Recipes

Pecan Waffles

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Our morning rituals are a bit… involved… here at Triangle Chance for All. These easy-to-make waffles are the perfect way to relax on a weekend morning after all the chores are finished, and they keep so well in the freezer that they might just make an appearance on more time-pressed weekday mornings as well! We prefer to pile ours high with a variety of fruit and a dash of maple syrup, but they’re delicious plain as well!

Pecan Waffles

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup toasted pecans (we used walnuts, also delicious!)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups soy milk
3 tablespoons vegan butter, melted (we use this easy recipe to make our own: http://trianglechanceforall.org/2014/04/24/simplified-vegan-butter-recipe/)
3 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions:

Toast pecans (or other nut) in oven or skillet (approximately five to seven minutes at 350 degrees in an oven). After they have cooled, chop into smaller pieces.

Preheat your waffle iron and oil lightly.

Combine flour, cool toasted pecans, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the soy milk, melted vegan butter, and maple syrup.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry with a few strokes, but do not overmix! Some lumps are OK.

Ladle about 1/2-3/4 cup of batter onto your hot waffle iron. Cook for about three to five minutes, until lightly browned. Recipe makes 4-5 large waffles.

Don’t worry if you cannot eat them all, they freeze beautifully as well! Just separate individual waffles with parchment paper.

Adapted from a recipe by Robin Robertson.

Roasted Green Beans

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Fresh green beans are everywhere right now, so I couldn’t resist trying a new method of preparing them.

We’re rather thrilled with the results!

– Linda Nelson

Roasted Green Beans

Ingredients:

1 pound green beans rinsed, dried, and ends trimmed
2 to 3 teaspoons peanut oil (I used all 3, but I won’t again.)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon sesame oil (I use toasted.)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger or 1/8 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon Asian red chili paste, optional
1 to 2 cloves garlic, or to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425. Toss the beans with one or two tablespoons peanut oil and sprinkle on the salt. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet, and roast until the beans are wrinkled and browned in spots. Open the oven to check on them and to shake them on the pan. This process took about twenty minutes in my oven.

While the beans are roasting, stir together the soy sauce or tamari, sesame oil, ginger, and chili paste, if using.

Heat 1 teaspoon of peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, and fry the garlic for a few seconds. Add the beans and toss in the hot pain.

Pour the soy sauce mixture into a serving bowl, add the beans, and toss to coat with the sauce.

Serve them right away on plates with forks. Don’t follow my lead, and eat them with your fingers while standing at the counter! I couldn’t help myself. They are that delicious!

This is an adaptation of a recipe from Leah Eskin of the Chicago Tribune. My non-vegan mother sent it to me, and I’m calling that a little bit of progress.

Raw Zucchini Lasagna

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Our good friends Daley and Caitlin Campbell were kind enough to share with us their recipe for Raw Zucchini Lasagna, which they made as one of the many vegan offerings of Kitchen Ahimsa, their raw vegan food business. Originally in Wilmington, NC, Daley and Caitlin have moved to Asheville, where Daley has started a job at the vegan restaurant Plant and Caitlin is continuing to make Kitchen Ahimsa’s delicious kale chips.

Raw Zucchini Lasagna
Serves 4

For the pasta:

2 zucchini (you could also use daikon radish )

Slice these really thin using a mandolin (you could try with a knife but uniform thickness and size is what we are looking for).

For the marinara:

1-2 large tomatoes
Fresh basil
Fresh thyme
Fresh oregano (you can also use dry for these herbs, but fresh is best)
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Cut tomatoes into 8 pieces and remove seeds. Cut the skins/flesh into fine dice (concasse).

Next add the seeds to a food processor and blend. Add the herbs, seasoning, and lemon juice and blend some more. The amount of herbs and seasoning is purely down to taste but I would say a good few sprigs of herbs and a tsp of salt and pepper and 2 lemons juiced.

Pesto:

1 cup basil
1/2 cup parsley
Salt
Pepper
Thyme (optional)
Oregano (optional)
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup (optional) pine nuts
1/2 cup cashews

This is a very loose base recipe, meaning you may want to play with the ratios to see what works best for you.

Blend all the herbs in processor/Vitamix. Add salt and liquids. When nicely combined, throw in the nuts/pine nuts (pine nuts are hard to find and super expensive. They do add a great taste but cashews work great too, so just add more if they are all you can find).

