Pure Thyme

Heart-Shaped Almond Coconut Granola Bars

February 9, 2011 By Jennifer

Okay, so I could have made some sugar-filled cookies dipped in chocolate to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, but I didn’t. This plant-strong family needed a healthier version. I was now on a mission to come up with a recipe that would make my family happy and not miss those cookies. We love granola bars around here and making the home-made ones are so easy to do. If you have kids, granola bars are a great kid-friendly recipe for them to help make – it’s fun and easy. Most any combination of ingredients will be yummy and so much better than the store-bought ones. Believe me, once you make your own you will never buy store-bought again.

I really loved Almond Joys growing up, so I wanted to come up with a granola bar that is reminiscent of that. OH MY GOSH, I think I did it! The whole family really loved these and I swear you will think you are eating something unhealthy (hee hee) they are so good. They also looked so cute heart-shaped which the kids really loved. Heart-shaped and heart-healthy, I’m loving this recipe. These are even better the next day and they are a very moist, cake-like granola bar.

Heart-Shaped Almond Coconut Granola Bars

I adapted this recipe from Dr. Fuhrman’s Yummy Banana-Oat Bars. I did not put bananas in mine because I didn’t want a granola bar that tasted like bananas this time. Those are great, but I am a little anti-baking with bananas now from perfecting my Banana Bread Recipe. I sure was obsessed with that one. Try them out and let me know what you think.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all!

Heart-shaped Almond Coconut Granola Bars

Author: Jennifer Strohmeyer - Virtually Vegan Mama

Recipe type: Snack

Serves: 12 hearts

Ingredients

Equipment needed: 3-inch Metal Heart Shaped Cookie Cutter

3 dates, pitted and chopped
¼ cup almond butter
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
½ -1 cup unsweetened almond milk (I used 1 cup and it made a very moist, chewy bar)
¼ tsp cinnamon
1-2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (depending on how chocolatey you want these)
1 ½ tsp almond extract
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ cup almonds, chopped
2 cups old fashioned oats (not instant)
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup mixed raisins and cranberries (you can use any combination of dried fruit you would like here)

Instructions

Cover dates in water and soak for at least 1 hour, up to 4 hours.
Drain dates and combine them with almond butter, applesauce, almond milk, cinnamon, cocoa powder, almond and vanilla extract in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to small saucepan and heat on low for 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.
Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl mix; almonds, oats, coconut, raisins and cranberries. Fold in the almond butter mixture. Place cookie cutter on the parchment lined baking sheet and spoon batter into cookie cutter filling halfway. Press down firmly with your fingers. Gently lift the cookie cutter away from the granola and press down around inside edges to help keep its shape. Reform granola hearts with your fingers if necessary and repeat.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely before eating. These can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Enjoy!

XOXO,

Jen

Vegetarian Three Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

February 4, 2011 By Jennifer

Here’s my reinvented nutrient-rich NO MEAT version of my husband’s oh so delicious chili recipe that he has made for years. The verdict….dun dun dun! He loves it! WOOHOO! This actually is quit fabulous so if you haven’t made your game day chili yet make this one. It’s sure to be a hit at any Super Bowl Party! Try it out and let me know what you think (That’s all I’ve got for blogging today, back to my poor little 11 month old with a double ear infection and pink eye taboot…BOOOOO!). Oh, and make sure everything you use is no or low sodium! If canned beans have too much sodium, buy dry and soak beans 6-8 hours in water. This is the best way to cut the sodium out. =)

Vegetarian Three Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion (diced)
1 large red bell pepper, (chopped)
4-5 cloves garlic (minced)
1 (8 oz/226g) carton button mushrooms (chopped)
2 medium sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into ½-inch/1 cm pieces)
1 (28 oz/794g) can diced tomatoes, regular or fire-roasted (undrained)
1 (28 oz/794g) can crushed tomatoes, regular or fire-roasted
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (15 oz/424g) can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
1 (15 oz/424g) can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 (15 oz/424g) can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 medium jalapeno (chopped)
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
½ teaspoon ancho chili powder
½ teaspoon mexican chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
3 teaspoons raw cacao powder
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
handful of fresh chopped cilantro for garnish
Daiya Dairy-free Cheddar Style Shreds or other dairy-free cheddar substitute

Instructions

Heat a large stockpot on medium heat.
Add onions, garlic and mushrooms. Add two tablespoons of water and stir. Sauté for 5 minutes adding a little more water when needed so not to burn the vegetables.
Add the rest of the ingredients, but leave out the beans. Bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Add beans and stir. Continue to cook uncovered for 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro and vegan cheddar shreds.

