The Veggie Gal

My oldest daughter found these beauties and what a score!  They are healthy, extremely filling, and help you poop.  What could be better!

You can make some amazing treats in a dehydrator and it usually only take a few mins of prep and then you just leave them to “cook” for hours like a crock pot but without killing the enzymes in them because of the low heat.  My only grip about these is you can’t cook them the night before and have them ready in the morning.  But you can have them cooking while you take a shower or something in the morning or do what we do and have them for dinner with some yummy Cheezy Tofu Scramble.

I try and avoid oil where I can so I did not use the oil that is normally called for in these and they were great.  I’m sure they are also awesome with the oil and if you want her recipe check it out at Rawmazing’s website.  Otherwise this is what I did with mine.  I actually might try and blend in a little buckwheat groats to cut down on the fat content of the flax seeds and make them a little lighter next time and I will keep you posted if they turn out well.  If you do not have a dehydrator you can cook them in your oven at the very lowest temp checking them periodically so they do not dry out.

Raw Blueberry Flax Pancakes
Makes 5, 5 inch pancakes.  

1/2 cup flax seeds (ground)
1 cup flax seeds (not ground)
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 cup blueberries (I used organic frozen and gently folded them in at the very end so they would not bleed)
1/4 cup coconut (dried, unsweetened and unsulfered)

Mix all ingredients except blueberries together well.  Fold in blueberries and spread 5 pancakes worth of batter onto your dehydrator sheets and spread out evenly.  Dehydrate at 145 for one hour, flip after the hour and dehydrate for 30 more minutes at 114.  Serve with pure, organic maple syrup.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Breakfast, Dehydrated, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, pancakes, raw blueberry flax pancakes, vegan pancakes, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

WHAT!?  Kale in ice cream?  YES, you read right!  Two of my 4 kids are still very young and kale is not quite a favorite food yet so I try and sneak it in where I can.  No one would think of putting it ice cream normally I know.  Normal ice cream add-ins are things like candy, marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate chips and so on but I promise you won’t notice it at all and you will get one serving of greens into your diet for the day.

Now don’t get me wrong here, I still LOVE the vegan decadent ice creams on the market and do eat those on occasion but I serve this much more often to maximize our nutrient intake.  If you want to make it a little more decedent stir in some chocolate chips at the end or top it with your favorite vegan chocolate syrup but you will still be ahead.  The great thing is you could eat this every single night and not harm your health but actually improve it and it won’t add to your waist line either!  Who can say that about regular ice cream!!

Kale is best to buy organic but if can’t find it or afford it then buy the bagged kind at the regular grocery store and throw the whole bag the freezer.  You can then never worry about it going bad if you don’t use it and you can just pull handfuls from it for your smoothies.

*Make SURE you freeze your bananas 24 hours before making this or it won’t work.  *Also, make sure to plan way ahead for this, your bananas must be getting the brown spots on the outside before you freeze them or it won’t be sweet!!  Once your bananas are really ripe and browning, peel them and cut them into 4-5 pieces and put in a freezer zip lock and push out as much air as you can and freeze overnight.

This recipe is easy to half or even quarter if you want to make smaller amounts for less people or double for larger groups too.  It is really an adjust to your taste kind of thing, like most of my recipes are so experiment with different types of berries and you can even swap out the kale for spinach (other greens are stronger tasting so be warned!)

Blueberry Kale Ice “Cream”

1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 handful kale (can add spinach or additional kale to taste as you build up your taste for it)
5-10 pieces frozen pineapple
Additional berries of your liking (keeping the blueberries the majority)
1/4 cup almond milk (add more to thin if needed)
Optional: 1 Tablespoon peanut butter
1 Tablespoon chia seeds
1 Tablespoon Ggound flax seeds

Blend all the ingredients together in a high speed blender (Vita-Mix is optimal) or a good food processor  making sure to push the sides down as you go.  Blend until thoroughly blended and smooth.  Serve and ENJOY!

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Tags: Breakfast, Dessert, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, kale, kale ice cream, Vegan ice cream, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

To continue from my last post about dehydration I would love to share these wonderful Golden -Coconut Flax Crackers with you all.  I was looking for a sweet version of flax that I could eat my beautiful raspberries with and so I got creative and Viola these little beauties were born.

I had been reading so much about the health benefits of chia seeds so I used flax, chia, sunflower seeds and coconut at the base of these and a little bit of cardamom makes them heavenly.  Then to make them sinful I topped them with my Cashew Cream and some juicy, sweet and delicious raspberries, OMG.