Walnut meat:

1 cup walnuts (soak for 4 hours)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (soak for 4 hours)
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes (soak for 4 hours )
2-3 shitaake mushroom
Tamari/ coconut amino (optional to taste )
2 Tsp sage

Blend the mushroom and sun dried tomato and soak water in a food processor ( sun dried tomato can be very salty hence the tamari is optional.
Drain of the nuts/seeds and add to tomato mixture. Try not to over blend. You are looking for a chunky texture. Stir in the sage.

Cashew cheese:

1 cup cashew (soak 4 hours minimum)
1/4 tsp acidophilus
1/2-3/4 cup water
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
Salt
1/8 cup lemon juice

Drain the cashews and rinse. Add to Vitamix and add the water. Blend on full power until very smooth. Stir in the acidophilus and cover, then leave somewhere warm for 6-18 hours.

Combine with rest of ingredients, adding or subtracting to taste.

Place in a squirt bottle and refrigerate for 2+ hours.

Building lasagna

Get a mold and put down a layer of zucchini. Add a layer of marinara. Add some walnut meat, pesto, cashew cheese, baby spinach (optional), and then add another layer of zucchini and repeat until you have 3-4 layers.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

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Now that zucchini are in season, we feel it almost a duty to make vegan zucchini bread. Zucchini (and other summer squash) have a multitude of uses, fresh or cooked or baked into things, but I always feel a little special when grated zucchini works its way into a loaf of bread. Zucchini bread can be kind of tricky to get right; I have made far too many “loaves” that ended up being pudding bread. The end result will almost always be moist, but this recipe turned out well and mighty tasty.

– Justin Van Kleeck

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup vegan sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups freshly grated zucchini
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9″ loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, ground flax seeds, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and ground cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, non-dairy milk, and vanilla extract until well combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry, along with half of the grated zucchini. Mix until well combined, then fold in the remaining zucchini. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and bake for 70-75 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. (It is a good idea to check the bread after about 55-60 minutes, just to make sure it is not getting too done on top.) Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.

Marinated Tempeh with Balsamic, Maple, and Garlic

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Apparently there are people who don’t like tempeh! We love it whether it is tossed in a stir fry, added to sandwiches, or just eaten as is.

– Linda Nelson

Marinated Tempeh with Balsamic, Maple, and Garlic

Ingredients:

1 eight-ounce package tempeh
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 to 3 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Rinse and slice the tempeh, and slice it into any shape you’d like.

Whisk all of the ingredients together except the tempeh, and pour them into a large glass baking pan.

Add the tempeh to the pan and immerse all of the pieces in the marinade. Cover the dish with foil, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight, or at least for a few hours. Gently toss the tempeh throughout the marinade time to make sure all pieces are coated.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Make sure the pieces of tempeh are in a single layer in the marinade, and keep the foil cover on. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, turn the tempeh over, and bake another 15 to 20 minutes until most of the marinade is absorbed.

Adapted from Meghan Telpner’s recipe that was then adapted by Angela Liddon in The Oh She Glows Cookbook.

Blueberry Crumble Bars

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Alan and I went blueberry picking after a mama deer and her baby ate every berry from our new bushes. We came home with 10.5 pounds of berries!

We froze some, I baked a pie and muffins, and I made yummy, easy bars. I can’t imagine our ever growing tired of anything and all things blueberry! I really do understand why our deer friends cleaned off our bushes so well.

– Linda Nelson

Blueberry Crumble Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar (you can use all vegan white sugar, or brown, or a combination)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold vegan butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces)
1 flax see egg (2.5 tablespoons ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons water, whipped with a fork)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Zest and juice of one lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the vegan butter and flax seed egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

In another bowl, stir together the cornstarch, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares. Store in the refrigerator.

Window and Mirror Cleaner

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I wanted Nutmeg’s view of herself to be clear and comforting so I readied the mirror we offered her with my own homemade window and mirror cleaner.

It costs little to make, and I can be sure that the ingredients caused no harm to other animals and include no animal products either. And, it works beautifully!

– Linda Nelson

Window and Mirror Cleaner

2 cups water
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cruelty-free dishwashing liquid

Mix all together, and pour into an empty spray bottle. Let the sun shine in!

Banana Nut Cookies

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My “far away grandma” (to differentiate her from my “close by grandma”!) was a gifted baker. My seven siblings and I can talk about Grandma’s bags of goodies for hours when we get together. She had a tradition of sending my family and my cousins’ families home with bags and bags of fudge, cookies, cakes, and popcorn balls every Christmas. How we loved those magical bags!

