Vegan Carrot Cupcakes

It's little man's birthday on Sunday.  And Mother's Day.  So we're celebrating on Saturday instead.  I'm not selfish- I really just want the other mothers to be able to enjoy themselves instead of focusing on my child.   And maybe I am just a wee bit selfish.  Is it too much to ask to want to sleep in for one day?! And let's face it- he's going to be 1, he won't know the difference.  And maybe I'll get some sleep, or at least stay in bed.  By myself.  For at least 10 precious minutes.

Anyhoo, I decided to make him carrot cupcakes.  Looking for recipes, I was wholly dissatisfied with all of the sugar in every recipe I found.  Of course, with the limited time of a mom with two small (but EXTREMELY active) boys, I'm sure I missed some kick-ass recipes already out there that didn't contain a butt load of sugar.  Long story short, I decided to make my own.  I  know that it's his special day, and perhaps I shouldn't worry about the sugar.  But after seeing the consequences of sugar with chico numero uno, I would like to give the entire neighborhood a break and keep them from our craziness.

Recipe

3 Tbsp. ground flax meal
1/2 c. warm water
1/2 c. oil
4 pitted dates
1/2 c. maple syrup
1 1/2 c. peeled and shredded carrots
3/4 c. raisins (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/3 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Line a muffin tin (or mini muffin tin) with liners or spray with oil to prevent sticking.

Blend the flax meal and water in a food processor or blender.  Add the dates and continue to blend for a couple of minutes.  Combine with the oil and maple syrup.  Add this mixture to the carrots in a small bowl.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.  Mix in the carrot mixture until just combined.

Pour into the muffin tins and pop into the oven.  Bake for about 18 minutes.  You know the drill- test the center with a toothpick to see if they're done.  If the toothpick comes out clean- you win!

Cilantro sour "cream"

You know when you get a bunch of cilantro, and then you only use a few measly leaves sprinkled on your main dish? You have most of the bunch left over, and often it just sits in your fridge or on your counter and rots. Well, here's a super easy recipe that can make use of that left over cilantro and it keeps for about a week, making you feel really good about yourself for not wasting food. Oh yeah, and it's also super yummy.

Ingredients:

1 bunch (more or less) cilantro leaves

Juice of 1 lemon

1 14 oz. package tofu (you can use silken or regular, but NOT the tetrapak kind of silken)

2/3 c. oil

salt

Blend the cilantro, lemon juice, salt and tofu in a food processor. Drizzle in the oil through the feed tube. Whir it around in there 'til you've got a nice creamy consistency.

Tastes amazing on anything Mexican themed as well as in wraps.

ALL HAIL SEITAN

Glorious seitan.  The other fake meat. It's not nearly as evil as it sounds; just sinfully delicious. It's simply the protein part of flour, so if you're allergic to wheat this recipe isn't for you.  The recipe looks daunting, but it's actually super simple.  Just a lot of spice ingredients to give your seitan some flavor.

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cumin
1-2 tsp pepper (I use 2 tsp)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3/4 cup +2 Tbsp cold water
2 Tbsp tamari 

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
1-3 cloves garlic, crushed well  (I use 3, I like garlic)

2 Tbsp. tomato paste (optional- my husband likes it with tomato paste, I don’t- it makes for a slightly spongier consistency) 

Preheat oven to 325°.

In a large mixing bowl mix dry ingredients.  Mix the rest of the ingredients (liquid ingredients) in a smaller mixing bowl.  Whisk well until mixed.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients.  Mix well, then knead for a couple of minutes.

Form into a log (6-8" long), wrap tightly in foil, twisting ends.  Bake for 90 minutes.  When done baking, unwrap and leave out to cool all the way.  Then wrap it foil or plastic and refrigerate.  Slice to use as desired (stir fry, sandwiches, pot pies, etc.)

Enjoy! 

Basic Black Beans

These beans are great for tacos, nachos, or just mixed with rice.  If you are super ambitious, you can make these using dried beans that you've soaked overnight. But for most of us, that seems like a lot of work.  So I give you (and myself) full permission to use canned beans.  

1 15oz. can black beans

oil

1/2 onion

2-3 large cloves of garlic

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp.chile powder

1/2 tsp. cayenne 

(a pinch of salt if you decide to soak your own beans)

bell pepper  diced(red or green depending on your preference)

2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

Heat oil over medium high heat in a pot.  Saute onion and garlic until soft, then add cumin, chile and cayenne.  Drain about half of the liquid from the can of beans, but leave enough to cook your beans in.  Add beans.  Reduce heat to medium low.  Add cilantro and simmer for about 5 minutes or so.  Don't overcook unless you want mushy beans.  If you want to keep your beans warm for awhile, try covering the pot and leaving the beans on the burner (with the heat off).

If using salt, add it at the end so as not to toughen your beans too much.  

