Author: betsy

by betsy

Loaded Baked Onion–only 300 calories! (vegan & plant-based)

Yield: 1 main dish serving, but may also be served as a rich side dish (easily multiplies)

Similar to a loaded baked potato, only with far more juicy flavor, this loaded baked onion is liable to become a staple in your household.

I have never been a breakfast eater–Just give me a chai tea with non-dairy milk and I am good to go–so while I walked each of our dogs for their mile, from 10 until 11, I was contemplating what I might enjoy for an early-ish lunch.

I haven’t been to the grocery store in a bit, so I was also mentally scanning the pantry and fridge as I walked. I wanted something that tasted decadent but was actually quite wholesome. For some reason, I lighted upon a baked onion. My luscious version turned out to be only 300 calories and ready in a snap because I actually cooked it in the microwave and then finished it under the broiler.

It is as addicting as homemade caramelized onion dip, but without the fairly empty calories of potato chips. Win-win!

1 medium yellow onion, peeled, and one quarter inch cut horizontally off top and bottom

Vegetable oil spray

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 small clove garlic minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)

2 tablespoons shredded vegan cheese (I used mozzarella)

1 tablespoon vegan butter (I use a light version that is only 35 calories per tablespoon)

1 tablespoon vegan sour cream

Garnishes: A few pieces sliced green onion, minced parsley, three or so smoked almonds, and a pinch smoked paprika

Spray a gratin dish with vegetable spray, place onion inside, lightly spritz onion with soray, and sprinkle with a hint of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook uncovered in microwave on high setting for 10 minutes. Remove and gently cut an x into top of onion with a serrated or sharp knife, about half way or 3/4 of the way down, being careful not to burn yourself. Preheat broiler. Spoon minced garlic down inside onion and top with shredded cheese. Spritz again with vegetable oil spray and broil two or three minutes or just until top is bubbly and brown. Remove from broiler and top with butter, sour cream, parsley, green onion slices, smoked almonds, and smoked paprika. Serve immediately.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #veganbakedonion #plantbasedbakedonion

by betsy

Barbeque Bean Hummus (vegan & plant-based)

This delicious dip offers vegans all the delicious flavors of a summer cookout without the meat, mayo, and all the rest of the animal-based products.

Sure, there are vegan alternatives, but I have never craved the vegan meats quite as much as many of my vegan counterparts. This dip allows me to enjoy the flavors of barbecue, slaw, chips, and a poppyseed bun all rolled into one light, quick, beautiful, plant-based dip.

1-15 ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

3 cups broccoli slaw (I purchase it ready made in the produce section)

3 tablespoons BBQ sauce

1/4 cup green onions

2 tablespoons smoked almonds

1 tablespoon dill or sweet pickle juice

1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke

1 teaspoon salt

1 large clove garlic

Garnishes: a few smoked almonds, 1 tablespoon sliced green onions, 1 teaspoon Everything Bagel Seasoning

Accompaniments: chips, crackers, bagel chips, sliced vegetables, etc.

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until creamy, but textured. Spoon into a serving bowl and sprinkle with almonds, green onions, and Everything Bagel Seasoning. Serve with chips, crackers, bagel chips, sliced vegetables, etc. (For the photo, I cut a flour tortilla into triangles and lightly browned them on both sides in a dry skillet over medium heat.)

#vegancookout #veganbarbeque #plantbasedcookout #plantbasedbarbeque vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

by betsy

Apricot-Cream Cheese Bars with Oatmeal-Almond Crumble (vegan & plant-based)

Yield: 8 large bars to 16 small squares

This recipe is a new iteration of a longstanding Thanksgiving favorite: Cranberry Crumble. I use the same crumble, only I add a smidgen of ground ginger and switched out pecans for sliced almonds. Then I substituted my Apricot-Cream Cheese Filling–with its hint of fresh lemon and almond extract–for the original cranberry filling. Now I have an easy, delectable, and very pretty–in a rustic sort of way–favorite bar for the cool months and the summer months.

Apricot-Cream Cheese Filling:

1 tablespoon flaxseed meal

3 tablespoons lemon juice

8 ounces vegan cream cheese

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup plump dried apricots (about 12), chopped (I get about 6 to 8 pieces per apricot)

In a small bowl or cup, whisk together flaxseed meal and lemon juice. Set aside to thicken. In a medium or large bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and almond extract, and continue beating until creamy. Beat in flaxseed meal and lemon mixture until fully and fully incorporated. Fold in dried apricots. Set aside while you make crust/topping.

Crust and Topping:

½ cup vegan butter, melted
1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old fashioned or quick-cooking oats
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8 inch square baking pan with non-stick spray, line with parchment paper or foil, pressing smooth, and spray again with non-stick spray. In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients, except almonds, with a fork. Spoon half of this mixture into prepared pan patting gently into place. Pour filling over and spread to cover all the way to the edges. Mix almonds with remaining pastry mixture and sprinkle evenly over filling. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until nicely browned. Cool completely on a wire rack and cover and chill for several hours before lifting out of pan and slicing with a serrated knife.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #veganbars #plantbasedbars #veganapricot #plantbasedapricot

by betsy

Blooming Onion and Cabbage Indian Bhaji–Similar to Pakora (vegan & plant-based)

Yield: 8 to 10

Bhaji, which is very similar to pakora, only made with water, is an addicting Indian street food and you will soon see why! Not only are they scrumptious, but they are simple to prepare.

