No Bake Pumpkin Pie

This is a quick and easy no bake treat.  I am totally one of those "Pumpkin Spice People"...when it hits October 1st, I want all things pumpkin!

You will need:


Crust:
-2 cups raw walnuts
-1/2 cup of dry dates
-1 tbl coconut oil
-1 tsp cinnamon

Filling:
-1½ cups pumpkin puree 
-¾ cup pitted dates, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, then drained
-1tbl Stevia
-¼ almond milk
-1/2 cup raw walnuts
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
-1 tsp pure vanilla extract
-¼ cup coconut oil, melted

What to do:
-Mix all crust ingredients in a food processor.  Mix until all blended.
-Spread the crust mixture into a pie pan until the bottom is covered.  

-Mix all filling ingredients, except coconut oil in food processor
-As it is mixing, pour the coconut oil into the processor.
-Mix until smooth-ish
-Spread the mixture into the pie pan.  
-Place into the freezer until firm.

-Put the pie into the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving.

Curry Stuffed Acorn Squash

This is a perfect meal to warm your bones as the temperatures drop. It is also aesthetically pleasing and is bound to impress your friends.  

You will need:
- 2 acorn squash
-1 yellow onion, diced
-1/2 cup acorn squash (use the scrapings when you go to hollow them out. Dice them)
-1 cup diced peppers
-1 curry cube (I used Golden Curry sauce mix)
-1tbl Sriracha
-1 cup water
-1 pack of sausage crumbles (I used Helen's brand)
-1 cup dry rice (I used black rice)

What to do:
-Pre-heat oven to 400 

-Start the cooking process for the rice.

-Cut the the top 1/4 of each acorn squash off.
-Cut the points off of each squash bottom to ensure they will stand up.
-Scoop out the guts of each squash and disregard.
-Take the spoon and scrape the insides of each squash.  Do this for the tops as well.  You will want to make the holes bigger to allow for more stuffing.  Keep the scrapings for the curry.

-Sautee the onion, peppers, "sausage", and squash.  Once it is softened, add the curry cube and water. Add the sriracha. Let this simmer for 10-15 minutes.  By this time the rice should be done and the oven preheated. 
-Add the rice into the mixture fold all in together.

-Rub each squash down with olive oil.
-Fill each squash with the "sausage" curry mixture
-Put the cap on and put into a glass baking dish.
-Bake on the center rack for 45 minutes.

Spicy Skillet Posole

This spicy skillet posole will warm your bones!  This is perfect for dreary, rainy night...or especially those winter months.  

You will need:
-1/2 large onion
-1 bell pepper (I recommend orange or red)
-12 oz sausage substitute (We used Helen's Kitchen Veggie Chorizo)
-1 cup mushrooms
-2 dried chili peppers (We used chipotle peppers)
-4 cups of water
-1 large can of hominy (25oz)
-Vegan sour cream (we used Tofutti)
-Vegan cheeze shreads (we used Daiya pepper jack)

What to do:
-Saute onions, peppers, mushrooms, chorizo together in a deep skillet with olive oil.
-While that is in the pan, put 4 cups of water and the 2 dried peppers in a blender.  Blend on high until the water is red and the peppers have completely mixed in with the water.
-Allow the chorizo to brown up and the veggies to soften.
-Once they have reached your desired state, pour the chili water into the skillet.
-Add can of hominy and let the mixture simmer.
-Allow the mixture to reduce by 1/4 and the hominy to soften.
-DING! Done!

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and cheese (vegan, of course)

3 ingredient 1 step Cashew Milk

Tired of paying $4 or more for non dairy milk? Tired of all the extra shit they put in the non-dairy milk? Well, this cashew milk is light, delicious, and takes less than 10 minutes to make!

You will need:

-3/4 cup raw cashews

-4 cups of water

-1 tbl agave nectar

What to do:

-Place all ingredients into your blender (it will need to be a good one, like a vitamix) and blend until cashews are completely blended. 

-Chill and enjoy!

Creamy Mac N Cheez

This is a delicious, healthy(er), cruelty free, version of mac and cheese.  The cheez sauce is thick and creamy and has a powerful flavor. 

You will need:

Cheez Sauce:

-1 cup of nutritional yeast flakes “Nooch”

-1 cup of all purpose flour

-2 cups of warm water

-1 tbl Dijon mustard

-1 tsp lemon juice

-Garlic powder (to taste)

-Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Pasta:

-Shiritaki Penne Noodles

Optional Ingredients:

-Fresh tomatoes (diced)

-Fresh peppers (diced)

-Fried Onions

What to do:

Cheeze:

-Pour 2 cups of warm water in a sauce pan.  Pour in nooch and stir until dissolved.

-Combine all other ingredients, except flour, into the sauce pan. Stir until mixed.

