Tag Archives: vegan

Guilt Free Mocha Java

Every-time I am in the local coffee house I try to justify giving into the decedent sweet and chocolate infused mocha coffee. Not only will I get my caffeine fix but my chocolate craving will be under control. Just adding sugar free chocolate syrup won’t compare to a gooey creamy 350 calories beverage on the menu. Its my goal to always recreate things like this into something I don’t feel guilty about. Well, after many attempts I did it. Give this one a try to fill that craving next time.

Ingredients:

2 Cups Fresh Coffee
1 1/2 Tbsp Splenda
1/2 Tbsp Agave
2 Tbsp Coco powder
1/2 Cup Almond Milk

Place all ingredients in a pot bring to boil while whisking. Then lower to a high simmer and allow to reduce for about 15 minutes. Serve warm or cool over ice.

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Thyme Martini

The We Bee Brothers don’t just make the best honey but they also like to get creative. I recently got a sample of their thyme honey and the second I tried it all I could think was cocktail. You have to give this one a try.

Ingredients:
1/2 Lemon
1 tsps We Bee Brothers Thyme infused honey
1 oz water
1 oz vodka

Heat water and add honey. Stir until honey is dissolved. Pour honey mixture into a shaker along will juice of lemon, vodka and a few piece’s of lemon peel. Shake well and add one ice cube. Shake again and then strain into nice glass removing ice cube. Garnish drink with lemon wedge and peel. Enjoy!

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BlueBerry Jam

I have started playing around with preserving food in jars. I have failed with my attempts at pickling but I seem to do well with making jam. This recipe is transferable to almost any berry. Please make sure to follow approved canning techniques to insure a safe, shelf stable product. I provided a great link for you with tons more recipes and resources if your interested:http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html

If you are from Philly then you have most likely been to one of the many great brunch places with homemade jam. I have been wanting to replicate it for a long time but was finally inspired when the market had a full flat of blueberries for $2. I adjusted the recipe’s I had by adding less sugar and no pectin. This was my first try and it came out great!!!!

Ingredients:

5 Cups blueberries (Washed, dried, stems removed)
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
Juice and zest of one lemon

I recommend reading the site I provided above for some better canning instruction but I will try to break it down below. I have taken some canning classes on canning and I can imagine it would be hard to follow with out understanding the reason behind each step. This recipe was a small batch and made 3 small jars worth. Start with the three pot set up below:

Pot 1 – Medium size pot non-reactive surface to make the jam. Place blueberries in the pot and crush. Add sugar and lemon and cook on medium heat. Continue to stir and watch the mixture so that it continues to bubble but not burn or boil over. You must stir it every few minutes. Your goal is for the mixture to become thick. It should get to the point that it wont create droplets or run easily off a cold spoon. You are looking for a consistency that slowly forms large clumps that look almost like glass forming on the spoon. Many recipes say this will take 10-15 minutes. It took me about 35 minutes but weather plays huge factor.

Pot 2- The next pot should be small with hot water for cleaning the lids. When you preserve anything in jars, the metal circle part of the lid is not re-usable. Each time you must use new lids.This is because they have a rubber lining that helps form a seal but it only works once. The jar and twisty top are good for many uses but not the flat part of the lid. In order to active the new flat top you must heat the lids to help soften the rubber. Do this by putting just the flat part of the lid in the pot with very hot water but not boiling and allow it to sit for about ten minutes before processing.

Pot 3 – Place water into the pot high enough to cover the jars with a little extra water because water will evaporate. You should use the biggest pot you own for this one like a lobster pot. Place a small towel in the bottom of the pot. This acts like a pillow to avoid the jars from breaking in the pot. Place the jars and lids in the pot and bring water to boil. Boil for ten minutes and then keep the jars in the hot water until your ready to fill.

Once the jelly cooks down and is ready to go, shut the heat off and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Remove jars from hot water and drip dry. Fill each jar with jelly about one half inch from top. Clean the tops of the jar well with a clean towel to insure that you will make a good seal between the jar and lid. Place the lids on jars. Its important not to twist the lid on to tight because you want air to escape. A good rule is to make it finger tight.

