Blueberry Coconut Muffins with Streusel

This was my first time trying aquafaba.  It worked great!

1 cup vegan sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup aquafaba (liquid from a can of beans)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tb almond milk or vegan milk of choice
1 and 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup dried unsweetened coconut

Steusel Topping
2 Tb vegan butter (earth balance)
3 Tb all purpose flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Grease a 12 cup muffin tin or line with cupcake liners.   In a large bowl add the sour cream, sugar, applesauce, aquafaba, vanilla and milk.  Mix until smooth.  Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Fold gently until just combined.  Add in blueberries and coconut.  Use an ice-cream scoop and fill the muffin tin.

Mix the streusel topping ingredients with a fork until crumbly.  Sprinkle on top of the muffins.  Bake for 20-22 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

I based this recipe on this one.

Buffalo Roasted Tofu

Serves 2

1 14oz block of extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into cubes
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp Frank's Red Hot
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp granulated onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper, coarse grind

Buffalo sauce

2 Tb vegan butter, melted
1/4 cup, Frank's Red Hot (original)

Heat oven to 450 F.  In a bowl combine oil, Frank's red hot, salt and spices.  Add tofu and gently mix to coat.  Put tofu on a parchment lined sheet pan in one layer and bake for 15 minutes.  Flip tofu and bake another 15 minutes or til crispy.  (If you have a convection oven, use the convection roast setting)

Mix vegan butter and Frank's Red Hot.  Add roasted tofu and toss to coat.  Eat with ranch dressing (see below) and celery sticks. 


Ranch dressing

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk or any non-dairy milk
1/4 cup vegan mayo
1/4 tsp granulated onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 Tb finely chopped parsley (flat-leaf preferred)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and adjust to taste.

Slow Cooker Oat Groatmeal

 Easy and good recipe for a warm breakfast that will stick with you.  I just made small adjustments to this awesome recipe.

• 2 cups oat groats
• 2 Tb chia seeds 
• 2 Tb flax meal
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce or 2 apples grated with skins
• 2 cups nondairy milk
• 5 cups water
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Add dry ingredients to the slow cooker and stir.  Add the applesauce or shredded apples, milk, water and maple syrup.  Stir to combine, cover, and cook on low for about 7 hours. (NOTE: slow cooker times and temperatures vary, so you may need to adjust the cooking time.)

Top cooked groatmeal with additional nondairy milk, syrup, dried or fresh fruit, or nuts.

Freezes well. Recipe may be halved or doubled.

Mini brownie cups

These are so easy and good and no one can tell they are vegan :) Adapted from this recipe.
 

1/2 cup refined coconut oil (refined so there is no coconut taste, feel free to use virgin if you like)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 cup silken tofu
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (or chop up regular ones with a knife)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Place baking cups in two mini muffin pans. 

Melt the coconut oil and combine it with the cocoa.  In a large bowl beat the silken tofu with beaters til relatively smooth.  Add the coconut oil and cocoa mixture, the sugar and the vanilla and beat til smooth.  Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix to combine.  Add chocolate chips and stir til just combined.  Fill mini muffin cups 3/4 full.  Bake about 20-21 minutes.  Start checking at about 18 minutes. 

Vegan Gluten-free Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Made these easy and yummy dog treats from a recipe from here.

Vegan Gluten-free Peanut Butter Dog Treats

1/2 C organic natural peanut butter
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 C water
3 C gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)

 chopped peanuts

In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, oil and water until smooth. Add the flour and stir until the dough comes together. Form the dough into a ball  and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 

 Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. On a floured surface (use the gluten-free flour), with a floured rolling pin, roll out half the dough to a thickness of approximately 1/4 inch.  Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and press in.  Cut out as many cookies as possible and transfer them to the cookie sheet. Re-roll remaining dough and repeat.

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake them for 10 minutes and then flip them and bake another 10 min. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets.  Once cooled, store in an airtight container.

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

I took this to a vegan seder this evening and it was very well received :)  I looked at quite a few recipes but it is mainly based on this one.

Filling:
2 cups of dry brown or green lentils (soaked for a couple of hours and drained)
1 big onion, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, or however much you like, minced
2-3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 big carrots, diced,
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp each dried oregano, rosemary, and basil
2 cups veggie broth
3 cups water
5 oz baby spinach
2 tsp better than bouillon no-beef base ( only add after the lentils are tender because it contains salt)
1 tsp vegan worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tb cornstarch, preferably organic & non-gmo, mixed with 2 Tb water
1 cup fresh bread crumbs or dried panko breadcrumbs (can use gluten-free)

Topping:
9-10 medium potatoes, preferably yukon golds
3-4 Tb earth balance
1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
salt and pepper to taste
smoked paprika


Saute onion and garlic until soft, 3-5 minutes.  Add celery, carrots, mushrooms and herbs.  Saute until veggies are tender, about 5 minutes.  Add lentils, broth and water and bring to a boil.  Simmer until lentils are tender.  Add spinach and let it wilt in.  Add no-beef base and worcestershire sauce.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  I didn't need to add more salt because there is salt in the no-beef base. Add the cornstarch slurry and let the mixture thicken up.   Once it does, turn off the heat. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel and dice the potatoes and boil them in salted water to cover until tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain off the water and mash in a large mixing bowl with the earth balance and the non-dairy milk.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Grease a 9x13 pan with oil.   Sprinkle the breadcrumbs in the bottom evenly.  Spoon in the lentil mixture and smooth the top.  Spoon the mashed potatoes over the lentil mixture and swirl the top.  Sprinkle some smoked paprika on top and bake uncovered for 35 minutes.

Vegan Quiche with a Hashbrown Crust

This vegan quiche is so easy and delicious. You can vary the veggies.  Some other ideas: spinach, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes...

Crust:
3 medium-large potatoes (3.5 cups grated)
2 Tb melted vegan butter
1/4 tsp salt and pepper

Filling:

1 Tb olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1.5 cups broccoli, diced
1.5 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced (use any color you like)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
12-14 oz block of firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed
1/3 cup vegan cheddar
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 Tb water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil and oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder and onion powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees F and spray pie plate with non-stick cooking spray.  Grate potatoes and put them in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much water as you can.  Put in a bowl and add the vegan butter, salt, and pepper.  Toss to mix and press into the pie plate and up the sides in an even layer.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Lower the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Heat the olive oil and saute the onion until translucent.  Add the mushrooms and red pepper and saute for a few minutes until the water comes out of the mushrooms.  Add the broccoli and the garlic and saute a few minutes more.  Don't cook too much because the veggies will continue to cook in the oven. 

Combine tofu, vegan cheddar, nutritional yeast, water, and the rest of the spices in a food processor and blend til smooth.  Mix with the sauteed vegetables and put in the hashbrown crust and smooth the top.  Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.  If the crust is getting too brown tent the quiche with foil.   Let sit for 10 minutes and enjoy!