Recipes

I'm going to share some of the fantastic recipes I've tried lately that are available on the Internet.  Many of the recipes have come from my vegan cookbooks, and I'm not going to share propietary intellectual material (at least from the vegan community), but these I can share.

This cashew gravy is, hands-down, my family's favorite gravy now.  L eats it and rarely eats any other type of gravy--she doesn't generally like gravies/sauces.  I liked the spice level a lot, but if you're spice sensitive, you may want to halve the amount of cayenne pepper. Top Secret Cashew Gravy

Dej and I both made both of these recipes.  They were both delicious, healthy, and hits with our family members.  Chickpea Ratatouille and Brazilian Rice and Beans

A few healthy bedtime snack recipes can be found at Brendan Brazier's site here: Healthy Bedtime Snacks.  I frequently make the tart cherry balls and oat bites, which perfectly satisfy my sweet tooth.  I also make the basic kale chips, which are easy, good, and satisfy my salty/crunchy cravings. **Don't forget to pit the dates.  I forgot to pit them for a batch, and it was very unpleasant to bite into a rock-hard date pit!

I've enjoyed experimenting with the seasonings/flavorings of the kale chips.  L & I both love them, so we go through lots.  I made this recipe:  Spicy Tahini Kale Chips, and I really liked them, but L wasn't crazy about the tahini flavor.  I did some experimenting and came up with a variation that we both loved and are now completely addicted to.  I use the following ingredients (mix together, then add to kale and mix well to coat kale evenly--I mix with my hands.):

• SPICY HUMMUS KALE CHIPS
• 1 large bunch of kale, inner ribs removed
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (if solid, you will need to melt to liquid form)
• 4 tablespoons hummus (I used my home-made roasted red pepper hummus)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

I've made these both in the oven and in the dehydrator, and they are good both ways.  I prefer the dehydrator as more of the nutrients remain.  

When I'm all done, I still have a decent amount of kale left for our critters to enjoy.