Vegan Sweet Dessert Cream

I mentally tagged this recipe to use up the macadamia nuts I've had on hand in the freezer. Originally called "creme de la creme", this is a very rich and sweet cream, perfect for dipping berries or drizzling over cut fruit.

This recipe is super simple to make in the Vitamix; you'll need a high powered blender to break down the nuts and vanilla bean (if using) into a silky cream.

Vegan Sweet Dessert Cream

Adapted from The 30-Minute Vegan

Ingredients

• 1 C macadamia, cashew, and/or brazil nuts
• 1/2 C water
• Pinch salt
• 1/4 vanilla bean, or 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp agave nectar

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.

Serve as dip for berries, drizzled over desserts, or spooned on oatmeal for breakfast.

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Cranberry Apple Chutney

Thanksgiving is upon us already this year. I'm pretty sure we all just woke up one day and poof! Here we are.

I've had this recipe tucked away in my binder for at least a year and stumbled upon it when I was clearing out. Just in time for cranberries to hit the stores! I'm actively making an effort to try new recipes, especially ones I've bookmarked or otherwise tucked away. I'm excited to try this on sandwiches and wraps throughout the season.

This chutney doesn't scream fall or Thanksgiving. It's a mix of sweet, tangy, sour, and spicy all in one small package. It will be great to have small jars of this tucked away in the freezer to smear on sandwiches, wraps, or serve alongside Indian dishes over the next few months. The recipe yields about 2 quarts, which means it's great to bring along to give out at your Thanksgiving feast!

Cranberry Apple Chutney

Adapted from Grand Central Bakery's Cranberry Apple Chutney, via Oregon Live

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 2 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 2 C fresh cranberries
• 5 C diced, peeled, and cored apples
• 1 1/2 C packed brown sugar
• 1 1/3 C apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 C golden raisins
• 1/2 C dried currants

Method

1. In a large saucepan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the red onion and saute until softened. Add the garlic and ginger, and continue to cook for a few minutes.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, then increase heat to medium-high to boil. Reduce the heat to low to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries and apples have cooked down, about 40 minutes.
3. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Ladle the chutney into container(s) to store. Allow to let cool completely to room temperature before refrigerating or freezing.

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Pear Vanilla Salad Dressing

The second foundational element of my breakfast salad is a great salad dressing. I wanted something sweet and fruity and not so savory for the breakfast table. Salad greens are already savory enough! I settled on using pears, being perfectly in season these days.

It's a simple dressing that I made in my VitaMix just to make sure the fruit was broken down completely. A food processor would work just as well. I hesitate to call this a vinaigrette because it's a rather thick and creamy dressing, yet has no creamy ingredients. Feel free to play with the liquids to pear ratio if you'd like something a bit more runny, but I quite like that this dressing sticks to the greens!

Pear Vanilla Salad Dressing

Ingredients

• 1/2 pear
• 2 tbsp lemon juice or champagne vinegar
• 1/4 C olive oil
• 1 tsp maple syrup, agave, or honey
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Seeds of 1/2 a vanilla bean, optional

Method

1. Place all ingredients in VitaMix or food processor.
2. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth.

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Vegan Cashew Sour Cream

I used to hate sour cream, but in recent years started to love it. The thing I don't love about it, though, is having to buy so much in a container! Most times I just want a small dollop to put on chili or quesadillas, you know? I will admit, cashew sour cream doesn't have quite the same flavor on its own, it does have a similar mouthfeel when accompanying other items.

I got this recipe quickly when I was in the kitchen one day from the Whole Foods app, but scaled it down for my own needs.

Vegan Cashew Sour Cream

Adapted from Whole Foods Market

Ingredients

• 1/2 C raw cashews
• Boiling water
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• Pinch salt

Method

1. Place the cashews into a bowl or glass measuring cup and pour enough boiling water over the top to cover by about an inch. Let sit for 10-15 minutes, then drain.
2. In a high speed blender, blend the drained cashews, vinegar, lemon juice, and salt until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Serve.

This recipe makes about half a cup, which was enough for several bowls of chili!

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Cinnamon Roasted Fruit

I wanted something special to put on my oatmeal this morning and remembered a post I saw the other day for roasted apples. So when I remembered I had some nectarines and plums in the fridge, I knew just what I'd make.

This would obviously be lovely with apples or pears as well now as we get into fall. Feel free to try new spices to suit your taste, I think cardamom would be great too.

Cinnamon Roasted Stone Fruit

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized fruits (stone fruits, apples, pears, etc.)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• Palm sugar, or other granulated sweetener, to taste
• 1 tsp. cinnamon, or to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Meanwhile, slice your fruit in relatively thin slices. Combine in a bowl with melted coconut oil, sugar, and cinnamon, to taste depending on the sweetness of the fruit.
2. Pour onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes, turning and/or stirring as needed. The fruit should begin to soften and brown a bit.

This would be great on oatmeal, ice cream, or even on a nut butter sandwich!

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Easiest Lemon Vinaigrette

I recently found this recipe in a book I'm reading and honestly I couldn't stop thinking about it! It's really very simple to make requiring only a five ingredients which you probably have on hand already.

This was great on salad, but I know it would also be good tossed into some vegetables and pasta for a pasta salad.

Easiest Lemon Vinaigrette

Adapted from Ruhlman's Twenty

Ingredients

• 4 oz. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Fresh pepper, to taste
• Zest of 1 lemon, optional

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
2. Serve immediately or store in a small glass jar, shaking vigorously before serving.

Makes 1/2 cup

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Teriyaki Sauce

If you recall my last adventure with tofu, this idea spun out of it. What to do with half a block of tofu?? I ran across this recipe by a simple google search and I absolutely loved it! I had the tastiest lunches the past couple days and my mouth waters for the next go round.

Teriyaki Sauce

1/4 cup low-sodium tamari
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp finely chopped garlic

1. Mix all ingredients with your meat (or meat substitute) of choice. (I marinated my cubed tofu for a few hours which was just right.)
2. Stir fry meat in a hot pan with a bit of oil until cooked. Try to keep as much teriyaki liquid out of the pan for now, as it will splatter and be messy, and burn pretty easily.
3. Add in reserved sauce and cook until slightly thickened. Note: if this sauce was in contact with raw meat, use at your discretion.

I served mine with short grain brown rice on the side.

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Garlic Toasts with Red Pepper Aioli

This is one of my favorite recipes, from my favorite chef, Giada de Laurentiis. It's super simple too if you have roasted red peppers on hand.

Garlic Toasts with Red Pepper Aioli

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers, patted dry
• 1/3 cup mayo
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1/2" slices bread (Giada recommends ciabatta, I use Marsee baking Petit Pairs)
• 2 tbsp olive oil, for drizzling

Method

For the aioli:

In a food processor, finely chop the garlic. Add the roasted red peppers and blend until relatively smooth; add mayo and blend well. With machine running, stream in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

For the toast:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle olive oil over the bread slices. Bake for 5 minutes until golden and slightly crisp.

To serve:

Spoon the aioli liberally on the toasts.

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Garlic-Basil Mayonnaise

I like the idea of making this as a way to incorporate fresh basil to add a little something extra to a plain sandwich. I got the idea from a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis; Tyler Florence also likes to experiment and make his own mayonnaises in Eat This Book.

Garlic-Basil Mayonnaise

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 4-5 leaves basil, chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• Splash of lemon juice
• salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Mix all ingredients together until blended.

Perfect to serve on sandwiches, burgers, or alongside french fries.

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