Kale + Mushroom + Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers (vegan, gluten-free)

Choosing a compassionate diet is about liberation, not deprivation. In my hOMe, we are always re-inventing traditional recipes with so much success that non-vegans often proclaim "I would never have guessed this was vegan!" Here is once such conversion. Your heart and taste buds will thank you for making the switch!

Recipe by John Arms

Yield: 8 servings (reheats well!)

2 cups dry long grain basmati rice

3 3/4 cups water

1 - 8 oz package of mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 jalapeño, diced

salt + pepper to taste

1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped

1/3 cup water

1 - 16 oz container vegan sour cream (we use Wayfare brand, it's soy/gluten free and delicious)

1/2 cup vegan mayo

1 package Daiya cheddar shreds

4 bell peppers, halved lengthwise, stemmed and seeded

Preheat oven to 400 F

1) Prepare the rice by soaking 15-30 minutes; rinse until water runs mostly clear and drain. Add rice and 3 3/4 cups water to a medium sauce pot over medium high heat; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed into the rice (keep covered and undisturbed). Avoid stirring the rice or it will become sticky. Place cooked rice in a large mixing bowl to cool to working temperature.

2) In a dry skillet, sauté mushrooms over medium heat until nearly all liquid has cooked off (10 minutes). Add onion, garlic, jalapeño, salt and pepper and continue to cook until onions are translucent. Add mushroom mixture to the bowl of rice, avoid stirring for now.

3) In the same skillet, add 1/3 cup water and kale; wilt the kale and add to the bowl of rice.

4) In a small bowl, combine the vegan sour cream, vegan mayo, and Daiya shreds, then add to the bowl of rice; now stir to combine all ingredients well.

5) Fill pepper halves with rice mixture and place in a casserole dish. Cover and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Add 1/3 cup HOT (or your baking dish will shatter) water to the casserole dish, cover and bake for 30 minutes more; the water will help to steam and complete the cooking of the peppers. Remove from oven and serve!

*gluten- and soy-free

Orange Spice Cake (vegan, gluten-free)

This cake recipe was adapted from a recipe found in Cooking Light magazine, by Marge Perry. I've adapted to be vegan and gluten free, and I must say, it adapted very well. If you want a more dense cake, just increase the flax 'eggs' by one.

Remember to choose organic ingredients wherever available. It's worth paying the farmer for safe produce rather than the doctor for the side effects of GMOs down the road.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prep a square or round 8x8 cake pan (use a safe pan, we like DANNYSEO's eco pan) by coating it lightly with a vegan butter (like Earth Balance Soy Free) and dusting it with rice flour.

Spoon measure dry ingredients and combine well with a whisk:
1 cup organic brown rice flour
1 cup organic quinoa flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup raw organic cane sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp salt

In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients:
3/4 cup organic orange juice
2/3 cup organic coconut oil (warm lightly if solid)
1 Tbsp zest of organic orange rind
1 tsp zest of organic lemon rind
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 flax 'eggs'*

*Flax 'eggs' (egg replacement, incredible binder!) are made by combining 1 Tbsp ground flax seed with 3 Tbsp warm water and processing in the food processor for about 2 minutes. So for this recipe, you will need 3 Tbsp ground flax and 12 Tbsp water.

Combine wet and dry ingredients, mixing until smooth. Pour batter in prepared cake pan and bake in the center of the preheated oven for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan and place on a wire rack to complete cooling.

Glaze as follows when completely cool:
1/2 cup sifted organic powdered sugar
2 Tbsp organic orange juice (or to desired glaze consistency)
1/4 tsp organic lemon juice
Whisk together and drizzle over cake. Ready to serve!

*gluten free, soy free (when using a soy free vegan butter)

Potato Kale Soup (vegan, gluten-free)

This recipe is simple, delicious and filling.

2 medium onions, diced

1 small jalapeño, diced
6-8 medium potatoes, cubed
2 bunches of kale, ribs removed and torn into pieces
5 cloves of garlic minced
6 cups veggie broth
1 can coconut milk
2 TBSP coconut oil

In a large soup pot sauté onions and jalapeño in coconut oil until onions become translucent; add garlic and sauté for 3-5 more mins. Add kale a handful at a time and stir until wilted. Pour in veggie broth and coconut milk and stir until well mixed. Add potatoes and simmer until potatoes are fork tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Note: This is a broth-based soup. If you prefer the soup to be a bit thicker, you can use a potato masher to gently mash about half of the potatoes, stirring them into the soup to thicken the broth.

Recipe by Marty's partner, John Arms.

*gluten-free, soy-free

Spicy Kale (vegan, gluten-free)

This is a regular on our dinner table. It's delicious, filling, and the leftovers reheat very well. We serve it with steaming hot basmati rice.

2 tsp coconut oil

1 red onion, diced

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 bunches of green kale, chopped (de-rib if you prefer)

1/2 cup water

2 tbs lemon juice

pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

sea salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste

Heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until onions begin to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, cooking until tomatoes are soft and juices have released. Add the kale, water, lemon juice and cayenne, cover and cook until kale is soft and flavors have melded well, about 10-15 minutes. Serve alone or with rice.

Recipe by John Arms

*gluten-free, soy-free

Peach Curry (vegan, gluten-free)

Yes, you read the title right. PEACH Curry. Delicious curry. You will love it so much you won't want to share curry. A delightful blend of sweet and savory flavors in this satisfying yellow curry. Get ready for requests for seconds!

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PEACH CURRY

Gluten free, soy free and vegan.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

You'll want to serve this with a plain basmati rice, which isn't listed in the recipe.

