Slow Cooker Red Lentil Soup (WFPB, Vegan, Gluten-free)

Another family share recipe, this time from my sister-in-law, Katie.  I love the simplicity of this Slow Cooker Red Lentil Soup so had to try it.  What I wasn't prepared for was my children devouring it! They cleaned their bowls.  Now the taste is pretty heavy on the tomato so I added plenty of the healthy amazing vegan cheese to it and some chopped up spinach for my serving.  They ate it with a little bit of Daiya and some tortilla chips broken up into it.  All gave a thumbs up! I substituted shredded sweet potatoes for the carrot (one child is not a carrot fan) and omitted the basil (we were out). Still a huge success!

Ingredients
2 cups dried red lentils
32 ounces low sodium oil-free vegetable broth
3 carrots, cut into chucks or 2 cups shredded sweet potato
1 15 ounce can dice tomatoes
4 ounce tomato paste
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
Place all ingredients in slow cooker for 8-10 hours on low and 4-5 on high.

Chickpea Veggie Burger (WFPB, Vegan, Gluten-free)

My family is so good about sending me links to recipes they love as several members of my extended family are trying their best at adopting a whole foods plant-based lifestyle.  My little sister sent me this Chickpea Veggie Burger recipe.  I was skeptical as we have tried so many, many veggie burger recipes over the past year.  They were all ok but the kids did not like them.  Now, this one is by far the best veggie burger recipe we have tried to date.  The kids will eat this is in a wrap with plant-based ranch and greens.

Ingredients
1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and mashed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked)
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 small zucchini, grated
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (still as delicious without the cilantro in my opinion)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 to 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce (kids and I like it with 1/2, husband likes it with full tablespoon)
2 tablespoons sunflower butter or peanut butter
1 teaspoon cumin, ground
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick oats

Directions
Preheat oven to 400ºF.  Mash chickpeas before adding remaining ingredients to bowl.  Mix well. Form 6-8 patties.  We have found that baking them in the oven works best for keeping them together. Place patties on silicon baking mat or parchment paper.  Bake for 10 minutes on each side.  

Pumpkin Pie (WFPB, Vegan, Gluten-free)

This pumpkin pie recipe from Plant-Powered Kitchen is amazing!  While it does contain cashews, it is worth the post as my pickiest eater loves it so much.  She even remembered it from last year and requested it again for this Thanksgiving.

Ingredients
Crust
2 cups rolled oats (used certified gluten-free if needed)
1/2 cup pitted dates (packed)
1/3 cup almond butter (we used sunflower butter)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt (omit if almond butter has it)
2 tablespoons plant-based milk

Filling
1 can pumpkin purée
3/4 cup raw cashews
1/3 cup plain unsweetened plant-based milk
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
few pinches ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a pie plate by putting down parchment paper. In a food processor, add the oats, dates, and salt for the crust. Purée until fine and crumbly. Then add the almond butter and purée for about a minute. Add the milk and pulse through until the mixture becomes sticky (it should hold together when pressed/pinched). If it’s not holding together, add a little more milk, 1 tsp at a time, until it does. You shouldn’t need more than another 3-4 tsp. Remove and transfer to a prepared pie plate. Press mixture in with your fingers until evenly distributed around the base and up the sides of the plate. The parchment paper makes this process a bit difficult so using a light spray of oil as per the original directions can be followed in lieu of the parchment.  

In a blender (high speed works best, for regular blender you will need to blend longer and scrape down jar several times) combine all ingredients for the filling. Purée until very smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Pour mixture into pie crust (scrape out bowl) and gently tip back and forth to distribute evenly. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F (180C) and continue to bake for 25 minutes, until the pie is golden and has mostly set (the center may be soft, but it will set further as it cools). Remove from oven, transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing and serving (can refrigerate to chill first). Serve as is or with vanilla non-dairy ice cream. Serves 6-8.

Best Plant-Based Ice Cream

I've been meaning to post this recipe for months now.  We love, love, love this banana-based ice cream recipe from Forks Over Knives website.  We double the vanilla but you don't need to double it. We've tried it with cacao powder finding that version delicious too. We double the entire recipe with all 5 of us are eating the ice cream.

