baked falafel

Baked Falafel
Makes about 21 balls

1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. Put in a medium sized bowl and smash with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Form into small balls, about 1 1/2″ in diameter and slightly flatten. Place onto an oiled baking pan.

Bake for 15 minutes on each side, until nicely browned (since it’s baked, only the part actually touching the pan will be browned and crispy).

Serve with mini pita pockets, hummus, tahini sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and/or cucumber.

www.chowvegan.com

Decadent Almond Bars

TOTALLY DREAMY & DECADENT ALMOND BAR
Adapted from Live Food Bar
2 cups raw almonds
2 cups almond butter (I like it crunchy)
1/2- 1 cups agave nectar
2 cups coconut butter – make sure you get organic butter that actually tastes like coconuts. Some coconut butters don’t really taste like coconuts.
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp shredded coconut or 1 cup rice crisps
Pulse almonds in a mixer until finely chopped, mix all ingredients in bowl and then press into pan. Cool in fridge. Make sure to grease the pan first.

healthy vegan brownies

1 Can Chick Peas, drained

.25 C.up Nut butter (I LOVE CASHEW butter in this one!)

.25 Cup Maple/Brown Rice/Agave Syrup

Blend Above ingredients together (the canned beans have salt in them, so you don’t need to add any to the mix)

Add to this mix, one VERY RIPE banana…

Mix in….

Then blend in about 3 TABLESPOONS cocoa powder, a dash of vanilla extract, and a tsp of nutmeg.

Blend again….

finally, fold in just .25 Cup INSTANT oats…

Place in sprayed 8 X 8 Pan, and cook in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes

HINT: COOL AND THEN FREEZE THESE to make easier to cut (they’ll be fudgy, and if too fudgy and you like cakey ones, add more oats, or a little flour).

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Stouts' recipe found via Two Peas and their Pod

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 T vital wheat gluten (find it at Whole Foods, Bob's Red Mill, King Arthur, etc.)
2 packets of yeast (I used rapid rise)
2 1/2 cups warm water

In a large mixing bowl (preferably a KitchenAid), add the 3 cups flour, wheat gluten, and yeast. Stir. Add in warm water and stir until combined. Let sit for 10 minutes.

1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup honey
1 1/2 T lemon juice
1 T salt
3 1/2-4 cups whole wheat flour

Mix the oil, honey, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl. Add to flour mixture after the 10 minutes. Mix until combined. Add in the additional flour and mix. Now knead the dough for ten minutes with the dough hook. When it is done divide the dough into two loaves. Make sure they are even. Shape them into loaf form. Place the dough into 2 loaf pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with a clean towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. After the loaves have risen, bake them for 30 minutes. They should be golden brown. Let cool before slicing, if you can wait:) You can freeze one of the loaves if you wish.

Devilled Avocado

Deviled Avocado
vegan, makes three halves

2 large avocados
1 cup Vegan Cole Slaw
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
fresh black pepper
3 tsp Spicy Dijon mustard
1 lemon, juiced
Toasted Pistachios
Paprika
rosemary (for "horns")
sea salt

Prep Avocados:
Wash and dry well.
Slice each in half.
Remove pits, gently.
Keep three halves as "serving halves".
With the fourth avocado half: Dice the avocado flesh. Splash with lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Remaining 3 serving avocado halves:
Enlarge the natural hole in the avocado by scooping out about 1 Tbsp of avocado from each half.
Add scooped avocado to small bowl.

Add to small bowl:
Add Cole slaw, Dijon mustard, garlic, a few grinds of fresh black pepper, 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 1 Tbsp of pistachios.
Mix well.
Fold in the diced avocado that you set aside.

Assemble:
Scoop 3 Tbsp of avocado mixture into each avocado serving half.
Garnish with 2-4 pistachios.
Grind a bit of fresh pepper.
Sprinkle a dash of paprika.
Stick two rosemary "devil horns" in the top.

For best taste, serve immediately.
If necessary, chill until ready to serve.
*Tip: Brush serving avocado with lemon juice to stop from browning.
Mix well.

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com

Corn & Cashew Chowder (can make raw)

RECIPE
Makes 4 servings. Adapted from Ani Phyo's original, with less oil and salt.

INGREDIENTS

Note: This recipe uses 450 g (1 lb, or 3-1/4 cups) of yellow corn kernels in total, either fresh or frozen. If using fresh kernels, this is equivalent to 4 large ears. If you're a raw foodist, please keep in mind that frozen corn is blanched, not raw.

