Plant You's Common Ground Granola

I have been a big fan of Carleigh Bodrug, author of Plant You Scrappy Cooking, for awhile now. I recently bought her new vegan cookbook and it is wonderful; delicious & easy recipes with beautiful, eye catching photos! The first recipe I made from her book is this super simple granola that has coffee grounds in it! The ingredients were so unusual that of course I had to make it (and I don't even drink coffee). This granola doesn't disappoint - it is so good. It is also diary and oil-free! 

I served mine over coconut yogurt with berries. It would be yummy on vegan ice cream, on top of an açaí bowl or just simply a bowl of granola with plant milk. 

Here is Carleigh's recipe word for word from her cookbook: 

Ingredients:

3 cups gluten-free rolled oats

1 cup chopped walnuts, pecans or pumkin seeds

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup pure maple syrup or liquid sweetener

1/2 cup brewed coffee or tea

3 Tbl spent coffee grounds or tea leaves

2 Tbl tahini or nut butter of choice

1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs

1/3 cup dried cherries <this was my own addition>

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F

Line a baking sheet with reusable baking mat or parchment paper.

In a bowl, combine the oats, nuts ground flaxseed, cocoa powder, and salt. 

In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup, brewed coffee, coffee grounds and tahini. 

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until fully combined. Spread the mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet. 

Bake for 30 minutes, tossing it every 10 minutes to ensure the mixture is baked evenly. Remove for the oven an allow to cool completely before stirring in the chocolate chips <and adding the dried cherries, if using>. 

Enjoy with plant-based milk or vegan yogurt, or as a topping on morning cereal. 

Chocolate Cherry Dessert Smoothie

I have always loved the combination of cherries and chocolate. I was craving something sweet, chocolatey, yet healthy, this afternoon, so I whipped this up. Ooh it's so yummy! All my fruit was frozen which made the smoothie so thick I had to eat it with a spoon (which really made it feel like dessert). 

Do you keep your spinach in the freezer? I have been doing this for years. I buy a big container of fresh spinach and then pop it in the freezer....I love the texture this gives my smoothies. 

Ingredients:

1 cup of plant milk (I used oat, but a creamy almond or soy would also be good)

1 Tbl cacao powder

1 large frozen banana

1 cup frozen cherries

1/2 cup frozen raspberries 

2 handfuls of spinach

1 pitted date

1 Tbl hemp seed, optional

1 Tbl cacoa nibs, for garnish, optional

Directions:

Pour the plant milk in the bottom of a high speed blender. Add the rest of the ingredients through the hemp seed. Blend through at least two cycles to get it creamy (I blended mine three times - I also add three ice cubes). Pour into a glass and sprinkle with raw cocoa nibs, if you like, for some added texture. Enjoy! 

Warming Hot Cacao

This vegan hot cacao is a great alternative to regular hot chocolate. This drink is warming, velvety, and subtly sweet. My friend, Shanna, has been raving about this delicious drink for some time now and I finally tried it for myself. Now I'm hooked! It is the perfect after-dinner treat when I'm craving something chocolatey. 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cup of plant milk (I use almond or oat milk)

1 heaping Tbl of raw cacao powder

1 Tbl pure maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon

a pinch of salt, optional

Directions: 

Thoroughly whisk all ingredients in a saucepan over low heat OR in a large mug. If using a saucepan, let come to a simmer, remove from heat and ladle into a mug. Alternatively, if using a mug, place the mug in the microwave for one minute. Check to see if it's heated to your liking. If it's not, give it another 30 seconds in the microwave. 

Enjoy!

Ultimate Vegan Black Bean Veggie Burger

 

I'm not gonna lie, these black bean burgers were involved....quite a few steps to get to the end product, but truly so worth the hard work. They tasted amazing, my family LOVED them, and they were NOT mushy (which is the issue I have with most homemade veggie burgers)....they held their shape and cooked up beautifully. I did a little research before making these on how to get a black bean burger that isn't mushy. After researching I found that one way is to dry roast your canned beans in the oven before blending them. The other trick was adding in chopped cashews for an excellent overall texture. Now for the binder (which is important because to make these vegan, we cannot use eggs)....I took a chance on this, but I used applesauce AND a flax "egg" in place of an egg....and it worked out great. One other tip, if you want to skip the bun, this burger is just as tasty on top of a beautiful salad. 

Please enjoy these incredibly healthy, bursting with fiber and flavor, black bean burgers! Serve with sweet potato fries and a smoothie or side salad. 

Ingredients (this recipe makes 8 patties. You can freeze any uncooked extras by wrapping in parchment paper and placing in a ziplock bag. They should keep in the freezer for a couple of months) 

• 2 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 Tbl flaxmeal + 3 Tbl water
• 2 Tbl olive oil OR water (for sautéing)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 large red bell pepper, minced 
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup cashews, chopped 
• 3/4 cup panko crumbs 
• 3/4  cup cooked brown rice
• 1 tsp paprika 
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 Tbl coconut aminos (or sub tamari or soy sauce)
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup vegenaise 
• 1 Tbl Dijon
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Hamburger buns
• 1 Tbl oil for cooking patties on the stovetop 
• Toppings Suggestions:
• Tomato
• Lettuce
• Relish or pickles
• Vegan cheese
• Vegenaise 
• Vegan aioli sauce
• Sliced red onions

Avocado 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350F

Drain the black beans, then spread them out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes until beans are split and slightly dried out. Once cooled, place beans in a food processor and pulse about 8 times to break the beans down. Set aside. 

