The Veggie Gal

I thought vegan cheesecake might taste weird or gross without having regular cream cheese and sour cream, especially since I don’t love the vegan versions of those two things.  WOW I was wrong!  It is so creamy, rich and delicious!  Be careful though it is NOT low fat and something to have on the rare occasion.

Many of the recipes for vegan cheesecake call for you to buy the store bought graham cracker or Oreo crust.  The problem with most of the store bought ones is they have added oils and they are in the hydrogenated form.  Plus they all seem to have high fructose corn syrup which I really stay away from.  I’m sure you can find a natural one if you look but I am too lazy so I made my own.  In included the recipe but if you don’t care about the above things go right ahead and buy the store bought one.

Everyone likes their cheese cake topped with something different so adjust the berry recipe to your liking or eat the cheesecake plain.  I again don’t like to buy the store bought topping because it usually has high fructose corn syrup or heavy corn syrup which are just horrible for you.  I trim corners where I can so if I do cheat with something like this it is not a total guilt fest   For ideas on the substitutions/vegan versions check out my substitution page.

Berry Topped Cheezecake
Serves; 8-10 depending on the slice size

Homemade Crust;

2 cups of vegan cookies of your choice (I use Amy’s chocolate graham bunnies-no hydrogenated oils)
12-14 pitted dates- enough to make it stick together
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until completely broken down and it is starting to stick together.  Grab a handful and squeeze it together, if it stays stuck together well then you have enough dates if not then add 2 more and continue until it sticks together well.

Pour mixture into a round cake pan and press down and to the sides.  Pour the cheezecake mixture into it and follow baking instructions (see below).

Cheezecake Filling;
2 8 oz vegan cream cheese
2 cups vegan sour cream
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 egg re-placers (I use Ener G Replacer)

With a hand mixer blend together the cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar until smooth and creamy.   Add the vanilla, flour and egg replacer and blend until completely mixed together.  Pour into your store bought or homemade pie crust (see above for recipe).

Bake 50-65 minutes until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.  The sides will start to pull away and crack slightly.  Pan size and thickness of the pan will adjust how long it has to cook so check after 45 minutes.

Cool completely and then put in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours to chill more.

Slice and serve with the Berry Topping (recipe below) ENJOY!

Berry Topping;

1 cup mixed berries or berries of your choice (fresh or frozen)
1 Tablespoon sweetener of your choice
2 Tablespoons water
1 teaspoon arrowroot (or cornstarch mixed in a little water) to thicken slightly

Cook all ingredients on medium heat in a small pan for 5-10 minutes until cooked through, the berries are somewhat broken down and it starts to slightly thicken. Cool completely then chill in a covered container until ready to top the cheezecake. Enjoy!

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Tags: Easy Vegan, Vegan, vegan cheesecake, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

This parfait is absolutely scrumptious!  I use my Lemon & Vanilla Pudding as the base because the lemon and strawberries taste so amazing together.  Of course you could use a vegan ice cream or yogurt as your base but this recipe just tastes so rich that you feel like you are eating a restaurant dessert.  The pudding cooks up in just 10 minutes and you then just have to chill it for a couple of hours.

Our family is addicted to sweets so I make only enough for us each to have one because if there was any left over there might be a battle to the death for the leftovers :j.  You can adjust the fat to your tolerance by using full fat, low fat or fat free soy milk but of course the lower fat is the less rich and creamy it is.

Strawberry Pudding Parfait
Serves: 6

2 cups soy Milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon (can omit if you don’t have a fresh lemon)
3 Tablespoons corn starch
pinch of salt
1 pint of Organic Strawberries, sliced

In a medium pan mix together the sugar, corn starch, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and 1 cup of soy milk.   Cook over a  medium heat  stirring constantly so it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.  As it thickens slowly stir in the second cup of soy milk and add the vanilla.  Cook until it thickens and starts to bubble.  Remove from heat to let it cool for about 10 minutes.

Pour into a glass bowl and put into the refrigerator to cool for 2-3 hours.

Once the pudding is ready wash and slice the strawberries.  Put one layer of pudding in the bottom or your bowl or glass, top with desired amount of strawberries and repeat until full.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Breakfast, Dessert, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Quick and easy, strawberry parfait, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

With the 4th of July around the corner we tend to spend more time outside  eating cooling foods and enjoy the beautiful summer weather.   Fruit salads are a perfect side to any outdoor menu item you may have and since fruit is at is peak right now it will taste amazing and look impressive, even if you have no cooking skills at all!

