Lebanese Style Lentils and Rice

This dish is super easy and quick, if you have a few packaged items on hand. I used a box of the vacuum packed Trader Joe’s lentils found in the refrigerator section. I like to keep them on hand because they have a long shelf life and they’re great for lentil loaf or shepherd’s pie. I also used the TJ’s frozen organic brown rice.

3 large or 6 med onions chopped
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
½ t cayenne pepper
1 inch piece of a cinnamon stick
½ c chopped walnuts
1 ½ cups of veggie broth
3 cups cooked lentils (or 1 package TJ’s precooked lentils from the refrigerated section)
4 cups cooked brown rice (or 2 packets out of the 3 that come in the TJ’s frozen organic brown rice)
Juice of one lemon
Tahini for drizzling on top

Brown onions to caramelize in a large skillet. Be sure they are nice and brown, this is important to the flavor profile. Add veggie broth, spices, and walnuts, simmer about ten minutes. Stir in lentils, cooked rice, and lemon juice. Stir to warm through. Serve with a drizzle of tahini on top.

How easy is that?!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are so delicious! I’ve tried many whole food plant based cookie recipes over the past few years, and most of them are rather mediocre. These are not low fat due to the high content of nut ingredients, but for special occasions, when you really want a cookie that tastes buttery and rich, this is the one.

Dry Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups finely ground almond flour
1 cup tapioca flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (optional)

Wet Ingredients:
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup unsalted creamy almond butter
2 tsp molasses
2 tsp vanilla

Add ins:
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Whisk together dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl whisk together wet ingredients.
Using a wooden spoon, mix dry and wet together.
Fold in nuts and chocolate chips.
Refrigerate for one hour.
Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball.
Flatten with your hand onto parchment lined baking sheets, making about 2 dozen cookies.
Bake at 350°F for 13 minutes.
Let cool on the cookie sheet for about ten minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.

Gingerbread

Using the S-blade in a food processor, blend together

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained
2/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup date syrup
1/3 cup maple syrup

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together

1 1/2 cups oat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Add to chickpea mixture and process until well blended.
Bake in non-stick pan (I use silicone) at 350 for 30 minutes.
Cool before cutting.
Top with Aquafaba Whipped Cream

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Key Lime Pie

I love key lime pie. I didn’t think it was possible to get a good one that was vegan. I used to get a slice at a local vegan restaurant, but while it did taste like lime, it was a little gummy, and too thick. Here is what I came up with that is more like the real thing.

Crust

2 cups gluten-free organic rolled oats
1/2 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup shredded coconut (no sugar added)
1/4 cup ground flax seed
3 Tablespoons plant milk (I usually use cashew)

Place everything in a food processor and process on high until it’s a crumbly, but slightly sticky mixture. It should hold together when you pinch it, and can form a ball. Press into a pie plate or spring form pan and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.

Filling

1/2 cup raw cashews
1 cup water divided in half
1/2 ripe haas avocado
3/4 cup maple syrup
6 oz silken tofu
2 teaspoons lime zest
2/3 cup lime juice
1/2 teaspoon agar powder

Blend cashews with 1/2 cup of water until creamy. Add maple syrup, avocado, tofu, and lime zest. Blend again until creamy.
In a small saucepan, simmer 1/2 cup of water with the agar powder for a couple of minutes, until dissolved and bubbling.
Add agar mixture and lime juice to the blender and blend all for a few seconds until smooth. Immediately pour into the crust and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

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Cashew Mayonnaise

An all around good basic mayo recipe. Makes a good salad dressing base too.

Ingredients

1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon lemon Juice

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon maple or date syrup

Blend all on high till smooth. If you have a smaller cup blender, that works best.

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Vegan Crab Cakes

For the most part, there is nothing that I miss from my pre-vegan days. Except crab cakes. For years I have been trying to create one that works, each time tweaking just a little. I think I finally have it.

I started by using the beans, rice, and oats (I changed oats to panko bread crumbs) combination taken from Plant Based Gabriel’s 3-2-1 Burger recipe, which is without a doubt the best base for a veggie burger. Then I added some ingredients based on my old non-vegan crab cake recipe, but subbed artichokes for the crab meat. I think artichokes have a similar metallic sweet taste and works perfectly. So give these a try and see what you think.

Ingredients

1 12-oz package frozen artichokes, thawed (Trader Joe’s has the best quality)
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped fine
2 bunches scallions, chopped fine

3 cups cooked garbanzo beans (2 15-oz cans drained and rinsed)
2 cups cooked brown rice (One frozen pack from Trader Joe’s is exactly that amount)
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning, low sodium version if you can find it.
2 Tablespoons dulse
1/4 cup vegan mayo (I used my homemade cashew mayo)

Vegan Cashew Mayo Recipe

Using the S-blade, pulse artichokes in a food processor until it resembles greenish shredded crab meat.

Mix together with the red bell pepper and scallions. Set aside.

On the lowest setting on a stand mixer, stir together using the paddle, the remaining ingredients. Let it mix for 3 minutes or until the garbanzos are well mashed. (You can also do this step by hand, but it will take longer.)

Add the artichokes, peppers, and scallions, and thoroughly mix them in by hand.

Form patties and cook on a griddle at 400°F for 5 minutes on each side.
Tip: If you wet your hands and shake them off in between every few patties, it keeps them from sticking to your hands.

Enjoy as is, or use them to make a sandwich.

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Jambalaya

I love jambalaya, but I don’t want to consume all the meat and fat traditional recipes contain. So I created this hearty, healthier version with plenty of flavor, and just a little kick from the cayenne.

Ingredients

1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth
3 large onions
2 large green peppers
3 cloves minced garlic
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup brown rice
1/2 bag Butler’s Soy Curls
4 slices chopped tempeh bacon

Saute onions, peppers, and garlic in a little of the broth for about five minutes.
Add the remaining broth and everything except the soy curls, rice, and tempeh bacon.
Bring to a boil and add the rice, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in Soy Curls and tempeh bacon and let sit for at least 15 minutes to allow broth to soak into Soy Curls.

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Waffles and Ice Cream

I love eating ice cream in a cone; the crispy crunchiness combined with the creamy cool sweet ice cream is music in my mouth. I have not been able to find oil free ice cream cones, so I thought I’d make my own. After looking at waffle cone makers, I decided that it was an unnecessary appliance that I couldn’t find room for in my kitchen. I already have a waffle maker that I use a few times a month, so I decided that I would just put the ice cream on my waffles. I cut them in half so I can dip them into the ice cream or a little dish of maple syrup (which makes me use less syrup, but get all the maple flavor).

Crispy, Gluten Free Waffles

1 cup oat flour
1 cup fine ground corn flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons ground golden flax seed
6 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups plant based milk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla or vanilla powder
Optional 2 tablespoons of maple syrup (I forgot to put it in today and didn’t even notice until I was writing this up)

In a small bowl, mix ground flaxseed with water. Set aside for five minutes. In a large bowl, mix both flours, baking powder, and cinnamon. Then add the remaining wet ingredients to the dry and whisk together until combined.

Pour into medium heated waffle iron. You will have to judge the timing because each waffle iron brand is different. It’s best to cook longer on a lower heat to get them to cook all the way through and be nice and crispy. I have a great no stick. I highly recommend Cuisinart brands for oil free cooking. I have thrown out others due to sticking. This recipe makes 10 Belgian style waffles in my waffle maker. Quantities may vary according to appliance type.

Ice Cream

I make Plant Based Gabriel’s “Nice Cream” recipes. I mostly make chocolate, but I also enjoy peanut butter and the mint flavors, sometimes adding chocolate to those as well. He has tons of great YouTube videos and a great new cookbook for plant based beginners.

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Smokey, Sliceable Cheddar

This is perfect for sandwiches, or for a cheese board with crackers.

1 cup raw cashews
1 1/2 cups water, divided in two
1 teaspoon liquid aminos, or soy sauce
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, or any other type
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon agar powder

In a blender, blend until smooth 3/4 cup water with all ingredients except the agar powder. In a small saucepan, stirring constantly, simmer the agar powder with the remaining 3/4 cup water until it starts to bubble. Remove from heat and add the cashew and spice mix to the agar mix. Pour into silicone cupcake molds and cool for at least an hour.

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Savory Onion Dill Bread

This is a delicious, savory, yet simple yeast bread that requires minimal kneading. I don’t have much bread baking experience. I’ve had varying degrees of success with pizza crust. It took a few loaves to get this right. The first one didn’t rise as well as it should have, the second overflowed and got stuck in the pan, so I split the third version into two loaves, which were a little dry because they didn’t need to cook as long as a single, larger loaf. From failure comes learning. Here is the process that ended up working well. Makes two medium sized loaves.

2 cups water (110° F)
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 packet of active dry yeast
4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons dill weed
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Turn on the oven to the lowest setting possible to get it slightly warm.

In a glass measuring cup heat 2 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of maple syrup to 110° F.  I like to get the water a few degrees hotter, add the maple syrup, and stick a thermometer in the glass measuring cup. Then I wait a few minutes until it comes down to 110° F.  At this point add the yeast packet to the warm water/syrup and stir a couple of times. Let it sit for about five minutes. It should get frothy on the top within that time.

While the yeast is bubbling up, whisk together the flour, salt, dill weed, onion powder, and onion flakes in a large mixing bowl. Stir in frothy yeast mixture, then knead it just long enough to incorporate the liquid and form a smooth, springy ball. I then roll it into kind of a log shape, and break it into two even pieces. Gently press each half into nonstick pans, I just ordered some new silicone bread pans with reinforced sides, which are fabulous. It just falls right out when done!

Turn off the oven and leave the door open while you are covering the bread. Use some plastic wrap and loosely cover each loaf. Place in the slightly warmed oven, close the door, and allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes or until it doubles in size. Remove from the oven and let the dough continue rising while you preheat the oven to 400° F. Take off the plastic and bake for 30 minutes. After removing from the oven, cool in pans for ONLY five minutes, then turn out onto a rack and let cool. (Or cut a slice and eat some hot!)

Goes great paired with some Smokey, Sliceable (Vegan) Cheddar.

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Note: This is a free blog site. I do not have control over which advertisements are posted on my pages, and they may represent views opposite of what I believe.