Tag Archives: Vegan recipes

Zesty Veggie Hummus #Vegan Pinwheels

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FINALzesty

Veggie Hummus Pinwheels are the perfect choice for a summer party or barbecue.

Hummus is so easy to prepare from scratch that it’s a staple here at Casa de Enchanted Seashells. (Recipe below.)

It’s mostly all prep work. Organizing your ingredients makes it easy. I don’t like onions, but the addition of a thinly sliced red onion would be a wonderful crunchy flavor enhancer.

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I used a handheld mandolin to thinly slice the veggies. Carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms, cucumber, and freshly steamed, chopped spinach. Make sure you squeeze out all of the cooking juice and save for soup stock later in the week.

I had some leftover guacamole and used that too. Organic pea shoots and cilantro (coriander to you all from across the pond) rounded out the healthy deliciousness. Add a squeeze of sweet chili sauce or sriracha (if you can find it!) to make it super zesty.

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**For a really low calorie option, use a large lettuce leaf instead of a carb-filled tortilla.

Simply spread, layer, roll, and cut.

Spread with hummus, guacamole, spinach (this one doesn’t have spinach, but I used a slice of veggie cheddar cheese. The important part is to layer all the veggies on the side of the wrap or tortilla closest to you. Sometimes I heat the tortilla to make it a little more pliable.

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Start rolling, keeping it tight. That’s the secret to a successful roll up. If you’ve ever made sushi, it’s the same principle, without using a bamboo mat. Tah dah! A fat little cigar shaped roll of yumminess.Cut in half with a sharp knife. 

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Keep cutting…eating the ends as you go. Well, at least that’s what I did.
Turn them up so they’re smiling pinwheels, choose a special serving platter, and add a little garnish: here I used cilantro, pea shoots, and thinly sliced LIME.  

FINALzesty

Beautiful, festive, healthy!

BASIC HUMMUS:

One 15 oz. can unsalted garbanzo beans (or your own from scratch)
Four garlic cloves
Six tablespoons lemon juice
One-third cup tahini
Salt, pepper, hot pepper sauce

Drain beans, but save juice. Toss it all into a food processor and blend until desired consistency. Add a little juice from the beans as needed. Season to taste.
That’s it! Couldn’t be any easier, right?
Options: Add chopped, drained spinach, jalapeños, roasted red peppers, etc. Use your imagination and experiment. It’s all tasty. Especially if you add a squeeze of lime…

Tofu Snowball Cookies | Vegan Recipe

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Every so often I feel like Emmymade when I try out or tweak a new recipe. (If you don’t know who she is, Emmymade has a YouTube channel with about three million subscribers.)

Aren’t they pretty? Read all the way through…

I searched for ways to incorporate tofu in sweet recipes and I found a bunch of ideas for tofu cookies.

Here’s my version:

Tofu Snowball Cookies
1/2 cup tofu (silken works best but I used what I had)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup oil
2 cups flour

Blend oil and tofu in food processor until smooth.
Add all the other ingredients.
Cover and chill for thirty minutes.


Shape into balls on parchment lined baking sheet.
(The dough felt very rubbery to me as I was forming the balls, very different from other cookie doughs…)
Chill again for thirty minutes.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 10-12 minutes until the top looks dry.


Let cool for a couple minutes.
Roll in powdered sugar.
Cool completely.

They tasted absolutely disgusting!

I’m not a fan, ewww.

I had an old Border Collie named Victor who would eat almost anything and I don’t think even he would have eaten these cookies, that’s how bad they are! It would have been hilarious to watch his face as he spit them out or found a place to bury them in the garden. Miss you, Victor!

If you try this recipe, please let me know if your results are more edible than mine.

I think the rubbery Play Doh texture should have been a huge red flag, but it was an experiment. Sometimes my recipes work out and sometimes they don’t!

#epicfail

UPDATE: After a few hours, I tried another one and the wait definitely improved the flavor and texture, so I won’t toss them in the compost.

BEST Crispy Tofu With Spicy Mayo Dipping Sauce

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This recipe is everything, and SO easy. Vegan, of course.

The secret to success is freezing the tofu before cooking. Here’s what to do. Drain the tofu, cut into squares, place on a plastic cutting board, and freeze.

Don’t be worried if the tofu changes color; it’s all good, and the color change means the texture of the tofu will be chewier and even more delicious.

When it’s nice and frozen (took a couple hours for me) place in a bag with some cornstarch and shake.

Add three tablespoons of oil to a pan and heat until shimmering. I like avocado oil.

Be patient and don’t check on the crispy progress too soon. You’ll know the tofu is ready to turn when it releases easily from the pan.

You could also bake in a 350 degree oven or place in an air fryer, but this time I used the cooktop ‘cos it was quicker.

When it’s brown and crispy on both sides, sprinkle with a little cracked pepper, and serve.