These crackers can be eaten all by them selves as a energy snack or sweet treat as well but if you are going to save them for later snacking make sure to dehydrate them until they are completely dry so they do no harbor any bacteria.  If you want to eat them all when they are nice, warm and soft like a cookie you can not dehydrate them all they way, you decide.

You can sub 1/2 of the flax with buckwheat groats to make it more dense and add different nutrients.

Golden -Coconut Flax Crackers

1 cup Gold Flax Seeds
1/2 cup Unsweetened, Finely Shredded Coconut
1/4 cup Chia Seeds
1/8 cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 cup Pure Maple Syrup (date paste works wonderful to-may need a little more to desired sweetness)
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/8 teaspoon Cardamom
2 cups Filtered water

Blend, in a high powered blender or a goof food processor, 3/4 of the flax seeds into meal and pour into a large bowl.  Add the remainder of ingredients and mix well then let stand for 10 minutes to thicken.

Spread thinly (1/4 inch) onto parchment paper or dehydrator sheet, score into desired cracker size and dehydrate at 115° for 4 hours, flip onto the mesh sheets of the dehydrator, peel off the dehydrator sheet or parchment paper and continue to dehydrate until crisp, approximately 4-6 more hours.

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Tags: Breakfast, Dehydrated, Dessert, Gluten Free, Golden -Coconut Flax Crackers, raw food, vegan recipe

As promised I am posting my Sweet Oatmeal Crepes.  These babies are so good we eat them for dinner quite often along side of the Cheezy Tofu Scramble.  The great news is every single person in our house loves these so I always know they are going to be a hit.  The extra great news is every single guest to our home who has had them loves them and will always ask for seconds.

The recipe for the crepes is basically the same as the Oatmeal Waffles but with more water to thin the batter.  That being said, like the oatmeal waffles, they can be a little soft in the middle.  When cooking these make sure to press down on the done side to squeeze out the batter.  They take way longer than a normal flour crepe but are so worth it so be prepared.  Plus, they are much higher in fiber and good nutrients that are missing in typical flour.  I thank Dr. Neal Barnard for the amazing oatmeal waffle recipe because I have now used it for not only the Oatmeal Waffles but for Oatmeal Pancakes 3 Ways and now Sweet Oatmeal Crepes.

Because the crepe part can take a bit of time I make them ahead of time and put them in the oven to keep them warm on the lowest temp.  These keep well in the fridge for leftovers (if you have any) and put together well for lunch the next day.

~NOTE~This is a 3 separate recipe meal so make sure you read this WHOLE thing before you get started so you can pre-make what is needed!!

Sweet Oatmeal Crepes
Makes: approximately 8 large crepes

2 cup rolled oats
2 1/2 cups water (add more as it sits and thickens if needed)
1 medium banana
1 tbsp raw sugar, or other sweetener
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Sprinkle or two of cinnamon (optional)

Filling

Sweet Cashew Cream mmm mmm mmm 
Sliced bananas
Chopped or sliced fresh berries of your choice
Chopped nuts of your choice (pecans are a great compliment-use a small amount-there is a enough fats in the cashew cream)
Ground flax seeds (a small sprinkle)

Topping

Berry Sauce

Make sure you have soaked your cashews for the cashew cream-read the recipe before you start this one!  Make the cashew cream and berry sauce before you make the crepes so it can chill in the fridge while you make the crepes.

For the crepes place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Let stand a few minutes; if batter becomes too thick, add enough additional water to make batter easily pourable and thin enough to make a thin crepe.

Pour into a heated large skillet and rotate pan around right away to spread the batter to the edges making a thin crepe.

Cook until the edges start to come up and it can easily be flipped over.  (Tip-spray your spatula with some cooking spray on both sides so it does not stick and rip the crepe when you flip it)

Cook the second side while periodically pressing down on it to spread it thinner and make it cook through completely.  Cook until it is well browned on each side, it will look like it is not fully cooked but that is ok it will dry out a bit in the oven and soft is good.  Store in the oven until you are ready to put them together.

Chop the fruits and nuts.  Lay out one crepe on a serving plate, spread desired amount of cashew cream length wise down the crepe.  Top with chopped fruits and nuts and sprinkle a small amount of flax on top of that.  Spread a thinner amount of cashew cream on top of it all so it will stick when you roll the crepe.

Roll the crepe tightly and top the crepe with Berry Sauce and/or pure maple syrup then ENJOY!

