Potato Leek Soup

It's easy to make your favorite soups gluten and dairy-free, even vegan!  I recently cooked up this quick potato leek soup.  It comes together super quickly and is just as tasty as it's dairy-filled counterpart.

Saute a few chopped leeks with some Earth Balance in the bottom of a heavy pot.  Add in a few diced red potatoes, skin on, and just cover with vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to medium, add in unsweetened original almond milk and a pat of earth balance.  Cover and cook until potatoes are nice and tender.  Salt and pepper to taste; I add a pinch of cayenne and dried parsley.  Use an immersion blender to blend up some of the soup--I like leaving mine a bit lumpy with chunks of potatoes left.  Relax with a soothing bowl of soup.

Clementine Loaf

Are you tired of eating that box of clementines yet?  Just want to use them a different way? This is an easy quick bread, both vegan and gluten free, that can be made as a loaf or even into muffins.  The above photo is from a half batch.

Preheat your oven to 400.

In a large boil, mix together:

2 1/4 Cups Gluten-Free Flour Mix of your choice

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Sugar

3/4 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Xanthan Gum

1 Cup Diced Clementine (peeled)

Zest from the clementines diced

Then stir in a mixture of:

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/4 Cup Canola Oil

1 Cup Clementine Juice (or just regular OJ)

Mix well and spoon into a loaf pan that's been sprayed with oil.  Top with additional sugar and brown sugar for a crusty top.  Bake until the loaf is set and a toothpick comes out clean.  Around a half hour.

Next time I think I will substitute half the flour mix for ground almonds.  Blueberries would taste great in this as well!

Applesauce

I love warm applesauce.  Such a comfort food on a cold day and so easy to make.

It's easy to make a lot or a little--this time I used four apples.

Peel and core your apples- I like to use Golden Delicious but whatever you have on hand will work.  I like to leave a little peel.  Roughly chop and add to a heavy pot that has a lid.  Add enough water to the pan to coat the bottom, it's basically there to get the cooking going.  Also squeeze in the juice from half a lemon and add a pinch of cinnamon (or more!).  Cover and bring the apples to a boil (add a bit more water if it seems to need it), then reduce heat to low, covering.  Check on your apples every so often and press the apples with a rubber spatula to see if they're tender.  I like my applesauce pretty chunky so I just squish everything up with the spatula.  Give it a taste when the texture seems right.  Now's the time to decide if you want to add any extra sugar.  I don't like my applesauce that sweet so I usually skip the step or add a teaspoon of brown sugar.  White sugar or maple syrup are nice additions as well.  Enjoy and never be satisfied with store-bought again.

Fauxsana

I ended up with some leftover filling after making Artichoke Cashew-Ricotta Ravioli recently.  Ricotta makes my mind go straight to lasagna but I decided to go the simple route of using lasagne corte pasta and mixing everything together.

My faux lasagna contained:

Corn Lasagne Corte Pasta

Your favorite red sauce

Artichoke Cashew-Ricotta

Diced Sweet Onion

Chopped Arugula

Chopped Mushrooms

Mozzarella Teese

Preheat your oven to 400.  Cook your pasta, add to pie plate (or your baking dish of choice).  Stir in your favorite red sauce.  I made a homemade pizza sauce earlier in the day so I used that today--use whatever you have on had.  Drop in small bits of ricotta and the veggies, incorporating everything well.  Top with a few slices of mozzarella Teese.

You won't need to bake this long--just long enough to heat everything up and melt the Teese on top.  Everything kind of sets up together, as seen below.

It really does taste like lasagna, just without all the time making layers.

If you're not gluten and dairy free and love lasagna, here's my REAL lasagna recipe.  This is an old post and I've since started making my own ricotta and using it in place of the cottage cheese.  Of course I started doing this after I couldn't enjoy it...  I still make the lasagna for events and loved ones.

