Scraps and Snippets ~ Quinoa Thai Salad

Perfect summer meal salad. Yum.

QUINOA THAI SALAD

• Dressing
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup soy sauce (low sodium is what I used)
• 1/2 cup  peanut butter
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
• Zest from 2 fresh limes
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2-3 Tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (or to taste)
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp onion powder

• Salad
• 1 cup quinoa cooked in coconut milk (1 cup dry quinoa to 2 cups coconut milk. Bring to boil and simmer covered for 15 minutes.) (Rinse quinoa first unless the package says pre-rinsed.)
• 1 package broccoli or cole slaw or cabbage as preferred. You could also use prepared noodles, too.
• Additional add-ins or sides to toss onto the salad - bean sprouts, spring pea pods, cucumber slices, chopped red, orange or yellow peppers, chopped green onions, dry roasted peanuts, cilantro washed and long stems removed and chopped, toasted unsweetened coconut, hot pepper flakes.

In a food processor, puree the dressing ingredients.

Prepare add-ins and slaw, cabbage or noodles. If making a large salad toss everything together. If doing individual salads just set out the different ingredients in bowls.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Delicious Vanilla Cake

The epic cake adventure was made possible by this cake. 

3 and 1/3 Cups flour
2 Cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3 tsp vanilla
2/3 Cup oil
2 Cups water

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two cake pans or a 9 x 13. Or prep 18 cup cakes, or a combination that makes sense for your creation. 

Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir well. Dig wells in the dry mix, two smaller and one larger, large enough for nearly a cup of liquid. In the large well pour oil, vanilla in one of the smaller and vinegar in the other. Pour the two cups of water in and stir well. 

Divvy up the batter. 

Bake until golden and the cake springs back and knife comes out clean. Bake cake pans approx 28-30 minutes. 9 x 13 approximately 33-35 and cupcakes about 17-20 minutes. 

Cool about 10 minutes. Pop out of pans. Cool completely. Frost. 

Scraps and Snippets - Hoo Doggie

I 've been fascinated with the whole carrot dog vegan hot dog sub idea. I went so far as to make baby carrot "beanie weenies" a couple of years ago.  If you missed that it was a crock pot full of baby carrots slathered in whatever sauce you like for your little smokies or beanie weenies and slow cooked until the sauce caramelizes a bit and the carrots are soft but with just enough tooth feel to fool the mind. 

But recipes for the real deal vegan carrot dogs are more complicated, involving ingredients and soaking and brineing. But on Pinterest I happened to just see a pin for brats cooked in beer and garlic and I wondered. What if I cooked carrots in beer and garlic?  So I bought a big old cheap 40 ounce beer and dumped it in a crock pot with peeled full size carrots cut into hot dog lengths. I sliced up about 6 cloves of garlic and threw in a teaspoon of salt. Then I put them on high for 5 hours. I cooked them until they were fork tender but still had a little resistance. With dill relish and mustard these were amazing and satisfying and guilt free. I even charred one over a camp fire and the one pictured was under the broiler and got nice grill marks so these are winners on several levels. (And because no meat touched the beer and garlic, I am going to do something with it,  probably a beer cheesy soup or sauce with cauliflower or potatoes. I'll post it when I get er done. 

Scraps and Snippets ~ Vegan Thai Coleslaw

Thai Coleslaw

1 16 ounce bag of coleslaw shreds (this is about 5 handfuls if you like to shred your own cabbage)

½ Red pepper thinly sliced and chopped into 2 -3 inch pieces. (So slice pepper lengthwise then chop in half.)

2-3 TBSP finely chopped fresh cilantro

3-4 (use all of it, not just the green part) green onions/scallions, chopped

1 tsp lime zest

1 TBSP lime juice

1 TBSP rice wine vinegar

⅓ Cup Vegan mayo

¼ Cup peanut butter

1 Cup coconut milk (I used canned full fat without chilling)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1-2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes (use to taste, I used 2 and it was a nice burn)

Optional:

1 Cup peanuts

1 Cup chopped meatless chicken if desired

Prep, rinse, chop all your veggies.

