Eggnog

Few things scream Christmas like eggnog…

Well, there is the Christmas tree.

And the decorations.

And the cookies. (Did someone say cookies?!)

But lets get back to the eggnog!

This recipe is simple and delicious. Made from only the best ingredients, and without any "natural flavors" or other mystery ingredients found in the store-bought versions. Not only good for drinking, this eggnog rocks as a creamer replacement in your coffee, or milk replacer in your pancake recipe (eggnog pancakes say whaaat). 

Yields 2 cups of eggnog. 

Ingredients
1 cup plain almond milk
1 cup light coconut milk  from the can
2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of pink salt

Combine all of the above ingredients in a medium size sauce pan on the stove. Whisk together and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and continue whisking to keep from boiling over. Reduce the heat and return the pot to the stove, keeping it at a simmer, and whisking for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a glass jar on the counter. Let cool, uncovered, and then tightly seal and place in the refrigerator to cool for 3-4 hours before serving. This will keep for 2-3 days.

Pumpkin Pie Gingersnap Ice Cream

Oh yes, I had plans for those gingersnap cookies I baked last week. And no it was not just to share with you in my last post, but to enrich your lives even further with what I now call my most favorite ice cream on the planet. It's a bold claim, but the truth. If you do not like pumpkin, pumpkin pie, or gingersnaps - do not make this ice cream. But if all of those flavors I just listed made you jump in your car to drive to Starbucks to get a holiday cup filled with a pumpkin spice late topped with whipped cream and a gingerbread cookie so you could cry your heart out due to the uncontrollable happiness that overcomes you (man was that a run-on sentence if there ever was one), then you should seriously go make this ice cream before you explode from excitement by the mere fact that something like this could exist. 

Note 1: Chilling (for 4 hours or overnight) the coconut milk cans and pumpkin puree before making the batter allows you to place the batter straight into your ice cream maker because it is already chilled. If you did not chill them first you can still make the batter and place it in a bowl, covered, in your refrigerator for a few hours to chill before processing. 

Note 2: I have used all full fat coconut milk cans, one full fat can + one light can, and now both light cans in my homemade ice cream recipes. Verdict? Two light coconut milk cans has made this batch of ice cream the best and closest consistency-wise to the traditional dairy ice cream. And NO, the watered down coconut milk cartons for drinking SHOULD NOT be used. Those are not the same and will yield flavorless, icy ice cream. 

Ingredients

2 cans light coconut milk chilled

1 cup pumpkin puree chilled

1/3 cup agave nectar

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon xantham gum

Pinch of salt

2 cups of gingersnap cookie pieces

Blend all of the above ingredients (minus the cookie pieces) together and transfer to your ice cream maker. Process according to the manufacturers instructions. Break up your gingersnap cookies into one-inch pieces, and either add them to your ice cream half way through processing in your maker (if it is large enough to hold all the batter and the mix-ins), or fold in the cookie pieces after the ice cream is finished processing. 

It is ready to eat straight from the maker if you like your ice cream of soft serve consistency. Otherwise, transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer until ready to serve. If eating within the same day as making the ice cream, it will be soft enough to serve straight from the freezer. But after another day of freezing it will become very hard and need to sit on the counter to thaw for about 1/2 hour before serving (or if you have one of those fancy microwaves you could use that to soften it instead). 

Raw Black Bottom Pumpkin Pies with Whipped Coconut Cream

I'm currently sitting in my kitchen with my first test batch of cinnamon rolls in the oven (recipe coming soon!) while writing this awesome post on the best pumpkin pie I've ever had. Life is feeling pretty good right about now (and it is smelling AMAZING). Oh and I am eating a salad. Need to offset the weekly treat indulgence with lots of veggies and juicing in between. I promise I don't only eat what I post! It's about balance. And these pies will knock the socks off your taste buds without all the added refined sugars and flours found in your typical treats (cough... like these cinnamon rolls... cough...).

Last year when I made my first raw pumpkin pie I swore I would never eat a baked pumpkin pie again. That was a little bold, but my love for the raw pie still stands. This year I decided to mix it up a little by adding the black bottom. But why stop there? Then came the chocolate crust. Then I made it cuter in a new mini-pie form. Everything tastes better when cute and small. I might be inclined to say I kicked last year's pie in the butt. But I won't say. You'll just have to make both and decide for yourself. 

Notes: In order to make this completely raw you will need to use raw pumpkin instead of the canned, and substitute cashew cream for the whipped coconut cream. 

