Copycat Bailey's Irish Cream

I used to love Bailey's Irish Cream around the holidays - and never dreamed I could recreate this in a vegan version - but recently stumbled upon some genius vegan versions. This one had the spices figured out, which is the main secret! I have made this a few times now and am thrilled with the results. I made only a few changes to make the recipe easier and to suit my taste memory of the classic drink.

Copycat Bailey's Irish Cream

Ingredients:

1/2  cup strong coffee
scant 1/8 cup maple syrup
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cocoa powder

1 can full fat coconut milk

Spice sachet w/
1 piech of ginger about a tsp worth
3 cardamom pods
1/4 stick of cinnamon
1 star anise

1/2 cup Jamison Irish Whisky
Soy Milk

Directions:

Brew some coffee or use some leftover from your morning (that's what I did!). Put the coffee, maple syrup, salt, vanilla, cocoa powder and coconut milk in a saucepan. Add the spice sachet (I used a tea ball) and bring to a rolling boil. Let it simmer for 10 minutes. Cool and store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. To serve, put some ice in a glass and fill 3/4 with soy milk, 1/4 with the Bailey's mixture and add a splash of whisky if you would like.

Enjoy.

Fall Harvest Vegetable Marinara

I made this marinara late this fall, when I harvested my garden for the last time before winter. I had a ton of tomatoes and decided to make a marinara that included a few other veggies. It was so delicious over pasta and a bit more complex than a straight tomato marinara.

Fall Harvest Vegetable Marinara

Ingredients:

3 1/2 - 4 pounds fresh tomatoes (blanched and peeled)

3 tbsp olive oil
6-8 cloves of garlic
2 carrots, diced small
1 stalk celery, diced small
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 small zucchini, diced small  

6 oz can tomato paste
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (2 tsp dried)
1/2 tbsp fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp dried)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

You want to start out by boiling some water to blanch your tomatoes with. You will also need to prepare an ice bath for the tomatoes. Do this by filling a large mixing bowl halfway with cold water and then adding ice to it.

Once the water is boiling put the tomatoes in the boiling water for 40 seconds. Remove them with a slotted spoon into the ice bath.

Now you are ready to start the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Prepare all the vegetables and add them to the olive oil (this includes the garlic, carrots, celery, bell pepper and zucchini). Next, peel the tomatoes and either crush them into the pan with your hands, or dice them on a cutting board and pour them into the pan. Be sure to include the tomato juice.

Stir to combine well add the tomato paste and the seasonings. Let it simmer for an hour or two, stirring occasionally. Once the sauce has thickened up to a nice consistency, add the salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings. If your vegetables were not very sweet you can add a tsp of agave or sugar if you like.

Serve warm over pasta.

This recipe made a lot of sauce. I froze 4 quart-sized bags from this recipe to enjoy during the winter. You can cut the recipe down and use less tomatoes if you do not want the excess.

Sunbutter Love Granola

We eat a lot of granola at my house, so I often tweak the recipe to keep our tastebuds guessing. This week's tweak was so delicious that I had to share. I added some Sunbutter to the mix and we all fell in love.

Sunbutter Love Granola

Ingredients:

3 cups oats
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup hemp seeds
2 tbsp chia seeds
1/4 cup buckwheat
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp Sunbutter

1/2 cup raisins

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Put the oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax, hemp, chia, buckwheat, salt and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Melt the coconut oil in a measuring cup and add the maple syrup and Sunbutter to it. Stir well to combine these wet ingredients and then pour them over the oat mixture. Stir well to coat everything and then put it in a greased baking dish (I use a large rectangle glass baking dish) and then put it in the oven. It needs to bake for about 25 minutes total, with a stir every 7 minutes or so.

Once it is golden brown, take it out of the oven and let it cool completely. Add the raisins and store in an airtight container. Enjoy as a snack, with soy milk like cereal, or over your favorite vegan yogurt.

Snickerdoodles

A few years back, my stepfather broke his ankle jumping out of a plane. I baked these cookies to cheer him up while he recovered.

This weekend a good friend of mine had a baby. Wanting to send a care package, I baked these cookies to send to her.

Apparently, I think these are good for comfort. Maybe it's the cinnamon? Or maybe, it's because I think they are good for any occasion. I have brought them to parties, to work, and to potlucks. Maybe I just like Snickerdoodles? Regardless, this is one of those tried and true recipes that turns out every time.

This is my Mom's recipe, which we veganized a few years back and have loved ever since.

