The King’s Pancakes

So the hubby went to this cute breakfast place in downtown Portsmouth and they had these pancakes that were Elvis’ favorite – chocolate chip banana peanut butter pancakes. I almost died when I heard about them and immediately wanted to recreate my own version at home. These would be perfect for a lazy Sunday or holiday morning breakfast with the family.

Basic Pancake Recipe

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp canola/vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup soy milk

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. (This step REALLY makes the pancakes super fluffy, don’t skip if you have a sifter). In a separate bowl combine all wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix with a hand mixer (or whisk) until combined. Do not over-mix or the pancakes will become tough. Pre-heat your griddle or large skillet on the stove.

Additional Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1-2 large bananas, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup peanut butter

Pour a 4-5 inch pancake and drop chocolate chips onto the batter in the pan. Then place 5-6 thin banana slices onto the pancake as well. Pancake will expand when you add chips and banana slices. Repeat one at atime for each pancake. This recipe yields about 6-7 large pancakes.

When pancakes are finished, place two on a plate and smear peanut butter between the two pancakes. Add maple syrup if you want, but these are awesome on their own.

Pancake Recipe adapted from Vegan Brunch

Roasted Tomato, Onion, and Basil Pesto Pizza with Vegan Parmesan Cheese

This is my favorite cheeseless pizza recipe – I use my Mom’s dough recipe when making pizza (which will remain a secret) so I will just share with you the recommended dough recipe from the website that I got this recipe from. This pesto is incredible with the roasted glazed vegetables. I promise that you won’t miss the cheese in this pizza!

Easy Herb-Infused Pizza Dough

• 1 cup white bread flour (all purpose probably works too) + ¾ cup flour, divided
• ¾ tsp kosher salt
• 1.5 tsp white sugar
• 2 tsp pizza herbs (mixture of dried oregano, basil)
• 2 & ¼ tsp pizza yeast (no proofing req.) or instant yeast
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2/3 cup very warm water (not lukewarm)
• More flour for surface when kneading

Directions: In a large mixing bowl, mix together 1 cup of flour, salt, sugar, pizza herbs, yeast.
Stir well. Now quickly add in 2/3 cup of very warm water along with your 2 tbsp of oil. Stir well.
It will be very wet and sticky at this point. Now add in ¾-1 cup more of flour, gradually, as you
stir. Once all the flour is in, grab the dough and place on floured surface. Knead the dough for 5
minutes, adding flour if it gets tacky. After 5 minutes the dough should be smooth and not sticky.
Form into a ball and place in a large, oiled bowl. Cover the ball with a bit of oil so it doesn’t dry
out. Now cover the bowl and let it rise for 1.5 hours. You can punch out the air once half way
through. For best results, make the dough the day beforehand and place in an oiled and sealed
plastic bag in the fridge. Allow dough to come to room temperature on the counter before
working with it. Cooking time will vary but my pizza took 14-15 mins at 500F.

Vegan Parmesan Cheese

• 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds (1 container)
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. Toast sesame seeds in the oven until golden and then throw all
ingredients into a blender. Process for 30-60 seconds.

Vegan Pesto

• 1/3 cup of Vegan Parmesan Cheese (see above)
• 3 tbsp raw cashews
• 2 cups fresh basil, stems trimmed off and roughly chopped
• Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon (approx 1 tbsp)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• One small handfuls of fresh spinach
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions: In a food processor, add the cashews and oil and process until smooth. Now throw in
the garlic, parmesan, and fresh lemon juice and process more. Add in the basil and spinach and
process until smooth.

Roasted Tomato, Onion, Basil, and Garlic Topping

• 3-4 medium sized tomatoes (plus 1 or 2 additional for extra layering later on)
• 1 large red onion
• 1 small white/yellow onion
• 3-4 basil leaves, ends trimmed, chopped finely
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Couple pinches salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Directions: Chop the tomatoes, red onion, yellow onion, and basil leaves. Mince the garlic. In a
small bowl, mix together the oil, salt, vinegar, 1-2 chopped basil leaves, and minced garlic. In a
medium sized bowl, mix together the veggies and sauce. Spread onto a greased or lined baking
sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes at 375F, watching carefully. Veggies can be set aside on
counter for about 1 hour after cooking.

