Gluten-Free Vegan Brownies - AWESOME!!!!

I have been wanting to try for gluten-free, vegan brownies for quite some time now, and today I just decided to go for it. I have researched tons of recipes and took my favorite parts of several to come up with this gem. I think a little frosting is great too, but these brownies stand very well on their own!

 

Gluten-Free Vegan Brownies

2 cups Bob's Red Mill All -Purpose Gluten-Free Flour        

1/2 cup strong coffee

1 cup agave nectar

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat 9x13 pan with light coating of margarine.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, and cocoa powder and stir. Add all wet ingredients and fold together. Add chocolate chips and nuts if using. Pour into baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack and frost if desired. ENJOY!

Frosting
1 lb powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup (as needed) vanilla soy or almond milk

Blend dry ingredients together then add in wet. Add more milk as needed for a smooth spreading consistency. Stir until smooth then spread on brownies!

Vegan Thai Lettuce Wraps

I LOVE Thai Lettuce Wraps but found the meatless ones quite bland and boring. I had to find a way to enjoy these tasty wraps in a way that complimented my new plant-based diet. After looking at several recipes already out there, I just couldn't find one that suited me. I closed the laptop and followed my taste buds. What resulted was a great first-time-try masterpiece!

I had several of the ingredients already. Just some fresh green onions and cashews completed my grocery list. I started with the brown rice first, since it takes a while to cook. I prepared the rest of the dish during that time.

What resulted was phenomenal. Even my meat-eating husband loved them!

Vegan Thai Lettuce Wraps

 Simmer Sauce

1/4 Cup Gluten-Free Soy Sauce

1/4 Cup Sugar

4 T Rice Wine Vinegar

2 T Thai Style Chili Sauce

Filling

1 Bag Vegan Meal Starter (ground beef)

2 Large Portabello Mushrooms, chopped

1 Cup Cashews, Chopped

3 Cloves Garlic, Minced

2 Cups Cooked Brown Rice (About 1/2 cup rice in 1 cup water, cooked.)

1/2 Cup Green Onions, Chopped

Dipping Sauce

4 T Hoisin

4 T Thai Style Chili Sauce

1/4 Cup Gluten-Free Soy Sauce

2 T Sugar

1 Tsp Sriracha

Romaine Lettuce Leaves

Begin to cook brown rice if needed.

Prepare Simmer Sauce and set aside.

Prepare Dipping Sauce while rice is cooking as well.

In large skillet, heat 2 T oil. Put in mushrooms and stir for one minute. Add garlic and cashews and cook one minute more. Pour in bag of meatless grounds and continue to cook on medium heat until grounds are heated through. 5-7 Minutes.
Add in the two cups of cooked brown rice and stir together. Pour simmer sauce over mixture and toss to coat. Add in green onions and toss lightly. Remove from heat.
Fill Romaine Leaves with mixture. Drizzle with Dipping Sauce. Enjoy!

Black Bean Salad - AWESOME!

We just can't get enough of this salad in our house. Even though I can't claim the idea for this great recipe, I can at least share it!

Black Bean Salad

2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 bag frozen white kernel corn, cooked and cooled
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 minced red onion
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons fresh lime juic
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
2 Hass avocados, chopped

Combine all ingredients except for avocados in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight. Right before serving, add avocados and mix gently, being careful not to mash avocados. Garnish with a more chopped cilantro if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Original Recipe can be found at:
http://www.onceuponachef.com/2010/08/black-bean-salad-with-corn-red-peppers-avocado-lime-cilantro-vinaigrette.html

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Super Woman Green Juice and More

This is what makes me Wonder Woman to those who know me. The most important part of my life is starting my day with this concoction. With several variations, I don't know how I would function without it. The micronutrient punch this baby packs is the greatest part of my plant-based diet. The recipe is below as well as some of my other favorite combinations. Enjoy!

Wonder Woman Juice

2 Large Kale Leaves (or swiss chard) I prefer the organic flat-leaf kale at my local produce market
2 Cups Packed Baby Spinach
5-6 Fresh Strawberries
2 Organic Granny Smith Apples

Simple. Juice it. Drink it.


Wonder Woman Juice II

2 Large Kale Leaves (or swiss chard) I prefer the organic flat-leaf kale at my local produce market
2 Cups Packed Baby Spinach
1/2 Pint Blueberries
1 Kiwi (peel it first)
1 Organic Granny Smith Apple

Annoying Orange Juice

4 Whole Carrots
1 Golden Beet (found at my awesome local produce market!)
2 Oranges

Green Detox Queen

2 Large Kale Leaves (or swiss chard) I prefer the organic flat-leaf kale at my local produce market
2 Cups Packed Baby Spinach
2 Stalks Celery
1/2 Lemon
2 Organic Granny Smith Apples

Fruity Juicy

1/4 Whole Pineapple
5-6 Strawberries
2 Oranges
For added greatness, I pour all of this into the blender, add in a banana, and turn it into a smoothie!

