While searching for a dish to bring to my next ‘rawluck’ (raw vegan potluck), I found a recipe for 5-Ingredient Raw Apple Pie on Ali Seiter’s Farmers Market …
Recipe:Last Minute Protein Energy Bars From:Angela Liddon of Oh She Glows Oh She Glows is one of my favorite blogs and I look forward to every post. Angela …
These vegan mini cake donuts are to die for – and they are even gluten-free! Hope you like them as much as I enjoyed making them! Cupcakes were …
Ah canola oil. If you cook and/or bake or grew up in a cooking household, chances are you probably know about canola oil. But, is canola oil vegan…and …
A meatless lasagna that will knock your socks off. The star of the show is the Lemon-Basil Cashew Cheese Sauce, which is incredibly creamy and flavorful. Vegans and meat-eaters alike love this recipe. And it’s so easy to make!
Inspired by a local restaurant appetizer, this rich, decadent Vegan Mushroom Crostini is to die for! Watch how-to video to prepare this dish.
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Sugar is in a vast majority of consumable, processed foods and beverages available in the store and at restaurants. It seems downright inescapable. When you are vegan, this …
Now is a fantastic time to go Vegan. With more meat alternatives and reasons to do it than ever before why wouldn’t you? But maybe you have a …
I don’t even know where to begin. I was OVERJOYED (yes – overjoyed) with how this veggie quesadilla recipe turned out. I could live on these quesadillas and …
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, …
So, about today’s recipe. When we were in California last fall, we had lunch at a place in Sausalito called The Trident. I had their Kale & Quinoa Salad minus the cheese and it was amazing. I was craving it when we got back, so I attempted my own version.
Since then I’ve made it several times and it has evolved into one of my favorites. I’ve made it for others as well, and the reviews are always great. So, grab some kale, let’s get started.
I’m back! I’ve missed you. How are you? I hope your new year is off to a good start. If you resolved to start eating healthier this year, then you’re in the right place. Today, I have an especially healthy, nutritious recipe for you. It’s vegan of course, and also gluten-free. The flavor is light and refreshing, but it’s also a hearty, filling dish.
Often I’ll make a big batch of brown rice at the beginning of the week. It makes recipes like this one so quick and easy. Reheat the rice, steam the broccoli, whip up the dressing and toss it all in a bowl. Done. See, this is what drives me nuts. This is such a cheap, quick, easy meal—why can’t I find something like this on the menu at most restaurants? Maybe it’s just where I live—rural midwest America. But that’s about to change.
Soon, we will be moving from Michigan to North Carolina! We are so excited! The Michigan winters are brutal where we live (very close to Lake Michigan). Sometimes it starts snowing in October and doesn’t let up until March, or even April. I’m not a fan of the cold. I hate putting on snow boots and a bulky winter coat every time I leave the house. The gray days are a bummer and the rare sunny ones are deceiving. It might look all bright and cheery, but just step outside and the single digit temps tell a different story. NO THANK YOU!
I was in a crafty mood recently and decided to whip up a wreath. I’m so into GOLD. For the longest time, gold was not in fashion. Well, it’s back and I love it. I love gold jewelry, gold dishes, gold decor, gold shoes, you name it. So, why not a gold wreath? One that can be used for both fall and winter. Just swap the ribbon for a festive red one or add a few sprigs of holly…and bam! it’s a Christmas wreath. Kind of like that other wreath I made.
This isn’t complicated, folks. Pretty simple stuff.
You’ll need:
I waited for a floral sale at Hobby Lobby and got them for 50% off (originally about $10 each). Used my 40% off coupon for the ribbon. The straw wreath was only about $4. And I already had scissors, glue gun, glue sticks. So I spent about $25 on materials.
It’s pumpkin-everything season. Pumpkin Spice Latte. Pumpkin Pie. Pumpkin Soup. Pumpkin carving. Pumpkin candles. And my latest obsession, Pumpkin Cream Rooibos Tea. And here’s one more for ya—Pumpkin Pecan Cake. This is a have-a-friend-over-for-coffee kind of cake.
