Kind Diet: oatmeal Walnut and Dried plum cookies

Servings: Makes 10 to 12 cookies

Ingredients

Oatmeal, Walnut and Dried Plum Cookies

• 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup maple sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup safflower oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. molasses
• 1/4 cup chopped dried plums or other dried fruit
• 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the syrup, oil, vanilla extract, and molasses. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir to combine. Fold in the dried plums and nuts.

Using your hands, roll tablespoon-size scoops of dough into balls. Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheet and press down slightly on the balls to flatten the tops. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a baking rack to cool completely.

For variety, replace the all-purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour, barley flour, spelt flour, or a gluten-free baking mix (choose one that does not include baking soda and baking powder). You can also substitute chocolate chips for the dried fruit and any kind of nuts for the walnuts.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Strawberry Smoothie

Makes about 2 1-cup servings

Try this cold, thick smoothie with whole-grain cereal or muffins for a delicious breakfast. You can buy frozen strawberries or freeze your own in an airtight container. To freeze bananas, peel them and break into inch-long pieces. Pack loosely in an airtight container and freeze. Bananas will keep in the freezer for about two months, strawberries for six months.

1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen banana chunks
¹/₂ - 1 cup unsweetened apple juice

Place all ingredients in a blender and process on high speed until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping blender occasionally to move unblended fruit to the center with a spatula. Serve immediately.

Per 1-cup serving

• Calories: 135
• Fat: 0.4 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.1 g
• Calories from Fat: 2.9%
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Protein: 1.3 g
• Carbohydrates: 34.5 g
• Sugar: 20.3 g
• Fiber: 4.3 g
• Sodium: 5 mg
• Calcium: 26 mg
• Iron: 1.3 mg
• Vitamin C: 52.6 mg
• Beta Carotene: 49 mcg
• Vitamin E: 0.4 mg

Source: Healthy Eating for Life for Children by Amy Lanou, Ph.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

KIND DIET: Peanut Butter Pie

Serves 8-10

1 vegan chocolate cookie crust (I used a graham cracker cookie crust)
1 (10 oz) bag grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate chips
1/2 cup soy or hemp milk (do not use rice or nut milk)
1 1/4 cups peanut butter, divided
1 (12.3 oz) box silken tofu (firm)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1-2 tspns vanilla extract to taste (I used just 1 tspn)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake the cookie crust for 4-5 mins to make it a bit crispy. Cool completely.

Melt the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. If you don't have a double boiler, place a stainless steel bowl over boiling water & melt the ingredients in it. Whisk in the milk until combined & smooth. With a measuring cup, scoop out about 1/4 cup of the chocolate mixture, then pour the remainder into the cookie crust. Place the cookie crust in the fridge to cool completely.

While the filling chills, combine 1 cup peanut butter, tofu, syrup, and vanilla in a food processor or blender; process until very smooth, scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Pour the peanut butter mixture on top of the chilled chocolate filling in the cookie crust, smoothing it out over the pie as your pour, and return the filled cookie crust to the refrigerator to chill for an hour or until firm.

To serve, return the reserved chocolate filling to the double boiler, or stainless steel bowl, and stir in the remaining 1/4 cup peanut butter. Stir until the chocolate and peanut butter are very well combined and very warm. If the mixture seems to thick to drizzle, add some soy milk until it is runny enough to pour. Decoratively drizzle the mixture over the chilled pie in zigzags or swirls, or use a small spatula to spread it smoothly over the whole pie. Refrigerate for 15-20 mins before serving.

"kind Diet": Crispy Peanut Butter Treats with Chocolate Chips

Crispy Peanut Butter Treats with Chocolate Chips

This recipe is from Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet. These are quite delicious and have all wholesome ingredients. A Vegan dessert.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Serves: 12

Yield 12 treats

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/crispy-peanut-butter-treats-chocolate-chips/#ixzz131tNdFci

Ingredients

• 7 cups Crispy Brown Rice Cereal
• 1 3/4 cups Brown Rice Syrup
• 1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt
• 3/4 cup Natural Peanut Butter, Creamy
• 1/2 cup Carob Chips, Grain Sweetened
• 
  
• Directions

Pour rice cereal into a large bowl. Heat the syrup with a pinch of salt in a saucepan over low heat. When the rice syrup liquefies, add the peanut butter and stir until well combined. Pour over the rice cereal. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Once thoroughly mixed and cooled to room temperature, stir in the chocolate chips. Make sure the mixture is cool, or you will end up with melted chocolate instead of chocolate chips in your treats.

Turn the mixture out into an 8x8” or 9x13’” baking dish. Wet your wooden spoon lightly and press the mixture evenly into the pan. Let cool for 1 hour -- if you can -- before cutting into squares or bars.

