fresh strawberry apricot crumble

This crumble was a hit!  I had purchased some apricots the other day and they just weren't getting eaten so I found a fun recipe and threw some fresh strawberries in with the apricots.  It was easy to make and with a scoop of milk & honey ice cream over the top it was a pleaser for sure! (I made it vegan by substituting the butter and not serving it with ice cream for one of my kids.)

strawberry apricot crumble (adapted from boulderlocavore)
10-12 ripe apricots
handful of fresh strawberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar (if you serve it with ice cream you can cut it in half, I think!)
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon

crumble topping:
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into slices

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Slice apricots in half and remove the pits.  Slice each half into quarters.  Hull the strawberries and slice into quarters.
Place fruit in a large bowl and toss with sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon.
Pour coated fruit into a small casserole dish.
To make the crumble layer, combine flour, brown sugar, salt and oats.  Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.
Sprinkle topping over fruit mixture.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the juices are bubbling and the topping is golden brown.  Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of ice cream, if desired.

homemade strawberry jam

We picked strawberries yesterday and put them to good use today!  My third daughter and I were like pioneers in the kitchen- we made 4 loaves of bread, 7 jam jars full of strawberry jam and strawberry apricot crumble. 

homemade strawberry jam (mrs. wages recipe on the back of the fruit pectin box)
5 cups pureed strawberries, stems removed and washed
1/4 cup water
1 package Mrs. Wages Fruit Pectin Home Jell Package
7 cups sugar

1.  Prepare home canning jars and lids according to manufacturer's instructions.  Keep jars hot until filled (I put mine in the oven on "warm").
2.  Measure sugar into a dry container and set aside.
3.  Place measured strawberries into a big pot.  Stir in fruit pectin.
4.  Put on the stove on medium high heat and start to cook.  
5.  When mixture comes to a full boil quickly add sugar and boil for 1 minute.  Do not overcook pectin.
6.  Remove from heat and skim off foam.  Quickly ladle into hot jars.  Leave 1/4 inch head space at the top of the jars.  Use a clean damp cloth to wipe any spilled jam from rims and threads of jars.  Cover with hot lids and tighten rings firmly.
7.  Process your jam with either a water bath or steam method (we used the steam method).
8.  Process using the steam method for 5 minutes.  
9.  Remove jars from steamer.  Set on a rack to cool.
10.  When cool, check seals.  (A popping sound is a good sound!).  Label, date and store in a cool, dark place.  Unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used within 3 weeks.

general tso tofu recipe

This is SO GOOD!  My daughter made this while I was out picking strawberries (and sent me this picture) and I was so sad not to get a taste of it hot and fresh.  However, I found the leftovers in the fridge and had a bite of two.  It's delicious!!

general tso tofu recipe (slightly adapted from instantveg.com)
one package (13 ounce) extra-firm tofu
3 large cloves garlic
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon water
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 head of steamed broccoli or bunch of asparagus
6 cups cooked rice

for the sauce:
2 tablespoons sugar (my daughter used less than half that amount)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Drain tofu 30 minutes by setting it in a colander.  Set a plate with a heavy can on top for extra weight to help it drain.
Mince the three cloves garlic finely and put them in a large bowl.  Add the chili flakes, water and ginger and stir to combine.
Cut drained tofu into bite-sized cubes and gently mix it into the garlic sauce until tofu is completely coated.  Cover and let rest in fridge for 1 hour.
In the meantime, make the sauce.  Mix all the sauce ingredients together EXCEPT the cornstarch.  Cover and let rest in the fridge until you're ready to cook the tofu.
Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cornstarch over the tofu and shake to coat evenly or gently stir.  Spread marinated tofu cubes onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Add the tofu from the oven and stir to coat in the hot oil.
Remove sauce from fridge and whisk in 1 teaspoon cornstarch.  Pour into the frying pan and stir gently until sauce is boiling then turn off heat.
Garnish plated tofu with sesame seeds and serve with steamed vegetables and rice.

spanakopita (spinach pie)

My 6th grader has been craving this since Greek Fest at her school.  She was so busy at her own booth she didn't have a chance to try the spanakopita and was sure to be her favorite sample.  My college kid made this for her and it is DELICIOUS!  My husband said it's the best he's had.  I have to agree that it's probably the best I've had too.