For the chowder
Quantity Alternate Measures Item
68 g 2-3/8 oz (1/2 cup) Cashews, preferably raw, plus
water for soaking (soaking is optional)
312 g 11 oz (2-1/4 cups) Yellow corn kernels
473 g 16-3/4 oz (2 cups) Water
60 ml 4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 small 1 small Garlic clove
5 ml 1 tsp Kosher salt

For garnish
138 g 5 oz (1 cup) Yellow corn kernels
To taste To taste Cilantro leaves
To taste To taste Freshly-ground black pepper
EQUIPMENT

Weighing scale and/or measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Small bowl, for soaking cashews
Knife and cutting board
Blender
Pepper mill
Strainer (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS

If you don't own a high-powered blender, it's recommended that you place the cashews in a small bowl, cover them with water, and let them soak overnight.
If you're using fresh corn, take off their husks, remove the silk, then use a knife to cut the kernels off the cob. If you're using frozen corn kernels, let them thaw before putting them in the blender.
To prepare the cilantro for garnish, pull or slice the leaves off the stems, then chop roughly with a knife (video).
If you've soaked the cashews, take them out of the bowl and put them into the blender.
Peel the skin off the garlic clove, then place it and the remaining ingredients from under the chowder heading (corn, water, oil, and salt) into the blender.
Turn on the blender and puree this mixture until smooth. For an even smoother texture, you may want to pour the puree through a strainer.
Divide the puree into four bowls.
Divide each of the garnish ingredients into four portions.
Into each bowl, place one portion of the garnish corn and then sprinkle with cilantro leaves and ground peppers.
VARIATIONS

Parsley, either the curly- or flat-leafed variety, can be used instead of cilantro.
If you're not a strict raw foodist, this recipe will likely work well with grilled corn.

Feeding the cows with papa

photos taken by katrina forstbauer

Make your own Nutella, healthier & cheaper!

This really is a quick and easy recipe that doesn't involve many ingredients. The batch I made fit perfectly into a small 1/2 pint mason jar. Feel free to double the recipe, since it WILL go fast.

Nutella ::steph chows:: style
1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts
2 Tbs cocoa powder
3 Tbs maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract

Roast hazelnuts whole in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Let cool a bit and remove skins by rubbing them between a dish towel or your hands. Grind nuts in a food processor until they form into a thick butter. Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth.

Spoon into a jar with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate.

http://stephchows.blogspot.com

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies!!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Adapted from recipe in Real Simple magazine, October 2009.
Makes about 30 cookies
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
about 16 regular-sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, coarsely chopped
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
Beat the butter and sugars until creamy with an electric mixer. Add the egg, vanilla and peanut butter and beat to combine.
Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.
Fold in the chopped peanut butter cups.
Drop tablespoon-size balls of dough 2 inches apart onto the parchment lined cookie sheets.
Bake until light brown around the edges, about 10-12 minutes.
Transfer to baking rack and cool.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Frittata with Tender Tuscan Kale & Potatoes

FRITTATA WITH TENDER TUSCAN KALE AND POTATOES
a frittata for one

2 eggs
2 tblsp parmesan, freshly grated
a handful of broccoletti of Tuscan kale
1 small potato, peeled and diced
chili pepper, optional
garlic, whole or chopped
salt
extra-virgin olive oil

- Whisk egg and parmesan quickly.
- Start cooking the potato in olive oil together with the garlic and chili pepper. When it begins to soften, add the kale, salt and a little water.
- Let it cook until tender, then add the eggs.
- Fry on both sides and serve immediately.

http://lucullian.blogspot.com

Quinoa & Vegetable Stuffed Portobello

Quinoa and Vegetables Stuffed Portobello Recipe:

The ingredients listed here are the ones pictured, but hey can be easily substituted. Use rice or barley instead of quinoa, different veggies, add nuts and other dried fruits that you like. Whatever type of grain you choose to use, be sure it is fully cooked (leftovers are great).