Assemble pizza in the following order:
Layer 1: Pizza Dough
Layer 2: Vegan Pesto
Layer 3: Roasted vegetables
Layer 4: Add a few more sliced tomatoes
Layer 5: Sprinkle on vegan parmesan cheese
Now bake for approx 13-15 mins at 500F. Prepare to devour!!

From: Oh She Glows

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

These will change your life….. and that is all.

• 1/2 c. non-dairy margarine (i.e. Earth Balance)
• 3/4 c. natural peanut butter
• 1/2 c. organic brown sugar
• 3/4 c. organic powdered sugar
• 1/2 t. vanilla extract
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 3/4 t. salt
• 1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 c. unbleached organic flour
• 1/2 c. natural peanut butter chips
• 1/2 c. non-dairy chocolate chips

Using a stand mixer, beat margarine, peanut butter, sugars and vanilla until fully incorporated.
In a separate bowl, combine baking powder, baking soda, salt and flours.
Add dry mixture to the mixer bowl a little at a time and mix until a crumbly dough forms.
Next, add in your chocolate chips. Once combined, chill for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and scoop with your fingers and shape dough into balls.
Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Dough balls will still look the same when they come out of the oven – just let them rest for a few minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
Lastly, devour.

Recipe from: MamaPea

Chocolate Chip cookies with a hint of peanut butter

 

So these cookies are delish! What a nice little vegan chocolate chip cookie to have as a little treat after dinner – these are really good because the peanut butter doesn’t over power the flavor of the cookie – just accentuates it in all the right places ;)

Chocolate Chip Cookies with a hint of Peanut Butter

1 + 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup organic sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1.5 tbsp chunky peanut butter
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tbsp cacao nibs (optional, but they add crunch!)
2 tbsp non-dairy dark chocolate chips
3.5 tbsp canola oil
Turbinado Sugar, for garnish (optional)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder). In a small bowl mix all wet ingredients (peanut butter, vanilla extract, maple syrup). Mix well making sure the PB is thoroughly mixed in. Now add wet to dry and stir. Stir in cacao nibs and chocolate chips. Use a tablespoon to scoop the dough and form the dough into a flat patty/cookie shape. These cookies will not spread out, they will bake as whatever shape you place them on the cookie sheet as. Bake for just 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack after a couple minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Makes about 14-15 medium sized cookies.

Nutritional info: (Make 14 cookies, per cookie:) 115 cal, 6 grams fat, 2 grams fiber, 2 grams protein, 7 grams sugar.

As seen on: Oh She Glows

Nutty Glazed Breakfast Pie

So this literally tastes like a Thanksgiving dessert for breakfast – it is VERY decadent but so amazingly yummy. I’ve never baked jelly in the oven but the water evaporates and it turns into a thick glaze much like a linzer tart. The later of peanut butter under the thick glazed jelly is incredible. Top that off with some bananas that caramelize from baking and you are in heaven. This tastes about 50x more amazing than it already looks. You won’t be disappointed with this one!

Nutty Glazed Breakfast Pie

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup all natural sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup Earth Balance buttery spread, warmed
1/4 cup Almond Milk
1/3-1/2 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup jam
1 large banana, sliced

Directions: Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, sugar, and cinnamon. Now pour in milk and warmed Earth Balance and mix. Take batter and spread evenly with fingers into a pie or cake pan. Now grab your peanut butter and spread a thin layer over the crust mixture. Next add a layer jam on top of the peanut butter. Last, add sliced banana. Pop into the oven for 25 minutes at 400F. Remove and cool for 15 minutes in the freezer so that the jelly can harden up even more. Slice and serve. This really tastes so much better chilled so the leftovers the next day are amazing – or make this the day before!

