Honey-baked Mushroom

December is a month of birthdays in our home. Today is our son's and Saturday is my hubby's. Our twins were able to join us tonight for the end of the month birthdays. My hubby wanted a Honey-baked ham. The vegans in the home wanted honey-baked too so we made mushrooms.

Ingredients:

6 large portobello mushrooms

Marinade:

1/2 cup of orange juice

1/4 cup coconut aminos

6 garlic cloves

Directions: Combine the ingredients and marinate the mushrooms for at least 30 minutes

Glaze:

6 TBS maple sugar

6 tsp honey

Directions: With the mushrooms in the marinade sprinkle the maple sugar and drizzle the honey over each mushroom.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes

We served this with vegan potato au'gratin and broccoli and a vegan cheese sauce.

Potato Lentil Stew

Potato Lentil Stew

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
1-2 cups diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 large red pepper, seeded and diced
8 cloves of minced garlic
1-2 TBS minced ginger

2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
dash of nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper as needed

4 cups vegetable broth
2 baking potatoes, diced
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed and drained
1 can 14.5 oz diced organic tomatoes
juice of 2 oranges

cilantro leaves
Directions:
1. using broth or water saute the onions, celery, carrots, peppers, garlic, ginger
2. add the lentils, potatoes tomatoes, vegetable broth, juice of oranges, and spices
3. bring to a boil
4. reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes (lentils and potatoes are soft)
5. remove cinnamon stick and bay leaf prior to serving and top with chopped cilantro leaves

Vegan Aquafaba Pizza

We found gluten free, vegan pizza crusts at Trader Joe's, and they are delicious. Any topping can be used but these are our favorites.

Ingredients:
caramelized (p 8)
mushrooms
aquafaba mozzarella
tomato sauce of choice
gluten free pizza crust

Following the directions of the crust for baking. Thaw crust for at least 20 minutes while preheating the oven at 425. Bake for 12 minutes.

Karahi

I have fallen in love with http://www.kababishcafe.com/ . I have been there 3 times in 2 weeks. Their Karahi has been my favorite. We have altered online recipes to fit our needs but still not as good as Kababish Cafe's.

Ingredients:
Curry Base Sauce
1- 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 large onions
8 cloves of garlic
1 TBS minced ginger
Directions:
Pan fry in vegetable broth for 20 minutes
Cool and then blend in a high speed blender and set aside

Spice Mix
2 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp gluten free flour
1 chili powder
Directions: Blend all the spices and set aside

Curry
3 cloves of garlic
1 TBS minced ginger
1 large onion
1/4 -1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 cinnamon stick
1 small head of broccoli
1 diced red pepper
3/4 cup orange juice
protein could be added such as chickpeas or cooked chicken, but not needed.

Directions: Pan fry garlic, ginger, and onion in vegetable broth
Add the spice mix, stirring so it doesn't burn
Add the curry base, canned tomatoes, red bell peppers, broccoli, salt, bay leaf, vegetable cube, protein, orange juice.
Simmer for 20 minutes
Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaf prior to serving

2 TBS chopped coriander

Top with coriander and serve over rice

Vegan, Gluten-Free Dirt Cake Recipe

While celebrating my birthday our twins, soon-to-be age 28, requested Dirt Cake for their birthday. It was one of their fondest birthday cakes in the buckets with the gummy worms.... In my inbox the next day was the recipe for gluten free vegan Dirt Cakes from So-Delicious. The So-Delicious recipe is quick and easy. This is NOT healthy!!!
Now to find buckets in the winter...

This is what we made...

