Raw Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Raw Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Gluten Free; Vegan; Soy Free; Raw

This is a REALLY great recipe to use the pulp that's leftover from juicing your carrots. This recipe was inspired by a dear friend, I hope you enjoy these super dense little gems!

3 cups shredded carrots
1 cup pitted dates (soaked overnight, save the water)
1 cup raw walnuts
2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
pinch of salt
1/2 cup raisins (optional)


1. Pulse together all ingredients in a food processor until well-blended, adding up to 2 Tbs. of date water.

2. Press mixture into a lined muffin pan. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes to set and top with Raw Cashew Vanilla Frosting just before serving (see blog).

Raw Apple Pie

Raw Apple Pie
Gluten Free; Raw; Soy Free; Vegan

These little babies are worth the time of preparation for a WOW factor. Depending on how many you make (I made 19 and it took 5 hours) will depend on how long it takes you. With apples as sweet as they are, there is little sweetener needed. For the topping use a (clean) coffee grinder to grind almonds and groats.

8 organic Fuji apples
¾ cup organic brown rice syrup
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground all cloves
2 lemons; juiced and divided

Topping:
1/3 cup groats, ground
2 Tablespoons almonds, ground
1 teaspoon coconut sugar

1. Combine the juice of 1 ½ lemons with water in a large bowl. Set aside.

2. Using an apple corer core the apple (about half way-careful not to damage the bottom of the apple). Slice off the top of the apple and using a melon baller, scoop out the inside of the apple (again, be careful not to damage the apple shell). Soak the apple shells in the lemon water to keep from turning brown.

3. Coarsely chop apple inside. In a large bowl, combine the coarsely chopped apple with brown rice syrup and spices and the remaining lemon juice. Remove an apple shell from lemon water and fill with apple filling; repeat until all apple shells are filled.

4. Combine ground groats, ground almonds and coconut sugar. Top apples with ground almond mixture. Serve with your favorite non-dairy ice cream!

Carrot Apple Oatmeal Flax Cookies

Carrot Apple Oatmeal Flax Cookies
Vegan; Makes 1 lb Dog cookies

For those who know me, I can't stand Made In China (See prior postings for reasons). Currently, most big dog food companies (and if you read the label) you'll find the Made In China printed on the package. These are perfect since the carrots can be found at the farmers markets and if the season is right, so can the apples. I use organic, let's face it... Why are you going to feed your family members something that you're not willing to eat yourself.

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
2 Tablespoons flax seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped and cored apple
2 Tablespoons blackstrap molasses
2 Tablespoons canola oil
egg replacer equal to 1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, flax seeds and cinnamon. In a food processor, combine water, carrot, apple, molasses, oil, egg replacer, and vanilla. Puree until smooth. Add to dry ingredients and mix well.

3. In the bowl and using hands, knead until dough holds together. Transfer to a floured surface and using a rolling pin, roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. With a fork poke holes in the dough (this keeps it from becoming a puffy soft cookie and keeps it crunchy). I use cookie cutters (puppy shapes), but you can use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter and cut into bite size squares. Place about 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets.

4. Bake, in batches if necessary, for 20 minutes or until firm. Place cookies on cooling racks and lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes more (again, this helps make a crunchy cookie to help prevent tarter build-up). Transfer cookies to a rack and cool completely. Store in a air tight container for up to 30 days. If you live in a humid climate, store in the fridge.

Found and adapted: Better Food for Dogs

Banana Date Oatmeal Cookies

Banana Date Oatmeal Cookies
Vegan; Soy Free (Gluten Free)

These are great for a quick breakfast or a healthy snack. I love these due to the fact that it's an easy clean up and one bowl for all of the ingredients!

3 ripe bananas
2 cups rolled oats (Use gluten free oatmeal or groats)
1 cup combination of dates (pitted and chopped) and goji berries
1/3 cup coconut oil, liquidfied
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Stir in oats, dates, goji berries, oil, and vanilla. Mix well, adding the spices, and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly brown.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Vegan; Makes 24 cupcakes

Bruce and I went to a potluck last night, and I brought these. Since it was a friends birthday, and I said I'd make the birthday cake. These little gems were such a hit, so I was told I needed to share the recipe. I adapted this recipe in San Antonio from 2 different recipes. Living in Colorado I got 2 dozen vs. the 3 dozen I got in SA. Also, in SA I could use baking powder and baking soda. Here I have to omit the baking powder and use the same amount of baking soda, without adding more.... So, one never knows until you make a mistake through trial and error....

