Vegan Banana Peanut Butter Muffins

We were pretty much out of food last Friday before going out of town, hungry, and too tired to go to the grocery store. I decided I would make something with the few ingredients I had in my house. First, I tried avocado muffins with the two overripe avocados I had in my house. They turned out to be beyond overripe. I had already mixed the dry ingredients and so I needed to figure out a recipe I could make with that. I opted for banana muffins, then Rich suggested I put peanut butter in them. They came out great!

The muffins were moist and slightly dense. They tasted like banana bread with a hint of peanut butter. They made a great dinner and pre-running snack the next morning.

This recipe was really quick and easy, assuming you don't try to make them with avocados first. Let me know how yours come out!

Recipe
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 bananas
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup soy milk

Method 
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Mix dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and cinnamon) together in a small bowl.
3. Mash the bananas and place them in a large bowl.
4. Add the remaining ingredients, besides the soy milk, to the mixture. Using an electric mixture, beat for about 1 minute.
5. Add half the dry ingredients and 1/2 cup of soy milk, mix again with the electric mixer.
6.  Mix in the remaining 1/2 cup of soy milk until all is well combined.
7. Grease muffin tins or use muffin papers. Place about 1/4 cup of batter in each muffin cup.
8. Bake for about 22 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Let cool for about 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
Yield: About 2 dozen muffins

Homemade Vegan Cracker Recipe

I have been wanting to make homemade crackers for some time. Yesterday Rich surprised me and got me my favorite vegan cheese. I really wanted some crackers to go with it, but the gourmet corner store wanted to charge me $5 for about 12 crackers that had half of their calories from fat. I couldn't justify it on so many levels. I decided this would be a great opportunity to finally make my own!

My favorite vegan cheese - made in Brooklyn!

This recipe was amazingly simple and I was pleasantly surprised by the crackers! They were light and savory. The whole wheat flour gave them a hearty flavor. The herbs and salt added the savory taste. The black pepper also made them a little spicy. My only complaint was they were a little thick, next time I will try to roll them thinner.

This recipe was inspired by a recipe from SpiceFoodie.

Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 24-30 crackers

Recipe
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (plus a little more for rolling and dusting)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons italian herbs (mixed rosemary, thyme, oregano)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup warm water
4 tablespoons olive oil

Method
1. Pre-head the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

Vegan cheese, apples, and homemade crackers!

2. Add all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well.
3. Make a well in the center and add the water and olive oil. Stir until the flour is no longer visible.
4. Sprinkle flour on the place you will roll them out. Add more sprinkled flour to the top or your dough and dust your roller with flour.
5. Roll the dough so that it is about 1/8 inch thick and transfer to a baking dish lined with parchment paper.
6. Use a pizza slicer to cut the crackers to the desired size and shape.
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes and then remove from the oven.
8.  Move the crackers to a cooking rack and give them about 8 minutes to cool.
9. Sprinkle with a little salt and/or herbs.

You can really get creative with the herbs and spices added. What kinds of herbs will you try?

Vegan Cinnamon Raisin Bread

I wanted to make a different variation of my usual Whole Grain Bread recipe. I made a cinnamon raisin bread that came out delicious! It was not as sweet as most cinnamon breads, which I really liked. The jumbo raisins and molasses provided a more subtle, natural sweetness.  The whole wheat flour made it hearty and healthy. It is best served warm. We couldn't stop eating this bread!

Ingredients:

1 cup soy milk (almond milk also works)

2/3 cup water

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp molasses

1/2 tsp salt (you can use a little more if you like saltier bread)

1/4 tsp cloves

2 tsp cinnamon 

3 ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour

½ cup old fashion oats

1 cup of jumbo raisins

2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast

Method

1. Place the wet ingredients in the bread machine

2. Add flour, oats, and raisins. Make sure the raisins are separated (sometimes they stick together). 

3. Make a hole in the flour (see picture above) that is not too deep to touch the liquid.

4. Add the dry yeast in the hole. This is to keep the yeast from rising if you are setting your bread maker to start a little later. I love to set it for 3 hours before I wake up so I wake up to the smell!

5. Set your bread maker on the “whole wheat” setting.

6. Try to wait patiently for 3-4 hours, depending on your bread maker. Let cool for 15 minutes.

We used this bread to make tempeh reubens. The sweetness really added to the flavor. It was also great when warm with vegan cream cheese. 

Vegan St. Patrick's Day Recipes

Here are some vegan St. Patrick's Day recipe ideas. I decided to make traditional cabbage and Irish Soda Bread. I wasn't really in the mood for imitation meat and didn't want anymore carbs, so we made a lentil loaf instead. We were cooking for our families and so there was also the traditional corned beef available for those who wanted it.

If you are cooking all of these recipes at once, I recommend cooking the Irish Soda Bread first and letting it cool so you can use the oven for the lentil loaf. The lentil loaf is best served warm. Also, start the cabbage about 15 minutes before you want to eat. It will be done quickly and is also best served warm.

Irish Soda Bread (From an earlier post)

Ingredients
2 cups of soy milk
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
4 cups plus 2 tsp. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. raw sugar
1 cup raisins

The Irish Soda Bread batter after mixing the wet and dry ingredients. The vinegar and baking soda have a reaction. 

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degree Fahrenheit.
2.  Whisk the soy milk and apple cider vinegar until the milk becomes foamy. Set aside.
3. Whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar together.
4. blend the wet and dry ingredients together. The dough will be dry, this is good.
5. Fold in raisins.
6. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes adding the 2 tbsp. of flour.
7. Place the batter in an 8 inch pie tin with parchment paper.
8. Sprinkle with a little flour.
9. Make an X using a serrated knife.
10. Bake for about 50minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
11. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and let cool for 10 minutes on a rack before eating.

Vegan Lentil Loaf

Inspired by Whole Foods

I was a little nervous about this new lentil loaf recipe. I couldn't understand what would hold it together. It came out really good and it stayed intact. However, if you are cooking this for guests, cut and serve it for them as it is a little delicate. 

Rich and I cooked this meal together for our families.

Ingredients
1 cup lentils
3/4 cup bulgur wheat 
1 large onion
10 ounces cremini mushrooms
1 red bell pepper
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. italian seasoning (equal parts dried rosemary, oregano, thyme, and parsley)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 cup quick oats
1/2 cup fresh parsley

Rich made me a finely chopped red pepper heart.

Method
1. Bring two cups of water and lentils to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until lentils are soft. 
2. Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to boil and add bulgur. Let simmer for about 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  
4. Finely chop onion and sauté on medium heat for about 5 minutes. 
5. Add finely chopped mushrooms and sauté for 5 more minutes. 
6. Add finely chopped red bell pepper and apple cider vinegar. Cook until vinegar is absorbed (about 3-5 minutes). 
7. Mix in spices and dried herbs. 
8. Remove from heat and mix in lentils, bulgur wheat, oats, and fresh parsley. 
9. Place parchment paper in a bread pan. 
10. Add the mixture to the bread pan and pack it down tightly with a spoon. 
11. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour. 
12. Let the loaf sit in the pan and cool for about 20 minutes. This will help it to hold its shape. 
13. Garnish with organic ketchup and parsley. 

St. Patrick's Day Cabbage! 

This is a favorite recipe in our family that my mom has been making forever. It is amazing how good simple cooked cabbage is!

Ingredients
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large head of cabbage
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Method
1. Heat some olive oil in a pan on medium high heat.
2. Add cabbage and stir every 45 seconds so that pieces are browning but not burning. *You may not be able to fit all of the cabbage at once. That's okay, just add more once the cabbage has cooked down a little or do it in two batches. 
3. After the cabbage has cooked down, add salt, sugar, and black pepper.  
4. Serve warm!

Vegan Irish Soda Bread

The finished product!

St. Patrick's Day is creeping upon us (in case you are wondering it is Sunday, March 17th). Here is a simple Vegan Irish Soda Bread recipe you can make using ingredients you probably already have in your house. The end result was not as dry as traditional Irish Soda bread but it had a similar flavor. This recipe was inspired by a new blog I am following, Hungry Gnomes.

Make an X in the uncooked dough

Ingredients
2 cups of soy milk
2 tsp. apple-cider vinegar
4 cups plus 2 tbsp. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. raw sugar
1 cup raisins








Method 
1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Whisk the soy milk and apple-cider vinegar until the milk becomes foamy. Set aside.
3. Whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar together.
4. Blend the wet and dry ingredients together. The dough will be very dry, this is good!

The batter will be dry

5. Add raisins!
6. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes adding the 2 tbps. of flour here if needed. You will know you need a little more flour if the dough is extremely sticky. Mine was and this really helped.
7. Place the batter in a 8 inch pie tin with parchment paper.
8. Sprinkle with a little flour.
9. Make an X using a serrated knife.
10. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a knife comes out clean.
11. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and let cool for about 10 minutes before eating.
12. Enjoy with a cup of tea or soy milk!

Want more vegan St. Patrick's Day recipes? Check out some more ideas from a recent post here. 

Healthy and Hearty Whole Wheat Bread Machine Recipe

This bread makes a delicious meal with a large salad

         Recently I have been noticing how much sodium is in even the healthiest of breads I buy, not to mention I am paying about $8 per loaf. I decided to try to make my own with less salt in the bread maker. I have been really happy with the recipe below. It is hearty and healthy tasting with a dense consistency. It also makes my apartment smell like a bakery while it is cooking! We love to eat it with a little local honey drizzled on top while it is still warm.

Ingredients:

1 cup soy milk (almond milk also works)

2/3 cup water

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp honey

1 tsp salt (you can use a little more if you like saltier bread)

3 ¾ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup old fashion oats

¼ cup sunflower seeds

2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast

Add a hole for the yeast

Method

1. Place the wet ingredients in the bread machine

2. Add flour, oats, and sunflower seeds.

3. Make a hole in the flour (see picture above) that is not too deep to touch the liquid.

4. Add the dry yeast in the hole. This is to keep the yeast from rising if you are setting your bread maker to start a little later. I love to set it for 3 hours before I wake up so I wake up to the smell!

5. Set your bread maker on the “whole wheat” setting.

6. Try to wait patiently for 3-4 hours, depending on your bread maker. Let cool for 15 minutes (let’s be honest, I never even wait this long).

7. Top with a little honey, vegan cream cheese, or a nice jam.

I estimated that this loaf costs between $2.00 and $2.50 cents to make depending on where you buy ingredients. That means more money for fun toppings like cashew cream cheese from the Dr. Cow. Oh, and it's vegan. :)