Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing!

Okay, so most of the time when I try to make a creamy dressing using cashews it just doesn't come out that great, maybe I’m just looking for something with a little more of a punch, but the recipes I've tried just end up tasting bland BUT yesterday I created one that I am super excited about!! It is tangy and zippy and just plain great!! So much flavor without being super thick or overpowering; I call it Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing! Try it out, dinner was a bit of a rush yesterday so I just poured it over top a head of romaine lettuce but you could use it on any kind of salad and it would be great!

I used my Vitamix blender for this dressing so I didn't need to pre-soak my cashews or anything (I love my Vitamix, best Mothers’ Day gift EVER!!) but if you don’t have a high powered blender, no worries my friends, just use what you got and give the cashews a soak for an hour or so before blending. Also because I use a high power blender the dressing comes out slightly warm so I make it about an hour before dinner and let it sit in the fridge to cool down. I think the white pepper in this dressing really makes it pop, it's subtle, a little smokey without being overly spicy but if you don't have it on hand use black. If you’re not into salad this dressing would make a great dip for roast potatoes or fries or a bunch of raw veggies- broccoli would be great!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing (Vegan, Gluten-free, soy-free)

Makes approx. 1 cup of dressing

Ingredients:

• ½ cup raw cashews
• 6 tbsp water
• 2 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled
• 3 green onions, mostly white part with about 3 inchs of green on each, chopped
• 1 tsp agave syrup
• ¼ tsp dried dill
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp, scant white pepper

Place all ingredients into a high powered blender. Blend until smooth. Place into a dressing or mason jar and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Running on Ceaser Dressing

Hey all!

Sorry it has been a while since my last post but a few weeks ago I started my training schedule for running the Manitoba Marathon in June and it’s been hard going! I got this training program off a website called State of the Art Marathon Training about three years ago and I've used it ever since. I highly recommend it though it does kick you’re a$$ at times! It has you running 5 times a week with two rest days or sometimes three and a long run on Sundays.  You gradually up your mileage so you get really comfortable with the long runs. I did 14 miles this past Sunday and I do 16 next Sunday so it also helps to train your mind- I try to mentally prepare for the long run all week! Thank goodness the weather has been so nice- running outside is so much more enjoyable than on a treadmill! I am getting excited about the running season this year- the last couple years I've been pregnant and couldn't really pour myself into it but this season is going to rock! I start out with the Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon on May 3, than the Manitoba Marathon in June (fathers day) and I got the Fort Gary Rotary Club Half in September. I love the rotary run, it’s in my part of town, an easy out and back on the streets I usually train on and, with the exception of this past year, I've run in all of them! I just need to get my speed back up. My personal best for a half marathon is 1:47 but right now my 14 mile run last Sunday took me 2:12- yikes!! I really need to pull my socks up but I’m not going to be crazy about it because I don’t want to risk an injury since I’m still getting up once or twice a night with 7 month old Boston (sigh) and I find I’m a bit pooped! Anyway, I will keep my progress posted- my goal is to eventually qualify for the Boston Marathon (which is 3 hours and 35 minutes) but I’m thinking I might have to wait till next Manitoba Marathon unless I feel good about doing a qualifier in the fall. Just have to wait and see!!

Anyway I have an awesome recipe for you today- Vegan Ceaser Salad Dressing. This is NOT a creamy dressing but a savory vinaigrette with so much depth of flavor you just have to taste it! I make this probably once a week- and that’s saying a lot because I can’t stand repetition in cooking! I know that’s weird because people who know me know that I love, love, love routine and schedules’ but when it comes to dinners and cooking I just have to have variety- I remember the first year after I decided to become vegan I was so excited about experimenting with new recipes, methods and different ingredients I don’t think my family ate the same meal twice!

Anyway, it took me a while to come up with this dressing; Paul’s family has a staple ceaser dressing they have used for years made with the traditional anchovies, egg and Parmesan and that he grew up with so the dressing had to have that traditional ceaser vinaigrette feel without any animal products!  I tried a lot of different recipes; creamy ones made with nuts or tofu, vinaigrette's using nuts as cheese but I finally figured out a combination that satisfied.  In this recipe I use my home made vegan Worcestershire sauce that I came up with a few years ago- I like it much better than the ones you can buy because it isn't so thick and the consistency and flavor more closely resembles the original Lea & Perrins. My recipe is gluten-free too, so it's good to keep around in case Paul feels like a ceaser (the drink!). It is also so easy to whip up a batch and it keeps forever in the fridge, though I usually use mine up in a month. I also use capers, which are one of my favorite little ingredients to use because they add such a punch with a little hint of the sea!

Since Paul was diagnosed with celiac disease I do not make the traditional ceaser salad with croutons but instead I like to call it “build your own salad bowl!” I make the romaine and dressing and then I have a few different toppings to add to it; usually I do cubed avocado and roasted chickpeas (I have an awesome way to roast chickpeas that is so good I will share too!). The kids love to make their own salad and it allows them to make healthy choices. So give it a try, you will not be disappointed!!

Natalie’s Vegan W Sauce (Vegan, Gluten-free)

Makes approx. 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp Bragg’s soy seasoning
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ketchup
• Tabasco sauce to taste, I use a couple drops
• 2 tbsp water

I put all ingredients into a mason jar (like the ones you use to can jam), put the lid on and shake well!

