Category Archives: Wraps & Sandwiches

Baked Chickpea Curry Burgers

by

3

Burgers are the easiest thing to feed our 18 month old, Cash. He refuses to eat with a fork or spoon, just wants to hold it in his hand and use the opposite hand to shovel in food! ;-)

Burgers are easy for me too since I don’t have a ton of time to prepare my meals during the day. I just throw one of these in my collard wraps with Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Cashew Cheese, leftover quinoa, shredded veggies, lentil sprouts and avocado. Sometimes I top it with Habanero Sauce or an oil-free dressing I have in the fridge. I have a ton of different burgers recipes but these are one of my favorites!!!

Chickpea Curry Burgers

Chickpea Curry Burgers in a wrap!

Original recipe from VegKitchen.com

INGREDIENTS

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

1 large celery stalk, chopped

1-150z can chickpeas, drained and rinsed OR 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas

1/4 cup quick oats

2 tablespoons ground flax seeds

2 teaspoons salt-free seasoning blend (such as Spike or Mrs. Dash – I use Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute)

1/2 teaspoon curry powder – I use Kashmiri Curry, my fav!!!

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup hummus (any flavor will do – I use Our Favorite Hummus)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Sauté chopped onion over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic, carrot and celery and sauté until all the vegetables are tender and golden.

3. Combine the vegetable mixture with the remaining ingredients in a food processor. Pulse on and off until the mixture is evenly and finely chopped, but don’t puree.

4. Drop by heaping 1/4 cup portions (I used my large ice cream scooper) onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment paper and flatten/shape gently. Bake for 30 minutes, flip over and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes or until they’re done.

Saute onion, garlic, celery and carrot until soft and add them with all other ingredients to processor

Saute onion, garlic, celery and carrot until soft and add them with all other ingredients to processor

DSC_0019

DSC_0022

DSC_0021 DSC_0023

IMG_4005

Related articles
About these ads

Our Favorite Hummus & Sweet Potato Hummus (2)

by

6

Here are two hummus recipes, the first one is our absolute favorite!

I make this first one at least once per week. I pack it in Ava’s lunch with snap peas or carrot sticks.  

Our Favorite Hummus!!

Our Favorite Hummus!!

Ingredients:

2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas drained and rinsed – OR – 3 cups cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup tahini 
6 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
3-4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 heaping teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper – I use a few shakes of Seasonello herbal salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Drain beans and reserve the liquid when you do so OR use cooked beans.

2. Combine beans, along with the other ingredients in your food processor. Use the bean liquid or water to thin it out to your desired consistency. I use about 1/4-1/3 cup water. Adjust seasonings to your liking and enjoy on everything!

Blend ingredients in food processor until it reaches your desired consistency - use bean liquid or water to thin it out.

Blend ingredients in food processor until it reaches your desired consistency – use bean liquid or water to thin it out.

Taste and season to your liking!

Taste and season to your liking!

Our Favorite Hummus!!

Our Favorite Hummus!!

Sweet Potato Hummus

You may have seen this one on my Facebook page. A few people asked for it so I figured I’d better post it before it gets lost!

Sweet Potato Hummus

Sweet Potato Hummus

1 large cooked sweet potato, cut into chunks
1 can or 1 1/2 cups chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
3-4 Tbsp tahini 
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste (I did a pinch)
Black pepper, to taste
Water or bean liquid 

Place ingredients in food processor, add water or bean liquid while its running until you get the consistency you like. Scrape sides, run again.

Easy Plant-Based Sushi

by

2

This is one of our favorite dinners. The rolling takes a little practice but it’s worth it!

Easy Vegan Sushi

You’ll need:

* bamboo sushi rolling mat – Here’s 2 for $6.31 on Amazon

* cling wrap

* Nori seaweed sheets

* Organic Pea Shoots (Trader Joe’s)

* Organic Brown Rice – I use the frozen organic brown rice from Trader Joe’s, it’s quick! (NOTE: I also mix leftover cooked quinoa in with the brown rice – half and half)

* Seasoned Rice Vinegar

* Organic Baked Tofu – Trader Joe’s makes one or make your own

* Cooked yams

* Organic Persian Cucumbers  (Trader Joe’s), red or orange pepper, cilantro, spinach (Our favorite is rainbow chard), avocado, super thin lemon slices… jalapeno is good too.

* Sriracha Sauce: I think it’s like 1/2 cup of Vegenaise to 1-2 Tbsp Sriacha

Directions:

* Stir a few teaspoons of rice vinegar into hot rice, stir and let cool to room temp

* Assemble your roll and enjoy! (See pics below)

My fillings

These are good!

