Grilled Spinach and Cheese Vegan Panini

22 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by in main course

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This recipe is only a variation of many a grilled panini that one can make.  For this recipe I have used a panini machine, which I bought for about $50 on amazon.  It is a luxurious thing to be able to whip up a hot sandwich anytime!  The key to this sandwich is lightly coating both sides of the bread with either Earth Balance spread, or my new favorite spread which is made from coconut oil.  The coconut give is a special sweet and rich flavor and I find that it is not as heavy as the Earth Balance in this recipe.    If you don’t have a panini maker, heat a pan to medium and place sandwich in hot pan with a plate on top squeezing down as the bread cooks and cheese melts.  Daiya cheese works great but if you want some calcium then use a vegan rice or soy cheese.  I put this panini in front of my toddler and he immediately digs in, with spinach and all!
Grilled Cheese and Spinach Vegan Panini

Grilled Cheese and Spinach Vegan Panini

  • 2 slices of gluten free bread.  I use Ezekiel and it’s awesome.  For a variation, use a raisin bread. since it is delicious with cheese.
  • 2 slices of vegan cheese of choice
  • small handful of baby spinach, cleaned and dried
  • 2 slim slices of tomato
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut oil spread (or Earth Balance Spread)

Heat panini maker or pan. Spread thin coating of your choice spread on both sides of bread slices.  Place cheese, spinach and tomatoes between slices and make sandwich.  Place sandwich in panini maker or pan.  For the panini maker you do not need to flip bread to its other side.  For the pan, grill sandwich for 3 minutes squeezing down with plate and then flip sandwich over and squeeze again for another three minutes.   Let sandwich cool down for a minute, slice and serve.  Serves 1.

Vegan Chocolate Pudding With Mango

09 Wednesday May 2012

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I Love creamy sweet things.  This pudding is a chocolate kiss in your mouth, sweet and irresistible and awesome for a spring/summer treat.  And my toddler loves it too!  You can substitute the coconut milk with any non-dairy milk that suits you best.  The coconut milk just gives it extra richness.  See two photos of pudding: first one shows the pudding after it has set in the refrigerator, and the second depicts how the pudding looks served.

Vegan Chocolate Pudding With Mango

Vegan Chocolate Pudding With Mango

  • 3 cups of coconut milk (or your choice of non-dairy milk)
  • 1/2 cup of vegan chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup of agave
  • 1/4 cup of granulated tapioca
  • 1 cup of chopped up fresh or frozen mango (thawed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of real vanilla extract

In sauce pan and over medium heat, bring coconut milk, vanilla extract and tapioca to a simmer.  Cook for about 20 minutes stirring until tapioca is transparent.  Turn heat to low and watch closely.  In a double boiler or microwave melt chocolate chips.  Remove tapioca from heat and add chocolate and agave until it is all well mixed.  Fold mango into the mixture.  Pour pudding into a hollow dish and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.  Before serving, mix the pudding so that the top wrinkly layer disappears.  Add fresh sweet strawberries on the side for an extra yum!  Serves 8.

Spinach Vegan Gluten-Free Lasagna

01 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by in main course, vegan and gluten-free

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Who doesn’t like lasagna?  I think most everyone I know loves it.  This lasagna is super easy to make, vegan and gluten-free, and as moist as any other except without all the bad cholesterol and heaviness.  And it makes a great leftover.  Enjoy!

Spinach Vegan Lasagna

Spinach Vegan Gluten-Free Lasagna

  • 9 to 12 no-boil uncooked rice lasagna noodles
  • 15 oz package of extra firm tofu washed and dried
  • 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
  • 16 oz package of frozen spinach thawed and drained
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 25 oz jar of red pasta sauce
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup of Daiya Mozzarella cheese
  • 1 teaspoon of olive oil plus 1 tablespoon for the tofu puree