Sweet Oatmeal Crepes Sauces

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Tags: Breakfast, Dessert, Dinner, Dr. Neal Barnard, Sweet Oatmeal Crepes, Vegan Crepes, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

I’m Baaaack!  I know I have been away a little bit longer than I said I would be but besides going to Alaska for over two weeks we had a personal tragedy in our family.  My ex husband and father of my two oldest children passed away.  He had long standing health problems but we honestly did not expect this at the time that it happened.  It was a very difficult time for us all and I needed the time away to help my children through it and deal with his passing myself.

I decided to post this recipe because he had a MAJOR sweet tooth and after trying my Carrot Cake Muffins with Cashew Cream Topping at our daughter’s high school graduation party he decided he loved cashew cream. I am posting this in his honor. “Hello Newman” – Jerry Seinfeld

Organic strawberries are frequently on sale this time of year and I highly suggest using organic only for this recipe. Not only are the better for you because they are not covered in pesticides, herbicides and other horrible chemicals that turn them into little chemical bombs in your body they taste a thousand times better!

These Strawberry Shortcake’s with Cashew Cream are super quick (lazy) and easy because I use the low fat Bisquick mix but obviously you can do homemade and make them  healthier by using whole wheat flour and so on but if you want a quicky recipe this works really great and they taste A-mazing!!

Strawberry Shortcake with Cashew Cream

Makes 4 shortcakes

Desired amount of strawberries, sliced (organic tastes best and does not require you to sprinkle sugar on it to take away the bitterness)

1 cup Bisquick mix

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup almond milk or other non-dairy milk

Cashew Cream topping (Click through to get the recipe on another page)

Heat the oven to 425°.  Stir Bisquick mix with 2 Tablespoons of sugar and the milk until just blended.

Drop 4 even spoonfuls onto a cooking sprayed cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes. Let cool until able to handle.

Using a downward angle to make a bowl, cut the top off the cakes.  Fill with desired amount of Cashew Cream and strawberries, place the top on and repeat  then ENJOY!

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

I bought a cantaloupe that was not ready when I was in the mood for it so it sat on my counter for a few days and then a few more because by then I was feeling a bit lazy about cutting it up. Then finally, I woke up to the smell of very ripe cantaloupe so I knew I could not put it off anymore. Well, I waited too long and it was a bit too ripe and a little too soft but was not bad by any means. Hmmm what to do with it? Cantaloupe Smoothie!!

I cut it up, froze half of it (for future use) and used the other half to make us some very refreshing Cantaloupe Smoothies. I was not sure if the over ripe taste would make it taste bad but mixed with other fruit and almond milk it was pretty darn tasty! Plus, I love smoothies because you get so much in one cup that you just would never really be able to eat in one sitting so this adds to my growing smoothie list.

This is not an exact recipe because I just made it taste and texture so you can do the same. It is in the order of amount from most to least.

Cantaloupe Smoothie

Ripe cantaloupe
Almond milk
Banana (I used some left over frozen bananas but fresh works great too)
Frozen pineapple
Frozen mango

Put into a great blender (I use my vita-mix for a perfect blend) and blend until very smooth, pour into a dazzling glass and ENJOY! Quick and Easy

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Tags: Breakfast, Cantaloupe Smoothie, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, smoothie, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

These Carrot Cake Muffins with Cashew Cream Topping are to die for, seriously!  My husband is a big carrot cake fan and I have to say I never was.  Most restaurants or stores usually had that thick butter cream frosting with a little carrot decoration on the top that I found revolting.  I actually used to work in a restaurant as a waitress and we frosted the cakes and made that little decoration on the top and I never was tempted to sample those nasty little cakes.  I just did not like the dark leathery raisins, the either to dry or sticky cake with the disgustingly thick frosting that stuck to the roof of your mouth and might cause you to go into a sugar coma after eating it, YUCK.  I just really never understood the appeal for carrot cake that everyone had.  But he persisted in suggesting I make carrot cake so finally I decided I would look at some recipes and see if I could make it taste any better than what I remembered.

In my search for a good carrot cake recipe I found this amazing one that the author calls The Best Vegan Carrot Cake Recipe Ever and well, she is right.  I only adjusted the type of nuts I put in and adjusted the oil with some applesauce to reduce the fat but otherwise YUMMY!

These little guys were a huge hit here in our house and I sent some to school for my daughter’s birthday and they were even a hit there with the kids and teachers.  Most kids don’t want to eat food with visible vegetables in it and raisins and nuts can be iffy for some kids to (like me).  I love the use of the golden raisins which or more plump, sweet and less chewy and for the nuts I used a mixture of well chopped pecans and walnuts so it would not be bitter.  I soaked the raisins in water for about 30 minutes prior to using them to really plump them up so that when cooked they did not dry out.

