Nuts & Seeds Bars

I got the basic gist of the recipe here, but I made a lot of substitutions to fit my family's taste.  Let me tell you, these are awesome!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pistachios
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

3/4 cup dried currants
1 cup dried shredded coconut (I used medium shreds)

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup almond butter
5 Tbsp grade B maple syrup  (or 6 tbsp of agave nectar)

Directions:

1.  Line an 8x11 baking dish with parchment paper.

2.  In food processor pulse pistachios first (they are difficult to chop, so they take a bit longer).  Once you start seeing progress with the pistachios, stop the processor and add the other nuts and seeds.  You'll want to pulse the mixture until the nuts finely chopped, but not becoming butter yet.  It's actually pretty good if you have different size pieces of nuts and seeds left.  It adds interest and texture to the bars.  Transfer to a large bowl and add the currants and coconut.

3.  In a small pot heat up the coconut oil, almond butter and maple syrup (or agave) on low.  Once it is all melted, bring to a boil on medium, stirring CONSTANTLY.  If you don't, it will burn and then you've just ruined that batch. I learned that the hard way.

4.  Pour oil mixture on top of the nuts and seeds mixture.  Mix thoroughly.  You are going to want it to be somewhat moist but a bit crumbly.  If it's soggy, then you will want to add more coconut, nuts, or seeds to the mixture.

5.  Press into the lined baking dish firmly - using parchment paper if needed.  Allow to cool for about 30 minutes, and press firmly into the dish some more.  The more you pack it down, the firmer the bars will be when they are ready.

6.  Place dish into the refrigerator for a couple hours.  It will allow them to set up.  They will not set up fully without this step.

7.  When the bars were hard, I cut them in half lengthwise and then in 2 inch segments.  This made about 10 bars.


REACTION:  5 out of 5 kids loved them.  Hubby loved them.  I loved them.  They were even chewy enough that my 14 month old could manage small pieces of them.  Just typing this makes me want another!


**mine were a bit mushier than I would have liked, but I had put in nearly 7 tbsp of maple syrup.  That was just too much, which is why I suggest only using 5**

Butternut Squash and Maccaroni

Most of the recipes I've seen like this claim that this is a vegan Mac & Cheese.  I am here to tell you that they are all liars, and I mean that with love. I have tried 3 different ones and it in no way is a substitute for Mac & Cheese.  Your children will not somehow be tricked into thinking that this is their old favorite.  You will not be tricked into thinking that this is some old favorite.  It just isn't going to happen, but once you know this, you can now go on and make this recipe with the intention of having a yummy meal that looks somewhat like Mac & Cheese but tastes nothing at all like it.  This is what I have come up with as a concoction of various recipes - and what most appeals to our tastes.

Ingredients:

Butternut Squash (peeled and cut into chunks)
about 1 tsp of oil (I used grapeseed)
3/4 cup raw cashews
1 1/2 cloves of garlic  (I wouldn't suggest adding more)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
7 Tbsp nutritional yeast (this makes it "cheesy)
1 cup non-dairy milk (I used original unsweetened almond milk)
1/4 tsp tumeric (mostly for color)
1/4 tsp paprika.
2 tsp mineral salt (I used this lovely pinkish mineral salt from Whole Foods)
        - you may need a bit more mineral salt, to taste.
1 lb pasta of your choice.  We used shells because that's what the kids like.

Additional add ins for a more adult flavor:
         1 tsp curry powder, more to taste if you wish
         Peas, Spinach, Carrots, or other veggies

Instructions:  

1.  Preheat oven to 350 and line baking sheet with parchment paper.  Peel and cut butternut squash (and remove seeds, obviously).  Lightly coat pieces in oil, lightly salt, and bake in oven for 35-40 minutes.  IMPORTANT:  Make sure to turn each piece of squash over after about 20 minutes of cooking.  Some of the bottoms get browned, and you won't want them to burn.  So take the 2 minutes and just turn each piece over.

2.  While that's cooking, begin your sauce base.  Add cashews to your food processor.  Pulse until you get a dust, but not a puree.   Then add the garlic.  I don't know why, but this is the best time to get it pulverized.  Next, add the remaining ingredients, EXCEPT for the mineral salt.  Leave mixture in the food processor

3.  Begin cooking pasta according to package directions.

4.  Once squash is finished, add the pieces to the food processor.  Blend squash into the mixture, creating a smooth sauce.  This is when you will add the salt to taste.  Kosher, sea, and other salts will require a different amount than the mineral salt, so you will need to do this by taste.  If your mixture tastes a bit flat or weird, add a bit more salt.  Adding the right amount of salt helps the taste of this TREMENDOUSLY.  It can change it from yuck to yum.  So please take the time to add your salt by taste.

