Category: Recipes

Thin and Crispy No SOS Flax Crackers (GRAIN FREE Too)

7/23/2016

You simply can't beat these for a healthful, seemingly decadent, crunchy treat that screams, "SATISFYING STARCH" even though it's not. Did I mention that they are not only grain free, but also free of SOS. (That's Salt, Oil and Sugar -- as in NONE of those are in this recipe.) It's really an amazingly simple concept -- you blend up raw carrots, celery, onion and garlic in a blender until it's like apple-sauce in consistency. Then transfer it to a bowl, stir in your favorite herbs and then just enough ground golden flax seeds to make it thick enough to roll out super thin between parchment paper sheets and bake it for about 30 minutes at 300 degrees. Alternatively, you can place the thinly rolled mixture in a dehydrator and dry it at 110 degrees for about 6 hours. Either way, store the finished product in the fridge. They are great for crunching dry, or topping with avocado and tomato slices, or Mexican beans drizzled with sunny cheese sauce, or serve them with cashew cheese. My family loves these, and although getting them super thin (which is what makes them super crispy and most delicious) can be a bit labor intensive, everything else, including the clean up, is super easy -- and best of all, you can make two large trays of these crackers for just a couple of bucks. The key to making these taste so good in spite of not using salt, is to load them up with onion, garlic and herbs -- all of which contribute phenomenal, cancer-preventative phytochemicals to your diet. I've also made these with tons of fresh parsley and or basil -- and this could be an option for those looking for a low FODMAP variation -- just omit the onion and garlic and use other herbs --or perhaps green onions. I've been making these for several months now -- and I never measure or follow any sort of recipe (they are slightly different each time I make them too) but I realize some of you much prefer to follow a recipe, and so earlier today, I made a batch of these and carefully measured and wrote down and took pictures of every single step....just for you (And of course tested them too. They got rave reviews all around here.

Ingredients:

1 cup raw sliced carrots
1 cup raw sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 3/4 cups coarsely ground golden flax seeds
3-4 cloves of garlic

1 TBS Kirkland No-Salt Seasoning
1 TBS Onion powder
1 tsp powdered paprika

Another 1/2 - 1 cup of ground golden flax seeds for rolling out

I use this no-salt seasoning that I found at Costco -- but there are many others you could use too -- Like Benson's Table Tasty -- or even make your own mixture of herbs and spices that you have on hand.

Directions:

1) Place the carrots, celery, onion and garlic into a powerful blender and blend on high until you have a mixture the consistency of applesauce. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl

2) Stir in the no-salt seasoning, the onion powder and the paprika and mix well.

3) Add the ground golden flax seeds until mixture becomes thick enough to roll out. It took me one and three-quarters cups of ground flax seeds to get to this point when I did this -- but if you measured the carrots or celery differently than I did, you might need more or less to get to a workable thickness.

4) Transfer the mixture to a parchment lined cooked sheet and sprinkle it with more of the ground flax, turn it over and sprinkle the other side too. Top with another sheet of parchment paper and flatten it a bit. Remove the paper, sprinkle with more flax and flatten even more. Continue this process until the crackers are almost as thin as a coin -- using the flax to keep it from sticking to the paper. As they get thinner and thinner, you will have to remove some of the dough. There is actually enough here to make two large trays of crackers -- but I decided to use the remaining mixture to make dehydrated crackers (pictures of that process are farther down in this post.)

Once the crackers are as thin as you can get them (the thinner you roll them, the crispier they will become) use a knife to score the the tray -- so that when they are done cooking they will easily break apart into little squares of individual crackers.

5) Place the tray into an oven preheated to 300 degrees. After about 20-30 minutes, the crackers will become hard enough that you can remove the paper -- turn them upside down onto the tray and carefully peel the parchment paper off (save it to reuse for your next batch!) Return the tray to the oven another 10 minutes or so -- just until they start to get crisp - but don't over cook! I removed the outer crackers and then let the middle of the tray cook a bit longer.

