Vegan Zucchini Lemon Cupcakes

Vegan Zucchini Lemon Cupcakes
Makes 16 cupcakes

I made these for Bruce's birthday (which had passed). It's been a busy month, again, not an excuse! However, what Bruce does like, is how it turns into a celebration through the month, and not just one day. I had to adapt this recipe (original came from Fragrant Vanilla Cake) since it called for ingredients that I don't have and one that I had never heard of. I'm including the frosting recipe, but Bruce liked having the lemon curd on and in the cupcake.

Cake:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup pastry flour
2/3 cup brown rice syrup
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup grated green zucchini skin
1 cup pureed zucchini
1/4 cup coconut oil, liquidfied
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp lite coconut milk
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 cup finely chopped toasted pecans

Curd Filling:

1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp organic lemon zest
1/4 cup plus 3 Tbsp agave nectar
1/4 cup cornstarch
pinch of sea salt
2 Tbsp plain coconut yogurt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp coconut oil, liquidfied

Frosting:

3 8 oz pkgs non-dairy cream cheese
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp agave nectar
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
a pinch of sea salt


1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and position rack in center of oven. Line cupcake or muffin pan with parchment cupcake liners. Whisk flour, baking soda, and sea salt together in a large bowl to blend well. Whisk oil, syrup, juice and zest, coconut milk, vanilla extract, zucchini, and pecans together in small bowl to blend well, then whisk into the flour mixture until well blended. Transfer cake batter to prepared pan and bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes completely in pan on rack for about an hour.

2. To make the filling, combine agave nectar, cornstarch, and sea salt in a medium pot, and whisk until combined. Add the juice, zest, coconut oil, coconut yogurt, and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium high heat whisking constantly until thickened to a curd or pudding like consistency, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Let chill in the fridge until very cold, at least an hour.

3. To make frosting, whip cream cheese until smooth, then add agave nectar, vanilla, and sea salt and beat until smooth.
To assemble cupcakes, take an apple corer and remove the middle of each cupcake. Fill cupcake hole with lemon curd, and allow to set for about an hour before frosting. Frost with cream cheese frosting and top with either toasted coconut shreds or toasted pecans.

Mini No-Meat Loaves

Mini No~Meat Loaves
Vegan; 1 hour total

I made these to be part of the Christmas Day feast. They came out great, but only last for a few days as left overs. They get to be really dense, so at a certain point you feel like you're eating a hockey puck.... Honestly, these were great the first two days... (I doubled the recipe, so there would be enough for everyone!)
Inspired by a meatball recipe in The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions

1 cup tomato sauce
4 Tablespoon almond butter
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 very finely diced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 Tablespoon vegan Worcestershire

Glaze: combine the following in a small container:
1/2 cup organic ketchup
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Vegetable broth saute the onion and garlic until the onion is nearly translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

2. Whisk tomato sauce, almond butter and Worcestershire together. In a separate bowl Mix dry ingredients together including spices. Combine the dry and wet ingredients with a wooden spoon, then add the sauteed onions and garlic.

3. Lightly spray half or place a parchment cupcake liner of a 12 cup muffin tin, this will make 6-8 mini “meat” loaves. Press the mixture into the tins, then top each mini “meat” loaf with some of the glaze. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from muffin tins and let cool for a few minutes before serving.

Flax Meringue

Flax Meringue

Light, fluffy, airy, and wonderful for lightening up tofu-based puddings. The only shortfall is that it doesn't hold up to heat, so you can't bake it.

1/3 cup flax seeds
3 cups water

Combine the water and flax seeds in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn down heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes until it is thick and gloppy looking. Strain through a sieve. You should have about ½ cup.
Allow to cool completely. This can be stored in the refrigerator for one week.

When you are ready to whip it, place the mixture in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip on high for about 7 – 8 minutes until it resembles meringue. Fold gently into puddings, mousses, or purees to lighten and add an airy texture. If desired, you can sweeten it with a little maple syrup or powdered sugar to taste.

Vegan "Caramel" Fruit Dip

Vegan Caramel Fruit Dip

For those who will entertaining over this up-coming holiday season, this is perfect to set out with cut up fruit. This is also perfect for those with little ones, watch out though, there is a lot of sugar. The boys LOVED this one!

1 cup dates
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup hemp milk

1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender. Pulse until smooth and chill until ready to be served.

Cardamon Oatmeal Fig Cookie

Cardamon Oatmeal Fig Cookie
yields about 16 cookies

By replacing the cinnamon and raisins, and using figs and cardamon you find yourself with spicy and earthy flavors in your mouth! Finding this recipe was a blessing, since I had figs in the fridge that were going to turn at any moment. Bruce loved these and in fact, I offered one to my boss and he liked it! My boss is the "we have to eat meat" kind of guy, so there you go.....

