Vegan Pumpkin Bread

Vegan Pumpkin Bread

3 c pastry flour

1 t baking soda

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1.5 T cinnamon

2 t nutmeg

1 t ginger

1/2 t cardamom

1/2 t allspice

1 t cloves

3/4 c coconut oil

1.5 c coconut sugar

2/3 c applesauce

1 c pumpkin purée

1 t vanilla

3 flax eggs (3 T ground flax seeds mixed with 9 T warm water)

1/4 c loosely chopped pumpkin seeds

Heat oven to 350F. "Grease" two loaf pans with coconut oil. Sift dry ingredients/spices into a large bowl. Whisk sugar and oil together then add in pumpkin, applesauce, flax eggs and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into flour/spices, mix with a spatula until just combined. Divide batter between the loaves, sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out dry.

Choco-PB Breakfast Cookies

I'm always looking for an easy breakfast for my kids. I usually make double batches of waffles, pancakes or muffins on lazy days but that can get boring.  A few years ago, before we cleaned up our diets, a quick breakfast I would give the kids was a popular, store-bought "breakfast cookie" that I thought looked healthy. I was incredibly wrong. They were full of GMOs, trans fats, artificial colors and flavors, and a whole mess of chemicals. My version of breakfast cookies contain none of that and are made with only 7 ingredients. They're also naturally gluten free. Add the delicious glaze if you feel the need to indulge a bit, they are tasty either way.

Choco-PB Breakfast Cookies

For the cookie

1 c ground oats (can be ground in a food processor, blender or coffee grinder)
1 1/2 c old fashioned oats
1 c nut butter (I used PB)
1/4 c maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt (my favorite is real salt)
3 ripe, smashed bananas 
1/3 c dark chocolate chips 

For the glaze

2 T maple syrup
2 T cacao
1 tsp coconut oil
2 T peanut butter

Preheat your oven to 350F. Mix the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon until combined. Add in the salt, ground and whole oats, stirring until incorporated, then fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon 1/3 c batter onto baking sheet, making large, round cookies, 2-3 inches wide. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned on top. (sometimes I broil them on low for a minute to get a golden color on top) 

Let cool on a wire rack before adding the glaze.

To make the glaze, I used a double broiler, added all of the ingredients to the bowl and whisked until combined. Spoon the mixture into a ziploc bag, snip a tiny corner off the bag for piping, and decorate the cookies in whatever pattern you like.

This recipe makes 10 large cookies.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

My husband is in love with spicy food. He puts jalapenos on almost everything. So needless to say, he is always asking for dinners with a little more kick. These buffalo cauliflower bites are one of his favorite things, seriously, he asks me to make them daily weekly. I'd like to say these are healthy, but the cauliflower really doesn't rule out the high salt content, so we limit how many of these we eat. 

You could definitely lower the heat factor of the sauce by adding in some coconut oil or vegan margarine. I love serving the bites with some cashew ranch and organic celery.

After cutting up the cauliflower, you'll thoroughly cover them in a simple batter and then bake the pieces.

You'll need:

1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
1 c flour (whole wheat, brown rice, chickpea, etc)
3/4 c nut milk or water (I use cashew milk)
2 t garlic powder
1 c cayenne based hot sauce

Let's get started!

Preheat your oven to 425F. In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour, nut milk and garlic powder together. Dredge each piece of cauliflower in the batter and lay on a sheet pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned, and let them cool for 5 minutes. Add all of the pieces to a large bowl and then pour hot sauce on top. Gently mix the cauliflower around until all are covered with sauce. Pour the cauliflower back onto the sheet pan and bake for an additional 5 minutes. 

Healthy (and clumpy) Granola

Every time I've made granola, it quickly became crumbly and hard to snack on. I wanted it to be used for more than cereal. I wanted it to be more like store bought granola without all of the added processing and ingredients. 

