Rainbow Greens

This recipe is from Lindsay S. Nixon's Everyday Happy Herbivore vegan cookbook. One of the things I love about this book is all the recipes can be made in 30 minutes or less. In this recipe Lindsay offers the option of adding additional ingredients to make it a full meal. It's light and simple and works perfectly with fresh chard from the garden (or supermarket!).



Rainbow Greens with chickpeas, peppers and quinoa

Rainbow Greens
1 bunch rainbow chard (or collards/kale)
4 cloves garlic
pinch of dried oregano
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup raisins

optional additions: chick peas, peppers, a grain of your choice

Wash and chop greens.
Line a large pot or skillet with a thin layer of water.
Add garlic, oregano, and vinegar and bring to a boil, sautéing garlic over high heat for a minute.
Add raisins (and any additional ingredients) and cook for another minute, then add chard. Use tongs or spatula to stir chard around so it cooks down and incorporates with the other ingredients.
Once chard is softer and brighter in color, turn off heat and mix everything well.
Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Recipe from Everyday Happy Herbivore by Lindsay S. Nixon

Vegan Banana Carrot Muffins

As a kid I always loved baking and helping out in the kitchen, and I'm so happy that our son Levi feels the same way. As soon as he found out I was making muffins he wanted to help out! Since we had a whole bunch of old bananas in the freezer that needed to be used, I looked up vegan recipes that had lots of bananas but were more than just a banana muffin (as much as I like banana muffins, we were in need of a change). I came across this amazing recipe.

As much as we can, we try to buy organic. I was happy to find these organic oats at Provigo.

We pretty much followed the recipe, only changing the Whole Wheat Flour for organic Kamut (I find it a bit lighter), and replaced the Almond Milk with a sample of Coconut Milk I had been given from So Delicious at the Wanderlust Festival. They turned out moist and delicious!

Levi waited patiently to lick the spoon after we finished filling the muffin tray.

Vegan Banana Carrot Muffins.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 medium bananas, mashed
1/2 cups carrots, grated
1/2 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup rolled oats

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, mash the bananas until only a few chunks remain. Add the vanilla and almond milk and mix with a fork. Whisk in the brown sugar until no clumps remain.

In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients. Fold into the banana mixture about half a cup at a time.

Add the oats and grated carrots, lightly folding until fully incorporated. 

Put batter into muffin tins or ramekins, filling only about 3/4 of the way.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a fork comes out clean.

Recipe by The Veggielogues

Speedy Veggie 'n Rice Noodle Bowl with Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

After doing a quick google search for easy vegan recipes, I discovered this one. It's from Oh She Glows by Canadian blogger Angela Liddon. I bought the cookbook for my Mom for Mother's Day, and have been thinking of buying it for myself ever since. It's well put together, easy to read and full of great recipes.

You can mix and match the veggies according to what you have in your fridge and what's in season. Serve with a side salad, or as my husband likes best, with spring rolls and/or mock chicken.

Ingredients:

FOR THE TERIYAKI SAUCE:

• 4 1/2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut aminos (see note)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 to 4 1/2 teaspoons coconut sugar (or granulated sugar of choice), to taste
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste

FOR THE NOODLE BOWL:

• 3 ounces/85g gluten-free brown rice soba noodles (or soba noodles of choice)
• 1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups broccoli florets, chopped small
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 3/4 cup shelled frozen edamame
• 2-3 medium carrots, julienned
• 2-3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1-2 teaspoons sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions:

1. Prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients until combined. Set aside.
2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.
3. For the noodle bowl: Meanwhile, preheat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the oil and coat the pan. Add the broccoli florets, celery, and 2 tablespoons of Teriyaki sauce and saute for about 7-9 minutes, reducing heat if necessary.
4. When the water boils, add the noodles and reduce heat to medium-high. Cook the noodles as instructed on the package directions (about 4-5 minutes for most soba rice noodles). Drain.
5. Add the frozen edamame and julienned carrots to the skillet and saute another 5 minutes, or until the edamame is heated throughout.
6. Stir the drained noodles into the stir-fry mixture along with 2/3 of the Teriyaki sauce. Cook for a couple minutes and then serve immediately with a garnish of sliced green onion and sesame seeds.
7. Store leftovers in a container in the fridge for 1- 2 days. To re-heat leftovers, add them into a skillet with a bit of oil. Pour on the leftover dressing and toss to coat. Heat over medium until heated throughout and serve immediately.

Notes: I used coconut aminos (which is very low in sodium), but feel free to use low-sodium tamari instead. I recommend adding it to taste since it has a higher sodium content than coconut aminos so you might not need as much. To get more servings out of this dish, feel free to add more soba noodles.
Soy-free option: Omit the edamame and replace with adzuki beans, chickpeas or another bean of choice. Use coconut aminos instead of tamari.
gluten-free option: Use gluten-free soba noodles such as brown rice or buckwheat. Be sure to check the label of your tamari and other ingredients as well.

Read more: http://ohsheglows.com/2014/06/03/speedy-veggie-lsquon-brown-rice-noodle-bowl-with-homemade-teriyaki-sauce/#ixzz39iVx5cbL

Zucchini Banana Muffins

When a friends Mom handed us a bag full of fresh zucchinis from her garden, my first thought was zucchini bread, however since our 3 year old son is in favor of muffins, I went with this recipe instead. They turned out moist, delicious with just the perfect amount of sweet.
Note: the best bananas for baking are the really ripe, mushy ones. Once you see them starting to turn brown, throw them in your freezer (they'll probably turn black), and defrost them when you're ready to start baking

Ingredients

1. 2 cups shredded zucchini
2. 1 cup mashed ripe banana
3. 1/2 cup applesauce
4. 2 tsp vanilla
5. 3/4 cup sugar
6. 1 1/2 cup flour (I suggest Kamut)
7. 1 tsp cinnamon
8. 1 pinch nutmeg
9. 3/4 tsp baking soda
10. 1/2 tsp salt
11. 1 cup raisins (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees; grease a 12 cup muffin tin
2. Mix the mashed banana, applesauce, sugar and vanilla together in a bowl.
3. Stir in shredded zucchini.
4. Add 1 cup flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt to zucchini mixture and combine.
5. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup of flour and raisins.
6. Scoop into muffin tins at 3/4 full
7. Bake in oven for approximately 20-22 min, or until toothpick inserted comes clean.
8. Cool and enjoy!

Recipe By Tara @ Suburble

Adapted from IsaChandra from the Post Punk Kitchen

Cold fighting ginger tea

When you're feeling a little under the weather or just a bit chilly, this is the perfect cup of tea to warm you up. Tea brewed from ginger is a common folk remedy for colds, headaches and nausea. Lemon water can fight throat infections thanks to its antibacterial property, and turmeric is often used for treatment of various infections and as an antiseptic.

cold fighting ginger tea

1 cup boiling water

sliced fresh ginger

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp turmeric

agave to sweeten

Mix ingredients together, let steep, enjoy!

chocolate p-nut butter squares

I made these bad boys during a sweet-tooth craving and they certainly did the trick. They are a delicious snack with a base of oats, a layer of peanut butter, topped with chocolate. They give the feeling of a healthy/vegan Reece's Pieces...

Chocolate P-Nut Butter Squares

Oat Base:

1 cup oats

1/2 cup flour (kamut works well)

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

3 tbsp maple syrup

3 tbsp sunflower oil

Peanut Butter Center:

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I prefer almond milk)

Chocolate Topping:

3/4 cup non dairy chocolate chips

1/3 cup non-dairy milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To prepare the oat base: combine dry ingredients, stir in maple syrup and oil, until well combined (consistency should be crumbly yet hold together when pressed). Transfer to a lightly oiled (or parchment paper) 8x8 inch pan and press evenly. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove and let cool.

While cooling, prepare the peanut butter center: in a saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients together. Stir occasionally until it becomes smooth and uniform, and thickens (do not boil). Pour mixture evenly over the oat base and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the chocolate topping; in a small saucepan over low-medium heat, combine the chocolate chips and milk. Stir occasionally, until the chocolate and milk melt together and are smooth with no separation of the mixture. Remove from heat. Once the oat base has chilled, pour the chocolate topping evenly over top. Refrigerate again until completely cool and cut into squares.

Recipe by Dreena Burton from her awesome, family oriented cookbook Vive le Vegan. Check out her blog at http://vivelevegan.blogspot.ca/

Frito Misto by Sublime

Our favorite dish at Sublime Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale was the Frito Misto appetizer the waiter brought over as a complimentary taster to wet our palates. I think he felt bad since our 2 year old fell off his chair and hit his head, which then led to a lot of crying, Levi passing out in my arms, and then lots of free tasters. Unfortunate how it happened, but this is how we came across an amazing way to serve cauliflower. We ended up buying the restaurants cookbook, so naturally the first recipe I tried out was the Frito Misto. I can't say it turned out exactly the same as the original, but it was only my first try...

Roasted Butternut squash + stir-fried veggies + rice

With temperatures dropping below -20 I've been craving meals that warm the heart as well as the kitchen. Here's a nice little combo...

Roasted butternut squash

1 butternut squash 

one whole garlic 

olive oil

maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375. Cut squash into 2 halves, rub with olive oil, place flesh side down on baking sheet. Cut tips off garlic, place on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 40 minutes, taking garlic out after 30mins. Scoop out squash, squeeze out garlic, mix together. Add a drizzle of maple syrup.

Stir fried veggies

Olive oil

Onion

Garlic

Beet stalks

Mushrooms

Yellow pepper

Spinach

Tomato

Sea salt

Thyme

Fry onion in olive oil for 5 mins, add garlic, beet stalks and mushrooms. Stir and fry for another 5 mins. Add remaining ingredients plus a splash of water. Cover and simmer for 3 mins.

Serve along side rice or your choice of grain.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

A nice alternative to muffins, these tasty treats make a healthy snack; vegan & gluten free. Plus they're kid friendly - tried, tested & approved by Levi Dylan Kent 2.25 yrs old

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

 

Author: Monique of AmbitiousKitchen.com 

Recipe type: Vegan, Gluten Free, Breakfast, Healthy Snack

Serves: 16

Note: I used regular oats & baking powder, and chose coconut oil over olive oil (I always try to avoid baking with olive oil as I find the taste overpowering)

 

 

Ingredients

• 3 cups gluten free oats
• 2 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• pinch of ground cloves
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
• 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8×11 or 9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Make oat flour: Place oatmeal into blender or food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes until oatmeal resembles flour. You may need to stop blender and stir oats a couple of times to ensure that all oats have been blended.
3. Measure out just 2 1/2 cups of the oat flour and place in a medium bowl. Whisk in baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices; set aside.
4. In a separate large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, brown sugar, vanilla extract, oil, and applesauce for 1-2 minutes until the consistency is smooth and creamy. Slowly add in oat flour mixture and mix until just combined.
5. Gently fold in 1/3 cup of chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips on top. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Timing will depend on what size pan you use, but definitely check around 15 minutes. Once finished baking, cool 10 minutes on wire rack. Cut into 16 slices.

Notes

Bars can be frozen. Simply bake, cool, cut; store in ziploc bag. Reheat individually for 30 seconds in microwave. Make sure you read all ingredients and nutrition info to ensure recipe is gluten free/vegan, if that is what you desire.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 bar Calories: 128 Fat: 4.3g Carbohydrates: 21.6g Sugar: 9.2g Fiber: 2.5g Protein: 2.6g

Quick Miso Soup

Miso is great for boosting your immune system. What better way to eat it than in a warm bowl of soup! This recipe is taken from the "Everyday Happy Herbivore" by Lindsay S. Nixon, recipes designed to be on the table in 30 minutes or less. It calls for Shiitake mushrooms, but I rarely have them in the house, so I substitute with regular white mushrooms, and I'll add in some carrots and tofu if I'm not pressed for time.

Recipe serves 1 person. Double, triple or quadruple it for more.

Quick Miso Soup
3 green onions
2 cups water
1 cup shiitake mushrooms
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tbsp miso
low-sodium soy sauce (optional)
kelp (optional)

Line a medium pot with a thin layer of water. Add mushrooms, saute until mushrooms start to soften. Add red pepper flakes and miso, stirring to prevent clumps. Add onions and remaining water, bring to a near-boil. Reduce heat, add more miso or soy sauce if desired and any other extra ingredients. Simmer until everything is cooked and warm.

My Mom's Red Lentil Soup

This has become one of my regular go-to soups. It's fast and easy, and doesn't require a lot of ingredients + it tastes great. It comes from a handwritten recipe I got from one of my Mom's cookbooks. 

Nutritional fact: lentils are a great source of protein

Red Lentil Soup
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
optional: chili powder/cayenne if you like it a little spicy
1 litre veg stock
2 cups water
1 cup red lentils
1 large carrot
juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp cilantro

Fry onion, add garlic. Stir in spices, add broth & water, lentils & carrots. Simmer 30 mins. Puree half. Stir in lemon juice.

Quick Kale & Soba Noodles

Here's a delicious, healthy meal that can be made in less than 30 minutes. Perfect for the weeknight supper! I put this together with fresh veggies from the market and garden. Mix it up with seasonal vegetables. Our 2 year old loved this dish (although he did pick out the kale).

Quick Kale & Soba Noodles

Soba noodles

1 bunch Kale

1 Yellow Pepper

1 Tomato

3 tbsp tamari

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 clove garlic

Sesame seeds

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add noodles, after 4 minutes add chopped kale. Continue boiling until noodles & kale are ready. Drain and rinse.
In a small bowl mix together tamari, oils & garlic.
Pour mixture over noodles and kale. Mix in fresh, chopped tomato and pepper. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Enjoy!

Lemony Rice Salad

Summertime is a great time for fresh salads. You can throw this together in 10 minutes using leftover rice and whatever veggies you have in the fridge.

lemony rice salad

Lemony Rice Salad

1 cup cooked rice

1 green onion

1 pepper

1 carrot

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 olive oil

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

 

Chop veggies, mix with rice. Add parsley & walnuts. Pour remaining ingredients over top. Stir and enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

Perfect muffins for strawberry rhubarb season! I made these with fresh rhubarb from my mom's garden, and strawberries from the market. They turned out delicious! New favorite recipe.

2.5 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 cup rhubarb cut in small pieces

2/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup applesauce

1/3 cup buttahmilk (1 tbsp apple cider vinegar + non-dairy milk)

1/4 cup sunflower oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup sliced strawberries

Optional topping: 1 tbsp sugar + 1/4 tsp cinnamon 

Mix dry ingredients. Add rhubarb. Mix in wet ingredients.

Bake for 25 minutes at 375.

Recipe from Jae Steele's Ripe From Around Here cookbook

Fennel, Sweet Potato & Kale

Just back from a holiday, I was keen on buying and cooking a whole bunch of fresh veggies. Here's a mix of delicious side dishes put together to create a colorful & yummy meal. Serve with your choice of grain.

served with couscous

Garlic Roasted Fennel & Pepper
Cut up fennel & pepper into chunks, add olive oil & garlic cloves (to your liking), sprinkle with thyme. Roast for 20 minutes, mix. Roast for 10 more minutes.

Sweet Potato
Cut into chunks. Boil for 10 minutes. Add vegan margarine, sea salt & pepper.

Kale
Steam kale (you can steam it over the boiling potatoes). In a frying pan, fry onion in oil. Add steamed kale, a dash of rice vinegar & tamari. Fry for a couple minutes to absorb flavors.

