Non-Dairy Cream Cheese Frosting

Non-Dairy Cream Cheese Frosting

2 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

To make frosting, whip cream cheese until smooth, then add agave nectar, vanilla, and sea salt and beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes or cake with cream cheese frosting and top with favorite toppings.

Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Dates

Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Dates
Vegan; 30 minutes or fewer


Alright, I found this recipe off of foodgawker (my new addiction) and it sends me to This Can't Be Vegan. Well, you know I had to try it, and it was REALLY good! Me being the person that I am, had to modify the recipe to fit my budget and shopping.... Originally (adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)

6 tablespoons non-dairy cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
6 stalks of chives, thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons imitation bacon bits (WayFare bacony bits)
Black pepper, to taste
12 Medjool dates

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese, Dijon mustard, garlic, and bacon bits. Fold in green onions. Season to taste with pepper.

3. Using a sharp knife, make a lengthwise slit in each date. Spread open slightly and remove pits. Fill each date with about a tablespoon of cheese mixture. Place dates filling side up on a baking sheet. Bake, uncovered in the preheated oven for 5 to 8 minutes or until heated through. Serve warm. Makes 12 pieces.

Non-Dairy Cheese Cake

Non-Dairy Cheese Cake
Vegan

Bruce loves this with strawberries, and Grant really liked this too.... My favorite topping is raspberries, it compliments the lemon so wonderfully! My sister in law would always ask for this as the dessert during holidays.... ~_^

Ingredients:

2 8oz. containers of plain non-dairy cream cheese (I like Follow Your Heart)
1 cup organic sugar
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
dash of vanilla (about 1/8 teaspoon)
1 graham cracker crust
Fresh Fruit topping of your choice (raspberries, blueberries or strawberries are all good)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine ingredients until smooth and pour into the graham cracker crust. Bake for 60 minutes or until the top is golden. Allow to cool at room temperature then chill in the refrigerator until firm. This take several hours or overnight. Cover with fruit topping and serve.....

Found: PETA

Jalapeno Poppers

Jalapeno Poppers
vegan, makes 10 poppers

I made these last month for a pot luck, and everyone LOVED them... I made about 40 of them to make sure there were plenty for people to enjoy. If you make as many as I did, please wear gloves, my fingers were burning for days after. ~_^

5 large jalapeno peppers, de-seeded and halved

cheese mixture:
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese
1/4 cup Daiya cheddar cheese shreds

Flour Mixture:
2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
dash of chipotle powder
pinch of salt and pepper

Panko Bread Crumbs

small flat bowl of hemp milk (about 1/4 cup)

1+ cups olive oil

Directions:

1. Prep your jalapenos by halving them and carefully removing the seeds. Set aside.

2. Get your "breading" station set up. You will have a bowl for each of these: cheese mixture (fold the shreds into the cream cheese), flour mixture, panko crumbs, soy milk.

3. Start prepping your jalapenos. Here is the method: stuff with cheese, roll in milk, roll in flour, back in milk, roll in panko crumbs, set aside. Pressing the panko crumbs into the wet cheese layer really helps. Continue this process until all the jalapenos are stuffed and breaded.

4. Pour your oil into a large pot over med-high heat. Test the oil for heat-readiness by dropping one panko crumb into the oil - if it sizzles, the oil is hot enough. If you can get by with cooking all your poppers with 1 cup of oil, great. But if you want a more saturated "fry" you may need to add more.

5. Pan-fry each jalapeno popper for about 90 seconds on each side. Flip with care.

6. Transfer poppers to a paper towels to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Found: kblog.lunchbox.com

Stuffed Zucchini

Stuffed Zucchini
Serves 4

When I made this the other night, I only scooped out 1 zucchini. However, I'm finding large ones at the Farmers Markets. I ended up forgetting to add the tomatoes while cooking the veggie mix, so I added it at the end with bread crumbs and the crushed red pepper. Bruce loved the non-dairy cream cheese mentioning that it made the dish. You decide.... Happy Wednesday.....

1 large zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise and the "meat" scooped out and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 tomato, diced
3 large button mushrooms, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup onion, chopped (I used the green tops-leaves from the one I picked up from the farmers market)
2 Tablespoons Italian bread crumbs
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 8oz. container of non-dairy cream cheese, (I used Follow Your Heart; Vegan Gourmet)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and drizzle 2 Tablespoons olive oil in glass casserole dish. Set aside.

2. In a medium sized skillet (I use my beloved cast iron) over medium-high, heat remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil with the garlic and onion, stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes. Add the red bell pepper and mushrooms, cooking for about 3 more minutes. Finally add the zucchini (and tomatoes) cooking for about 2-3 minutes, adding the non-dairy cream cheese and black pepper. Once the non-dairy cream has melted, stuff the zucchini shells.

3. Bake for 20 minutes, and at the ten minutes sprinkle with bread crumbs and crushed red pepper. If you forget the tomatoes (like I did) sprinkle the tomatoes on first, before the other toppings. Chopped walnuts are nice too....

Serve with some crusty garlic bread and some dry white wine.... Enjoy!