To make the cake:

2 cups plus 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
3/4 cup coconut oil, liquidfied
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
4 oz. carrot baby food (I use carrot, apple and parsnips from a squeeze out tube)
1 Tbs. finely grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. vanilla extract
egg replacer equavilent to 3 eggs
3 cups coarsely grated carrots (can be shredded in food processor), from about 2 carrots
1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple, well drained
1 1/2 cups ground walnuts
1/2 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.

2. To make Carrot Cake: Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, allspice and cardamom. Beat oil, both sugars, baby food, ginger, and vanilla extract until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add egg replacer, beating after. Add flour mixture in two additions. Add carrots, pineapple, raisins and nuts; beat just until blended. Divide batter in cupcake liners and bake 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool on baking racks and cool completely.

See Recipe in Blog for Frosting and top with toasted coconut or walnuts....

Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

As these were baking, both Choxie and Fortune were in the kitchen watching the oven. Somehow they knew these were being made just for them. Grant actually tried one, and liked it. He asked what smelled good. He shared his cookie with Choxie and Fortune, but did take the last bite. So there you go..... Not only Puppy Friendly, but kid friendly too!

Egg replacer equivalent to 2 eggs
1 cup fresh pureed pumpkin
2 tablespoons hemp milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 1/2 cups gluten free flour (you can use all-purpose)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In large bowl, whisk together egg replacer and pumpkin to smooth. Stir in hemp milk, vanilla, sea salt, and cinnamon. Add flour gradually, combining with spatula or hands to form a soft, dry dough. Briefly kneed and roll out into about 1 inch balls.

3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the 1 inch balls on the cookie sheet and press down. (Like a peanut butter cookie.) Poke holes with a fork and bake (in batches if needed) for 20 minutes until golden.

Pumpkin Spice Almost-Raw Cheesecake

Pumpkin Spice Almost-Raw Cheesecake
Vegan, Gluten Free, Almost Raw

Getting back from vacation, I was able to finally get to the pumpkins that I thought were going to go bad. Ending up having almost 8 cups of pureed pumpkin, I'll be posting the next few recipes calling for pumpkin. I took this to a potluck on Sunday, and didn't even get a slice since it went SO fast! Adapted from Addicted to Veggies.

Crust:

1 cup Walnuts
1 cup Dates
1 pinch of salt

Filling:

1 cup Cashews (I soaked overnight)
1 cup Macadamia nuts (I soaked overnight)
2 cups fresh/raw pureed Pumpkin Flesh
1/2 cup Coconut Sugar plus 3 heaping Tbsp
1/4 cup Coconut Oil- liquefied
3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground Allspice
1/2 tsp ground Cloves
1/2 tsp Ginger Powder
2 pinches Salt

1. Combine walnuts, dates and a pinch of sea salt in a food processor until finely chopped. Press mixture very compactly into the bottom of a spring-form pan. I used the back of a spoon and my thumb to press the crust down, and it worked perfectly.

2. Take all filling ingredients and blend in food processor until smooth. Just let it go for a few minutes…. the texture should be nice and creamy. (I had to add a little bit of water, so I didn't burn out my food processor motor.)

3. Pour filling on top of crust and spread out until smooth. Cover with foil and freeze overnight. The freezing process will re-harden the coconut oil and set up the cake. After it is frozen you can refrigerate and it will be ready to serve after about one hour. Even though you have to freeze this cake to set it up, it is not a frozen cake… once refrigerated, it takes on an extremely similar texture to a regular old cheesecake.

Spiced Pears and Pomegranate Seeds

Spiced Pears and Pomegranate Seeds
Vegan; Raw; 15 minutes; Serves 4

This dessert is more spicy then sweet. The boys drizzled maple syrup on their portions, and used less cinnamon than the recipe called for. Another great topping is vanilla almond non-dairy ice cream (had friends over that loved this!)... I picked 2 pomegranates up originally for Bruce to enjoy fresh squeezed pomegranate juice with some organic vodka.

