Cashew Coconut Cookies (Vegan, GF)

These are very sweet and indulgent—and not particularly healthy—but they are technically vegan and gluten-free, and they are delicious!

2 cups chopped cashews

2 C coconut flakes

1 C vegan dark chocolate chips

1/3 can coconut condensed milk 

1) Combine and spoon onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. 

2) Bake at 350 degrees till golden brown (usually 10-14 minutes).

Evie’s Raw Vegan Taco Salad

Any diced veggies desired:

tomatoes
cucumbers
green onion
jalapeño
bell pepper
etc.

sauerkraut
raw taco meat (see below)

Serve on a bed of romaine and greens. Top with desired veggies, raw taco meat, and dressing. 

Raw Taco Meat:
Equal parts walnut and carrots*
dash of Bragg’s liquid aminos or coconut aminos
cumin and chili powder to taste

Combine ingredients in food processor and pulse till crumbly.

*NOTE from Evie: I’ve only ever seen it with all walnuts BUT I saw a video on instagram where someone made it with equal parts carrots and it worked great! I’ve also made it with walnuts and mushrooms before but it’s much wetter and changes the flavor. The carrots are surprisingly neutral. 

Dressing:

I’m sure Evie did some sort of delicious veggie blend in the 

Vitamix—she's good at that. But I usually just combine cashew yogurt and salsa and vinegar for a nice Southwestern-flavored dressing. 

Evie’s Raw Vegan Pad Thai

For the sauce:

1 cucumber

2 apples
1/4–1/3 C. raw almond butter
garlic, to taste

ginger, to taste

onion powder, to taste

2–3 Tbsp. coconut aminos

hefty squirt of sriracha
1/4 C. (or so) apple cider vinegar
5–8 dates (adjust to taste)

1) Blend ingredients in Vitamix until smooth.

2) At the end, add a few chopped carrot pieces and blend slowly to get some crunchy texture like peanut sauce.

For the "noodles"

spiralized zucchini

water sprouts

snow peas

broccoli

chopped greens

julienne carrots

red bell pepper

purple cabbage

sweet onion*

Top with:

cilantro

crushed red pepper

lime

*Note: I dehydrate these two in the oven for a few hours or use green onions because raw onion is very strong. 

Carole's Shawarma Bowls with Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas (Vegan)

This original recipe is credited to Shelli McConnell, though it first came to me via my friend Carole.

Ingredients:

1/4 C. plus 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup (or grind 1–2 dates in food processor)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1.5 tsp. paprika (sweet or hot)

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground turmeric

1/4 tsp. ground coriander

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1–2 head cauliflower, cut into florets (6 C.)

1 15-oz. can chickpeas (rinsed, drained, and patted dry)

1/4 C. tahini

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 C. hot cooked brown rice or quinoa

1 medium cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (2 C.)

2 medium bell peppers, any color, cut into bite-size strips

1/2 C. slivered red onion

fresh cilantro leaves and lemon wedges, for serving

Procedure:

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2) In a large bowl, stir together 1/4 C. of the lemon juice and the next nine ingredients (through black pepper). Add cauliflower and chickpeas; stir to coat. 

3) Spread evenly on prepared baking sheet. Roast 35 minutes or until cauliflower is tender and browned on edges, stirring once.

4) As they cook, in a small bowl stir together the tahini, the remaining 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, the cayenne, and 3–4 Tbsp. water.

5) In bowls, arrange rice (or quinoa), cauliflower mixture, cucumber, pepper strips, and red onion. 

6) Drizzle with tahini mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro leaves and serve with lemon wedges.

NOTES: 

* If tahini sauce is bitter, add another splash of lemon juice.

* The leftovers from this recipe and Carole's Lentil Salad are delicious served together over a bed of mixed greens.

Carole's Lentil Salad (Can Be Vegan)

The original version of this salad—which has been modified as listed here—appears as "The Best Lentil Salad" on NoraCooks.com.

For the Salad:

1.5 C. dry green lentils (or 4.5 C. cooked)

5 C. water

1 medium English cucumber, diced

1 small red onion, diced (1 C.)

