Raw Lavender & Lemon Cheesecake

Mmmm...so delicious.

I had to start with a picture because from the description I'm sure you are a little taken aback. Don't worry I was too. Raw? Vegan? Cheesecake???? How is this possible. Well it is trust me. And it is amazing!

While I was with my sister in Portland earlier this summer in line for sorbet at Salt & Straw I discovered a few things I had never known before:
1) MJ loves lemon basil sorbet (whaaaat?)
2) Lavender is edible.

I'll be honest, these two discoveries were made on two different visits. Don't judge me! Now both of these discoveries were pretty surprising to me, but I took the discovery that lavender flavors as well as it smells to heart. I came home and have been on the hunt for a recipe to use lavender in that would be nearly as good as the sorbet MJ let me have half a bite of. Well, not only did I find the perfect recipe on Raw Food Love, but I also think that any vegans missing the creamy, deliciousness of cheesecake will find that this is a perfect substitute and non-vegans can indulge too knowing that the delicious fattiness comes from nuts rather than processed junk. This recipe was a little bit time consuming (including the wait time), but very simple and well worth the waiting.


Ingredients
Crust
1/2c dates
1 1/2c nuts (I used almonds)

Filling
3c cashwers
3/4c lemon juice
2/3c agave
3/4c melted coconut oil
1 tsp salt
3 tsp dried lavender
1 tsp vanilla extract

The crust

 Directions

• First things first, soak both the nuts in water (separately) for as long as you have. My blender is pretty janky so I soaked both the almonds and cashews overnight in the fridge to get them as soft as possible, but 3-4 hours is okay too.
• On to the crust! Combine soaked almonds (or your nut of choice) with dates in a food processor until you get a crumbly but sticky mixture. Pat down onto bottom of pan like so (see above, I used tin foil because that's all I had on hand but wax paper would probably be easier) and pop into the freezer while you work on the filling.
• For the filling simply combine all the ingredients and stick in blender until it reaches a smooth consistency. Taste it! Mmm delicious right? (It tasted a bit sweeter before I set it though so don't be too concerned if it tastes TOO sweet.)
• Pour filling into pan over the crust and freeze or refrigerate until it reaches the desired hardness.
• That's it! So simple. So good, so bad, but the good kind of bad!

The filling ready to be frozen

So rich & fulfilling.

Spicy Chorizo Sausages

I have been getting so many great recipes from the book Vegan Brunch that I may just have to purchase it to add to my small cookbook collection. However, despite the many great recipes this is definitely one of our favorites. I was initially skeptical because my initial forays into "fake meat" making had been disastrous (Tempeh Crabcakes were a huuuuge disappointment and had to be thrown out. This is coming from someone who HATES to throw away food. If I can reuse it or improve it I will do it.) But I am very comfortable with beans and the recipe looked so easy and didn't have any one-time use ingredients so I decided to give it a try. Wow, did it pay off. These were excellent and so versatile. We ate them with brunch AND dinner. As my friend Mike discovered they taste amazing dipped into Sriracha (his condiment of choice). In the interest of full disclosure, I have never had any pork products before I do not know how they compare to "real" Chorizo sausages.

Ingredients
(Makes 4 large sausages)

1/4 cup cooked pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon dry rubbed sage (not powdered)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenn

Getting ready to be steamed

After steaming

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients until well mixed
• Form into 4 sausages (they don't have to be perfect)
• Wrap in foil like a tootsie roll (see photo)
• Steam for 40 minutes
• Let cool and grill or saute for a little bit before serving

Sauteed in olive oil

Completed sausage slices

Brunch! Paired with Cheesy Grits, Smoky Mushrooms & Caramelized Onions

Dinner! Paired with Sauteed Vegetables, Potatoes and Sriracha to dip.

Tofu Frittata

Another tofu creation! I was at the library last week and stumbled upon the cookbook, "Vegan Brunch" by the woman who co-authored one of my favorite cookbooks Veganomicon. Of course I had to check it out to see what quick, delicious recipes it contained! I have flagged a few, but the first one to catch my eye was the recipe for 'Tofu Frittatas,' because I had all the ingredients already! It was very quick and simple to make and most importantly MJ has been gobbling these up all week. I'd call them a success :)

Ingredients
 8 oz pkg tofu (drained & pressed)  
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4c vegan mozzarella (I used daiya shreds)
1c spinach
1/2 onion
1 red pepper
2 tbsp rice milk





Directions:

• Press tofu for 30-60min
• Heat oven to 350
• Chop spinach, onions and pepper
• Combine all other ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth
• Mix spinach, onions and peppers into the tofu mix
• Scoop into greased mini muffin pans
• Cook for 20-30 minutes (until tops are browned and frittata is firm)

Coconut Tofu with Vegetables and Quinoa

I froze so much food before leaving and now I come back to a full freezer! I am literally throwing meals together! Here is one that was a delicious hit (not going to post my miserable fail from yesterday).

I have 5 frozen containers of tofu in my freezer, after I giving 2 away I'm left to come up with 3 dishes. I'm still a tofu-newbie, but WIC gives us 8 packages a month so I am upping my skills (Yes! WIC gives tofu AND soymilk if you get a Dr's note).

Anywho, I had defrosted a package of tofu and was pressing it in between my cutting boards with some cans on top. One of those cans happened to be coconut milk...