**If your sauce is a bit thick, add a little more milk.  The sauce will thicken as time progresses.**

5.  Strain pasta when it is finished and place back into the pot.  Add butternut squash sauce and stir.  Warm up on the burner, and serve when ready.

*if adding curry powder or other seasonings, add during step 2.  If adding veggies add during step 5*


RESULTS:  2 out of 5 kids liked it, hubby liked it when we added curry powder to it, and I liked it just the way it is.  It wasn't a home-run for the kids, but hubby and I liked it.

Chocolate Covered Coconut Cashew Balls

Oh my heck - the name just says it all, doesn't it?  To me, it says HEAVEN IN BALL FORM!  I love cashews.  I love coconut.  I love chocolate.  How on earth have I lived so long without consuming such a wonderful treat?  Look at them!  They are DIVINE!!!!!

So I suppose you want the recipe?  Well, you can go to where I found the original recipe at Lux Hippie but I had to change the recipe a wee bit - mostly to actually make it vegan and a bit more affordable.

What I Used:

2 1/2 cups raw cashews  (you can use all cashews - just use 4 cups total)
1 cup blanched almonds
1/2 cup blanched peanuts
1 1/2 cups coconut sugar or vegan powdered sugar (regular powdered sugar isn't vegan)
1 13.5 oz can of coconut milk
1 3/4 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1 tsp vanilla
2 bags of vegan chocolate chips (regular semi-sweet chips are not vegan)

Instructions:

1.  Put can of coconut milk into freezer for at least 45 minutes.  This will allow the water and the coconut cream to separate.  Take special care not to jostle of shake the can when you take it out of the fridge.  Open can and scrape off just the coconut cream into a bowl.  You do not need the water - just the cream.  Mine was pretty stiff so allow to get back to room temp while you gather your ingredients.

2.  In the food processor, pulse the nuts.  You will want the nuts to resemble a somewhat course sand.  You do not want it to become puree...just a sand-like substance.  You can use any kind of nuts, so long as they total 4 cups.  I just couldn't justify the cost of 4 cups of raw cashews.  Since the majority of the mix was cashews, it's the predominant flavor.

3.  Add coconut sugar (or powdered sugar), unsweetened coconut, and vanilla.  Mix very well.  Because my coconut cream was not quite at room temperature, the only way I could fully incorporate it into the mix was to use my hands.

4.  Roll mixture into balls and place on a lined cookie sheet.  Place in freezer for a couple of hours.  It will be much easier to dip the balls in chocolate once they are completely frozen.

5.  Next, dip balls into melted chocolate.  I just nuked my vegan chocolate in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring each time.  Because chocolate chips (of any kind) are not tempered chocolate or a dipping chocolate, they will only harden when kept in the refrigerator.  You will absolutely need to store these in the fridge and serve them cold.  If not, you will have a mess.

*Please note that little hands most definitely melt these Quadruple C Balls, you will want to make sure that your child either eats them fast or you have a sink nearby.  My 2 year old was COVERED in chocolate.  She looked like she had a fu manchu of chocolate with chocolate gloves on.  It was awesome.  lol.

**Also note that these taste great without being covered in chocolate.  I only used one bag of vegan chips because I wanted to save some of the balls to eat without chocolate.  They are perfectly yummy as they are.

The WHY Question

The question I get asked most often is, "Why?"  Why am I vegan?  Why did I not only put myself through this "drastic" transformation, but why did I bring my whole family along in this journey?

I think a lot of people assume it's because I sympathize with the poor animals and how they are mistreated.  I've watched Vegucated.  I've watched other documentaries that have shown the horrific conditions that cows, pigs, and chickens are forced to endure.  I get why this is such a compelling argument for vegans.

I, however, am not vegan because I care about how animals are treated.  I do care, to some extent.  I see them as animals, and while they do not deserve a cruelty filled life - they are animals.  I am vegan because consuming animal products leads to various diseases and ailments.  I'm talking about things like heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, cancer...yep...all that garbage.  That's why I'm vegan - that's why my kids are vegan - that's why my carnivore husband has become vegan.

If you haven't, I highly suggest watching Forks Over Knives - a documentary that can be found on Netflix.  It was pretty informational.  I enjoyed it.  One of the best things that came out of it was this guy:   T. Collin Campbell, Phd.  This is a 45 minute long video, but it is worth it.  The evidence that animal products cause many health problems is abundant.