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegan margarine
1 cup natural sugar
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

cinnamon sugar mix (1/4 cup sugar mixed with 1 tsp cinnamon)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the margarine and sugar. When blended add the vanilla, water and oil and continue to beat with mixers until it is light and fluffy.

Put dry ingredients into a sifter and sift over the butter and sugar mixture. Mix all ingredients by hand. Scoop tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. Roll the balls of dough in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Press to flatten a bit and bake for 8-10 minutes.

For 18 cookies
Nutritional info from caloriecount.about.com

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 40 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 172 Calories from Fat 67

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 7.5g 12%

Saturated Fat 1.3g 7%

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 126mg 5%

Total Carbohydrates 24.6g 8%

Sugars 11.2g

Protein 1.9g

Vitamin A 4% • Vitamin C 0% Calcium 2% • Iron 5%

Nutrition Grade D+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Kabocha Squash Pasta with Sage

What is it about squash and pasta? I don't get why they go so well, but they do! This pasta dish turned out so yummy. Cooking the vegan parmesan with the wine mellowed it, and my husband couldn't get over how "parmesaney" the flavor was. He is not vegan so he has the recent taste of parmesan to compare it to, while my memory has faded.

I know my tastebuds have adjusted, and I much prefer my vegan fare to my memories of animal-sourced ingredients. However, I always get a kick out of a non-vegan embracing a dish like this, as I know their tastebuds have not adjusted to a different way of eating. I love the idea of a vegan dish  that appeals to everyone.

Kabocha Squash Pasta with Sage

Ingredients:

8 oz farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic
1 tsp dried rubbed sage
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups diced oven roasted kabocha squash
1/4 cup vegan white wine
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vegan parmesan (I like GoVeggie brand)

Directions:

Oven roast your squash (basically you slice it, drizzle it with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast it in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until tender).

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain as soon as the pasta is aldente.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the diced onion and minced garlic. Let these cook down over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

When the onion and garlic have softened add the sage, salt, pepper and stir to combine. Add the diced squash and let it heat up. Then add the white wine to the pan and let it evaporate. Once the wine has evaporated add the water and vegan parmesan.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sage.

Creamy Cucumber Dressing/Dip

Late fall is the best time for gardening. You work all year to plant, water, weed and care for your garden and then it all comes together in the fall when you start to harvest the freshest organic produce available. I did not have the best year with my garden. My herbs didn't take off like I imagined, my root veggies had their tops eaten by some creature (birds, I think) and a late storm killed off a lot of my spring plants. However, we harvested squash, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes carrots, beets, turnips, and peas.... it is so rewarding.

All these fresh veggies lend themselves to dipping. This cucumber dip is fresh and delicious as a dip or salad dressing. Either way it is yummy.

Creamy Cucumber Dressing/Dip

Ingredients:

1 cup vegan mayo
1/2 cup peeled and finely diced cucumber (1/2 medium cucumber)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp parsely
1 tsp dill
salt and pepper to taste - just a few sprinkles is enough

Directions:

Basically you just mix it all together and let it chill. Easy peasy :)  Drizzle over salads or dip fresh veggies into it and enjoy.

Carrozucchi Cupcakes with Maple Date Glaze

These cupcakes are such a delicious fall treat. The spices are warm and homey, and the carrots and zucchini are a fun twist for a cupcake. I made a carrozuchi cake a couple of weeks ago and my family has been begging for more. These cupcakes were my compromise as they were a bit easier to frost than a layered cake. They tasted just as good with a moist cupcake, luscious frosting, and sticky glaze.

The maple date glaze is from Chef Chloe's cookbook, Chloe's Kitchen. This sauce was used on her winning cupcakes. Her vegan cupcakes won Cupcake Wars, which is so awesome as it made her the first vegan to win a culinary competition on TV. 

Carrozucchi Cupcake with Maple Date Glaze

Cupcake Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups soymilk
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp flax meal
6 Tbsp water
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup vegan margarine
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cups natural sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oat flour
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice

Cupcake Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two muffin tins with 18 paper liners.

Combine the soy milk with the apple cider vinegar in a measuring cup and set it aside to sour.

Combine the flax meal with the water and stir. Then set it aside to thicken.

Grate the zucchini and the carrot.

Beat the margarine, vanilla, and sugar until it is light and fluffy. To that add the soured milk and the flax seed mixture and stir to combine well.

In another large mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice.

Finally, add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined, then fold in your grated carrots and zucchini.