"Kind Diet": Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Look for naturally sweetened graham crackers or low sugar "health valley make a good one"

Makes 12

1/2 c earth balance butter

3/4 c. crunchy peanut butter preferably unsweetened and unsalted

3/4 c. graham cracker crumbs or 10 graham squares

1/4 c maple sugar or other granulated sweetener

1 c. grain sweetened nondairy chocolate or corab chips

1/4 c soy, rice or nut milk

1/4 c. chopped pecans , almonds or peanuts.

PREPARATION
1. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. (If You Care makes unbleached liners made from recycled paper.) Set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
3. Stir in the peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and maple sugar and mix well.
4. Remove the mixture from the heat. Evenly divide the mixture, approximately 2 tablespoons per cup, among the muffin cups.
5. Combine the chocolate and milk in another pan. Stir over medium heat until the chocolate has melted.
6. Spoon the chocolate evenly over the peanut butter mixture.
7. Top with chopped nuts.
8. Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours before serving.

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/recipes/chocolate-peanut-butter-cups-recipe#ixzz12wCL4gWo

"Kind Diet" Recipe: Crispy Tofu slices with Orange dipping Sauce

Recently Read Alicia Siverstone's "the kind diet". It was really interesting. I love that she addresses the cost issues of veganism.

Serve with Hot Rice with cold lemon, basil and tomato

side of baby bok choy?

If you don't have corn or bron rice flours on hand, just use whole wheat flour or all purpose flour.

SERVES 2-3

1- 8oz pckg savory flavored baked tofu

1/2 c. corn flour

1/2 c brown rice flour

safflower oil

2/3 c fresh orange juice

1/3 c maple syrup

cut the baked tofu into slices about 1/4" thick . mix flours together in a shallow bowl.

Pour enough oil into a large skillet to cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer, and heat over medium heat. Dip each of the tofu strips into the flour mixture, coating well on all sides. Place the tofu strips in the skillet, and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 3 min. per side. Transfer the fried tofu strips to a plate lined with paper towels (or grocery paper sack)

to drain.

Stir together the orange juice and syrup in a small bowl. Serve the tofu strips with the dipping sauce alongside.

Basic Hummus Recipe

• 2 cups cooked, drained chickpeas (or canned chickpeas)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Method:

To make basic hummus, simply whirr all ingredients to taste in a blender. Start with a small spoonful of tahini and only a little seasoning, and adjust to taste. Store the hummus in an airtight container in the fridge, covered with a little more olive oil.

Hummus Variations

Basics aside, hummus is a very versatile concoction. Experiment with seasonings—add salt, paprika, cumin, curry powder or garam masala. Curried hummus makes a tasty addition to salad-filled pita breads.

Read on

• Mouth-Watering Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
• Vegan Lunch Ideas
• Kristen Suzanne's Easy Raw Vegan Sides & Snacks

For an extra veggie kick, blend equal parts of hummus and mashed or pureed cooked pumpkin. Roasted red pepper hummus is another popular variant often sold in delis—to make it, grill a halved red pepper until blackened, then pull off the skin and blend the flesh into the hummus. Sundried or semi-sundried tomatoes can also be blended into the dip.

To encourage children to try the unique taste and texture of hummus, soften the flavour by mixing equal parts of hummus and natural yoghurt to make a creamier dip.

Serving Hummus

Hummus is traditionally served with crudites (chopped vegetables) as a dip. However, it can also be used to fill pitas, eaten on crackers or with crisps or felafel, spread on bread in place of peanut butter or, if the mixture in thin, used as a sauce on rice dishes and curries. Hummus may be served hot or cold.

Serve pumpkin hummus in the hollowed pumpkin shell. The dip can also be presented in a folded tortilla or curved lettuce leaf. Middle Eastern restaurants often garnish dishes of hummus with whole chickpeas, paprika or chopped boiled eggs.

Serve tomato salsa, hummus and guacamole with breadsticks and crudites for a delicious vegan party platter.

Read more at Suite101: Recipe for Homemade Hummus: How to Make a Healthy, Delicious Vegetarian Chickpea Dip http://www.suite101.com/content/homemade-hummus-a56572#ixzz12mZopSKy

homemade green chili sauce turned enchilada

planning on trying this but turning it vegan...

beef substitute

gauc and cheese recipe to follow...

1 lb ground beef

2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. onion, chopped
1 (4 oz.) can green chilies, chopped
2 c. water
2 beef bouillon
1/4 c. flour water

12 corn tortilla shells

Brown ground beef; season and set aside. Saute butter and onions; add green chilies, water, and bouillon. Simmer for 20 minutes, then stir in the flour water. Dip a shell in the sauce and place in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Fill with hamburger and cheese and roll it shut. Repeat. Top with cheese then cover them and bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted. When done top with sour cream, tomatoes, and black olives and pour sauce over them.

FROM COOKS.COM

Vegan cheeze sauce for the topping: (4 tbsp hummus, 1 tsp or a bit more milk, 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast)

from OH SHE GLOWS

Next sunday's Din Din: Vegan Calico Bean Soup

*I just got a mixed 1 lb bag of beans from the store and it was yummy. I also added 1 can of tomato paste and substituted the onion flakes for a real onion. I could add some brown sugar too, if I wanted to increase flavor or if I were to have people over.

Family loves it! It's a keeper!

Thanks to crockpot 365--

1 pound assorted dried beans (I used small red, lima, northern, black-eyed peas, split peas, pinto)
2 cans (25-30 ounces approx) diced tomatoes (whatever you have on hand---flavored, Rotel, etc.)
3 tablespoons dried minced onion flakes
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon celery seed (or chop up a bunch of celery if you already have it in the house)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups broth
4 cups water

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Soak your beans overnight in enough water to cover completely with another 4 inches or so. Drain well and add to pot. If you don't have time to soak the beans for hours and hours, put them in a large stock pot with a bunch of water and bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let your beans sit for an hour, then drain and use.

After the beans are in the slow cooker, add all of the spices and canned tomatoes. Pour in broth and water. Cover and cook on low for 10-20 hours, or until the beans have begun to split and thicken the broth. You can also remove about a cup of beans and blend, then stir back in to thicken the broth nicely (or do a few pulses with a hand mixer!)

The Verdict.

I'm the only one who has had this so far. The kids are getting pictures taken for softball, and I need to get out of here and join them on the field. I had 2 mugfulls for breakfast, and am leaving the pot on "warm" so we can all enjoy it for lunch (and probably dinner, too). The flavor is mild, and beany. I didn't add any salt to my servings, but some may wish for a bit more of a salty flavor. I plan on giving the kids a small bowl of shredded cheese to stir into their servings.

SLOW COOKER BEANS!

--bag of black beans (or other beans. but remember that kidney beans have that freaky toxin.)
--water
--crockpot (4 quarts and up)

The Directions.

Pour the entire bag of dried beans into a colander and rinse under cold water. If you see any beans that have broken in half, or skin that floats to the surface, get rid of it. Also pick out any beans that look shriveled and gross.

Dump all the beans into your crockpot. Add enough water to cover all the beans and an additional 2 inches.

Cover. Do not turn on. Let the beans soak for at least 6 hours, or overnight. If you live in a very warm area, and the crockpot won't be in a room that is climate-controlled, put the stoneware in the fridge. You don't want bacteria to have the opportunity to grow.

In the morning, dump the water, and rinse your beans. The water will be bean-colored.

Put the beans back into your crockpot and cover with enough fresh water to completely cover the beans with an extra 2-3 inches.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

The beans are done when they are bite-tender. Don't worry if the water hasn't all absorbed. You're going to dump it, anyway.

Drain the beans.

When cool, put 1 2/3 cups of beans into storage containers or freezer bags (you're adding this amount because you aren't adding filler-liquid like the cans have). The beans will store nicely in the refrigerator for 1 week, or in the freezer for 6 months.

Use as you would canned beans in your favorite recipe.

The Verdict.

I like knowing what is in my food. I like the idea that we can save money and reduce consumption by using dried beans.

This takes a while. When I do this again, I'm going to get quite a few bags of beans and do them all at once in a few crockpots. The kids liked picking through the beans to weed out the undesirables, and they will munch on black beans (and garbanzo and pinto and kidney) for a snack, which makes me happy.

I've found a chart that breaks down the energy consumption of kitchen appliances:
(First Energy Corp., Ohio--scroll to page 5)

it states that a crockpot costs 2 cents an hour to run. Which means that even with adding the cooking time/cost to the beans, it's cost-effective to cook your own.

THANKS AGAIN CROCKPOT 365!!

Slow Cooker as a RICE COOKER?!?!?

YAY! I found this website in my qwest to use my slow cooker as a pressure cooker, cause I always burn my rice and beans. I want a pressure cooker, but no funds right now...So...i'll let you know when I try THIS....

--1T butter

--1 cup white basmati rice (I'm listing this kind because that is what I used. I would imagine that any kind of white or brown rice would work, but I haven't actually tried any other out yet.)

--2 cups water

--pinch of salt

The Directions:

--rub butter on the inside of your crockpot stoneware

--put in rice

--stir in water and salt

--cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours, checking every 45 minutes or so.

I cooked the above batch for 2 hours, 15 minutes and checked on it twice.

The Verdict:

Fluffy, lovely rice. I'm interested in trying this with larger quantities of rice and with different varieties.

THANKS Crockpot 365!!