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Mac and Cheeseless Pasta. Baked.

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This Mac and Cheeseless Pasta is pretty dreamy. Editing these photos, all I wanted to do was take a dive, face first, into this cheezy deliciousness. Luckily, I had plenty of leftover cheezy mac in my fridge. And lucky for you, if you want to try this bowl for yourself, the recipe is pretty simple. No, it does not taste exactly like real dairy-containing "Mac and Cheese" but maybe even better! Nutritional yeast cravings DO exist!

Today's recipe uses nutritional yeast, sweet potato, butternut squash, olive-oil-roasted garlic, a touch of Earth Balance and more to give it a rich, creamy, buttery, cheezy, savory flavor to crave. Take it one step more and bake your pasta into pure fluffy bliss..

Mac 'n Cheese is a favorite comfort food dish. It can be served as an indulgent main entree or as an accent side dish. A few other vegan version recipes:

Chipotle Mac/Cheez with Field Roast Spicy Chipotle Sausage
Fake-Out Mac/Cheez
Cheese, Peas and Pasta
Easy Cheezy Peasy Pasta Balls (kid-approved!)
Speedy Cheezy Protein Pasta Bowl
Acorn Alfredo (another style of creamy pasta dish)

Today's version is pretty simple to make. All your do is blend up the sauce, cook your pasta and toss. You can take it one step further and bake the pasta in the oven to make it extra amazing.

There are soooo many ways to many Mac/Cheez without cheese. Some people use basic vegan cheese as the base (such as Daiya or Follow Your Heart brands.) And other recipes include a creamy bean or nut base. But my favorite is a blend of nutritional yeast and a veggie puree. Butternut squash, sweet potato or even pumpkin will work.

If you do not mind a slight sweetness, go with the sweet potato. But if you like a more savory pasta, leave out the sweet potato and just use butternut squash or pumpkin. Or a mix of both.

Mac and Cheeseless Pasta
vegan, makes 6+ servings

cheeseless sauce: (note: if you like A L OT of cheese and want leftover sauce, double this recipe)
1 small sweet potato (to make about ¾ cup mashed)
¾ cup canned butternut squash puree*
*I used half butternut squash and half pumpkin
¼ cup Earth Balance vegan buttery spread, melted
⅓ cup nutritional yeast (or more..)
1-3 tablespoon roasted garlic (you roast it, see below)
½ cup plain soy creamer or milk (almond varieties work too)
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
1-5 pinches of cayenne or red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

For the roasted garlic: 1 head of garlic + 1-2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

*sweet potato, pumpkin or butternut squash can be used

Pasta: tube or macaroni pasta (make as much as you would like to serve.**)
**Upon serving, add about ½ cup on cheeseless sauce for every ¾ -1 cup of cooked pasta. Easy to modify based on how thickly sauced you like it.

serving garnish: freshly chopped parsley (optional)

Directions:

1. Roast the garlic: Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Slice off the top of your head of garlic and place it in a large piece of tin foil. Drizzle olive oil over top garlic, close foil tightly around garlic and place in the oven to roast for about 25 minutes. When done, remove garlic carefully (hot!) and squeeze out the roasted garlic pieces. You will have leftover garlic - this can be used to make garlic rubbed toast to pair with your pasta. Or store leftover garlic wrapped in fridge to use in soups or other dishes. I love it slathered on toast.

2. While your garlic is roasting, you can also be baking your sweet potato. Bake in the oven until tender. This usually takes about 35-45 minutes for a small potato. The oven can be set anywhere from 375-400.

3. Make your sauce. Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender (Vitamix) and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste test and add more nutritional yeast if you'd like. Adjust other seasonings as well as desired.

4. Boil water in a large pasta pot and cook pasta until tender. Drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

5. Fold the sauce into the warm pasta until well coated.

6. Serve as is or transfer to a large casserole dish and bake the pasta at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. I topped mine with some fried onion bits. Bread crumbs, extra vegan cheese (try Daiya!) or other toppings can be added before baking.

Serve hot. Some freshly chopped parsley over top is a nice touch.

Holiday Smoothie Recipes from the North Pole. Green, Red & Nog.

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How in the world does Santa Claus do it? All those presents in one night? And how do those tiny elves make all those presents? And how does a gentle, tiny reindeer like Rudolph (and his friends) hull that giant, heavy, present-carrying sleigh .. even through thick fog or a blizzard-ish snowstorm?

Some call it Christmas magic. But I know the real secret. Juice! Now it all makes perfect sense..

A freshly blended green smoothie for Santa, sweet and spicy nog "elf juice" and even a red blend for the thirsty reindeer named Rudolph. Get these three delicious holiday smoothie recipes (whole food sips made with a blender - thin textured style smoothies) and even a swanky, cinnamon-spiced sip from Mrs. Claus too..

Santa's Green Smoothie. Santa needs his greens. This sweet and guzzle-able juice is not only delicious and vibrant, but it has some staying power since it includes some avocado. It also includes sweet pear, electrolyte-infused coconut water and plenty of zippy lemon too. Santa can deliver all those presents with ease after gulping down this glass..

Santa's Green Guzzler
serves one (but Santa drinks about five of these to get him through Xmas eve.)

¼ cup avocado, mashed
1 ½ cups of greens (kale, spinach, chard, arugula - anything you'd like)
1 cup coconut water
1 bartlett pear, ripe and juice (stem removed)
2 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup ice
optional: 1-2 pinches of cayenne or ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger for some spice

Directions: Add all ingredients to blender and blend from low to high until smooth and silky. Add additional water or coconut water to thin out to desired consistency.

Santa's Nutritional Info per recipe: Calories: 247kcal, Fat: 6g, Carbs: 49g, Protein: 5g, Fiber: 13g, Iron: 16%, Vitamin C: 82%, Calcium: 15%, Vitamin A: 115%
Also rich in potassium, magnesium and manganese.

Santa's Secret..

Rudolph's Red Juice. Rudolph loves this red juice blend to make his nose glow extra brightly through a foggy, snowy or rainy night! Plenty of red antioxidants from the cherries and pomegranate juice in there too!

