Posts Tagged ‘vegan’

Raspberry-Vanilla Gluten Free/Vegan Scones

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Raspberry-Vanilla Vegan Scones

These are way too easy to make friends. One mixing bowl and a baking sheet later and you have Vegan scones (mine were Gluten Free as well.) I even used frozen raspberries because I didn’t have fresh berries on hand and they worked just fine. Fill your house with the scent of vanilla and then attack these scones over a cup of tea. You won’t regret it.

Raspberry-Vanilla Vegan Scones

 

Raspberry-Vanilla Gluten Free/Vegan Scones (adapted from the BabyCakes Cookbook)

makes 8 scones

Ingredients

2 cups spelt flour OR Cup 4 Cup Gluten Free Flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup coconut oil, plus extra for brushing the tops (make sure it is high heat sustainable)

1/2 cup agave nectar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean, scraped of seeds

1/3 cup hot water

1 cup fresh raspberries (frozen work too)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt. Stir in the oil, agave nectar, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds. Stir in the hot water, then lightly fold in the raspberries until well incorporated but not smooshed to bits. Scoop 8 even mounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheet and lightly brush the tops with more coconut oil. Bake the scones for 20 minutes, or until golden. Let the baking sheet cool completely on top of a rack. Remember Gluten Free baked goods taste better when cooled for some reason so try to resist.

 

xo,

Lydia

Happy Weekend!

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image via

 

Happy weekend, friends!

Every morning I wake up and ask the little bee in my belly if today is her birthday. So far…silence. We’re spending the weekend trying to distract ourselves from the waiting!

What are you up to?

A few things I’m loving this week:

Two favorite coconutty recipes:

Shanti’s granola

Nikki’s healthy cookies

Cashmere and a boat neck? In poppy please.

I’m hooked on The Skimm.

Do you juice? We just bought our first juicer (on sale!) and I’m excited to get going. Some starter juice recipes. (I’m afraid to try beets.)

This and this– my dream gourmet tailgate menu!

Baby ballet flats.  These are already waiting for my little one thanks to La Femme Epicure.

Enjoy this beautiful fall weekend.

xx Sarah

 

 

 

 

Meatless Monday: Toast with Almond Butter and Fresh Fruit

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Sarah and I have many things in common but our love of toasted bread spread with nut butter and topped with thin slices of fresh fruit is one worth sharing with y’all. Sarah has a cute story that she would pack such a sandwich as her lunch in Grad school and her fellow students would marvel at the concept of the fresh fruit version of PB&J. When we first met we admitted to eating close to a jar of peanut butter a week in this fashion but in an effort to be healthier I have switched to almond butter (most of the time.)

Toast with Almond Butter and Fruit

 This is my go to healthy breakfast or afternoon snack, in fact  I’m getting almond butter on my computer as I write this post before I rush off to work.

Toast with Almond Butter and Fruit

When fresh fruit can not be procured in the wee hours of the morning, SQIRL Jam is an excellent substitution (Kumquat Marmalade pictured above.) Below is all my favorite brands if you want to try this “recipe”. I use Gluten Free bread because that is the bread we keep in our house and I just don’t miss the gluten in this instance.

Toast with Almond Butter and Fresh Fruit

2 slices whole wheat bread (I like Udi’s Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread)

2 tablespoons Almond Butter (I like raw, creamy, unsalted almond butters)

Fresh fruit thinly sliced (strawberries, banana, nectarine, peach, plum, apple, pear or just a pile of berries)

 

Hope you love it too!

Lydia

 

 

Meatless Monday: Baked Sweet Potato Chips

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This is one of the easiest dinner side dishes of all time. Drew and I make this at least once a week and sometimes more. I bet that kids would love these.

Sweet Potatoes

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash one organic sweet potato per person and slice them into 1/8″ thick coins or rounds. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

 

Seasoned Sweet Potatoes

Toss the potatoes with olive oil and then season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes until slightly browned and crisp.

 

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

 

Mine looked like this when they were done.

 

Sriracha Aoili

If you mix Sriracha chili sauce in with some Vegenaise or Mayonnaise you have a fantastic spicy-garlicy-creamy dipping sauce for your sweet chips. Happy Monday indeed.

 

xo,
LEH

Meatless Monday: Slow Roasted Tomatoes

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This is a NON recipe for one of the most delicious foods on earth! I first discovered slow roasted tomatoes from Orangette and then Gwyneth put a recipe for them in her book which I also made (they were excellent as is her book, don’t hate.)  Basically you take any small sized tomatoes, cut them and half, add salt and EVOO and let them sizzle and shrivel in a low oven for 2-5 hours. Even the crappiest tomatoes condense as they roast into the richest, tangiest, sweetest flavor on earth. Make these and eat like an Etruscan King. Drew calls them “Umami discs.”