Let them cool completely before storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. Instead of making two trays of crackers like this -- I rolled out larger, not quite so thin circles of the dough and put them on a dehydrator set to 110 degrees for about 6 hours. They didn't get quite as crisp as the baked ones, but made a fabulous base for bean tostadas using my sunny cheese!

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Chocolate Coconut Date Ball Recipe GF, DF and Grain-Free

3/31/2016

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If you have a powerful blender, these are a snap to make. They are sugar, oil and flour free -- so completely unprocessed. But most importantly, THEY TASTE AMAZING! Usually, I make them with cocoa powder, but they also taste pretty darn good using just carob -- which is much less expensive, than fair trade cocoa -- and caffeine free too. (Something to consider if you eat them after dinner and don't want to have trouble falling asleep.) Sometimes I use a mixture of the two.

This recipe calls for a chunk of raw coconut -- but this is optional, including it, will keep the balls from freezing too solidly and being hard to eat right out of the freezer, but if you don't have fresh coconut on hand you can leave it out and they will still be delicious. I buy a fresh coconut every once in awhile, and remove all the flesh and cut it into various sized chunks and put these in a plastic bag in the freezer, where they stay quite well for many months -- then when I need some for a recipe like this one -- I just pull out a piece.

This photo shows a Daiya Cheesecake, surrounded by my Chocolate Black Bean Brownies and these Chocolate Coconut Date Balls. As you can see, together they make a lovely presentation!

If you do not have a powerful blender, then you will need to chop the dates well first, and stop occasionally to mix things by hand, and then blend again. You might also want to process this in batches too so it doesn't overwhelm a smaller blender. The trick to having an easy clean up is putting just the dates and the cocoa powder into the blender and pulsing it for a bit, until the dates turn into rice-sized chunks each coated in powder -- so that they are kind of like crumbles rather than a sticky mess. Once you get to that point, then you can add the nuts and process on high until it becomes smooth. If you do it right, it will turn into one large glob, that sticks so well to itself that you can just lift it out of the blender, without leaving any of it behind.

Ingredients:

2 cups loosely packed dried deglet dates, pits removed
1/2 -- 2/3 cup cocoa powder (depending upon how rich you like them)
1 /2 cup raw cashew pieces
1/4 cup raw almonds OR raw walnuts
1 inch square of fresh raw coconut flesh (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 cup dried organic shredded coconut (Let's Do Organics has no additives.)

Directions:

1) Place the dates and cocoa (or carob) powder into a powerful blender and pulse it on and off until you have a crumbly mixture.

2) Add the cashews and almonds or walnuts and the fresh coconut piece if using it. Process on high until it starts to get smooth. If you have a Vitamix, use the tamper to help get it well blended.

3) Add the vanilla and process just enough to mix it in.

4) Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and toss the shredded coconut into the bowl as well. Grab thumb-sized portions of the chocolate and dab it into the coconut until all sides are covered, then roll it into a nice ball using both hands -- dipping it into the coconut as needed to keep it from sticking to your hands.

As soon as all the balls are rolled up, store them in the freezer. They are best if served frozen

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Bread Like I Remember -- Before I Went Gluten Free and it can be OIL FREE!

2/29/2016

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Soft elastic and yeasty on the inside, with a firm crisp crust. Warm, moist, not too dense... When I went gluten free, and especially as my diet further shifted away from oil and towards whole minimally processed foods, I thought I'd never have this culinary experience again. I do love my sourdough buckwheat bread -- but it's more like the hearty brown breads I also enjoyed in my glutenous days. I didn't even realize how much I was missing a softer, whiter, airier bread -- until I had this one.

