Category: Recipes

Power “Pancakes”

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Power Pancakes (1)

It’s a bit of a stretch to call these pancakes; although they cook up the same way on a griddle, they are a bit too delicate to come off cleanly with a spatula, meaning you wind up with a fluffy yummy mound on your plate. Still, my son describes them as “much good” and they’re a great protein boost early in the morning!

Ingredients:

  • 2 large bananas
  • 1 cup silken tofu
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons Earth Balance butter
  • 2 tablespoons mini non-dairy chocolate chips
  1. In a blender, combine the bananas and tofu; process until very smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the baking powder.
  2. Melt the butter in a griddle over medium heat. Add half of the batter, to make 4 small pancakes. Sprinkle the tops evenly with 1 tablespoon chocolate chips. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until heated through, then very carefully transfer to plates.
  3. Repeat with the remaining batter and remaining chocolate chips.
  4. Drizzle with maple syrup to taste for serving!

Power Pancakes (2)

White Bean Pasta Sauce

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White Bean Sauce (1)

Here’s the easiest hack ever for sneaking more beans into your child’s diet. They’ll never know what makes this sauce so creamy and thick… and adults love it, too! For extra appeal, use a fun pasta shape like wagon wheels.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup rinsed and drained canned cannellini beans
  • 3/4 cup jarred marinara sauce
  • 1 cup uncooked pasta
  1. Combine the beans and marinara sauce in a blender and process until smooth.
  2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
  3. Toss the pasta with the sauce, let cool slightly, and serve.

White Bean Sauce (2)

Whoopie Pies

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Whoopie Pie (3)

This is the most decadent dessert I’ve cooked up in a while, but sometimes you just need a super-chocolatey treat. This recipe is made possible thanks to vegan marshmallow crème!

Ingredients:

For the cakes:

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 cup Earth Balance butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 Ener-G egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup vegan buttermilk*

For the filling:

  • 6 tablespoons Earth Balance butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 7 ounces Ricemellow Crème
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup mini non-dairy chocolate chips
  1. To prepare the cakes, combine the flour, cocoa, and baking soda in a large bowl; set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the Ener-G egg and vanilla; beat until combined. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and beating well after each addition.
  3. Drop the dough by heaping tablespooons on greased baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.Whoopie Pie (1)
  4. To make the filling, beat together the butter, powdered sugar, ricemellow, vanilla, and cocoa; beat until smooth.Whoopie Pie (2)
  5. Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons filling on top of half of the cookies; top with the remaining cookies.
  6. Place the chocolate chips in a bowl, and roll the sides of the whoopie pies in the chips. Delish!

* To prepare the buttermilk, pour 1 tablespoon lemon juice into a measuring cup. Fill with plain unsweetened non-dairy milk to equal 1 cup and let stand for 5 minutes.

Whoopie Pie (4)

 

Ricotta-Pea Lasagna Rolls

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Pea Lasagna

These roll-ups are a cinch to throw together on a busy night, and also tuck easily into a bento box for lunch.

Ingredients:

  • Lasagna noodles
  • Frozen peas
  • Kite Hill ricotta cheese
  1. Cook the lasagna noodles in boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes, until tender. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, cook the peas and mash with a fork to desired consistency.
  3. Spread each lasagna noodle with a thin layer of the Kite Hill ricotta, and add a layer of peas. Roll up tightly to serve.

Homemade “Marshmallows”

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Homemade Marshmallow (7)

Okay, so the following recipe won’t really make marshmallows… To achieve that, we probably need to get trendy and try using aquafaba. But really we just had a leftover box of vegan jel dessert in the kitchen and wanted to play with it – Travis has loved the wobbly dessert ever since I amused him with fake juice cups. The result was a goopy sugary mess that he adored eating by the spoonful!

To start, dissolve 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of your favorite vegan “gelatin” dessert in 1/3 cup cold water; let stand for about 10 minutes. We used peach flavor, which meant our “marshmallows” had a peachy tinge.

Homemade Marshmallow (1)

Meanwhile, combine 1 and 1/2 cups sugar and 3/4 cup water in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Add the gel mixture to the sugar, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let boil for 15 minutes, without stirring.

Homemade Marshmallow (2)

Remove from heat and cool slightly, then beat with an electric mixer on high speed until frothy. We were under no illusions that our mixture was going to get as thick as a real gelatin mixture would have, but we do love the mixer!

Homemade Marshmallow (3)

Pour into a 9×9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray and let stand overnight.

Homemade Marshmallow (4)

The dessert won’t set, but it will be wobbly and thick. We dusted the top with 1/4 cup cornstarch and 1/4 cup powdered sugar before eating it right from a spoon!

Homemade Marshmallow (6)

In sum, you’re going to stop eating after a couple of spoonfuls because this is pure sugar, but really the point is to savor moments together in the kitchen. I loved watching Travis whisk, stir, sift, and more. My favorite sous-chef!

Cheesy Broccoli & Split Pea Soup

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Cheesy Broccoli Soup.JPG

This creamy soup might just convince your kids to eat their broccoli… and their split peas, too!

Ingredients: 

  • 3 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
  • 1 small leek, chopped
  • 2 small garlic cloves, smashed
  • 4 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 cup green split peas
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 and 1/2 pounds broccoli florets
  • 1/2 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 and 1/2 cups shredded Daiya cheddar
  1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic.
  2. Add the water or broth, split peas, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover, reduce heat, and cook for 30 minutes.
  3. Stir in the broccoli and almond milk; simmer for an additional 10 minutes, covered.
  4. Let the soup cool slightly, then transfer to a blender and process until smooth.
  5. Return the soup to the saucepan and whisk in the cheese. Heat over low heat until the cheese is stretchy and mostly melted.