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
2/3 cup gluten-free flour mix, such as Bob’s Red Mill (or all-purpose flour)
1 1/2 tsp egg replacer
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 T coconut oil, melted
2 T unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup fresh figs, stems trimmed and chopped into chunks (use at least one cup)


1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, egg replacer, baking soda, salt, cloves, cardamom and oats together until thoroughly combined.

2. In a smaller bowl, mix together the brown rice and maple syrups with the coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together. Fold in the fig segments. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

3. Once the cookie dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the baking sheets, keeping in mind that these cookies will spread out (so don’t crowd them together).
Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until cookies have firmed and are golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven and let sit on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before serving. Enjoy!

Found: Keepin' It Kind

Butternut Squash Alfredo Sauce

Butternut Squash Alfredo Sauce
Vegan; Serves 4

In honor of fall and it being cold outside, this is one of those perfect comfort foods! I paired this with a white wine and added crushed red pepper....

2 1/2 cups hemp milk
2 cups butternut squash puree (I made mine the same night, so oven roasted for 30-45 minutes)
1 cup shredded style cheddar Daiya cheese
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon Earth Balance Soy Free Spread

1. Set a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add oil and Earth Balance, add onion, saute until soft and opaque, about 1-2 minutes. Add hemp milk, butternut squash, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper, and nutmeg.

2. Whisk vigorously or use a hand held immersion blender to blend until smooth, cook for 4-5 minutes. Then add maple syrup and Daiya cheese, stir until smooth. Take off the heat.

3. Add to pasta and enjoy! (A spinach or a garlic parsley pasta would be wonderful with this). I served it with some crusty garlic bread.....

Oatmeal Banana Energy Bars

Oatmeal Banana Energy Bars
(Makes a 9 inch square pan)

2 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup flax seeds (ground or crushed)
4 Tbs Rice Protein Powder
1 cup vanilla rice milk (Pacific)
6 Tbs egg replacer (like Ener-G or Flax Seed jel)
2 bananas- ripe and pureed (or sub fruit/pumpkin puree, equal to 1 cup)
1/2 cup applesauce- unsweetened
1/4 cup agave or maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon (omit if adding chocolate)

Add-ins if desired
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips or carob chips
1/2 cup nuts of choice, crushed
1/2 cup dried fruit (cranberries are a good choice)
Replace 1/2 fruit puree with peanut, almond butter or cashew butter

1. Preheat oven to 350

1. Mix all ingredients together (well), and place in prepared 9 inch square pan. Bake for approx 40-45 minutes. Cool and slice into desired size bars. Store loosely covered in the refrigerator. For travel, we simply remove bars and wrap them in a cloth napkin secured with a safety pin, string or band.
**Note: Make fruit purees (pumpkin, zucchini, apple, banana, prune, fig, etc.) and store in the freezer in 1 cup portions, then the desired flavor can be pulled out and used in baking and cooking.

Not Your Traditional Waldorf Salad

Not Your Traditional Waldorf Salad
Vegan; Serves 6; 30 minutes or fewer

When my sister had asked me to find recipes for jicama, I knew the perfect recipe to try out. Using what Bruce and I like instead of what is called for in the true Waldorf Salad, this is a tasty light meal. Serve with some garlic bread, but better yet, use it in a sandwich and it's good eating.....

Salad:
1/4 cup broken pecan nuts
1/2 jicama, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 bosc pears, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup red grapes
1/2 a pound of spinach

Dressing:
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 Tablespoon parsley

1. To Make Salad: Preheat oven to 350. Spread pecans on baking sheet and toast 8 to 10 minutes, or until fragrant. Set aside to cool.

2. Combine jicama, pears, grapes and toasted pecans in a large bowl.

3 To Make Dressing: Stir mayonnaise, lemon juice, maple syrup and parsley in a small bowl. Season with black pepper, if desired.

4. To Serve: Arrange a handful of spinach on each plate or bread and top with 1 cup of salad and other slice of bread, if making a sandwich.

Adapted from The Classic Waldorf Salad

Peach Blackberry Basil Crumble

Peach Blackberry Basil Crumble
Vegan

While shopping at farmers markets, when I lived in SA-I picked up the blueberry infused balsamic vinegar. Shopping last week at the local farmers markets in COS, I picked up peaches, blackberries and basil. At that moment, I was inspired for what I was making for my potluck. This is the perfect dish that screams summer and will be the talk of anywhere you take this.... Never a bite left to take home ~_^

4 peaches, peeled and chopped
4 cups blackberries (2 pints)
2 tbsp blueberry infused balsamic vinegar
1 large handful of basil leaves, chopped
1⁄4 cup agave nectar or maple syrup – or more, depending on tartness of your berries

1. Preheat oven to 400. Combine the above in an oven-proof casserole dish, mix
and set aside.

5-6 tbsp flour
3 heaping tbsp brown sugar
1 stick cold earth balance

Cut butter into flour and sugar, then rub with your fingers to make a chunky,
crumbly mixture (not uniform). Sprinkle it over the top of the fruit, bake 30
minutes until golden and bubbly.

