Recipes

Lemony Pound Cake

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For all those friends who have been asking for a vegan pound cake recipe, here you go! No, it doesn’t call for a pound of vegan butter, but it is delicious and easy, and who doesn’t like that!

– Linda Nelson

Lemony Pound Cake

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
the zest of two lemons
the juice of two lemons
3/4 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegan butter, softened
4 ounces vegan cream cheese, room temp.
1 cup sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly oil and flour a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.

Zest the lemons, and then juice them. Add the lemon zest, juice, soy milk and vanilla together in a small bowl. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes to curdle.

In a larger bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In your largest bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese. You can do this by hand or with a hand mixer. Add the sugar, and mix to incorporate. Add the milk/lemon mixture to the butter/sugar mixture until well combined.

Add half the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Repeat with the other half. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a rack in the pan before serving.

I like to serve this with homemade lemon lavender curd, but fresh blueberries or strawberries would be nice, too.

Vegan Parmesan Cheese

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I grew up with that ubiquitous green shaker can of parmesan cheese at my family’s table. Now that Alan and I are vegan, and seek always to lessen all harm, we’ve kicked the can and replaced it with my own homemade Italian sprinkles.

Nothing could be easier to make, and we put it on everything from popcorn to pasta. Stayed turned for my twice baked potato recipe featuring this nutritious and delicious topping.

– Linda Nelson

Vegan Parmesan Cheese

Ingredients:
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup cashews (you may use roasted and salted though I use raw)
1 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup panko (it can be tricky to find a palm oil free panko though it can be done. All vegans read labels; right?)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt to taste

Directions:
Add all of the ingredients to a food processor, and process until the nuts have been ground down. The degree of fineness of the grind is up to you.

Store in air tight containers. Sprinkle it on a salad tonight!

Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Pie

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chocomac pie

Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Pie
Adapted from Pies and Tarts with Heart by Dynise Balcavage.

Ingredients:
For the crust:
2 cups roasted macadamia nuts ( I have also made this with pecans when I didn’t have macadamia nuts)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt unless your nuts are already salted
3 tablespoons vegan butter; you can also use coconut oil.
Up to 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk

For the filling:
2/3 cup dried, unsweetened coconut flakes or shreds
1 cup non dairy cream cheese (I always use palm oil free)
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons flour, gluten-free is perfectly fine
2 teaspoons coconut extract or vanilla, if you can’t find the coconut
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coconut milk from the can (light works well)
1 cup nondairy chocolate chips (I use Equal Exchange)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325.

To make the crust: Use your food process to process the nuts, sugar, and salt until almost flour like in consistency.
Pulse in the vegan butter or coconut oil. You don’t have to wash the processor out at this point. The dough ought to hold together so if it doesn’t add small amounts of milk, until it does. Press into a pie pan. It helps to have slightly floured hands to do this.

To make the filling: Process all of the filling ingredients until creamy.

Pour the chocolate chips into the crust and even them out. Pour the creamy filling over them, and smooth with a spatula. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the top is just starting to turn golden and the creamy filling is wobbly but holds together. It will firm up as it cools.

Let cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating overnight.

Enjoy!

– Linda Nelson

Stuffed Peppers

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Why not stuff a pepper for lunch or dinner? It is easy enough to do, and there are endless possibilities. I stuffed mine with a combination of:

3 cups millet
3 cups chopped spinach
1 can fire-roasted, diced tomatoes
1 can garbanzo beans
1 diced onion
3 cloves garlic
spiced with chili powder, cumin, paprika, and black pepper

I sauteed the onion, garlic, and spinach, added the spices, threw in the cans of tomatoes and beans, and mixed in the millet before cutting off the tops of five peppers, removing the seeds and ribs, and stuffing them to the brim. Since the millet had already been prepared, this all took about 15 minutes.

When all are stuffed, place them in a casserole or other pan, cover with foil, and bake at 375 for 25 or 30 minutes, or until the peppers are soft. Enjoy hot!

– Linda Nelson

Crispy Rice Treats

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Crispy Rice Treats

I am sure most of us fondly remember Rice Krispies Treats from pre-vegan days. When I was a teenager, my cousin and I would regularly make  a big pan of the gooey goodies and scarf down the whole thing, long before it had cooled.

Now my diet and my tastes are totally different, but it is still a lot of fun to make and share veganized crispy rice treats with others. They are quick and easy to prepare … which is handy when you do not want to wait 12-15 minutes for cookies to finish baking or to bother icing cupcakes.

– Justin Van Kleeck

Crispy Rice Treats

Ingredients:
1 10 oz. bag (approx. 3 cups) vegan marshmallows
½ cup vegan butter or coconut oil (use refined coconut oil if you do not want a coconut flavor)
4 cups crispy brown rice cereal (we use Erewhon brand)

Directions:
Lightly oil an 8×8 pan. Combine marshmallows and margarine in a saucepan. Cook over medium
heat until marshmallows are completely melted. (If using coconut oil, use a lower heat setting to avoid burning the oil.)

Add rice cereal and stir until combined.

Transfer mixture to the pan and press down to make an even surface. Place on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before cutting and serving.

Pretty in Pink Cookies

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Why not make Mom some Pretty in Pink Cookies for her special day? You can tell her they are extra special because no other mother had to suffer for her treat.

PRETTY IN PINK COOKIES

Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegan butter, softened (check out the easy recipe on our website)
1/4 cup canola or sunflower oil
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350.

