Whey Waffles with Elderberry Blueberry Yogurt Whip.

Ingredients

makes about 20 3-inch round waffles

whey waffles
adapted from Yogurt Culture1 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons corn starch (omit if making pancakes)

1 tablespoon sugar

¾ teaspoon baking powder

scant ½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup whey (or ½ cup plain yogurt—not Greek—plus ½ cup milk of choice)

2 eggs

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon melted butter
elderberry blueberry yogurt whip1 cup blueberries

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons elderberry syrup 

1 cup Greek or other strained yogurt


toppingsfresh blueberries

fresh blackberries

Process

Make the waffles.Preheat waffle iron according to machine instructions. Preheat oven to 200º.

Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk whey, eggs, and melted butter. Using a silicone spatula, gradually fold wet mix into dry, until just mixed. Batter will have some clumps, but there should be no powder. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.

When waffle iron is ready (or buttered skillet, if making pancakes), add batter in 2-3 tablespoon dollops at center of each waffle square in order to make small waffle rounds, or shape to your liking. Cook each round of waffles 3-4 minutes, or as indicated on your waffle maker. Keep warm in oven while you make the rest.

Make the elderberry blueberry yogurt whip.Place blueberries and maple syrup in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium flame. Stir with a silicone spatula as fruit begins to burst, and use your spatula to crush berries against the sides and bottom of the pan. Once they reach a boil, reduce heat to low and continue stirring. Once berries are completely broken down and sauce is liquid, add elderberry syrup. Cook another few minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat.

When ready to eat, swirl syrup into yogurt, leaving some on the side to top waffles. Serve waffles with yogurt whip, extra syrup, and berries.

Vegan French Toast

Serves: serves 2-3

Ingredients

• 6 slices day-old ciabatta bread, sliced about ¾-inch thick*
• 1 cup Almond Breeze Almond Milk
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup, plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoons millet flour (or spelt or whole wheat)
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast**
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• tiny pinch of salt
• coconut oil, for the pan

Toppings:

• Powdered sugar
• Vegan butter
• Maple syrup
• Fresh fruit

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the almond milk, maple syrup, flour, nutritional yeast, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
2. Place the bread in a shallow dish (with sides) that holds all of the bread. Pour the mixture over the bread, then lift or flip the bread over to make sure both sides are evenly coated.
3. Heat a drizzle of coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the bread slices and cook for a few minutes per side, until golden brown.
4. Serve with powdered sugar, a dab of vegan butter, maple syrup, and fresh fruit.

Notes

 

*It's very important that you get good sturdy bread. I used thick slices of ciabatta from the Whole Foods bakery. Please please do not use wimpy sandwich bread or your french toast will be soggy.

*nutritional yeast is not the same as baking yeast. Look for yellow nutritional yeast flakes in the bulk bins of your health food store.

 

Mini Snicker’s Cheesecakes

Mini cheesecakes are like cupcakes. Everything you love about the full sized dessert made teeny tiny.

But I do think there is one advantage to mini cheesecakes – there’s more crust per bite! And if you’re a crust lover you understand how great that is!

You’ll need a regular size muffin pan and muffin liners. I use regular white paper muffin liners.

Once you press the graham cracker crumbs into the muffin liners, you’ll pre-bake the crust for 5 minutes. Make sure you allow the muffin pan to cool before adding the cheesecake mixture. If you need to speed up that process, you can stick the muffin pan in the fridge.

Then add the cheesecake mixture and chopped snickers. My taste testers said more snicker’s the better. Bake them for 15-17 minutes (love the quick baking time compared to a larger cheesecake!) then allow them to cool and chill them before serving.

Mini cheesecakes aren’t something you can eat once they are done baking. The key to delicious cheesecake is serving it chilled.

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1 & 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 4 tbsp melted butter
• 
  

Cheesecake

• two 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, added one at a time
• 1/2 cup chopped snicker's plus more to top the cheesecakes (feel free to add more chopped snickers as you see fit)

Directions:

Crust

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F.
2. Line a regular sized muffin pan with 12 muffin liners.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until it resembles coarse sand.
4. Put 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp of graham cracker crumbs in each muffin cup.
5. Use a 1/3 cup (or similar) to press the crumbs down firmly into the pan.
6. Bake the crust for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool while prepping the cheesecake.

Cheesecake

1. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth, 2-3 minutes.
2. Beat in the sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
4. Then add the chopped snicker's pieces, mix with a spatula.
5. Place a little more than 2 tbsp of cheesecake batter in each muffin cup.
6. Top the cheesecakes with additional chopped snicker's if desired.
7. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the center of the cheesecake is only slightly jiggly.
8. Allow the cheesecakes to cool to room temperature then place them in the fridge for at least 2 hours to chill before serving. If refrigerating overnight, loosely cover the cheesecakes in plastic wrap.

Garlic Mac n Cheese

 

Creamy, simple Vegan Mac 'N' Cheese infused with raw and roasted garlic for extra flavor! Just 10 ingredients required for this delicious, flavorful plant-based entree or side.

