Vegan Blackberry Apple Bread

The man of the house wanted me to bake something sweet, so we broke even.  He took care of the babies, while I was able to cook some more.  I got together some blackberries that were almost past their prime and one apple that I happened to have left. 

Wine glasses just make fruit look better....

Ingredients:

1 cup organic blackberries

1 pureed organic apple + 1Tbs of water

1/2 cup spelt flour

1/2 cup rye flour

1/4 cup blue agave nectar

1/4 cup almond milk

2tsp pure vanilla extract

3tsp ground flax seed + 2Tbs of water (instead of egg)

1tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Combine flaxseed with water in small bowl and set in fridge to thicken.  Puree the apple with water to make applesauce and stir in the agave nectar, almond milk and vanilla extract.  Add the flaxseed, flour mix and baking powder to the wet mix.  If desired, cut larger blackberries in half, then fold into mix.  Bake in loaf pan for 45-50 minutes.

Vegan Baked Italian Penne

Today I was wanting something italian, so I stopped by Giant after work today and headed straight towards their organic produce.  I picked up 2 zucchini's, 1 package of crimini mushrooms, 1 package of grape tomatoes, and 1 green bell pepper.  Next I ran over to the organic grains and grabbed a 16oz bag of penne pasta.  Tonight I wanted a chunky pasta so I decided on the penne noodles which would go great with the veggies chopped up.  Below is the final meal and let me tell you, it was delicious! 

Ingredients:

2 organic zucchini (peeled and sliced)
1 organic yellow squash (peeled and sliced)

1 organic green bell pepper  (sliced long ways)

1 organic yellow onion (sliced)

1 package of organic grape tomatoes (halved)

1 package of organic crimini mushrooms

1 - 16 oz organic dry penne pasta

1/4C extra-virgin olive oil

1T organic oregano

1t organic cayenne pepper

1t seasalt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  In baking pan combine the zucchini, green bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, salt, pepper, and oregano.  Add olive oil and toss.  Let bake for 15 minutes.

 

Meanwhile boil the penne noddles with spring water for about 6-7 minutes or until tender.  In a skillet, saute on medium heat the tomatoes with a teaspoon of olive oil and teaspoon of salt until soft.  Once the veggies are done baking combine and enjoy.

Don’t Mess With a Lady and Her Pistachios!

Today I was on a mission to find something salty and satisfying.  You would think since these past few days I’ve been craving fried and salty foods it would be that time of the month type of deal – not really, considering that is part of my past for right now. 

So here I am searching everywhere around me at work for something to please my taste buds....oatmeal…..cranberries….left over’s from last night’s dinner (not really what I had in mind).  Finally, I see the beautiful black bag of pistachios hiding in the corner and it says “Roasted & Salted” SCORE!!  Ingredients: pistachios and salt…I can deal with that.  Now if anyone knows where I can find pistachios with SEASALT instead please let me know.

*Cracking a pistachio open*

Some old man peeping through my cubicle door, “Can I have some?” Oh man, what I really want to say is these are mine and no you can’t have SOME.   Growling inside I jokingly reply, “And how many is some?”  The old man says, “You know, just a few.”  You’ve got to be kidding me. I hand him the bag and say, “Take what you want” with a big smile on my face.  Now this phrase almost never fails, inside you’re saying you better not take that many and if you do I’m going to jump up into my warrior pose.  It worked and he only took two. 

*Cracking open another pistachio*

He sits down in my cubicle and starts talking about how good pistachios are for you, how they are cholesterol free, they may reduce the risk of heart disease….yadda yadda…lol “I know, see look at the back of the package” trying to give him a hint to go away, but deep down I know his intent is to get more pistachios from me…typical male I tell ya!  So I start telling him how I’m a vegan and how I get a good amount of protein from eating these savory pistachios and how much my DS loves to snack on them, but really, “would you like anymore?”  “Oh no darlin save them for your baby.”  I win!  Don’t mess with a lady and her pistachios!

