Lemony Lime Bars

Level of Difficulty: Relatively simple, but some effort required

Pots/Pans Used: 1!

Ingredients

filling:

14 oz can coconut milk

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup agave nectar (plus 1 TBL, optional)

1-2 TBL lime zest

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

crust:

8 TBL margarine

1 cup flour

1/4 sugar

pinch of salt

So this recipe came into my head when I decided I wanted to do a mojito spin on lemon bars. Of course, my first attempt was a complete failure. I tried to do a mint simple syrup on top, but it completely bombed. The flavors were right on, but the texture was all off (If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears). So I went back to the drawing board and got rid of the mint simple syrup and came up with these babies. I happen to be a huge fan of sour and tart flavors so I love these bars. For those that are wary of tartness, feel free to adjust the sweetness level to your own liking.

First, preheat the oven to 350. Using a mixer, combine salt, butter and sugar. Then add the flour and mix well. Take a casserole dish and line it with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Then flour your hands and press the crust dough into the casserole dish, making it come up the sides about 1/2 inch. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes and then set out to cool completely.

For the filling, put the agave, coconut milk and cornstarch in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Whisk the ingredients until the cornstarch has been dissolved. Add the lemon zest and bring to a boil while still whisking vigorously. Once it begins to thicken, take it off the heat and add the lemon juice. Continue whisking to combine. The consistency should be similar to a thick yogurt or custard. Let it cool and then poor it over the cooled crust. Let it sit a while and once the outside has begun to firm up, you can lift the bars out of the casserole dish, lifting it out with the paper you lined it with. This makes it easier to cut into bars. You can sift confectioners sugar, decorate with lemon/lime slices and some springs of mint like so:

ENJOY!!!

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Pumpkin Pie Shake

Level of Difficulty: Just turn a switch!
Pots/Pans Used: Just a blender!

Ingredients
1 can pumpkin puree
6 oz (1/2 pkg) silken tofu
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup french vanilla Silk creamer
1 ripe banana (I recommend using a frozen banana)
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
sprinkle nutmeg
1 cup ice cubes

My friend Shannon told me that I absolutely needed to try a pumpkin pie shake. I did a little searching around online and based on various recipes and the ingredients I had on hand, I whipped up this fall-appropriate treat. It seriously tastes like liquid pumpkin pie! Considering I haven't enjoyed a bite of pumpkin pie since I've been vegan... it felt looooong overdue
Now for the painstakingly specific directions:
Combine everything in a blender. Pour and sprinkle with some cinnamon!

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Coconut Mango Rice with Gardein Scallopini

Level of Difficulty: pretty easy
Pots/Pans Used: 2!

Rice Ingredients
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
one 14 oz can coconut milk
2/3 cup water
1 mango, diced
tsp salt
olive oil

Gardein cutlets Ingredients
Gardein chick'n scallopini cutlets
olive oil
1/4 cup white wine (can substitute veggie oil)
1 1/2 TBL margarine
1 TBL lemon juice

Neither of these recipes are "VP originals" but they are mighty delicious nonetheless. If you can believe it, I got this rice recipe from the Paula Deen show. Yep, a vegan recipe from the same woman who came up with this. Oh Paula, I love you. The Gardein recipe is straight from the back of the package. If anything, this post is more of a recommendation than an original masterpiece ;)
Let me start by saying, GARDEIN RULES! Seriously, i'm pretty impressed. I found mine in the frozen section of my regular ol' Publix. So far I've also tried the Buffalo Wings (super spicy) and the Marinara Chick'n Good Stuff (similar to breaded chicken stuffed with marinara sauce and mozzarella "cheese"). They have a lot of products and so far I've enjoyed everything I've tried. But I would say I liked the Scallopini the best. Anyways, I'm regifting these recipes to all of you and I hope you enjoy them!
Rice: Heat 1 TBL olive oil in a medium sized sauce pan over medium-high heat. Stir in the rice to evenly coat with the olive oil. Add milk, water and salt and bring to a boil. Stir in the mango and reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes or until the liquid is completely absorbed. Once done, remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Cover the pot with a dish towel to let it steam for 5 minutes. DONE!
Gardein: You can basically follow the directions on the back of the package, but I will give you my version anyways. Heat 1 TBL olive oil in a saute pan on medium heat. Cook each side of the cutlet for about 3 minutes or until they begin to brown. Remove the cooked cutlets and set aside. Reduce heat and add wine or veggie oil. Whisk in margarine and lemon juice. Add the cutlets back into the sauce and bring the heat up so the sauce begins to simmer around the cutlets. Again, cook each side about 2-3 minutes and you're ready to dig in!