Wrap your bamboo rolling mat in cling wrap

Ready to roll

Grab a piece of nori

I still don’t notice any difference if the shiny side is up or down

Add your rice

Pile up your toppings towards the front of your roll

I use the spinach leaves to hold all the goodies in while rolling. I also use rainbow chard or kale.

Start rolling the edge closest to you inward as tight as you can get it

Use a dab of water along the outside flap to close

water

Roll it closed and tight with mat

Get your knife wet and slice carefully but firmly

Ready

Serve with soy sauce and wasabi, top with black sesame seeds

My hubby likes his with the Sriracha sauce

Carrot Dogs

by

9

“Carrot what?”

“Carrot dogs, you know… like hot dogs but carrots”

My husband was very confused with this one which says a lot because he’s so used to eating my random weird concoctions. He was confused for only a minute though because once he tried them he LOVED them! He said the guys at the station would love them and if you know firefighters, that says a lot.

We don’t usually eat a ton of bread but I really wanted to try these for camping so I bought some buns instead of wrapping them in collard wraps or something else creative. I had to give my hubby the full “hot dog” experience, right!?!

Carrot Dogs

Here goes the test bite…

Looks tasty!

He loved it!!!

Original recipe from Healthy Slow Cooking. I found this one on Pinterest!!

All Natural Carrot Dogs
soy-free gluten-free
serves 4 but can be easily doubled or even tripled (I doubled the recipe)

  • 4 carrots (cut into bun lengths)
  • 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar and a dash of salt)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil (Optional – I used bean liquid)
  • 2 tablespoons coconut aminos (can sub soy sauce but use unseasoned vinegar)
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1/2 clove garlic minced)
  • a dash or two liquid smoke
  • pepper to taste
  • Ezekiel sprouted hot dog buns

Fill a pot about half-way full of water, heat it on high until it boils. Turn down to medium heat and add the carrots. Cook until you can just pierce it through with a fork. You want it to still have a snap when you eat it. Run cold water over them to stop them from cooking more.

Combine the other ingredients to make the marinade. Use a container that has a tight lid so you can easily shake it without spraying it all over your kitchen. Marinate at least 3 to 4 hours, though they are fine for almost 2 days.

Put the carrots in the container and marinade for a few hours to up to a few days. If you marinate them longer they take on more of the vinegar flavor. If the carrots are very skinny I would not marinade them for more than 1 1/2 days so they don’t taste too sour.

To serve heat the carrots in a 350 degree oven or on in a grill pan on a hot grill until heated through. It should take about 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve in a toasted hot dog bun with your favorite toppings. They’re great the southern way  topped with chili and cole slaw! Prep these on a weekend and you’re ready for a quick weeknight treat.

You could also cook them in your slow cooker in the marinade. You will need to check on them so they do not get mushy, so it’s not an overnight or all day affair. If they get mushy when you re-heat them it will make a mess. Cook until a fork just goes through the carrot, but the carrot is still slightly firm.

Cut carrots into bun lengths – I cut the leftovers to add in too, testers!

Boil carrots until you can pierce with a fork but they’re still crisp – I think mine went about 4 minutes but they needed a bit longer. Remove from water and rinse with cold water to stop from cooking any more.

I left my carrots in the marinade for about 1 1/2 days.

Cook at 350 until heated through OR grill them. I used my toaster oven because my hubby was anxious to try them. Top with your favorite toppings!

It looks like a real hot dog….

Curried Quinoa and Adzuki Bean Burger Wraps

by

5

You’re probably saying adzuki what? That’s what I said when I first heard about these little red beans. Burgers are a staple in our house lately (easy finger food for our 1-year old) and I’m always up for a new bean so I added some to my last Nuts.com order. To be honest, these burgers came out a little bland so I decided to spruce them up a bit with a few toppings and WALAH… YUMMY GOODNESS!!! Okay… enough with the caps lock, you get the picture ;-)

Curried Quinoa & Adzuki Bean Burger Wraps

Both of our kids love these burgers smeared with a little hummus and topped with chopped avocado. I prefer the wrap thing myself. My best friend came over for dinner with her nephew a few nights ago when I served these burgers… he wasn’t a fan but our son was happy to eat his share!

First bite… not sure yet (Friend is NOT amused with these burgers!)

He likes them!! YES!!!! (Friend still not amused)

“Hey if you don’t want your burger, I’ll eat it…”

“No really… TAKE IT!”

Yummy! (Friend still not amused)

LOL!!! Had to share those pics, they’re too funny! Okay… onto the burger recipe.