In a large bowl pour in coconut milk, add peanut butter and mayo and stir until combined. Add salt, garlic powder, pepper flakes, lime juice, vinegar and lime zest. Finally stir in all the vegetables and add-ins and mix until coated.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Layered Cheesecake Jars

Layered Cheesecake Jars

1 Package (20 ounce) pulverized Oreos or equivalent Jo-Jo's (you just want the crumbs, but I did leave the middles intact so it was a moister crumb and was easier to do since I didn’t have to crack them open and scrape out the middle.

Sprinkle half the crumbs into the bottoms of 12 ramekins or small juice glasses or jelly jars. (I seriously use glass votive holders.) Set the remainder of the crumbs aside.

1 container of Vegan cream cheese (8 ounces)

1 Can full fat coconut milk (cream only after chilling for several days,  discard or reuse water or use Trader Joe’s which is creamy from the get go and has very little water)

¾ Cup of sugar (powdered or regular)

pinch of salt

splash of vanilla

3 TBSP of add in. 

(These are the Add-ins: Peanut Butter, orange marmalade, raspberry, strawberry or cherry preserves or jam, or crushed candy canes. Or cookie dough, or crushed Oreos,  or 2 TBSP melted chocolate chips and 1 TBSP instant coffee, or ???? what have you always wanted to put into cheesecake covered with Oreo crumbs?)

Mix the cream cheese, whipped cream and sugar together with a pinch of salt and a splash of vanilla. When completely mixed, add the add ins and whir away or stir in.

Dollop evenish amounts of the cream over the bottom crumb crusts. Top with the remaining crumbs and chill until serving. Chill at least 2 hours.

Take it to the next level. If you are making peanut butter cheesecake jars  mix together pretzel bits, peanuts and crushed peanut butter cups (a TBSP or 2 each would be plenty) with the Oreo crumbs and top them with the mixture (you could do the bottom crumbs that way, too). If you are using strawberry jam you could dip fresh strawberries in chocolate and set one on top of the crust topping in each cup/jar. If you are using cookie dough add a few little cookie dough balls to the top of the desserts.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Pirate Scotcheroos

Argh. I love me some salty with me sweet. These salty bars will knock the parrot right off your shoulder, matey. 

You know the classic Scotcheroo recipe? There are several out there. Here's a new vegan (check your ingredient labels to be sure) sweet and salty version for you. 

Let's just say these are tasty. 

3 Cups krispie or flaky cereal of choice 

2 1/2 Cups chopped/crushed pretzels

1 Cup sugar

1 Cup light corn syrup (I'm thinking brown rice syrup would work as well)

1 1/2 Cup peanut butter

2 Cups chocolate chips (or if you want to spring for dairy free butterscotch you can go 1/2 and 1/2)

1/4 to 1/3 Cup peanut butter

Grease a 9 x 13.

Place sugar and corn syrup in a large sauce pan. Stir until the sugar begins to melt and mixture begins to boil. Add peanut butter, remove from heat and stir well until mixed. Pour in cereal and crushed pretzels and stir until cereal is coated. Pour and press mixture into pan. 

Using a double boiler (or a smaller pan sitting on top of another with water set over a medium flame) place peanut butter in the upper pan and add chips. Stir frequently until melted. Pour and spread over bars. Let sit at least a half hour then cut into squares. 

Scraps and Snippets ~ Leftover Fun

 I had a cup of leftover vegan cheese some leftover enchilada sauce and half a package of Gardein meatless crumbles and a potluck I needed to make food for.  I didn't have enough of any of those to make enchiladas like I did the week before when our church service and potluck got cancelled, so I decided I'd combine em and smear the mixture on tortillas. For the record, the enchiladas were tasty, too. 

Granted, these aren't the prettiest roll-ups in the world. I think if I had smeared more on the tortilla they'd have been plumper and more zaftig. These were EASY and tasty used up some leftovers. 

This vegan cheese is freaky good. Check out the recipe. I'm not sure I'd change it up much, maybe a little garlic powder. It's made from potatoes, carrots, nutritional yeast, oil and lemon juice. The texture is very much like canned nacho cheese. It would be amazing with salsa and/or meatless crumble in one of those little crockpots and served with tortilla chips. 

This is Gladys' opinion, typed by her little paws --- "saq1"--- I think it's positive in nature since she did gladly lick bowls.

