Quick Vegan Pumpkin Butter

*Prep time: 5 mins  *Cook Time:  8 minutes  *Serves: 20

Vegan Pumpkin Butter

Ingredients

1/3 cup Brown Sugar

2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar

1/4 cup Water

1/2 tsp Allspice

1/4 tsp Ginger

1/4 tsp Cardamom

1/4 tsp Clove

1/4 Nutmeg

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1 1/2 cups canned Pumpkin

Step 1: Combine everything but the canned pumpkin in a microwave safe dish and mix well.

Step 2: Microwave on high for 3 mins, then stir. 

Step 3: Mix in the pumpkin, microwave another 5 minutes. 

Step 4: Refrigerate 

This is great for breakfast, brunch, 

or a quick & unique homemade gift. 

Vegan Yum Yum Sammich

*Prep time: 5 mins  *Cook Time:  15 minutes  *Serves: 2

Vegan Portobello and Avacado Sandwich 

Ingredients

Vegan sliced bread 

(Arnold makes a yummy multigrain vegan bread)

Vegan Pesto

1 Avocado

Baby Spinach

1/2 cup cooking sherry

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 small portobello caps

Step 1: Toast your bread slices. While they are toasting we'll start the portabellos. 

Step 2: Pour sherry, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar into a large frypan. Add minced garlic, mix it all together.

Step 3: Place portobello caps upside-down in the pan, spoon the sherry mixture into the mushroom caps. 

Step 4: Cover pan (you can use tin foil if you don't have a glass cover). Cook over medium-low 10-12 minutes. 

Step 5: Assemble your sammich! 

Cover both slices in pesto. Lay some spinach over one slice of bread, then add 4 mushroom caps, still upside-down. Throw on some avocado slices, drizzle some of the sherry mixture onto the sandwich, then top it all off with the remaining slice of bread and set with a toothpick. 

This is the most delicious sammich ever. 

Try it, then tell me otherwise. 

Enjoy!

Vegan Earl Grey Cupcakes

*Prep time: 10 mins  *Cook Time:  17 minutes  *Yeilds 8 cupcakes

Vegan Earl Grey Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Earth Balance Margarine 

2 Egg Replacer 

(3 tsp enerG egg replacer whisked with 4 tbsp hot water)

1 1/2 cup Unbleached All Purpose Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

2 Bags of Earl Gray Tea 

1/2 cup Soy Milk

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pan with liners. 

Step 2: Beat margarine until creamy. Add sugar and beat until fluffy.

Step 3: Add egg replacer making sure it mixes in well.

Step 4: In a separate bowl mix together dry ingredients, including tea leaves. Just cut off the tops of the bags and dump the tea leaves in. 

Step 5: Add half of the dry mix to the wet, then add the soy milk. Mix completely and then add the remaining dry mix and stir in. 

Step 6: Fill liners 2/3 full. Bake 17 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

I actually like these without frosting, it takes away from the Earl Grayness of it. 

But if you want frosting go with lemon icing or an agave flavored glaze. 

Enjoy! 

Vegan Rice Noodles a la Eric: Fast Vegan Recipe

*Prep time: 8 mins  *Cook Time:  20 minutes  *Serves: 3

Vegan Rice Noodles a la Eric

Ingredients

1 package extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed

1 package thin rice noodles

Your choice of: 

baby corn, water chestnuts, sliced shitake mushrooms, bean sprouts, chinese broccoli, straw mushrooms

2 tbsp sesame oil

1/4 tsp onion powder

1 tbsp minced garlic

3/4 cup vegetable broth

2 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp sriracha sauce

Step 1: Fry cubed tofu in 1-1.5 tbs sesame oil for 8 mins over medium high heat, pressing down with a spatula regularly to push out any excess moisture. 

Step 2: Add veggies, soy sauce, garlic, onion powder, & sriracha sauce to pan. Fry 10 minutes. 

Step 3: While that is frying soak your rice noodles in hot water for 8 mins.

Step 4: Add vegetable broth and drained rice noodles to your fry pan. Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil, mix well and fry until most of the vegetable broth has evaporated. 

Step 5: Toss and serve.

This is a recipe I stole  from my friend Eric and toyed with a bit. 

It is a new staple of mine: super quick and yummy. 

Many thanks Eric, you are a man of many talents. All of which I will steal. 

