Watermelon Granita - Perfect Summer Dessert!

3/4 cup water

1 1/4 cup sugar

medium watermelon

1 tbs lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp crushed cardamom pods (can also use ground cardomom)

combine water and 3/4 cup sugar in a saucepan and stir over low heat until dissolved. in a blender (or with my favorite: immersion blender... less clean up and time) puree the watermelon with the sugar syrup, cardamom, and lemon juice until smooth. pour the mixture into a 9x13 pan and freeze for 30 min. fluff the granita with a fork every 30 min until fluffy and frozen.

Bright, Fresh, Rainbow Minestrone

1 med yellow onion 

3 carrots

3 celery stalks

4 or 5 small potatoes

1/4 head of cabbage

2 cups green beans

1 can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 can canellini or white beans, drained and rinsed

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinse

10-15 cups of water

1 tbs fresh thyme

1 tbs dried oregano

1/3 cup chopped italian (flat leaf) parsley

15 leaves of fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

1. in a large pot, heat some olive oil, and saute the onions, oregano and thyme, and veggies until slightly tender. 

2. add all canned items

3. add water

4. add fresh herbs (parsley and basil)

5. add salt and pepper

BEST EVER COOKIE RECIPE

MAPLE PECAN COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups pecans, ground in food processor or incredibly finely chopped (i do it by hand due to lack of food processor)
2 cups quick oats, ground (i use organic rolled oats)
1 cup unbleached white spelt flour, sifted (i use oat flour)
1 cup whole spelt flour, sifted (i use oat flour)1 cup maple syrup (grade b syrup has more maple-licious flavor)
1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil (any kind of veggie or nut oil can work. i've used canola, but walnut and safflower have been particularly successful)
1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
30 pecan halves

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pecans, oats, and sifted white and spelt flours.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, oil, vanilla, and sea salt.

4. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and stir well to combine.

5. Scoop a spoonful of dough onto lined baking sheet

 and gently press down using your palm. 

Repeat with the remaining dough. 

Press a pecan half into the top of each cookie.

6. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes about 30 cookies.

EASIEST BANANA BREAD RECIPE

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon clove
1/2 cup earth balance or other vegan butter replacement
3/4 cup brown sugar
egg replacer for 2 eggs
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. In a separate bowl, cream together
butter and brown sugar. Stir in egg replacer and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Delicious, Easy, Fresh, VEGGIE SALAD.

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

1 chopped cucumber

2 small chopped yellow bell peppers

1/4 cup chopped sweet onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tbs minced ginger

drizzle of olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup pine nuts

Vegan Cheesecake

Vegan Cheesecake

Many a soup-y, maple-y, pudding-y tofucakes later..... I modified the best recipe of the bunch into the absolutely easiest vegan cheesecake imaginable. Seriously.

If you buy a premade graham cracker crust, this recipe could not be easier. There are pro's and con's of course to buying a crust. The premade pie crusts don't actually contain honey, which is counter-intuitive since they are labeled as 'graham cracker' crusts. However, they do contain some weird commercial food chemistry which, depending on your lifestyle, you may not want to be eating.


Filling:

1 8oz package tofutti cream cheese
1 14oz package of silken tofu (drained)
2/3 cup of (vegan) sugar
¼ cup lemon juice
½ tsp almond extract

Crust (optional) 2 c. oats 4 Tbsp. Earth Balance margarine 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar 1 tsp. ground cinnamon Mix the oats, cinnamon and sugar.
Melt margarine and add to the dry ingredients.
Press mixture into a 9" springform pan or deep dish pie pan.

Preheat oven to 350. Put all 5 ingredients into a mixing bowl, immersion blend for 5 minutes until smooth. (if you don't have an immersion blender, whisk thoroughly.) Pour filling into the crust. Bake for 45 minutes.

I would suggest letting the cheesecake chill in the refridg. for awhile.... otherwise you'll be holding a hot cheesecake in one hand and wiping the sweat off your brow with the other as you wait 20 minutes for the L train.