The Vegan Love Project

Stewed Summer Tomatoes

Stewed Summer Tomatoes

10 tomatoes (roma or plum), split length wise in 1/2

2 teaspoons salt

1 small onion, medium dice

1 clove garlic, sliced

2T extra virgin olive oil

1 cherry bomb pepper, sliced *optional

3-4 large leaves of fresh basil

1-1/2c boiling water

Heat up a large cooking pot; add the olive oil and onions and sauté just until translucent. Add the garlic slices and tomato halves to the onions. Cover with hot water. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium to medium-low and continue to cook uncovered for 30 minutes or so. The tomatoes should remain intact. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes if not using right away to store. Remove from the pot to a jar or glass container and while still warm, add the fresh basil. If eating immediately, add the fresh basil in at the end before serving and drizzle with more salt and olive oil.

Serve fresh or you can freeze them. I eat them over crusty bread as a snack hot, warm or cold. I also use them to make a delicious dish; Baked Pasta with Stewed Tomatoes. AMAZE.

AMAZING Gluten Free Vegan Pancakes

AMAZING Gluten Free Vegan Pancakes

1/4c oat flour

1/4c all purpose gluten free flour

1/4c corn meal, blue or yellow

2t baking powder

1T flax seeds (or flax meal)

1/4t cinnamon

2t apple cider vinegar

1T agave, date or coconut sugar

1/4t salt

1T maple syrup

¾-1 cup cashew nut milk (or other nondairy milk)

1c local blueberries *optional, see below

1T coconut oil plus more for cast iron pan

1t pure vanilla extract

Place your cast iron over low heat with no oil added and start your batter.

Sift all of the dry ingredients except the flax seeds together in a mixing bowl.

In a blender, add the melted oil, flax seeds, nut milk, maple syrup, extract, and blend until smooth.

Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Add water if needed to the batter if it thickens.

In a medium hot cast iron griddle or pan, add some coconut oil to cover the surface. *Drop in, using a 1/4c measure, the batter, well spaced in the pan. Let heat through until the edges look dry, and flip. Place cooked pancakes in a toaster oven or oven at 300 degrees until all pancakes are made. Should make 9-10 pancakes.

Serve topped with vegan butter, maple syrup and fresh fruit.

I usually do one “starter” pancake to test the temperature of the pan.

Variations:

*add 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

*add 1 chopped banana to the wet ingredients after blending

*add vegan chocolate chips

*add 1apple, peeled, chopped and cored and add an additional 2t of cinnamon and 1/4 chopped walnuts

Sundried Tomato & Scallion Tofu Spread (Surfer’s Spread)

I made this this afternoon- it is so easy and so delicious- it makes a great snack and also a really delicious spread.

The Vegan Love Project

I was at a local co-op here they have a spread called “Surfer Spread”. It. is. YUMMY. I was determined to replicate it, I have a ton of RAW unsulfered sun-dried tomatoes, and picked up some local fresh scallions at the Farm Stand down the road and VOILA….It took me two times to get it. I have to say, mine tastes a little bit more badass. Just sayin. Don’t over process the tofu or else you will have more of a paste than you might like but experiment with the consistency you prefer!

Sundried Tomato & Scallion Tofu Spread

¼ sundried tomatoes- rehydrated

1 pound tofu, blanched and drained well

3T Extra Virgin Olive oil

1 small bunch of scallions, trimmed and coarsely chopped

1/4c nutritional yeast

2 cloves garlic

2T shoyu or tamari

1t ume vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

In a food processer, mince the scallions and…

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Water Kefir!

I am obsessed with all things fermented. I just recently woke up my kefir grains that were stored in the back of my fridge. Pronounced KEE-FUR. I use to make it every couple of days- then I mastered kombucha which has a slower rhythm than kefir and just got into a comfortable pace….then I stopped drinking and my desire for beverages other than water crept up. Kombucha rolls around every 8-10 days and I have a pretty good rhythm going, when to make the brew while a finished brew is doing a 2nd ferment and I have cold kombucha in the fridge; kefir takes a short 2-3 days (!) and only a quick 2nd ferment, again about 1-2 days before its ready to go! I have been mixing mine with hibiscus tea, lemon juice, and drinking it on its own.