Vegan Hot Baked Cinnamon Apples: Breakfast Brunch Recipe

*Prep time: 30 mins  *Cook Time:  45 minutes  *Serves: 4-6

Vegan Hot Baked Cinnamon Apples

Ingredients

10 cored pink lady apples, peeled and sliced thin

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup brown sugar

3 tsp. lemon juice

a dash of salt

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375. 

Step 2: Place peeled & cut apples into a large mixing bowl. Gently mix all ingredients together.

Step 3: Move the apples to a non-stick pan.

Step 4: Bake for 45 minutes, stirring the apples every 15 mins. 

These are wonderful for breakfast or brunch. This is one of my hubby's favorite recipes. 

Enjoy! 

Vegan Gluten Free Orange and Cranberry Muffins

{Vegan!} GF Orange and Cranberry Breakfast Muffins

*Prep time: 20-25 mins  *Cook Time:  18 minutes 

GF andVegan?

I'll admit, they don't sound all of that amazing. 

Open your mind, give them a try- be surprised. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup mixture of dried cranberries and cherries

2 cups all purpose GF flour

(I used Bob's Red Mill brand. Most groceries have it, even my local Wal-Mart) 

1 Tbsp brown sugar

3/4 tsp xantham gum

(also Bob's Red Mill from Wal-Mart) 

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 cup almond or soy milk

juice from 1 orange

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1tsp vanilla extract

1tsp almond extract

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400. Line muffin pan with liners or grease muffin pan well. 

Step 2: Simmer cranberries/cherries in water 3 mins, set aside still in water.

Step 3: Mix dry ingredients together {including orange zest}

Step 4: In a separate bowl mix all of the wet ingredients. 

Step 5: Mix wet ingredients with dry. Drain berries then fold into batter. 

Step 6: Fill muffins 2/3 full.

Step 7: Bake 15 mins

These are perfect for breakfast. They are hearty , 

delicious and not overly sweet. 

Enjoy! 

Agave and Date Scented Moroccan {Vegan!} Beef

Agave and Date Scented Moroccan {Vegan!} Beef
*Prep time: 15 mins  *Cook Time:  45 minutes *Servings: 4

Once you have the ingredients for this dish you can whip it up pretty quick. Most of the cook time is down time. 

Ingredients

1 bag Gardein Beefless Tips

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil

1 Red Onion

4 Teaspoons Minced {the jarred kind} Garlic 

1 lb Carrots, cut into chunks

9 oz Canned Diced Tomatoes

4 oz Dried Dates

4 oz Dried Prunes, roughly chopped

2 Tablespoons Agave Nectar

2 Cups Vegetable Broth

1 Cinnamon Stick

2 Teaspoons Cumin Powder

2 Teaspoons Coriander Powder

1 Teaspoon Ginger

1 Teaspoon Turmeric

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cardamom

Step 1: Flash boil the carrots for 3  minutes

Step 2: Chop the onion and throw it in a skillet with 1 tsp olive oil. Let it cook over medium heat for 7-10. You want the onion to be a little charred with a lot of color. Your stove may be better or worse than mine, so keep an eye on it. Throw the minced garlic in and let that brown for a minute, stirring so that it doesnt burn. 

Step 3: Throw the carrots, onion and garlic into a large pot. Add all of the remaining ingredients *EXCEPT the beefless tips. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling turn the heat down to a simmer and set your timer for 30 minutes. 

Step 4: Once the timer goes off its time to make the Quinoa. First: turn the heat down on the scented beef to low. Microwave the beefless tips for 60 seconds then add to the pot. Leave this on low heat while the quinoa cooks. 

Ginger Masala Quinoa

Ingredients

1 tsp Olive Oil

2 tsp Ginger Paste (or 2 tsp fresh grated ginger)

Pinch Red Pepper Flakes

1 tsp Garam Masala

1 Cup Quinoa

2 Cups Water

Step 5: Now to the Quinoa: Cook the ginger paste over low/medium heat with the Olive oil in a small pan for 3-5 mins. Toss in the red pepper flakes and Garam Masala. Cook for another minute. Add the water and quinoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Set your timer for 15 minutes. 

Step 6: Fluff the quinoa. Your ready! Serve the Moraccan {vegan!} beef over the Ginger Masala Quinoa. 

This dish smells like sweet perfume and tastes exactly like what you wished sweet perfume tasted like.