NOTE: Once you make the burgers, here are the ingredients I used to make the wraps:

* Collard Greens – pick larger ones for wraps

* Mango Chutney (from Trader Joe’s)

* Plain Hummus (I make my oil-free hummus or use Trader Joe’s Mediterranean Hummus in a pinch)

* Lentil Sprouts (See my sprouting post)

* Avocado

Original burger recipe from Choosing Raw… great site!!!

Curried Quinoa and Adzuki Bean Patties (vegan, gluten free, soy free)

Makes 6-8 Burgers

1/2 cup quinoa, dry
1 3/4 cup cooked adzuki beans (I buy mine from Nuts.com - $3.99/lb for organic)
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4-1/2 cup chickpea flour
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
Black pepper to taste
Cooking spray (I use the spectrum brand) or a scant amount of coconut oil for sauteeing and grilling

1. Bring 1 cup water to boil and add the quinoa. Lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes WITHOUT OPENING THE LID! Remove from heat and let sit, fluff with a fork.

2. Sautee the onion till golden and tender.

3. When quinoa is done, add quinoa, onion, chickpea flour, and adzuki beans to a food processor. Pulse quickly until the mixture is forming a dough that is uniform and sticks together, but still has some texture. Add spices and pulse a few more times to incorporate. If at any point you feel as though you’re overprocessing, you can transfer the bean and quinoa mixture to a bowl and mix with your hands!

4. Shape mixture into six patties and spray a skillet or pan with coconut oil. Cook for five minutes over medium heat, flip, and continue to cook for another five minutes or so.

Add cooked quinoa, onion, chickpea flour, and aduki beans to a food processor. Pulse quickly until the mixture is forming a dough that is uniform and sticks together, but still has some texture. Add spices and pulse a few more times to incorporate.

Spoon mixture into hot pan and smash a bit to resemble burgers

When burgers are done, let cool a bit then assemble your wrap. I did this order: collard green. hummus, burgers, mango chutney, avocado then lentil sprouts. Ready to wrap!

Pretty little wrap!

Time to eat!

Brown Rice & Lentil Burgers

by

13

Hey there!

Sorry I’ve been absent lately, operation “Daily Toddler Energy Drain” is in full effect this summer which means I haven’t been spending a ton of time at home. We’ve also been camping quite a bit since we bought our RV. So much fun!

I haven’t done a ton of cooking lately but I decided to make these burgers tonight since I need a burger recipe for our upcoming camping trip. Our son is turning one soon and I also needed a new menu item for him to try. These burgers were a hit all around, our kids LOVED them! I ate mine in a lettuce wrap with horseradish mustard, Habanero Sauce, avocado, relish and heirloom tomato slices. YUMMO!!

Brown Rice & Lentil Burgers

Kid Tested AND Approved!!!

The original recipe is from the blog For The Love of Food. I altered it a bit and I may continue to do so the next time I make them. I want to play with the spices a bit, maybe make a spicy batch next time.

Brown Rice & Lentil Burgers

1/2 cup dried green or brown lentils, rinsed (I used brown)
1/2 cup brown rice
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup quick oats
Combine the lentils, brown rice, onion, carrot, garlic, cumin, sage, and salt in a medium-size saucepan. Add the water and vegetable broth. Cover and bring to a boil then reduce the heat and boil gently until the rice and lentils are tender and all the liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes.
Drain in a colander to remove any excess liquid. Add mixture to large mixing bowl and add the quick oats, stir until combined. Let cool until able to handle. Form into 8 large burger patties.
Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper – you can spray the paper with a little cooking spray if you’re worried about them sticking (I did). Bake them for 15 minutes and flip. Bake an additional 15 minutes and remove from oven. Let cool slightly, they will harden a little and become easier to handle.

Add ingredients to medium-sized saucepan, cover and bring to a boil. Lower temp and continue to cook at a low boil for about 40 minutes.

Cook until lentils and rice are done and liquid is almost all absorbed.

Transfer to mixing bowl, add quick oats and combine. Let cool until able to handle.

Form patties and place on parchment paper (spray if you wish). Makes 8 large patties, I had to make them in two batches!

Almost done! Mini patty for our one-year old :-)

Yummy!!!

Related articles

Chipotle Lentil Burgers

by

10

I’ve had my eye on this recipe for a while so I decided to try it since my hubby requested burgers this week. SO GLAD I DID because this one’s a keeper!!! This was a little too spicy for our toddler since I left the seeds in the ancho chiles. I’m going to remove more seeds next time I make it and see if she likes it. I’m sure she will!

                              
                Chipotle Lentil Burgers

I served these in collard wraps instead of buns but you can do as you like. I topped the burger with Cashew Basil Cheese, leftover from Portobello Mushroom Pizzas. Yummy!!!