She’ll never guess it’s vegan and gluten-free. She’ll ask you for the recipe. You’ll top off her coffee (or pumpkin cream tea) and chat away.
The best way I can describe this dessert is a cross between carrot cake and coffee cake. It’s very moist and has a pumpkin seed-pecan crumb topping that steals the show. With about 300 calories and 17 grams of fat per serving, it’s definitely a TREAT. People too often assume vegan equals healthy.
Just because it’s vegan doesn’t mean you should have a second piece. A single piece is definitely worth the splurge, though.
I promise that this will be the only pumpkin recipe you see on 86 Lemons this season. One can only take so much pumpkin.
If you haven’t had your fill, then here are a few other vegan pumpkin recipes you might enjoy: Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies, Pumpkin Pie Smoothie, Pumpkin Spice Turnovers, Harvest Vegetable Stew in Mini Pumpkins.
I’ve been struggling with food lately. For health reasons I’d rather not discuss right now, I was put on a gluten-free, anti-inflammatory, low-fat, nightshades-free diet. Plus I’m vegan. I felt like there was nothing left to eat.
(Side note. I got about zero results when I googled recipes with these restrictions. Which is why I’m a huge fan of this idea. For $25, you can get 3 months access to their new site, plus 2 holiday eCookbooks. Sweet deal.)
For several days, I ate brown rice with steamed vegetables. And fruit. And gluten-free oatmeal. I made a vegetable soup that was okay, but I grew tired of it quickly. Finally, I started to experiment.
Using a base of quinoa and finely chopped kale, I came up with a couple of recipes that I quite like. One is an awesome salad that I’ll share with you soon. The other is this Quinoa Kale Bowl with Mushrooms and Asparagus. It’s very healthy and nutritious, but it’s also hearty and flavorful.
This recipe requires a fair amount of chopping and slicing. Fortunately, I welcome these tasks due to a love affair with my new 14″ round walnut butcher block chopping block from McClure Tables.
When McClure offered to give away two butcher blocks (one for me, one for you), I jumped at the chance to team up for this giveaway. Little did I know it would become my new favorite tool in the kitchen.
Both beautiful and functional, it looks great on my counter even when not in use. And it makes a gorgeous serving piece.
I have a drawer full of plastic cutting boards. Since receiving my new chopping block, I haven’t used a single one of them. Which means a kitchen purge is just around the corner. ;) Here are a few of the benefits to choosing a wood cutting board:
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’.
My aunt Gloria has always been the queen of gardening. Recently she told me about her abundance of kale—then she asked me what to do with it. So I rattled off a few ideas…add it to smoothies, salads of course, soups, finely chopped and “hidden” in burgers, casseroles, tacos, etc.
Honestly, you can sneak kale into just about anything. If I have extra kale, I wash it, 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.
So, Aunt G, this salad is for you. I hope you like it.
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.
I generally try to keep it pretty healthy here. Not today. This recipe for vegan fried ice cream (with a gluten-free option) is all about SPLURGING. It’s a special occasion dessert. One to pull out for birthdays, anniversaries, and such. Or maybe you’ve just had a really bad week and you could use a little food joy.
During college, I was a server at a Mexican restaurant chain called Chi-Chi’s. Fried Ice Cream was a popular menu item. If you’ve ever been a server, then you’re familiar with the term “sidework”. Sidework is a term for the tasks servers are assigned to do in addition to their basic duties.
There was no worse sidework than cleaning the dessert station. I HATED it. Imagine a freezer full of crispy coated ice cream balls next to a station with a deep fryer and containers of strawberry sauce, chocolate sauce, and honey. Plus the whipped cream, cherries, and cinnamon-sugar fried tortillas.
By the end of the day, it was always a giant sticky mess. And it took forever to clean. Maybe that’s the reason I never made fried ice cream at home. Until now.
The process itself really isn’t too bad. It’s the freezer time that makes it so involved—a two step freezing process that requires some patience. The frying step takes the least time, but is essential to creating a warm, crispy shell.
Obviously, if you have a deep fryer, it will come in very handy for this recipe. If you don’t, you can use a large pot, which is what I did.
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.
