Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip

This creamy dip is warm and delicious.  It is a hit, even with your carnivorous friends!


You will need:
-4 cups of raw cashews (soaked)
-1/2 cup of Veganaise 
-6 medium cloves of garlic (peeled)
-1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast flakes
-2 cups of almond milk (add another 1/2 - 1 cup for a lighter texture)
-1 tbl brown mustard
-10 large basil leaves
-1 1/4 cup daiya "cheese" (I used jack and cheddar)
-1/2 medium onion (diced)
-1 5oz bag of baby spinach
-2 cans of artichoke hearts (drained and diced)
-Olive oil
-Lemon juice
-Salt and Pepper

Whatchoo do:
-Preheat oven to 325
-Combine cashews, veganaise, garlic, nutritional yeast, almond milk, mustard, 4 basil leaves, 1/4 cup of daiya, and juice from half a lemon in a food processor and blend until smooth.
-Take the mixture and place in a casserole dish.  
-Add in the remaining ingredients and fold all in together. (other bail leaves, other cup of daiya, onions, spinach, artichokes)
-Drizzle the mixture with olive oil and salt and pepper
-Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes.
-Let cool for 5-10 minutes and serve
-Serve with pita or chips...or pita chips!

"Tuna" Salad

Here is a vegan spin on Tuna Salad.  Not to toot my own horn (BEEP BEEP) but this is the closest thing I have had to tuna salad since I went veggie! 

 

You will need:

-2 cans of chickpeas (drained VERY well)

-1/2 cup of diced dill pickles

-1/2 cup diced white onion

-1/2 cup veganaise (more or less to taste)

-1 sheet Nori (shredded/ripped)

-1tbl brown or Dijon mustard

-A generous squeeze of lemon juice from ½ a lemon

-A generous squirt of sriracha

Now What?!

-Take the drained chickpeas and mash with fork.  I HIGHLY recommend not putting this in a blender or food processor unless you want hummus with pickles and onions in it (ew).  Mashing with a fork adds to the texture.

-Once the chickpeas are all moooshed up, add in the rest of the ingredients and mix up. 

-Let chill over night (recommended)

Serving suggestions:

-Serve on greens as a salad with some grape tomatoes.

-Pile on some nice vegan bread and have a sandwich.

-Eat with a fork at 2am, in your underwear in front of the fridge. 

Southern Banana Pudding

I am from the south and since I became vegan I have been dying for a vegan banana pudding recipe.  After experimenting for a while, I finally came up with this! 

You will need:

-3 cups raw cashews (soaked and drained)

-2.5 cups of almond milk (or whatever non-dairy milk tickles your fancy)

-1 tbl of vanilla extract

-1 tbl agave nectar

-5 medium bananas (the riper the better) 2 are for the pudding, 3 are to slice and layer with the cookies

-1 box of Lorna Doone cookies (the box with 2 sleeves of cookies) crumbled

-Juice from ½ a lemon

-2 cans of coconut milk, refrigerated overnight (DO NOT get Light) *optional

What the hell you do with all of that stuff:

-Combine the cashews, 2 of the bananas, the milk, the vanilla extract, agave nectar, and the lemon juice in your food processor or Vitamix.  Blend until it is smooth and creamy.  I recommend taste testing it and adding more of anything you feel it is lacking.  Depending on the ripeness of the bananas, you may want to add some more agave nectar.  Once it is to your liking, place in covered dish and refrigerate until you plan on serving it.

-Before serving it, take the two cans of the coconut milk.  Flip them over and poke two holes in the cans and drain out the juice.  Once they are done draining, open the cans and scoop out the coconut butter.  Combine with powdered sweetener of your choice and whip until it forms a whipped cream consistency. Set aside.

-To serve, get a serving dish and make a layer of crumbled cookies, followed with sliced bananas, and then whipped topping, then pudding.  Repeat until done with ingredients.  

Creamy "Blue Cheese" Dip/Dressing

So, you have chik'n strips, now what?  Try this easy and delicious dip!

You will need:

-1/4 block of firm tofu

-1 cup of veganaise 

-1 tbl of tahini

-1 tbl of lemon juice

-1 tbl of apple cider vinegar

-Salt and Pepper to taste

-Italian Season to taste

Directions:

-Pile everything in a food processor and blend until smooth.  If you want to get real fancy, save some tofu and crumble it up for a more realistic blue cheese texture.

Meatless meatloaf - Perfect vegan comfort food!

Ingredients:

1 can of lentils (drained)

1 can of black beans (half drained)

1 can of garbanzo beans (drained)

1.5 cups of bread crumbs

1 cup of crushed walnuts

1 cup of chopped onions

2 cups of frozen veggies (I used peas and carrots)

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Chili powder (to taste)

Ketchup (to taste) (I used Heinz Balsamic Ketchup)

What to do:

Preheat oven to three fitty (350) degrees

Combine the beans, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, spices, and walnuts slowly in a food processor until it is well mixed and is like a dough.  Transfer into a bowl and add in the onions and frozen veggies.  Once everything is mixed in together, transfer mixture into a greased casserole dish.  Spread it out evenly and top with lots of ketchup.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  Allow it to cool before cutting and serving.

Blender Low Sugar Ice Cream

Need an ice cream fix but you don't feel like running to a store that carries vegan ice cream? Or your local store may not carry low sugar vegan ice cream (it is hard being a diabetic vegan). This frozen treat is quick and easy and will satisfy your sweet tooth!

You will need:

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup sweetener (I use Swerve)

Vanilla extract (to taste)

4 cups of ice 

Directions:

Put everything into your blender and mix it up until thick and icy.  This will work best in a VitaMix. However, if you have a good blender, it will work...you just may have to stop it and make sure the ice is getting blended.

I like to add spices to mine too....like cinnamon and nutmeg.  Have fun with it....add some fruit or even some tabasco and make it spicy!

Ooooey Goooey Black Bean Brownies

This recipe for Black Bean Brownies was inspired by the recipe on one of my favorite blogs: Chocolate Covered Katie.  I know what you're thinking... BLACK BEANS AND CHOCOLATE?! ICK!  But I assure you, these are some amazing brownies.  Imagine those traditional brownies that are a little under cooked and are all warm and gooey in the middle...this is how these turn out!  

      You will need:

1 can of black beans (I recommend low sodium) drained and rinsed very well

2 tbsp cocoa powder (more, if desired)

1/2 cup quick oats (steel cut oats work well)

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup agave (The amaretto agave is awesome!)

2 stevia packs

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking powder

2/3 cup chocolate chips (with more for the top)

Directions:

Black Bean Brownies Recipe: Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients except chips in a good food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Blend until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips, then pour into a greased 8×8 pan. Cook the black bean brownies 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes. These brownies will firm up as they cool.  When you first take them out of the oven, they may seem undercooked.  I assure you, they get firmer as they cool.  

Serve by themselves or with a scoop of Coconut Bliss Vanilla Ice cream and vegan whipped cream.