Water kefir is not the same as Dairy Kefir, it is also known as Tibicos and it is believed to have originated in Mexico.

Kefir is referred to as “grains” but they aren’t grains at all, but a living matrix of yeast and bacteria that look more like crystalline mini lumps. You can press them between your fingers and they will mush, I don’t know why you would want to do that, but that is the texture to them. I love these little guys. It has become such a pleasure to nurture them and to drink their gifts! They live off of sugar, so by the time they have eaten through the sugar in the water, mostly what is left is converted to glucose and fructose, and what you drink, has about as much sugar as one green apple. They are FILLED with healthy probiotics which helps promote a healthy belly. Water kefir is a fermented food that is easy to make and enjoy. You can also make an entirely sugar free non-dairy kefir drink by instead of using sugar water, you use raw, living coconut water and let that sit for a couple of days. The end result is almost a champagne like, mildly sweet, effervescent healing tonic!

Fermented foods are known for their anti-aging and cancer fighting properties. “Kefir also contains beneficial yeasts, such as Saccharomyces kefir, which can dominate, control and eliminate destructive pathogenic yeasts in the body. They do so by protecting the mucosal lining where unhealthy yeast and bacteria reside, forming an army that cleans up and strengthens your intestines. The body becomes more efficient in resisting such pathogens as E. coli and intestinal parasites.” -www.tibicos.org

All it takes is about 48 hours before you are ready to enjoy your first batch of kefir.You can drink this liquid after straining out the grains (now ready for another fresh batch of sugar water) or you can opt to do a second ferment which creates more gas, creating a soda like drink. I love making mine fizzy, this happens by using an air tight bottle of some sort, like an italian swing top glass bottle, Grolsch bottles or any hermetically sealed container. You can flavor it at this point with fruit juice, ,or fresh fruit, or with italian soda flavors- it really is like soda! I find Water Kefir to be more accessible than kombucha initially but that could just be me.

You can’t grow kefir grains without having them! SO you either have to purchase them or be lucky enough to be given some. I am planning on having a kefir party soon but I am serious about my grains, don’t ask me for any unless you plan on committing to them! They are such a blessing!!!

The good news about kefir is that if you are not feeling it or start to get overwhelmed, you can put them in some sugar water and put them in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, where they will go to sleep (become less active) until you are ready to start them up again. Any longer than that, I would suggest dehydrating them.

What you will need to set up your Kefir Kitchen:

one or two 1 quart glass mason jars or bell jars (the grains don’t like metal and they shouldn’t ever come into contact with any stainless steel or other metal utensils)
4-6 hermetically sealed bottles
fine mesh plastic strainers (get a set of several sizes)
sugar- they love sucanat but this makes for a heavier tasting brew, no honey (disinfectant qualities kills off the grains) no agave (low glycemic index), I use organic sugar, they LOVE it, it’s is really inexpensive, and makes a light tasting finished product.
cotton bandana- to cover the jar on the first ferment- the fermenting process needs air but the sugar water attracts ALL SORTS of critters, so you want to keep them from raiding your brew. (and yes those are SoulCycle Bandanas :> )
rubber band to secure the bandana around the lip of the jar.
one set of plastic measuring spoons

Basic Water Kefir:

1/4c water kefir grains

1/4 sugar

4c fresh water

1T dried fruit- I use Goji Berries and fresh ginger, but have tried figs (love), apricots, raisins (not a fan)- the grains LOVE dried fruit, and I notice it gets them more fizz lovin’ but it could just be me- you can choose leave them out entirely.

Dissolve the sugar in a clean glass mason jar- make sure that the water has cooled down if using warm/hot water to help dissolve the sugar crystals (don’t cook the kids!) Add in the grains, the dried fruit and cover with a clean cotton cloth and secure it with a rubber band. Let this sit in a place unmoved for 2 days away from direct sunlight…and on the 2nd day, get ready to rock your Kefir.