I try and buy organic if I can like the strawberries and grapes and  then I use what ever other frozen fruit looks/tastes good along with some freshly cut bananas.  This can make for some slightly deflated blueberries but as the frozen fruit melts it helps to keep the whole salad cold and gives off some nice juices that mix well with the whole salad. Of course there are many different ways to make a fruit salad you could mix in some kiwi for beautiful color or add some cantaloupe and honeydew melons for a new look and flavor mixture.  You just need to mix together the fruits you love best.

This is a salad you can always be proud of because you know it is going to be healthy for your whole family.  This is a nice side to Black Bean Veggie Burgers because it is just sweet enough to satisfy the sweet tooth you get after dinner.

Fruit Salad

Makes: approx 5 cups

1 Banana

1 pint Strawberries

1 cup Grapes, sliced in half

1/2 cup Peaches, sliced

1/2 cup raspberries,

1/2 cup Blueberries

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon sweetener (if desired-takes away any tartness of fruit)

1 Tablespoon water

Wash and chop all the fruit and put into a bowl.

Mix together the lemon juice, sweetener, and water and pour over the fruit salad and toss.  Chill or serve right away and ENJOY!  EASY right!!

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Tags: Breakfast, Dessert, Easy Vegan, fruit salad, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Lunch, Quick and easy, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

This pudding serves 6 – 1/2 cup servings which is perfect for my family of 6 but if they had their way I would triple the recipe so they could have a really big bowl.  I don’t blame them either because it is rich, creamy, sweet with just a hint of lemon to make it s very  very good!  But as the person looking out of everyone’s health and waistline I like to keep sugar at a minimum so we stick with one small bowl.

Using fresh lemon juice and lemon zest is best but bottled lemon juice will work in a pinch if you have to use it.  This pudding would be a great replacement for the yogurt in my the Granola Yogurt Parfait .

Lemon & Vanilla Pudding
Serves: 6- 1/2 cup servings

2 cups soy Milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon (can omit if you don’t have a fresh lemon)
3 Tablespoons corn starch
pinch of salt

In a medium pan mix together the sugar, corn starch, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and 1 cup of soy milk.   Cook over a  medium heat  stirring constantly so it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.  As it thickens slowly stir in the second cup of soy milk and add the vanilla.  Cook until it thickens and starts to bubble.  Remove from heat to let it cool for about 10 minutes.

Pour into a glass bowl or individual bowls and put into the refrigerator to cool for 2-3 hours.  Top with berries if desired.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Dessert, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, pudding, Quick and easy, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

I get on a sweet kick every few months and this is one I have enjoyed and have made one too many times.  Who does not love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and this is even better because it is made with almond butter that is full of calcium and vitamin E.  I have tried it with cashew butter too and they are pretty amazing but the almond butter is less fatty and has more nutrients and a great flavor you can’t beat.

My kids just can’t get enough of these and compared to regular cookies or store bought packaged cookies these are so much healthier.  Of course kids can get away with eating a little more fat than adults can, especially mine since they are all so thin.  These are oil free but not fat free because of course nuts have fat in them naturally.  But, if you use the raw, organic, sugar and oil free almond butter your are going to feel better about these.  I also buy a wonderful all fruit, no sugar added jelly to fill them with so they are as healthy as you can get when it comes to eating a fattening cookie.

Almond Butter & Jelly Cookies
Makes: 16-20 cookies

2 cups finely chopped nuts (I used almond and pecans)
1/2 cup nut butter (almond is the best)
1/2 cup flour (to make gluten free I used a mixture of coconut & buckwheat flour and they are amazing that way-better than white flour!)
2 Tablespoons applesauce
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pure fruit jelly/jam (I used raspberry but use the kind you love the most)

Blend everything except the jelly together in a high powered blender until nuts are broken down well.  If you have to you can blend nuts up into small chunks then mix everything together in a bowl.

Moisten your hands and roll into 1″ size ball of dough and roll firmly.  Put onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and press down the middle to make room for your jelly, a moistened finger works best. Place each cookie 1″ apart and fill your cookie sheet.

Fill the cookie dent with jelly, do not overfill or it will run out. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes.  Place on cooling rack for 10 minutes then ENJOY!

*Don’t stack the cookies on top of each other when you store them (If you actually have some to store) because they will stick together.

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Tags: Dessert, Easy Vegan, fingerprint cookies, Gluten Free, Quick vegan, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

These little balls of heaven taste so good you won’t want to share them with your friends or family but they will love you for it if you do!  There is no added sugar or anything fake in them and you can eat more than one without feeling too guilty.  Nuts of course have fat in them but if you share you won’t eat more than you should.  You can feel indulgent without buying some packaged candy that has colors, sugar and artificial this or that in it.  Mix and match your nuts to your taste preference and use what ever liquid sweetener you like best to slightly adjust the flavor.