From: Oh She Glows

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

So when the hubby and I go to Starbucks he LOVES to get their chocolate chip banana bread and I have been wanting to create a healthy version of their bread. Well this recipe popped up on my google reader one morning and I was so excited! I made this immediately and dare I say – better than the original? This is AMAZING and so easy to make!!!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

3 bananas, mashed
1/4 c. Earth Balance margarine
1/4 c. almond milk
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. organic sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1/3 c. dairy-free chocolate chips

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Mash bananas in a bowl. Next, with a stand or electric mixer, cream together margarine, milk, sugars and vanilla. Beat in bananas. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet a little at a time until it is all mixed together. Last, fold in chocolate chips. Pour the batter into a non-stick loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.

From: Peas and Thank You

Maple Butternut Squash & Apple Casserole

I saw this recipe and thought it sounded so easy and amazing for a nice fall dinner. I had all the ingredients on hand from the farm market. I love using fresh ingredients that are in season. This will make your home smell amazing and it tastes like fall on a plate. I mean come on – squash, honeycrisps, maple syrup, cinnamon, pumpkin seeds – mmmmmm.

Maple Butternut Squash & Apple Casserole

1/2 cup basmati rice (or rice of choice)
1 cup water
1 lg honeycrisp apple (or apple of choice), cored and chopped into cubes
1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
1/2 butternut squash, washed and chopped into 1” cubes (~3/4 lb)
1 Tbsp Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp Pumpkin Seeds

Directions: Turn your slow cooker onto high and place rice and water into slow cooker. Return cover to slow cooker and chop apple into cubes – let marinate in apple cider vinegar and maple syrup. Chop up the butternut squash into cubes and add squash to the slow cooker. Next melt Earth Balance in microwave and add maple syrup, cinnamon, curry powder, nutmeg, and sea salt. Stir together until combined. Pour over butternut squash and basmati rice. Lastly, add marinated apples and pumpkin seeds on top of rice and squash. Let simmer for 3-4 hours - stirring occasionally (if home). Let the amazing scents of fall fill your home and then enjoy!! Garnish with more curry, cinnamon, and sea salt. Dig in!!

From: Oh She Glows

Mocha Fudge Brownies

These brownies are so DENSE and FUDGY oh my god they really are amazing. Perfect amount of chocolate, chips and a hint of a coffee flavor. No one will ever detect the secret ingredient in these that make them so much healthier than the conventional brownie! These are amazing on top of a big bowl of coconut ice cream.

Mocha Fudge Brownies

1/2 avocado (1/4 cup packed)
1/3 cup agave nectar (or all natural sugar)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp organic dark roasted coffee
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350F. In a large bowl, gently smash the avocado with a fork to break apart. Using a hand mixer, process the avocado until smooth. Add the agave, maple syrup, oil, flaxmeal, vanilla extract, and coffee and mix until smooth. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low or stir by hand until just mixed. Stir in chocolate chips. Using a spatula, plop the mixture into a non-stick 8'’ x 8” square baking pan. The batter will be VERY THICK so just press down the batter with your spatula until it’s evenly spread out. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes. The brownies will rise and become thicker and it may not look like the brownies are finished but you must remove them from oven after 20 minutes otherwise they will be too dry. Cool brownies for 20 minutes and if you want – pop them in the freezer for about 30 minutes to set and firm. Use a sharp knife to cut into 9 squares.

From: Oh She Glows

Pineapple-Cucumber Salad

This recipe is so simple and easy and I would have never thought that this combination would actually taste good together, but it is SO refreshing. I made this for mother's day and my family couldn't stop raving about how good this was. With summer around the corner, this is the perfect quencher and side dish to serve at the table. Thank you wholefoods for another winner!!

Pineapple-Cucumber Salad

3 cups chopped fresh pineapple
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup roughly chopped mint
1/4 cup lime juice

In a large bowl, gently toss all ingredients together and serve.

Nut Butter Parsnip and Sweet Potato Fries

So I have seen this recipe all over the blog world and I'm not really sure who exactly started it, but let me just say that I wish this was my brain child. I mean why haven't I ever thought to combine my favorite foods all into one dish? Almond and peanut butter as a coating for french fries?? Um OMG YES!!! The pictures don't do these justice, these really are to die for and these fries will change your life. Really, they are that good.

Nut Butter Parsnip and Sweet Potato Fries

2 Tbsp Almond Butter

1 Tbsp Peanut Butter

2-3 parsnips, peeled and sliced into fry shapes

1 medium sweet potato, sliced into fry shapes

salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine nut butters in a small bowl.