Regardless of what the dogs think and the maybe not so beautiful rolling job, these were tasty and disappeared from the table. I love easy tricks. 

Scraps and Snippets ~ Banana Bread (Best Ever Said My Co-Worker) Vegan/Dairy Free

 

Best Ever Banana Bread (Seriously, my co-worker, Iowa farm girl born and bred said this. So it must be true. Iowa farm girls know their banana bread. ) 

1/2 Cup coconut oil

1 Cup sugar

1 TBSP Ener-G egg replacer (instructions for homemade here)

2 TBSPs non-dairy milk

2 ripe bananas

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 Cup flour (I used whole wheat pastry) 

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bread pan, mini muffin pan or small loaf pans.

Melt the coconut oil and defrost* bananas (if using frozen ones) in preheating oven in medium glass or stainless steel bowl. Prepare the milk and egg replacer in small bowl. When the coconut oil is melted and bananas squishable remove from oven and add the sugar mixing well. Then add the cinnamon, salt and baking powder and mix until combined. Finally add the egg and vanilla and stir. 

If you want mix-ins add them now (chocolate chips, chopped nuts, dried fruit.) 

This will make one full loaf, 4 minis or about 60 mini muffins or little squares. You will bake the minis for about 40-45 minutes, the mini muffins for about 13-15 and the full sized about 50-60. 

Crumb topping: 

3/4 Cup flour

1/2 Cup sugar

3 TBSP coconut oil (solid)

1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

pulverized nuts (1/4 Cup or so) (optional)

Mix flour, sugar (and cinnamon and/or nuts) well, cut in the coconut oil with a fork, two knives a pastry blender. Sprinkle this over the top of the unbaked bread, muffins etc. 

* in case you don't do this. When bananas get too ripe, peel them and place them in a designated zipper bag or container in the freezer. Then use them for such a time as this. Peeling is important unless you want to dig banana membrane off a frozen banana later. 

Scraps and Snippets ~ Spanish Quinoa

Super Easy Meal

1 Cup  uncooked quinoa (Rinsed if you don't have a pre rinsed one. )

1 1/2 Cup vegetable broth

2 - 14ish oz cans of  diced tomatoes

1 - 4 ounce can of diced jalapenos

1 Cup of hamburger substitute

Put all in a pan. Stir.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer and simmer about 20 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir as needed. Serve in tortilla shells, as a nacho topping with chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes, chopped onions, avocado, sour cream etc. 

 

Scraps and Snippets ~ Vegan Classic Burger Sloppy Joes

Classic Burger Sloppy Joes (Serves 8 ish)

2 Cups hamburger replacement (Gardein or Beyond Meat or homemade)

⅓ Cup ketchup

3 TBSP yellow mustard

2-3 TBSP dill pickle relish (or a mix of dill and sweet, or if you like your sloppies sweeter, go with all sweet) (I used 3 TBSP but I love pickles so use your taste buds as a guide.)

1 TBSP apple cider vinegar

1-2 TBSP finely diced onion (again, to taste)

Mix all the ingredients together and heat until warmed through. Or put it in a crock pot on low for 2-3 hours. Serve with buns. Add vegan bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, onion or vegan cheese slices, pickles and ketchup and mustard.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Vegan Salty Caramel Apple Drizzled Apple Blondies

Apple Blondies With Salty Caramel Apple Drizzle

Blondies are brownies without cocoa so they are chewy, a touch caramelly due to the brown sugar content and delicious.

1 Cup brown sugar

½ Cup coconut oil or Earth Balance

3 TBSP applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 Cups flour

2 apples diced

Toast a cup of chopped pecans or walnuts and toss those in if desired for an extra yum factor.

Mix sugar, Earth Balance, vanilla and applesauce well. Add the baking powder and salt and stir very well. Add the flour and incorporate. Finally add the apples (and nuts if using). Grease a 9 x 13 and press the dough into the pan. Bake at 350 for 33 - 36 minutes. A knife should come out clean.

