Vegan/ GF Orange Spice Muffins

Have you ever gotten a sudden, unexplainable craving? For some reason I get a sudden urge for orange near the beginning of winter each year. Orange juice, orange cake, orange candy and oranges of course. I even had blood orange candies to eat during the birth of our son, hahaha! I remember a while back sitting in the cafeteria with some of my best friends at the time and one of them peeled open a Clementine. Our lunch lady stood creepily behind us and exclaimed “Smells like Chreeestmas!!” From that point on it was a bit of an inside joke. I only wonder now if oranges to me signify that simpler time or if maybe age makes oranges smell like Christmas/ pine. Who knows. These muffins will most certainly ease that craving for oranges and strangely remind you of Christmas.

Vegan/ GF Orange Spice Muffins:

1 cup corn meal or polenta

¾ cup rice flour

1 tbsp aluminum free baking powder

Pinch of finely ground sea salt

4 tbsp vegan margarine melted

¼ cup light brown sugar (aim for a natural cane sugar without molasses; ie: muscavado

1 tbsp ground flax seed

6 tbsp warm water

1 cup soy milk

Zest of 1 orange

½ cup fresh orange, finely chopped and pressed

Sprinkle of cane sugar* and cinnamon

*optional

 

Begin by mixing the tablespoon of ground flax seed with the warm water in a small bowl, set aside (this is your egg). Mix together all dry ingredients. Including orange zest. Fold in wet ingredients including your pressed and chopped orange (Simply chop half a cup of fresh orange and place between two paper towels until mostly dried. You may also use dried apricots.) DO NOT over mix as this will result in heavy muffins. Next fill prepared muffin pan and sprinkle cane sugar and cinnamon on top, bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a fork pushed into the center comes out clean. Let muffins cool completely before serving. (Or sneak a warm one ;). *Sigh* "Smells like Chreeesmaaaas!"

A Vegan Thanksgiving with the Carbons.

This year for Thanksgiving we did things a wee bit different than our usual “sit and eat a feast” considering many new factors. One, our new little fella got to join the festivities. Two, Alex had a stomach virus and Sebastian had a runny nose. At the start of the day, we were planning to spend our evening in the emergency room because Alex just couldn’t take it anymore.. However, he pushed through it and thought a big meal might help liven his spirits. Forgetting the fact that he didn’t feel much like moving. We casually decorated one of our upstairs desk chairs each and decorated our hallway ‘room’ fit for Thanksgiving dinner and sick family movie night. I assembled a lovely dinner filled with the homemade goodness of gluten free macaroni and yease, gluten free cornbread stuffing, garlic rosemary mashed baby red potatoes, mushroom gravy, pumpkin pie, and broiled brussle sprouts (Mustering up all the energy he had, Alex even helped with the brussel sprouts). The only thing boxed or packaged was our huge chunk of gluten-ous goodness of the Tofurkey. The vegan me was totally against the Tofurkey but the sale-lover insisted upon it since I had a $4.00 off coupon.. I’ll tell you the taste was good, although, beware if you have even the slightest of gluten-intolerance.. I was bloated out of my mind and had a pain in my gut till morning. The majority of Alex’s night was spent in the bathroom following dinner.. Apparently gluten is one of the WORST things to eat while suffering from gastroenteritis.. SO glad he’s better now. Being alone out here for yet another holiday is nothing new (I prefer it if it means spending the holiday with my side of the family. Seriously, one minute with them and you're reconsidering your whole life and ready to  jump from a moving car onto a bed of nails and then submerged into a sea of acid. No exaggeration). I am so thankful we got to spend it together though, even if the circumstances weren’t ideal. Got to love Carbon family holidays, haha. We are chaos, controlled.

Our beautiful little man:)

Getting dressed for his first Thangsgiving!



Our lovely Dinner:)

Drink Station!

Temp. Carbon Theatre.

<3

Gnomey joined the fun!!

 

So yummy!!

