Peanut Butter Banana Bread!

Peanut Butter Banana Bread!

This is a lovely fall bread.  Bananas, nuts, and a hint of coconut-- it's just perfect for fall.  I came across the original recipe in a book simply called The Vegan Cookbook, written by Adele McConnell.  I hadn't read anything of hers before, but the beautiful salad on the front cover caught my eye and, hey, I'm always in the market for yummy yummy vegan recipes.  This is her website and I'm already rifling through her recipes lining them up ready to try :)  

I am thrilled to share this with you, because it turned out so good.  I worry about breads because I tend to end up with a chewy, or rubbery consistency, and this recipe was so not that.  As you can tell in the pictures, there's a nice crumb, and the bread is fluffy and moist, almost cake-like.  I imagine you could serve it with some fruit, maple syrup, vegan butter, or a lovely jam.  The possibilities are endless!

I changed the recipe to suit what I had on hand, and my personal taste, but I recommend her book!  Just a quick note, I used peanut butter because I had some, but any nut butter could probably be swapped in.

Peanut Butter & Banana Bread (Adapted from The Vegan Cookbook, by Adele McConnell)

2 cups wholemeal flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp. vanilla

4 overripe bananas

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 cup peanut butter (I SO wanted to use almond butter because I love it, but I was completely out when I looked in the cupboards, gonna try that next time :)

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cloves

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare (grease and flour) your pan, a standard loaf pan (9x4 in) would work nicely, but I don't have one, so I used the round one shown in the picture.

2)  In a medium sized bowl, mix together with a fork the flour and baking powder.

3)  In a separate large sized bowl, mix the mix the bananas with the milk, vanilla, nut butter, oil, and cinnamon/nutmeg/cloves.  Combine until smooth.

4)  Gently fold the liquid mixture into the dry mixture, just until combined, being careful not to overmix (this is what ruins bread/cake batters!).

5)  Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan, and bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until inserted skewer comes out clean.  I imagine if you're using a loaf pan it could could take a bit longer, just keep an eye on it to avoid overbaking.

Hope you give it a try and that you love it as much as my family and I did! 

Lots of love to you all <3

Fresh Baked Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Hello Everyone!  This is Kasey.  It has been awhile since I have made a post and I am excited to share my pumpkin pie recipe with you.  It is almost the holiday season and the perfect time of the year to be shopping for fresh pumpkins in the states!  I live in the Chicago area and I go to the farmer's market every Sunday morning.  I see the prettiest pie pumpkins and carving pumpkins.

Side note:  these pictures do not do justice to this beautiful and delicious pie.  The pie is easy to make.  The only part that is actually baked is the pumpkin.  The crust and filling stay raw.  It takes a little bit of preparation though because the filling works best when it is refrigerated overnight.  If you do not have time just make sure you serve chilled by keeping it in the fridge until you are ready to eat it.

An important start to any yummy pie is to pick out a fresh and preferably organic pie pumpkin.  Do not use a carving pumpkin.  I picked out a medium sized sugar/pie pumpkin and only used half of it.  Look for one the size of a cantaloupe.  I like organic because I don't want to eat harsh pesticides.  I will make exceptions once in a blue moon, but for the most part I will only buy organic.  Once you have found the perfect pumpkin wash it off, removing any dirt from the outside.  Cut it in half and then in half again, making four equal parts.  Remove the gooey inside & seeds and save the seeds--you can bake them later for a healthy snack that is rich in magnesium and zinc!  mmm!

Put the pumpkin in the oven on a large pan (lined with baking paper or tin foil if you want to save time cleaning up later).  We like using coconut oil to bake with so we used a very thin layer of it to coat the inside of the pumpkin.  I have done some research on the health benefits of coconut oil and I like what I am finding out :)  My boyfriend and I wanted the flavor of the spices to really seep into the pumpkin so we sprinkled some nutmeg and cinnamon on the quartered pumpkin slices before placing them in the oven.
Bake for 1.5 hours at 375 degrees F.  Take the pumpkin out when it is soft.  Keep an eye on it because the time it takes to finish baking will vary depending on the thickness of your pumpkin.  While your pumpkin is baking you can make the crust:

This pumpkin pie crust is its own entity.  Side Note**:  It is so good I made a second batch to bring to work with me.  This stuff is seriously easy to make and a healthy way to get your sugar fix.  I always pack a few Larabars to bring with me to eat in a hurry at work.  I am very busy in between clients and sometimes I choose not to take a lunch break so I find Larabars to be convenient and healthy.  Instead of buying larabars I shaped this crust into bars and ate it instead!  It is SO good.  This crust is its own raw vegan cookie/larabar/energy bar!