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced small

1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley

1/2 C. crumbled feta (opt., I use Trader Joe's vegan feta)

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered, opt.

3–4 C. arugula or baby spinach, opt.

For the Dressing:

1/4 C. olive oil (or use tahini instead)

3 Tsbp. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. agave (or blend a couple of dates in the Vitamix instead)

2 tsp. dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. salt

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1) Add the lentils and water to a large pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes (until tender but not mushy). Drain and rinse under cold water so they stop cooking and cool fast. Add them to a large bowl.

2) Chop the cucumber, red onion, red pepper, and parsley and add them to the bowl with the lentils.

3) Whisk all dressing ingredients together (or blend in the vitamin if using tahini and dates) until well combined,

4) Pour the dressing over the lentils and vegetables and stir everything together. Sir in the feta and grape tomatoes, if using. Serve over a bed of arugula or baby spinach, if desired. You can also simply mix the greens into the salad.

NOTES:

* The salad will keep for 2–3 days covered in the refrigerator.

* May add in some cooked quinoa.

* May use green, brown, or black lentils, but don't use red as they will just cook down into mush.

* The leftovers from this recipe and Carole's Shawarma Bowls are delicious served together over a bed of mixed greens.

Chocolate Walnut Fudge Bars (Vegan)

These are chewy, yummy, and mildly sweet.

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

1/2 C. quick or rolled oats

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 C. pure maple syrup (1/2 C. if not using coconut sugar)

2 Tbsp. coconut sugar (OR omit and use all maple syrup)

1/4 C. applesauce (or 1/4 C. coconut oil if not oil-free)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 C. chocolate chips (use dairy-free for vegan—we like Lily's brand)

1.2 C. chopped walnuts

Optional: extra chocolate chips and walnuts for topping.

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 8x8 square baking pan with parchment paper. (Crumple parchment paper before lining to make it easier.)

2) Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips and walnuts in food processor and blend until smooth. (Don't be afraid to blend well!)

3) Add chocolate chips and walnuts to the mixture and stir well.

4) Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and top with optional additional chocolate chips and chopped walnuts, if desired.

5) Bake for 16-18 minutes, then cool at least 10 minutes before cutting.

This recipe is modified slightly from the original at Chocolate Covered Katie.

Iivo’s Black Bean Burgers (Vegan)

3 C. (or 2 cans) cooked black beans (rinse and drain well if using canned)

1 large onion, quartered

1.5 C. rolled oats (maybe more if too wet)

Juice from 1 fresh lime

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. Emeril's burger seasoning (or the cauliflower seasoning from the black bean taco recipe)

1-2 tsp. organic no-salt seasoning (Costco blend of 21 organic seasonings)

SPG, to taste

NOTE: If doubling, in the interest of space in your food processor, make as individual batches.

1) Pulse onions lightly in the food processor to begin dicing. Add other ingredients, then pulse until mixture is chunky but not pureed. Mixture should be moist but not wet. 

2) With slightly damp hands, shape mixture into patties. They will cook better if they are flatter. (And they will spread out some as they sit, so don't make them too big!)

3) Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

4) In a large non-stick skillet cook burgers over medium to medium-high heat until burgers are lightly browned and cooked through. You want to cook them slowly so they will cook through and not be mushy inside.

5) Serve burgers with lots of condiments and toppings just like regular beef burgers.

Our favorites toppings:

Vegan mayo (I sub with avocado slices to avoid extra oil)

Mustard

Ketchup

Onion

Pickle

Tomato

Colored pepper slices

Sliced jalapeños 

Lettuce (We like to end with lettuce as the top "bun"!)

NOTE: I have also served this as a patty with seasoned brown rice pilaf and grilled or roasted veggies, topped with a sauce made from 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 Tbsp. tahini, 1-2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, raw honey, hot water to thin. When served this way, you can prepare them thicker and they can be a little softer inside.

This recipe has been modified slightly from this original recipe for Five-Ingredient Veggie Burgers from Forks Over Knives.

"Snickers" Bars (Vegan)

If you need a vegan treat that everyone will enjoy, this will fit the bill!

