Showing posts with label vegan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegan. Show all posts
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Slow Cooker Vegan Brown Rice Mexican Bowl with Black Beans Bell Peppers and Poblano Avocado Salsa
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| Slow Cooker Brown Rice Mexican Bowls have a vibrant combination of flavors, with just enough spicy heat to keep it interesting! |
I don't remember my mother cooking black beans when I was a kid, but sometime after I left home she must have started using them, because they became my father's favorite type of bean, and any dish that had black beans was something he would enjoy. I was thinking about that as I missed him on Father's day, and remembered all the black bean salads I made for him the last few years of his life when he was in an assisted living center where I'd visit twice a week and cook lunch. My dad could be a picky customer when it came to trying new dishes, and I doubt he ever heard of vegan food, but I'm betting he would have enjoyed these Slow Cooker Vegan Brown Rice Mexican Bowls with Black Beans, Bell Peppers, and Poblano-Avocado Salsa, if only because of the black beans, rice and avocados; three foods he always loved. Using the slow cooker to cook the rice and then heat together the chopped peppers, green chiles, and black beans kept the house cool, and I thought one of these Mexican bowls made a perfect Slow Cooker Summer Dinner.
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Julienned Zucchini Vegan Mexican Bowl with Black Beans Avocado Tomato Poblano and Lime
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| This Vegan Mexican Bowl with barely-cooked zucchini is perfect when it's really too hot to cook. |
In Utah it's expected to hit 104F this week, and it seems likely we're going to set a record this summer for the most days above 100F. I hear some people lose their appetite when the weather is extra hot, but that never happens to me; in fact when summer produce is abundant I'm always thinking up new ways to use it. My latest experiment was this Julienned Zucchini Vegan Mexican Bowl with Black Beans, Avocado, Tomato, Poblano, and Lime, and the fact that the only cooking involved was 2-3 minutes to quickly saute the julienned zucchini made this a great hot-weather dish. If you like zucchini and you're looking for a light summer meal where you don't need to heat up the kitchen, I bet you might enjoy this as much as I did.
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Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Indian Spiced Slow Cooker Red Lentil Soup Recipe with Spinach and Coconut Milk Vegan Gluten Free
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| We swooned over this Indian-Spiced Slow Cooker Red Lentil Soup with Spinach and Coconut Milk |
I know some of you are going to take one look at the title of this recipe and veto it because you think the Indian spices, the red lentils, or the spinach is just not going to appeal to you. But that would be truly sad, because the entire time we were making this easy slow cooker soup, Jake and I just couldn't stop tasting it and remarking on how good it was! Admittedly Jake is an Indian food lover, and I'm a fanatic for red lentils, but still we're pretty picky about what we consider to be "blog-worthy" and this delicious soup more than made the cut. If you're not vegan you might like it with a dollop of fat-free Greek Yogurt, and I loved it with a generous squeeze of lime.
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Sunday, March 8, 2015
Celebrate Peach Season With Baby Arugula And Peach Salad Raw Vegan And Gluten Free!
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| Arugula and peach salad with slivered almonds. Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK . |
Peaches are in Season
On Sunday you could find peaches at almost every stand at the local farmers market. In Sonoma county, everyone waits for Dry Creek peaches. Last year, while in Colorado, I was introduced to the wonderful Palisades peach. No matter what peach you have access to in your local area, they are a welcome sight when they finally arrive! And they pair beautifully with arugula in this quick and easy salad.
Arugula - A Nutritious Green!
Arugula, also known as rocket, has a peppery and slightly bitter flavor. Some people are put off by the bitterness of arugula while others are drawn to it for that very reason. If you havent acquired a taste for bitter greens quite yet, try mixing them in with spring greens. I must admit, I wasnt always an arugula fan but now I love the taste, especially of delicate baby arugula.
