Category: Recipes

Best Ever Blueberry Coffee Cake

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There is no exaggeration in the title of this recipe!  Seriously, the best coffee cake I have tasted…ever!  Sweet, moist and delectable with just enough blueberries to make it interesting, without getting too mushy.  Don’t skip the topping.  It really makes it.  The struesel-like finishing touch melts a bit to create a phenomenal, lightly crispy and sweet layer.  If you prefer not to use store bought vegan sour cream, there is a quick and easy recipe to make your own at the end of this post.  So brew a pot of your favorite warm bevvie and enjoy!

This recipe is my veganized/healthier version of one found at http://www.cdkitchen.com

INGREDIENTS:

TOPPING:

2 T extra virgin coconut oil

5 T organic sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

COFFEE CAKE:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup organic sugar (evaporated cane juice)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegan sour cream

2 flax eggs (2T flaxseed meal, combined with 6T water)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9×9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Using a fork, combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl.  Mix until ingredients are all incorporated and resemble cornmeal or slightly wet sand. Set aside for later.
  3. Use medium size bowl and a wire whisk to combine the dry ingredients (flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt).  Set aside.
  4. In a separate large bowl, use a mixer to beat together flax eggs, vanilla and vegan sour cream.
  5. Gradually add in the dry ingredients (about 1 cup at a time).  Beat until the mixture is smooth.
  6. Spread batter into the prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle the blueberries on top.  Gently scoop a little of the batter over the berries, just enough to cover them without making purple batter or sinking your berries to the bottom of the dish. Finally, sprinkle the topping over the batter.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 to 35 minutes, or until a clean toothpick or cake tester  inserted into the middle of the cake comes out dry.
  8. Cool slightly, slice, serve and enjoy!  Best served warm or at room temperature.

VEGAN SOUR CREAM:

1 box Mori Nu Silken Tofu

2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Toss all ingredients into the blender.  Blend until smooth.  Ta da!  Vegan sour cream!! 

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Minted Peach Sandwiches – The Perfect Summer Lunch!


I get down right giddy this time of year.  Stone fruit, melons, tomatoes and corn are all at  their peak.  It’s also warm enough to wear my favorite sundresses.   At farmer’s market this week, we picked up some beautiful heirloom tomatoes, artisan melon, and stone fruit (peaches, nectarines and plums).

Today, as usual, lunchtime popped up before I had time to give it any thought.  After scouring the fridge for materials to create a decent lunch, we came up with something fantastic!  Isn’t that usually the case?  When things are sparse is when I tend to be the most creative.  So here’s what we came up with…Minted peach sandwiches (wanted to do roll-ups, but the tortillas were moldy), fresh Galia melon (like Honeydew, but sweeter!), and steamed edamame.  The sandwiches were too good not to share.

Ingredients (yields 3 sandwiches)

  • 6 slices Sprouted Grain bread, toasted (or 3 whole wheat tortillas, if you’d prefer a wrap)
  • vegan, non-hydrogenated cream cheese
  • 1/2 ripe peach or nectarine, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoons fresh mint, minced or chiffonade
  • raw agave nectar
  • fresh ground pepper.
  • Fresh spring greens

Directions

  1. Shmear a thin layer of vegan cream cheese on one side of each slice of bread.
  2. Top three slices with sliced peaches, drizzle very lightly with agave
  3. Sprinkle mint on top of peaches
  4. Finish with a few grinds of black pepper and some spring greens, if desired.
  5. Top with remaining slices of bread. Or roll up your tortilla, if you’re making a wrap.

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Oatmeal Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies

This a.m. I was in the mood to bake and had a cup of left over pumpkin puree in the fridge that needed to be used.  My first thought was pumpkin oatmeal cookies, bejeweled with cranberries.  Fortunately I came across this wonderful recipe on the Vegan Yack Attack website.  Click here for the original post and recipe.  These babies are so full of flavor without any oil, eggs, dairy, nuts or refined sugar.  Of course I can’t leave anything alone, so I switched out the whole wheat flour with spelt flour, used date paste (pureed dates and water) as the sweetener, and added an extra pinch of ground clove. Cloves add such a great earthiness and depth.  Enjoy!