Yields four 4-inch mini pies. Could substitute one 9-inch tart pan with removable sides, if desired. 

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup raw almonds

1 cup raw cashews

1/2 cup raw cacao powder

1 cup of dates

Pinch of pink salt

Dash of cinnamon

1 or 2 tablespoons of water

Pumpkin Filling

1 15oz. can pumpkin puree preferably organic and in a BPA free can

3/4 cup raw agave

1/4 cup whipped coconut cream

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Raw Chocolate

1/4 cup raw cacao powder

1/4 cup coconut oil melted

4 teaspoons raw agave

One batch of whipped coconut cream. 

Begin by making the coconut cream and transferring it to an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

For the crust, remove the seeds from the dates, give them a chop, and soak them in water for at least 10 minutes to hydrate and soften. In the bowl of your food processor, process the almonds and cashews until they resemble a fine meal. Add the cacao powder, salt, and cinnamon. Pulse to incorporate. Add the soaked dates and process until fully incorporated and crumbly. Add only one tablespoon of water and process, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture is slightly sticky and binding together. Add any additional water slowly to avoid adding too much, it will make handling the dough very frustrating in the next step (guilty...). Lightly grease four 4-inch springform pans (or tart shells or ramekins) with coconut oil. Divide the crust mixture evenly between the four, and using your fingers, press the dough into the pans and up the sides evenly. Transfer pans to the freezer to chill while you prepare the chocolate.

For the raw chocolate, combine all the ingredients in a small dish and whisk together until all the cacao clumps are gone and the mixture is smooth. Remove the pie pans from the freezer and spoon 3 teaspoons of the raw chocolate into each pie shell, giving it a nice base layer of chocolate. Return to the freezer for the chocolate to set.

For the pumpkin filling, combine the pumpkin, agave, and pumpkin pie spice and whisk vigorously to get rid of any clumps of pumpkin. Fold/stir in the whipped coconut cream last. Remove the pie shells from the freezer (if the chocolate is set, if not then give it a few more minutes). Divide the pumpkin filling evenly between the four dishes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. 

When ready to serve, run a knife around the outside of the removable shell before unclasping and removing (if using springform ones like mine). Top with whipped coconut cream and a dash of cinnamon (optional). 

How To: Whipped Coconut Cream

This is one of the best discoveries I have made since going vegan almost two years ago. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE UP WHIPPED CREAM. It is brilliant for topping pies, brownies, and ice cream. Not to mention eating it straight from the refrigerator with a spoon. But I love topping my raw chocolate pudding with it on a more regular basis. 

Here are a few of the steps with photos. Bellow there are more detailed instructions. 

All you need: Hand mixer, whisk (chilled), small bowl (chilled), can of full fat coconut milk (refrigerated overnight), can opener, and a spoon.

The coconut water separated from the cream after refrigerating overnight (you pour this off).

Whipping the thick coconut cream that is left at the bottom of the can.

A few minutes later... And you have the best darn whipped coconut cream. 

One good quality can of full fat coconut milk (when refrigerated and separated) yields about 1 cup of cream, which yields about 2 cups of whipped cream. 

Ingredients

1 can full fat coconut milk I recommend Thai Kitchen brand.

Optional 

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon sweetener of your choice

Equipment

1 small bowl chilled

Hand mixer beater chilled

Refrigerate your can(s) of coconut milk overnight. About 30 minutes before you wish to make the whipped cream, place your bowl and whisk in the freezer to chill. The coconut cream is incredibly temperature sensitive. Chilling your equipment will help it to firm up faster and whip into a thicker cream. 

While the can is chilling overnight, the cream in the can is separating from the water and rising to the top. The next day when you go to open the can flip it upside down before doing so. The water will now be at the top, and you can pour it off and either discard it or save to use in another recipe. Scoop the remaining thick cream that is now at the bottom of the can into your chilled bowl. With your hand mixer set to the highest speed, whip the cream with your chilled whisk for 2-3 minutes. It should firm up quickly. Now add in any flavoring or sweetener that you desire and whip for an additional minute. 

Serve the whipped cream immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to use. It should keep for about one week. 

Pumpkin Granola

Alright pumpkin-heads, this one is for you! I know, another vegan posting another granola recipe. (When will those granola-heads STOP? Never. Why? Cause it's freaking awesome.) So here is a recipe to satisfy the pumpkin and granola lovers alike, and a way to cram in some more pumpkin (as if all the pumpkin bread, muffins, cupcakes, and pie aren't enough. They aren't.), and will fill your house with the greatest aroma of the season (next to the soon-to-be Christmas cookie aroma in my kitchen... OH MY GOSH DID I JUST SAY CHRISTMAS. Okay saving my excitement for another post. Breathe, Jessie, breathe.)

