Author: betsy

by betsy

Mini Vegan No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecakes (almost raw!)

 Yield: 12 mini cheesecakes

Vegan Almost Raw Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes…this one for the win!

I promised I would be back with you when I had refined my recipe for vegan pumpkin cheesecake enough to share with all of you vegan aficionados. I am thrilled to say my most recent taste test is a keeper! And NO baking reqired.

Plus, I got smart, and purchased a mini cheesecake pan at the kitchen Barn so that I could make partial recipes and not have huge cheesecakes sitting around.

I went a completely different route this time with an unbaked version. I can’t call it completely raw, though, because, of course, the canned pumpkin puree is cooked at the factory and I simmer the sauce to thicken it. But I am not a raw vegan anyway, so it doesn’t matter.

This cheesecake goes together so quick and easy and is beautiful enough for company. So put it on your holiday menu and impress your friends with both the taste and the appearance. Regarding appearance, be sure to press each layer down firmly or you will end up with a few air bubbles as I did. Still, I think it was ready for its close-up. You?

This recipe requires a 12-cup mini-cheesecake tin with removable bottoms.

Note: when coconut milk cans are shaken, you want to only hear a little sloshing indicating semi-solid cream at the top.

Crust:
1/2 cup raw pecan halves or pieces
2 tablespoons unsweetened grated coconut
2 pitted medjool dates
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Process in food processor until mixture is texture of course cookie dough. Divide evenly among 12 mini-cheesecake cups and press firmly and evenly into bottoms.

Filling:
2 cups raw cashews
3 cups water
1/4 cup canned pureed pumpkin
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-solid cream from top of 2 cans full-fat coconut milk (remaining tablespoons from second can will be used for sauce)
“Caramel” Sauce
Lightly salted and roasted pecan half

Heat cashews for 10 minutes on high power in large bowl in microwave. Drain and process in food processor until an almost smooth dough-like consistency forms. Add pumpkin, syrup, spice, and extracts and process until smooth, thick and creamy. Divide evenly among mini-cheesecake cups, pressing firmly and smoothing tops. Then divide coconut cream among each, also smoothing tops. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Remove mini-cheesecakes from tin and serve each with a drizzle of “caramel” sauce and a roasted pecan half.

“Caramel” Sauce:

1/4 cup semi-solid cream from second can full-fat coconut milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
Optional: 1 teaspoon brandy, bourbon, or cognac

Vigorously simmer cream and maple syrup together over medium heat until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in alcohol if using. Cool to warm before drizzling over cheesecake.

Garnish:

12 lightly salted roasted pecan halves

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfood #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfood #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

by betsy

Vegan Broccoli Tacos

Yield: 2 tacos

Eat your broccoli…your Vegan Broccoli Taco that is!

Everything is better as a taco…

Most of our busy lives leave little time for cooking. But I still like to cook, I just find that I gravitate more to an assemblage of minimally cooked and delicious fresh ingredients. So, these days, I am often more of an assembler than a cook. But I am eating delicious food that is healthy and beautiful. Come along for the ride!

1 cup riced broccoli
1 cup diced or slivered onion
Sea salt to taste
2 tablespoons vegan parmesan (I like Follow Your Heart brand)
2 corn, flour, or corn-flour tortillas
2 to 4 tablespoons my Blooming Platter Mayo (at only 10 calories per tablespoon), or vegan sour cream, hummus, etc.
1/4 cup shredded cabbage
4 carrot chips

In a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat, dry saute broccoli and slivered onion with sea salt to taste until onion is crisp-tender and develops some nice charred marks. Remove from heat and stir in vegan cheese.

Heat tortillas for 30 seconds in microwave, spread each with half of the Mayo, divide the broccoli-onion mixture between the two, top each with a couple of tablespoons shredded cabbage and a couple carrot chips. Dive in!

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfood #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfood #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

by betsy

Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Taco


I will put just about anything in a tortilla these days…and each new resulting taco is my “favorite.” This one tastes like autumn with the earthy-sweet butternut squash and sage.
Per serving:

1 corn or corn-flour tortilla
1/3 cup baby kale
2 tablespoons diced roasted butter nut squash (app. 30 minutes at 450 degrees)
2 tablespoons yellow onion slices sauteed with a spritz of non-stick spray and rubbed sage and sea salt to taste
1 tablespoon Blooming Platter Mayo (10 cslories per tablespoon) or vegan sour cream
1 generous tablespoon shredded vegan parmesan
Ootional garnish: roasted and lightly salted pepitas

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfood #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfood #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

by betsy

Vegan Single Microwave Chocolate-Walnut Cookie

Yield: 1 delicious cookie

You knew it was coming, right?  A chocolate version to add to my growing repertoire of single-serving microwave cookies.

