Raw Pad Thai

Turn your printers on folks, because this one is worth saving. I know raw can be intimidating and disappointing. I promise this Pad Thai is anything but. The flavors in the sauce come at you in waves. A little ginger, then some nuttiness, then a hint of heat. It is absolutely lovely and couldn’t be easier to make. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 zucchini
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 red pepper

sauce

• 4 tbls almond butter
• 1/2″ piece ginger
• 1 Tbls Bragg’s amino acids
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tbls agave
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4-1/2 c water

1. Spiralize zucchini and carrot
2. Chop pepper
3. Process sauce until you reach your desired consistency

Raw Kale Slaw with Barbeque Walnut Topping

Hey, more kale! I tell ya, nothing beats it. My friend shared a bunch of kale and Nappa cabbage with me yesterday, which was perfect for this raw slaw. The walnut topping is not raw because I added Tofurky. Oops. Tastes great though!

Ingredients

Kale Slaw

• 3 c shredded cabbage
• 2 1/2 c shredded kale
• few sprigs of chopped chives

Mayo

• 1/3 c raw cashews, soaked for 1 hour
• 1/3 c raw sunflower seeds, soaked for 4 hours
• 1/4 c water (more if needed for desired consistency)
• 2 Tbls apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbls olive oil
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 3/4 tsp salt

Barbeque Walnut Topping

• 1 sun-dried tomato Tofurky sausage (cooked and chopped)
• 1 Tbls olive oil
• 1 Tbls water
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 c raw walnuts
• 1 Tbls minced onion

1. Assemble slaw in a large bowl, set aside
2. Process mayo until everything is nice and creamy
3. Process walnut topping by pulsing in a blender, a few pulses will do

Kale Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

I was just telling a co-worker that if I ever get a tattoo of a vegetable, it will be of kale. I love the stuff so stinking much. And my spicy peanut salad is out of this world. If you aren’t a fan of spice, just omit the red pepper flakes. If you aren’t a fan of kale…well…I’m sorry

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of kale
• 3 Tbls peanut butter
• 3 Tbls rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tbls agave
• 1 Tbls amino acids
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp red chili flakes

1. Wash, de-stem, and tear kale into bite sized pieces. I like to soften my kale by giving it a nice 5 minute massage, a teaspoon or so of oil and dash of salt will help break things down even more
2. In a processor, combine dressing ingredients. Pour over kale. Enjoy!

Chipotle-Jalapeno Black Bean Burgers

I was craving a good black bean burger tonight. I found a recipe to work with and went from there. Like many vegan burgers, the downside is you must cook on a stove-top because it’s a bit crumbly. Aside from that, this was a fantastic burger and I’ll be making it again and again!

Ingredients

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 c cooked brown rice
• 3 small peppers (I used red and orange), diced
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1/2 jalapeno, diced
• a few sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp chipotle
• 1/4 c breadcrumbs

1. Mash beans and add in rice, set aside
2. Saute veggies until soft, add to bean/rice mixture
3. Add in the seasoning and breadcrumbs. Stir until well combined. Form into patties (makes about 6 big sized patties)

      4.  Cover in Daiya cheese (optional)

Zucchini Fries

 

My mom made these zucchini fries last night and they were super delicious. The only thing that could have made them better would be some more crunch. I think baking them a bit longer would solve this problem!

Ingredients (courtesy of Chocolate Covered Katie)

• 2-3 small zucchini, sliced into fry shapes
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup milk of choice
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (we used an Italian style)

Preheat oven to 420F. Lightly grease a cooling rack, place it on a baking tray, and set aside. Set up an assembly line: flour and spices in one bowl, milk in another, and breadcrumbs in a third. Dip each zucchini stick in the flour, then the milk, then the breadcrumbs. Place on the cooling rack. Bake 18-19 minutes or until crisp.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Looks like I’ve been on a chocolate and peanut butter kick lately. There are a ton of easy recipes out there with those two delectable ingredients. Then again, I’ll have peanut butter on just about anything. Pizza? Yes. Pickles? Yes. Don’t judge… These cups are pretty easy and would go great at potlucks or informal gatherings. Just be prepared to be hounded for the recipe. Also, think about making a double batch. Most won’t be able to stop at one cup. Now, get baking!