Adapted from Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

Maple-Glazed Tofu on Pumpkin Seed Couscous

Maple-Glazed Tofu on Pumpkin Seed Couscous
Serves 6; Vegan

Sorry to be SO late on this, but we're just beginning to get settled from the drive. I'm not sure how this is going to taste, since I don't have anything in the kitchen yet. So, hopefully, this comes out yummy.... If not, one out of the many is not bad! ~_^

Maple-Glazed Tofu
2 10-oz. pkgs. extra-firm tofu
2 tsp. cracked black pepper
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup maple syrup

Pumpkin Seed Couscous
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 medium carrots, chopped (1 cup)
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat couscous
1/2 cup toasted unsalted pumpkin seeds


To make Maple-Glazed Tofu:

1. Place tofu between two plates and set heavy pot on top. Drain 10 minutes, and pat dry. Cut tofu into 3/8-inch-thick slices. Combine pepper, thyme, and salt in small bowl. Coat tofu slices with pepper mixture, and set aside.

To make Pumpkin Seed Couscous:

2. Bring broth, carrots, edamame, olive oil, and salt to a boil in covered saucepan. Remove from heat, stir in couscous and cover. Let steam 5 minutes, then fluff with fork.

3. Meanwhile, heat oil and maple syrup in large skillet over medium-high heat until bubbling. Place tofu in pan, and cook 3 minutes. Turn, and cook 3 minutes more, spooning thickening sauce over tofu.

4. To serve: Stir pumpkin seeds into couscous. Spoon onto plates, and top with Maple-Glazed Tofu.

Per SERVING: Calories: 577, Protein: 26g, Total fat: 26g, Saturated fat: 3g, Carbs: 71g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 444mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugars: 27g

Found: Adapted from Vegetarian Times

Orange-Chipotle Glazed Tofu

Orange-Chipotle Glazed Tofu
Serves 6; Vegan

Want tofu to look gorgeous? Give it a spicy glaze that will make it shine on the plate. For added flair, sprinkle the rim of the plate with chipotle powder or chili powder, if desired.

I serve this on a bed of spinach and brown rice.

Ingredient List
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 Tbs. rice vinegar or cider vinegar
2 tsp. minced seeded chipotle chile in adobo sauce, drained, plus 2 tsp. adobo sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
2 14-oz. pkgs. extra-firm tofu, drained and patted dry
1 Tbs. vegetable oil

Directions

1. Whisk together orange juice, maple syrup, vinegar, chipotle chile, adobo sauce, and salt in small bowl. Cover, and chill.

2. Cut each piece of tofu crosswise into 8 slices, each about 1/2-inch thick. Place tofu in large shallow glass dish. Add 1/2 cup orange juice mixture and oil to tofu, and turn to coat. Cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours, turning from time to time. Reserve remaining orange juice mixture, covered, in refrigerator.

3. Preheat broiler. Line large baking sheet with foil, and coat with cooking spray. Place tofu on prepared baking sheet. Combine marinade and reserved orange juice mixture in small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat 12 to 15 minutes, or until syrupy. Keep warm.

4. Broil tofu 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until golden, basting occasionally with orange juice mixture. Serve with remaining sauce.

Nutritional Information
Per Serving: Calories: 207, Protein: 14g, Total fat: 9.5g, Saturated fat: 1g, Carbs: 18g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 112mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugars: 12g

Found: Vegetarian Times: June 2008

Maple-Roasted Acorn Squash

Maple-Roasted Acorn Squash
Serves 4

In light of Wold Vegan Day (yesterday). I found this recipe to help bring in the Fall weather. Great as a side dish and with little tweeking, made Vegan!
Adapted from Comfort Food (Taunton Press, 2004).

Hurray for the nutty sweetness and deep nourishment we get from roasted harvest squashes! This ultra-simple recipe practically makes itself, and the results embody all the colors, textures, and flavors of fall. A touch of vegan butter and maple syrup is all it takes to turn this dish into a masterpiece (or you can add optional fresh ginger and pecans to really gild the lily). Anti-oxidants, minerals, and true fall taste.

INGREDIENTS

2 acorn squash
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (use vegan margarine)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons maple syrup
3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (optional)
4 tablespoons chopped pecans (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Slice a thin piece off both ends of the squash, including the stem. Cut the squash in half crosswise (perpendicular to the ribs). Scoop out the seeds with a sturdy spoon.

2. Line a pan in which the squash can fit snugly with foil or parchment paper. If you use foil, rub with butter to prevent squash from sticking.

3. Set the squash halves in the prepared baking pan and smear the flesh with the softened butter. Sprinkle with the salt. Drizzle maple syrup over the cut edge of the squash and into the cavity (most of the liquid will pool there) and sprinkle with the ginger, if using.

4. Roast the squash halves until nicely browned and very tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour and 15 minutes for a small to medium squash (larger squash may take longer); add the pecans, if using, for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Do not undercook. Serve warm with a spoon.

Found: Care2.com