Happy Birthday!

My husband and I recently celebrated a monumental birthday.  I was excited to have an occasion to try a recipe for a healthy cake that everyone would enjoy.  I think I found one (let's just say my husband helped himself to more than a couple pieces...)

Chocolate-Orange Cake
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/12/chocolate-orange-cake.html

Here's the cake, 10 mins. out of the oven

I made the cake at night, after the kids were in bed, and let it cool overnight.

The next evening, after dinner, I made the glaze, right before serving.   The only tweak I made to the recipe was to use more orange juice when making the icing - especially the orange icing.  2 teaspoons of orange juice seems like the minimum needed.

The finished product - ready to serve!

I love that this yummy cake is less than 200 calories per serving, with just 1 gram of fat!    

Delicious homemade soup - allergen free!

I found this recipe in a magazine from the health food store.  The total time to make this soup is nearly an hour... but it's worth it.  A very healthy and delicious soup the entire family can enjoy.  

Jasmine Rice Soup with Cannellini and Rosemary
http://deliciousliving.com/recipes/jasmine-rice-soup-cannellini-and-rosemary

A few notes on this recipe.  I omit the olive oil and cook the onions in a thin layer of water (a fat free cooking tip!)   The half teaspoon of red pepper flakes called for gives the soup a bit of heat.  If your little ones are sensitive to this, you might want to omit or just use a quarter teaspoon.

Great Northern Beans make an excellent substitution for the Cannellini beans if you find those in your pantry instead.

I like to make a loaf of homemade bread while the soup is cooking and serve it with the soup for dinner.

It's blackberry picking time!

I took my boys blackberry picking today at a local pick-your-own farm.   We had fun picking & tasting the berries and brought home over 4lbs of berries.  Then the challenge came - what to do with all these berries?!?   I searched around until I found a recipe that called for 2lbs of fruit and adapted it for our use.   It turned out delicious!!!  I really had to hold myself back from eating 1/2 the pan!

Low-Fat Plum Cobbler
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2010/06/low-fat-plum-cobbler.html

I substituted the blackberries for the plums in the recipe.
I don't buy soy yogurt but do have 6oz containers of So Delicious Blueberry Greek Cultured Coconut Milk, so I substituted with that.
I substituted 1 Tbsp of Truvia Baking Blend for the stevia in the recipe.   I also sprinkled just a pinch of this over the raw berries before I spread the batter on top.

The end result was a delicious & healthy dessert.   The only downside with substituting berries for the plums is that berries release a lot of liquid while being cooked, so the baking pan had quite a bit of delicious warm berry juice in it.  Next time I may try adding a mixture of liquid & corn starch to the berries (before the batter is spread on top) to thicken that up.  Or maybe I'll just pour all that berry juice over my frozen yogurt and eat it that way!

Got summer squash? How about some enchiladas?

Many weeks in the summer, our CSA gives us a bag of summer squash.   I found a recipe that we all love (and I've served it with success to guests as well) that uses whatever type of summer squash our CSA gives us.

Black Bean and Summer Squash Enchiladas
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2010/05/black-bean-summer-squash-enchiladas.html

I will admit that I have trouble with corn tortillas.  Maybe I just haven't found the right kind yet... but mine always split.  In fact, I think next time I'm going to try to alter the recipe a bit and just do layers (tortilla, squash/bean mix, tortilla) like a lasagna.  Even though this dish never looks pretty when I make it, it still tastes delicious!

A cherry twist on banana bread

I have to admit, I love cherries.  If you do too, here's another cherry recipe for you.

Cherry Banana Bread
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/04/cherry-walnut-banana-bread.html
I have not made this bread with the walnuts listed in the original recipe since we're trying to keep things really low fat.  I have baked this recipe as mini loaves and as muffins.  I love her tip of letting the bread cool completely overnight to make it more moist.   I found the mini loaves to be more moist but the muffins almost as good, and more convenient (we always seem to be in a hurry!)   Remember, if you bake the bread in these smaller sizes, you need to adjust your baking time.  Start checking the muffins after 18 mins and the mini loaves after about 22 mins.   My yield on this recipe is 18 muffins or 4 mini loaves.

My quick baking tip for applesauce - use the kid snack sized cups of unsweetened applesauce instead of trying to measure it out.  They're roughly equivalent to 1/2 cup or 4oz.