You will need:

portobello mushrooms

olive oil

chopped onions ( 2 tablespoons per mushroom)

chopped garlic (use 1 per mushroom)

chopped carrots (1/2 carrot per mushroom)

kale, stalk removed (1 leaf per mushroom)

cooked red quinoa

raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove mushroom stalks and chop it. Set aside. Remove gills from mushrooms and brush each mushroom with olive oil all around. Season well with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a skillet, heat some olive oil and cook onions until translucent adding the garlic on the last minute. Add the chopped mushroom stalks and chopped carrots, cook until mushrooms are browned, add kale and a tablespoon of water to help cook it. Add the quinoa and raisins and cook until warmed. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon quinoa mixture inside the mushrooms, pressing down to pack as much filling as possible. Transfer to a baking sheet and cook for about 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Enjoy it!

www.pinkbites.com

no bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal bars

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
1. Melt butter in a large sauce pan over low heat. Stir in brown sugar, vanilla, and oats. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Press half of mixture in to the bottom of a buttered 8 x 8 dish.

2. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the chocolate and peanut butter, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and blended. Pour the chocolate peanut butter mixture over the crust, reserving a couple of spoonfuls to drizzle over the top.

3. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate and peanut butter, pressing gently to form a crust. Drizzle the remaining chocolate and peanut butter over the top of the bars.

4. Refrigerate for 3 hours before cutting and serving.

www.bunsinmyoven.com

Garlicky Oven Fries

Garlicky Oven Fries
Adapted from: Lottie + Doof

8 garlic cloves, minced
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 russet potatoes (about 8oz each), each cut into 12 wedges
3 tbsp cornstarch/cornflour
1 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 225°C/475° F.
Combine the garlic and oil in a large bowl, warming it until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
Transfer 5 tablespoons of the oil (leaving the garlic in the bowl) to the baking dish, coating it well.
Add the potatoes to the bowl with the garlic mixture and toss to coat. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and microwave on high power until the potatoes are translucent around the edges, 3 to 6 minutes, shaking the bowl to redistribute the potatoes halfway through cooking.
Combine the cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the hot potatoes and toss well to coat.
Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake, turning once, until deep golden brown and crisp, 30 to 40 minutes.
Serve with ketchup, mayo or sour cream.

www.purplefoodie.com

Couscous salad with Sun dried Tomatoes

This is a great dish to bring to a potluck, because it's transportable, can easily be made vegan, and highlights any fresh summer flavors you care to include. It's also easy to make in enormous quantities. The recipe below fed two separate BBQs; adjust accordingly, but it stays good in the fridge for a day or two, longer if you don't use cucumber.

Cousous salad with Sundried Toatoes

You'll need:
3c couscous
3c water
1t salt
2T butter or olive oil
1 jar sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
1 bunch mint
1 large or 2-3 small cucumbers
1 small red onion
feta cheese (optional)
1 large lemon (or 2 small)
olive oil

Boil water. Pour couscous into a large bowl; add butter or oil and salt. Pour boiling water on top. Stir and cover for 5 minutes. Remove cover and fluff well with a fork.

Chop mint (you can use a food processor) and set aside in serving bowl. Chop tomatoes, reserving their oil, or pour the whole jar into a food processor and process for a few seconds (you don't want a paste). Add tomatoes and their oil to serving bowl. By hand, finely chop cucumber and red onion and add to serving bowl. Add couscous a little at a time, stirring well with a fork to combine. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper, and olive oil. Toss to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper and lemon juice if necessary.

http://purplesnack.blogspot.com

Creamy Potato Salad with Avocado

CREAMY POTATO SALAD WITH AVOCADO

1 1/2 Lbs New Potatoes, scrubbed
1 Large Ripe Avocado
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt, or to taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Mixed Chopped Herbs, Try dill&chives, cilantro&scapes or parsley&tarragon – or mix and match them all together.

Steam the potatoes until they are just fork tender but al dente.
Cool until the potatoes can be handled, then quarter.
Peel and dice the avocado and combine with the potatoes and lemon juice in a large bowl.
Stir in the herbs, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Toss well to coat everything and to break down some of the softened avocado.

Serves 4-6

http://veganvisitor.wordpress.com

Spiced Blueberry Almond Granola

This recipe is super easy to make and is unbelievably delicious. The granola is wonderfully spiced and sweet, the buckwheat is crispy, the almonds add a pleasant crunch, and the blueberries have a slightly cooked texture, maximizing their flavour. What's more, this granola forms those delicious clumps that ever good granola should.

To make
2c raw buckwheat, soaked and rinsed well
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2c almonds, chopped
agave or date paste, to taste
1c blueberries (see note)

note: to extend the freshness of this granola, leave out the blueberries. Because they don't fully dehydrate, the granola needs to remain refridgerated and doesn't last as long. Add fresh blueberries before you enjoy.

