YUM.
Peanut Butter Power Smoothie
1c nut milk
1T coconut oil
2t raw agave or raw local honey
2T peanut butter
1t vanilla
1scoop protein powder
1T chia seeds
1T hemp seeds
pinch Himalayan sea 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.
This pie is DELICIOUS. I mean, seriously good. Serve it up with some Coconut Whipped Topping or a side of vegan vanilla ice cream…..I love love love this pie. Happy Holidays!!!!
Perfect Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie
The Filling:
1 1/3c pumpkin puree (1 15-ounce can or cooked pumpkin puree)
1/4c maple syrup
1/4c maple sugar
1/2c unsweetened cashew cream (1/4c cashews/ 1c water blended)
1T coconut oil
2t pumpkin spice (or choose a mix of allspice, clove, ginger, cinnamon & nutmeg)
2T Kudzu root (blended in the cashew milk)
2”piece of fresh ginger
1/2″ piece of fresh turmeric
1T fresh lemon juice (omit if fresh is not available)
1/4t pink salt
1t vanilla
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The Crust:
3T cold vegan butter
3T cold coconut oil
1-1/4c Bobs Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour, or your favorite GF mix.
1/4t pink salt
3T maple sugar
4-6T ice cold water
Prepare the Pie Crust:
You can make both the filling and the crust ahead of time- the crust you can make a day or two in advance and keep in the fridge. If you are preparing in one day, make the crust, chill it and then prepare the filling. Your dough should be ready to roll out after about 30 minutes in the fridge.
Sift the GF flour, sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the cold butter and oil in 1T scoops and cut the oil into the flour using two knives or a pastry cutter. The end result should look like a sandy crumb or meal. There should not be any large chunks of oil; you want smallish bead sized bits of fat encased in the flour.
Add ice water 1T at a time using a wooden spoon to mix it in, grabbing the flour as you go. Only add as much water as you need to help it come together to form a ball.
Once a loose ball of dough is formed, transfer onto a piece of plastic wrap and work gently with your hands to form a ½” thick round. Wrap firmly and chill for a minimum 20 minutes, you can prepare and store for up to 2 days. Let it warm back up a little before using but not quite to room temp. You don’t want it too warm or it can get too soft to handle.
I uniformly press the hell out of it into the pie plate and then let it set for 10 minutes prior to filling.
Prepare the filling:
In a blender or vitamix, make the cashew cream (1c water/ 1/4c cashews) and pour 1/2c of the cream into a small glass.
Add the kudzu root and mix with a spoon until most of the root is dissolved. Add this into the blender with the rest of the ingredients.
In the same blender, add the all of the ingredients including the kudzu cashew cream slurry. Blend until completely smooth and creamy- taste it and adjust the flavors (more vanilla, more sweet, more ginger, more spice etc.). Set aside and roll out your dough.
To roll out the crust, unwrap the disc and place it between two sizable layers of wax paper (plastic wrap will work OK, but is a little more difficult to work with). Use a rolling pin to gently roll it into the shape of your pie pan. It will crack, don’t worry, you will mostly be pressing this into the pie plate with your hands- you just want to get the dough as thin as possible before hand. Any holes or cracks you can patch with no problem.
To transfer the crust, remove the top layer of wax paper and gently lay the pie dish face down on top of the crust and use the support of the wax paper to quickly but carefully flip it as center as possible over the pie pan.
Once in the pan, gently use your hands to form it into the pan, working the crust up along the sides. Try to get the pie up as uniformly as possible all around. You can leave a straight no fuss edge or I like to make a curve design by pressing my right knuckle in between the pie dough and my left pointer finger knuckle and thumb.
Pour the filling into piecrust and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until it smells and looks done. The crust should be golden brown and the filling will still be just a bit soft and have beautiful cracking on the top. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before transferring to the refrigerator to set. Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours, preferably overnight.
So I used an all purpose GF flour that usually has a bitter taste to it- I am telling you- you can not tell that this is a GF crust- it is certainly not the same as a crust made with traditional pastry flour HOWEVER…this shit is BOMB. I mean, the taste was yummy, it was crunchy, it didn’t get gummy…I LOVED IT! Because there is no gluten in the dough, you don’t have to be so precious with it, don’t man handle it for Christ’s sake but you don’t have to worry about your dough toughening up if you over work it.
Perfect Gluten Free Crust
3T cold vegan butter
3T cold coconut oil
1-1/4c Bobs Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour, or your favorite GF mix.
1/4t pink salt
3T maple sugar
4-6T ice cold water
Sift the GF flour, sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the cold butter and oil in 1T scoops and cut the oil into the flour using two knives or a pastry cutter. The end result should look like a sandy crumb or meal. There should not be any large chunks of oil, you want smallish bead sized bits of fat encased in the flour.
Add the ice water, 1T at a time using a wooden spoon to mix it in, grabbing the flour as you go. Only add as much water as you need to help it come together to form a ball. Don’t smash the dough, think of it more as collecting it into a ball.