Artichoke Cashew Cream Stuffed Pasta

I've owned Chef Tal Ronnen's cookbook since it came out but somehow never got around to making Artichoke Ricotta Tortellini with Saffron Cream Sauce.  I've had good luck in the past using cashew cream for a mock ricotta so I was excited to use it in both the filling and sauce.  Click on the recipes tab of the chef's website for basic cashew cream instructions.  I made a few changes to the recipe: using a gluten free pasta recipe, omitting the saffron because I'm cheap, and adding a whole lot of lemon--zest and juice--to both the filling and sauce.  Large ravioli took the place of tortellini just to speed things up.

If you compare photos of my version to the original, you'll note that mine appears grainy.  That's because it is.  If you have a super crazy powerful blender, use it when making your cashew cream.  I actually like a bit of graininess for the filling but would have much preferred a smoother texture for the sauce than my food processor could provide.

Finally, this recipe didn't completely click with me.  It was just a little bland, I just kept adding more and more lemon.  I think it is just too much cashew cream based things at once.  I will definitely use the filling and sauce recipes again but probably not together.  Already thinking what a great cajun cream sauce I could make--pair it with some fettuccine, peppers, and onions.  And I have a bit of the filling in the fridge right now that I'll bake up with some pasta, red sauce, and mozzarella Teese.  Glad I finally tried out this!

Remember to check out my other ravioli recipes:

Pumpkin ravioli with mushrooms in a brown "butter" sauce

Mushroom ravioli with peas in a brown "butter" sauce

Rice Noodles with Fried Tofu, Peppers, and Carrots

Yep, I love rice noodles.  They're so versatile and I love throwing in whatever I have on hand.  One of my favorite combinations is focused on right here.  

After making bun chay recently I had the rest of a pack of extra firm tofu hanging out in my fridge.  I decided to have some with some rice noodles.

Boil a pot of water for your noodles and eventually cook them.

While this going on, heat a bit of canola oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high heat.  Cut pressed extra firm tofu into bite size pieces.  Throw them into the skillet, mixing with a spatula so that the tofu evenly fries--you'll see a bit of a crust forming.  When they tofu appear halfway done, toss in some diced red bell pepper and shredded carrot (I just make strands with a vegetable peeler).  I like to put in a minced garlic clove when it's almost ready (don't want it to burn).

Add in a tablespoon or two each of tamari (gluten free soy) sauce and red wine vinegar.  I like a touch of Sriracha as well.  Your pan will really sizzle, mix everything up well.  Rice noodles go in the pan now--stir a bit and put on a plate.  Top with black sesame seeds, chopped cilantro, and as much Sriracha as you can handle.

See how easy that is?  What do you like in your noodles?

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

I'm sure most of you have made no bake cookies at some point in your life.  I know I sure loved them as a kid--actually.  One of the best things about no bake cookies is that they're made up of 

pantry/fridge staples and come together quickly.  Thankfully, it only takes a couple of tweaks to make these gluten and dairy free.

You'll need:

2 Cups Sugar

4 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder

1 Stick (1/2 Cup) Earth Balance

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Original Almond Milk

1 Cup Peanut Butter

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

3 Cups Gluten Free Oatmeal

Waxed Paper or Oil Sprayed Foil

Bring the sugar, cocoa, Earth Balance, and almond milk to a boil in a heavy pan.  Boil for one minute.  Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla, and oatmeal.  Drop, by spoonful, onto the waxed paper or foil.  Let them cool/harden and eat up.

Or, if you're like me, put a bit of the mixture in a bowl or mug for yourself first.  I honestly like eating the warm mixture more than the cookies!

Bún Chay

Bun Chay is a Vietnamese rice noodle salad.  My photo has the ingredients separated but it is served/eaten in a bowl all together.  It is a great change from your typical pasta salad or warm noodle dishes.  I especially love the freshness of the dish and it makes a wonderful packed lunch. 

I based my bun chay on this recipe over at The Kitchn.  Make sure to replace the soy sauce with tamari to avoid gluten.  I added a bit of zest to my dressing.  Take the toppings list as a suggestion--use what you have one hand!  I was out of lettuce so I made sure I had extra herbs.  Bean sprouts aren't my favorite so I included carrots and jalapeno.  I was out of peanuts so I quickly roasted up some raw cashews I keep on hand for cashew cream.

