Summer

Vegan Summer Fruit Galette (Gluten-Free)

by Livvy

Was that you at the farmer’s market the other day? The one who was spellbound by nature’s bounty? The one who bought entirely too many cherries, peaches, plums, berries? I know, I know. They were …

Vegan Kale Salad with Blackberries and Toasted Coconut-Pecan Clusters (Gluten-free)

by Livvy

I used to think kale was only used for garnish. I mean, really, who eats that stuff?! I don’t know about you, but I am not a fan of plain ol’ raw kale. It’s bitter and tough and has a terrible aftertaste. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to transform this super nutritious leafy green.

A little lemon, a little olive oil, some salt/pepper, and of course, TLC in the form of massage (yes, that’s right—massage) and suddenly kale is not only tolerable, it’s delicious. Especially when you toss in fresh blackberries and toasted coconut-pecan clusters. Now we’re talkin’.

Vegan Kale Salad with Blackberries and Toasted Coconut-Pecan Clusters Gluten-free

Honestly, you can sneak kale into just about anything. If I have extra kale, I wash it, spin dry it, de-stem it, tear it into bite-sized pieces it and freeze it. Then I can toss a handful in a smoothie. Or toss the whole bag in a pot of soup. It’s great for juicing, too—stem and all.

For those of you who are totally anti-kale, try spinach instead. And if blackberries aren’t readily available, try raspberries, strawberries or blueberries—or all of the above. Dried cherries would be great as well. No pecans on hand? Walnuts will work, too.

These toasted coconut-pecan clusters are amazeballs. In fact, it’s kind of hard not to eat ’em all right off the pan. Sweet, salty, nutty, and perfectly crunchy. More, please. They would make a great hostess gift during the holidays. Fill up a small canning jar, tie on some festive ribbon and you’re good to go.

Oh, and your house will smell heavenly while they are baking.

If you have trouble finding unsweetened coconut flakes, try your local health food store or order online.

Vegan Cherry Chickpea Wrap (Gluten-free)

by Livvy

Finally. I got some things checked off the to-do list last weekend. Stuff like transitioning Hubs’ old office into a dedicated photo studio/prop room. Hubs’ office is now a small dresser—LOL. Whatever.

He barely used it. This room now has a freshly painted table, two bookshelves full of props (plates, linens, utensils, etc), and various photo equipment. There are a lot of windows, so it’s perfect for using natural light in my food photos. Maybe I’ll snap some pics of it one of these days and share.

So, about this vegan, gluten-free Cherry Chickpea Wrap. This is a dead ringer for chicken salad. I swear, is there anything chickpeas can’t do?

This is a perfect summertime meal. A cool, crunchy, creamy wrap that requires minimal effort and zero cooking. You can even take a shortcut and use vegan mayo instead of making the cashew dressing.

Dress it up with any extras you like—lettuce, avocado, sprouts, tomato, pickles, onions, you name it. It’s great in a lettuce wrap or served on crackers, too. Or you can do what I do—eat it straight out of the bowl.

Vegan Curry Sweet Potatoes with Broccoli and Cashews (Gluten-free)

by Livvy

What a gorgeous holiday weekend it was here in West Michigan. We had perfect weather. A long bike ride, a BBQ/fireworks bonanza with neighbors, a lazy beach day, dinner with friends, a late night movie, sleeping in—we took full advantage of the long weekend.

The party didn’t end there. Last night we got together with friends for a potluck. We sat on their deck, enjoyed the company, and ate great food. I took a bit of a risk when I decided to make a dish I’d never made before. Fortunately, it was a winner.

Vegan Curry Sweet Potatoes with Broccoli and Cashews Gluten-free

I can’t say I’ve always loved curry. For me, it was an acquired taste. Hubs loves it. These days, I’m pretty crazy about it, too. This recipe is an adapted version of one I found in Terry Walters’ cookbook, Clean Food.

Hers called for tempeh, but I wasn’t able to find any tempeh in time, so I opted for sweet potatoes and broccoli instead. The end result was fantastic.

Vegan Coconut Lemon Tart (Gluten-free)

by Livvy

I wonder if other countries get carried away with national flag-themed food the way we do in the U.S. Do a search for “Fourth of July desserts” on Pinterest and you’ll get a smorgasbord of inventive red, white and blue creations. I’m gonna take a wild guess and assume we do this better than anyone else.

Because we are obnoxious Americans. We are loud and proud. We love our flag. And we love food. So what’s better than food that resembles our flag? (The answer is a lot of things are better than that, but let’s go with it for today.)

The raspberries and blueberries on this Coconut Lemon Tart are a subtle nod to Old Glory. A simple, understated reflection of our national colors that doesn’t require layering vanilla ice cream, raspberry sorbet and blue cake. Ain’t nobody got time for that.