Salty Caramel Apple Drizzle

1/2 Cup packed brown sugar

1/4 Cup applesauce

1 1/2 TBSP Earth Balance or coconut oil

2 pinches of salt

1/2 TBSP vanilla
1/2 apple diced

Put sugar, applesauce and Earth Balance in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and drop temperature and low boil for 8-10 minutes until it comes together and thickens. Add vanilla and stir until completely incorporated, remove from heat then add salt and stir well. Add the diced apple and stir.

Pour the caramel sauce over the blondes and refrigerate an hour before serving. Or slice the blondies still warm from the oven, top with a blob of vegan ice cream and drizzle the caramel over that.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Flexi-Veggie Salad

Fresh Veggie Toss Salad

⅓ Cup red wine vinegar

1 TBSP lemon juice

2 ½ TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP Italian seasoning

½ to 1 tsp of garlic powder (to taste)

½ tsp salt

6 Cups of veggies (grape tomatoes, chopped broccoli, chopped cauliflower, black olives, diced cucumbers, small dice onions, carrot medallions etc.)

1 Can (or 1 ½ Cups home cooked) drained, rinsed chickpeas

Toss everything together and enjoy. Let it sit overnight for best flavor.

To mix this up make it Greek style or Mexican style by making a few changes:

Greek - switch out the Italian seasoning for 1 TBSP each of chopped fresh mint and chopped parsley. Sub the juice of a full lemon for vinegar and toss in feta if you’d like.

Mexican - sub black beans for chickpeas. Sub juice of one lime for vinegar. Sub 2 TBSP of chopped fresh cilantro for the Italian seasoning.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Sweet and Spicy Nicey Mix

Sweet and Spicy Nicey Mix

½ Cup spicy almonds (I used wasabi almonds) (You could also use any wasabi spiced dried pea etc or chili spiced nuts.)

¾ Cup dry roasted peanuts (don’t go low salt)

2 Cups rice chex or plain cereal of choice. (alternatively, you could use crackers, pretzels, chips of choice, popcorn)

½ Cup caramel sauce

Dump peanuts and nuts in a bowl, add caramel sauce and stir well to coat. Toss in cereal or other add-ins and stir very well. Dump contents on a well greased or parchment paper covered cookie sheet or pizza pan. Put in a 200 degree oven for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes. Leave in the oven and turn off heat and let cool. Break up into smaller bites.

This will seem wet when it’s done cooking. But will harden into a glaze when it’s dry. The spice gets incorporated throughout so it’s not intense. But the sweet, salty, spice is nice.

Caramel Sauce Recipe

2 cups sugar (brown or white)

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup agave nectar or corn syrup

1/2 cup full fat coconut milk

1 1/2 T. Earth Balance

pinch of salt

Over medium high heat bring the sugar, corn syrup/honey/agave and water to a boil while stirring very well to dissolve the sugar. Turn heat to low and simmer approximately 11-12 minutes until the color changes. Stir frequently. Remove heat. Add (carefully as the mixture is very hot) the milk, Earth Balance and salt and stir until smooth.

The sauce makes approx 1 and ½ Cups. (Store the rest in the refrigerator or halve the recipe.)

Serials and Scenarios ~ Gardein Beefless Ground ~ Reviewed and Recipe

Again, thank you, Target for selling Gardein products at the best prices around. 

Now, onto Gardein Beefless Ground. 

Look at that picture. Totally looks like hamburger doesn't it? I don't think anyone would guess it's not the real deal if it's in a recipe. Maybe a taste comparison side by side with no seasonings etc. But who does that? We want a meatless replacement to go into our favorite family dishes and recipes. Right? 

Gardein will do that. I am so impressed with all the products I've tried and this one is no different. 

With the Beefless Ground I made a hearty "Bear" Soup (I have no idea where that name came from, my husband's grandma I think.) Bear Soup is hamburger potato soup. 

I used 1 Cup of the Gardein Beefless Ground
1 small to medium onion finely diced
1 TBSP oil (I used grape seed)
2 finely diced celery stalks
3 garlic cloves minced
4 Large or 7 small to medium diced potatoes)
8 Cups of broth (my broth was no salt added so I added salt to taste)

This will feed 4-6 depending on appetite.

In a dutch oven or soup pot sauté the onion, garlic, and potatoes until golden and crisping. Add the other ingredients and simmer for at least a half hour or as long as needed. 