spanakopita (spinach pie) (adapted from tina's chic corner)
3 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 eggs
3 tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons dried dill (we purposefully omitted; not everyone in the family likes dill)
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
12 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
16 sheets phyllo dough, thawed (I couldn't find it so used puff pastry and just worked it differently)
3/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9x13 pan and set it aside.
In a skillet over low/medium heat add the olive oil and finely chopped onion and cook it until it is slightly browned.
Thaw the frozen spinach and squeeze out the water. Add the spinach to the skillet and stir.
Remove the spinach mixture from the heat and set it aside.  Let this rest to get to room temperature.
In a medium bowl, mix together the egg, parsley, dill, salt, pepper and feta cheese.
Add in the spinach mixture and stir everything together and set this aside.  Make sure the spinach mixture is not hot because you don't want to cook the egg.
Make sure that the dough is completely thawed (the puff pastry I used was refrigerated).
My directions with puff pastry:
Cut the rectangle into two pieces.  Use a rolling pin to roll each piece into 9x13.
Brush one rectangle with butter and place in the 9x13.
Pour spinach filling over the rectangle of dough.
Brush the other rectangle with butter and place over the spinach filling.
Bake in a preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

easy picked onions

I love picked onions.  Makes my mouth water just thinking about them.  I needed some pickled onions for some tacos I was making and found this simple recipe which is better than the recipe I had been using.  So quick and easy!!

easy pickled onions (shared appetite)
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar (I used 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup.  Whisk together until sugar and salt is fully dissolved.
Place onion in a jar or bowl (I used a mason jar).  Pour vinegar mixture over and let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour if you're in a rush.  Preferably, cover and refrigerate for at least a day.  Pickled onions will last a few weeks stored in the refrigerator.

spinach artichoke wonton bites (vegan)

So delicious!  My youngest daughter was mentioning wanting to make spanakopita so my oldest thought she should try a spin-off vegan recipe.  We even made an extra stop so we could pick up some vegan cream cheese.  You could easily make this recipe with regular cream cheese.  I promise to never post a vegan recipe that tastes all-out vegan!  I've tasted a few questionable vegan recipes recently.

spinach artichoke wontons (slightly adapted from bianca zapatka)
(makes 24-40 wontons)
2 garlic cloves
1 onion
10 ounces spinach
won ton wrappers
1 (8 ounce) can artichoke hearts without oil
2 teaspoons oil
3/4 cup cream cheese, vegan
1/4 cup sour cream or mayo, vegan
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, vegan (we used vegan mozzarella)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup hot water

filling:
Heat a little water in a pan.  Add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes until translucent.  Add the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes longer until wilted, stirring occasionally.  Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds until fragrant. 
Transfer the spinach, onion, and garlic to a mixing bowl and squeeze to remove excess liquid.  Add the artichoke hearts, cream cheese, mayo, parmesan, salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine.

wrap wontons:
Place a wonton wrapper on a floured surface.  Scoop a tablespoon of the spinach artichoke mixture into the center.  Brush the outside edges with a little water.  Gather the four corners of the wrapper and bring them to the center, pressing them together using your fingers.  Make sure to seal the wonton bites completely.
Repeat with remaining ingredients until all of the mixture is used.

bake the wontons:
Place the wontons on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly spray the wontons with a little oil from all sides.  Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes until golden and crispy. 

or you can fry the wontons

morning glory muffins (vegan)

My husband made these and they are one of the best recipes that he makes.  They are so soft and full of goodness.  AND they happen to be vegan!  It's so nice when a recipe we already like is vegan.  I wish it happened more often.  You'll love these muffins.

morning glory muffins (my husband found the recipe at Baker by Nature)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1 apple, shredded
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrot
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup flaked coconut (my husband threw in a handful of dates instead)
1/2 cup walnuts, optional

Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl add the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt; whisk well to combine.  Add the applesauce, oil, apple and vanilla; whisk just until combined.  Fold in the carrot, raisins, coconut and walnuts; stir until ingredients are combined.  Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.
Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool muffins in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.  Serve at room temperature.

vanilla crepes

This is my husband's recipe but I made them this morning since he was in a meeting and our kids have been asking for crepes for weeks.  They are wonderful and the kids never walk down to breakfast- they run!

vanilla crepes
1 1/2 cups milk
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons vanilla extract (yes, 2 tablespoons!)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons melted butter

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
Heat a medium sized pan over medium heat until hot.  Coat with butter or cooking spray.  Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the pan and swirl around until the batter covers the bottom of the pan.  Once the underside is golden brown, flip the crepe and cook until golden.
Fill crepes with a variety of fruit and top with drizzled chocolate and powdered sugar or whipped cream!