Soak the buckwheat overnight or while you're at work. It'll expand a bit, so make sure you put in lots of water. Rinse well before using, as when soaked the water becomes a bit gelatinous-y. I got lazy on the night I was originally going to make this, so left the rinsed buckwheat in the fridge overnight. When I went to make this recipe the next evening, some of the buckwheat had begun to sprout!

Anyway, put the buckwheat into a bowl. Add spices and mix well.

Chop the almonds in a food processor. Add them to the bowl and mix together.
Add water to the date paste/agave to thin it. Add to the granola in the bowl and mix until well coated. Add blueberries and mix together.

Cover dehydrator trays with paraflex sheets and spread the granola evenly. Dehydrate at 108 F for 1-2 hour, turn over onto mesh trays, stirring it a bit and continue dehydrating overnight. Store in the fridge.

Enjoy a bowl of this delicious granola with fresh nut milk. Top it with slices of banana or mixed berries. Or just eat it straight out of the container!

http://kellysfacesmells.blogspot.com

Vegan Banana Muffins

Vegan Banana Muffins

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
3 tablespoons water
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 very ripe medium bananas, mashed
1/2 cup + 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Pre-heat oven to 325° degrees with rack in middle. Mix ground flaxseed with water and set aside.

If using a loaf pan: grease & flour a 9x5x3 loaf pan.
If making muffins, line with liners or grease & flour muffin pan.

Whisk together flours, baking soda, and salt. In separate large bowl, mix together flaxseed mixture, agave, and apple sauce until combined. Add flour mixture and when combined add in vanilla, and bananas. Mix until combined. Fold in 1/2 cup of walnuts and pour into prepared loaf pan. Top with remaining 1/3 cup of nuts.

For loaf pan: bake for 45 to 60 minutes
For muffins: bake for 25-30 minutes
or until a thin knife inserted in middle comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes on wire rack before removing from pan.

www.karenscookiescakesnmore.com

Kitchen Sink Granola Bars

Kitchen Sink Granola Bars
vegan, makes one casserole sheet of bars

2 C. Steel cut oats
2/3 C. Wet sweetener (Agave Syrup or Maple Syrup)
1/4 C. Another variety of sweetener (wet or dry)
4 Tbsp Vegan buttery spread
1/2 C. Flax seed meal or wheat germ, pan toasted
1 1/2 C. Dried fruit assortment
1 C. Unsweetened shredded coconut (or more fruit/grains)
1/2 C. Whole nuts (for chunky texture)
1 C. Chopped nuts (assorted)
1/2 C. Seeds (sunflower, sesame, poppy, etc.)
1 Tbsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
*adjust salt based on how many of your nuts are pre-salted
spray canola or olive oil

optional:
*thin layer of dark chocolate chips as a topping
*Substitute half the buttery spread with a nut butter such as almond or peanut butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Layer parchment paper or foil in a square casserole dish. Grease the insides with canola or olive oil.

3. In a large mixing bowl, add the oatmeal, coconut and nuts and toss well. Transfer this dry mix to the casserole dish. Spray a bit of spray oil on top of dry mix-this will aid the toasting process.

4. Place dish in oven to toast for 10 minutes.

5. Over low heat, toast your flax seed meal or wheat germ in a dry pan for about 1 minute. Transfer toasted meal to large mixing bowl.

6. Stove top: Place a soup pan over high heat. Add the buttery spread, liquid and dry sweeteners, vanilla extract, salt and cinnamon. Heat until it has melted together and becomes bubbly. Turn heat to low.

7. Measure fruit and seed ingredients and place in large mixing bowl. Toss well.

8. By now, your ten minute oat/coconut/nut mix should be just about lightly toasted. Pull the casserole dish out of the oven Carefully transfer the toasted mix into the large mixing bowl.

9. Next, pour the butter/sugar hot liquid into the mixing bowl. Stir well until the mixture is thick, firm and well combined.

10. Pour the entire mixture into your lined casserole dish. Add any toppings (chocolate/crushed nuts/other).

11. Bake at 300 degrees for 35 minutes.

12. Allow to cool for one hour before slicing into bars. Allow to fully cool in fridge for storage. Bars will become chewy and firm in a cold fridge.