Rudolph's Rocking Red Drink
serves one thirsty reindeer (or human)

½ cup cherries or raspberries, frozen/pitted
1 large satsuma, peeled (or two small)
½ cup pomegranate juice
½ cup coconut water
½ cup ice
1-2 pinches cayenne

Directions: Add all ingredients to blender and blend from low to high until smooth and silky. Add additional water or coconut water to thin out to desired consistency.

Rudolph's Nutritional Info per recipe: Calories: 217kcal, Fat: 1g, Carbs: 52g, Protein: 3g, Fiber: 10g, Iron: 5%, Vitamin C: 195%, Calcium: 13%, Vitamin A: 11%
Also rich in potassium.

Elf Juice. Here it is. The secret to all those presents. This spiced juice is really quite simple actually. A hint of banana, some pear and plenty of spice. This juice looks like creamy nog because you know elves love their soy nog. So this juice actually has a very "nog" style flavor. Only it is made with all fruit and spices. Banana is rich in potassium and fiber. The juicy, ripe bosc pear carries plenty of sweetness. And that pumpkin pie spice (a mix of cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice) gives this juice its spicy nog flavor.

Creamy Nog "Elf Juice"
serves one human (or about ten thirsty elves)

1 banana, frozen
1 ripe bosc pear, stem removed
¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice**
¾ cup water or coconut water (or half of each)
¼ cup ice
4 pinches of cayenne or fresh ginger (optional for added spiciness!)

**if you do not have pumpkin pie spice, you can substitute with cinnamon and or ginger and nutmeg. Cinnamon is the most important spice for this though!

Directions: Add all ingredients to blender and blend from low to high until smooth and silky. Add additional water or coconut water to thin out to desired consistency.

"Elf Juice" Nutritional Info per recipe: Calories: 263kcal, Fat: 1g, Carbs: 66g, Protein: 4g, Fiber: 12g, Iron: 7%, Vitamin C: 40%, Calcium: 7%, Vitamin A: 10%
Also rich in potassium and vitamin B6.

Elf Juice. Tastes like fruity, sweet nog. With a spicy kick!..

And finally, a drink from Mrs. Claus...

When the elves, reindeer and man in the big red suit have all headed out for the evening, Mrs. Claus settles into her snuggly red pajamas and whips up a tall glass of this special beverage. It uses leftovers of the "Elf Juice" as the base. Because really, those elves never finish all their juice.

Mrs. Claus's Cinnamon Swirler

¾ cup leftover Elf Juice
1 shot aged Brandy
¼ cup ice
¼ cup frozen banana
cinnamon stick to garnish

Blend and serve.

On the left, Mrs. Claus turns leftover "Elf Juice" into a swanky spiked sip..

Fudgey Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies.

by 31 Comments


These Fudgey Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies have two distinct qualities. They are vegan. And they are made with a black bean base. But I dare not call them black bean brownies in my house, since a few of the people who tried them and LOVED them .... hate beans of all kinds. Hopefully my bean-hating husband will still eat these brownies after reading this post 🙂

So long story short, even if you think black bean brownies sound crazy weird .. give this recipe a try! You may be surprised.

These super fudgey brownies are topped with a generous swirl of velvet-y peanut butter, some crunchy walnuts and vegan chocolate chips. I enjoyed these brownies straight from the oven all gooey and soft. But they also keep quite well in the fridge. Just warm before serving. These would make a perfect chocolate-lovers' addition to your holiday treat table too!..

p e a n u t b u t t e r.

on top.

There is something about that shell of swirled peanut butter that makes these brownies go from delicious to heavenly. Just the aroma of peanut butter and chocolate makes me feel happy. And hungry.

Why Beans?? Well first off, they deliver! They really do make a smart culinary base for brownies. And secondly, beans are a healthy food so when you are diving into a thick, rich, gooey, amazing, fudgey brownie, you kinda strangely feel GOOD about it. Less guilt. More fun. And of course beans contain all that healthy stuff like protein, fiber, vitamins and iron.

The dose of sticky-sweet Medjool dates in this recipe makes for an extra fudge-like texture. But these are not flourless , I did still add in a dose of spelt flour to increase the fluffy-crumbly-ness a bit.

The optional Maca Powder adds a chocolate malt-y flavor that I love. Plus it is known to some as an energizing superfood. More about Maca Powder + buy online from Navitas Naturals

My holiday mantra (follow me on instagram!)..

Fudgey Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies
vegan, makes 1 tray of brownies, 9" square or circle baking pan
*nutritional info below based on slicing up 12 pieces per recipe*

(2) 15 ounce cans of black beans (unsalted) - drain and rinse
7 large Medjool dates, pits removed
4 tablespoon virgin coconut oil, melted, organic
½ cup agave syrup
⅓ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup spelt flour (or any flour to substitute)
1 teaspoon flax seeds (optional)
2 tablespoon Maca powder (optional)
½-1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)

Topping:
3 tablespoon peanut butter + 1 teaspoon coconut or safflower oil
⅓ cup raw walnuts, chopped
¼ cup chocolate chips, vegan
(optional, not shown) ¼ cup coconut flakes

Notes: The flax seeds add a bit of 'egg replacing' body to the brownies, but are optional. If you do not add them, you may want to add in an extra tablespoon of flour.

Nutritional info per piece (12 pieces per recipe)
Calories: 188kcal, Fat: 6g, Fiber: 6g, Protein: 6g, Carbs: 31g
Iron: 11% RDA, Calcium: 5% RDA

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Add the dates (pitted), black beans, agave syrup, salt, vanilla extract, coconut oil (melted state), and optional flax seeds to a high speed blender (Vitamix) or a food processor. Start on low and blend until very smooth.

3. Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl and fold in the cocoa powder, flour, cinnamon, instant coffee and Maca powder.

4. Grease your baking pan and pour in the brownie mixture. Smooth out with a spatula.

5. Heat the peanut butter and oil together so that you have a very liquid peanut butter mixture. Swirl that over top the brownie batter and swirl into brownies with a knife.

6. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts over top that. (Coconut flakes are optional.

7. Bake at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes. Allow to cool at least fifteen minutes before slicing - serve warm for more messy, soft brownies that kind of fall apart when you eat them. Or allow an hour to cool for more firm, slice-able brownies.

Store on the countertop if serving within one day. Or store in the fridge for up to one week. You will need to warm the chilled brownies in microwave or oven before serving.

Also check out my Minty Smores Brownies Recipe with chocolate ganache on top.

Allison's Gourmet Review!

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Vegan confections like peanut butter cups and elegant gourmet truffles are a delicious idea for a holiday gift - for just about anyone .. vegan or not! Check out my review of Allison's Gourmet and enter to win a $25 gift card good towards any purchase in Allison's online store. See why Allison holds the title: "Maven of Mmmmmmm..."

****GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED... Congrats to Brittney K. for winning****

Last night I read a vintage blog post from Dr Weil describing a few healthy holiday gifts. The items on the list were so simple, yet so perfect. They included a gift card for a massage, music, long-lasting flowers, a certificate for a personal training session, and chocolate. Dark chocolate. High in quality. He advises that it be at least 70% cacao. (I would be thrilled to receive any of these gifts!)

And that is why I am happy to offer this Allison's Gourmet review + giveaway to you guys. Any of Allison's vegan treats would make a superb holiday, hostess, work or "just because" gift for the holidays and into the new year.

Allison's Gourmet is a very popular and award-winning vegan company that specializes in all things delicious. A few of the treats you can find in Allison's online store:

* brownies
* cookies
* truffles
* cocoa
* toffee
* caramels
...and more.

Just check out her website to peruse the goodies and then enter the giveaway below for your chance to win a $25 gift code for anything in Allison's online store.

Review. I have tasted a few of Allison's treats in the past and they are always AMAZING. But this past week I tried the toffee, peanut butter cups and truffles for the first time. I have to say, the peanut butter cups may have been the best I have ever had. My reasoning is because they were not "too sweet" and you could really taste the pure peanut flavor mingling with the creamy vegan chocolate. Sometimes all you taste in peanut butter cups is the sugar, but the creamy peanut butter, silky and nutty, was the star of this confection show.

The vegan toffee was super buttery, sweet, crisp and air-y. I loved it.

And the truffles were such a treat. Super high quality and gourmet. They had very rich chocolate centers, but the distinct flavors of each truffle still came out in each bite. From raspberry to mocha and salted caramel - each truffle was uniquely heavenly. This cute purple box would make a very elegant gift.

So if you love delicious treats (or just want to try some vegan treats to wow your guests!) give Allison's a try.

Allison's Gourmet

*Note: this is NOT a sponsored post. I was provided a few samples of Allison's treats which I chose to review and host with a giveaway for readers.*

My Salad'tude Contest: 15 Finalists! VOTE on a Winner!

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This was hard. Really, really hard! I received an inbox filled with amazing, creative, inspiring, hilarious and clever "Show Me Your Salad'tude" Contest entries this past month. I don't know how I did it, but I somehow narrowed it down to fifteen finalists. And now I need your help! Help me vote on a winner!!

This is like the X Factor, the American Idol, The Voice, Dancing with the .. Salads? of SALAD contests. Your vote helps decide who will be the very lucky grand prize winner of a Napa Valley Culinary Adventure Getaway - from the wonderful folks at Dole Salads. This grand prize is worth over $6,000..

So please take a minute to check out these beautiful finalists and help me out by voting on your favorite entry! The 15 finalists are...

a note: a huge THANK YOU to EVERYONE who took the time to enter. I reviewed every single submission very carefully and LOVED every single one. really. You guys are amazing. I am more inspired than ever to embrace my salad-loving ways. Thank you thank you thank you. So hard to choose these finalists..

The 15 finalists (enlarged list below)..

VOTE vote VOTE vote VOTE! **voting period is ONE WEEK. Ends December 15th at 12AM. Winner TBA on Monday December 17th**

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Finalists:

1 - Erin - Massachusetts - web
2 - Lexie - Wyoming - web
3 - Corinne - California
4 - Gena - New York - web
5 - Natalie - NA - web
6 - David - Iowa
7 - Stephanie - Texas - web
8 - Kelly Marie - Minnesota - web
9 - Sayward - NA - web
10 - Raychel - Maryland
11 - Heather - New Hampshire - web
12 - Caitlin - Pennsylvania - web
13 - Ruthy (with Vicky) - New Jersey - web
14 - Jenne' - New York - web
15 - Shari - Illinois


**if for some reason the number one winner cannot accept the grand prize, the finalist with the second-most votes will be awarded the prize - an so on..**

** I will announce the grand prize winner Monday December 17th - subject to change **

contest details Visit Dole's Salad Circle sign-up page.

return to top to VOTE.

Cozy Harvest Risotto. Butternut Squash. Sage. Almonds.

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This Cozy Harvest Risotto starts with creamy arborio rice, cooked to risotto perfection, slow-simmered on a stove-top while stirring gently. Then I add in a colorful array of harvest veggies including butternut squash cubes, celery and onions. Accents of sage and thyme. I also fold in some crunchy sliced almonds to complete the plate. A splash of warmed non-dairy milk or creamer over top if desired. For an elegant (surprisingly easy) meal night at home, try this recipe!..

Whenever I go out to eat at a fancy vegan-friendly restaurant and I see risotto on the menu, THAT is what I order. I fell in love with the Butternut Squash Risotto at Gobo in New York City. I loved it. Craved it. I miss it!

It had soft, tender vegan risotto rice accented by butternut squash cubes, sliced almonds and toasted sage. Sound familiar? Well this is my try at re-creating that dish. And I have to say it tastes pretty darn close!!..

Cozy Harvest Risotto
vegan, makes 23-4 servings (depending on how hungry you are!)

1 cup arborio rice
3+ cups of mushroom or vegetable broth

harvest mix:
1 small apple, diced
½ onion, chopped
1 ½ cups butternut squash, diced
½ cup carrot or sweet potato, diced (or use more squash)
½ cup celery, chopped
about 1 tablespoon of fresh mixed herbs: fresh thyme + chopped rosemary + chopped sage
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or safflower oil
salt + pepper to taste

also:
⅓ cup sliced almonds
fresh sage
non-dairy (plain) creamer or milk (warmed - optional)

Directions:

1. In a large saute or sauce pan, add the risotto rice and 1 cup of the broth. Turn heat to medium high and bring to a boil. When boiling, begin to stir the rice with a large spoon or spatula. Keep stirring casually until the liquid has absorbed. Add in the remaining amount of broth in splashes as you keep stirring - until all the rice has absorbed the liquid. Now do a taste test of the rice. It should be velvety and tender when ready, so if the inside still tastes al dente, add in a few more splashes of broth. Keep adding until the rice is as tender as you'd like it. I like my rice very soft, so I usually add in about 3 ½ cups of broth.

2. While your rice is cooking, you can do your harvest mix. You can either roast all these ingredients in the over (400 degrees for about 20 minutes) - or you can saute them in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Whichever method you use, just cook until tender and ready to eat.

3. When both your rice and harvest mix components are cooked, you will not combine them to serve. Per one serving: add 1 cup of the risotto to a saute pan, over medium heat. Add in the almonds and fold well. Add in one fresh sage leaf torn into pieces. Fold well. Lastly, gently fold in ½ cup of the harvest mix. Allow to warm a bit then transfer to serving plate. Top with another spoonful of harvest mix and some fresh sage and almonds to garnish! Pepper on top is nice too. Add a splash of warmed non-dairy milk or creamer over top if desired.

This dish is best served on a warmed shallow bowl.

SERVING TIP! If I make my risotto ahead of time, I plate it on the serving dishes and place them in a warm oven until ready to serve. Then when I serve the dishes, the plates and risotto are still toasty warm. Here is where a splash of non-dairy milk or creamer can help loosen things up if the rice became a bit dry in the oven. Risotto is easy to moisten up though.

A few other favorite Butternut Squash Recipes:

* Ginger Sage Pumpkin Soup (LOVE this)
* Butternut Bliss fall Salad
* Citrus Butternut Squash Dip
* Holiday Citrus Stuffed Squash
* Butternut Squash Party Dip
* Golden Trio Chipotle Fall Soup + Crispy Tofu Cubes

Pumpkin Spice Popcorn & more holiday movie-watching recipes!

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Hot Cocoa. Bowl of Popcorn. Cozy Blanket. One or two favorite holiday movies. Someone to snuggle with (people or pets!) These are my ingredients for a wonderful holiday season evening or afternoon!..

Movie-Watching Snacks Hot Cocoa. Popcorn. Kale Chips. A festive smoothie. A platter of holiday cookies. These vegan recipes will make your holiday movie watching experience a thing of bliss. So snuggle on the couch, grab a big bowl of this super cozy Pumpkin Spice Popcorn (recipe ahead!) and a warm mug of vegan cocoa. Sit by a few twinkly lights strung across a window, a glowing candle or maybe a sparkly Christmas tree.

This is indeed the coziest time of year so embrace it with these recipes! Get a few of my movie-watching recipes + my holiday movie list too..

Every movie needs a movie snack!..

Movie-watching snacks .. recipe links below..

caption, left to right: pumpkin spice popcorn, vanilla choc chip cookies, pb cup latte, snickerdoodle nog cookies, cocoa cinna buns, minty cocoa, cocoa shake, hot cocoa info, cinna-chili popcorn, citrus detox smoothie, kale chips, persimmon shake, walnutcracker cookies, soy nog shake, nachos.

Get my popcorn + cocoa recipe below or check out these holiday movie-watching recipes:

* Cozy up to some Minty Creme Cocoa
* Vegan Nachos make great movie-watching fare!
* Try a healthy-delicious bowl of Cheezy Kale Chips instead of popcorn!
* Sip on a holiday shake: soy nog or persimmon flavors!
* Lay out a plate of Jumbo Soy Nog Snickerdoodles
* ..or a festive plate of Real Vanilla Bean Chocolate Chip Cookies + chilled non-dairy milk!
* Entertain with a healthy Holiday Detox Citrus Smoothie
* Or any of these five vegan holiday smoothies - including "hot" cocoa flavored!
* Or try a holiday recipe from my 12 Days of Vegan Treats series - including walnutcracker cookies!
* Warm any movie-watching session up with a foamy Peanut Butter Cup Caramel Hot Latte or Cocoa.
*..learn more about vegan hot cocoa here.
* Or just make a batch of hot cocoa + marshmallow cinnamon rolls!
* Popcorn lovers' - also try my Cinnamon Chili Coconut Oil Popcorn Recipe!

Or try my easy Pumpkin Spice Popcorn..

Pumpkin Spice Popcorn
vegan, makes about 6 cups

½ cup organic popping corn
3 tablespoon organic virgin coconut oil, unrefined*

Add to taste:
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
salt (around ¼ tsp)
optional: drizzle of maple or agave syrup (2 tsp)
optional: spicy cayenne (a few dashes)

*any vegetable oil will work, but I highly advise that you try coconut oil! It is delicious!

Directions: Using an extra large stock pot or popcorn popping pot, add 3 tablespoon coconut oil over med-high heat. Drop in 2-3 kernels and cover pot with lid. Wait until first kernel pops, then add in the ½ cup popping corn. Quickly cover with lid and beware any stray popping kernels! Shake around pan for next minute as kernels pop. Turn heat higher if needed to help along the popping – just be sure to move those kernels around so the don’t burn. After most of the corn has popped – turn off heat. Do not open lid as kernels should still be popping a bit. Let sit until popping stops, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. While popcorn is still hot, toss with spices, salt and optional additions. Serve warm!

