Mini Vegan BLT

whole wheat mini burger (or slider) buns

vegan mayo

ketchup

tomatoes

vegan bacon

salad greens

This is pretty much a no-brainer but here's how it all goes together anyway:

Toast or broil the buns in the oven or toaster oven.  (Okay, if you're using the broiler, do not burn the burger buns!  I can't tell you how many times I've walked away for "just a second" and came to back to smell charred dough...ugh!  So just try to stand there and count to 100 or something.)

Cook vegan bacon in microwave or according to package directions.  

Rinse and thinly slice tomatoes.

Once buns are nice and toasty, slather on the mayo & ketchup on both top and bottom buns.  

Layer on tomato slice (it's the perfect size for these mini buns), bacon and lettuce or greens.

Press down and enjoy!  

My kids loved these.  I think it had to do with the easy to handle size of the sandwich and the crunch of the "bacon".

Next, for dessert, we have the ever so easy "raw" peanut butter cookie dough bites.  You can find the original recipe here.  Basically, there are many versions out there for this raw cookie dough bite but I wanted to add another flavor by adding in the peanut butter.  And I've changed it a bit to my own liking since the last time I posted these.  WARNING: these are addictive!

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites

makes 8-10 golf ball sized cookie balls

2/3 C. raw almonds*

2/3 C. old fashioned oats

2 Tb. brown rice syrup

1 Tb. pure maple syrup

1/4 C. unsweetened creamy peanut butter (it's easier if it's room temperature)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 C. vegan (Fair Trade) chocolate chips

Process almonds and oats in food processor until a powder forms.  Add brown rice syrup and maple syrup.  Blend again, pulsing for about 15-20 seconds.  

Add peanut butter and vanilla.

Blend again, pulsing, until a dough ball forms (or about 30 seconds longer...told you these were quick!)

Transfer to medium sized bowl and stir in chocolate chips.  

Using your hands, form into golf ball-sized balls.  Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.  (Betcha they won't last though!)

*You could substitute cashews or walnut for the almonds.  Raw, unsalted nuts are best.

Chocolate Chip Goji "Beary" Scones

This morning I felt like baking but didn't want to make the same ol' muffins, or pancakes, or even coffee cake.  So I thought I'd have my try at some scones!  I've never made them before so it was a bit of an experiment at first but being that it's Saturday morning, I had time to mess up.  I was hoping I had raspberries on hand for raspberry/chocolate scones, but no luck.  Then I realized I had goji berries for my smoothies so why not make chocolate goji "beary" scones that the kids would (hopefully) like too!

They really weren't difficult to make at all.  Just be sure to measure everything correctly.  I seem to prefer the "just dump it in" method (like, oh..this looks like 1/2 a cup...) but in baking, I've learned, that's not such a good method!

Chocolate Chip Goji "Beary" Scones

makes about 10-12 scones

2 C. whole wheat flour

1 Tb. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 C. vegan butter

1/4 C. ground flax seeds

3/4 C. water

1/2 C. brown rice syrup

1/2 C. soy vanilla yogurt

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 Tb. applesauce

3/4 C. vegan (Fair Trade) chocolate chips

3/4 C. goji berries*, patted dry

2 Tb. almond/rice/soy milk

honey to drizzle or date sugar to sprinkle

*you can substitute any fruit here, if frozen, rinse with cool water and lay on paper towel to dry

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray.  

In small bowl, mix together flax seed and water (egg substitute).  Set aside.

In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Crumble in butter, cutting into small pieces first.  Use pastry blender to mix into flour mixture.

In medium bowl, whisk together flax seed mixture, brown rice syrup, yogurt, vanilla and applesauce.  

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined (do not over mix).  

Toss in chocolate chips and goji berries (or different fruit substitute).  Gently fold into dough to mix.  

Prepare lightly floured surface (counter or cutting board) and place the large ball of dough onto it.  

Using your hands (or kids' hands) pat dough flat evenly until it's about 3/4"-1/2" in thickness.  

Use fun cookie cutter shapes (I used a bear) to cut out scone shapes and place on prepared cookie sheet. 

Space at least 2" apart.  Brush scones with milk and either sprinkle with sugar now or drizzle with honey when baked and cooled.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown on top, being careful not to burn the bottom.  (Something Rachel Ray always says is "when your nose knows, it's done"....use that wisdom!)

Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet, then transfer to wire rack or brown paper bag to cool completely. 

Add some vegan butter, honey, jam...whatever you like!

Farm Sanctuary's Vegan Eats Tour

So I told you a couple weeks ago about a recipe contest here.  It's through Farm Sanctuary's Just Eats Tour: Exploring Vegan America in celebration of their 25th anniversary.  What a great way to spread awareness across the country for veganism and a more conscious way of eating!

Anyway, Veggie-Kids'  Chocolate Candy (Granola) Bars made it into the list of top recipes, while the Vanilla Cupcakes With Strawberry Buttercream Frosting received an honorable mention.

