Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

vegan oatmeal raisin cookie 1

vegan oatmeal raisin cookie 2

There is almost nothing better than soft, chewy cookies and a glass of cold soy milk.  These oatmeal raisin cookies are so good, but without the guilt of regular cookies.  You can always replace the raisins with chocolate chips, which would be equally delicious.

 

 

Grilled Zucchini with Garlic and Rosemary

vegan grilled zucchini

The weather is getting warm, so we have been outside grilling a lot more.  The farmer’s markets are also opening again, which I am so excited about.  I love all the fresh fruits and veggies, like this zucchini.  I also like knowing who grew the produce and that it is locally grown.  This dinner was made with some of our market finds.  I thinly sliced the zucchini and rubbed it with olive oil, fresh rosemary and finely chopped garlic.  My husband then grilled it just until it was tender and it got nice and sweet, and a little smokey.  The salad was made with lettuce and beets greens from the market.  I also added a little bit of kale that I grew.

 

Sea Cakes (Potato Nori Cakes)

vegan sea cakes (potato nori cakes)

This is another recipe that came from a craving.  I used to make salmon patties all the time and really missed them, so I tried to make something that was similar.  The kids called them sea cakes because I replaced the fish with seaweed.    I ground nori sushi wrappers in my spice grinder to get the seafood flavor.  I know it sounds a little crazy, but they are delicious.  Nori is easy to find in most grocery store, just look in the asian section.  The main ingredient is mashed potatoes with some carrots and onions for a little flavor and texture.  The panko bread crumbs give them a nice crispy outside.  If you like seafood, these are must try.

 

Cacciatore over Whole Wheat Pasta

Vegan cacciatore

Cacciatore is a dish that I grew up with.  My mom and my grandma used to make it all the time, but their version had chicken in it.  I used all the same veggies and served it over whole wheat pasta.  The tomatoes and wine in the cacciatore make a nice light sauce for the pasta.  It would be great with vegan “chicken” cutlets, like Gardien, in it as well.

 

Berry Crisp

Vegan berry crisp

Berry crisp is a great summertime dessert. I made it while we were visiting Florida where it definitely felt like summer.   It is best served warm with vegan ice cream, yum!  I used frozen fruit, but you could always use fresh berries.  I also used a mixture of all different berries, but just use your favorite.  The crisp topping is delicious with the warm, juicy berries.  I actually ate the leftovers of the berry crisp for breakfast the next morning.   Now that we are back in North Carolina I can’t wait to make a berry crisp with the fresh strawberries that are in season now.

 

Pizza Party: Make your own Pizzas and Fruit Salad

Vegan pizza bar

Vegan Fruit Salad

My best friend just graduated from college with a degree in Civil Engineering, so we had a little party to help her celebrate her amazing accomplishment.  She worked so hard to go to school, work, and raise 4 kids.  She is so inspiring.  We ended up having a little pool party with all of our kids, so we decided to let them all make their own pizzas.  I cut the dough into individual sized pizzas and my husband grilled them.  Just use you favorite store bought pizza dough or make you own.  Then the kids put on all their favorite toppings and we put them bak on the grill to melt the cheese.  On the side we had a huge fruit salad because all the kids are fruit fanatics.  I tossed the fruit in a honey lime dressing, which gave it a little more sweetness and some tang.  This is a great party idea, especially when you are serving vegans and non-vegans together.  Everyone ends up happy!

 

Baklava

Vegan Baklava

I made this baklava mostly for my daughter.  Honey is her favorite food and she would eat it out of the jar if I let her.  Most baklava recipes call for a  ton of sugar, but I used some dates and honey for sweetness instead of refined sugar.  You can always substitute agave for the honey if you don’t use it.  The baklava was sweet and nutty with a nice crispy top from the phyllo dough.

 

 

Vegan Chopped “Pork” Sandwich

Vegan chopped pork Sandwich

 

Barbecued pork used to be my husbands favorite food before we became vegan.  It was the thing that he missed the most as well.  I was really happy to find a vegan rib recipe that was really good and easy to make.  I used that recipe to make the “pork” sandwiches.  I just chopped the “ribs” covered it in BBQ sauce and served it on a whole wheat bun.  The Collard Green Salad goes great with this sandwich.

 

Chopped “Pork” Sandwich

1 recipe for vegan ribs:  Barbecued Seitan Ribz  (I usually double or triple the recipe)

Your favorite vegan BBQ sauce

Whole Wheat or Ezekiel buns

Follow the directions for the seitan ribz.  When the ribz are done then chop them up and mix in some BBQ sauce.  Serve on warm buns.