I really try and stay away from the oil type toppings for which most vegan frosting is made from (Earth Balance and sugar!) and my favorite topping is the amazingly delicious Cashew Cream! For the pictures and my daughter’s party I decorated them but at home you can just put a big ol’ dollop on top and go to town.

For the muffins pictured I used white flour but have found success in half whole wheat half white.  Also date sugar can be substituted for half of the sugar, one day I might try date paste to see how that turns out to make them even healthier.

 Carrot Cake Muffins with Cashew Cream Topping
Makes 12-14 muffins

**If you do not have a vita-mix blender then you will need to soak your cashews for the cashew cream topping for at least 2-4 hours or preferably overnight.  If you do have a vita-mix then soak your cashews in some water while you make the muffins and the topping can cool while they are baking, see below for the recipe or click the above link.

2 cups flour
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup bronw sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups shredded carrots
3/4 cup oil (I split that with half apple sauce half coconut oil)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 golden raisins (soaked in water for 20 minutes then drained)
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/2 chopped nuts (I used half pecans and half walnuts)

Preheat the oven to 350 then line the muffin tins or spray with cooking spray.

Mix the dry ingredients together then add the shredded carrots and oil (or applesauce mixture)and mix until you do not see any flour.

Add the orange juice and mix again then add the raisins (make sure to drain the water off if you soaked them), coconut and nuts.

Fill the muffin tins with the batter to the top (this will give you a overflowing muffin) and bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool completely.  You should have already made the Cashew Cream and placed it in the fridge to cool.  Once the muffins have cooled completely and the Cashew Cream is chilled frost them however you like and ENJOY!

Cashew Cream;

1 cup raw cashews (If you do not have a Vita-Mix soak the cashews for at least an hour or better yet overnight then rinse well before blending.)
1 1/2- 2 cups water (amount depends on the thickness you desire-adjust as you go)
2-4 Tablespoons maple syrup (adjust amount to sweetness taste–can use a handful of dates or agave nectar if you would rather)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (can omit if you don’t have it)
If you soaked your cashews, drain and rinse very well.  Add them to your blender along with the lowest amount of water, desired amount of sweetener, vanilla extract.  Blend on high until smooth and creamy adjusting sweetener to taste and water as you go to desired taste and thickness.

You may use this right away or store in the refrigerator to thicken it even more and chill.  If you care about the color you may add a 1/2-1 teaspoon lemon juice to keep it on the whiter side.  ENJOY on everything you can think of!!!

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Tags: Breakfast, Carrot cake muffins, cashew cream, Dessert, Easy Vegan, Quick and easy, vegan carrot cake, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

The more my huband gets involved in our cooking the better it is getting!  He found these amazing vegan sausages on VeganDad and we went to making them right away and OMG these are yummy!  In the Vegan Dad’s post he said that the recipe really came from PPK website and anyone who knows of the amazing talent that Isa Chandra Moskowitz has knows that she knows what the hell she is doing and these really show it.

The only gripe I have about them is that they are cooked in tinfoil.  I do not like using tinfoil to cook in and if anyone has a tip on an alternative to tinfoil I would LOVE to hear it.  Otherwise these are something to bring into your regular rotation.  The options for using them are limitless, on pizza’s, in a bun with delicious toppings, next to your scramble for breakfast, and on and on I could go.

The other great thing about them is they have the power of beans in them and you can swap out many different beans depending on what you have on hand or what your taste preference is.  We did not have pinto at the time of these photos so we used super antioxidant rich black beans and although it does not make for a smooth colored sausage they taste spectacular. One piece of advice here, if you have spice sensitive kids back off on the red pepper and fennel it won’t change the texture just the taste of the sausages.  We mixed everything together without those and pulled theirs out and then added it in for ours that way everyone would eat them and be happy.

The recipe between the VeganDad and PPK is ever so slightly different and we chose what we liked from each and came up with what is below but honestly they are so similar you can chose for yourself which you want to mess with or use our combo below.

Homemade Vegan Sausages

1/2 cup pinto beans (or other bean of your choice-we used black), rinsed and drained
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil (PPK says you can replace oil with 1 T tomato paste-we will do that next time)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, grated (we minced it)
1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seed, crushed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Several dashes fresh black pepper

We steamed ours in a large pot with a lid and a raised steam basket (metal basket).  Since we were new to this recipe the first time we did not start the boiling process until we started to mix the sausages because it always takes longer the first time you try a recipe.

Set aside 6 sheets of tin foil approximately 5×5 in size.

In a large mixing bowl mash up the beans completely then add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well until thoroughly blended together.  This is a good time to get the water boiling so you can plop them right into the boiling water.

Divide the mixture up into six even pieces.  I wet my hands slightly for each sausage so it did not stick to my hands.  Roll the dough with your hands into the approximate size you want and then lay it on the end of the tinfoil and roll it all the way up and twist the ends up.  The shape will come together once it cooks.

Place the sausages into the steaming basket and cook for 40 minutes.

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Tags: Breakfast, Easy Vegan, PPK, vegan recipe, vegan sausages, VeganDad, Vegetarian

This recipe was adapted from the book “Skinny Bitch in the Kitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin”  

Back when I was just a naive vegetarian thinking that eating dairy was good for me I was given this book as a birthday gift from my dear friend K.  I looked at a few of the recipes and although they looked great I thought, there is no way I could ever be vegan because I needed eggs and cheese for flavor and the all mighty protein!  I figured I would make a few recipes they way they said and if they did not taste good I would just adjust them to make them vegetarian.  I made this pecan crusted french toast recipe first and realized, wow I could do this vegan thing!  I went from there trying some other recipes from the book and reading their funny antics throughout the book.  I then went out and bought The China Study and that was it, I was vegan but this recipe is what started to open my eyes that is was not as hard as I imagined it being.

This french toast recipe is so good that my husband asks for it all the time!  We really enjoy eating breakfast for dinner and usually have fruit and vegan sausage patties or my Cheezy Tofu Scramble along side of it.  I think the nuts on the bread really help you to feel satisfied and full for a long time.

The recipe as written in their book says it makes 6 servings but I find it is closer to 8-10 servings (at least for me it is) so you can half it if you are feeding less people.  I have written the recipe as it appears in the book with my comments italicized in parentheses.

Be careful about not putting the heat to high because if you put it above the recommended medium heat even a little bit the nuts will burn and the bread will be soggy.   I buy pre-chopped pecans and then chop them even more so that they are all about the same size and can more evenly coat the wet bread.  Make sure to really push down on the nuts with the wet bread evenly lifting it up off of them so they will stick well, otherwise they just fall off.

Pecan-Crusted French Toast

Serves about 8-10

1-1/2 cups soy or almond milk
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons chickpea flour or brown rice flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1-1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (or try almond extract YUM)
2 tablespoons refined coconut oil (or use non fat cooking spray)
6 to 8 slices vegan whole wheat or whole wheat raisin bread
Pure Maple syrup for topping

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, corn starch and cinnamon. Whisk in the chickpea or brown rice flour. Transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl.  Place the pecans in another shallow bowl. (I keep the pecans on the chopping board and push them together tightly to lay the bread on)

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the coconut oil (or spray with cooking spray to use less fat). Once slice at a time, dip the bread in the milk mixture, turning to soak both sides. Dip one side in the pecans, pressing to coat. Arrange the bread in the skillet (you might have to do more than one batch), pecan side down. Cook 2-3 minutes, until the pecans are well-browned. Carefully turn the bread, and continue cooking until the second side is browned, 2-3 minutes. (If using the spray make sure to spray the pan between flips or it will stick).  Serve immediately with maple syrup.

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Tags: Breakfast, Quick vegan, rory freedman, skinny bitch in the kitch, Vegan, Vegan French Toast, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

To expand on my love for Cashew Cream and my experiments with the raw food diet I decided to make a wonderful breakfast parfait last week and YUM.

This recipe works great for kids but you might have to cut back on the nuts a bit and increase the fruit.

Fresh berries work best but I made this on the fly so I used frozen raspberries.  Get creative with what ever fruit you have on hand or like best.  I did the same with the nuts by using what I had on hand.

I did not soak my nuts a head of time as most raw foodists do but if you want to really get the most benefit from the nuts it is best to soak them over night and either eat them freshly rinsed (which will make them a little soft) or dehydrate them back to crispness.  My dedication to raw food eating is not that far yet although I have soaked them before to just eat them and I love them that way.

I will post exactly what I used for my parfait so it can be a starting point for your own ideas, all created around the cashew cream as the base instead of yogurt.

Rawnola Parfait

Desired amount of Cashew Cream
Shredded apple
Handfuls of various nuts
Raw coconut
Chopped dates & raisins
Sliced banana
Raspberries

Place one layer of cashew cream on the bottom of your cup, sprinkle with nuts, coconut, apples and bananas then layer again with cashew cream.  Continue to layer until you have reached the top layer of cashew cream and sprinkle with berries.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Breakfast, Dessert, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Quick vegan, Raw breakfast, raw dessert, Rawnola Parfait, Vegan parfait, vegan recipe, Vegetarian