3 pears, cored, peeled and sliced into wedges
1 pomegranate, skin and membrane removed
1 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/3 t. cinnamon
2 Tbs. ground almonds
4 sprigs fresh mint, sliced for garnish

1. Place the sliced pears and pomegranate seeds into a bowl. Toss with lemon juice to coat. Combine the brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a small cup or bowl, then mix into the fruit. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to blend the flavors. Serve in individual dishes, and garnish with a sprinkling of chopped almonds and a sprig of mint.

Found: Allrecipes.com

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
Vegan; makes about 16

For all of those hikers out there, these are the perfect snack to take with you. For all of you busy parents, these are a perfect quick snack to take while running errands. Try different jams to fit your kids or your tastes.... Happy snacking and 4th of July!

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (you can find gluten free on the market)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup earth balance, softened
egg replacer equivalent to 1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats, divided
1 cup strawberry jam
1/2 cup mixed nuts (I used a mix of chopped pecans, walnuts and almonds-optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9" square baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

3. Cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in egg replacer, vanilla extract and almond extract until smooth. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix until combined. Stir in 1 3/4 cups oats and nuts. Spread 2/3 of batter to prepared baking dish. Spread strawberry jam over the batter using the back of a spoon. Add remaining 1/4 cup oats to batter, then crumble over the strawberry jam.

4. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cool. Cut into bars.

Per bar: 232 cal.; 3 grams prot. (more if you add nuts); 7 grams total fat (more if you add nuts-but good fats) 4 grams sat. fat; 41 grams carbs.; 23 mg chol.; 85 mg sod.; 1 gram fiber; 26 grams sugars.

Adapted from Vegetarian Times July/August 2008

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
Serves 6; Gluten Free; Vegan

To make this tastier, instead of the vegetable broth, use no-chicken bouillon. The first time I made this it had little flavor....

Sweet Potato Topping

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced (1/4 lb)
1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1 Tbs. earth balance
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Filling:

1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 leek, white part thinly sliced (1 cup)
2 turnips,diced (1 cup)
1 carrot, diced (1 cup)
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped (2 tsp.)
1/4 cup white wine or water
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
3 Tbs. vegan Parmesan cheese (optional)

1.) To make the Sweet Potato Topping: Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add sweet potato, cover and boil 10 minutes or until tender. Drain, and return to pot. Mash with milk, margarine, cinnamon, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper, if desired. Set aside.

2.) To make filling: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and leek, and saute 5 to 6 minutes, or until leek is soft. Add turnips, carrots, thyme, and rosemary; cook 2 to 3 minutes more, or until carrots begin to soften.

3.) Add wine, and cook 30 seconds to deglaze the pan. Stir in beans and broth. Cover, and simmer 10 minutes, or until carrots and turnips are soft. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

4.) Remove thyme sprigs from Filling, and discard. Pour Filling into 2-or3-qt. casserole dish. Spread Sweet Potato Topping over Filling. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if using.

5.) Place casserole dish on baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until filling bubbles and cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

6.) Frozen Cooking Instructions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cover casserole, and place on baking sheet. Bake 60 to 75 minutes, or until filling bubbles and top is golden. Remove foil during last 10 minutes of baking. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Per 1 cup serving: 129 cal.; 4 grams prot.; 3 grams total fat (1 gram sat. fat); 20 grams carbs.; 1 mg chol.; 176 mg sod.; 5 grams fiber; 5 grams sugar
Vegetarian Times: January 2010

Pear-Almond Quinoa

Pear-Almond Quinoa
Vegan; 30 minutes or fewer

This vegetarian quinoa dish is full of pears, cinnamon and almonds and adds a fun twist to your quinoa. It makes for a nice gluten-free breakfast cereal or for a savory side dish that goes well with a salad. Very comforting and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
1 cup water
3/4 cup ginger juice
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup of dried fruit (I used a combination of dates, currents and raisins)
2 pears, unpeeled and cubed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons sliced almonds, lightly toasted
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse quinoa well and add to pot along with water. Heat to boiling and reduce to a very low simmer. Cook until liquid evaporates, about 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t stir while cooking.

2. Sauté onions and dried fruit in pan with olive oil on medium heat, stirring occasionally. After about 5 minutes, add pears and more oil if needed. Cook until tender. Stir in cinnamon, and almonds.

