So, as I said in my last post, Saturday was mine and my boyfriends six-year anniversary. With Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One coming out on Friday, we decided to start re-watching all the movies. So I decided it would be a good night to make a Harry Potter-themed anniversary dinner! I didn’t want party-style food, so cupcakes and cookies and all the really “fun” Harry Potter foods were out. I wanted a real meal for our anniversary. So, this is what I came up with:
Butterbeer
Herbology Salad with Liquid Luck Vinaigrette
Shepherd’s Pie
Sauteed Gillyweed
Golden Galleon Beets
Pumpkin Pasties
Butterbeer, which is a drink that regularly shows up in the books and movies, can be served either hot or cold. It is described as having a sort of butterscotch flavor to it. You can read more about it here. I wanted to…
One of the things I love most about summer is all the variety of fresh and local fruit ripe and ready for eating. My mother and father in law have several fruit trees in their yard, and have supplied my husband and I with a bounty of small and super tasty peaches and plums this summer. So far I have made peach cobbler, peach crisp (twice), peach muffins, and peach jam. But what I really wanted was a tart, a bubbly, crispy and not too sweet— I think I found just the thing. I adapted a recipe from Barefoot Contessa (No joke!) to create this plum tart, if you need some more sweet you can always add some brown sugar– but I think the plums stand alone just fine.
Plum Tart – gluten free, dairy free, soy free- Serves 8 Ingredients 2 cups gluten free all-purpose flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill) 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (to appear crumbly) 6 tbsp. ounces Earth Balance Soy Free Spread, chilled and diced 2 tbsp flaxseeds + 4 tbsp warm water (mixed to make an egg) 2 1/2 pounds firm, ripe plums, pitted and quartered lengthwise (any variety you like will work here)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine ground flaxseeds and water in small bowl, whisk them together and then set aside to give them time to gel. In a medium bowl using an electric mixer combine the flour and walnuts and mix until well blended. (I chopped the walnuts the lazy way by putting them into my mini food processor for a brief time). Incorporate the earth balance using a pastry cutter. Then add flaxseed mixture. Mix until the batter looks crumbly, about 3 minutes.
Press about two thirds of the crumb mixture (1 1/2 cups) in an even layer into the bottom and along the sides of a 9 1/2-inch tart pan. Arrange the plums in the pan, skin side down, begin at the outside and work your way in.
Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture evenly over the plums. Bake the tart for 40-45 minutes or until the top is brown and bubbly!
It is often said that necessity is the mother of invention. I wouldn’t call my desire for a lemon cake on this snowy Valentine’s Day a true necessity…. but there are times in life when we all just need a piece of cake!
One of my recent obsessions has been mug cakes. My first inspirations were from Chocolate Covered Katie’s blog: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/
She has a lot of great ideas for single serve desserts, but to be honest, they are too small for me. I have been making my own mug cakes that are a bit more filling, although I still wouldn’t share. Unable to venture out in the snow to get ingredients for my usual coffee cake in a mug, I discovered a bottle of lemon extract and a bit of shredded coconut leftover from making granola in my pantry. Thus, the lemon coconut mug cake was born. I tried with several different flour blends, and even once with protein powder until I nailed what I think is the perfect blend.
Did I mention that this recipe takes less than 5 minutes, is vegan, gluten free, and incredibly easy?
Ingredients:
2 tbsp rice flour
4 tbsp almond flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar, stevia or xylitol
3 tbsp So Delicious Vanilla Coconut milk
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp oil (you can use any, I used a neutral tasting olive/ vegetable oil blend)
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
2 tsp. Shredded unsweetened coconut
1 tsp. Lemon Zest (optional)
Directions:
Grease the inside of a mug or ramekin. Combine all dry ingredients directly inside the mug or ramekin. Make sure you mix very well. And wet ingredients and mix to combine. Add about half of the lemon zest and coconut to the mix. Cook for about 1 minute in the microwave. Sprinkle with remaining lemon zest and coconut if desired!
This recipe is part of the The Fast and Fresh “Dairy-Free Time Trials” Recipe Contest!
January has been a good month for me so far. Along with sticking to a spending fast, I have also set a goal to return to a consistent meditation practice, as well as return to running (albeit in a different and way) than I have in the past.
Meditation is a practice that I have dabbled with for about two years now. In the past I have been consistent for a little while, then life would get busy—and I wouldn’t prioritize it any more. I know that I am a calmer, more grounded person when meditation is a regular part of my routine. I know that I am a sweeter wife and a more effective therapist when I simply start my day with deep breathing.
I have tried a few different practices, but finally two weeks ago—I found the key that makes meditation work for me. I had the opportunity to attend a one day workshop on mindfulness, where I was introduced to the “gatha.”
In case you don’t know, gathas are short poems or verses that we can recite, regardless of where we are, to help us return to the present moment and to dwell in mindfulness. I finally found one that worked for me, and using this gatha as I meditate has helped me be consistent in my meditation for 10 days—the longest I have sustained a practice in quite some time.
The gatha I use is this:
Breathing in, I calm my body
Breathing out, I smile
Dwelling in the present moment,
I know this is a wonderful moment!