I have revised this recipe a bit after I realized that the trick to having the lightest fluffiest rolls, was to have the dough be VERY VERY wet - like mashed potatoes! Although this makes rolling out rolls a bit harder (you must put oil on your hands and then lightly sprinkle the very wet dough with a bit more sorghum flour to keep it from sticking to you) the finished product is infinitely better. Though this recipe does use a bit of sugar (for the yeast to rise) it need not use salt, nor oil in this bread (save for that quarter teaspoon I rub on my hands to keep the dough from sticking when I form the rolls.) It does use flour, and whole boiled potatoes, and it can be made from start to finish in under 3 hours. The dough is very versatile too -- It can be shaped into dinner rolls, bread sticks -- I even formed it into a braided bread once too. And would you believe it makes a great cinnamon bun too and even a pizza crust ? (Those will be other posts!)

It was my daughter's comment -- that she loved the crust the most, that got us to shape these into the longer bread-sticks you see in the photo -- since they are mostly crust. Hot out of the oven these are pretty amazing (and easy to over-eat too.)

Light and Fluffy Gluten- Free, Oil-Free, Egg-Free and Dairy-Free Potato Bread Rolls:

4 TBS raw sunflower seeds
1 ¼ cups water
3 TBS apple cider vinegar
4 medium potatoes
1/3 cup water
1 cup of warm water (about 100 F -- not too hot or it will kill the yeast)
4 tsp of bulk baking yeast (two packets)
3 TBS Cajun crystals, Florida crystals, or other granulated sweetner
2 tsp salt -- optional (I completely omit this when I am making just for my family!)
1 TBS Olive oil -- optional (Add's moisture -- but I leave it out when making for those who need oil-free food.)
3 cups Namaste Gluten Free Flour Blend
1 cups of Sorghum flour
1/2 cup ground golden flax seed

Directions:

Place the sunflower seeds and 1 ¼ cups of water in a blender and blend on high until turned into milk – with no seed parts visible.Transfer to a bowl and add the vinegar and allow to set, while you do the next step.
Wash and peel the potatoes and place them in pot and cover with water and boil until soft (about 20 minutes). Then remove them from the water and mash them with a potato masher, adding the 1/3 cup of water to make, “mashed potatoes.” Measure out 2 cups of these for use in the rolls.(You can eat or store the remaining mashed potatoes.)
While the potatoes are boiling, mix the 1 cup of warm water, yeast and Cajun crystals in a large bowl.
Once you have made the mashed potatoes, add these to the yeast mixture (but do not add them if they are very hot – this might kill the yeast!) and blend until smooth. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes until potatoes start to get a little foamy.
Mix the Salt and oil (if using) into the sunflower seed milk and then stir this into the potatoes.
Add in the two flours and mix as well as you can with spatula or spoon, then use your hands when it gets dough-like and kneed it for a couple of minutes until everything is well-blended and smooth.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and then turn it off.
Line a large cookie tray with parchment paper and rub about ¼ tsp of olive or other oil on your hands. Then form the dough into golf-ball sized balls or roll into bread rolls about the thickness of your thumb and 6-8 inches long. Set these on the tray at least half an inch from each other.
Place the tray into oven. Set a wet cloth napkin on a rack just above the rolls and allow to rise in the oven for 30-45 minutes.
Remove from oven (including napkin) and preheat oven to 375. Bake for 20-25 minutes – just until they start to brown.

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Home Made Cashew Cheese Spread

2/29/2016

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Many cheese-loving omnivores have told me that this actually tastes to them like it is REAL dairy cheese! The idea for this recipe came from Miyoko Shinner's incredible book, Artisan Vegan cheese -- which is filled with extraordinarily tasty and creative recipes that apply traditional methods of making cheese to plant-based "milks." Even though this recipe may sound a bit daunting to do the first time, it is actually very easy and takes hardly any prep time -- but it does require some days for various parts to ferment. But once you have made this cheese it stays good in the fridge for weeks. (I only know this cause once a tiny bit I hid in the back of fridge got "lost" for a few weeks--otherwise typically this stuff gets eaten up pretty quickly.) One of our favorite things to do with this cashew cheese, is to spread it on gluten-free bread rolls and then top it with a nice big slice of marinated roasted red pepper (like you can buy in jars) -- it reminds me of one of my most fondly remembered childhood meals -- Lox, bagel and cream cheese, which by the way -- after seeing Dr Greger's Nutrition Facts Video I am grateful that my children grew up enjoying this red pepper, "lox" rather than the stuff Greger talks about at the end of this video. Another benefit of this cashew cheese - unlike cheese made from cow or goat mammary secretions, this one has zero cholesterol, zero trans fat, and zero cancer and acne stimulating hormones. Oh -- and it's carbon footprint is a fraction of that from real cheese. So enjoy!