Ingredients

2 cups gluten free rolled oats

1/4 cup almond meal

1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon pink salt

1/2 cup raw pepitas shelled pumpkin seeds

3/4 cup agave nectar

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

Preheat your oven to 325F. Toss the oats, almond meal, spices, salt and pepitas together in a medium mixing bowl. In another small bowl, whisk the pumpkin and agave nectar together. Pour the wet mixture into the oat mixture, and toss/stir until well incorporated. Lay the granola mixture out evenly in a 9x13inch baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the granola starts to turn into a golden brown on top. Let fully cool before transferring to an airtight container. Keep on the counter for 3-4 days, or in the refrigerator for a week.

Notes: This granola is more on the chewier side than crunchy. If you prefer a real crunchy granola, omit the pumpkin puree, decrease the amount of agave to 1/2 cup, and bake for 15 minutes on each side. 

Lentils + Red Sauce Tamales

I know, I know, I have been horrible about blogging recipes lately. I'm not sure if it was the summer heat stifling my creative writing juices or what, but I am excited to get back into this fall and have tons of exciting recipes I am working on to share with you guys! The first is this terrific vegan tamale recipe (from scratch) that was inspired by lovely Brooke over at Cheeky Kitchen. The masa recipe below is hers, and was just too good to alter in any way! However I did experiment with my own filling recipe and it blew our socks off. But for you who see this recipe list and instructions and grow weary of ever making homemade tamales - hang on, don't quit reading just yet. Go buy your favorite jar of enchilada sauce and a package of pre-cooked lentils, stir them together, and skip to the masa making step. YOU CAN DO THIS. It will be so worth it, trust me. 

Yields 16 large or 24 smaller tamales.

Ingredients

Red Sauce

2 cups roasted tomato sauce

3 ancho chili peppers dried

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

5 large cloves of garlic minced

1 teaspoon pink salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3/4 cup water

Masa

4 cups masa de harina

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup coconut oil melted

6 cups veggie broth 

Lentils

1 cup french lentils dry

3 cups veggie broth or water

Corn Husks

Begin by cooking the lentils. Combine the lentils and broth, or water, in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Let cook for about 35 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed by the lentils. Turn off the heat and let sit, still covered, for 15 minutes.

While the lentils are cooking bring a smaller pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, remove from the heat and place the dried ancho chili peppers in the pot, submerging them as best you can and re-covering with the lid. Let them soak for 10-15 minutes, flipping them halfway through, to rehydrate and soften. Then slice in half, remove the stems and seeds, and place in a blender. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients to the blender and puree until smooth. Take a taste and add any additional seasonings that you desire at this point.

In a large bowl combine the lentils and red sauce, set aside.

Fill another large mixing bowl with hot water and submerge the cornhusks to soften.

In a third large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the masa and stir in the coconut oil and veggie broth. The consistency should be that of cookie dough. If it is too dry, add an additional tablespoon of veggie broth at a time until it reaches this consistency. I had to add about 1/4 cup extra to my mixture this time.

Ready to get wrapping!? Brace yourself, I struggled to adequately describe my methods here:

I made my tamales a good size, using two cornhusks per tamale. I laid the fatter ends overlapping each other with the pointy ends pointing away from one another (super technical terms, feel free to use them). Then I spread the masa all the way across width-wise, and up and down to form a large square in the center about 1/4 inch thick. I then spooned about 2-3 tablespoons of the lentil + red sauce mixture into the center. Lifting up one side of the husk at a time, I folded the masa mixture over the filling and separating it from the husk until my filling was totally wrapped in a rectangle shaped blanket of masa in the center of the two husks. I then folded over each side of the husks and then the top and bottom pointy ends over one another. You can leave it at this point and place the folded side down when cooking if you wish. I decided to take one of the soaked tamale husks and tear it into strips and use these to tie around each of the tamales to secure them closed (like in the picture above). This is not a pretty or perfect ordeal. Things will get messy and they will not be uniform - embrace the chaos!

If you own a roasting pan, pre-heat your oven to 400 F. Lay the wrapped tamales on the rack in your roasting pan and fill the bottom of the pan with about 2 cups of water, making sure the water does not reach the tamales. Cover the top of the pan tightly with aluminum foil and steam-bake them for about 35-45 minutes (or until firm to the touch). 