Ingredients:
2 frozen bananas
1/4 cup nondairy milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in food processor.  Run until smooth and creamy, pausing to break up clumps.

Healthy Amazing Vegan Cheese (WFPB, No nuts, No oil)

We love, love, love this recipe.  Kids will eat it in a grilled cheese sandwich for their school lunches or just in slices.  I'm still perfecting getting it solid.  It sounds like I need to increase my thickening time from 5 minutes on the stove to 8-10 minutes.  In the meantime, we just leave out the agar agar powder for a nacho cheese consistency to put over black bean pasta or potatoes.  It really is delicious!

Ingredients (put them in blender in order listed)
1 cup water
1 cup oats
1 cup sweet potato, steamed
1 bell pepper, chargrilled or roasted, marinated in vinegar*
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon smoked paprika (or to taste)
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup water

Optional: to firm the cheese
1 1/3 cup water
2 1/2 tablespoons agar agar powder

Directions
Place 12 ingredients in order into blender.  Blend until combined, approximately 1 minute.  Heat agar agar powder and water on separate pan on stove.  Bring to boil, turn down, and whisk mixture constantly until thick as molasses, 5-10 minutes. Quickly put mixture into blender and blend until combined.  Poor into molds. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

* I buy the roasted red pepper in a jar with water at my local grocery store.  Or use my affiliate link to buy online.

Sweet Potato Biscuits (Vegan, No Oil)

I was very skeptical trying out this recipe for Whole Wheat Vegan Sweet Potato Biscuits from the Happy Herbivore.  They turned out amazing!  My entire family gobbled them up.  Will try the next batch without the teaspoon of sugar to see if we notice a difference.  The Whole Foods Plant-Based lifestyle is about eating plants that are minimally processed so these don't exactly fit within that framework.  However, these are so much healthier than any biscuit I've seen so they are served at our house.  They go nicely with a chili soup.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I used whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon raw sugar
dash of cinnamon
1 whole banana, cold
3/4 cup of sweet potato, mashed

Directions
Cook, skin and mash sweet potato, set aside.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 425º. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and cinnamon together in food processor. Pulse a few times to get even distribution.  Add banana and run processor for 45 seconds or until dough forms.  In separate bowl, mix in with sweet potato.  Using a spoon or cookie dough scoop, put drops on sheet.  Bake 5-10 minutes until toothpick comes out clean and golden brown exterior.

Veggies & White Bean Spread (WFPB, Vegan, no oil)

In our mission to get our children to eat more vegetables in a healthy manner, my husband and I have created this recipe.  This can be eaten in a tortilla or lettuce wrap, as a dip for veggies, or in a panini (the way my children prefer it).  For the panini, we use Ezekiel bread (no oil) and add a very small amount of Daiya cheese (not part of a whole foods plant based diet due to the oil content) to the spread to give it a hint of cheese flavor for them.  We make large batches in the panini press at once with leftovers going into the refrigerator for school lunches.

Ingredients:
1 pound vegetables (we like cauliflower or a carrot/broccoli combo)
1 (15 ounce) canned white beans, drained & rinsed well or 1 1/2 cups cooked
2 tablespoons tahini
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
ground pepper to taste
water, for desired texture

Directions:
Chop vegetables into pieces appropriate for steaming or roasting.  If roasting, heat oven to 400º. Roast until tender using silicon baking mat, about 18 minutes.  In food processor, pureé beans and garlic until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add roasted vegetables, vinegar, and seasonings to pureé and combine.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add water as desired.