 

Author: Minimalist Baker

 

Recipe type: Entrée

 

Cuisine: Vegan

 

Serves: 4

 

Ingredients

• 1 head roasted garlic (see instructions for method)
• 10 ounces (~ 2 1/4 cups dry) macaroni noodles* (use gluten free pasta for GF)
• 4 Tbsp olive or grape seed oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 4-5 Tbsp unbleached all purpose flour (or sub arrowroot powder for GF)
• 2 - 2 1/4 cups Blue Diamond Almondmilk Original Unsweetened
• Salt and pepper to taste (~1/2 tsp each)
• 1/2 cup vegan parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 4-6 Tbsp nutritional yeast, plus more for topping
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs (optional | omit for GF)

Instructions

1. To roast garlic, preheat oven to 400 degrees and cut off the very top of a head of garlic. Drizzle the top with a bit of oil, a sprinkle of salt and loosely wrap in foil.
2. Place directly on oven rack and roast for 45 minutes - 1 hour, depending on size of garlic. You'll know it's done when the garlic is very fragrant and the bulb appears soft and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
3. To prepare pasta, add macaroni to a large pot of boiling, well-salted water. Stir to prevent noodles from sticking, and boil according to package instructions (about 8-10 minutes). Drain and cover with a towel to keep moist - set aside.
4. To prepare sauce, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot add 4 Tbsp oil and minced garlic. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until light golden brown.
5. Immediately add 4 Tbsp flour (or arrowroot powder) and whisk - cook for 1 minute. (Later on, if the sauce is not thick enough, add an extra 1 Tbsp later on during the blending process. I found 4 Tbsp to be the perfect amount).
6. Add almond milk 1/2 cup at a time, whisking to prevent clumps, until 2 cups have been added. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. (Add the additional 1/4 cup almond milk later on if the sauce appears too thick.)
7. Transfer sauce to a blender and add roasted garlic (squeeze from base to push out cloves), 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper, vegan parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast, and blend on high until creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed - you want it pretty well salted + cheesy, so don't be shy.
8. Return sauce back to skillet and cook over low heat until warmed and slightly thickened - about 2-3 minutes.
9. Add cooked, drained pasta and toss to coat. Then top with 1 more Tbsp nutritional yeast and 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs.
10. Broil on high on the top rack of your oven for 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown (see photo). Watch closely as it can burn quickly.
11. Serve immediately. I love topping mine with an extra pinch of vegan parmesan cheese and a little red pepper flake.
12. Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, though best when fresh. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop - add extra almond milk if it's dry.

Notes

*Most store bought, conventional pastas are egg-free. Check package to ensure vegan-friendliness.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1/4 of recipe with panko bread crumb topping.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1/4 of recipe Calories: 627 Fat: 23g Saturated fat: 3.6g Carbohydrates: 86g Sugar: 3g Sodium: 590mg Fiber: 8g Protein: 22.2g

Skillet Meatballs and Orzo

Tired of spaghetti and meatballs? Never. But this variation could become another favorite.

Servings: 8
Prep time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 box orzo

1 jar chunky traditional sauce

1 pound lean ground beef

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup Italian flavored bread crumbs

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium green sweet pepper, cut in bite-sized strips

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme (optional)


Directions

1. In food processor bowl combine beef, cheese, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, salt, and egg; process
until finely ground. Scoop 1-tablespoon portions into your hand, roll into balls. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add green pepper and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until starting to soften. Add meatballs and brown on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn meatballs and add chunky traditional sauce to the skillet. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low; simmer 14 to 16 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, in a large pot bring 4 to 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil; add salt to taste and the orzo; stir gently.
4. Cook pasta according to package directions; remove from heat and drain well.
5. Stir pasta into skillet with meatballs. Serve topped with chopped thyme, if desired.
6. Customize it: For a veggie boost (that will go unnoticed!) add 1 cup shredded carrot to the simmering sauce.

Vegan Bean and Cheese Quesadillas

This is one of my favorite go-to meals or snacks. A vegan quesadilla. I love these Vegan Bean and Cheese Quesadillasbecause they are filling and savory and you can get creative with the veggies that you add to them. I love to load in the beans and add as many veggies as I can. The cheese acts as a perfect rich and savory accent.

These take only about 15-20 minutes to make and are a huge crowd pleaser because quesadillas are such a familiar food. To make this recipe a meal I like to add a side salad or a side of Mexican rice, soup or skillet plantains. And guacamole or diced avocado is always welcome. Hope you and your family love this recipe for the new year!....

Ingredients

• 4 corn or flour tortillas
• 1/2 cup refried beans (black or pinto)
• 2-4 Tbsp vegan cheese, any flavor
• 1 cup spinach
• 1/2 avocado, diced
• side: salsa or hot sauce
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• ice cube
• optional: seasonings like smoky paprika, nutritional yeast, black pepper and sea salt

Instructions

Warm a skillet over high heat. Add 1-2 tsp olive oil.

Spread the beans on one tortilla and add to the skillet. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Then add spinach to taste. Optional: Add a sprinkle of smoky paprika, nutritional yeast or pepper and salt to taste. Add top tortilla.

Add the ice cube to the pan. Cover pan with lid. Allow the steam from the ice to melt the cheese.

Cook 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from pan. Cool for 5 minutes. Then slice and serve. Serve with chopped avocado and salsa or hot sauce.

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.

Total time: 15 min

Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients

• 8 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen), cut into pieces
• 4 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 yukon gold potatoes, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 cup half & half
• 1 vidalia onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Melt butter and olive oil in a hot dutch oven.
2. Add onions, celery, and garlic. Sauté until onions begin to caramelize (about 5 minutes).
3. Add potatoes, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
4. Pour in broth and broccoli. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to a simmer.
5. When potatoes are soft (a fork goes through easily), puree soup using an immersion blender.
6. Add half & half and cheddar cheese.
7. Stir until combined and cheese is melted (about 1 minute).

Notes

If you don't have an immersion blender, you can carefully ladle the soup into a blender and puree in batches. Be very careful, as the soup is very hot!