(Vegan) Peach Pecan Crispy Cobbler

Last summer I was armed with some Texas pecans and peaches when I was invited to my brother's place for dinner.  He's vegan and I told him I'd bring the dessert, so I had to combine all of that together.  I found this recipe at Sally'sBakingAddiction and by substituting the butter for nondairy I was able to make this vegan.  The original recipe says it serves 8-12, but in reality-maybe 6 could eat unless your guest are all on a major diet.
It really was a delicious cobblerish dessert, and I loved the pecan and oat topping.  I used a combination of 'regular' and white peaches b/c I ran low on the regular and it tasted great.  I also had frozen some of my peaches in advance, and it baked up just fine, so fresh or frozen-I think you'll be pleased with the outcome.

Peach Pecan Crispy Cobbler

Ingredients:
FILLING:  5 c. thinly peeled and sliced peaches (about 5-6 medium peaches), 1/4 c. flour, 3/4 c. sugar, 1/4 t. salt, 1/2 t. vanilla
TOPPING:  3/4 c. brown sugar, 2/3 c. flour, 2/3 c. oats, 1 t. cinnamon, 1/4 t. salt, 3/4 c. pecans (chopped), 1/2 c. dairy free butter (you can also use regular butter if you aren't trying to make it vegan).
Instructions:
1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8 or 9 inch square (or circle) baking dish.
2.  Make the filling by gently tossing all the ingredients.  Spoon into the prepared dish.
3.  Make the topping.  Stir together all the dry ingredients, make sure to get out all the brown sugar lumps.  Add the butter and work it through the dry ingredients with a fork until it's crumbly.  Evenly sprinkle over peaches.
4.  Bake 40-45 inutes until the top is golden brown and peach juice is bubbling on the edges.  Cool slightly before serving.
*This is also great with (vegan) vanilla ice cream.

Apple Crisp (Vegan)

I've mentioned a time or two everyone in my family seems to have their own dietary restrictions.  My only restriction is I only want to eat tasty food, so I'm always trying to find a tasty recipe that meets those other needs.  I found this Apple Crisp recipe recently via TasteBetterFromScratch and I just tweaked it a bit to make it dairy free (vegan).  It was super delicious regardless of whether that is something you are looking at.  In the future, I'd probably add more of the topping, but that's b/c I like sweets with my sweets!  I'm going to type out the original recipe below, if you want the dairy-just substitute the margarine for butter, and the almond milk for milk-the same ratio as listed.
Ingredients:  
For Crumb Topping:  1/3 c. (dairy free) margarine (cut into small pieces), 1/2 c. oats, 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1/2 t. baking powder, 1/4 t. cinnamon, dash of salt, 1/2 c. flour
For Apple Filling:
3-4 large apples (I used a mix of different kinds of sweet and sours, peel them and slice them thinly), 3 T. margarine (melted), 2 T flour, 1 T lemon juice, 3 T. almond milk, 1/2 t. vanilla, 1/4 c. brown sugar, 1/2 t. cinnamon, dash of salt.
Ice Cream (dairy free) for topping.
Instructions:
1.  Heat oven to 375.
2.  Combine the crumb topping ingredients with a fork or pastry blender until it looks like small crumbs.  Place in fridge while you make the filling.
3.  Peel and slice the apples.
4.  In a separate bowl mix the melted butter, flour, lemon juice, milk, and vanilla.  Pour this mix over the apples and top to coat.
5.  Place apples into an 8x8 pan.  Top with crumb coating.
6.  Bake 30-35 minutes (it should be golden brown)
7.  Let it cool for 10 minutes and serve up with ice cream.

(Vegan) Sweet Potatoes

Sometimes I like a little sweet potatoes with my marshmallows, so....I wasn't sure what I'd think about this recipe with a pecan topping instead, but I ended up really loving it.  It still had the fun sweet flavor with a little extra kick, and I was able to share left overs with the vegans that attend holiday dinners at my house, so anytime I can share calories is a good thing.
Vegan, or not, this is a keeper!  I just made a few adjustments to the original recipe from meaningfuleats.com

Sweet Potato with Pecan Topping

Ingredients for Filling:  3- 4 large sweet potatoes (enough for 3 c. once mashed), 2/3 c. soy milk, 1/3 c. maple syrup, 1/4 c. melted vegan 'butter' or coconut oil, 1 t. vanilla, 1 t. cinnamon, 1/2 t. nutmeg, 1/2 t. salt, 1/2 c. apple sauce (I used unsweetend)
Ingredients for Topping:  1 1/4 c. chopped pecans, 1/2 c. flour, 1/2 c. brown suar, 1/2 t. salt, 1/2 t. vanilla, 1/4 c. vegan 'butter' or coconut oil (solid form)
Instructions:  
1.  Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into 2 inch chunks.  Place in pan and cover with cold wate.r  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until they are fork tender (about 20 minutes). 
2.  Heat the oven to 350 and oil a 9x13 casserole pan.
3.  Combine the pecans, flour, sugar, salt, vanilla, and cut in vegan butter with fork until the mix has pea size chunks. 
4.  Drain potatoes and mash until smooth.  Use 3 c. and ad soy milk, maple syrup, vegan butter, vanila, cinnamon, nutmeg, apple sauce, and salt.  Whip to combine.
5. Place in pan and top with pecan mix.  BAke for 25-30 minutes until top is brown and bubbling.

(Vegan) Oatmeal Cake

     I'm not a vegan, I just play one on holidays when the 'real' vegans come to eat with us.  My goal is to turn some traditional recipes vegan without sacrificing the taste.  This cake is one of those examples.  I've found that there are some great ways to turned baked goods vegan with a few substitutions.  This guy definitely isn't low calorie, but come on-when you read the word 'cake' that probably wasn't the first thing on your mind.
     If you want to try out this cake, but don't want to make it vegan I'll leave some notes in the actual recipe for what I substituted.  Just fyi-the 'icing' isn't your traditional icing-it's more like a sauce.
     All of this to say-this cake was a big hit with the vegans and the non-vegans who didn't know any substitutions had been made, so that's a win in my book!

Oatmeal Cake

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Cake Ingredients:  2 1/2 c. boiling water, 2 c. quick cooking oats, 1 c. margarine (*or butter for nonvegan), 2 c. sugar, 2 c. brown sugar, 2 t. vanilla, 1 c. non-sweet applesauce (*nonvegan this takes the place of 4 eggs), 3 c. all purpose flour, 2 t. soda, 1 t. salt, 1 1/2 t. cinnamon, 1/2 t. nutmeg

Cake Instructions:  

1.  Pour boiling water over oats.  Cover and let stand for 20 minutes.  Beat butter until creamy and slowly add sugars and beat in until fluffy.  Add in vanilla and eggs.  Add oats to mix.  

2.  Add flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  

3.  Spray 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 for 1 hour.  Cool.

Icing Ingredients:  1 c. melted margarine, 2 c. brown sugar, 6 T.  coconut milk (*nonvegan use evaporated milk), 1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans, 3 c. flaked coconuts

Icing Instructions:  

1.  Mix everything together and spread it over the cake. 

2.  Place cake under broiler in over until frosting becomes bubbly. 

Fruit Salad

It's time for fruit.  I discovered this fruit salad last summer and it really was delicious.  I like it because it's one that you can make beforehand, but it doesn't require creams and mayo and all the things that take away the benefits of eating fruit.  OK, yes, there is some brown sugar, but....in the grand scheme of life, this one leans more towards healthy than not in my mind.  I didn't have blueberries to toss in when I made this (because the  crop at the store had seen better days), but really, any combination of fruit works, it's the sauce that makes the salad!
So, warm weather, and fruit...I'm ready for you!

Fruit Salad

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Ingredients: 2/3 c. orange juice, 1/3 c. lemon juice, 1/3 c. (packed) brown sugar, 1 t. vanilla,   1/2 t. orange zest, 1/2 t. lemon zest, 2 c. cubed pineapple, 3 peeled and  sliced bananas, 3 kiwis peeled and sliced, 2 c. strawberries (remove stems and slice), 1 c. seedless grapes, 1 orange (peeled) and sliced, 2 c. blueberries

Instructions:  

1.  Bring orange juice, lemon juice, orange and lemon zest, and brown sugar to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes (should be thickening up).  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  

2.  Toss all the fruits and the cooled sauce together in a bowl.  Cover and put in the fridge for at least 3 hours.  

Roasted Garlic (Vegan) Mashed Potatoes

I'm always on the hunt to find the perfect recipe that meets all the family's needs.  I have one side of the family that doesn't want anything out of the ordinary, and then another portion that doesn't want anything that ever had anything to do with an animal.  I tried out this mashed potato recipe that skips all the animal offerings, but doesn't skimp on flavor.  It's a keeper.....the roasted garlic makes the dish!
So....if you have a family with similar needs, or just want to try out some tasty potatoes, here's one that worked for us. The original recipe came from panningtheglobe.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

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Ingredients:  1 head of garlic, 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil (divided), 3 lbs of yellow flesh potatoes (peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces), 1 c. potato cooking water (save before you drain your potatoes), 1 t. kosher salt (plus more to taste), ground pepper (to taste), optional toppings include chopped green onions and fresh chopped parsley
Instructions:
1.  Roast the Garlic:  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Slice off the top of the garlic head so that you see all the cross sections of all the cloves.  Drizzle 1 t. of oil on the exposed garlic.  Wrap tightly in foil.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Let it cool.
2.  Peel, slice, the potatoes and put them into a large pot.  Cover them with cold water by a couple of inches.  Add 2 t. of salt.  Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes (or until tend enough for a fork to easily slide in and out).
3.  Save 1 c of water before draining.  Drain.  Place the potatoes back into the pan.  Turn the heat off.  Squeeze the garlic out of the skin into the potatoes and mash with a masher until they are all blended together.  Add 6 T. of olive oil.  Stir or mash.  Thin with potato water a little at a time until you like the consistency.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Top with onions and/or parsley.
*I made these the day before and reheated them in the oven before serving.  

Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

Almost two years ago my brother made the transition from vegetarian to vegan.  It makes for interesting holiday meals with an already picky family.
I've been on the quest to find side dishes that please both taste pallets.
I found this recipe last Thanksgiving and it was a tasty one, the crust on top was DELICIOUS.  So....add butter and milk below, or keep it vegan, but the crust takes this one over the top.  You can also make this gluten free if you use oat flour.  The recipe came from eatingbirdfood.

Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

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Ingredients: 8 c sweet potatoes (3-4 large potatoes), 1 c. coconut milk, 1/4 c maple syrup, 1/4 c coconut oil (melted), 1 T ground flaxseed, 1 t. vanilla, 1 t. cinnamon, 1/2 t sea salt, 1/2 t ground nutmeg
Topping:1/2 c brown sugar, 1/2 c finely chopped pecans, 1/3 c oats, 1/3 c oat flour (or regular flour), 4 T coconut oil (leave solid)
Instructions:
1.  Chop and peel sweet potatoes into large chunks.  Place in a pan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and boil until fork tender (about 20 minutes).  Drain, cool.  Smash or place it food process to mash.
2.  In a bowl, mix pecans, oats, flour, and brown sugar.  Cut in coconut oil wiht a fork until sandy and pea-sized chunks.
3.  Add coconut milk into mashed (or pureed) potatoes.  Add maple syrup, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  Spread in greased 9x13 pan.
4.  Sprinkle pecan mix over the top.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Top will be golden brown.

Vegan Pumpkin Bread

My grandmother's recipe is the best pumpkin bread.  The end.  You can get the original recipe here.

Last year I found myself with an extra can of pumpkin, and a brother coming to Christmas dinner that is vegan.  Once upon a time he loved this recipe too, so I decided to look up some substitutions.  Everything, BUT the eggs are vegan friendly.  I did some research on taste/rise etc and found a great substitute for this particular bread.  It calls for 4 eggs, which is a lot to substitute without altering the taste too much.

I did a half and half of banana and flax seed so it didn't taste too much like banana bread, but it also didn't have too many seeds/nutty flavor.

I soaked 2 T of ground flax seed in 6 T of water for 30 minutes.  I added two pinches of baking powder to that, and pour this and 1 large smashed banana into the mix when it called for eggs.
Honestly, I think it was even better than the original recipe!  It's very rare that I've found the substitutes don't impact the taste in vegan food.  I realize that isn't so significant for vegans, BUT....this recipe makes us all happy!  Vegans for the win on the new version of this one!

Vegan Banana Bread

I had some rotting bananas (I don't know how that happened because I love them), and my brother was around.  Unfortunately for my recipe collection, he won't eat any animal product.  I'm sure he's much healthier than myself and everyone around us, but...I don't have a lot of eggless breads, so if I want to share my calories....and I do, but I also want to enjoy some banana bread, I have to get creative.  I found this recipe via hellyeahitsvegan and it was DELICIOUS.  I made one substitute (regular flour instead of wheat), but seriously, yum.  If everything tasted this good I too could be vegan, but you know....there's cheese and I can't uncheese right now.
Regardless, it doesn't hurt to cut out some dairy and eggs every once in awhile...or share calories with the skinny people of the world.  Vegan or not, this ones a keeper.

Vegan Banana Bread

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Ingredients:  1/2 c. plain unsweetened vegan milk (I used soy, but there are also different almond milks etc out there), 1/2 t. apple cider vinegar, 1/2 c. vegan butter (like earth balance)-softened, 1 c. light brown sugar, 3 very ripe bananas (mashed), 1 t. vanilla, 2 c. flour, 1 t. baking powder, 1/2 t. baking soda, 1/4 t. nutmeg, 1/4 t. salt, 3/4 c. walnuts (chopped)
Instructions:  
1.  Heat over to 350.  Grease a 9 inch pan.
2.  Stir together milk and vinegar in a small bowl and set aside for a few minutes.
3.  Cream together vegan butter and sugar.  Add bananas, vanilla, milk and beat.
4.  Sift in all dry ingredients (except nuts) into the banana mix.  Stir until everything is just moist.
5.  Fold in nuts.  Cook for 45 inutes.  Cook for 10 minutes, pull out and slide a knife along the sides to make sure it doesn't stick as it cools.

(Vegan) Strawberry Bread

I planted my annual mini garden in my backyard.  I use the word garden very lightly.  I take the pots from last year full of the dead plants that didn't make it past June, dump the rotted plant, add a little more dirt, and plant something new....which, if history repeats itself, will die by June.

I love strawberry plants because if they never produce fruit, they have cute little white flowers.  This year we've been flooded with rains.  Apparently my strawberries are a big plan of rain because strawberries have sprung forth in all shapes and sizes.  I discovered my dog enjoys a nice strawberry.  She checks these plants regularly.  I've moved two of the three higher so I have a chance.  I plucked some the other day and got to work.  I didn't quite have enough to have this recipe fully from my stash, but....quite a few were....I also made it vegan (by subtracting the eggs) so that I could share it with my brother...he's very thin and can consume more calories without the guilt I feel.  I've found different sweet breads are easy to go vegan because the substitutes really blend well.  In many cases it actually makes it even better than the original-try it!
So...if your strawberries are sprouting like mine, or if you have some that are about to go bad in the fridge and you want to do a little something with that carton, this is a delicious recipe!  I adapted the original recipe from allrecipes (based on suggestions from other reviewers).

(Vegan) Strawberry Bread

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Ingredients: 4 c fresh strawberries (cut into small chunks), 3 1/8 c flour, 2 c. sugar, 1 T of cinnamon (scant, don't overfill, or it will over power), 1 t. salt, 1 t. baking soda, 1 c vegetable oil, 1 1/4 c. chopped pecans, and to make it vegan-1 banana mashed, 2 T flax seed, 6 T of water, 2 pinches of baking soda

*If you don't want to go vegan, skip the banana, flax seed, and water, and just add 4 eggs. 

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Butter and flour 2 9x5 loaf pans.  

2.  Place the flaxseed, and 6 T of water into a bowl and let it sit for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes add 2 pinches of baking soda.

3.  Sprinkle cut strawberries with sugar and set aside.  

4.  Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and 1 t. baking soda.  Add in oil, mashed banana, and flaxseed.  

5.  Add strawberries and pecans.  

6.  Place in pans and cook for 50 min (test to see if the center is still wet).  Cool and slice.  

*There are many egg substitutes, but I like to do a mix of banana and flax seed so it's not too nutty and the banana doesn't overpower the taste.  You can mix it up to your taste.  1 banana=2 eggs, and 1 T of flax seed mixed with 3 T of water and a pinch of baking soda substitutes for 1 egg.  I find with breads the flax seed helps it rise, and the banana helps keep it moist.  

Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

Disclaimer-I am not a vegan, but sometimes I want to share my calories, and my brother is currently at my house.  He's skinny.  He's a vegan.  (Do the math.  AND he will eat my temptation.  I wanted a couple of cookies, but I knew if I wanted to push them off on someone I needed them to be vegan.  Oatmeal cookies are the perfect cookie to do that with b/c one of my favorite substitutes when baking vegan is flax seeds, the grains aren't as noticeable when you pair them with oats.  I took a basic recipe and substituted a few ingredients for the eggs and butter.  If you just want a basic, chewy recipe, but like your dairy, just replace the flax seed/water with the egg, and vegan butter with regular butter.  Some vegans don't do vanilla (long story, but from what I've read, the initial problems aren't present in what we use today-it's your call), but you can use an almond extract if you would rather.

For vegans, or hungry people, here's a good recipe for chew oatmeal cookies....

Chewy Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

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INGREDIENTS: 1/2 c. vegan butter (softened, NOT melted), 1/2 c. sugar, 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1 T ground flax seed, 3 T of water, pinch of baking soda, 1/2 t. vanilla, 1 c. flour, 1/2 t. baking soda, 1/2 t. salt, 3/4 t ground cinnamon, 1 1/2 c oats (not instant)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Put flax seed in 3 T water and set aside for about ten minutes.  After ten pinch add a pinch of baking soda to the top and then add to the dry ingredients.

2.  Stir together butter, sugar, brown sugar, and baking soda.  

3.  Add flax seed mix, and vanilla. 

4.  Add in flour, salt and cinnamon.  Once it's blended, stir in oats.  

5.  Place Tablespoon size drops on a baking sheet and bake for 375 for ten minutes (until just browning around the edge). 

*makes 18 cookies

Mini Pecan Rolls..Gone Vegan

I adapted this recipe from Pioneer Woman.  I'm not vegan, but my brother is, and sometimes I like to share my calories.  He's skinny.  I'm not.  So, when I want to try out a recipe, if I can tweak it a bit to make it Vegan, I do so I can ship some his way.  

I adjust this one a bit from the original because I'm not feeding a ranch.  

You can print the recipe here.  If you don't want it to be vegan, just replace the vegan butter for the real deal.  

Or..here are the step by steps with the adaptions for a smaller batch gone vegan.  

For the dough, I took Rhodes bread loaves and pulled one out and let it thaw as the package instructed.  It rose, and I punch it down and then rolled it out as far as I could stretch it.  

 I melted 1/4 c vegan butter in a pan over medium  and then added 1/2 c chopped pecans, 1/2 c karo syrup, and 1 t. vanilla.  I let it come to a boil and then pulled it off the stove and set it aside.

 To the dough I added 1/4 c melted vegan butter and then a ton of sugar and cinnamon.  Really...I covered it/doused it, could have added more.

 I put little spoonfuls of pecans and the 'juice' into 24 mini muffin cups.

I rolled up the bread like a log and then cut 24 really thing slices and placed them on top of the pecan mix.  I let them rise for about 20 minutes (and used this time to preheat the oven to 375).  I baked it for 15 minutes, and then turned the muffins over on a baking sheet almost immediately (the instructions said they came out better if you waited 20 minutes, but I found when i tried that the pecans stuck to the pans bc the sauce had hardened.  You may have to spoon some of the pecan mix back on from the pan.
One thing I learned, store these and eat them the next day....they are even better-I don't know why, but....it's true!

Vegan Orange Rolls

You can make these with real butter, or with a vegan substitute.  Regardless, I think they taste the same (or close enough).  And...yay...it's actually vegan....a new road some of my family is on....which makes meals together...interesting.  Every great once in awhile I stumble upon something that doesn't take a lot of tweaking to make it vegan. The original recipe came from homebasedmom.  I just used some butter substitutes when it called for butter.    Orange rolls have been universally loved for those of those who are still carnivores and pea protein lovers.  If you have special food needs, or...just like orange rolls...here's a quick and easy way to whip them up.

Orange Rolls

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Roll Ingredients:  12 frozen Rhodes dinner rolls (thawed), rind of one orange (grated), 1/2 c sugar, 1/2 c. butter (or butter substitute)

Glaze Ingredients: 1 c. powdered sugar, 2 T melted butter (or substitute), 2 T orange juice

Roll Instructions:  

1.  Thaw dough in the fridge overnight or set out for a few hours prior to use (cover).  

2.  Grate the orange rind and toss with sugar.  

3.  Roll thawed rolls in 1/2 c. melted butter.  Roll in sugar and rind mix.  

4.  Place in greased 9x13 pan.  

5.  Cover rolls with syran wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour (double in size).  

6.  Remove wrap and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  

7.  Cool for five minutes.  Mix glaze ingredients and pour over the top of rolls.  

Pesto Pasta Salad

I try so many new recipes...some are great, some are ter-rible.  I rarely write them on recipe cards b/c I have them on my blog.  I loved this recipe sooooo much that I wrote it on a recipe card b/c if an alien eats the internet and I lose all my recipes....I do NOT want to lose this one.  Yu-um.  It's also accidentally kind of healthy.  Bonus, leave out the cheese cubes, and make sure your pasta doesn't contain eggs and it's also vegan.  My brother has been residing at my house the last few months and he's vegan.  I made this and only put the cheese in mine....it wasn't even necessary.  Sometimes I chase cheese wanting it with each bite, but with this dish-all the other pieces have so much flavor you can take it or leave it (I liked it even better the second day when I reheated the pasta and the mozerella melted a little more).  The original recipe came from damndelicious.
OK...so....try this out-trust me not much makes the recipe card these days and just typing this makes me want to go make it again.

Pesto Pasta Salad

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Ingredients:  8 oz med shell pasta, 1 lb asparagus (trimmed), 2 T olive oil, salt and pepper (to taste), 1/2 c. pesto, 1/3 c sun dried tomatoes in olive oil (drained and julienned), 1/3 c diced mozzarella cube, fried egg (optional)

Instructions:  

1.  Heat the oven to 425.  Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.  Place trimmed asparagus in a single layer on baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to combine.  Roast for 8-12 minutes (should be tender and crisp).  Cool and cut into 1 inch pieces.  

2.  Boil shell pasta per package instructions.  Drain and add asparagus, pesto, sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella and a fried egg (if you want).  

Vegan Green Bean Casserole

Eating a holiday meal with my family is sort of like the story of Goldilocks.  Everyone has their quirks.  Things they won't eat, will eat, expect to eat, never want to see again.  At most meals-my extended family=7, so I don't know if it's good there are so few considering all the special request, or if we were larger-people wouldn't get to be so picky.  I, of course, am not a single part of the problem (ha!).  So, the goal is always to find things everyone will eat, that actually taste good.  When my brother jumped off the vegetarian wagon straight into vegan -ville I refused to give up all those veggie casseroles.  Someone said they had seen a vegan green bean casserole, so I got to work thanks to hummusapian I have a tasty dish that meets at least one of the guest requirements.  I didn't let the others know it was vegan and everyone was happy.  It also make a TON, so my family has room to grow.

Vegan Green Bean Casserole

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Ingredients: 1/2 c. cashews (soaked for 4 hours or overnight in the almond milk), 1/2 c unsweetened almond milk, french onions (I got a large can b/c we like these a lot),  2 lbs frozen cut green beans, 1 T  olive oil, 1 med onion (diced), 3 cloves of garlic (minced), 16 oz of mushrooms (chopped), 1/8 t ground nutmeg, 1 T soy sauce, 1/4 c dry white wine, ground black pepper (I used a substitution for the white wine-I know the alcohol cooks out, but my brother has been sober over 5 years now and doesn't even cook with it just as a matter of temptation)

Instructions:  Place cashews in the almond milk and soak for 4 hours or overnight.  When you ready blend with a food processor until smooth and creamy.  Set aside.  
Bring a large pot with 2 inches of water to a boil.  Add green beans to boiling water.  Cook over medium for 5 minutes (or until tender).  Drain and run cold water over the green beans to stop the cooking.  Set aside.
In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions to hot oil.  Cook for five minutes and then add garlic and mushrooms.  Cook for ten minutes (stir often).  Add nutmeg, soy sauce, white wine, salt, and pepper.  Simmer for five minutes.
Stir in cashew cream and 1/3 c.+ of the french onions.  Stir in green beans.
Spread mix into large casserole dish and top with the remaining baked onions.  Back at 350 for 20 minutes.
*It says this serves 8, but I think you could squeeze in several more people!

Asian Pasta Salad

I've been on the hunt for vegan friendly recipes.  My brothers at my house this summer, which means I have someone to share calories with....except...he won't consume any animal based calories.  We both run....these days I mostly run from things I'm scared of, or towards really fabulous shopping deals, he runs marathons.  So, pasta is good for fueling those runs too.  

This was a yummy salad I tried out after finding the recipe at aestheticnest.  You can serve it hot or cold, but I loved it cold.  You can also add whatever vegetables you want.  My pocketbook only wanted to add snow peas and a red pepper this week.  In addition-I think this one is pretty much a no fail.  If you like Asian/soy based dressings, try it out.  

Asian Pasta Salad

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Dressing Instructions:  

3/4 c soy, 4 t grated ginger, 1 T brown sugar, 2 T sesame oil, 6 T rice wine vinegar, 2 t sweet chili sauce, 1/4 c canola oil.  Combine and blend using a blender.  

Pasta Instructions:

Cook and drain 2 lbs of pasta (eggless if you are entertaining vegans), chow vegetables (ex:  1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper, 8 oz of baby corn, 6 oz of snow peas (cut in half or leave whole), 3 scallions.  

Combine all the veggies and pasta.  Dress and toss.  

Grilled Bread...or My New Addiction

I really thought I had tried bread every way you can serve it...including raw.  I like it.  I like it a lot.  For Memorial Day my family grilled out.  My brother attended said grill out.  My brother is a Vegan.  I'm having to get really creative when it comes to family meals+vegans.  I googled/searched/and sent carrier pigeons out for grill ideas.  I remembered some bread I had once in Hawaii.  All good stories lead to Hawaii.  I know they grilled their bread at that memorable meal, and it turns out you can actually grill bread outside of Hawaii.
I bought a really dense (egg free bread).  You can leave the eggs if you want-I'm not opposed.  Sour Dough works well.  I mixed about 1/4 c olive oil and 1 t. garlic salt (more if you like garlic, less if you don't) and I brushed each piece with my garlic oil mix.  I just did one side.  I put it on the grill (around the edge of the fire, not directly over it) and I flipped it about 2 minutes in.  Just leave it on until you start to see the grill marks (about 2-3 minutes on each side....depending on how hot your grill is).  It.  Was.  Delicious.  It was toasty goodness...and for a minute-I thought I could be a vegan.  Then I remembered I like cheese.  A lot.

No-Knead 3 Ingredient Bread

I definitely consider myself a bread expert.  I recently had a friend on facebook post this picture of a recipe she found via the NY Times, BUT it only had three ingredients.  I'm all about short cuts to short cuts.  Plus, all three of these ingredients are safe for vegans (which my brother is...it's hard to find recipes to make when he's around, and it can be made with any flour (wheat?).It reminds me of a sour dough bread, and it's good.
I've made it three times in a month, and it's not because I have lots of time, but rather-it's that good and that easy!

No-Knead 3 Ingredient Bread

PRINT HERE

Ingredients: 3 c bread flour (+more for dusting), 1/4 t instant yeast (one pkg), 1 1/4 t salt
Instructions:
1.  Combine flour, yeast, salt in a bowl.
2.  Add 1 5/8 c warm water (follow yeast instructions for temperature).  Stir until dough is shaggy and sticky.
3.  Let the dough rise for 12-18 hours (the longer the better) in a 70 degree room.  (I put mine in the fridge for 24 hours and set it out a few hours before using it).   It is ready when the surface is dotted with bubbles.
4.  Flour a work surface.  Gently roll the dough into a ball.  Place more flour on a cotton cloth covered in more flour (seam side down), cover with another towel and let it rise 2 more hours.  It should be double the size and not readily spring back when touched.
5.  Half an hour before the bread is ready to bake, heat oven to 450 and place a 6-8 qt dish in the oven to heat (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex, ceramic).
6.  When dough is risen, pull out the heated dish, turn the dough into the dish.  It may not look perfect, but shake it a bit to settle it evenly and then place it in the oven.
7.  Cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove lid and bake another 15-30 minutes until golden brown.