Summer Watermelon and Tomato Salad

This has become a new favorite of mine. I ran across it at a favorite local restaurant, but just recreated it as I sat there and savored the flavors. I never asked them for the recipe, so as far as I'm concerned this is an original. :o)

1 ripe small-medium seedless watermelon diced in about 1 inch cubes (organic tastes better)
2-3 large heirloom tomatoes also diced into about 1 inch chunks/cubes (again, organic tastes better)
bunch of fresh basil or mint, you choose, and finely chopped (I prefer basil)
salt and pepper to taste, approx 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper, but do it to your liking
2-3 Tblsp Olive Oil
Optional:
8 oz. Feta (We have a lot of followers who are not entirely vegan, but mainly plant-based so I include these tidbits for them)

Put it all together in a big bowl, chill for about an hour before serving and invite me over to eat it with you! It makes a lot. Will likely be 6-8 servings.

Mediterranean Salad mmmmmm..... a Favorite!

Here's my recipe for a favorite dish around our house.... Mediterranean Salad. Yum! (In the picture I posted there was hard-boiled egg in the dish since I made it for a friend and it was not vegan.... so if you're wondering what the "white" is, that's it.)

1/2 head torn romaine lettuce leaves
3/4 C cherry tomatoes halved
2 sprigs green onion chopped
1/2 C Kalamata Olives
1 Avocado diced
pepperoncinis to your liking; I like A LOT, so I put in A LOT
3/4 C diced roasted golden beets (see recipe below)

Dressing:
1/3 C Olive Oil
Juice from one lemon
1-2 cloves pressed garlic, using press
Whisk all ingredients together until thickened. It's ready! Pour all over salad and toss. Call me and I'll come help you eat it up. Nom, nom!!

Roasted Golden Beets:
Buy 2-3 tennis ball sized beets from store.  Wash them. Cut off top and bottom. On a sheet of foil, line up 3 or so beets. Drizzle with about 1 Tblsp grapeseed or olive oil. Sprinkle with sea or kosher salt. Fold sides of foil into packet. Place in shallow baking dish. Roast in 375 degree oven for about 45 min, or until fork inserted into center of each proves them tender. Turn off oven and let cool inside. Peel and slice when cool.  (Let me just add, that I'm not a huge fan of regular purple beets. My sister, Denise Daniel, introduced these beets to me and I was very, very pleasantly surprised. They are sweet, mild and full of delicious flavor.  This recipe is her's.)

GF Vegan Blueberry Pancakes

I was reading through these posts and the last several seem so unhealthy.  I want the world to know that my sister Denise and I, who post most of the recipes on this blog, eat a very plant-based diet. The recipes we post on here, especially as of late, are more on the "treat" part of the spectrum. We don't eat this kind of stuff on a daily basis.

On that note here's my favorite recipe for GF Vegan blueberry pancakes.  We probably make these one Sunday morning each month:

1 Cup Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour

1 Tablespoon vegan sugar

2 Teaspoons baking powder

1/4 Teaspoon Bob's Red Mill Xanthum Gum

1/4 Teaspoon salt

2 Teaspoons cinnamon

Ener-G Egg Replacer. Make enough for the substitution of one egg

1 Cup Almond, Rice, or Coconut milk (coconut is my favorite)

2 Tablespoons Grape Seed Oil

8 oz. fresh bluberries, rinsed and set aside

2-4 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

1.In a medium mixing bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, xanthum gum, salt, and cinnamon. (Something I've learned about cinnamon is that is helps take the "gluteny" taste out of out gluten-free baking). Make a well in the center of the dry mixture; set aside.

2.Make the Ener-G Egg Replacer for the equivalent of one egg and set aside. In another medium mixing bowl combine the milk and cooking oil. Add Ener-G mixture to the milk and oil, mix together and then add all at once to the dry mixture. Stir just till moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in blueberries.

3.For standard-size pancakes, pour about 1/2 cup batter onto a hot, lightly greased (coconut oil) griddle or heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side or till pancakes are golden brown, turning to second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry. Serve warm. Makes 4 to 5 standard-size (6-inch) or 8-9 smaller (4-inch) pancakes (2-4 servings).