CRUST INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of oats

2 cups of soaked dates

3/4 cup of walnuts

1/4 cup of coconut oil

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg

1 teaspoon of salt (we used Himalayan)

I am getting better at measuring ingredients.  I am working on being meticulous so I can blog accurately!  My inherent nature is to be a free spirit and throw things together, taste them and adjust accordingly.  I am turning over a new leaf though because that does not work when you are recording recipes :)  The spices are my best estimate because I added a few shakes at the end, back to my old ways, not even realizing it.  So adjust the spices if you want a little extra flavoring.

Place the oats into a food processor.  Pulse for 30 seconds until the oats are finely chopped up and more of a powder consistency.  Then add the rest of the ingredients and add a tiny smidge of water if necessary.  When the mixture becomes a goo then you know your crust is ready.  Line the inside of a pie pan and set aside in the fridge for now while you make the filling.

When your pumpkin is soft and brown on the crust it is time to take it out of the oven.  First you want to grab a big spoon and remove the flesh from the skin.  It should remove easily.  Place it in a bowl or directly into a high speed blender.  We only ended up using half of our pumpkin. 

FILLING INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of almond milk (you can substitute soy milk, cashew milk, etc)

2 cups of baked pumpkin

1/2 cup of sugar.  (we used coconut sugar)

2 cups of soaked dates.  I added extra at the end to increase sweetness

1/4 cup of tapioca flour/starch as a binder.  You can use corn starch if you like.

1 inch chunk of raw ginger

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and a few pinches of sea salt.

Blend of full power for one to two minutes until the mixture is creamy.

Pour the creamy mixture into your pie pan and allow it to cool off for an hour or so in the fridge (you don't need to bake the pie, just the pumpkin at the beginning).

It cuts better after it has cooled off.  Cut into pieces and you are ready to serve it :)  ENJOY!

Vegan Chocolate Brownies with a Secret Ingredient!

I was watching The Americans last night.  Have any of you seen it?  I had heard it was good, so we decided to give it a try and started it last night.  (I love it btw, we watched two episodes before bed and I can't wait to continue it tonight.)  Well, no spoilers I promise, but there was some baking of brownies, from a box.  I haven't had brownies in so long since coming to Australia and I honestly didn't even know how much I missed them until I saw them sitting there on her counter.  My little girl, Maeve, didn't even know what they were!  I told her we'd have a mission today, and that was to make some yummy yummy brownies, but the part I didn't tell her was that they would be vegan, and as healthy as I could make them :)

I browsed several recipes and decided against applesauce (didn't have any) or bananas (didn't have any) and I didn't want any processed sugars, so I altered one I found here.

She and Leila couldn't wait to lick the spoon and sat patiently waiting for their brownies.  I'm happy to report the brownies were a success, maybe TOO much of a success, considering they're both prowling about the kitchen asking if they get another one tonight after dinner.  hehe  I know I plan on having another one :P

Vegan Chocolate Brownies

1/2 cup avocado, mashed well

1 tbsp. of olive oil

1/2 maple syrup, or honey (In a pinch, 1/2 raw sugar would work)

2 tsp. lemon juice

3/4 water

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup cacao powder or cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

* Optional:  Add shredded coconut or your favorite nuts or vegan chocolate to the top and bake.  I made some yummy vegan coconut chocolate earlier in the week so I crumbled that on top and WOW.  So good!

1) Put the avocado and olive oil in a bowl and whisk it until well combined.  Mix in the honey, lemon juice, and the water.

2) In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cacao, baking soda, and salt.

3) Pour the avocado mixture into your bowl of dry ingredients and stir well until combined.

