Yield: 2 dozen or 4 servings

I have often thought that I’m not sure I have a cooking style. But if I had to say, it would be a tendency toward small light, healthy and colorful bites with a nod toward global fusion…like these cute little pepper packages.

1 dozen mini bell peppers approximately 3 inches long (mine were tricolor color yellow orange and red), halved length-wise, stems left intact

1/2 cup water

10 ounces riced cauliflower

1/2 cup diced yellow or red onion

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or more to taste

4 tablespoons vegan butter

2 teaspoons rubbed sage

4 teaspoons roasted and lightly salted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or pine nuts

Optional: 8 or so fresh sage leaves, either raw or frizzled in skillet

Preheat oven to 450° and oil an 8-inch glass or ceramic casserole dish. In a large skillet, bring water and salt to a simmer over medium heat. Add cauliflower, onion, garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until all moisture is absorbed. Reduce heat to low and stir in pumpkin and Italian seasoning until completely combined. Lay bell pepper halves in casserole dish in concentric circles or however you would like to arrange them. Spoon filling into peppers and, if there is any leftover, you can tuck a little between the peppers. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until peppers are very tender and filling is hot. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan, add sage, whisk together, and set aside. When peppers are finished cooking, remove dish from oven, and drizzle butter over the top, saving a little for presentation if you would like. Divide peppers among four dishes and drizzle any remaining butter over the top. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or pine nuts and optional fresh sage leaves. Serve immediately.

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Yield: 2 5-inch pizzas or one 10-inch pizza (easily multiplies)

Now that this pandemic had turned everyone into a bread-baker–not to mention a crafter, DIYer, and gardener–yeast is hard to come by.

So take this, yeast hoarders: my absolutely delicious, lightning quick yeastless pizza dough.

No, it isn’t quite as chewy as it’s yeasted cousin, but you can develop the gluten and the chew a bit by kneading for just 5 minutes. And what it lacks in yeast, it makes up for in flavor and ease. Plus, it is plenty sturdy for whatever ingredients you want to pile on top.

1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

6 tablespoons unsweetened non-dairy milk

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, make a well in center, pour in wet ingredients, and stir together with a fork. Add more milk or flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary to create a soft, non-sticky dough. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes, folding and turning the dough. Divide in half, form each half into a ball and, on 5-inch squares of double foil or parchment paper, press dough into a circle about 5 inches wide and 1/2-inch thick, leaving a slight rim. (Or use all dough to make one 10-inch pizza places on a 10-onch square if folded foil or parchment.). Top as desired. Brush rims with olive oil if desired. Pull out oven rack and carefully transfer pizzas on their foil or parchment paper squares to preheated pizza stone or baking sheet. Bake about 15 minutes or until crust is golden. Slide pizzas off foil or parchment squares onto plates and enjoy.

Note: the 5-inch pizza depicted features a very light layer of a prepared San Marzano pizza sauce, roasted broccoli, sliced red onion, and shtedded vegan mozzarella and parmesan.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #veganpizza #plantbasedpizza #yeastfreepizzacrust

Teaching from home during this pandemic means that my school day lunches are more interesting and varied, but that I also end up with little bits of this and that left in the fridge.

With a couple of dabs if Asian tofu salad leftover and no crackers with which to eat it, but some small flour tortillas in the fridge, my concept for the Anything Quesadilla was born.

Not wanting to combine cheese with the Asian flavors, I wondered if I could seal the edges of the tortilla together by heating it for 30 seconds in the microwave. Yes! The brief heat was all it took.

I put a little of the salad on one half of the heated tortilla, folded it over, pressed the edges, and dry sauteed it in a skillet sprayed with non-stick spray for a couple of minutes on each side.

For this version, I garnished it with duck sauce, a few leaves of fresh greens, three dots of Sriracha, and lightly roasted spicy peanuts.

Fill yours with any slightly moist filling and garnish with complimentary sauce, vegetables, and, if you like, nuts. Here’s an example: vegan tuna salad, lemon dressing, and a few walnuts and capers. Or go Middle Eastern with tabouli, thinned hummus as the sauce, diced cucumber, and line nuts or slivered almonds.

The combinations are endless and so satisfying.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #veganquesadilla #plantbasedquesadilla #veganfusion #plantbasedfusion

I would love this old school bread even if we could find yeast during this pandemic. I combined recipes to create my own and added garlic powder and onion powder because that makes everything better. But melted vegan butter or garlic oil if desired during the last few minutes of baking or when it comes out of the oven.

