Cinnamon-Raspberry Smoothie

Dave bought me a Vitamix for my birthday, so we've been smoothie makin' fools!

When it comes to smoothie prep, I'm a firm believer in eyeballing things and just adding the amount that tastes good (to you) so I was hesitant to post smoothie recipes. Then I realized that even just the ingredients may be useful to some people, so I decided that, every once in a while, I'll be posting some smoothie "recipes" here as well.

Cinnamon-Raspberry Smoothie


4 Ice Cubes
1 Scoop of PlantFusion Vanilla Bean Protein Powder
1 Large Banana
Almond Milk
Raspberry Extract*
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Flax Seeds, ground (about 1 tsp)
Chia Seeds (about 1 tsp)
Red Food Coloring (optional)

Add all the ingredients and then turn the blender on. Make sure everything is blended thoroughly.

Hint: When adding the almond milk, I know that I've added enough when all the ingredients, in the bottom of the Vitamix, are covered.

(*If we had had actual raspberries in the house, we would have used those but the extract made a good replacement)

What are some of your favorite smoothie recipes? Share in the comments below!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins

There is no added sugar in this recipe; the muffins get their sweetness solely from the bananas.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins
(makes 6 large muffins)

2 cups of Bisquick
4 medium sized over ripe bananas
4 tbsp Chocolate PB2
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 scoop vanilla soy protein powder
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a large muffin pan with cooking spray.

Mash bananas and stir in Bisquick in batches.

Add 1/4 cup of water and mix.

Add chocolate PB2 powder, vanilla extract, soy protein powder and the other 1/4 cup of water and stir together until all ingredients are combined.

Using an ice cream scoop, fill each well in the muffin pans about halfway and then place in the oven.

Cook for 20 minutes. Take the muffin tray out of the oven and wait at least 5 minutes before removing the muffins - allowing them to cool a bit.

Bananaloupe Smoothie

I buy a lot of fruit (and don't always get around to eating it) so the freezer has become my best friend. I have so many bags of frozen bananas, grapes, strawberries, apples and other fruits that I don't know what to do with them. A couple of  years back, I heard about Kris Carr and her love of green smoothies, so after seeing her documentary and reading her book, I was inspired to give them a try.

At first, I was a little put off by the idea of eating blended fruits and vegetables - especially spinach! - but they're actually really delicious and there are so many different kinds that you can come up with. Plus, they're good for you. :) Now that summers coming, they're the perfect thing to make!

I've made quite a few different concoctions, but haven't written any of them down, so I decided to start doing that now.

Bananaloupe Smoothie
(Makes about 32oz / or 1 or 2 servings)

1/4 of a cantaloupe
1 banana (frozen)
4 handfuls of spinach
6oz Original Almond Milk
drizzle of agave nectar
1/2 serving of Vanilla Soy Powder
3 ice cubes

Add two handfuls of spinach, almond milk, 1/2 banana to the blender. Blend until mixed. Add 1/2 the cantaloupe, blend. Add two more handfuls of spinach, blend. Add the other 1/2 of the cantaloupe, soy powder and agave nectar, blend. Add ice cubes, blend until smooth.

Spicy Tofu Bean Patty

Last night, I was in the mood for something spicy so I came up with this recipe. It has a little kick but it's not overpowering. It would work well as a burger, without a bun or even for breakfast (like a sausage).

Spicy Tofu Bean Patty

1 pkg Firm Tofu (frozen, then thawed)
1 Can of Dark Red Kidney Beans (15.5 oz)
1 tbsp Flax Seed

1 Onion
1 Stalk Celery
3 Medium Mushrooms
1 tbsp garlic

4 tbsp Medium Salsa
1 1/2 tbsp Hot Sauce

Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Paprika
Basil
Dill
Thyme
Cinnamon (only a dash)

1 1/2 Cups Quick Oats

Saute onion, celery, mushrooms and garlic in a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil until onions become translucent.

In a food processor, mix tofu, dark kidney beans and flax seed until well blended. Add onion, celery, mushroom and garlic mixture, blend some more.

Add a light layer of each spice (except cinnamon), covering the top of the mixture - one by one, pulsing in between each then add about 2 shakes of cinnamon.

Move the mixture to a bowl and then add quick oats and mash everything together with your hands.

Form mixture into balls and flatten (about the size of your palm). Spray the pan with cooking spray and cook over low-medium heat for about 4 minutes on each side until lightly browned.

Meatout 2011 / Super Simple Vegan French Toast

Happy Meatout 2011, everyone!

What is Meatout, you ask? Meatout is an international event where people pledge to give up animal products for the day. That's it! It's really easy and anyone can participate. Yes, even you. Be sure to check out the Meatout site for more information and click here to check out the blogs of all the other vegan bloggers, who are participating today and who will be offering some great tips and meal suggestions.

You can also head over to VegWeb for some great recipe ideas! Here's a simple and yummy, vegan breakfast idea to help get you started :)

I'm all about simplicity. I love cooking food that tastes great but is really easy to make. So when I went vegan, I was on a mission to hunt down a super simple french toast recipe - after all, the 'real' version only uses eggs, milk and bread - but it seemed that every one that I found called for so many 'fancy' ingredients that I figured that there had to be a simpler way which used things that I already had. And there is!

Vegan French Toast
(Servings: 1)

1/2 Cup Soy Milk
2 tbsp Flour
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 slices of Bread

Whisk together soy milk, flour, cinnamon and vanilla extract in a shallow bowl. Dredge bread through mixture, cook in a pan over medium heat until slightly browned. Flip over and cook on the other side until browned.

Variations:
Instead of soy milk use coconut milk, rice milk, hazelnut milk or even soy nog to make 'egg nog' french toast during the holidays.
Instead of cinnamon, use other spices (ex. pumpkin pie spice mix)
Use other flavored extracts such as strawberry, coconut, orange, etc.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Once you realize how easy it is to make tortillas at home, you'll never buy those packaged ones again!

There have been many times that I bought an entire package of tortillas, only used 1 or 2 and had the rest of the package go to waste. With this recipe, you can adjust it to make more or less and it uses ingredients that most people already have handy around the house.

And just think of all the different variations you can make - garlic & herb, oregano & basil, cinnamon & sugar, etc. Let your imagination go wild!

Homemade Flour Tortillas
(Servings: About 2 Tortillas)

1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 tsp Vegan Butter or Vegetable Shortening
1/4 tsp Salt* (optional)
2 tbsp of Water

In a bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add butter (shortening) and cut it in with a fork. Add water and mix. If you need more water, add only a little at a time. Add enough water so that the dough sticks together but isn't sticky to the touch.

Form into 2 balls and - one at a time, on a lightly floured surface - flatten with the palm of your hand. Using a rolling pin, roll out into a circle until very thin.

Pre-heat a dry skillet for about a minute over medium heat and then place tortilla on the skillet. Heat for 30-45 seconds or until bubbles start to form and the edges start to pull up a bit. Flip tortilla over and cook for another 20-30 seconds.

*For a less salty tortilla, salt can be left out of the recipe.

Modified from the recipe found on Sprinkled with Flour.

Oatmeal Patties

I eat a lot of oatmeal, so sometimes it's nice to change thing up a bit. These oatmeal patties have such a nice crunch and texture that you feel like you're eating something 'bad' when really it's just as healthy as the stuff you eat in a bowl! It takes a little longer to make, but it's well worth it.

Oatmeal Patties
(servings: 1)

1/2 C Quick Oats
1 Cup Coconut Milk
3-4 tbsp Health Mix (nuts, grains, berries, etc.)
1 tbsp Maple Syrup
Non-Stick Spray

In a sauce pan, combine all ingredients and heat on medium heat until liquid is absorbed and oatmeal is lumpy.

Spray a frying pan with non-stick spray. Spoon oatmeal onto the pan and flatten out the lumps a bit with the back of the spoon. (you should get about 2 1/2 patties)

Cook on medium heat until golden brown. Plate, and then drizzle some more maple syrup on top.

Vegan Donuts Invade Your Tummy

When I have free time at work, I like to scour the internet for new recipes to try or draw inspiration from.

Lately, my focus has been on vegan baked goods (cupcakes, brownies, etc) because I'm hoping to pay my way through culinary school by selling them at local flea markets and farmers markets. I'm also looking to donate vegan baked goods to fund-raising events, in the Northern NJ, so if you know of any please let me know or have them contact me!

So yesterday, I came across this recipe for vegan donuts and it seemed so easy to make that I just had to give it a try! And then I had a thought; in my area, vegan donuts are nearly impossible to find - so adding donuts to the baked goods line up would be great.

