Vegan Pumpkin Pie
This is a healthy and delicious version of a Thanksgiving favorite. I love the crust so much better than a traditional crust! It’s like an oatmeal cookie. There are no ingredients in the pie that have to be cooked so technically you could eat it without cooking it. It will set up a little as it cools. But cooking the pie firms it up and concentrates the sweetness and flavor and makes it so decadent! Adjust the cooking time for a less dense or more dense pie.
1 3/4 cups cooked pumpkin
1 1/4 cup almond, soy or oat milk
25 soft pitted deglet dates (1 cup)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour into a prepared pie crust and bake at 275 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn off oven and leave in for another 20 minutes.
Oat Date Crust
1 2/3 cups rolled oats (not thick)
5 small pitted dates
1 medium banana
1 t vanilla
Soak dates in 1/4 cup water for at least 4 hours to soften. Using a food processor fitted with an “S” blade, process dates with soak water, banana and vanilla until smooth. Add oats and pulse until a sticky dough if formed. Be careful not to break down oats too much. Evenly press into a 9” pie pan. Bake at 300 for 20 minutes just to firm up and brown slightly.
For less banana flavor, use a banana that is not spotted. It’s mainly used for binding.
Mexican Kale and Cabbage Salad
Any combination of cruciferous veggies work good for this Mexican Kale Salad. I’ve used young tender collard greens from my garden and have used store-bought collards although they are a bit tough so I only use 1 or two leaves if using them. Same with broccoli. It’s a little tough raw so I’ll add a small amount. I’ve also used kale and green cabbage each on their own and they are great!
Check out my YouTube video for this salad here.
3 oz. kale, finely chopped
3 oz. cabbage, shredded
3 T apple cider vinegar
1/2 of large avocado, mashed
1 1/2 – 2 cups whole grain of choice
1/2 – 3/4 cup salsa
Sweet Red-Hot Pepper Sauce to taste (optional)
Salt to taste
Place chopped kale and cabbage in large salad bowl. Add vinegar and mashed avocado. Using hands, massage kale and cabbage until tender.
Stir in whole grain of choice, salsa and pepper sauce to taste. Serve in lettuce leaf or add desired amount of chopped romaine lettuce
Collards and Potato Masala w/ Rice
If you’d like to get more collard greens into your diet, here is a delicious way to do it! Mixed with potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce and served with rice, you’ll never know they are there other than the beautiful green color they give to this dish. Make it as spicy as you like by adding a sprinkle of your favorite hot sauce or kick up the amount of cayenne pepper.
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T finely minced or grated fresh ginger root
3/4 t turmeric
1 t chili powder
1 t cumin powder
1 t coriander powder
1/8 t cayenne pepper
2 – 3 Yukon gold potatoes cut in 1/2 inch cubes (about 2 cups)
8 – 10 oz. collard greens, chopped
1 can crushed tomatoes
Sprinkle of your favorite hot sauce (optional)
Sauté onion in medium size pan over medium high heat until it starts to brown. Add fresh garlic, ginger and spices and cook stirring constantly for one minute. Add 1 cup of water or broth and potatoes. Cover and cook 3 minutes. Add collard greens, cover, and cook until greens are tender. Potatoes should be tender at this time as well. Add tomatoes and desired amount of cooked rice.
A can of chic peas would be a great addition to this recipe.
Spicy Thai Kale & Chic Peas
I have fallen in love with Indian food! The flavor is so AMAZING with all the wonderful spices! Kick up the heat in this dish by adding a little cayenne pepper. This Spicy Thai Kale dish is such a quick and easy dish to make, it’s satisfying and super nutritious!
1 cup short grain brown rice
1 onion, finely chopped
1 T minced fresh ginger
2 t chili powder
1 t turmeric
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
1/2 cup diced mild green chilies
2 cups chopped cremini mushrooms
1 cup water
8 oz. kale, finely chopped (about 1 bunch)
1 1/2 cups cooked chic peas
1 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup natural unsalted peanut butter
Sea salt
Boil 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Add rice, cover, lower heat, and cook until tender, about 25 – 30 minutes.
Dry sauté onion and ginger for 3 minutes, adding a tablespoon of water if needed to keep from sticking. Add spices, green chilies, mushrooms, chopped kale, and water. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium, and cook until kale is tender. Stir in chic peas and tomatoes, and continue to cook 5 more minutes. Stir in peanut butter and serve over desired amount of rice. Salt to taste.
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.
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.
