Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t pumpkin pie spice

Wet ingredients:
1 1/3 c pumpkin
1/3 c oil
2 egg substitutes
3/4
c of sugar

Topping:
1 T granulated sugar
1 t cinnamon

1. Sift together dry ingredients.
2. In a large bowl, combine wet ingredients. I used a bit more than 3/4 c of sugar, and I thought they were plenty sweet. Feel free to decrease the sugar incrementally to see what is necessary. It likely depends upon the sweetness of your pumpkin puree.
3. Combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Do not over-stir.
4. Pour into greased muffin tins/paper liners (3/4 full).
5. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over the muffins.

Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Yield: 18 muffins

These were fine the next day, and none survived beyond that!

Millet (bird seed) Granola Bars

If you haven't had millet, you're missing out. These bars offer a great way to sneak a little millet into your life! Crispy little bits with whatever flavors strike your fancy is always a win.

Ingredients:
1 2/3 c rolled oats
1/3 c flour (I use coconut, you can use whatever you'd like)
1/3 c shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/3 c millet
1/2 c sugar (brown or white, or I've used the coconut sweetener too)
1/2 t cinnamon (but who's measuring?)

3 T Earth Balance (or replace with coconut oil)
3 T coconut oil
1/3 c nut butter (I use peanut)
6 T assorted liquid sweetener (molasses, maple syrup, honey, agave)
1 tsp vanilla

1.5 cups nuts, seeds, dried fruits

I usually use some almonds and raisins, but you can use any chopped, dried fruit you'd like. This recipe is a great way to clear out your nut/seed/dried fruit stash.

Method:
Oven at 350
1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Soak dried fruit in a little bit of hot water while you work.
3. Melt Earth Balance, coconut oil, and nut butter in a liquid measuring cup. Add liquid sweetener and stir to combine (this really helps the peanut butter situation).
4. Drain the dried fruits and add them to the dry mix. Then stir in the wet ingredients.
5. Bake in a greased 8x8, loaf tin, or 7x11. PRESS the stuff into the pan using a spatula or a coconut-oiled hand. The thinner the bars, the less time they will need. 7x11 probably need only 20 minutes while a loaf pan will need as much as 35. Check for browning edges.

COOL COMPLETELY IN THE PAN. WALK AWAY, I'M SERIOUS. These puppies are prone to crumbling. The original recipe called for corn syrup as a liquid sweetener, and swears that it will prevent the breakage. My friend Kelli adds an egg and says that's a good binder, too. Do what you want.

Other great additions include food grade oils, like orange oil. You could use chocolate chips as some of your mix-ins, even though they are not technically fruits, nuts, or seeds.

Black strap molasses makes these bars even healthier, as do the additions of hemp seeds, flax seeds, and other nutrient-dense options. They never come out the same twice, but they are always delicious.

Spooky Kohlrabi (situation)

As you can see from the following photo, we have a Kohlrabi Situation at our house. Our farm share was particularly prolific in the kohlrabi department this year, and while we've been eating them, we simply cannot keep up.

Combine the Situation with my need to bring healthy Halloween snacks to yoga tonight and my grandmother's everlasting mantra of thou shall not waste anything, ever, particularly food, resulted in the following stroke of genius. If you're a regular old person, you probably think I'm too self-congratulatory in this statement.

If you have a K.S., you're welcome.

Ingredient:
Kohlrabi (or jicama would work, if you're situation-less and actually shopping for Halloween ingredients.)
1. Peel the kohlrabi.

2. Slice into rounds or half rounds (I find cutting easier if I cut it in half).

3. Use your cookie cutters to cut shapes out of the kohlrabi.

4. Serve with dips of your choice. I'm using my hurry, curry recipe, but a black bean dip, guacamole or hummus would work very well.

More kohlrabi recipes from the NYT here.

Raisin or Chocolate Pumpkin Bars

If you love pumpkin but can't get over the six eggs, one pound of butter and seven cups of sugar recipes out there, this one might be for you. I swear every recipe I search has 3 cups sugar, 4 eggs, and a lot of oil or butter. This recipe tastes better, is easier, takes less time to bake, and is healthier!

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups flour (I have not tried anything except whole wheat)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or just a dash of ground cloves)

1/2 cup sugar (reduce if using chocolate chips)
2-3 T blackstrap molasses 1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 egg substitute (I recommend 2 T of ground flax, whipped with 4-6 T water until frothy)
2 tablespoons liquid oil (coconut is delicious!)

1/2 cup raisins or chocolate chips

Preaheat the oven to 350. Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine the first set of ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the next set. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until well blended. Add raisins/chips. Spread in prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes.

Best Peanut Butter Cookies Ever

If you're as familiar with GF baking as I am, you know that the GF recipe is never as good as the glutenous recipe. Well, this one is the exception. These are literally the best PB cookies ever.