Thin Mints

January brings little adorable Girl Scouts selling their delicious cookies.  But alas, the gluten filled treats are like poison for two of my kids and my hubby.  So, I started looking into options for a gluten free, vegan take on the most famous GS Cookie: the Thin Mint.  I noticed that the uberclever Erin McKenna over at Babycakes printed a recipe for Thin Mints in her second cookbook (which I now own.) So I gave it a try.  But her recipe called for arrowroot, which I almost never have on hand.  Hers also suggested dunking only the top of the cookie, but I felt that these thin mints needs full immersion dunking in the minty chocolate.  So, I altered that too.  Here's the recipe I tweaked to make gluten free, vegan thin mints.  Quite honestly, they're fantastic!

1.5 cups Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Baking Flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1.5 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup melted, refined coconut oil, or canola oil (I used the coconut oil)
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 Tblsp. vanilla extract

3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
3 Tblsp. mint extract

Preheat oven to 325.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, arrowroot, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt. Add the oil, applesauce, and vanilla and mix with a rubber spatula until a thick dough forms.

Drop the dough by teaspoonful onto the prepared baking sheets about 1.5 inches apart.  Gently flatten each mound of dough smoothing the edges with your fingers.  Bake for 7 minutes, rotate the sheets and bake for 7 minutes more.  Let stand on the baking sheets for 15 minutes after removing from the oven. 

Meanwhile, combine the chocolate chips and mint extract in a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Stir just until melted.  Do not overcook.  Remove from heat. Dunk each cookie into the melted mint chocolate and place in a single layer on a fresh parchment lined cookie sheet.  Refrigerate until the chocolate sets.

Tasty Holiday Treats!

Here are a couple products we are so excited to find each holiday season!  I prefer the "Nog" while the doc prefers the "Pumpkin Spice."  Vegan and GF. Enjoy!

GF Maple Granola

This recipe is from one I adapted from the Bob's Red Mill website. (The original recipe is authored by BRM customer Erin Beck.) I love granola, but I find many of the GF brands available for purchase in the store to be either high in sugar and/or fat as well as costly. Furthermore, some are not vegan.

So, here's what I made today:

2-1/2 cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats (I used Bob's Red Mill)
2 Tb brown flaxseed meal
1/2 cup raisins
3 Tb canola oil
2 Tb pure maple syrup
2 Tb agave (or honey, if you are using honey)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup chopped dates

 Directions Preheat oven to 300°F. In a medium sized bowl mix together oats, coconut, almonds and sea salt. In a separate bowl mix honey, syrup and oil until well combined. Combine the honey mixture with the oat mixture and stir until evenly coated. Pour the mixture onto a lined or greased baking sheet with sides and spread to cover pan evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, stir, bake another 5 minutes (depending on preferred doneness.) In a small bowl mix the raisins, dates and flaxseed meal. Stir the raisin mixture into cooked granola. Store in an airtight container. Refrigerate or freeze to extend freshness.

Makes 15 Servings.

Rice Krispie Pumpkins

I found this recipe and just adjusted it for gluten-free! It's very easy, quick, and fast clean-up.  Kids love it, and it's a fun treat to make for a friend.

Here's what you need:
6 Cups Gluten-free Rice Krispies
1 10 oz. pkg marshmallows (sometimes you can find vegan marshmallows at Whole Foods or Sprouts. You can also make your own by googling vegan marshmallow recipes or also visit sweetandsara.com to purchase them)
3 Tblsp. Coconut Spread (like Earth Balance) and some extra for applying on hands
8-10 Tootsie Rolls (these are not vegan, but your creative mind could come up with something else like Glutino Pretzels or something)
1 tube green cake icing/gel, or make your own.
Orange food coloring (it's usually 4 drops of yellow and 2 drops of red)

Make the rice krispies according to the box directions.  Typically it goes like this:
Melt the coconut spread in a large, deep pan on the stove over low heat.  Add the marshmallows and keep heat on low while the marshmallows melt.  Stir periodically so they melt down evenly and do not scorch. Once they are melted stir in the food coloring according to package directions to make the color orange.  Once the color is consistent add in the rice krispies and blend well.  Using some extra coconut spread apply to your hands and roll tennis ball size balls.  Use your finger and make an indentation for the tootsie roll and stick it in.  Let completely cool before applying the green icing/gel.  I just put mine in the fridge for 20 minutes and they were plenty cool for gel application.  Put on some cool Halloweenie plates and enjoy!

