September 22, 2024September 24, 2024 by betsy

Best Pumpkin Banana Bread (vegan/plant-based + gluten-free option)

Luscious in texture, gently spicy and molasses-y in flavor–without molasses (except in brown sugar)–this stir-together one-bowl treat will keep you warm all winter.

Feel free to add nuts, chocolate chips, struesel topping, or plant-based cream cheese frosting, but I think all it needs is a cup of chai tea…and maybe some Silk vanilla Greek style yogurt.

Pumpkin Banana Bread

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 medium banana, peeled (and mashed, if not using electric mixer)
1/2 cup organic granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 tespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups gluten-free 1:1 baking mix (make sure it is 1:1) or unbleached all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a standard 5 x 9″ loaf pan. In large mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients except flour until completely combined. (If using an electric mixer, beat pumpkin and banana together until smooth and creamy. Then add remaining ingredients except flour and blend on medium-low until completely combined.) Next, add flour one half-cup at a time, stirring or mixing just until incorporated. Transfer to prepared pan, gently smoothing top. Bake 55 to 60 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in pan. Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack covered with a dish towel.

Note: It will slice nicely warm if made with all-purpose flour, but if made with gluten-free flour, slice when it is just barely warm to the touch, or it will tend to break apart a bit.

#vegan #veganism #veganshare #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #vegansofinstagram #vegansofig #vegansoffacebook #vegansofvirginia #goveg #veganforlife #govegan #doitfortheanimals #animalsarefriendsnotfood #herbivore #crueltyfree #thebloomingplatter #foodstylist #recipedeveloper #foodphotography

@vegan_community

July 11, 2024July 11, 2024 by betsy

Pumpkin & Coconut Milk Bisque (vegan/ plant-based & gf)

Pumpkin & Coconut Milk Bisque (vegan/ plant-based & gf)

Yield: 4 servings

I am a year-round soup lover, even when it is scorching hot outside, because soup is a quick and flavorful meal in a bowl that is hydrating and beautiful. Pureed pumpkin and lite coconut milk make this one creamy and golden, but the vegetables provide plenty of texture and a nutritional punch. Layering on the garnishes turns each bowl into an extravaganza, best scooped with a warm tortilla.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 large bell pepper, any color, diced (I use 1 cup diced bell pepper of 3 different colors)
Pinch sea salt
1-15.5 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes with juice (I like to use the variety with garlic)
1-15.5 ounce can pureed pumpkin
1-15.5 ounce can lite coconut milk
1-10 ounce frozen package riced cauliflower, cooked according to package directions (for this recipe, I choose a lime and cilantro version)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
Additional sea salt plus freshly ground black pepper to taste
Water to thin as desired

Accompaniment: warm tortillas (gf if desired)
Garnishes: Plant-based sour cream (I like to melt it in microwave for drizzling), chili oil, black bean and corn salsa, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, roasted and lightly salted pumpkin seeds

In Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot, bring olive oil to a sizzle over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and pinch salt and saute, stirring frequently, several minutes, until softened. Adjust heat if necessary. Stir in remaining ingredients in order and let simmer 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until flavors are married. Serve in large bowls with warm tortillas, garnished as desired.

#vegan #veganism #veganshare #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #vegansofinstagram #vegansofig #vegansoffacebook #vegansofvirginia #goveg #veganforlife #govegan #doitfortheanimals #animalsarefriendsnotfood #herbivore #crueltyfree #thebloomingplatter #tofutti #foodstylist #recipedeveloper #foodphotography #vegansoup #plantbasedsoup #pumpkinsoup

December 27, 2020December 27, 2020 by betsy

Pumpkin Beer Cheddar Soup

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

My friend, Jeff Dunn, to whom I gifted half of the recipe in a red-lidded carton tied with a bow, texted me that “The soup is Phenomenal!! I think this is my new favorite soup of all time.”

This is a rich,creamy, deeply flavored, and dramatically cleaned up version of a dairy-based beer Cheddar soup recipe I came across. It was made with lots of dairy, coconut milk, and no pumpkin, rather pumpkin beer.

While I didn’t taste that soup, I can’t imagine a tastier nor velvetier version than mine made with pureed pumpkin, coconut milk, the vegan beer of your choice, and a small amount of vegan Cheddar supplemented with cheesy and ultra-healthy nutritional yeast.

Pumpkin Beer Cheddar Soup

(vegan & plant-based)
Yield: 6 servings

1 medium-large yellow onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 vegetable bouillon cube or 1 teaspoon paste
1-15 ounce can pureed pumpkin
1-15 ounce can coconut milk, lite or regular
12 ounces vegan beer (Google to identify vegan brands)
1 cup shredded vegan Cheddar
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
Ootional toppings: grated vegan Cheddar, sliced green onions, roasted and lightly salted pumpkin seeds or pecan halves, pomegranate arils, dried cranberries or cherries, sprig of rosemary, sage leaves, croutons, etc.

