Peach-Rhubarb Crumble (Vegan, GF)

Filling:

1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb

3 large peaches

1/2 tsp minced ginger

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp arrowroot flour

Crust:

1 cup oats

1/3 cup oat flour

2-3 tbsp maple syrup

2-3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

Pinch of salt

Mix filling together, spread out evenly in a shallow baking dish, I used a 12 inch pie plate. Mix crust together, if you add more applesauce/maple syrup it will be more crumbly, if you add less it will be more of a cobbler-type dish. Spread crust onto fruit making sure to reach the outer edges and so very little fruit shows through. Bake on 350 F for 40 minutes, then bake on 375 F for 10-20 extra minutes or until crust is somewhat golden (remember there is no oil so it won't be completely golden brown). Serves 6.

* If you are substituting the rhubarb for another fruit add some lemon juice and reduce honey/syrup. *

* If you would like more of a crunchy crispy crust, add more oats, less flour and sprinkle it liberally instead of patting it down *

There is no oil or fat in the crust and the filling is literally like real pie filling because the arrowroot flour acts as corn starch and thickens it up. This crumble is not overly sweet, so you wouldn't even feel guilty eating it for breakfast. Yum :)

-Jaclyn

Raw Macaroons (Vegan, GF)

Jennifer has always had a strange love for macaroons...so I decided to trust her instinctual love for this super simple cookie and tried a raw version. We have macaroons every year at Passover because they are "unleavened" pastries and are usually store bought. It's crazy how similar the baked texture is to the raw. They taste like baked macaroons! Except for the fact that you have to let them firm up in the freezer, but if you think about it, no one eats hot out of the oven macaroons anyway, you honestly don't miss the "baked" factor at all. Aren't they just the sweetest! 

2 cups unsweetened, shredded dried coconut

3 tbsp carob powder (you can use cacao instead, this just mellows out the cost)

3 tbsp raw cacao powder

5 tbsp maple syrup (if using all cacao, use 6 tbsp...carob is naturally sweet)

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp melted coconut oil

2 tbsp arrowroot flour

Pinch of salt

Dried shredded coconut for decoration

Vanilla version:

2 cups unsweetened dried coconut, shredded

6 tbsp coconut flour or almond flour

6 tbsp maple syrup or agave syrup

2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp melted coconut oil

2 tbsp arrowroot flour

Pinch of salt

Toasted coconut for decoration

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Spoon dough and shape into small round discs or spoon"mounds" like traditional macaroons on parchment on a baking sheet sprinkle or press in coconut. Let firm up in freezer. Makes 12 large macaroon cookies. 

Raw Cheesecake Success!

 Our little sister turned 17 on the weekend and as a surprise we made her a raw cheesecake. It involved quite the production because we doubled the recipe to make a large cake (it was around 14 inches in diameter, but you can tweak the recipe to fit any pan).

Crust:

2 cups almonds
1/2 cup raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
10 dates

Process in a food processor until finely crumbled. Press into pan.

Cheese:

6 cups soaked cashews
1 1/2 cups coconut oil, melted
1 1/2 cups lemon juice
1 1/2 cups agave nectar or honey
1/2 tsp vanilla

Process in a food processor until very smooth. Pour over crust.

Place in freezer overnight or for several hours.

This was sort of an eclectic recipe. We got the crust recipe from http://www.rawmazing.com/ and the filling we got from http://maebird.blogspot.com/. We added a chocolate sauce/shell type thing by mixing coconut oil with agave and cacao powder and drizzled it on top. I would take it slightly easy on the lemon though, we found ours a bit too lemony, maybe leave out a 1/4 cup or keep tasting it to make sure it has the right balance. But the lemon is definitely necessary because it gives the cake a sort of tang, that would normal have come from the cheese. It's unbelievable how dense and rich this cake is, it is literally the exact same consistency as regular cheesecake.

-Jennifer

Chickpea Salad Sandwiches (Vegan, GF)

I made a chickpea salad out of the leftover raw caesar salad dressing and tossed in some chopped onions, celery and parsley. I mashed the chickpeas with a fork to get a "chicken salad" consistency. Recipe is inspired by: http://blissfullyvegan.wordpress.com/

In salad form

In sandwich form on toasted brown rice bread. Delicious.

It has been so long since I've had a sandwich! I feel like I've been living on salads for way too long. The salad was so creamy and thick! You could substitute any sort of dressing or mayonnaise and add in any veggies you have lying around the fridge.

-Jennifer

Raw Caesar Salad Dressing (Vegan, GF)

I know caesar salad dressing is already raw, but at least this one doesn't have eggs in it! Super simple too.

