Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Copycat Bailey's Irish Cream

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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.


Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Fall Harvest Vegetable Marinara

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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.

Monday, December 7, 2015

Sunbutter Love Granola

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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.

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Snickerdoodles

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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