Asparagus and Mushroom Fettuccine

This was very simple and super yummy. I took 1LB. of asparagus and chopped into 1.5 inch length pieces. Then I steamed it until it was just tender crisp. Then I threw a package of baby portabello mushrooms (you could use any mushrooms you like)into my big skillet and cooked them in a little olive oil.

Meanwhile in another pot on the stove I boiled the water to make the Tinkyada Fettuccine Brown Rice Noodles. I think this is a really good product, but you absolutely MUST follow the directions exactly and cook it al dente, or the noodles will have a mushy texture. Especially when I know I'm going to be using the noodles in another dish I always under cook them by a minute a two, so they don't become mushy once transferred. Anyway, cook the fettuccine.

Back in the skillet, add the tender crisp asparagus to the mushrooms. Add in about 1/4 cup white cooking white or apple juice and a 1/4 cup vegetable stock or no-chicken broth (I like Imagine.) Season with sea salt. You can add a little tapioca starch to thicken the broth/wine sauce if you like. Add the fettuccine and stir just to combine. Add in 1/4 cup pine nuts, or omit if you are not using nuts. Place the lid on the skillet for a few minutes to let the sauce and veggie flavors combine with the fettuccine. Enjoy.

Quinoa, Kale, Navy Bean Soup

I made this soup for dinner in March and although my husband liked it, the kids were not so hip on all the kale. I usually get them to eat kale in the mornings by throwing it into their fruit smoothies, but in soup, it's pretty noticeable. Basically, what I did here is saute about 1 cup diced carrots, potatoes, and parsnips (leave out the parsnips if you haven't got them or don't like them) in about 1 Tblsp. olive oil. When the root veggies are getting tender, set them aside and saute some onion.

In another small saucepan, make up 1 cup of quinoa according to the package instructions. Set aside once done.

In a soup pot, add two cartons of Imagine No Chicken Broth. To that add one can of rinsed navy beans, or canellini beans, or another white bean if your prefer. Get the broth boiling, then add a handful of kale -- I would snip the pieces quite small with cooking scissors prior to adding. Add in the root veggies and onion and add in the cooked quinoa. Season to taste.

Product Review: Luna & Larry's

Dear Luna & Larry's,

I love you. You are divine. You are the Ben and Jerry's of the vegan world. Your Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge Organic Coconut Bliss is the most delicious frozen treat I have put in my mouth since going GF vegan. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I even appreciate that you sweetened this delight with agave, making it low glycemic -- and you're also soy free. Perfect? Yep, I'd say so. (If you live near me, hurry to Wegmans and buy me some, since I'm laid up in bed.) Five Stars!

Let's Play Catch-Up

So, I am way behind on blog posts and I'm sorry. I could tell you about all the reasons my life has been super busy lately, but let's face it -- I get 24 hours in a day just like everyone else, and sometimes I use those hours away from the computer. And I'm really good with that. But here are a few recipes I've made lately and a product review....

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a fast and easy recipe that's very, very tasty.

1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
1/2 bag or 1 Cup Vegan Chocolate Chips (or more if you want more chocolate..... who doesn't?)
1 Can Pumpkin (approx 15 oz)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice or cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees or the temperature recommended on the cake box to bake a cake.  Empty cake mix into a large mixing bowl and add other dry ingredients (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc).  Add the can of pumpkin and chocolate chips and mix well.  Spoon heaping amounts of batter onto cookie sheet, maybe a rounded 1/4 C size or larger.  Bake for approx 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cookie comes out clean.  My first batch of these it took maybe 25 minutes to bake, but my cookies were really big. Enjoy!

Forbidden Rice and Vegetable Salad

Do you like forbidden things? Do you like pina-coladas and getting caught in the rain? The smell of the ocean? Yeah, well, this is about salad, so stay focused. I found this recipe using that nifty Whole Foods recipe app I mentioned in a previous post. This recipe was already gluten free and vegan, but I didn't quite have everything it called for, so I adapted it (again.) I've written the recipe below as I actually made it. Delicious! Nutty and different.

