Tag: vegan

Moist Yogurt Pancakes with Strawberry Topping

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Moist Yogurt Pancakes (2)

Special snow days off from school call for special breakfasts, and these decadent pancakes fit the bill! Note: you can grind your own oat flour from regular rolled oats, which is a cinch to do if you don’t want to purchase an entire bag of oat flour at the store.

Ingredients:

For the Strawberry Topping:

  • 1 cup chopped strawberries
  • 1/4 cup water

For the Pancakes:

  • 1 and 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup oat flour
  • 2 teaspoons + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, divided
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1/2 cup apple juice
  • 2 cups plain non-dairy yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons melted Earth Balance butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Cooking spray
  1. To prepare the strawberry topping, combine the strawberries and water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until you can easily break the strawberries up with the back of a spoon. Set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the pancakes: combine the flour, oat flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the applesauce and remaining 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Add the apple juice, yogurt, vanilla, and melted butter.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined.
  5. Heat a griddle coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Drop the batter on the surface and cook until bubbles appear, then flip and cook an additional 2 minutes or so on the other side.
  6. Top with the strawberry mixture to serve!

Veggie Burritos

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Veggie Burrito (2)

Homemade refried beans add a nice touch to these veggie burritos. You can prepare the recipe just before serving, or make in advance and wrap up for a lunchbox.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1 (15-ounce) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 burrito-sized flour tortillas
  • 2 slice vegan cheddar
  • 1/2 cup cooked rice
  • 1/4 cup shredded carrot
  • 1/4 cup sliced or mashed avocado
  1. To prepare the refried beans, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 10 minutes, until very tender.
  2. Add the pinto beans and water. Remove from heat and mash with a fork or potato masher to desired consistency. Set aside.
  3. To prepare the burritos, place a slice of cheddar down the middle of each tortilla. Cover each serving with 1/4 cup refried beans (refrigerate any leftover), 1/4 cup rice, 2 tablespoons carrot, and 2 tablespoons avocado. Wrap up tightly and cut in half to serve.

Veggie Burrito (1)

Tofu Strata

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Egg and Cheese Strata (1)

This hearty dish works equally well for breakfast or dinner, especially because it needs at least 8 hours in the fridge to chill before you pop it in the oven.

Ingredients:

  • 6 slices whole wheat bread
  • 1/4 cup Earth Balance butter, softened
  • 1 cup shredded vegan cheddar
  • 1 (14-ounce) package silken tofu
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk
  • 1/2 cup butternut squash puree
  • 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  1. Spread the butter evenly over the bread slices, then cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. Combine the bread in a bowl with the cheddar and transfer to a 2-quart casserole dish.
  2. Meanwhile, combine the tofu, milk, butternut squash, and Dijon in a blender; process until smooth. Pour the tofu mixture over the bread mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours.
  3. Uncover and bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes, until lightly browned on top

Egg and Cheese Strata (2)

The hidden squash puree is nice, but we might try this next time with mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach mixed in for a veggie boost!

Mac and Cheese Mania

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Mac Mania (6)

Thanks to Travis’s Highlights magazine, it’s been mac ‘n’ cheese madness around here, trying versions of this kid favorite over the course of the week. If you want true mania, your family could even prepare all 4 of these version in one day; there’s an option below for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert! Here’s what we tried and what was declared the winner.

The Early Bird:

Mac Mania (5)

The night before, cook a batch of your favorite macaroni and cheese. In the morning, heat the past and add chopped and cooked vegan breakfast sausage (such as Field Roast), your favorite scrambled tofu recipe and a drizzle of ketchup.

Rainbow Pepper Mac:

Mac Mania (3)

Make a bright and colorful version that’s sure to get kids to eat their veggies! Simply prepare a batch of your favorite mac ‘n’ cheese, then dice 1/2 a red bell pepper, 1/2 a green bell pepper, and 1/2 a yellow bell pepper; add to the mac n cheese while the pasta is still hot.

Mac and Meatballs:

Mac Mania (1)

This was the perfect marriage of regular mac ‘n’ cheese and spaghetti-meatball night: simply prepare your favorite mac and cheese, then top each serving with a little marinara sauce, your favorite brand of plant-based meatballs, and a sprinkling of vegan Parmesan. Yum!

Mac and Cheesecake:

Mac Mania (4)

Finally, you can try this sweet version for dessert! In advance, prepare a batch of vanilla pudding and chill until ready to use. Top each portion of cooked elbow macaroni pasta with a dollop of the pudding, crushed graham crackers, and sliced strawberries.

The verdict? “Mac and meatballs” was the hands-down winner. Everyone also loved the Early Bird, too. While the dessert version was novel, the kids deemed it a little strange.

Which mac does your family like best? Please share in the comments!

Little Passports: Israel

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LP Israel (9)

Travis latest package from Little Passports was all about Israel; the activities for this particular country were less hands-on than previous packages he’s received. Still, Travis is always excited for the latest from “Sam and Sofia”!

LP Israel (1)

Through the booklet, he learned about ancient artifacts that have been found in Israel, sea creatures of the Red Sea, shuk shopping markets, and more. Most were age-appropriate for a 1st grader except a tough mystery to solve using Hebrew letter characters.

LP Israel (7)

Souvenir:

I wish Travis had received this particular kit back in December, because the souvenir was a game of dreidel, complete with a spinning top and a set of felt gold coins. Even though it wasn’t Hanukkah, Travis loved playing a few rounds!

LP Israel (2)

Further Activities:

Of course next we needed to color in the flag of Israel, and there was also a coloring page to teach about the holiday of Tu B’Shvat (new years for the trees), which Travis colored quite carefully.

