The Vegan Love Project

Fresh Blueberry Summer Love

Fresh Blueberry Summer Squares

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

prepare the following:

Topping:

1/3c barley flour

1/3c oats, buzzed

2T sucanat

1/4t salt

1/4t cinnamon

3T coconut oil- slightly melted

Prepare the topping by mixing all of the ingredients together in a bowl except the oil. Drizzle in the oil, mixing the contents with knife, trying to create clumps or balls of mixture. Set aside.

Filling:

3c fresh blueberries

1T tapioca

½ lemon, juiced

Pinch salt

1/2t vanilla

1T +2t maple syrup

Toss everything in a bowl and set aside.

Crust:

1/2c oats, buzzed

3/4c barley flour

1/4c sucanat

1/4t salt

1/4t baking soda

1/4t baking powder

1/2t cinnamon

1/4c+1T coconut oil

I put all ingredients except the oil in the vita-mixer until the oats were coarse. In a mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients and the oil – the mix should get compact when pressed between your fingers. Press this into your baking dish. Press the crust mix into the corners, keeping this layer of crust as uniform as possible.

Layer in the blueberry mix.

Top with the crumb topping, allowing some of the filling to poke through.

Bake for 30 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until golden.

Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Will set up further as it cools.

Serve with Vanilla Vegan Ice Cream or brilliant on its own.

#SummerLove

Simple Summer Broccoli, Potato & Corn Bowl

Everything is local, happening right now and absolutely fabulous tasting- so simple.

Simple Summer Broccoli, Potato & Corn Bowl

1 crown of broccoli, peeled, de-stemmed, cut into florets

1 medium size red or thin skinned potato, scrubbed, large dice

1/4 medium onion, small dice

1/2 ear fresh corn, shaved from the cob (niblets)

salt and peper to taste

1T olive oil

1/2 jalapeño or cherry bomb pepper

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2c water

Bring water to a boil.

In a medium size soup pot, add the oil and sauté the onions until golden and soft. Add the potatoes, salt, jalapeño and black pepper. Cover with about 1 1/2cups of water and then cover partially to steam the potatoes- about 10 minutes. Add in the broccoli and corn when the potatoes are tender. Steam just until the broccoli is bright green and tender.

Serve with just a little bit of the broth in a shallow bowl, drizzled with more olive oil, salt & pepper.

Summer Tofu Scramble

Another crazy hard crossfit workout this morning!!! Thrusters and GHD sit-ups – SO GOOD. Came home on a mission to eat and had two lovely heirloom tomatoes on the counter that were screaming to be used. I chopped them up and remembered I had both basil and arugala pesto in the fridge. Seeing as I used all of my miso paste up making the pesto, I used what I had left of the miso and supplemented with the arugala pesto AND OH MY GODDESS…..YUMNESSSSS!!!!

Summer Tofu Scramble

1 package (15oz) firm tofu, crumbled

2T coconut oil

1c fresh summer tomatoes- heirlooms are best- medium dice

½ medium onion, small dice

1/4c nutritional yeast- more if desired!

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2t ground turmeric

1/2t salt

1/4t black pepper

—

2t miso

1T prepared arugala or basil pesto

2T water- more if needed

Mix the miso paste with the water and set aside.

In a heated skillet or fry pan over medium high heat, heat up the oil and add the onion, garlic, turmeric, salt, black pepper and sauté until aromatic and golden.

Add the diced tomatoes and the crumbled tofu and sauté over medium heat, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes, coating the tofu with the onion mixture.

Mix the miso paste into the scramble, then add the pesto. Sprinkle in the nutritional yeast and mix until well incorporated.

Serve immediately with toast or in a breakfast tofu burrito, sprinkled with additional nutritional yeast.

Banana Walnut Bread

TO DIE FOR.

Banana Walnut Bread

wheat-free

1-1/2c barley flour

1/2c maple sugar

1/2c walnuts

1t baking soda

1t baking powder

1/2t salt

1T cinnamon

—

1T safflower oil

3T coconut oil

2 super ripe bananas, diced

3/4 nut milk

1t vanilla

1t brown rice vinegar

1t red wine vinegar

—

Topping:

3T maple sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a loaf pan or 6 muffin tin/ containers.

Prepare the dry ingredients by sifting them into a large mixing bowl; the barley flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and maple sugar. Add in the chopped walnuts.

In another small bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients; the bananas, oils, nut milk, and the vinegars.

Mix the wet into the dry and pour into a well-oiled pan. Mix only until just incorporated- do not overmix.

Sprinkle the maple sugar over the entire surface of the loaf and bake for 35 minutes. Rotate the pan and continue to bake for another 8-10 minutes.

Let cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes and then remove the loaf entirely to the rack to let cool. Once cool, you can place it back into the loaf pan.

For the loaf, let it cool thoroughly before attempting to slice into it.

Baby Lima Bean-Basil Spread

This is summer in a dip. Delicious- super easy especially if you have the pesto in your fridge!

Baby Lima Bean Basil Spread

1c cooked baby lima beans (white)

1t ground chipotle powder

2T extra virgin olive oil

2T prepared basil or arugala pesto

1 lemon, juiced

1/4t black pepper

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1t pink salt

Place all ingredients into a food processor.