Notes

Make this a day before. Chili is always better the next day! I've also added some canned chipotle in adobo sauce for an extra smokey kick, about a half of one should do.

Enjoy!!

XOXO,

Jen

Enjoy!

Healthy Vegan Banana Bread

January 28, 2011 By Jennifer

Five banana breads later and I am finally happy with the results. I never thought coming up with a healthy vegan banana bread would be this difficult. Since I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to cooking, I knew I wasn’t stopping until it came out PERFECT! It’s not like I had anything to compare it with either. I’ve honestly never tried vegan banana bread and I had only my non-vegan banana bread recipes to modify. I’ve made other vegan desserts before, so I knew what I needed to replace in my original recipes. I had to adjust measurements several times until I got moist, fluffy, and most importantly, edible banana bread.

My banana bread is made with date sugar and contains no oil. It gets its sweetness mainly from the bananas and of course the date sugar. It won’t be the sweetest banana bread you will ever try, but that is what I was after. This is the healthiest version I could come up with and I am super excited about the results! So, give it a try and let me know what you think!

Printable Recipe

Healthy Vegan Banana Bread

Ingredients:

3-4 over-ripe bananas (1 1/2 cups mashed)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup date sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup Walnuts (optional)

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas and stir in date sugar, vanilla, and applesauce.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine lemon juice with almond milk. Stir into banana mixture.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir to combine ingredients.
Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and stir until combined.
Spread the mixture evenly into a non-stick 9×5-inch pan and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing and serving.

Lily’s Favorite Green Smoothie a.k.a. The Green Dinosaur

January 26, 2011 By Jennifer

=) New Picture Coming Soon! =)

If you’ve enjoyed a green smoothie before, you know that is oh so delicious! If you haven’t you might be thinking there’s no way I’m gonna like that! Raw greens in my smoothie?!?! You’ve got to be kidding….YUCK!! Stop right there. I’m telling you to try it and you will love it! Lily, my 3 year old daughter even loves them. Making smoothies with Mommy is a morning tradition around here. We make all different kinds and the most exciting part for Lily is anticipating what color the smoothie is going to be.

Green smoothies are a great way for the whole family to get the in the nutrient-rich foods needed for optimum health. There are so many different options, you can make if with all different types of greens and fruit. Picky eaters won’t even taste the greens because adding fruit makes it taste great. I wasn’t in the mood for a salad yesterday, so I opted for a green smoothie instead! I got my raw greens and I was super satisfied. Here’s a basic and delicious one for you to try.

The Green Dinosaur

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

1-2 cups baby spinach

1-2 cups romaine lettuce

1/2 an avocado

1 banana

1/2 cup frozen pineapple

1/2 cup frozen mango

5 ounces unsweetened almond milk

5 ounces fresh squeezed orange or clementine juice

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Enjoy! YUM!

Vegetable and Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers

January 24, 2011 By Jennifer

I love to make stuffed peppers. It’s an easy and great tasting dish to make when you have extra veggies lying around and don’t know what to do with them! Peppers are rich in vitamins A, C and K, to name a few, especially the red ones. Peppers have powerful antioxidants that prevent cancer, disease and support a healthy immune system.

I like to stuff an assortment of peppers from green to yellow, but reds are definitely my favorite! My old standby recipe is made with ground turkey, vegetables, brown rice and canned Amy’s Tomato Bisque soup (so good). I can easily change that recipe around to be even healthier, still great tasting and hopefully please the whole family! My husband went to the supermarket for me (boy, do I love when he does that) and brought home some assorted peppers that he found on sale. I made these with the vegetables I had, but you can make it with whatever you have or like. You can also add tofu or seitan, or maybe some slivered raw almonds would taste great.

That’s the best part about making stuffed peppers; anything you throw in will usually work and it’s hard to ruin this meal!

Vegetables and Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4-5 medium assorted bell peppers

1 cup of brown rice, cooked on the firmer side

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup onions, diced

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

1 cup string beans, trimmed and chopped

1 cup carrots, halved lengthwise and chopped

1 cup frozen spinach

1 cup peppers, chopped (from the tops of the stuffing peppers)

1 cup tomato, chopped

1 ½-2 cups tomato soup (no or low-sodium store bought or homemade) I used my Vegan Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup and it was the perfect substitute for the Amy’s brand!