Frugal and tasty vegan slow cooker soup

Our lives are very hectic so I'm always happy when I find a slow cooker recipe that the entire family enjoys. I love being able to make dinner when I have time early in the day, stick it in the slow cooker, and come home at dinnertime to a hot, homemade dinner!

Lentil & Black Bean Soup
http://penniesandpancakes.blogspot.com/2013/03/slow-cooker-lentil-black-bean-soup-023.html
I love that this recipe uses ingredients I almost always have on hand at home, the prep is simple & straightforward, and the cost per serving is approx. 25 cents!

You can see from the Nutrition Facts here that is a very low calorie &  high protein meal.

I adapted the original recipe just a bit...


INGREDIENTS
8oz (1/2 of a 1 lb. bag) dry lentils
1 can black beans
1 medium onions (finely diced)
2 large carrots (finely chopped)
1 (15 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. cumin
1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
5 cups HOT water

3/4 Tbsp salt (to taste)*
1/2 tsp. black pepper (to taste)*

*Added at the end of cooking

DIRECTIONS
Rinse lentils and black beans. Discard any small pebbles or bad beans. Put them in the slow cooker. Add the diced onions, chopped carrots, tomatoes, garlic, cumin, chili powder, parsley, and HOT water to the slow cooker.

Cover, and cook on HIGH for 4 hours. No peeking, no stirring.

Remove the lid, and add the salt and pepper to taste. Scoop out  3-4 cups of the soup into a blender and puree and then pour it back into the slow cooker and stir.  This soup is very thick ... almost like chili, and tastes great by itself, over rice, served with tortilla chips, or with cornbread.

Store in the fridge for 1 week, or in the freezer for 4 months.

Pumpkin muffins or bread

I am still working my way through the large supply of organic pumpkin cans I stocked up on a couple months ago.   We've been enjoying a lot of pumpkin muffins and sometimes pumpkin bread.

Pumpkin Spice Bread
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/12/pumpkin-spice-bread.html
This pumpkin spice bread is very delicious and can be made with fat for those that don't love fat free baking... or without fat it's still very delicious.  This recipe is higher in sugar than others I use, so I only make it occasionally.   I use white whole wheat flour in this recipe and it turns out perfectly.
Click here for the nutrition facts for this recipe made into 18 fat free muffins.

Pumpkin Raisin Muffins
http://www.nutritionmd.org/recipes/view.html?recipe_id=547
The yield for me on this recipe was much higher than listed.  I got 18 muffins and one mini loaf of bread out of this... and they were gobbled up quickly.   I ran low on raisins so I substituted dried cranberries instead.

Tip: When a recipe calls for you to only use part of a canned good, such as this recipe where you have part of a can of pumpkin left over, simply put the remainder in a Ziploc freezer bag, mark the bag with the contents and freeze it for later use.   One week I made these muffins and then froze the remaining pumpkin. The following week I took that out of the freezer and used it to thicken a stew I was making!
 

Is it soup or stew?

This recipe is called soup, but my boys argued it should be called stew because it's so thick.    Either way, the entire family enjoyed this one and it's pretty easy to make from the pantry.    I would suggest going really easy on the Chipotle chili powder and skipping the hot sauce when making it for the 1st time for the family... or until you figure out how much heat they can handle.

Smoky Refried Bean Soup
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2008/03/smoky-refried-bean-soup.html
I make a few substitutions - I use a drained can of corn instead of the frozen corn and whatever pepper I have on hand (yesterday it was red pepper).
We enjoy ours with tortilla chips crumbled on top.

Healthy & Tasty Shamrock Shake

It's March so that means my favorite (since childhood) item is back on the McDonalds menu - the Shamrock Shake.  Unfortunately, with ingredients like corn syrup and artificial flavors & colors... it's really not a healthy choice at all.    I've been experimenting at home with some healthy mint shake recipes and have found that they're super easy to make and quite tasty too.     The secret ingredient it make the shake beautifully green & healthy is.... spinach!     My son remarked tonight how amazed he is that I can put ingredients he doesn't like into the blender and turn it into something he really likes!

The recipe I'm recommending to you I adapted from a recipe from One Green Planet.   If you are not vegan and consume dairy - you could get a very yummy shake by substituting regular milk & vanilla greek yogurt in this recipe.