Preheat oven to 350 F.  In a food processor, puree the tofu until creamy.  Add garlic powder, oregano, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper and puree a bit more until it all mixes together with the cream.  In a 9×13 inch pan, spread 1/3 cup of tomato sauce covering the bottom well.  Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and mix with the sauce.  This will prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Place three noodles side by side on top of the sauce.  Spread half of the tofu cream on top the noodles and then layer with half of the spinach.  Place another three noodles on top layering and layer with remaining tofu cream and spinach.  Add three more noodles to cover and pour the rest of the pasta sauce on top of the noodles and covering the side of the whole lasagna.  Make sure all the noodles are covered in sauce as this is what will help cook them.  Cover lasagna and bake for an hour.  Uncover lasagna and sprinkle Daiya cheese covering the top.  Bake uncovered for another 15 – 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 30 minutes to set. Serves 6.

Vegan Risotto Cakes

10 Tuesday Apr 2012

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This is a great dish that can be easily made from leftover risotto.  You’ll find that risotto turns into a sticky blog the next day, so risotto cakes are a great transformation to an elegantly recycled meal. And, of course, this meal is vegan and gluten-free.

Risotto Cakes

Risotto Cakes

  • 4 cups of cooked risotto (cold)
  • olive oil for the pan and extra for drizzle on the cakes
  • 1 teaspoon of Earth Balance spread

Work the cold risotto with your hands  forming balls and then flattening into cakes. One cup for each cake.  Place some olive oil and Earth Balance spread in a deep skillet over medium heat.  Bring heat to low and place risotto cakes in the pan.  Cook for two minutes on each side or until golden and also warm in the middle.  Place on plates and serve with a drizzle of olive oil.  Risotto cakes are great with a side salad.  Serves 2-4.

Caramelized Baked Apples with Figs

03 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by in desserts, soy-free, vegan and gluten-free

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These caramelized apples are light yet sweet and satisfying.  They also make a beautiful, quick and elegant dessert for a dinner party.  Because of their consistency, caramelized apples keep very well in the refrigerator for a few days for snacking or to serve to an unexpected guest. Definitely a healthy treat for both kids and adults. The cardamom and cinnamon in the mix give the caramel complexity and a zingy bite.   I have tried different apples and my favorite for this recipe is the gala apple.  Gala apples are crispy and carry just the right amount of sweetness.   The agave makes for a low glycemic sweet and the walnuts give a nice crunch. If you are allergic to nuts just leave them out altogether as the figs on their own are a nice accoutrement.  You will find that the sweetness of the apples combined with the caramel is gentle and will go well with vanilla coconut ice cream or soy vanilla ice cream.  Another option is to serve the apples with a dollop of vanilla cream.

Caramelized Baked Apples with Figs

Caramelized Baked Apples with Figs

  • 6 medium gala apples cored from top to bottom (coring is easy with a dull small knife)
  • 1/4 cup of agave, plus extra for squeezing into apples
  • 6 chopped dried figs
  • 1/2 cup of walnut pieces, plus extra for stuffing apples
  • 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, plus extra for sifting into the apples

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Arrange apples is a deep baking dish filled with water.  From agave tube, squeeze enough agave inside each apple to cover the insides lightly. From cinnamon bottle, sprinkle a bit of cinnamon inside each apple.   Stuff each apple with walnuts up to the brim.  With a small spoon, lightly mix cardamom, agave, cinnamon, figs and walnuts into the water surrounding the apples (everything will come together as it bakes).  Once ingredients are mixed, spoon some of the mixture on top of each apple watching it soak into the walnuts inside the apple.  Cover with aluminum and bake for 1 hour.  Serves 6.

Basic Vanilla Cream

27 Tuesday Mar 2012

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I use this light and healthy cream on tortes, cakes, muffins and cupcakes.  It is also brilliant on berries and bananas.  The cream below is pinkish due to it’s cherry color.  You can adapt this basic vanilla cream to any flavor and color at all that you like depending on what coloring or taste you add to it.  For pink or red coloring you can use cherry or beet juice.  If you want a cherry flavor, blend pieces of cherry in the cream. For purple  color use blueberry juice or blend a few frozen and thawed blueberries in with their juice for flavor and color.  For green color use Chlorophyll and for yellow use just a tiny bit of Tumeric.  The more you add the more intense the color. But experiment and see what fun colors and tastes come out!