Make the flax egg by mixing 2 Tbl flaxseed with 3 Tbl water in a small dish. Set aside for a few minutes to allow it to firm up. 

Heat 2 Tbl of oil (or 2 Tbl water if you are water sautéing your veggies, which is what I did) in a medium pan over medium low heat. Add chopped onions and minced bell pepper and sauté for 8 -10 minutes, until veggies are soft. If the pan gets dry, add 1 Tbl of water at a time to prevent sticking. Just before adding garlic add one Tbl of water to the pan and sauté for another two to three minutes, being careful that the garlic doesn't burn. 

I used the food processor to break down the cashews. I pulsed them about 6 or 7 times. 

Mix the chopped cashews with the cooked onion/bell pepper/garlic mixture, and chopped black beans. Add the panko, cooked brown rice, chili powder and paprika; stir to combine. Salt and pepper to taste.

In a small bowl mix together coconut aminos, applesauce, vegenaise, Dijon and prepared flax egg together. Pour this wet mixture into the bean/onion mixture and combine all ingredients. 

I used a approx. a 1/3 cup scoop to make each patty. Scoop out black bean mixture into your hands and form (you want these to be about the size of your buns). If your hands get too sticky, rinse them with a little bit of water to keep the mixtures from sticking to your hands. Place the patties in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before cooking. I made mine in the morning and then kept them in the fridge all day before cooking at dinner. 

When ready to cook, heat 1 Tbl oil in a large skillet over medium low heat; distribute oil so it covers the whole surface. Once hot add four patties at a time. Cook about 5 minutes on each side. You might need to add a little bit more oil to the pan before flipping to the other side. If you want to add vegan cheese (or cheese) do so after the second flip. If the cheese still needs more melting after your burger is cooked, remove pan from heat and put a cover over the top - this should allow the cheese to fully melt. 

Add topping of your choice and enjoy! 

Apple Dessert "Nachos"

This was such a yummy, healthy dessert! It would make a great snack or party appetizer, too! There really isn't a recipe.....just toppings suggestions. Enjoy! 

Ingredients (serves one):

Your favorite apple, I always use Honeycrisp, sliced thin

1 - 2 Tbl of peanut butter OR almond butter OR sunbutter 

shredded coconut flakes, I use unsweetened

mini chocolate chips, I use Enjoy Life

chopped dates

sprinkle of cinnamon 

sliced almonds OR crushed walnuts OR chopped pecans 

Directions:

Arrange thinly sliced apples on a plate or platter. Evenly drizzle the nut butter of your choice over the apples. Sprinkle with desired toppings and eat! 

Healthy Vegan Carrot Banana Muffins

Looking for a no oil, no refined sugar, no eggs, healthy muffin that actually tastes good? Look no further....For the last year, I have been trying to create a tasty, healthy muffin....it hasn't been easy! I have had a lot of fails - mostly due to texture issues (almond meal and oat flour have made for some mushy muffins for me). This time I had very good results using whole wheat pastry flour.  It is mildly sweet, moist (not mushy) and yep, no dairy, no oil! I think the carrots, very ripe bananas and applesauce are the combo of veggies and fruit I was searching for to bring the whole muffin together. I am really pleased with the outcome. I ate this last night for dessert (also great for breakfast and a snack) with a hot cup of ginger/tumeric tea with oat milk (click here for that recipe). The combo was amazing on a very cold winter evening. 

Ingredients (Makes 12 muffins):

2 Tbl flax meal + 3 Tbl water

1 3/4 whole wheat pastry flour (can sub all-purpose flour)

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup of very ripe mashed bananas (2 large or 3 small)

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup plant milk (I used oat milk)

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup shredded carrots (about two medium carrots)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips or raisins, optional (I just used walnuts)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F

Make the flax "egg" by mixing 2 Tbl flax meal and 3 Tbl water in a small bowl. Stir and set aside to thicken. 

Mix whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a bowl. In another bowl mash the very ripe bananas. Add in the applesauce, plant milk, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Add flour mixture to banana mixture and stir till combined. Fold in the carrots and walnuts, if using. 

Scoop about 1/3 cup of batter into lined muffin tins. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, until muffins "spring back" when touched. 

Let cool in the tin. Transfer to a container once cooled. Enjoy for breakfast, a snack or a healthy after dinner dessert.

Creamy Oat Milk Ginger Turmeric Milk

This delicious oat milk ginger tea has been such a wonderful part of my evenings this winter, I decided it was time to share the recipe. It is a great tea to have before bed because it is caffeine free, a little sweet and very warming. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one cup tea: 

1 1/2 cups of water

1 ginger & turmeric herbal tea bag (I like Trader Joe's)

1 cup oat milk (or your favorite plant milk)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

smallest pinch of cardamon, optional

smallest pinch of cloves, optional

1 tsp vanilla

1 to 2 tsp of pure maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like it)

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a small pot on the stove over low heat. Heat until it just comes to a simmer. Remove from heat and let the tea steep for a few minutes. Once the tea is at a comfortable drinking temperature, remove the tea bag, ladle into your favorite mug and enjoy.