The Vegan Love Project

Gluten Free Double Chocolate Walnut Brownie Cookies

These are insane in the membrane…I am not even kidding, you would never know that they are vegan, let alone gluten-free…I think I could get rich on this cookie….maybe not, but I know if you make them you and yours will be very very happy.

Gluten Free Double Chocolate Walnut Brownie Cookies
makes 18-20 small cookies

3/4c All Purpose Gluten Free lour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

3/4c cocoa powder

3/4c oats- to be buzzed into flour
1/2c sucanat
3/4c chocolate chips
3/4c walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2t baking powder
1/2t salt
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1/2c maple syrup
¼c +2T coconut oil (melted)
1t vanilla

1t chocolate extract or another yummy flavored extract *optional
preheat oven to 350º

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and ready your pans.

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, the maple syrup, oil, and vanilla, extract if using and set aside.

In a separate, larger bowl, place all of the dry ingredients, sucanat, chocolate chips, oats flour, and the nuts, and in the same bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder 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.
With your desired size ice cream or cookie scoop, scoop out the cookies evenly spaced on the baking sheet. I gently flatten the cookies with the bottom of a cup measure. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn the pan and continue to bake for another 2-3 minutes. Let cool for at least 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet and then remove them to a cooling rack. Store in a container only after completely cooled. I keep mine in the fridge- if they last that long!

Savory Chickpea Pancakes

I made this today with sautéed minced onions and garlic, with a big bunch of fresh spinach greens. I made a tomato chutney/ sauce from leftover marinara by adding vinegar, coconut sugar and green curry to it and I could not be happier……;)

The Vegan Love Project

These are scrumptious little bits of amazing. I LOVE them. They are so easy to make and super satisfying. You could easily add in veggie combinations, spices and flavors of your own choosing, maybe even make them into a sweet variation. I love this particular combo dipped in Herbed Tamarind Sauce. S P E C T A C U L A R. Eat warm, hot or room temp.

Savory Chickpea Pancakes

1/2c garbanzo bean flour

2/3c water

1/2t baking soda

1/4t turmeric

1/2t cumin

1/4t chipotle powder

1/4t onion powder

1/4t pink salt or to taste

1 lemon, juiced

2/3c fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

1/3c fresh cilantro, minced

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Coconut oil for pan-frying.

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Preheat cast iron pan over medium heat.

In a medium size bowl, combine chickpea flour, water, baking soda, turmeric, cumin, onion powder and salt to taste. Mix well, being sure there are no clumps. Add in…

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White Girl Gingered Cabbage & Corn Congee

This is an incredibly comforting and healing food. It is reminiscent of a Chinese egg drop soup, the broken rice lends a rich, starchy consistency to the soup that just feels amazing going down. I had squirreled away the most gorgeous corn this past summer and in lieu of BEING DONE WITH THIS WINTER and getting ready for the spring….I pulled it out of the freezer. Of course the ingredients can change but the combination was so satisfying plus the addition of the Beyond the Meat vegan chicken…it just a bowl of yum. I love this as a breakfast too!

White Girl Gingered Cabbage & Corn Congee

6 strips of Beyond Meat Vegan No Chicken, thawed, cut into small pieces

3/4c white broken rice or short-grain white rice

1 vegetable bouillon

1/2c yellow or red split dal

2-inch piece of ginger, minced or grated

2 stalks celery, medium dice or cut on the bias

1/4 small head of green cabbage, chopped

2 teaspoon salt + more to taste (I add ½ smoked salt, ½ pink)

½ large onion, minced

2 clove garlic, minced

1c corn niblets

2T coconut oil

1/2t smoked chipotle powder

—

6 to 8 cups boiling water

In a large pot, heat up 2t of coconut oil. Add in a pinch of the minced ginger, a pinch of minced garlic and about 1T of the minced onion. Sauté the vegetables over medium high heat just until golden. Add in the chopped cabbage and continue to sauté over medium high heat, just until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.

In the same pot, add the remaining coconut oil. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and celery and sauté over medium heat just until golden. Add in rice and the split peas and the vegetable bouillon. Cover with about 4-5 cups of boiling water and mix well. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Allow the mixture to cook partially covered for at least 45 minutes, stirring frequently, adding water if necessary- there should be plenty of water for the porridge to ‘grow’ into. After about 30 minutes, add in some of the salt and chipotle and check for seasonings. It should be thickening as the rice and the dal start to break down. Add water in as necessary to achieve the desired consistency- I prefer mine on the thicker side, but still very much soup like. Overall, it should be ready after about an hour of cooking but will only get softer over time.

In the last minutes of cooking, add in the corn, the vegan chicken, and the sautéed cabbage.

I like to also add in some fresh ginger at the end to give it a fresh kick.

Salt and pepper to taste…this IS comfort food.

