Karen Furie
Cream of Tomato Soup
Karen Furie
Fig Jam
Karen Furie
Purple Cabbage Salad

Fig Jam

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Fig Jam

  •  What's in it?

Fresh figs, raw honey, water, lemon juice, lemon zest

  • Want the recipe? 

Tasty Yummies, Fig Honey Jam

  • Why do I like it? 

I was looking for a recipe to make a jam or preserve with a huge bag of figs from my friend's tree. I wanted a recipe that didn't use any pectin or refined sugar.   This recipe is very easy with only a few ingredients.  You do have to stay close by to stir and break up the figs with a potato masher, but still it is a very easy technique. 

  • Any recipe notes or tweaks? 

The first time I made this I didn't change anything.  The honey and lemon flavors dominated the fig.  The next time, I increased the amount of figs by 50% so I used 3 pounds of figs instead of 2 as the recipe states.   I prefer it with the larger amount of figs and will make it this way in the future.

 

  

 

Cashew Goat Cheese

Cashew Goat Cheese

  • What's in it?

Cashews, coconut oil, lemon juice, tahini, water, sea salt

  • Want the recipe?

Blender Babes, Best Vegan Cheese Recipe Ever - Cranberry Dill Goat Cheese

  • Why do I like it?

This cheese has a wonderfully tangy flavor from the lemon and tahini, yet is not pungent like conventional goat cheese.  I made this for holiday dinner party, served with dried cranberries on the platter.  Not a drop was left!  The texture is semi-soft and spreadable.

  • Any recipe notes or tweaks?

I added the tahini to the blender with the cashews - there is a typo on the recipe and the author accidentally omitted this instruction.

I decided not to roll it in dill and cranberries as depicted in the original recipe, as my family doesn't always like the flavor of dill.  Instead, I opted to garnish with fresh dill and serve the dried cranberries on the side for anyone who wanted to add one on top of their cracker.

Tomato Chickpea Soup

Tomato Chickpea Soup

  • What's in it?

Olive oil, onion, garlic, rosemary, canned tomatoes, honey, salt, pepper, chickpeas, vegetable stock

  • want the recipe?

Thrive Market, Thrive Notebook, A Dairy-free take on Cream of Tomato Soup (with a surprise ingredient!)

  • Why do I like it?

This recipe uses ingredients that you can have on hand to make at any time.  The preparation has few steps and is easy to create.  The flavor is delicious, with a creamy consistency.  There is just a hint of rosemary which nicely compliments the tomato flavor.

  • Any recipe notes or tweaks?

I cut back on the honey from 2 tablespoons to 1 tablespoon.  Otherwise - I followed it as written.  

Note - Since posting this, I have been cooking without oil.  If you desire, just heat up the stock pot first then add the vegetables to the hot pot.  The onions will give off their juices which will allow you to cook without oil.  If the vegetables begin to stick, add a splash of water.

 

Savory Green Smoothie

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Savory Green Smoothie

  • What's in it? 

Water, tomato, celery, cucumber, lemon, lime, greens (spinach, kale, or mixed baby greens), turmeric root, avocado

This blend was inspired by The Blender Girl Salty Alkaline Kale Green Smoothie

  • Why do I like it?

I was craving a green smoothie that wasn't sweet, so that means no fruit.  This one was fresh and tasty without any fruit to create sweetness.  It has a tangy, tart taste which is a nice change from the conventional green smoothie.

  • Any recipe notes or tweaks?

I made this while doing a juice/smoothie fast so salt was off limits.  Instead I added some lemon juice for brightness and celery to lend some saltiness.  I added the turmeric root for some punch to make up for the lack of salt.  I omitted the garlic, probiotic powder and liquid aminos as they were not ingredients I wanted to ingest during a juice/smoothie fast.

Gazpacho Smoothie

Gazpacho Smoothie

  • What's in it?