13. Store in individual plastic baggies for easy grab-n-go snacks!

http://healthyhappylife.blogspot.com

Fresh Baked Pretzels

Berghoff Café Fresh Baked Pretzels
Ingredients ~
4-1/2 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
1 package instant dry yeast (1/4 ounce or 2-1/4 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1-1/2 cups warm water
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 large egg white, well beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel (coarse) salt, as needed
Preparation ~
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Do not use a convection oven for this recipe.
To mix in a mixer:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt and stir to mix; add the water, butter and egg yolk, and mix on low until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Fit the mixer with the dough hook and knead the dough at the lowest speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes, adding some or all of the remaining flour as needed. Cover with plastic wrap lightly sprayed with cooking spray and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
To mix by hand:
In a 4-quart bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt and whisk to mix; add the water, butter and egg yolk and, using a large spoon, stir until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Remove the spoon and, using your hands, knead the dough right in the bowl until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes, adding some or all of the remaining flour as needed. Cover with plastic wrap lightly sprayed with cooking spray and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
To mix in a food processor:
In the work bowl of a large capacity (14 cup) food processor fitted with the plastic dough blade, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt, and pulse to mix. Add the water, butter, and egg yolk, and pulse until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl and forms a cohesive mass. Add additional flour as needed through the feed tube.
To shape the pretzels:
Turn out the dough on a lightly floured board and knead briefly, about 1 minute. Cut the dough into twelve equal-size pieces. Roll out each dough piece into a 24-inch-long rope. Make a U-shape with the rope. Holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press the ends down onto the bottom of the U to seal, forming a "pretzel shape." For small pretzels, cut the dough into 24 equal-size pieces. Roll out each dough piece into a 12-inch long rope and shape as directed.
Gently place each pretzel on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (two pans). Brush the tops lightly with the egg white mixture. Sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of coarse salt, or to taste. Bake in the preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes, or until browned and firm. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

www.mygourmetconnection.com

Roasted Portobello Mushroom Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing

Roasted Portobello Mushroom Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing
(makes 2 salads)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups salad greens
1 cup chickpeas
1 avocado (stoned, scooped and diced)
1/4 cup red onion (sliced)
2 small roasted portabello mushrooms (see below, sliced)
honey dijon dressing (see below)

Directions:
1. Assemble salad.

Roasted Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients:
2 small portobello mushrooms
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 clove garlic (chopped)

Directions:
1. Marinate the mushrooms in the vinegar, soy sauce and garlic for 20 minutes.
2. Place the mushrooms and the marinade in a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.
3. Bake in a preheated 400F oven for 30 minutes.
4. Flip the mushrooms and bake uncovered for 10 minutes.

Honey Dijon Dressing

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic (grated)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Mix everything in a bowl.

http://closetcooking.blogspot.com

Donna Karan's Green Juice Recipe

Donna Karan's Green Juice

Ingredients (preferably organic)
5 apples
1/2 bunch celery
1/2 bulb fennel
1 cucumber
1/2 head romaine lettuce
1 (1-to-2-inch) piece of ginger
1 lemon, peeled
2 cups kale, spinach leaves, or parsley sprigs
Juice all washed ingredients in a juicer. Serves 2 glasses.

Lentil Sauce for Pasta

Lentil Sauce For Pasta

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 cup red lentils
1 can of chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 veg bouillon cube
2 cups water
1 chopped onion
pepper
basil

Directions:

Rinse the lentils, and then throw all of the ingredients into a saucepan. Boil for 20-30 minutes and then serve over warm pasta. This has to be my very favorite pasta sauce. I make it at least once a week and even my picky younger brother thinks it tastes great!

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 30 minutes

www.vegweb.com

Guacamole

Guacamole
2 ripe Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 serrano or jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves
1/4 cup minced red onion (about 1/4 of an onion)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
scant 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (or to taste)
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
In a medium bowl, mash together avocado halves and one tablespoon of lime juice with a fork. Add chile, cilantro and onion and mix well. Add salt, pepper, and remaining lime juice to taste.
Yield: about four servings
Recipe Notes: I find this guacamole to be only mildly spicy, but If you would like less spice, start with only half of a chile and make sure to remove all the seeds and white membrane before mincing. If you would like a very spicy guacamole, leaves the seeds in and/or use more chiles. And of course, all ingredients can be adjusted to suit your own taste!

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com

Artichoke Hummus

Artichoke Hummus
1 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
6 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped or pressed
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
juice of half a lemon (or more, to taste)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
small squirt of Sriracha (optional)
1. In a food processor, combine garbanzo beans, artichoke hearts, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, and olive oil. Process until smooth, adding water to thin if necessary. Add salt and Sriracha (if using) to taste. Extra lemon juice or tahini may also be added to taste.
2. Spoon hummus onto a plate, creating a bit of a well in the center. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve with your favorite flat bread, crackers, chips, or fresh vegetables.
Recipe Notes: Ingredient amounts, including garlic can be adjusted to suit your own taste. Be careful with the hot sauce, a little bit adds a nice boost, but too much will overpower the flavors of the hummus. If you cook your own garbanzo beans rather than using canned, reserve a bit of the cooking liquid to thin the hummus in place of plain water.