3. Mix quinoa with pear mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4 to 6.

Stuffed Shells with Lentil Ragout and Spinach

Stuffed Shells with Lentil Ragout and Spinach
Vegan

When my sister tried this recipe she really liked it. She omitted the lentils (which takes the place of ground beef), since she couldn't talk her mom (my step-mom) into trying the recipe with them. Just like my mom, sometimes you pick you battles. When you have a picky eater (myself included) you modify recipes to fit your tastes.... Happy eating everyone!

1 small cinnamon stick
1/4 medium-size onion, peeled but left intact, plus 1/2 onion minced
1/2 cup dried brown or green lentils
3 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 package jumbo pasta shells (about 20 pieces)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium-size carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine
1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
2 1/2 cups tomato puree
1/4 tsp cayenne
Ground black pepper
4 cups spinach, washed thoroughly, stems removed and finely chopped
Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

1. Bring 1 cup water to a boil with cinnamon stick and the intact 1/4 onion in a small saucepan. Add the lentils, cover and lower the heat to low. Cook for 25 minutes. Discard the cinnamon and onion. Add 1/2 tsp of the salt and stir.

2. In a large saucepan, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add the shells and 2 teaspoons of the salt and cook for 12 minutes; the shells will still be a little tacky. Drain and transfer to a baking sheet to cool. Untangle the shells to prevent sticking.

3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the carrot, celery, the minced 1/2 onion, and garlic. Stir and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and thyme, allowing the wine to reduce for about 2 minutes. Add the tomato puree and cayenne, stir to combine, and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the lentils and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Add the reamining 1 teaspoon of salt and the black pepper, and taste, adding more as you see fit. Discard the thyme sprig, if using fresh. Stir in the spinach, turn off the heat, and cover.

4. Heat the oven to 350F. Ladle a small amount of ragout into a square or rectangular baking dish. Line up the shells in dish, then with a small spoon, fill each shell with the ragout. Top off the shells with a ladleful of ragout, followed by cheese, if using. Bake for 30 minutes.

Found: Treehugger.com

Vegan Moussaka

Vegan Moussaka
Prep Time 30 minutes, Bake Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Serves 8

If there were ever a perfect vegan entrée, moussaka has to be it. This recipe has dropped the Gruyere cheese and eggs in the Béchamel sauce and the Parmesan cheese in the topping along with any beef or lamb of course. The creaminess and the spices are silk and sass in the mouth.

So I made this last night, and I had to use my "Jackie Magic" as Bruce puts it. The Béchamel sauce was going south fast (very bland), so after I put it on the casserole. I jazzed it up! Everything that has stars next to it is how I improvised the dish.

Here's what you do:

Ingredient List
1 medium eggplant
**2 medium zucchinis (I used half a zucchini and half a yellow squash-sliced)
1/4 cup olive oil
**1 large onion, chopped (I used 1/4 of what it called for)
4 garlic cloves, sliced
**28-oz. can crushed peeled tomatoes (I sliced 3 1/2 tomatoes, I ran out-really needed 5 thinly sliced and left the skin on)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
**1 large baking potato (I used a sweet potato-peeled and sliced)
1 tablespoon olive oil for drizzling on top
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish


1) Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2) Cut the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Salt the slices and let them "sweat" for 10 minutes. You 'sweat' the egg plant by gently salting the eggplant slices and letting them sit in a colander in the sink or on a tray for 30 minutes, then wash the salt off. This pulls out the bitterness.

3) Cut the zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices, and set aside.

4) Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is transparent and lightly browned. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and pepper. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes.

5) Lightly oil the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Peel the potato and cut it lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Layer the potato slices in the bottom of a baking dish, and spoon one-third of the tomato sauce over them. Then layer eggplant, one-third of tomato sauce, **zucchini and squash slices, and finally the rest of the tomato sauce. Drizzle the top with olive oil.

6) **Cover with a baking dish lid or foil (I didn't cover) and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

7) **Remove from the oven and remove the cover. Ladle Vegan Béchamel Sauce over the casserole and put back in the oven to bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the top is nicely browned. Let sit a half hour before cutting and serving. Garnish each serving with lots of chopped fresh parsley. (after about 30-40 minutes of the casserole baking, I put the sauce on. I drizzled about 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil, added more nutmeg about 1 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of allspice-all 3 ingredients sprinkled on top of the dish)

Vegan Béchamel Sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
**2 cups soy milk (I used hemp milk)
1 tablespoon cornstarch diluted in 1/2 cup water (this helped to make the sauce bland and thick, next time I'll use 1 teasoon.)
**1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (I used 1 teaspoon.)