Tomatoes, red bell pepper, cucumber, avocado, lime juice, cilantro (or sub parsley), red onion, sea salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, ice cubes

  • Want the recipe?

The Blender Girl, Spicy Tomato Gazpacho Grab Smoothie

  • Why do I like it?

I really wanted to have a savory smoothie, especially during a juice/smoothie fast.  This one hit the spot!  It is thick and creamy without being heavy.  The taste is like a hearty gazpacho.  I needed a spoon to finish the part at the bottom of the cup!

  • Any recipe notes or tweaks?

I don't like cilantro so I always swap out it out for parsley.  I didn't want to ingest too much raw onion, so I used a scant tablespoon rather than the full tablespoon the recipe calls for.  I omitted the red pepper flakes as I didn't want it to be too spicy.

 

 

Layered Eggplant Casserole

Layered Eggplant Casserole

  • What's in it?

Eggplant, red bell pepper, artichoke hearts, spinach, onion, basil, tomato sauce, walnuts, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, garlic powder

Walnut Parmesan "Cheese", This Rawsome Vegan Life

  • Why do I like it?

The flavors of all the vegetables blend so well together.  It is a hearty dish that is great to serve to company.  It does take a while to prepare, but once it is assembled you are done!  It freezes and travels well.  I have made it for several parties and the guests always love it and ask for the recipe. 

 

Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake

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Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake

  • What's in it?

Cake Ingredients: orange sweet potato, water, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, vanilla extract, spelt flour (can sub gf flour 1:1), coconut sugar, chocolate chips, salt, cocoa (or cacao) powder, baking powder, baking soda

Frosting Ingredients: yellow sweet potato, coconut sugar (grind into a finer consistency), cocoa (or cacao) powder, nut butter, salt, nondairy milk, vanilla extract

  • Want the recipe?

Dreena Burton's Plant-Powered Kitchen, Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Sweets Frosting

 

  • Why do I like it?

So many reasons!  First off, I am part of Dreena's Facebook Group.  Several of the members have posted about this cake and how much they liked it. I have tried a recipe for sweet potato brownies that did not turn out well so I wasn't sure about this cake.

Well, it was fantastic!  Not too sweet, great texture, frosting was surprisingly smooth and creamy.  I have some discerning eaters in my house and they loved it!  You can make a round or square as I did above.  

The cake is so pretty, you don't need to embellish with elaborate decorations.  

  • Any recipe notes or tweaks?

I used organic, raw cacao powder instead of cocoa.  You really need to sift it for both the cake and frosting as it tends to clump up.  I used almond butter that I had made with raw, unsalted almonds.  I used unsweetened almond milk.  So I really didn't change anything!

Apricot Date Bread

Apricot Date Loaf

  • What's in it?

Dates, dried apricots, baking soda, coconut sugar, coconut oil, apricot nectar, egg replacer, gluten free flour 

This recipe comes from my mother's collection of recipes that she has amassed over the years. 

  • Why do I like it?

This is a dense, moist, sweet bread.  The color is darker due to the swap I made from white sugar to coconut sugar.  I was able to replace the refined sugar, butter and white flour for more healthful choices and it turned out great.

  • Any recipe notes or tweaks?

The original recipe uses refined sugar, eggs, butter and white flour.  I tweaked the recipe by using organic ingredients, coconut sugar, egg replacer and gluten free flour blend.  It is a dense, moist sweet bread and you don't even miss the less healthy ingredients!

Healthier Version of In & Out's Animal Fries

Healthier Version of Animal Fries

  • What's in it?  

Potatoes, Cheese Sauce (cauliflower, carrot, onion, garlic, cashews, nutritional yeast, sea salt, lemon juice, white wine vinegar), Thousand Island Dressing (cashews, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, salt, dill pickles, onion), Caramelized onions 

My sister-in-law was visiting me from Chicago and she loves In & Out's Animal Fries.  I had made some Cheese sauce and Thousand Island Dressing for her to try.  She loved both and then it hit me...we could hand cut some russet potatoes, bake them without oil, caramelize some onions and top with both sauces to recreate a whole foods plant based treat.