LP Israel alt

Next up was a science experiment to see what salt does to objects in water, as with the salty Dead Sea. The original instructions were to do this activity with an egg, but we used carrots to make it vegan. Fill each of 2 glass cups with 3/4 cup warm water. Add 1 baby carrot to the first cup. Ker-plop, it sinks!

LP Israel (5)

Next, add 1/4 cup salt to the second cup, stirring until it dissolves. We added a second baby carrot… and it floats!

LP Israel (6)

From here, we turned to Little Passport’s blog for a DIY Hanukkah Menorah. To start, cut a large paper plate in half, then mark 8 notches at the top with blue marker. Use the marker to connect these, so you have a series of increasingly smaller U shapes.

Next, we colored 9 clothespins with blue marker and decorated with silver glitter glue; let dry, then twist a small piece of yellow or gold pipe cleaner and use hot glue to attach to the open end of each clothespin. Cut a small paper plate in half; make slits in each half, as well as two slits in the bottom of the larger plate so they notch together to form a stand. Finally, attach the clothespins as the candles!

LP Israel (8)

Recipe:

It was time to end the exploration with dessert. We prepared a recipe for traditional Hamantaschen, a triangle-shaped pastry eaten during the holiday of Purim. Pinching the cookies into triangles took a bit of practice, but soon we had a knack for it!

Hamantaschen (2)

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons Earth Balance butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
  • 3 tablespoons warm water
  • 1 cup jam, any flavor
  1. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and orange juice.
  3. Whisk the flaxseed into the warm water to make 1 flax egg. Add to the butter mixture and beat until combined.
  4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
  5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough and use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to make circles. Spoon a scant tablespoon of jam into the center of each, then pinch the dough into a triangle, forming three corners with your fingers.
  6. Bake at 375 degrees F for 18 minutes. Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving.

Hamantaschen (3)

Apple Pear Crisp

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Apple Pear Crisp (1)This easy dessert lets the natural sweetness of the fruit shine. Serve with your favorite vegan vanilla ice cream if your kids like their dessert served a la mode!

Ingredients:

  • 3 pears
  • 3 apples
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1/4 cup melted Earth Balance butter
  • Cooking spray
  1. Peel, core, and thinly slice the pears and apples; set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, vanilla, flour, oats, and butter.
  3. Spoon the fruit into a 13×9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray, then top evenly with the brown sugar mixture. Bake at 400 degrees F for 40 minutes and let cool slightly before serving.

Apple Pear Crisp (2)

Oatmeal Cookies

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Oatmeal Cookies (1)

These sugar-free oatmeal cookies are soft and chewy and a huge hit with the whole family. If you want to add a little variation, try stirring in 1 cup chopped apple or 1 cup chocolate chips in the final step before baking.

Ingredients:

  • 1 and 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 and 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup apple juice
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  1. In a bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the applesauce and baking powder.
  3. Add the apple juice, maple syrup, and canola oil to the applesauce mixture, then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined. Let stand for about 5 minutes.
  4. Drop the dough by spoonfuls onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Oatmeal Cookies (2)

No-Bake Banana Cookies

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No-Bake Banana Cookies (4)

These sweet treats aren’t actually cookies at all, but sugary bananas are a wonderful secret imposter in many desserts. This particular sweet treat is so easy that your toddler can help with every step!

To start, I poured about 1/2 cup Annie’s bunny grahams into a zip-top plastic bag ((or use regular graham crackers) and showed Veronika how to tap with a rolling pin until crushed.

No-Bake Banana Cookies (1)

Next, we added slices of ripe banana to the bag. Seal the bag and shake shake shake!

No-Bake Banana Cookies (2)

Arrange the bananas slices on a plate and your “cookies” are ready. Even better, there’s no wait for the oven required!

No-Bake Banana Cookies (5)

Roasted Carrots and Grapes

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Roasted Carrots and Grapes

Roasting fruits and veggies together makes for a surprising flavor combo that’s sure to delight little taste buds!

Ingredients:

  • 1 (10-ounce) package baby carrots
  • 3 cups red grapes, quartered
  • 1 pear, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon Earth Balance butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon agave nectar
  1. Steam the carrots in the microwave for 3 minutes; let cool, then slice into thirds.
  2. Combine the carrots in a bowl with the grapes and pears; set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, heat the butter in the microwave for about 20 seconds, until melted. Stir in the cinnamon and agave nectar. Pour the butter mixture over the carrot mixture, tossing to coat.
  4. Spoon the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes.

We served these alongside a simple lentil and rice curry!

Sweet Potato Cakes

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Sweet Potato Cakes (3)

There’s a lot going on in this recipe, and it’s a great way to introduce foods or flavors that your kids might never have tried before, such as red lentils or pumpkin seeds.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 3 cups boiling water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped red onion
  • 4 slices vegan bacon
  • 2 cups peeled and shredded sweet potato
  • 1/2 cup chopped pumpkin seeds,
  • 4 Ener-G eggs
  • 1 cup shredded non-dairy cheddar
  1. Place the lentils in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Let stand for 20 minutes, then drain and return the lentils to the bowl.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and bacon; cook for 6 minutes.
  3. Stir in the shredded sweet potato, followed by the softened lentils, pumpkin seeds, Ener-G eggs, and cheddar.
  4. Line a 13×9-inch baking dish with parchment paper and spoon in the lentil mixture. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake a final 10 minutes.
  5. Cool completely, then cut into squares or fun shapes with cookie cutters! We tried circles and hearts for a little bit of whimsy at dinner.

Sweet Potato Cakes (2)