At the training we learned to practice like this, as you breathe say the words in parentheses silently:
Inhale (in)
Exhale (calm)
Inhale (out)
Exhale (smile)
Inhale (present)
Exhale (wonderful)
There are of course many variations of this, explained in Thich Nhat Hanh’s lovely little book, Present Moment, Wonderful Moment. I have found this little volume invaluable as I learn to practice mindfulness in my daily life. I am also learning that having a seated meditation practice is key for creating mindfulness in life. The other crucial piece has been choosing to meditate first thing in the morning, (rather than playing on my phone or on the internet, my usual morning routine!) Deepak Chopra calls this the “RPM” method—rise, pee, mediate. Trust me, it works. Some days I rise, pee, mediate, mindfully drink a cup of coffee, than meditate. But I am sitting, and practicing, and I can feel the difference.
One of the unexpected ways that my mindfulness helped me, was this past Saturday when I ran a 10 mile trail race—the first race I had done in nearly 3 years. It was a very cold, windy morning and I was wondering why I even signed up when we were waiting to start. As we started running, navigating single track trails, and alone with each other and the breath, I found myself reciting the gatha. And each step that I took was wonderful. I realized I had to focus as I ran in much the same way that I do when meditating. Each step, each breath, was something new. A new root, a new rock, a fresh patch of mud met me at my every step. I finished strongly (although I am not sure of my place or time—practicing some non-attachment with that!), and most importantly felt present throughout the entire run. I am eager to sign up for another trail race and practice my new favorite form of moving meditation.
One final piece to share—on my spending fast I challenged myself to make my own chocolate instead of buying the expensive “Endangered Species” chocolate bars I usually favor. I figured I could save money and probably make it healthier too. Enter the world’s easiest and healthiest homemade chocolate!
Dark Pecan Chocolate Bars
Ingredients:
½ cup cocoa (unsweetened)
½ cup coconut oil
1/3 cup coconut nectar
1 cup chopped pecans
Directions
In a small pan, over medium heat, heat cocoa and coconut oil. Once combined, stir in coconut nectar.
Once combined remove from heat and stir pecans in the mixture.
Line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper, pour mixture into the pan, and spread with a spatula.
Place entire pan in freezer, and let harden for at least one hour.
Remove, slice and enjoy!
I recommend storing these in the freezer if possible, I had to store mine in the back so I wouldn’t eat them all at once. You could easily sub 1 cup of any chopped nuts you would like, or add dried fruit, coconut, etc.
Happy January friends. Enjoy deep breaths, time outside, and plenty of chocolate until we meet again!
I am super excited about sharing this recipe for several reasons,
#1—It’s SUPER easy and takes next to no time to make.
#2 —It’s not only VEGAN but also gluten free and soy free.
#3 —It’s part of the So Delicious 3 Course Recipe Contest—in the “dessert” category. (Although I think you could eat them at any time…)
My husband and I have often joked that we should actually buy stock in “So Delicious” because we consume so much of it. He is obsessed with the coconut creamer, which he puts in his coffee multiple times daily, and has even been known to travel to several different stores if he can’t find his preferred vanilla flavor.
I am the coconut yogurt junkie myself. I love the “Greek style” and the plain, and it’s pretty much a fridge staple in our house. I eat it in smoothies, make popsicles, and even bread dough using coconut yogurt. This recipe was what we call an experiment gone well…and there are only 3 total ingredients!
Ingredients:
Serves 16, 10 min Prep Time, Total time 1 hr 10 minutes (or more depending on how long you let them freeze)
1 16 oz container So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk (Plain or vanilla)
½ cup crushed pistachio kernels
¼ cup dried cranberries
Directions:
Combine yogurt, pistachios, and cranberries in a bowl until well blended. You might have to crush the pistachios using a food processor depending on how finely they are crushed.
Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and spread mixture evenly in the pan, flattening with a spatula.
Place pan in the freezer, and let it harden at least 1 hour, or overnight if you prefer.
Remove from freezer and let them thaw about 10 minutes. Slice into squares and eat immediately. Freeze any unused portions!
I imagine this recipe would be easy to do with any variation of the nuts and fruit, I just happen to really love the cranberry and pistachio combination. This would probably also work in popsicle molds—but I was really intrigued by the idea of making bars.
And if you were wondering (like I was…) if coconut milk freezes well, this shows it can freeze beautifully!
My husband and I get a produce box once a week in the months of April through November. We get a lot of zucchini, squash and blueberries at this time of year, and I was looking for something different to do with all that zucchini– so I re-invented a favorite blueberry muffin recipe. Mine is vegan, high fiber, gluten free, has no added sugars. And delicious.
wet ingredients
1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened
2 tbsp flaxseed meal mixed with 4 tbsp water
1 medium zucchini grated or shredded in a food processor
2 medium sized very ripe bananas, smashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries
dry ingredients
2 cups buckwheat flour (or just use a basic gluten free flour like Bob’s Red Mill)
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
Preheat oven to 350 °F.
In large bowl, combine together all wet ingredients and stir well.