Mint Chocolate Chip Shake
Ingredients

• 1½ cups nondairy milk of choice (for nut-free, use hemp or coconut milk)
• 6oz cup of So Delicious Chocolate Greek Style Cultured Coconut Milk
• 1 medium, very ripe banana, peeled and frozen overnight
• 2 big handfuls fresh spinach leaves
• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 to 2 pitted dates (or 1 tablespoon sweetener of choice)
• 1 heaping tablespoon cacao nibs

Instructions

1. Combine the milk, greek yogurt, banana, spinach, dates, peppermint extract, cacao nibs in a high-­speed blender and blend until smooth.
2. Serve immediately.

Pre-blending

Minutes later - ready to drink!

What's your smoothie recipe?

I often get asked for my smoothie recipe.  The problem is... there is no recipe!  I just use whatever I have on hand in my fridge/freezer!

This is what my blender looked like before I turned it on this morning

I start with enough liquid to cover the blades - usually Silk Fruit + Protein or fruit juice... but you can use water too.   Then I like to cover the liquid with a thin layer of chia seeds (you can get a big bag of these at Costco now).   Next I add a green - either kale or spinach.  Then the fun part - add a few extra fruits and veggies.  Today I added half a carrot, an entire orange (I used the knife to peel off the outer skin), some frozen cherries, and half a frozen banana.  I almost always add at least half a frozen banana for delicious natural sweetness.    I always recommend using a deep colored berry/cherry (raspberries are my favorite) especially if the green is a bit tough/bitter like kale.     I either stock up on organic frozen berries when they're on BOGO sale at the grocery store or buy the big 3lb bag of organic mixed berries at BJs for $9.99.

My smallest customer enjoying his smoothie and an apple for breakfast

I should note that usually my smoothies are not pretty.   When you blend bright greens with deep colored berries, the result is usually brown.   But don't let your eyes fool you - the result is delicious and so healthy too!

My latest breakfast obsession

I've recently gotten into making overnight oats in the slow cooker.   I put all the ingredients in before I go to bed at night and by the time my earliest riser wakes up in the morning, hot breakfast is ready and I can still snooze away in bed while they help themselves to a delicious, hot & healthy breakfast.  

I've tried a few recipes so far, but this, by far, is my favorite one I've found.
Slow Cooker Cherry Almond Oatmeal
http://www.theyummylife.com/Slow_Cooker_Cherry_Almond_Oatmeal

I omit the butter/fat in this recipe and use applesauce (instead of shredded apple) for simplicity    It's basically impossible to limit myself to one serving with this one... it's soooo tasty!  Reminds me of a cherry pastry.    I even cut back on the brown sugar to 1 Tbsp and it still tasted great.  The dried cherries already provide a lot of sweetness.   I think next time I'll try omitting the sugar and see how it turns out.

Easy Homemade Black Bean Burgers

We've always enjoyed black bean burgers - but the frozen ones I buy at the store have some additives that aren't too healthy and others that add fat.   I found an easy recipe that everyone enjoys for homemade black bean burgers.  I like to enjoy mine with a thin layer of guacamole on top, some fresh spinach leaves, and a thin pickle slice inside of a sandwich thin.  I serve them with Kevin's favorite potatoes.

Black Bean Burgers
http://happyherbivore.com/recipe/quick-black-bean-burger/
As you can see, I bake them on a Silpat mat.  It makes flipping them and removing them when finished stress free.   I didn't have any instant oatmeal at home, so I just whisked some regular oats in the Vitamix to make it more similar to instant oatmeal.

Burgers - pre-baking (they look very similar baked as well)

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

This is a guest post I wrote for another blog: My Life in Red

Our family began 2012 with the decision to eat a low-fat vegetarian diet at home.   This would mean an entirely different way of cooking and eating for all of us.     I had heard about CSA before from friends but hadn't paid too much attention to details because I didn't think it would be something our family would be interested in.   However, now that our family was eating such a greater volume of fresh produce, this now sounded like something to investigate.

What is CSA?
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community's farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production. Typically, members or "share-holders" of the farm or garden pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation and farmer's salary. In return, they receive shares in the farm's bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land and participating directly in food production. Members also share in the risks of farming, including poor harvests due to unfavorable weather or pests. By direct sales to community members, who have provided the farmer with working capital in advance, growers receive better prices for their crops, gain some financial security, and are relieved of much of the burden of marketing.

How do I find CSA in my area?
First of all - ask around!   Find out if any of your friends or neighbors are participating or have participated in  CSA.   This website also has a great search feature: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/
You may have several options available to you.  I recommend asking to see photos of what past weekly shares look like.  How many different kinds of vegetables and fruits (or other items) will be in each weekly share?    Do I get any choice - or it it all farmers choice?   Are there different share sizes available?  (Some farms only offer one share size while others will offer 3 or 4 sizes)   If only one size is available, you may want to find a friend to split a share with.

Example of a 1/2 weekly winter CSA share

Example of a full weekly summer CSA share

How I made my CSA decision

I decided CSA would be a good idea for my family for several reasons.   First of all, I knew it would challenge me to incorporate more vegetables and a greater variety of vegetables into our diet.   I also thought it would be a wonderful way to support my local economy by directly supporting the farmers in my area.   The environmentalist in me also loved that purchasing produce this way has such a positive affect on the environment as eating locally reduces the emissions given off by all the trucks, planes, & ships that transport produce all over the world to our grocery stores.    It's eating the old fashioned way - by eating what's ripe and available locally at the time.   Finally, I knew we'd be getting fresh picked, nutrient rich produce by participating in CSA.

We live in an area that has a number of farms with CSA programs nearby.   After some investigation, I chose the farm closest to my home and one that had a delivery spot just a few minutes drive from my home (closer than any grocery store!)   I also liked that the farm I chose was certified organic.     Their program is "value added" which meant each member usually receives 6 different vegetables, 2 different fruits, a dozen eggs, and a loaf of fresh bread.   At pickup, each members chooses, quantity stated by the farmer, their produce items and has the option to trade one item in for something else that they'd rather have.   (Some farms don't have any flexibility, ie. you just get what you're given and that's it., while others are very flexible and let you choose every item you'd like from a list of many).

The good and the bad

There definitely is a learning curve to participating in CSA.   You need to be committed to eating most of your meals at home and trying new recipes to incorporate new vegetables - some of which you likely have never purchased before.    I struggled with this at first and there definitely were vegetables that ended up getting composted in my yard rather than eaten (it still happens occasionally )    One thing I learned is to freeze what you don't think you'll eat that week.    For many months after our CSA share ended, I still enjoyed grabbing frozen (and chopped!) veggies out of my fridge and adding them to meals.    Another tip would be to get a Vita-Mix.   I use ours everyday to quickly whip up smoothies using the vegetables from our share into a tasty drink the entire family enjoys (and I feel so good about serving them!)    None of my guys will eat kale... but they'll happily gulp it down every morning in a tasty smoothie!

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

This one is way too popular in our household.  The entire thing disappears in less than 24 hours and there's even some fighting about the last piece!  Guess I need to double the recipe for this growing family!

Blueberry Breakfast Cake
http://happyherbivore.com/recipe/blueberry-coffee-cake/
The last time I made it, I only had fresh blueberries in the house, so that's what I used.  It still turned out great.
I've been sprinkling the top with a cinnamon & sugar mix.  I haven't tried her recommendation of brown sugar yet.  Let me know if you do!

Chocolate Deliciousness

We all love chocolate.   I am so excited to have found some healthy vegan chocolate desserts that the entire family loves.

Two-Bite Banana Brownies
http://lowfatveganchef.com/vegan-valentines-day-dessert-two-bite-banana-brownies/
My pickiest eater will never eat a banana, but he couldn't stop popping these in his mouth - so this recipe is definitely a winner.   I'm going to need to get a few extra mini muffin pans so I can double or triple the recipe - these didn't last long in our house!  

I used White Whole Wheat flour and ground flax seed because that's what I had on hand.    I didn't need to spray my Pampered Chef mini muffin pan as it's already non-stick.


Double Chocolate Cupcakes
http://www.forksoverknives.com/double-chocolate-cupcakes/
I was happy to have a cupcake recipe that we all can enjoy.   They were enjoyed with or without the frosting.   I knew this one was a winner when my oldest son wrote "these are yummy" on the recipe!

Healthy Homemade Baked Beans

We had this for dinner last night.  It was delicious!   This recipe makes a lot, so we enjoyed the beans for leftovers again today for lunch.

Smoky Apple Baked Beans
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2013/02/smoky-apple-baked-beans.html
I was not sure at first if I was going to recommend this dish here (since I'm trying to only post recipes the entire family enjoys).   My boys ate it without complaining, but needed to drink a lot of water since it had a kick to it.  I did make one substitution when I prepared it... I used Cayenne Red Pepper powder instead of the Chipotle Pepper powder called for in the recipe because that's what I had on hand.    Today I looked up the difference and found out that Cayenne is almost 3x as hot as Chipotle!   So I think I'm going to have to buy some Chipotle powder or only use a pinch of Cayenne as a substitution next time (not a 1:1 substitution) to make it more kid friendly.

I served these beans over the collard greens I'd made the night before along with some herb bread to make it a complete meal.  

Black Bean Soup

I have found a couple of great tasting black bean soup recipes from the forksoverknives.com site. 

Mexican Black Bean and Corn Soup
I've used regular tomatoes and salt and bottled lime juice and it turns out great.
http://www.forksoverknives.com/mexican-black-bean-corn-soup/

Black Bean and Salsa Soup
This recipe is so quick, simple, & delicious!
Be sure to use a good quality salsa.   I omit the extra hot sauce as the salsa I use is spicy enough.  I have been using canned no salt added corn (drained) for convenience.
http://happyherbivore.com/recipe/salsa-soup/

Mexican Chowder
Finally, this one isn't a traditional black bean soup... but rather a Mexican chowder, but also really tasty.   Again, for convenience, I use bottled lime juice. 
http://www.forksoverknives.com/mexican-chowder/

Low Fat Apple Swirl Loaf

This vegan treat can be made wheat free by using spelt flour.   Spelt flour is expensive (over $2/lb) but it works well.   I omit the oil in this recipe and it turns out great.  

We've eaten this for a dessert or along with breakfast.
http://plantpoweredkitchen.com/recipes/recipe-low-fat-apple-swirl-loaf/

Pumpkin Lentil Curry with Apples

This is easy to make and is quite tasty... and even better the next day as leftovers.

Pumpkin Lentil Curry with Apples
http://plantpoweredkitchen.com/recipe-pumpkin-lentil-curry-with-apples/

I've only made it once so far, but plan to make it more often as my local natural foods market recently had cans of organic pumpkin on a 75% off markdown so I stocked up!

Remember as your gathering your ingredients together to start a batch of brown rice (or other grain of your choice) in your rice cooker before you start making this dish.... so both will be done & ready at the same time!

Doughnuts for breakfast!

Banana Bread Breakfast Doughnuts
 http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/02/22/banana-bread-breakfast-doughnuts/

I often make these doughnuts and everyone loves them - including the banana hater in the house.

I have tried the recipe with both spelt flour and white whole wheat flour.  Both turn out fine, but I prefer the texture of the spelt (although the spelt is way more expensive!)

I don't add any oil, and instead increase the milk (almond or soy) to 1/3 cup.
I do add chocolate chips... this is probably why they're so popular.  I use the mini chocolate chips and just lightly sprinkle the top of my batter bowl with them and then mix in.  So not too many... but just enough that I can call them chocolate chip doughnuts!

I've only made these with agave syrup... but am interested in trying maple syrup as the sweetener instead.  Let me know how they turn out if you do!    Also, once I was a bit short on the Agave syrup and they still turned out fine... so I think it can work to cut back the sweeter a bit if you'd like.

The recipe says to bake for 30+ minutes.  Mine are always very done in 20 minutes.

The yield on this recipe for me is 12 huge doughnuts. 

The most delicious pancakes!

Today is world pancake day.   I know my post is late in the day.... but here is my recommendation.

These pancakes are incredibly thick, delicious and so healthy.   One of my sons even squealed with delight the first time I served them to him as he loved the exploding blueberries as he cut into them!   The blueberries add such natural sweetness that everyone in our family eats them just as they are - no extra sugar or fat on top needed!

Blueberry Pie Pancakes
Recipe adapted from here: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/06/09/blueberry-pie-pancakes/

Serves 3

1 & 1/2 cup blueberries
1 cup flour (I use white whole wheat)
6 Tbsp (3/8 cup) rolled oats (I just use regular ol' Quaker oats)
1 & 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
3/8 tsp salt
1 & 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 Tbsp sugar or 3 packets stevia (optional)
1 cup nondairy milk (I usually use vanilla Silk)

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, then add wet.  Mix, but don't over-mix.  Cook on an oiled or sprayed pan, on low-medium, flipping each pancake once. 

Here are the nutrition facts for one serving: http://tracker.dailyburn.com/recipes/thick_blueberry_pie_pancakes

Vegan style comfort food

Chickpea Noodle Soup
http://www.forksoverknives.com/chickpea-noodle-soup/

This soup is pretty easy to make once you have the ingredients on hand.  I had the hardest time finding the miso (check the ethnic foods or Japanese section of your grocery store).   I also don't have tamari on hand, but after a little research discovered that it's close to soy sauce, so I use that instead.  The soup is yummy and one everyone enjoys.

