Tag Archives: vegan

Strawberry Ice Cream Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches (vegan)

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These Strawberry Ice Cream Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches are a great (weekend) project, fun to make and sooo delicious to eat. The kids will love helping you make them. You can assemble them completely ahead of time and keep them in the freezer, ready to eat at any time. The combination of chewy chocolate cookies and the fresh strawberry ice cream is the best ever. 

Prep time : Cookies, 15 minutes plus baking. Ice cream, 10 minutes plus freezing
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Makes : 6 (large) Sandwiches

INGREDIENTS STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM;

• 300 grs / 10.5 oz , about 1 1/2 cups (frozen )Strawberries, hulled
• 4 tbsp. Agave Syrup* or according to taste
• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp. tapioca flour** (see notes)
• 1 cup Soy or Oat whipping cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Freeze the strawberries the night before if you are using fresh ones.
2. Put the strawberries with the agave syrup, the tapioca and vanilla in a blender and blend until very smooth.
3. Whip the soy cream until stiff peaks form and fold the strawberries thru the whipped cream.
4. Place in an ice cream maker or in a container in the freezer. If you freeze it in a container you need to whip it after about two hours to avoid crystallization. Freeze preferably over night, but it should be frozen after about 4 to 6 hours depending on your freezer. 

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES:
WET INGREDIENTS;
• 1 tbsp. ground flax plus 1 tsp. tapioca flour, plus 3 tbsp. water mixed
• 1/2 C. solid coconut oil/fat
• 3/4 C. coconut sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
DRY INGREDIENTS;
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. (gluten free) flour 
• 1/4 C. cocoa
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. pink Himalaya salt
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 C. mini vegan chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Start by soaking the flax/tapioca mix and let stand for about 10 minutes while you prepare the rest.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
3. In an other bowl, mix the wet ingredients and combine with the dry.
4. At this point I like to place the cookie dough on a piece of parchment paper and roll it into a cylinder.
5. Then I place it in the refrigerator for at least two hours or if you are in a hurry in the freezer for half an hour.
6. This will give you the perfect cookie consistency when baking. They dough needs to be really cold!!!
7. Then when you’re ready to bake, pre heat the oven to 175° C / 350° F
8. Shape dough into balls and press them a little flat with your hand. Lay them onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
9. Bake for 12 minutes.
10. The cookies may look a little soft still but they will continue to cook on the baking sheet as thy cool. 
11. When you take them out of the oven, immediately press on a few more chocolate chips, for prettiness. And because it’s so darn delicious!
12. Let cool completely. I keep mine in the refrigerator because I love how they become chewy.
13. To make the ice cream sandwich, take two cookies. Scoop out one big ball of strawberry ice cream***(see notes) and place it on one cookie. Gently press down with a spoon first and then place the second cookie on top being careful not to break.
14. Press the sandwiches in some sprinkles if you like.

Notes: 

*). Syrup keeps ice cream softer in the freezer and prevents it from becoming too hard.

**). Seeing tapioca as an ice cream ingredient may seem odd  at first, but it actually makes the ice cream so much creamier and velvety.

***). I scooped the ice cream balls ahead of time and placed them in a container and back into the freezer until I was ready to “build” the sandwiches.

Enjoy!

Vegan meatballs, amazing texture.

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These vegan meatballs are the perfect base for all your favorite dishes. This recipe is without sauce or gravy  because they are meant to be as a base for other recipes, like Spaghetti and meatballs,  Swedish meatballs,  meatball Curry with rice or a great meatball sandwich for instance.

A vegan meatball that has the texture of actual meat. Holds together, not mushy like most, but firm and with bite. I made these one night with mashed potatoes in Swedish meatballs style and the next night I poured a sticky honey chili maple glaze over them and served them over rice.  They freeze well too, you could easily make a double batch and always have a supply for a quick dinner fix.
So whether you’ re a vegetarian, a vegan or simply trying to eat more veggies,  these are a  great option and you really need to try them.

Makes around 24 meatballs.
Serves 4-6. Double if needed.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 cup tvp* see not (I use pea tvp)
1/4 cup  chopped dehydrated vegetables (mix for soup)**see note
1/2 onion chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 vegetable stock cube, crumbled fine
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup quick oats
2 tbsp pine nuts (optional but delicious)
A dash of liquid smoke
A dash of franks hot sauce
1/2 tsp vegan Worchestershire sauce
Pepper
2 tbsps ground flaxseed plus 3 tablespoons water, or 2 eggs

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cook lentils and tvp in a bit of salted water for around 5 minutes, or until almost soft, but still semi firm. Drain in a colander and return to the pan, add the dehydrated veggies, they will absorb the excess water.  Set aside and let cool.
Cook onion and garlic in oil for 5 minutes until soft. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl mix, lentil-tvp-veg mixture with onion and garlic.
Add all the remaining ingredients and let sit for 5 minutes,  now grab a ball of the mixture with your hand and gently squeeze to see if it holds.  Add a splash of water if it seems too dry or add a bit more flour if it seems too wet.
Shape into balls, the size of a ping pong ball approximately.
Place in refrigerator for two hours before baking to firm up.
Pre heat oven to 220C/450F.
Place balls on a silicone baking sheet and spray with oil (or drizzle over).
Bake 15 minutes turning halfway.
Use straight away with your favorite sauce or let cool and store in ziplock bag in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.