Adjust seasoning to taste. Best if refrigerated first to help the spread/dip set.

Cream of Heirloom Tomato Soup

Cream of Heirloom Tomato Soup

This soup is so simple and so delicious. Simple ingredients = amazingness. For a delicious, delicate, light soup, keep it to just the tomatoes- for a more substantial protein fortified option, the addition of white beans fills it out perfectly.

Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3c fresh chopped heirloom tomatoes

1/4c fresh basil

1/2 fresh jalapeño, diced

2T olive

1T coconut oil

6c boiling water

1 veggie bouillon

1t salt or to taste

1c cooked white beans; baby limas, cannelini, or great northern beans *optional

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Cashew heavy cream

1/4c cashews

1c water

Bring 6c of water to a boil.

For the cream:

In a blender, grind the cashews to a powder. Add the water and blend at first at low speed and finally walking it up to full power. Let run for about 30 seconds. This should create a thick nut milk, likened to heavy crème.

—

In a large soup pot, add the oil and sauté the onions until golden and soft. Add the tomatoes, salt, jalapeño and black pepper. Continue to sauté until the tomatoes soften and begin to break down and the pepper turns bright green. Add in the beans if using. Add the boiling water, the bouillon cube (or powder). Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

—

In batches, in a blender or vitamix*, puree the tomato soup. At this point, the soup is delicious as is or the crème can be added to create a wonderfully elegant soup. Add the crème into the soup and stir with a ladle to incorporate. Adjust the seasonings again after adding the crème.

*Caution: blending hot liquids can be extremely dangerous. Fill the blender only half way and proceed in batches if necessary.

Arugula Pesto

Arugala pesto

Arugula Pesto

1-1/2-2c fresh arugala, lightly packed

1/4c fresh basil

1/3c raw pine nuts, sprouted- omit if not available

2T sweet mellow white miso

3T nutritional Yeast

1/3-1/2c extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lemon, juiced

Salt and pepper

In a blender, add all of the ingredients. Blend until smooth or to desired consistency adding more oil of needed.

Adjust the seasoning adding more salt, pepper or lemon juice if desired.

Chocolate Almond Power Smoothie

Chocolate Almond Power Smoothie

1c nut milk

1T hemp seed

2 Medjoul dates

2T Raw Almond Butter

1T Chia Seeds

2t maca powder

1T gold flax seeds

2T raw cacao powder

1T coconut sugar

1t vanilla

1 scoop protein powder

—

1c ice

Blend all ingredients together except the ice and process until smooth- taste and adjust if needed

Add the ice and blend just until smooth.

Grilled Tofu Caprese Summer Salad

So delicious and simple!!! Especially when you don’t feel like cooking in warm weather. I made the tofu this weekend and the basil pesto was from a couple of weeks ago stored in my fridge. I picked up gorgeous heirloom tomatoes at the Greenfield Farmer’s Market along with a beautiful, tender head of green leaf lettuce and more fresh basil- making the assembly of my lunch today a breeze.

Simple Grilled Tofu

1 pound extra firm tofu

2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 large clove garlic, smashed and minced

1/2t pink salt

black pepper

Heat up the grill or grill pan.

Prepare the tofu:

Remove the tofu from the package and drain the water. Rinse and then place the tofu between to plates. Weight the tofu down in the sink with something over the top plate. Let press for at least 15 minutes to remove excess water. This makes for a “chewier” end result.

Slice the tofu in ¼-1/2” slices, an average block of tofu should yield 7-10 slices.

In a large plate, add the garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the tofu slices in the oil and set aside.

Over medium high heat, place the slices on the grill or pan and close the grill or cover the pan. Let grill for about 6-7 minutes. The slices should easily flip and have gorgeous markings- if not, they are not ready for turning. Once flipped, continue to grill for another 5-6 minutes.

Salt and pepper the slices again to taste.

Serve hot or cold.

On a bed of clean greens (arugala would be amazing also), layer the fresh tomato slices, brushing each one generously with pesto. Add the cold or hot grilled tofu on top. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, salt, fresh black pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

Eat immediately!!!

Cream of Zucchini Soup

Cream of Zucchini Soup

This is the perfect way to use them, showcasing their sweet summer flavor. Roasting the zucchini first enhances the entire flavor of the soup but it is also an additional step in the preparation and is not necessary for a delicious soup.

Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 large zucchini, chopped

1/4t chipotle powder *optional

3T coconut oil

6c boiling water

1 veg bouillon

1t salt or to taste

—

1/4c cashews

1/2-1 whole fresh jalapeño

large handful fresh parsley or basil *optional

___

Bring 6c of water to a boil.

—

In a large soup pot, add the oil and sauté the onions until golden and soft. Add the zucchini, salt, and black pepper. Continue to sauté until the zucchini softens and turns bright green. Add the boiling water, the bouillon cube (or powder). Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

—

In a blender or vitamix, add the zucchini mix, the cashews, and the jalapeño. Blend first at low speed and finally walking it up to full power. Let run for about 30 seconds.

Adjust the seasonings again after blending.

*Caution: blending hot liquids can be extremely dangerous. Fill the blender only half way and proceed in batches if necessary.