Tag Archives: Vegan Gluten-Free

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Bites

Appetizers and Side Dishes, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sweet Potato, chickpea bites

These delicious bites turned out better than I’d ever hoped. I’m really pleased with how tasty they are.

Original Recipe:

http://cheapeatsforthegreenbean.com/2014/08/03/sweet-potato-and-chickpea-bites/

I modified the recipe to include ingredients I already had on hand. I only had one sweet potato for instance, and I used Tarragon as a garnish instead of scallions as the recipe originally calls for.

Ingredients I used:

  • 1 large sweet potato
  • equal amount chickpeas as sweet potato (I used frozen, thawed)
  • Kale, fine chopped
  • Garlic
  • Coconut Milk
  • Coconut Oil
  • Seasoning: paprika, cayenne, red chili flakes, curry powder, nutritional yeast, salt & pepper
  • Fresh Herbs I used: Thyme & Tarragon

 

Directions:

  1. Boil sweet potato & prepare chickpeas (frozen, thawed on stove)
  2. Sautee garlic (briefly, until fragrant)
  3. Add Kale and reduce heat to low, cover and steam (very briefly)
  4. Season with: Paprika, cayenne, red chili flakes, curry powder
  5. Add thawed chickpeas and stir well.
  6. Combine in a large bowl with sweet potato mash, 3-4 tablespoons of coconut milk and nutritional yeast.
  7. Add S & P and any additional seasonings. I added fresh Thyme and Tarragon from the garden.
  8. Bake in a greased muffin tin (coconut oil works well for greasing) –  20 minutes at 450 degrees.

Voila !

 

 

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Raw Almond Thai Noodles

Raw Food Creations, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Raw Almond Thai Noodles

I am often creating dishes from whatever I have and here is an example of something I threw together in a hurry before work recently. I am really pleased with how it turned out and have since recreated this dish several times.

I recently started eating a lot of zucchini noodles, and this is by far my favorite version I’ve made yet. If you’ve never used or even heard of a spiralizer be sure to check out this link:

http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Spiralizer-Tri-Blade-Spiral-Vegetable/dp/B006THC75E/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1406215399&sr=8-4&keywords=spiralizer

Without a Prime membership to Amazon.com there may be a cheaper option available (I didn’t check shipping prices) however, with Prime I found this to be the cheapest option. If you are not used to unusual kitchen appliances, do not be intimidated! Here’s a link to a video I like that shows just how simple and straightforward using it really is:

Ingredients:

  • Raw zucchini noodles, spiralized
  • Pine Nuts
  • Cilantro
  • Shelled Hemp Seeds
  • Pairs well with Avocado

Sauce:

  • Almond Butter
  • Water
  • Hoison Sauce
  • Gluten Free Soy Sauce (or Braggs Amino)
  • Lime juice
  • Coconut Milk (optional)
  • Udo’s oil (add last, also optional)

To make the sauce I whisked together a fair amount of Almond Butter (main ingredient, be sure to use enough) with just a bit of water until the consistency was smooth and creamy.  And then I added about a tablespoon of Hoison Sauce, a dash of GF Soy Sauce, squeezed the juice from about half of a lime, a tablespoon or so of coconut milk and at the end I also added a bit of Udo’s oil for added nutrients.

I hope you give this a try and enjoy it as much as I have!

Cheers to good Health!

Vegan Beet and Potato Salad

Appetizers and Side Dishes, , , , , , , ,

2014-01-11 16.00.38wpid-storageemulated0DCIMCamera2014-01-11-22.26.57.jpg.jpg

Ingredients:

  • Organic Potatoes
  • Organic Beets (red or golden)
  • Onion (red or yellow)
  • Celery
  • Veganaise (with Grapeseed oil)
  • Cilantro
  • Garlic (optional)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

This recipe is inspired by my dear friend Katherine Croll of Gentle Earth Retreats (Mundo Tranquilo in Costa Rica) who has treated me to this dish on a number of occasions. I have replicated her dish many times before, and find that each time it is always just a little bit different. Beets and Potatoes make for such a nice combination, and when using red beets to complement this dish an otherwise ordinary looking potato salad manifests into a pink delight.

I realize a lot of people don’t actually like the taste of beets. If that’s the case, try using golden ones, I find the flavor to be mild by comparison, and you can always just use a small amount. With any success you just might be able to mask the flavor and still receive the health benefits. Personally, I love the taste of beets and enjoy using a decent amount!