Stuffed Winter Squash w/ Lentils and Kale
When it’s peak season for winter squash, when the “meat” is wonderfully sweet, this is a delicious and filling meal all by itself but is especially an attractive main dish for Thanksgiving. It can be served individually in halved or quartered acorn squash, the “bowl” of a butternut squash (my personal favorite) or fill the center of a banana squash. (Although banana squash aren’t usually as sweet.) The savory flavor of the “stuffing” mixes so nicely with the “sweet” from the squash.
If you have food allergies or intolerances and aren’t able to eat seeds or nuts, replace them with avocado. Just dice or mash avocado and mix it into the stuffing. Having trouble with legumes? Replace some or all with more wild rice.
This recipe is from my cookbook Whole Food American Favorites.
4 – 5 acorn squash or other winter squash
1/2 cup wild rice
1 cup green lentils
1 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth
2 medium onions, chopped
1 cup sliced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chopped mushrooms, cremini or white button
1 large bunch of kale, finely chopped
2 1/2 T Holiday Herb Mix (See below)
1/2 cup roughly chopped pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or pecans
1/2 t pepper
Sea salt
Bake squash whole on a baking sheet at 375 degrees for 1 hour or until soft. Let cool. Cut in half lengthwise, scrape out seeds and discard.
Boil 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Add rice, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 30 minutes until tender. Boil 2 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Add lentils, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. Over medium-high heat, sauté onion, celery, garlic, and mushrooms in 1/2 cup water or broth until tender. Add chopped kale and 1/2 cup more liquid. Cover, bring to boil, lower heat to medium, and cook 5 minutes. Add herbs and continue to cook until kale is tender. Add more broth or water if needed to keep from sticking. Add cooked lentils, rice, and pine nuts. Mix well and salt to taste. If needed, warm squash halves in 300 degree oven on a baking sheet before stuffing. Fill center of each squash half with lentil-kale mixture. Fills about 8 – 10 acorn squash halves.
Holiday Herb Mix
1/4 cup rubbed dried sage
2 T dried marjoram
2 T dried rosemary
2 T dried thyme
Grind all herbs in a coffee grinder. Store in a glass container.
Vegetable Pot Pie w/ No-Oil Biscuit Crust
This Vegetable Pot Pie is so satisfying and delicious you wont even miss the meat. If you are gluten-free, no worries. Just make the insides and serve it over brown rice. This recipes is so delicious, I put it in both of my cookbooks, Whole Food Goodness and revised a bit in Whole Food American Favorites. I demonstrate this recipe in a cooking class posted on my YouTube channel here.
Review from a cooking class attendee:
We made the vegetable pot pie with biscuit crust recipe tonight. Omg good !!!
Florets from 1 head cauliflower
1 cups water
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium carrots, sliced
4 ribs celery, sliced
3 cups small broccoli florets
2 cups chopped mushrooms, cremini or white button
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 t dried sage
2 t dried thyme
2 cups frozen green peas
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds (optional)
1 Biscuit Crust
In large covered pot, steam cauliflower florets in 1 cup water until tender. Transfer cauliflower and remaining steam water to blender jar. Set aside. In the same pot, add 1/2 cup water, raw vegetables, and herbs. Saute until carrots and broccoli are tender. Add more water if needed. Blend the steamed cauliflower with the Chicken Style Seasoning and sunflower seeds until creamy. Pour over vegetables, add peas, and mix well. Transfer to casserole dish. Cover with prepared Biscuit Crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes.
Biscuit Crust
2 cups sifted white wheat flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup water
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl and mix well. Blend cashews and water until smooth. Gradually add to dry ingredients and mix until dough forms a ball. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 30 seconds to form a smooth ball. Roll to ¼ – 1/2 inch thick and shape as desired. Cover pot pie.
White Bean Potato Soup w/ Broccoli
This White Bean and Potato Soup is made with simple ingredients and very simple to make. It has incredible flavor and a light creamy texture and is perfect for a cool spring evening meal.
This recipe is slightly revised from my book Whole Food Goodness.
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 small Yukon gold potatoes, cut in 1/4″ cubes
3 medium carrots, chopped
3 cups chopped broccoli
3 cups cooked white beans (navy or great northern)
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds (optional)
1 T Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
Salt to taste
Saute’ chopped onion in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until it starts to brown. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add 4 cups water, potato, carrots, and broccoli and cook until vegetables are tender. Blend 1 1/2 cups beans with sunflower seeds, 2 cups water, Mrs. Dash seasoning and 1 cup cooked vegetables from soup until smooth. Add chopped parsley to cooked vegetables and cook for 1 minutes. Stir blender contents into soup. Add more water to thin if needed. Salt to taste.
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.
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