Indian has long been one of my very favorite cuisines. My traditional-ish version can be pan fried in a skillet for more of a fritter appearance, as in the photo, or deep fried for more of a free-form appearance.

Either is divine with the former being just a tiny bit trickier to cook through without over-browning one side. That is easily solved, however, by not allowing the fritter to be too thick.

Blooming Onion and Cabbage Indian Bhaji

1 small onion halved and thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced cabbage (I purchase it already sliced)
1 teaspoon salt
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garam marsala
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup water
Approximately 4 to 6 tablespoons oil for frying
Accompaniments: Your favorite chutneys, e.g. mango and cilantro-mint

Line a plate with paper towel. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients, except oil and accompaniments, with a fork until completely blended. In a large cast iron skillet, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Using a tablespoon, dollop 5 similarly sized mounds of batter into oil, pressing gently on the tops to make approximately 1/2-in tall, but leave the form somewhat irregular. Cook for a couple of minutes, lowering heat if necessary, until golden brown. Flip and repeat. Remove to paper towel-lined plate and repeat process starting with heating 2 to 3 more tablespoons oil. Adjust heat as necessary during cooking process to prevent burning. Serve right away with chutneys of choice.

#veganpakora #veganbhaji #vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #plantbasedpakora #plantbasedbhaji #veganIndianfood #plantbasedIndianfood

by betsy

Indian Spinach and Chickpeas (vegan & plant-based)

Yield: 2 large servings or 3 to 4 with sides

Pantry and fridge staples and about 20 minutes are all you need to put together this creamy, fragrant, addicting, and super healthy dish that is sure to become a “staple.”

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 medium onion, cut into large dice

1 large garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 teaspoon ground cardamon

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1-15.5 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 small can diced mild green chilies

2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach (about 4 lightly packed cups)

1-15.5 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons vegan half-and-half (e.g. Silk or Ripple brand)

Optional garnish: lightly roasted and salted cashews

Optional accompaniment: cooked basmati rice

In a large cast iron skillet, bring salted water to a simmer. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and spices, and saute, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender. Add tomatoes and chilies, and heat through. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until spinach is wilted. Add chickpeas and half-and-half, and simmer for 10 minutes or so until flavors are melded. Serve alone or with basmati rice.

#plantbasedIndianfood #veganbasedindianfood #vegancurry #plantbasedcurry #vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

by betsy

Chinese Black Bean Dip with Baked Wonton Chips (vegan & plant-based)

Yield: 2 servings

I love to eat like it’s happy hour even when it’s not. That is, I love appetizers. They are always the most enticing items on restaurant menus and, Even before the pandemic, I loved My own versions even more. The same goes for this brand new black bean dip with its Chinese flavors. It is sure to make any hour and every guest happy!

I recommend starting with the amounts of ingredients listed and then intensifying any of the flavors that you choose. Be careful with the ginger, as it can be overpowering and quite spicy.

1 15.5 ounce can unseasoned black beans, rinsed and drained

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 teaspoon agave nectar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

3 thinly sliced green onions, save a little for garnish

Garnish: 1 teaspoon Everything Bagel seasoning or white and black sesame seeds (Everything Bagel seasoning may seem out of place, but I love it because it contains sesame seeds along with dried garlic and onion)

Accompaniments:

Prepared vegan chili sauce and a few roasted and lightly salted cashews or peanuts

Baked Wonton Chips (recipe follows )

place everything except green onions, garnishes, and accompaniments in food processor and blend and tell smooth. Stir in green onions, reserving some for garnish, transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with reserved green onions and everything bagel seasoning. Serve with chili sauce for drizzling and Baked Wonton Chips for scooping.

Baked Wonton Chips

10 -3″ vegan wonton wrapper squares (I use Nasoya brand, halved diagonally)

Non-stick vegetable oil spray

Sea salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Place triangles of dough close together on baking sheet, spray very lightly with vegetable oil, and sprinkle with just the barest hint of sea salt. Bake for approximately 5 minutes or until golden.

#veganwontonchips #plantbasedwontonchips #veganchineseblackbeandip #plantbasedChineseblackbeandip #vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

by betsy

Chocolate-Orange-Almond Shortbread Cookies with Dried Cherries and White Chocolate Chips and Cherry- Cream Cheese Glaze (vegan & plant-based)

As much as I love to bake cakes and cheesecakes, that is just a lot to deal with and there are only two of us here, one of whom eats a dramatically different diet than I do.

So, my latest passion is to try to take all of the flavors that I would have put in a cake or cheesecake and put them into a cookie with far less calories than a slice of cake, far less mess, and ease of tucking into a friend’s purse or hand as a little love gift.