black pepper tofu (vegan)

I've been entranced in a family history project so my oldest made lunch for everyone.  She found this recipe on Pinterest and brought me a little bowl to sample before she ever tried it.  It's amazing!  Seriously!!  Bursting with flavor.  I like tofu when I've had it in restaurants but it never tastes quite right when I try to cook with it.  GREAT RECIPE.  You'll love the sauce.

black pepper tofu (vegan) (simple veganista)
1 block tofu, super firm or extra firm, cubed
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water or veggie broth
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (I think she used 2)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1-2 tablespoons fresh cracked pepper
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 inch knob ginger, minced
1 bunch green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1-2 chili peppers, sliced and seeds removed or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped to serve

Stir-fry sauce: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, maple syrup and cornstarch.  This will be your slurry ensuring your tofu will be coated nicely.
Cook tofu: Heat oil in a large wok or skillet over medium high.  Add tofu and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, or until golden on all sides.
Add remaining ingredients:  Add your slurry mixture, ground pepper, garlic and ginger.  It will sizzle at first when adding the liquids.  Stir fry another 3 minutes or so.  Add hot peppers and scallions.  Liquids should start to thicken a bit, cook another 5 minutes or until the scallions are just softened.
Serve:  Pair with brown rice, brown rice/quinoa mix, basmati or jasmine rice.  My daughter made some brown rice noodles from Costco and it was delish!  Add a large handful of chopped cilantro on the side.

peach coffee cake (made vegan)

I made this for breakfast this morning so it's already a great day!  This was the first square out of the pan so it didn't hold its shape but maybe that's a good thing.  You can see the yummy glossy peaches inside.  I took a regular recipe and made a couple easy swaps to make this recipe vegan.  You can add an egg, use real butter and real milk if you prefer...but you won't notice a difference.  This is a great recipe!

peach coffee cake (made vegan) (Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book)
1 1/2 cups chopped, peeled, apple, apricots, peaches, pineapple or blueberries (I used frozen diced peaches to make it easy!)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup Earth Balance plant based buttery spread
1/2 cup almond milk mixed with 1 teaspoon vinegar (to make a "buttermilk")
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Earth Balance

In a medium saucepan combine fruit and water.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered 5 minutes or till fruit is tender.  Combine the 1/4 cup sugar and cornstarch; stir into fruit.  Cook and stir over medium heat till mixture is thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir 2 minutes more; set aside.
In a mixing bowl combine the 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and baking soda.  Cut in the 1/4 cup butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; set aside.
In another bowl, combine buttermilk and vanilla.  Add all at once to dry mixture.  Using a fork, stir just till moistened.  Spread half of the batter into an ungreased 8x8x2 inch baking pan.  Spread fruit mixture over batter.  Drop remaining batter in small mounds atop filling.
Stir together the 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar.  Cut in the 2 tablespoons butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle atop coffee cake.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or till golden.  Serve warm.  Makes 9 servings.

heart healthy vegan buddha bowls

We get a heart to heart magazine in the mail from time to time from our health care provider and noticed this recipe was submitted by someone we know- a cardiology fellow.  My husband made these bowls for us on Mother's Day and they were quite a treat!  He made some Disneyland Bengal Beef and Chicken Kebabs too.  It was the perfect meal and satisfied everyone at the table.  The sauce from the kebabs went perfectly with the bowls too.

heart healthy vegan buddha bowls (presented by Tyler E.)
1 1/2 cups quinoa (can substitute brown rice or other grain)
about 3 cups water
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 red onion, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
salt and black pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger or ginger paste
1 seedless English cucumber, peeled and diced
3 cups baby spinach
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, washed and drained
diced avocado
chopped, fresh cilantro

peanut sauce:
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (or tahini)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil or toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce, optional
1 clove garlic, finely minced

Cook the quinoa according to package directions.
While the quinoa cooks, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Toss the sweet potatoes and onion on a large sheet pan with 1 tablespoon oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven until tender, 20 minutes or so, flipping once or twice.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon oil.  Add the garlic and ginger, saute and set aside.
For the dressing, whisk or blend all the ingredients together until smooth (this can be done several day sin advance and kept in the refrigerator).
Add a scoop of cooked quinoa to serving bowls.  Add roasted sweet potatoes, onions, chickpeas, a handful of spinach, diced avocado, chopped cucumbers, garlic, ginger and a sprinkle of cilantro.  Drizzle a little dressing over the top and dig in!

the best vegan blueberry muffins

Outstanding muffins!  My family LOVED these muffins and wouldn't have guessed they are vegan.  Each got two muffins and were hoping for more. I've never made so many hot breakfasts as I have during this covid-19 pandemic and my family is okay with that. :)  I made the muffins with my oldest in mind because she had her 4 wisdom teeth out earlier this week and has eaten close to nothing the past two days. It's time to get her jaw moving again!