1 cup forbidden rice (on the rice aisle at Whole Foods) I cooked mine in the rice cooker
3/4 cup grated carrots
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup cucumber, diced
1 Tblsp. olive oil
1 large zucchini, chopped
2 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
1 Tblsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tblsp. almond oil
1 tsp. prepared mustard
sea salt
pepper

Toss rice with carrots, yellow pepper, and cucumber in a large serving bowl.

In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat until hot, but not smoking. Add zucchini and green onions and saute for 5 minutes or until zucchini is crisp tender. Add to rice mixture. In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, almond oil, and mustard, until blended. Drizzle over salad and toss to combine. Salt and pepper to taste.

***Here's a little secret about me. I really dislike raw zucchini. Really. It's like my circus peanut (that's a little message to Lindsey.) But cooked zucchini, I love. So one of the things I really liked about this salad is that the zucchini is cooked. Yum!***

Ricemellow

Do you know about this stuff? Well you should. Because it's a vegan solution to making many bars and treats that would be non-vegan otherwise (containing gelatin and many even contain gluten). Here's a link to the site of the people who make it. They have a bunch of great recipes on the site too. I find ricemellow at Whole Foods on the baking aisle -- but not in the same place as honey and molasses, etc. Down at the other end with the tapioca and other dessert stuff. So if you can't find it, ask.

Vegan Fajitas

Pretty straightforward here. And pretty tasty.

3 Portobello Mushroom Caps, roasted
1/2 onion, slice thin
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1/2 packet taco seasoning (I use Trader Joes)

Spray skillet with cooking spray and heat. Saute onion and pepper for 3-4 minutes, then add mushrooms, cut into strips. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and add water according to package instructions.

Eat in corn or brown rice tortillas with all the fixings. Or, if you're like me, eat on a bed of salad greens and make it a fajita salad.

Minestrone

I know many people eat soup year round, but I don't. It makes me warm, and in summer, I don't want to be any warmer. But it's actually for that very reason that I make soup several nights a week in the winter.

This soup has been a family favorite for many years. I actually ate it for the first time as a child, when our neighbor Jean Kennard made it for us. She shared that recipe with Mom and I copied it when I was a newlywed for my own cookbook.

I once made this minestrone for a sick neighbor in New York. Afterward, he followed me around devotedly, shoveling my walks and smiling and waving whenever he saw any of us. Daniel said I should have made the soup for him sooner.

So, last night, I made it vegan, and it was still amazing. Really, it's hands down the best minestrone I've ever eaten.

Minestrone

1 can white beans (great northern, kidney, marrow, or navy)
4 Tblsp. olive oil, divided
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 cup diced, unpeeled zucchini
1 cup carrots
1 cup potatoes
1/3 cup celery
2 Tblsp. finely chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped leeks
2 cups drained, canned tomatoes, chopped
2 quarts vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
2 parsley sprigs tied together
1 tsp. salt
pepper
1/2 cup plain white rice

Put 2 Tblsp. olive oil in a heavy skillet and toss peas, zucchini, carrots, potatoes, and celery until lightly coated. Cook 2-3 minutes until softening, but not browned. Set aside.

In a large stock or soup pot, put the remaining olive oil. Once heated, stir in the onions and leeks and stir constantly until both are soft and lightly browned. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, vegetables from the skillet, vegetable stock, bay leaf, parsley sprigs, salt, and a few grindings of pepper. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for 25 minutes.

Remove and discard the bay leaf and parsley sprigs, add the rice, white beans, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook another 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Vegan Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

When I moved to Arizona from Texas, one of the great things about moving here was Cafe Rio!!! Except, then I remembered that the reasons why I loved Cafe Rio no longer applied since I was now a vegan (pork barbacoa salad, oh how I loved you--but then I learned how pigs are raised and slaughtered and now I don't crave you so much). Well, we still make a trip to Cafe Rio periodically, although it's only for a meat-less salad. I figured out how to make their creamy tomatillo dressing vegan! So, we have it around the house for our own salads. You will need:

2-3 large tomatillos, diced
juice from 1 lime
1 C vegan sour cream
1 C veganaise mayo (the grapeseed one)
big bunch of cilantro (approx 2+ cups)
1 jalapeno or hatch chile
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 C red onion OR 3 stalks of green onion, chopped

Put it all in your food processor and mix until smooth. If you don't have a food processor, invest in one. I have the Kitchenaid from Costco (approx $100).