1 cup raw cashews
3-4 TBS Rejuvelac (made several days ahead -- recipe below)
2 cloves extremely finely pressed garlic
2 TBS Chickpea miso
1 TBS Eden Mirin
1 TBS lemon juice
¼ cup very finely chopped fresh basil
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp marjoram leaf
½ tsp thyme
¼ tsp rosemary powder

Directions:

Place the cashews into a bowl and cover with water. Swish them around and drain through a strainer. Repeat this a few times. Cover the cashews with filtered water and place a cloth napkin over the bowl. Set it on a counter out of the way for 12-15 hours.
Drain the soaked cashews through a strainer and place them into blender. Add just enough rejuvelac to allow you to blend them into a smooth mixture. (About 3 TBS) The less rejuvelac you use, the firmer your final product will be – but depending upon your blender, you might need to use more. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides with spoon, then blend some more until it is absolutely creamy and smooth.
Place the cashew mixture into a small shallow bowl and cover with a cloth napkin and allow mixture to ferment on the counter or in a slightly warm place (will speed it up) until it develops a slightly tart flavor. (at least 48 hours at a room temp of 70 degrees F.)
When the mixture is tart enough, stir in all the remaining ingredients and store product uncovered in a refrigerator drawer. (Uncovered so it will continue to dry out and firm up) Stir it every day -- until you have eaten it all.

To make Rejuvelac:

Place ½ cup of quinoa into a quart jar, fill the jar with water and swish around and drain through a strainer. Do this a few times, then add about a cup of water to the quinoa and allow it sit on the counter a few hours, then drain it and allow it sit moist in the jar about for a day or two until it grows little tails, rinsing it every 6-10 hours until the tails are about 1/3 of an inch long. Rinse it one more time, then fill the jar all the way up with purified water and allow it to sit on the counter with a cloth over the top for about 3-4 days – until it develops a slightly tart flavor and has a whitish film on the top of the water. Pour through a strainer to remove (and discard) the quinoa and store the rejuvelac in the fridge. It will be good for at least 4-6 weeks.

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Cream of Quinoa Hot Breakfast Cereal

2/26/2016

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This is a quick and easy hot breakfast idea that utilizes leftover cooked whole grains. I LOVE this with quinoa, but you could just as easily use brown rice, millet, amaranth, barley (although barley is not gluten free!) or try whatever COOKED whole grain you happen to have left-over from last night's dinner! This will serve 1-2 people -- so be sure to scale it up if you are making breakfast for more than that. I've been buying bags of organic Quinoa at Costco for about $3.00/pound -- which is an incredible price --compared to buying those little tiny boxes of quinoa flakes for like 6-7 dollars each and then cooking them up as hot cereal. And -- even if you don't have leftover quinoa to use in this recipe, because it's such a tiny grain, a small amount of it can be cooked up from the dry grain in less then fifteen minutes too.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup water (use half this amount if using freshly cooked quinoa)
1 cup blueberries, chopped strawberries or other berries (fresh or frozen)
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 cup almond milk, (or rice milk, soy milk, sunflower seed milk etc)
2 TBS ground golden flax seed
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
10 drops Sweet Leaf Stevia clear

Directions:

Place the cooked quinoa into pan and add the water and stir well. Bring it to a boil on the stove for about 3 minutes.
If using frozen berries add these once quinoa is boiling, stir it around and return to boil for a moment until strawberries are well thawed. If using fresh berries mix them in and then turn off flame.
Stir in the cinnamon, milk, flax seed, vanilla and stevia, mix well and serve.