This morning, as I was adding ground flax seeds to my pancake batter, it hit me. Flax "eggs" could bind my granola and make pieces! 

A flax egg looks like this:

Kinda weird, but it works. 

To make the granola, combine all of your favorite ingredients in a large bowl. 

Then add in your flax eggs. 

It won't feel too thick, but will definitely thicken up in the oven. 

Then bake your granola, let cool, and store in an air right jar. 

You'll need ...

3 c rolled oats

1/4 c quinoa

1/2 dried fruit ( I used cranberries)

1/2 c liquid sweetener, like maple syrup, brown rice syrup or coconut nectar

2 flax eggs (1/4 c ground flax seeds mixed with 1/2 c warm water)

1/2 c chopped nuts/seeds

Lets get started!

Preheat your oven to 350*. Mix all ingredients, in a large bowl, until well combined. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and "grease" with coconut oil to prevent the granola from sticking. Spread your granola evenly on the pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until light brown, stirring 1-2 times. 

Oven Fried Okra (Vegan and Gluten Free)

 

I came across some fresh, gorgeous okra at the farmer's market this weekend. Right away, the kids started asking for fried okra. For Vegan MoFo, my goal was to make and post easy, yummy and healthy recipes. Growing up in the South, my family always made fried okra. But usually, it was from a bag and then tossed into canola oil. I wanted to make some for my kids, but a lot healthier and unprocessed.

When we got home I washed and then cut up the okra. 

Then coated it with a flax egg and cashew milk.

Then I tossed the okra with cornmeal, chickpea flour and spices. Then I let it bake.

You'll need...

1 lb fresh okra, cut into pieces

1 c nut milk, I used cashew

1 flax egg (1 1/2 Tbsp ground flax mixed into 1/4 c warm water)

1 c cornmeal

1 c chickpea flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Let's get started

Preheat oven to 400*. In a medium sized bowl, whisk flax egg into nut milk. Pour cut okra into milk mixture and evenly coat them. Add cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper to a large bowl and mix well. Evenly coat the okra with the flour mixture and spread them onto

a baking sheet. (I used a stone dish, coat with coconut oil if using something else). Bake for 35 minutes or until brown, turning once. Sprinkle with a little more salt if desired. 

Baked Gluten-Free Falafel

When my husband lived in Turkey, he picked up a fondness for falafel. Falafel wasn't really in my meal rotation… until I made these. They are a healthier version of traditional, but just as tasty. And they were a hit with the whole family! I made a tzatziki sauce to drizzle on top I just switched coconut yogurt for the greek). I also topped them with a salad of tomato, cucumber, lemon juice, salt and pepper. We used bibb and romaine lettuce along with pitas to wrap the falafel in. 

You can find the recipe for the Quinoa and Kale Salad here (pictured below)

Baked Gluten-Free Falafel

You'll need...


3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 cups soaked overnight
3 Tbsp chickpea or brown rice flour
1 Tbsp cumin
1/4 c chopped parsley
1 tsp coriander
1 small onion
4 garlic cloves
5 green onions
salt and pepper to taste

Let's get started!

Preheat your oven to 375*. Pulse the chickpeas in a food processor until it becomes a thick paste. Remove and scoop into a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and pulse until a paste forms. Mix thoroughly with the chickpeas. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and press flat to make a disc. Lay onto a baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes, flipping once, or until both sides are brown. Makes around 25.

Blueberry French Toast

My version is eggless and baked. Strawberries, raspberries or blackberries could be subbed.

Blueberry French Toast

You'll need...

1 1/2 c nut milk

1/3 c blueberries

1 large ripe banana

2 tsp cinnamon

8 pieces of bread 

Optional toppings:

chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

fresh bueberries

maple syrup

Let's get started!

Preheat your oven to 350. Mix the first four ingredients together in a large bowl, then dip the bread in the mixture, making sure to evenly coat and soak each side of the bread. Lay each piece on a baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until firm. I flipped them twice.