Next, place the complete jars in the big pot of water on high heat for ten minutes. Once the water is boiling you may want to lower it a bit to keep the jars from moving to much. After ten minutes CAREFULLY remove the the jars with tongs from pot and place on counter. Its important not to put the jars on a cold surface because the sudden change in temp from the hot water to the cold counter can break the glass.

The final step is my favorite. I call it the canning musical. Once jars are out of the water you want to hear each lid make a pop sound. This insures a good seal. The sound is like the what you hear when you open a glass juice bottle. This can take up to 15 minutes depending on room temp. If you don’t hear the pop or see an indent on the top of the lid then you should keep that jar in the fridge and use it first.

Jam can stay shelf stable for up to a year but once opened should be stored in fridge. Enjoy!!!

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Bruschetta

I wanted to give some tips on a very popular recipe right now. This is one of my favorites. Tomatoes are in season right now and I could eat them all day. I was never a big fan of bruschetta because I did not see what was so special. Once I learned how to do this the right way I was shocked by the difference.

Ingredients

5 plum tomatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup chopped basil
Pinch of salt
2 cloves garlic
1/2 Cup motzerl cheese *optional
1 loaf of gluten free bread ( My pick is Sweet Christine’s baget)

Slice bread and either grill or toast it. Slice raw garlic clove in half and rub all over the toast. The hot bread will release the right amount of oil from the clove. Then Lightly oil the top of the toast. Next, slice a tomato in half and gently rub the juice onto each slice. In. A separate bowl add chopped tomato with olive oil, basil and salt. If using cheese add it at this point. Mix tomatoes well with hand and top it on bread.

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Hidden vegetable Soup

With all the great Peanut Butter & Company flavors I have to play with I am trying to come up with some new fun ideas. With the school year around the corner its important to have some quick go to recipes that kids will love and mom is proud of. My peanut butter soup will leave all kids asking for more and they will never know its packed with veggies.

Ingredients:
3 Cups chicken broth (vegetable broth if vegan)
2 cups skim milk (almond milk if vegan)
7 Tbs Peanut Butter & Company “It’s Hot in Here” peanut butter
2 Tbs Peanut Butter & Company “Honey” peanut butter
5 carrots cut into rounds
1 can diced tomatoes
3/4 medium yellow onion chopped
3 cloves garlic
1/4 Cup diced fresh ginger
Salt and pepper to taste

Start by lightly browning the onions and garlic in a pot. Add carrots and broth and cook on medium / high heat till carrots are soft. Add all the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 45 min stirring every few minutes. Shut head off and use a food immerser to blend soup into a smooth consistency. Serve hot!!

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Peanut Butter Noodles

Peanut Butter & Company is really making some unique products. Since I really love Peanut butter I am having a blast trying out some new ideas.
When I was a kid I remember when my mom would order me sesame noodles from the Chinese take-out store. Then years later while traveling in Thailand I became addicted to Pad Thai. Well here is my gluten free spin to the fun, kid friendly noodle dish.

Ingredients:

10 oz rice noodles
8 Tbsp Hot and Spicy Peanut Butter from Peanut Butter & Company
2 Tbsp Soy sauce
2 Tbsp fish sauce mix (the red one I always talk about and the vegetarian version if you prefer)
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp brown sugar
2 green onions chopped
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 cups bean sprouts
1 cup chopped romain
1/4 crushed peanut
1 carrot grated
1/2 lemon

This is a quick one. Put noodles in boiling in boing water for a few minutes. While noodles cook mix peanut butter, soy sauce, fish sauce,sesame oil, sugar, green onion, lemon and half the cilantro. Once noodles are done, strain well and pour into large bowl with sauce to toss. Plate the noodles on a bed of romain and bean sprouts. Top noodles with grated carrot, crushed nuts and remaining cilantro. Enjoy!

