Sour Cream Frosting
This frosting goes perfect with Vegan Carrot Cake but could be folded into a fruit salad. Leave the lemon out for a delicious “whip cream” for Vegan Pumpkin Pie.
1 cup light colored sweet potato (not orange “yam”)
15 small pitted dates soaked in ¾ cup water
1/4 cup raw cashews
Juice from 1 lemon (add zest if you like more lemon flavor)
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Use just enough water to make it a thick cream. You will need more water is using pecans.
Vegan Carrot Cake
“Got a chance to try the carrot cake recipe. We are hooked! I have already made it twice. “
“This is the best Carrot Cake I’ve ever had” was one dinner class participants comment. This cake is moist and very decadent with no oils, processed sugar and it’s gluten free if using gluten free oats.
1 cup pitted dates soaked in 1/2 cup water for at least 4 hours
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 ½ t baking soda
1/4 cup grated apple (about 1/2 apple, any variety)
1 packed cup finely shredded carrots
1/2 cup raisins
Add nuts, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking soda to a food processor work bowl. Chop until coarsely ground and mixed well. Add dates and soak water, vanilla and vinegar. Process to a thick dough. You may need to help it along with a fork. Then add in shredded apple, carrots, and raisins and mix to incorporate evenly. Alternatively, transfer dough to a large mixing bowl before adding carrots and fruit and mix them in with a fork. Spread dough in an 8×8 cake pan and baked at 350 for 20 minutes. Spread with Sour Cream Frosting or add dollop when served. .
Sesame Parmesan
1 cup sesame seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Toast seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring 5-10 minutes until golden brown. Process all ingredients in a coffee grinder or blender until smooth. Store in the refrigerator.
This recipe is from a great little cookbook entitled “Of These Ye May Freely Eat” by JoAnn Rachor. See her YouTube channel here for some great cooking videos.
Eggplant Roll-Ups
Even meat-eaters will devour these comforting Eggplant Roll-Ups. Using thinly sliced eggplant instead of noodles is a great way to get this nutrient-dense vegetable into your diet.
2 large eggplant, sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper chopped
2 cups chopped mushrooms
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp Italian style seasoning
3 Tbsp Sesame Parmesan seasoning
2 Tbsp nutrition yeast flakes
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
14 oz firm tofu pressed and crumbled
10 ounces baby spinach
1/2 cup chopped olives
1 large jar of oil free pasta sauce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange eggplant in a single layer on cooking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a second baking sheet or aluminum foil. Bake about 20 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 5 – 10 minutes to brown and become flexible enough to easily roll.*
While eggplant is cooking, sauté bell pepper, onion, garlic and mushrooms until tender. Add seasonings, tofu and spinach. Mix well and cover until spinach is wilted. Add 1/2 cup pasta sauce and salt to taste. Mix well. Lightly cover bottom of pan with pasta sauce. Place 1/4 cup of the vegetable filling on each eggplant slice, roll and place in a baking dish. Top with pasta sauce and olives. Bake 20 minutes.
*Baked eggplant slices are delicious with hummus spread on them and rolled up. See my Whole Food Hummus recipe found here.
Vegan French Onion Dip
This vegan French onion dip goes perfectly with crackers or vegetables! Made with cashews, sunflower seeds and white beans as your base, this dip is a healthy, high-fiber super-star that is simple and delicious! This recipe is in my cookbook Whole Food American Favorites.
1/2 cup each: raw sunflower seeds and
cashews soaked in 1 cup water for 1 hour
1 cup cooked navy beans (or great northern)
1 t garlic granules
2 T onion granules
3 T lemon juice
3 T apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 green onions, sliced (use some of the green)
3 small pitted dates
Fresh dill or other fresh herb of choice
Chives for garnish
Sea salt
Puree all ingredients in a strong blender until smooth. Add in fresh dill or other fresh herbs, green onions, or chives. Salt to taste. Great with fresh-cut vegetables.
Spicy Kale w/ Lentils and Quinoa
Not very pretty but delightfully delicious! This was a dish I through together when I couldn’t decide what to fix for dinner.
