Flan, White Bean Chili, apricot/coconut logs

We are so close to officially being in summer.  Everywhere there is fruit galore!  All kinds of berries, peaches, apricots, cherries, etc.  Yum! This year the berry vines in our yard are producing so many berries.  Every couple of days I'm picking more ripe ones. The only problem is I pick a big bowl full

wash them and set them on the counter and next thing you know, the bowl will be empty.  Hey I know what you are thinking....but it's Keaton eating them all, I just eat them off the vine as I pick!  hee hee. 

When I lived in Colorado the grocery store we shopped at had these yummy apricot coconut logs that I used to enhale!  I love apricots so I've tried to replicate over the years and recently I've just made some more. 

Apricot/coconut logs.  These are so easy to make.  In a food processor add in some unsulphered apricots and add about half the amount of shredded coconut.  Process until blended.  Next roll into logs and then roll in coconut.  I keep these in the refridgerator just because it's been warm here. 

  I've recently received a copy of Viva Vegan and flipping through it the first thing I saw that I could make rather quickly and easily was the Vanilla Coconut Flan.  Everything is going to have to wait until I have more time and there are many recipes, tamales, samosas, erapas, the list goes on.  Anyhoo, Keaton loves flan and Dave likes it as well so I couldn't wait to try this recipe out.   I've never been a big fan, but I tell you...this stuff absolutely, amazingly, rocks!!!  I can't wait to make this for company.  No one would know this doesn't have dairy in it. 

White bean chili is the perfect meal for a cool spring/summer evening  topped off with chunks of buttery avocados.  This is one of my favorites chilli's.  This is one of those meals that I do use Yves Meatless Turkey.  I don't like to use those types of products very often.  You could use extra beans or another product in here if you choose to.  I usually cook up my own beans but if you want you can use canned beans instead.  The Chili's I used were a mixture of anaheim and poblano, Keaton can't take alot of heat or I would've kicked up the heat more.  You can control your heat with the amount of Jalepeno's you use as well.  Also, jalepeno's are not created equal so you will find some that are really hot and others real mild. You can also use canned chili's as well.

White Bean Chili

1 1/2 C. yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 C. cooked cannelini or other white bean

5 C. No-chicken broth(Imagine Foods) or veggie broth

1 1/2 C. anaheim chillies, poblano mixture, diced

1 jalepeno or less, pick your heat, finely diced (optional)

1 pkg. Yves Meatless Turkey

1 T. dried Oregano

2 Tsp. ground Cumin

1 tsp. ground black pepper

salt to taste

1/2 C. cilantro(optional)

In a large stockpot heat 2 T. of oil and add onion, garlic and chilies. Saute until onions and chilli's are soft.  Next add in the Yves Meatless Turkey, oregano and cumin.  Stir for a couple of minutes until the mixture is warmed through.  Next add the broth and pepper.  Bring to a boil, cover partly with lid, lower heat to a simmer for 1-1/2 hrs.  Stir every once in a while.  Once this is done you can stir in cilantro and add salt to taste.  Top of with avocado or non-dairy sour cream.

If you are making this for company have some hot sauce out and people can add some to their bowls if they like it hot!  You can also have a side of extra jalepeno's as well. 

Now I'm off to get the last bit of errand's and packing done for our houseboat family reunion trip.  If you have never been on a houseboat before, you should at least try it once.  It's the most relaxing vacations you'll ever take.  Just make sure you pick the right famly, friends to join you because you'll be together for a whole week with them! 

Have a great weekend and I'll be back next week!

It tastes like Brioche and weekend wrap up

Hello to you all and happy Monday!  Hope everyone is having a nice start to their week.

This past weekend Dave had off so that was nice because he only gets a weekend off every 4 weeks. Keaton is still getting over an ear infection, he can't hear out of one ear. He is now on his second set of meds because the first go around didn't work.  I just don't like that he has to be on medication for this long, luckily he hasn't been on any kind of medication in like 5 or 6 years.  So that being said we kind of played it mellow over the weekend.

I started Saturday morning out making french toast for breakfast, Keaton has been begging me to make it for weeks. The bread I used for this a Coconut Cream Bread, the recipe is from Celine just click here or recipe is below.  Just so you know Celine and Joni are in the process of yet another cookbook, this will be the third one they have done together, so I've been testing out recipes for this one as well.

 Anyhooo, back to the bread. This bread is absolutely the most delicious bread I've tasted. No coconut taste here, although I do love coconut, instead a light and buttery tasting brioche like bread. No joke! I can't say enough about this bread. I love it!!!! I left the raisins out because the boys don't care for raisins in their stuff. Now the French Toast Recipe using the bread, well you'll just have to wait a while until the cookbook comes out.

Coconut Cream Bread

by Celine
Have Cake Will Travel

1/2 cup (80 g) raisins
1 tablespoon (15 ml) dark rum
2/3 cup (160 ml) coconut cream, such as Kara™, or full-fat coconut milk
1/3 cup (80 ml) water
1/4 cup (48 g) Sucanat
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, more if needed
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon any oil, to coat bowl
Non-stick cooking spray

Combine raisins and rum. Heat for about 30 seconds in the microwave. Let stand.

Combine cream and water; heat to 100°F (38°C). Add Sucanat and yeast: let stand a few minutes to let the yeast bloom.

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups (250 g) flour and salt.

Add wet ingredients into the flour, and start mixing. Add the remaining flour, as needed.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and start kneading for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pliable. Add more flour, a little at a time, if the dough is too wet. Knead in the raisins/rum preparation toward the end of kneading time, until well incorporated. Shape into a ball.

Lightly coat a large bowl with oil. Turn dough around to coat, cover, and let rise for 90 minutes.