-Place on stove on medium heat. 

-As the mixture heats up, slowly add the flour, stirring constantly.  Ensure that the flour does not clump.

-As the mixture heats, it will thicken.

-When it gets to desired thickness, remove from heat.

Pasta:

-The shiritaki noodles need to be removed from the water in the package and drained and rinsed very well.  They have a slightly unpleasant smell that will go away, but they need to be rinsed off very well.

-Place the noodles in fresh water and let boil (Do not boil in the water from the package).

-Boil rigorously for 5-10 minutes.

-Drain very well.  I recommend pressing down lightly with a paper towel.  Do not press enough to damage noodles, but enough to get excess water off of them.  These noodles tend to soak up water.  If you do not drain them thoroughly, the cheez will get thin.

-Mix pasta and cheez together

-Stir in tomatoes and peppers and top with fried onions

-Enjoy!

Seitan Roast with Stuffing

I was feeling a bit autumnal, so I decided to make this roast with stuffing.  This recipe will focus mainly on the roast itself.  I will include what I stuffed it with, but feel free to stuff it with anything that creams your twinkie.  This is also the first one I made, so feel free to leave comments on what I could have done better or any tips, tricks, variations.

You will need:

Roast:

-1 10oz. Box of Arrowhead Mills Vital Wheat Gluten

-1 can of pinto beans (drained)

 -2 cups of water

-Sage (to taste)

-Thyme (to taste)

-Rosemary (to taste)

-Garlic (to taste)

-3 to 4 Shitake Mushrooms

-1 tbl tamari (or Braggs Liquid Aminos)

-Black Pepper (to taste)

-Salt (to taste)

-Oil (to grease the pan)

-All purpose flour

Stuffing:

-1 cup of rice/quinoa blend (or just brown rice)

-1/2 large white onion (diced)

-3 celery spears (diced very small)

-1 large pepper (any color)

-Olive oil

-Tamari

-Garlic

Broth:

-1 cup vegetable broth

-2 tbl tamari

What to do:

-Preheat oven to 375

-Empty the box of vital wheat gluten into a large bowl and set aside

-Begin cooking the rice or rice/quinoa mixture based on directions (probably will be 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice)

-Place all of the diced veggies, garlic, oil in a pan on low to medium heat.  (They will continue to cook in the oven so do not cook them too tender in this stage)

-Open can of beans and drain lightly.  Pour beans into food processor along with the mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, tamari, and garlic. Blend until smooth.

-Combine the bean mixture with the dry wheat gluten. 

-Add the 2 cups of water and begin stirring together. It will begin clumping together quickly. 

-One all combined, start kneading with your hands until a large ball forms. 

-Sprinkle flour on the counter and take ball of dough out of the bowl.

-Either by hand or with a rolling pin, flatten the dough out into a rectangle. Make sure it is equally thick throughout.  If any holes form, pinch together or patch with a piece of dough from another part of the blob.

-By now the veggies and rice should be done.  Combine them together.

-Spoon the rice and veggies into the middle of the dough and spread out.  You will not want to go all the way to the edges.

-Once covered, roll the dough up over the veggie and rice mixture. 

-Once rolled up, pinch together the edges and the seam.

-You can take a little tamari, salt, and pepper and coat the outside of it.

-At this point, I would advise putting it into a greased loaf pan.  I did not have one available so I used a casserole dish.  The loaf pan will keep it from spreading and it will be a more firm roast.  The casserole dish will spread and leave you with a thinner, crispier roast.  Either way, it will be delicious.

-Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes to an hour.

-Baste with the broth occasionally

-Enjoy!

No Bake Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter Pie

This cool, creamy pie is a treat! It is easy and delicious. Your non-vegan friends will love this. It's so rich and decadent that people won't believe it's healthy.

You will need:

Crust:

-9oz dried, pitted dates

-1/2 cup raw walnuts

-1/2 cup raw almonds

-1 tbl agave

Filling:

-3 cups of raw cashews (soaked overnight, if possible)

-3/4 cup peanut butter (I used Earth Balance crunchy coconut peanut butter)

-2/3 cup vegan chocolate chips

-1 can coconut milk
1 tbl. agave

What to do:

Crust:

-Combine ingredients in a food processor until nuts are chopped and clumped together. You should be able to grab a clump and roll into a ball. 

-Empty out contents into a spring form pan and spread evenly on the bottom. 

-Set aside

Filling:

-Combine all ingredients in a food processor or vitamix and mix until smooth and creamy. 

-Pour on top of crust into spring form pan. 

-Top with more chocolate chips if you so desire. 

-Let pie set in the freezer for at least 2 hours. 

-Sit out for 15-20 minutes before serving.

-Serve with a dollop of cashew whipped cream. 

-Make lots of "Mmms" and "holy shit's" as you scarf it down.