Baked Oatmeal

Directions are basically the same or similar for each variation...  Please see the instructions under "spiced pumpkin" version.

Spiced Pumpkin Coconut (for 4 ramekins)

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Dash of allspice

Dash of salt

2 tsp coconut cream

1 tsp vanilla extract 

2 egg whites

2 cups rolled oats

1 tbsp + 1 tsp coconut flakes (optional; divided among servings)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional: can be mixed in or on top

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. 

Bake 20 min. 

These actually hold together well enough to pop out of the ramekins like little muffins. You could serve them with a little pat of butter (vegan for me), or a drizzle of maple syrup. 

Coconut-Craisin

1 tbsp coconut flakes, unsweetened 

1/2 tsp Truvia

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup pear or apple sauce

1 egg white

1/4 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp blueberry flavored craisins (or 1/4 cup blueberries)

Coconut oil (for greasing baking dish)

Optional Topping:

1 tbsp Maple syrup + 1 tbsp cashew butter + 1 tbsp soy milk

For the Original recipe, (and more variations) Go here! http://mmmmarleemar.wordpress.com/2014/03/13/apple-blueberry-baked-oatmeal/

Figgy Walnut Bars

Though these are quite similar to Larabars, the orange extract used in them makes them delightfully different from any of the available Larabar flavors. I made these based on a recipe from Whole Foods.

Dates and figs are naturally very sweet, so they are great for us folks with the occasional sweet tooth, but, as fruits, they are also healthy for you! (Certainly more nutritious than plain ol' table sugar! Blech).

Ingredients

10 oz medjool dates, pitted

10 oz Turkish figs (hard stem part removed)

1 cup walnuts

1/4 tsp orange extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

In a food processor, combine all the ingredients. Process until you get a small crumb.

Remove half of the mixture. Set aside. 

Process the rest until it looks close to a paste, and sticks together easily. 

Now. Press it into a baking pan lined with wax paper. 

Once it's all smooshed evenly, cover it with plastic, and set in in the fridge to firm up, about 2 hours. Lift out with wax paper, and cut into bars. Wrap individually or separate with sheets of wax paper for storage. Keep refrigerated so they keep their shape. 

I'm sure there are many fruit/nut combos we all could come up with for these bars... So I look forward to using my own creativity and hopefully hearing from you about what you did too! 

Cauliflower and Broccoli in Cashew Cream Red Curry Sauce

Spicy warning! (about as spicy as "medium" salsa)

This recipe is more of a side dish, but could be made into a main dish by adding a protein, like meat or beans (there are a few suggestions at the end of the recipe). 
If you would like to make this a main dish, you will probably want to double the sauce recipe, so there will be enough to cover everything well.

About 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 cups cauliflower florets
• 3 cups broccoli florets

Curry-cream sauce:

• 2/3 cup cashew cream
• 2/3 cup red curry sauce*

*Red curry sauce (For the original recipe, go to About.com Thai Food)

• 1/4 cup white onion, chopped
• 3 Tbsp. prepared lemongrass 
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 thumb-size piece ginger, sliced
• 2 Tbsp. tomato ketchup
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper 
• 2 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce, however, original recipe called for fish sauce)
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp coconut liquid aminos (or use more soy sauce)
• 1-1/2 to 2 Tbsp. chili powder (use less if you don't like it too spicy)
• 3 Tbsp. thick coconut milk, or just enough to keep the blades turning (reserve remaining for cooking the curry)
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions

First, prepare red curry sauce. Chop, peel, grate, etc. ingredients as listed and add to a food processor. Process until smooth.

In a small bowl, mix together the equal amounts listed of prepared curry sauce and cashew cream. Set aside. 
Note: this ratio of sauce to nut cream can be adjusted to taste… If you want it more spicy, add more curry sauce, if not, add more nut cream. Also, if the sauce is too thick, you can thin it out, adding a few tablespoons of coconut, soy, or almond milk at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

Steam vegetables until tender.