I wanted to make these super simple by rolling them into logs, chilling, and slicing before baking. I learned the hard way that there are too many delicious chunks in the dough for them to slice without breaking apart, so I don’t advise trying it!

Yield:1 dozen

1/2 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Zest of 1 medium blood orange or regular orange
Juice of 1/2 medium blood orange or regular orange
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds, broken or roughly chopped
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup vegan white chocolate chips
Cherry Glaze (recipe follows)
Garnishes: orange zest, dried cherries, and/or slivered or sliced almonds

Cream together butter and both sugars. Beat in extracts, zest, orange juice, and cocoa powder. With mixer on low, beat in flour about 1/4 cup at a time, scraping down sides as necessary. Stir in nuts, cherries, and white chocolate chips. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls, place two inches apart on cookie sheet, and press to about 1/2 in thick with the bottom of a sturdy glass. You may need to use a spatula to remove, but you can coat the bottom of the glass with a little cocoa powder.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper. Slice cookies 1/4-inch thick with a sharp knife and place 2-inches apart on lined baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set and just starting to brown. Transfer to wire rack, cool completely, and ice with Cherry-Orange Glaze. Garnish as desired.

Cherry-Orange Glaze

1 1/2 teaspoons vegan butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vegan cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon maraschino cherry juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients except powdered sugar until smooth. Then whisk in powdered sugar until no lumps remain. Pop in freezer for 10 minutes or so to stiffen slightly.

#veganshortbread #plantbasedshortbread #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

by betsy

Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze (vegan & plant-based)

Yield: 2 dozen

I used to continually irk my late mother by “messing” with what she considered perfection: carefully selected and notated recipes that she made exactly as written.

Perhaps she will forgive me in this case because she was a big fan of anything citrusy and these are just so pretty. They remind me of her.

To arrive here, I altered my paternal grandmother’s Russian Almond Cookie recipe, a perennial Christmas favorite that she mailed to us in wax paper lined tins in a cardboard box if we were with our other grandmother for the holidays.

1 cup vegan butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar or powdered sugar (I like the combination of sugars for texture)

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Juice of 1 small lemon (You can zest first and include the zest as well or save to sprinkle on top)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons culinary lavender

Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze (recipe follows)

Garnishes: culinary lavender, tiny lemon balm leaves, lemon zest, slivered or sliced almonds

Cream together better and sugar until fluffy. Beat in extracts and lemon juice. With mixer on low speed, beat in flour about 1/3 to 1/2 cup at a time, including culinary lavender with the last addition; avoid over mixing. There should be soft, but hold together well. Add more flour, one tablespoon at a time, if necessary. Preheat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll cookies to a scant one quarter inch thick. Cut out with your favorite cookie cutter, rerolling and recutting scraps as necessary. Bake for approximately 10 to 12 minutes or just until lightly golden brown. Cool on baking sheet on wire rack. When completely cool ice and garnish.

Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze

1 tablespoon vegan butter, softened

1 tablespoon vegan cream cheese, softened

Juice of 1/2 small lemon

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Tiny pinch turmeric, if desired, for yellow color

Whisk together first three ingredients until smooth. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until virtually no lumps remain.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #veganlemonlavendershortbreadcookies #plantbasedlemonlavendershortbreadcookies

by betsy

Creamy Lemony Riced Cauliflower Risotto (low-calorie, vegan & plant-based)

Yield: serves four as a side dish, two as a main dish

I love anything creamy, particularly if it also has a little bit of texture and layers of flavor. But I am quite a calorie counter and avid exerciser, so the wide availability of riced cauliflower and the fairly new availability in our area of Silk brand half-and-half inspired this dish. That and a powerful appetite on this Father’s Day Sunday at midday. This dish is filling, but light and bright, quick, easy, and so pretty,. Just perfection.

2 cups water, divided

1 small onion finely chopped

1 vegetable bouillon cube or 1 teaspoon vegetable base

1 bulb roasted garlic or two to three cloves raw garlic, minced

10 ounces riced cauliflower

Zest of 1 small lemon

1/4 cup Silk brand vegan unsweetened half-and-half (Ripple brand is nice too, but if you can’t find either or another brand of unsweetened vegan half and half, use coconut milk)

1/4 cup shredded vegan mozzarella

2 tablespoons vegan Parmesan

Garnishes: minced parsley, slivered almonds, toasted or not, a few nutritional yeast flakes or vegan parmesan shreds, fresh lemon slices, wedges, or more zest (in the photo, I used nutritional yeast flakes, parsley, and toasted slivered almonds)

In a large iron skillet over medium-high, bring 1/2 cup water to a simmer, add onion, and sauté/simmer until virtually all water is evaporated. Add remaining water, bouillon cube, garlic, and cauliflower, and simmer, stirring frequently, until virtually all of water is once again evaporated. Add remaining ingredients, lower heat if necessary, and stir until cheeses are melted and all ingredients are fully incorporated. Serve immediately topped with the garnishes of your choice.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #veganrisotto #plantbasedrisotto

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