Tofu and vegetables simmering in coconut milk

Ingredients:
8 oz package of extra-firm tofu
1c canned coconut milk
1 1/2c (+) mixed vegetables
2 tbsp tahini
Olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1c quinoa (pre-cooked)
Dash of chili powder (add more to increase spiciness)

Directions:

• Press tofu between paper towels & two plates to get excess water out for 30 minutes.Then cube (lucky me mine came pre-cubed!)
• Add tahini & olive oil into skillet (or wok if you've got it like that)
• Sauté vegetables 2-4 minutes (or until thawed out if using frozen vegetables).
• Add cubed/pressed tofu to pan tossing in oil.
• Add coconut milk, soy sauce and chili powder. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon remove tofu and vegetables.
• Stir quinoa into leftover coconut milk and remove from heat.

Ready to eat.

Tips:
-If you want to cook more quinoa simply increase the amount of coconut milk you add.

-I cook the quinoa and tofu/vegetables separately because I've found that they keep longer that way and I can always use the quinoa in another dish.

-When reheating I added a little leftover coconut milk and reheated it in the skillet rather than microwaving.

Avocado Vinaigrette

I fell in love with a restaurant called the Laughing Planet while in Portland. While they aren't a vegan restaurant i believe every meal can be made vegetarian or vegan. Anyway they are awesome! I recreated this salad I got there myself and attempted an avocado vinaigrette to pair with it. I loved the way it turned out so I used it for a spread on MJ's bread or mixed with vegetables.


Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
1/3c white rice vinegar
1/2c olive oil
1 juice from a lime
5-10 sprigs of cilantro (chopped)
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
Combine all ingredients (except S&P) in food processor or blender until smooth. Add salt & pepper to taste.

So green and delicious!

I used this on salads for myself, but spread it on bread for MJ or as mixed with some vegetables.

Banana Bread Smoothie

Sorry for the long absence! We've been on the road so much this summer it has been hard to cook like I do at home. This has been difficult, but has helped me to share some of the quick on-the-go recipes MJ & I have come to love. Here is a protein packed smoothie that has helped keep us cool & full on these sweltering afternoons or starts us off with a power packed breakfast.

3/4-1c unsweetened almond milk (more for a thinner consistency, less for thicker)
4 pitted dates
1 1/2 c ice
2 bananas
sprinkle of cinnamon & nutmeg

Makes 2 servings

Blend everything together & that's it. Freezes well & tastes great.

Carrot Juice Waffles, West African Jollof Rice & Mini Broccoli Quiches

Breakfast: Carrot Juice Waffles
adapted from Fork & Beans

(Recipe makes 4 waffles in waffle maker)

1c carrot juice (store bought works, but not as good)
1c carrot pulp (or grated carrots if you don't have a juicer)
1c rice milk
1/4 c coconut oil
1 1/4 c Bob's pancake mix
1 1/4 c white rice flour
1/2 tbsp nutmeg
1/2 tbsp cinnamon

I made these almost a month ago & never blogged about it, but I remade them because we loved the recipe so much. They also make a great snack & I froze a couple too :) These sugar free waffles are naturally sweet & even got MJ's omnivore cousin's seal of approval [without ANY syrup!] MJ's been sick the past week or so and this was such a low-key easy food for him to feed himself at his own pace.

• Combine wet ingredients [juice, pulp, oil, milk]
• Pour flours & spices on top and fold [do not mix] the flour into the carrot mix
• Mixture should be smooth & stores nicely for later usage.

Batter

With a delicious natural orange color!

Lunch: West African Jollof Rice

1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
2 cans kidney beans
2-4 c vegetable broth
1/2 green pepper
1 c frozen peas
1/2 onion
1 c brown rice
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 inch peeled & grated ginger
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp thyme
pinch of crushed red pepper
pinch of salt
olive oil

It feels like 10 different people were talking about Jollof rice last week & you know what? I had never even heard of it! So, I decided to try my hand at a vegan version. Not sure if it is true to the taste of traditional West African Jollof Rice since I've never had it, but I did like the combination of cinnamon & ginger in the mix. MJ was a little iffy about it, some days he devoured it and some days he refused to even take a bite. Not sure if that has to do with him being sick or not generally liking the meal. Anyway, I invite any of my West African friends (or Jollof Rice connoisseurs) to come try my rice and see if it is anyway authentic to true West African Jollof Rice :)

• Saute onions & herbs in olive oil until onions are soft.
• Add chopped green peppers & diced tomatoes cook for 2-3 minutes
• Stir in rice, tomato paste and vegetable broth and bring to a boil
• Simmer for 45 minutes or until rice is fully cooked (adding vegetable broth as needed to keep rice from sticking 1c at a time)

Dinner: Mini Broccoli Quiches 
(makes 24 mini muffin quiches)
adapted from Including Cake

½ tsp garlic powder
½ cup chickpea flour (make your own by sticking dry chickpeas into the food processor)
1 tbs potato starch

3 tsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp mustard
pinch paprika

Large pinch baking powder
1 tbs olive oil

1 cup water

1 grated head of broccoli florets

 

 I'm going to have to add this to my regular recipe list. Easily takes less than 10 minutes to make this recipe and they were delicious. I actually didn't completely follow the recipe correctly and combined my vegetables in, aesthetically they probably aren't as nice, but the taste was still awesome. I listed the recipe as I made it, but included the original suggestions as well.

• Combine all ingredients (mixture will be thin)
• Dish into mini cupcake tin
• Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees
• For a more quiche-like appearance combine ingredients (minus vegetables), spoon into mini muffin pans filling halfway, THEN add vegetables on top. This gives more of a crust look.

In the mini muffin pan

Delicious cheesy broccoli bites

Yum!