Preparing to feast.

Pretty much how we all felt after our meal.. Haha

Cuddle time!

Sebastian is always hungry for more!



GF, Vegan. Hot Holiday Breakfast Cereal.

When it got cold I just didn't have it in me to sit and eat a bowl of cold cereal for breakfast. I needed something warm and feel good. Oatmeal is usually my first choice and with the endless possibilities on how to 'dress it up' it is a sensible option. Until I got bored. All the dressing up couldn't mask the fact that I'm eating oatmeal EVERY morning. Healthy- yes. Tasty- yes. But just like anything, moderation truly is key. I've recently stumbled upon Bob's Red Mill GF Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal. It's a lovely mix-up of brown rice, corn, buckwheat, and sorghum. Naturally low in fat and sodium, it easily replaces my oatmeal while still yielding great health benefits. It's basically grits but... grit-e-er? I don't know how else to explain it but it sure is 'mighty tasty'.

*As a side note, grits should also work here. They too are naturally gluten-free and vegan:)

Pumpkin Pie Hot Cereal

1/2 cup cereal

1 cup water

1/2 cup fresh or canned pumpkin puree

2 scoops stevia (or a sweetener of choice)

Splash of soymilk*

Top with toasted unsalted pumpkin seeds and raw almonds*

*Optional

 

In a microwave safe cereal bowl add cereal and water. Microwave for 2 minutes, uncovered. Stir, microwave another 2 minutes or until cereal is fully cooked; adding extra water as needed. You may also follow the package stove top directions, I just find it easier to microwave in the morning. I hate seeing dishes in the sink that early. Once your cereal is finished cooking, stir in pumpkin, cinnamon and stevia. Top with soy milk, almonds, and pumpkin seeds if you choose to do so.

<3

Chocolate Raspberry Hot Cereal

 

1/2 cup cereal

1 cup water

1 tbsp cocoa powder

2 scoops stevia

Splash of soy milk*

1/4 cup fresh raspberries*

*Optional (Although it would just be plain chocolate without the berries..)

 

Follow the cooking directions above for cereal. Once it is finished cooking, mix in cocoa powder and stevia. Top with a splash of soy milk and raspberries.

Voila!

 

GF, Vegan Meal Bars

1 ½ cup whole raw almonds, unpeeled

1 banana, peeled

¾ cup raw whole dates, pre-soaked one hour

½ tsp fennel seeds

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 ½ tbsp ground flax seeds

1 ½ tbsp chia seeds

Add all ingredients with the exception of the chia seeds. Process until smooth then fold in chia seeds until well mixed. Layout on a sheet of parchment paper creating a bar about 3”x6”. cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight or the minimum of 2 hours. Cut into three bars. Thaw slightly before eating, SO good!

Leek and Acorn Squash Pizza

 

I know I really should make my own GF pizza crust from scratch. It would save money, packaging etc. If you have a recipe you want to substitute, go right ahead. For now I’ll stick to my Bob’s simply for convenience and quality. A mother of a nine month old doesn’t always have that sort of time:/. Anyhow, this pizza is sweet and savory- one of my favorite combos. Not to mention (but I am anyway) the textures! Crunchy, creamy and juicy (is that a texture?). I’m usually a four slices kinda girl (so what, I’m a runner!) but this pizza fills me up in two! Our family is obsessed with pizza. Here’s my way of stretching that obsession throughout the seasons:) Eat up!