Cover bottom of large soup pot with water and add onion and salt. Place over medium heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until onion is soft. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds. Add cornstarch and stir well to combine. Add remaining ingredients, in order, stirring after each to completely combine. Simmer for 10 minutes or so until beer mellows and all flavors marry. Season with additional salt if necessary and serve topped as desired.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #plantbasedsoup #vegansoup #plantbasedbeercheddarsoup #veganbeercheddarsoup #plantbasedpumpkinsoup #veganpumpkinsoup

July 8, 2020July 8, 2020 by betsy

Oil and Sugar Free Silver Dollar Pumpkin Pancakes (vegan & plant-based)

Yield: 8 silver dollar pancakes (1 or 2 servings)

This healthy take on pancakes is ready before your craving makes you hangry! Though pumpkin calls autumn to mind, I love them on a midsummer morning. And you won’t miss the oil, sugar, or egg replacer.

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree

1 tablespoon granulated stevia

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4-1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Pinch sea salt

1/2 cup non dairy milk (I use flax with protein)

Topping of choice (For the photo, I used delicious spiced figs made by a friend, a dab of vegan sour cream, a pecan half, and a cinnamon stick)

In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together. Preheat skillet sprayed with non-stick spray to medium-high. Using about 1/8 of the batter, create 4 small disks about 2-inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. Cook a couple of minutes on each side until golden brown, slightly puffed, and cooked through. Repeat with more non-stick spray and remaining batter. Top as desired and serve immediately.

#sugarfree #oilfree #veganpancakes #plantbasedpancakes #pumpkinpancakes #vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

January 4, 2019 by betsy

Vegan Pumpkin Coconut Curry Soup

For the 18th (!) Annual Christmas, Chanukkah, Curry, and Cakes Party & Swap for some 25 of my girl tribe, I kept the menu simple, healthful, beautiful, and delicious.

This one time buffet dinner morphed into a cocktail party-swap a few years back and then, last year, into a moveable feast and swap featuring curried pumpkin soup. Soup is self-serve from the stove, but I make it festive with a buffet of toppings. This year’s tasty accompaniments were vegan blue cheese-chutney cole slaw, quartered persimmons, and vegan sugar cookies. Oh, and wine. Lots of wine.

This year’s soup creation was superior to last and I am pleased to share it with you, as I wouldn’t change a thing.

Vegan Pumpkin Coconut Curry Soup

Yield: 10 cups

1- 29 ounce can pureed pumpkin

1-15.5 ounce can lite coconut milk

1-30 gram package Jaswant’s Kitchen Chana Masala seasoning packet or the equivalent (you may prefer less–it is spicy)

4 cups vegetable stock or broth

Toppings bar: grated coconut, sliced green onions, roasted pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries or cherries, etc.

Whisk together all ingredients except toppings in a large soup pan or Dutch oven and bring to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Serve topped as desired.

July 27, 2018August 11, 2018 by betsy

Vegan Single Microwave Pumpkin Pancake
it is lo-cal with no added fat or sugar

Yield: 1 pancake

Breakfast just got a whole lot quicker, healthier, and more fun!

Many of you know that I am not a breakfast eater. Sorry, it is simply not the most important meal of the day for me. I drink some soy milk and call it done. But, I have a yoga class at 12:30 and I was hungry, but not wanting to weigh myself down.

I happened to think that if I can make a single microwave chocolate chip cookie that is delicious and ready in a minute and a half, surely I could do the same thing with a pancake.

And I did! I am so excited to share it with you.

Here is my simple recipe:

2 tablespoons self-rising flour
1 tablespoon powdered stevia
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
1 tablespoon canned pureed pumpkin
2 tablespoons non dairy milk (I use unsweetened soy)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
Optional garnish: 2 teaspoons maple syrup, pecan halves, pinch sea salt

In a cup or small ramekin, whisk together all ingredients. Shape into a pancake about 1/2- inch thick on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave for 1 minute, carefully flip with a spatula, and microwave for another 30 seconds. Garnish as desired and serve. Note: microwaves have variable power, so you might need to experiment with cooking time.

November 30, 2017December 1, 2017 by betsy

Vegan Smokey Bean, Pumpkin, and Kale Chili

Yield: approximately 10 1-cup servings

I am happy to share another recipe that uses a traditional holiday ingredient–pumpkin–in a dish that bears no resemblance to Thanksgiving or Christmas foods. I love holiday food as much as the next gal, but enjoy a break in between.

As a chili recipe, I don’t think this one needs a lot of preamble. However, I would say that what sets this recipe apart from the thousands of chili recipes out there, if I do say so, is the beautiful and careful balance of flavors–tangy, hot, sweet, and ever-so-slightly bitter–and textures–chewy, silky, and creamy. The velvety pumpkin soothes the acidity of the tomatoes and chilies in a magical way.