Place parsnip and sweet potato pieces in a large bowl and pour the nut butter mixture on top of fries. Stir around with a large spoon until the parsnip and sweet potato pieces are evenly coated with mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place fries on a lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until slightly browned.

When timer goes off, take out of the oven and DEVOUR. Welcome to heaven.

Tabbouleh

So I have a serious obsession with ethnic food, it is just so flavorful and it's amazing how something can taste so good with so few natural ingredients. Tabbouleh is a traditional Mediterranean dish that can vary from country to country. It is usually made with bulgur (a type of whole wheat small grain like couscous), but I thought it would be fun to try it with quinoa. Quinoa is a complete protein and packs a ridiculous amount of protein, it's just all around really good for you - and gluten free! This is super easy to make and tastes delicious! You may have a sudden urge to gorge on some hummus or baba ghanouj while eating this ;)

Quinoa Tabbouleh

1 cup quinoa, cooked with vegetable broth for about 20 minutes
1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint

5 green onions, finely chopped
2 cups small grape tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded, thinly sliced
Juice of 2 lemons, more to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients together in a large serving bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Serve room temperature or chilled.

Overnight Oatmeal

So oatmeal is my favorite breakfast to make in the morning, but with the summer heat coming the last thing I want is something HOT for breakfast. Enter overnight oats. Perfect for a girl on the go, now there's no excuses that you didn't have time to make breakfast because these are prepared the night before!!

I like to use just 1/3 cup of oats and then mix in some flax meal and chia seeds to bulk it up. If you don't have chia seeds, then double up on the flax. If you don't have flax either, then just use 1/2 cup of oats.

Overnight Oats

1/3 cup mixture of old fashioned oats and oat bran (or just all old fashioned oats)

1 tsp flax meal

1 tsp chia seeds

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup almond milk + 1/2 cup water

1/2 banana, mashed

• In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients - oats, flax, chia, and cinnamon. Make sure you stir the mixture around before adding the wet ingredients to prevent clumping.
  
  
• Next, slowly pour in almond milk and water combination while carefully whisking oat combination to combine.
  
  
• Mash half of the banana with a fork in the same measuring cup you used for the almond milk and water. Add to your bowl of oats and thoroughly combine together. Your mixture should thicken up quite a bit from adding the mashed banana.

• Pop into your fridge and forget about it until the morning!! The oats will plump up and absorb the liquids so these will essentially be "cooking" in the fridge over night.

Goodnight oatmeal! See ya tomorrow.

Next morning, assemble your toppings which could include: nut butter, jam, granola, fresh fruit, frozen fruit, chocolate chips, cereal, yogurt, maple syrup, protein powder, etc.

I chose to slice up the other half of the banana, strawberries, cherries and heat up 1 tbsp of maple almond butter in the microwave so I'd be able to swirl it on top more easily.

Ready to assemble:

Add any liquid or fluid ingredients on top of your oat base. This would be a good time to add nut butter, maple syrup, jam, yogurt, or protein powder.

Next top with fresh or frozen fruit. Then add granola, cereal, or chocolate chips on top of the fruit.

Serve along your favorite morning beverage of choice and enjoy!!!!

Fruit Salsa

So I originally bought some fresh mint for a tabbouleh recipe (coming soon) and had a ton left over. I made up this salsa on a whim and used it on top of veggie burgers and salads all week. All the flavors were so bright and crisp and really went together so well!

Tips:

• Use a pyrex measuring cup to first measure out the salsa, then add in the chopped tomato, mint, and just fill the rest of the measuring cup to the top with equal parts of frozen fruit. This way you only dirty one measuring tool!
• Frozen fruit is picked at it's peak and then frozen to ensure maximum flavor and sweetness. Just nuke the fruit in the microwave for 60 seconds to thaw more quickly.
• Use lime juice from a bottle if you don't have fresh ones available

Peach, Pineapple, Mango, and Mint Salsa

1/4 cup mild or medium salsa of choice from a jar

1/4 cup mint, chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

1.5 cups thawed frozen peaches, pineapple, and mango, chopped

2 T lime juice

Combine all ingredients together and enjoy!!

