Whole Food Plant Based Jerk Mushrooms

We modified this recipe from Dr Mercola's Jerk Chicken to make it whole-food plant based, using mushrooms instead of chicken.

Jerk marinade

• 1 red onion, chopped
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 6 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 jalapenos, deseeded and chopped
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
• 3 tablespoons vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Directions: Place in the food processor. After pureed, paste like spread on mushroom caps. Bake mushrooms at 375 for 20 minutes. This can be served with brown rice, millet or quinoa. 

Vegan, Whole Food Plant-based Sweet Potato Gnocchi with

The recipe for Sweet Potato Gnocchi we altered is from Pinch of Yum

INGREDIENTS

GNOCCHI:

• One 1-lb sweet potato
• 1 cup herbicotta cheese
• 1/4 cup Pinenut Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/4 cup ground millet or flour of choice (more for dusting)

SAUCE AND OTHER INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound broccoli
• broth for sauteing
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 TBS chopped basil
• 1/4 cup Pinenut Parmesan cheese
• cashew cream (1/2 cup cashews soaked 2+ hours, 1 cup water or broth, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp lemon juice , salt and pepper to taste and blend until smooth)

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the gnocchi: Stick the sweet potato a few times with a fork, bake the sweet potato in the oven at 400 for closer to an hour
2. Scoop the flesh of the sweet potato into a mixing bowl. Discard the skin. Mix the ricotta, and parmesan until well combined and almost completely smooth. Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, kneading very gently after each addition (don’t over knead it – you don’t want it to get tough).
3. Eventually, as the dough becomes easier to handle, transfer it to a clean floured work surface and form it into a loaf, about 9×5 inches. Cut a slice off of the loaf on the short side (think of it as if it were a loaf of banana bread and you were going to cut a slice to eat). Roll and stretch the slice on a floured surface until it forms a long, skinny rope-like shape. Cut the rope into 1-inch segments and transfer to a bowl: this is your gnocchi.
4. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add the gnocchi, and boil until the gnocchi rise to the top of the water. Drain and place on parchment paper or silicon sheets At this point you can make the rest of the recipe with the gnocchi, refrigerate the gnocchi to finish them later, or freeze them.
5. For the Broccoli: Bring a large pot of water to boil and prepare a bowl with ice water. Add the broccoli to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Drain and transfer to the ice water to cool and stop the broccoli from cooking further. Drain again and set aside.
6. Putting it all together: Heat the vegetable broth in a large skillet over medium high heat until lightly bubbling and foaming. Add the gnocchi and pan-fry in broth until golden brown on the outside (you may have to do this in batches). Once the gnocchi is done, add the broccoli, onion, garlic, basil, and cashew cream and pan-fry for another few minutes (again, working in batches). Remove from heat and let cool slightly so it thickens just a little. Add the Parmesan cheese – toss gently a few times to combine (the sauce should coat the gnocchi and broccoli very lightly) and serve immediately with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice if you want.

Spring Vegetable Bean Soup

It is such a cold clammy day to be the mid of March, we made soup from some seasonal vegetables and served it with Paleo flatbread replacing the eggs with aquafaba. Either my husband is getting used to no oil, little salt, and no animal products or this was delicious. He loved it!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cooked adzuki beans
2 carrots, diced
2 parsnips, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 red onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 quart of canned tomatoes
1 quart of vegetable broth
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Saute all the vegetables in vegetable broth. When the vegetables are soft add the tomatoes, beans, broth, cooked rice and spices. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Six Spice Red Cabbage Salad

This recipe, 5-Spice Red Cabbage Salad, is altered from Mother Earth Living. It was too bland for us. We added dill, and abundance from our indoor garden.

 Ingredients:
Salad:
1 small head red cabbage, sliced
1 bunch green onions, sliced
2 TBS dill
Directions:
Thinly slice the cabbage. Slice the green onion and chop the fresh dill. Add to large bowl

Dressing:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp 5-Chinese Spice powder
2 TBS vegetable broth or water or olive oil or portions of each
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Directions: whisk together dressing ingredients.

Assembly directions:
toss the dressing over the salad. Top with 1/2 cup sliced almonds.

Sweet Potato Croquettes

Our friend Rosario suggested I alter a croquette recipe to a vegan and healthy version. She sent me  a Paula Deen recipe from Foodnetwork.

Here is our attempt.