These cookies are all are ideal when you have a craving that needs satisfied pronto with almost no mess to clean up.  Plus they won’t leave you with a whole batch hanging around testing your willpower.

Vegan Microwave Chocolate-Walnut Cookie

1 tablespoon vegan butter (I use earth Balance), melted or not (melted is a little easier to mix)
2 tablespoons Demerara sugar
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour  (I use white whole wheat)
2 teaspoons cocoa powder ( I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
1 teaspoon non-dairy milk
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 drops almond extract
2 tablespoons broken walnuts (or other nuts) + 1 walnut half for garnish

In a very small bowl or cup, mix together the butter, sugar, flour, and extracts with your fingers. Mix in the nuts. Shape into a cookie about 1/2 inch thick in the center of a microwave-safe plate. Microwave for about 60 seconds. Check for doneness in center. If it needs a bit more, microwave for another 20 to 30 seconds. You can enjoy it warm and it will be somewhat soft, or you can let it cool a bit and it will be firm enough to lift.

Note: all microwaves are different, so you might want to start out with just 45 seconds and continue to cook in 10 second increments. Cook’s choice.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfood #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfood #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

by betsy

Vegan Edamame Hummus Taco

Such a tasty, satisfying lunch that needs no preamble:

  1. Warm a taco shell (I like corn or a corn-flour combo);
  2. Spread with 2 tablespoons edamame hummus;
  3. Top with shredded cabbage;
  4. Drizzle with vegan mayo (I love my 10-calorie/tablespoon Blooming Platter Mayo) whisked with soy sauce, Thai sweet chile sauce, and sriracha; and
  5. Top with 2 carrot chips and 4 or 5 wasabi roasted almonds (I buy Kroger brand).

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfood #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfood #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

by betsy

Vegan Reduced-Calorie Caramel-Cashew Popcorn with Chocolate Drizzle

Let’s be honest…this is an outrageously delicious occasional splurge, not health food, despite being vegan. I have reduced the calories by using Skinny Pop, Stevia Baking Blend and Smart Balance Light, but I am not going to share the calorie count because it is still alot. Make a batch and enjoy a little to satisy your craving, but then share small bags with friends, as I did.

4.4 ounce bag Skinny Pop popcorn
1 cup roasted and lightly salted cashew halves and pieces
1/2 cup roasted and lightly salted almonds
3/4 cup Smart Balance Light (made with Flaxseed Oil–other SB are not necessarily vegan)
1 cup Stevia Baking Blend
2 tablespoons molasses (not blackstrap)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Chocolate Drizzle
1 cup vegan dark chocolate chunks or chips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with waxed paper, parchment paper, or Silpat and set aside on wire rack.  Combine popcorn and nuts in large roasting pan.

In medium saucepan, combine Smart Balance, Stevia, molasses, corn syrup, and sea salt.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.  Drizzle over popcorn and nuts, stir to combine, and bake for 50-60 minutes, stirring every 15.  Spoon onto prepared baking sheet and cool completely.

Melt cocolate with oil in microwave safe bowl in microwave in 30-second intervals, whisking after each. Transfer melted chocoalte to sandwich bag, seal, snip corner, and drizzle over caramel corn in a zig-zag motion. You may alternatively use a reusable pastry bag fitted with circular tip.

Let sit at room temperature about 3 hours or until chocolate is set. Store in an airtight container or sandwich bags.

#vegan#veganrecipes#veganfood#veganfoodshare#veganfoodporn#plantbased#plantbasedrecipes#plantbasedfood#plantbasedfoodshare#plantbasedfoodporn

by betsy

Vegan Cauliflower Biscuits
no pre cooking of cauliflower!

Vegan Cauliflower Cheese Biscuits–yowza!

Yield: 1 dozen biscuits (only 28 calories each, including the butter!)

As I was developing the recipes for my hard-to-beat cauliflower tart dough and cauliflower pizza dough, I stumbled across a reference to cauliflower biscuits. Specifically, cauliflower cheese biscuits. My interest was definitely piqued.

Home from school as hurricane Florence bears down on the East Coast, and avoiding grading quite admirably, I decided to experiment. I got these right on the first try!