Fill the liners 3/4 of the way full and place them in the oven for 18-22 minutes. When the tops spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, take them out of the oven to let cool before frosting.

Frosting Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegan cream cheese (I like Tofutti brand)
1/4 cup vegan margarine (I like Earth Balance brand) at room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups natural powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp water

Frosting Directions:

Take the  room temperature margarine and place it in a mixing bowl with the vegan cream cheese. Add the vanilla, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, and 1 tbsp of water. Beat with electric mixers until it is completely smooth and combined. Add more powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and continue to beat with the mixers until all the powdered sugar is incorporated and the frosting is light and fluffy. You can add a little more water as needed to get the consistency you would like.

Maple Date Glaze Ingredients:

8 dates
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla 
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
2-3 Tbsp water

Maple Date Glaze Directions:

Boil the dates over low for 10 minutes. Let them cool and then add them to a blender with all the other glaze ingredients. Blend well to completely combine and smooth the ingredients. Put the glaze in the refrigerator to cool and thicken.

Top the cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting and drizzle with the maple date glaze. Enjoy your yummy fall treats.

Herbed Lentil Soup

This soup is so hearty and satisfying. I feel nourished every time I have it, and love how the lentils add substance for a filling dish. This soup gets better as it sits, so it makes great leftovers. I also like to keep some in my freezer for those busy nights when I don't have time to cook. My picky son and nephew both love this soup which gives me confidence that others will love it, too. Serve this with a salad and warm bread for a delicious meal.

Herbed Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups diced onion (1 large yellow onion)
3 gloves of garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery diced
1 tbsp chopped celery leaves
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tbsp vegetable bouillon (I like Better than Bouillon brand)
6 cups water
1 cup diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup lentils
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup finely diced greens of your choice (collards or spinach work well)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and add the onion and garlic. Let the onion and garlic cook until the onion is translucent, around 5-7 minutes. Add the diced carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes, while stirring frequently. Then add all of the spices and stir to combine. Let this heat for 1 minute more to let the seasonings bloom. Next, add the bouillon, water, diced tomatoes, and lentils. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 30-45 minutes (check the soup occasionally and add more water if needed). Finally, add the salt and the greens. Stir to combine and let it cook for 5-10 more minutes so the greens can wilt.

For 8 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 315 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  129 Calories from Fat  19

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  2.2g 3%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  259mg 11%

Potassium  399mg 11%

Total Carbohydrates  20.5g 7%

Dietary Fiber  9.0g 36%

Sugars  3.1g

Protein  7.1g

Vitamin A 60% • Vitamin C 17% Calcium 5% • Iron 12%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Vegetable Enchilada Casserole

One of my husband's favorite foods growing up was enchiladas. His mom would brown ground beef, make the red enchilada sauce, and everyone would build their own enchilada with corn tortillas, lettuce, tomato, black olives and sour cream. I have always wanted to recreate this dish for him...in a form that is healthier, but that he would love just as much. Finally, I found the right combination of flavors in a vegan enchilada that is our new favorite.

Vegetable Enchiladas

Filling Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 cup diced mushrooms
1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
1 cup diced zucchini

1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin

12 oz textured vegetable protein (TVP) - I prefer Boca Crumbles

Filling Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and let it cook down and soften, while stirring occasionally. Then add the mushrooms, corn, and zucchini to the pan and sauté until the vegetables have started to soften. Next, add the vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, oregano, and cumin. Mix to combine well. Then add your TVP and let it all heat through. You also want the broth to cook down a bit until it is almost completely evaporated but not dried out.
Remove the veggie mix from the heat and reserve until you are ready to assemble your enchiladas.

Enchilada Sauce Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp chili powder
2 cups cold water

1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Enchilada Sauce Directions:

Heat the vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add the flour, stir to combine into a paste and let it heat until the flour smells toasty. Add the red chili powder and stir to incorporate into the flour mixture (it makes a paste), but don't let it burn. Slowly pour the cold water into the pan with the flour mixture and stir constantly to avoid clumps. Then let it cook down until it thickens into a gravy-like consistently, stirring frequently. Finally, ad the cumin, oregano, salt and garlic powder and turn the heat to warm until ready to use.

Enchilada Ingredients:

12 corn tortillas
Filling
Enchilada sauce

Enchilada Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Spray a rectangle baking dish with cooking spray. Take four of the corn tortillas and dip them one at a time into the enchilada sauce. Layer these on the bottom of the  baking dish. Spread a third of the filling ingredients over the corn tortillas and repeat until all the tortillas and filling have been used. Pour any remaining sauce over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes until it is heated through.

