Vegan Banraisiran Muffins

Braisana?
Raisbranana?
Or Simply

Banana Raisin Bran Muffins

Super Yummy (or at least I thought so) with a little Vegan Margerine smeared on. I've only had them warm this far, but aren't all muffins better warm? So warm 'em up before you eat them, in the toaster oven split in half rather than the micro if you have the choice.(I find the Micro makes them chewy)

Mira is not feeling like eating much today so I have no idea if they are kid friendly but I think they are great. Liam seems to like them though.

YIELD: 24 mini muffins (actually 23 but next time I'll make it stretch a bit farther)


INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup bran
1 cup water
1/3 cup canola oil (or similar)
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 well smashed banana*


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400˚.

Spray the inside of mini muffin tin.

Soak raisins in hot water.

In a medium mixing bowl sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, ginger, cinnamon and salt together. Mix in bran (I sift this too as much as possible and then add the bigger flakes as well. Dunno why maybe just to try for more loft).

Create a well in centre of the dry ingredients and add the oil, water, vanilla and smashed banana*. Mix with wooden spoon till combined.

Drain Raisins and fold into the batter.

Fill each cup to almost full and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Turn out onto cooling rack.

*smashed banana - if you do this often you probably know this already. take a whole banana (unpeeled) and roll it between your hands to smush it. Then cut the top off and squeeze it out like a tooth paste tube. Usually mess free!

Quick Potato Leek Soup

I made this yesterday after 3 days of hard partying at Karman and Dave's wedding / Duncan family reunion. All I wanted was a good bowl of soup and I wanted it to be quick. This went from nothing to the table in just under an hour. Liam loved it, Mira didn't, but Rob and I thought it was great.We ate it with crackers but I'm thinking a really nice thick crust bread would be amazing with it.

YIELD: Mmmm, lets say 4 generous servings


INGREDIENTS:

olive oil
4 leeks
4 potatoes
3 cloves of garlic
3 veggie bouillon cubes
3 cups water
2 cups rice milk
beans from 6 broad beans (No idea if this added to the flavour, I had them, so . . . )
8 fresh basil leaves
1 stick of fresh oregano
salt and pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS:

Cover bottom of soup pot with a thin coating of oil.

Clean and chop leeks and add to oil and cook till tender.

Wash and cube potatoes (skin on)

Add everything else and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and let it slow boil for 30 minutes.

Fish about for oregano, remove the leaves to put back in soup and discard stem.

Puree. (At this point if you want it thinner add some water or milk.)

Kale and Leek Chips

Yummy yummy and sooo good for you. I'll warn you that this is a love 'em or leave 'em recipe. We love them. My sister-in-law would rather eat dirt.

YIELD: 1 cereal bowl of munchie goodness


INGREDIENTS:

1/2 a bunch of Kale
1 leek
2 tbsp Olive Oil
pinch Sea Salt (regular will do)
2 tbsp Sesame Seeds / or Flax seeds
dash of Nutritional Yeast (optional)


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325º

Remove stem and spine from Kale. Spin in Salad Spinner till quite dry (or dry with paper towel. Tear into bite sized pieces.

Cut white of Leek and save it for something else. Wash Leek greens and slice leaves in half and then into chip size pieces.

Toss everything together. I used to use a plastic bag or bowl for this, but now I just do it right on the baking sheet. I just mix it up with my hands. Less washing up.

Bake for 10 minutes. Be careful,there is a fine line between done and burnt. Set your timer and listen to it. If they seem a bit soggy still then turn off the oven and return them for a minute or two. They should just kind of crunch and disappear in your mouth and should be ever so slightly brown.


** I have also made this successfully with Collard Greens and Swiss Chard. They are a thicker leaf so need a little longer to bake but otherwise exactly the same and tasty.

Lentil Stew

I'll be honest, I wasn't so sure how this one would go. Especially with the kids. They ate it and I really liked it.

Making this with Tamari instead of Shoyu or Soya Sauce will make this gluten free as well.

YIELD: 6 servings


INGREDIENTS:

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Basil
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Cloves Chopped Garlic
2 Large Chopped Onions
2 Diced Celery Stalks
1 Sliced Carrot
1 (Scrubbed, not peeled) Cubed Potato
1 Chopped Bell Pepper
1/4 cup Shoyu (or Soya Sauce / Tamari)
5 cups Vegetable Broth
3 Chopped Tomatoes
1 1/2 cups lentils (I used green, recipe called for brown, I say use what you've got. I also soaked them for the day - put them in water before I left for the day and then made the stew when I got home approximately 6 hours.)


DIRECTIONS:

Combine first 6 ingredients (Seasonings) in a small (tiny) bowl

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Add garlic, Onion, celery, carrot, pepper, and potato. Stir in 1/2 the seasoning mixture and Shoyu. Cook, stirring frequently for 7 minutes or till onions are tender.

Add broth, tomatoes and lentils. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer with the lid askew for 30 minutes.

Add remaining seasoning and simmer for additional 20 minutes (lid askew or off depending on how think you'd like your stew.

So good. I suggest serving it with thickly sliced home made (read Bread Machine) bread.

Gingersnap Cookies

Again, I found these in the "Vegan Cookies - Invade Your Cookie Jar" recipe book. I have slightly altered them but they are basically the same.

Mira tells me they are too Gingery, but I'm guessing that Rob will like them (although I burnt this batch a tiney bit. I really just made these because I wanted to make the Peanut Butter Cups and didn't have any cookies. They worked very well.

YIELD: 20 cookies


INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/3 cup Molasses
1/3 cup Canola Oil
3 tbsp Rice Milk (or other non dairy 'milk')
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
3 tsp Ground Ginger (Rounded spoonfuls)
1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350˚.

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or grease lightly.

In a large bowl beat together sugar, molasses, oil, 'milk' and vanilla.

In separate bowl sift (HMMM I didn't do this, and in fact with Mira's help the four was decidedly unsifted) flour, ginger, nutmeg, backing soda and salt.

Fold dry mix into wet till it forms a firm dough.

Scoop out walnut sized lumps and roll between palms and squash onto cookie sheet. (They don't spread much).

Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on tray before transferring to cooling rack.

Store in loose lidded container.

**Okay so I had some melted chocolate chips with rice milk and ground flax left over from the peanut butter cups so I smeared 1/2 of the top of each cookie with the chocolate. MMmmmm.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I adapted these from the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe in "Vegan Cookies - Invade Your Cookie Jar". If you would like the original recipe please check out the book. I have not made them as in the book yet. They are yummy, and kid approved.

I've also committed to paying my neighbour, for allowing me to park in one of her spaces, with cookies. She is now unknowingly a vegan cookie guinea pig, and I do hope to get honest answers from her.

YIELD: 2 dozen


INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup White Sugar
2/3 cup Canola Oil
1/4 cup Rice Milk (Unsweetened)
1 tbsp Cornstarch
2 tsp Vanilla
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup One Minute Oatmeal
1/8 cup Ground Flax Seed
- Chocolate Chips (As few or as many as you'd like)


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 359˚.

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, or lightly grease.

Combine sugars, oil, rice milk and cornstarch in a mixing bowl. Mix VERY well with a fork or whisk (about 2 minutes) until it looks like a smooth caramel. This is very important. (Though I'm not sure why)

Add vanilla.

Mix in flour, baking soda and salt. Blend well.

Add the oatmeal, and flax and mix again.

Lastly add in the chocolate chips.

Roll batter into balls and press with hand to flatten on tray or dollop with a tablespoon.

Bake for 6 to 8 minutes depending on the size of your cookies.

Enjoy, or seal in a container - if you haven't eaten them all.

Peanut Butter Cups

This recipe is modified from Alicia Silverstone's book "The Kind Diet". It is worth picking up if you are thinking of incorporating more Veggie / Vegan food into your diet.
Remember: It's not an all or nothing thing. The more good choices you make the more you help the planet. You may not be ready for the whole hog but every Vegan / Vegetarian choice you make helps.

These are soooooooooo Yummy.
I make them with 1/2 this amount of sugar, slightly less addictive for me then.

YIELD: 9 to 12


INGREDIENTS: filling

1/4 cup vegan butter (Earth Balance / margarine)
3/4 cup crunchy (nuts only) Peanut Butter
3/4 cup of crushed Anna's ginger cookies (You find these at IKEA, not sure where else)*
1/4 cup maple sugar (or other dry sugar - remember refined sugars may not be veggie friendly)
3 tbsp ground flax seed (Optional)


DIRECTIONS:

Melt butter in saucepan. Put muffin liners into muffin tin. Add peanut butter, cookies crumbs, sugar and flax. Blend well. Scoop into liner filled muffin tins. Put into freezer to harden.



INGREDIENTS: topping

1 cup Dairy free chocolate chips (If you can find them sweetened with out cane sugar
all the better
1/4 cup "milk" (you know, soy, rice almond. Whatever you like)
1/4 chopped nuts
sesame seeds (Optional)


DIRECTIONS:

Remove filling from freezer. Melt chocolate chips in with milk till melty and smooth. Spoon over peanut butter filling. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and sesame seeds.

Put them back in the freezer till you are ready to eat them. YUMMY


* or make your own Gingersnap Cookies

Daddy's Oat Cakes

As in my Daddies.
As in Yummy

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups flour
3 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup agave nectar / brown rice syrup (Dad uses honey)
2 TSP salt(maybe too much)
1 TSP soda
8 oz Vegan Butter (*Earth Balance: Dad uses margerine)


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 300 (350 if your oven runs cool)

Mix dry ingredients by hand.

Add the rest of the ingredients to make dough.

If necessary add a tiny bit of water. (but I've never needed to)

Roll onto waxed paper (even between 2 piece of waxed paper)

Cut into squares, and place on baking sheet.

Bake for 8 minutes.

Potato Leek Soup

This soup served 7 as an appetizer course.


INGREDIENTS:

3 TBSP Vegan butter (I like Earth Balance*)
or 3 TBSP Olive Oil
2 medium Onions chopped
(different kids if you have them)
4 cloves of Garlic minced
4 Leeks cleaned and chopped
6 fist sized potatoes washed and diced
(use more if smaller)
8 cups water
Salt and Pepper to taste



DIRECTIONS:

Saute onions and garlic till beginning to get tender (2 minutes).

Add leeks, stir and saute for 10 minutes till tender.

Add potatoes and stir in. allow to cook for 5 minutes stirring regularly.

Add water, stir, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer with lid on. Simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Puree (I use a blender wand so I don't have to remove the soup from the pot) Add salt and pepper to taste



KID APPROVED.



*You can find this at most grocery stores these days in their 'health food' section.