Curried Lentils & Rhubarb Chutney (WFPB, vegan, no oil)

• After searching a while to find a rhubarb recipe that doesn't use cups of refined sugar, my husband and I found this one over at Naturally Ella.  Our children didn't care for it but we loved it!  
• 
  
• Ingredients
• 
  
• Lentils:
• 6-8 green onions, diced
• 1 clove garlic
• Juice from one lime
• 1-2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 cup brown or green lentils
• 3- 3½ cups water
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro (we left this out of the recipe as we didn't have it on hand)
• water for sautéing onion
• 
  
• Rhubarb Chutney:
• ¼ cup green onions
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup pitted and chopped Medjool dates
• 2 cups cubed rhubarb
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 tablespoons water
• ⅛ teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
• 
  
• Extras:
• Brown Rice
• 
  

Directions

1. In a medium pot, heat water for rhubarb chutney. Add in onions and ginger, cooking until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add in vinegar and give a good stir to loosen up an stuck onions. Add in the remaining ingredients and reduce heat to medium low. Let chutney cook until rhubarb and dates have broken down into a chunky sauce, 15-20 minutes (depending on stove-top heat.) Remove cinnamon sticks, taste and add seasonings if needed. Remove from heat and let sit until ready to serve. (When cooking with water instead of oil add in small amounts of water to prevent veggies from sticking to pan.)
2. To make lentils, follow a similar procedure to that of the chutney. Heat water over medium heat. Add in onions and garlic, letting cook for 2-3 minutes. Next, squeeze in lime juice and add 1 tablespoon of your favorite curry powder (we used just 1-2 teaspoons as our curry powder is quite powerful). Let cook for one more minute to get the curry powder fragrant. Add in lentils and three cups water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
3. Let lentils cook until tender but not mushy. If you find the lentils are still not tender and most the water has been absorbed, add in a bit more water to reach desired consistency.  Stir in cilantro and let cook for one more minute.
4. Serve lentils over your favorite cooked whole grain and top with a big scoop of rhubarb chutney.

Creamed Mushrooms on Toast (Vegan, No Oil, WFPB)

My mother-in-law tried out this recipe from Mark Bittman and loved it.  All I had to do was remove the oil to make it healthy.  It is delicious with or without the piece of bread.  Will be making this one again!  Kid approved!

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds fresh mushrooms
2 cups cooked white beans
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary or thyme
Water, 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup
Salt & pepper to taste
Whole-grain toast

Directions
Heat mushrooms in large skillet, cooking until tender.  Add small amounts of water as needed to prevent mushrooms from sticking to pan.  Purée beans in a blender with 1/2 cup water until smooth.  Once mushrooms are tender, add garlic and dried herbs with 1/4 cup water.  Let bubble and evaporate down (about 1 minute).  Add beans and stir mixture together until warm.  Add small amounts of water if needed to keep from sticking to pan.  Add salt & pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili (Vegan, No oil, WFPB)

This is one of our all time favorite soup recipes.  We've been happily eating it all winter long!

Ingredients
2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder

2 onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28 ounce) container diced tomatoes
1 cup water, or more as needed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained or 3 1/2 cups cooked
fresh cilantro or avocado, for garnish (optional)


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.  Combine sweet potatoes, chipotle powder in bowl and mix.  Spread sweet potatoes on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Roast until tend about 20-25 minutes.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

2. Cook with water and stir onion, garlic, bell pepper, ancho chili powder, cumin and dried oregano in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add water as needed to prevent vegetable from sticking.  Stir and cook until softened.  Poor tomatoes and water into onion mixture then bring to a simmer.  Add salt, sugar, and cocoa powder.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

3.  Stir black beans and cooled sweet potatoes into the onion-tomato mixture.  Add more water to reach desired consistency.  Simmer until heated through, about 15 minutes.  Serve with cilantro or avocado.

Spicy Chipotle Dressing (WFPB, Vegan)

This Holy Moly Spicy Chipotle Dressing recipe is amazingly wonderful from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.  We love it over roasted potatoes!  It makes an excellent sauce for stir fries.  It is just great to have on hand in the fridge.  The warning about adding all the ingredients except the chipotle powder is wise.  We use only 1/4 of what is posted in the recipe.  We double the recipe for our family of 5. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1/2 cup plain unsweetened plant based milk (we used soy...yes, we are able to do additive free soy milk as it wasn't the soy making my son ill but the food additives like carrageenan)
4 teaspoons ground flaxseed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 of a medjool date, pitted
1 small garlic clove
1 teaspoon white miso (or salt to taste)
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/8-1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder (or more)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
water as needed

Directions
Place all ingredients in blender.  Blend on high speed until smooth.  It thickens after refrigeration.  Add water to thin as needed.

Butternut Squash & Carrot Soup (Vegan, WFPB, Gluten-free)

My sister made this on one of her trips to visit last fall.  Delicious!  It is a favorite of mine. The children don't love it like I do which just leaves more for me to enjoy.  We have frozen the leftovers in small containers and the taste remains the same.  The original recipe calls for soy milk but her version is so good without the milk we don't add it.  To make it a meal, I will pour the soup onto some steamed brown rice.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 small or one large butternut squash, peeled and chopped (frozen cubed butternut squash will work in a pinch)
5 cups low sodium vegetable broth (read ingredient labels to avoid added refined oils)
2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a large stock pot or dutch oven, sauté onion and garlic in 1/4-1/2 cup of water until soft (5-8 minutes).  Add in carrots, celery and more water cooking an additional 5-8 minutes.  Continue to add water to keep ingredients from sticking to pan.  Add squash, broth and sage.  Stir until squash well coated.  Bring to boil, reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook for 25 minutes or until squash is soft. Mash the contents with a potato masher or blend ingredients in food processor or blender.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm.

Gallo Pinto (Vegan, WFPB, Gluten-free)

Thank you to my friend and preschool Spanish teacher, Julie, over at Spanish Chat LLC who introduced us to gallo pinto.  This dish is simple, inexpensive and delicious.  I can see why it is a staple of the Costa Rican diet.  This is the recipe I adapted. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups cooked black beans (we've used a variety of small beans & all have turned out well)
1 teaspoon ground cumin (toasting it brings out more flavor but not necessary)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2-3 tablespoons vegetarian worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper to taste
fresh cilantro to taste

Directions
Sauté onion and garlic in about 1/4-1/2 cup of water until onion softens and turns color adding in water as needed to keep onion from sticking to pan.  Add spices and worcestershire to onion mixture, stir.  Next, combine beans and rice into onion mixture.  Cook until heated through.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm.

Cumin Lime Black Bean Quinoa Salad (WFPB, Vegan, Gluten-free)

Tried out this recipe from Oh She Glows but omitted the oil to make it healthier.  I served it as a side dish on a large piece of romaine lettuce so the kids could pick it up easily without spilling it.  Our main dish was my Sweet Potato Burrito recipe minus the oil and processed vegan cheese.  Delicious!  Why no oil?  Here is a link to a nice summary of the scientific research all of which I learned in my Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition program.  For a more detailed explanation on the biochemistry click here for a video explanation from Dr. Esselstyn.

Ingredients
Salad
1 cup uncooked quinoa (or 3 cups cooked)
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (or 1 can)
1 1/2 cups cilantro, finely chopped
3 small/medium carrots, shredded
4 green onions, chopped

Dressing
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin, toasted
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper, to taste

Directions
Cook quinoa following directions on packaging.  (Rinse quinoa in a fine colander, add 1 1/2 cups water to quinoa and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until water is absorbed.  Remove from heat (with lid on) and let rest for 5 minutes, fluff with fork.)  After fluffing with fork, chill in fridge for 15 minutes.  In a large bowl, combine salad ingredients.  Whisk together dressing in a small bowl. Add to salad ingredients and toss to combine.  Add additional salt and pepper if needed.  Chill for an hour if desired.

Easy Bean Dip (Whole Foods Plant Based, Gluten-free, Vegan, Oil-free)

In an attempt to recreate a store bought low fat bean dip my children like, I came up with this simple recipe. Enjoy!  Makes 4 cups.

Ingredients
4 cups cooked beans or about 2 cans (any kind will work)
1 teaspoon toasted cumin
1 teaspoon salt
4 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons lemon juice
water, to desired consistency
pinch of cayenne

Directions
Toast cumin in small pan on stove, just a few minutes, then grind.  Add all ingredients to food processor.  Blend until smooth adding water to desired consistency.  (I add about a 1/4 cup if using home cooked beans.)

Healthy and Easy Chocolate Pudding (Whole Foods Plant-Based, No Refined Sugar)

The Healthy Librarian, one of the many people I follow online, posted this interesting recipe on her Facebook page with rave reviews. My children are not very fond of sweet potatoes so why not try it.  Wow, I was surprised at how tasty it is.  It really tastes like chocolate pudding especially after a short chill time. Everyone loved it!  Cannot believe I got them to eat so many sweet potatoes.  This is a new favorite in our house.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 large sweet potato
4-5 pitted dates, softened in water while sweet potato roasts
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder (I used cacao)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons peanut butter or sunflower butter
1/3 cup non-dairy milk

Directions
Soak dates in water.  Cut sweet potato in half length-wise.  Place cut side down on baking sheet. Bake sweet potato in a 425º oven until very soft.  Allow to cool.  Scrap out insides of baked potato.  (I'll try peeling and boiling the sweet potato for the summer months to avoid running the oven.)  Add sweet potato, soaked dates, and remainder of ingredients to food processor.  Run until very smooth.  Can eat right away but we prefer it chilled for about 15 minutes.

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

Found this simple, delicious recipe on the Ellen Degeneres Show website.  It has become a part of our Friday night routine as we need a really easy recipe that the kids love after a long week of work, school, and activities.  These are so good they don't even need syrup. We usually make a double recipe as leftovers heat up nicely in the toaster or even use them as bread for sunflower butter sandwiches during the school week.  Single recipe makes about 8 medium pancakes.


Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups nondairy milk

1 cup rolled oats or quick-cook oats (original recipe called for quick-cook oats but our Vitamix blends so well we use rolled oats)

2 medium-size ripe bananas, chopped

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

In blender (we use a Vitamix), purée nondairy milk and oatmeal until smooth.  Add remainder of ingredients, purée until ingredients mixed (a few seconds more).  Allow batter to rest for 10 minutes.  Heat large pan or griddle to medium heat.  (Use nonstick spray if needed.)  Scoop 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake or to desired size. When pancakes show air bubbles over the top and bottoms are brown, flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown.  

We usually have this with a green smoothie, bowl of fruit or the kid's favorite Chunky Banana Smoothie.

Easy Bean Curry

In the search for an easy new bean recipe, I ran across two which I combined to make a dish we all like.  One recipe is from the Rancho Gordo website.  We get our beans from there when we can as they have the most amazing heirloom beans.  They are a real treat but are pricey as you can expect.  The other recipe was from allrecipes.com.  We make a spicier version for the adults while the kids like it with a lower amount of curry powder.  Our curry powder is noted on the label to be hot so you need to watch what kind you are using, adjusting the recipe as needed.  I enjoy it without the tomatoes, too.  It took adding the tomatoes to get my kids to eat it.

Ingredients
1/2 pound dry beans (Scarlet Runners, Garbanzos, Christmas Limas)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tablespoon (kid version) or 1 1/2 tablespoons (adult version) curry powder
2 large cloves garlic, minced
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon cumin, ground
salt to taste

Directions
Cook the beans.  A pressure cooker is the fastest but, if you have time, a slow cooker produces a nice tender bean (currently my favorite way to cook beans).  Rinse and place beans in slow cooker on low in the morning with an abundance of water.  6-8 hours later you have a very tender bean. (You can soak the beans the night before and reduce the amount of time needed for cooking.  If you are using Rancho Gordo beans, soaking is not needed.)

Once beans are cooked, sauté onion is 1/2 cup water for about 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic for about 2 minutes.  Add more water if needed so contents do not burn.  Add curry powder, cumin, beans, tomatoes, and more water to desired consistency.  Simmer on low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add salt to taste.

2 out of 3 children prefer it with guacamole.  Tastes great over steamed brown rice.

  *Tip: If you cook an entire 1 pound bag at a time, you can put 1/2 of the cooked beans into a mason jar, allow beans to cool, and place jar in freezer or fridge for later use.  A pound of dry beans makes about 4 regular sized cans of beans.  (If divided evenly, the contents of each mason jar would be about 2 cans of beans).