This is a great dressing for a variety of salads, but especially the hearty ones that include everything but the kitchen sink--kind of like a Cafe Rio salad! :o) Enjoy!

Favorite Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

These muffins are some kind of wonderful. Why? For two reasons really: 1) Kids devour them, despite the fact that 2) They are totally magic and can withstand all sorts of modification and tampering. In fact, the original recipe was from one my oldest sister, Darla found years ago on the Nestle site. She had been searching for recipes that used whole wheat flour and that her kids would actually eat. I used this recipe for the same reason for years, until I found out all that wheat was making my family sick. Ooops. But I returned to the basics of the recipes and altered it to make it gluten free -- and once again my kids LOVED them.

Enter vegan baking. I wanted to see if these delicious muffins could withstand more tampering. And good news folks, they can -- AND they're better than ever. This recipe is so good, you can even put in other things beside pumpkin, like mashed yams, a little zucchini, really whatever you want. Enjoy!

Favorite Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose gluten-free flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon guar gum (If you don't have it, don't worry, omit)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon chia seeds (or flax seeds)
3 tablespoons water
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup honey or agave nectar
1 can (15 oz.) packed pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) vegan chocolate chips

Directions
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease thirty-six 2 1/2-inch muffin cups or line with baking cups.

COMBINE flour, baking soda, baking powder, guar gum, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. In a large bowl, combine chia seeds and water. Then add applesauce. Next, stir in sugar and agave (or honey). Add pumpkin and oil; mix well. Stir in flour mixture until moistened. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

BAKE for 20 to 25 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes; remove from pans.

Cinnamon Crunch Brunch Cake

Coffee cakes, brunch cakes, who eats cake for breakfast anyway? Well, after trying this, if you don't eat cake for breakfast, you'll want to... This cake is so moist and yummy, you'll want to thank me by inviting me to come eat it with you each time you make it. And don't worry, I'll be glad to come.

I also want to note that I am usually a scratch baker, primarily because mixes contain a bunch of stuff that I don't like, or can't eat, or both. But one of the great things about many of the GF mixes, is that they are free of extra crap like trans fats, colorings, flavorings, etc. And sometimes, doctoring a mix can make your life much easier, especially in a pinch.

Cinnamon Crunch Brunch Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

For the cake, combine:
1 pkg. Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix (half of a 3.4 oz box)
1 6 oz. coconut yogurt, vanilla flavor
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 Tblsp. almond milk
1 Tblsp. GF vanilla extract

Mix on low speed only until ingredients are incorporated, about 30 seconds. Then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and mix another 1.5-2 minutes until batter is smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Then top with filling:

Drizzle the batter evenly with 1/4 cup agave nectar. Next, using a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup packed brown sugar and 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans with 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. Sprinkle cinnamon & sugar nut mixture over the agave nectar. Then, using a dinner knife, swirl the crunchy topping into the batter. Bake about 35-40 minutes or until the top springs back lightly when touched. I recommend letting it cool before cutting -- at least 20 minutes.

**Variations: You can use maple syrup instead of the agave or even honey, although many vegans do not use honey. Alternatively, almonds may be used for the topping, or walnuts -- although that will also change the flavor -- but use what you prefer.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Salad

Yesterday was Fast Sunday -- which means my family comes home from church HUNGRY! I started making this salad as a side dish for the dinner meal I was making. Then, I just kept adding things thanks to my hunger. When I was done, the salad wasn't too kid friendly -- at least not my kids -- but it was great for me, since I was not eating the GF chicken enchiladas I made for everyone else. This salad was a great accompaniment to my roasted portobello.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Salad

mixed greens (I used mixed field greens and some iceberg)
1 can artichoke hearts packed in water, quartered
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1/2 can black olives
2 tomatoes, diced (or equivalent of bite sized tomatoes)
1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/2 container alfalfa sprouts
any other salad veggies you have on hand: cucumbers, bell peppers, snow or sugar snap peas, etc.

Toss with a good balsamic vinaigrette