1 tbsp Dr. Fuhrman VegiZest or other no-salt substitute

1 tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos

Handful of chopped fresh parsley

Black pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook rice according to package instructions. While rice is cooking, slice the tops of peppers and remove all ribs and seeds. Add vegetables to a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of water. Add VegiZest, Braggs , pepper and fresh parsley. Stir and water sauté vegetable for about 10 minutes, just enough to soak up seasonings.

Transfer vegetables to a mixing bowl and stir in brown rice and 1 cup of tomato sauce (add more tomato sauce if it seems too dry). Ladle ½ cup of tomato sauce into a baking dish. Arrange peppers in baking dish. Spoon the vegetable mixture into peppers. Spoon the vegetable mixture into the peppers. Cover with dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and broil peppers for 5 minutes (I love a crunchy top). Remove from oven, transfer stuffed peppers a to serving platter.

Enjoy! YUM!

Red Lentil Soup with Fresh Cilantro and Lemon

January 20, 2011 By Jennifer

I’ve always loved lentil soup; it’s creamy, filling and absolutely delish in my opinion! Lentils are a good source of protein, iron, dietary fiber, vitamin B1, folate and essential minerals (“Lentil: An Ancient Crop for Modern Times.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia). Soups are a big part of the Eat to Live diet created by Dr. Joel Fuhrman and I base the way I cook my food on his style of eating. I have been enjoying cooking my food with the limited use of salts and extra added fats. I have learned to season my food naturally. You will be surprised how unappetizing food that is heavily salted and drench in butter/oil begins to taste. Just forgot about what you have learned about cooking and at least attempt this style of eating. You will be amazed at how wonderful you will feel. So why not start reaping all the health benefits a nutrient-rich, plant-based diet can give you and your family?!?! Go for it!

This recipe is inspired by the Eat to Live style of cooking. Pretty much all the recipes you will find here are. I use two products to come up with a great tasting way to make a soup base and then I throw in the ingredients I want to cook, season it and garnish it with fresh herbs. The fresh herbs always make a big difference in taste to me. I always keep fresh herbs in the fridge and use them all week in everything I cook. Oh, and I love fresh lemon squeezed on this soup right before serving. The lemon really compliments the coriander. I’m also really into cilantro lately and it tastes great in this soup too. The whole family enjoyed this one. YUMMY!

Red Lentil Soup with Fresh Cilantro and Lemon

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

6 cups no salt added or low-sodium vegetable broth (or 3-4 Tablespoons Dr. Fuhrman VegiZest mixed w/ water)

1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large onion)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2-2 cups chopped carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise

1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon paprika

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Fresh lemon juice

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, add 6 cups of water, stir in VegiZest and Swiss Bouillon or add vegetable stock if using that instead.

Add chopped onion, garlic, coriander, paprika and fresh ground pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to break up any chunky seasonings. Boil gently uncovered for five minutes.

Add red lentils, reduce to simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Add chopped carrot, cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes until lentils are thoroughly cooked and soup is thickened. Stir often to prevent sticking to the bottom of your pan.

Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and fresh lemon.

Enjoy! YUM!

Reference list

S S Yadav et al. Lentil: An Ancient Crop for Modern Times. (2007) In Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Encyclopedia on-line. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lentil. Internet. Retrieved 16 January 2011.

Baby Spinach, Tomato and Pineapple Salad with Shallot Dressing

January 18, 2011 By Jennifer

Spinach is a powerhouse of nutrients like iron, beta-carotene and vitamin C. It’s another nutrient-rich food that fights heart disease and cancer. I can’t get enough of it, raw or cooked. Our mom always told us how good it was for us and she was not wrong. So, eat your spinach folks!

I made this salad for company this past Saturday night and it was a hit! The dressing is my new favorite and I will be using it not only on this salad, but on others as well.

Baby Spinach, Tomato and Pineapple Salad with Shallot Dressing

4 servings

Ingredients:

6 cups of baby spinach leaves

1 1/2 cups of pineapple, cubed into bit sized pieces

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

Shallot Dressing, recipe follows

Directions:

Put the spinach, tomatos and pineapple in a large bowl. Drizzle with some of the dressing, toss and serve.

Shallot Dressing

Yield: 1 cup

1/2 cup of shallots, diced

1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons of date paste or 4 pitted dates

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

4-6 cloves roasted garlic (all depends on how garlicky you want it)

1/2 cup of water

2 tablespoons of fresh parsley

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender, Cuisinart or mini prep (I love my mini prep for dressings), blend until smooth. Use as needed.

Enjoy! YUM!