  • Why do I like it?

This dish ended up tasting fantastic!  It really satisfied the cravings for greasy junk food without any oil or animal products.  We were both so excited to try it and it exceeded our expectations.  If you make the sauces in advance all you need to do is cook the potatoes and when they are in the oven, caramelize the onions.  

  • Directions for fries and onions:

To make the fries - preheat oven to 400 degrees.   Use one organic russet or large Yukon gold potato per person.  Scrub clean and leave skin on.  Hand cut into desired thickness.  Place in a bowl of ice water.  Let potatoes soak while you prepare the onions.  

Cut a large onion into a medium dice.  Set aside.

Remove potatoes from ice water bath and drain excess water.  Roll in a tea towel to dry.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Sprinkle with coarse salt.  Change oven setting to convection bake (if you have this option on your oven).  Bake for about 40 minutes checking after 20 minutes and toss if necessary.  Cook until crisp and browned.

While the potatoes are baking, heat a medium skillet on medium heat until hot (about 2 minutes).  Add onions and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring from time to time until golden, should take at least 30 minutes or longer.  If onions start to stick, add a splash of hot water to deglaze the pan.

Once onions and potatoes are done, heat cheesy sauce and assemble.  Start with fries on the bottom, place onions in the middle, drizzle with warm cheesy sauce and cold/room temp Thousand Island dressing.

Frozen Chocolate Torte

 

Frozen Chocolate Torte

  • What's in it?

Hazelnut meal, coconut oil, maple syrup, salt, oat flour, rolled oats

Cashews, cacao powder, dark chocolate chips, vanilla, espresso powder

Coconut milk (whipped into cream) for decoration on top

  • Want the recipe?

Detoxinista, Chilled Chocolate-Espresso Torte & Oh She Glows Cookbook

Angela Liddon's The Oh She Glows Cookbook

  • Why do I like it?

An impressive dessert from Angela Liddon.  This torte is as good as it gets.  Creamy, sophisticated and beautiful.  I brought it to a dinner party and all the guests were blown away!  You can make the topping without the crust as a freezer fudge.

  • Any recipe notes or tweaks?

I took a shortcut and used Bob's Red Mill Hazelnut meal instead of toasting and grinding my own.

 

 

 

Homemade Almond Butter

Homemade Almond Butter

  • What's in it?

Almonds!

  • Want the recipe?

Detoxinista, How to Make Homemade Almond Butter

  • Why do I like it?

This recipe calls for almonds and no other ingredients.  I found several other almond butter recipes that called for soaking and dehydrating the almonds but I prefer to use this more straightforward method.  

You do have to stand by the food processor and scrape the sides down from time to time, however this recipe is easy!  The finished product is terrific.  Best of all, you can use organic almonds and create almond butter for about half the price of store bought organic almond butter.

  • Any recipe notes or tweaks?

Not a thing!  Great as is!

 

Bean Burgers with Paprika Sauce

  • Bean Burgers with Paprika Sauce

  • What's in it?

Burger - onion, garlic, red pepper, black beans, white beans, coriander powder, chili powder, salt, brown rice flour

Sauce - raw cashews, tahini, garlic, maple syrup, rice vinegar, smoked paprika, salt, water

  • Want the recipe?

Clean Food Dirty Girl, The Burger for Non Vegans

Clean Food Dirty Girl, Weekly Meal Plans

  • Why do I like it?

I am a huge fan of CFDG - especially the weekly meal plan recipes.  This one is great for a few reasons.  It is tasty, filling and really satisfies the craving for a burger.  The sauce is very good with a smooth, creamy consistency.  

The burgers can keep for a week in the fridge or frozen for later use!

  • Any recipe notes or tweaks?

My palate doesn't tolerate spicy food, so I omitted the red pepper flakes.  You could certainly add them in for a bit of a kick.  The flavor was great without the heat.

 

Nut Butter Triangles

Nut Butter Triangles

  • What's in it?

Raw, organic cacao powder, coconut oil, maple syrup, sea salt, nut butter (click here for homemade almond butter recipe)

Koko's Kitchen, Drop Dead Recipes, Peanut Butter Cups

  • Why do I like it?

The taste is outstanding, very rich and melt-in-your mouth.  If you use organic, raw ingredients, this chocolate treat is elevated to a higher level of nutrition and is still a sinful treat.  They are quite sweet, so a little goes a long way.

  • Any recipe notes or tweaks?

I use raw, organic cacao - never cocoa powder as it is too processed and impure.  For the oil I use refined coconut oil for the neutral flavor as I don't want the chocolate to have any coconut taste.  I use organic maple syrup for the sweetener.  I have made it with both grade B and grade A and the feedback is that most people prefer the flavor when I use the grade A syrup.

I have made these with almond butter topped with chopped almonds, sun butter topped with chopped sunflower seeds and tahini topped with sesame seeds.

To be a little different, I found triangular shaped silicone molds to make these (if you want to get them, click here).

Lastly, I use more precise measurements of chocolate and nut butter - see the link below to get my revised recipe and print it out.

Ginger Cinnamon Granola

Ginger Cinnamon Granola

  • What's in it?

Rolled oats, coconut sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger

Coconut oil, maple syrup, molasses/brown rice syrup, vanilla

Minimalist Baker, Gingerbread Granola

  • Why do I like it?

This is my go-to granola recipe.  I have made it so many times and each time everyone loves it.   The house smells so great while it is baking!  The ingredients are staples in my pantry so I can always make up a batch.  The prep is easy enough that I often make multiple batches at once.

  • Any recipe notes or tweaks?

Omitted the nuts.  I think they would taste good, but everyone in my house prefers without!

Swapped cane sugar for coconut sugar.

Omitted the cloves which are optional anyway!

Swapped molasses for brown rice syrup.  You can make it with either.  It comes out a darker color with the molasses, but the flavor is great with either.

Lined the baking sheet with parchment paper.

Baked for 26 minutes, rotating halfway through at 13 minutes.  Check it after 11 minutes. Your oven may vary.

If you are using maple syrup that is cold from the fridge, you need to warm it up before adding to the coconut oil or the oil will harden.  Another option is to add all the wet ingredients to a bowl and sit over a pan of hot water to melt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giant Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Giant Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

  • What's in it?

Large portobello mushrooms, olive oil, garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano, pizza sauce (use store bought or my tomato basil reduction, recipe here), mixed vegetables of your choice, vegan parmesan (click here for link to vegan parm recipes)

  • Want the recipe?

Minimalist Baker, Vegan Portobello Pizzas

  • Why do I like it?

I am always looking for a healthier alternative to pizza, this recipe uses mushrooms instead of bready crust.  I found it when had a few portobellos that I wanted to use up so I searched Minimalist Baker, one of my favorite sites.

This recipe is very versatile, you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand to stuff inside the mushroom.  I really liked the technique of seasoning and baking the portobello first, it added a lot of flavor.  This dish looks impressive enough to serve guests.  

  • Any recipe notes or tweaks?

I didn't have any pizza sauce on hand so I created a tomato basil reduction using canned organic tomatoes and fresh basil (click here for my recipe).  I had some cooked spaghetti squash so I used that in the stuffing, but you can use anything you have on hand.

Lentil Mushroom Stew

Lentil Mushroom Stew

  • What's in it?

Green Lentils, shallot, mushrooms, garlic, fresh thyme leaves, lemon juice, tamari, vegetable stock, unsweetened plant based milk, kale, olive oil

  • Want the recipe?

The First Mess, Creamy French Lentils with Mushrooms and Kale

This Rawsome Vegan Life, Facebook Posting, October 12, 2016

  • Why do I like it?

