Coconut & Cardamom Mashed Sweet Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

• 3 lb. Garnet Yams, skins left on
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1-2 TBL Maple Syrup
• 1/4 c. Coconut Milk or So Delicious Coconut Cremer (plain)
• 2 TBL pecans, toasted & chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash sweet potatoes well and poke holes in them using a fork. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spray with olive oil to coat. Cook until tender, about 45 minutes. Potatoes are done when you can easily poke through to the center with a knife. Remove from oven and split lengthwise to cool.

While potatoes are still warm, scoop out flesh using a spoon into a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mash well using a hand masher. If potatoes are too thick, add more coconut milk. Season to taste with more salt & pepper if necessary and top with toasted pecans.

Pumpkin Cake w /Maple Coconut Cream

INGREDIENTS

• 2 flax eggs (2 TBL ground flax blended in a blender with 4-6 TBL water until gelatinous)
• 1/3 c. applesauce
• 1-1/2 cups palm sugar
• 1/2 c. coconut oil or avocado oil
• 1 15-oz can cooked pumpkin
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups gluten-free flour mix
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 glass baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk flax eggs, applesauce, coconut oil, sugar, vanilla & pumpkin together until emulsified. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (the GF flour mix through sea salt). Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture a little at a time and stir until well combined, about two minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes, or until the cake is firm and a wooden pick inserted into the center emerges clean. Cool on a wire rack while you make the coconut maple cream

 

COCONUT MAPLE CREAM

• 1 c. cashews, soaked 2 hours
• Meat from one young thai coconut
• 1 tsp maple extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 TBS agave nectar or coconut nectar
• ½ cup coconut creamer (unsweetened)

Blend all ingredients together in a blender until thick and creamy

Minty Hot Chocolate – Vegan

Herbed Lentil Soup

This hearty and delicious soup is packed with protein & flavor! An awesome treat served with Daiya Cheese quesadillas

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 TBL Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut Oil
• 1 large sweet yellow onion, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled & diced
• 3 stalks celery, chopped small
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 plum tomatoes, diced or 1 can fire organic roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 TBL Sherry wine vinegar or Champagne Vinegar
• 2 tsp dried tarragon
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp paprika
• 6 cups veggie stock, low sodium or 3 veggie bullion cubes and 6 cups water
• 2 cups French lentils
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp sea salt
• Ground black pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, leek & shallot. Saute about 10 minutes until onions, leek & shallot are a little brown. Add celery, carrots, thyme, tarragon & paprika. Add tomatoes and the vinegar. Stir to combine. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add Veggie broth, lentils, bay leaves, salt & pepper. Turn up heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover pot with a lid, turn down heat to a simmer and cook covered for about 45 minutes or until lentils are tender.

Coconut Yam Soup

As The Seasons Change, We Change!

White Bean & Zucchini Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 2 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into 1/4″ pieces
• 2 shallots, diced
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried sage
• 1 c. chopped baby spinach
• 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, marinated in oil, cut up
• 2 cans white beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 TBS Olive oil
• Sea salt & pepper to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the onion and shallot in olive oil until translucent and caramelized. Add thyme & sage and stir to combine to release the flavor of the herbs. Add the zucchini and saute until lightly browned. Add spinach and cover pan with lid until spinach wilts. Do not overcook.

Pour into a large bowl with remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or chilled.

Makes 6-8 servings

Vegan & Gluten Free Mac & Cheese w/ Broccoli

Mac and Cheese is a touchy subject in most homes and this one will even fool the youngest mouths in your life! And it’s more nutritious with the addition of some fun green trees (broccoli)!

1/2 pound gluten free brown rice elbows (Tinkyada brand is best)

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1-1/2 cups plain, unsweetened So Delicious Coconut Milk or Almond Milk
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or more to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoons tahini
• black pepper to taste
• 1 TBL Brown rice flour
• 1-2 TBL olive oil or Earth Balance (soy free)
• 1 – 2 c. broccoli florets (depending on how much you like)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 tsp. olive oil

Prepare pasta to al dente. While pasta is cooking, heat 2 tsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute garlic until tender. Add broccoli and a splash of water, cover and steam until tender.  In the meantime, blend all remaining ingredients together in a blender except for olive oil and brown rice flour. When pasta is done, drain and rinse and set aside.

Over medium heat, add olive oil or Earth Balance to a sauce pan and heat. Add brown rice flour and stir to make a roux. Add sauce mixture and pasta and cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. If sauce is too thick, add more coconut milk, if too thin, add a little more rice flour. Add in cooked broccoli and stir to combine. If the sauce needs a touch more flavor, add more mustard and onion or garlic powder. Top with a dash of smoked paprika and serve immediately!

Coconut Basil Stir Fry over Quinoa

Raw Vegan Chocolate “Pudding”

INGREDIENTS

• Meat from 2 young thai coconuts
• Water from one young thai coconut
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours & drained
• 1/4 c. raw cacao powder
  (you can add more if you like it more chocolaty)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or seeds from a vanilla bean
• 1/4 c. agave nectar or maple syrup

Open coconuts (carefully) with a cleaver or sharp serrated knife and scrape out meat. Place all ingredients in a blender except coconut water. Add coconut water just to barely cover ingredients, you can always add more later if too thick.  Blend until creamy smooth. If pudding is too thin, add more cashews. Enjoy with fresh berries!!