Pistachio Muffins with secret ingredient

Pistachio Nut Muffins with secret ingredient
Makes 9 muffins

1 Cup Shelled, Toasted Pistachios, Divided

1-1/2 Cups Oat Bran or Whole Wheat Flour

1/4 cup of Spinach

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest (optional)
1/3 Cup Maple Syrup

1/4 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce (originally Canola Oil)

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and either lightly spray or line 9 standard muffin tins with paper wrappers. Set aside.

Dry Ingredients:

- Place 1/2 cup of the pistachios, along with 1/2 cup of the flour and all of the spinach in a blender or food processor. Pulse the mixture until you achieve a coarse but even meal. Transfer into a large mixing bowl.

- Add the remaining 1 cup of oat bran (or flour) and 1/2 cup of pistachios (crushed), plus the baking powder, baking soda, and lemon zest. Stir to evenly.

Wet Ingredients:

- Whisk together the applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla before pouring these wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir to bring the batter together as little as possible … don’t overwork it (or you may end up with tough muffins).

- Spoon batter into the muffin tins

- Put muffins into the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 375 degrees. 

- Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool for at least 10 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack.

Makes 9 Muffins
Modified from bittersweetblog.net

Ooh-La-La Lasagna From "Chloe's Kitchen"

INGREDIENTS

Garden Ricotta
2 Tbsp. of vegetable broth (to sauté onions)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
14-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. white miso paste
3 cups fresh basil

Sauce
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
8 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced
24 oz. jar marinara sauce
1/4 cup soy, almond, or rice milk (I used almond)
1 Tbsp. brown sugar or maple syrup
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 oz. baby spinach
1 lb. lasagna noodles (boil them as per box directions)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole pan.

Garden Ricotta
1) In a large frying pan, heat the vegetal broth over medium heat. Saute the onions until their clear, and remove from heat.
2) In your food processor combine the onion, tofu, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and miso paste.
3) Pulse the mixture until it's right at that point of smooth but with a little bit of texture.
4) Add the basil to the mixture and pulse it just a few more times, getting the basil mixed in.

The Sauce
1) Heat oil over medium head in a medium skillet and saute the mushrooms until softened. Add the marinara sauce, nondairy milk, and maple syrup (or brown sugar). Stir and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Assembling the Lasagna
1) Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of the 9x13 pan
2) Arrange 5 lasagna noodles across the pan, overlapping just a tad on each one.
3) Spread half of the Garden Ricotta over the noodles.
4) Sprinkle half of the spinach over the Garden Ricotta.
5) Arrange 5 more noodles over the top of the spinach.
6) Spread another layer of sauce across the noodles, saving some for the top layer of the lasagna.
7) Spread the rest of the Garden Ricotta across the noodles.
8) Sprinkle the rest of the spinach over the Garden Ricotta.
9) Cover with the last layer of noodles across the top.
10) Spread the rest of the sauce over the noodles.
11) Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked and the sauce is piping hot and bubbly.

Inspiration: http://www.thehippyhomemaker.com/there-is-no-way-that-lasagna-was-vegan-just-no-way/

Sweet Enchiladas with Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce

Sweet Potato, Black Bean, Spinach, and Pepper Vegan Enchiladas

Yield: 4 Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 onion, chopped (~2 cups)

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 cup sweet potato, chopped (or zucchini)

• 1 bell pepper, chopped

• 2 handfuls spinach, chopped

• 1 can black beans (~2 cups), drained and rinsed

• Enchilada sauce or Pasta sauce (about 2.5 cups)* see note

• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 1.5 tsp ground cumin

• 1-2 tbsp fresh lime juice, to taste

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp chili powder, or to taste

• 4 whole grain tortilla wraps (I used Food for Life Ezekiel)

• Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce, to pour on top (recipe below)
• Green onion & chopped cilantro, to garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grab a baking dish large enough for 4 enchiladas. Pre-cook the chopped sweet potato, by simmering it in a small pot of water for about 5-10 minutes until just tender. Do not overcook. Drain and set aside.

2. In a large skillet or pot, add 1 tbsp oil and bring to medium to low heat. Add in the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until translucent. Add in garlic and reduce heat to low and cook for a couple more minutes. Now add the chopped pepper, pre-cooked sweet potato, drained black beans, and chopped spinach. Cook for about 5-7 more minutes on medium-low heat.

3. Now add in your enchilada or pasta sauce. Stir well, and add in your seasonings: nutritional yeast (optional), cumin, fresh lime juice, salt, garlic powder, chili powder- all to taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Stir well.