And maybe make extra fried tofu.  I am forever telling people that fried tofu is super tasty.  It's great in the salad but a lovely snack on its own--especially with peanut sauce.

You'll like this- make it.

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Hot Chocolate

For an easy hot chocolate, over a medium burner, heat up 2 cups of unsweetened original almond milk.  Once hot, mix in 1/2 cup chocolate chips- I use the ones from Enjoy Life as they're free of all the major allergens.  Stir well until the chips melt and everything incorporates.  Pour into a mug.  I like a splash of Bourbon in mine and some Dandies marshmallows.

Homemade Hummus

I think it is well established that I love a good hummus plate/snack.  Of course it's easy to buy a container of it at the store but making your own is easy and cheap!  Here's how I like to do it...

Get a can of chickpeas and open it (but don't drain it!).  For a really smooth hummus recipe, remove the skin from each pea--it's really easy, just put between your fingers and squeeze a bit.  Place each pea in a food processor.  Pulse.

Add, pulsing as you go along:

One clove of garlic, chopped

1/3 Cup Tahini Paste

Juice from 1 1/2 Lemons

Zest from half of lemon, or more to taste

1 Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pinch of Cayenne

Salt to taste

Use the reserved chickpea liquid to thin to desired texture

Just keep processing until it's wonderfully smooth.

Top with some more olive oil and any spices you like.

A few notes:

I add even more lemon sometimes because I love lemon.

This recipe is light on garlic since I love eating hummus with roasted garlic, feel free to add another clove or two.

Change it up by adding roasted red peppers, jalapenos, etc.

Quick gnocchi with arugula pesto

I love planning my meals so that even the smallest bit of leftovers become something else.  I ended up with just a few mashed potatoes left after making a potato enchilada recently.  Mix mashed potatoes with a bit of gluten-free flour mix and a touch of olive oil and gnocchi are ready to go.  Boil and serve with your favorite sauce.  Since I have a tub of arugula right now, I made a pesto of baby arugula, olive oil, vegan parmesan, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and dried parsley and basil.  Ready in under ten minutes--closer to five!

Green Sauce (with enchiladas)

Enchiladas aren't really the prettiest of meals so prepare for some not-so-fantastic photos.

I recently made some of my fresh tomatillo salsa--using jalapenos this go-round.  I had more produce than I needed so a few days later I decided I wanted some enchiladas verde.

Broil the following with just a spray of oil:

3 Tomatillos, husked, rinsed, chopped in half or quartered

1/2 Onion, quartered

2 Jalapenos, stem removed

2-3 cloves of garlic

You want some char and for everything to soften up a bit.  It won't take long.

Throw everything into a food processor.  Add the juice from at least one lime (more to taste, I like a lot of lime sometimes) along with a bit of zest.  Pulse in a handful of cilantro and a tablespoon of apricot jam.  Salt to taste.

I couldn't quite decide what kind of enchiladas I wanted so I ended up making three different kinds, as seen above--all with a bit of Teese Vegan Mozzarella Cheese.  I had mashed potato, black bean, and sauteed arugula/mushroom.

To help with messiness I don't always dip my tortillas in the sauce.  Instead I cover the bottom of my pan with sauce and then surround each enchilada with sauce as I place it on the pan.  Then cover the entire thing.

Bake at 350 until set.

Cornbread

I love cornbread.  I grew up on southern cornbread, the kind that isn't sweet.  While I appreciate a nice sweet corn muffin, it's something I prefer alone--not really to go along with my savory meal.  A bit of sweet is nice though and so you'll see the slightest bit of honey in my recipe.  Maple syrup or sorghum would taste lovely as well.  A few easy substitutions make the bread gluten and dairy-free.  Play with the cornmeal/flour proportions until you decide just what you like.  I go heavy on the cornmeal as I think it works better for gluten-free, but you may prefer more flour.  AND BUY GOOD CORNMEAL.  I get mine from Carriage House Farm through Green Bean Delivery but look locally for wonderful stone-ground goodness.