Feel like voting (wink, wink)?  It's easy and you don't have to sign up for anything!  Just click here and then click "View Recipe" when you see the Chocolate Candy (Granola) Bars, then click "Vote".


There are also lots of scrumptious (vegan) recipes on their tour site from all over America.

On another note, today was my kids' last day of school so it's already feelin' like summertime around here!  I even got to break in my new sunhat this afternoon...ahhhh.

And there were ice cream parties at school so I had to represent with the vegan ice cream.  This one is my absolute favorite!  It never lasts long which is why I rarely buy it.  And as you can see, my 2 year old was trying to get every last bit.

No-Bake Fruity "Pies"

I'm going to quote "Yo Gabba Gabba" now by saying there's a party in my tummy, so yummy, so yummy...because that's how I feel after tasting this delectable dessert!  I've been wanting to make some sort of fruit tart for couple days but this is way better.  It's a no-bake dessert and requires little time at all.  Plus, it's pretty darn healthy too.  

The crust is close to the vegan peanut butter cups we all love.  The creamy filling is something my mom used to make all the time when we were kids for parties or special celebrations.  I remember it always went fast!

No-Bake Fruity "Pies"

makes 1 large pie or 24 mini pies

1 package vegan *graham crackers (or 10 crackers)

1/2 C. vegan butter

1/3 C. brown rice syrup (or you could use pure maple syrup or agave nectar)

12 oz. vegan cream cheese (I like Vegan Gourmet), room temperature 

1 C. ricemellow creme (Suzanne's)-it's like marshmallow fluff but vegan & healthy

assorted fresh fruits like blueberries, strawberries, peaches, raspberries to put on top

*"The Complete Idiot's Guide To Vegan Baking" has a great homemade graham cracker recipe in it, among other wonderful recipes, if you're up for it

For the crust (as shown above):

Line mini muffin tin with paper liners.  (If you're making one large pie, skip this step)  

Process graham crackers in food processor until fine crumbs form.  (You could also do it by hand in a sealed plastic bag-great for kids to let out some frustration!)

In medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat and add the brown rice syrup.  Mix well and turn off heat.  Add in the graham cracker crumbs and combine.  

Place spoonfuls evenly in each muffin cup (or for one large pie, place all of it in pie pan and press from center out, until it's flat on the bottom and evenly up the sides)

For the creamy center*:

In medium bowl, combine room temperature cream cheese and ricemellow creme.  Using beaters, mix until smooth.

Putting it all together:

Place dollops of creamy mixture on top of graham cracker crust, spreading out evenly.  

Add sliced fruits of your choice.  

(My kids did these with wild blueberries and strawberries-you could even make little faces with them or add slivered almonds or nuts..mmm)

Chill for at least one hour to let it firm up.  For the large pie, it's even great frozen! 

*This also makes a show-stopping (or taste bud stopping) fruit topping.  Try it at a party and see the reaction!

I melted dark vegan chocolate chips (Fair-Trade), added a little almond milk, stirred and drizzled on top of the large pie.  You could add caramel sauce too but it's pretty sweet already and doesn't need much.

Colorful Pasta Salad

 With the weather warming up in most places, I've been craving a cold pasta salad.  I also needed something to bring to yet another potluck so I whipped up this fun pasta salad.  The kids at the potluck loved it which is a good sign!  It gets better the longer it sits as the flavors marinate.  

Colorful Pasta Salad

makes about 10 cups

8 oz. (or half a standard package) fusilli pasta*

*I used tomato spinach wheat pasta found at Whole Foods, you could use any fun shape like bow-tie, wagon wheels, etc. (be sure it's whole wheat)

1 1/2 tsp. olive oil

3/4 C. chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3/4 C. black olives, sliced

3/4 C. red and yellow bell peppers, chopped

3/4 C. snap peas, chopped

3/4 C. vegan mayonnaise

1 Tb. almond milk (or rice/soy/hemp milk)

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

optional: sprinkle on some fresh chopped dill or basil too!

Cook pasta according to package directions.  (Do not overcook, al dente is best.)  Drain and rinse with cool water.  Place pasta in large bowl and toss with olive oil.  

In small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, milk, lemon juice and garlic powder.  Add to pasta, mixing well.  

Add chickpeas, olives, peppers, peas and salt & pepper.  

Mix everything well and chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours, but better yet, over night. 

Serve cold.

-you can easily replace any of the veggies for cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, zucchini or anything you and your kids prefer

I've been making sure to eat a large salad every day at lunch time (okay, I try anyway) so this one was thrown together pretty quickly.  I love adding fruit on top.  Usually, I add raisins and sunflower seeds, but this time I switched it up (oh, so exciting!) with my kids leftover apples and nectarines.  I also sprinkled on some crunchy Japanese wheat crackers given to me by a friend.  Add some chia seeds, carrots and cherries on the side and top it off with homemade salad dressing/veggie dipping sauce found here and we're good to go!