Ingredients:
2 TBS almond milk
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp green onion
1/2 cup aquafaba or 2 TBS  flax meal with 1/2 cup water
3 TBS gluten free flour (we have celiac)
4 cups mashed sweet potatoes (we used vegetable broth to make the mashed sweet potatoes)
Directions: mix all the above ingredients together and chill for at least 2 hours. (this would be great to make in the morning and leave int he refrigerator until preparing for dinner)
Use an ice cream scoop and shape.
Coat with finely ground bread crumbs
place on a parchment lined baking sheet
bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Vegan Healthy Version of the Best Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Cake

Our friend Becky posted the original recipe for the Best Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Cake from Delish.com. We altered to fit our needs and lifestyle. We made this version nut free.

Crust Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups dried mulberries
8 pitted medjool dates
2 TBS cacao powder
2 TBS melted cacao butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
Directions: Place all the ingredients into a food processor with an "S" blade and blend until looks like graham cracker crumbs. Press into a spring form pan. We line ours with parchment paper.

1 1/2 quart of strawberries
Directions: Remove the tops of the strawberries. Top the crust with strawberries standing, cut side down . Half lengthwise the strawberries to be placed along the outside edge of the pan in half.

Chocolate Mousse Ingredients:
We modified the chocomole recipe for the mousse
2 ripe avocado, pitted (replace with 1 cup soaked cashews)
16 medjool dates 
1 tsp vanilla
1/4  cup raw cacao powder
1/2 cup cacao butter, melted
1/2 cup water
Blend until creamy. Pour over strawberries and freeze or refrigerate until firm.

Ganache ingredients:
1/2 cup cacao powder
1/2 cup cacao butter, melted
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
Directions: Melt the cacao butter in a double boiler. Whisk in the remaining ingredients. pour over chilled cake.

Cacao nibs
Sprinkle over the top of the warm ganache. Chill again until ready to serve.

aquafaba crepes

The recipe for Aquafaba crepes is from FoodHighs.com. We filled the crepes with Chocolate Dessert Hummus with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chickpea water – see where to get this here
• 1 cup GF all-purpose flour (I use organic)
• almond milk, about 1/8 – 1/4 cup, depending on thickness of batter
• 1/2 t salt
• optional: a drizzle of maple syrup, or sweetener of your choice

Crepe Batter

Bean water is a natural leavener. To make your crepes even lighter, you can aerate your bean water in a bowl with a whisk or hand mixer. You are not making meringue so you don’t have to whip a lot of air in it, just a little.

Whisk in flour, making batter as smooth as possible without overworking it. Stir in salt, and if desired, a little sweetener. You can even added spices like cinnamon, or if you are making a savory crepe, you can leave it unsweetened and add any spices you like.

Your batter should be just a little thick. Add in almond milk, starting with about 1/8 cup, then a little at a time until consistency is like heavy cream or full fat coconut milk.

Crepe Method

Lightly oil a nonstick heated skillet (medium heat) and pour in about 1/4 c, or a little less, of your batter. Quickly, pick up the pan and swirl batter around to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Allow to cook. Watch for the edges to become done; they may begin to curl up a bit. Gently scoot a wooden or plastic spatula or egg turner under your crepe. Flip your crepe. If you have not made crepes before, don’t worry if the first couple are not wonderful. You will get the hang of it in no time. Your crepe will be cooked in just a couple of minutes. Remove from pan and place on parchment or a rack to cool. Repeat until all batter is used. You may need to spray a little oil in the skillet between crepes.

You can place a square of parchment between each crepe for storage.

Fill each crepe with anything you like! Savory or sweet. They are delicious with a sweetened cheese, or nut cheese, and fresh fruit, or frozen fruit cooked down and sweetened. Mmm

March Plant Based Gluten-free Potluck 2018

This month's theme is using a green ingredient. As always everything was delicious!!! The theme for April is "Gluten Free Wraps". The wraps can be green such as romaine, collard, or kale leaves, raw from a dehydrator, or GF tortillas or whatever other creative idea someone can imagine.

Today's menu consisted of

Snobby Joe's

Broccoli Cheddar Soup with bread sticks (recipe will be in my upcoming cookbook)

Spinach Berry Salad

Salad with a pumpkin salad dressing
1 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 garlic cloves

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

Blend

Edamame Guacamole

Peppermint Cocoa Bars

Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I made Broccoli Cheddar Soup one day from leftovers BUT didn't write down what I did. I'm trying it again.

Ingredients:
2 batches aquafaba cheddar
1 pound broccoli oversteamed
2 cups almond milk
2 TBS nutritional yeast
2 TBS tapioca starch
2 cups vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste

Place everything in a large pot and heat until desired temperature.