As I've yet to acquire my very own cast iron cornbread pan, this bread was made in a pie pan.  Any round cake, square, or muffin pan will work great.  My favorite way to cook cornbread is actually fried.  I first had fried cornbread as a little kid; made by my great-grandmother Mrs. Grant.   Fun fact about the great-grandparents Grant: even when I was a kid (I'm only 30) they still only had an outhouse. 

Heat your oven to 375

Mix together:

1 1/2 Cups Cornmeal

1/2 Cup King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Multi-Purpose Flour

1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt (or to taste)

1 Egg

1 Cup Unsweetened Original Almond Milk

1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 Cup Canola Oil

I usually start off with this mix and may add more flour or liquid (just hot water) if the texture isn't quite right.

Lightly oil your pan and pour your mixture into it.  At this point, lightly drizzle honey over the top.  Do this to taste, somewhere between a teaspoon and a tablespoon.  I use a straw to drizzle.  Bake for 25 minutes or so until the top is brown and the edges begin pulling away from the pan.

Flip onto a plate.

Slice and enjoy.  I like a bit of Earth Balance on mine.

Tender Tea Cookies

With cookies everywhere this time of year, I decided it was time to makeover a favorite recipe.  A few years ago I found a recipe that was very similar to the tea cookies sold at a favorite bakery in Bowling Green, Kentucky.  It used a combination of cornstarch, powdered sugar, and flour to form a tender cookie so I believed a switch to gluten free flour would work well.  Here's what I ended up with...

You'll need:

1 Cup Softened Shortening (or mix of Earth Balance and shortening--I used butter flavored Crisco)

1/3 Cup Powdered Sugar

3/4 Cup Sifted Corn Starch

1 Cup Gluten Free Flour Mix (I recommend King Arthur)

1/3 teaspoon Salt

Mix butter and powdered sugar until creamy, add sifted cornstarch, flour, and salt.  Mix well.  Refrigerate dough for several hours or overnight.  Roll into small bites and flatten slightly (or just dab them on your parchment paper like I did).  Bake at 370 for 10 to 15 minutes until the bottom is light brown.  Cool and top with your favorite "buttercream" frosting.

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"Buttercream Frosting"

This makes more than you'll need but cookie making is hard work so just enjoy some right off the spoon... The shortening makes the icing more whippy while the Earth Balance will make it richer.

Use a mixer to combine:

1/2 cup Softened Shortening/Earth Balance

3 Cups Powdered Sugar

Unsweetened Original Almond Milk (until reach desired spreading consistency)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Food coloring of choice

Free free to make your cookies daintier than mine--I kind of like them messy.

After eating these I'm also looking forward to adapting the dough for Mexican/Russian wedding cookies/cakes--perfect consistency!

Thanksgiving Impatience

I was having a difficult time waiting until Thanksgiving for certain foods so a nice meal of dressing, mashed potatoes, and balsamic and brown sugar glazed carrots happened yesterday evening.  Since the holiday is soon I thought I'd pass along a few hints for easily making your meal gluten and dairy-free.

One of my favorite dressing recipes is for Dave Lieberman's Sourdough Bread Stuffing.  The only substitutions you need to make: use a gluten-free bread, Earth Balance butter, and vegetable broth.  It is important to use a hearty bread, Rudi's Multigrain works well- I dice and toast.

No matter the recipe, just make these simple changes in the butter, broth, and bread (BBB) and you're back to enjoying your dressing.  I love a cornbread dressing too!

For a little something different, bake the dressing in a muffin tin for some stuffin' muffins!  It gives everything a bit more crunch and makes handing out portions really easy.  It also makes transportation easy if you're taking your own side of stuffing to the family dinner.

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For mashed potatoes: substitute in Earth Balance and unsweetened original almond milk.