Vegan Béchamel Sauce
1) Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and sprinkle in flour and nutmeg, stirring constantly until lightly browned and a nutty aroma arises. Whisk in the soy milk, cornstarch mixture, and salt, stirring until the mixture begins to boil; then reduce the heat and whisk until thickened. This Béchamel Sauce makes a good topping for all sorts of steamed veggies.

Source:VegCooking.com


Wine Pairings
A big Chardonnay, a Viognier or a Pinot gris would complement this entrée quite well.

Chickpea and Date Tagine

Chickpea and Date Tagine
Serves 6; Vegan

I hope all had a beautiful holiday and I wish everyone a joyous new year!!!!! I made this for a holiday potluck and it was a HUGE success!

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, diced (2 cups) **I used less
4 cloves of garlic, minced (4 tsp.) **I used about 2 1/2 tsp.
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes **I used fire roasted tomatoes (organic)
3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup whole-wheat couscous **I used organic regular
1 cup pitted dates, halved
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 10 minutes, or until starting to brown, stirring often. Stir in garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger and cinnamon, and saute 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, and 1/4 cup water; simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, toast couscous in small saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add 1 3/4 cups water, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes. **I had to let it sit a little longer.

3. Stir dates and lemon juice into tagine, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve over couscous, sprinkle with cilantro.

Found: Vegetarian Times December 2011

No-Bake Thumbprint Cookies

No-Bake Thumbprint Cookies
Vegan; Makes about 2 dozen

So, I got this recipe from the Whole Foods Cooking demo a few weeks ago. These are great for a quick snack or a light breakfast with your morning cup of coffee. Sorry about missing last week-it's been a little on the crazy side.... I was sick and just started a new job today, hopefully things calm down and my routine finds a "new" normal....

3/4 cup pitted dates
3 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cup smooth almond butter
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
zest and juice of one orange
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I had to bump it up to 1 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup 100% all-fruit preserves, such as cherry or apricot (I used the Rainer cherry from Uncertain Farms)
www.uncertainfarms.com

Directions:

1. Put dates into a medium bowl, cover with hot water and set aside to let soak for 10 to 15 minutes. **Reserve 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid, and then drain well.

2. In a food processor, pulse oats until coarsely ground; transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Transfer dates and reserved 1/2 cup soaking liquid to food processor and puree until smooth. Add date mixture, almond butter, coconut, orange zest and juice, cinnamon and salt to bowl with oats and knead together to make dough.

3. Roll dough into 24 balls, transferring them to a parchment paper-lined sheet tray as done. Make an indentation in the middle of each cookie by pressing down with your thumb. Spoon a bit of fruit preserves into each indentation and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Awfully Good Waffles or Pancakes

Awfully Good Waffles
Vegan, Serves 2

I hope everyone had a beautiful Easter! I spent it with Bruce and his sons, and I made these for breakfast. I'm working on more kid friendly recipes, and using them as my "test subjects". The fact that I had to double this recipe. (Yes, I had to make two batches so Bruce and I could have breakfast!) I know this recipe is definitely a keeper, since his oldest was liked plate clean and had 4 pancakes.....

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt (optional) {I added some salt, since it adds to the taste.}
1 cup soy milk or other non-dairy milk (add more if you are making pancakes) {I used hemp milk-it still has a creamy texture and has more omgea 3s and 6s.}
1/2 cup applesauce {I didn't have applesauce, however, I did have fresh apples. I cut one up [per batch], put apple, a little bit of water [about 2 Tbs.] and 1 tsp of sugar in a food processor until finely chopped. I heated the apple mixture up in a sauce pan, added 1/4 tsp. and 1-2 Tbs. of water on medium heat until fragrant. Add to pancake batter.}

1. Combine the dry ingredients and mix. Add the non-dairy milk and applesauce. pour into an oiled waffle iron, and cook until golden.

Serve with your favorite topping, Grant had his plain (he liked the way the apple chunks kept it sweet), Max had his with agave nectar, and Bruce and I had bananas with agave nectar.....