4)  Pour batter into your baking dish, spreading it evenly.

5)  Bake 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out mostly clean ( I like my brownies fudgy so I always take them out a smidge early :)

I hope you like the brownies! My girls and I loved them and I hope you do too!

Make your own Almond Milk

Almond Milk

I tried something adventurous last week.  I actually didn't even know it was possible (sometimes, if something is daunting or I have no clue how it's done, I just think it's not possible...lol)  Well, I was thinking about almond milk and how it's made--I had no clue.  I am a pinterest fiend, like I am sure a lot of people are, and I found a lovely recipe for making my own almond milk, which is a lot simpler and fun than you might expect!

You can't be afraid of getting messy though, which I am usually, but I was so pleased with the results I'm not put off by the clean up afterward :)  And sadly, it isn't something you can make straightaway, since you need to allow for the almonds to soak for 1-2 days (the longer you allow them to soak, the creamier your milk will be).

Just make sure the almonds you get are raw and haven't been roasted or salted or anything like that.  Also, make sure you only make what you can consume in 2 days, there are obviously no preservatives in this milk so it won't keep longer than that.  

Also, you'll be left with some lovely almond meal that you can use for making something else (I used mine in some chocolate nut bark which was YUMMY!).

Almond Milk

Equipment:

Blender or food processor
Fine-mesh nut bag or cheese cloth

1 cup raw almonds
2 cups water

**Optional, after soaking, you can blend a few dates with the almonds for sweetness, or even scrape a vanilla pod or cacao into them.

Method:

1)  Put the almonds into a container and cover them with the water.  Keep in mind they will plump up while soaking so allow for room.  I then put a lid on the container and let them sit for 1-2 days.

2)  After they have soaked, put the almonds along with the soaking water into a blender or food processor.  (The first time I made this I peeled all the skins off, but the second time I didn't because I was lazy and the milk was just as beautiful the second time as the first!  So I won't bother peeling them again, way too fiddly for me.. lol)

3)Add the dates or whatever you've decided to add at this stage, you don't have to add anything and it will still be nice.

4) Blend at medium speed until all the almonds are ground well and the mix looks creamy.

5)  Messy part!  You need to slowly pour the almond mixture into a big bowl over the cheesecloth to strain the bits of almond out.  The first time I did this it was more difficult but you'll get the hang of it.

6)  The almond meal you have in the cheesecloth can be spread on a baking sheet and roasted for 8-10 min, sealed in a bag, and frozen for use in a future recipe.

I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I did!  

Original Recipe found at:  http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-almond-milk-at-home-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-189996

Tasty Maple Walnut Cookies!

Tasty Maple Walnut Cookies

Hello again!  (Bethany here:))  So much time has passed since I last posted a recipe--so sorry about that!  No excuses though, I'm back and making yummy vegan dishes again and I couldn't be more excited.

SO, my good friend Tina told me about a cooking class she'd heard they were having at the local community centre and wanted to know if I'd come along.  I didn't know if I'd be interested, I must confess, I've become so lazy when it comes to cooking anything, but really I'm so glad she invited me.  It was a VEGAN cooking demonstration/class!!  And there were samples passed out for everyone!!  They were so knowledgeable and eager to share what they know and love about living and eating as a vegan.  I came away from it the first night feeling invigorated, determined, and hopeful about my health and that of my family.  They focused on the brain during these sessions, so most of the recipes we learned featured ingredients that promote mental health.   

I've made a few things but, first things first, I want to share the cookies.  I love these so much, I wish I had made more.  My little girls and my husband love them too :)

Thank you to Dominic, Nadine, Stella, and the rest of you that presented these yummy dishes at the Wentworthville Community Centre!  (Elim Health Centre -- The Vegetarian Way)

Tasty Maple Walnut Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups walnuts, ground

2/3 cups wholemeal flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup flaxseed (linseed) meal

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoon maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 cup almond milk (I found my batter to be a bit dry so I added this, you might not need as much or you might want a little more)

***The original recipe called for 1/3 cup carob chips or a bit of cacao, but I had none on hand.  I bet you could play around with this recipe easily to customize and make these cookies some of your favorites!