Vanilla Cream

Vanilla Cream

  • 1 1/2 cup of almond milk (unsweetened)
  • 3/4 cup of dry soy milk powder
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup of agave
  • 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups of coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (when I say fresh I mean squeezed on the spot. Ready made lemon juice does not taste the same and the result will be different)

Combine almond milk, soy powder, coconut flour, agave and vanilla in a blender.  Blend ingredients for about about 1 minute.  With the blender running, add lemon juice and oil slowly and alternating between each one.  Pour mixture in an airtight container and refrigerate for 8 hours to let mixture thicken.  When ready, the cream will be just the right consistency to pour but stay on the muffins when you serve them.  You can store the creme for up to 1 week.

Rustic Pineapple Upside Down Cake

20 Tuesday Mar 2012

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I have tried this recipe numerous times and with different flours and I like one more than the other.  But this particular recipe came out the best and I believe it’s because of the almond meal, which gives it a rich and moist consistency.  You will find that the combination of the gentle almond taste with the spices give it a great complex taste.  The best part about making this cake is that you don’t need a mixer but rather just a whisk and a rubber spatula.  And because you won’t use an electric mixer, the cake comes out with a rustic texture.  Because this cake is on the dark brown color, you may want to serve with bright colored berries.  As an option, you could serve with a side of vanilla cream.

Rustic Pineapple Upside Down Cake

  • 1/2 cup of almond meal/flour
  • 1/2 cup of Bob’s Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Flour
  • 1/2 potato starch/flour
  • 1/8 cup of tapioca starch
  • 1/2 cup of vegan sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamon
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 3/4 cup of agave nectar
  • 1/4 cup of pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
  • 6 tablespoons of unsweeted applesacue
  • 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum
  • 1/2 melted coconut oil and extra for the pan
  • 4-5 pineapple slices (fresh or canned but unsweetened)
  • 1/4 cup of hot water

Preheat oven to 325 F.  Line a 9-inch round cake pan with unbleached parchment paper.  Coat the sides of the pan with a bit of coconut oil.  I find that the best way to do this is just with your bare hands.  It will go on more evenly.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and two teaspoons of cinnamon.  Spread the mixture as evenly as possible in the bottom of the lined pan.  Arrange the pineapple slices as artistically as you would like.

In a medium-sized bowl whisk the flours, potato starch, tapioca starch, cinnamon, ginger, cardamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, xanthan gum and salt.  Add agave, 1/2 cup of the coconut oil, applesauce, vanilla and hot water.  Stir well with a rubber spatula working through any bumps in the batter until smooth.  Pour batter over the pineapple in the pan.

Bake for 22 minutes.  Rotate and continue baking for another 22 minutes.  Stick a toothpick to make sure that it comes out clean.  Let pan cool on a rack for 30 minutes.  Run a knife along the edge of the pan and invert onto a pretty plate.  The cake will come out relatively thin compared to a regular cake that rises.  Serves 6.

Nutrient Punch Tahini, Ginger and Miso Dressing

13 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by in dressings, vegan and gluten-free

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Tahini is not only superb in taste but it is also a high-protein spread that we can use in anything from desserts to dressings.  It’s nutty taste mixes well with other ingredients to give a vibrant and complex bite.  When mixed with Miso, an anti carcinogen and also a protein source,  it creates a creamy, deep dressing with oaky undertones.  For this dressing I have used a sweet Miso, Mellow White Miso by Miso Masters.  The ginger part of this dressing gives it a pungent kick.  Ginger is good for stimulating digestion, boosting circulation and normalizing blood pressure, among many other things.

The photo shows my lunch last week with the tahini, ginger and miso dressing over a kale and micro green salad with radishes.  The side is a piece of spinach tarte.