In separate bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients until combined. Add dry ingredients to wet until you get a thick batter.
Drop about 1/4 cup batter into 24 greased muffins tins, or use paper liners if you prefer.
Bake 25 minutes, or until tops are very lightly golden brown. Yum!
One of my favorite winter time desserts is a basic fruit crisp. My mom made this a lot growing up—but her original recipe calls for wheat flour and wheat germ, as well as butter and honey. The recipe below is adapted to be vegan and gluten free, using buckwheat and brown rice flours along with maple syrup. I also used a mix of persimmons and pears, but these can be replaced with apples, peaches, or any other similar fruit. Not to toot my own horn—but this new version is delicious. Buckwheat flour and maple syrup are a delightful and healthy combination.
This is a great way to use apples that have a few bad spots or pears that are getting soft without resorting to composting. Serve with vegan coconut milk whipped cream for a special treat or with almond milk for a twist on your traditional breakfast.
Ingredients:
3 pears, any kind sliced
2-3 Fuyu persimmons, sliced
1 cup gluten free rolled oats
½ cup buckwheat flour
½ cup brown rice flour
½ cup earth balance (or similar vegan spread) softened
½ cup maple syrup
2 tsp. cinaamon
Directions:
Put sliced pears and persimmons in a greased 9” x 13” pan. Sprinkle with water. Combine the rest of the ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the fruit is soft. Serve warm or cold, plain or with a topping.
Iron Woman Cookies OR Molasses, Oatmeal Pumpkin Seed Powerhouses
(Wheat and Gluten free, Vegan, No Sugar)
These impromptu cookies were inspired by a recent phone conversation with my sister Helen. I asked her if she would be okay with being meat free while she visited my husband and I in Durham.
She hesitated, mostly out of concern that she wasn’t getting enough iron on her diet. But many foods that are the richest sources of iron are actually plant based. Molasses, pumpkin seeds and oatmeal are some of the best sources of iron. One serving of pumpkin seeds has almost 25% of the RDV of iron, 1 tbsp, of molasses has 5%, oats vary with 5-25% of RDV for iron. In contrast, about 3 ounces of roast beef has less than 10% of your RDV for iron. Easy math!
The vegetarian working group has a nice table for comparing vegan and non-vegan iron sources in an easy to read format. See below:
On to the cookies, the more important part of this post. A quick nutritional analysis has these cookies clocking in with 15% of the RDV for iron and less than 100 calories. Two cookies would actually be a tasty snack that would provide 1/3 of your daily dose of iron!! Easy, yummy and hubby approved. There won’t be any left by the time my sister arrives for Thanksgiving, so we’ll have to make another batch for sure.
Ingredients:
Dry:
1 cup gluten free rolled oats (I like Trader Joe’s brand)
1/3 cup oat flour
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
Wet:
1 tsp finely ground ginger
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ mashed banana
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tbs coconut oil
4 tbs blackstrap molasses
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine dry ingredients, stir to mix evenly.
Combine wet ingredients, use whisk or hand mixer to combine.
Slowly add dry to wet ingredients and blend until well mixed.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes 12-15 cookies.
Woke up SUPER early this morning (like usual) except today my 4:40 am wake up was, oops, 3:40 am. Not one to turn back over and fall asleep I spent the morning tackling some recipes that take a little more time and effort than something I would create on a typical weekend. With that I bring you:
My mother in law has a persimmon tree, among other wonderful fruit trees in her back yard, and has been giving my husband and I pounds and pounds of persimmons. I eat them like apples when they’re ripe…but we have about 60 persimmons to do something with. I have recently re-ignited my relationship with my slow cooker, and found a simple way to make a spread from our abundance of ripe persimmons. And it makes the whole house smell delicious!
Makes 4 half-pint jars, depending on size of persimmons
Ingredients:
30 ripe Fuyu persimmons, coarsely chopped
1 lemon, juiced
2 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp fresh ground cloves
4 half pint canning jars with lids and rings
Directions
Place persimmons into a slow cooker; amount should fill a 6-quart cooker nearly to the top. Drizzle the lemon juice over the persimmons, cover the cooker, and cook on High for about 2 hours. Mash the persimmons in the cooker with a potato masher. Stir in the cinnamon, cloves, and agave syrup, set the cooker to Low, and cook uncovered 6 hours or overnight. Stir several times if possible, to prevent burning during the long cooking period.
After they have cooked down, transfer the persimmon mixture to a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the persimmon butter moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth. If you have an immersion blender, you can puree the persimmon butter right in the cooker if desired.
Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack the persimmon butter into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings. Allow the jars to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate the jars.
I am hoping to have enough to use persimmon butter for Christmas presents this year.
The first two times I tried to make it, the bread was very dry and I wasn’t super pleased with the result. This time I added chia gel, as one of the comments suggested, and decreased the amount of flour. Also, I tried the “no-knead” style to preserve the natural sponginess. I find this bread works best cooked on a “pizza stone” rather than in a bread pan. I still haven’t reached perfection with my sourdough bread, but fermented foods are both an art AND a science, and there are many more loaves to bake. Happy Daylight Saving!
abundantlifevegan 