Tag: vegan

Homemade Vegetable Broth

Melissa King 85 Comments

I have recently started making my own homemade vegetable broth for a few reasons.  First, most commercial vegetable broths are laden with MSG and other scary additives.  The only decent brand I have found was Pacific Organic.  You can read more about my comparisons of soup broth here.  Making your own homemade vegetable broth is easier than you would think.   The best part?  Homemade vegetable broth costs nothing because you use all the veggie odds and ends that you would normally throw away.

broth 1

This is the bag I keep in the freezer.  I just throw all kinds of veggie scraps in there and wait until I get a decent amount.  The tomatoes I had in my fridge, but they were almost on their way out, so I threw them in as well.

broth 2

 Homemade Vegetable Broth

Homemade Vegetable Broth

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Cook Time 6 hr

Ingredients

  • There really isn't a recipe, per say. Just a method. You can throw in any combination of vegetables and it will work.

Instructions

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    Recipe Notes

    In this case, I had cabbage, tomatoes, celery, green onions, garlic and broccoli.  I also threw in some sea salt and a bay leaf for extra flavor.  I threw everything in a pot and filled with water.  On the stove, I brought it to a boil and then turned down to low, covered it and let it simmer for 6 hours.  Most of the veggies break down in the long cooking process.  When it’s done, strain it into a bowl.  If you like a chunky broth, you can puree what is left of the veggies and throw them back in.  I strained mine and this is what I had at the end.

    I made about 10-12 cups of broth.  About enough for 3 large soups.  I just store it in the freezer in serving size containers so I just pull out what I need.  That’s it.  Super easy.

    Apple Cinnamon Bread (Vegan)

    Melissa King 48 Comments

    Apple Cinnamon Bread.  Today it is rainy and dreary out so I spent the morning in the kitchen.  When you have young kiddos like I do, you have no choice but to get up at the crack.  I love them, but man I wish they would sleep in once and a while.  So I set out to make some apple cinnamon bread.

    I love apples and have made many dishes with them.  I have Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal and also my Healthy Apple Cobbler.  I used store bought organic applesauce for this recipe, but it would be even better made with my Crock Pot Applesauce.  My house smells fantastic right now.  Who needs air freshener filled with chemicals when you can bake something that smells fabulous!

    Apple Cinnamon Bread

    Apple Cinnamon Bread

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    Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 17 min

    Ingredients

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350.
    2. Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl.
    3. Mix wet in another.
    4. Add wet to dry.
    5. Spoon batter into mini loaf or muffin pans . I used mini loaf pans and ended up baking these for about 17 minutes.
    6. If you are doing muffins, you may want to check on them after about 12 minutes to see if your toothpick comes out dry.

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    Homemade Pecan Pie Larabars

    Melissa King 98 Comments

    Yes!  Homemade Pecan Pie Larabars is what today’s post is about.   I just can’t seem to get enough of them.  The Coconut Cream is still my fave larabar recipe, but these pecan larabars are very tasty as well.

    They are also no bake and take a few minutes to throw together.  This is my kind of recipe. Vegan, gluten free and paleo too!

    homemade pecan pie larabars

    They taste just like pecan pie with none of the guilt!  Feel free to have two, or three.  No added sugars in here.  They get their sweetness from dates.

    Nature’s candy.  Yum!  Warning….these are addictive.  These larabars are also gluten free and grain free!  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

    Homemade Pecan Pie Larabars

    Pecan Pie Larabars

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    Prep Time 10 min

    Ingredients

    Instructions

    1. Blend the pecans and the almonds in a food processor until they are fine.
    2. Then mix in the dates.
    3. The nuts will release their natural oils so there is no need for water. If yours looks a bit dry, you can add a tiny amount, but I didn’t have to.
    4. Line an 8X8 pan with parchment ,
    5. leaving enough room for some paper to stick out the sides.
    6. Press the dough evenly into the pan.
    7. Once it’s spread out, use the extra paper to press the dough down with your palms so it’s packed well.
    8. Stick in the fridge to firm up. About 2 hours should be good. 
    9. Once it’s chilled, cut into squares with a pizza cutter .