Now, if you are like me and do not own a roasting pan, get out a large pot and place a steamer basket at the bottom. Fill with 1/2 cup of water or so, and start layering your tamales on top of one another (or at a slant if they fit standing up). I could only fit about 8 of my larger tamales in my pot, leaving me with enough extra filling and dough to roll 8 more afterwards or the next day. Cover and place on the stove to steam. Cook on medium to medium-low heat for an hour or so, checking halfway through to make sure there is still water simmering to steam (if not add more water). You will know that the tamales are done when they are firm to the touch. Keep in mind that if you are layering the tamales on top of one another the ones at the bottom will cook faster. Check them after 35-40 minutes or so and if they are firm remove them and place the ones that were on top back in the pot to continue steaming.

Remove the tamales from the pot when they have fully cooked and lay out to cool. If eating right away, let them cool and set for about 15 minutes before serving. If cooling to store away and eat at another time, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat by steaming in a pot on the stove for 10 minutes before serving. If freezing, place in a freezer safe zip lock bag in the freezer for up to one month. When ready to eat, transfer frozen tamales to the refrigerator to fully thaw before reheating. Steam them on the stove for 10 minutes before serving. You could also reheat them by covering the tamales with a paper towel on a plate and microwaving for a few minutes too.

Serve with guacamole and salsa.

Hummus

I am very excited to finally be sharing a hummus recipe that I approve of today. It has been a year and a half of disappointment every time I try to replicate that super creamy, rich, and fresh tasting hummus I am use to picking up at Trader Joe's. The mediterranean hummus. Any other TJ fans out there who know which one I'm talking about? That hummus has ruined all others for me, setting the bar way too high, and making my homemade trials taste "blah" in comparison. I never thought the day would come where I would choose a homemade version over TJ's, but it has! Let the hummus bells ring! A few  important discoveries made in this process: you MUST cook the beans from scratch (NO cans!), you MUST soak them for at least 24 hours before cooking, and you MUST add the tahini last for the creamiest consistency. And - BAM. Best tasting homemade hummus ever.

Ingredients

1 cup dry garbanzo beans soaked & cooked

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons pink salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup filtered water

1/3 to 1/2 cup pure sesame tahini I use this brand.

Begin the day before by covering the dry garbanzo beans with water in a bowl to soak for at least 24 hours. Rinse, drain, and fill with fresh water half way through soaking. 

In a large pot on the stove, combine the soaked beans with enough water to cover them by a few inches. Bring to a roaring boil, then reduce to a low boil and cover to let cook for about 25-30 minutes. When beans are done, turn off the heat and keep covered, letting them soak in the hot water for an additional 20 minutes. Drain and rinse the beans in cold water. Place them in the bowl of a food processor, and add the spices. Pulse to incorporate the spices and break down the beans. Now add the lemon juice and water. Blend until smooth, adding more water or lemon juice as needed to create a creamy, but still thick, consistency. Add the tahini last. Begin with 1/3 cup, and taste after processing to see if you would prefer another tablespoon or two. Also add any additional amounts of the spices at this time to suit your taste. Transfer to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to one week. 

Homemade Graham Crackers + the Best S'mores Ever

Are you guys ready to make the best s'mores of your life?! It makes sense after my absence from blogging recipes for a few months that I would return with this one. Been having a case of "bloggers block" for a while, but my latest post on our camping trip last month (here) helped to bring me back! These graham crackers made our s'more-loving-lives on our last two trips, so it is about time that I share the recipe with you all! Now, these are no the prettiest graham crackers you will ever see. I'll admit, when its the night before leaving on a camping trip I am so busy prepping all our food that these babies are lucky to get rolled out and sliced into somewhat similarly sized crackers. However, this downside was also an upside when I was in such a rush I cut them into huge crackers to save time and we ended up building giant s'mores in Yellowstone because of it - major win. Giant s'mores rule! Took about 5 Dandie's marshmallows, smushed them together, gave 'em a good roast, and paired them with half a bar's worth of Alter Eco's dark chocolate quinoa crunch bar. We discovered the key is to hold your graham cracker with the chocolate on top by the fire (pictured below) while roasting your marshmallows to warm up and slightly melt the chocolate a bit before topping it with your warm, gooey marshmallow cluster. Excuse me, I think I need to go start a fire in our back yard right now and make one of these again before my drooling floods the house. I'm dying writing this - they are that good you guys. 