Crust:

1 package Bob’s Red Mill pizza crust mix

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp ground flax mixed with 12 tbsp warm water (Eggs for crust)

Sauce:

½ package firm tofu, drained

½ tbsp dried basil

¼ tsp sea salt

½ tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp fat-free vegan mayo (I use Nayonaise brand)

½ tbsp low fat vegan butter

Apprx. 1 tbsp soy milk (use as much as needed for desired consistency)

Black peeper and salt to taste

Toppings:

½ cup chopped spinach

½ acorn squash, roasted and chopped

¾ cup leek, chopped

10 garlic cloves, roasted and peeled

½ large tomato, thinly sliced

Sprinkle of black, roasted sesame seeds and red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel the outer layer from garlic head, trim tops off all the cloves and wrap in aluminum foil. Wrap squash in foil. Place directly on oven rack and roast until tender. Remove from oven and completely cool before handling. Make crust according to package. While dough rises and vegetables cool, prepare sauce. Add Tofu, lemon juice, basil, salt, nutritional yeast, mayo, butter and black pepper into a food processor. Blend while slowly incorporating the soy milk until a smooth saucy texture is achieved. When veggies are cooled, peel garlic and dice squash into small cubes. Spread pizza crust out on a prepared pizza pan/ stone. Bake for 5-7 minutes without toppings. Remove from oven and spread on sauce, place all veggies evenly on pizza. Top with tomatoes, sesame seeds, black pepper and red pepper flakes.

 

So many pretty colors!

 

 

Gluten Free Vegan Pizza "Roll"

1 Package Bob’s Red mill Gluten free pizza crust mix

(2 tbsp ground flax + 12 tbsp warm water to replace eggs)

2 tbsp olive oil

3-4 tbsp Vegan cream cheese (I use Tofutti Brand)

1 sprig fresh oregano, leaves removed

4 cloves roasted garlic, chopped

½ tbsp red pepper flakes

10 kalamata olives, sliced

¼ onion thinly sliced

2 artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

Approx. 15-20 baby spinach leaves

Sprinkle of Daiya cheese (optional)

Mix together pizza ingredients according to package. Skip the rise. Wad up dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap that’s been lightly greased; about 12 in. long. Spread dough out with hands as much as possible. Powder with rice flour and roll out until approx (w)7” by (l)12” by ½” thick. Mix together ‘cream cheese’ oregano leaves, roasted garlic and red pepper flakes. Spread mixture out evenly on dough sparing ¼ inch at bottom- This is vital to help keep your roll sealed when cooking. Evenly place toppings on dough, again sparing the bottom ¼ in. Carefully and tightly roll dough towards the naked bottom (lengthwise) letting the plastic wrap and gravity guide you. When dough is rolled, wet your fingers and press end closed. Place on a prepared cookie sheet or pizza stone seam side down. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees or

until fork comes out clean when poked in middle. You may also want to turn over for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking to ensure evenness. Remove from oven and let it cool for 5 minutes before slicing (a bread knife works great!) Serve with your favorite sauce or the recipe that follows.

 

7 Heartbreakingly ripe roma tomatoes, roasted

1 sprig fresh oregano, leaves removed

3 basil leaves, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

Remainder of the roasted garlic not used in your roll

Dash of black pepper and sea salt to taste

Add all ingredients into a food processor. Pulse until everything is evenly distributed. Pour into sauce pan, bring to a rapid boil on high, reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.

　

*Cooking tip: cut the tips off a whole head of garlic, rub olive oil over exposed garlic, wrap in aluminum foil and bake in oven at 400 degrees until golden brown. Slice tomatoes in half, lengthwise, and lightly coat with oil. Broil on high until skins show first sign of blackening. Allow garlic and tomatoes to cool completely before handling.

Butternut Squash Soup with Tofu Triangles

Fall has got to be my favorite season. The smells, the ambiance, the cuddly sweaters but mostly the indulgent food. I pamper myself with warm soups, fresh breads, pies, cinnamon and squash of every kind. Here is a favorite of mine that helps ease into fall. Butternut squash soup with tofu triangles.