Recipe
Vanilla pudding
2  cups almond milk
2 TBS vanilla
2/3 cup sugar
3 TBS arrowroot starch
Directions:
Stir together sugar, arrowroot starch and salt in medium saucepan; gradually stir in milk.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils; boil and stir 1 minute.
Remove from heat
Stir in vanilla
cool in the refrigerator

8 oz vegan cream cheese such as daiya

aquafaba whipped cream
liquid from 1 14.5-oz canned chickpeas
1/2 cup finely ground sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Directions:
Whip for 8-10 minutes until there are nice peaks

Whip the pudding cream cheese, and the whipped cream together until smooth

1 bags Gluten-free Oreo-type cookies

gummy worms

Directions:
Crush the cookies and divide into thirds. Place a third on the bottom of the bucket.
Top with 1/3 of the gummy worms.
Pour half the pudding mixture on top of the cookies and worms.
Top with the second third of the cookies and gummy worms.
Pour the remaining pudding mixture on top
Top with the last of the cookies and worms.

Broccoli Waldorf Salad

We love going to the Living Kitchen and our favorite dish is the Broccoli Waldorf Salad. We thought we would try to make a copy-cat versions. This is what we did...

Dressing Ingredients:
1 cup cashew soak at least 2 hours rinse and drain
1/4 cup lemon
1/4 cup water
1 shallot
1 clove garlic
4 dates
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp probiotic powder

Directions: Place all the ingredients in a high speed blender. Blend until smooth

Ingredients:
6 cups of broccoli chopped
1 apple, cored and diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 cup walnuts
1 cup raisins
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 red onion, diced

Directions: Place all the ingredients in a food processor including the dressing. Process to the desired consistency.

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King Oyster Mushrooms Scampi

I was so blessed at the Farmers Market this morning to find 2 9-oz bags ORGANIC King Oyster Mushrooms for $5.

King Oyster Mushroom Scampi (serves 2-3)

Ingredients:
9-oz King Oyster Mushrooms
3/4 cup vegetable broth
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot diced
1 green onion, chopped
2 TBS nutritional yeast
1/4 cup dry white wine, such as a pinot Grigio
1 TBS fresh thyme
1/4 cup fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste.

juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:
Saute the garlic, shallot, and mushrooms in the vegetable broth. When the mushrooms and shallot are soft, stir in the herbs, green onion, and the wine.

Serve over pasta

Thanksgiving 2016

This is our third annual Italian Thanksgiving Feast. Our oldest boys are getting nostalgic and asked for their 1st grade recipe for Bear Berry Jelly (cranberry sauce). We used it as the topping for our cranberry cheesecake. 

course 1: Antipasto platter - Sangiovese

meat based antipasto platter (thanks Pat)

For our vegans, a vegetable antipasto platter, we omitted all oil but 1 TBS of olive oil. We used Brussel Sprouts instead of broccoli.

course 2: Salad (thanks Jyl) - pinot grigio 

course 3: Soup - White Zinfandel

Potato Leek Soup

course 4: Pasta/marinara sauce  - Chianti
quinoa and rice pasta

Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce (we doubled the recipe because we had so many people)

Prep: 15 m; Cook: 1 h 10 m

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 onion, chopped
• 8 large tomatoes, peeled and cut into big chunks
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt (omitted due to my mom is on a salt-free diet)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, or more to taste

Directions

1. Heat water in a stockpot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in hot oil until softened, about 5 minutes; add tomatoes, garlic, and bay leaf. Bring the liquid from the tomatoes to a boil, reduce to medium-low, and simmer mixture until tomatoes are softened, about 30 minutes.
2. Stir red wine, sugar, basil, oregano, marjoram, black pepper, and crushed red pepper into the tomato mixture; bring again to a simmer and cook until herbs have flavored the sauce, about 30 minutes more.
3. Stir balsamic vinegar into the sauce.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2016 Allrecipes.com
Printed From Allrecipes.com 8/11/2016

course 5: Main Dish -Toscana 

zucchini manicotti and braciole

zucchini manicotti

Herb Ricotta cheese
1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup macadamia nuts, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup pinenuts
1 peeled summer squash (zucchini or yellow)
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS lemon juice
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp oregano
1 clove garlic
2 TBS nutritional yeast
1 probiotic capsule
1 cup filtered water
Directions: combine everything in a high speed blender and process until smooth. Place in a glass container leaving on the counter overnight. Refrigerate until ready to use.