Sesame Truffles

Makes 18-20 balls

12 pitted dates

1 cup various nuts of your choice (I like to mix pecans, almonds and cashews)

1 Tablespoon liquid sweetener (I use agave nectar or maple syrup in a pinch)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3-4 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Optional topping :

shredded, sweetened coconut

Put all the ingredients except the sesame seeds or coconut into a large food processor and blend until pretty smooth or until it won’t mix anymore.  You will have to stop periodically to push down the sides to get it all to mix together well.

Wet your hands and scoop out enough mix to make a bite size ball, roll it in your wet hands and place on a large plate.  Continue to roll all of the mix until it is gone, moistening your hands occasionally so they don’t get too sticky.

Toast your sesame seeds in a non stick pan until slightly browned and pour onto a small plate.

Roll your balls in the sesame seeds until well coated and place back onto your large plate.  If you prefer the coconut then roll the balls in that and place back on your plate.  These can be eaten right away or chilled in the fridge.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Breakfast, Dessert, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Quick and easy, truffles, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

I had never really been fond of rice pudding and after learning about how the traditional kind is made I am glad I did not eat it or I would have packed on more pounds.  The traditional kind is full of fat and sugar and is super high in calories.  My recipe is low in calories, fat and sugar and much more healthy for you and of course tastes wonderful.

The blueberry sauce on top gives it that decadent touch and makes you feel like you are being much more naughty than you actually are.  If you are not a blueberry fan then of course you could use any other berry that you like in place of the blueberries.

There are so many types of rice to chose from and you can experiment with them all to find the right texture for you.  Brown rice is much more healthy than most white rices but is a little more tough than some of the white varieties.  I really like Basmati rice because of the creamy texture but it is a little sticky.  Italian Arborio rice seems to work really well but honestly I have not tried  all the types of rice with this recipe so if you have a favorite give that a try, it will probably be great.

Rice Pudding with Blueberry Sauce

2 cups of cooked Rice of your choice

2-3 cups non-dairy milk of your choice (I used almond-gives it a great flavor)

1/4-1/2 cup sweetener of your choice (I used rice syrup but maple works great or any other sweetener you like)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Zest of 1 lemon

Blueberry Sauce:

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1/2 cup water

1-2 Tablespoons maple syrup

1 Tablespoon granulated tapioca or other thickener (cornstarch works well too-make sure to mix cornstarch with water first)

In  medium pot mix your cooked rice together with the milk, sweetener, cinnamon and lemon zest and cook until thickened to desired consistency.  You may need to add more milk to get the rice as soft as you want it so adjust accordingly.

While rice pudding is cooking mix together all ingredients for the blueberry sauce in a sauce pan and cook until it is well broken down and starts to thicken at a medium low heat.  It should be bubbling but not boiling while it cooks and make sure to stir often so it does not stick.  Set aside to thicken more as it cools.

When rice pudding and blueberry sauce are finished pour rice pudding into a bowl and top with desired amount of blueberry sauce and ENJOY!

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Tags: Breakfast, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Quick vegan, Rice Pudding with blueberry sauce, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

This cake is healthy and soooo good!  My teenage son who would live on nothing but junk if I let him said it was the best vegan dessert I have ever made.  Of course we all love lemon, raspberries and coconut so I’m sure that helped a bit .  This cake is low fat with the coconut being the only fat added.  The coconut flour really gives the cake an amazing flavor but it is still very good if you just use all regular flour.  I always try and use whole wheat where I can and the whole wheat pastry flour works really well as half of the regular flour in this cake but again regular old white flour always makes for a good cake with a little less nutrients.  Experiment with what flours you like and you usually can’t go wrong.  I even made it with buckwheat flour and coconut flour once and it was very good and that way it was gluten free!

Raspberry Lemon Cake with Coconut
Serves:  8 slices

1 1/2 cups of flour (I used 1/4 cup coconut flour and then split the white and whole wheat pastry to equal the 1 1/4 cups remaining-use what flours you like the best or just plain white flour for all of it)
1 cup sugar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 small container of fresh raspberries (or 1/2 cup frozen raspberries-half for inside the cake and half for on top)
1 Tablespoon baking soda
6 Tablespoons applesauce
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
handful shredded and sweetened coconut to sprinkle on top
Frosting:
1/2 cup powdered sugar (may need a little more depending on how much juice your lemon gives)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Wash your lemon, zest the lemon and then squeeze the juice all into a small bowl and set aside.