Arugula is packed with nutrients. Its a very good source of vitamin A, C, K, folate, calcium, iron and potassium. It even provides some omega-3 fatty acid! A two ounce serving of arugula is only 14 calories yet it provides:
1328 IU vitamin A
8.4 mg vitamin C
61 mcg vitamin K
54 mcg folate
90 mg calcium
206 mg potassium
.8 mg iron
95 mg omega-3 fatty acid
Arugula and Fresh Peaches
I got the idea of pairing arugula and peaches from a recent recipe in the Press Democrat. Sadly, like so much of the rich food in wine country, they felt compelled to mask the beautiful, natural flavor of these 2 ingredients with prosciutto and goat cheese. I know some of you are saying, "yummm, prosciutto and goat cheese". Well, if those are your favorite food groups - go for it. But heres a light and healthy version of this recipe that I think youll enjoy.
Baby Arugula and Peach Salad
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]
2 small peaches, pitted, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 ounces baby arugula, cleaned
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cold pressed hemp oil or extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
2 tablespoon slivered almonds (or raw pecans or walnuts)
Place peeled peaches in a small bowl and toss with lemon juice. Set aside.
Place arugula in a salad bowl and toss with oil and salt until nicely coated. Transfer to 4 plates.
Divide and mound peaches over arugula along with remaining juices.
Top with nuts and serve.
Per serving (using hemp oil): 103 calories, 6.9 g fat, 0.6 g saturated fat, 863 mg omega-3 and 3368 mg omega-6 fatty acid, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.7 g protein, 23.5 g carbohydrates, 2.2 g fiber and 39 mg sodium (plus sodium from added salt).
This recipe is appropriate for use during a raw food cleanse.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Vegan Mexican Chocolate Cake Get Ready For Valentines Day!
Bake in an 8 inch pan for 25 to 30 minutes.
Carefully remove the wax paper from the bottom of the cake.
Cool the cake on a rack with top side facing up.
February Makes Me Think of Chocolate
With less than 2 weeks until Valentines day, I started thinking about healthy chocolate desserts. Last year I posted one of my favorites - Raw Tropical Chocolate Truffles. Today I experimented with an old favorite, Vegan Mexican Chocolate Cake. Whats fun about this recipe is that it mixes cinnamon and cayenne pepper with the chocolate and vanilla flavors for a very interesting taste. It rises beautifully without eggs or egg replacer from just the baking soda and the vinegar. To make it a bit more healthy, I use my favorite White Whole Wheat flour for extra fiber, I cut down on the amount of sugar and instead of making a high calorie icing, I just dust the cake with a bit of powdered sugar. Its quick and easy and delicious! Serve it with strawberries or raspberries and for an extra treat, top it with a small scoop of vanilla soy ice cream.
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Vegan Mexican Chocolate Cake [serves 8]
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or all purpose flour)
1/2 cup organic Sucanot or cane sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut wax paper to fit the bottom of an 8 inch pie pan and place in the bottom of the pan. Grease the sides of the pie pan with a vegan margarine or olive oil.
Combine flour, Sucanat, cocoa powder, baking soda, cayenne pepper and cinnamon in a large bowl and mix well. Stir in the water, vanilla, vinegar and oil until combined.
Pour mixture into the cake pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until you can insert a tooth pick in the middle and it comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool in the pan, on a rack, for 15 minutes. Turn the cake pan over on rack, remove the cake onto the rack and gently peel off the wax paper from the bottom of the cake. Turn the cake back over so it is cooling on the rack with the top facing up and cool another 15 minutes. Dust cake with powdered (confectioners sugar), slice and serve with berries and/or soy ice cream.
Per serving: 185.3 calories, 7.6 g fat, 1.3 g saturated fat, 1.3 mg cholesterol, 3.5 g protein, 26.5 g carbohydrates and 3 g of fiber.
Vegan Sugar Free Gluten Free Palisades Peach Crisp Or Make It With Nectarines To Avoid Peeling!