Baingan Bharta

I've never actually tried this dish at an Indian restaurant, but I've heard that it's really good. So I researched online for a recipe until I found one that sounded pretty good. Well this was MORE than pretty good!! If you like smoky, roasted, spicy food then this is for you!!! Just make sure you let the eggplant roast long enough in the oven so you experience the full effect of this dish.

Baingan Bharta Serves 2

1 large eggplant
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
2 small (or 1 large) onions, chopped
4 tomatoes, chopped
½ cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Preheat the broiler. Spray some non-stick cooking spray on the outside of the eggplant and set on a pan underneath the broiler. Cook until the outside is slightly charred, sunken in, and the inside is very tender, flipping every 4 minutes, about 8 to 10 minutes total. You essentially are roasting the eggplant. Remove and set aside to cool down.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add 1 tablespoon of the cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Toss in the garlic, ginger and jalapeños and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Next, add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Last, add in the tomatoes and cook for 5 to 7 minutes more.

After the eggplant has cooled, remove the skin and roughly chop. Add the eggplant to the skillet along with the cumin, chili powder, garam masala, and turmeric. Cook for 5 minutes so all the flavors can mingle.

Cashew Sour Cream

This doesn't taste like sour cream, obviously, but it does deliver that creamy element for a fajita that is just so delicious. I really couldn't believe how easy this was to make and how it really just MADE my fajita's 100x better. If you don't add the chili garnish, then you could use this as a cream cheese substitute on your morning bagel since cashews are usually used to make raw cheesecake.

Cashew Sour Cream

3/4 cup cashews

2 T lemon juice

1/4 cup water

1/4 tsp salt

Chipotle chili powder (optional)

In a food processor, combine all ingredients until smooth.

Add more water if the cream needs to be thinned out.

Garnish with chipotle chili powder if you wish.

Pasta Salad with Veggies, Pine Nuts, and Fresh Herbs

So this recipe involves a lot of prep-work by chopping up a ton of veggies, but once you do that then you are basically finished! You could serve this room temperature or cold. Both ways taste great!

Pasta Salad with Veggies, Pine Nuts, and Fresh Herbs

Serves 6-10

16 ounces pasta (I used quinoa tri-veggie colored pasta)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

3 bell peppers, seeded and chopped

2 cucumbers, seeded and chopped (cut around the center like how you would core an apple)

3 to 4 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 small-sized red onion, chopped

1 jar or frozen bag (about 16 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1.5 cups frozen corn, thawed

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (toast them in the toaster oven)

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

• Cook pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain and set aside when done cooking.
• In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and vinegars.
• Chop up all the vegetable ingredients while the pasta is cooking.
• Combine the tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, onion, artichokes, corn, pine nuts, basil, and parsley in a bowl with cooked pasta. Add lemon vinegar mixture and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

From The Vegan Table

Chickpea “Blondies”

Originally saw this recipe here. I love that the secret ingredient is Chickpeas!!! You really can't taste them in this recipe AT ALL. They are a sweet peanut buttery dream and pack some awesome nutrients from the beans, nut butter, and flax meal. If you don't care about making these gluten free then sub all the flax and flour for regular flour. You won't regret making these!!!

Chickpea “Blondies” Yield: 8 servings

Non-stick cooking spray
15 ounces (1 can) cooked garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup strawberry or other all-fruit spread
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flax meal (sub with other meal or flour if you’re not looking to make these gluten-free)
2 tablespoons brown rice flour (sub with other meal or flour if you’re not looking to make these gluten-free)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4). Lightly coat an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking pan with spray.
• In a food processor, combine all ingredients and blend until perfectly smooth, scraping sides often.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 26 minutes.
• Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool completely before placing in the fridge and slicing.
• Enjoy cold from the fridge. These blondies freeze well, too.

Muhammara

This dip is out of this world amazing. I can't believe I've never had it before?? It can be served with pita bread, chips, or fresh veggies or on a wrap just like hummus. I researched this recipe all over the internet and this is the version that I came up with. It's best to make ahead of time so that the flavors can mingle while in the fridge.