Cream the vegan butter and oil together in a large bowl. Slowly add the powdered sugar until smooth. Add the juices, the almond extract, and the zest.

Sift the dry ingredients in with the butter mixture, and stir until all is combined.

Use a spring loaded cookie scoop for uniformity or drop by the tablespoon onto a cookie sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Bake about 12 minutes or until the cookies are firm and the bottoms are a golden brown.

Pipe cherry buttercream on top and top with an undyed maraschino cherry.

To make the buttercream:

Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegan butter
1/4 cup vegan shortening or refined coconut oil
2 cups powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice

Cream the butter and the shortening together using a stand mixer or a hand mixer.

Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, mixing it in well.

When it is almost all incorporated, add the cherry juice and beat until fluffy, about seven minutes.

Pipe the buttercream onto the cookies, and top with a cherry.

Cashew Brown Rice Loaf with Red Pepper Glaze

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If what you need is amazing vegan comfort food, your search is over! If you have any leftovers, this makes a great sandwich filling.

Don’t be afraid. It is really not as complicated as it seems at first.

– Linda Nelson

CASHEW BROWN RICE LOAF WITH RED PEPPER GLAZE

Ingredients

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup short-grain brown rice
1 tbsp. stock paste (optional)
1 tbsp. dark miso
1 large onion chopped
1 medium carrot, quartered and chopped
1 cup cashews
1 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup cashew or almond butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
3 large roasted red peppers from a jar, drained
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Oil a loaf pan. In a small saucepan with a good lid, combine the rice, 1 cup water, the stock, and the miso. Place the pan over high heat and bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer until the water is absorbed, 40 to 45 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let it stand, covered for 5 minutes to finish steaming the rice. Open and let the rice cool to room temp. 2. In a large frying pan over high heat, warm the oil. Add the carrot and onion and sauté, reducing the heat to low, until the onion is soft and golden, about 10 minutes. In a food processor,grind the cashews to a fine mince, but not a paste. Scrape the cashews into the pan with the onions. Keep stirring and sauteeing until the nuts are lightly colored. In the processor, mince the parsley. Add the contents of the frying pan to the processor along with the flour, cashew butter, salt, and pepper. Pulse to mix. Add the rice and pulse to mix, but don’t puree it. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 30 minutes. 3. While the loaf bakes, puree the peppers with the tomato paste and vinegar. When the timer goes off, pour the puree on top of the loaf, spread it evenly,a nd bake until the topping is thick and brown, and the loaf is firm, about 30 minutes more. Let the loaf cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

adapted
from the BIG VEGAN by Robin Asbell

Smoky Garbanzos

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It took me 15 short minutes to whip up a batch of these, and then I burned my tongue digging in a little too soon. They are that good!

– Linda Nelson

Smoky Garbanzos

Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray
1 can garbanzo beans
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 450. Spray a 8 inch baking pan with the cooking spray. Add all of the other ingredients to a medium bowl and toss to coat the garbanzos.

Pour them into the baking pan in a single layer, and bake for five minutes. Open the oven, toss the garbanzos again, and spray lightly with the cooking spray. Return to the oven, and time again for five minutes. Continue in this way until the liquid is absorbed and the beans are golden brown. It took me 15 minutes, but ovens vary, and these are too good to burn. Watch them carefully!

I made these after feeling a hankering for coconut bacon. Having no coconut, I used a little imagination.

Red Lentil Dal with Coconut Milk

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It is cool and cloudy today, so I decided to make something that would warm me and the house up.

This Red Lentil Dal with Coconut Milk did the trick!

I don’t quite remember where I got the inspiration for this recipe. I’ve been making it for years. It is very easy and very filling. Enjoy!

– Linda Nelson

Ingredients:
two small diced yellow onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
2 tablespoons refined coconut oil or water
2 cups red lentils, sorted and rinsed
1 can coconut milk (I used the light which makes this dal plenty creamy and rich)
3 cups water
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 to 2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Melt the coconut oil in a soup pot. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger, and soften, stirring often, for about five minutes. You can substitute water for the oil.

Add the lentils, coconut milk, water, and spices to the pot. Bring to a boil, and then lower to simmer for about 35 minutes or until the lentils fall apart.

I often add a chopped potato after I’ve softened the garlic, onion, and ginger, and I sometimes add chopped spinach at the very end.

Serve over rice or eat on its own.

Classic Banana Bread

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bananabread

Banana bread brings back memories of childhood for Rosemary and me. We both remember having slices with butter as kids. Nowadays, banana bread is pretty easy to make vegan, and we found a delicious recipe for marbled banana bread in Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s newest cookbook, Isa Does It.

The entire book looks amazing, but we were in the mood for something sans chocolate (believe it or not, neither of us are big chocolate fans), so I fiddled with Isa’s recipe a little and came up with what serves as a pretty darn good version of your classic banana bread. (I could have also called it “Rosemary’s Favorite Banana Bread EVER,” but “classic” does the job.)

– Justin

Classic Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup well-mashed bananas (2-3 bananas)
1/2 cup vegan sugar (add 1/4 cup if you prefer sweeter items)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup soy or almond milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas with sugar, oil, milk, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and gently mix until well combined. Fold in the chopped walnuts.

Pour the batter into a lightly oiled 4″ x 8″ loaf pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until a butter knife inserted in the center comes out clean. (It might appear a little sticky, but as long as it is not coated in batter the bread is done.) Let cool on a cooling rack … if you can.

Be sure to try some homemade vegan butter with your bread!