Vegan Cocoa (basic recipe)
serves 2

2 cups non-dairy milk, vanilla
1 ½ heaping tablespoon dark chocolate cocoa powder (dairy-free, unsweetened)
sweeten to taste (agave, organic sugar or stevia all work well)
+ dash of cinnamon
+ dash of cayenne

optional: vegan Dandies marshmallows

Directions: Heat milk + briskly stir in the cocoa powder and sweetener + top with vegan Dandies marshmallows. Serve steamy hot! Soy whipped cream optional.

And here is my holiday movie list...

Holiday Movies. Everyone has their own personal favorites that they can watch again and again - year after year and never get sick of. What is yours?? Mine: White Christmas. I used to dance around in my living room with my sister in a sparkly silver ballet outfit pretending I was one of the "Hanes sisters." I wanted to be Judy, but my family always said I was more a Betty. Hm. How could a little girl not LOVE those frosty ice blue dresses with matching dance fans?

Here are a few of my fave holiday movies..

Kathy's Holiday Movie List

White Christmas (favorite!!)
The Muppet Christmas Carol (giggle-worthy)
It's a Wonderful Life (classic to love)
The Santa Clause (fun)
Elf (funny)
A Christmas Story (classic + funny)
The Nutcracker Ballet (you don't even need to watch it - just listen!)
Home Alone (ah, the 90's..)
Scrooged (ah, the 80's)
Babes in Toyland (loved this as a kid)
Meet Me in St.Louis (for the one song!! "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Judy Garland)
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (hilariously silly)
The Polar Express (I like any movie where the main character stays in his pajamas for a long "train ride")
The Holiday (modern, holiday-ish..)
Animated: Charlie Brown, The Grinch

Mountain Fudge Sandwich Cookies. Vegan. Chocolate + Walnuts.

by 19 Comments


These rustic Mountain Fudge Cookies pack everything I love about sandwich cookies into one tender, nutty, fudge-chocolate-filled bite.

Chocolate Fudge + Walnuts. Rich vegan chocolate filling is squished between two cinnamon-accented, tender, walnut cookies. Toss a few of these cookies in your pouch as you scale the mountain climbs of your day..

I just slathered the fudgey filling inside .. no need for perfection. These are mountain cookies! So they can be a little rough around the edges. Literally..

My favorite cookie as a kid: EL Fudge sandwich cookies.

You know the little elves. I liked the chocolate filling / vanilla cookie combo.

These cookies kinda reminded me of those. The fudgey filling is what does it.

Of course my Mountain Fudge Cookies are a bit healthier. Vegan. Packed with healthy-delicious ingredients..

Nutrition Bonus. Dark Chocolate is rich in antioxidants. Walnuts are rich in healthy fats including omega-3 fatty acids. Virgin coconut oil is a healthy vegan alternative to "butter" (and shortening) for use in baking recipes.

Shopping Tips: For the chocolate chips to make the fudge filling, use a high quality chip! One you like to nibble on its own. Test out a few brands so you can find your go-to vegan baking favorites. Make sure the dark chocolate chips are vegan/dairy-free. If you are truly allergic to dairy, make sure the chips were not manufactured in dairy-use facilities. Read those labels, they will let you know. EnjoyLife brand is a wonderful allergy-approved vegan chocolate chip. I also love the Whole Foods 365 brand vegan chocolate chips. And a few mainstream brands (like Ghiradelli and Scherffenberger Chocolate) actually do dairy-free bittersweet dark chocolate chips too.

Mountain Fudge Cookies
vegan, makes about 12-14 mini sandwich cookies (24-28 mini cookies total) - you can also make larger cookies if desired

Nutty Spice Cookies:
1 cup spelt flour (sub with white or whole wheat flour if necessary)
¾ cup walnut meal (raw walnuts, processed until fine to chunky)
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup organic sugar
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional - but amazing!)
¼ cup soy or almond or rice milk (warmed to room temperature)
⅓ cup melted virgin coconut oil

Chocolate Fudge Filling:
¾ cup dark chocolate chips, vegan
2 tablespoon coconut milk
¼ cup virgin coconut oil
pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine all the cookie ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Fold until a wet ball forms. Place bowl in the fridge to chill for 15-20 minutes.

3. Your dough should have firmed up enough for you to gently press out the dough on a floured surface OR wax paper OR stone and cup out circles for the cookies.

NOTE: You do not have to do "cut out" circle round for the cookies. You could also just roll into balls and flatten for more "messy" style Mountain Fudge Cookies! I did both and both were delicious.

4. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Allow to fully cool on a cooking rack or glass plate.

5. To make the fudge filling, melt the ingredients together. You can do this on your stove or in the microwave. Stir until the chocolate is glossy and thin. Place this chocolate filling bowl in the fridge. Check on it every 20 minutes until it has cooled to a state that is much like chilled peanut butter.

TIP! For easiest cookie assembly, chill your cookies in the fridge before adding fudge.

6. Slather the fudge filling on a cooled cookie. Place another cookie on top. Continue until all the cookies are prepared.

I store these cookies in the freezer and grab one to "thaw" about 5 minutes before I want to eat it. They taste delicious chilled or warmed so the fudge melts a bit.

Vegan Hot Cocoa Cinna-Buns. Toasty Marshmallow Swirled.

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These Hot Cocoa, Toasty Marshmallow Swirled Cinna-Buns have all the cozy-sweet flavor of rich, steamy, hot cocoa with marshmallows, wrapped into each tender, swirled bite. Rich chocolate spirals are slathered in vegan agave-sweetened cream-cheese frosting and oven-baked, toasted vegan marshmallows. This recipe makes a fun splurge-worthy treat for your holiday season.

And every single bite is vegan. Stay inside and cozy up to these homemade "cinnamon bun" style treats..

Before adding frosting..

frosting..

"Is that hot cocoa with marshmallows?" Boy says.
"Yes." Girl replies. Boy smiles.
"I just sat down to sip it.." Girl replies.
"Oh." Boy says, disappointment on his face.
"I promise I will make you some next time." Girl replies. Her body melting lazily into her lounge chair.
"Alright." Sad boy exits with dramatic sadness.

