Tag: vegan

Coconut-y Pears

Leave a comment

Coconuty Pears.JPG

Try these addictive pear bites either for a snack or dessert! Any nut butter will work, but we particularly like the combination of pears and almond butter.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ripe pear
  • 2 tablespoons almond butter
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • Shredded coconut
  1. Slice the pear into wedges, and divide the wedges evenly among two plates.
  2. Drizzle each plate with 1 tablespoon of the almond butter and 1 teaspoon maple syrup.
  3. Sprinkle with shredded coconut to taste.

Mac ‘n’ Cheese Muffin Bites

Leave a comment

Mac Muffin (2).JPG

What will your kids love even better than a favorite go-to vegan mac ‘n’ cheese? Individual mini mac ‘n’ cheese muffins, of course! I hadn’t pulled out my mini muffin tin in ages (2012 to be exact) until making this recipe, but now the pan is sure to get a lot of use.

Ingredients:

  • 1 package vegan mac ‘n’ cheese mix (such as Annie’s)
  • 2 Ener-G eggs
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  1. Prepare the mac ‘n’ cheese according to package directions. Let stand for about 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in the Ener-G eggs, then divide the pasta evenly among 20 mini muffin cups.
  3. Sprinkle evenly with the black pepper. Bake at 400 degrees F for 12 minutes. Let stand about 5 minutes before removing from the cups to serve.

Green & Gold Couscous

Leave a comment

Green Gold Couscous.JPG

There are sophisticated flavors in this couscous salad, and if you’re looking to challenge your little one’s taste buds, it introduces new foods in a kid-friendly way.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 and 1/2 cups dry pearl couscous
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 3 cups arugula
  • 2 cups shredded raw yellow beets
  • 3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the couscous and toast for 4 minutes. Add 3 cups water and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Drain any excess liquid and set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk together the mustard, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and 1/3 cup olive oil to make the dressing.
  3. Place the couscous in a large bowl. Add the arugula, beets, walnuts, and raisins. Add the dressing, stirring until well coated, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note: You can cool the couscous completely before assembling all the ingredients together, but I actually prefer to add the couscous while it is still a touch warm. This wilts the arugula slightly, which suits my preschooler’s tastes better, and helps plump up the golden raisins.

Crunchy Cucumbers with Hummus

Leave a comment

Crunchy Cucumber (2).JPG

Make a go-to snack of veggies with hummus even more fun with this bite-sized snack. What kid can resist the chance to eat potato chips in a healthy way?

Ingredients:

  • 1 cucumber, sliced
  • Hummus
  • Crushed potato chips
  1. Arrange the cucumber slices on a plate or platter. Thinly spread each slice with hummus to taste.
  2. Sprinkle a few crushed potato chip pieces on top of each cuke.

Crunchy Cucumber (1)

Sweet Potato, Avocado, and Bean Quesadillas

Leave a comment

Sweet Potato Quesadilla (2)

Quick enough for any busy weeknight, these quesadillas are not only fast but also versatile. Keep the flavors simple for little kids with the ingredient list below; meanwhile, older children and adults can add a sprinkle of cumin or chili powder to the quesadilla filling, and dress their serving up at mealtime with non-dairy sour cream, hot sauce, and salsa.

.Ingredients:

  • 4 whole wheat tortillas
  • 1 cup shredded Daiya pepper jack
  • 1/2 cup rinsed and drained canned pinto beans
  • 1/2 cup mashed, cooked sweet potato
  • 1 sliced avocado
  1. Place 2 tortillas on a baking sheet. Layer evenly with the pepper jack, pinto beans, sweet potato, and avocado.
  2. Top with the remaining 2 tortillas and bake at 425 degrees for 8 minutes.

Top as desired, and serve!

Sweet Potato Quesadilla (1)

Pumpkin-Walnut Bread

Leave a comment

Pumpkin Bread (2)

This pumpkin bread is redolent with spices – cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Go ahead and add a pinch of cloves, too, if you have them on hand. You’ll want to keep a loaf or two of this decadent quick bread on hand over the holiday season!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 1 and 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
  • 4 Ener-G eggs
  • 3/4 cup plain non-dairy yogurt
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 and 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the olive oil, sugar, pumpkin, Ener-G eggs, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until combined.
  2. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and ginger. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until combined. Stir in the walnuts.
  3. Divide the batter evenly among 2 greased loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes; a wooden pick inserted in the centers should come out clean. Let cool in the pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool completely.

Pumpkin Bread (1)

 

Cheddar & Cranberry Cheese Stackers

Leave a comment

Cheddar Stackers (2)

With a leftover Thanksgiving jar of cranberry sauce in the cupboard, I threw together this quick snack. Kids will love the pop of cranberry sauce, adding novelty to a normal plate of non-dairy cheese and crackers.

To prepare, simply layer round snack crackers (such as Late July) with thinly sliced vegan cheddar – I recommend a block such as Daiya for this recipe. Spoon a tiny dollop of cranberry sauce on top of each cheese slice.

Not holiday season? Fret not, simply try applesauce in place of the cranberry sauce!

Cheddar Stackers (1)

 

Brown-Sugar Pear Blender Muffins

Leave a comment

Blender Muffins.JPGThe method behind these muffins was new to me – whip up the batter in a blender instead of in bowls! The muffins come out great, and it makes clean-up a snap.

Ingredients:

  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 1 and 1/4 cups quick oats
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup non-dairy vanilla yogurt
  • 2 Ener-G eggs
  • 1 pear, chopped
  1. Combine all of the ingredients except the pear in a blender; process until smooth.
  2. Stir about half of the pear chunks into the batter, and divide evenly among muffin cups coated with cooking spray.
  3. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins evenly with the remaining pear. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Make these the night before, then refrigerate and grab one for a quick weekday breakfast the next morning!

Lemony Turkey-Corn Soup

Leave a comment

Turkey Soup

Here’s the vegan answer to the age-old Thanksgiving query: What to do with all those leftovers! If there are any extra vegan holiday roasts or Tofurky lurking in your fridge, this soup is for you. I like to prepare Gardein’s turkey cutlets ahead of time, then rub off the breading and chop before adding to the pot.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 2 cups diced red potato
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 2 cups cooked meatless turkey
  • 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen corn
  • 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  1. Combine the broth, celery, potato, garlic powder, and thyme in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered.
  2. Add the turkey, corn, beans, and lemon juice. Cook for a final 5 minutes.

Veggie Pesto Pitas

Leave a comment

Veggie Pesto Pizza

These easy pitas look like individual pizzas, and kids can top ’em with just about any veggies they like. Many brands of pesto contain cheese, but look for the vegan pesto from Meditalia.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup non-dairy cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tablespoon pesto
  • 2 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas
  • Assorted veggies
  1. In a bowl, stir together the cream cheese and pesto until well combined.
  2. Spread about 1/4 cup cream cheese mixture on the top of each pita.
  3. Top with veggies to taste: we used corn, steamed broccoli florets, and finely chopped bell pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.