The original recipe is from “Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (Buy it here).  Her recipes are AWESOME! I love her other book, Veganomicon too.

Ingredients:

* Bean cooking liquid/water for saute

* 1 small red onion, cut into medium dice

* 1/2 pound zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/2 inch thick (about 2 medium to large-sized zucchinis)

* 3 cloves garlic, minced

* 1 (15oz) can cooked lentils, drained and rinsed (1 1/4 cups)

* 1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, chopped (stems and leaves) 1 (15-ounce) can cooked lentils, drained and rinsed (1 1/4 cups)

* 1 1/2 cup bread crumbs (Recipe called for 1 cup but I needed more. I’m going to try using rolled oats or quick oats next time, maybe let the mixture sit overnight before cooking)

* 1/4 cup chipotles in adobo sauce, seeds removed if you wish (I didn’t remove any and they were nice and spicy but not too hot)

* 2 Tbsp soy sauce

* 2 tsp red wine vinegar

* 2 tsp smoked paprika

Directions:

1. Saute onion for about 3 minutes, use bean liquid/water to keep from sticking. Add zucchini, garlic and cilantro and sauté for 7-10 minutes, until the zucchini is soft. 2. Transfer veggie mixture to food processor, add all other ingredients EXCEPT 1 cup breadcrumbs – SAVE FOR LATER. Pulse until mostly smooth, transfer to a large mixing bowl. 3. Add remaining breadcrumbs and mix with a fork to combine. 4. Divide burger mixture into six equal pieces and form patties with your hands. 5. Spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray (just a little!) to keep them from sticking. Cook burgers about 10-12 minutes turning a few times until done. I cooked three at a time.

Chop your veggies!
Saute onions
Add zucchini, garlic and cilantro
Add veggie mixture to food processor with all other ingredients but RESERVE SOME BREADCRUMBS – pulse to combine
Pulse until almost smooth
Add remaining breadcrumbs and combine with fork
Form into six patties (stray zucchini in there, I see…)
Don’t crowd them in your pan, flip a few times until done
Done! Gee, this pic makes them look burnt but they aren’t, PROMISE!
Rolled mine up in collard greens… yummy!
Now that’s a burger!!
Related articles

Ancho Lentil Bowls with Low-fat Cashew Nacho Cheese

by

10

This is one of the best meals we’ve had in awhile! It’s so good, I’m trucking the kids to the store in the morning to make it again for a party tomorrow night. No joke, it’s that good!

Ancho Lentil Bowl with Low-Fat Vegan Cheese

I’ve made the Ancho Lentils a few times now and they’ve always turned out great. The original recipe (from Post Punk Kitchen) is for Ancho Lentil Tacos but you could use this on just about anything – tacos, burritos, nachos, collard wraps, etc.

I have a ton of fake cheese recipes but this Lowfat Nacho Cheeze from Happy Herbivore is my new favorite! Together they make an awesome meal! I served it over brown rice tonight but next time I’ll try these ingredients in a collard wrap. YUMMY!!! I also topped this with tomatoes, lettuce, cilantro, sliced avocado, a squeeze of lime and our favorite Habanero Sauce, our favorite Mexican food topping!

P.S. Our toddler loved this! I took out a scoop of the lentils before I added the hot sauce, figured she may not like it so spicy.

“Um… Mommy… What is this?”

“Mmmmm! I like it”

“Hey there sis, this banana is kinda boring… wanna share?”

Ancho Lentils

* 1 Tbsp water or bean cooking liquid (for oil-free sautéing)
* 1 small onion, minced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 1/2 cups cooked lentils (from about 1 cup dried) – Brown or green work great. I used a package of Trader Joe’s cooked lentils this time
* 3 tablespoons tomato paste
* 2 tablespoons hot sauce (preferably Cholula)

Spice mix:
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 2 teaspoons ground ancho chile
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

First combine all of the ingredients for the spice mix and set aside. Also, keep a cup of water within reach, you’ll need to add splashes as you cook.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sautee the onion and garlic in the water or bean liquid with a pinch of salt (optional) for about 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Add spices and toss them for 30 seconds or so to toast.

Lower heat to medium, add lentils, a few splashes of water, tomato paste and hot sauce; use a spatula to mash them a bit as they cook, until they hold together. If your spatula isn’t strong enough to accomplish this, just use a fork or a potato masher (I used this).

Do this for about 5 minutes, adding splashes of water as necessary if it appears dry. Taste for salt and seasoning; you may want to add more spices or hot sauce. And that’s it, time to serve!

Time to make some Ancho Lentils! I cheated this time and used Trader Joe’s packaged lentils ;-)

Saute your onion and garlic then add spices

Cook spice and onion/garlic mixture for 30 seconds then add remaining ingredients… smells so good!!

Ready for tacos, nachos, burritos, on top of rice or anything else you can think of!

Low Fat Vegan Nacho Cheese

 Ingredients
  • ¼ cup raw cashews – I soaked mine for a few hours first
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ⅔ cup non-dairy milk – I used unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 tsp yellow miso paste
  • ½ tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • ¼ cup roasted red bell peppers
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • a dash of cayenne pepper

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occassionally and allowing the cheese to thicken.

Combine all ingredients in your food processor, combing until smooth

Smoooooth!

Heat in a pan on the stove until thick, stir occasionally

Yah!! Ready to dollop on your favorite Mexican food!

 

Coconut “Bacon”

by

3

Confession time. My favorite show on tv is Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives… there, I said it. It makes zero sense that I would love this show so much considering 99.9% of the food they make on there is NOT plant-based. That’s okay though, the recipes on there give me ideas for other recipes sometimes and on a rare occasion Guy Fieri features a plant-based dish on the show.

It’s my understand that Guy grew up vegetarian and HATED it so much that he rebelled at a young age. While he may not make the same food choices as myself, he’s a pretty good host of the show although his dietary choices are (in my opinion) atrocious.

He’s featured vegan burgers, a few curry dishes and a coconut club with fried tofu and coconut bacon. I’ve been thinking about that sandwich for awhile now and decided to try out the coconut bacon concept. I searched around the internet and found this recipe. It’s really easy to make, you could whip up a batch of this for quick BLT’s or add this to tofu scramble… honestly, you could add it to just about anything! I’m thinking salad topping, add to split pea soup or a pizza topping!

This recipe is from Vegan Good Things blog, another cool site I bookmarked to peruse later. Sorry for the lame photo, I haven’t had a chance to make anything pretty with this yet but I will soon!!!

My hubby and toddler LOVED this!

Coconut Bacon
makes about 3 cups (enough for 4 – 6 sandwiches, depending on how big you make ‘em)

3 large handfuls of large flake, unsweetened coconut (bought mine at Sprouts)
1 Tbsp. liquid smoke – Colgin brand is plant-based, some are not
2 Tbsp. tamari – or soy sauce, coconut aminos or shoyu
1 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (optional, but recommended – I used it)

Preheat oven to 300. Place coconut in a shallow baking pan. Combine other ingredients together in a small bowl and drizzle over coconut. Use your hands to mix and make sure the coconut is evenly coated. Bake at 300 for 20 minutes, or until crisp. It will continue to crisp as it cools, and is best eaten at room temperature.

I used my Pyrex glass pan, worked great!

Mix sauce with coconut, spread evenly

Coconut “Bacon”

Pizza Hummus

by

5

I’ve been trying to make a new hummus flavor each week since we eat so much of it, the plain version gets a little old after awhile. I wanted to try a pizza flavored hummus since we loved the Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil “Cheese” so much. This turned out pretty good! I may use sun-dried tomatoes next time, just to see how that turns out.

Pizza Hummus

Pizza Hummus

* 2 cups garbanzo beans – I used cooked beans but I think you could use about 2 cans worth, drained and rinsed

* 1/2 cup tomato sauce

* 2-3 cloves garlic

* 2 T bean liquid – I use this instead of using oil. Try water instead if you don’t have bean liquid leftover from cooking or canned

* 4-6 Tbsp nutritional yeast

* 1 1/2 – 2  tsp dried oregano

* 1 tsp dried basil

* 1/8 – 1/4 cup fresh basil – I used a little under 1/4 but just add to your liking

* pinch of salt

- Blend all ingredients in food processor until smooth, taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. 

Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth

First taste…

I think it’s good now!

Ready to eat!

Related articles

Juice Pulp Crackers

by

4

I’ve always been curious about the raw food world and I recently discovered an awesome recipe website called Choosing Raw. She has a recipe for “crackers” using leftover juicing pulp… GENIUS!!! I made another batch before this one with just pulp, chia seeds and water… turned out pretty good but this recipe is much better. I’ve made them both in my dehydrator and the oven and the results were very close in texture and dryness. I spread a thin layer of Sun Dried Tomato Basil Pizza Cheese on these and WOW was that good!! Our toddler loves these “crackers” too!!

If you find that you have too much leftover pulp, freeze it and make these at a later date! These are great with salads, as flatbreads with hummus or any other favorite topping or just as a simple snack!

Juice Pulp Crackers

Chia Juice Pulp Crackers (raw, vegan, GF)

2 cups juice pulp, tightly packed

1/2 cup ground chia seed – I ground mine in the Magic Bullet
2-3 tbsp tamari
2 tsps ground coriander
black pepper to taste
1/3-1/2 cup water
1/3 cup chia seeds, whole

1) Place pulp, ground chia, tamari, coriander, and black pepper in a food processor fitted with the S blade. Pulse to combine well.

2) Add the water and let the motor run, till mixture is right consistency (start by adding 1/4 of a cup and move up: how much you need will depend on how much liquid was in the pulp already). You want your mixture to be thick and sticky, but spreadable.

3) Add whole chia seeds and pulse to combine.

4) Spread on a Teflex lined dehydrator sheet, score into cracker shapes and dehydrate at 115 for about 5-6 hours. Flip the sheet over (you may want to put another sheet on top and then flip them both), and then dehydrate till very dry, about 4-5 more hours.

5) OVEN DIRECTIONS:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the “dough” onto it evenly. I made mine pretty thin, about 1/2 inch or so. Bake at 350 degrees until crispy. My oven batch took about an hour and I flipped them after about 40 minutes.

Juicing done… don’t waste that pulp!

This was my first recipe with chia seeds and water…

Spread mixture out onto cookie sheet or use your dehydrator

Don’t forget to cut your “crackers” before baking/drying!

Ready to eat!

Related articles

Spicy Lentil Wraps with Tahini Sauce(s)

by

2

Have you tried the vegan Spicy Lentil Wrap from Trader Joe’s? OMG it’s so good! I’m not that stoked on the white lavash wrap or the high’ish sodium content but in a rare pinch it works perfectly! I decided to try and find a copy recipe for that wrap, maybe make it a wee bit healthier in the process so I can have it more often. I found this recipe on theKitchn website after a few searches and decided to make it immediately.

Spicy Lentil Wrap with Tahini Sauce(s)

I made the red pepper paste first. It didn’t come out the way I expected it to, it was a little runny in the end but it still tasted good! I cooked it much longer than the directions said, hoping that it would thicken up but it didn’t. It was still delicious and I plan on making it again!

I bought lavash bread/wraps from Trader Joe’s but as my luck would have it, they were out of the whole wheat ones that day so I decided to do a few on collard wraps to make it a bit healthier. The collard wraps were pretty good but not as good as the lavash bread… figures, right?!

Collard wraps ready to roll!

Now to roll this without breaking it... hmmm....

Success!! Well... if you don't count the red pepper paste oozing out...

Delish!!

I wasn’t super crazy about the tahini sauce recipe that came with the wrap recipe from theKitchn so I did a little hunting… maybe it was the lack of salt? Hmmm…. I found a Yogurt Tahini Sauce on one of my absolute favorite vegan food blogs Fat Free Vegan Kitchen and made that as well. Now THAT is a good tahini sauce! Her secret ingredient is ketchup, who would’ve guessed to use that! Genius!!!

Spicy Lentil Wraps with Tahini Sauce
Makes 6 wraps

1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed
2 cups water
3/4 cups bulgur
2 tablespoons olive oil (I omitted this and water sautéed instead, as usual!)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 scallion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I omitted)
6 (approximately 9×12-inch) sheets lavash, white or whole wheat OR use collard wraps!
3/4 cup red pepper paste (recipe below, or use store-bought)
2 cups shredded cabbage
Tahini sauce to serve (recipe below)

Combine lentils and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 20 minutes.

Turn off heat and stir in bulgur. Let stand until water is absorbed and bulgur is soft, about 30 minutes.

Cooking up the barley lentil mixture!

Meanwhile, heat olive oil (or water for water sautee) in a pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent. Stir in cumin and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute.

Add onions, scallions, parsley, and salt to lentil-bulgur mixture and stir until well combined. Let cool before using to make wraps. (If you want a smoother texture closer to the Trader Joe’s version, you can run the filling through a food processor, but I like it just as it is.) You can freeze the filling in an airtight container if not using all at once.

To assemble, lay out a lavash sheet with the shorter end closest to you. Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of red pepper paste across the lower 1/3 of the sheet. Top with the lentil-bulgur mixture, and then the cabbage. Roll from the bottom up, and spread an additional 1/2 tablespoon of red pepper paste across the top end to help seal the wrap. Repeat for remaining wraps.

Lavash wrap

To serve, cut each wrap in half and serve with tahini sauce on the side.

Red Pepper Paste
Makes about 3/4 cup

6 red bell peppers, cored and chopped

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt (I omitted this)

Olive oil to cover (if refrigerating) – I did not use this and mine kept in the fridge just fine

Combine bell peppers, cayenne pepper, and salt in a food processor and puree.

Pour the puree into a skillet over low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a paste. This can take up to 2 hours.

Let cool before using. To store, pack the paste into a jar, pour enough olive oil on top to cover, and refrigerate.

Pretty red peppers

Combine and blend until smooth

Pretty!

Cook up to two hours or until thickened - mine never really thickened, I cooked it for 2 1/2 hours total

Tahini Sauce
Makes about 3/4 cup

1/4 cup tahini
2/3 cup or more warm water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed garlic
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork until well combined.

Gradually stir in small amounts of additional warm water until the desired consistency is achieved.

Regular Tahini Sauce - use your Magic Bullet!

Spicy!!

** Fat Free Vegan’s AMAZING Yogurt-Tahini Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup soy yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, pressed
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pinch red pepper
  • 4 teaspoons ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl. Add additional seasonings to taste.

Ketchup? I think yes!

YUMMY!

Related articles

Delicious Oil-Free Hummus

by

8

Who doesn’t love a good hummus recipe!? It’s just so easy to make and such a satisfying alternative to junk food dips out there. We love it on Kale Lemon Sandwiches, dolloped on top of salads, nestled inside of collard wraps or next to a plate of cold, raw veggies. Our toddler eats hummus for her morning snack with carrots, jicama, sugar snap peas, celery, daikon radishes (raw, yep she loves them!), raw broccoli and well… most of the time she uses her hands to scoop it into her mouth when the skinny carrot sticks and pulled-apart veggies take too long.

Then again, who doesn’t love a good OIL-FREE hummus recipes!?! I know I do, I’m always on the lookout for good oil-free alternatives to foods that are usually full of it, and still taste good too! This is a good plain hummus recipe but we also love Oil-Free Buffalo Wing’ish Hummus too!

I really like this recipe because it uses sesame seeds instead of tahini… I don’t know what it is about me and tahini but I always taste something funky when I use it. Some recipes, I don’t notice it but in hummus recipes, I do.

Delicious Oil-Free Hummus

I found this recipe on The Veggie NP: Plant-Based Health Care ’s Facebook page. I tweaked it a bit to suit our taste, it’s a really great recipe! I doubled it and send a big container to work with my hubby.

Delicious Oil-Free Hummus 

** Combine in a strong blender:

  • 1/2 c ground sesame seeds (or tahini if that’s all you have) – Put the sesame seeds in the dry blender first, and grind, then add the rest of the ingredients.
  • 1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, reserve liquid OR 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans 
  • 1-3 clove garlic
  • 1/4 – 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1-2 Tbsp parsley flakes
  • Juice of one + lemons (or 3-4 Tbsp lemon juice) – I like lots of lemon in mine so I added extra, start with one and test to see if you want more
  • Dash of cayenne pepper (optional but really adds a nice taste!)
Instructions:
  • Blend until smooth, and serve!
  • Note: Use enough liquid from canned Garbanzos to get the consistency you want: thick for sandwich spread, thinner for a vegetable dip, etc. If you’re using cooked garbanzo beans, use the cooking liquid or water if that’s all you have.

Grind those sesame seeds first! Or if you're using tahini, add with all other ingredients :-)

Add chickpeas and all other ingredients and blend well

Adjust seasonings.... as you can see I added more cayenne, lemon and parsley flakes

Yummy!

Related articles

Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil “Cheese”

by

12

I’ve been stockpiling raw food recipes lately; I love collard wraps so much but I’m getting bored with the combinations I already have. Since most raw foodist have perfected the collard wrap, I figure it’s about time I do the same. I don’t plan on going 100% raw anytime soon (yeah, like I have that kind of time in the kitchen!) but I’m dabbling. I guess you could say we already eat a pretty raw diet but I’m enjoying learning about the more traditional styles of real raw food… if that makes any sense. ;-)

I found this recipe on a Choosing Raw and I had to make it. Not only is this one of the BEST nut cheeses I’ve ever tasted, it’s probably one of the best FOODS I ever tasted! I’ve been slathering it on so many things but I haven’t had a chance to take a better picture to represent all the glory of this beautiful “cheese”. Nevertheless, I had to post this so that you guys have a chance to make it yourselves. I plan on using it in collard wraps, salads, as a dip, I’ve been spreading it on my Pulp “Crackers” (post to follow soon – “crackers” made out of chia seeds and leftover juicing pulp… BRILLIANT!!!), eating it with a spoon, dreaming of putting it on pizza and well, dreaming of putting it on just about anything! This reminds me of sun dried tomato basil cream cheese, I bet it would be excellent on a warm toasted bagel! I haven’t had a bagel in so long…. hmmm….. :-)

Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil "Cheese"

Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil “Cheese” (AKA Italian “Pizza Cheese”)

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for two hours or more
Juice of one lemon
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp white miso (optional)
4 sundried tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup basil

Throw nuts in a food processor and process the heck out of them! Then add salt, lemon juice and miso (if you’re using it). Scrape the sides of bowl and run your processor again, this time drizzling some water in. Keep doing this until the cheese reaches the consistency you like. I aim for mine to look like ricotta.

Ready, set, blend!

Smooth like ricotta

Add tomatoes and basil and pulse until they are well combined into the cheese.

Add sun-dried tomatoes and basil

Don't cut yourself licking the blade! ;-)

DONE!! Now try not to eat the whole batch by yourself!!

Again, sorry for the terrible photo but I just had to get this to you sooner!!

Sprouting Made Easy

by

6

Let me start by saying I SERIOUSLY lack in the green thumb department… I can kill a cactus. I taught myself how to sprout and I have a new sense of confidence when it comes to growing something, that makes me so happy! I’m not ready to start my own kale garden yet but in the meantime I’m having a blast sprouting in my pantry.

Once you get the hang of it, it’s super easy and fun! I always keep a jar or two in my fridge, I love to add sprouts to my daily salads! I added sprouts to my recent copycat Whole Foods-like Oil-Free Lentil Salad, that was delicious! The past few weeks I’ve been sprouting spelt, wheat berries and buckwheat groats together to make a delicious live-food breakfast! I add a little walnuts or raw pumpkin seeds, some fruit and a little almond milk, it’s really delicious.

** Tools you will need to do this:

1. Grains, seeds, beans, lentils or whatever else you want to sprout! I like green lentils, mung beans, spelt, wheat berries, buckwheat and variety packs the best. I’m still experimenting with other ones, there are so many! You can sprout quinoa, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds (I tried this and didn’t really get any growth… still mastering this one!)… so many options! I’ve sprouted garbanzo beans before and made hummus out of them… tasted kinda funky, I have to admit but I’m willing to try it again. 

2. 1/2 Gallon Mason Jars – They work the best and allow the most sprout production due to their larger size. I like the wide-mouth ones the best! You can also use them to store your dry beans and grains, I do!

3. Sprouting Lids or Cheesecloth and a rubber band – I like the lids the best

4. Dark pantry or cupboard – time to clear out a space for your new sprouting habit! Now, some sprouts (from what I’ve read) need sunlight but I haven’t gotten to that level yet. I tried leaving my lentil sprouts out on the counter for sunlight and they ended up brown and odd tasting. For now, I’m sticking to the cupboard/pantry method!

5. Bowl – large enough to hold a mason jar upside down to catch excess water

** Instructions:

1. I add about 1/2 – 1 cup of whatever I want to sprout to my 1/2 gallon mason jar (some more, some less depending on the size of the seed/grain you’re growing)… fill the jar with water, attach my sprouting lid (or cheesecloth if you don’t want to use a fancy lid) and drain the water out. I then fill the jar up again and let it sit in my cupboard with the LID ON (metal one that comes with the jar or a plastic one you can order separately) overnight – about 12 hours.

2. The next morning – attaching the sprouting lid or cheesecloth, drain the jar into the sink and place it upside down on a towel to get most of the excess water out. Then place the jar upside down in a bowl, lined with a paper towel. Place this getup in a dark cupboard or pantry.

3. WRITE YOURSELF A NOTE SAYING “SPROUTS”… that’s what I do. It’s taped to the outside of my cupboard to remind me to rinse my sprouts a few times a day. Out of sight out of mind, they’re easy to forget about.

4. Continue to fill the jar up with water and drain 2-3 time a day, placing the jar back into the bowl in your cupboard or pantry each time. Make sure you get most of the water out or your sprouts will MOLD! If you forget about them and leave them in there without rinsing them for 24 hours they will most likely mold… just happened to me today! AGH!!! I hate wasting two whole jars of sprouts!!!

5. When you’ve achieved your desired growth on your sprouts rinse them one last time and place a metal or plastic lid on the jar and place in the fridge for up to a week.

6. TIME TO EAT! Add them to salads, eat them for breakfast or snack but most of all ENJOY THEM because they are SOOOOO GOOD FOR YOU!!! :-)

Day 1 - soak overnight

Wheat Berry's on LEFT, Green Lentils on RIGHT

Day 2 - Drain and rinse

(Day 2) Lid Options: Sprouting lid or cheesecloth and rubber band

Day 2 - Place in cupboard upside down. Line bowl with folded paper towel to absorb more water

(Day 3) Beginning of growth!!

Day 3

(Day 4) Continue to rinse and drain 2-3 times a day, keeping jars in your pantry or cupboard

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

(Day 6) Ready to add to salads and recipes!!