These graham crackers would also be great for making graham cracker crusts for various pies, as well as for snacking on by themselves, or with a smear of peanut butter. (Dare I suggest speculoos? Oh I went there.) They can also be made gluten free by substituting the spelt flower with your favorite gluten free all-purpose blend. I am gluten free in all areas of my diet except for the occasional use of spelt flour because it is wheat free, low in gluten (does not upset my stomach) and highly nutritious. Not to mention I love it's nutty taste. I do not use graham flower in my graham cracker recipe because it is incredibly high in gluten. However, you will be surprised at how the oat flour mimics the flavor of graham so closely in this recipe! I don't miss it at all. 

Makes approximately 24 medium-large crackers. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour

1 1/2 cups oat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup or 2 sticks Earth Balance vegan butter

2/3 cup organic brown sugar

3 tablespoons raw honey or agave

1 tablespoon molasses

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, raw honey or agave, and molasses. Whip with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add the cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Mix again. Lastly add the flours and mix on low until fully incorporated and the dough comes together. 

Turn your dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and wrap tightly. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, or over night. 

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F. Roll out the dough on a well floured work surface, or between two sheets of parchment, to 1/4 inch thickness. It can get sticky, be warned! Patience here is key. Cut your crackers in whatever shape and size you desire. Place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and bake for 8-10 minutes. Watch them the last two minutes. They are done when their edges begin to brown. 

Slide the parchment off the cookie sheet and onto your counter. Let them fully cool before packing them away in an airtight container or large ziplock bag. They should keep for several weeks. Ours never lasted more than two weeks and they still didn't taste stale at the end! (We kept ours in a large ziplock bag and squeezed as much air out as we could each time it was closed.) 

Now go roast some s'mores!

My Go -To Veggie Burger

Finally, a veggie burger recipe I can get behind! This has been months in the making. Many failed attempts and gross mushy burgers were consumed along the way, but it has finally arrived. My go-to veggie burger recipe. After my first failed attempt I discover Korduroy TV's tutorial here, and just kept making the recipe over and over, tweaking it a bit more each time, until I came up with one that met all my requirements. I wanted it to be fully veggie (no beans or rice) and gluten free. Oh and taste good. That's needed, right? My burger-loving, mushroom-hating husband loves these - that was proof right there that this recipe needed to be shared with the masses for veggie lovers and haters alike to enjoy together. 

The best thing about these is that you can make a batch (or several) and freeze them for up to one month! Simply pull a burger out of the freezer in the morning, defrost in the refrigerator during the day, and cook for dinner that night - or place the frozen burger in a plastic bag and thaw in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes before cooking. 

Makes 6 veggie burgers. 

Ingredients

1 cup GF rolled oats, ground 

1 cup shelled sunflower seeds, ground

1 cup sweet onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup grated carrot About 1 large carrot.

1 1/2 cups grated zucchini About 1 medium zucchini.

3 cups mushrooms, finely chopped I used white mushrooms.

1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking

salt + pepper

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

Begin by processing your oats and sunflower seeds in a food processor or Nutri-Bullet, each separately, until they turn into a flour. Place the flours in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Next, chop the onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Then grate the carrot and zucchini. Heat a large skillet to medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and onion to the pan, and cook until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute or two. Add the grated veggies and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the diced mushrooms, mix well, and sprinkle mixture with a pinch or two of salt and pepper, if desired. Continue cooking veggie burger mixture until the mushrooms are fully cooked and shrunk down into small pieces, about another 6-7 minutes. 

Add the veggie mixture to the large mixing bowl containing the flours, give it a stir, then add the soy sauce and mix thoroughly. If you think your mixture is too wet, simply grind more oats or sunflower seeds and add until thick enough to handle. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes, then shape the 6 burger patties with your hands and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (or a plate that will fit in your freezer). Freeze, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes before transferring burgers to a large ziplock freezer bag. Use a straw to suck out the last bit of air to vacuum seal them like I did (pictured above). Thaw in the refrigerator before cooking, or cook right away without freezing. 

For cooking, I recommend heating a skillet to medium heat, adding a teaspoon or two of olive oil, and cooking the burger for 3-4 minutes on each side - or until nicely browned and crisp. Flatten out your burger with the back of a spatula when cooking into a nice patty. Serve any way you would like: on a bun, between buttered + toasted slices of bread, wrapped in lettuce, on top of a salad, etc.