Punch down dough,

Lightly coat an 8 x 4-inch (20 x 10-cm) loaf pan with spray. Place dough into pan.

Let rise in a warm place for another hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5). Loosely cover bread with aluminum foil.

Bake for 25 minutes, remove foil. Spray top with non-stick cooking spray, oil, or water. Bake for another 10 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack. Let cool completely before slicing and storing.

Yield: One 8-inch (20-cm) loaf

The actual recipe for this is called Malibu French Toast, it has a great sauce recipe and a couple other ones for toppings but I only had time to make the French toast part.  Dave said he only wanted a bite of Keaton's to try, well he ended up asking for some after that.  We all really loved this.  The bread really makes for a delicious tasting french toast.

After breakfast we walked to town and hung out there for a while then later we went to see Clash of the Titans.  We were very entertained by it but I think I liked the original movie better.  I mean that cute metal owl flying around and stuff in the original one.  I need to go rent it!

For dinner I made a veggie meatloaf, mashed potatoes and brocollini.  The recipe is from VegNews.  I love trying different veggie loaves and once I started making this loaf I remembered I have made it once before. Mine isn't as thick looking and I think it's because I have a bigger loaf pan.   It's tasty but I think I like it the next day in a salad, sandwich or a chard wrap like I had below.

One chard leaf, shmear of hummus, slice of the veggie loaf, avocado, tomato and cucumber.  Yum!

Sunday we just hung out and let Keaton go play for a while with his friends.  Then in the late afternoon we all went up to Cold Springs Tavern to watch Keaton's guitar teacher's band play.  Can't wait for more of that type of stuff this summer. 

Afterwards we headed back towards home to eat at Grappolo's.  Keaton and I usually order the penne pasta with mixed mushrooms, olive oil and garlic.

That's it for now.  Enjoy your day!

gluten free coconut carrot cookies

Happy Tuesday to ya'll!  Well it looks like it's going to rain again.  I'm okay with it, we need it. 

So I got my hair cut (yay)it actually styles now and doesn't lie flat against my head! I quite a bit chopped off, it was pretty dry on those ends.  I was using a citrus conditioner for a while and well, I guess it was stripping

my hair. 

There's nothing like a refreshing(fresh)juice in the morning.  Cucumber, apple, romaine and celery. 

It's time to go grocery shopping again but until that time it was pantry and refrigerator shopping.  So last night it was lentil soup!  Perfect meal actually cuz, dang it was cold out last evening.  Lots of carrots, used up the rest of my fresh spinach and tomatoes.  Wallah, a pretty and satisfying, warm the tummy soup!  

Now for some sweet treats. Gluten free coconut carrot cookies.  I had the taste for carrot cake and coconut cookies so with all the carrots I have for juicing(I buy the 10lb organic bag from Costco) I decided on adding some carrot.  Here is my recipe and just so you know you can minus the spices and carrot and these make fabulous coconut cookies. 

Gluten Free Coconut Carrot Cookies

1/2 C. Sorghum flour

1/3 C. rice flour

1/4 C. oat flour(gluten free) you can make your own by grinding as well

1/4 tsp xanthum gum

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 C. oats (gluten free)

1 Tbsp. Earth Balance + 3 Tbsp canola oil or (just coconut oil melted)

1/3 C. maple syrup*

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp rice milk or non dairy milk

1 med. carrots, peeled and grated

1 C. shredded coconut* 

1/4 C. walnuts, chopped(optional)

       Preheat oven to 375.

In a small bowl combine flours, baking powder, salt and oats. Set aside.

In a medium size bowl whisk together Earth balance, canola, maple syrup, rice milk and vanilla.  

Stir dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients until well mixed.  Next stir in the coconut,carrot & walnuts.  Stir until well combined.

Use a tablespoon to drop dough on to cookie sheet.  Bake for about 12 min.

 Makes about 18 small cookies.

*NOTE:  I used sweetened coconut(that's the only kind I had on hand) so if you aren't using sweetened coconut use a bit more maple syrup or add sugar to the cookies to sweeten up more.  

When making these without carrot I used melted coconut oil and these turned out wonderfully. 

Chickpea Crepes with Grilled Vegetables, cookies, etc.

Today is the start of another beautiful & warm day out here in California.  We need to enjoy this because cooler temps and rain our coming our way again.   I know we need more rain so I can deal with it, but these warm and sunny days like the ones we've been having are very enticing.  Bring on spring and summer, I'm ready!   Okay enough about the weather. 

Years ago I checked out from the library The Voluptuous Vegan cookbook by Myra Kornfeld  and tried quite a few recipes.  You should really check out that book!  Some have alot of steps but the end results are delicious!!!  This is the inside, obviously, of Chickpea crepes with grilled veggies(asparagus, zucchini, bell pepper and scallions) a layer  tofu cheese and topped with a spinach/basil pesto sauce. 

This is how it looks when it's all rolled up.  I was actually planning on making this for Valentines but hey the next day worked.  It's been so long since I've made this and the boys(husband and son) loved it as much as I did.  The chickpea crepes rock!   

I'm trying to take out as much wheat from Keaton's diet again. He's been complaining of his stomach and I asked him how long it's been hurting.  He said "It's been hurting, I just try to ignore it. "  I told him he shouldn't have to live with pain( he's only 12! but no one should live with constant stomache pain) and we'll just have to get a handle on his food situtation.  Anyways, I saw these gluten free coconut chocolate chip cookies from Jessy at Happyveganface and tried them out.  These are fantastic, both of us loved them.  Thanks Jessy!  Check 'em out on her blog.  The only change I made was replacing the chickpea flour with sorghum.

Have a wonderful day everyone!