I slightly modified the recipe from the original and I think that next time I might try using half whole wheat/ half all-purpose flour to make them a little healthier :)

Baked Vegan Donuts
(Makes 6 Large Donuts)

Dry Ingredients:
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1 tiny pinch or shake Cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Plain Soymilk
1/2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Egg Replacer for 1 egg (I used 2 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer + 2 tbsp warm water)
4 tbsp Vegan Butter

Preheat oven to 350º F

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients, with a whisk, and mix thoroughly.

Melt the butter (but try to keep it from getting too hot) and then in another bowl stir together all of the wet ingredients (including the melted butter). Add the wet ingrediants to the dry ingrediants and stir until just combined.

Using a tablespoon, spoon the mixture into an un-greased, nonstick donut pan - fill to just below the rim - and then smooth out the top of the dough with your fingers or the back of a small spoon.

Bake for 12 minutes.

You don't want the donuts to be browned on top but when inserted, a toothpick should come out clean.

Remove donuts from the pan by inverting them onto a cooling rack (or cutting board) and then let them cool before you decorate or fill them.

I made 3 donuts with holes and 3 donuts without holes: topped the holed donuts and one (1) of the non-holed donuts with confectioners icing and sprinkles. The other two (2) non-holed donuts I rolled in confectioners sugar and filled with chocolate buttercream icing

Your imagination is the limit when it comes to decorating, but for my testing purposes this is what I used. These recipes can also be modified for different flavors!


Confectioners' Icing
1 Cup Confectionser Sugar (sifted)
1-3 tsp Soy Milk (depending on how thick you like it, use more or less)

Mix together with a fork until it starts to form a paste.

Wilton's Buttercream Icing - Slightly modified and veganized.
(Makes about 3 cups of icing)

1/2 Cup Vegetable Shortening
1/2 Cup Vegan Butter
4 Cups Confectioners Sugar (sifted)
1 tsp vanilla extract (they specify clear, but I've used the regular stuff and it really doesn't effect the color all that much)
1 tbsp soy milk* (optional)

Beat together the shortening and the butter until well blended. Add in the confectioners' sugar and beat until fluffy. Then add the vanilla extract, beat until mixed, and then slowly drizzle in the soy milk*.

*The recipe calls for soy milk, but I find myself using very little of it or omitting it altogether.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

The other morning, I woke up craving banana muffins. When I went into the kitchen, I noticed that I had a few bananas, that were about to turn brown, and some dark chocolate chips so I decided to whip up a batch of banana chocolate chip muffins. They tasted amazing and definitely got rid of my craving :)

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
(Makes 5 Large Muffins)

1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Quick Oats (Quaker)
1 Cup Sugar
1 Tbsp Butter
2 medium/large bananas (mashed)
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
3/4 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips (I used Kona Kava but you can use semi-sweet)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine all of the ingredients and stir together until dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed in.

Spray large muffin tin with cooking spray (olive oil or vegetable oil) and then fill each cup, using an ice cream scoop, about 3/4 full.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out almost clean.

I'd like to get your feedback: If you've made any of the recipes I've posted, how did they turn out?

Breakfast Brown Rice Mix

Ever wonder what to do with that leftover rice that you get when you order Chinese take-out? Try using the next morning for breakfast! This is a quick and simple meal that gives you a break from the typical oatmeal but is still just as filling.

Breakfast Brown Rice Mix

1/2 Cup of Cooked Brown Rice (I prefer brown, but white works too)
1/4 Cup Soy Milk
2 Tbsp Health Mix (or any type of fruit/nut mix)
1 Tbsp Sugar Free Maple Syrup (or pure maple syrup)
Cinnamon (to taste)

In a pan, mix together cooked rice, soy milk, health mix, maple syrup and cinnamon.

Heat on medium to low heat until the soy milk bubbles a bit, scoop into a bowl and sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top.

The mixture may be a little milky still so if you prefer a less milky version, let it sit in the bowl for a few minutes and the rice will soak up some of the soy milk.

(Inspired by the Healthy Brown Rice Breakfast recipe on Bethenny.com)

Create Your Own Lara Bar!

I recently become addicted to Lara bars and while doing some searching online realized that there is basically one main ingredient (dates) and then you can add whatever you want to create your own flavors. There are a bunch of different recipes online (if you want some inspiration for flavors) but this is one I just threw together last night. The possibilities are endless!