I have done a lot of research - starting years ago.  I made changes, line upon line.  The more I have learned, the more foods I've had to cut out.  Veganism was the natural next step.  I had cut out all red meat years ago, but I still kept that turkey and chicken around, and I most certainly loved that cheese, yogurt, and milk.  But after months of research on animal products, I basically had no choice but to go vegan.

While I am happy that Chicken Little, Mary Moo Cow, and Babe the Pig are not going to end up on my dinner table - I realize that my not buying meat doesn't solve that problem.  I cannot change many things outside of my sphere of influence; however, I can change my family's health future.  I can give my kids a fighting chance at not being overweight, diabetic or having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, or cancer.  I can also maybe help my husband live longer.  My biggest fear is being a widow with 5 young children.  I don't know what I would do without my husband, and I don't know what he would do without me.  So, all that to say...I do it for myself, my husband, and my kids.  What better reasons than that?

Tools of the Trade

Since veganism was never in my plans, and cooking was most certainly not my strong suit, I was seriously lacking in the kitchen appliance and apparatus department.  If you are starting out with a vegan lifestyle, or even a healthier lifestyle, there are some pretty awesome little gadgets and gizmos that I love.  I have no idea how I lived so long without them, so what are they?  This is my list - I am sure it will be evolving as time goes on, but for now, this gives you some ideas and maybe some new things to get.  They have certainly helped spice up food preparation in my house.

Food Processor:  I have the Cuisinart DLC-8S 11-Cup Pro Custom 11 Food Processor.  I did not pay $150 or whatever Amazon has it listed for today.  I paid $89.99 for it.  That is about as much as I would pay for it.  Seriously.  It's nice, but it's touchy, so don't over pay for a super swanky food processor.   A food processor does make being vegan so much easier.  I use it nearly every single day for something or another.

High Powered Blender / Magic Bullet / Ninja Blender:   Hummus is okay when combined in the food processor.  It is edible and everything gets incorporated wonderfully, but throw it into a high powered blender for a minute afterwards, and wow...it makes it SO much better.  It makes it creamier, lighter, and so much better.  It's also a must for creamy soups (like this fabulous slow cooker butternut squash soup that is in my future).  I have a generic magic bullet thing that I got from a yard sale.  It takes longer because the cups are so much smaller than a big blender, but oh well....I deal with it because it was cheap, and I use it maybe once a week.

Vegetable Spiralizer:  "What is that,?" you say?  It is only THE most awesome kitchen gadget ever!  I seriously do not know how I lived 32 years without ever experiencing this awesome gadget!  I LOVE this thing.  I don't care what I'm making, I try my hardest to find some way to use this kick-butt fun product.  I have the Paderno World Cuisine A4982799 Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Cutter.  It is in the range of $25-35.  It's not expensive, but man, it's a super fun product.  In the week we've had this baby I have made zucchini spaghetti noodles, apple curls (those turn brown fast so have some lemon juice handy), carrot spirals, and my all time favorite sweet potato curls.  We LOVE this thing!   Here's mine last night - making some sweet potato curls - we fry them up in some grape seed oil, as a topping on our tacos.  Part of them is soft like cheese and part is crunchy, and they are sweet and a bit salty.  Just perfect on any type of wrap!

Mandolin Slicer:  You are going to want chips, or something crunchy.  Store bought chips are either full of crap or expensive as all get out.  When you can slice really thin veggies, you can make some rocking chips.  I don't know about you, but my skills with the knife leave a little something to be desired, so a mandolin slicer that can adjust thickness is just what I needed.  I have yet to perfect the right seasonings for my chips, but it's coming.  Until then, I will enjoy kale chips - and those don't require the use of a slicer.  :)   These are also pretty cheap gadgets - you can get them nearly anywhere and I've often seen them at yard sales, goodwill, and other second hand places.  You may even have one collecting dust in your cabinets.

Juicer:  This is totally not necessary, but I love mine.  I just got off a 30 day juice fast - dude...it was amazing!  Because it is easier to drink your daily servings of vegetables, I continue to juice for me and my family - in addition to feeding them an entirely plant based diet.  I love the juices - it's a great way to get in those veggies you don't necessarily care to eat (i.e. beets, cabbage, celery).  So for me, a juicer is a must.  I have the Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus.  I like it.  It has it's pros and cons like anything - it works fine for what I need it for.  Another great thing about having a juicer - you drink the juice and re-use the pulp.  You can make veggie burgers, meatless balls, crackers, and even fruit leather out of the pulp! Nice!