Plus it is bursting with healthful ingredients. And the whole pot is under 2,000 calories or less than 200 calories per 1 cup serving. That’s a whole lot of low calorie, low fat goodness.

Warm up with a cup!

Vegan Smokey Bean, Pumpkin, and Kale Chili

Note: All cans should be approximately 15 to 15.5 ounces:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 bell pepper diced (yellow, orange, or red)

3 to 4 celery hearts, finely diced

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3 to 4 large cloves garlic, minced

1 can fire-roasted tomatoes

1 chili in adobo sauce

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 cans beans, rinsed and drained, any kind (I like a tri-bean mix plus cannelini beans)

1 can corn, drained

Optional: 1/2 bunch cilantro, tied with kitchen twine

1 can pumpkin puree

1 can green enchilada sauce, medium heat

1 package taco seasoning

1 tablespoon ground cumin

12 ounces beer or nonalcoholic beer

12 cups lighty packed baby kale (I don’t remove stems, but you can)

Up to 1 cup water

Optional garnishes: vegan sour cream, vegan grated cheese, sliced green onion, fresh or pickled sliced jalapeno, sprigs of fresh cilantro, roasted and lightly salted pepitas, corn chips, etc.

Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot like a Dutch oven over medium to medium-high. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and a pinch of sea salt. Saute, stirring frequently, until softened. Add garlic, and saute, stirring, for 30 seconds. Then, simply add all remaining ingredients, except kale, bring to a light boil, lower heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Add water to think if necessary. Remove cilantro. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, stir in handfuls of kale and allow to wilt. Serve in cups, mugs, or bowls garnished as desired.

November 22, 2015November 22, 2015 by betsy

Vegan Smoky Pumpkin, Black Bean, Chorizo and Kale Bisque

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

This rich, smoky and healthy bisque is perfect for a day like today in Eastern, Virginia: cool, rainy, and a bit dreary. This soup will warm you from the inside out and brighten the darkest of days and nights which come so early this time of year.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

7 ounces vegan chorizo (I use a half a package of Trader Joe’s brand)

2 large cloves garlic, minced

Optional: 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (adds richness and depth of flavor)

1 tablespoon adobo sauce froma can of chilies in adobo

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

12 ounces flavorful vegan beer (check out Barnivore for an A-Z list of vegan beer, wine and liquor)

1-15.5 ounce can pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1-15.5 ounce can black beans, drained

3 to 4 cups fresh baby kale

2 cups vegetable stock or broth

Juice of 1/2 medium lime

Opttional: 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese or your favorite nut cream

Toppings: fresh cilantro leaves, roasted pumpkin seeds, sliced avocado, halved grape tomatoes, vegan sour cream or more nut cream, etc.

In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add onion and saute, stirring frequently, for a couple of minutes. Add chorizo and garlic and continue sauteeing and stirring for another couple of minutes. Lower heat if the onion or garlic starts to scorch. Stir in all remaining ingredients, except lime juice, until well combined and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 to 30 minutes to allow flavors to combine. Stir in lime juice and serve warm topped as desired.

October 17, 2015October 17, 2015 by betsy

Vegan Pumpkin-Apple Spice Muffins

Yield: 1 dozen muffins

My apologies for yet another hiatus…this one precipitated by the death of my adored mother, Sallie Gough–who inspired my love of cooking, art, and much more–on October 2. But I’m back and, hopefully, facing at least a year of no major losses. Yet and still, I live in a perpetual state of grace and gratefulness for the last two months of so many gestures of love and compassion that I couldn’t pay them back in two lifetimes.

In fact, I created these muffins for my nextdoor neighbor, Sonny–who has been helping me out, especially with the new dogs, since Joe passed away–and his darling daughter the young soccer star. He came over this morning with his coffee and visited with me while I sipped tea and unloaded the dish washer, leaving with the muffins to waft under the nose of his adolescent daughter who loves to sleep in, especially on chilly fall mornings. They were a hit.

The love child of my vegan Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Butter Muffins and my Peanut Butter and Apple Muffins, this recipe makes the most of two of my favorite autumnal ingredients that I happened to have on hand: pumpkin puree and fresh local apples. Enjoy with a cup of hot tea or glass of cold soymilk.

1/2 cup canned pureed pumpkin

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk (you can use plain, but you might want to slightly decrease the sugar)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup demeraral sugar

2 cups white whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Pinch ground allspice

Pinch ground cinnamon

Pinch ground cloves

2 medium apples, skin on, finely grated finely grated or chopped (fine like food processor-fine)

Line muffin cups with papers or oil well with nonstick spray. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin , canola oil, soy milk and vanilla until well combined. Whisk in sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt just until a smooth, thick batter forms. Then stir in grated apples only until incorporated. The moisture from the apples will loosen the batter a bit. Divide evenly among prepared muffin cups and bake for 20 to 23 minute or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. Allow to cool about 10 minutes in the pan and then remove to cool completely or to enjoy while warm.