Eggplant Zucchini Veggie Burger

Eggplant Zucchini Veggie Burger
Today I was craving something fried, juicy and more than the usual...mmmmm just thinking about this pattie.  I had an eggplant and zucchini in my fridge that needed to be used soon before they became over-due, so I came up with the idea of not just a zucchini burger but an eggplant zucchini burger!  This is the finished meal below.  There is a beautiful golden brown color to it from the paprika and it went perfectly with the kale collard greens mix.  Next time I will know ahead of time before I make this meal and make sure to add a pineapple sweet and sour sauce, which would have been perfect on top.  Either way it was still delicious and left the man very satisfied...bonus!  This is a meal even a non-vegetarian/vegan would enjoy because of the texture is almost like a salmon or lobster cake. 



And here are the ingredients used that completed this successful dish (yield 5 burgers):

1 large firm organic eggplant (peeled and cubed)

1 firm organic zucchini (peeled and cubed)

1T of organic ground flaxseed

3T of spring water

2C of rye bread crumbs

1 whole organic onion

1t of Organic cayenne pepper

1t of Organic paprika

1t of Organic thyme

Organic olive oil as needed

Seasalt as needed

To make - Combine the peeled and cubed eggplant and zucchini in a collander over steam and allow to sit for approx 25 minutes.  Pat dry and sprinkle generously with seasalt.  In sauce pan on medium-high heat, saute the onion with a couple teaspoons of olive oil until caramalized.  Next add the eggplant, zucchini and thyme to the saucepan and cook for about 5 minutes or until brown and tender.

In small bowl combine the flax seed and water and stir for thickness.  Add the flax seed, zucchini eggplant mix, cayenne pepper and a cup of bread crumbs to the blender and pulse for about 2 minutes or until consistent. 

Glaze the pan with enough olive oil to fry the burgers on medium heat.  Once heated you can use the extra bread crumbs to help mold the burger.  It helped me by laying the bread crumbs (a little at a time) on to the plate and then putting a pattie size amount onto the plate with a wooden spoon carefully adding bread crumbs. Using a spatula will help move the pattie from the plate to the pan without it falling apart. Sprinkle paprika on top for flavor and coloring.

Cook until crispy. Patties will be a little moist like salmon cakes.  

That Pretty Synthetic Dye in Red Gummies aka FD&C Red 40

This all started when I purchased a bag of those yummy peach rings that are sugar coated and so sweet…yes, I was splurging.  On the front it said all kinds of things to catch my attention like: “Cholesterol Free, Finest Quality, Fresh Natural, and Quality You Can Taste” …very tempting I tell you.  So I get back to my desk, sit down and flip the package over of those sweet smelling yummy gummies to check out the ingredients:

#1 corn syrup (hmmm, it’s not high fructose), #2 sugar (okay, I won’t eat too many), #3 fruit juice (alright – but wait, what kind?)…*keep reading down the list* then I see COLORS.  All these years I never stopped to think about colors being used as an additive to our foods and why would they be added to these delicious gummies, aren’t peaches already tempting enough? 

So I pulled up my browser and began to Google the first color listed: Red 40.  The first thing to pop up is something about Red 40 being made out of crushed ground bugs, beetles from South/Central America.  Not too sure about that one…second search result pops up stating that Red 40 has been linked to ADHD, which is an additive in a lot of medicines, juices, fruit snacks, etc. that we are giving to our children.  This begins my rampage.  Why in the world would the FDA approve Red 40 to be added to our foods when there have been numerous cases of the food dye being linked to hyperactive disorders, depression and negatively affecting the brain. 

Not to mention the other food colorings added to this (used-to-be-yummy-licious) snack: Yellow 5 and Blue 1, which will be discussed in another blog entry.  All three dyes have been banned to use in Europe….why and how is it good for the U.S. to consume then?  When you think about how almost half of what our children eat goes directly to their brain, it really makes you wonder how much of these synthetic chemicals are being consumed on a daily basis and what is the real reason of using these when there are natural alternatives.  Needless to say, the gummies weren’t entertained anymore than inside of the package.