We like this with a few Gardein chick’n nuggets on the side!

White Bean & Quinoa Pizza Burgers

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Quinoa Burgers (2)

This complete little meal features hefty quinoa burgers and roasted broccoli on the side. I have a hard time finding vegan burger buns at our local grocery store, but we like to serve these on sandwich rolls (try O’Dough’s sub thins) cut in half so they are closer to the size of the patties.

Ingredients:

For the broccoli:

  • 3 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  1. Toss the ingredients together on a baking sheet; roast at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes, until browned and crisp at the edges; set aside.

For the burgers:

  • 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 and 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1 Ener-G egg
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 buns or sandwich rolls
  • 4 slices vegan cheese
  • 1/2 cup marinara sauce
  1. While the broccoli roasts, place the beans in a large bowl and mash until nearly smooth.
  2. Add the quinoa, Ener-G egg, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Shape the mixture into 4 patties.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the patties and cook for 10 minutes, turning over halfway through. The burgers are delicate, so use care when flipping!
  4. To serve, place on buns or rolls. Top with your favorite sliced vegan cheese and spoon about 2 tablespoons marinara sauce over each patty. Serve with the broccoli on the side.

Quinoa Burgers (1)

President’s Day Fun

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President Cookies (4)

Happy President’s Day to all! We marked the occasion with some edible fun and a little magic trick thrown in for good measure.

First up, the trick. Grown-ups (or big kids), fold a bill of any denomination down the center of the president’s face. Now make two additional folds over the center of each eye (the folds will be close together, which is why grown-up hands worked better here).

Moody Money (1)

You should now have three accordion pleats. If you tilt the bill upwards, the president will appear to smile.

Moody Money (2)

Tilt it down, and he frowns!

Moody Money (3)

We tried this with Abe Lincoln and then Andrew Jackson on the $20.

Moody Money (6)

Who had a very pronounced frown:

Moody Money (5)

I would have used George Washington as well, except had no singles in my wallet. It was a great way to introduce the names of these men to Travis.

Moody Money (4)

We continued the fun with an edible presidential treat.

First, microwave a handful of chocolate chips in a glass bowl at 20 second intervals, until melted – it will take about 1 minute. Using a toothpick, paint smiles and eyes onto round cookies. Vegan vanilla wafers would work, but we like the lemon cookies from Back to Nature.

President Cookies (1)

For Abe, adhere mini chocolate chips using frosting as the “glue” to be his beard. Cut two pieces of dark chocolate to be his hat, and attach together with additional frosting.

President Cookies (2)

For George, cut mini Dandies marshmallows in half, and adhere around the top of his head with frosting, to be his wig. Add a collar at the neck, with a mini chocolate chip for a button.

President Cookies (3)

Our presidents were gobbled up in no time!

Creamy Tomato & Sausage Pasta

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Sausage Pasta (1)This hearty pasta is a crowd-pleaser for grown-ups and kids alike. Weeknight dinners are solved, at least in this house!

Ingredients:

  • 12 ounces penne pasta
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 Tofurky Italian sausage links, finely chopped
  • 5 ounces baby spinach, chopped
  • 1 and 1/2 cups jarred marinara sauce
  • 1/4 cup plain non-dairy creamer
  1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid, and set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until browned.
  3. Add the baby spinach; cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until wilted.
  4. Stir in the marinara sauce and creamer. Bring to a simmer.
  5. Add the pasta and the reserved cooking water, tossing to combine.

Sausage Pasta (2)

Pizza Hearts and Sweet Stuffed Celery

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Pizza Hearts (4).JPG

Here’s the perfect little lunch to put together for your kids this Valentine’s Day! Serve it at home, or pack it up for school; it travels easily in the compartments of a lunchbox.

For the deli slices, you can use a good vegan pepperoni (such as Yves Veggie) if your children like the taste. My son finds pepperoni too spicy, so I use milder deli slices from Field Roast, torn into small pieces.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound refrigerated pizza dough
  • 1/3 cup pizza sauce
  • 1/2 cup shredded Daiya mozzarella
  • 1 package vegan deli slices or pepperoni
  • Celery sticks
  • Non-dairy cream cheese
  • 1 red bell pepper
  1. To prepare the pizza hearts, divide the dough in half. Working with one half at a time, roll into a 14×7-inch rectangle. Spread the dough with half of the sauce, leaving a 1/2-inch border free of sauce along one long edge.
  2. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese, and cut the rectangle into 10 strips. Top the strips evenly with half of the pepperoni or deli meat.
  3. Roll up two strips towards the unsauced end, leaving the end unrolled, and place next to each other on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pinch the tips of the “heart” together to seal. Pizza Hearts (1)
  4. Repeat with the remaining strips, and then repeat steps 1 through 3 with the remaining half of the dough for 10 hearts total.
  5. Bake at 425 degrees F for 18 minutes, until cooked through.
  6. To prepare the stuffed celery, fill celery pieces with your favorite vegan cream cheese.
  7. Wash and core the bell pepper. Using a small heart-shaped cookie cutter, punch out heart shapes and top each celery piece with a heart.

Pizza Hearts (2)

Hope your kids eat their heart out!

Pizza Hearts (3)