Roasted Veggie Pizza on Pita

Here's a quick and easy homemade pizza recipe on pita. It saves you the time of making the dough, but still allows for a homemade feel. You can make this pizza with any assortment of your favorite roasted veggies.

delicious, quick, homemade pizza

Roasted Veggie Pizza on Pita
1 small aubergine, sliced
1 medium courgette, sliced
1 red onion, cut into small wedges
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 individual pizza bases or pieces of pita bread
150 ml tomato sauce

• Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C/Gas Mark 7.
• Combine the vegetables, oil, vinegar, thyme and pepper in a large baking dish and toss to mix well. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Set aside.
• Place the pizza bases or pita bread on baking sheets. Spread about 2 Tbsp. of the tomato sauce on each base or pita then top with the roasted vegetables. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Makes 4 servings
Recipe from PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

Vegan Carrot Spice Muffins

Levi loves muffins, and they make the perfect healthy snack, so I'm always on the lookout for new muffin recipes. These turned out to be light, fluffy and delicious.

Levi approved!

Vegan Carrot Spice Muffins

Recipe from oh she glows (Adapted from FFVK)
Yield: 12 muffins
Dry:

• 1 & 3/4 cup whole-grain Kamut flour (or white whole wheat flour)
• 1/4 cup natural sugar
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3//4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Wet + Mix-ins:

• 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (oil replacer)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk OR yogurt - I used almond milk
• 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp water
• 1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups grated carrots
• 1/2 cup raisins, soaked in water and drained
• 1/3 cup chopped & toasted walnuts (optional)

Directions:
1. Toast the walnuts (optional) on a baking sheet for about 8 minutes at 300F. Remove and set aside. Preheat oven to 400F and line a muffin tin with liners.
2. Whisk all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (maple syrup, applesauce, coconut milk, water, vanilla). Add the wet to the dry and mix until just incorporated. Batter will be THICK!
3. Fold in the carrots, raisins, and walnuts. Scoop batter into the muffin liners, filling batter to the top. Bake for about 18 minutes at 400F until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Read more: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/04/11/vegan-carrot-spice-muffins-for-grandpa/#ixzz2QAT2FSD9

Vegan Traveller

We love to travel to the small Family Islands of the Bahamas. Not much seems to grow on these islands and they are often limited on food so it's almost impossible to be vegan. We bring as much food supplies as we can, but here's a meal that can be put together in most parts of the world; pasta & salad.

We brought our own brown rice pasta and bought a tomato based sauce to put on top. As a side we put together a salad with tomato and cucumber. Voila!

Masala Burgers

These are delicious & easy to make. Most veggie burgers fall apart quite easily, but these hold together well.  Recipe from Everyday Happy Herbivore; vegan meals in 30 mins or less!

Masala Burger topped with tomato, pickle and veganaise.
Served with a side of home fries & ketchup.

Check out Happy Herbivore for more quick, easy & nutritious vegan recipes

Vegan Banana Apple Spice Muffins

Super moist delicious banana apple muffins!

Vegan Banana Apple Spice Muffins

Vegan Banana Apple Spice Muffins

Ingredients

3 Bananas, mashed
3/4 cup of Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 cups of Flour
1 Apple, diced
1 tbsp Flax Seed Meal
3 tbsp water
3/4 cup of no sugar added Apple Sauce
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Canola Oil
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
A little bit of cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on the top

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare the muffin tins with paper wrappers.

Mix together the flax seed meal with the water. Let it sit for a minute or two, then mix again.

Mash the bananas and add the sugar, flax seed mixture, apples, apple sauce, vanilla and oil. Mix together.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.

Add the dry mixture into the wet ingredients and combine.

Fill the muffin tins up to the top of each wrapper and sprinkle a small amount of cinnamon sugar on the top of each muffin.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Walnuts would also be delicious and add a nice bite to the muffins. You can also add different spices like nutmeg, cloves, ginger and allspice to your liking.

Recipe yields 12 muffins.

Number of Servings: 12

Recipe by SparkPeople.com user XMUSICALBEAUTYX.