sugar free

Easy Apple Crisp

Fruit Filling

6 cups chopped apples, divided

3 dried figs or dates soaked* in ¼ cup water

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cardamom

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla

Chop apples with chop wizard (if available or use other chopper or by hand). Place 4 cups in a large mixing bowl. Place remaining 2 cups apples, soaked figs or dates, water, spices and vanilla in food processor or blender jar. Blend until smooth. Pour over bowl of chopped apples.  Mix well and transfer to an 8 X 8 cake pan.

Crust

2 cups rolled oats

2 cups chopped apples

4 dried figs or dates soaked in ¼ cup water

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

 

Place oats in a mixing bowl.

Blend apples with figs or dates, water, cinnamon and vanilla until smooth. Pour over oats and mix well till all oats are moist. Carefully place crust over apple filling and spread to cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes.

Vegan Fudge Truffles

These Vegan Fudge Truffles are mouthful of rich, chocolatey deliciousness! Make sure you have  a lot of friends to share them with! You wont be able to eat just one. 

Recipe is from my cookbook Whole Food American Favorites

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 1 cup raw walnuts

1/4 cup raw cashews

1/2 cup raw almonds

3 T cocoa powder

2 T flax seeds, ground

35 small pitted dates

1 t vanilla

 

Grind all ingredients in a strong food processor until they stick together. Scoop out 1 tablespoon and roll into a ball. Refrigerate or freeze in a flat storage container. When they have firmed up, you can package them up for friends. Best to be kept cold. 

Cranberry Walnut Cookies

I’m not sure it’s possible for me to have a favorite cookie (I love them all!) but if I could, this Cranberry Walnut Cookie would be one of them. I love the tart from the cranberries, the “zest” from the orange and the richness from the walnuts and chewiness of the oats.  These Cranberry Walnut Cookies are gluten-free, vegan, have no oil or processed sugar, and are a wonderful addition to your holiday cookie plate.

Recipe is from my cookbook Whole Food American Favorites.

 

 

 

 

 1 cup raisins

1 1/2 cups raw walnuts

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup dried cranberries (preferably fruit juice sweetened)

Zest of 1 small orange

1 t vanilla

Soak raisins in 1/2 cup water for at least 2 hours. Grind walnuts, oats, and raisins with soak water in food processor until dough-like consistency. Add cranberries, zest, and vanilla, and process just to incorporate. Scoop out dough, place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and flatten with a fork. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.

 

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

This Pomegranate Vinaigrette recipe is the perfect way to dress up a winter salad! Super easy to make with  only 6 wholesome ingredients. And it’s vegan and gluten-free. The sunflower seeds add extra creaminess but if you are sensitive to seeds, leave them out.

 

 

 

 

 

1/3 cup water

5 small pitted dates

1 T raw sunflower seeds

1 cup pomegranate seeds

1 T lemon juice

1 T balsamic vinegar

1 t Dijon mustard

Soak dates and sunflower seeds in 1/3 cup water until soft, at least 4 hours to ease blending. Once softened, blend with raining ingredients until smooth.

 

Vegan Worcestershire Sauce

                    

1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup pitted dates

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup dark molasses /p>

1/2 t ground allspice

1/8 t each: chili powder, ground cloves,

      cayenne pepper, dry mustard

1/2 T onion powder

1 T tamari or 1/2 t sea salt (optional)

 

Combine all ingredients, except tamari or sea salt, in a saucepan over high heat and stir until boiling. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for one hour. Let cool then blend smooth. Add tamari or salt if desired.  Refrigerate for six months.

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

 

A classic comfort food recipe that’s healthy, hearty and filling. Bottom layer is chock full of vegetables with corn and kidney beans in a delicious tomato sauce. It’s a great meal all by itself to warm you during the cold winter months. 