Once a loose ball of dough is formed, transfer it out onto a piece of plastic wrap and work it gently with your hands to form a 1/2 inch thick disc. Wrap and chill for 15-20 minutes. If not using right away you can store it for a couple of days tighlty wrapped in plastic wrap. Let it warm back up a little before using but not quite to room temp. You don’t want it too warm or it can get too soft to handle.
To roll out the crust, unwrap the disc and place it between two good size layers of wax paper (plastic wrap will work OK, but is a little more difficult to work with). Use a rolling pin to gently roll it into the shape of your pie pan. It will crack, don’t worry, you will mostly be pressing this into the pie plate with your hands- you just want to get the dough as even and thin as possible before hand. Any holes or cracks you can patch up with more dough with no problem.
To transfer the crust into your pie dish, remove the top layer of paper and gently lay it over the pie dish face down on top of the crust- use the support of the wax paper to quickly but carefully flip it as center as possible over the pie pan.
Once in the pan, it is mostly about evenly distributing the dough. Gently use your hands to form it into the pan, working the crust up along the sides. Try to get the pie up as uniformly as possible all around. You can leave a straight no fuss edge or I like to make a curve design by pressing my right knuckle in between the pie dough and my left pointer finger knuckle and thumb.
I uniformly press the hell out of it into the pie plate and then let it set for 10 minutes prior to filling.
For a pre-baked crust, put this into a 350 degree preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. If you are making a pie where the recipe calls to bake the crust and the filling together, pour the filling into pie crust and bake for anywhere from 30-40 minutes, depending on the filling.
Incredibly delicious. Yukon potatoes have a rich nutty taste on their own- and they abundant locally now in Western Mass. In this side dish they are showcased with the perfect amount of dressing that is sure to please all kinds of palettes. There is a perfect balance between sweet, salty and sharp- the lemon is not necessary but adds a brightness to the flavor.
This salad is a winner.
Creamy Yukon Potato Salad
8-10 Yukon potatoes, gently scrubbed and washed , about 2 pounds
1 small red onion, minced
1 leafy stalk of celery, minced (with the leaves)
1t maple syrup or agave
1/2c Veganaise or another type prepared vegan mayonnaise
3T olive oil
1/4c red vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1T fresh lemon juice *optional
2t stone ground mustard
1-1/2t salt
1/2t ground black pepper
—
2c water
1t salt
The Potatoes:
Place the cleaned potatoes into a medium sized pot. Cover ¾ the way with water and add 1T salt. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat and cover and cook them partially covered for 10-15 minutes, until they are tender but they still maintain their shape. Make sure they are cooked all the way through.
Drain them from the water and allow them to cool slightly making them easier to handle, about 2-3 minutes.
The Dressing:
In a large mixing bowl, add the other ingredients together, the minced onion, celery, sweetener (I used raw agave), Veganaise, vinegar, mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper. Coarsely slice the potatoes into the bowl- I like large chunks so I will quarter the potatoes depending on their size. Mindfully mix the potatoes into the dressing, trying not to smash the potatoes up to much. Adjust the seasoning before serving. Serve warm or chilled garnished with fresh parsley.
BOMB.
I made this sauce tonight after work- it doesn’t take long and it is SUPER delicious, hearty, and satisfying. The tempeh offers added protein- 14 grams per serving… For those who are not a fan of tempeh or are wary, it’s a good way to introduce it, for those who love it, you can’t go wrong with this sauce. This is also a good recipe to double and freeze to have on hand at a later time. Feel free to add fresh or dried herbs into the mix!
Ellen’s No Meat Sauce
Da “Meat”
1 package/ 8oz tempeh (I use Lightlife), crumbled
1 large clove garlic, smashed & minced
2T Olive oil
1t chipotle powder
1/4t pink salt
Da Sauce
1 large clove garlic, smashed & minced
1 large can, jar or box (28oz) of diced or crushed tomatoes (I used Bionatura Jar)
1c water
1 large onion, medium…
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Just in time for holiday treats…this is the perfect homemade topping.
Whipped Coconut Cream
1 c organic coconut, chilled over night
2-3T favorite sweetener, raw agave, palm sugar, maple syrup
Pinch pink salt
Pinch Vanilla powder
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In a large bowl, with a sturdy whisk (you could use an electric beater, I don’t have one), empty the solid contents of the coconut, reserving the liquid for something else (smoothies, nut milk etc). I actually used the remaining liquid, which was about a 1/2c to make a cashew nut milk for the Chocolate Moose I made the whipped topping for!!!
Break up the solid coconut with the whisk and begin to beat it as rapidly as you can. About mid way, add the sugar, salt and vanilla. I add the sugar incrementally- depending on how sweet I want the end cream to be. I was serving this with the Coconut Chocolate Moose so I didn’t want it to be too too sweet so I ended up adding 2 T of raw agave. Taste and adjust for sweetness. Transfer into a storage container. It will stiffen after being chilled and it will also soften at room temperature. AMAZING.
I made Coconut Whipped Cream to go with this today and I actually used the reserved coconut water left over from making the cream to make the nut milk for the Moose….FRICKEN YUM.
This dessert is OFF THE CHAIN……One of the very first dessert recipes that I created at the Natural Gourmet…they even asked for it to be included in their repertoire of vegan dessert recipes…It is CRAZY good on its’ own or paired with a vegan whipped cream, or a cashew nut cream and fresh berries. I have also used this to fill an extremely decadent chocolate layer cake…I promise you, this is FAIL proof and unbelievably AWESOME. It is light and airy just like a dairy, egg based mousse.
Chocolate Moose
2c cashew nut milk, or soy milk or other dairy free milk
1c chocolate chips
1T maple syrup
1/4t salt
—
1 1/2t agar
—
1t vanilla
Measure out all of the other ingredients and have them ready.
In a saucepan on the stove over a low to medium flame, combine the milk, chocolate chips, maple syrup, agar and salt…
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Delicious hot or cold, you can make thick steak slices, cubes or triangles.
Pan Seared Ginger Tofu
1# of tofu, cut in thicker slices lengthwise
1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
3T olive oil
1t fresh hot pepper *opt
2” fresh ginger
1T tamari
Salt and pepper to taste
In a hot sauté pan, add the oil and the garlic and sauté until just golden. Add the hot pepper and the tofu and pan fry until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Flip to brown the other side. Salt the tofu. Add in the ginger. When both sides are golden, add in the tamari and let it deglaze the pan some, flip after about a minute to the other side to get the same darkened color on the other side. Serve immediately or it is fantastic cold.
Serve as part of a simple meal of a grain like rice, and greens like kale and a sauce of your choosing. I love Sriracha sauce or homemade Hot Sauce.
You can vary the taste by pre-marinating the tofu in flavors of your choosing.
Ie; curry, and or other spices.
I can’t get enough of this gorgeous alien looking beauty. It has a taste similar to cauliflower but it has it’s own uniqueness that is unrivaled. It is abundant locally now and I love love love it. Dressed simply to showcase its awesomeness.
Romanesco with Lemon
1 head Romanesco, washed, trimmed, and cut into bite size pieces
1 lemon, juiced
2T extra virgin olive oil- more if desired
1/2t salt
1/4t black pepper
1c water
In a large pot, heat up the cup of water until boiling. Add the Romanesco and steam for 7-8 minutes or until bright green and tender. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid for veggie stock.
In a bowl, add the steamed Romanesco and then the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and gently toss. Serve either warm or cold. Delicious both ways.
This is a delicious way to use up some of the fall loving pumpkin that is everywhere in every recipe October-November! It has a perfect sweetness that is delicious served with tea or a cup of your favorite something hot. I tried using coconut oil for the entire cake the first time making it but because of the nature of the oil, it spread out more than I wanted, losing the crumb. It is also possible because I was rushing and didn’t melt the oil prior so it broke down when it hit the heat. For the next batch I used safflower oil and it came out exquisitely- perfect little cinnamon clusters of yum all over the top. I didn’t add ginger to this recipe- I am sure it would be fantastic but I was feeling for something more low key in flavor- not to compete with the traditional cinnamon kick. You could easily sub out the flour for unbleached pastry flour to give it that traditional two tone look- for me, I like to maintain any nutritional value when possible and in flavor, it is definitely not missed.
Pumpkin Crumb Cake
Crumb Topping:
1/3c+1T barley flour
1/4c + 1T maple sugar or coconut sugar
1T cinnamon
1/4t pink salt
3T safflower oil or melted coconut oil
1/4c chopped walnuts
Cake:
1-1/2c barley flour
3/4c maple sugar
1t baking soda
1t baking powder
1/2t salt
1T cinnamon
1/4t nutmeg
1/2t allspice
–
1/4c coconut oil
3/4c pumpkin puree
2” fresh ginger- grated *optional
3/4c nut milk
1t vanilla
1 lemon- juiced
—
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 8×8 pan or 6 muffin tin/ containers.
For the Crumb Topping:
In a bowl sift the sugar, flour and spices together until they are well incorporated. Add in the nuts if using. Using a knife or a fork, drizzle in the the oil and loosely create clumps of sugar until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs; set aside.
Prepare the dry ingredients by sifting them into a large mixing bowl: the barley flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, spices, and maple sugar.
In another small bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients; the pumpkin, oil, *grated ginger, nut milk, lemon and the vinegar.
Mix the wet into the dry and pour into a well-oiled pan. Mix only until just incorporated- do not over mix.
Sprinkle the Crumb Topping over the entire surface of the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan and continue to bake for another 5-10 minutes. Don’t let the Crumb topping burn!
Let cool in the pan on a rack for at least 15 minutes to 30. Once cool, cut into squares.
**You can bake this as a loaf. Layer in ½ of the batter then sprinkle in about 1/3rd of the crumb topping. With a knife swirl it into the bottom layer (I make an S and then rotate the pan and make another S) and then cover it with the remaining batter. Sprinkle the top with the remaining Crumb. It will take longer to bake- 35 minutes, rotate and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes. Let it cool completely before slicing into it.
The Vegan Love Project 