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Peanut Butter & Company

Peanut Butter is clearly one of my go-to snacks and ingredients. Low in carb and high in protein it’s hard to go wrong. I often find my self substituting Peanut Butter when butter is required in recipes both sweet and savory.

Peanut Butter & Company is a great company that makes tons of fantastic flavors and all gluten free. They sent me a whole bunch of diffrent flavors to play with and I have come up with some great stuff. Give one of the flavors a try and keep a look out for some great recipes soon to come.

Some of natural peanut butter’s health benefits are:

– Vegetarian source of protein
– Provides essential vitamins and minerals like Vitamin E, Niacin, Phosphorous & Magnesium
– Cholesterol Free
– No trans fat
– Good source of natural folic acid, an essential nutrient during pregnancy and in the prevention of heart disease
– Good source of antioxidant, offering as much as grapes, tomatoes, or blueberries

At Peanut Butter & Co. they pride themselves on providing great-tasting, all-natural, healthful products. The complete ingredients list and nutritional information for all of thier peanut butter products are available on the web site.

Check them out!!!

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Blondies

Looking to make something sweet but don’t want junk food sitting around? What would you say if I could make a Blondie with no flour, no egg and no butter but only a can of beans and a few simple ingredients?

Try using the White Chocolate Peanut Butter from Peanut Butter Company’s White Chocolate Peanut Butter to really make this recipe really something special.

Ingredients:
1 Can of white beans (drain and rinse)p

2 TBS of your favorite peanut butter ( I recommend a fun flavor like the White Chocolate from New York Peanut Butter Company)
1/4 Splenda or any sweetener you would prefer
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup quick oatmeal

This recipe is really easy. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend well.
Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray and pour in batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Let it cook and then cut into squares.

*Since the recipe has no egg feel free to taste for sweetness and adjust how you would like.

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Cucumber Lemonade

One day last week, I got a text from my boyfriend while he was traveling on business. He was in a cafe and on the menu they had a cucumber lemonade. At the time he did not want to pay the $4 to buy one but texted me to see if it something I could make. I gave it a try and it turned out great.

With this hot summer I find myself always looking in the fridge for something to cool down with. I get sick of water and I am not a huge fan of things that are sugary like soda and juice. Cucumber and lemon are the best solution to making hot days a little more easy to handle.

Ingredients:

1L soda water
2 Cups ice
1/2 large cucumber peeled and chopped
Juice of two large lemons (and/or lime if you prefer)
3 Tbsp sweeter (sugar, splenda or agave honey)

In a large pitcher place the cucumbers and lemon juice. Mix them very well with a big spoon and let it stand for a few minutes. The lemon will help release the flavor from the cucumber and keep it from changing colors. Pour in the soda water and stir. Then add you sweeter if you choose to. Last, add the ice and place in fridge to cool. I purposely use a large amount of ice to decrease the carbonation a bit and to also cool it down fast. Enjoy.

* Note – If using artificial sweeter It’s important to add it at the end because the carbonated liquid and the acid from the fruit will react with the sugar in the pitcher and create a big mess.

Leeks

Summer produce is amazing. A few months with access to inexpensive unique veggies. Leeks can be grilled, baked, broiled or cooked on a stove top. They are similar in flavor to a mild onion and texture of an endive.
For this recipe I choose to braise the leeks.

Ingredients :
3 Leeks
2 Tbls. Butter ( I use a light version but a vegan option would work just fine)
1/3 Cup White Wine
1 tsp Thyme
1/4 Cup chopped parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

The first step is to cut the top green part of the leeks and the bottom part of the root off. This should leave with a 9 inch stalk. Give it a good rinse and slice in half. In a skillet melt butter until it bubbles. Salt and pepper the leeks and both sides and place them in butter cut side down. Give the leeks a few minutes to brown. Add wine and thyme and place lid on pan, cooking over medium heat for about ten minutes. Remove lid, sprinkle on parsley and continue to cook for a few minutes until liquid reduces. Enjoy!

If you have an leftovers, leeks go great in egg, pasta, soup or even as a pizza topping.

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