Ingredients:
1/2 c rice flour
1/2 c peanuts
1 1/2 c peanut butter
1/4 c maple syrup
1/4 c molasses
1/2 t vanilla
salt (if your pb is unsalted use 1/2 t)
chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.
1. Mix ingredients.
2. Scoop onto parchment lined baking sheet and top with chocolate chips, if using.
3. Bake 12 minutes.

Voila. Amazing.

Makes 20 2" cookies or 12 3" cookies. One of the many treats my Desert Retreat friends will enjoy at Ojo Caliente.

Chocolate Banana Walnut Cookies

When you have an extra sad banana around the house, this is one of the best ways to put it to rest! Yield 24 cookies.

Ingredients:
1/3 c non-dairy butter
1 mashed overripe banana
1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1 egg (or equivalent)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c flour
1/4 c cocoa powder
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 c chocolate chips
1/2 c walnut pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Combine butter, banana and sugars. Add egg (or substitute) and vanilla.
3. In another bowl, combine all dry ingredients except chocolate chips and nuts.
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet, and incorporate the chocolate chips and nuts.
5. Place on parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Adapted from the Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

White Bean and Basil Dip

What's easier than pie and tastier than hummus? White bean dip. It goes with everything from BLTs (tempeh bacon, lettuce and tomato) to carrot sticks and crackers. If the texture of garbanzo bean hummus leaves you queasy, this might be the substitute you've been looking for.

If soaking beans terrifies you, just read through and see how easy it really is.

1 lb dry white beans (or 3 cans of canned white beans)

4-10 cloves of roasted garlic
1 12 oz can of artichoke hearts
several basil leaves (or 1-2 T dried basil)
salt
lemon juice
olive oil
water
1. Pour the dry beans into your crock pot and fill the crock pot with water. Cover and leave unplugged all night long (or at least 8 hours).
2. In the morning, rinse the beans and return them to the crock pot. Cover them with plenty of water (near the top of the crock pot), plug it in, and set it to high heat. Cook for several hours... like 6. If you will be out of the house all day, cook them on low instead.
3. Drain the beans and rinse well.
4. Combine all ingredients into a blender or Vitamix. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil and maybe a little lemon juice. Add enough water so that the liquid covers half of the beans. Puree.
5. Taste, add salt and possibly more oil, juice or water. This isn't a science, you just work until you get the texture you want. If the beans are warm when you do this, you may want to make the mixture a little thinner as it will become firmer once it cools in the refrigerator. Also, if you are soaking beans you will need to add a significant amount of salt. Canned beans are already quite salty, so add gradually but don't lose your mind if you add a tablespoon of salt.

Serve as a spread on a sandwich, a dip with garlic-y chips or veggies, or even use it as a salad dressing. If you have an abundance of tomatoes right now, you can chop them up and serve them coated in the dip on a bed of lettuce.

Peanut Dressing

Yes, this is for salads. And yes, it is fantastic and easy. Also high in protein and not affected too terribly by time outside of the refrigerator.

Serves 2
Ingredients:
1/4 c natural peanut butter
1/2 T tamari soy sauce
1-3 T rice wine vinegar
ginger paste (optional, to taste)

There's only one step!: Combine with a whisk and toss with the veggies.
I recommend the following toppings for your salad along with this dressing:
- grilled tofu
- carrot slices
- radishes
- green beans

To make ginger paste, peel a piece of ginger using a teaspoon. Hold the ginger in front of you and place your thumb into the bowl of the teaspoon. Drag the edge of the spoon towards you along the peel and it comes right off! Then you can puree the ginger with some water or simply chop it finely.

Almost Pudding: PB & Chocolate

Do you need an intro for this one? I think we should just cut to the chase.

More nutritious than that shelf-stable stuff you can buy, easy to make, and super delicious. Lots more protein, too!

Ingredients:

4/5* of a package of firm SILKEN organic tofu

1 chocolate bar (of your choosing)

1 c natural peanut butter

1/2 c organic soy milk

1. Melt the chocolate bar in a microwave or double boiler.

2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor, or mix with a hand mixer.

3. Pour into individual-sized serving containers.

4. Chill.

Makes 4 3 ounce servings.

*This recipe compliments any vegan salad dressing or soup recipe that involves a little silken tofu. If you have to use the whole package, I think you'll be fine, but it is what I do when I have used 1/5-1/4 of a package.

Hurry, Curry! (Lentil Dip)

I love hummus, don't get me wrong, but sometimes I find it boring. And sometimes I find that we have no cooked, soaked garbanzos. Or worse, no garbanzos at all.

So, what's a vegan yogini with a GF husband to do?

Improvise.

Introducing a flavorful dip that is just a bit different from anything else (and the only recipe I will EVER write that contains "curry powder".

1 cup dry lentils (any brown, green, or black variety will do, just not the dainty red lentils).

1 vegan Not-Chik-n bouillon cube

2 cups water

1 bay leaf

1 T toasted sesame seed oil

1-2 t curry powder (depending on your taste) salt to taste

additional water

1. Cook the lentils in the water, bouillon and bay leaf in a covered pot over low/medium heat. They should get mushy, so between 20-30 minutes should be perfect. You may need to add additional water if the lentils are still not mushy but the water has evaporated. I have mistakenly made burned lentil patty this way, and there's a reason that isn't the featured recipe.