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com

Bruschetta

Bruschetta with Roasted Baby Tomatoes
I'm taking a little break from my constant reading of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to tell you about the most delicious thing I've eaten all summer (and keep eating again and again), which is also the simplest. I mentioned before that we are up to our elbows in cherry and grape tomatoes from our garden. They've been coming in so heavily that there's no way that we could possibly eat them all in salads, so I've started roasting them--and D. and I have become addicted. Something magical happens when you roast an already sweet little tomato: the sugars and flavors concentrate and it practically melts in your mouth in an explosion of deep, rich sweetness. (Someone fan me, I'm getting flushed just thinking of it!)

There are lots of ways to roast tomatoes, some requiring hours of time and various ingredients, but my way is much simpler and, I believe, equally delicious. I use only 5 ingredients-- tomatoes, olive oil spray, salt, pepper, and water (or veggie broth)--and cook them for about 40 minutes in a pyrex baking dish. Using grape or cherry tomatoes results in roasted tomatoes that are still juicy rather than dried out since the skin prevents all of the juices from evaporating. Still, after cooking, the tomatoes are significantly reduced:

This 8x8-inch baking dish held 2-3 cups of cherry and grape tomatoes. Once they were cooked, I had about half that much, about enough for 4 slices of bruschetta:

Here's the how-to:

Preheat the oven to 425F. Spray a glass baking dish with olive oil. (I really prefer pyrex to metal cooking sheets for this.) Add cherry or grape tomatoes in a single layer (please don't use larger tomatoes or the time will be significantly different). Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and give them one more light spray with olive oil.

Roast for 20 minutes, and then stir. If they seem dry, add 1/4 cup of HOT water or vegetable broth. (Please use only hot liquid unless you just want to see your dish explode into a million pieces. Trust me.) Return to the oven and cook for 20 more minutes, checking for dryness and adding the hot liquid when they get too dry. (Don't use more than 1/4 cup total, though.)

Stir and check to see that the tomatoes are tender and sunken-in and the liquid has thickened. Some of the tomatoes should have started to break down a little. If not, return them to the oven for another 5 minutes or so.

When they're done, remove them and serve immediately. For brushetta, simply toast your choice of bread (I used a Kalamata olive bread, but a less flavorful bread will do; the tomatoes have enough flavor without adding garlic or olive oil) and arrange the tomatoes along with their juice on top. Prepare to be amazed!

We've also eaten roasted tomatoes on pasta and as a side dish. No matter how many pans of tomatoes we roast, we never, ever have leftovers.

I'll be planting our second crop of tomatoes soon so that we can keep enjoying this delicacy right up until winter. If you don't have homegrown tomatoes, store-bought grape tomatoes will work just as well. But don't be surprised if you become addicted!

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com

Spaghetti Squash Cakes

2 egg whites
¼ cup whole wheat flour (30g)
2-3 cloves of garlic
About 1 ½ cups of cooked spaghetti squash
About ¼ cup finely diced red pepper
About ¼ cup finely diced green pepper
About ¼ cup finely diced sweet onion
Salt & Pepper
Non-stick olive oil cooking spray
Whisk the egg whites and flour in a large bowl to make the base batter.

Grate garlic into the batter.

Add the remaining ingredients and sprinkle with Salt and Pepper. Mix well coating everything in the batter.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Using about ¼ cup of the batter, plop on the skillet and flatten it a bit with a spatula.

Cook for about 3-5 minutes a side until the cake no longer sticks to the pan and becomes golden brown.

