Coconut Macaroons

I saw this vegan and gluten free coconut macaroon recipe on Meghan Markle's Netflix series called With Love, Meghan. I was surprised at how easy they are to make and yet they seem really fancy and taste very decadent. I have made them a handful of times in the last month with great reception from all whom have tried them. I feel like going into the holidays I will be making them many more times to come. 

Do you have a little milk frother for making lattes? I got one years ago on Amazon for $10. And even though I don't drink coffee or lattes, I find myself using that little frother all the time when baking. It makes whipping aquafaba a complete breeze (life changing if you want to make vegan merengues). It almost feels like magic watching the chickpea liquid quickly transform into fluffy white clouds in a matter of seconds with the frother! I highly suggest getting one if you don't have one already. If you have a frother to whip the aquafaba I would rate this recipe a 0 out of 10 for skill level!  

Ingredients:

1/4 cup aquafaba, whisked until foamy (I used a little handheld milk frother)

7oz can of sweetened condensed coconut milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

3 cups of unsweetened desiccated coconut

1 cup dark chocolate (I use Enjoy Life vegan/GF/nut-free chips)

1 tsp coconut oil

Preheat over to 350F

Whisk 1/4 cup of aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas) until foamy. You can whisk them by hand, but I find it as simple as can be to use a little handheld milk frother. Once your aquafaba has double in size, add the sweetened condensed coconut milk (you can find this at most health food stores like Whole Foods) and vanilla. Stir. Add the salt and unsweetened desiccated coconut. Stir to combine. Use a cookie scoop to form little mounds of the coconut mixture and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. I use my hands to make each scoop neat and tidy. Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden brown (these burn easily so keep an eye on them at around 15 minutes). 

Remove from oven and let them cool completely. 

Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe dish for 1 minute. Give it a good stir. Place back in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. If it isn't quite smooth you can do another 15 seconds. Give it another good stir until smooth. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cooled macaroons. You can place them in the fridge to let the chocolate harden a little. Enjoy!  

Seeds & Sprouts Open Sandwich

I have been making this VERY quick and tasty sandwich for months now. It is so easy (and healthy and filling) I really had to share it. Sometimes I debate on whether or not a recipe is interesting or complex or special enough to blog.....and maybe this is too simple, but who doesn't want some simple in their lives? So here it is. If you ever wonder what I eat on repeat for lunch - it's a version of this sandwich.  Enjoy! 

Ingredients:

Good bread of your choosing - I love the homemade sourdough I get weekly from our local farmer's market. But I also like this with Ezekiel bread

Your favorite hummus- I like Perfect Pita, Little Sesame, Cava or Ithaca

Pumpkin seeds

Sunflower Seeds

Alphalfa sprouts or micro greens (I get the BEST micro greens at our local farmer's market)

Mini cucumber, sliced thin

Watermelon radish, sliced thin (totally optional!)

Balsamic Glaze for a drizzle on top

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Toast your bread to your desired crip level. Spread with hummus. Layer sliced cucumbers (and radishes, if using) on top of hummus. Sprinkle with seeds and sprouts. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and a grind or two of salt and pepper. That's it! 

Weeknight Taco Soup

I made this the other night for dinner and it was a huge hit! My daughter just loved it and asked me to make again soon. Win! I made ours with Impossible Meat (just as a side note, we prefer Impossible GROUND Beef over all other vegan ground beef brands we have tried).....but I have no doubt this would be incredible with real beef if your family eats meat. 

I was going to serve this soup without blending, but my daughter asked me to blend it for just her....when I tried I was like, oh, this is really yummy blended - the beans made it creamy and thick....so I decided to blend the entire pot before adding the toppings. You can do as you wish. I think it is good both ways. 

Also, please cook the meat/Impossible meat in a separate pan and add it to the soup just before serving as a topping - it really gives a good texture this way! 

I served this soup with some vegan tamales we got at the farmer's market this weekend, but I think a side salad would also be a great way to round out the meal. Enjoy! 

This recipe makes enough for 3 dinner sized portions. Double if needed. 