And lastly, you know the saying "don't play with your food"?  My 5-year old decide it'd be cool to make paper airplanes with his nori!  

Snack Time!

It's snack time people! Actually, isn't it always snack time?  I had to brainstorm the other day because one of my kids (I won't name any names but he happens to be the one who's 5!) is becoming more and more picky by the day.  He refuses to eat bananas so I've been sneaking them in any way I can, along with almond milk which he also claims to dislike.  But he sucked down these simple shakes in no time flat.  And the muffins went over well until he realized there was banana in the banana muffins.  

These two recipes are great on their own but together-wowzas!!!  Like peanut butter and jelly.  I can't believe I haven't shared my favorite banana muffin recipe yet.  Make a double batch because they are so moist and sweet!  

As for the simple shake?  It's just so refreshing and satisfying with few ingredients.  Mmmm.  That's all I can say really. 

Simple Shake

makes 2 large cups as shown above

1 1/2 C. almond milk

1/2 frozen banana

8 almond milk ice cubes*

4 regular ice cubes

1 Tb. brown rice syrup

1 Tb. pure maple syrup

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Add all ingredients into a blender and blend well!  

(You can substitute other liquid sweeteners for the brown rice and maple syrup, 

as long as it's about 2 Tb. total.)

*pour almond milk into ice cube trays and freeze to use for this recipe or any smoothies

Banana Muffins

makes 36 mini muffins or two loaf pans

Ingredients:

1/2 C. Earth Balance or vegan butter

1/2 C. brown rice syrup (or use other liquid sweetener)

1 tsp. black strap molasses (optional-I like it for the health benefits)

2 "flax eggs" (2 Tb. ground flax seeds + 6 Tb. warm water)

2 C. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

2-3 bananas, well mashed

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 325F.  

2.  In small bowl, combine flax seeds and water.  Mix and let sit to firm up.  In medium sized bowl, combine butter, brown rice syrup and molasses.  

3.  In large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.  

4.  Add flax seed mixture to butter mixture and combine.  

5.  Add wet ingredients to dry, stirring until just combined.  Add in bananas and vanilla and stir again until just combined.  Do not over mix.  

6.  Line mini muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick spray.  Spoon in batter 2/3 full.  Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  

7.  If you're making loaves, bake for 40 minutes.  

Veggie Gardening for Elementary Kids and Swiss Chard Chips

Yesterday I had an opportunity to teach a "how start your own vegetable garden" session at my oldest son's school.  I'm always super excited when I can help kids learn about veggies and gardening so I was up late the night before packing up the car and making sure I had it all planned out right.  

Here's the low down on what the K-5th graders learned: 

-why growing your own veggies is beneficial to your body and our planet

-planning your garden space (backyard vs. pots on the balcony or patio)

-composting; how and why

-sprouting seeds (they planted broccoli so, of course, I had to talk about broccoli's superpowers which are important for their little growing bodies)

-different types of plants to grow and what they may need (i.e.-they planted peas, thus they'll need something for the vine to climb up)

-transplanting plants into pots or yard (they transplanted various types of tomato plants)

-how to care for their plants (um, don't forget to water...)

I wanted to be sure the kids could sample raw veggies too so I picked up some organic cherry tomatoes and sugar snap peas.  

The kids sketched out their backyards or "dream backyards" for those who didn't have a yard, and planned where their garden would be.  

All in all it was a lot of fun!  Most of the kids were into it and were excited to bring their creations home.  There were a couple kids who didn't seem to enjoy it and told me how they didn't like this vegetable and that one.  But when they saw the other children eating the peas and tomatoes, they decided to try them.  And when I started talking about the magical superpowers you get from raw veggies, their eyes got wide and they became instantly interested...too funny!  

Hey, any little bit helps.  The more we plant the seeds of knowledge (a.k.a. healthy eating, healthy bodies, healthy planet) in young kids, the better off they'll be.  And hopefully they'll start planting seeds in their yards too!

On another note, this little guy showed up on my swiss chard I was harvesting to make "swiss chard chips".  As much as my 5-year old wanted to keep him as one of our pets indoors, he had to go back outside into the compost.

The swiss chard chips taste about the same as kale chips except they don't curl up the way kale chips do.  My kids devour them just like kale chips so I think it's a good alternative and a great way to alternate your greens in your diet.  Below is the basic kale/swiss chard chip recipe my family seems to prefer.  (I've tried the dehydrator and different "sauces" but they don't go over as well for some reason!)

Swiss Chard Chips

2-3 bunches swiss chard

1 Tb. olive oil

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

sea salt to taste

Rinse and dry swiss chard.  Tear off the stem into chip sized bits. 

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper, foil or spray with non-stick spray.  Lay swiss chard bits on top and drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle on garlic powder and salt, then massage it all evenly over each leaf. 

 Spread them out flat and bake at 385F for about 8-10 minutes or until crispy, turning once to ensure crispiness on both sides.