Ingredients

1-2 Tbsp unrefined coconut oil (optional)

1/2 medium onion, diced
1 inch ginger, peeled and diced very small
3 cloves garlic, diced
dash of sea salt

2 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1 (15 oz) can organic peach slices, chopped in half and liquid reserved
3-4 small red potatoes, cubed (no need to peel them)
2 kaffir lime leaves OR juice of 1 small lime

1 can full-fat coconut milk
1-2 Tbsp coconut sugar or to taste

Veggies of choice, I usually use:
1 red bell pepper, cut in strips
1/2 cup frozen peas
about 20 whole cherry tomatoes
(You could also use snow peas, broccoli, or any other veggie you love in curry.)

sea salt to taste (I use between 1/2-1 tsp, depending on how many veggies I add)
fresh cilantro, about 1/2 cup chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation note: This curry is best served with basmati rice. Get your rice of choice cooking before you begin, so everything is ready to go when the curry is finished and your peppers/peas don't grow soggy waiting for the rice.

Method

1. Heat oil over medium flame.
2. Add onion, ginger, garlic, and dash of sea salt; sauté until onions are translucent.
3. Add curry powder, turmeric, and red pepper; sauté for about 2 minutes (you can add a small splash of water if the pan seems dry). It's important to heat the spices properly prior to adding the remaining ingredients.
4. Add peaches, potatoes, and lime leaves; sauté another 2 minutes. (IF YOUR SUBBING LIME JUICE for the lime leaves, add this at the END, once the curry is complete.)
5. Add coconut milk, liquid from canned peaches and coconut sugar; bring to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
6. Add bell pepper and peas; simmer another 2-5 minutes or until peppers and peas are just heated and maintain their crunch.
7. Stir in fresh cilantro and add sea salt to taste.
8. Remove the lime leaves (if using) and serve over/alongside basmati rice; enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread

Banana bread! Whether as a treat with a warm beverage, a quick breakfast or the ultimate bread for a PB & Jelly sandwich, many of us have our favorite recipe and fond memories of this comfort food. When I switch to a cruelty-free diet, I had to reinvent many of the favorite foods in my culinary closet. I also went gluten-free after realizing a sensitivity and baking proved my biggest challenge, but it has now transformed into a newfound adventure skill. Here is one of my favorite ways to make banana bread now.

Mix together by hand or with electric mixer:

1/4 cup raw sugar (omit if you prefer a low-sugar version)
1/4 cup vegan butter, softened (like Earth Balance Soy-free)
3 mashed ripe bananas
1/4 cup rice milk (or any vegan milk)
1/4 cup vegan sour cream (I use Wayfare) or vegan plain yogurt or apple sauce


Whip for 1 minute1 in food processor and add to banana mixture, stirring well:
2 Tbsp ground flax
6 Tbsp water


Combine in a separate bowl and then add to banana mixture, stir until just combined:
1 cup rice flour
1 cup oat flour
1 tsp baking soda (aluminum-free)
1/2 tsp sea salt


Fold in gently:
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts


Place batter in a lightly buttered loaf pan. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test. Remove  from pan to a wire wrack after cooling for 10 minutes and cool completely (or at least as much as you can before devouring the loaf with a slathering of vegan butter on each slice!).

Hot Cocoa (vegan, gluten-free)

This recipe is derived from The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau...if you don't have it in your collection, order it today! It's the most used book in my kitchen, and I have yet to find a recipe that non-vegans didn't devour ("this is vegan???").

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup water

4 cups non-dairy milk like soy, almond or rice milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp mint extract (optional)
agave or raw sugar to taste

vegan marshmallows for topping (I used Dandies)

Combine cocoa powder and water in a small pot over medium heat; stir frequently until mixture reaches a boil. Continue to cook and stir constantly for about 1 minute. Add choice of milk and heat to desired drinking temperature (do not boil). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, mint (optional), and agave. Serve immediately with a garnish of marshmallows as desired.

*gluten free, can be soy free if using a non-soy milk and skipping the marshmallows

Masala Chai (vegan, gluten-free)

Chai (the Hindi term for tea) is a spectacular beverage, perfect for any cold Winter's day. The spices and herbs warm the body and comfort the soul. I've experimented with a few variations, and have decided to post a more traditional variation of this classical Indian spice tea, closer to what it may have been before the English introduced and encouraged the heavy use of black tea to the country. For those who desire black tea in their chai, after removing chai mix from heat, add 2-3 tsp loose black tea (recommend decaf) or 2 tea bags, steep three minutes; strain and serve.

2 1/2 cups water

1 tsp cardamom powder or 2 pods black cardamom, crushed

4 whole black peppercorns

2-4 slices fresh ginger

1/4 tsp of cinnamon or 1 large stick cinnamon

2 whole cloves

2/3-3/4 cup non-dairy milk (I prefer soy)

raw sugar or agave nectar to taste

1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Combine water and all spices in a small saucepan; bring to a low boil. Lower heat to simmer for 5-10  minutes. Add non-dairy milk and sweetener of choice and bring to simmer. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Strain through a fine sieve and serve hot.

*gluten free, can be soy free if choosing coconut or almond milk

Potato Leek Soup (vegan, gluten-free)

This delicately flavorful soup is simple and light.

1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 large leek, sliced thin (use only white and light green parts)
6 cups vegetable broth
2 medium potatoes, cubed
3-4 carrots, sliced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
sea salt to taste

In a medium stockpot, heat canola oil over medium flame; add leeks and saute about 5 minutes, or until beginning to turn translucent. Add broth, potatoes, and carrots and bring to a boil for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat, and stir in parsley, thyme, red pepper, and salt to taste. Serve and enjoy!

*gluten free (use gluten free broth/bullion) and soy free