Add the vegetables to a skillet, and toss with the prepared curry cream sauce, making sure everything is coated well. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is heated through. Serve hot, and enjoy!


Main dish add-in variations:

Meat-lovers:

• Cooked and cubed chicken breast

Vegetarian:

• 1 can (15 oz) rinsed, drained chickpeas

Easy Mushroom-Tomato Pasta Sauce

A super easy, tasty, accompaniment to your favorite pasta! 

Fresh whole wheat pappardelle with sauce

Ingredients 

1 large onion, diced (about 1-1/2 cups)

1-1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

1-1/2 cup diced plum tomatoes (remove pulp and seeds)

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt

Black pepper

Optional: 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

If you are starting with whole mushrooms, very quickly rinse them under cold water to remove dirt (don't soak, because mushrooms easily absorb water and then you are left with yucky soggy mushrooms!); afterwards, gently dry them on a clean towel, and spread out to let dry further.

Heat oil in large non-reactive skillet (stainless steel preferably; don't use aluminum as the acids in the tomato can discolor and give an off flavor to the sauce ). 

Add mushrooms, and add a dash of salt. Stir to coat, and sauté over medium-high heat for about 4-5 min. Stir in onions, sprinkle another dash of salt in, and cook another 5 or so until onions are translucent. Add in tomatoes, add a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and cook about 4 min. Season to taste with salt and pepper to finish the sauce.  

If you are ok with cheese, you can stir in about 1/3 cup grated Parmesan at this point. 

Toss the sauce with cooked pasta and fresh parsley (you can reserve some to around on top or mix it all in). Now, dig in!

Italian Turkey Meatloaf springpad.com Ingredients 1-1/2 pounds 93/7 lean ground turkey 1 egg  1/2 cup coarse ground rolled oats (or steel cut oats) 1/4 cup sweet vermouth 2 tbsp olive oil 4 oz basil pesto (dairy free) 4 large cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped 1-1/4 cups tomato sauce (could use canned crushed tomatoes, with 1/2 cup liquid reserved) 1/4 cup tomato paste Small handful of Fresh, chopped parsley 1/2 tsp fresh ground black peppercorns 1 tsp onion powder 1 cup diced onion 2 tsp oregano 2 tsp basil 1 tsp Salt Directions Preheat oven to 375°F.  Heat oil in skillet. Sauté onions for several minutes: add vermouth. Sprinkle a little salt. Cook several min. Until onions are tender and liquid is mostly cooked out. Add garlic and cook for another couple minutes. In a medium bowl, combine ground meat, egg, oats, cooked onion mixture, pesto, half of chopped parsley, sun dried tomatoes. In small bowl, mix together tomato sauce, paste, herbs & spices. Add 3/4 cup of sauce to meat and mix well.  Baking options: 1) lightly form meat into a long loaf about 8 inches by 3 inches, on an ovenproof casserole dish, or 2" deep baking pan.  OR 2) lightly press into a 8x4" baking loaf pan.  Pour remaining sauce over top.  Cheese variation: Mix in shredded Parmesan or small cubes of mozzarella, and sprinkle cheese on top before baking.  Bake 60 minutes; meat loaf will have shrunk some from the sides of the baking dish, with an internal temperature (use instant thermometer inserted into middle) should be 150 degrees F.

Chicken Tikka Masala

The sauce in this recipe was one of those lick-the-plate kinds for me. It was the perfect blend of rich tomato flavor, spice, and creaminess. Though there is a small amount of prep work involved, the sauce and nut cream can be made a day ahead, so the next day you can have a meal ready in 30 min! (My favorite kind of meal!)

Some notes about the ingredients I used:

I made this recipe with 8 chicken breast tenderloins, which I thought seemed equivalent to 4 chicken breasts at the time, but I ended up with much more sauce than was appropriate for the amount of chicken. Hence, the potatoes. So as you'll see below, I put what was originally listed along with what I did. I had so much sauce that I needed to spread it out by mixing in something else, so I boiled some diced potatoes until they were just tender and mixed those in. (You want the potatoes just soft enough for fork to easily puncture; you don't want them to be super soft, because then they turn to mush when you mix them in). Anyways, potatoes are beside the point of this post. (If you're really interested, if you ask me, I will be happy to explain the potato bit more). Onto the deliciousness of the masala sauce!