The grains will keep on keepin’ on as long as you care for them- feed them! If you notice your grains aren’t producing, or reproducing (which they will do and you get to be the revered sponsor to prospect-ful kefir makers of your choosing!), you can do a single feeding of molasses or sucanat, both of which are sugars with their minerals intact. This will give the grains a boost of nutrition, and then you can go back to your regular sugar water. Also adding a pinch of pink sea salt offers up perfect mineral nutrition.

I will post recipes as I make them. But one recipe to get you started is SO SIMPLE and probably my favorite…

Water Kefir Lemonade

4c 1st fermented water kefir (grains strained).

1/4c fresh lemon juice

Drink immediately! You can 2nd ferment the kefir after removing the grains for a couple of days and then add the fresh lemon for a spikey, bubbly lemonade or fizzy Lemon soda!!!

THIS IS THHHHHEEEEEE BEST!!

Gluten Free Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies 2015

YUM.

I processed my chocolate chips so that they were in smaller pieces- totally not necessary. I also made these in a larger size cookie than I usually do, I mean seriously, let’s just get real….makes it easier than having to get up go back and back and back for another cookie…am I right?

Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies 2015

makes 12 large cookies or 24 small

1c all purpose GF flour

3/4 rolled oats- to be buzzed

3/4 rolled oats
3/4c raisins
1/2c chocolate chips
1/2t baking powder

1/2t baking soda

1/2t cinnamon

1/4t nutmeg
1/2t salt
—-
1/2c +2T maple syrup
1/4c +2T coconut oil, melted, cooled

1t vanilla

—

Preheat oven to 350º

Process the oats in a food processor until they are the consistency of coarse flour.

In a small bowl, mix all of the wet ingredients together, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla.

In a separate, larger bowl, place all of the dry ingredients; rolled oats, buzzed oats, raisins, and the chocolate chips. In the same bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Sifting isn’t absolutely necessary but it insures there won’t be clumps of flour or worse, chunks of salt, in the batter.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and with a spatula mix until everything is well incorporated.

Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop or two spoons, scoop out a generous heaping tablespoon of batter onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Scoop or spoon out onto baking sheet with space in between. Gently flatten out each cookie with the bottom of a dry measure or glass.
Bake for 10 minutes. Turn the pan (s) and continue to bake for another 6 minutes or until crisped around the edges. Let cool for at 2-3 minutes on the pan and then remove them to a cooling rack.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

They are delicious both cold and room temperature,

AMAZING Gluten-Free Pasta Summer Salad

The Vegan Love Project

You can use all of the vegetables you love in this amazing pasta dish- edamame instead of chickpeas, more or less of your faves but this is a WINNER- PERFECT for pot lucks and summer gatherings.

AMAZING Gluten-Free Pasta Summer Salad

½ red bell pepper, small dice

½ green bell pepper, small dice

1 carrot, small dice

½ small red onion, small dice

1 stalk celery, small dice

1c cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3c uncooked pasta, fusilli (or another desired shape)- I use Bionaturae and LOVE it

1T sweetener (raw agave, raw honey, maple)

1T apple cider vinegar

1c vegan mayo

1/4c fresh lemon juice

2T extra virgin olive oil

1t pink salt

1/4t fresh black pepper

—

Cook the pasta according to directions, drain and let stand until cool but warm.

In a large bowl, mix all of the veggies with the other dressing ingredients and toss well. This…

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Vanilla No Egg Cream Soda

My Dad loves Egg Creams. When we would drive to NY to see my Grandparents, there was an amazing jewish family deli off 84 called Rein’s that we would always stop…I needed to have this memory today…and it was perfect. I FaceTimed him and immediately showed him what I had made….It is AMAZING. So refreshing, sweet and bubbly but filled with protein, omega 3’s, and good fats. BOMB.

Vanilla No Egg Cream

1c nut/seed milk

1T hemp seed

1T chia seeds

1t raw coconut blossom sugar, agave or raw local honey

2t coconut oil

2t cacao butter

1t vanilla

1 scoop protein powder

Pinch salt

—

1/4c ice

Seltzer to fill the glass

Blend all ingredients together except the ice and process until smooth- taste and adjust if needed. Should be fairly sweet.

