November 10, 2018November 10, 2018 by betsy

Vegan Stuffed Southwestern Acorn Squash

This was my delicious, lo-cal dinner on a recent autumn evening.

No real recipe, but one big secret: while my acorn squash roasted, I cooked a few french lentils and mixed them with sauteed onions, carrots, and, wait for it… shredded cabbage(!), all seasoned up with cumin, smoked paprika, and sea salt. Yummm!!!!!

Lentils are somewhat high in calories because they are nutrient dense, so I added additional bulk, nutrition, fiber, texture, and flavor with almost no-calorie cabbage.

I topped the beautiful little mound with pico de gallo and a dab of vegan sour cream. What a beautiful meal enjoyed on the deck in this cool weather with a glass of even cooler Prosecco.

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

November 10, 2018November 10, 2018 by betsy

Vegan Grilled Cheese
from decadent snack to healthy meal

Bob made me a PERFECT half vegan grilled swiss cheese for dinner last night.

He insisted that I soften the cheese first in the mic before giving it to him saying that “vegan cheese doesn’t melt.” He was right, it was more perfect than usual.

And he said that my vegan butter “smells like fish” and was appalled that I topped the sandwich with cauliflower pearls and pico de gallo for almost no-calorie nutrition bulk, fiber, texture, flavor, and color. But I wouldn’t change a thing.

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

November 10, 2018November 10, 2018 by betsy

Vegan Fried Pita–Restaurant Quality

Inspired by fried pita we had last night at a local “fun dining” restaurant and bar called Twist with a good friend, Bob thought he knew what would work for a homemade version.

He was exactly right! Yowza. We cut some pita we had on hand into 6ths, fried it in our cute little Cuisinart deep fryer for 30 seconds–turning after about 20–and drained it on a paper towel-lined cookie sheet.

We both enjoyed ours with hummus. He likes roasted garlic, and I love a smoky roasted eggplant variety, both from Kroger. Of course, to bulk mine up, I top it with cauliflower pearls and some carrot planks.

The fried bread is addicting and will only be an occasional splurge. We even thought it would be good sprinkled with powdered sugar in place of donuts.

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

November 10, 2018 by betsy

Vegan Butternut Squash Crinkle Fries

Chicken tenders? H*** no! These are my brand new vegan butternut crinkle fries.

I purchased the crinkle vut butternut squash at Whole Foids. Then I used the old dry, wet, dry method of seasoned flour with just a hint of baking powder, and vegan buttermilk made with soy milk curdled with vinegar. Just a minute and a half in the fryer and they were perfect!

Of course, as you all probably know, I topped them with raw cauliflower, broccoli, and carrot pearls and just a hint of a cilantro mint sauce with a faintly Indian flavor, both very low in calories.

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

November 10, 2018 by betsy

Vegan Chewy Pumpkin Spice Cookies

The moment pumpkin lovers have all been waiting for: a pumpkin cookie that is chewy rather than cakey or crisp!

Vegan Chewy Pumpkin Spice Cookies!

Long on a mission to create a pumpkin cookie that is a bit chewy rather than cakey or crisp, I recently had a brainstorm which was to take my veganized version of my dear friend Allison Price’s Lemon-Ginger Cookies–one of my favorite all-time cookies (besides my grandmother’s) which I have shared here prebiously–and tweak it. It worked beautifully and I am so excited to share on this very autumnal day.

Yield: 24 regular cookies or 10 to 12 large

3/4 cup vegan butter
1 cup natural sugar plus 1/2 cup, divided
1/4 cup dark molasses
6 tablespoons pureed pumpkin
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I use white whole wheat)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with Silpat or waxed paper. You may use a baking stone if you prefer. Place 1/2 cup sugar in small bowl and set aside. With an electric mixer, cream together butter and remaining 1 cup sugar until fluffy. Beat in molasses, pumpkin, pumpkin spice, and baking powdet just until well combined. With mixer on its lowest speed, mix in flour 1/2 cup at a time. If making regular cookies, scoop up dough by tablespoons, roll into balls, roll in remaining sugar, and place about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. If making large cookies, follow the same procedure, only scoop up dough by ice cream scoopfuls to make about 10 to 12. Also, if making large cookies, use the bottom of a glass to press the balls to about 1/2 tall. Bake regular cookies 10 minutes and large ones 20. Allow cookies to cool on their sheet on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

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

October 28, 2018 by betsy

Vegan Pumpkin Cake Bars

Vegan Pumpkin Cake Bars
Yield: 16 servings (app. 150 calories each)

Somewhere between what we used to call a snacking cake and a bar, this vegan treat is quick, easy, moist, and delicious. The texture and rise are just right and, though it needs nothing, not really even a dusting of powdered sugar, it would be decadent with a vegan cream cheese, caramel or praline frosting.

2 cups all-purpose flour (I use white whole wheat)
3/4 cup natural Demerara sugar
1 teaspoon molasses
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1-15 ounce can pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 to 2 tablespoons water, if necessary

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 8-inch pan. In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add pumpkin, oil, and water, if desired, for a smooth consistency, and stir together just until completely combined. Transfer to prepared pan and gently smooth top. Bake about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack, slice, and serve. Keeps well tightly covered.

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

October 28, 2018 by betsy

Vegan Loaded Butternut Squash Fries
Only 250 calories for Entire Recipe

Who is all-in for a 250 calorie dinner that is decadent, delicious, and nutritious? Of course you are!

Yield: 1 ginormous 250 calorie calorie serving

20 ounce crinkle cut butternut squash fries, sprinkled with sea salt, and roasted at 450 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes (They won’t be crispy, but they will be firm and delicious; roast longer if you can wait!)

3/4 cup raw confetti riced vegetables, e.g. broccoli, carrot, and cauliflower.

1 tablespoon Blooming Platter Mayo (10 calories)

Sea salt to taste

Place roasted fries in a shallow bowl or on a plate, top with confetti vegetables, drizzle with Mayo, and sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Dig in. What satisfying textures! I love to eat them with chopsticks even though there’s nothing Asian about them. It’s just more fun.

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

October 8, 2018October 10, 2020 by betsy

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats

Pumpkin luvahs, do you feel me?!

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Spice Rice Krispie Treats
Yield: 1 dozen (approximately 170 calories each)

I don’t think my newest recipe needs much of a preamble except to say, what are you waiting for?

4 tablespoons vegan butter
10 ounces vegan marshmallows (I use Dandie brand)
6 cups rice cereal (I actually use Erewhon brown rice but you could use the Rice Krispies brand)
Pinch sea salt
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
6 tablespoons pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
Optional garnish: 12 pecan halves

Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake papers and set aside. In a large saucepan over medium to low heat, melt butter and marshmallows, stirring continually. Vegan marshmallows melt more slowly than regular marshmallows, so be patient and keep stirring with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, stir in remaining ingredients, except pecans, until completely combined, and divide evenly among cupcake cups, pressing down firmly. Garnish each with a pecan half if desired. Cool to room temperature and store in refrigerator In an airtight container.

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

September 30, 2018September 30, 2018 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

September 30, 2018September 30, 2018 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