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    What are some of your favorite flavors?

    Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal

    Melissa King 169 Comments

    Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal.  I made you some baked oatmeal!  I just love oats.  They are much more satisfying than a bowl of cold cereal.

    Since this healthy baked oatmeal recipe is very high in fiber, it will keep you full for a long time afterward.  Lately, I have been doing a few baked oatmeal dishes which have become my new favorite way to eat oats.

    First, I did the Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal.  Then the Strawberry Banana Baked Oatmeal.  Now this latest recipe.

     

    Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal

     

    This is my new favorite, because, let’s face it, almond butter makes everything better!  Throw in some chocolate chips and you have yourself a pretty heavenly little breakfast.

    High protein too.  These would be especially decadent if you topped them with my Sweet Peanut Butter Spread.

    Looking for more baked oatmeal recipes?

    Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal

    Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal

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    Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 15 min Serves 6 muffins     adjust servings

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups gluten free rolled oats
    • 1/3 cup almond butter
    • 2 ripe bananas smashed (you can also use 1/2 cup applesauce or plain yogurt)
    • 3 T maple syrup
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 2-3 T almond milk
    • 1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350F
    2. Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl.
    3. Mix wet into another.
    4. Add wet to dry and mix well.
    5. Grease a muffin tin and spoon batter into each cup until it is about 3/4 full.
    6. Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes.

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    Recipe Notes

    I used a jumbo muffin pan and got three of them out of this batch. If you use regular size muffin cups, you will probably get about 6.

    Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Larabars

    Melissa King 71 Comments

    Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Larabars.  Okay I am officially addicted to homemade larabars!  My first recipe was the Chocolate Brownie Larabar, then there was the Coconut Cream Larabar and now the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Larabar.

    I have to say the coconut cream is still my favorite, but the cookie dough comes in at a close second.  You can roll them into balls as well if you don’t want to do bars.

     

    Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Larabars

     

    These are just so easy to make and they contain just a few ingredients.  This was my second attempt for this flavor.  The first one came out good, but I didn’t think it was quite right.

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    Simple Stir Fry

    Melissa King 12 Comments

    We had a lot of random veggies left in our fridge today.   Since I am going shopping tomorrow,  thought I would use them up.  The best way to do that is in a stir fry.  There are no rules really, just throw everything together with some sauce.  We love stir fries and have several on the blog already.  The Peanut Noodle Stir Fry is my husband’s favorite.

    stir fry

    As you can see from the picture, I added tofu to ours.  If you are going to use tofu, try to get an organic brand that is non GMO verified since 90% of the soy products in this country contain GMOs.  Feel free to add a protein of your choice if soy is not your thing.  I tossed in some black rice that we had laying around the fridge as well.  We usually make a big pot of rice every week and add it to various meals to stretch them out longer.

    Simple Stir Fry

    Simple Stir Fry

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    Ingredients

    • 1 pkg firm tofu
    • 4-5 cups of spinach (seems like a lot, but it cooks down)
    • 5 carrots cut in strips
    • 1/2 green or red pepper cut in strips
    • 1 cup sliced green beans
    • 2 cups cooked rice (I used black rice)
    • 2 T toasted sesame oil

    For the sauce

    • 1/4 cup soy sauce or bragg's aminos
    • 2 T mirin
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • 1/2 T coconut sugar

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 400.
    2. Drain the tofu and pat dry.
    3. Cut into cubes and place on a greased baking pan and bake for about 45 minutes.
    4. In a large sauce pan, on medium heat, cook the oil, peppers, carrots and beans until they soften.
    5. Then add the spinach, rice, sauce and tofu.
    6. Cook for another few minutes until everything looks well combined with sauce.
    7. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.

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