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Balsamic and Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

Peel carrots and slice into diagonal coins.  Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add a touch of olive oil, and add the carrots.  Sautee until tender--I added a bit of water to mine to help steam them into tenderness ever more.  Turn down the heat and add two tablespoons or so of Earth Balance, enough to coat the carrots and have a bit of extra sauce.  Add a tablespoon each of Balsamic Vinegar and Brown Sugar, adding more sugar and butter if needed.  Salt and pepper to taste if desired.  The best is when your mashed potatoes and the glaze mix together.

Buffalo Tempeh Tacos with Vegan Ranch

Buffalo Tempeh Tacos are one of my favorite quick and easy meals.  I started using tempeh after becoming gluten-free and actually prefer it to the vegan chicken substitutes (containing gluten) I used previously.  The texture is amazing for this.  I finish the tacos off with a quick vegan ranch dressing and my favorite toppings.

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Buy a package of tempeh, I use Lightlife.  Slice and chop into bite size pieces.  You can make as much or as little as you want but I use about 1/4 of a package for myself.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a spritz of oil.  Toss in the pieces of tempeh and cook until they begin getting crispy, turning as needed.  Turn down the heat and add your favorite buffalo sauce.  To make the sauce vegan, use Earth Balance in place of butter or margarine.

I usually just throw my sauce together as I go, adding a tablespoon of Earth Balance, Louisiana Hot Sauce, Garlic Powder, and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to the pan.  Toss well.

Move to a tray or platter with warmed corn tortillas, ranch (instructions below), and your favorite toppings.  I like arugula and tomatoes.  Green or red onions are great as well.  I prefer serving it this way so that my tacos don't get soggy while I'm eating.

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Vegan Ranch:

Spoon your favorite vegan mayo into a bowl equivalent to the amount of ranch you want.  Thin out with red wine vinegar, whisking well with a whisk or fork.  Sprinkle in some dill, parsley, garlic powder, and salt to taste.  Stir until well combined.

Pumpkin Ravioli

Pumpkin is a great ravioli filling and paired with mushrooms and a sage brown butter sauce, this meal turned out quite tasty.  I've made ravioli on the blog before and so you may find referencing my mushroom ravioli post helpful.

The main difference this time is that I decided to make the ravioli vegan.  Instead of eggs, I used olive oil to form my pasta dough.  Throw your favorite gluten-free flour mix on a cutting board, form a well in the middle and slowly add in olive oil.  Slowly mix the dough with your hands, adding water until the dough forms a ball.  Roll or pat flat and cut into equal pieces.  Place in the fridge.  I made this while my pumpkin was roasting.

Now for the filling.  You'll need a sugar pumpkin to make your own pumpkin puree or buy a can.  Preheat your oven to 350.  Cut off the stem of your pumpkin and cut it in half.  Scoop out the seeds.  Spray a bit of oil on the pumpkin and place cut-side down on a foil or wax-paper lined pan.  Roast until tender, up to an hour.  A butter knife will easily pierce the pumpkin.  Remove from the oven and scoop the flesh away from the skin.

 

Place the flesh in a blender or food processor.  Pulse and blend until smooth.  Move to bowl.

Add:

1/2 cup walnuts, ground in food processor

1 tablespoon vegan parmesan

1 teaspoon brown sugar (this can vary depending on your pumpkin)

1/4 teaspoon Sage

1/8 teaspoon Thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Mix or blend well.  Feel free to change around the spices to your own tastes- I think some rosemary, garlic, and shallots would taste great in the filling as well.

Now it is time to make the ravioli.  Place a small amount of filling in the middle of one piece of dough, place another on top and crimp with a bit of water if needed.  You can cook these right away or place in the fridge until later.  To cook: place in boiling water for a few minutes until the ravioli float to the top.

Sauce: To a medium heat skillet, add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and a few tablespoons of Earth Balance.  Let the "butter" mixture cook/brown a bit and add 1/4 teaspoon sage and black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste if desired.  Add a handful of chopped mushrooms--I used a gourmet blend.  Cook until tender.