 

 

 

 

 

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut in chunks

Florets from one head cauliflower

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 t garlic powder

1 t onion powder

1/2 t sea salt

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pound of cremini mushrooms, chopped

2 carrots, sliced

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 bunch collard greens, chopped

3 T Kirkland No-Salt Seasoning or other no-salt seasoning

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

2 cups cooked kidney beans

2 cups frozen corn

1 t paprika

2 T April’s Vegan Worcestershire Sauce 

Sea salt

 

Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender. Drain and set aside. Steam cauliflower until tender, then set aside, reserving steam water. In a large pot, saute onion over medium-high heat until it starts to brown. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Add 1/2 cup water, raw vegetables, and no-salt seasoning. Cook over medium-high heat until vegetables are tender, adding more water if needed to keep from sticking. Add remaining ingredients. Salt to taste. Transfer to a casserole dish. Blend cauliflower with 1/2 cup steam water, seeds, onion powder, garlic powder. Mash blended cauliflower with potatoes. Carefully lay the mashed potato mixture over the cooked vegetables. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Lemon Drop Truffles

25 small pitted dates

1 cup raw pecans or walnuts

1 cup rolled oats

Lemon zest from 1 lemon

1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1/2 t vanilla

1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut flakes

Grand all ingredients, except coconut, in a food processor until they become sticky and hold together. Scoop out 1 tablespoon and roll into a ball. Then roll in the shredded coconut. Best frozen and then slightly thawed before eating.

Gingerbread Man Cookies

A strong blender such as a Vita Mix or BlendTec, or a strong food processor such as a Kitchen Aid or Cuisinart, is necessary for this recipe.

25 small pitted dates

2 1/4 cups white wheat flour, sifted

2 t baking powder

1/4 t sea salt

1 1/2 t powdered ginger

1 t cinnamon

1/4 t cloves

1/3 cup molasses

1 cup raw cashews

1 t vanilla

Soak dates in 1/2 cup water for at least 4 hours. Mix sifted flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Blend dates and water with remaining ingredients in a strong blender or food processor until smooth. Add to dry ingredients. Mix well and knead until you have a smooth ball of dough. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for several hours until chilled. (This step makes rolling out much easier.) Divide dough in half and roll one half between two pieces of parchment paper.  Roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with a gingerbread man cookie cutter and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cranberry Relish Salad

From Whole Food American Favorites

This recipe was inspired by my love for cranberry sauce without all the sugar! If you prefer less sweet, use a more tart apple and/or less dates.  Cut down on the walnuts if you need to cut back on the fat.

1 medium Fuji apple

1 cup raw cranberries

8 small pitted dates

1/4 cup walnuts

Chop all ingredients in a food processor to a relish consistency.

Cranberry Spice Cookies

20 small pitted dates soaked in 1/2 cup water

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup hemp seeds

1 1/2 cup rolled oats, divided

1 t. baking soda

1 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

1/8 t cloves

1/2 cup fruit juice sweetened dried cranberries

Soak dates for at least 4 hours. Grind seeds and 1/2 cup oats to powder in 2 batches in a coffee grinder or use a strong blender.  Add soaked dates, along with soak water, ground seeds and oats, baking soda and spices to food processor fitted with the S blade.  Process till smooth. Manually stir in oats and dried cranberries. Process briefly if need to make sure all is mixed well. Scoop out dough with a spoon or cookie scoop and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Mash just a bit with a fork. Bake at 350 for 12 – 13 minutes. 

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“I’ve been using the recipes in your cookbooks. I love the Spicy pumpkin soup and your mustard potatoes…. yum! I cook up a batch of the potatoes and freeze them to use for meals for my brother. Usually potatoes get mushy in the freezer but these seem to be OK. I tried the Peppermint Patty’s and really liked them too! Thanks!”  K. Page, St. George, Utah

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Whole Food Goodness and Whole Food American Favorites contain a collection of my favorite high nutrient whole food plant based recipes. My recipes are unique in that they contain no extracted oils, minimal processed sugars, and limited processed grains. I use an abundance of leafy green vegetables, which are the healthiest foods on the planet and have the greatest power to cleanse, detoxify, and repair damaged cells and bring you greater health for life.

Along with the recipes, you will find quotes from some of my favorite nutrition experts and documented research studies that will tell you why it’s important to eat a plant based diet. Knowledge is power and it is my hope and prayer that these books will help you gain the strength and determination to make the changes necessary that will bring you excellent health throughout your entire life!