NOTE: An interesting statement that I found (source is below). “The FDA continues to maintain that artificial dyes are safe, citing numerous studies that found no ill effects. But today the Center for Science in the Public Interest called on the FDA to ban eight of the most common artificial dyes, or at least affix a warning label to products that contain them: 'Warning: The artificial coloring in this food causes hyperactivity and behavioral problems in some children.'  Trader Joe's and Whole Foods claim the products they sell contain no artificial dyes."  Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500803_162-4151130-500803.html#ixzz1QagIg6Dp

Eating Out - Lack of Nutrients and Empty Calories

I never thought that I would feel this way about eating at home…I want to make so many things that I never knew existed or even found the least bit interesting.  I used to love going out to eat, but now I’ve completely lost the desire.  When you eat meat there are so many selections to choose from and each animal has its own category on the menu.  My favorite places to eat were Red Lobster and Olive Garden, but after discovering the benefits of a vegan lifestyle I no longer find that food attractive.  For a vegan…your options are very limited (to a restaurant). Even if they have a vegan menu or section in the back of mind I wonder what is the quality of the food…it’s most likely not going to be organic and it’s going to be about 1000 calories!!  Just knowing that organic foods have a much higher level of nutrients what’s the point of eating empty calories made out of who knows what, grown who knows where,  in who knows what type of soil and chemicals were used.

Quinoa Blueberry Zucchini Walnut Muffins

Quinoa Blueberry Zucchini Walnut Muffins
1C organic spelt flour
1C organic rye flour
1C cooked organic quinoa
1T baking powder
1t organic ground cinnamon
1t organic vanilla extract
1/2C organic maple syrup (grade B preferred)
1/3C organic coconut oil
1/3C spring water
1/2C shredded organic zucchini
1/4C organic blueberries

1/4C organic walnuts

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare muffin pan (makes 6 to 8).

2) Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder in one bowl.  In a separate bowl mix the oil, maple syrup, vanilla and water together.

4) Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix just until blended.  The batter will be sticky with a thick texture. 

5) Fold in the quinoa, zucchini, walnuts and blueberries carefully.

5) Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Use tester.  Muffins will be moist. 



Portabella Eggplant Spaghetti

Portabella Eggplant Spaghetti
10oz spelt spaghetti noodles
2 large firm eggplants
1 pack of organic protabella mushrooms (sliced)
3 large firm organic vine tomatoes
1 bunch of fresh organic sweet basil
1 organic green pepper
1 bunch of organic green onion
1T of dried organic oregano
2T of extra virgin olive oil
32oz of spring water
Splash of cooking wine
Sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste

1. Cut the eggplants into four quarters lengthwise and then cut into bite size pieces.  Put into skillet with 1T of olive oil and fry on med-high.  Add more oil is neccessary.  Once both sides are lightly fried remove from skillet.

2. Add a splash of cooking wine along with the green onions, green peppers, sweet basil, oregano and garlic cloves. Cook on med heat.

3. Add the diced tomatoes and simmer on low-med heat for 15 minutes.

4. In another skillet on med heat cook the mushrooms with 1T of olive oil.  Once cooked add the eggplant to the same skillet.

5. Meanwhile boil the spelt pasta with spring water for 5-7 minutes or until noodles are tender.

Zucchini Banana Walnut Bread

Zucchini Banana Bread
1c of spelt flour
1/2c of rye flour
1/2tsp of baking soda
1/4tsp of baking powder
1tsp of cinnamon
1/8tsp of allspice
1 whole banana pureed
1T of vanilla extract
1/2c of raw sugar
1/2c of raw blue agave
1/3c of coconut oil
1/2c of clustered walnuts
1 1/4c shredded zucchini

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In one bowl wisk together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

2. In a separate bowl, wisk together sugar, pureed banana, cinnamon, allspice, coconut oil, and vanilla extract.

3. Combine the flour mix into the wet ingredients. Fold the walnuts and shredded zucchini into the mix.

4. Grease loaf pan with coconut oil and sprinkle spelt flour. Put mix into loaf pan and cook for approx. 60 minutes or until tester comes out clean.





No Green Eggs and Ham Found in This House

Welcome to my blog where you will find recipes from the lifestyle of a vegan. You will find organically grown food and spices in my cabinets and fridge. I have had two years of Culinary Arts training and have a passion for creating new spontaneous recipes. I'm a mama to two healthy baby boys My youngest is 8 months and my oldest will be 2 on July 13th. I enjoy nature, pilates & yoga, playing the piano, meeting new people and #1 being healthy. So please follow my blog and feel free to share your thoughts, comments and recipes.