Raw Caesar Salad Dressing

1/2 cup soaked and peeled almonds
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp olive oil
juice 1/2 of a lemon
4 tbsp water (or until desired consistency)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper


Whiz ingredients in a blender until smooth (this makes about 3/4 cup of dressing)

Yummy yummy doesn't it look like a legit caesar salad? For the croutons I used brown rice bread (which is gluten-free). I cut the bread into cubes and drizzled olive oil on them and put them in the oven on broil until they were golden. I also put in chickpeas for protein :) 

-Jennifer

Chocolate Chip Cookies! (Vegan, GF)

These cookies are easy to make and rather cheap too! (considering their gluten-free and vegan).

We adapted these cookies from the Happy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies from vegweb.com, desketched and de-glutenized, when I first made these cookies, I used turbinado sugar, I found that since the baking time is minimal in this recipe the sugar did not de-crystalize enough, so I blended it in the food processor to make a finer granule and it eliminated the sandy grain taste! Here is the recipe:

• 2 cups Gluten-free Flour Blend (see substitutions)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup sucanat or turbinado sugar (if using sucanat, add more water or oil)
• 1/2 cup safflower oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Vegan chocolate chips, you could also add nuts, dried fruit etc.

Preheat oven to 350. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, set aside. Combine wet ingredients in another bowl, combine the two mixes and chips together. Spoon drops of dough on parchment lines baking sheet. You will have to flatten these quite a bit, they don't spread like usual cookies do. Put in the oven for 5 minutes, rotate cookie sheet for even baking, and continue baking for 4 minutes, the bottom should be golden, toasty brown. The tops should be a very pale brown, they won't look done, they will be rather flaky on top but trust me they are done! They will firm up when you let them sit. So, let them sit, then transfer to cooling rack. 

The result? Chewy guilt-free cookies!

Makes about 2 dozen

Roasted Garlic Hummus (Vegan, GF)

We found this recipe on http://closetcooking.blogspot.com. It was super garlicky! I might advise to not put in the two extra raw garlic cloves.

Here's a link to the recipe:

http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/2008/03/roasted-garlic-hummus.html

Forever Gluten-Free?! + Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Yes, it took us this long to realize that we might be allergic to gluten...It just makes so much sense! We've always been slightly bloated and low on energy even though we eat like there's no tomorrow. Apparently gluten can damage your small intestine which keeps you from absorbing sufficient vitamins. So we will be trying out gluten-free for a few weeks and see if it works! To kick off our gluten-free kick we made gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies from http://domesticaffair.blogspot.com. They turned out pretty dry because we baked them too long, but they tasted just like classic oatmeal cookies!

Tasty, yet crumbly cookie :)

2 1/2 cups Gluten-Free Flour Blend (see substitutes tab)

2 cups oats

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup raisins

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup safflower oil

1 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Whisk together dry ingredients. In separate bowl whisk together wet ingredients. Pour wet into dry bowl and mix in raisins until just incorporated. Drop by heaping tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 13 minutes (I would recommend only 10 minutes because ours came out over baked).

We replaced the sunflower oil with safflower (which is GMO free) and made them gluten-free by using our flour substitute.  

Salad for Lunch

Just thought I'd post my salad of arugula, sprouted wheat berries, white beans, avocado and parsley with balsamic vinaigrette. It just looked so pretty and green!...

-Jennifer

Hazelnut-Hemp Granola (GF)

Ok I made a batch of this stuff yesterday and I totally burnt it because I forgot to stir it! And when Jac found out she stopped talking to me. Until today! Because we made a perfect batch to golden brown perfection! I literally opened the oven every five minutes to make sure it wasn't burning. Gah!

4 cups large flake oats (For gluten-free: make sure they are pure/GF oats)
2 cups shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 cup whole hazelnuts
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1 cup honey
3/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
1/2 cup raisins

It's pretty simple; just mix all the ingredients in a big bowl and empty onto a baking sheet. Bake in a 325 F oven and mix around the granola every 10 minutes for 40 minutes. Just make sure it's a deep golden brown. When it's done, stir it up one final time and compress it so when it cools you can break it up and have clusters cause that's clearly the best part.

Fields of Granola

The original recipe came from Barefoot Contessa. We replaced the sweetened coconut with unsweetened and added more honey to make up for sweetness. We used safflower oil instead of canola because it's the only baking oil left that supposedly, isn't genetically modified (buy organic!) :o. I asked Jac what hemp seeds tasted like and she said hemp...but it was really subtle and made the granola taste kind of earthy but in a good way. Definitely something a hippie would eat.


And the best part is...we put it on coconut ice cream! :) Yumyum

"Coconut Bliss" Naked Coconut Ice Cream: best vegan ice cream of life.

http://coconutbliss.com/

Apple-Banana Mint Smoothie

Oh my I couldn't believe how good this smoothie was! It sounds like a weird combination, but since the banana is frozen, it ends up tasting like a mint ice cream milkshake. So frothy and refreshing!