I will like to play around in the kitchen and find a nice homemade recipe for vegan mayonnaise, until then I am grateful Veganaise: with Grapeseed Oil is readily available. It’s delicious and I’ve served it to plenty of people who say they either couldn’t tell a difference from original mayonnaise, and many who even prefer it’s taste over any other kind.

The leafy beet greens are wonderful, I always look for the best looking beet roots as well as healthy greens because it feels like a 2 for 1 deal. I love adding the greens to smoothies and have yet to try cooking with them.

Directions:

  1. Prepare beets and potatoes by washing and scrubbing them thoroughly, remove tips and tops of beets and peel. (I peel only the beets, and leave the potatoes’ nutritious skins intact.)
  2. Boil beets and potatoes separately until tender when pierced with a fork. Beets take awhile longer to cook. (upwards of 30-45 minutes) To expedite the cooking process cut the potatoes into bite size pieces before cooking, and cube the beets into even smaller pieces.
  3. Allow both to cool in the refrigerator until potatoes don’t easily fall apart. (at least 1-2 hours ideally)
  4. Sautee Onions with coconut oil for a few minutes before adding sliced celery, and then add garlic towards the end.
  5. Once everything is cooled off, combine everything in a large bowl, adding together: beets, potatoes, sauteed veggies, vegan mayonnaise, cilantro and S & P to taste.
Beet and Potato Salad made with Golden Beets
Beet and Potato Salad made with Golden Beets

Vegan Coconut Whipped Cream

Vegan Desserts, , , , , ,

I’ve been wanting to try for some time now to create a vegan version of this notorious topping, whipped cream, and successfully did so today. I will explore further to see if I can make it even fluffier, in the mean time I am thrilled with the results!

Simple Ingredients
Simple Ingredients
Easy to Make
Easy to Make
Delicious Results
Delicious Results

Ingredients:

  • 1 can of refrigerated organic canned Coconut Milk (do not shake contents & use only top portion of the can)
  • 1/2 – 1 tbsp sweetener of your choice, I used maple syrup
  • Flavor, I used vanilla extract and edible rose water

Directions:

  1. With a hand held mixer or stand up mixer, blend for a few minutes the thick content (top portion) of refrigerated canned coconut milk until desired consistency is reached.
  2. Then add sugar, vanilla extract and rose water

Adding all the contents of the canned coconut milk will work and taste delicious (shown in pictures this way.) After another attempt and only using the thick part of the canned coconut milk I had much better luck getting a fluffier consistency though. Once mixed I left it for a few a minutes in the refrigerator and it solidified even more. This is such a treat!

*The liquid on the bottom of the can can be saved and used as a wonderful addition for just about any dish at another time. If you choose to add some of the liquid portion of the can, be sure to do so sparingly and add only a little bit at a time.

Magical Mushroom Mélange

image

This hearty, healthy and simple dish is easy to make, and a real delicious treat. I find it to be grounding, warm and soothing especially for the colder times of year. It’s something I threw together today before work and look forward to duplicating as well as expanding on with different herbs and spices. Give it a try, and be sure to let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

Mushrooms (baby Bella)
Chickpeas (fresh/frozen)
Spinach (fresh)
Onion, sliced thinly
Garlic (fresh or powder)
Coconut oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Hemp Seeds

Directions:

1. Thaw and gently cook chickpeas over medium heat with a teaspoon or so of water, until soft when pierced with a fork.

2. Sautée onions with coconut oil, then add mushrooms and garlic. I also added a bit of ‘Earth Balance Roasted Garlic and Herbs’ vegan butter for easy source of extra flavor. (Opt.) Always fresh herbs are of course the best, but this is great for when you find yourself cooking with a time limit.

3. Cover chickpeas with several handfuls of rinsed spinach and let steam for a minute or two.

4. Combine everything, season with salt and pepper to taste and top with hemp seeds.

Bon appétit!

Cauliflower Medley

Cauliflower Medley
Cauliflower Medley

This simple dish came to life recently while sharing food with friends over the weekend. I’ve had the pleasure of picking up fresh produce from a local farm market for many weeks now and this time I found this wonderfully colored cauliflower. It was orange, unlike any I’ve ever seen and kept it’s color nicely when steamed. I tried to pick other vegetables that would compliment the cauliflower nicely, while also adding color to the dish. I do love the colors found in fresh, natural foods! In order to maintain the flavor of the cauliflower I separately sauteed the kale, using stronger spices, and then combined everything, the flavors from the kale then adding nicely to the dish as a whole. Of course I like just about anything topped with hemp seeds for extra protein and texture, and they are very mild in flavor. This dish came about the same evening I made Curried Spaghetti Squash and the two dishes complimented each other nicely when eaten or even mixed together.