If you need a hamburger substitute I suggest Gardein's Beefless Ground. Texture and taste are hand down winners. Also the bag will probably make 2-3 solid multi-serving meals. At under $5.00 that's cheaper than beef. Also, it's gluten free. 

Scraps and Snippets ~ Snickerdoodle Blondies

Snickerdoodle Blondie

1/2 Cup plus 1 TBSP room temperature coconut oil
2/3 Cup sugar
2/3 Cup brown sugar
2 TBSP egg replacer (I used an Ener-G DIY recipe)
6 TBSP non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 2/3 Cup flour

Additionally, 1 TBSP brown sugar, 1 TBSP sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. 

Cream coconut oil and sugar. Add baking powder, salt, egg replacer, cinnamon and mix well. Add milk and vanilla and stir completely. Pour in flour and stir well. 

Grease a 9 x 13 and press dough/batter into pan. 

Mix the cinnamon and sugar together. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the dough. 
Bake for 30 minutes. 

Scraps and Snippets ~ Red, White and Blue Vegan Sundae...

 We didn't get a garden in this year. Part of me is super bummed because I LOVE fresh, organic produce. But we were lazy, we were tardy, we got puppies. 

HOWEVER!!! Got to love gathering the fruit of previous labor. We have harvested a couple gallons (blessedly slow) black and red raspberries. After dinner last night we wanted something sweet. 

Trader Joe's soy vanilla (delicious BTW)

Fresh picked raspberries

1/4 Cup dark chocolate chips 

1-2 teaspoons coconut oil

Rinse and dry the berries.

Melt coconut oil and chocolate chips. 

Scoop ice cream into bowls. Pour the chocolate over the ice cream (turns into magic shell) and toss on the berries. 

Yum. 

Scraps and Snippets ~ Ranchy Cereal Mix

Ranchy Cereal Mix

3 Cups cereal (a mix of Chex flavors if wanted, puffed rice or Cheerio type)

1 and ½ Cups of additional add-ins. Nuts, pretzels, crackers

2 TBSP melted Earth Balance

1 TBSP garlic flavored oil (or more EB)

1/2 TBSP worcestershire sauce (Find a vegan one, that doesn't use anchovies...last time I bought Whole Foods 365 brand was vegan)

½ TBSP soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground celery seed

3/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried dill

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon dried basil

1/8 teaspoon (heaping) ground black pepper

Melt the Earth Balance, add the spices. Mix well. Dump the cereal in a bowl, add nuts, pretzels or crackers of choice. Pour the buttery spice mixture over it and mix very well. Bake at 250 for 1 hour and stir every 15 minutes. Dump onto paper towels and let cool. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

Scraps and Snippets ~ German Chocolate Puppy Chow or Poopies (Vegan)

If you like coconut and chocolate and delicious crunch...you might want to make this ASAP... Leave out the pecans if you want and use more coconut for pure chocolate/coconut magic. This is amazing and doesn't feel or taste weird or vegan or healthy. It is decadent. Make sure your ingredients are vegan (i.e. powdered sugar and semi-sweet chocolate chips if this is important to you.) (If your cereal choice is gluten free, these will be, too.)

German Chocolate Poopies (German Chocolate Puppy Chow)  

Serves 4 - 8

3/4 Cup toasted coconut

3/4 Cup toasted pecan pieces

3 1/2 Cups cereal (rice or corn chez or mix of cereals)

¼ Cup coconut oil

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (This can be decreased. I only had about 3/4 of a cup the last time I made it and so I added an additional 3/4 cup of toasted coconut the bag with the powdered sugar...they weren't as well coated, but still tasted amazing.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Dump the coconut and chopped pecans on a baking sheet (lightly oil if the coconut is sweetened) Place in oven and toast approximately 10 minutes. Check at 7 to make sure the coconut is not browning too much. You will be able to smell the nuts. You want the coconut golden.
2. In double boiler or microwave melt coconut oil and chocolate chips. Add toasted nuts, coconut and cereal and stir until all coated in chocolate.
3. Pour powdered sugar into large plastic bag, the chocolate mixture to the bag and shake until all is coated. Place in fridge for an hour or so to harden the chocolate. If there is any left you will want to store it in an airtight container.