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.

Tofu Vegetable Lasagna

My last attempt at lasagna didn't turn out so great, but I'm happy to say that this time around it was quite the success! It even tasted better when it was reheated a couple of days later.

Unfortunately, we started eating before I got the chance to get it ready for its close-up, so this picture will have to suffice.

Tofu Vegetable Lasagna
(8-10 Servings)

1 16 oz pkg firm tofu
1 large onion (chopped)
1 16 oz package mushrooms (sliced)
2 tablespoons garlic (chopped)
1 can mexicorn (mixed peppers & corn)
1 16 oz bag frozen broccoli, carrots, watercress (defrosted)
1/2 of a medium sized eggplant (optional)
1 box of oven ready lasagna
2 lg jars of tomato sauce
1 16 oz bag frozen spinach (defrosted)
4 or 5 plum tomatoes (sliced)

Seasonings (to taste): oregano, basil, dill, salt, pepper, old bay, chili, nutritional yeast

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

If using (optional) eggplant: Peel and cut [4] slices of eggplant. Brush with olive oil, salt & pepper and place in oven for about 15 minutes (until slightly browned). Flip over and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Press and drain tofu. Crumble into a large bowl.

Saute the onions, mushrooms and garlic, on medium heat, until onions are translucent and mushrooms are cooked.

Add the can of mexicorn and the bag of broccoli, carrots & watercress to the bowl. Add seasonings to taste.

To assemble the lasagna:

Cover the bottom of a 13x9x3" pan with a layer of sauce.
Add a layer of [4] noodles
Add another layer of sauce (covering all the noodles)
Add half of the tofu/vegetable mixture
Add 4 slices of eggplant (optional)
Add another layer of [4] noodles
Add another layer of sauce
Add a layer of spinach (use all of it)
Add the rest of the tofu/vegetable mixture
Add another layer of [4] noodles
Add another layer of sauce
Cover the top with sliced plum tomatoes and then sprinkle nutritional yeast, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.

Cover with foil and place onto a baking tray to avoid leakage. Cook for about an hour. Remove from the oven and let it sit on the counter for about 10-15 minutes. Serve.

If there is a lot of excess sauce on the sides, spoon it out before serving and place it in a bowl. It can be used to top off the lasagna or poured over leftovers for the next day. If you divide it into individual sized containers and freeze it, it makes for a great quick and easy lunch during the work week.

Cauliflower "Shrimp" Cocktail

In my pre-vegan days I absolutely loved shrimp cocktail, so when I came across this recipe in the February 2012 issue of Bon Appetit, I knew that I needed to give it a try.

The results? It was okay. On its own, the cauliflower doesn't taste all that much like shrimp but when dipped in the cocktail sauce, it definitely helps add to the flavor. It may not be an exact replica, but at least it's a new spin on cauliflower! I'm excited to give other seasonings a try now.

Cauliflower "Shrimp" Cocktail
(4 servings)

1/2 cup dry crab boil seasoning (Old Bay)
1/8 cup sea salt
1 onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves
1.5 lemons, halved crosswise
1 head of cauliflower, cored, trimmed into 2" florets
Cocktail sauce

Combine crab boil, salt, onions, garlic, and 3 quarts water in a large pot. Squeeze juice from lemons into pot and add lemon halves. Set pot over high heat and bring liquid to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes to let flavors meld. Using a slotted spoon, remove onions, garlic, and lemons from broth; discard. Return liquid to a rolling boil.
   
Add cauliflower; turn off heat, cover pot tightly, and let stand until cauliflower is crisp-tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain; spread out cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and let cool completely. DO AHEAD: Cauliflower can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Arrange room-temperature or chilled cauliflower on a platter with cocktail sauce for dipping.

The original recipe can be found here at Bon Appetit.com.

Chocolate Mousse

I absolutely adore anything chocolate, so when I came across this recipe, while browsing Pinterest the other day, it looked so delicious and easy to make that I had to give it a try. It turns out that it was!

Chocolate Mousse
(2-3 Servings)

1 (13.5oz) Can Coconut Milk [I used Goya]
5 Tbsp Cocoa Powder [Hershey's]
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Sweeten with any sweetener to taste. [I used Splenda]

Open the can of coconut milk and put it in the refrigerator to chill overnight. The next day, It should be pretty thick, but if there's still some liquid in the can, don't worry about it.

Dump the can of chilled coconut milk into a bowl and add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and sweetener. Mix together, with a hand mixer, until thick and fluffy. Taste to see if you need add more sweeter.

If you'd like to make it even thicker, after mixing, place back in the refrigerator for an hour or so to chill.

When finished, devour. :)

Original recipe can be found here @ Chocolate Covered Katie

Super Simple Butternut Squash Pasta

I love pasta, but I get bored of the same old pasta with marinara or tomato sauce all the time, so I decided to try something different. This is what I came up with.

Super Simple Butternut Squash Pasta
Makes 2-3 servings

16 oz Pacific Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
6 oz (dry) Wacky Mac Veggie Spirals
2 tbsp Corn Starch (mixed w/ water to make it liquidy)
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Salt
Pepper

Cook pasta as specified on the bag.

While the pasta is cooking, heat 16 oz of soup in a pan and add in the liquid corn starch and stir until soup becomes thicker*. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, salt & pepper to taste.

Drain pasta and then add to the butternut squash sauce. Stir and serve.


*If the sauce isn't thick enough, just add another tablespoon of corn starch (w/water) to the mix until it reaches the thickness you want.