Now that I am vegan, I’ve taken my grandma’s old recipes and made them my own. With just a couple of changes, they taste just like grandma used to make, but they are true to my ethics. Some traditions are so worth continuing while others should be examined and discarded.

I love knowing that vegans can have their cake, fudge, or cookies while bringing greater peace into the world.

Here is my Grandma Stonebrook’s Banana Nut Cookie recipe veganized!

– Linda Nelson

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegan butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup white sugar and 1//2 cup dark brown sugar)
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 teaspoon baking soda
the equivalent of one egg replaced, use extra banana, egg replacement powder, or applesauce.
2 cups flour
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup chopped pecans, macadamia nuts, walnuts, or chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a couple of cookie sheets with silpats or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter and the sugar/s until fluffy. Add the egg replacement, and beat until fluffy again.

In a separate bowl, mash the bananas (2 to 3), add the baking soda, and allow the mixture to sit for a couple of minutes.

Add the banana mixture to the butter/sugar mixture, and mix to incorporate.

Whisk the flour with the salt and spices, and add it to the wet ingredients. Mix only until combined. Add the nuts.

Drop tablespoons of dough (it will be of thick batter consistency) onto the baking sheets about 1 inch apart.

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes. You won’t believe the aroma in your kitchen!

Frittata Florentine

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Alan and I think that one of the best ways to enjoy tofu is in a frittata. They are easy to prepare, ready in about forty minutes, and delicious hot or cold.Here is my version of Frittata Florentine, a.k.a. What I had in the house Frittata.
– Linda Nelson
Frittata FlorentineIngredients:1 extra firm package of tofu (do not use silken), pressed
4 cups fresh spinach,chopped
1 fresh tomato, I used the first one harvested from our plants!
1/4 cup julienne cut sun dried tomatoes
3 to 6 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 tablespoon olive oil or water for sautéing
2 teaspoons dried oregano,
or use 1 tablespoon fresh
1 teaspoon dried basil, or use fresh
1/4 cup Smokey Spread plant based cheese (This is by no means necessary,but I had made an impromptu frittata using this for lunch at the Microsanctuary one day, and Rosemary and I had enjoyed it so I thought I’d use it for this morning’s breakfast. If you don’t have any Spread around, you could add 1/4 cup nutritional yeast.)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Press the tofu for about 30 minutes. This step isn’t mandatory, but it will allow the frittata to hold up to cutting better. Just squeeze the tofu in a colander over the sink, if you don’t want to bother with the pressing.

Heat a wok or sauté pan over medium low heat. Add the water or oil and garlic, and cook until the garlic, stirring occasionally until it turns a light golden color. Add the spinach, oregano, and basil, and cook until the spinach is completely wilted. This whole process will take about eight to ten minutes.

While the spinach is cooking, prepare the tofu by crumbling it in your hands until it has a consistency that will hold together pretty well. Add both kinds of tomatoes, the Spread, if you’re using it, and the salt and pepper to taste. When the spinach mixture is ready, add it, and mix well.

Lightly oil a pie plate, and press the frittata mixture into it firmly.

Bake for twenty to thirty minutes until it is firm and brown enough for your liking.

Let it rest on the counter for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

 

Cranberry Tea Cake

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Cranberry Tea Cake

Any time is a good time for tea time at our house, and while a straight cup of steaming tea is almost always more than adequate, we sometimes like to have a treat to nibble on as well. This Cranberry Tea Cake will appeal to those who love sweets and those with less of a sweet tooth (when coupled with tea). The tartness of the cranberries cuts the sugar’s sweetness, while the coconut gives the cake a satisfying richness, and a hot cup of tea rounds out the flavors splendidly.

– Justin Van Kleeck

Cranberry Tea Cake

Ingredients:
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup organic sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup non-dairy milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup frozen cranberries

Directions:

Combine the coconut milk with the vinegar and set aside for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly oil a 9″x9″ baking pan.

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and mix well. Mix together the coconut milk and vinegar, non-dairy milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract, then add to the dry ingredients along with the coconut oil. Mix until thoroughly combined. Fold in the cranberries.

Pour the batter into the pan and spread out evenly; if the batter seems a bit dry, do not worry as it will moisten during baking. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the edges turn golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. The cake will set as it cools.

Once completely cooled, cut into 8 pieces.

– Adapted from Vegan Chocolate by Fran Costigan.