(In place of hot cocoa, next time, girl made boy these toasty marshmallow, cocoa-infused treats as a peace offering.)

I love making a special cinnamon-style roll on holiday season weekends. Like this recipe: Pumpkin Pecan Cinna Rolls.

This "Hot Cocoa Buns" recipe puts a chocolate-spin on things. These buns are pretty fun and delicious as a morning bite or as an afternoon pairing with coffee or hot tea.

Made with spelt flour, agave syrup, rich cocoa powder, a subtle hint of coffee and velvetly tropical virgin coconut oil, these tender buns really do taste like hot, lovely, cocoa and marshmallows...

Hot Cocoa Toasty Marshmallow Swirl Cinna-Buns
vegan, makes 6-7 large buns

1 packet yeast + 1 cup warm water
2 ¼ cups spelt flour*
½ cup agave syrup
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (helps activate baking powder)
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon raw coconut flour**
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoon dark chocolate cocoa powder
½ cup virgin coconut oil, melted

* any flour can be used. A mix of white and wheat would be a good substitute for spelt.
**you could substitute the coconut flour with either shredded coconut, nut meal (any variety or processed whole raw nuts) or just add more flour.

Filling:
15-20 vegan Dandies marshmallows
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½+ cup vegan cream cheese frosting (recipe below)

Toasted Marshmallow Cream Cheese Frosting/Filling/Topping

6 ounces vegan cream cheese (any brand, plain flavor)
!/4 cup agave syrup
a few drops vanilla extract (optional)
¼ - ½ cup powdered sugar (to thicken)
⅛ teaspoon salt
0-2 tablespoon virgin coconut oil (also to thicken)

Directions:

1. Combine the yeast and water in a large bowl. Swirl to mix.

2. Add in the salt, baking powder, spelt flour, agave syrup, coffee, coconut flour, cocoa powder, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Fold into a ball of kneadable dough. It should be quite moist, yet just firm enough to form into a ball. Knead a few times, adding extra flour if needed to handle.

3. Place the dough in a greased mixing bowl and cover. Allow to rise for about 30-60 minutes. 30 minutes for quick rise yeast.

4. While the dough is rising, mix up the frosting. Add the cold cream cheese, sugar, agave and salt to a bowl. Blend until smooth using a hand mixer.

5. Gently knead the risen dough. Turn oven to 400 degrees.

6. Roll out the dough on a floured surface. If the dough feels too oily or sticky to knead, place in the freezer for about ten minutes. This will help firm it a bit. Otherwise, roll out to about ¼ inch thickness.

7. Add about 15 vegan marshmallows to the dough and spread about ½ cup or so of the frosting on the inside of the dough - around the marshmallows. You want the entire surface of the rolled out dough to be covered in frosting and marshmallows. Sprinkle the cinnamon over top. Place leftover frosting in fridge to be used upon serving buns.

8. Roll the dough from one end, into a tight spiral. Cup the dough into rounds and place in a greased baking dish. And circle dish will work - even a pie dish could work. 7"-10" round in size. A smaller dish will allow for more plumped up buns, as the press together as they bake. A larger dish allows the buns to spread out a bit more. Add a few extra marshmallows on top if you'd like.

9. Bake at 400 degrees, uncovered, for about 35-38 minutes.

10. Remove from oven and cool before serving.

11. Serve with a dollop of the frosting on top.

Store on the counter if consuming same-day. Store in the freezer or fridge if serving int next day. You will need to warm / reheat these buns before serving since they firm up quite a bit in the fridge.

*Process pics..

Mint Matcha Green Tea Latte.

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This warm and frothy, pastel green, Mint Matcha Latte will warm you up from the inside out. After one cool minty sip you will start to feel your body glow from the green tea Zenergy that comes with matcha beverages. There is a bit of caffeine in each serving of matcha, but you will not feel those shaky jitters like you may from coffee. (One teaspoon matcha powder has around 68mg caffeine, 8oz. coffee has around 100-200mg - 8oz. Starbucks coffee has about 160mg.)

Matcha powder is made by grinding up whole leaves of green tea. And most people describe the "Zenergy" from matcha as a slow and steady energy release. I find it is a feeling that is quite calming and centering. Skip the coffee or espresso latte and give this green tea beverage a try..

Frothy bliss with (optional) Dandies on top..

Over the summer, I acquired a great fondness for matcha green tea powder. Not only is matcha an excellent energizing substitute for coffee, but it is rich in free radical fighting, green tea antioxidants. And on warmer days, you will most likely find me squeezing a matcha smoothie somewhere into my busy workday. I add protein powder and make my smoothie into a meal. (And I'm SO addicted to that smoothie, I very often make it on COLD weather days too.) Brrr but YUM!

But now that the crisp, cool fall air has rushed in (and for many, the freezing cold air will soon follow) I wanted to put a warmed-up spin on my matcha beverage.

I am in love with the Moroccan Mint Latte at Urth Caffe here in Los Angeles. And though I have no idea what they use to make their beverage, this is my interpretation of it. And I added a little boost to my latte by adding a few vegan Dandies marshmallows too...

Green matcha. matcha bowl + whisk..

This latte had some soy whip on top instead of foam..

Some agave drizzled on top..

Mint Matcha Latte - vegan, serves 1-2

¾ cup non-dairy milk, vanilla*
¾ cup water
1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder
1-3 teaspoon agave syrup (or to taste)
MINT: (3 options) about 3 drops of peppermint extract, organic OR 1 peppermint tea bag OR 1 large sprig of fresh mint **

foam: ⅓ cup non-dairy milk + ¼ teaspoon matcha + drizzle of agave

*I really like vanilla Soy Dream. I have found that almond milk is the next best thing to soy milk for creaminess.

**you could also use sweetened mint syrup (if you do this, omit any additional sweeteners.

Directions:

1. Heat the water in a small sauce pot, until just before boiling. Add your "mint" to the water. If this is via tea or fresh mint, allow to steep and sit for at least a minute. If using a peppermint extract, you do not need to wait at all. Remove the tea bag or mint sprig before proceeding to the next step.

