All posts tagged recipe

Coconut Creamy Fruit Salad

This fruit salad (like most fruit salads, right??) is very simple to throw together and oh so tasty. The use of avocados, mangoes, and bananas only adds to the extra creamy deliciousness.

Speaking of deliciousness: VeganMofo is still going strong!! But my google reader may not survive this one. It is so chock full of awesome vegan eats, it just may explode. Seriously, I have got a lot of catching up to do!

It is in hectic (and yummy) times like these, that a nice easy fruit salad is the perfect treat to whip up. So easy, so sweet, so good.

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Pumpkin Nog

Undeniably, nog is one of my most favorite things about winter. And even though I appreciate the prepackaged vegan nogs that are available this time of year, I find them somewhat lacking in flavor and in texture. So, I opt to make my own… and keep the other stuff around for a dire emergency.

Yes, I do like nog that much.

Here’s a simple pumpkin nog recipe that satisfies my most intense winter night cravings. Delicious with or without booze. :)

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Fennel Seed Stars

I really feel like Rainbow Brite would be right at home in the above photograph. And that makes me smile.

Do you know what else makes me smile? Candy coated fennel seeds.

These slightly crunchy Fennel Seed Stars are a perfect vehicle for those little candies… second only to eating them straight from the bag. ♥

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Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic Falafel

I cannot even explain to you all how much I love falafel…

This recipe came about by combining my favorite vegan fritter with my favorite hummus flavor. Ahhh, life is good, no?

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Chocolate Shortbread (gluten free)

These are much like traditional shortbread, slightly crunchy and just a touch sweet. And they’re chocolatey.

Week 1 of VeganMofo is winding down… have you checked out all the awesome going on yet?!

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Chocolate Toffee Popcorn Balls

Popcorn balls are one of those things that never EVER cross my mind to make or even eat. I have no idea why. Even though I’m not a huge fan of eating fistfulls of popcorn, I absolutely love popcorn when it is slathered in buttery flavored sugar and shaped into a sphere! I also love that they are sweet and salty and will make you totally sick if you eat too many.  :)

Plus, these things are friggin cute. Seriously… they are so easy, but you can make them look like you spent hours making them- and because of this, they make the perfect “bring along to someone else’s party” food.

Happy Halloween!!

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Pumpkin, Black Walnut & Apple Muffins

These muffins encapsulate some of my favorite flavors of the fall season: pumpkin, apple, and the deliciously rich black walnut.  They are flavorful, moist, and oh so pumpkin-y.

Enjoy with a steamy pumpkin latte and soak in that Autumn feelin’.

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Gluten Free Crêpes

A few days ago I was asked by a very sweet gal if I could make a crêpe that was, of course, both vegan and gluten free.

Here’s one variation of a crêpe recipe I have been kickin’ around for a while.  It’s a touch lighter and airier than an “eggy”, glutinous crêpe; but, it is still very delicious.

This recipe works great for both sweet and savory filled crêpes.

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Chocolate Acorn Squash Baked Custard

I woke up this morning determined to create something wonderful with this little acorn squash that had been rolling around on my counter-top for the past few days.

After mixing up all of the ingredients,  I had no idea that I had just created my new favorite Autumn treat. I’m serious! This dessert tastes remarkably like a chocolate pumpkin pie, or a pot de créme,  or simply what it is: an awesome baked custard (no eggs or cream needed). And it’s so easy to make!

Creamy, rich, and chocolatey, I dare you to eat just one bite.

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Vanilla Bean Macadamia Biscotti

Whenever I taste biscotti, I immediately have a flashback to the year in college when I worked as a café barista. I was one of the oddballs in the café world, constantly greeting people with a chirpy hello! and an exaggerated grin. My coworkers, much cooler than I, normally went for the “service without a smile” approach.

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Cinnamon Donut Cake

I set out to make a cinnamon flavored bundt cake.  I ended up with a gigantic cinnamon glazed donut.

Or at least that what it tastes like.

Mmmm…. donuts.

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Autumn Rice Pudding

This simple dessert is bound to put a person in the mood for sweaters and bonfires. Serve with a mug of hot cider and embrace the chill in the air.

For those of you in warmer climates- this rice pudding is also delicious served cold with a spot of thick coconut cream.

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Gluten Free Bagels

We made it back from our vacation in Philadelphia and were saddened to leave such a beautiful city. Our trip started out pretty normally. We opted to take our car — to better accommodate our sightseeing agenda, and my inability to pack less than 8 bags for the fams for just 1 week. The countryside was beautiful, the drive was relaxed, and the weather was sunny, clear and perfect. Once we began to approach the city, thoughts of our upcoming adventure immediately started to flourish in my mind. I thought about all of the vegan friendly restaurants I had read about, the history of the city itself, the architecture from neighborhood to neighborhood, the abundance of parks and murals that weave throughout the urban landscape, and of course, my favorite peoples who lived in Philadelphia that we were headed to see.

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Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes

Ever since I can remember, I have had a slight aversion to pancakes. Oddly enough, I think they smell delicious, and look beautiful, and are fun to make… but I just can’t get into actually eating them.  Every once and a while, though,  the boys in my house will request pancakes. And so, every once in a while, I give them another shot. When I do opt to eat a few pancakes, I will absolutely never… ever… put syrup on top of them. Not even a drizzle. No way.

Am I a complete freak?

No matter how often I try, for over 28 years I have always thought the same thing about pancakes: “meh”. They are always just “meh”.

Add syrup and I think they are downright gross.

But, this recipe is a bit different for me… I actually think these are pretty good. Better than “meh”.  Maybe I like them because they are loaded with one of my favorite flavor combos of all time- peanut butter and banana (only rivaled by my love for peanut butter and jelly).

After convincing myself that these pancakes would be yet another recipe to add to the “just okay” pile… I ate a huge couple of bites and gave the rest to my son (he got his own too). That’s progress! Normally, I wouldn’t have even tried a bite. I have a pancake complex… I admit it. My son excitedly proclaimed that they were the best pancakes he has ever eaten. Which, for the record, is saying a lot.

So there you have it- a pancake recipe that is kid friendly (aren’t they all?) and “me” friendly. Um, yeah- for all of you out there who will be making pancakes for me. Maybe my mom is paying attention to this? Well… I know my husband is. Hi, dear.

And completely off topic: this will be my only post this week as I am getting outta Ohio and heading to Philadelphia! I am so excited to take a vacation I can hardly stand it. :D

So, it will be a little barren around here over the next week.  But, I promise I will have something wonderful and fun to share with you people upon my return! Until then… pancakes are always fun. Even without syrup.

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Green Tomato & Onion Turnovers

I seems like ages ago when my husband and I tilled up a large area of grass in our backyard and transplanted our tiny seedlings into a barren patch of dirt.  We tended to each little plant with love and waited all summer long to reap the fruits of our labor. Now, our garden is brimming with peppers, okra, cabbage, kale, cucumbers, herbs, and tomatoes.

Green tomatoes, that is. They are taking their sweet time in ripening; and, although I love nothing more than a ripe garden fresh tomato- a bit of impatience culinary nerve came over me.

In all the years I have grown tomatoes, I had never once considered eating the fruit before it ripened.  So early yesterday morning, I decided I should create something delicious with my still green and crunchy tomatoes.

I knew I wanted to try a more unorthodox approach than simply frying them up, so I created these delicious turnovers.

Let me just state that I am extremely impressed with these things. In fact, my husband and I were both so enamored with the taste and texture, that we are already planning on making them again. Soon.

Like, maybe tonight.

The thinly sliced tomatoes and onions melded with the nutritional yeast and cumin inside the crispy pocket to create a treat that smells absolutely wonderful while baking in the oven.

And, they tasted so damned good.

Try them… if you’ve never eaten green tomatoes, this is a great intro recipe. Other fillings can be added or subbed in for the ingredients listed, but I really love the flavor of this exact recipe. Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Now I wonder if my tomatoes will last long enough to ripen to red?  At this point, I couldn’t care less.

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