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| This warm and delicious peach crisp makes the perfect dessert! And its less than 150 calories per serving! Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK ! |
My Visit to Grand Junction, Colorado
My good friend, Dr. Christine Gallagher, who is a Natural Health Practitioner at Journey4Wellness, invited us to visit her and her family in Grand Junction, Colorado. Doug and I had never been there so we were excited to visit. They live right at the base of the Colorado National Monument which is one of the most beautiful sites Ive ever seen.
Christine practices a modality that is quite interesting and amazing. Its called Acutonics® which is similar to acupuncture but instead of using needles, she uses special tuning forks! Its very cool.
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| Me (left) and Dr. Christine Gallagher during my Colorado visit |
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| "Coke Ovens" - dome-shaped sandstone monoliths in the Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction, Colorado |
Colorado Grows Amazing Peaches!
Christine introduced me to Palisades peaches, one of the best tasting peaches Ive ever had! Since she had a big box of them, and Doug and I LOVE crisp, we made the family Palisades peach crisp several times during our visit. Her son is allergic to sugar (a mixed blessing) so we made a sugar free version using stevia. We realized that peaches, like most fruit, is so sweet, sugar is entirely unnecessary!
When we got home, we made it again only this time we used nectarines, instead of peaches, and gluten free flour. Since nectarines have such thin skin, we decided not to peel them. It came out great! So if you arent in the mood to peel peaches, try making nectarine crisp! The gluten free flour also worked very well so this makes a good gluten free dessert if you buy gluten free oats. Oats are naturally gluten free but sometimes they can get contaminated in the processing plant. If you have celiac or are especially intolerant to gluten or wheat, buy "certified" gluten free oats.
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| Palisades peaches are amazing! |
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| Try making the crisp with sliced nectarines. If they have a thin skin, there is no need to peel them. A real time saver! |
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| Another wonderful peach recipe is Raw Vegan Peach and Blueberry Crisp |
Peach (or Nectarine) Crisp
Vegan, Sugar Free, Gluten Free
[makes 8 servings]
For the topping
3/4 cup (gluten free) rolled oats
1/2 cup (gluten free) all purpose flour
3 packets Sweet Leaf stevia
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons Earth Balance buttery spread
For the fruit
7 cups thinly sliced, (about 9) peeled peaches or un-peeled nectarines
1 - 2 teaspoons fresh fruit protector or 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 packet Sweet Leaf stevia
1/4 t cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees C and take out a 7" x 11" or 8" x 8" baking pan.
Make the topping by mixing all topping ingredients with a fork until well blended and crumbly. Set aside.
Place all fruit in baking pan and stir in fruit protector (or lemon juice), stevia and cinnamon.
Spread the topping evenly over the fruit and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
Remove from oven, let sit for 15 minutes and serve. Top with dairy free, vanilla ice cream or just eat as is!
Per serving: 132.2 calories, 4.1 g fat, 1.0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.7 g protein, 24.1 g carbohydrates, 3.3 g dietary fiber and 26.7 mg sodium.
Best Raw Vegan Vegetarian and Non Vegetarian Sources of Iron How to Help Avoid Iron Deficiency Anemia and Toxicity
Why Iron is Important
The World Health Organization claims that iron deficiency is the number one nutritional disease in the world affecting 30% of the population. Although many of the 2 billion affected are women and children in third world countries, iron deficiency is also prevalent in industrialized countries. Children, young girls and women of childbearing age are most “at risk” in the United States.
The most important use of iron in our bodies is to form hemoglobin – a molecule in our red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout our system. If there is not enough iron in your diet, you run the risk of developing iron deficiency anemia. Symptoms of anemia include fatigue, headache, shortness of breath, brittle nails, irritability, sore tongue, paleness of the skin, dizziness, weight loss and unusual food cravings.
Heme iron is the most easily absorbed form and only comes from animal products. Non-heme iron comes from plants and animal products. Plant sources contain 100% non-heme iron and animal products contain 40% heme and 60% non-heme iron. Because non-heme iron is less easily absorbed, vegetarians have a higher Recommended Daily Allowance of this nutrient. Even so, iron is so prevalent in the plant kingdom, with dietary care, vegetarians are no more at risk for iron deficiency than meat eaters.
Factors that Reduce Iron Absorption
Phytates, commonly found in nuts, beans and grains, can reduce the absorption of iron. Soaking or sprouting these foods, which is commonly done in the raw food community, can reduce phytic acid making the iron more bio-available. If buying bread or cereal, choose “sprouted” grain when available.
Tannins also decrease the absorption of iron and are found in black tea, coffee and wine. You may want to have that glass of wine before your iron-rich meal and skip the tea and coffee until much later.
Calcium should also be avoided when trying to optimize iron absorption. Calcium supplements should be taken several hours before eating an iron rich meal and calcium rich beverages such as milk should also be avoided during the meal.
Low stomach acid and antacids reduce iron absorption.
Phosphates in soft drinks can also reduce absorption of this important mineral. Here is one more reason not to drink soda with a meal (or ever, actually).
Factors that Enhance Iron Absorption
Vitamin C significantly enhances the absorption of non-heme iron. Citrus fruits, being high in vitamin C, improve iron absorption. When vegans and vegetarians eat many vitamin C rich fruits and vegetables, their absorption of non-heme iron can equal the absorption of heme iron by meat eaters. High vitamin C foods include: guava, kiwi, papaya, berries, citrus, orange juice, peppers, spinach, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and greens to name a few. Don’t forget, this vitamin is very heat sensitive, so it’s always better to eat the fruits and vegetables raw or cook them “crisp tender”.
Stomach acid also enhances absorption.
Daily Requirements for Non-Vegetarians
Adult men and post-menopausal women: 8 mg
Women of childbearing age: 18 mg
Pregnant women: 27 mg
Lactating women: 9 to 10 mg
Daily Requirements for Vegetarians
Adult men and post-menopausal women: 14 mg
Women of childbearing age: 33 mg
Pregnant vegetarian women: 48.6 mg
Can you get Too Much Iron?
The upper limit for iron is 45 mg a day which isn’t difficult to reach if your multi has iron, you cook with cast iron cookware and you eat fortified foods such as Total or Multigrain Cheerios. Excess iron has been known to cause constipation and GI distress. Iron toxicity symptoms include fatigue, headaches, nausea, shortness of breath, weight loss, dizziness, and a gray hue to the skin. A hypothesis exists that suggests excess stored iron may lead to heart disease in men and post-menopausal women. Younger women, who regularly decrease their iron store during menstruation, enjoy a lower rate of heart disease. This would explain why women’s rate of cardiovascular disease after menopause increases. Many health professionals now suggest that adults avoid iron supplementation unless they are anemic. Many multi-vitamins are available "without iron".
Raw Food Vegan Sources of Iron: (source, NutritionData.com)
Raw Vegetables (Per 1 cup serving)
Asparagus, 2.9 mg
Mustard spinach, 2.3 mg
Leeks, 1.9 mg
Kale, 1.1 mg
Dandelion greens, 1.7 mg
Spring onions, 1.5 mg
Fruits (Per ½ cup serving or as noted)
Dried Apricots, 3.8 mg
Dried Peaches, 3.2 mg
Dried currants, 2.3 mg
Sun dried tomatoes, 2.5 mg
Avocado (1 cup pureed), 1.4 mg
Raw Nuts and Seeds (Per 1 ounce serving or as noted)
Pumpkin and squash seeds, 4.3 mg
Sesame seeds, 4.1 mg
Organic raw Tahini (1 tablespoon), 3.0 mg**
Cashew nuts, 1.9 mg
Pine nuts, 1.6 mg
Flax seeds, 1.6 mg
Hemp seeds, 1.3 mg
Grains
Unfortunately, very little data exists on raw, sprouted grains.
Crude rice bran (2 tablespoons) 2.7 mg
Sprouted wheat (1/2 cup) 1.2 mg
Raw Beans (Per 1 cup serving)
Peanuts, 6.7 mg
Sprouted lentils, 2.5 mg
Snow peas, sugar snap peas, 2.0 mg
Other
Dried spirulina (1 tablespoon), 2 mg
Parsley (1/2 cup fresh), 1.9 mg
Cumin seed (1 teaspoon), 1.3 mg
Dried Thyme (1 teaspoon), 1.2 mg
Cooked Vegan Food Sources of Iron (Source: NutritionData.com)
Cooked Vegetables (Per 1 cup serving or as noted)
Spinach, 6.4 mg
Swiss Chard, 4.0 mg
Potato (1 large baked), 3.2 mg
Beet greens, 2.7 mg
Collards, 2.2 mg
Brussels sprouts, 1.8 mg
Turnip greens, 1.2 mg
Kale, 1.2 mg
Broccoli, 1.0 mg
Cooked Grains (Per 1 cup serving)
Kellogg’s Oat Bran Flakes, 25.2 mg
General Mills Whole Grain Total, 24 mg
Multigrain Cheerios, 18.6 mg
Spelt, 3.2 mg
Quinoa, 2.8 mg
Multigrain bread,(2 slices), 1.4 mg
Brown rice, 0.8 mg
Cooked Beans (Per 1 cup serving)
Soybeans, 8.8 mg
Lentils, 6.6 mg
Black beans, 3.6 mg
Pinto beans, 3.6 mg
Garbanzo beans, 3.2 mg
Kidney beans, 3.0 mg
Peas, 2.4 mg
Other
Blackstrap molasses (2 tablespoons), 7.2 mg**
Sources of Heme Iron (Per 3 oz. serving or as noted)
Chicken livers, simmered, 9.9 mg
Chicken, thigh meat, stewed, 1.2 mg
Beef liver, braised, 5.4 mg
Beef, lean top sirloin, 1.5 mg
Egg, hard-boiled (2 large), 1.2 mg
Pacific oysters, raw, 4.3 mg
Tuna, light, canned in water, drained, 1.3 mg
Salmon, wild Atlantic, cooked dry heat, 0.9 mg
(**) source, manufacturers information
Summary
Iron is plentiful in both the animal and plant kingdoms.
Vegans can get sufficient iron from plants by eating those high in iron and eating foods like fortified cereals. Iron absorption will increase with the consumption of foods high in vitamin C at the same meal. To optimize iron consumption, grains and beans can be soaked to lessen phytate content. Tannins, antacids and soda should be avoided and calcium supplements should not be taken at mealtime.
Raw food vegans (especially pregnant women or women of childbearing age) may have a harder time getting sufficient iron, especially if on a 100% raw food diet. If you are 80% raw or less, consider supplementing your diet with high iron foods like cooked beans and taking all of the other precautions listed above.
Men and post-menopausal women should be careful not to supplement or eat too many iron-fortified foods unless they have iron deficiency anemia.
Healthy Vegan and Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu and Recipes
A simple vegan antipasto appetizer.
Vegan split pea soup with carrots.
Vegan stuffed pumpkin with quinoa, pecans, cranberries and apples.
Vegan lemon tahini encrusted baked cauliflower.
Vegan sweet potato casserole with pineapple and pecans.
Garden fresh green beans with garlic, lemon and dill.
Vegan apple and blackberry crisp.
Vegan carrot cake with cashew cream icing.
A Healthy and Vegan Friendly Thanksgiving
If you are hosting a Thanksgiving dinner and have some vegan guests, heres what you need to know. Vegans do not eat any animal products - besides avoiding meat, fish and poultry,(that includes broth made from turkey, chicken or beef), they dont use milk, eggs, cheese, butter and honey (although some vegans eat honey so make sure to check). This menu provides vegan friendly recipes from appetizers to desserts. The quinoa stuffed sugar pumpkin makes a great main entree. Even if you arent a vegan or vegetarian, these delicious dishes will make your Thanksgiving meal lighter and healthier.
How to Make Your Favorite Recipe Vegan Friendly
To make your own recipes vegan friendly, replace:
* Butter with a vegan buttery spread or olive oil
* Honey with agave syrup
* Eggs with EnerG egg replacer or make an egg by whipping up 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water
* Chicken or beef broth with vegetable or mushroom broth
* Ricotta cheese with tofu processed in a food processor
* Cream with silken tofu
Healthy Vegan Thanksgiving Menu
[Please click on the recipe titles to link to the actual recipes and then hit the back arrow to return to this posting].
Appetizer
I love to serve a big Vegan Antipasto when we entertain. For the non-vegans, you can add baby buffalo mozzarella or chunks of provolone. This antipasto is very easy to make and can be assembled in minutes.
Soup
One of my favorite soups is Vegan Split Pea Soup with Carrots. You can make this ahead of time and reheat on Thanksgiving day. Or, make it early in the day and leave it in the pot. Set aside and warm it right before dinner.
Main Course
For the main entree we have Vegan Stuffed Pumpkin with Quinoa, Pecans, Cranberries and Apples. This is a very filling dish so if you make all the other side dishes, this recipe will serve 8. Ive chosen 3 healthy and fairly easy side dishes to go with the stuffed pumpkin and/or with a traditional turkey. The first is Vegan Lemon Tahini Encrusted Baked Cauliflower. This dish makes a very elegant presentation and slices nicely. Although this recipe usually serves 4, with all the other dishes, a large cauliflower would probably serve 6 to 8. The next dish is Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Pineapple and Pecans. This light and healthy casserole will serve 8 and can be made the day before. The last side dish is Garden Fresh Green Beans with Garlic, Lemon and Dill. This recipe will serve 6 to 8.
Dessert
For dessert we have 2 options. The first is a Vegan Gravenstein Apple and Blackberry Crisp . Of course you can replace the Gravensteins with other apples and you can also replace the blackberries with cranberries or raisins. This recipe serves 6. The second dessert is Vegan Carrot Cake made with a cashew cream icing. The sheet cake can serve up to 30 people so if you have a smaller crowd, pour the entire batter in a 9"x13" pan, make only half the icing and just ice the top. That will still serve up to 20 people but you can eat if for several days or send some home with your guests!
Check out the 2010 Healthy Vegan Thanksgiving Menu!
I hope you enjoy these menus for your Thanksgiving or other winter holiday feasts.
Check out more vegan recipes and articles on vegan nutrition on my blog.
Join us on FACEBOOK!
Friday, March 6, 2015
Raw Vegan Spinach And Strawberry Salad With Almonds And Orange Vinaigrette
Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
[serves 4]
For the salad
6 cups raw baby spinach, cleaned
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup raw sliced almonds
12 thin red onion slices
For the dressing
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoons sea salt (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
Combine all salad ingredients in a large salad bowl except for the onion slices. Make the vinaigrette by mixing the dressing ingredients. Pour on salad, toss well and serve. Place 3 onion slices on each salad.
Per serving: 159.1 calories, 9.8 g fat, 1.2 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 3.4 g protein, 15.6 g carbohydrates and 3.7 g of fiber.
Vegan Tart Cherry And Almond Scones
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| These vegan scones are quick and easy to make. They are just 127 calories and less than 1g of saturated fat! Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK . |
Perfecting the Healthy Scone
I love scones but they are usually made with cream, butter and white flour, all of which I avoid. For some time now Ive been trying to perfect a "healthy" scone. Well, I wouldnt regard this recipe as "health food" but, for a scone, it comes pretty darn close.
This recipe features King Arthurs white whole wheat flour which gives the whole grain goodness of wheat with the lightness of white flour. They also contain tart cherries which are high up there on the ORAC scale (6800 per 100 grams), a measurement of the antioxidant capacity of food. Almonds not only give a nice crunch but also contribute manganese and vitamin E. Soy creamer and Earth Balance replace the cream and butter so the scones are free of cholesterol and have only 0.7 grams of saturated fat. These are also low in sugar with only a little over one teaspoon per scone. Bottom line, these delicious breakfast treats weigh in at only 127 calories and provide 2.6 grams of fiber per serving.
Tart Cherry and Almond Whole Wheat Scones
Vegan
[makes 8 scones]
1 cup King Arthurs white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons organic cane sugar plus 1/2 teaspoon for sprinkling
2 tablespoons Earth Balance vegan buttery spread
1/2 cup Silk soy creamer
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped dried tart cherries
3 tablespoons slivered almonds
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and lightly oil a cookie sheet.
Combines flour, baking powder, baking soda and 3 tablespoons of sugar in a medium size mixing bowl.
Using a pastry blender, mix the Earth Balance into the flour mixture.
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| Mix in until the flour resembles course meal. |
Add soy creamer and vanilla and stir with a rubber spatula until flour mixture is moistened.
Stir in the dried cherries and almonds.
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| Stir dried cherries and almonds into moistened flour mixture. |
Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop 8 scones onto the lightly oiled cookie sheet.
Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of sugar evenly over the scones. (Thats 1/2 teaspoon for all 8 scones - it doesnt take much).
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| Using an ice cream scoop makes this so easy. |
Bake until golden brown and tops are firm when gently pressed, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and serve immediately with vegan cream cheese or low sugar strawberry jam.
NOTE: The baking time is perhaps the trickiest thing in this recipe. If you bake them for too short a period of time they are doughy but even a minute too long will make them too brown so play around with it until you figure out your oven. It may take a few tries but youll enjoy each attempt!
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| Experiment with other dried fruits and nuts. |
VARIATION: You can also make these with other dried fruits such as raisins, dried cranberries, apricots or prunes. Try other nuts too such as English walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans or cashews.
Ive nearly perfected the gluten free version of this so stand by!
Complete Vegan Christmas or New Years Menu
Walnut and mushroom pâté - vegan chopped liver substitute.
Vegan French onion soup with Cannellini beans and garlic toast.
Vegan Manicotti with sprouted tofu and tomato basil sauce.
Raw kale salad with 3 types of kale and shredded carrots.
Vanilla chia seed pudding with hemp milk and blueberries.
Soy ice cream tart on a raw walnut crust with fresh berries.
Make your Holiday Vegan Friendly and Healthy
Whether you are vegan and preparing an entire holiday meal for your family or if youre not vegan and would like to have some healthy meatless recipe ideas for the holidays, youve come to the right place. In 2009, Ive posted over 70 original, healthy vegan recipes. Here are a few of them that Ive put together for a holiday menu. Enjoy!
Vegan Christmas or New Years Eve Menu
Please click on recipe titles to link to the actual recipes and then hit the back arrow to return to this posting.
Appetizer
This Walnut and mushroom pate recipe is a great substitute for chopped chicken liver and pâté du foie gras. Serve it with a sliced baguette or with crackers.
Soup
For our soup I selected an old classic with a vegan twist. This French onion soup recipe is made with a quick, home-made mushroom broth and is topped with garlic toast. It also has protein-rich Cannellini beans.
Main Course
Being Italian, most of our big holiday meals centered around a large tray of lasagna or beautiful individual manicotti or stuffed shells. So it was natural for me to pick my Vegan manicotti with sprouted tofu and tomato basil sauce recipe for the main course. Ive paired this with a Raw kale salad with different types of kale, shredded carrots and a lemon vinaigrette.
Dessert
Weve left room for 2 light and healthy desserts. The first is a Vanilla chia pudding with hemp milk and blueberries. Instead of blueberries, you can make it with pomegranate seeds or diced Fuyu persimmons. The second dessert is an Ice Cream Tart with Raspberries on a raw walnut crust, filled with vanilla soy ice cream.
Have a healthy and happy holiday!
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