fricken delicious – The Vegan Love Project

Roasted Kobocha Squash Soup

Any squash can be used for this delicious creamy, and simple soup. Kobocha squash has got such a lovely, sweet but not too sweet taste that pairs perfectly with ginger. I picked a beauty up at the local farmer’s market this past weekend and roasted it and have been putting it in to many meals since. As a time saver, the squash can be roasted in advance. If the squash is already roasted, this soup literally takes 8 minutes start to finish. The roasting step may even be omitted and the squash simply peeled, cubed, and cooked along with the other vegetables. Roasting draws out the most flavors and brings the sweetness of the squash to life, but it is not a necessity.

roasted-kobocha-squash-soup

Roasted Kobocha Squash Soup

Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2c roasted Kobocha squash*

1/4t chipotle powder *optional

1 fresh jalapeño or cherry bomb pepper, chopped

1t cinnamon

1/4t nutmeg

3T coconut oil

6c boiling water

1 vege bouillon

1t salt or to taste

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1/4-1/3c cashews

1″ piece of fresh ginger

1T raw agave

Bring 6c of water to a boil.

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Roasting the Squash: Clean the outer shell of the squash with cold water and pat it dry well with a dishtowel or paper cloth. With a sharp knife, split the squash down the middle, creating two halves. Seed the squash using a large spoon, scraping the stringy flesh and seeds from the center. With the cleaned halves, rub with oil and salt. Place face down on a cookie sheet or roasting dish and place in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until the flesh of the squash is tender, yielding to the touch. Let cool. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the roasted squash.Place the cashews, ginger, agave and fresh hot pepper in a blender and set aside.

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In a large soup pot, add the oil and sauté the onions and garlic until golden and soft and aromatic. Add the yellow squash, the boullion (or powder) and the salt. Continue to sauté until the squash softens and turns bright yellow- about 3-4 minutes. Add the boiling water to cover. Bring to a rapid boil and reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 more minutes.

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In batches, in a blender or vitamix*, transfer the soup pot contents into the blender and puree the soup with the contents in the blender. Adjust the seasonings if needed.

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

Ellen’s No Bake Energy Balls

My sister Jill sent me an energy bar recipe and my other sister Karen was like- “Ellen, it’s OK for you to just follow a recipe, you don’t have to make it your own“…Ya…no, I really do. I made these with and without the protein powder- both delicious. You could make them with more raw, super antioxidant ingredients, like using raw cacao nibs in place of the chocolate chips, using 1/4c raw cacao powder in the dough, raw nut butter in place of the peanut butter etc…they are simple, quick and easy to make and great to have in the fridge for a quick snack before or after a workout or to get you to your next meal.

ellens-no-bake-energy-balls

1c (dry) gluten free oatmeal, 2/3 buzzed in a dry blender, 1/3 whole

2/3c + 1T dried desiccated coconut- reserve the 1T for later

1/2c peanut butter, chunky

1T chia seeds

1T hemp seeds

2T sesame seeds

1 scoop Raw Vegan Vanilla Protein Powder *optional

1/4c sprouted pumpkin seeds

1/4c crisped brown rice cereal *optional

1/2c vegan chocolate chips, buzzed in (the same) dry blender to a coarse meal with small chunks OR 1/2 raw cacao nibs

1/3c raw agave nectar

3T coconut oil

1/4t pink salt

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Spread into a shallow square pan.Sprinkle with more coconut. Let chill in the refrigerator for at least one half hour before attempting to scoop and roll or cut.

Once chilled, using a small scoop or spoon, roll into balls OR cut into chunks. (Mine were about 1″ in diameter)

In a bowl, add the reserved coconut, toss the balls or chunks to coat.

Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Makes about 20-25 balls or chunks.

Garlic Sautéed Kale with Hot Pepper

satueed-kale

One of my all time favorite go-to’s. I can easily eat a whole head of kale by myself. Make sure the pan is hot before adding your greens. The cook time should be quick-

Seriously super delicious.

Garlic Sautéed Kale with & Hot Pepper

1 bunch kale, washed, trimmed, and torn into bite size pieces

1 clove garlic, minced

½ Cherry Bomb or Jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced

2T Extra virgin olive oil

1/4t salt

In a large skillet heat up the olive oil over medium high heat and sauté the garlic just until golden brown. Add the salt, pepper, and then add the kale. With a fork or a pair of tongs, move the kale around the pan cooking the kale until wilted and tender. I like to place mine in a bowl with a plate over top so that it continues to steam slightly, makes it even more tender. Serve immediately. Also delicious at room temperature.

Chipotle Baked Tofu

chipotle-baked-tofu

Not feeling well and going through my fridge, I wanted something quick and delicious that I didn’t have to fuss over. This was so good I made it again today.In 35-40 minutes you have perfect yumminess that really does taste a lot like chicken. This is great to have on hand- in the fridge as a quick snack, to add to soups, sandwiches or to eat hot with veggies and quinoa or rice for a meal. I am cherry bomb everything right now but you could definitely use another pepper instead, hotter or more mild. The cherry bombs lend a sweetness that is incomparable, the chipotle adds a deep, mellow, spicy that is one of my favorite flavor profiles. I may or may not be having this tonight with smashed potatoes and kale… SIMPLE.

1 Pound tofu, thinly sliced in long cubes, about 1” thick, 2″ long

2-4T Olive oil

1/2t chipotle powder (more or less)

1/2t pink salt (more or less)

1 cherry bomb or jalapeño pepper, sliced, with or without seeds (seeds make it hotter)

2T nutritional yeast

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Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a roasting pan or dish, drizzle about 3T of olive oil on the bottom of the pan.

Place the tofu rectangle cubes in the oil. Sprinkle the top with the chipotle powder, then add the sliced peppers on top and then sprinkle the salt, then nutritional yeast. Drizzle the top with more olive oil.

Roast in the oven/ convection oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

This tofu is absolutely delicious, hot OR cold.

THIS SHIT TASTES LIKE SPICY CHICKEN

Blueberry Coconut Kefir Love Bomb Lassi

*Blue coconut kefir love bomb

Summer berries…I can’t get enough…this smoothie is also filled with belly loving probiotics, if you don’t have vegan kefir on hand, you can sub a non-dairy milk or a fruit kombucha for the liquid (mango or berry is amazing). It has an incredible tangy-ness that is so delicious, reminiscent of a Fruit Lassi and is my go to beverage post Hot Yoga.

Coconut Kefir Blueberry Love Bomb Lassi

1c fresh or frozen blueberries

1c prepared almond kefir or cashew milk

1T chia seeds

1t raw honey or 1 date

3/4c raw coconut yogurt

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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.

Perfect Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie

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.

Wheat-Free Pumpkin Spice Bread

YUM.

Pumpkin Spice Bread

wheat-free

1-1/2c barley flour

3/4c maple sugar

1/2c walnuts – Optional

1t baking soda

1t baking powder

1/2t salt

1T cinnamon

1/4t nutmeg

1/4t allspice

–

1/4c coconut oil

3/4c pumpkin puree

1″ piece of ginger, grated

3/4 nut milk

1t vanilla

1 lemon- juiced

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Topping:

3T maple sugar

1t cinnamon

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, spices, and maple sugar. Add in the chopped walnuts if using.

In another small bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients; the pumpkin, oil, grated ginger 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 over mix.

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.

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

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Bring 6c of water to a boil.

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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.

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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.

Amazing Chickpea Salad

Chickpea Salad

This is BOMB served in a wrap with fresh veggies and lettuce or in between your favorite sprouted whole grain or gluten free bread slices-

LOVE THIS! The celery really makes it taste like a mock tuna fish salad so don’t skimp! Feel free to choose other add-ins, like olives, herbs, fresh sweet peppers etc….

1 1/2c cooked chickpeas

2 stalks celery, minced

¼ red onion, super minced *opt

1/3c vegan mayonnaise

1t ume vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

2t dulse *opt (more like a tuna fish taste)

pinch cayenne pepper *opt

Place the drained chickpeas in a bowl and mash slightly with a fork or the backside of a large spoon. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined and well incorporated.

If you have a food processor, you can do all of the grunt work in it- start by processing the celery, then the onions- remove to the work bowl, then process the chickpeas by pulsing- not over processing, but letting the chickpeas stay somewhat intact- then add all other ingredients intot he work bowl and mix.

Summer Quinoa Salad

Summer Quinoa Salad

1 ripe avocado, pitted, and cubed

1 1/2c steamed quinoa

1T fresh basil

1/2c cooked, drained, chickpeas

½ tomato, small dice

2t fresh lemon juice or limejuice

1T Extra Virgin Olive oil

1/4t pink salt

Black pepper to taste

1T nutritional yeast

In a medium sized bowl, add the cooled quinoa (room temp is best), and all of the other ingredients. Toss well and season to taste. Serve with additional avocado and tomato slices. Summer Love.