What distinguishes my cauliflower based recipes, in part, are that they do not require pre-cooking of cauliflower as virtually all of the recipes do. I simply can’t take time for an additional step. And my final products are delicious with beautiful texture.

As for biscuits, I grew up in Mississippi, and I know from good biscuits. When I was in high school, Hardee’s introduced their biscuits and my boyfriend and I would spend Saturday mornings trying to duplicate them. I am a biscuit fanatic, but I haven’t eaten even vegan ones in years because of the calories.

However, a whole batch of these biscuits has about the same calories as one regular biscuit, vegan or not! Are they an exact replica of a biscuit? No, but they somehow satisfy much of the same craving.

1 pound trimmed cauliflower

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons Vegan Egg (available as a powder at healthier grocery stores)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese ( I used Daiya)

Optional: Chesapeake Bay Seasoning

1 tablespoon vegan butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees. Line a baking pan with a silicone baking mat, if available, and spray with non-stick spray. I used Baker’s Joy which has flour mixed with the oil.

Place cauliflower, water, Vegan Egg powder, garlic powder, and sea salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the consistency of a very slightly textured cookie dough. Pulse in cheese.

Using a cookie scoop, place 12 balls of dough a couple of inches apart on prepared baking sheet, and then slightly flatten to make a biscuit shape. If desired, sprinkle very lightly with Chesapeake Bay Seasoning and bake for 30 minutes. Brush tops with melted butter, remove to a wire rack to cool slightly, and serve warm.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfood #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfood #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

by betsy

Single Vegan Microwave Chewy Ginger Cookie

For the first day of school this year, I made my Advanced Placement and Advanced Art students my favorite autumnal cookie: chewy Lemon – Ginger cookies.  A hit!  Even picky Bob loves them.

So, with Hurricane Florence bearing down on us and the likelihood of widespread power outages (read: only being able to use the microwave with our generator), I decided I better quickly test my formula for a ginger version of my single vegan microwave cookies.

It worked beautifully.  These aren’t as big as my others because they lack chocolate chips and/or nuts. So count on this serving just one person.

But count on making them–like the others– over and over again.

Recipe:

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons flour (I use white whole wheat)
2 + 1 tablespoons Stevia or Demerara sugar ( I highly recommend Demerera, as the dough needs that depth of flavor to taste like a true ginger cookie)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon vegan butter, melted or not
Oprional: 1 teaspoon Chia or flax seed meal
1 teaspoon non-dairy milk (I use soymilk)
2 drops vanilla extract
1 drop almond
A few grains sea salt

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients, using only 2 tablespoons of the sugar, with your fingers. Roll into a ball,  roll the ball in the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar–you will have extra–place on a microwave-safe plate, and press gently to flatten into a disk about 1/2-inch thick . Cook at full power for one and a half minutes. Depending on your microwave’s power, you might have to adjust cooking time. Let cool slightly before devouring.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfood #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfood #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

by betsy

Vegan Cauliflower – Oat Pizza Crust
no pre-cooking of cauliflower required, unlike virtually all other recipes

Eureeeeeeka!

My Vegan Cauliflower-Oat Pizza Crust retest was a success…the slices now hold up with no precooking of cauliflower, like virtually all other recipes!

This success makes me ridiculously happy after my failed attempt last night. I hate to be thwarted.  The keys?  Slightly thicker crust and optimal cooking times.

Blooming Vegan Cauliflower-Oat Pizza Crust
(only 200 calories for entire crust)

2 1/2 cups cauliflower florets
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
2 tablespoons flax seed meal or ground chia seed
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Spray baking stone very well with nonstick baking spray.   Process ingredients in a food processor until the consistency of slightly course cookie dough.  Press into a disk 1/2-inch thick (no thinner) on pizza stone.  It should be about 8 inches in diameter.  Bake 20 minutes.  Carefully flip and bake 5-6 minutes more. Top as desired–but avoid thick heavy toppings if you plan to lift the pizza slices by hand–and bake another 5 minutes.  Cool 3-5 minutes, slice and serve.

Note about flipping: I used one of those plastic cookie flipping devices that slides under a batch of cookies, as it will slide under the whole crust.  They are inexpensive, but if you don’t have one and don’t want to purchase one, perhaps bake the crust on oiled foil over a baking sheet and then carefully flip onto oiled baking sheet.

#vegan#veganrecipes#veganfood#veganfoodshare#veganfoodporn#plantbased#plantbasedrecipes#plantbasedfood#plantbasedfoodshare#plantbasedfoodporn

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