Ingredients:

1 Tbl olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small jalapeno, minced & seeded (keep seeds if you want more spice)

1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 cup canned tomato sauce

1/3 cup smooth salsa

2 cup beef broth *I used "Better Than Bouillon" No Beef Base

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

15oz can black beans, drained

14 oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

1 Tbl pure maple syrup, optional 

1 lb ground beef OR 12 oz ground IMPOSSIBLE meat *I made this soup with IMPOSSIBLE meat

Topping Ideas:

Cheese or Vegan Cheese

Sour cream or Vegan Sour Cream

Tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips

Ripe avocado, cubed

Fresh red onion or pickled onions

Fresh or pickled jalapeños

Roasted corn 

Directions:

Add oil to a large soup pot over low heat. Add the chopped onions and cook for 10 minutes to soften. Stir the onions frequently. If the onions start sticking to the pan you can deglaze them with a little bit of water or broth. I usually add a tablespoon of water every couple of minutes to prevent over browning.  Next add the chopped bell peppers and jalapeños. Again, add water as needed and cook them for about five minutes. Add the chopped garlic along with some water and saute for a minute or two - do NOT let the garlic burn. 

Add the broth, 1 cup of tomato sauce and salsa, stir. Add the spices and salt; stir.  Add the drained black beans, fire roasted tomatoes and maple syrup, if using. Bring soup to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes over low heat to let all the flavors come together. 

While the soup is cooking grab a skillet and cook the ground beef or IMPOSSIBLE meat. Add a little salt if you like. Set aside when finished. 

For my tortilla strips I cut a large tortilla into thin strips and cook them in a separate skillet for about one minute on each side - just to crisp them up. You can skip this step if you're using tortilla chips, but I really like the texture of the homemade strips and it takes about 3 minutes!

Okay, back to the soup. When the soup has simmered for about 20 minutes, turn off the heat and give it a try. If you like the chunky texture, you're good to go. If you would like a more creamy soup, then you can blend it up in a high powered blender or use an immersion blender. You might like the texture a little in between - it's up to you! 

Now it is time to assemble your taco soup. Ladle the soup into bowls and then add the cooked ground beef, cheese, avocado slices, sour cream, tortilla strips, etc. Everyone can make their bowl just how they enjoy it best.

Chocolate Cherry Granola

If you have followed my blog for a time you already know cherries and chocolate are one of my favorite flavor combinations - they are just SO good together. I wanted to make a nut-free/oil-free granola that still felt decadent....and here it is. Lightly sweet, full of crunch, no oil.....delicious on its own or with yogurt and fruit. Enjoy! 

**When I make granola from scratch I do not like to bake the dried fruit with the oat mixture because I think it makes the fruit hard. So I just add it after everything has been baked and cooled. If you do this the cherries will stay soft and chewy. 

Ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats (GF certified if gluten free)

1 cup pepitas 

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup sunbutter (you can also use peanut or almond butter if you prefer)

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup dried cherries

1 cup mini chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life bc they are dairy free)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F

Mix rolled oats, pepitas, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a bowl. 

In a separate bowl combine sunbutter, maple syrup and vanilla extract; mix well. 

Pour the sunbutter mixture on top of the oat mix and stir well to combine. 

Pour the granola mixture onto a large parchment lined cookie sheet. Spread evenly. 

Bake for 20 minutes; check and stir after 15 minute to prevent over browning. 

Remove granola from oven and let sit until completely cool, around 30 minutes. 

Add the dried cherries and chocolate chips, stir to combine. 

Store granola in a large mason jar with a tight fitting lid or a ziplock gallon sized bag. 

Enjoy with yogurt and fruit, on top of smoothie bowls, with plant milk or just by the handful! 

Heirloom Tomato Flatbread with Goat Cheese & Balsamic Drizzle

At the moment we have such an abundance of delicious, juicy heirloom tomatoes from our crop share sitting on our counter. I have been making tomato dishes every night and our salads have been overflowing with them. I found the idea for this recipe online and decided to make it myself, putting my own vegan twist on it. I used vegan Violife feta cheese in place of goat's cheese and wow was it good! Everyone loved this meal - the only problem was we all could have done with an extra piece. So, make more if you are feeding a bigger family or if you just have bigger eaters. This isn't a recipe, just more of a suggestion when it comes to quantities - I didn't measure anything and neither should you. I don't think you can go wrong with these flatbreads. Also, I only used half the jar of onion jam (I found this close to the cheese/charcuterie board section at the grocery). I have another recipe planned for the rest of the onion jam - stay tuned! Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

• 2 large store-bought flatbreads, about 14X5 
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• ½ cup onion jam
• 2 shallots, peeled and very thinly sliced
• 5 heirloom tomatoes, sliced thin
• 4 oz Goat cheese OR vegan feta (I used Violife)
• Flakey sea salt (I used Maldon)
• Fresh basil leaves, sliced thin
• Balsamic glaze, for drizzling

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400F

My number one tip for this flatbread is to slice the tomatoes and let them sit on a few sheets of paper towels for at least 20 minutes to drain any excess water from the tomatoes. This keeps the crust from getting soggy. I actually sliced my tomatoes and let them sit on paper towels for about 90 minutes before I assembled the flatbread. There was zero liquid on the pizza when we ate it - it worked! 