Easy Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup

Black beans are an exceptional source of vegetable protein as are all beans. This soup is absolutely delicious served on its own or with steamed basmati rice, or tortilla chips and a side of salsa.

Wheat-free, Gluten-Free

3c cooked black beans (2- 15oz cans)

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 clove garlic, minced

1t chili powder

1t chipotle powder

1t ground cumin

1/4t black pepper

1/2t cayenne pepper flakes

1 vegetable bouillon cube (or 1T veggie broth powder)

3T extra virgin olive oil

4c boiling water

1t smoked or pink salt, or to taste

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Steamed brown or white rice *optional

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Bring 6c of water to a boil- in case you need more.

In a large soup pot, add the olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic until golden and soft. Add the chipotle powder, chili powder, cumin, black and red pepper. Sauté for 3-4 minutes and then add the black beans, stirring them into the vegetables.

Add the boiling water and the bouillon cube (or powder). Add the salt in toward the end of cooking and adjust seasonings.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes.

At this point, the soup is delicious as is or can be pureed to make a traditional smooth soup. I ate this with a heaping scoop of steamed basmati rice in it.

For a smooth soup:

In batches, in a blender or vitamix*, puree the soup. Adjust the seasonings before serving. Add 1c hot, cooked white or brown rice before serving.

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

Simple Amazing Roasted Tofu Cubes

Simple Amazing Roasted Tofu Cubes

I can not express to you how much you should make these tofu cubes…..they are SO easy and SO satisfying. You can literally toss them with any spice mix and will come out incredible. I have not had chicken in over 25 years, but if I were to need to fill that craving, this would be it. My mom used to make chicken wings using Krazy Mixed Up Salt and that’s what these remind me of. I’m gonna have to buy the salt and actually try using it! If you can save some to eat cold try OR double the recipe so you can be sure not to eat them all straight out of the oven. Don’t overcrowd the baking dish so the tofu can take on a crisped edge. So amazing for a quick protein fix! It literally takes 2 minutes to get into the oven., no fussing at all, no stirring no nothing…Feel free to change up the spices but for serious….MAKE THEM NOW.

1 Pound tofu, drained, rinsed and pressed

2-4T Olive oil- (more oil more crunch)

1/2t smoked chipotle powder

1/2t pink salt or smoked sea salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

1T nutritional yeast

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Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a roasting pan or dish, drizzle about 2T of olive oil on the bottom of the pan.

After pressing the tofu, cut it into cubes, about 1” in size.

Place the cubes in the pan, then drizzle with the remaining oil. Sprinkle with the nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and chipotle powder.

Roast in the oven/ convection oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

This tofu is absolutely delicious, hot OR cold.

Almond Kefir Strawberry Super Smoothie

Filled with probiotics, omega 3’s, and a gorgeous source of vegan protein, this has become one of my favorite smoothies. Because of the Cultured Almond Kefir, it has an incredible tangy-ness that is so delicious, reminiscent of a Fruit Lassi.

Almond Kefir Strawberry Super Smoothie

1c fresh or frozen strawberries

1c prepared almond kefir

1T chia seeds

1T flax seeds

1T hemp seeds

1T coconut oil

1 scoop raw protein powder

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1c ice

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

Add the ice and process just until smooth.

Almond Kefir / Fermented Almond Milk

Almond Kefir/ Fermented Almond Milk

Almonds have an amazing nutritional profile, filled with protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. This is an easy, digestible way to get them into your diet and benefit your gut health as well. Because it is cultured, it is filled with probiotics, amazing to fortify your digestive tract when taken daily. Start off with small doses in smoothies, about 1/4c to start. It is sour in nature and adds this amazing yogurt sort of lassi flavor that pairs incredibly well with fruits such as strawberries, pineapples, and mangoes. For a creamier milk, you can remove the skins…I am too busy to add the step, I do not mind the skins!

1c raw almonds, sprouted (soaked overnight, drained)

8c water

4 capsules vegan probiotic, opened into the milk and stirred

In a blender, combine the nuts with the 1/3 of the water and blend until completely smooth. Add the remaining water and blend again until completely blended. Pour the cream though a nutmilk bag or through a fine mesh strainer into a glass pitcher or wide mout ball jar- discard the pulp or make use of it in smoothies, crackers etc.

Add in the probiotic and gently stir with a wood spoon. Cover with a cloth and place in a warm spot overnight to let the culture do its thing. When ready, the “kefir” will be under a layer of fatty almond cream- at this point you can separate the clearest liquid from the solids (Kefir) or you can combine it and use this for your smoothies (fermented almond milk). You can reserve about 1/4c of the kefir to use as a starter for your next batch, and you can continue to do so for 3-4 more batches.

The kefir can be flavored further. One of my favorites is to add orange slices and a little bit of sweetener and let that sit once again overnight- then refrigerated. This recipe can also be blended altogether and enjoyed as a orange creamsicle style smoothie.