1)  In a bowl add all the ingredients in the given order and mix well.

2)  Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. (350 degrees F)

3)  Drop dough on wax paper covered cookie sheet with a spoon and flatten with a fork.

4)  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until golden, check often to prevent from burning.

And there you have it, some delicious and healthy cookies :)  I hope you give them a try!

Vegan Peanut and Sweet Potato Thai-style Curry

Back at home with my parents, and away from the yummy curries of Sydney, I've decided that's exactly what I wanted to eat for dinner :)  Instead of the typical Indian inspired curries we've done before, this one is Thai inspired, and so so satisfying.  It's getting colder here in southern Indiana and it really hits the spot.  My parents do not eat anything remotely spicy so I omitted any chili, but I imagine this would be beautiful with your favorite chilies minced and thrown in as well :)

BTW, I miss you and love you Kasey!

Vegan Peanut and Sweet Potato Curry

1 Sweet Potato, medium sized, diced (bigger chunks should be okay, but adjust the cooking time accordingly)
1 Onion, chopped, I used a sweet onion
2-3 Tablespoons of chunky Peanut Butter
3/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons of Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons of Tomato Puree
Zest and juice of 1 Lime
Handful of Coriander, chopped fine
3-4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon, Ginger, minced
1/4 of a Red Pepper, chopped fine
1 tin of Coconut Milk
2 tablespoons of oil (I used olive oil, since it was all I had on hand, but I bet coconut oil would be nice if you had it!)

Chilies, minced (Optional)

First, bring a pot of water to the boil and add the sweet potato.  You don't want to completely cook the sweet potato just yet, I only did this because I was concerned about cooking the sweet potato through.  Remove it from the heat after 5 minutes or so.  Then, in a separate bowl, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, tomato puree, lime juice and zest, with the hot water.  Stir to combine.

I chopped up the ginger, garlic, pepper, and coriander and put them aside in a separate bowl.

Next, heat the oil and onions in a large skillet.  Let the onions cook until they soften, then add the sweet potato.  Saute for a couple of minutes, then add the coriander, garlic, ginger, and red pepper.  Stir for about a minute.

Finally, stir in the coconut milk.  I turned down the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.  Serve with quinoa or rice, add a sprig of coriander and enjoy!!  I hope you love it as much as I did <3

Dreamy Vegan Chocolate Cake with Creamy Chocolate Frosting

This cake is a win win.  Healthy AND delicious!  I could eat the frosting by the spoonful haha.  I made some mistakes when attempting to make this cake, as it was a total experiment.  Because of the mistakes though it ended up being even more delicious and unique (i love how there are whole raisins, sunflowers and dates mixed in...yum.  and I like the texture of the frosting and cake)!  I sometimes sweeten desserts a little more when I make them for other people.  In my experience I have found that my taste buds have adjusted to a lower level of sweetness.  On this blog I have been experimenting with healthy whole foods to create yummy dishes.  This cake is one of the results of experimentation...kinda like a chocolate fruitcake.  A BRIDGE between healthy and sweet.  A yummy bridge, that will surprise you when you see the ingredients.  Have your cake and eat it too! 

 YUMMY!
HEALTHY!   http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/benefits-of-flaxseed and http://www.forbes.com/sites/juliewilcox/2012/06/26/7-benefits-of-quinoa-the-supergrain-of-the-future/

Ingredients for filling:
3/4 cup flax meal
1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped up dates (yummy option...any of your favorite dried fruit)
1/2 cup chopped up dried figs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce  
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1.5 cups almond milk (or any nut milk)
3/4- 1 cup raw cacao OR cocoa
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (or Himalayan sea salt...my cousin has been telling me how awesome it is and I've been meaning to do some research on it!)

Instructions:
Rinse off quinoa, boil in 1 cup of purified water and turn down heat to low.  Allow to soak up extra water.  This should take about 20 minutes.  Otherwise, just follow instructions on individual box :)  I had never made quinoa before (my sister always did that part lol) and it was really easy.