4. Scoop about 3/4-1 cup of the mixture onto the bottom of your casserole dish and spread out in a thin layer. Scoop about 1/2-3/4 cup of the mixture onto each tortilla and wrap, placing the fold down on the casserole dish. Repeat for the remaining 3 tortillas and leave a bit of filling left to spread over the top. Sprinkle with vegan cheese if preferred.

5. Bake tortillas at 350F for 18-20 minutes. Meanwhile, make your Cilantro cream sauce (see below). When enchiladas are cooked, remove from oven and pour the sauce over top. Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onion. Serve immediately. Makes 4 enchiladas.

Note: Depending on what kind of sauce you use, you will have to adjust the seasonings to taste. I used a pasta sauce so I likely needed more seasonings to achieve the taste I desired.

Read more: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/05/04/vegan-enchiladas-with-cilantro-avocado-cream-sauce-2/#ixzz3PgcdqUJG

Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce

Inspired by Kathy’s Cashew Cream Sauce.

Yield: ~1.25-1.5 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 & 1/4 cup avocado flesh
• 2 tbsp water, or more as needed to thin out
• 2-3 tbsp lime juice, to taste
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (optional)
• 1 cup packed fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp kosher salt, to taste
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• Black pepper, to taste
• Red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a food processor, process the avocado flesh and water until creamy. Now add in the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth and well blended. Use immediately for best results.

Read more: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/05/04/vegan-enchiladas-with-cilantro-avocado-cream-sauce-2/#ixzz3Pgcjafen

Adapted from Time Crunch Vegan Enchiladas.

Vegetable Quiche Bites

Vegetable Quiche Bites

Prep Time: 15 minutes bake time: 40-45 minutes depending on which oil you useYield: 24+ mini quiches

INGREDIENTS

For the food processor

• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbs grape seed oil or coconut oil
• 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 heaping tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 12oz package of extra firm tofu, cubed

To (finely) chop:

• 1 cup spinach (or any dark leafy green)
• 1 cup broccoli
• 1 cup mushroom
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup green onion

Step 1: Blend the food processor ingredients

You want to start out with the cashews. Just the cashews.  

As you can see, the cashews aren’t ground into a fine pulp. Rather, it’s broken down to tiny little bits. 

After that, add all the other food processor ingredients (oil, milk, nutritional yeast, salt, smoked paprika) but the tofu. We’ll save the tofu for last.

As far as oil preference, I’ve found that different oils produced a different quiche. If you’re looking for a light, airy quiche, use  grape seed oil. The batch containing coconut oil was more moist and hearty, so if that’s what you’re all about, use coconut oil. The ones photographed here contained coconut oil, but I’ll admit that I prefer the taste/texture/results of grape seed oil in this recipe.

Now, what I like to do with the tofu is plop in the cubes while the food processor is turning. I don’t know if it does anything special, but I like to think that it’s less overwhelming for my appliance.

Once all the tofu is mixed in, you’re going to be left with a strange concoction: the base! Pour/gloop the base into a big bowl. Set aside.

Step 2: Place chopped veggies in the bowl

If you haven’t chopped your veggies yet, now is the time to do so.

You can use other veggies. Once your vegetables are chopped, place them in the same bowl as your base. Mix.

Step 3: Pour and bake
These quiche bites use a mini muffin pan. A regular muffin pan will not yield the same fantastic results; it’s too heavy and thick, causing the quiche to fall apart.  

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Get out the mini muffin pan. No need to spray the pan, the mixture has enough oil in it to moisturize the pan.

Stack them high.   

If you used olive oil or grape seed oil, your bites should be ready in 40 minutes. Coconut oil, bake them for 45.

Take them out and let them cool down for 5 minutes. They’ll seem a little moist when you first take them out, but the cooling process will help them harden a bit.

Step 4: Spoon out quiche bites
'Fork out' the quiches (with a fork). 

Inspiration and credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/73253931414519376/

Beans and Mushroom No-Meatballs

Meatless Balls. A combination of beans and mushrooms, simple seasonings and a splash of red wine really boosted the flavor too. Plenty of garlic, some onion, Italian-seasoned Panko (gluten-free) bread crumbs, other spices and some parsley. I chose pinto beans simply because A. I had them on hand and B. I know their brownish color would look "faux meatball" like.

..that being said you could easily use any soft bean like cannellini or even black beans. You just need to be able to mash the cooked bean with a fork. Garbanzo beans are probably a bit too firm and flaky for this recipe. The mashed beans really help to bind the rest of the ingredients with their natural stickiness.

You can also change up the variety of mushrooms you use. I used oyster mushroom, but shiitake or portobella would work too. Even plain old white mushrooms (which are a bit firm and crumbly when raw) would work since you are sauteing them first to make them tender. 



Method. The instructions are long, but the technique is very similar to making veggie burgers. Mash and saute. 

