Blueberry Frozen Puppy Pops

Blueberry Frozen Puppy Pops

There are certain things that I love about San Antonio. The fact that it's almost Thanksgiving and yesterday it 86 degrees and today will be 74 degrees is one of them. This allows me to go to a farmers market year round. I missed this while living in Colorado. However, Fortune and Choxie are not enjoying the heat so much. That being said, I made these yesterday for them. SO tasty, one can turn these into a smoothie for a quick morning breakfast ;)

Ingredients
1 cup of blueberries (I used frozen organic)
1 extra ripe banana
3/4 cup plain coconut yogurt
1 tsp of ground flax seeds

1. Mix all the ingredients in a blender, until smooth. (I had to add a little water to not over heat my blender.)

2. Pour into an ice cube tray or mold. Freeze it for about 2 hours

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.

Some Tricks of the Trade....

Some Tricks of the Trade....

Alright, over the weekend I spent close to 36 hours in the kitchen. Getting ready for the holiday season, my family always gets baked goods. Turning the family favorites vegan, is not that difficult if you know what you're doing. So, I'm going to share these tips in hopes that it makes a holiday special and animal friendly....

Eggs: This is a fairly easy one. There are a lot of good egg replacers on the market. I like Bob's Red Mill. Most vegan recipes will call for Ener-G egg replacer. Sometimes, depending on what you're making, you can use bananas or applesauce.

Egg Whites: What I do is soak over high heat, 1/4 cup to 3/4 cup (if making a meringue go with 3/4 cup) of flax seeds over medium-high heat for 20 minutes. You'll get a thick egg white like texture and using a fine strainer, over a bowl you'll be able to dip/whip/or dunk the "egg white". When making a meringue, whisk on high until fluffy. Add some powdered sugar and/or maple syrup to sweeten.

Egg Yolk: There is a wonderful product call The Vegg. It can be used just like eggs in recipes, from baked goods to breakfast and dinner. A teaspoon with 1/4 cup water will act as the egg yolk. I used this in my cookies over the weekend, and it was perfect! I had no problems with binding and it smells just like a cracked egg. I will use this the next time I make latkes, since the potato starch didn't hold them together....

Banana Oat French Toast

Banana Oat French Toast
Makes 6 slices; Vegan

Serve this delicious, heart-healthy French toast with maple syrup and fresh fruit.

1 cup fortified vanilla soymilk
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1 medium banana
6 slices whole-grain bread
1 vegetable oil spray

1. Combine soymilk, oats, and banana in a blender. Process until completely smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a shallow dish.

2. Soak bread slices in batter until soft but not soggy. The amount of time this takes will vary depending on the bread used.

3. Cook over medium-high heat in a vegetable oil sprayed non-stick skillet until first side is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn carefully with a spatula and cook second side until brown, about 3 minutes.

Per slice: Cal.: 126; Fat: 2.1 g; Sat. Fat: 0.4 g; Cal. from Fat: 15.2%; Chol.: 0 mg; Prot.: 5 g; Carb.: 23.5 g; Sugar: 6.9 g; Fiber: 3.2 g; Sod.: 173 mg; Calcium: 74 mg; Iron: 1.6 mg; Vitamin C: 1.8 mg; Beta Carotene: 6 mcg; Vitamin E: 0.7 mg

Source: Healthy Eating for Life for Women by Kristine Kieswer; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread
Vegan

The secret to getting this moist and perfect, is using really ripe bananas. Bruce and his youngest love this. In fact his youngest detests bananas and he will eat 3/4 of the loaf by himself. My family gets their own loaf for each family member. My brother doesn't share and my sister in law never gets a slice. My friends love this, the same Jason won't share with Angela. Enjoy this recipe, it's a keeper......

Ingredients:

2-3 bananas sliced
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons of flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons organic canola oil
egg replacer equivalent to 2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) non-dairy milk-I use Hemp
1/3 cup walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour loaf pan, set aside.

2. In a medium bowl combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl beat bananas with a hand mixer. Add egg replacer and liquid ingredients and mix. Combine dry ingredients to the wet, folding in walnuts if using and pour into greased pan. Bake for 1 hour.

Blueberry-Banana Muffins with Crumb Topping

Blueberry-Banana Muffins with Crumb Topping

These are by far my mom's favorite muffin recipe! When I worked at the CPA's office in SA, I would bring these in on those deadline days, and they would be devoured (by non vegans)! Super easy to make and they go quick, this is one of those perfect recipes for super ripe bananas....

3 ripe bananas
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 cups flour, divided
3/4 cup fresh or unthawed frozen blueberries
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp. nondairy margarine

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas with the oil and sugar and mix well.

3. In a small bowl, sift together the salt, the baking soda, and 2 cups of the flour.

4. Add the dry mixture to the banana mixture and stir by hand until the two are thoroughly combined. Fold in the blueberries.

5. Pour the batter into a lined muffin pan.

6. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, the brown sugar, and the nondairy margarine. Stir until the mixture forms coarse crumbs, then sprinkle the crumbs onto the muffins.

7. Bake the muffins for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Makes 10–12 muffins

Found: PETA.org

Banana or Mango Lassi

Banana or Mango Lassi

Lassi is a sweet and spicy beverage from India that traditionally is made with yogurt. This dairy-free version is delicious and makes a wonderful breakfast or snack.

Ingredients

Makes 3 servings

2 cups fortified plain or vanilla soy- or rice milk
1 frozen or fresh banana, or 1 small ripe mango, peeled and cut into chunks
3 pitted dates, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until very smooth and creamy. Serve cold.

Tip: Lassi is best served well chilled. If the nondairy milk and fruit are cold, you can serve at once. If they are room temperature, the lassi will taste best if it is chilled in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Per serving (3/4 cup): calories: 135; fat: 2.6 g; saturated fat: 0.4 g; calories from fat: 17.3%; cholesterol: 0 mg; protein: 5.8 g; carbohydrates: 24.4 g; sugar: 13.1 g; fiber: 3.3 g; sodium: 85 mg; calcium: 188 mg; iron: 1.8 mg; vitamin C: 3.7 mg; beta-carotene: 11 mcg; vitamin E: 2 mg

Recipe by Jo Stepaniak found in Breaking the Food Seduction by Neal Barnard, M.D.