All-We-Need-Now-Is-Vodka V8

2 Large Beefsteak Tomatoes (or About 5-6 Roma Tomatoes)
2 Carrots
2 Stalks Celery
1/2 Medium-Sized Cucumber
1 Wide Strip of Bell Pepper (I like red)
1 Tsp Season Salt (optional)

Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Pancakes

I have been experimenting for months with this recipe, and it is finally where I want it. Rich yet fluffy, these pancakes pack a great dose of healthy while sharing a great dose of fun. Hunter is the pickiest eater I have ever seen, yet he shovels these babies down. Just a little syrup and they're good to go!

Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Pancakes

2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Flax Meal mixed with 3 Tbsp Water (let it soak for five minutes first)
1/2 cup Melted Earth Balance Margarine
1/3 cup Honey (or agave nectar)
2 Medium Bananas, Mashed
1 cup Vanilla Almond, Coconut or Soy Milk

Place all dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and stir together well. Add all wet ingredients and mix with spoon until just blended. Cook just like you would regular pancakes. Lower temp is best for these.

Enjoy!

Gluten-Free, Vegan Iced Sugar Cookies!

This was a BIG win for me! I have never even had a sugar cookie that was gluten-free or vegan that I really liked, but after quite a few fails and near-misses, I think I finally nailed this one. They were a huge hit at the office with vegan and non-vegan eaters alike. Hope you enjoy!

Gluten-Free, Vegan Sugar Cookies

1/2 c Earth Balance Margarine
1/4 c Vegan Cream Cheese
1/2 c agave nectar
1/2 c organic sugar
2 T flax meal (soaked for 10 min in 6T water)
2 t vanilla
1 c coconut flour
2 c Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

Blend all wet ingredients in mixer. Add dry and blend well. Roll into cylinder shape, wrap in parchment paper and refrigerate at least one hour or even over-night. Preheat oven to 400. Slice dough into 1/4 inch slices and place on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for ten minutes. Cool on wire racks. Ice!

Icing

1/2c Earth Balance Margarine
2T Karo light syrup
1 t vanilla
1 t butter flavoring
1/4 c vanilla almond (rice, coconut or soy) milk
1 lb powdered sugar (1 box)

Place wet ingredients into blender and pulse until creamy. Add powdered sugar by thirds. Spread on cooled cookies.

Gluten-Free, Vegan Carrot Muffins

 

 Another win with the new baking style. After a lifetime of butter, sugar, flour and eggs, gluten-free and vegan baking are a whole new experiment in baking chemistry. There have been a LOT of fails, but more wins have been occurring lately. Looks like I'm getting my new baking wings!

Gluten-Free, Vegan Carrot Muffins

1 1/2 c spelt flour

1/2 c coconut flour

2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 1/2 t cinnamon

1 t nutmeg

1/2 c honey

1/2 c brown sugar

2 T flax meal soaked in 6 T water for 10 min

1/2 cup melted Earth Balance Spread

1 c vanilla almond, coconut, or soy milk

1 c finely grated carrots

1/2 c raisins

1/4 c chia seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix flax meal with water in small cup and set aside to soak. Line 12 muffin tins with paper muffin cups. Place dry ingredients in medium-sized mixing bowl and stir together. Add wet ingredients and stir until combined. Finally, gently fold in carrots and raisins. Full muffin cups about 2/3 full with batter and bake for about 22-24 minutes. Cool for 5 min in tins before removing to cool on wire racks.

Been Dormant Too Long!

So much has happened since I began this blog. I have gone back to work, moved across the country, had a child diagnosed with autism, and changed my diet dramatically.
With such a hectic schedule of work, school, therapy, and motherhood, I hardly have a minute for myself, but I have found so much relief and benefit from reading posts from other moms like me that I felt compelled to throw in my two-cents here and there. Hopefully my recipes and anecdotes will make a difference to others out there.
I have been smart enough to at least write down MOST of my successful recipes. Moving from trying to eat healthy to a full plant-based diet hasn't been easy, but I often attribute my healthy diet as the difference in what keeps me going. I will be continually trying to post updates as I learn y way through this new food world and try to sneak some of these great nutrients into my picky son's diet as well.
Stay tuned......