While you are making the quinoa do not snack on the enticing ingredients you are to assemble.  lol i did this ;)  Instead use your time more wisely by getting a long rectangle pan out and putting non stick baking paper along the edges inside, or anything that will allow the cake not to stick such as this fancy foil such as the one I used.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a large bowl, combine all filling ingredients except quinoa in high power blender.  (Check on your quinoa.  Make sure quinoa has absorbed all water.)  Blend on high.  OR.  PLAN B: 

haha

Remember how I said I made some mistakes?  Well, the biggest mistake I made was to start making the cake and not checking first to see if my mom had a blender.  Nope.  No blender.  Just a hand mixer.  So how to blend the ingredients?  I am used to making raw vegan cakes and a vita mix blender is usually all you need.  I don't think I have used a hand mixer since I was maybe five or six.  I was wondering, do these things ninja chop or just stir?  I gave it a whirl and was disappointed at first, realizing that nothing was chopped up.  I was thinking well I can either throw in the towel and give up or I can just pour the cake batter into the pan with whole sunflower seeds, dates and raisins.  What the heck why not?  But first I added quinoa to the large mixing bowl and the cake batter was nice and dense.

I spooned in the cake batter into the rectangle pan with non stick foil (or non stick baking paper).  making sure to evenly spread out the mixture the best that I could.  Bake at 350 degrees for one hour until the middle is soft and still a little moist.  I had to keep checking mine.  I stirred it all up occasionally too because I noticed the sides and top were getting hotter and baking faster than the middle.  I am not an expert at baking so I figured it was best to stir it up so nothing would burn.

(meanwhile...while your cake is in the oven...)
FROSTING!!!!!  Time to make some delicious frosting that you are going to want to make some extra so you can freeze it so you have some extra to snack on when it is a commercial break or movie night.  Hey, it is a healthy treat right?
No guilt :)

The picture doesn't do this scrumptious treat justice.  Simply heavenly.  Here is the site that inspired me:  http://fooddoodles.com/2013/06/04/raw-vegan-chocolate-frosted-brownies/
 also, check out how great eating avocado is for your hair and skin!  http://www.tandurust.com/hair-care/avocado-benefits-hair-skin.html

Ingredients:
3 ripe avocados
1/3 cup maple syrup, agave nectar, or honey*
1/2 cup raw cacao or cocoa
sea salt to taste
3/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Optional:  nutmeg and cinnamon

Blend or hand mix until a creamy and light texture.
Put frosting in fridge or freezer to keep cool.  Allow cake to cool in fridge without putting the frosting on.  Once cake has cooled you can put the frosting on.


These measurements are flexible (according to your taste).  You may like more or less sweetness, etc.
I had lots of left over frosting.  It keeps great in the freezer!  you don't even need to thaw it.  I am keeping my cake in the freezer and letting it thaw for a bit before eating.

Enjoy!

Vegan Summer Berry and Date Parfait

This is the perfect summer treat!  I really love berry season and this is one of the yummiest ways I can think of to enjoy fresh, local berries.  They are simple, quick and beautiful too :)

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)
*2 beautiful glasses (hey, this is important! :))
*1.5 cups of your favorite berry.  I used blueberries and raspberries.  Another delicious choice would have been mulberries.
*16 ounces of vegan yogurt, (you are going to divide into fourths)
*about 25 dates chopped up
*about 1/4 cup of flax, coconut or almond meal

First, add a thin layer of flax, coconut or almond meal to your first glass.  Next, pour in half of the yogurt.  The next layer is a thin layer of dates followed by a thin layer of berries.  Next add a layer of flax, coconut or almond meal.  Finish off with the rest of the yogurt (you should still have half reserved for the other dessert) for this parfait.  Add a thin layer of dates, berries and a dusting of flax meal.  

Copy directions for second dessert!  ENJOY :)

Raw Vegan Apple Pie with Apricot and Cinnamon

We found some beautiful pink lady apples at the market yesterday.  I love apples, we always have them on hand, but there's something about pink ladies that make me happy; they're crisp and sweet and have such pretty coloring.  We bought a big bag of them and initially just planned on putting them in a bowl and sharing them over the next few days, but we decided to experiment :P

We haven't had apple pie in so long.  I honestly can't remember when I had a piece of apple pie.  Kasey had a book from the library called Gorilla Food, written by Aaron Ash.  He has a recipe, but alas we didn't have the ingredients so we used his as a model and instead created our own, and WOW did it pay off :)  This pie is so good, I wish we had made double.