2. You can pour the minted water into your serving mug or glass - or keep in the pot (either way works.) Add the matcha to the water and begin whisking briskly. Use a bamboo matcha whisk if you have one. This helps to prevent clumping. (A basic spoon or fork works too.) Once the matcha has mostly dissolved in the water, it should be a bright dark green color with a few clumps most likely. TIP: try using a sifter to add the matcha as you stir, to lessen clumping.

3. Heat your non-dairy milk. Bring to a boil either via your stovetop or microwave. Add the steamy hot non-dairy milk to your serving glass - mixing with the matcha water.

4. Stir in the agave syrup to sweeten. Stevia, maple syrup or organic sugar can also be used.

5. Lastly, create your green foam. You will need some sort of milk foaming device to do this. I just use my BonJour Caffe Milk Frother. It works VERY well to make a small amount of foam. Adding a pinch of matcha powder turns the foam green.

6. Serve with foam on top, and optional vegan marshmallows, vegan whipped cream and agave drizzle on top! Serve in one very large mug or two average sized mugs.

dreamy...

Hope You Had a Happy Holiday!

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Hope you guys all had a happy Thanksgiving filled with people and pets you love, amazing food simmering in your kitchens and plenty of pumpkin pie to finish off your day. Here are a few images (and a recipe) from my family's vegan holiday feast this year..

So much to be thankful for. including all of YOU guys.

Thank you so much for reading my blog, and inviting me into your day or night. I so appreciate each one of you guys! Hope your holiday season is filled with love and DELICIOUS eats and treats.

The Feast. I have been cooking and photographing Thanksgiving recipes all month, so Thanksgiving always feels a little surreal once it actually comes along. This year, instead of cooking a huge spread, my husband and I took advantage of the fact that it was just us and just cooked up our faves..

1 - STUFFING (VEGAN APPLE SAGE SAUSAGE MUSHROOM)- recipe below
2 - CRANBERRY SAUCE
3 - SWEET POTATO POCKETS
4 - SALAD
5 - WALNUT PUMPKIN PIE
6 - WARM ROLLS
7 - a good ½ bottle of RED WINE

No big centerpiece this year. just giant portions of that vegan sausage and mushroom-filled stuffing, sweet potato pockets and amazing salad (sorry I forgot a pic of that! It had kale, romaine, and a creamy vegan ranch dressing. Juicy-sweet satsuma slices on top.)

..and really that is all we needed for our cozy little feast, just the two of us. Well three, including Nelly. We followed dinner with some hot peppermint tea and we watched "A Christmas Story" on my iPad. I had never watched that movie in full and felt I needed to finally see it since it is always raved about. I now finally get all the "you'll shoot your eye out" references. Very cute movie. (ps, what other holiday movies are must see flicks?? Favorites?? I need a list!) 🙂

Nelly was enjoying all the Thanksgiving coziness..

Some pics from our feast..

The pie - my walnut pumpkin pie, soy cream on top. SO good. I love this pie...

The stuffing (tastes a million times better than it photographs..)

I whipped up a yummy citrus-apple-cranberry sauce lightly sweetened with agave syrup, some orange zest and bright cranberry tartness in each bite...

My sweet potato pockets were as wonderful as always, I just looooove them..

Vegan Apple Sage Sausage Mushroom Stuffing

saute:
4 tablespoon vegan butter (Earth Balance)
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1 cup apple, diced
2 Field Roast Apple Sage sausages (vegan)
½ teaspoon citrus zest
pepper + fresh thyme + chili pepper + salt (to taste)

add in:
3 cups mushroom broth
3 cups dried bread cubes (seasoned or not - season to taste as needed)
1-3 tablespoon "holiday herb spices" or use pre-seasoned cubes (vegan)
*add in a few handfuls of fresh cubed bread if you like your stuffing more moist.

*add more mushroom broth as needed

Bake stuffing on 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the top becomes crisp and moist on the inside.

Simple feast. Quiet. Cozy. Filled with warmth, calm and love. Just my style. Happy Thanksgiving guys!

Citrus-Tamari Tofu Steaks with Warm Satsumas & Rosemary

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My Citrus-Tamari Rosemary Tofu Steaks, served with warm maple-brushed satsumas would look lovely on your Thanksgiving table. This is a super easy protein-rich entree to add to your vegan or veg-friendly feast. Tender steaks of tofu are marinated with citrus, tamari, maple and rosemary flavors, then sauteed until sticky and blackened. Crispy edges, silky insides.

For me, Thanksgiving is really all about the side dishes. The stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, oven-warm rolls, green veggies, gravy and more. OK, and the pumpkin pie dessert too. So for me, a super simple protein-rich entree dish really meshes well with my vegan Thanksgiving menu. If you are like me, give this tofu dish a try. Not a tofu fan? This recipe could also be used with tempeh or even seitan..

Citrus-Tamari Rosemary Maple Tofu Steaks with Warm Satsuma Wedges
makes 5-6 tofu steaks

12-16 ounces firm or extra firm tofu (1 standard sized package)

marinade:
4 tablespoon tamari
3 tablespoon maple syrup
3 tablespoon satsuma mandarin juice + pinch of orange zest (orange or tangerine will also work)
1 sprig of rosemary
dash of cayenne

Also:
veggie oil for saute pan (I used safflower oil)
finish with salt + pepper to taste

1 large satsuma mandarin orange, thickly sliced into wedges as shown (I tossed mine in some maple syrup)

Optional: a few teaspoons of nutritional yeast adds a savory flavor. A tablespoon of golden raisins is also a nice touch.

*fast version below directions*

Directions:

1. Drain your tofu and press dry with a paper towel or tofu press. Slice into thick steaks and again dry the edges and press dry. Squeeze out as much water as you can without disturbing the shape of the tofu.