This is great as is, but I have also served it with vegan cheese sauce made with nutritional yeast, which is amazing as well.

For 8 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 218 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 218 Calories from Fat 58

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 6.4g 10%

Saturated Fat 1.1g 5%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 584mg 24%

Potassium 375mg 11%

Total Carbohydrates 31.3g 10%

Dietary Fiber 7.5g 30%

Sugars 1.9g

Protein 16.0g

Vitamin A 12% • Vitamin C 9% Calcium 10% • Iron 24%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Oven Roasted Beets with Beet Greens.

This weekend we put our garden to bed for the fall and winter. In the process, we pulled up the last few root vegetables, and I had some beautiful beets to work with. I love beets.....the color, the flavor, the feeling of fall captured in them. I often make beet soup in the fall, or throw the beets in with a bunch of other vegetables to roast, but this time it was all about the beets. Oven roasted, lightly seasoned, and served over warm beet greens, these beets highlighted how good this root vegetable really is.

Oven Roasted Beets with Beet Greens

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds fresh beets with their greens attached
2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp balsamic vinegar
tarragon to taste
1/4 cup water

Reserved beet greens

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. 

Wash the beets and remove the greens, reserving the healthy looking leaves. I did not peel the beets, because of the mess (red hands :-) and because these were organic, but you can peel them if you prefer. Put the beets in a bread pan and drizzle the beets with the olive oil and toss. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and put in the oven to roast. Turn the beets every 10 minutes or so, and if they begin to really stick, add a little water to cover the bottom of the pan. The beets are done when you can easily pierce them with a fork. Mine were small and ranged from an inch or two in diameter, and they took about 35 minutes. Larger beets will take longer...up to an hour, so just check them occasionally until ready.

When the beets are done, drizzle them with the vinegar a tablespoon of water (if the pan is dry) and sprinkle with dried tarragon (about 1/2 tsp).

Wash the greens and put them in a non-stick frying pan sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat. Let the water from washing the greens begin to steam them and let them wilt in the pan...this just takes about 5 minutes. Serve the beets over a bed of the greens, drizzle with the juice from the pan.

6 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 199 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 99 Calories from Fat 17

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 1.9g 3%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 163mg 7%

Potassium 638mg 18%

Total Carbohydrates 19.2g 6%

Dietary Fiber 4.1g 16%

Sugars 15.1g

Protein 3.4g

Vitamin A 11% • Vitamin C 15% Calcium 4% • Iron 9%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Chocolate Zucchini Cookies

This weekend I finished putting my gardens to bed for the winter. As a result, I picked the three last zucchini of the season. So when I was reading the blog hungryrunnergirl, and she mentioned her friend's awesome zucchini cookies, I was intrigued. I turned to the internet and it turns out that zucchini cookies are a thing....I had just never heard of them. Google results described cookies that are soft from the zucchini and rich and wonderful. I had to try it! I settled on this recipe to veganize and the results were just as good as the internet promised.

My family raved about these cookies. They are a soft, rich and chocolatey cake-like cookie. We will definitely be making these next year when the zucchini is abundant again.

Chocolate Zucchini Cookies

Ingredients:

1 tbsp flax meal
3 tbsp water

1 cup grated zucchini (1 small zucchini)

1/2 cup vegan margarine at room temperature
3/4 cup vegan brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oat flour (or all purpose flour)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp cocoa powder

3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Mix the flax meal with the 3 tbsp of water and whisk well to combine. Set aside to let thicken. This is my favorite egg replacer for baked goods and golden flax meal works especially well.

Grate the zucchini and set aside until ready to use.

Beat the margarine, sugar, and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Then add the flax meal mixture to it and mix to combine. Then add the zucchini to the wet ingredients.

In another bowl, whisk the whole wheat flour, the oat flour, the oats, baking soda, salt and cocoa until well combined. Be sure there are no clumps of baking soda or cocoa in the mixture. Then fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined and drop by rounded tablespoons onto the greased cookie sheets. Bake for 8-9 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 30 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  106 Calories from Fat  44

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  4.9g 8%

Saturated Fat  1.0g 5%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  173mg 7%

Potassium  71mg 2%

Total Carbohydrates  14.2g 5%

Dietary Fiber  1.2g 5%

Sugars  5.7g

Protein  1.7g

Vitamin A 4% • Vitamin C 1% Calcium 1% • Iron 5%

Nutrition Grade D+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet