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!  
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• Ingredients
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• 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
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• 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)
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• Extras:
• Brown Rice
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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.