Batter makes about 8 cakes as pictured.

www.greenlitebites.com

Peach and Maple Sour Cream Pecan Pie

Peach and Maple Sour Cream Pecan Pie
(makes 6+ servings)

Ingredients:
2 cups peaches (sliced and peeled)
3 tablespoons peach preserves (I used apricot)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pie crust
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter (melted)

Directions:
1. Mix the peaches and preserves and place them into the pie crust.
2. Mix the sugar, sour cream, egg yolks, flour and vanilla and pour over the peaches.
3. Bake in a preheated 425F oven for 30 minutes.
4. Mix the flours, sugars, pecans, cinnamon and butter until it forms crumbs.
5. Sprinkle the crumbs over the pie.
6. Bake in a preheated 425F oven until the top is golden brown and a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes.

http://cloestcooking.blogspot.com

Vegetable Crisp

Vegetable Crisp

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 cauliflower
1 zucchini
3 carrots sliced into pennies
1 cup mushrooms
2 red potatoes
1 onion
garlic
28 oz can whole tomatoes
1 can chick peas
1/2 cup V8 or tomato juice
Braggs Amino
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon flax/sesame seeds
parsley, rosemary, basil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.

In pot, combine onions, garlic, and spices. Warm.

Add vegetables except whole tomatoes. Use juice from can of tomatoes and V8. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

In mixing bowl, combine oats, walnuts, flax seeds, oil.

Pour vegetables into large, deep baking dish. Top with chopped canned tomatoes and then cover evenly with oat mixture. Coat with spray olive oil if desired.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until crust is browned and crispy.

www.vegweb.com

Healthy Truffles

Legan's Truffles

Ingredients for Truffles:

7-10 large medjool Dates
2 tbs of Cocoa powder
1 cup of almonds
2 tbs of Goji berries
1 tbs of water

put in food processor until blended…(30 seconds) and POOF! its done. just roll into balls and roll in cinnamon and voila! NO cooking necessary!!

http://withwhimm.blogspot.com

Balsamic Green Bean & Potato Salad

Balsamic Green Bean and Potato Salad:
Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
2 cups baby potatoes
2 cups green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2-3 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
Fill a large saucepan with water and season with salt. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, 10-12 minutes. Add the green beans and cook for 3-5 minutes. Drain and let stand.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, mustard, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Whisk in the olive oil until combined.

Toss the potatoes and beans with the dressing to coat and top with freshly chopped basil. Enjoy.

Avocado & Corn Salsa

Avocado and Corn Salsa:
Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking
Original recipe adapted from Epicurious
2 ears of sweet corn
1 tomato, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
2 ripe avocados, diced
1 red jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
Juice of 1-2 lime
2-3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Shuck the corn and slice the (uncooked) kernels off the cob. Dice tomato, red onions, avocado, and jalapeno. Gently combine all ingredients in a bowl along with lime juice and cilantro. Season well with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. Enjoy.

Banana, Blueberry & Raspberry Muffins

Banana, Blueberry and Raspberry Muffins:
Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 cup of low fat vanilla yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 very ripe banana
1 cup fresh blueberries
3/4 cup fresh raspberries
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a muffin tray with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda until well combined. In another bowl, mix the egg, oil, yogurt, vanilla, white sugar, brown sugar and mushed banana until mixed thoroughly. Slowly combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients without over mixing. Add half of the blueberries and fold them into the batter.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tray then top each muffin with the raspberries and remaining blueberries - really push them inside the batter so the are stuffed. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and a tester inserted into the muffin comes out clean.

Cool muffins on a rack then serve slathered with butter if desired. Enjoy!

Homemade Granola Bars

Homemade Granola Bars:
Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
Adapted recipe from Alton Brown
2 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup of honey
1/4 cup of brown sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup of shredded coconut
1/4 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips

Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spread the oats and almonds onto a baking sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the brown sugar mixture, next add the coconut and chocolate chips then stir to combine. Spread mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Cut into squares or bars, wrap individually in saran wrap then store in an airtight container for up to a week.

No Bake Cheesecake

Maple Pecan Crust

makes enough for 2 mini (3 inch) spring form pans

Ingredients:
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup pecans (ground in food processor)
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions:
1. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, ground pecans and maple syrup.
2. Press the mixture into the bottom of your mini spring form pans.



No Bake Cheesecake

makes enough for 2 mini (3 inch) spring form pans

Ingredients:
1 8 ounce package cream cheese (room temperature)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream (whipped)

Directions:
1. Mix the cream cheese, lemon juice and sugar.
2. Fold the cream cheese into the whipped cream.
3. Place the cheese mixture on top of the crust.
4. Chill in the fridge.

by closet cooking

Blueberry Buckle

Blueberry Buckle
(makes 6+ servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
2 cups blueberries
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter (melted)