Also...

I tagged this as vegetarian and vegan because this could easily be adapted, taking out the chicken and replacing it with vegetables, legumes, seitan, tempeh, or whatever meatless protein or starch you prefer. I am not too familiar with tofu products and seitan, but I'm sure you can find something on the web where it explains how to sauté or otherwise prepare these to be incorporated into a recipe. 

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 8 chicken breast tenderloins, cubed  [original: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed*]
• 2 medium potatoes [original did not call for this]

• 2 tbsp olive oil

[*If you go with the 4 chicken breasts, don't bother with the potatoes]

Masala sauce:

• 1/2 cup (4 oz) tomato paste
• 2 hot cherry chili peppers, deseeded, chopped (2-3 tbsp, or to taste) (these are technically 'medium' hotness, as a reference for substitutions)
• 3 garlic cloves (1 tbsp minced)
• 2 inch piece of ginger root, peeled, grated
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala (spice blend)
• 1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp honey
• 1-1/2 tbsp Earth Balance (vegan, non-dairy margarine)
• 2 tsp dried cilantro OR 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 cup cashew cream

Additional/optional garnishes:

• chopped roasted cashews
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Puree masala sauce ingredients, from tomato paste to the olive oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Set aside.
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan (preferably one with a thick bottom for more even cooking) on the stove, medium heat. Cook chicken, stirring to turn over pieces occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until outside is lightly browned.
3. Increase the heat to medium-high, and mix in the masala sauce. Bring to a low bubble, then reduce heat to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. If sauce gets too dry, add a little water. Stir often to avoid burning the sauce on the bottom. 
4. When chicken has cooked through, mix in the cashew cream, and cook through on low for several more minutes. 
5. Serve hot with rice or vegetables. Optional: Sprinkle with chopped cashews and/or cilantro.

I have only skimmed the cookbook that has the original recipe, but I bought it as an ebook and even though it's a small book, it's full of recipes that actually seem doable, not full of complicated ingredients, techniques, etc. as some special dietary (gluten-free) cooking sometimes appears. And they all look delicious, of course, too!

Source:

Cheetham, G. (2011). Simply gluten-free & dairy-free: Breakfasts, lunches, treats, dinners, desserts. London, U.K: Duncan Baird Publishers.

Cashew Nut Cream

I used this recipe to make the Vanilla Cashew Cream variation, for my strawberry muffins, but it can be a neutral creamy base for many other ideas. I think it tastes just like regular dairy cream, only thicker. It is not heavy like a nut butter; it's surprisingly light, and has that creamy richness of dairy cream. Using different herb/spice blends, you could probably make this into a variety of different vegan 'cream' sauces. I made this to be used later in a chicken tikka masala recipe, but since I couldn't wait to eat some, I mixed some up with a little vanilla and stevia, to make my breakfast muffin extra special.

Basically all you have to do is soak raw cashews in cold water over night, and then in the morning, drain & rinse them. Then purée them in the food processor with some water until it completely smooth. It's that easy! 

Cashew Nut Cream

Makes about 2 cups 

1.5 cups raw cashews*

3/4 cup cold water

1. Put cashews in a bowl and fill with enough cold water to cover them. Cover and let soak overnight/12 hrs.

2. Drain and rinse cashews. Add to food processor. Start running processor, and slowly stream in 3/4 cup cold water. Continue to purée until smooth, periodically stopping to scrape down sides as necessary. 

*Depending on the recipe you want to use this for, you could sub in roasted cashews, but I would suggest not using salted ones  

Vanilla variation:

For 1 big dollop

1.5 tbsp cashew nut cream

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp stevia

Recipes using Cashew Nut Cream:

Strawberry Chia Seed Muffins
Chicken Tikka Masala (coming soon)