Muhammara (Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Spread)

2-3 whole roasted red bell peppers from a jar

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup walnuts

2 large whole garlic cloves, peeled

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp agave nectar

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

In a blender, combine all ingredients and puree to a smooth consistency. Yields 1 cup.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are so yummy!!! I brought these to a party and they were all gone by the end of the night =] If these seem time consuming, you could just put the batter into a rectangular pan and make cookie bars instead!

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Makes 30 cookies

• 2 cups walnuts
• 1 cup liquid sweetener (agave or maple syrup)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1½ cups oat flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1½ cups vegan chocolate chips (12 oz.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 and coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.

2. Blend walnuts in food processor 30 seconds, or until ground into a fine meal. Add half of the sweetener, and blend 2 to 3 minutes more, or until mixture has the consistency of natural peanut butter, scraping down sides of food processor occasionally. Transfer to bowl.

3. Pour remaining sweetener over ground walnut butter, add vanilla extract, and stir until no lumps remain.

4. Whisk together oat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in separate bowl. Stir oat flour mixture into walnut mixture. Cool 10 minutes in the fridge or freezer. Fold in oats, then chocolate chips.

5. Shape cookie dough into 2-inch balls, and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten cookies with bottom of drinking glass dipped in water. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until cookies begin to brown and tops look dry. Cool 3 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!!!

Nutritional Information: Calories: 173, Protein: 3g, Total fat: 10g, Saturated fat: 3g, Carbs: 21g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 122mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugars: 12g

Pasta Primavera with Fresh Veggies and Herbs

So this recipe is from The Vegan Table, but I adapted it so that I could make it in less than 20 minutes because I didn't have much time! I brought this to my grandma's for Easter dinner and everyone loved it!

Pasta Primavera with Fresh Veggies and Herbs

12 oz penne pasta

4 garlic cloves equivalent from pre-chopped garlic jar

2 bell peppers (red, orange, or yellow), cut into strips

10 oz bag of shredded carrots

2 zucchini squash, cut into 1 inch strips

8 stalks asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces

1 - 15 oz can diced tomatoes in juice

1 cup vegetable stock (from the box)

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish

1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

4.2 oz small can of sliced black olives

pinch of red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

• Cook the pasta according to package directions.
• While pasta is cooking, chop up the peppers, zucchini, asparagus, basil, and parsley.
• In a large pan, spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned.
• Add bell pepper, shredded carrots, zucchini, and asparagus. Sauté for about 10 minutes until veggies are tender but still crispy.
• Reduce heat to low and add tomatoes and vegetable stock. Stir well to combine.
• Once everything is heated through, add the olives, basil, parsley, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and add the pasta, tossing well to combine.
• Serve warm or at room temperature. Add extra basil as garnish to your plate and enjoy!!!

Mediterranean Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

So I used the recipe from this website to create a smaller batch of these burgers that come in at only 125 calories a piece. The awesome thing about making your own veggie burgers is that it's fast and cheap. You can easily cook up what you want and then freeze the rest (cooked or uncooked) for another time. I made these 2 weeks ago with a salad when Mike was away and put the remaining 3 uncooked burgers in the freezer for another time. I took them out tonight, popped them in the oven at 400 for 20 minutes. While they were cooking, I prepped veggies for a salad and burger toppings, made some guacamole, and toasted up the buns. We had an easy dinner that was delish and ready in no time!

Mediterranean Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

1/2 Tbsp flax meal mixed with 1.5 Tbsp water (mixed ahead of time, separately)

1 can black beans (1.5 cups)

1/3 cup cooked quinoa (or any grain like brown rice)

2 Tbsp flour

6 sundried tomatoes packed in oil, roughly sliced

salt and pepper to season

1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)

• Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined but not pureed.
• Form into 4 patties.
• Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes so that they won't fall apart when you try to cook them.

For cooking, either pan fry these on the stove top until slightly brown on both sides or pre-heat oven to 400 and cook for 20-25 minutes, flipping half way through.

Serve on a toasted bun with all the fixin's or on top of a bed of greens as shown below.