Spaghetti & No-Meatballs
vegan, makes about 8-12 no-meatballs (depending on size)



No-Meatballs:

1 1/2 cups (1 - 15 ounce can) beans, drained/rinsed in hot water
*I used callenini beans or pinto beans


3/4 cup white onion, diced


1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped


1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
I used shiitake mushrooms 


2 Tbsp red wine


1/2 cup Italian-seasoned Panko breadcrumbs (fine)


2 tsp chopped garlic (roasted or raw)


1/2 tsp salt


1/4 tsp fine black pepper


1/2 tsp chili powder (or 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes)


1/4 cup nutritional yeast (or more bread crumbs)


1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, for saute



Also:
 spaghetti pasta (any variety)
 marinara sauce chopped basil or parsley garnish
 vegan Parmesan on top (optional)


Directions:



1. Start by opening your can of beans and rinsing the beans very well in hot water. This will help soften the beans for easy mashing. 



2. Add the rinsed beans to a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork, very well.



3. Prep your ingredients by chopping the parsley, onion and mushrooms.



4. In a large saute pan, over high heat, add 1 Tbsp of olive oil. When oil is hot add in the onions, mushrooms, parsley and garlic. Saute for about 4-5 minutes, reducing heat to medium about a minute after cooking.



5. When the saute mixture has reduced in volume quite a bit and onions caramelizing, turn off heat and add in your splash of red wine. Turn heat back on to high for one more minute. 



6. Just before you turn off the heat you can add in the salt, chili powder, pepper and any additional spices you may like to add. You can taste the mixture and it should be slightly "over-seasoned" since the beans have not been seasoned yet.



7. Fold the saute mixture into the beans. Then fold in the bread crumbs and the nutritional yeast. Your mixture should be quite sticky and thick now. Add more yeast or bread crumbs if your mixture needs thickening.



8. You can either place your mixture in the fridge to chill for a half hour (to help with handling, or just go right into the saute process.



9. Saute the meatless balls: Heat a splash of olive oil in your saute pan and add your formed balls. I like to roll my formed balls in a bit of the bread crumbs before placing on the pan. Cook over medium-high heat for about one minute on each side. You really just want to cook and caramelize that outside edge of the balls.  

Thai Spring Rolls

Ingredients

Servings: makes 8 
2 large carrots, julienned        
2 julienned green onions        
1/2 julienned sweet red pepper
 1 julienned cucumber 
1 tspn olive oil
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 pinch sea salt
1 (3 ounce) package dried bean or rice thread noodles (better than cellophane noodles)
16 rice paper, rounds softened 8-inch
1/8 cup slivered fresh basil or 1/8 cup mint
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro 
1/4 cup of ground peanuts
 Sesame seeds
 Mint leaves (option)

In a large bowl, combine the carrots, green onions, olive oil, red peppers, peanuts salt and pepper: toss well. Let marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes, stir frequently.

Peanut sauce 
1/3 cup hot water
2/3 cup peanut butter (fresh ground peanut butter breaks down better than a brand name)
1/3 cup liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup maple syrup 
1/4 cup dry sherry

In a separate bowl, combine all peanut sauce ingredients together and stir. Serve as a dipping sauce with the spring rolls.

Noodles
- Place the noodles in a medium bowl of hot water and soak for 10 minutes, or until the noodles are softened.
- Drain well and cut into 2-inch pieces and set aside. 

Folding
- Soften the rice-paper rounds before rolling them, fill a large bowl with warm water.
- Dip each rice-paper round into the water for 10 seconds, or until softened and translucent.
 - Place about 2 Tablespoons of the noodles and about 2 Tablespoons of the vegetable mixture 
- Sprinkle with cilantro and basil (or mint) leaves.
- Fold the bottom edge over the filling; fold in both sides and roll up tightly.
- Press to seal
 - Add sesame seeds to tops
- Place on a plate seam side down; cover with aluminum foil if traveling. Do not stack the rice papers; they will stick together.
- Refrigerate for 10 minutes (you may also make these ahead of time and refrigerate for several hours).

One Pot Pasta

http://www.marthastewart.com/978784/one-pan-pasta?xsc=soc_pin_onepotpasta_06_06_2013&crlt.pid=camp.2cci2qUEyjtv#

One Pot Pasta

- 12 oz linguini

- 12 oz cherry or grape tomatoes halved  or quartered if large

- 1 onion thinly sliced

4 cloves of garlic or more

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

- 2 sprigs basil, plus torn leaves for garnish

- 2 tbsp extra virgin oil, plus more for serving

- coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

- 4.5 cups of veggie broth or water

1/2 cup of Marsala wine

Serve with nutritional yeast