Note:  I'm putting this recipe in my emergency preparedness binder.  Great recipe if you don't have eggs.  We can use our powdered milk and freeze dried fruits!

the best vegan blueberry muffins (slightly adapted from mydarlingvegan.com)
1 cup soy milk (or almond milk or oat milk- I used oat milk)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon orange extract (you can use vanilla extract or lemon extract)
1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line muffin tins with paper liners or spray with cooking spray.
In  small bowl or liquid measuring cup combine soy milk and apple cider vinegar.  Set aside to allow the milk to curdle.
In a larger bowl, combine sugar, oil and lemon extract.  Add baking powder, baking soda and salt and combine thoroughly.  Add soy milk/vinegar mixture and stir to combine.  Add flour.  Combine but be careful not to over-mix.  Gently fold in the blueberries.
Use a cookie scoop to fill muffin cups 3/4 full.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Remove from heat and allow muffins to cool before removing from pan.

the best vegan chocolate cake

Stop what you're doing and make this cake.  It's no exaggeration to say this is the best vegan chocolate cake.  Or just that this is the best chocolate cake.  After all, none of us had ever had vegan chocolate cake. We had an occasion to celebrate today so I was glad to find such a great recipe.  I even made an extra trip to the store for the baking powder that I had run out of.  I was a little cross that I had to make an extra trip but this cake was WORTH IT!

the best vegan cake (nora cooks)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil or melted coconut oil (I used melted coconut oil)
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

chocolate buttercream frosting:
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups earth balance vegan butter, softened baking sticks preferred
4-5 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

For the chocolate cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two 9-inch cake pans.  Line with parchment paper for easy removal.
Measure 1 cup unsweetened almond milk and add the tablespoon of vinegar to it.  Stir slightly and set aside to curdle.
In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Whisk well to combine.
Add the oil, applesauce, vanilla and almond milk/vinegar mixture.  Mix on medium speed with a hand mixer until well combined.
Lower the speed and carefully pour in the boiling water, continuing to mix into the cake batter until well combined.  The batter will seem very runny at this point; that is how it should be.
Divide the batter evenly between your cake pans.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  After 10 minutes of cooling in the pan, carefully remove the cakes from the pans and let cool completely before frosting.

For the buttercream frosting:
Add the cocoa powder to a large bowl.  Add the softened vegan butter and mix with a hand mixer until creamed and well combined.  Add half the powdered sugar and half of the almond milk and mix until combined.  Add the rest of the powdered sugar and vanilla extract.  Mix starting on low and turn to high.  Mix until fluffy and well combined.
If the frosting seems too dry, add more milk, a tablespoon or two at a time.  If the frosting seems too wet and doesn't hold it's shape, add more powdered sugar until it thickens up.
Frost the cake using an icing spatula or a butter knife.

homemade vegan chili

SO GOOD!  My husband declared that he really liked it and he typically doesn't like chili.  Everything about this chili was great.

homemade vegan chili (slightly adapted from cookieandkate.com)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 (15 ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro plus more for garnish
1 to 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar or lime juice to taste
garnishes:  shredded vegan cheese, green onions, tortilla strips, etc.

In a large Dutch oven, warm the olive oil.  Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, carrot, celery and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.  Stir to combine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and oregano.  Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
Add the diced tomatoes and their juices, the drained black beans and pinto beans, vegetable broth and bay leaf.  Stir to combine and let the mixture come to a simmer.  Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and reducing heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, for 30 minutes.
Remove the chili from the heat and discard the bay leaf.  For the best texture and flavor, transfer 1 1/2 cups of the chili to a blender, making sure to get some of the liquid portion.  Blend then put back into the pot. (I USED AN IMMERSION BLENDER- SO MUCH EASIER!)
Add the chopped cilantro, stir to combine, and then mix in the vinegar to taste.  Add salt to taste too.  Divide the chili in to bowls and serve with garnishes of your choice.