I was scrolling through Facebook and a post from This Rawsome Vegan Life caught my eye. The photo of green lentils with mushrooms looked good, so I clicked through to the recipe.  It took me to the blog called The First Mess.  I liked the list of ingredients and went ahead and tried the recipe.  

It turned out great!  The flavor was deep and complex and very delicious.  There is a bit of prep work, but if you have everything washed, measured out and ready it will help.

  • Any recipe notes or tweaks?

This recipe calls for white wine, but the author also gives alternatives of white wine vinegar or lemon juice.  I opted for lemon juice.  I didn't have any fresh kale, so I used fresh spinach.  I did use olive oil, however, I have learned that if the pan is heated first you can sauté without oil if trying to avoid.

I added a bit of fresh thyme and a drop of coconut milk to garnish.

Cashew Cheese Tortilla Pizza

Cashew Cheese Tortilla Pizza

  • What's in it?

Brown rice tortilla base, sautéed vegetables (I used onion, zucchini, mushrooms and basil), pizza sauce (store bought or use my tomato basil reduction), cashew cheese, arugula

  • Want the recipe?

Clean Food Dirty Girl, Cashew Cheese

Pizza Recipe from Clean Food Dirty Girl, Plant Fueled Weekly Meal Plans

  • Why do I like it?

First of all, I love CFDG - it's founder, Molly Patrick is one of my favorites.  Her approach is real - no nonsense, nothing fake!  She is honest and upfront about her own struggles and how she deals with them.  I decided to sign up for her weekly meal plans a few months ago.  I am absolutely loving the food!  Her plans have detailed shopping lists, batch cooking instructions and nightly instructions.  

Regarding this recipe - you can find the cashew cheese on her site.  If you want the meal plan recipe you have to purchase her meal plan.  The price is reasonable and you can get just one month or up to three at a time.

This turned out to be a tasty vegan version of pizza.  The cashew cheese tasted good heated.  The sauce and veggies give it substance while the arugula tops it off like a salad.

  • Any recipe notes or tweaks? 

I used a gf brown rice tortilla where the recipe called for a sprouted wheat english muffin.  

You could substitute any fresh green that you like, chard, spinach, baby kale, etc, just make sure it is cut into bite friendly pieces.

There is a pizza sauce recipe in the meal plan, but you can use the pizza sauce from Clean Food Dirty Girl site, click here.

Or use my tomato basil reduction, recipe link below.

Tomato Basil Reduction

Tomato Basil Reduction

  • What's in it?

Canned, chopped tomatoes, fresh basil, salt

I was making a recipe that called for pizza sauce and I didn't have any on hand, but I did have canned chopped tomatoes and some fresh basil.  So I decided to puree the basil and tomatoes and cook down until I got a thick texture like pizza sauce.  

  • Why do I like it?

This recipe is so easy to prepare using ingredients commonly found in the pantry.  I freeze fresh basil so that I always have some on hand.  There are no objectionable ingredients like sugar, preservatives or other unpronounceable words. 

Quinoa Taco Filling

Quinoa Taco Filling

  • What's in it?

Quinoa, vegetable broth, salsa (store bought), nutritional yeast, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt/pepper, olive or avocado oil

  • Want the recipe?

Minimalist Baker, Quinoa Taco Meat

  • Why do I like it?

This recipe really recreates the taste of taco meat.  The spices and salsa blend perfectly to compliment the quinoa.  The texture is chewy, if you cook it longer it becomes crunchy around the edges.  It is a great way to use leftover quinoa or you can make extra quinoa one night and have leftover to make this dish later.  There are many recipes for nut based taco filling, yet I prefer to use quinoa for a change of pace!

  • Any recipe notes or tweaks?

I cut a bit of the chili to make it more mild, but otherwise this recipe is great as is!

One time I had some extra cooked millet in my fridge and tried this recipe with that instead of the quinoa.  It turned out great as well!