Vegan Ambrosia

Today is National Pie Day - not to be confused with National Pi Day , which isn't until March (or July, depending on how particular you are).  To celebrate, I made a version of the Best Vegan Pecan Pie .  I also made this for my mother's annual family dinner in December, and it was a bit hit among the entirely omnivore crowd.  It is truly the best pecan pie.  For the pie crust, I'm not including a recipe because I bought mine, but you can find recipes all over the interwebs.  Whole Foods has a nice selection of vegan pie crusts, and I got a whole wheat version. Pecan Topping: 2 cups pecan halves 1 tablespoon Earth Balance margarine 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar Filling: 10 whole grain graham crackers 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon water 2 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine 1/2 cup turbinado sugar 1/2 cup cane sugar 1/4 cup agave syrup 2 teaspoons almond (or vanilla) extract 1/4 cup applesauce 1/4 cup cornstarch Preheat oven to 350. For the pec...

These cupcakes are fairly low in fat, and since I mistakenly left out the applesauce, they turned out denser and more like brownies than cupcakes.  Feel free to add 1/3 cup of applesauce to the batter (I have done a version with that before) if you want them more cakey. Brownie cupcakes: 1/2 cup coconut milk drink or lite coconut milk 1/2 cup turbinado sugar 1/4 cup agave syrup 1/2 cup soy milk 1 tsp apple cider vinegar 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup raw cacao (or cocoa) powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a mini muffin pan.  (I like that size, but feel free to use the bigger ones and increase the baking time.) Mix together the coconut milk, turbinado sugar, and agave syrup (not pictured - sorry!).  Mix vigorously with a fork or whisk every minute or so, until sugar is dissolved. Meanwhile, stir together soy milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside for a few minu...

  When I started eating a vegan diet, the last thing I stopped eating was cheese.  I love creamy, cheesy things.  I would always have on hand boxes of macaroni and cheese - different kinds for different moods - including the cheapest, most neon-orange generic box with powdered sauce mix.  Now I buy vegan "cheese" and make my own vegan macaroni and "cheese" - which, while only a distant cousin of my boxed favorites, is enough to satisfy my cravings. This sauce is more like Alfredo and is, I believe, even better than the too-rich dairy version (or my previous attempts at making it with skim milk).  And the protein and fat content make it a food I can have on a regular basis.  It's derived from a recipe in The Nutritional Yeast Cookbook by Joanne Stepaniak. 2 Tbsp chopped garlic (yes, I use the kind from a jar) 7 oz. lite silken tofu (half a package of the regular, refrigerated stuff - not actually what's pictured here) 1/4 c water 1 Tbsp lemon juice...

You know, most of what I make hardly constitutes a recipe, but that doesn't mean it's not delicious.  This is one example - hence the dearth of photos: I didn't think of putting it on the blog until I was just about to eat. Vegan Tacos Filling: 1 cup textured vegetable protein (TVP) (I use Bob's Red Mill) 2 tsp olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 T chopped garlic Chili powder, pinch Cayenne pepper powder, pinch Cumin, pinch Guacamole: 1 avocado 1/2 lime or 1/2 tsp lime juice Salt, pinch Garlic powder, dash Fresh salsa: 1 medium tomato 1/4 jalapeno* pepper 1 T chopped onion 4 small tortillas (I used Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Low Carb, because they're high in fiber and protein) Tofutti Better than Sour Cream Add one cup veggie broth to dry TVP and let sit for 5-10 minutes.  Meanwhile, make guacamole.  Cut lime in half, squeeze, and rub around inside of bowl.  Sprinkle salt and garlic powder (and cumin and cayenne, if you're in that...

When I was a kid, my favorite color was magenta.  I think I loved the word (which I of course learned from a box of Crayolas) as much as the color itself.  While my favorite color has matured (or devolved) into the popular blue, I must admit that magenta still makes me happy.  When I got my juicer this fall, I discovered that I can drink magenta - and it's sweet!  Beet juice should be drunk in moderation, according to anyone who writes about this on the interwebs.  Beets have a very high oxalate content, which can be toxic in large amounts, and oxalate likes to bind with calcium.  So don't juice it with fruits and vegetables high in calcium, like oranges or leafy greens, or you'll get a bunch of gritty calcium oxalate in your magenta juice.  And don't drink it at all if you get kidney stones.  That said, it's a wonderful world where this:  becomes this: That's a tall glass of magenta - Yum!

How have I just discovered this?  It's probably because I've lived without a microwave in two of my previous apartments.  Apparently you can nuke sweet potatoes.  You should, really.  I made a meal out of it - lunch, dinner - whatever it is that happens at 4:30.  This is too silly to write up as a recipe, but what the heck. One sweet potato (1/2-1 lb) Earth Balance (optional) Put sweet potato on a paper towel on a plate, poke with a fork a few times, and microwave for 5-10 minutes.  Mine was about 3/4 pound, and 8 minutes seemed just right.  Add Earth Balance.  Enjoy! Now, on to the debate (no, not the one about yams and sweet potatoes - Whole Foods claims sweet potatoes are a kind of yam, Barbara Kafka of Vegetable Love says they're different, and I'm not sure I care).  No, this debate: what do we call the meal that's eaten in the late afternoon, after a late morning brunch?  Lundinner?  Dunch?  Linner?

These are a version of one of my favorite baked goods.  They are not as low in fat and sugar as many of my other recipes, but sometimes we just need to indulge.  The coconut helps keep the cookies together and adds another element of flavor. 1 cup whole wheat flour 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup Earth Balance or other vegan margarine 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 ripe banana, mashed 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips 1/2 cup dried shredded coconut Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a cookie sheet. Mix together flours, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In large bowl cream together margarine and sugars. Mix in mashed banana, vanilla, and baking powder. Add coconut and flour mixture in three batches, and stir well. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, until just firm and with golden brown ...