Tahini, Ginger and Miso Dressing

Tahini, Ginger and Miso Dressing

  • 1/4 cup of tahini
  • 1/4 cup of prepared miso with water (read instructions in packet to make miso)
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh shredded ginger (peel ginger first)
  • Juice from 1/2 a juicy fresh lime
  • salt and pepper to taste

In mixing bowl, whisk tahini, miso and olive oil.  Add ginger, lime juice and salt and pepper.  Voila!  Serve on EVERYTHING!  Keeps for a couple of days in a tight lid container in the refrigerator.  **If you want to make the dressing thicker, decrease the amount of water when preparing the miso.

Tips For A Good Night’s Sleep

02 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by in Health Talk

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Most people I know have had a difficult time getting  restful sleep at one time or another, myself included. Through the years I have tried different things and have narrowed it down to a few simple ways that are the most powerful in getting me at least a few good hours of snooze, which is key for good living.  Even on nights when we get a few good hours of sleep, I venture to say that given our busy and fast-moving lives that most of us have a sleep debt that leaves us yawning, tired and less alert during the day.  The good news is that we can pay off this sleep debt with a bit of awareness in how we go about our sleep routines long-term.  This short list consists of simple things we can do to change our sleeping habits by starting a practice right now.

  • Feng Shui your bedroom.  Basically, this just means cleaning up the clutter and beautifying your sleeping area.  Disorganized papers, clothes everywhere and too many things thrown about making a collage of your bedroom tells the brain that there is unfinished business. Along these lines, rid yourself of items you don’t love or colors that don’t soothe you.   TIPS for bedroom: 1. take anything heavy hanging on top of you bed away.  Subconsciously, it is difficult to sleep peacefully with a picture that could  fall on your head in the middle of the night.  2. Arrange all books and papers neatly to the side or in an attractive box.  Make unfinished business look finished.  3. Take electronics out of your bedroom.  This may not be so easy in smaller places so at least limit the size of the electronics. A huge flat screen tv staring back at you with electromagnetic fields will zap the snooze away. 4. Try soothing colors on your walls such as light greens, warm light yellows and lavenders.  5. Add a few flowers in a vase to bring nature and beauty.  If you wanted to redecorate the bedroom, this is the opportunity.
  • Stay away from electronics at least one hour before bedtime.  Researchers believe that artificial light in electronics disrupts sleep patterns because it alters the body’s production of Melatonin, the hormone that regulates the sleep cycle.  Besides the science behind this, if your brain is busy busy thinking about the last email, the item you just purchased on your iPad or the show you just watched, you brain will have a difficult time getting into rest mode.  It’s a mind-body connection thing.
  • Write in a journal before bedtime.  Our minds are bombarded with media, technology and life worries in general.  It is no surprise that we are always thinking at a thousand miles a minute.  This is the case for me anyways.  When you are in bed, reach for your journal and write down whatever thoughts come to your head.  These writings need not be organized or thought out.  Just free write.  You will find that your worries, ideas and also surprising thoughts will unload from your brain and on to your pen and paper making way for a serene head.
  • Refrain from drinking caffeine at least a few hours before bed time. Caffeine is an insomniac all on its own.  It is meant to keep you awake and alert artificially and disrupts sleep patters.  The more caffeine you ingest the more your sleep is altered.  Perhaps this is the time to stick to one cup of caffeine in the morning and that’s it. Let your body have the rest of the day to rid of as much caffeine as possible before bedtime.  Moderation with caffeine is key.  This includes coffee, strong black teas, sodas and general caffeinated drinks.
  • Moderate alcohol intake. Some people use alcohol before bedtime as a sleeping sedative and I can see why.  Initially, alcohol causes drowsiness and sleep is the natural chaser to this.   But alcohol disturbs sleeping patterns by throwing off your brain waves and not allowing for a deep sleep. In the long-term, alcohol can affect sleeping patterns that are then difficult to regulate.  Have your happy hour drink at least 6 hours before bedtime if possible.  Besides bad sleep, alcohol will cause dehydration and you’ll have dry mouth and be dreaming of anxiously reaching for a water hose the whole night.  Definitely not restful.
  • Practice a bit of gentle stretching yoga and breathing before bedtime.  Poses such as Uttanasana (forward bend), Paschimottanasana (seated forward bend) and  Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose) can calm the brain.  The stretching releases tension held in your muscles and the breathing helps to release any worries by clearing your brain.  Try Supta Baddha Konasana with support such as with bolsters or blankets if your muscles are very tight.  Hold the yoga positions for three to five minutes or as long as you can and breathe gently.  If you feel dizzy come back up immediately. You can also just breathe by sitting straight up in a comfortable sitting position on a chair with your feet grounded or with crossed legs on the ground with a cushion underneath your bum.    For breathing technique:  Inhale deeply,  fill your chest cavity, hold for a few seconds and breathe it all out.   Thoughts may wander through your mind but just watch them come and go without judgment. It’s all in the practice.  If you have heart or blood pressure issues or are pregnant please always check with you doctor first.

All in all, moderation, awareness and self-care are key to getting a restful sleep. Namaste.

Tofu Spinach Tarte a La Argentine

28 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by in main course, vegan and gluten-free

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While living in Buenos Aires I was always amazed by the beautiful tartes or “tartas” that you could buy in most restaurants and as quick to go meals on the cheap.  I realized that it was just as quick and as inexpensive to make my own tarte and with a variety of vegetables.  The most popular tartes are made with spinach or collard greens and they are traditionally made with eggs, dairy and breading.  I replaced the last three  ingredients at once with tofu and it holds the tarte together just as well without sacrificing taste.   For the crust I have used a spelt flour and vegan crust that you can buy ready-made at the frozen section of your natural grocery store.  Although spelt is not gluten-free, it is generally easily digestible by people with wheat allergies. Having said this,  if you have massive intolerance to gluten and/or wheat or if you have Celiac, please avoid spelt altogether until you check with your doctor first.  The good news is that you can still make this dish just the same without the crust by putting the mixture directly onto a lightly oiled pie dish.

Tofu Spinach Tarte a La Argentine

Spinach Tarte A La Argentine

  • 1 lbs of frozen spinach (thawed)
  • 15 oz package of extra firm tofu (washed and patted dry)
  • 1 large yellow sweet onion chopped into small pieces (if you can’t find a sweet onion then a regular yellow onion will do)
  • 5 cloves of garlic chopped into small pieces
  • 6 medium-sized artichoke hearts (canned is fine)
  • 2 teaspoons of chopped thyme (or any herb that you like)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon of Earth Balance spread
  • 1 lime
  • salt and pepper to taste

Thaw pie crust and set aside.  Read directions on cooking since ready-made pie crusts will usually require that you make fork marks in the dough before cooking.  If you are not using a pie crust, lightly oil a 9 inch pie dish and set aside.  In a food processor, puree tofu until creamy.  It does not have to be perfectly smooth but rather a bit rougher in texture as this is a rustic tarte.  Set aside.   In medium deep pan and over medium heat, place olive oil, earth balance and onions.  Cook onions until soft and translucent.  Turn heat to low and add thyme, cumin and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until garlic is soft stirring often so the garlic doesn’t burn.  Increase heat to medium, add spinach and cook for 2 minutes.  Add tofu and mix well with veggie mixture cooking for another 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat off, turn oven on to pre-heat to 375 F and wait until mixture cools down for 10 minutes.  With a large spoon or spatula, place mixture in pie crust or dish and even out the top with the spatula so that it’s evenly flat.  Arrange artichoke hearts on top of tarte.  Cook for 35 minutes in middle rack.  You will notice that the spinach top is darker and the artichoke hearts a bit golden. Place on a rack and cool for 1 hour or so before serving.  The pie will firm up  as it cools and it will be easier to cut clean slices.  Serve with slices of lime and perhaps a small salad.   Serves 4 as a main dish.

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