• 1 sweet apple, peeled and cubed
• 1 frozen banana, cut into pieces
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• Water

Place apple, banana and mint in blender and cover with enough water to almost cover fruit, but not quite. Blend until smooth. It's honestly just like a milkshake, without the sketch! 

Avocado Cucumber Maki and Sweet Potato Nigiri

Jaclyn and I sometimes get into "sushi moods" where nothing but sushi will suffice and today was one of those days. The thing about sushi, is that it's super easy to make. I was always scared and just bought it from the store, but you have to trust me, it's so simple and you will feel like such a pro. And you can put in any kind of vegetables you have laying around the fridge; usually people go for the classics like carrots, cucumber, avocado, shredded lettuce. But put in whatever you want, as long as it's sort of asian-ish. For something more meaty; try portobello mushrooms marinated in soy sauce, steamed yams, zucchini or even some hummus!

• Avocado and/or cucumber, cut into sticks
• 2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 tbsp of honey
• 3 Nori sheets (dried or roasted)
• 1 Sweet potato, peeled, sliced and boiled

So the first thing you need to do is cook the rice according to the package. We cooked 2 cups of rice and ended up with three cups cooked. When the rice is ready, stir in the lemon juice and honey using a metal spoon (not a fork, or else it will become too fluffy). Chill the rice for about 1/2 hour or until cold enough to hold it's shape well. For "right side out" maki, get out a cutting board (or a bamboo mat) and lay one sheet of nori, smooth side down on the board. Grab a handful of the sushi rice and plop it in the middle of the sheet (have a bowl of water nearby, your hands will get a bit sticky). Spread a very thin layer of rice, as thin as you can because no one like sushi with too much rice and too little filling. Line up your avocado and cucumber at one end of the nori sheet and just start rolling it up! The nori will soften from the moisture of the rice so be careful not to rip it! And there's your roll! So now put it in the fridge to let it "set" and then cut into pieces with a sharp, non-serrated knife and wet the knife every now and then to get the stickiness off.


For inside out maki rolls, first lay a piece of plastic wrap, onto your cutting board. Then place the nori on top, this time rough side down. Spread a thin layer of rice onto the smooth side and then flip over only the nori, leaving the plastic wrap on the board. Line up your fillings and roll using the plastic wrap to protect your hands. Sprinkle the roll with toasted sesame seeds and cut into pieces.


For the Nigiri, we simply peeled and sliced a sweet potato lengthwise and boiled it, you could also steam it, which would give it a brighter colour. Cut the cooked slices into rectangles and chill in the fridge until cold. Mold the remaining sushi rice into small rectangular prisms (grade 5 geometry taught me well) and chill in the fridge. When you are ready to eat the nigiri, simply place a sweet potato slice onto the rice shape.

I think I'm getting better and better at sushi rolling! These turned out so well and they have no vinegar or white sugar like the sushi you get at restaurants. Oh and I didn't burn the sesame seeds, I mixed in some of the asian black variety just for aesthetic appeal :).


-Jennifer

First Post Ever! + Gingery Blueberry-Pear Oat Muffins (Vegan, GF)

First post ever...here it goes! 

So we decided to start a blog as sort of an outlet for our obsession with food and healthy eating. We are constantly thinking of new vegan and sketch-free recipes. We make dishes that are completely organic and natural. Some of the posts you will see on our blog are reviews of recipes as well as recipes inspired by other blogs or sources that have been tweaked by us in order to make it more natural but we will also have originals created by us! We are looking forward to sharing our "healthy" obsession with you!

1 1/2 cups Gluten-free Flour Blend (see substitutes tab)
1/2 cup steel-cut oats
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup turbinado or sucanat sugar (add more applesauce if using sucanat)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
3/4 cup peeled, diced pear

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper cups. Mix flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and oats in a large mixing bowl. Combine syrup, sugar, applesauce and ginger in a separate bowl. Combine the two mixtures, then add blueberries and pear. They don't rise a whole lot, so when you spoon them into the muffin cups be very generous! Top with oats and bake for 24-26 min (toothpick should come out clean). Makes 10-12 muffins.

Silly Ely! Muffins are for kids!

We found this recipe on happyherbivore.com as Vegan, Fat-Free Whole Wheat Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins. We added pears and used finely chopped fresh ginger instead of dried. Also to make them gluten-free we replaced the pastry flour with a blend of rice, oat and buckwheat flour (recipe can be found under the "substitutes" tab). We couldn't believe how moist and soft these muffins turned out considering there is no oils or eggs and they weren't your typical crumbly, dry vegan baked goods. You could also make a banana nut version by replacing half the applesauce with mashed banana. Yummers! :)