Directions:
1. Mix the flours, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
2. Cream the butter and sugars.
3. Mix the egg and vanilla into the butter mixture.
4. Mix the flour mixture and milk into the butter mixture.
5. Fold in the blueberries.
6. Pour the batter into a greased 10 inch spring form pan.
7. Mix the flours, sugars, cinnamon and butter in a bowl until crumbs form.
8. Sprinkle the crumbs on top of the cake.
7. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean, about 60-70 minutes.

by closet cooking

chickpea and fennel salad

Chickpea and Fennel Salad a la Mediterranee

1 (14 oz.) can cooked chickpeas, drained
3 stalks celery, diced fine
1 small bulb fennel, trimmed and diced fine (save some fennel fronds for garnish)

1 fat garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/3 cup high quality, extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Handful of thyme, leaves stripped off
Handful of Italian parsley, finely chopped

Gently mix chickpeas, celery and fennel in bowl.

Make a dressing out remaining ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over salad and let marinate at room temperature for an hour before serving.

Garnish with sprig of thyme and snipped fennel leaves.

Serves 6.
http://wheat-free-meat-free.blogspot.com

Maple Berry Coffee Cake

Maple blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe
I used a 1-pound loaf pan here, but you could likely get away with a 8 or 9-inch cake or pie pan. Just check in more frequently as the coffee cake is baking because the cooking time will be different. If you have trouble locating whole wheat pastry flour, I suspect spelt flour would make a good substitution - unbleached all-purpose flour is an option as well. I used maple sugar as the granulated sweetener in the crumble top - but I recognize that it can be expensive and/or hard to find - feel free to substitute raw cane sugar or brown sugar.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or spelt flour)
3 tablespoons rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup maple syrup, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
zest of one lemon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (or other berries), well picked over

Topping:
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut 1/4-inch cubes
1/3 cup maple sugar (or brown sugar)
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/2 cup chopped pecans

special equipment: a 1-pound loaf pan

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, rack in the middle. Butter a 1-pound loaf pan, and line with parchment paper. Alternately, you could just butter and flour the pan, but I've found that lining the pan with parchment makes removing the cake from the pan after baking no problem.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, thyme, and rosemary. Set aside. In a separate large bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer or by hand - until light and fluffy. Drizzle in the maple syrup and beat until well incorporated, scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple times along the way. Beat in the egg, lemon zest, and vanilla extract, scraping the sides again. Add half of the flour, stir just a bit, now add a splash of the buttermilk, stir again, but not too much. Add the rest of the flour and stir a bit, and now the rest of the buttermilk. Stir until everything barely comes together and then very gently fold in one cup of the huckleberries. Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pan and set aside.

To make the streusel topping, place the flour, butter, maple sugar, thyme and pecans in a food processor and pulse 20-30 times or until the topping is a bit beyond sandy/crumbly. It should be moist-looking - on its way to being slightly doughy. Crumble 2/3 of it over the cake batter, sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup huckleberries on top of that, and then add the last of the crumble. Barely pat in place with your fingertips.

Place the coffee cake in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool for five minutes and then remove it from the pan to cool on a rack (this way the cake won't steam in the pan as it's cooling.

Serves 12 - 16 modest slices.

www.101cooking.com

Vitamin E

Vitamin E

Did you know that a vitamin E deficiency can cause infertility? Well, that’s what they found out in some experiments on rats in the 1920s). The name “tocopherol” given to vitamin E actually means “bring forth children” in Greek!

Vitamin is also a powerful antioxidant and is essential for normal functioning of many body systems. It protects cell membranes from attack by free-radicals.

Good dietary sources of vitamin E include:

avocado
vegetable oil
whole grains
wheat germ
nuts
brown rice
oatmeal

Walnut & Lentil Roast

Walnut & Lentil Roast - serves 6

1 tbsp oil
1 chopped onion
1 clove crushed garlic
2 sliced celery sticks
175 g (6 oz) green lentils
450 ml (0.75 pint) water
125 g (4 oz) ground walnuts
50 g (2 oz) wholewheat breadcrumbs
2 tbsp parsley
1 tabsp soy sauce
1 beaten egg
salt & pepper

Heat oil in a pan, fry onion until soft. Add garlic, celery, lentils and water and bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Remove lid at the end if necessary to allow excess water to evaporate.

Mix in the walnuts, breadcrumbs, parsley, soy sauce, egg and season to taste. Mix thoroughly.

Line a loaf tin (500g/1lb) with foil and brush with oil. Spoon the mixture into tin, cover with foil and bake in pre-heated oven 190°C (375°F, Gas Mark 5) for about 50 minutes.

http://healthyrecipes.blogspot.com