Tag: Vegan

Toasted Coconut and Lemon Truffles

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This recipe for toasted coconut and lemon truffles is a no bake treat that will be a breath of fresh air after the holidays. Let’s face it, the oven could use a break. They have no added sugar, just the natural sweetness of dates. This sweet treat also will help you ease into that new years resolution while still being able to enjoy a dessert that is good for you.

1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup pitted dates
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp coconut oil

Toast almonds over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Move them around every so often so they don’t burn. Remove almonds from pan and set aside.

Add coconut to pan. Toast 1-2 minutes. Coconut will burn quickly so don’t walk away. Immediately remove coconut from pan and set aside in a small bowl.

Add dates to blender. Pulse until a gritty texture forms. Pour dates into a mixing bowl.

Next, pulse toasted almonds until coarsely chopped. Add to bowl with dates. Add 1/2 of the toasted coconut, all lemon zest, and coconut oil.

Mix ingredients with hands until well combined and coconut oil melts.

Form into small balls and roll in reserved toasted coconut. Chill for one hour to set.

Vegan Chili with Hominy

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As you can probably tell just by scrolling through my recipes, I cook a lot of soup,stews and chili. Today’s recipe is no different. Although I am not vegan, I really enjoy going meatless from time to time. I love vegetables and follow a diet that is largely plant based. It is especially easy for me to go meatless when my boyfriend, who follows a strict carnivore diet, is out of town. So today I am making a hearty vegan chili with hominy. The addition of hominy adds a nice corn masa reminiscent background to this chili. I did add a dollop of sour cream to my chili, but the base of this chili is 100% vegan. I hope you enjoy this chili as much as I do!

*It was brought to my attention how difficult it is to find organic hominy so I have modified the recipe. I used a dry organic white hominy that has to be soaked. If anyone finds organic canned hominy please let me know! I didn’t realize it wasn’t available.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 chopped celery stalks
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 tbsp fresh minced garlic
4 cans organic petite diced tomatoes
1 can hominy (drained), or dry hominy, soaked according to directions
1 can red kidney beans (drained)
1 small can chipotle in adobo chopped
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano
2 cups water
1 bunch chopped cilantro
sour cream

Sauté carrots and celery in olive oil for 7-10 minutes covered.

Add red onion and garlic and cover. Cook for 5 more minutes covered.

Add tomatoes, chipotles, and all dried seasonings. Stir and cover. Simmer 15 minutes.

Add hominy,kidney beans and water. Cook 15 minutes longer covered.

Ladle chili into bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and fresh cilantro.

*you can cook the chili even longer to deepen flavors and thicken chili.

Kemnitz Family Kitchen Giveaway!

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Living with an autoimmune disease like Celiac can make eating the right foods very frustrating and difficult to navigate. Especially if you have young children with food allergies who can’t tell which food items might pose a threat. That is why I love Kemnitz Family Kitchen’s labels so much. Whether you are throwing a party and want to protect guests with potential food allergies, or want to label gluten free foods in your own kitchen- Kemnitz has you covered. You can use the Kemnitz stickers and pics to clearly identify which food items are safe and unsafe for those with a gluten allergy. Kemnitz has recently expanded their line of labels to include “Vegan”, “Nut-Free”, “Kosher”, and labels you can fill in yourself.

GIVEAWAY!

In honor of Celiac Awareness Month and in partnership with Kemnitz Family Kitchen, I am giving away one FREE pack of Gluten Free Stickers and Pics. Please comment below and share your experience with food allergies or  how you plan to use the stickers for a chance to win!

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Creamy Avocado “Top Anything!” Dressing

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This super creamy avocado dressing is a nutrition powerhouse. Loaded with fiber and healthy fat, it is the perfect creamy alternative to store bought dressings.  The dressing is also wonderful for the summer grilling season as an unexpected topping for coleslaw, salads, sandwiches, and even tacos instead of sour cream. For those with food allergies and restrictions it is important to note that this dressing is Soy-free, Dairy- free, and Gluten-free. The entire recipe is only 310 calories! This is because the avocado does all the work and no oil is necessary. The recipe makes almost a full mason jar.  A single serving of  the dressing (2 Tbsp) is  only  about 40 calories. I find that this recipe is very forgiving and you can play with it to achieve a consistency you like.

INGREDIENTS:

1 very ripe Avocado

1 handful of Cilantro

1 Tbsp fresh minced Garlic

Juice of  2 Limes

1 Tbsp. Honey

1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar

1/2 cup Water

1/2 a tsp. Sea Salt

RECIPE

Add all ingredients in blender or bullet and blend until creamy. You can add more water for a looser consistency. Top over your favorite salad, slaw, or make an old recipe new again by topping it with some avocado dressing!

Enjoy!