Roasted Garlic

January 17, 2011 By Jennifer

We do a lot of our cooking around here on Sunday, so during the week there is less time cooking and more time to enjoy with our family. I love to roast a head of garlic on Sunday to use in a variety of recipes during the week. My all time favorite was spreading warm roasted garlic on a baguette slathered with warm, melty brie. Sorry if I made your mouth water, but now I will just be saving that for my once a year treat! Sitting here writing that though, I can honestly say I haven’t even been missing my old cravings since beginning this new journey. I’ve been having to much fun coming up with the most nutritious versions of my favorite recipes to even think about it. My energy level has been through the roof and I’ve lost 7 lbs in 2 1/2 weeks! See you later baby weight and you can temp me all you want delicious brie, I’m over you! HA! =) Anyhow, back to roasted garlic. I love the flavor of roasted garlic better than sauteed garlic most of the times. It’s got such a creamy, sweet taste and it’s not so garlicky that you will be tasting it for the rest of the day! Not only does it taste good, but is good for you too. Garlic is nutrient-rich and supports a healthy immune system that has been shown to fight off colds, cancer, heart disease and infection. It’s so easy to do and so worth making it…Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Roasted Garlic

Ingredients:

1-2 heads of garlic

Tin foil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Using a knife, cut off a 1/4 inch of the tops, exposing the cloves of garlic.

3. Wrap garlic glove in tin foil twisting the top to seal in the garlic.

4. Roast directly on rack or on a tray for 40 minutes to 1 hour or until cloves feel soft to the touch.

5. Remove garlic from oven and allow to cool slightly. I find the easiest way to get the roasted garlic out is just by squeezing a clove with my fingers or you can use a small knife and fork to get it out.

6. Use as needed.

Enjoy! YUM!

Date Paste

January 16, 2011 By Jennifer

Dates are a wonderfully delicious alternative to sugar. Dates are a natural sweetener that are full of valuable nutrients like proteins, carbohydrates and fiber. They contain essential minerals like vitamin A, thiamine, potassium and riboflavin to name a few. Dates are also low in fat, calories and sodium. Here is a basic recipe for making your own Date Paste which can be used in a variety of food preparation like salad dressings, sauces, desserts, etc. Dates my new favorite sugar substitute and I’m going to be trying it out is so many different ways! This recipe is sooooooo yummy! Try it and you will love it too! =)

Date Paste

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

2 Cups of pitted dates

Water for soaking

Directions:

Cover dates with cold water and soak for 1 hour. Remove dates and reserve water. Place dates in blender or Cuisinart and process until smooth (I like to use my Cuisinart Mini Prep for this). Adjust consistency with some of reserved water, if needed. Store date paste in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to two weeks. Use as needed.

Enjoy!

Vegan Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup

January 13, 2011 By Jennifer

Tomatoes are full of all kinds of health benefits. They contain lycopene which is a vital antioxidant that helps fight against cancer and they are loaded with vitamin A and C. Tomatoes are highly versatile and can be used in so many recipes. One of my favorites is cream of tomato soup. I absolutely looooooooooooooove cream of tomato soup! Let’s face it though, it is not healthy or low fat after all the cream is added to the soup, but boy is it delicious! So, with a lot of thought and years of eating this stuff, I was able to come up with my own super nutrient-rich version. My sister-in-law, who is also a wonderful chef, always roasts her tomatoes in the oven like this for sauces, so she definitely inspired this soup. Try it and let me know what you think!

Vegan Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (mix ’em up, use what you like or whatever looks good!)
4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 large vidalia onion, sliced
4 cups low or no sodium vegetable stock (homemade or store bought)
3 tablespoons Dr. Fuhrman’s VegiZest or other no-salt seasoning.
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup raw cashew nuts
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Slice the tomatoes into halves. Stuff the tomatoes with the garlic. Line two trays with parchment paper or use non-stick trays. Spread the tomatoes and onions onto the baking trays. Roast for 30 minutes.

Remove roasted tomatoes and onions from the oven and transfer to a large stock pot. Reserve a couple tomatoes for garnish. Add the vegetable stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until liquid has reduced by a third.

Remove bay leaves. Add the soup to a high powered blender or cuisinart with cashew nuts to puree the soup until smooth. Return soup to low heat and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Garnish in bowl with some chopped roasted tomatoes and fresh chopped basil.

This soup is a great base and it freezes well too. I use it for stuffed peppers and I often throw fresh spinach, kale and/or other vegetables into it for a heartier version.
Enjoy! YUM!