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 cups cooked lentils
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped mushrooms
3 cups chopped tomatoes
8 cups chopped kale
2 t Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy seasoning
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, chopped
Salt to taste
Saute onion over medium high heat (dry, with no oil) until it starts to brown. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in chopped mushrooms and tomatoes, lower heat to medium, cover and cook for 5 minutes until juicy. Add kale, cover, and cook until tender, adding a little water if need to keep from sticking. Stir in seasonings half way through cooking. When kale is tender, stir in cooked lentils and quinoa. Add pumpkin seeds and salt to taste.
Zoodles Marinara w/ Millet
Home Made Marinara
Make this sauce a day ahead so the flavors will meld and taste amazing!
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 t oregano (use fresh if available)
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
Saute’ onion in a dry sauce pan over medium-high heat until it starts to brown. Add minced garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and tomatoes. Bring to boil. Lower heat to medium and cook for 1/2 hour to 1 hour over medium low heat. The more you cook the tomatoes, the more concentrated the sauce will be. Add fresh herbs the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Cooked Millet
Bring 2 cups water to boil in a sauce pan. Add dry millet, turn heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 – 20 minutes until tender.
Zoodles (“noodles” made with zucchini)
Spiral slice 3 medium zucchini into a large saute pan and cook over medium high heat until desired tenderness, adding a bit of water as needed to keep from sticking to the pan.
Once the “Zoodles” reach the desired tenderness, pour the marinara over the Zoodles and stir well. Mix in desired amount of cooked millet.
Note: Cooked quinoa can be used in place of millet but I prefer the hardiness of the millet.
Red Lentils w/ Cabbage and Rice
This is one of my favorite Indian dishes. It’s simple to make, although it takes about 30 – 40 minutes to get the lentil to my desired tenderness so I cook them ahead of time. Once lentils are done, everything else comes together quickly.
1 1/4 cups dry red lentils
5 cups water
1 1/2 t turmeric
2 t cumin seed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 – 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T fresh ginger, minced (or 1 t powder)
1 – 2 jalapeno chili peppers, minced (or canned/bottled)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 pounds green cabbage, coarsely grated or chopped
Boil water, add lentils, cover, lower heat to medium low and cook until tender. Stir in turmeric and continue to cook on low while preparing vegetables.
Cook cumin seeds in a hot skillet for 3 – 4 minutes until fragrant. (no oil needed) Add onion and saute until it starts to brown. Add garlic and stir 2 more minutes. Add 1/2 cup water, green chilies, ginger, tomatoes and cabbage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is very tender. Stir in cooked lentils. Serve over cooked brown rice.
Thanksgiving Chic Pea Loaf
I should probably change the name of this recipe to “Garbanzo Stuffing” because it reminds me of Stove-Top Stuffing but way better! This recipe is Adapted from fatfreevegan.com.
1 – 2 yams or sweet potato (need 2 cups cooked)
1 medium onion
2 cups chopped mushrooms
2 ribs celery
1 medium carrot
2 cloves garlic
4 cups cooked chic peas (garbanzo beans)
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 T balsamic vinegar or 2 T tamari or soy sauce
2 T tomato paste
1 T spicy brown mustard
1 1/2 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t dried sage
1 1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t dried rosemary, crushed
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 t Real Salt or sea salt, or to taste
1/2 t black pepper
Bake sweet potato in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour – 1 hour 15 minutes or until soft. Set aside to cool.
Sauté vegetable in ¼ cup water until soft. Transfer to large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients, including cooked yam, and mash with a pastry cutter until the mixture become sticky and will hold together. Press into a 9 X 13 baking pan and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and continue to bake an additional 25 minutes. Uncover and brown for 10 minutes if desired. Let set for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Almond Sugar Cookies
From my cookbook Whole Food American Favorites
1 cup raw almonds (raw cashews work too)
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup pitted dates
1/2 t almond extract
1 t baking soda
1 T apple cider vinegar
Chop all ingredients in a food processor until a dough starts to form. Add a tablespoon of water to help it become sticky. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop out dough, roll in a ball and mash to a cookie shape. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes.
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