Category Archives: Dessert

May 14, 2012 · 3:17 pm

VEGAN ORANGE JULIUS

It’s another week and I have another entry in the So Delicious So Much to Love Contest.

I’d appreciate your help again this week.  Please remember to “Like” So Delicious and then cast your vote (You will be entered to win awesome prizes just for voting).  Once you like the page, click on the contest logo to be taken to the voting page.

My recipe is top row…2nd from the right.

Click HERE to vote.  Thanks for your support!!!

.

P.S.  I will post copies of all of my recipes which were entered once the contest is over.

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Filed under Breakfast, Contests, Dessert, Frozen Treats, Fruit, Kid Friendly, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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May 7, 2012 · 4:35 pm

VOTE FOR ME – So Delicious’s So Much to Love Recipe Contest

I am so excited to announce that I was invited to participate in the So DeliciousSo Much to Love Recipe Contest.  This week’s contest theme is BREAKFAST which inspired me to create a recipe for vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free CrĂŞpes.

I need your help though as the winner is determined by reader’s votes.  So…please…

Vote for my recipe in this week’s So Delicious® Dairy Free SO Much to Love Giveaway (from your computer since it will not work from a mobile device)!  You’ll be entered to win daily prizes just for voting, and if my recipe gets the most votes, you’ll be entered to win a great weekly prize!

Click HERE to vote and be taken to the recipe (You need to LIKE the page before you can VOTE).

The best news for you is that each time you vote, you’re entered for a daily prize. At the end of the week, if your favorite recipe gets the most votes, you’re in the running for a weekly prize. Every time you vote, you’re also entered to win the grand prize: A weekend for two at the fabulous Red Mountain Resort in Utah. Get ready for Monday!

Please forward this message on to as many people as possible so we can pump-up the votes.


Voting begins at 9 a.m. PST on Monday, May 7 and runs through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, May 13

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Filed under Breakfast, Contests, Dessert, Recipes

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May 7, 2012 · 4:00 pm

SRC – PEANUT BUTTER GRANOLA BARS (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oat Free)

My how time flies!  Somehow it is already May and brochures have started coming in the mail for summer camps, etc.  I don’t feel ready to plan the summer yet.  I LOVE having my kiddos home with me, but I am sitting here wondering what the heck happened to winter???  Time needs to slow down a bit.

A new month means another Secret Recipe Club assignment and this month’s was a good one.  I was assigned the blog, An Opera Singer in the Kitchen which got me all excited because I had already spent quite a bit of time surfing Noelle’s blog prior to even being assigned it.  We both share similar food styles (she has a fondness for vegan food) and both of us are very into the health aspects of food, so this is a great pairing for me (Click HERE to learn more about Noelle).

There were a LOT of recipes I wanted to try; Fluffy Pumpkin Biscuits, Farmhouse Veggie Burgers, Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic & Mint (A post she did for SRC), Lasagna Soup…I could go on and on.

When i sat down to make my final decision I was in a sweet / crunchy kind of mood and decided to make the recipe she posted for Peanut Butter Granola Bars since it looked so AMAZING.  I have always loved peanut butter and I am a granola monster, so I knew this would be a winner.  I had a truckload of gluten-free oats in the pantry, so I thought I was all set to make this recipe and then I found out…I am ALLERGIC TO OATS!!!  I had been suspecting this for a while and during my last appointment with Dr. Galitzer I had him test me and he informed me that my body REALLY doesn’t like oats.

Despite my new found knowledge that I have an oat allergy, I was bound and determined to make this granola bar recipe because I had my heart set on it, so I lugged myself to Mother’s Market on a quest for quinoa flakes.  When I got there I was pleasantly surprised to discover Eden Organic’s Short Grain Brown Rice Flakes (Roasted & Rolled).  These puppies looked very similar to rolled oats.  Score!  They are harder than rolled oats, but that is easily rectified by adding a little bit of liquid.  I made the recipe as listed below with my notes in red.  The next time I make these granola bars (you’d better believe there will be a next time, and a next time, and a next time), I plan on adding 1/4-1/3 cup of liquid (water, fresh juice, nut-based milk) to soften the brown rice flakes even more.

This recipe was a winner…

Peanut Butter Granola Bars
makes 18 bars

1 1/2 cups rolled oats (1 1/2 cups Eden brown rice flakes)
1 cup puffed brown rice cereal
3/4 cup puffed millet cereal (3/4 cup quinoa flakes)
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 cup dried sweet cherries (3/4 cup raisins & 3/4 cup dried cherries)
3/4 cup brown rice syrup
3/4 cup Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds (organic peanut butter)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray with coconut non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients.

In a small bowl add the peanut butter and the brown rice syrup. Place in microwave for 30 seconds (or heat in a saucepan on the stove over low heat…I would add the extra liquid at this point too).

Add the warmed wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well until evenly distributed.

Pour the mixture on a lightly greased baking sheet or casserole dish. Pat until evenly distributed.  I pressed the granola mixture down as evenly and flatly as I could and then placed an identical pan on top and pressed that down to compact it further and even it out as much as possible.

Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool for 5-10 minutes. Using a knife, cut into 4×2 inch bars.

NOTE – I accidentally dropped the pan when I was flipping it onto the cutting board (oops!).  The pieces that I couldn’t rescue and make into bars became granola.  I broke them up into a pan and baked them for another 7-10 minutes…delicious!!!

Cool completely and then wrap individually in Saran Wrap or store in a glass container (glass mason jar works perfect for the granola.



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Filed under Breakfast, Cookies / Bars, Dessert, Energy Bars, Gluten Free, Grains, Kid Friendly, Quick, Recipes, Secret Recipe Club

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April 9, 2012 · 4:00 pm

SRC – CHEWY CHOCOLATE BROWNIE CAKES (Vegan & Gluten Free)

It is time for April’s Secret Recipe Club post.  This month I was assigned Cupcake Muffin and really enjoyed perusing  Sara’s site.  While Sara and I don’t follow the same nutrition criteria, there were a lot of recipes that I was interested in trying.  She is crazy for curry and the curry recipes she posted looked really good!

I ultimately set my sites on veganizing, healthifying (massive fat reduction), and gluten-freeing her Chewy Chocolate Chunk Brownie recipe which she adapted from Pixelated Crumb.  I highlighted all of the changes that I made to the recipe in RED (see below).  

The brownies that resulted from these recipe changes were really very very good, but I do feel the need to call them brownie “cakes” because the texture more closely resembles that of cake than brownies.  That being said, we couldn’t get enough of these.  I personally think they tasted better the second day.  When eaten straight out of the oven, you can taste the prunes slightly (which I didn’t mind at all), however once they cooled completely the prunes disappeared entirely.

I decided to use my mini crumb cake pan because when I make brownies I like to have nice finished edges on all sides (I’m weird like that).  I also like that using the mini crumb cake pan makes the brownies single serve…though I would have to say that these brownies were HUGE and filling.  Next time I will only put half of the batter in and make two batches vs. one.  If you do this, please adjust the baking time accordingly as they will bake much faster.

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup Dutch Processed Cocoa
1/2 cup + 2 Tbs boiling hot coffee
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped (I used Sweetriot Brand 85% dark chocolate)
4 Tbs unsalted butter, melted (I used babyfood prunes)
1/2 cup + 2 Tbs vegetable oil (I used applesauce)
2 lrg eggs + 2 lrg yolks (I used 3 Energ egg replacer “eggs”)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 ½ cups sugar (I used 1 cup maple syrup)
1 ¾ cups unbleached flour (I used 1 ½ cups King Arthur GFree flour AND 1 ½ cups blanched almond flour)
3/4 tsp table salt
1 tsp xanthan gum
6 ounces bittersweet / semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips)
***

Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a mini crumb cake pan with oil.

Whisk together the cocoa and boiling hot coffee.  Add the unsweetened chocolate and whisk until melted.  Whisk in the prunes and applesauce.  Add the egg replacer eggs, vanilla, and maple syrup and whisk until smooth.

In a separate bowl whisk together the gluten-free flour, blanched almond flour, salt, and xanthan gum.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix well (but don’t over mix).  Once combined, fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-35 minutes (if you use half the batter and make two batches, cook for 10-15 minutes and then check with a toothpick to make sure they are done).  Allow the brownie cakes to cool for 5 minutes, then remove them from the pan and allow them to cool completely on a cooling rack.

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Filed under Breads / Crackers / Muffins, Cake, Dessert, Gluten Free, Gluten-Free Baking, Kid Friendly, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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April 6, 2012 · 1:30 pm

FAMILY RECIPE MAKE-OVER – Auntie Ann’s Banana Cake

I am so excited to begin this series.  As I stated in my Family Recipe Make-Over kick-off post, I have so much fun veganizing, healthifying, and gluten-freeing “conventional” recipes.  The first recipe in the series was sent in by Veggie Grettie reader (and dear family friend) Ann.   This is what she had to say…

…

Hi Gretchen,
 
I’ve been baking this cake for over 40 years…..for birthday parties, holidays, barbecues, and potlucks.  I still have friends and family asking me to make it, sometimes remembering it from events years ago.   It’s a moist cake with a nice nutty/banana flavor.  I’d love to be able to make it for all of my guests and would love to have the recipe “veganized”.
 
Thanks a bunch!
Ann H.

…

I have to say that the results from updating the recipe below were amazing…so much so that my husband asked me to remove the cake from the premises (no joke).  When I explained to him that this cake is really not that bad for you, he responded with, “It is if I eat the ENTIRE thing.  I am afraid I won’t be able to stop.”

The cake turned out moist and springy which is a big achievement for a gluten-free cake without eggs.  My son couldn’t stop raving about how good the glaze was.  The original recipe used a cream cheese frosting and I opted to make a cream cheese glaze in order to cut back on the sugar.  Since glazes go so well on Bundt cakes, I switched things up by making this a Banana Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze.

To appease my husband I cut two more servings of the cake as after school snacks for my kids and then my daughter’s school became the recipient of the banana cake left-overs… much to my kid’s dismay (another opportunity to discuss the importance of sharing!).

CAKE INGREDIENTS

WET
1 ÂĽ cup very well mashed banana (about 3 medium)
1 cup maple syrup
1 Energ egg replacer egg
2/3 vegan buttermilk (instructions below)
–          Slightly less than 2/3 cup soymilk
–          Âľ Tbs white vinegar
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
ÂĽ cup apple cider vinegar
 
DRY
2 cups King Arthur Gluten Free Multi-Purpose Flour
1 cup blanched almond flour
1 ½ tsp xanthan gum
3 tsp baking soda
2 ½ tsp baking powder
Âľ tsp salt
 
2/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
 
GLAZE INGREDIENTS
 
1 cup powdered sugar
ÂĽ cup vegan cream cheese, melted
1 Tbs lemon juice
…

Preheat the convection oven to 350 degrees.

Make the vegan buttermilk by pouring ¾ Tbs distilled white vinegar into a 2/3 cup measuring cup.  Pour soymilk over the vinegar to fill the 2/3 cup measuring cup.  Allow this mixture to cure for at least 10 minutes.

Add all of the “dry” ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk to fully incorporate.

In a separate bowl combine all of the wet ingredients and whisk to fully incorporate.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients.  Do not overmix.

Fold in the finely chopped walnuts.

Lightly grease your Bundt pan and pour in the batter.

Bake for 35-45 minutes (mine took 40 minutes), turning half way through.

Allow the pan to cool for 5 minutes and then invert the Bundt cake onto a cooling rack.  Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.

Sift the powdered sugar (to remove lumps) and whisk in the melted vegan cream cheese and lemon juice.  Drizzle the glaze over the banana cake and serve.

…

For a printable version of this recipe click HERE.

To view Ann’s original recipe click HERE.

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Filed under Breads / Crackers / Muffins, Breakfast, Cake, Dessert, Family Recipe Make-Over, Frosting, Gluten Free, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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March 30, 2012 · 1:30 pm

BERRY GOOD “EGGS”

I am so excited for Easter and the start of Spring.  This is easily my favorite time of the year!  A recent trip to Target inspired this recipe.  I have a hard time saying “no” when I see a really cute serving dish, especially when I can justify it by saying that I will use it for this website.  I came across the ceramic egg carton / pastel cracked eggs and snatched them up knowing that I would find a way to use them and when I glanced through the pantry to see the ingredients I had on hand this recipe quickly came together.

INGREDIENTS – Makes 10-12 “eggs”

1 cup vegan marshmallows
1/2 cup light brown rice syrup
1/4 cup coconut butter
1/3 cup crushed freeze-dried berries (about ½ cup prior to crushing)
1 ½ cups crisp brown rice cereal

Melt the vegan marshmallows, brown rice syrup, and coconut butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat while stirring constantly.  While the mixture is melting, crush the freeze dried berries (they should be small, finely chopped pieces).  Once the mixture has melted completely add the crushed freeze dried berries and mix well.  Remove from heat.

Add the brown rice cereal and mix making sure the mallow mixture completely coats each piece of cereal.

Allow the cereal / mallow mixture to cool slightly and form into egg shapes.  If the mixture is sticking to your hands, coat your hands LIGHTLY with coconut oil.

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

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Filed under Dessert, Gluten Free, Holidays, Recipes

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March 23, 2012 · 2:30 pm

MINTED CITRUS SALAD

It is the height of citrus season here in California.  A few weeks ago I went to the farmer’s market on Friday and couldn’t help but bring home a huge variety of citrus.  Blood oranges, tangerines, Cara Cara’s (one of my new favorites), and some of the sweetest grapefruit I have ever had followed me home.  It was a gorgeous day and nothing sounded better to me for lunch than a nice plate of citrus.

One of the vendors was selling gorgeous mint, so naturally that needed to come home with me too.

INGREDIENTS – serves one

Grapefruit
Cara Cara orange
Blood orange
5-6 large mint leaves, in a chiffonade (click HERE for a “How To”)
2-3 large Medjool dates, soaked in water just to cover for 15-30 minutes
 

Cover the dates in filtered water.

Cut the rind from the citrus being careful to remove all of the pith while preserving as much citrus meat as possible.  Once the skin and pith is removed, slice the citrus horizontally.  Plate the prepared citrus by alternating varieties.

Pour the dates and soaking water in the high speed blender and blend until smooth.

Lightly drizzle the citrus with some of the date syrup and sprinkle with mint.

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

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Filed under Dessert, Fruit, Gluten Free, Raw, Recipes, Salad, Vegan, Vegetarian

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March 19, 2012 · 2:30 pm

VEGANIZING & G-FREE’ING YOUR FAVORITE FAMILY RECIPES

So, I have this crazy idea… I want to make your favorite family baking recipes healthier.

You know the recipes I am talking about…the ones that ALWAYS get served at family gatherings, made for birthdays, and holidays.  We all have those dessert recipes that still tug at us despite the fact that we have adopted a healthier lifestyle.  Maybe your extended family is not ready to go vegan, or they don’t have gluten intolerance, but maybe, just maybe they are willing to start using a new healthier version of the family dessert  favorite and that is where I come in.

To begin this series, I want to focus on baking.  Send me your favorite recipes for all things baked along with a short story about what the recipes means to your family and I just might choose your recipe to veganize, healthify, and make gluten-free.

I have been reworking some of our family favorites (which I will share at a later date) and I can’t wait to start reworking yours.

Send your recipes to gretchen (at) veggiegrettie (dot) com

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Filed under Dessert, Favorite Family Recipes - Healthified, Gluten Free, Recipes

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March 12, 2012 · 7:09 pm

MY SO DELICIOUS EXPO RECIPE CARDS

I thought I would share with you some images of the actual recipe cards I mentioned in my post this morning…

While the recipe is hard to decipher in the image above, it looks beautiful in person.  To see my original recipe and the post that caught So Delicious’ eye, click HERE.

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March 5, 2012 · 5:00 pm

MARCH SRC – Pumpkin Rice Pudding

For this month’s Secret Recipe Club I was assigned Tea and Scones.  Margaret of Tea and Scones has some amazing baking on her site!  While I have to agree with her that scones are amazing, I was drawn to her Pumpkin Rice Pudding recipe.

In her post Margaret mentioned that the recipe made A LOT of rice pudding, so I halved the recipe.  I also took her advice to pump-up the spice a bit.  Since I wanted to veganize the recipe I made the following substitutions; maple syrup for honey and So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk for the cow’s milk.  Lastly, I reduced the amount of sweetener (in my case maple syrup) because in general I do not like my desserts as sweet as most people do.

Life was a bit busy the day I decided to make the rice pudding, so I decided to take a chance and make it in my rice cooker vs. on the stove and then in the oven.  The results were great! As my daughter would say, this recipe was easy peasy lemon squeezy.

INGREDIENTS – Serves 4

½ cup Arborio rice
1 1/2 cup Unsweetened So Delicious coconut milk
1 cup water
½ cup organic canned pumpkin
ÂĽ cup organic maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt

Place the Arborio rice into the rice cooker.

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and whisk to incorporate well.

Pour the mixture into the rice cooker over the Arborio rice and lightly stir.

Program the rice cooker to cook on the “brown rice” setting and press start.

When the rice cooker completes the brown rice cycle, simply mix the pumpkin pudding well and serve either warm or chilled.  The picture immediately below is of the rice pudding prior to stirring and the bottom image is immediately after stirring.

If serving the pudding warm (my favorite way), top with non-dairy milk.  If serving chilled, top with non-dairy whipped cream.  I also love topping the pudding with some raisins.

For a printable version of this recipe click here.



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Filed under Breakfast, Dessert, Gluten Free, Grains, Pudding / Mousse, Recipes, Secret Recipe Club, Vegan, Vegetarian

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