Ingredients (modified from The Kind Diet)

• 1/2 c Earth Balance (vegan) butter
• 3/4 c crunchy peanut butter
• 3/4 c graham cracker crumbs (I used 9 crackers and processed them to pieces)
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1 c chocolate chips
• 1/4 c soy milk
• 1/4 c chopped nuts

1. Line a cupcake pan with liners (this batch makes 12)
2. Melt the butter in a small pan, then add the peanut butter, graham crumbs and sugar
3. In a separate pan melt the chocolate chips and soy milk
4. Add the peanut butter mixture to the liners (about 2 Tbls)

      5.  Use a teaspoon to coat the peanut butter with chocolate. Top with peanuts. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours

Vegan Lemon Blueberry Scones

I’ve been working at a local coffee shop and it’s really hard seeing all of these delicious looking baked goods that I can’t eat. I finally got busy in making a huge batch of scones. I found a great recipe here and played around with it a bit. I love how mild it is on the sweetness, but it could be a little drier. Regardless of the texture, they taste great and the blueberries and lemon are a match made in flavor heaven. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 3 c flour

• 2 Tbls baking powder

• 1/4 c sugar (plus an extra for toppings)

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/3 c canola oil

• 1/2 c coconut (non dairy) creamer

• 3/4 c soy milk plus 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

• zest of 1 lemon

• 1 1/2 c fresh blueberries

1. Combine dry ingredients. Make a well and pour wet into dry. Once mixture is combined, grate a lemon and fold in the zest and blueberries
2. Use a 1/4 c measuring cup for scone sizes. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 F for 12-15 minutes

Memorial Day Feast

When it comes to a meal, I love variety in color, flavor and texture. This feast met all those criteria. I made a simple holiday spread of BBQ cauliflower bites, warm tahini kale salad and smoky sweet potato fries.

First, I prepped all of my veggies…

I started working on the kale first by steaming it for about 15 minutes. After it was bright green and tender, I sautéed some garlic and added the kale to the pan.

While the kale was cooking, I preheated the oven to 400 F. I tossed the cauliflower (1 head) in 2 tsp oil. I also tossed the sweet potato fries (2 potatoes, sliced) in 2 tsp oil and sprinkled it with a cayenne spice mix from Penzy’s. Both pans went in for 10 minutes. I removed the cauliflower and tossed it in barbecue sauce. Once you have a good coating, return to the oven. Be sure to stir the fries around at this time too. Cook for another 10-15 minutes.

To finish the kale off, I added a drizzle of Trader Joe’s Goddess dressing along with a handful of sunflower seeds and raisins. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie

I’ve been on a Kind Diet kick lately and decided to play around with the Peanut Butter Chocolate pie recipe. The pie is incredibly rich, but so delicious. I don’t know how anyone would be able to tell it’s vegan.

Ingredients

• Ready made pie crust (I used a whole wheat crust from Wholly Wholesome)
• 10-12 oz vegan chocolate chips
• 1/2 c soy milk
• 1 c peanut butter
• 1 box silken firm tofu
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 c maple syrup

1. I baked my frozen pie crust for a few minutes, according to package instructions. After baking I put it in the fridge to cool while I made the chocolate layer
2. For the base chocolate layer, use a double boiler to melt chips. When chips are melted, slowly whisk in soy milk. Reserve 1/4 c of the chocolate and pour the rest into the cooled pie crust. Place in the fridge for at least an hour

   

        3.  Once the chocolate layer has fully cooled, create the peanut butter layer by processing peanut butter, tofu, vanilla and maple syrup. Pour on top of chocolate layer. Return to the fridge for a few hours

       4.  Prior to serving, melt the reserve chocolate (I just microwaved mine for 15 seconds). Drizzle over pie. Place in fridge so chocolate sets…or serve right away

Quick and Easy Vegan Granola Bars

I consume a lot of granola bars. My weekly intake can get rather spendy, so I’ve been on a mission to find a superb granola recipe. The recipe from Food52 is good, but way too sweet for me. Not sure what I can do about that…I do love the texture and consistency though. I just wish there was a way to limit the sweetener and still have the bars keep their form. It’s definitely a great bar to try out as it was simple and didn’t require an insane amount of ingredients.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 c rolled or quick oats
• 1 c raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 1/2 c raisins
• 2/3 c peanut butter
• 1/2 to 2/3 c agave
• 1/8 tsp sea salt

1.  Combine oats, seeds and raisins, set aside

2.  Combine agave and peanut butter in a small dish. Once creamy enough, add to oat mixture. Stir well. Press into a lined pan

3.  Cover with some foil, press again very well, then let sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours (mine sat overnight)