Amazing Lentil Chili

Amazing Lentil Chili

This simple bowl of yum is packed with protein, fiber, and flavor. With or without the Vegan ground beef, this chili is a winner. The vegan ground beef by Beyond Meat is gluten free and soy free! I topped this with Field Roasts’Chao Cheese and it is just awesome.

2c-cooked lentils, drained

1c-filtered water

1c tomato puree

½c chopped tomato, medium dice (about 1 medium tomato)

1 red bell pepper, medium dice

2t cumin

1-2t smoked chipotle powder (more or less for heat)

1t chili powder

1t turmeric

1t pink salt or to taste

2t coconut sugar

2-3T coconut or olive oil

1c gluten free, soy free vegan ground beef *optional

Fresh parsley, cilantro or both, minced

In a large pot, over medium-high heat, sauté the chopped onions in oil for about 5 to 7 minutes, or just until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add the chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, chipotle powder, turmeric, coconut sugar and salt. Stir well to incorporate the spices into the vegetables and cook for about 4-5 minutes. Add the lentils, water and tomato puree. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, slowly reducing the liquid content and thickening up to a stew like consistency.

In the last 3 minutes of cooking add the vegan beef and any fresh herbs. Remove from the heat and cover. Let stand for 3-5 minutes prior to serving. Adjust seasonings.

Serve topped with vegan cheese, nutritional yeast and a simple salad.

*chao chili pic — I used the Original flavor of Chao Cheese made by FieldRoast…YUM!

Cultured Vegan Probiotic Butter!

Cultured Probiotic Vegan Butter

This recipe was worked off of Homemade Artisan Vegan Butter by Miyoko Schinner. My friend sent me the link and I knew I had to try it! In her recipe she calls for several ingredients that I wouldn’t necessarily want to use; soy lecithin, refined canola oil, store bought almond milk…. I like to eat, use, buy food that has value in it if I am going to put it in my body. I have always had a hard time when making food, using crap ingredients- don’t get me wrong, I love junkie vegan foods but I really only eat them once in a while, I just don’t have them readily available in my kitchen. Butter is a staple, so I felt it was important to make it a good one. I recipe tested several batches and there is still some room for improvement. The biggest problem I was having was separation when it was setting up. I figured out it was the water content in my homemade nutmilk- although I have not tried culturing a prepared dairy free milk and using that, it was neat to figure out where the break down was happening- the taste was always good but then it would separate! With this recipe, I made a thicker almond milk, with less water and then cultured it. During the culture process, the “kefir” separates from the solids- the solids are what I ended up using for the butter. Reserve the kefir for drinking or for adding to smoothies.

For the ALMOND KEFIR CREAM:

1/3c raw almonds, sprouted (soaked overnight, drained)

1c water

1 capsule vegan probiotic, opened into the milk and stirred

In a blender, combine the nuts with the water and blend until completely smooth. Pour the cream though a nutmilk bag or through a fine mesh strainer into a glass pitcher or wide mout ball jar- discard the pulp or make use of it in smoothies, crackers etc.

Add in the probiotic and gently stir with a wood spoon. Cover with a cloth and place in a warm spot overnight to let the culture do its thing. When ready, the “kefir” will be under a layer of fatty almond cream- do not shake or disturb the separation! With a spoon, spoon out the ½ cup needed for the butter. Use the rest for a delicious probiotic rich addition to your morning smoothie.

*vegan butter on toast — this was one of the first trials- delicious but hard!!! The final recipe is quite spreadable!

The BUTTER

1c unrefined coconut oil (you can use refined if you want no coconut flavor)

½c almond kefir solids

1/4c safflower oil

1/2t pink salt

1t brown rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar

teeny pinch turmeric

2t sunflower lecithin- I used liquid

1T nutritional yeast

Combine everything in a blender and let the machine run until the mixture has emulsified. Pour this into butter molds or into smallish crock-pots or even into jars. Transfer immediately into the freezer to allow the butter to set without separation- give it about 20-30 minutes before transferring into the fridge.

The Best Bowl Of Oatmeal

Just the best winter breakfast EVER…..

The Vegan Love Project

The Best Sweet Oatmeal

This almost tastes like custard it is so creamy and delicious. For me it is all about the balance between sweet and salty. I like to cook a little bit of sweet and salt into the oats while they are cooking so any adjustments in the bowl are only for fine tuning. Taste your oats after they are done- before you steam them to the finish so you can adjust for your liking prior to serving- the add ins are just that.

I also like adding the sweet into the cooking oatmeal because I find it’s a bummer when the add ins brings the temperature of the oatmeal down- I like my oatmeal hot!

Oatmeal Prep

1c oatmeal

1 stick cinnamon* optional

3c water

1t lemon juice

1/2t pink salt

In a non reactive pot, add in the oats, salt, lemon juice and water and let stand…

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