Yummy Nutty “Truffle” Bites

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Well, the big V day will be here before we know it. (Valentine’s Day that is, Feb.14th)  Why not show your sweetheart how much you care by giving him/her a sweet treat that is actually GOOD for their heart.  These do pack a bit of a calorie punch (with all of those nuts), but they also pack in fiber, calcium, vitamin E and other nutrients that you can’t get with candy.

The ones pictured here were actually made by my (almost) 9 year old son this morning. He wanted to bring something to school for snack that was going to fill him up, give him energy and not take forever to eat.  There is playing that needs to be done at recess too, you know!  These worked out great; way better than a granola bar and easy enough for a child to make.  Can’t get much better than that!

They also provide a great opportunity to get creative.  Not a fan of almonds? Fine, try pistachios.  Love dried blueberries?  Go ahead, throw them in the mix! Have fun with it! The original recipe that gave us the foundation for these was found in Chef AJ’s book Unprocessed.  But we have since made  some of our own changes.  Enjoy!

YUMMY NUTTY TRUFFLE BITES

INGREDIENTS

about 2 Tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup raw almonds

1/4 cup raw walnuts

1/4 cup almond butter

1/3 cup pitted dates

1/4 cup dried cherries or dried apricots (or a little bit of both!)

1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Place the coconut in a small dish  and set aside Place all ingredients (except the coconut) in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse for a while, until everything is chopped pretty finely and sticks together well.  Take a tablespoon at a time of the mixture and roll into a tight ball (If they are not compact, they’ll fall apart easily.).  Roll the balls in the coconut and place in an airtight container.  That’s it!  Store in the refrigerator or just dole them out right then and there.  Enjoy!

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Mel’s Muffuletta-ish Sandwich

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This sandwich is a really yummy way to use up some of the veggies in your fridge, or just squeeze more veggies into your day.  Not in the mood for a moderately messy sandwich? Try a cozy warm bowl filled with some of the steamy veggie filling and the cooked whole grain of your choice (brown rice, quinoa, spelt, barley, or couscous to name a few).  Talk about comfort food!

INGREDIENTS

Vegetable Filling

  • 1 onion, cut in half crosswise and sliced into half moons
  • 1 eggplant, cut into 1/2″-1″ chunks
  • 1 small fennel bulb, sliced (just the bulb, not the stalks or feathery fronds)
  • 2-3 carrots, sliced, or 2 handfuls of shredded carrots
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced
  • 1-2 zucchini, cut in half, lengthwise and sliced
  • 1/2 bell pepper sliced into strips (or you can use bottled roasted peppers – YUM! )
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • salt and pepper
  • One 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup Fresh parsley, chopped

Sammie fixin’s

  • 4 whole grain rolls, sliced in half, horizontally
  • hummus
  • olive tapenade (optional)
  • Fresh spinach or Romaine lettuce

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat about 1/4 cup water or vegetable broth in a large skillet
  2. Add onions, eggplant and fennel.  Cook for about 1-2 minutes.  Next add carrots, celery, zucchini, and bell peppers (if using bottled, we’ll add them later).  Cook for another 8-10 minutes.  Add garlic and spices.  Cook for a minute or two before adding the tomatoes (and roasted red peppers, if you’re using them).  Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, on low for 15-20 minutes.  Uncover and cook for a little longer to cook off any excess liquid. Stir in parsley.
  3. While the filling is simmering, toast the rolls, then smear one side with hummus and top with spinach or lettuce.  Top other half of the roll with olive tapenade.
  4. Spoon a good heap of the cooked veggies on top of the leaves and place the other half of the roll on top.  Tuck in!

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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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Another fun and successful cooking party!

Sunday was our Lovable Lunches cooking class and it was such a blast!  We made a falafel plate, honey-ginger mushrooms w/ginger miso kale and quinoa, Thai coconut sweet potato soup, chipotle chop salad, homemade salsa, and no-bake honey bee cookies.  Big thanks to those who joined us.  An especially big thanks to guest, and professional photographer, Caroline Malouf who whipped out her camera during class and took these great shots!

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Be sure to check the “Cooking Classes” tab frequently for info on future classes. Spaces fill quickly.

Need a little help or encouragement implementing it at home?  Private consultations are available to those who are interested in making a change to a plant-based diet.  For more information, please contact me at (805)236-7484.

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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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