Organic Granny

 The three vegan chocolate truffle recipes that follow are easy to make, delicious, and healthier than many such recipes for trifles.  These recipes do no contain any dairy or processed sugar.  If you are carefully following a gluten-free diet, you can substitute gluten-free oat flour.  I think there is something yummy here for everyone! Cheers! Red Bean Truffles The picture above is from marta_kozlowska84 on Instagram.  Her recipe is in Polish but I am guessing it is very similar to Candace Feldman's in her lovely book " Lean Into Plants: 100+ Simple  & Delicious Primarily Plant-Based Recipes Designed for Weight Loss and Fueling Your Body. "  This is one of many very quick, delicious and healthy recipes designed to "nourish your whole self: body, mind and spirit". 1 15-ounce can of red kidney beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry 1/2 cup melted chocolate chips 1/4 cup of smooth almond butter Form into about 10, 1" balls.  Roll in various to...

This gluten-free chocolate cake recipe is an adaptation* of a recipe that also claims to be low allergenic.  It does not contain the common allergens: eggs, dairy, wheat, peanuts, or tree nuts-- other allergens that are known about could be substituted. An example isthe soymilk.  Oat or hemp seed milk are possible substitutes that could be used.  For people sensitive to xanthan gum, psyllium husk powder might be a good substitute. This is written for making 1 9" round or square cake.  If there is a desire for a larger sheet cake or a layer cake, just multiply each quantity of ingredient by 3  for a 3 layer cake  or by 2 for an 18" sheet pan Preheat the oven to 350 degreesF/177•C. I used a round 9" silicone pan that requires no preparation. For prep otherwise, grease pan and sprinkle on some flour or line pan bottom and sides with parchment paper INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose GF flour 1 cup sugar 3 tablespoons plain cocoa or cacao 1 teaspoon baking sod...

  Roasted (Grilled) Eggplant Rounds Ingredients 1 Eggplant sliced into rounds tossed in bowl with 3 tablespoons olive oil, to coat 😺😺 Mix in a small bowl: 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 😺😸 Package of Daiya vegan cheese shreds 😼😼😼 HOW-TO : Preheat oven to 425° F. Cover flat pan with parchment paper Dust (or dredge) eggplant rounds with herbs Place on oven pan and put in oven for 25 minutes.  At the 15 minute mark add on topping of Daiya cheese shreds. 😼😽😼 Notes : Eggplant, or aubergine, is a Mediterranean fruit (used as a savory or vegetable) and is really delicious cooked with Italian herbs but you are not restricted by such pronouncements.  You could use Middle Eastern, Northern African, Oriental or Mexican herb mixes if those are your taste faves.  No nazis overseeing your kitchen (I hope).  Go with your creativity. Let...

  This is a delicious filling, satisfying Salad that contains: Romaine lettuce 2 cups cooked quinoa 2 small butternut squash peeled  seeded, diced and tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder and roasted in the oven at 400°C 20 min. Carribean crispy split pea-spinach patties cut into croutons (recipe on thespruceats.com) Avocado chunks  cucumber, tomatoes, olives Assemble and use simple dressing of 1 lemon juiced, 1 tsp. Dijon Mustard, 1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar and 1 tsp. Maple Syrup, salt and pepper.   This salad was inspired by 2 vegan salads in Candace Feldman's  Lean Into Plants Here is another similar salad but subbing yummy baked Sesame tofu cubes <~ and baked sweet potato chunks instead of squash-- prepared like the squash above.  Get the Sesame Surprise baked tofu recipe HERE Toss and enjoy . YUMMY PLANT-BASED CHICK'N RECIPES Click on image to go to recipes

  I'm back! Once during the last few weeks on a "raw vegan cleanse" I kept thinking about pancakes!  The following recipe is the result.  ** NOTE: Whisk together sweet and brown rice flours before starting recipe. So here is a great gluten-free banana pancake recipe that I tweaked until I liked it: Put the following  INGREDIENTS  in your blender: 1 Ripe Organic  Banana 1 T.  Vegetable Oil 1/2 tsp.  Celtic Sea Salt  (or to taste) 1 1/2 C. Nondairy  Milk  or other milk Pinch of  Nutmeg 1 T.  Cinnamon 2 T. Sugar or other sweetener  4 tsp.  Baking Powder . Easy Method for  Making Pancakes: Blend the above ingredients and then pour over: 1/2 C.  Sweet White Rice (gluten-free) Flour 1/2 C . Brown Rice (gluten-free) Flour Mix. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Pour about a 1/4 C. of batter into hot pan and ...

  My husband and I love oatmeal porridge for breakfast. Sometimes we change it up and add ingredients that are not traditional. Here are some great  Slow-Cooker porridges for example .   Today's Sweet and Salty Porridge with Strawberries  capitalizes on our rather eccentric but diverse tastes for combinations of flavours and textures.   Sometimes I get even more carried away, but today I decided against including nuts and bananas.  This porridge is, of course, Gluten-free and Vegan (no dairy, eggs or other animal products).   Begin with a medium to large pot with a close-fitting lid and add: Steelcut Oats (use the quantity you want for your family following directions on package-- use GF oats for those who are gluten-sensitive or have Coeliac disease) Water (cover the oats by about 1 1/2 inches or use the instructions on package) Organic Thompson Raisins (1/4 cup to handful, as you desire-- I went with the handful) 2 T. dry Chiaseed Pinch of Seasalt Op...

  "All But Gluten" Gluten-Free Bread Recently I think I may have persuaded a friend with mysterious symptoms  (sounding like gluten-sensitivity to me) to try going off gluten for a while to see how she feels.  She bemoaned the fact that she has a bread maker** (and I know she is a star bread baker herself).  I suggested that she do some research to see how/if gluten-free bread works in her bread machines (there seem to be quite a few articles indicating it does, and bread machines with GF settings).  We also talked about the various gluten-free breads that are commercially available.   At time of writing this blog,  my favourite brands are Udi's and the Chia Bread (by Silver Hills).  They were both pretty pricey and I believe that you could make your own, maybe with a few tweaks, just by doing some research for good recipes on line.  (There are also some very baaaaaad-tasting gluten-free breads available commercially-- hopefully the...

Protein-rich Gluten-free Zesty Lentil and Quinoa Pasta Sauce This delightful warming sauce with its plant-based proteins of lentils and quinoa, is adapted from the "Lentil Quinoa Bolognese Sauce" recipe in Kathy Hester's The Great Vegan Bean Book: More Than 100 Plant-Based Dishes Packed With The Kindest Protein In Town .   I love beans-- well, legumes of all ilk-- and I love how Hester has put together this cookbook, with recipes that meet people's dietary and health needs (gluten-free, soy-free, no added-oil, nut allergy recipes are labeled) and in a way that shows the diversity of the protein-rich bean.   There are recipes for everything from the familiar hearty savoury dishes straight through incorporating beans into breads and other baked items to amazing beany desserts (like, how about "Double-Chocolate Devil's Food Cookies" using cooked or canned black beans?)  I hope you enjoy this take-off on her sauce.  I do 'adaptations' when...

  Here's another recipe prepared the "raw vegan" way using the recipe for  Buckwheat Crispies  .  This is particularly soothing for kids who miss having their traditional gluten-laden breakfast cereals... Buckwheat crispies are a good source of fibre, manganese, tryptophan, and magnesium. Ingredients: 2 Cups of  Buckwheat Crispies 3 C. Sliced  Strawberries 1 1/2 C. your favourite gluten-free  Mylk  (I used  So Delicious  Coconut Milk-- yum!) 1 Sliced Ripe  Banana Put 2 C. of strawberries in the food processor or blender, and add the Milk.   Blend until pink and creamy (and soooooo fragrant, like summer!) Divide the buckwheat crispies into 4 bowls (1/2 C. each) Pour the Strawberry Mylk over each bowl Top with sliced strawberries and bananas  (and anything else wanted: dried fruit, hemp nuts, other fresh fruit) Enjoy!

  We enjoyed this glorious salad on Christmas Eve.   It started out as a "bowl" in that the roasted butternut squash and quinoa were still hot when we added them in.  The next day we ate it as a more traditional salad cold from the fridge. Either way, the textures and flavours come together very nicely-- it is flavourful, yummy and filling while low-fat with no added refined sugar.  It is also vegan and gluten-free. Another winner from Candace Feldman's * Lean Into Plants *.

This yummy easy-on-me plant-based chocolate-cherry cobbler is a recipe of the fabulous *Forks Over Knives* team.  Link below. Chocolate-Cherry Cobbler, an incredible Christmas Confection!  So delicious, and low sugar, vegan, no added oils  and gluten-free if you opt to use GF quick oats. Also, quick to put together with most ingredients already in most of our cupboards.  Two kinds of cherries are suggested for this decadent dessert: frozen unsweetened dark sweet cherries (4 cups) and frozen unsweetened tart cherries (1 cup).  It might be tough to find either one or the other in your local market. You could consider other berries in a pinch  sweetening as needed. You could also use just one of the two berry types.   Find the full recipe HERE . If you have extra cherries, you might want to try the following great fudgy chocolate smoothie (approved by NutritionFacts.org's Dr. Michael Greger) Fudgy Chocolate- Cherry Smoothie      ...

We have come to the end of our 10-day junket through the joys of combined crafting and cooking-baking until next Christmas!  We have one more craft and one more batch of cookies to bake... are you ready? We are going to look at some fairly simple but artfully placed center pieces as our last craft. If you have stashed away your Christmas  pine cones of all sizes  and greenery from years past-- maybe even inherited some along the way-- you will be well on your way to being able to design and put together a centerpiece that you can take pride in. Relax with a cup of tea and your favourite seasonal background music.  Now, with no judgements on how hard this is, or how skilled you are, etc. etc. etc., watch the video and catch the vision!  If you want to send me a photo of your creation, I would be very happy to post it here!  Just let me know in the comments and we will arrange something. 7 Christmas Ornaments with Pine Cones DIY  The video: And now to c...

We are Celebrating Day 9 of 10 Days of a Gluten-Free Christmas with a recipe for GF plant-based Snickerdoodle cookies and a beautiful tissue paper paper craft that may grace your window, or perhaps become a gift in someone else's window! One of my all-time favourite Christmas crafts involves tissue paper.  If you are someone who 'saves' your wrapping paper from year to year, you likely have a number of tissue paper caches.  Get them out and make beautiful window "stained glass" using clear contact paper and pieces of tissue.  Below is a design for you to copy from, or you can find many other "coloring pages" to download and use as templates for what you want to display. Make a frame from black poster board, or just black construction paper.  After you have put the design on the one sheet of contact paper, cover with a second sheet of contact paper.  Be sure to provide a small hanger as is shown here.  Tape it to a window.  The idea is to relax and cre...