2. Mix up the marinade and toss each of the tofu steaks in the liquid. Lay them in a shallow wide pan. Allow the tofu to marinate for at least a few hours - overnight is best. Half-way through, flip the tofu. Remove rosemary sprig before cooking tofu.

3. Now you are ready to cook your tofu. Add 1-2 teaspoons of veggie oil to a hot saute pan. When the oil is very hot, add in the tofu. After a minute, I like to flip the steaks then add in additional splashes of the leftover marinade mixture. I add most of it in and allow it to steam off. Continue cooking until all the liquid has cooked away or been absorbed. Allow a few more minutes for the tofu to form its crispy black edges. You can add in an extra drizzle of maple syrup if you like your tofu a bit more on the sweet and sticky side.

4. Add a few dashes of salt and pepper to the surface of the tofu just before removing from pan. Add additional cayenne if you like spicy tofu.

5. Remove tofu from pan and while pan is still hot, add in the citrus slices. Turn off heat and allow the satsuma wedges to gently saute and blacken on the edges, soaking up some of the pan flavors. (You can lightly toss the citrus in a splash of maple syrup before placing on pan, if you'd like.)

6. Serve tofu hot with the citrus wedges and fresh rosemary to garnish.

FAST version. So if you are in a rush, yes you can make this tofu in about ten minutes. You just skip the marination process and saute the tofu with the liquid until it is absorbed and steams off. The tofu will be slightly less flavorful, and crispy-edged, but it will still be quite yummy. The ONE change to the recipe: instead of 3 tablespoon satsuma juice, just add 1. Also, to achieve some rosemary-infused flavor, add a few sprigs of rosemary to the pan as you saute.

Fun Break! Trapeze-ing. Santa Monica. Acura ILX. Whole Foods Giveaway!

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Lets pause on food. For some always-welcome FUN.

This post is filled with fun. Fun for me and fun for you. Ahead, check out my "Week with the ILX" adventure including trapeze-ing in Santa Monica! (Lots of goofy pics of me flying through the ocean air!) Also, enter to win a few awesome giveaway prizes! One reader will win a $100 Whole Foods Gift Card and another reader will win a week-long test drive of their own with the Acura ILX! Fun fun fun...

November. Thanksgiving. Stuffing. Cranberry Sauce. Tofurkey. And oodles and oodles of pumpkin pie. November is the month I love to hate and hate to love. This is the busiest time of the year for a food blogger.

And sometimes I just need a little break from all-things-edible. A getaway. A day off. An adventure. And with any good adventure, I needed a getaway ride to usher me along...

And that is why I was MORE than happy to say "YES!" when Acura offered me a week-long test drive of their 2013 Acura ILX Hybrid. With this posh set of wheels at my fingertips, I was able to get more than enough work done, and manage to squeeze in some fun too.

***$100 gift card winner: Joy S, CA - congrats!***

UPDATE 12/20 - But wait!!!... thanks to the awesome folks over at Acura, you guys get one more chance to WIN!...

$75 Whole Foods Gift Card - SECOND CHANCE DRAWING - ends Christmas Day 12pm PST!!

(Note: Previous entries carry over into the second chance drawing - but check below because a few more entry options have been added - you can earn extra entries by facebooking, tweeting, sharing and etc...)

My Week. My first ever trapeze-flying class was awesome. And those ILX heated seats + cool breeze moon-roof really hit the spot after two hours of flying through the air. Cue the ocean breeze please.

Take a peek at my adventures thanks to the ILX..

Santa Monica Pier. Trapeze Flying. Farmer's Marketing.

Quiet morning in Santa Monica..

Navigation system lead me right to the pier. (I even made a few wrong turns just to test it out and all went well!) It was a weekday so there was actually some parking ON the pier. The view is pretty neat from down there.

Nice car. Beach access. Can I do this everyday please?..

Why I LOVE this car. A few things I found pretty awesome..
Heated seats at the push of a button. HYBRID! This hybrid is fantastic. I drove around all week long and NEVER refilled my gas tank. Super impressive Navigation system is AMAZING! Super reliable. Every time I missed an exit on the crazy LA freeways or missed a turn, it quickly recalculated the directions and I was quickly back on track. Other features I love.. Push button start. Cloth interior comes standard. Great sound system. My model had a moon roof. love those. Plus I felt pretty swanky in this ILX Hybrid. For the price, it really holds its own on the style factor. Automatic everything. Easy to customize my drivers seat positioning.

Santa Monica Pier. Some vintage kiddie rides lining the back alley..

I love watching all the birds down at Santa Monica Pier. Seagulls, pigeons and even a few pelicans..

California beach pigeons. Is this a new thing? I do not remember pigeons when I was a kid. But these pigeons are SMART. Why wander around cold NYC when you can soak in the sunshine at the beach..

I love seagulls. Such personality.

Ocean..

View of the beach homes from the tip of the Pier..

Beaches always make me feel better..

And that was the CALMING portion of my mid-week "Acura ILX" day off! Not for an ADRENALINE RUSH!

Trapeze flying anyone?...

Trapeze-Flying. The most intimidating part is making it up that skinny tall ladder. Then the actual scariest part is when you let go of the trapeze swing and fall to the net. Your stomach jumps into your throat for a few seconds as you freefall..

You get a gorgeous view of the Santa Monica beach all the way to Malibu from the top of the trapeze platform. However, the scary part comes when you have to JUMP off the thing..

Yes, I even have trapeze-ing video. (I look a little bummed at the end because he missed "catching" my arms. But for the record, the second time I tried I completed the trick.)

Totally worth the JUMP. I may be a trapeze-addict now.

Not a bad sight to come back to after a long and endorphin-filled trapeze-flying session!..

Then on the way home, a stock-up trip to Whole Foods..My packed Acura ILX trunk. And the weekend before it was filled with farmer's market goodies..

So if you are looking into buying a new car anytime soon and are a young professional like me, you may want to check out the Acura ILX. I am in love with the HYBRID model.

More info on the Acura ILX below.. (and be sure to enter the giveaway above and gain extra entries by RT-ing this post with the hashtag #WeekWithILX )

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