Raw Vegan Apple Pie (No baking necessary! :)

Crust

2 cups almond meal
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 cup Dates soaked for about 10 minutes
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Dash of cinnamon
9 inch pie pan


Combine all the ingredients in the food processor.  Ours was dense and still a bit sticky but easily manageable.  We pressed it into a glass pie pan and put it into the fridge to chill while we made the filling.

Filling

3-4 Pink Lady Apples, cored and sliced, don't peel them (lots of nutrients in there!)
6 dried Apricots, sliced as thinly as you can manage
1 Banana
1 tablespoon Coconut Oil, warmed to a liquid
Few shakes of Cinnamon
Few shakes of Nutmeg

Once the apples are sliced (we were lazy and used our food processor for this as well, but you can always do this part by hand) and cored, put them in a big bowl.  Add the apricots and the spices.  Combine.  Then, put the banana and the coconut oil in the processor and mix until blended.  Add this to the apples and just stir to combine everything.  (This smells so yum doesn't it?!)

Pull the crust out of the fridge and fill it with the apple mixture.  We had a bit more than we needed when we used 4 apples, you could pile it all on top, but we decided to reserve the extra to add to salads.  Keep the pie in the fridge.  We hope you loved this as much as we did <3

Enjoy!

Vegan Tomato and Pepper Oat Crackers

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius
Ingredients
1 stalk of celery
1/4 of green bell pepper (any color is fine)
3 roma tomatoes
1 cup of orange juice
1/2 lemon juiced
1/4 yellow onion
1 handful of fresh parsely
1 handful of fresh rosemary
1-2 teaspoons of dried oregano
6 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon cumin
Sea salt and pepper to taste
4-6 cups of rolled oats

These are the rolled oats we used :-)  We bought these organic whole grain oats at the health food store in Bondi.  They were very cheap!  We got a big bag and these yummy crackers are the end product! 

Combine all ingredients except oats in a food processor, or high power blender.

Add oats to the food processor, but be warned, that oats are sometimes used as an egg substitute because they are a binder!  They start getting sticky and thick very quickly.  Work quickly when adding the oats.  We ended up using about 5 cups of oats.

Spread gloopy mixture on baking sheets.  We used three pans and put them into the oven.  Half way through the baking process we flipped them over and rotated them from outside to the inside. 

Enjoy!  We eat our crackers with salsa.  We also use them as croutons.

Quinoa and Vegetable Vegan Stew!

I'm freezing.  Winter is coming.  Kasey and I hosted a dinner party last weekend and we puzzled over what we could make.  No vegans were attending BUT we can't resist preparing a beautiful vegan menu.  It's such a nice feeling when people that expect vegan food to be bland and tasteless and boring are proven wrong :P We decided on a stew because what's better when you're cold and want something warm and hearty.  This stew was so fun to make, and simple.  The chopping took a while but if you have a good knife or a food processor that would help a lot.

We started with making the stock.  I think making a stock can seem a bit intimidating if you've never done it before.  It creates the base of the stew and that's where your base flavor starts.  I'll break this recipe into two parts to simplify.  Keep in mind, that if you are low on time it is perfectly okay to buy a pre-made vegan stock at the store, but we found it fun and delicious to make our own.

Vegetable Stock

1 Brown Onion, cut into quarters

2 Stalks of Celery, chopped in half

4 Carrots, medium size, cut in half

8 cloves of Garlic, cut in half

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon Cumin

Handful of fresh Parsley

Handful of fresh Rosemary

Salt and Whole Peppercorns, we didn't really measure, just added as we went

6 Cups Spring Water

*We included mushrooms in our stock, but removed them after about 10 minutes when we realized they could be overpowering.  

Throw all of it in a big pot with a lid.  Heat on high until boiling.  Then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about 2.5-3 hours.  We ended up letting it cool over night just for extra flavor development.  Strain completely (you might be able to find another use for the leftover vegetable, Kasey happily ate the carrots on their own they were so good :D).  You'll need about 2 cups of stock liquid for your stew.