For my yummy Dipping Sauce, mix 1/3 cup vegan mayo with a tablespoon of Sriracha. Add a little chopped cilantro. This sauce is very similar in taste to the Japanese mayo at sushi restaurants.

It’s seriously SO full of flavor, I could almost eat an entire block of tofu. Not kidding.

National Pancake Day – Best Buckwheat Pancakes

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Happy National Pancake Day!
It’s not just Fat Tuesday; it’s the day to celebrate pancakes, too!

When the original Angel Boy was young, my pancakes were a source of extreme disappointment. They looked inviting on the outside, but the interior was often mushy and undercooked.

Finally, my son had such a fear of my pancakes that he refused to eat them. It was quite traumatic for him, and I can understand that. Poor guy.

Things have changed with the Angels.

I worked hard to perfect my pancake game and I can now proudly claim to make the BEST Buckwheat Pancakes in my little part of the world.

There’s something incredibly delicious about the addition of buckwheat flour that elevates these pancakes.

They are in such high demand that I often need to whip up two batches. I can’t flip them fast enough to toss them on the plates of those feral little creatures.

Past traumas have been healed; my grown up angel boy can put away a giant stack without being frightened that he’s going to bite into uncooked pancake batter.

I had to get a big griddle to handle the demand and it’s like a Grandma Diner.

“More pancakes, please!”

Two versions of my famous pancakes; it’s easy to make *vegan.

Best Buckwheat Pancakes
Whisk together in bowl:
1 egg
1 cup milk/plant based etc.
2 TBS veg oil
1 TBS brown sugar or agave
1 tsp vanilla
Add:
1/2 cup white or whole wheat flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder

Mix just until moistened, batter should be lumpy. Don’t overmix. Let batter sit for a few minutes. Cook on hot oiled griddle until brown on both sides (and cooked all the way through haha.)
Options: add cinnamon, chopped apples, sliced bananas, berries.

*To make it vegan, use only plant based milk, delete the egg, and add two teaspoons white or apple cider vinegar as the final ingredient.

Vegan Sweet Potato Brownies

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Even if you’re not #vegan, don’t skip this recipe. I bet you’ll find it’s worth a try, especially if you love chocolate as much as I do.

It was so good, I’ve made it twice. The first time I used only five ingredients:

*Sweet potato, one cup cooked and mashed
*Nut butter (I used almond), 1/2 cup
*Maple syrup, 1/3 cup
*Vanilla, one teaspoon
*Cocoa, 1/3 cup

Blend all ingredients by hand or in a food processor. Spread in a pie plate or small square baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for about twenty minutes. Let sit until completely cool. If you have the time, the flavors get even better if it’s refrigerated or even frozen. I cut them into bite-sized pieces ‘cos it’s really rich.

You don’t actually NEED frosting, but who ever said no to more chocolate? Here’s my best baking hack for that…https://enchantedseashells.com/2014/09/17/best-baking-hack-ever/

The results were a bit dense, so the next time, I added 1/2 cup flour, and that made all the difference. I used regular white flour, but it would be so easy to blend some oats for oat flour, so that’s definitely an option.

YUM. Delicious AND healthy!

P.S. This recipe isn’t overly sweet, so if you want to add more maple syrup or even a LITTLE sugar, go ahead. I thought it was perfect without any additional sweetener, but I’m a choco-holic.

Veggie Tomato-y Tofu Soup #Vegan

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Perfect for this cooler autumn weather…

Last weekend was my monthly refrigerator cleaning project and I thought I’d toss everything I could into a pot and create some sort of soup.

The good news is I have a scrumptious pot of healthy soup to last a few days; the bad news is that now empty refrigerator and a need to hit the grocery store.

Here’s what I found to work with:
-Mushrooms
-Red Pepper
-Carrots
-Celery
-Onion
-Broccoli
-Fresh chard and garden herbs
-Tofu

I first cubed and marinated the tofu in a little olive oil and Italian herbs with spicy dried red peppers.

I didn’t have any Better Than Bouillon  (vegan) which is too bad as it’s amazing, and I didn’t have homemade stock, so I pan roasted the veggies in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil for a long time to develop fond on the bottom of the pan.

FYI: Fond are the brown particles found at the bottom of pans after browning vegetables. It adds flavor and moisture to a dish.

When I saw all those yummy little brown bits, I added a bit of water to make it easy to scrape up, then I added the marinated tofu, along with one large can of San Marzano tomatoes and one can of water.

FYI: I like to use the best Italian tomatoes because I think it really makes a flavor difference, especially when they’re the star of the show.

I added one scant teaspoon sugar and sea salt/pepper to taste along with these garden herbs:

Thyme, bay leaves, sage, oregano, and a lot of basil, saving some to sprinkle on just before serving.

