Vegan Cooking with TLC

I woke up craving pumpkin muffins this morning, so I decided they would be this week's recipe. I usually prefer to make the recipe for the blog earlier in the week, but this week hasn't been conducive to that. So here we are. I couldn't find the previous pumpkin muffin recipe I wrote, so I rewrote it this morning and made them. I know this isn't my original recipe, but I'm happier with this one than my previous one. Pumpkin Muffins 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds 2 tablespoons hot water 1 can pumpkin puree * ½ cup maple syrup ** 2 cups spelt flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves ½ cup pecans broken into pieces, optional Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Stir together flax seeds and hot water in a small bowl. Set aside to thicken. Combine spelt flour, baking powder, and the spices in a medium bowl . ...

We often used to eat ramen noodle soup when we'd get sick, yes, those cheap packets, even though we eventually started throwing the flavor packets away and use our own stock.  When I found ramen rice noodles without packets a few years ago that were vegan I was excited. I ended up developing a couple of ramen noodle recipes. This week I ended up making ramen noodle soups a couple of nights because my household is dealing with colds right now. I decided to share my version of this comfort food now instead of later in case anyone else is looking for an alternative soup to eat while sick. I make each serving in its own pan because I think it turns out better that way. The photo shows ingredients for two, but the recipe is for one serving. Miso Ramen Noodle Soup 2 mushrooms 1 carrot 2 cups vegetable stock ¼ teaspoon fresh ginger** 1 block ramen noodles ** 1 tablespoon miso Cut mushrooms into small pieces. Shred carrot. Add mushrooms, carrot, and ginger...

I decided to talk a bit about snacking today because that's what's on my mind. Are you a snacker? I tend to only snack when I don't eat full, nutritious meals. I've noticed lately that I've been snacking more than usual at the same time I noticed I wasn't putting in the effort to eat meals. My snacks are nutritious, but a handful of nuts isn't going to provide the energy, fullness, and nutrition to keep me going through the day. I know this. I know it's worth taking the time to fix breakfast and a light lunch to avoid snacking all day, but sometimes I convince myself I'm too busy or I'm not that hungry or... whatever excuse I give myself for not taking the time to fix myself a nutritious and healthy meal. My snacks tend to be nuts, dried, fresh, or frozen fruit, and sometimes air-popped popcorn. But, even when I choose healthy snacks, they don't have the same positive effect on my body as eating a full meal. As I was writi...

I developed this recipe several years ago when my niece started college. She wanted some healthy, plant-based recipes she could make in her crockpot. I was happy to oblige. I usually make pumpkin soup with fresh pumpkin, or other squash, but this seemed like it might be more practical for people without access to fresh squash or without the room to store fresh squash. I remembered the origins of this recipe and thought it might be a nice recipe to share with school starting. It can easily be expanded to feed more people by using a larger can of pumpkin or multiple cans of pumpkin. Crock Pot Canned Pumpkin Soup 1 15-oz can organic pumpkin 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds 2 stalks celery 1 medium carrot 1 medium onion 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried rosemary ½ teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom , optional 2 ½-3 cups vegetable s...

We rarely eat baked desserts in the summer when fresh fruit and berries are so abundant, but these make a nice treat and they are good to take to parties. They've always been well received when I've served them to both vegan and non-vegan friends. Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondies 2 cups cooked chickpeas , drained 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds 1 tablespoon hot water 1 cup almond butter * ¼ cup molasses ** 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom , optional 2 Tablespoons cacao nibs 2 tablespoons chocolate chips If starting with dry chickpeas (my preferred method), they must be soaked overnight and cooked with no spices. Then allowed to cool completely. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place ground flax seeds in a small bowl, add the hot water. Stir together. Set aside to thicken. In a food processor , add all ingredients except cacao nibs and chocolate chips. Proce...

I used to love drinking orange juice with a splash or cranberry juice in it, but I no longer drink fruit juices as a general rule because of the high sugar content and lack of fiber. Sometimes, like this morning, I get a craving for that flavor combination. This water isn't as sweet or as strong, but it satisfies that craving. I like to drink infused water because it helps me keep my hydration up when I get bored with plain water. Since I was craving this this morning and decided to make it to quench my craving, I decided to share it! Orange Cranberry Water 2 oranges 1 cup frozen cranberries 40-60 ounces water Wash oranges. Slice into piece discarding the end pieces. Remove seeds. Gently massage orange slices over the top of a pitcher . Drop slices into the pitcher.  Add cranberries. Fill pitcher with water. Place in the refrigerator and all to infuse for several hours, or overnight. Note: I use organic ingredients whenever possible.

This is one of several versions of banana bread I've created over time. I like to play with the ingredients in classic recipes. I don't make this particular banana bread as often as some others, but I always enjoy it when I do. Combining bananas, chocolate, and coffee just seemed natural. This banana bread makes a good breakfast, a great afternoon snack with tea or coffee, and a satisfying dessert when served with some berries on the side. I also like to toast slices after the first day. The toasted Mocha Banana Bread kind of reminds me of French Toast. Mocha Banana Bread 3 cups whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds 1 tablespoons hot water 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves ½ cup unsweetened cocao powder 1 cup mashed banana (approximately 3) ¼ cup molasses * ¼ cup maple syrup * ½ cup peanut butter ½ cup unsweetene...