2. Discard bay leaf and pour contents of pot into a food processor. Add oil, salt, and curry powder. Pure like the dickens. Thin with water as necessary to achieve a "dip" texture to your liking.

3. Serve with corn chips, rice crackers, or crudite. Great for a pot luck, but be sure to label it so people aren't horribly surprised when it isn't guacamole.

Easy. Delicious. Nearly impossible to mess up, unless you let the water boil off of the lentils or puree the spatula with the dip (Someone in our house who still owes me a new spatula may have also done this once).

The Artsy, Smartsy Smoothie

You know how to make a great smoothie, right? Well I didn't for a long time. I would end up with weird colors, poor mixing, and unusual flavors that didn't sit well. Here are my tips (and recipe) for a great smoothie.

Tips:

1. Use (some) ice: a lot of folks looking for nutrient density skip this step, which is a big mistake. Ice keeps the smoothie cool when blender blades get hot.

2. Freeze your fruit: tempting as it may be to throw in a few things from the counter top, smoothies are really best when the fruit is frozen. I freeze quite a bit myself, whenever a bunch of berries are starting to look sad, or a mango will not be used in time I freeze small 4 oz. containers packed full of stone fruits, kiwi or berries.

3. Avoid seedy berries: blackberries and raspberries are delicious... but they have seeds that create an unsavory texture inside of a smoothie. These frozen berries are great additions to oatmeal, so no need to waste them.

4. Use banana: I always add 1/2 frozen banana per serving to each smoothie. The creamy mixture literally cannot be achieved by anything else. When you have a bunch on the counter, peel, break in half and throw into a container in the freezer.

5. Add some veggies: if you're using a simple blender, stick with raw greens (don't freeze them). If you're using a higher powered contraption, like a Vitamix, you can use other veggies like carrots.

6. Include a mix-in or two: You can simply add some ground flax seed, or flax seed oil. Hemp seed, chia and others are great additions, too. My favorite is a premixed, pre-pulverized product by NuDe Food, which also has probiotics. The secret to seeds and oils is to include them last. Just stir them in, otherwise the smoothie can take on an odd gummy texture. This is not true with the NuDe Food mix in; you just add it right along with everything else.

7. What's your liquid?: I use non-dairy milks most of the time, because they are most nutritious. I usually use 3/4 fortified unsweetened organic soy milk and 1/4 fortified vanilla almond milk. You could certainly use juice or other milks, just make sure the flavor profile fits well. Also be sure to use enough liquid. Your liquid should almost cover the solid ingredients (except fresh greens).

8. Add some cinnamon! Lots of health benefits, including some evidence that it helps with blood sugar. And tasty.

Mango Smoothie (with secret veggies)

5 ice cubes

1/2 frozen organic banana

1/2 c frozen organic mango chunks

1 handful washed, fresh organic spinach

1/2 washed organic carrot (chopped, if using a blender)

1 T NuDe Food probiotic blend

3/4 c organic, fortified, plain soy milk

1/4 c organic, vanilla almond milk

1/2 t ground cinnamon

Layer the ingredients into your blending device or vitamix in the order recommended above. If you are using a blender, you may need to stop after about 30 seconds, remove the container from the base and stir the ingredients with a long spoon. If using a Vitamix, just use the tamper. Sometimes the greens like to float on top!

Pour out and serve. Any excess can be frozen into small 1/2 cup containers and make ideal ice packs for meals on the go. They are not edible straight from the freezer, but after being out in a lunch sack until lunch time, they're back to the perfect temperature.

Tempeh Fajitas

I love this recipe for fajitas because it is so quick and easy. You can skip marinating the tempeh to save time. If you're vegan, be sure to buy vegan worchestershire sauce. This recipe is also gluten free! Time: 20 minutes (if you skip the steaming and marinating)

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 package tempeh
2-3 bell peppers, sliced
1 bundle green onions
8 corn tortillas
3 Tbsp vegan worchestershire sauce
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp dry garlic
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
salt to taste
fajita fixin's of your choice

Optional tempeh preparation:
Steam the tempeh for 15 minutes. This can remove some bitterness, but I don't find it necessary.

1. Slice cooled tempeh into strips. Soak in 2 Tbsp worchestershire sauce for 15-30 minutes.
2. Combine remaining worchestershire sauce with oil, spices and salt. Slice peppers. 3. Add tempeh and soaking sauce and toss to coat.
4. Heat a cast iron skillet to 8 of 10.
5. Add tempeh to skillet, turning once until slightly charred. Reserve soaking liquid.
6. Toss pepper slices and green onions with soaking liquid.
7. Remove tempeh and add peppers, onions, and all soaking liquid to the pan. Stir once or twice and cook for a few minutes.
8. Remove the pan from heat, add tempeh and serve immediately.