 

Farmer's Market Roma Tomatoes

Farmer's Market Tomatoes in Baggu Bag

I’ll walk you through the process. Buy some tomatoes, I got these at the Farmer’s Market but I’ve also done this recipe with (gasp) grocery store, out of season, non-organic cherry tomatoes and it was just as yummy. Wash them and take the tops off. Cut them in half.

 

Roma Tomatoes for Roasting

 

Toss the tomato halves with a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lay cut side up on a baking sheet (I line mine with these parchment paper sheets, best product ever.)

 

Tomato Halves with Grey Salt

See how much salt I use, this gives the tomatoes lots of flavor. Now put them in a 250 degree oven for 2-5 hours depending on the size. These Roma halves took 3.5 hours.

 

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Roast them til they look like this picture. Shriveled but not burnt or crisp.

 

Slow Roasted Tomatoes- close up

Aren’t they pretty! Let them cool and store them in your fridge in an airtight container drizzled with olive oil for up to a week. Toss them with pasta, puree them into soups or hummus, add them to sauteed lentils, each them on steak sandwiches or with fresh mozzarella. Eat them off the baking sheet for all I care, just make these.

 

xo,

LEH

 

 

Meatless Monday: Potato Salad Gribiche

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According to Wikipedia:
Sauce gribiche is a mayonnaise-style cold egg sauce in the French Cuisine, made by emulsifying hard-boiled egg yolks and mustard with a neutral oil like canola or grapeseed. The sauce is finished with chopped pickles, capers, parsley, chervil and tarragon. It also includes hard-boiled egg whites cut in a julienne.
Sauce gribiche may be served with boiled chicken, fish (hot or cold) or calf’s head.


Potato Salad Gribiche

Ok well this may be the proper definition of sauce gribiche but my version of this French classic is much lighter. I took our basic vinaigrette potato salad recipe and added chopped capers, cornichons, hard boiled eggs, parsley and chervil. A nod and a wink to this classic suits me just fine. The warm fingerling potatoes drink up the shalloty vinaigrette and the capers, cornichons and herbs add a tangy brightness to the earthy studs. The eggs offer a creamy surprise though you could easily omit them for a Vegan version. I served it at a dinner party last week to rave reviews.

 

Potato Salad Gribiche 2

Potato Salad Gribiche
serves 8 generously

3 pounds mini fingerling potatoes, cut in half
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 shallots, finely diced
8 tablespoons good quality extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cornichons, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons capers, roughly chopped
2 hard boiled eggs, roughly chopped
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
½ cup chopped chervil, roughly chopped

Wash and clean the potatoes. Cut them in half so that all pieces are approximately the same size and approximately 1-1/2 inches. Place in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a rolling boil and add 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Let boil until knife tender, approximately 8 minutes. Drain and place back in the pot, covering with a lid, so that the potatoes stay warm until they are dressed.

While the potatoes are boiling, whisk together the mustard, vinegar and shallots.  Add the olive oil in a slow steady stream, whisking continuously so that the vinaigrette emulsifies. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the vinaigrette over the drained hot potatoes using a spatula to gently turn the potatoes so that the vinaigrette coats them all. Let the dressed potatoes cool to room temperature. In the mean time chop the capers, cornichons and hard boiled eggs. Mix them into the potatoes in vinaigrette.

Reserving some of the herbs for topping the plated dish,  Generously sprinkle the potato salad with the chopped herbs, gently mixing so that every potato bite will have some herbs. Scoop the potatoes into a serving platter and top with the reserved herbs. Enjoy chilled or at room temperature.

xo,

LEH

Meatless Monday: Spicy Carrot Soup

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Spicy Carrot Soup

This soup is perfect for an April showers afternoon or an “it’s still so light outside” evening. Velvety smooth texture, sweet carrot base pumped up by warm Moroccan spices like cumin and allspice and lots of garlicy heat from the sriracha. Very little fat, vegan (swap out the honey for maple or agave syrup) and naturally gluten free this soup is delightfully sin free.

Spicy Carrot Soup

Spicy Carrot Soup

serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped white onion

1 pound large carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 2 2/3 cups)

2 1/2 cups vegetable stock

2 teaspoons sriracha (plus more for garnish)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

 

Warm olive oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 2 minutes. Mix in carrots. Add broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Remove soup from heat. Carefully puree in batches in blender until smooth. Return to same pan. Whisk in honey, lemon juice, sriracha, cumin allspice. Season with salt and pepper and add more lemon juice if needed. Serve warm with a garnish of sriracha or freshly chopped cilantro.

 

xo,

LEH

 

 

Sesame Brown Rice Salad

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Sesame Brown Rice Salad

My darling friend Alissa gave me this recipe from her sister Risa and it a zesty delight. A perfect lunch salad, light dinner or try it spooned it into lettuce cups for a healthy appetizer. It’s naturally gluten free and you can easily make it vegetarian/vegan by omitting the shredded chicken.

You’re welcome.