Ryan Walsh Sammy

Who can resist a good sandwich?  Not me.  Whether you're picnicking, grabbing a quick bite at work or between classes, sitting in the bleachers watching a baseball game, or driving down the road with one hand on the wheel b/c the other's on your sandwich, you just can't go wrong.  I wouldn't advise eating this next sandwich in your car however, as it can get pretty messy.

 

My friend Isam says I'm playing a dangerous game mixing the East (hummus) with the West (Avocado) like this, but I say live dangerously.

Bread- You can use whatever you like (obviously).  I like to be super decadent and use wheat walnut, focaccia, or ciabatta.

Hummus (homemade! or store bought)

Avocado (you'll only need 1/3-1/2 of the avocado- but you can always make more sammies and share!)

Roasted Bell Peppers

Artichoke Hearts

Feta (regular or soy)- optional

I don't think you're an idiot, so I'm not going to get into all the specifics of how to make a sandwich.  You know the basics:  the bread goes on the outside, the ingredients go in the middle.  However, I do have a couple of good tips for you about this sandwich.  Both the hummus and the avocado should be placed directly onto the bread, and the other ingredients should go in between them.  For the avocado:  Slice it, then put it directly atop your bread.  Use a fork to mash the avocado into the bread a little bit, this will prevent it from continually sliding out of the sammy as you're eating.  Try sticking the peppers into the hummus and the artichoke hearts into the avocado to give them some sticking power too.  Sprinkle on your feta (if using).  Your sammy is ready to be closed and eaten!

As with most sandwiches (especially those with wet ingredients like hummus or extremely perishable ingredients like avocado), try to make this sandwich as close to when you're going to be eating it as possible.  One thing I often do is to bring all of my prepared ingredients to work and then construct the sandwich at lunch time.  

Have fun and eat well!

Easy Hummus

Hummus is a staple in my diet.  It's great as a dip for veggies or crackers, a spread for sandwiches, or simply to eat by the spoonful.  It's great if you can use fresh, organic ingredients.   But it's also OK to take it easy on yourself, which is why I'm giving you this easy version:

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)- drain and RESERVE liquid

garlic- several cloves (It's up to you, how much do you love it?  I use 3-4 depending on size)

2 Tbsp. tahini (sesame seed paste)

juice of 1 lemon (3-5 Tbsp. lemon juice)

dash of salt

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Paprika (optional)

Drain the can of garbanzo beans and reserve the liquid.  Put the garbanzos, tahini, lemon juice, and salt into a food processor.  If using a blender, add about 1/4 cup or so of the reserved garbanzo bean liquid.  If using a food processor, turn it on and pour in the liquid through the feed tube as it's processing.  Blend until smooth.

Place into a bowl or airtight container (if not serving immediately).  Pour 1-2 Tbsp. of olive oil on top.  Sprinkle with paprika if using.  ENJOY!

There are a million variations on hummus (spicy, artichoke, roasted red pepper) to experiment with.  Have fun and eat well.

 

SIMPLE but delicious pasta dish

I've been vegetarian for a long time.  And I admit that I wasn't always a healthy one.  But I realized at some point that the quality of my life was definitely affected by the quality of my diet.  So now I try very hard to make food that is delicious AND nutritious for my family. Some of my friends have been wanting to try vegetarian, or at least to include more veggie food in their diets.  I always promise support and get requests for recipes, but it seems so difficult to send recipes to individuals.  So I thought I'd start posting simple recipes that just about anybody could feel comfortable with.  

I'm not going to go off on a diatribe about how whole foods, organics, and local produce are the best. They are.  But I also realize that people do the best they can with the time/resources available to them.  So, while the following recipe would be amazing with fresh ingredients (like fresh tomatoes and basil), I have included an easier, no-less-delicious, quick version utilizing canned food.  I call it Whatever's in Your Cupboard Pasta, because that's how I usually make it. You can add and subtract veggies and spices as you see fit.  This is just an easy dish that takes pasta in a slightly less boring direction.  

Whatever's in Your Cupboard Pasta!

Garlic ( I am a garlic lover and usually use about 4 large cloves, but you can use as much or little as you like)

1/2 onion (red, yellow, or white- whatever tickles your fancy)

Olive oil

Oregano

Basil

Sliced red pepper (you can also sub. jarred roasted red/yellow pepper)

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

1 can diced tomatoes- DON'T DRAIN

8 oz. jar artichoke hearts

Capers (a couple of tablespoons- capers have a strong flavor so use as many or few as you like)

1 lb. pasta of your choice

Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.  Meanwhile...

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil over med.high heat (go light on the oil) until soft.  Add oregano and basil.  Add red pepper if using, saute for about 3 more minutes.  Add garbanzo beans and continue to saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add diced tomatoes with juice.  Turn heat down to med.low.  Add artichoke hearts.  Cook for at least 5 more minutes.  If you can cook it for longer, the flavors will have more of a chance to marry, but if you're in a hurry you can eat it now and still have a delicious dish.  Add capers about 1 minute before you are done cooking.

Once you have drained the pasta, add it to the garbanzo/tomato/artichoke pan and toss.  Simple, easy, delicious.