And the rest of my list is just basic great ideas to have because you'll need them:

* A big ginormous cutting board.  Seriously, mine is huge to accomodate all of the slicing, dicing, chopping
* Knives - sharp knives of varying size
* Parchment Paper - my goodness, I've never used so much of this in my life as I have the last 2 weeks - nearly everything I make has to go on that stuff - I don't know why exactly, but it just seems like I'm using the heck out of it.
*  Lots of storage containers of various sizes - I have had to make my own mayo, guacamole, ranch dressing, sour cream, and I have a list of about 10 other "staples" I want to make.  Add in the fact that we use leftovers in this house, plus if I cut open a pineapple I have to put the rest of  it somewhere, and we use A LOT of storage containers.  My goodness....I'm even using all those stupid Chinese take-out containers we had stocked up from more than 2 years ago that I never thought I'd end up re-using.  I am rinsing out all the glass jars we happen to come across - it's crazy.  So yes - storage containers are a must.
*  A pretty big pot.  You're going to want to save yourself some effort.  When you make brown rice, just make a lot of brown rice.  When you are making hummus from dried (not canned) garbanzo beans, you're going to want to make a lot of those beans to save yourself the effort later.  Just make sure you have a decent sized pot.  You don't need a ginormous one that could make soup for the Army base, you just need a decent size one.

Taco "Meat"

This is my own little concoction of ingredients for taco meat.  I looked up various recipes, and personally I am not in love with eating a lot of soy, so I kinda mixed this, mixed that, tried this, and tried that.  This is what works for us.  This is what my kids like, my hubby likes, and I like it too.  The first time I made it, no one (except my hubby) even realized it wasn't real meat until after the fact.

Ingredients:

mushrooms (preferably portabella)
walnuts
taco seasonings (whatever you use)
brown rice (cooked)

Note:  For my family of 7, I use an entire package of baby portabella mushrooms and about 1 cup of walnuts, so adjust accordingly.  It makes quite a bit of "meat" and it can be re-heated the next day if you make too much.

chop up and semi-puree the mushrooms and walnuts in a food processor.  You want to make it like a slightly chunky paste).  Next, transfer to a pan, stir in taco seasonings of choice and cooked brown rice.  Allow to become fully heated.  It will look a bit mushy and weird, but once you put it on a taco shell or into a tortilla and doctor that baby up, it is amazingly yummy!

See...it looks a bit gross, but I promise it's yummy.  If my picky kids that have rejected meat time and time again will eat this, you know it's good.  :)

Sorry for not taking pictures of our tacos - I had to run out the door to Cub Scouts or else I would have taken great pictures.  I had to scarf mine down on the go.

Vegan Mayo

So, today I tried my hand at vegan mayo.  I gotta admit, I was pretty nervous about this one.  I found a simple recipe here, and I wanted to see if I could actually pull it together, make it taste good, and use it in tonight's planned spinach and artichoke dip. 

Here's the exact recipe I used:

3/4 cup raw cashews (soaked 8 hours in water, drained, and patted dry)
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup grape seed oil
1 tsp Grade B maple syrup
1/4 cup water

1.  Soak cashews in water for 8 hours, drain them and pat them dry.

2.  Combine cashews and sea salt in food processor until it makes a thick paste.  You will probably have to scrape the sides a time or two. 

3.  While processor is going, slowly drizzle in the lemon juice, grape seed oil, and maple syrup.  *Note:  Make sure you use grade B maple syrup instead of grade A.  It has a deeper flavor.  Grade A may be too sweet*

4.  Allow all ingredients to whip up for a few minutes - scraping sides and bottom a couple of times to make sure it all gets incorporated. 

5.  Finally, you will slowly stream in the water.  If you look at the link above, it screwed me up because I thought I was done after step 4.  I had even cleaned up my food processor when I realized the error, so you are not finished until you add water.  :)  Also, as an FYI:  You may have a runny mixture, but it will firm up in the fridge.  Mine wasn't runny - it was just about the right consistency, but it is possible.

Now, for the part you really want to know about - Does it taste like mayo?  Yes...actually it does.  It is pretty dang close to mayo.  It's not a Kraft mayo (which was my personal favorite) but more of a cross between Hellman's and Kraft.  So really it's pretty dang good.

How much does it make?  About a cup and a half.  How long does it last?  I'd say a couple of weeks.  It will be gone in another day or two.  I used 1 cup in my spinach and artichoke dip, which was FABULOUS.  So yeah...it goes quickly.