The braciole was stuffed with the Herb Ricotta and gluten free bread crumbs.

Bracioles browning

course 6: Fruit and Cheese - Riesling

pinenut chevre with cranberry pear relish served with dates, dried apple and gluten free crackers.

course 7: Dessert – coffee and tea

almond butter cacao pie 

and a cranberry cheesecake












Bear Berry Jelly
ingredients:
2 cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup water

Directions: Place all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring. When the cranberries pop, use an emulsifier stick and blend. Refrigerate overnight to set.

Royal Whipped Body Butter from the Truth about Cancer

This looks amazing! Thanks The Truth about Cancer folks!!!


T

Cranberry Vegan Cheesecake

We used the cheesecake recipe from Hacreas altering the cranberry sauce from wellandgood.com
We used dried mulberries instead of almonds in the crust.
We placed the cranberry spread on the crust, a thin center cranberry layer and the cranberry sauce on top. Picture to come.


For the Cranberry spread

Ingredients:
2 cups cranberries
1/2 tsp liquid stevia
1 apple
1/2 cup pitted dates
juice of 1 orange
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon

topping over the crust and middle layer
Directions:
place all the ingredients in the food processor.
Spread


For the topping sauce

Fresh Cranberry Sauce
Recipe adapted from The Intolerant Gourmet, by Barbara Kafka (2011, Artisan Books).

2 cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cup frozen unsweetened apple juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 teaspoon alcohol-free liquid stevia
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cranberries, apple juice concentrate, 1/2 cup water, stevia, cinnamon and ginger and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the berries have cooked down and the sauce is jellylike. Thin with more water if necessary. Transfer to a canning jar, seal and refrigerate. Once open, the sauce will keep for up to two weeks.

pumpkin bars

this recipe for Vegan Pumpkin Bars is from MindBodyGreen

Vegan Pumpkin Bars 

Makes 8 bars

Crust Ingredients

• 1 cup pecans (we would use mulberries)
• 6 medjool dates (pitted)
• pinch of cinnamon

Preparation

Process all ingredients in food processor until graham cracker–like consistency. Press crumble into strudel or 4-by-4-inch pan lined with parchment paper. Set aside.

Filling Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews (soaked for 2 hours)
• 1 cup organic pumpkin puree
• ½ cup refined coconut oil (melted) (we would use cacao butter)
• ¼ cup water
• 10 medjool dates (pitted)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Preparation

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth, creamy consistency. Evenly spread filling onto crust. Set in freezer for 3 hours. Cut and serve while still frozen with a warm knife.

Helpful Hint: If you want these delicious little desserts to look even cuter, top them with a little vegan coconut whipped cream (we would use a cashew creme) and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Fermented Cranberries from Mercola.com

This fermented cranberry recipe looks wonderful from Mercola.com

Ingredients
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Fermenting Time: 4 to 7 days

• 1 12-ounce bag of fresh whole organic cranberries (not frozen)
• Juice from 1 organic orange
• 1 small thumb of fresh ginger, minced (1 - 2 tsp.)
• ½ cup freshly juiced celery
• 1 organic granny smith apple, juiced
• ¼ packet Mercola culture starter (optional) (or probiotic powder)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 whole clove
• 2 tsp. monk fruit
• ½ cup filtered water
• 1 Tbsp. honey (optional)

Procedure

1. Place whole cranberries in food processor and pulse three to five times until most berries pop.
2. Place cranberries in a Mason jar.
3. Combine celery brine with culture starter and mix.
4. Combine juiced apple and monk fruit and mix.
5. Add celery brine, apple juice, cinnamon stick, cloves and minced ginger in the jar with the cranberries.
6. Place small strainer over jar and juice the orange by hand. Remove strainer, and then add honey if you’re adding it.
7. Fill the jar with filtered water, leaving about a 1- to 2-inch space from the top.
8. Screw on the lid and then shake well, incorporating everything.
9. Unscrew lid, and place a cabbage leaf and a small glass on top to weigh down berries. The goal is to have the berries completely submerged in the liquid.
10. Screw on Dr. Mercola lid (or airlock lids) and store in a dark place for four to seven days. Do not screw the lid tightly – you’ll want to keep it loose so the gas can escape the jar.
    