Peanut Butter and Banana Lara Bars
(makes 4 bars)

1 box (8 oz) of Chopped Dates
1/2 Bag (3oz) Banana Chips
2.5 Tbsp Peanut Butter (Creamy)
Pinch of Salt

1. Grind up the banana chips in a food processor (or Magic Bullet, blender, etc)
2. Add dates and pulse until the chunks start to break down
3. Add peanut butter, a pinch of salt and process until everything is mixed together and sort of forms a dough type consistency.
4. Lay a piece of saran wrap on the counter. Form the dough into a ball and place it on one half of the saran wrap. Cover and press until it creates a rectangle.
5. Fully wrap and place in the refrigerator over night. In the morning, cut the rectangle into four pieces.

(Note: In the picture, the banana chips aren't ground up. I came up with the idea to grind them first because originally, I had added them to the mixture, last, and had difficulties getting the pieces small enough.)

Homemade Cashew Milk

I've been on a "do it yourself" kick lately, so after experimenting with homemade oat milk, I decided to look up a recipe for homemade cashew milk (since I had some left over from the Avocado Pesto Pasta.)

Surprisingly, it was really simple and required no straining - like some other nut milks do.

Cashew Milk
1 cup (raw) cashews, soaked overnight
3 cups water
2 tablespoon agave nectar (or more, to taste)
A pinch of Celtic sea salt

1. Discard soaking water and rinse cashews thoroughly until water runs clear
2. Place cashews, (4 cups fresh) water, agave and salt in a Vita-Mix (or other high speed blender)
3. Process on high speed 20-30 seconds and then repeat until fully blended
4. Store in glass mason jar in refrigerator

Note: The original recipe calls for 4 cups of water, but as I was adding it to the blender, 3 cups seemed to be the right consistency for me. I also added a little extra agave to make it sweeter.

Original recipe from: Elana's Pantry

Bethenny's Boo Boo Banana Bread (modified)

This is a modified version of Bethenny Frankel's Boo Boo Banana (Chocolate Chip) Bread from The Skinnygirl Dish. I didn't use eggs or butter and replaced the oat flour with whole wheat flour and the sugar with organic evaporate cane sugar. If you have overripe bananas laying around, this is a great recipe to use them in.

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup Organic Sugar - Evaporated Cane Juice
3 Medium, Overripe Bananas
3/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp All Purpose Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a loaf pan. Put it in the bottom of the pan and spray with cooking spray. Pour in the batter and cover loosely with foil.
3. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, then bake for another 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out almost clean (moist crumbs are fine). Cool completely, then slice and serve.

Or you can watch Bethenny prepare it on youtube.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Serves: 12 thin slices
Calories: 163 per slice

Tofu Quiche

A few weeks ago, I came across this Tofu Quiche recipe from The Garden of Vegan and I knew that I just had to try it. So, last night, I decided to give it a go. I made a few adjustments - like putting the cheese on top instead of inside and wound up with 2 pies instead of one - but it turned out quite well anyway!

Vegan Sausage & Cheese Breakfast Sandwich

What you need:

Lightlife Gimme Lean Sausage

Tofutti American Soy Cheese Slices

1 Whole Wheat English Muffin

What to do:

1. Cook sausage per the instructions on the package
2. Add cheese in the last few minutes of cooking (cover pan so that the cheese will melt faster.)
3. Assemble on whole wheat English muffin. (salt, pepper & ketchup - optional)

Tofu Scramble

Tofu Scramble

1 block of Firm Tofu (Drain and press as much excess water out of it)
2 cups mixed peppers and onions (frozen)
1 cup Spinach (frozen)
1 tbsp Oil (Olive or vegetable oil)
3 cloves of garlic (minced) (You can also use the minced garlic that comes in a jar - 1/2 tsp usually equals 1 clove))
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Chicken Style Seasoning (like chicken bullion but loose powder - Check for vegetarian/vegan kinds)
1 tsp Ground Ginger

1. Defrost peppers & onions and spinach in microwave separately.
2. Heat oil in pan and then add peppers & onions, garlic. Let them saute for a couple minutes.
While the veggies are sauteing, mash the tofu - in a bowl - with either a fork or you can use your hands until it looks like scrambled eggs.
3. Make a hole in the center of the vegetables (pushing them to the sides of the pan) and add the tofu.
4. Then add seasonings: Turmeric, chicken seasoning & ginger and mix everything together. The tofu should turn a yellowish color.
5. After it's all well mixed, add the spinach and cook another minute more.

Either serve on a plate or make it into a sandwich (pita, bread, wrap..etc)