Add the ice and blend just to cool down the mix.

In a tall glass, add the vanilla mix and top off with the desired amount of seltzer.

THIS IS DELICIOUS.

*For a chocolate No Egg Cream add 2T of raw cacao to the mix and an additional 1-2t of sweetener.

AMAZING Gluten-Free Pasta Summer Salad

You can use all of the vegetables you love in this amazing pasta dish- edamame instead of chickpeas, more or less of your faves but this is a WINNER- PERFECT for pot lucks and summer gatherings.

AMAZING Gluten-Free Pasta Summer Salad

½ red bell pepper, small dice

½ green bell pepper, small dice

1 carrot, small dice

½ small red onion, small dice

1 stalk celery, small dice

1c cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3c uncooked pasta, fusilli (or another desired shape)- I use Bionaturae and LOVE it

1T sweetener (raw agave, raw honey, maple)

1T apple cider vinegar

1c vegan mayo

1/4c fresh lemon juice

2T extra virgin olive oil

1t pink salt

1/4t fresh black pepper

—

Cook the pasta according to directions, drain and let stand until cool but warm.

In a large bowl, mix all of the veggies with the other dressing ingredients and toss well. This mix should be well seasoned before adding the cooked pasta- if not adjust for saltiness, sweetness as desired.

Add the pasta and with a large spoon, mix well until all of the pasta is well incorporated into the vegetable dressing. Allow to stand on the counter for at least 30 minutes- I am not sure why, but this prevents the Gluten-Free pasta from getting hard when it is refrigerated! You can enjoy this at room temperature or cold. FRICKEN delicious.

Divine Peppermint Love Smoothie

I was trying out a new vegan protein powder so I wanted to make it simple enough that I could actually get a sense of the taste of the powder- WELL….this smoothie came out SHOCKINGLY, AMAZINGLY delicious…like…REALLLLY delicious…divine actually. I used my DoTerra Peppermint essential oil and holy wow…the health benefits of peppermint are many, find out more here—-> ❤

Divine Peppermint Love Smoothie

1c nut/seed milk ( I used a mix of cashew & Hemp for my milk base)

1T hemp seed

1T chia seeds

1t raw agave or raw local honey

2T Coconut Manna

3 drops peppermint essential oil

1 generous handful of fresh spinach

1t vanilla

1T coconut oil

1 scoop protein powder

pinch salt

—

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.

Delicious Quicky Potato Salad

Delicious Quicky Potato Salad

I literally had one large potato starting to grow eyes staring at me from the hanging basket – I needed to use it soon! So today was the day! A few weeks back when I was on my scallion cream cheese kick, I planted a bunch of scallions in a pot so I could keep harvesting scallions as I needed them- not wanting to cut into a whole onion for my 1 potato salad salad, a cut the tops off from my potted scallions and was good to go. I had cut into a fresh lemon this morning and thought I could use that in place of vinegar for a bright fresh taste. The added nutrition of a Real Pickle fermented dill pickle to give the salad a bit more dimension, balanced with a hint of sweet makes this salad SUPER easy, super quick and super delicious….

1 large potato, peeled, steamed whole

(1c water, pinch salt, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and steam

partially covered for 10-15 minutes or just until tender)

2 scallions, minced

2T Real Pickles Dill Pickle (1 spear, minced)

1t maple syrup or agave

1/4c Veganaise or another prepared vegan mayonnaise

½ lemon, juiced

1/2t salt

1/4t ground black pepper

Pinch smoked paprika

—

In a bowl, combine the dressing ingredients together; the scallions, minced pickle, sweetener, Veganaise, lemon juice, paprika, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust for seasonings, more sweet, saltier etc.

Slice the potatoes in 1” inch pieces into the bowl- I like my potato salad chunkier but slice how you like.

Mindfully mix the potatoes into the dressing, trying not to smash the potatoes. Adjust the seasoning before serving. Sprinkle with a bit more of the paprika.

Serve warm or chilled garnished with fresh scallion.

FRICKEN YUM