Chocolate Peanut Butter Cashew Cream

This recipe combines two of my favorite ingredients to use in the kitchen: cashews and powdered peanut butter.  By making your own cashew cream you create a simple and healthy spread that can be used in a multitude of different ways.  The easiest of course is spreading the cashew cream on toast for an easy and healthy breakfast.  Other uses could be using it in place of frosting to top a vegan cupcake or to add some richness and flavor to smoothies or dairy free shakes.  Try making this simple recipe and see what creative delicious uses it inspires.

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight or at least for five hours)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 c almond milk
• 6-8 T Chocolate Powdered Peanut Putter (such as Just Good Stuff or PB2)

1. Drain the cashews and discard the water.
2. Using an immersion blender or high speed blender, blend the cashews, almond milk, and vanilla until it reaches a smooth and creamy consistency.
3. Add the powdered peanut butter and blend until completely mixed.
4. Place in a container and allow the cashew cream to chill and thicken in the refrigerator for a few hours.  

Buddy's Hotel Survival Smoothie

This year on tour I brought my immersion blender.  I've been experimenting with creating different power packed plant based smoothies to fuel me through our performances of ELF!  I've been looking for a super power packed combination and I think I've found a great mix of hemp seeds, nut butter, and chocolatey green goodness to start my day off right.

All you need are these ingredients, an immersion blender, a plastic mixing cup, and a spoon!

Serves 1

• one banana
• 1 cup of almond milk
• 3 heaping spoonfuls of hemp seeds
• 2 heaping spoonfuls of peaunut butter
• 1 spoonful of Cacao Green Superfood powder (Amazing Greens)
• 1 small cup of ice

1. Blend the hemp seeds with 1/2 cup of the almond milk until it's a creamy consistency.
2. Add the peanut butter, superfood mix, the banana (broken up into small pieces), and the remaining almond milk and blend until thoroughly mixed.
3. Add the ice a little at a time until ice is blended through the mixture and enjoy!

autumn quinoa bowl with candied butternut squash

Love autumn with this lightly sweet and savory quinoa bowl.  The smell of roasting butternut squash lighted coated in sugar and cinnamon will fill your home with the most aromatic fall smell.  All of these flavors go deliciously together and to me, tastes like fall in a bowl!

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• cook your quinoa by substituting vegetable broth for the water for a more flavorful quinoa
• 1 half of a butternut squash 
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T coconut sugar (or light brown sugar, but coconut is best)
• 1/4 t cinnamon
• 4 T dried cranberries
• 2 T raw pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

1. Peel, seed, and cube your butternut squash into 1 in pieces.
2. Place in a bowl and coat with 1 T olive oil.  Add in the cinnamon and coconut sugar and stir to coat evenly.
3. Roast in a glass baking dish for about 40 minutes in an oven preheated to 425 degrees, stirring halfway through.
4. Per Serving - Add 1 cup cooked quinoa to a bowl and top with half of the roasted squash, 2 T dried cranberies, and 1 T pepitas each.

Basic "Chik'n" Barley Soup

This is a super basic, simple version of a vegan chicken noodle soup.  I didn't use any actual "chicken" type substitute, but I did use a vegan chicken broth bouillon that I found at Whole Foods.  I've been using a veggie broth bouillon lately for most of my soups, but the chicken noodle soup flavor that these bouillon cubes had totally reminded me of eating Campbell's soup as a kid!

Ingredients

Serves 2-4 

• 4 cups water
• 2 vegan "chicken broth" bouillon cubes
• 4 stalks celery
• 3 carrots, peeled
• 1 small onion
• 1 cup quick cook barley
• 1 Tbs coconut or olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Begin to dissolve the 2 bouillon cubes in 2 cups of warm water.
2. Dice the celery, onion, and carrots. 
3. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat.
4. Add the carrots, onion, and celery to the pot and cook until the vegetables are softened, stirring frequently.  About 10 minutes.
5. Reduce the heat and add the 2 cups of dissolved bouillon to the pot as well as another 2 cups of water (4 total).
6. Add the barley and bring the pot back to boil.
7. Salt and Pepper to taste.  I personally liked a lot of fresh cracked black pepper with this recipe.
8. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Microwave Vegan Buffalo Dip

I'm so excited about this recipe!  I've been trying different variations of a buffalo chicken dip that we used to make in college.  That recipe called for 2 bricks cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing.  The first few rounds mimicking that original recipe but with vegan substitutes didn't really hit the spot.  There's something about the vegan cream cheese that just doesn't work, but inspiration finally hit, and I think the secret is using tofu sour cream instead of cream cheese.  

This result is what I came up with using four simple ingredients and a microwave.  This serving size would be great for two people to share.  Double it or more to take to a party as a great dip or appetizer!  Serve with tortilla chips.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 2 frozen chik'n patties, like boca burger
• 1/2 c daiya cheddar shreds
• 1/4 c tofu sour cream
• 1/4 c buffalo sauce

1. Microwave each chik'n patty for 1 minute in the microwave.
2. Dice both patties into cubes.
3. Combine all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and mix well.
4. Microwave for one minute.
5. Stir and microwave for another minute.
6. Stir and serve with tortilla or pita chips.