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Honey-Ginger Baby Bellas with Ginger-Miso Kale and Quinoa

Family vacations can be inspiring on so many levels.  Recently we went to visit family in the Midwest, and while we were there, my stepmom introduced me to Honey Vinegar.  As soon as I came home I ran over to Epicurean Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegars and brought home some new ingredients to play with.  Tonight we used the honey-ginger white balsamic vinegar and blood orange olive oil to marinate baby portabellas.  They were amazing, paired with kale that was steamed and then tossed in a miso-ginger dressing.  Top it off with some quinoa, and we had a pretty delectable meal.  If you don’t have specialty vinegars lying around, this would still work very well with rice wine vinegar and olive oil.  If you would rather not use any oil and save yourself some fat and calories, simply omit the oil altogether and it will still turn out great!

Honey-Ginger Baby Bellas

6 Baby Portabellas or large stuffing mushrooms, sliced

1 Tablespoon blood orange olive oil

2 Tablespoons honey-ginger white balsamic vinegar

a splash of soy sauce

salt and pepper, to taste

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Toss ingredients together in a large bowl, then spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake for 10-15 min.

Steamed Kale w/Ginger Miso Dressing 

Dressing recipe is adapted from one featured in The New York Times on July 22, 2009, which was adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons mild miso (yellow or white)

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 medium carrot, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into smaller pieces

salt and pepper, to taste

1 large bunch kale, roughly chopped

1.Put all ingredients (except kale, salt and pepper) into a mini food processor or blender and process, or blend, until dressing reaches desired consistency (1-2 minutes). Taste and adjust seasoning to taste.

2.Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a large pot.  Add kale, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and steam 5-7 minutes.  Drain and toss with dressing (there will be quite a bit if dressing left over). 

Quinoa

If you’ve never cooked quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), don’t be intimidated.  It is easier than cooking rice!  FYI: quinoa should always be rinsed before using.

Add 1 cup quinoa (rinsed) and 2 cups water to a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook for 20 min.  Done!

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Melon Banana Split!

Here’s a fun, healthy alternative to the traditional banana split. Works well as a dessert, or a snack.  Feel free to experiment with different types of melon (watermelon, honeydew, etc.) and toppings too!

1 banana, cut in 1/2 lengthwise
Melon, seeded and scooped into balls with an ice cream or cookie scoop
nuts, chopped
fresh mint
unsweetened flaked coconut
drizzle with honey or agave nectar

Enjoy!

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Pesto and Marinara Eggplant Bake

Tender eggplant, savory pesto, homemade marinara and cheezy tofu ricotta come together to make an incredible dish!  Serve with a warm crusty baguette and fresh green salad.  And don’t forget the red wine!  If you want to go the quick and easy route, just use prepared pesto and pasta sauce, and skip down to the tofu ricotta part of the recipe.

Marinara

  • 6 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 4 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 sweet red pepper, choped
  • 4-6 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 large can of whole tomatoes (or 1 qt.)
  • 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (1 tsp. dried)
  • 1-2 tablespoons fresh oregano (1 1/2 tsp. dried)
  • 1 tsp. fennel seed
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • crushed red pepper and black pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat about 3 Tablespoons of water in a large pot.  When bubbly, add onions and garlic.  Stir until fragrant.
  2. Add peppers and mushrooms. Cook until moisture from mushrooms is released and evaporates.
  3. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 min – 1 hour.
  4. Turn off heat and if you desire a smoother sauce, blend with an immersion blender to reach desired consistency. You could also just transfer some of the sauce to a blender and puree it there, if you prefer.

Pesto

  • 3 cups packed fresh basil leaves
  • 1/3- 1/2 cup raw slivered almonds (or walnuts)
  • juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup water

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in the blender or food processor and blend or pulse until it reaches your desired consistency.
  2. Store in an air-tight container.  You will have a lot left over. 🙂

Tofu Ricotta

  • 1 large package firm tofu, drained
  • juice of 1 large lemon
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1-2 shakes of garlic powder
  • drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Directions:

  1. In a medium size bowl, mash drained tofu until roughly the consistency of ricotta cheese.
  2. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine.

Tofu Bake Assembly

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Slice 1 large eggplant into 1/2 inch round slices.
  3. Spoon just enough marinara in to cover the bottom of the pan
  4. Lay eggplant in a single layer (or double up if necessary) on top of the sauce.
  5. Top eggplant with ricotta mixture, then the rest of the sauce.
  6. Drop spoonfuls of pesto onto the top and gently spread them out a bit with the back of a spoon.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

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