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1-12 ounces (vegan) beer
1 tablespoon olive oil or melted vegan butter

Preheat oven to 350°. Oil of 5×9-in loaf pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Make a well in the center, add wet ingredients, and stir together with a fork. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake 55 minutes. Removed wire rack for 5 minutes. Turn out of pan. Slice and serve.

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Yield: 1 serving (easily multiplies)

I’ve never been much of a breakfast eater and I’m definitely not one of those people who can eat cereal for every meal. But popcorn? That’s another story.

I woke up a tad bit hungry today after not eating much yesterday and, as I was moving about the kitchen preparing for a 9:00 a.m. Zoom faculty meeting, I spied a tiny bit of leftover popcorn from movie night. Having just given the dogs their peanut butter–because Patsy takes a pill in hers and because I can’t leave Urban out–the two ingredients melded in my mind and, presto, breakfast was served! But this, I would eat any time of day.

I’m not so sure I can even call it a recipe, but here you go:

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 tablespoon vegan kettle corn

Place peanut butter in a soup or cereal bowl and microwave for 30 seconds to soften it. Add popcorn, stir to ensure that all kernels are coated with popcorn, and devour.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #peanutbutterpopcorn #vegansnacks #plantbasedsnacks

Yield: 1 cup (easily multiplies)

Multitasking led to this fabulous flavor combination. I was making Indian coconut curry red lentild for the week, and was a little hungry because it was almost lunch time and I hadn’t eaten breakfast.

I spied some kettle popcorn in the pantry and popped a few pieces in my mouth. I suppose because I was smelling the aroma of the curry at the same time that I was savoring the popcorn, I instantly knew the flavors with marry beautifully. Textures too.

And this snack goes together in a flash. However much you make, you’ll wish you’d made more!

1 cup vegan kettle corn

1/4 teaspoon garam marsala

1/2 teaspoon unsweetened flaked coconut

1 teaspoon nutritional yeast

2 teaspoons roasted and lightly salted cashew halves and pieces

Pinch minced cilantro (I purchased the fresh dried already minced)

Toss together and devour immediately!

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Yield: 8 pakoras (easily doubles)

Red Lentil pakoras are one of my favorite snacks from one of my favorite cuisines. I prefer this version made with soaked red lentils rather than chickpea flour. They are soo light with a crispy exterior and tender interior. Once the lentils have soaked, they whip together in minutes. However many you make, you will wish you had made more!

1/2 cup dried red lentils
2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt 1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garam marsala (or curry powder) Optional: 1 to 3 teaspoons seeded and finely chopped green chili; 1 large clove garlic, halved; 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger (true confession: I purchase the puree in a jar)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 small onion, preferably red, quartered and thinly sliced into slivers.

Vegetable oil to cover bottom of skillet
Accompaniments: sea salt, chutney and/or vegan raita
Garnish: snipped scallions or chives

In a small bowl, soak lentils in water with 1 teaspoon salt for at least 3 hours, but preferably more. Drain. In food processor, pulse lentils, 1/2 teaspoon salt, spices and optional ingredients until quite smooth. Carefully remove blade and stir in cilantro, and onion. Heat oil over medium high. Scoop up rounded tablespoons batter, carefully drop into oil a few at a time, and cook a couple of minutes on each side, adjusting heat if necessary. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a few grains sea salt. Serve warm with chutney and/or raita topped with snipped scallions or chives.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #veganindian #plantbasedindian #pakoras

Yield: 6 servings

Besides the obvious devastation of a global health crisis, closer to home, one of the hardest parts about this pandemic for cooks is not being able to share our food with others, except those in our households.

For me, that is just two, and Bob typically eschews my vegan creations just on principle. Plus, he gravitates to the very simple, the familiar, and the repetitive. I, on the other hand, am a curious and restless cook, constantly developing new recipes and new iterations of old recipes.

So, I have ended up making small batch recipes and, generally, keeping it light and healthy so that I don’t emerge on the other side of this a larger version of myself.

I find myself working more with fruit than other kinds of sweet ingredients, those some of that inclination was precipitated by reorganizing the freezer and finding four partial bags of frozen fruit that I purchased ages ago for erstwhile smoothies. And while I love crust–and cookies and cake–as much as the next person, (and used my go-to press-in crust for the last few tarts that I posted), I decided on a different approach. This one is still simple, quick, and press-in, but it requires no baking and is made from almonds, coconut, and just a tablespoon of coconut oil. No flour whatsoever.

And, while we are at it, let’s talk about whipped toppings. I love them all, but they can do some serious damage in the calorie department. So, I had wondered about this for a while and finally decided to give it a try: I foamed my unsweetened soymilk just like I do for my chai tea or my hot chocolate and spooned a dab of on top. It was delicious, creamy, pretty, and held its shape!

I hope you love these pretty little confections, the filling for which could be used for tartlets, a pie, or Even a filling between cake layers.

Mini-Fruit “Pies”-in-a-Glass

Filling:

4 cups frozen fruit (I used a combination of mango chunks and mixed berries)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons coconut liqueur or your favorite compatible flavor

Thaw fruit (I helped it along in the microwave), puree, and then simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. In a small cup, whisk together cornstarch and liqueur. Drizzle into fruit puree while stirring constantly. Adjust heat as necessary and cook until the mixture is thick and holds its shape when a little is lifted up with a spoon. By feeling cools, prepare crust.

Crust:

1/4 cup flaked coconut

1/4 cup ground almonds

1 tbsp coconut oil (solid at room temperature)

Pulse together in food processor a few times or until the ingredients cling together in balls of dough. Divide among 6 small serving cups slightly larger than a shot glass and press gently into the bottom. Fill each cup with fruit puree.

Topping and Garnish:

1/4 cup or less unsweetened soy milk (or whatever whipped topping you prefer)

Grated coconut, lemon or lime zest, and/or edible flowers

Heat soymilk for 30 seconds in microwave and, with a battery operated foamer (I use the Aerolatte), foam until thick and creamy, almost like shaving cream. Spoon a dab on top of each serving. Refrigerate or serve immediately. Nite: Topping will hold its shape for a good while but you may want to top just before serving. Garnish each dessert or the tray with fruit zest, coconut, or fresh edible flowers if you like.

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Yield: 8 bars

Thrse confections put the eat in treat!

While they aren’t exactly health food, though they are made of all healthy ingredients, they add up to quite a few calories. So moderation is the key for you tuck into these moist slices of decadence.

They contain no vegan butter, but a little coconut oil, no sugar, but a little agave syrup, and no flour. Because they are vegan, they include no eggs or dairy of course. Their dense, moist, sweet texture comes largely from dates and unblanched almond flour.

Why these? Why now? Sometimes, late in the afternoon, I crave just a little something sweet. I had been taunted by various raw bars and balls on Pinterest. The balls appeal because you can make as few as you like, and since we aren’t entertaining during the pandemic, I like that approach.

But I prefer the shape and presentation of bars for brownies and such. So I decided on a small batch that would fit in a 5×9-in loaf pan.

I wanted to create a double layer of brownie and chocolate chip cookie dough, but the raw versions of the latter tend to include peanut butter and, though I like peanut butter and chocolate just fine, I did not want that flavor for this. I figured I coukd make the dough moist enough by using dates and agave syrup, and I was right!

I believe the only ingredient preventing these bars from being totally raw is the chocolate chips that I used in the cookie dough layer. But you could substitute cocoa nibs.

Regardless, enjoy!

Brownie Layer

20 moist pitted dates

3/4 cup unlanched almond meal

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cocoa powder or extra dark cocoa powder (I used the latter)

2 tablespoons agave syrup

1 tablespoon coconut oil (solid at room temperature)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer (recipe follows)

8 pecan halves

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Optional: chocolate drizzle

Oil a 5×9-in loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment paper that covers just the long sides and bottom with a little hanging over the edge on both sides. In the bowl of a large food processor, place all ingredients and process until dough comes together. Press into bottom of prepared pan in an even layer. Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer and press evenly over brownie layer. Press pecan halves into top surface, four in each of two rows. Drizzle with chocolate if desired. Freeze to firm up, and then store covered in refrigerator until serving time. Slice into 8 bars with a serrated knife and serve immediately.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer

20 pitted dates

1 1/4 cup unblatched almond flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons agave syrup

1 tablespoon coconut oil (solid at room temperature)

2 teaspoons dark or light molasses

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup broken pecans

1/4 cup vegan dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Drizzle

1 tablespoon coconut oil (solid at room temperature)

2 tablespoons agave syrup

2 tablespoons cocoa powder or dark cocoa powder (I used the latter)

Melt coconut oil in a small bowl in microwave, and whisk in agave syrup and cocoa powder. Whisk in more agave syrup or cocoa powder if necessary to desire drizzling consistency.

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