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Lettuce Lentil Pate Wraps

2/18/2016

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These are a Farb family staple! We take them to parties, on picnics, use them for car travel food and serve them as appetizers to dinner guests. They have a high raw content, but are also deeply satisfying and satiating, without much fat. You can incorporate HUGE amounts of lettuce into each wrap as well -- which is great for children who may have trouble eating large amounts of salad! They do require rice paper wrappers -- which can be found for about two dollars at Asian markets. If you can find them, get the ones that are made from just rice, salt and water -- but increasingly all that is available are ones that also have tapioca flour in them (also called cassava root). The addition of tapioca creates rice wrappers that never stop being sticky -- which is unfortunate, because if you pile them up on a plate as I have in this picture, the tapioca ones will stick to each other and be darn near impossible to gracefully separate. (This has reduced my bringing these to parties as much!) But they are still great if you individually wrap them in parchment paper as I do for taking them for lunch away from home. Still they are absolutely delicious -- so don't let the rice paper wrapper issue, keep you from trying these out.

Ingredients:

2-3 large onions
1/2 cup water plus more as needed
1 cube Rapunzel Bouillon
3 1/2 cups cooked brown lentils (freshly cooked or use canned)
3/4 cups raw walnuts halves
2 heads of romaine or other leaf lettuce
1 package rice paper wrappers
1 cup chopped frozen green beans
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Place the water and bouillon cube into a large fry pan and turn burner to high.
Slice the onions about fairly thickly into 1/4 inch rounds and add them to the pan. Allow to saute for about 40 minutes uncovered. Watch them closely and each time the water is gone and they are just starting to stick (and brown!) Drizzle in another 1/4 cup of water and stir them around. Keep doing this until onions are super shriveled and dark, then turn off burner and allow to sit for a few minutes.
While onions are cooking, wash the heads of lettuce and break off the leaves into large individual pieces, spin or pat them dry and set aside in a large bowl. Set a pan or bowl large enough to dip individual rice wrappers in next to the bowl of lettuce and fill it with just enough water to easily submerge the rice wrappers in one at a time.
Place the walnuts into a food processor and process with an "S" bland until walnuts are in crumbs. Add the cooked lentils, and green beans and process again until green beans are completely chopped up, then add the onions and process until it is a thick brown homogenous mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste while it is mixing.
Now you are ready to assemble the wraps. Take one rice wrapper and submerge it in the water for a moment, and then tap it on the container to remove excess water. lay it flat on the counter in front of you. While you are waiting for it to soften, repeat this process with 3-5 more wrappers so that you will have an assembly line of them in front of you. Now place a few lettuce leaves on the half of the wrapper closest to you. (arranged so that the leaves are longest from R to L) Do this for each wrapper. Using a spoon, scoop up a few teaspoons of the lentil mixture and place it in a single line in the middle of each set of lettuce leaves. Then fold the left and right ends of the rice wrapper over the leaves, and roll the wrappers up away from you, being careful to keep the lentil filling inside. Roll as tightly as you can.

For lunches away from home, I leave them whole, but for serving as an appetizer, I cut them into thirds as they are in the picture.

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Unprocessed Black Bean Brownies

2/17/2016

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There are many black bean brownie recipes all over the internet, and I have tried a fair number of them too. In general, these recipes use black beans in place of flour, to create a "grain-free" product. There are many variations on this theme -- not all of them are vegan, and some use sugar and oils too. Below is the recipe that I created. It is not the most decadent of those I have tried, but it is my favorite because it is made entirely from whole foods, with no added junk, yet gives me a nice chocolate "fix" without too much fat while being made entirely of unprocessed ingredients. Be sure to use an, "All Fruit" fruit spread -- that is one that does not have added sugars in it. Also -- I use Deglet dates for this, they are smaller, drier, and cost a lot less than Medjool dates. The finished brownies store for at least a week in the refrigerator and also freeze very well.

Ingredients:

2 cups freshly cooked or canned black beans
25 Deglet dates, pits removed
1/4 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup strawberry fruit spread
1 TBS vanilla extract
7 TBS cacao powder or coco powder, (or carob powder for caffeine free treats!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the beans in a large strainer and hold under running water to clean them off, then remove as much of the liquid as you can, by bouncing the strainer a few times over the sink. Transfer the beans to a powerful blender.
Add the dates (checking to make sure there are no pit piecies!), almonds, fruit spread and vanilla extract and blend on high for a few minutes until all is smooth. You might need to stop and scrape the sides down a few times.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and using a fork, stir in the cacao or coco powder until well blended.
Take a 7 x 7 inch glass or metal baking dish and press a 12 x12 inch piece of parchment paper into the bottom. Carefully spoon the mixture into the parchment paper lining the pan and set another piece of parchment paper on top, and then use your hands to press the mixture into a perfectly level square in the pan -- about one half to three quarters of an inch deep, then remove the top layer of parchment once you get the brownies shaped properly.
Bake brownies in center of oven for about 40 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes before cutting.

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Sunny Cheeze Sauce Recipe

2/3/2016

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In the past year or so, since I have been playing around with making cheese sauces based upon potatoes, carrots, nutritional yeast and some type of fat source (nuts, seeds or oil) over and over I have wondered to myself...."How did I ever survive for a quarter century as a vegan, and not know how to make some variation of this cheese sauce?" Although I change this up almost every time I make it, I am presenting this version of it here -- mostly because it is oil-free and nut-free (making it more "inclusive") and this one is a very inexpensive version too. The finished product stores well in a glass jar in the refrigerator for about week, and can be used with pasta, on a baked potato, drizzled over steamed broccoli or cauliflower, mixed with salsa for a great hot cheese dip, added to rice and peas, or used inside a burrito. And, unlike the dairy cheese it can replace, it contains no cholesterol, no cancer or acne promoting hormones, no trans-fats, has an exponentially lower carbon footprint, and doesn't require tearing baby calves and their mothers apart. Nutritional yeast can be found in the bulk section of natural foods stores and you can get it as a powder or as flakes. It is NOT the same as brewers yeast -- so make sure you don't confuse the two. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 lb scrubbed sliced potatoes (about 2 medium sized)
½ lb scrubbed carrots ends removed and sliced (about 4 medium)
2 cups water (plus additional water as needed)
2 medium sized cloves of garlic peeled and coarsely chopped
1/3- ½ cup raw ORGANIC sunflower seeds (use less to reduce fat, more to make richer sauce) *
2 TBS Lemon juice
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
¼ tsp ground yellow mustard seed
¼ tsp chili powder
1 cup nutritional yeast (flakes or powder)

* Alternatively -- you can use 3-4 TBS of olive oil in place of the sunflower seeds -- this makes the recipe nut and seed free, and less expensive to make.

Directions:

Wash and scrub potatoes and carrots (if organic no need to peel) slice into about ½ inch thick slices and place intomedium sized covered sauce pan and bring to a boil on high.Turn down heat and simmer covered about 10 -15 minutes until vegetables are soft.Turn off heat.
Place the potatoes, carrots and their cooking liquid into a large blender. Add additional water if needed to bring volume up to 4 cups.Add the raw garlic and blend on high until creamy.
Measure out sunflower seeds and place them into a bowl and fill with water.Swish around a few times and drain through a strainer.Repeat a few times, then drain well and add to blender.Add the lemon juice, vinegar, salt, onioin powder, mustard and chili powder and blend on high until thoroughly blended and creamy.
Add the nutritional yeast and blend one last time until well incorporated.If not using right away, transfer to a glass jar and store in refrigerator.Keeps well for about a week.