 

1 medium butternut squash; peeled, seeded and cubed

2 cups cooked lentils

2 cloves garlic

1 small white onion

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

4 cups vegetable stock

1-2 tsp black pepper (or to taste)

1/4 tsp fine sea salt (or to taste)

1 block extra firm tofu, drained and pressed

olive oil, for coating

1 tbsp Daiya cheese (or any vegan cheese you prefer)

 

For the soup:

Heat olive oil, on high, in a large pot. Add in garlic, onion, celery squash, lentils and carrot. Cook for about five minutes. Reduce heat to low add in enough vegetable stock to cover veggies. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer until veggies are tender. Blend contents in blender until smooth. Return to pot and add in remaining vegetable stock until desired consistency is reached.

 

 For the tofu:

Cut block of tofu in half (down the middle. You'll be left with 'two' blocks of tofu, only thinner). Cut each half into triangles. Coat with olive oil and sprinkle with vegan cheese. Broil on high until browned, then flip and brown. Serve with soup!

Yummmmmmy.

 

 

 

Little Garden "Pizzas"

For Filling:

1 ½ packages Athens fillo cups

¼ leek; washed and finely diced

2 1” slices of eggplant; finely diced

½ red bell pepper; roasted and finely diced (you can use jarred here, I just choose to do it because it’s cheap and easy:)

6-7 grape tomatoes; sliced into fourths lengthwise

4 or so kalamata olives; finely diced

2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

½ tsp fine sea salt

Dash of fresh ground black pepper
Garnish with dried Italian herbs and cracked black pepper sprinkled on top.

　

For Pesto:

4 oz fresh basil

1 ½ cup toasted unsalted brazil nuts

1 ½ tbsp nutritional yeast

¼ cup Daiya mozzarella style cheeze

¼ tsp fine sea salt

Extra virgin olive oil

*You may also use a jarred vegan pesto here but good luck finding it;)

 

Preheat oven to low broil. *If you’re roasting your own red pepper, simply slice pepper in half lengthwise, remove stem/ seeds, lightly coat with oil, broil until black spots begin to form, remove and let completely cool. Combine all vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together olive oil and spices. Thoroughly toss your veggies and oil mixture being sure to coat them all! Spread the now coated veggies flat out onto an oven safe dish or baking sheet- do not overlap any vegetables. Broil until golden brown.

For the pesto simply add brazil nuts, yeast, and salt into a food processor. Blend. Scrape down sides and add in the basil and Daiya cheese. Blend/ scrape down sides. Then slowly incorporate the olive oil until you reach a desired consistency. 

Bake fillo cups according to package- let cool. Assemble with pesto on the inner bottom of the cup *for ease try filling a pastry bag with the pesto! Next, spoon in veggies (Try to get a good mix into each cup). Stuff in a slice of tomato on the side. Arrange on serving dish and garnish with a sprinkle of dried Italian herbs and cracked black pepper. Time to impress guests!

Refreshing Cucumber Water

Cucumber water is a healthier alternative to flavored sport drinks, sweet teas, and soda. It might not be that over the top sweetness most crave, but damn is it good. Quenches thirst in even the hottest of days. 

 

1/2 English cucumber; thinly sliced

1 pitcher filtered water

 

Simply add cucumber slices to water, cover. Set in fridge overnight (or until cucumbers have sunk to the bottom). Brace yourself for some mighty fine water:)!

Delicious over ice.

vvv

Mango Chia Seed Sticky Rice

1 cup sweet sticky rice

1 super ripe mango

2 tbsp chia seeds

Cook your rice according to package (don't use any other rice as a substitution!). Prepare your mango. *This will be a mess because the juices will flow as it is very ripe. As an alternative, you may use a less ripe mango and pulse in a blender- leaving chunks.* Mix mango, rice, and chia seeds in a medium bowl using a spoon. Makes 2-4 servings.

Super Food Vegan Sushi

This recipe might come off a bit confusing because I am not familiar with sushi terminology. I hope this gets the point across.. Just thinly slice all veggies and place them as the picture shows.

1 Sheet of toasted nori

Approx ¼-½ cups cooked Basmati rice

1 ½ tbsp chia seeds

Approx. 4 carrot and red pepper ‘matchsticks’

3 thin slices avocado

3 thin slices smoked tofu

½ tbsp vegan cream cheese

1 broccoli floret; sliced thinly

3 thin slices celery; halved

*You may use any of your favorite veggies.

Cook rice and mix with chia seeds. Place nori sheet onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Spread out rice and seed mixture. Spread ‘cream cheese’ on the tofu slices. Lay on wrap. Next, lay vegetables straight across the width of nori. Roll wrap over veggies and pull back tightly and evenly then roll the remainder. Slice 1 inch pieces with a bread knife. Serve with pickled ginger, low sodium Tamari and vegan wasabi sauce (some wasabi contains milk, so be aware!). Sushi is one of those arts that only get better through practice. I can’t begin to tell you how many sushi ‘bowls’ I’ve eaten out of failure.

(Excuse the jank container, I made it for my husband's lunch.)

Scram, fu. Tofu Scramble.

 

1 block firm tofu; drained and pressed

1 cup chopped lucianto kale

5 cherry tomatoes

½ carrot; sliced

¼ cup shredded broccoli stem, carrot, purple cabbage mixture

1 ½ tbsp yellow curry powder

½ tbsp onion/ garlic/ red pepper flakes

2 tbsp nutritional yeast powder

1 tbsp shredded Daiya Cheeze

1-2 tbsp Braggs liquid aminos or low sodium tamari

Black pepper to taste

Approx. 1 cup spinach (for plate)

½ avocado

Heat a non-stick skillet over high heat. Break apart tofu and dry fry for a few minutes. Once tofu has established some brown spots add in spices, tomatoes, carrots, mixture, Daiya, and tamari. Cook until veggies are done. Pour over bed of spinach and top with ½ avocado. Easy peasy;)

Jamaican Jerk Tofu Sandwich.

I can't even begin to calculate the amount of money I have spent at Tacoma's splendid Quickie Too restaurant. I've spent daunting hours attempting to recreate all of my favorites from the menu. With success I've imitated their mac n` yease, rice and beans and Egyptian mate. One thing I've never came close to is their tofu. It's what keeps me going back. Until now. I've come pretty darn close to their Jamaican jerk tofu.

Tofu:

1 block extra firm tofu; drained, pressed and sliced into 1/2 inch thick pieces

Walkerswood brand Jamaican jerk marinade or your favorite.

Begin by draining and pressing your tofu. Next heat a really good non-stick skillet over high heat while slicing tofu up. Lie tofu onto skillet. Dry fry on both sides until golden brown. Layer a small baking pan with jerk marinade. Place tofu on top. Add a layer of marinade on top of tofu. Bake until bubbly.

Slaw:

1/2 cup cooked chickpeas

1 celery stalk, halved and thinly sliced

1/4 cup shredded carrot/ broccoli stem/ purple cabbage mixture

2 tbsp vegan mayo

1 tbsp spicy mustard

1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Measurements aren't exact, so just mix in wet ingredients until moist. (Makes more than what's used for one sandwich.)

2 slices roma tomato

1 romaine lettuce leaf; folded

2 slices gluten free bread; toasted

Approx 1 tbsp prepared purple cabbage (jarred)

Pile tofu, slaw, cabbage, lettuce and tomato between two slices of toasted gluten free bread. Prepare to be amazed. (*Hint: Try preparing sandwich a day before and wrapping it up in plastic wrap. Set in fridge. The flavors will leak into each other and create a juicer sandwich.)

Organic Wheatgrass and Carrot juice.

Mmmmm, wheatgrass and carrot juice:)

Trim wheatgrass off and juice with two carrots for a quick refreshing afternoon pick-me-up.

Fresh Vegan Tacos, Mi Amigos.

Fresh Vegan Tacos, Mi Amigos.

These lovely little fellas consist of homemade guac, spicy corny salsa, shredded veggies and spanish mushroom quinoa.

I usually make my guac very individual and very spiced up. However, since this recipe already had to spicy brothers I decided to just keep it simple.