Quinoa and Vegetable Vegan Stew

1 Brown Onion, chopped 

2 Carrot, chopped

1.5 cups Quinoa

2 tablespoons of Macadamia Oil

1 tablespoon Cumin

2-4 cloves Garlic, finely minced

Salt and Ground Pepper to taste

Handful of Rosemary

Handful of Basil

5 Medium Tomatoes, chopped

2-3 cups of red and green cabbage, shredded

2 Cups Kale

1 Sweet Potato/Kumera, chopped

2 Cups of the above prepared stock

2-3 Cups Spring Water

Add the chopped carrot and onion and garlic to your pot, with the macadamia oil.  Cook it off just a bit then add the quinoa.  

 Now add the stock, water, and the tomatoes.  Simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes.  Finally, add in the cabbage and the kale and the sweet potato.  Put in the spices, the cumin, the rosemary, the basil, and your salt and pepper.  We taste as we cook and season accordingly, so our measurements might not be exact, but remember that you can always add more if you think it needs it.

Turn the heat down and continue to cook for 15-20 more minutes.  We checked on it constantly just to make sure the flavors were right.  It smelled so nice :)  Basically it's done when the sweet potato is cooked.  Enjoy!

We hope you love it as much as we did!  We had about 12 servings but everyone wanted seconds so it was hard to tell.  It was perfect for our chilly evening dinner party.  It was a big hit, for vegans and non-vegans alike :P

Vegan Veggie Burgers with Raw Vegan Ketchup and Sweet Potato Fries

This is a vegan version of the veggies burgers they showed on My Kitchen Rules the other night.  My sister and I LOVE this TV show.  As a combiner, Kerrie and Craig used an egg.  To make mine vegan, I used raw oats instead of an egg.  I didn't wait to fry mine so I chose to bake them.  I love raw sprouted chickpeas/garbanzo beans, but I find that I get a tummy ache when I eat too many of them.  I had some left over ones in the fridge marinating today so I decided to bake some veggie burgers!  It literally took me only a few minutes to throw the veggies into our *delightful* new food processor and get them in the oven :)

The raw vegan ketchup is divine.  My sister said she likes it better than regular ketchup!  My sister loved it so much she said she wished we had made a bigger quantity and stored it in the fridge.  I don't know how long it would last, but the raw lemon and salt would help preserve it for a little while.

Sweet potatoes are yummy and loaded with vitamin A.  The sweet potato fries/chips could easily be made raw, if you have a dehydrator.  We don't, so we put them in the oven.  I've done some research and it seems that any time a person combines a starch with oil at high heat it can become unhealthy so I have always eaten mine plain and started to like them better that way.  I personally LOVE them plain!  Yes, the spices and oil do add a nice flavor too :) So my point is, you have options :^) 

As for a bun.....lol....I got lazy and didn't feel like it needed one anyways.  Who knows, maybe I'll try one out next time and update this post. 

Raw Vegan Ketchup

1 cup chopped roma tomatoes (any tomato will do, but we like roma best)
1/3 cup pitted dates (soak for a bit first and drain...this water is yummy--drink some!)
1 cup sundried tomatoes (soak for a bit first and drain)
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1-3 cloves of garlic (man I am loving garlic lately so I always add extra.  Start with one and see how you like it :))
Sea salt to taste

Process or blend all ingredients until smooth.  Store in the fridge until you are ready to serve!

Vegan Chickpea Veggie Burgers

If you want to go a step above and beyond, you can marinate your chickpeas beforehand.  For a marinade I like a pinch of sea salt, tablespoon of macademia nut oil, a squeeze of lemon or vinegar, few shakes of garlic, lots of cumin, and a pinch of ground chili.   