While the tomatoes are sitting, place the readymade flatbreads on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil (maybe 1/2 tsp per flatbread). Place in the preheated oven for about 5 min to par-bake the flatbread a little. 

Remove the flatbreads from the oven and spread about 1/4 cup of onion jam on each flatbread. You can't go wrong here - if you want a sweeter, more jammy pizza, add more. Remember the measurements are only suggestions. Next add crumbled goat cheese. Again, use as much or as little as you like. 

Layer the tomatoes on top of the goat cheese, then evenly layer the thinly sliced shallots. Bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes. Just watch your crust as you don't want it to get to crispy or burn. 

Remove cooked flatbread from the oven and sprinkle with a good flakey sea salt. I love Maldon finishing salt and put it on everything from chocolate chip cookies to avocado toast. A box will last you a long time and it will elevate all your salty needs! Okay, so after the salt, crumble a little more goat cheese/vegan feta on top. Sprinkle sliced basil. Cut into slices and serve with balsamic glaze, if you like (which I do!). 

I served this with a large garden salad, which of course had MORE tomatoes on it! Enjoy! 

Creamy Beany Salad Dressing

Oh goodness this salad dressing is SO yummy! I had some leftover canned beans in the fridge and I was remembering the hummus salad dressing I posted earlier this summer. I thought, "Why not, let's see if this works for a dressing!" And it definitely worked! The oat milk gives the dressing a creamy texture, the lemon gives it a nice little zing, and the nutritional yeast bring in the saltiness. There is no oil in this dressing - you don't need it and you won't miss it! 

Double the recipe if you want to use it on multiple salads for the week. This one batch will work for a large family salad for four. 

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup canned, drained white beans (I did half chickpea and half cannellini beans because that's why I had on hand)

1/2 creamy oat milk (or any neutral non-dairy milk - make sure it's not vanilla flavored)

2 Tbl freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 Tbl nutritonal yeast

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/4 tsp salt 

few grinds of pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried basil

1 Tbl water

Directions: 

Blend this all in a high speed blender until smooth. Add a little more water, one tablespoon at a time, if it feels too thick. 

Drizzle over a fresh garden salad and enjoy!

Apple & Fennel Salad with Hazelnuts & Shaved Parmesan

This salad is light and crisp, yet full of flavor! It is refreshing and summery and a bit fancy, too. It was really easy to throw together and everyone loved it (however, I did leave the olives off my olive-hating husband's salad and put all of his on top of mine because they might be my favorite part). I think this will be one of my go-to salads this summer. I hope you like it, too! 

Ingredients: 

1 head of Bibb or Little Gem lettuce, rinsed, patted dry and chopped

1 Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apple, sliced as thin as you can

1 fennel bulb, sliced very thin

Craisins

Green olives, pitted and chopped

shaved Parmesan (or vegan Parmesan) 

hazelnuts, chopped and toasted

 Dijon Dressing:

1 clove garlic, peeled and grated on a microplane

1 lemon, zest and juice (about 2 Tbl juice)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 heaping Tbl honey

1 tsp Dijon mustard

salt and pepper

To make dressing:

Use a microplane to zest the lemon and then grate the garlic clove on the same microplane. Add both to a jar with a firm fitting lid. Add the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper. Shake vigorously until thoroughly combined. Set aside. 

To assemble the salad:

I like to toast the hazelnuts for this salad. I do this very quickly on the stove top. Heat a small pan over low heat, add the chopped hazelnuts and toast for about 3-5 minutes. Don't leave the hazelnuts because they will burn the second you walk away!  Stir them every minute or so to make sure they toast evenly. Once they are ready, remove from heat and set aside. 

I like to make each salad separately instead of making it all in one bowl. I find it to be easier this way and then I can exclude ingredients some people do not care for (like my husband who LOATHS olives of any kind and my daughter who does NOT enjoy Craisins).  Divide rinsed and dried lettuce between your salad bowls. Then add the thinly sliced apples, fennel and crainsins to each bowl. Top with green olives, shaved Parmesan and toasted hazelnuts. Drizzle each salad with the Dijon dressing. Enjoy!