Dry Ingredients:

150 g old-fashioned rolled oats (scant 2 cups)

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. chia seeds

8 dates, finely chopped (6 if medjool)

2 Tbsp. vegan dark chocolate chips (I use Lily's brand)

Wet Ingredients:

1/4 C. natural creamy peanut butter

3 Tbsp. real maple syrup

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 C. non-dairy milk (I use almond milk)

1/4 C. applesauce

Topping:

1/4 C.  vegan dark chocolate chips

3 Tbsp.+ chopped peanuts

2-3 dates, finely chopped

1) In a medium mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and set aside.

2) In a medium saucepan, heat the wet ingredients (peanut butter, maple syrup, nut milk, applesauce, vanilla extract) and blend well until peanut butter is melted and mixes in.

3) Add dry ingredients to wet ones. Mix well, then transfer to a 9x9 pan lined with crinkled parchment paper. Press into lined pan with spatula.

4) Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until it is set and it's not sticky or gooey when you touch the middle.

5) Remove from oven. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler, thinning with a little water or nut milk until it is a drizzling consistency.

6) Sprinkle on the peanuts and dates, pressing them down into the bars topped with chocolate drizzle.

7) Let cool for 15 minutes, then slice, remove from the pan, and serve.

8) These can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just bake a few minutes to warm and serve.

This recipe is modified from the original by Vegan Richa, which appears here.

Linka’s WFPB Waffles (Vegan)

Ingredients:

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour, Or Oat Flour

2 Ripe Bananas

1¾ Cup Almond Milk

2 Tsp Baking Powder

1.5 Tsp Baking Soda

Combine ingredients and cook in your waffle maker as usual.

Taco Soup (Vegan)

This is one of my typical "throw it all together" kinds of recipes that's a little different every time, based on what I have on hand and what quantity I'm making. But I took some to a friend's house recently—and she asked for the recipe—so I'll try to codify something that will produce something close. Know that it is extremely flexible, and that you can modify it to your own preferences very easily. 

For me, it usually goes something like this. I make a huge batch and freeze it for later.

(I've divided the ingredient list into sections that roughly correspond to when I add the ingredient to the soup. Some veggies take longer to cook than others, and some I like more crisp-tender than soft.)

Ingredients:

onion, diced

celery, diced

garlic, diced (or minced—but if minced, add later)

Southwestern seasonings (any combination of chili powder, cumin, paprika, coriander, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt/pepper/cayenne to taste) or a taco seasoning blend

homemade vegetable broth

beans of choice (any combo of black, pinto, cranberry, kidney, cannellini, lentils), precooked

some of the aqua faba from cooking or the cans of beans (if light-colored)

petite diced tomatoes, with the juice

small jar of organic salsa

canned or fresh pumpkin, cooked or diced raw

carrot, diced

leek, diced

kale stalks, finely diced

sweet potato (finely diced)

cauliflower leaves (if I have them on hand from cooking cauliflower), finely diced

fresh jalapeño, finely diced, if you like spicy

zucchini, quartered and sliced

corn (fresh or frozen)

kale leaves, diced

snow peas, sliced into thin strips

For serving:

quinoa, brown rice, or wild rice blend, already prepared

diced avocado, sweet onion, fresh jalapeño, for garnish

corn chips, if not watching oil and processed foods

Preparation:

1) Pre-cook your beans, if not using canned. NOTE: It is important to pre-cook legumes before combining them with acidic foods (like tomatoes) or they may never soften completely. Do not throw out the thickened cooking water.

2) Pre-cook your rice or quinoa.

3) Dry sauté the diced onion, celery, and garlic in a Dutch oven (adding a little water only if it begins to stick).

4) Add the seasonings with a little broth and cook lightly until fragrant (maybe 30 seconds or a minute). Don't skimp on the spices!

5) Add liquids, beans, and harder veggies, and bring to a low boil. Cover and simmer lightly until veggies just begin to soften.

6) Add the remaining veggies (zucchini, corn, kale), which I add last because I want them to stay crisp tender.

7) Serve over rice or quinoa (or add it to the soup before serving, if preferred) and top with avocado, sweet onion, and diced jalapeño, if desired.