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These Gluten-Free Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes are BETTER than regular ones

1/14/2016

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If you are looking for a recipe to wow people with a sweet tooth, this is it. My daughter has been playing with cupcake recipes for a long time. And here is what she has recently settled on. Anyone who thinks a gluten -free baked dessert made without dairy or eggs must be less tasty, has never tried these. Everywhere we have taken them, where there were also traditional cupcakes served, those who tried both like these better. Sorghum flour seems to lend a subtle sweetness that wheat flour does not. Make sure you use "refined" coconut oil, as it has a mellower flavor then extra virgin.

Basic Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Icing
Makes 12 large cupcakes, or 24 mini-cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:

1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 cup cane sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder (use one without aluminum like Rumford)
1 tsp xanthan gum
¾ tsp salt
¼ cup warm water
3 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer powder
1 cup almond milk (original or vanilla flavored)
3 Tbs melted refined coconut oil
¼ tsp lemon juice
1 Tbs vanilla extract

Cupcake Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a cupcake tray (or two mini cupcake trays) with parchment cupcake liners.
In a bowl, mix the flour, tapioca starch, sugar, soda, powder, xanthan gum and salt.
In a blender, blend the warm water and Egg replacer together first, then add the almond milk, melted coconut oil, and remaining liquid ingredients and blend well.
Pour the liquid into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula first, and then beat with an electric mixer until the batter is thick, smooth. Do not overbeat.
Spoon the batter into the cupcake trays. (Don’t worry if the batter doesn’t seem to fully fill each cupcake, these rise A LOT!!!)
Bake in the middle of the preheated oven until cupcakes are firm and rounded on the top. (Or use a toothpick to test a cupcake and see if it’s is done). For the large cupcakes this is around 22-25 minutes, and for the mini-cupcakes this is about 20 minutes.
Take the tray out of the oven, and immediately remove the cupcakes from the tray and set them on a cooling rack to cool.
Make icing and ice the cupcakes!

Icing Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons refined coconut oil
1-3 Tbs almond milk

Icing Instructions:

Starting with the powdered sugar, mix in 1 Tbs of the cocoa powder.
Add the coconut oil and a very small amount of milk and using a fork incorporate these together, and then beat with an electric mixer (adding more almond milk as needed) until the icing is smooth. Beat in the remaining cocoa powder
For a stiff icing, use the minimum amount of almond milk possible to mix everything together. For softer icing, use more almond milk until the desired consistency is reached.
Spoon the icing into a clean plastic baggie, and cut the tip of the bag off to squeeze out the icing, otherwise simply spread the icing on the cupcakes, or using a confectioners icing set.

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Smokey Good Gouda Cheeze Recipe

9/9/2015

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OMG -- this recipe is so amazing, relatively easy to make, and uses no extracted oils. You simply must try it. It makes a hard, sliceable block of cheeze, that stores well refrigerated for at least two weeks. Other versions of this recipe that I tried were based upon coconut milk which made it much fattier than I prefer. It also had some other ingredients that were expensive and I found to be unnecessary. So here is my adaptation of this cheeze.

Ingredients:
3 TBS tapioca starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 cups almond milk (unsweetened/unflavored!)
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 TBS agar powder
2 TBS nutritional yeast
1 TBS liquid smoke
1/2 tsp Marmite or Vegemite (World Market carries these)
2 tsp sea salt
1 TBS lemon juice

Directions:

Mix tapioca and xanthan in a small bowl and set aside.
Put everything else into a powerful blender and blend on high until smooth, then pour into a saucepan and heat on medium high stirring constantly until it boils for 5 minutes.
Transfer boiled mixture back to blender. Add bowl of dry ingredients, blend until smooth. Pour into glass bread pan and chill in fridge for 3 hours.
Remove from glass and set on plate, uncovered in fridge and allow to firm overnight before serving with crackers.

Note: You can buy Marmite or Vegemite at World Market.)

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