Add your ravioli and coat well in the sauce.  Plate and sprinkle with some vegan parmesan if desired.

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

I am loving butternut squash this fall and this is one of my favorite recipes so far.  I make gnocchi with leftover mashed potatoes fairly often but this is my first time using squash.  I must say, these are my favorite I've ever made-the texture was perfect.

--Instructions--

Clean off your butternut squash and stab a few holes all over it. Place in an oven preheated to 375 and bake for an hour, until soft. Remove from oven and cut in half. Scoop out the seeds. Scoop the flesh out of the skin into a bowl. One very small squash made all the gnocchi in the photo above.

Mash the flesh and add a pat or two of Earth Balance and a splash of unsweetened original almond milk to smooth out the texture. You're just smoothing, don't thin it out too much. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Begin gently mixing in flour, I use King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Multi-Purpose Flour, little by little. You want the dough to just come together. It is right when you can pick up a chunk of dough and roll it into a thin log. Make several logs with your dough, flouring your hands as needed. 

With the log on a surface, take the side of a fork and cut each gnocchi. I like to go back and carefully press the fork on each gnocchi to create texture. Your sauce will better attach to this.

At this point I like to put my gnocchi on a plate (sometimes I cut them on a plate) and place them in the fridge for a bit. You can also freeze them flat, on a cookie sheet, bag, and freeze for later.

Too cook: throw the gnocchi in some boiling water. When they float to the top, they're done. Only takes a couple of minutes.

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This time, I enjoyed my gnocchi with mushrooms and red onions in a sage butter sauce.  In a pan over medium to medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance. Melt (if you're using actual butter, let it brown a bit, you'll thank me) and add in some sage. Half a teaspoon or so.  Throw in sliced mushrooms and onions or whatever veggies you're in the mood for and let them get soft. 

Now you can add your cooked gnocchi. Stir everything together, add some fresh chopped Italian parsley and cracked black pepper. Plate and sprinkle on some vegan Parmesan cheese. Enjoy. 

This is a very "eye it" recipe so feel free to comment with any questions.

Stew

I've moved from soup to stew. This a warm and hearty one that will remind you of a great beef stew while being both gluten free and vegan.

--To a slow cooker add--

4-5 medium sized potatoes, coarsely chopped

1 bunch of carrots, peeled and chopped

4 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced

1 small Vidalia onion, coarsely chopped

One can of diced tomatoes

1 cup Cremini mushroom, quartered

1 cup of Red Wine

1 shot of Brandy or Sherry (optional)

1 tablespoon of Sorghum Molasses

2 Bay Leaves

Several Dashes of Worcestershire Sauce (make sure to buy a vegan brand) 

2 drops of liquid smoke

1/2 teaspoon Rosemary

1/2 teaspoon Thyme

1/2 teaspoon Sage

1/2 teaspoon Paprika

1/2 teaspoon Fennel

1 teaspoon Salt (or more to taste)

Freshly Ground Black Pepper (I add A LOT, add at least 1 teaspoon)

I also add a can of young green jackfruit in brine.  Drain the can and rinse the fruit completely, remove any seeds.  If you're new to jackfruit, I recommend trying it this way first: http://bakeanddestroy.net/2013/03/you-dont-know-jackfruit/ 

Once this is in the cooker, add enough Vegetable Broth to just cover everything. Put the cover on top and cook on low for at least 8 hours, or until vegetables are tender. If cooking on high, your cooking time will decrease.  The jackfruit will break up some through the cooking process but feel free to help it along with a fork--it is amazing how reminiscent it is of pulled pork.

In the last hour of cooking, you'll want to take this from soup to stew.  In keeping this gluten free, I use a slurry of cornstarch and water.  Add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch to a cup and whisk in water until it is smooth.  Incorporate into the stew.

I throw in half a bag of frozen peas at this point as well.

Let the stew cook the last little bit and serve with a bit of fresh parsley on top.