Sesame Brown Rice Salad- close

Ingredients

serves 4

1 cup of dry long grain brown rice

2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup red or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 cup shredded broccoli stems

1/3 cup scallions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup of roasted and salted peanuts, crushed and divided

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced (plus more for garnish)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice (plus more wedges for serving)

1 clove of garlic, minced

4 teaspoons canola/avocado/grapeseed oil

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

Preparation

Cook the brown rice according to the package instructions. Transfer the rice to a large bowl and fluff with a fork, allow to cool. Add the shredded chicken, vegetables, scallions, 2 tablespoons peanuts and cilantro and toss to combine. Make a dressing from the fresh lime juice, salt, minced garlic and then whisk in both oils. Toss the salad with the vinaigrette and garnish with extra cilantro and remaining chopped peanuts. Serve with a wedge of lime.

xo,
LEH

Meatless Monday: Tofu Chopped Salad

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This is my version of the M chopped salad at M Cafe in Los Angeles. So stinking healthy, you feel light and airy after eating it.

Tofu Chopped Salad

Angelinos loved chopped salads, each bite is a colorful bust of textures and flavors. In this case it’s smoky chewy tofu, creamy avocado, crisp celery, earthy sweet beets and salty tamari almonds all tossed with creamy vegan ranch dressing.

Tofu chopped salad with vegan ranch

Tofu Chopped Salad

Serves 4

Dice all the vegetables the same size so your salad looks pretty and is easier to eat! You can buy roasted beets on the salad bar of any supermarket if you don’t have time to roast and peel them yourself.

4 handfuls of mixed greens

1/2 cup diced cooked beets

1/2 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced avocado

1/2 cup garbanzo beans

1/2 cup diced seasoned cooked tofu (I used Thai flavored cooked tofu)

a large handful of Tamari or Bragg’s seasoned Almonds (available at health food stores)

1/2 cup of sprouts

Store bought vegan ranch dressing (I often thin this out with a little red wine vinegar or lemon juice)

Place a large handful of mixed greens into 4 bowls or plates. Toss all the chopped vegetables and garbanzo beans together then divide the mixture evenly over the salads. Top each salad with a haystack of sprouts and a sprinkling of almonds. Serve with store bought vegan ranch, on the side like we do in LA.

XO,

LEH

Meatless Monday: Allergen Friendly Almond Noodles

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Sarah’s INCREDIBLE peanut noodle recipe is starring this week on The Meatless Monday site as a featured Lunch recipe! Yipee! Check it the complete nutrition information of the MM site and if you have ever made this recipe be sure to give it a 5 star rating.

Peanut Noodles topped with vegetables

Last Summer I did a cleanse and ate only low allergen foods for 3 weeks. Naturally I craved satisfying meals so I adapted the magic peanut noodle recipe to fit into my cleanse and had really good results. This recipe below is Gluten Free, Peanut Free, Wheat Free, Dairy Free, Vegetarian and Vegan. If you are allergic to almonds then I’m sorry this recipe won’t help you any.

Allergen Friendly Almond Noodles

adapted from Sarah Lagrotteria’s Peanut Noodle Recipe

Ingredients

For sauce:

1/4 cup sesame oil (not toasted sesame oil)

3 tablespoons rice vinegar or fresh lime juice (or a combination of the two is nice)

1 tablespoon Gluten Free Tamari

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced or 1 teaspoon chili paste (we like Sriracha)

2 heaping tablespoons almond butter (available at natural food stores)

12 ounces Gluten Free Brown Rice Spaghetti or linguine (available at Whole Foods and Trader Joes)

3 large carrots, julienned (cut into matchsticks)

2 small or 1 large cucumber, skin on and large seeds removed, julienned (cut into matchsticks)

Any other vegetable of choice, cut into matchsticks.  Broccoli, kohlrabi, snap peas, celery or radishes are great. Shredded broccoli slaw or cabbage slaw mix from the grocery store are good and fast additions. It’s an anything-goes, clean-out-your-fridge kind of dish.

Fresh mint, Thai basil, basil, cilantro or any combo of the four, roughly chopped

Chili paste and sea salt, to taste.

Directions

Sarah’s Crisp Vegetables Tip- If the day feels particularly sticky, I recommend crisping your cucumbers and carrots in an ice bath before adding them to the dish.  Once you cut them into matchsticks submerge them both in a bowl of ice water in the fridge.  Let sit while you prepare the sauce and noodles and then drain just before adding to the dish.  Even a short soak in an icy water bath will give the vegetables more crunch.

Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium-high heat.  Cook the noodles according to the package directions.   Drain.

In a large bowl or in your blender, whisk together the sesame oil, vinegar or lime juice, tamari, garlic and jalapeno.  Add the almond butter and continue whisking until smooth.  You may need to add a teaspoon or two of hot water if the almond butter sauce is too thick. Add the warm noodles and gently toss until evenly coated.

To serve place a portion of almond noodles in a bowl and top with an assortment of the crisp vegetables. Then top with the freshly chopped herbs and serve with salt and chili sauce at the table for last minute seasoning.

Enjoy in good health!

xo,
LEH

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