Guac

2 Ripe avocados

1/4 tbsp lime juice

Simply blend until slightly chunky in food processor.

Spicy Corny Salsa

The best part of this recipe (in my opinion).

1 Ear of corn; kernels removed

1 Jalapeño pepper

2 Roma tomatoes

1/2 Red onion

Approx 2 tbsp fresh cilantro

1/2 tbsp lime juice

In your food processor add in tomatoes, onion and lime juice. Chop slightly then add jalapeño and cilantro. Pulse. Do not over process as you WANT chunks. Lastly, mix in corn with spoon.

Spanish mushroom quinoa

Approx 2 tbsp fresh cilantro

1 cup Truroots brand mixed beans (or lentils/ beans of your choice)

½ cup uncooked quinoa (don't know how much that cooks up into..)

5 Shitake mushrooms

2 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tbsp Braggs liquid aminos (or low sodium tamari/ soy sauce)

In a large pot sauté onion until translucent. Then cook beans according to package. Add in Braggs, spices, one cup of water (approx) and quinoa. Let cook, then add in mushrooms. Let cool.

Topping

2 broccoli stems; thinly sliced

1 carrot; thinly sliced

½ cup red cabbage; thinly sliced

Slice them up in your processor.

Finally, the home in which all this loveliness will live.

2 Romaine Hearts; leaves removed

To assemble: place romaine leaf in the palm of your hand and fill with quinoa, guac, salsa, and top with veggies. Enjoy:)



Stew of the Wild

 

The name is lame, I know. I couldn't come up with anything more creative and the wild has just been calling me lately. So there you have it.

1 tbsp Olive oil

4 Leeks; prepared, cut lengthwise an chopped into half moons.

3 Garlic cloves; chopped

5-6 Cups low-sodium vegetable stock

1 tbsp Low sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp Fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp Garlic powder

3 Small purple potatoes; chopped into fourths

3 Small red potatoes; chopped into fourths

4 Small yellow potatoes; chopped into fourths

2 Handfuls fresh spinach

6 Cremini mushrooms; chopped into fourths

1 Cup fresh French beans

5-6 Baby zucchini; halved lengthwise

1 cup Pasta

Begin by melting the oil over medium heat in a large stock pot. Add in leeks and garlic cloves. Cook covered until leeks are tender (DON’T BURN!). Next add in 4 cups vegetable stock, soy sauce and spices. Let simmer covered for 5 or so minutes (releases flavors). Next add in potatoes. Reduce heat and simmer for 15mins, covered. Add spinach. Remove half the batch and blend- then add back to pot. Turn heat back up to medium high and add in mushrooms, French beans, zucchini and pasta (I chose whole grain penne. So if you’re using a lighter pasta, add vegetables first and cook for a bit before adding in the pasta). Cook until all vegetables and pasta are cooked. Voila!

Vegan Peanut Butter Cups- Vegan 'Reese's'

 

*The amount of ingredients could be more or less and are only approximates.*

1+ cups vegan carob chips

4 tbsp favorite peanut or almond butter

2 tbsp of unbleached all purpose flour

1 tbsp organic cane sugar

12 tiny wax paper or silicone cupcake cups

Begin by mixing together peanut butter and sugar. Slowly incorporate flour until a soft moist dough is formed. Next use a double boiler to melt down the carob chips (I used a large pot filled half up with water and a glass mixing bowl, use whatever tools you have, right;). Don't forget to continuously stir!

 Once melted, coat the bottom of each cup with carob.

Next form small peanut butter balls with hand. *Be sure the peanut butter isn't touching the sides of the cup to ensure proper structure.

 

Finally spoon melted carob over peanut butter until completely coated. Lightly tap each cup on counter to even the carob out. Feel free to top with any garnish of your choosing. I added thin slices of bananas on some! Put in fridge until set.

vvv

Enjoy!

(I realize this photo didn't turn out, but oh well!)