    This recipe makes 24 ounces of fermented cranberries.
    Tip: If you add one tablespoon of brine from another fermented food it may help speed up the process.

November 2016 Potluck

Our theme this month is holiday foods that are vegan and gluten free. As always everything was AMAZING! I love how all the courses for a holiday meal were provided. Our next gathering will be a Living Kitchen December 3rd at 1.

Pumpkin Hummus
Ingredients:

1 can organic garbanzo beans

1 can organic pumpkin
1/4 cup tahini

2 cloves garlic

dash of salt

dash of cumin

dash of turmeric

dash of cinnamon

dash of clove

dash of ginger

dash of allspice

dash of nutmeg

dash of maple syrup

Directions: combine in a food processor until smooth.

Our Salad:
Leafy Green salad

Our Soup:

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH BISQUE

INGREDIENTS

1 acorn squash

½ cup diced onion

2 - 3 carrots, diced

1 -2 stalks of celery, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced (optional)

¼ cup honey or maple syrup

4 cups vegetable broth

½ teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425° F. Halve the acorn squash. Scoop out and set aside the seeds. Place the cut sides of the squash down in a 13 x 9– inch pan with about one inch of water. Roast until the skin is pierced easily with a fork, about 40 - 45 minutes. Allow to cool, then remove the skin and roughly chop the squash.

Water sauté (or use a little vegetable broth) over low heat, the onion, carrots, and celery for about five minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté another 30 seconds. Add the honey, broth, salt and squash. Raise to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Blend the bisque in a blender or in the pot with an immersion blender.

Serve warm, sprinkled with a few pumpkin seeds or if you have follow the instructions below, a few of the roasted squash seeds.

Roasting the acorn squash seeds (optional)

Scoop out and set aside the seeds. While the squash is roasting, rinse the seeds and get rid of the excess squashy bits. Pat dry with paper towels. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Stir to coat all of the seeds. After you take the squash out of the oven, let the oven cool to 325 ° F. Roast the seeds until golden brown, stirring every 5– 10 minutes. Set aside.  

Our Main Dish:
Wild Rice with Corn and Cranberries

Our sides:
Brussel Sprouts












Cranberry Relish
2 cups cranberries
1/2 cup raisins soaked in the juice of 1 orange
3/4 cups pitted dates
Process in food processor to desired consistency

add
1 apple cored and diced
1 orange peeled and slices
Process to incorporate


Green Bean Casserole
















Our desserts:

Butterfingers

Almond Butter Pie

Our Beverages:
Hot Cacao
Ingredients:
1 cup almond milk
1 cup water
2-4 dates
2 TBS cacao powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
Directions: Place it in a high speed blender and blend until hot.

Nutnog

Butternut and Poblano Cheezy Pie

We altered the recipe from FoodandWine.com to fit our needs

Ingredients:
3-4 poblano peppers (3/4 pound)
1 large butternut squash (~2 pounds) peeled, halved, seeded and cubed
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup water
1 onion thinly sliced
6 campri tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup almond cream
2 TBS nutritional yeast
1 TBS gluten free flour (we used tapioca starch)
2 rice tortillas
8 oz daiya cheddar cheese


Directions: preheat oven to 400. Roast poblano peppers until charred. Transfer to a bowl and cover to steam for easy skin removal once cooled.
Roast the butternut squash  for 25 minutes until tender.
Water saute the onion and garlic. Once soft add the poblano pepper slices and tomatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the almond cream nutritional yeast and gf flour, adding salt and pepper if desired to thicken.
Place a rice tortilla on the bottom of baking dish
Spoon half the poblano mixture on the tortilla. Top with half the butternut squash and half the  cheese. Repeat the layering. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to rest for ~10 minutes.