Kevin's favorite potatoes

I apologize for not having a link or a photo for this recipe - it was one we received in an email from our CSA and I've modified a little bit.

These potatoes are delicious and very popular!

Dijon-Herb Roasted Potatoes

about 2lbs potatoes
5 Tbsp dijon mustard (I use Grey Poupon)
1 Tbsp olive oil (or omit entirely and just spray pan with cooking spray)
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (feel free to substitute some combo of your own making, such as basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage...)

Mix all ingredients except potatoes in a medium bowl. Scrub potatoes (can leave whole if small otherwise cut into bit sized pieces) and then toss with mustard mixture in bowl. Turn them out into a shallow baking sheet and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Bake at 425 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes until potatoes are fork tender, stirring occasionally.

Potatoes pre-baking

Just out of the oven.  Done & ready to eat!

Everyone loves chili mac!

Hearty Chili Mac
https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/plant-based-diets/recipes/hearty-chili-mac
This recipe is super simple to make and I usually have all the ingredients already on hand.
I've served it with success to guests as well.
To make life simple, sometimes I cook the onion & garlic on the stove top and then dump everything in the crock-pot, mix, and then cook on low for a few hours.  

Simple, quick, and healthy curry

Ridiculously Easy Curried Chickpeas and Quinoa
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2010/04/ridiculously-easy-curried-chickpeas-quinoa.html

I often use this recipe when I have leftover plain quinoa in my fridge and I'm short on time to make dinner.  I never seem to have fresh ginger on hand, so I use 3/4tsp powdered ginger instead.    I rarely have the fire roasted tomatoes at home so I use fresh tomatoes (which taste wonderful!) in the summer or just regular canned & diced tomatoes the rest of the year. 

If you haven't tried curry with your kids before, don't be afraid.  All of my kids love this recipe!

Chocolate muffins... or are they cupcakes?

Triple Chocolate Chunk Muffins
http://dashingdish.com/recipe/triple-chocolate-chunk-muffins/

These muffins are so yummy that they can be served as dessert!

To make things simple, I just add the chocolate chips at once (in step #3)... I actually think they taste better this way.  

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Pumpkin Spice Muffins
http://fatfreevegan.com/blog/2010/03/01/pumpkin-spice-muffins/print/

These muffins are very easy to make and can be a tasty snack or breakfast treat.

I have only used white whole wheat flour to make these - let me know if you try another kind.   I really enjoy the spices in pumpkin bread, so I recommend adding a little (1/4tsp?) pumpkin pie spice as well.   Sometimes I separate out the batter and add mini chocolate chips to one section and raisins to the other.

The yield for me is 17-18 muffins.

Here are the nutrition facts for a yield of 18 muffins as I prepare them with raisins.

Chocolate chip cookies with beans?!?

Butter Bean Cookies
http://happyherbivore.com/recipe/butter-bean-cookies/

These cookies are very popular with everyone.  Don't worry about the beans... you don't actually see the beans in the cookies, they are pureed and used as a butter/fat substitution.

I use my Vitamix instead of a food processor when called for in the recipe and I think they turn out great.

The liquid in bean cans kind of grosses me out, so I drain and rinse my beans and then use water in the recipe when the reserved liquid is called for.

The interesting thing I've found in "healthy" low-fat baking is that when you remove traditional sources of fat (like butter and oil), the batter does not behave the same while baking... ie. the cookies don't really "grow" much while baking.  They pretty much stay in the same size & shape... so you don't need to put much space between them on the baking sheet.

Finally, I found it easier to double the recipe... gives us some leftover cookies to enjoy for the next couple of days.   I prefer to eat them heated up in the microwave for a few seconds... just so the chocolate is a little bit melty.  Yum!!

Delicious and simple soup

Provencal Red Lentil Soup
http://www.fatfreevegan.com/pressure/provencal.htm

I had a bunch of leeks and a lot of carrots from our CSA sitting in my vegetable drawer.  I'm so glad I found this recipe.  It was easy to make and tasted delicious (even my pickiest eater loved it!) 

Right before finishing, I scooped out a few cups of the soup (tried not to get too many carrots in there) and pureed it in the blender and then added it back into the pot.  I recommend this step!