Ingredients:

  • Cauliflower
  • Carrots
  • celery
  • onions
  • kale
  • vegan butter
  • saute kale (with cayenne, garlic and spices)
  • salt and pepper
  • garlic power/fresh
  • hemp seeds (opt)

Directions:

  1. Steam cauliflower, carrots, onions, celery together until tender but not over-cooked. You should be able to tell desired tenderness by the feel of poking veges with a fork. Season lightly with vegan butter, garlic powder and salt.
  2. Saute fresh garlic, kale, cayenne, coriander and cumin with coconut oil or grape seed oil and any other seasonings you may be called to use. Kale cooks quickly, be sure not to over cook it.
  3. Combine together all ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Topped with Hemp Seeds
Topped with Hemp Seeds
Related articles

Autumn Harvest Stuffed Acorn Squash

Spiritual Foodie, , , , , , , ,
Autumn Harvest Acorn Squash
Autumn Harvest Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

  • Acorn Squash, cut in 1/2
  • 1 cup Organic Brown Rice (cooked with 2 1/2 cups of water)
  • 1/4 cup Chopped Pecans
  • 1/4 Organic dried Cranberries
  • 2-3 medium-sized stalks of Celery, Thinly sliced
  • 1 small Onion, chopped
  • 1-2 cloves of Garlic
  • Fresh Thyme
  • Ghee / vegan Butter/ Coconut Oil (any)
  • dash of Maple Syrup (optional)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Measurements are approximate, if replicating this dish please use your discernment for right amount and enjoy the leftover stuffing!

Directions:

  1. Prepare rice
  2. Pre Heat Oven to 450
  3. Cut Squash in half and remove seeds
  4. With 1/4 inch of water in pan, cook Squash cut side facing downward for 15 minutes
  5. Flip Squash and coat with ghee / vegan butter / coconut oil (any), drizzling a dash of maple syrup on as well and cook for an additional 10 minutes cut side facing upward.
  6. Meanwhile prepare veggies in your choice of oil: Onions first, then celery slices, adding garlic towards the end. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened, approximately 6 minutes. Then add Thyme and cover for about 1 minute until fragrant.
  7. Remove from heat, stir in rice, pecans, cranberries and S & P.
  8. Stuff Squash, drizzle with ghee or vegan butter, cover with aluminum foil and cook for 10-15 minutes.
  9. Remove foil and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, until squash is tender when pierced with a fork

Stuff squash, garnish with Thyme and continue to cook 20-25 min

Green Goddess

Breakfast of Champions

Ingredients: 

  • Lots of Greens: Kale, Spinach, Cilantro
  • 1/2 Cucumber
  • 1 Apple
  • Pineapple Chunks, Frozen or Fresh
  • Slice of Ginger and Turmeric
  • 1 tsp Lemon Juice, Fresh squeezed
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds, pre-soaked
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, or any milk substitute
  • 1 1/2 cups of coconut water
  • dash of cayenne (optional)
Green Goddess

Directions:

  1. Soak chia seeds ahead of time until they become a gel like consistency
  2. In a high-speed blender combine all ingredients and blend until smooth

Vegan, Gluten-Free Pizza

Vegan, Gluten Free Pizza
Vegan, Gluten-Free Pizza

This Vegan, Gluten-Free Pizza recipe is easy to make, and easy to customize any way you like. I’ve used canned olives and pineapple slices for convenience this time, but if you’ve got fresh ingredients on hand I highly recommend taking the extra time to slice those up instead.

Ingredients:

  • Gluten-Free Tortilla
  • Pizza Sauce
  • Vegan cheese
  • Black Olives
  • Tomatoes
  • Pineapple Chunks
  • Fresh Thai Basil
  • Dried Oregano
  • Garlic powder or fresh
  • Savory Hemp & Flax Seed Blend (optional)

Directions: 

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350
  2. Build Pizza: layering sauce, basil, olives, vegan cheese and seasonings on top of gluten-free tortilla
  3. Cook for 5-10 minutes, keeping an eye on the tortilla until it begins to crisp
  4. Broil on High for a minute or two until cheese melts
  5. Top with fresh tomato slices and pineapple chunks
Fresh, Easy & Delicious