Black Bean Soup

We were wanting a nice soup for our first cool fall evening.

Ingredients:
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 onions diced
2 celery stalks, diced
6 oz mushrooms, sliced (Thanks Craig and Debbie for the shiitake)
1 can diced tomatoes
2 carrots, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 sweet potato, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp cumin
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 BS lime juice
salt and pepper taste

Directions: place all the vegetables and cumin in 1/4 cup vegetable broth to saute. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the  remaining vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Add the tomatoes and beans. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove 1-2 cups of soup and use an immersion blender to puree. Pour the pureed soup back into the pot and stir. Five minutes prior to serving add the lime juice and cilantro.

Thin Mints

Cheryl these are for you!!!

Thin Mints
1 cup almond pulp
1/4 cup coconut flakes, ground into a powder
1/4 cup cacao powder
2 Tbsp. agave nectar
2 soft pitted dates
1 tsp. peppermint extract
dash of sea salt
In a food processor, combine almond pulp, ground coconut and cocoa powder. Add the agave, dates, vanilla extract and sea salt, and process to create a ball of dough.

Flatten the dough into a sheet, and cut out cookie-sized circles. "Bake" the cookies in your dehydrator until crisp.

Cacao ganache: 
1/8 cup maple syrup or agave
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/4 cup cacao butter, melted
1 TBSP lucuma powder
pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

In a small bowl combine until well mixed. Dunk cookies and set cookies on parchment paper and place in the freezer

Vegan GF Green Bean Casserole

We saw this recipe on facebook from a friend and thought we can make a healthy version of a Green Bean Casserole. So we have and it is so good!!!

Creamy Green Bean Casserole with Hand-Breaded Onions

Yields approximately 8 servings

Ingredients

Oven “Fried” Onions

– 1 large onion

– 1/2 cup all-purpose gf flour

– 3/4 cup Panko-style gf bread crumbs or dried almond pulp, grind in a coffee grinder

– 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning

– 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

– 1 TBS flax and 3 TBS water

– 1 tbsp almond milk

Green Bean Casserole

– 1 tbsp 1 tsp salt, divided

– 1 lb fresh green beans, rinse, trimmed and halved

– 2 tbsp water

– 8 oz mushrooms, sliced (thanks Debbie and Craig for the shiitakes) (or 1 cup diced celery for those who don't want mushrooms)

– 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

– 2 cloves garlic, minced

– 2 tbsp all-purpose gf flour
- 2 TBS nutritional yeast

- 1/2 tsp thyme, ground

– 3/4 cup vegetable broth

– 2 cups almond cream (1 cup almonds 2 cups water instead of 4, drained through a nut milk bag, the pulp will be saved for later use)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
2. For the onions: Thinly slice the onion. Pour flour in one small bowl, Panko, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper into a medium bowl, and whisk the flax, water and almond milk together in a third small bowl. To bread the onion slices, you’ll want to use one hand for dry and one hand for wet. It helps things move a little quicker and easier. First, dip a few slices into the flour. Then into the flax mixture. And finally, give them a nice dunk into the Panko and coat them well. Place onto baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the onions. Bake onions until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Flip them twice during this time. Set them aside. Raise the oven temperature to 400°
3. For the green beans: While onions are baking, bring a gallon of water and 1 Tablespoon of salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain and immediately place into a large bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and set aside.
4. Put it together: Over medium-high heat, add water in a large 10 – 12 inch ovenproof skillet. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thyme mushrooms begin to give off some of their moisture– about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir, and cook for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir until combined. The flour will soak up all the moisture. Add the vegetable broth and simmer for 3 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the almond cream. Stirring occasionally, cook until the mixture is thick– about 10 minutes or maybe more if you prefer a thicker sauce.
5. Remove from the heat and add 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Give it a nice stir, combining the sauce and beans. Top with remaining onions and bake until bubbly, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and enjoy!