Mix your flour(s) together along with the sugar and baking soda.  Add the lemon juice and zest to the flour then add the applesauce, vanilla, 1/2 the container of raspberries and vinegar and mix enough to moisten but do not over mix.  The fresh raspberries should crumble into smaller chunks with the mixing and blend evenly.

Pour into an 8 inch cake pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before putting on frosting.

While cake is cooking mix together the powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon juice to get a fairly runny consistency and set aside until cake is cooled.

Once cake is cooled, poke the top with a fork to make many holes for the frosting to sink into.  With a spoon pour the frosting over the holes and spread out on the cake top.  Sprinkle with a handful of sweetened coconut and top with fresh raspberries.  Slice into 8 pieces and ENJOY!

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Tags: Breakfast, Dessert, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Raspberry Lemon Cake with Coconut, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

Fresh fruit desserts are always the best option for satisfying your sweet tooth and this is such an addictive treat that you might want to make two of them!  This is the time of year where pineapples go on sale and you can get the big ones at 2-$4.00 or the smaller ones sometimes as low as .89¢ which is just too good of a deal to pass up.

But what do you do when they have been sitting on your counter a bit too long and the little fruit fly’s start buzzing?  Slice them open, chop them up, sprinkle with some brown sugar or agave nectar, top with coconut and broil until the flavors mix and you have a wonderful sweet and sour treat that is a  real tropical delight!  Served right on the rind makes for a beautiful dish or center piece.  This one is kid and husband approved and is gluten and soy free.

Roasted Pineapple

1 pineapple

brown sugar or agave nectar

sweetened coconut

Preheat the oven on broil.

Wash your pineapple, slice off the top and the bottom.  Cut into 4 equal pieces length wise.  Cut the pineapple close to the rind and then lift off to remove any of the little eyes left over.  Remove the hard center core by slicing down each side slightly in a v cut and pull away from the pineapple.  Place the fruit back onto the rind and slice into bite size pieces (as pictured).

Sprinkle desired amount of brown sugar or agave nectar over the pineapple.  If using brown sugar you may need to press it down a bit.  Also the more brown sugar you use the more it will crystallize and makes a crunchy topping.

Put the oven rack on the second from the top spot and broil until the pineapple is slightly browned.  Add desired amount of coconut and broil for another minute or two, watching it closely so it does not burn. Remove from the oven, cool and ENJOY!

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Tags: Breakfast, Dessert, Easy Vegan, Fruit, Gluten Free, Healthy Breakfast, Healthy Meal, Quick and easy, roasted pineapple, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

You can find raw strawberry pie recipes just like this one all over the Internet but because they are so amazing I wanted to post it here for those of you who may not know about them.  This pie is incredibility good, extremely easy and super nutritious and it can be eaten for breakfast or dessert.  Who would not want pie for breakfast!!

Now that strawberries are in season the organic kind (which are the only kind you should buy because of the horrible pesticides on regular kind) are more reasonably priced and won’t break the bank to buy.  With the heat of summer upon us this pie does not require any cooking and is eaten cold.

This pie is soy and gluten free for those who need to avoid those things.  It should last in the refrigerator for about 3 days but try and make it last that long!  I have put this in the low fat category because unlike regular strawberry pies that are made with butter, oils and nuts this one only have the natural fats of nuts and if not over consumed is much lower in fat than traditional pies.

Did You Know!?

• Nutritionists suggest that almonds or other nuts can curb the appetite between regular meals.
• Strawberries are high in folate which can aid in the delay of the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
• Click here to read more food facts

Raw Strawberry Pie
serves: 8

2 cups nuts of your liking (I like to use almonds or cashews or half of both)
3/4 cup pitted dates
Pinch of salt
2 containers of Strawberries, sliced (approx 4-5 cups)
6 dates soaked in warm water for about 10 minutes
1 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon agave nectar

Put 6 dates in a bowl with enough warm water to cover and set aside.

Put the nuts, pinch of salt and pitted dates in a blender and blend until well broken down and sticky enough to press together.  Press into a 9 inch pie tin along the bottom and sides.  Put in the refrigerator to cool while preparing the filling.

Wash and slice your strawberries, set aside.  Drain the soaking dates, drop into a blender along with 1 cup of the sliced strawberries, lemon juice and agave nectar and blend until smooth and set aside.

Layer the remaining strawberries in the pie crust and then top those with the blended strawberry mixture.  Refrigerate for an hour or more and then slice and ENJOY!

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Tags: Breakfast, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Quick and easy, raw food, Raw Strawberry pie, Vegan, vegan pie, vegan recipe, Vegetarian