vegan

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Crispy Crackers

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Why make your own crackers, you might ask? Any mother could understand why.  This recipe takes a total of 25 minutes of my time. That being said, by the time I strap my three young daughters into their carseats, and make my way to the grocery store, and meander down the aisles with their harmonic wants and persistent grabbing at products, and then return to strapping them back into the car and back, and make my way home…. you get the point. I could be done without ever leaving home.  Plus, they are fresh and I know exactly what goes into them. The temporary displacement of scrambling for a quick grocery jaunt, is completely eliminated.  This is a recipe my mom passed along to me, and one I wish to share with you. These are delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup olive oil or butter

1/2 cup water, plus more as needed

1/4 cup sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix the flour and salt. Then add the oil or butter and water. Lightly blend the ingredients, adding more water as needed.

2. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface until it has reached a thickness of no more then 1/8 inch.   If the dough is thicker then 1/8 inch, the crackers won’t be as crisp as they should be, so this is important.

3. Transfer the dough to an ungreased baking sheet, and lightly mark the dough into 2-inch squares using a knife. Don’t cut all the way through the dough.  Next, use a fork to poke tiny holes in the top of each cracker.

4. Sprinkle the crackers with salt and sesame seeds, and bake until crisp for 15-20 minutes. If you crackers are more then 1/8 think, extend the cooking time. Makes 36 crackers.

* I have tried the seeds two different ways, one the way the recipe suggests (topping before baking), the other is mixing them into the dough before adding the wet to dry. I prefer the second way to the first because the seeds and nuts stay in the cracker, as opposed to falling off.  Also, I added flax, chia, and sunflower.  Be creative. This recipe is just the beginning of what you can alter to make your own way.

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My at home co-op brings fresh vegetables every other day.

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Here, I topped the crackers with home made hummus, fresh picked mache, garden picked arugula, home grown lemon cucumbers, and heirloom tomatoes.

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Lemon-Thyme & Blackberry Muffins

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My family and I have been gorging ourselves on fresh peaches and blackberries. There is such an abundant supply that we can’t keep up.  These lemon-thyme & blackberry muffins were one of the more recent experiments I concocted.  yield: 12 muffins.

MUFFINS:

2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 cup organic cane sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract (Edwin & Lesha)

1/2 cup earth balance, melted

13 oz. blackberries

1 heaping Tbsp. of flax meal

1/2 cup plain coconut yogurt

1/2 cup almond milk + 1 Tbsp lemon juice (buttermilk)

2 Tbsp. of lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

1 1/2 tsp. of dried thyme

CRUMBLE TOPPING:

6 Tbsp. unbleached all purpose flour

3 Tbsp. earth balance, melted

4 Tbsp. organic brown sugar

2 Tbsp. rolled oats

GLAZE:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. almond milk.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Wash berries and set aside. In a bowl, use 1/4 cup of flour and pour gently over blackberries to coat.

2. With remaining flour, add sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together flax meal, melted earth balance, and vanilla. Add buttermilk (almond milk and lemon juice), along with coconut yogurt.  Add fresh squeezed lemon juice, and zest.

3. Slowly pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Do not over mix. Fold in blackberries last.

4. Grease a muffin pan. Prepare your crumble topping by combining melted butter with all dry ingredients. With a fork or pastry cutter, make sure no large chunks remain.

5. Fill your muffin tin all the way to the top and place 1 Tbsp. of crumble on each muffin.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

7. Allow muffins to cool completely before adding glaze.  For the glaze, combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, and almond milk and whisk until smooth.  Drizzle over cooled muffins.

 

***** For my gluten free readers, use the Bob’s Red Meal GLUTEN FREE all purpose flour instead the unbleached all purpose

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Peach Galettes with Cashew Creme

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We have a plethora of fresh vine-ripened, sun-kissed Washington peaches on our hands.  We are freezing, pureeing, dehydrating, juicing, and full of recipe ideas.  This afternoon, I made some wonderful peach galettes that I served alongside some vanilla ice cream and garnished with a dollop of cashew creme & sprinkle of powdered sugar.  The galette dough was nice and flaky, while the peaches the perfect filling. Serves 12.

PASTRY DOUGH:

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. barley flour

2 Tbsp. of organic cane sugar

pinch of sea salt

1 cup of spectrum spread shortening, plus 2 Tbsp.

2 Tbsp. of flax-seed meal

2 Tbsp. of almond milk

2 heaping Tbsp. of coconut creme

FILLING:

1 cup brown sugar

6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 heaping tsp. of cinnamon

1 Tbsp. of rum enhanced vanilla extract (by Edwin & Lesha extracts)

12 peaches

CASHEW CREME:

1 cup cashews

pinch sea salt

1 tsp. rum vanilla extract

1/2 cup filtered water

2 Tbsp of agave syrup

* powdered sugar (as garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

1. To make the pastry dough, combine the flours, sugar, and sea salt.  Whisk thoroughly. Scatter the shortening over the flour and use a pastry blender to make a fine crumble. In a bowl, whisk together the flax meal, milk, and  coconut creme until fluffy. Add the flax meal blend to the pastry dough blend and with a spatula, fold into one another until gently mixed.  Do not over mix, as the dough will be tough.

2. Form the dough into a ball (do not knead), and flatten onto plastic wrap until 1 1/2 inches thick.  Wrap flat in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. When the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

4. Remove the dough and allow to sit at room temp.  While this is happening, prepare the filling. In a small bowl, stir together organic brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, & vanilla. Peel the peaches and slice. In a small bowl, coat the peaches with the sugar mixture.

5. On a large sheet of parchment paper, dust with parchment.  Place the dough in 12 small balls.  Using a rolling-pin, flatten each dough ball into 3-4 inch wide circles.  (they are messy circles). Place a 2-3 Tbsp. of peach filling into the center of your rolled out dough. Gently fold in the corners in a single layer in concentric circles, continuing until you reach the center of the round. Do not overfill, as the juices will drip while baking.  Brush the pastry border with safflower oil.

6. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. Allow the galette to cool on a baking sheet on a wire rack.

7. While the galette is baking, place cashews, sea salt, vanilla extract, water, and agave into a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a small container and refrigerate for 1 hour.

8. Serve the galette with a dollop of cashew creme and sprinkle of powdered sugar, and ice cream if you please.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

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Blackberry Tart with Banana Almond Creme and Honey Drizzle

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One of my wonderfully made desserts……only problem, I didn’t write down a recipe. It was a little of this, and a little of that. A pinch here and a sprinkle and dash there.  I know what it all consisted of.  I could probably replicate it.  But seriously, being able to pick buckets full of berries is an insane privilege!

 

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Red Cabbage, Cranberry and Apple Coleslaw

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My dear friend knows how much I love my vegetables.  Having taken the last two seasons off from our own garden, due to our move, her garden fresh cabbage was the perfect gift. Thank you Brianne Wells for knowing the ways to my heart.  You’re a very true friend in all matters, and I will miss the heck out of you.

This simple recipe is perfect for a summer afternoon.  Light and crisp.

COLESLAW

(yield: 8 servings)

Ingredients:

5 cups thinly sliced red cabbage

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/3 cup agave syrup

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. olive oil

3/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 1/4 cup fuji apples, thinly sliced

1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds

Directions:

Combine cabbage and cranberries into a mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl combine: vinegar, agave nectar, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper.  Mix throughly.  Cover the cabbage combo and allow to chill for 2 hours. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds.

 

 

 

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Maple Sweetened Pecan Pumpkin Bread with Cranberries

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I know this is not in season, but I was craving this light fluffy pumpkin bread all day today. So, I threw caution to the wind, and went for it.  For my gluten free visitors, just substitute the barley flour for Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. It turns out just as delicious.

PUMPKIN LOAF

(yield: 12)

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup barley flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 Tbsp. of pumpkin pie spice

2/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup safflower oil

1 cup organic pumpkin puree

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 heaping Tbsp. of flax seeds

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup pecans

1/4 cup dried coconut flakes (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In one bowl combine: barley flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and sea salt.  In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, safflower oil, pumpkin puree, coconut milk, flax seeds, and vanilla extract.  Mix wet into dry, and then fold in cranberries, pecans, and coconut flakes (optional)

2. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

 

 

 

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Creme De La Creme!

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Guilty pleasure! The creme from the top of coconut milk cans.

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Peanut Butter & Chocolate Expresso Zombie Bars

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It’s all about cardio!  When the zombie’s come to take over, you’ll need the stamina and energy this bar can provide to fight them off. They’ll want some too; they’re so delicious.

ZOMBIE BARS

(yield: 6 bars)

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. chunky salted peanut butter (I’m partial to Trader Joe’s)

6 tsp. filtered water

2 oz. dark chocolate chips, lightly ground

4 tsp. organic cane sugar

2 tsp. safflower oil

1 Tbsp. ground flax meal, heaping

1 pinch sea salt

1 tsp. vanilla powder

1 oz. gluten free oats

1 tsp. arrowroot powder

1 Tbsp. expresso beans, grind well

1 Tbsp. chia seeds, heaping

2 oz. dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You’ll need lined parchment and a sheet pan.

1. Two bowls. One wet & one dry. Whisk together pb, water, and oil in one bowl.  In another, mix together remaining ingredients, except for the 2 oz. of chocolate chips.  Combine wet to dry, and mix thoroughly.

2. Place bar mixture onto parchment and with your hands, flatten to 1/2 inch in height and form a rectangle.  I like to use a bread loaf pan, if it’s available.

3. Bake them at 350 for 45-50 minutes. Allow to cool on the parchment, on a cooling rack.  While they are cooling, melt the 2 oz. of dark chocolate chips.  With a spatula, spread on top of cooled bar.  Allow this to cool for another 15, and then refrigerate until chocolate has hardened.  Once the chocolate has hardened, you can leave them in a covered tupperware and they will last for 5-7 days, unrefrigerated.

 

 

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Ricotta & Lentil Phyllo Triangles

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This was a total experiment gone right.  These Ricotta & Lentil Phyllo Triangles are wonderful alongside Garlic Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Grilled Polenta with a light Coconut Curry Sauce.

RICOTTA

(yield: 1/2 cup)

Ingredients:

4 oz. extra firm tofu.

1/2 Tbsp. yellow miso

1/2 Tbsp. tahini paste

1/2 tsp. umeboshi paste

1/8 cup nutritional yeast

Directions:

1. Add all the ingredients into a bowl and mash with a potato masher until lightly chunky and the ingredients are well mixed. Set aside.

LENTILS

(yield: 2 cups)

Ingredients:

1 cup dried lentils

1 vegetable bouillon cube

2 cups water

Directions:

1. Pick through and wash lentils before cooking. Place lentils and bouillon cube into a pot along with water.  Boil for 5 minutes and them simmer until tender; about 25 minutes.

TRIANGLES

(yield: 12 triangles)

Ingredients:

parchment paper

1 1/2 rolls of phyllo dough, room temp.

1/2 cup olive oil + 1/2 cup more for brushing on phyllo

1/4 of a white onion, diced

1 Tbsp. dried basil

2 cloves garlic, diced

2 Tbsp. crushed walnuts

1 Tbsp. sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Saute onion and garlic in 1 Tbsp of olive oil until tender.  Add basil, crushed walnuts, and sea salt. Saute for 5 more minutes.  Add ricotta to this mix along with cooked lentils.

2. If you have never used phyllo, you want to make sure you keep it covered while working with it, with a piece of parchment or plastic wrap so that it does not dry out.  I like to take the 1 roll and unroll it completely flat.  I then cut it horizontally in half so that I have two halves to work with . I keep the one half covered while working with the first half.

3.  Take 2 layers of phyllo and brush with olive oil. Take 1 1/2 Tbsp of lentil mix and then begin to fold like you might an american flag, constantly forming a triangle as you go. If there are pieces not completely fitting, it is forgiving. Just tuck those in the best you can and then lay the completed triangle on a piece of parchment on a sheet pan with the fold side down. Lightly brush the triangle with olive oil with a pastry brush and a sprinkle of salt. Repeat this 11 more times.

4. Bake on a parchment lined sheet pan for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown in color.

* I mentioned that I served this with curried coconut sauce.  It also goes well with pesto.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Spinach & Strawberry Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

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SPINACH SALAD

(yield: 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

1 Head of spinach, washed

1/2 red onion, sliced thinly

1 cup of organic strawberries, sliced

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

1 avocado sliced

1/2 cup of hearts of palm- OPTIONAL, sliced

DRESSING

(yield: 1 3/4 cup)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup agave syrup

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. dijon mustard

1 tsp. grated red onion

1 cup safflower oil

1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Directions:

1. In a blender, combine all ingredients until throughly emulsified.

2. Mix together all Salad components into a bowl, and serve dressing alongside.  Salad that is dressed, does not save well. This salad will hold up a second day if the dressing is served on the side.