Enjoy!

  • tvp stands for texturized vegetable protein
    ** Amazon sells a Deluxe Vegetables Soup Blend.

5 minute Romesco Sauce, cheats version

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Romesco Sauce is a Spanish pepper and tomato based sauce from the region of Cataluña, that dates back to the 15 th century, thanks to Christopher Columbus who brought back the Romesco peppers from his travels in the America’s which are the base for this sauce.
You can find Romesco sauce everywhere in Spain, it’s very popular and can be eaten with everything from just bread to grilled fish, grilled meat or vegetables.

The original version is with dried peppers, almonds, some times hazelnuts as well, bread, garlic etc…
I have come up with a cheats version that can be done in 5 minutes and it is addictively delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

6 tbsp. Olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 jar roasted red bell peppers (15 oz. jar / 500 ml), drained
1/4 cup almond butter (the roasted kind)
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
1/3 cup parsley, roughly a handful
1-2 tsp. red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. salt
fresh black pepper
1 tsp. smoked paprika (preferably the Spanish kind)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place the sun dried tomatoes in a bowl and cover with very hot water. Let sit for five minutes then drain.
On medium heat, fry onion and garlic in two tablespoons of oil, until light golden and just soft. Let cool a bit.

In a food processor, add the pepper, the onions and garlic, almond butter, drained sun dried tomatoes, parsley, vinegar, salt, pepper, paprika and the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
Turn on the food processor and blend until smooth. That’s it!

I use only one teaspoon of vinegar but you can add more depending on how acidic you like it.

The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for about five days in a glass container or jar, but I can assure you, you will be putting it on everything.

Enjoy!

Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Banana Bread, gluten free

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This vegan chocolate zucchini bread is a game-changer. It’s perfectly sweet, and dare I say it…moist (ughh, I just can’t with this word) and has a rich chocolate flavor. It’s soft and bouncy, tender and just everything you want from a banana bread.

Morning, noon or as a dessert, it’s always good and just perfectly delicious.

I wanted to create a Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Banana bread that would have all the characteristics of a regular Banana bread, but without is either falling apart or being too dense, which can be a challenge since it is gluten-free too. Guess what?…nailed it…LOL.

The trick is the combo of flax flour and Psyllium husk powder, it’s like magic. I use in my gluten-free breads too and honestly, it works every time. A great plus about this recipe is that you can skip squeezing out the zucchini altogether, there’s no point in removing liquid first and then adding it back in later. Also, a waste of perfectly healthy zucchini “juice”.

For this recipe I created my own gluten-free flour blend and I haven’t tested it with any other ready-made GF blend, but I imagine it would work too. You may need to add a little more or less liquid, depending on the flour you use. As for the chocolate chips, (I feel like I’m confessing to a crime…but) I didn’t use any, I opted for cocoa nibs instead but feel free to throw in a handful of real chocolate chips if that’s your game.

GLUTEN FREE FLOUR BLEND*:

  • 1/2 cup Corn flour (not starch)
  • 1/2 cup brown rice flour
  • 1/2 cup oat flour
  • 1/2 cup tapioca four
  • 1/2 cup corn starch

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 1/2 cup grated zucchini (280 gr. / 10 oz. ) about 1 medium/large
  • 1 cup bananas mashed, about 2 large or 3 medium
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/3 cup rice syrup
  • 1 tsp. plain vinegar
  • 2 cups gluten free flour blend
  • 1/3 cup cocoa
  • 3 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 tsp. psyllium husk powder
  • 2 tsp. flax flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa nibs or 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a buttered loaf tin 22 cm/9″ with parchment paper.

Start by grating the zucchini with a medium grater into a large bowl. Set aside for a minute.

In a blender add bananas, apple sauce, olive oil, vanilla, syrup and vinegar, blend until smooth.

Pour over the zucchini and mix thoroughly so that you don’t get zucchini clumps.

In another bowl mix the flour with the (sifted) cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, flax flour and psyllium husk powder. Mix by stirring with a whisk.

Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to combine without over mixing.

Sprinkle in the cocoa nibs or chocolate chips and mix gently into the batter.

Pour batter into prepared loaf tin, smooth out the top of the batter with a small spatula and place in the middle of the oven.

Bake for about 60 minutes, insert wooden skewer to check, if it comes out dry it’s done.

Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for about 10 minutes. Remove from loaf tin, leaving on the parchment paper and let cool completely before cutting.

This loaf will keep for 3 to 4 days, or you can slice and freeze individual portions.

Enjoy!

NOTES :

*you will have a little flour left over. Alternatively make a double batch and use for gluten free pancakes or any other baked goods.

** You don’t need extra liquid in this recipe, the zucchini, apple sauce and oil are enough.