Such vibrant colors! Simmered for about 45 minutes, pulled out the stems of the herbs as the leaves had fallen away as it cooked.

Before serving, I used my immersion blender to make the texture velvety and creamy.

YUM!

Options: Add cooked beans, lentils, pasta. croutons

Serve with fresh basil and vegan parmesan shreds.

EASY Three-Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream

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The Angel Kids always request my homemade ice cream when they visit but that usually involves ingredients I personally don’t like to use or eat, although I do it for them.

Feeling sorry for the chunk of body part that was chopped off a couple days ago, I thought that a bowl of chocolate ice cream would make me feel much better.

I didn’t want to go to the store and buy vegan ice cream loaded with all kinds of chemicals and other ingredients that help it replicate dairy ice cream and I’m allergic to coconut which is the mainstay for most vegan ice cream, so I decided to make my own.

I had an unopened container of almond milk from the kids’ recent visit and decided to do a little experimenting.

The result was SO satisfying. It actually tastes very similar to a fudgesicle and that’s not a bad thing.

It’s not super creamy but it’s very chocolate-y and yummy. Substituting one cup of full fat coconut milk for one cup of almond milk or a little corn syrup would provide a much smoother texture but all I really cared about was the chocolate. If I make it again, I will add a couple tablespoons of maple syrup, but this is a quick and easy recipe.

I think this is a great recipe to use for homemade popsicle molds. I didn’t, but you could add mini chocolate chips or berries and that would be yummy, too.

It’s fun to experiment and I’m never sorry if I fail because I’ll try something different next time, but this was a success.

PS If you’re counting, I don’t consider vanilla to be an ingredient!

Happy Valentine’s Day | For Chocolate Lovers | Vegan Lentil Brownies

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I’ve had a bit of success with Black Bean & Beet Brownies and Lentil Cookies but I’ve never tried simply Lentil Brownies, so I baked some this morning before it got too hot to have the oven on.

They look good, right? But the real question is how do they taste?

If you’ve ever had Black Bean Brownies, you might have detected a slightly weird beany texture, so I hoped this lentil version would eliminate that.

These brownies are TRULY surprisingly yummy! They’re very moist and chocolate-y. I can’t tell they contain lentils, which IS a wonderful source of protein, so this is also a healthy snack.

Tips:
1. Really cook the lentils until they’re mushy.
2. Refrigerate the pan for at least a couple hours after frosting before cutting and eating.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Seriously Amazing *Vegan* Herb Crackers

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Since we’re in a seemingly neverending spiral of virus mutations, the unvaccinated, and overworked healthcare professionals, I’m still trying to limit my exposure to PEOPLE. Not that it’s too difficult for me as I’m solitary by nature, but it’s still kind of annoying.

I had done my Traders shopping and when I came home, I realized that I had totally forgotten to get the kind of crackers I love to accompany Miyoko’s vegan cream cheese. Read about my love for THAT here: https://enchantedseashells.com/2021/04/06/yum-miyokos-vegan-cream-cheese/

Instead of doing what was normal practice in the old days, I didn’t run out and make that one purchase. Resourceful me decided to bake my own crackers. I haven’t done that in years and it’s so easy, I wonder why it took me this long to remember that! An added plus is no wasted plastic or containers, so I’m helping the environment too…

Tips: I substituted 1/2 cup buckwheat flour for all purpose flour. Next time I won’t do that because buckwheat is such a strong flavor. While it’s lovely in pancakes and soba noodles, it’s a bit too much here.

On the other hand, I gotta say that the smell of the herbs in the oven was so fragrant! It perfumed the entire house. I used all the herbs I have in the garden, but you can add whatever you like, including poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds. **Roll extremely thin for crispiest crackers. I didn’t cut them in perfect shapes or use a pizza cutter because I was too lazy and wanted them done in a hurry, but I kind of like the rustic look.

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Vegan Herb Crackers

Ginger-Lime Quick Bread **Vegan**

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All that rain we had yesterday made it literally impossible NOT to bake, so I did.

We had about 1 1/2 inches of rain and our strongest winds were 45+ mph. Stores closed in our little village because of power outages and streets were flooded.

My friend’s lime tree exploded with limes last week, so now I have about fifty limes as a result of her generosity. I juiced A LOT OF THEM and froze in ice cube trays. These are the juicy sweet Mexican limes that are so amazing in margaritas and guacamole. LImes + tequila = heaven.

I created this recipe after reading tons of similar ones on the internet.

After the worst of the storm passed, it was still windy but FREEZING. A hot mug of fragrant ginger tea was just what I needed along with a couple slices of yummy Ginger-Lime bread.

It came out soo moist and tender, I definitely recommend and will make again and again.

PS I can’t change the recipe graphic but I forgot the amount of ginger tea. Should read 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup.