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The meal that my kids beg for every week!

11/12/2013

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My kids love Vegan fettucine alfredo. It is definitely one of their favorite meals that I make. The best thing is that is takes approximately 20 minutes from start to finish so this is our go-to meal when we are busy with afterschool activities. I always serve it with a side of steamed veggies. In the photo, it has steamed carrots and peas. When broccoli is in season, we almost always have steamed broccoli (aka Totoro's trees by my kiddos) with it.
Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup raw cashews (I buy these babies in bulk from Natural Grocers as I use them A LOT!)
1 ½ cups water
4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. minced garlic
pinch of nutmeg
1 ½ tsp. sea salt

Cooked fettucine or other favorite pasta (I always use the organic fettucine from Whole Foods -- it costs $1.29/box -- pretty good price!)

Directions:
  1. In a blender, grind cashews into a fine powder. I have a Vitamix (and I couldn't imagine my life without it!) If you have a regular blender, you may want to soak the cashews in filtered water for a couple of hours. Then, drain the cashews and blend them.) Add water, lemon juice, garlic, nutmeg and salt. Blend until completely smooth.
  2. Transfer sauce to a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk as you bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, whisking regularly.
  3. Serve over hot pasta. Enjoy!

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Delicious veggie burgers on homemade buns!

11/12/2013

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I normally make homemade black bean veggie burgers, but last week I cooked a huge batch of pinto beans and decided that we should try pinto bean burgers. These were inspired by the Everyday Happy Herbivore cookbook, but modified to our tastes. Where it states that the ingredients are optional is where I started modifying to our tastes. Here is the recipe:



2 cups pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 T. Veganaise
1 T. ketchup (preferably organic so it doesn't have high fructose corn syrup)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder (or use fresh minced garlic)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/3 cup rolled oats (or more if the mixture is pretty wet, I ended up using 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup bread crumbs (optional)
1 tsp. flax seed meal (optional, but helps the burgers stick together)
2 T. minced cilantro (optional, but is so delicious)

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.
3. In a mixing bowl, mash beans with a fork really well, making sure no whole beans are left but some bean pieces remain.
4. Add all remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
5. Divide mixture into 6 equal portions and roll into balls with clean hands. Flatten with your palms and place on your prepared cookie sheet. Use your fingers to shape them into a patty.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, gently flip over, and bake for 8 more minutes. Spray the patties with oil spray to prevent drying if necessary. Flip a third time and bake for another 5 minutes, if necessary, or until the burgers are firm. Serve on buns with the toppings that you like. Enjoy!

Now for the awesome, most delicious Vegan burger buns that will make you stop buying store bought ones!! These were inspired by thehealthyfamilyandhome website.

Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
  • 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
  • 1 flax egg (1 tbs ground flax seeds + 3 tbs water)
  • 2 tablespoons safflower or organic canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour (plus a little extra for dusting)

Directions
1. In the bowl of a standing mixer, stir the yeast into the warm water and let it sit until dissolved.
2. In a separate bowl, wisk together the non-dairy milk, flax egg, oil, sugar and sea salt.
3. Add this to the yeast mixture and stir until well combined.
4. Add all the flour mixture and stir until it forms a shaggy dough.
5. Knead at low speed for 10 minutes (The finished dough should be smooth, feel slightly tacky and spring back when poked).
6. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in size (approximately one hour).
7. Dust your work area with a little flour and turn out the risen dough on top.
8. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape each piece into a tight ball.
9. Transfer the balls onto a baking sheet and let them rise until they look puffy and hamburger-sized (approximately 30 - 40 minutes).
10. Bake the buns at 375 degree for approximately 15 - 18 minutes (or until golden on the tops).
11. Let the buns cool at room temperature before slicing and using. And, voilá -- delicious homemade vegan burger buns!


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