"Buttermilk" Corn Cakes

Though not very picture-worthy, these hearty golden cakes proved to be rather delicious! I took a very non-vegan, fat-laden recipe, removed the oil and veganized it with fantastic results. The cakes were delightful drizzled with just a bit of pure maple syrup.

"Buttermilk" Corn Cakes

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

1/2 cup Masa Harina

1 1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 1/2 cups soy or almond milk mixed with 1 1/12 t vinegar or lemon juice (allow this to sit for 2-3 minutes to curdle)

Vegan egg substitute equivalent to 2 eggs (I used EnerG)

4 T applesauce

Mix all ingredients. Ladle into a hot pan sprayed with cooking spray. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Serve hot with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Fresh Kale Salad

A friend of mine made a delicious kale salad for our life group on Sunday and I fell in love with it! It was so simple - fresh kale, quinoa, and pomegranite seeds with a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic and agave. Seriously so amazing! I am picky when it comes to kale salads - I love kale but sometimes it can be overpowering in salads (IMO). This salad was so good that after I did dishes and everyone left, I had to grab it from the fridge and have another helping! Dana - you are awesome:-)

So, last night, my mom was visiting which of course called for trying some fun new recipes - since she happily eats anything I cook and is always very encouraging! I was kind of obsessed with kale salad and wanted to find a fun new recipe to try. After a little searching I found a great site (http://cookieandkate.com/) that had a load of kale salad recipes - not all vegan but they were a great jumping board for my creative side:-) I modified one of her recipes and it turned out so good! I am now on a mission to find a new kind of kale salad each day as I have so much delicious, fresh kale and tomatoes from my tower garden to use.





Bold and Beautiful Kale Salad (I had to come up with something fun for a name!)
2 1/2  cups fresh, raw, washed kale chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half (I used a combo of yellow and red)
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped avocado
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
Toss all ingredients together.

Dressing:
1/8 cup tahini
2 t soy sauce
2 T white vinegar
2 t maple syrup
pinch of red pepper flakes
Wisk together until smooth. Pour over salad and toss.

Butternut Squash Alfredo Lasagna

I haven't done much posting on this blog in recent months...always other things that seem to take up my time...but I have been posting more and more on my health blog (healthyonpurpose.org) and decided it was high time to get back to posting some recipes. Since I recently made a pretty fabulous meal, I thought this was the perfect opportunity!

Since January, not only have I been completely vegan but I have also become gluten free for health-related issues (just a note... I do not believe gluten is a bad thing...it just doesn't do well in my body...therefore, many of my recipes are not gluten free because I still cook with gluten for my family).

After a delightful trip to the apple orchard/pumpkin patch last week, I had a beautiful butternut squash to use, loads of fresh kale from my garden and a box of gluten free lasagna noodles just asking to be used. I found a perfect recipe in Chloes's Vegan Italian Kitchen that was a must-try and the results were downright fabulous. I did modify the recipe for a few reasons - I didn't have any spinach so I used kale, I wanted a quick and easy recipe so I used dried minced onions and garlic powder instead of fresh onions and garlic and I eliminated the oil as I do not cook with oil anymore (see the end of this post for a quick blurb on why). Such a perfect fall treat on a breezy, cool day.

White Lasagna With Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach (Kylea's modified version:-) )
12 oz butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
sea salt and pepper
5 oz fresh kale, deveined and chopped
1 T minced dried onion
1 t garlic powder
1 1/2 cups raw cashews
3 cups water
1 T lemon juice
2 t sea salt
1/4 t black pepper
1 lb no boil lasagna noodles
tofu ricotta (recipe follows)

Fill pan half full with water and add squash. Cook until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. Place in food processor with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
In a food processor, combine onion, garlic, cashews, water, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth and creamy. In a 9x13 baking dish, spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles along the bottom, layer half the ricotta, 4 noodles, sauce, 1/2 the butternut squash, half the kale, sauce, 4 noodles, butternut squash, kale, remaining ricotta, and top with remaining sauce. Bake covered for 50 minutes or until noodles are tender and sauce is bubbly.

Tofu Ricotta (also modified)
1 T dried minced onions
1 t garlic powder
1 14oz package of drained extra firm tofu
2 T lemon juice
2 t sea salt
1 1/2 t black pepper
3/4 cup fresh basil
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until basil is chopped and tofu resembles ricotta cheese consistency. Set aside.

Eliminating Oils From the Diet by Pamela A. Popper, Ph.D., N.D. The Wellness Forum I recently heard you speak and you emphasized the importance of eliminating oils from the diet. I am young, have no signs of cardiovascular disease, it does not run in my family, and I am wondering if it is ok to use oils in small amounts. How important is it for someone like me to be totally compliant? There are some compelling reasons for you to eliminate oils from the diet. The first is that in my experience, people are more successful in maintaining optimal habits when they have clear directions on what to do. "Don't eat oil" is easier to understand and put into practice than "eat less oil."  "Less" is a subjective term, and very difficult to translate into action. Second, oils are actually easier to eliminate than most people imagine. Just don't cook with them, read labels, and avoid products containing oil. Anyone can watch Del Sroufe, Executive chef and co-owner of Wellness Forum Foods making oil-free stir fry on our website at www.wellnessforum.com, and members can consult the Wellness 101 curriculum book, which lists substitutions for oil in cooking, baking, in salad dressings and other common foods that contain oil,  and participate in Chef's Del's monthly calls for advice. Third, you won't miss the oil. No one does. It does not add flavor to the food;  it just adds fat and calories. Last but not least, an American dies of cardiovascular disease every 37 seconds, according to The American Heart Association. This should be a powerful incentive for people to do everything they can to reduce their risk of developing coronary artery disease.  Since oils have been proven to promote coronary artery disease, we will continue to recommend eliminating them. Circulation Volume 119(3)27 January 2009pp e21-e181 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2009 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee

Kale Rice and Vegan No-chicken Broth

Our family recently decided to have a little lunch outing - we had promised dates with the boys for their birthdays and this was the first chance to do it. Frank took Keith to lunch and I took Braedon. Unfortunately, finding a restaurant that has not only gluten free but also vegan fare is a challenge but I was thrilled to find a new restaurant that offered both! We tried "The Rim - Greens and Grilled". I had a beautiful plate of kale white rice, a mound of fresh, crisp tender sauteed veggies, and sweet potato fries. It was delicious! Though the veggies did have some added oil, they weren't greasy and I didn't indulge in too many of the fries as I was much more enamored with the colorful plate of veggies! Though we rarely frequent restaurants, this was a place I would be happy to go back to.                                                                              


Since our visit to "The Rim", I have been craving the kale rice for some strange reason!  Oddly enough, there was no seasoning or added flare, it was just tiny chopped kale mixed in to white rice. The end result was perfect simplicity.



 I have since made this dish at home and it pairs beautifully with a plate of water-sauteed veggies, sprinkled with some sea salt and fresh pepper - utterly delightful!


Quite frequently, I make veggie stock for use in soups, stews and sauces and the other day I made a pot of broth that was flavorful and full-bodied. The keys? Mushroom stems and nutritional yeast! These two ingredients seemed to create the perfect combination. I didn't use a recipe but rather filled my pot with filtered water, carrot peels, mushroom stems, leeks, fresh parsley, nutritional yeast, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper. A wonderful foundation for any soup or stew!

Happy spring cooking!

Fancy Vegan Easter Stacks, Gluten-free Fruit Pie

It saddens me a bit to see how long it has been since I last posted. I have discovered that not everything can take priority in my life and therefore, some things must patiently wait for my attention (ie. this blog!).

I have some fun new recipes to share from recent weeks...

Easter is one of my favorite holidays of the year. By far, it is my favorite Sunday of the year...reflecting on what Jesus did for us never ceases to bring intense joy to my heart. I love to create incredibly special menu items for this day shared with family around a big dinner table and though not everyone is interested to try my vegan creations, it still thrills me when I make something scrumptious!

This year I made fancy Easter stacks that turned out pretty fabulous. They were a bit of work to put together but well-worth the effort in my opinion.

1. First, I marinated a block of drained, pressed, sliced tofu in a lemon dill marinade (recipe here - I only used the Lemon Dill Dressing marinade - eliminated the oil) and then baked the tofu at 400 for about 15-20 min.

2. I then marinated and cooked portobello mushrooms (marinade recipe here - instead of cooking all together in a skillet at first, I marinated the mushrooms in the ingredients overnight and then cooked them in a skillet with the marinade until tender). When cooked, I sliced the portobellos.

3. Next I made a balsamic reduction by simmering 3/4 cup of balsamic vinegar with 3 T maple syrup until reduced by half.

4. I cut thick slices of tomato.

5. I made an avocado cream sauce by placing a block of extra firm silkin tofu in the blender until smooth. To the tofu I added a ripe, seeded, peeled avocado, 1/2 t dill, a sprinkle of sea salt, a few cracks of fresh pepper, and the juice and zest of 1 lemon and whirred all in the blender until well blended.

6. On a plate I placed several slices of tofu, topped this layer with a couple slices of portobello, followed by a tomato slice, a few drizzles of balsamic reduction and finished it off with a large dollop of avocado cream.

Like I said, a little time-consuming but the end result was delicious!

My sweet and thoughtful family made sure that there were plenty of gluten-free, vegan options for me on the Easter table, including Artichoke Mashed Potatoes made by my sister-in-law (amazing, btw!) and this fresh fruit pie made by my mom. The fruit pie recipe is from the Engine 2 cookbook and can be found here. Don't let the simple list of ingredients fool you! This pie was amazing and there was not a crumb left!

Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing

It's embarrassing to realize how long it's been since I last wrote a post - my life seems so full these days with homeschooling, oiling, family etc.

I decided a post was definitely due and this dressing recipe is one of my favorites so I thought it would be a good one to post this morning. My hubby and I eat a big salad for dinner almost every night - except when we are having company or visiting at someone else's home - yep, every night like clock work:-) We both crave big, delicious salads every night of the week! So thankful for a husband who is so supportive and on-board with our healthy eating and lifestyle!

My salad every night consists of spinach, leaf lettuce, a pile of red grapes, roasted almonds, some croutons (the non-healthy part of the salad...I should probably eliminate those but they add such a delightful crunch!) and this Balsamic Poppyseed Dressing. The original recipe for this dressing came from a very old cookbook I have called "Favorite Recipes"....I think the cookbook is from the 70s! The Poppy Seed Dressing recipe in this cookbook is very sweet and a little tangy. I can't imagine eating it the original way now - way too sweet! I started adding some balsamic to it a while back to give it a fuller, tangier flavor. I slowly added more and more to add more and more zing and to cut down on the caloric nature of it! Here is the final, delicious recipe make-over. Be warned, once you try it, you may become addicted!!

Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing
2/3 cup canola oil (you can use olive oil but I think the olive oil gives too strong of a flavor)
1/3 cup honey (not vegan but this is a vegan ingredient I don't abstain from)
1 t salt
1 T yellow mustard
2 T white vinegar
2 t poppy seeds
1 cup balsamic vinegar

Mix all ingredients together in a cruet or jar with a lid and shake to incorporate all of the ingredients. Note: You can heat the mixture slightly in a pan to help the honey mix well with the other ingredients.

Tower Gardening at it's best!

Once again, it has been far too long since I have had the chance to write...summer vacation is in full swing for us. Our last couple of weeks have been filled with family time, dates with friends, and a mini vacation to Omaha.

Each year I am awed by how quickly my tower garden explodes with growth and the abundance of fresh produce it bestows upon us! This year I think it has awed me even further!




 I planted LOTS of lettuce and kale and several zucchini, spinach and broccoli plants...and I planted them early because they are all cooler weather crops. We have had the most incredible abundance of lettuce this year...it has been amazing! I have been harvesting almost every day and I still have loads waiting to harvest. Since we eat huge salads every night, it has saved me so much at the grocery store! I harvested our first kale last night as well and filled a large bowl. I still have lots growing and will probably harvest another bowl in a couple days.

Having never grown spinach before, I have discovered that it doesn't produce as big of a plant as lettuce or kale and thus the harvest is smaller but still quite delightful! I added it to our salads last night and it was perfect.





My top favorite things about my tower garden this week:

1. So easy!!!
2. No pests AT ALL this year!!
3. Beautiful, blemish-free produce growing like crazy!
4. Stepping onto my deck to "grocery shop" each day!

Mean Vegan Food Review

Last week my husband came home bearing vegan gifts....needless to say, I was thrilled! His boss knew we were a vegan-eating family and gave him a bag-ful1l of vegan tamales and vegan bbq...compliments of Mean Vegan (the owners happen to be part of his family). I love tamales but finding a vegan version is one thing I have never accomplished. I have made my own before but they are so much work that I likely won't make them again! The "Jack Tamales" were amazing! I dressed them up with a little avocado and homemade salsa. Though most tamales are filled with meat, cheese and fat, these delicious vegan parcels are stuffed with full-flavored, perfectly spiced jackfruit and encased in delicate, mouth-watering cakes of masa. At only 2.7 grams of fat, there is no guilt indulging in these tamales!

Today the boys and I tried the BBQ jackfruit. All I had to do was warm it up and I served it on hoagie rolls. Of course we had generous sides of veggies along with the sandwiches for a completely delicious meal.

Though the jackfruit bbq was perfectly delightful, the tamales were my favorite hands down! Either way, I will definitely be buying these again! Fabulous food without a clean list of ingredients! Perfection!

Vegan Soups and Breads

I feel like some weeks I have so much to post about and yet so little time to sit down and do it! This week we had a gloomy, rainy day which prompted my craving for soup. The boys love to make their own soup so all three of us headed to the kitchen for a school lunch break and came up with three delicious and nutritious soups. One of my favorite things about soups is that you can add so many veggies and end up with a bowlful of complete nutritional goodness without the need for a side dish - and after eating it you feel warmed and satisfied that you just filled your body with nutritionally dense food. In this case we did make a side dish - an oil-free cornbread that was surprisingly delicious. We had our leftover soup the following day and made oil-free biscuits that I made up which were very yummy too...with an added punch of healthfullness included (see recipe below!). Enjoy!

 Corn Bread (adapted from Happy Herbivore)

1 c cornmeal

1 c whole wheat pastry flour

1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine salt
1 cup non-dairy milk (such as fat-free soymilk)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (I used honey because I am out of maple syrup...and honey isn't vegan but it's an ingredient I choose not to abstain from!)
2 tbsp raw sugar (optional) - I didn't use this

Preheat oven to 400F. Whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Add non-dairy milk, applesauce, maple syrup and sugar, if using, on top. Using a spatula, stir until just combined. Pour batter into a nonstick shallow 9" pie dish, or other oven-safe dish. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Keith's Soup (since we didn't measure, here is the list of what he added)
Whole wheat rotini
Carrots
Potatoes
Pinto beans
Asparagus
Cauliflower
Homemade veggie broth
Salt, Pepper
Oregano
Garlic



Braedon's Soup  (since we didn't measure, here is the list of what he added)
Whole wheat rotini
Carrots
Potatoes
Pinto beans
Asparagus
Cauliflower
Red and yellow peppers
Homemade veggie broth
Salt, Pepper, Oregano, Garlic, Basil

The Soup I made was Minestrone out of the Forks Over Knives Cookbook. It was not a powerfully taste-filled soup but it had a simple tomato-rich flavor that was full of veggies and I loved it! It had celery, carrots, fire-roasted tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, green beans, potatoes, fresh herbs, broth and no added fat to.

These biscuits were a last minute thought and they actually turned out really yummy. They are not the flaky, buttery biscuits that we usually think of - rather, they are chewier in consistency and remind me more of drop biscuits.

Chewy No-oil Added Biscuits

2 cups fllour (preferably whole wheat pastry but I was out so I had to use white)

1 T baking powder

1 t salt

1/2 cup pureed cauliflower

1/2 cup almond or soy milk

Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir to combine. 

 You want your dough to stick together but not be too wet. Add a little extra flour or a little extra milk to achieve this consistency. Turn onto a floured cutting board and form into a circle about 1-1/2 inches thick. Cut biscuits out with a biscuit cutter or a glass. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Birthday boys!

Celebrating my boys with vegan chocolate cupcakes and cream cheese frosting!

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes (from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World)

• 1 cup soy milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
2. Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and other extract, if using, to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are OK).
3. Pour into liners, filling 3/4 of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting (from Betty Goes Vegan)

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package Vegan Cream Cheese (plain)
1/4 cup Vegan Margarine
2 teaspoons Soy Milk (vanilla)
1 teaspoon Vanilla
4 cups Powdered Sugar

In a mixing bowl, beat Cream Cheese, Margarine, Soy Milk and Vanilla with an electric mixer on low until smooth.

Gradually mix in the Powdered Sugar, 1 cup at a time on a low speed to prevent one of those messy blow backs. Mix till smooth.

If you don’t have a frosting gun, you can use a knife to frost these, because the frosting is soft.R refrigerate to keep the frosting from melting.