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Ingredients:
2 cups of soaked chickpeas/garbanzo beans.  I soak mine over night, and then sometimes marinate them.
1/4 of a bell pepper/mild capsicum.  Any color!
4 cloves of garlic
5 sprigs of fresh coriander
1/3 cup of raw oats
1 tablespoon of macadamia nut oil.  (It would be interesting to see how coconut oil would taste!  From my research mac oil and coconut oil seem to be the safest to cook with)
1/2 medium jalapeno pepper. Your choice whether to remove the seeds!!  I took out half
1/2 large yellow onion
Throw in some of your favorite spices.  I used cumin, sea salt, chilli flakes and ground coriander.

Put everything in your food processor or high speed blender.   Process until slightly still chunky.  Shape into patties (I had 7) and bake for 30 minutes.  Flip over and rotate if needed.  Bake for an additional 15 minutes or so, checking to see your patties are a nice golden color.

Sweet Potato Fries

These are so simple to make.  The only challenge in my opinion is cutting up the sweet potato.   Rinse, dry and chop up one large sweet potato in half first, then into fry size pieces.  I leave the skin because it is nutritious, tastes nice, and why take the time to peel it away lol?

Now it is time for those options I was explaining above.  I seriously just love the natural sweet potato flavor.  I put them in the oven and bake at 400 degrees on a baking sheet, checking them after 20 minutes.  I keep checking until they are nice and crispy.

A yummy raw vegan version can be followed here:  http://www.rawmazing.com/raw-sweet-potato-fries-w-chipotle-mayo/#more-750

If you like seasoned fries baked with oil:  http://www.instructables.com/id/Perfect-Oven-Sweet-Potato-Fries/

My sister (and everyone at the dinner party we made these for) wanted some flavoring so we set some plain ones aside for me and put the rest in a plastic bag with olive oil, yummy spices like fresh rosemary, sea salt, and pepper.  Shake until evenly coated.

Enjoy!!!!!

Raw Vegan Carrot Cake with a Hint of Apple

 You are going to love this!!

 Bethany and I served this raw vegan carrot cake at our dinner party yesterday.  Oh my gosh is it yummy!   I had some for breakfast this morning too haha :)  We made this carrot cake with a dinosaur blender that barely works, so if you have a food processor or high speed blender it will be much easier for you.  Regardless, it was still simple and fun to make!  This makes about 15 -20 servings. 

INGREDIENTS-Base
2 Cups of shredded carrots (we used a mandolin slicer)  Set the carrots aside for later!
1 medium sized apple peeled and shredded (we used the mandolin for this too)
2-2.5 Cups of Almond meal (you want the dough to be dense, moist, but not sticky)
1.5 cups of raw pitted dates soaked and drained
1 cup raw shredded coconut
3 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 teaspoon of nutmeg 
1 teaspoon of sea salt

Put all ingredients except carrots in a food processor or high speed blender.  Plan B:  you can also mash it up quite nicely and easily by hand if you don't have any fancy equipment :) We attempted to put the ingredients in our blender, at first, but it just growled at us.  haha.

Next, add in shredded carrot.

Next we used a 8inch by 10 inch plastic storage container...we wanted a pan but didn't have the right size.  But actually the plastic storage container had a lid on it so it ended up being the perfect choice since the base is going to go into the freezer anyways :)  We lined the plastic container with foil so it would be easy to lift out.  We spread the base inside, about one inch thick.  Put in freezer to set.





 While your base is in the freezer it is time to whip up some frosting :)  there is our fancy blender, using a fancy plate as our lid.












 



INGREDIENTS
 1.5 cups of raw almond meal
1/2 cup of water 
2/3 cup of raw coconut oil
 4 Tablespoons of liquid sweetener (agave syrup, maple syrup or honey*)
 2 Teaspoons of vanilla extract
Juice of a half lemon
1 teaspoon of sea salt

Blend all ingredients well!  We really wanted a creamy texture, so it was important to blend it for a long time!!  We let it blend for about 4 minutes.  We didn't want it to get hot though, so you might want to give it a minute or two break in the middle of the blending.  Keep checking it though, because all blenders are different.

Grab your base out of the freezer, smooth the cream on top of it, and marvel for a few minutes at the delicious dessert you have just created :))  Freeze for at least 1 hour, preferably 2.  Allow 30 minutes for it to thaw before eating.  ~ENJOY!~

*some people agree that honey is vegan while others say it is not