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Cranberry & Pear Pie

Level of Difficulty: Requires some effort
Pots/Pans Used: 3!

Ingredients
1 pre-made pie crust, chilled

For Filling:
5 ripe pears, sliced
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1/3 cup sugar
3 TBL cornstarch
2 TBL fresh lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For Topping:
12 gingersnap cookies, crushed
1 stick margarine (8 TBL), melted & cooled
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp salt

I've decided to begin posting some recipes that would work well for Thanksgiving. That way, you can start getting some ideas for what you'd like to make. This recipe was generously passed down to me by the Rees family. Let me start by saying that everytime I have made this pie, everyone wants the recipe... It's so good. The pear, the cranberries, the ginger... it all works so well together. It is actually pretty simple to make too. I took a bunch of pictures of this one simply because the colors of the pears and cranberries are really awesome together. Please try this recipe, you're going to melt.

Preheat oven to 350. To create the filling, combine the pears, cranberries, vanilla, lemon juice & zest in a large bowl. combine the cornstarch and 1/3 cup sugar in a smaller bowl. Once combined, add to the large bowl and mix together. For the topping, combine all ingredients except the margarine in a medium bowl. Then, add margarine. It will begin to thicken and stick together. Finally, pour the filling into the pie crust and then the topping on top.


You may not need all the topping, you just want it to cover the filling. Put pie on a baking sheet and bake for 1hr 15-30 minutes. You want the topping to become nice and golden and the filling to bubble over the sides of the pie. Let it cool and serve it up. It tends to fall apart more like a cobbler than a pie, but it tastes all the same.

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Wedge Salad

Level of Difficulty: Easy
Pots/Pans Used: 1!!!

Ingredients
1/2 head of iceberg lettuce
3 strips Smart Bacon, diced
1/2 tomato, cut into wedges
olive oil
Dressing:
2/3 cup non-dairy ranch dressing
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

I decided to try and make a vegan version of a classic wedge steakhouse salad. Traditionally they have a creamy dressing, gorgonzola cheese and bacon. Ideally, I would have made a dressing from scratch, but that requires a food processor (which I don't have). If I get one in the future I will try to remake this recipe with a homemade dressing. For now, a semi-homemade one will have to do. Not only is this salad surprisingly filling, but it tastes awesome!
Heat some olive oil in a small saute pan over low/medium heat. When hot, add the bacon. Saute bacon for only a few minutes, otherwise the texture will be all rubbery. In a bowl, combine dressing with nutritional yeast. Then stir in lemon juice, soy sauce and salt & pepper. Drizzle dressing over wedge of lettuce. Add tomatoes and sprinkle bacon and pepper on top. Seriously, it's THAT easy.

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Homemade Crispy Pita Chips

Level of Difficulty: RIDICULOUSLY EASY!!
Pots/Pans Used: nada!

Ingredients
package of pita bread
garlic powder
salt & pepper
olive oil


I decided to make my own pita chips for a quick picnic lunch one day. Not only were they super simple but they take no time at all. In fact, I whipped up the ones pictured above really quickly while in the middle of getting ready to go to class. Plus, I like these way better than the kind you buy in a store which can sometimes be a little too hard and salty. Seriously, try these out whenever you're craving a satisfying snack but are short on time.
First preheat your oven to 375. Next, cut your pita bread into small triangles. Lay them out on a baking sheet and drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top of the pita triangles. Then sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder. Bake them for about 12 minutes or until they look like they meet your desired crispiness. I like serving them up with a side of hummus. Finally, Yum Yum Yum.

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