Store in Refrigerator.

Vegan Ceaser Vinaigrette Dressing (Vegan, Gluten-free)

Makes enough for one large head of romaine lettuce.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tsp dry mustard (powder)
• 1 tbsp Nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp capers, minced
• 1 tsp caper brine
• 3 tbsp lemon juice- or the juice of one large lemon
• 1 ½ tsp agave syrup, (you could use maple syrup instead)
• 10 grinds of black pepper
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Place all ingredients in a dressing or mason jar and shake to combine. Toss on romaine lettuce immediately before serving.

Easy Peasy Roasted Chickpeas (Vegan, gluten-free, soy-free) - inspired by Cool Ranch RoastedChickpeas by Veganyackattack.com

Makes about 1 1/2 cups of roasted chickpeas.

Ingredients:

• 1 19 oz can chickpeas, rinsed well and drained
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp dried dill

Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir to coat all chickpeas in seasoning. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30-35 min in 350° oven. Can be served warm or cooled.

I will be adding some pictures soon so stay tuned!

Have a great week everyone!!!!

French Inspired Navy Bean Soup!

Okay, so this week I have been struck down with a cold- boo! Just the garden variety runny nose and cough but it still got me down BUT I made this great soup on Tuesday ( I think it was Tuesday)! It is so easy and so comforting and with really run of the mill ingredients that we all have in the fridge and cupboard. I call it French inspired Navy Bean Soup! Why French inspired? Well- I used my Herbes Provençales spice mix I purchased from Victorian Epicure and it really made the dish! Now don’t fret if you don’t have this mix on hand; I have some substitute options in my notes below.

I only have one picture (and it was taken the day after as a left over bowl-shhhh) because I wasn't really thinking to post this or really make up a recipe at all until I served it for dinner and Paul said “Wow, you should post this!” Now, let me tell you, it is pretty hard to get Paul excited for 'whatever I have in the fridge' soup but this is a must try!
I served this soup with Socca- a traditional French street food; it is made with garbanzo bean flour and looks like a crispy flat bread. It is naturally gluten free and vegan and I will definitely post that recipe as soon as I get a chance as it has become one of my favorite gluten-free sides to make and it happens to go marvelously with this soup!

French Inspired navy bean soup

Makes one large pot of soup; enough for a family of four plus leftovers.

Ingredients: 

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 small or 3 large carrots peeled and diced
• 1 zucchini diced
• 3 medium red potatoes peeled and diced small
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cremini mushrooms; approx. a cup, chopped
• 19 oz  can navy beans
• 2 tbsps. Bragg’s all-purpose liquid soy seasoning
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp Herbes  Provençales
• 2 Bay leaves
• ½ cup dried red lentils
• 2 bouillon cubes- I use GoBio Organic Vegetable BouillonCubes
• 10 cups water
• 150 grams or about 1 ½ cups dried gluten free elbow pasta

In a large pot over medium high heat place oil, onion, carrot, zucchini, potatoes and mushrooms and cook down till onions are translucent and vegetables are just beginning to brown, stir frequently. Add garlic, beans, salt, bay leaves and Herbes  Provençales and cook another minute.

Next add water, bouillon, red lentils and Bragg’s and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours.

Taste for salt and add the elbow noodles to the pot 10 minutes before you plan to serve.

Serve and enjoy!!

Notes:

The longer you cook this soup for, the better the taste and consistency it will have. You can definitely eat it after only 30 minutes but if you wait the extra hour the lentils and potato cook down to make the broth thick and creamy without the addition of flours or starches.  I recommend waiting the time or you could always throw everything into a slow cooker and go that route!

Herbes Provençales is a mix of spices traditionally used in the south of France. These typically include rosemary, savory, thyme, marjoram, tarragon, basil, oregano, parsley and bay. In North America, Lavender is added to this mix. My mix from Victorian Epicure contains lavender and I love the addition but if you do not have this on hand I would suggest: ½ tsp each of rosemary, thyme, marjoram and tarragon, 2 bay leaves that you remove before serving, and ½ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley. If you don’t have one of these don’t sweat it- the rosemary, thyme and bay will do fine BUT I would strongly suggest either getting a mix with lavender in it or buying some dried lavender and making your own Herbes Provençales mix, you can use it for everything, seasoning vegetables, meats (if that’s your thing ;)), salads or I have even used it in a savory scone recipe! And it’s nice to pretend to be in the south of France every now and then :) 

Black Bean Brownies and a Dark Chocolate Glaze!!

Here it is!! My first dessert recipe and it is a gluten-free vegan chocolate black bean brownie!!! I know sounds crazy but it is decadent, chocolaty, moist, dense and in the words of my four year old “a little rich!”. 

Chocolate Black Bean Brownies

You definitely only need one of these babies to quash that chocolate craving! I first found this recipe on the website Minimalist Baker and it was awesome but I wanted to remove the oil and refined sugar so the following is my first attempt at doing so and I think it turned out pretty good- they aren't too sweet but I like to add a glaze which makes them perfect for a dessert but even without the icing (which is refined sugar free too, by the way!) they are a great little snacking brownie especially with a tall glass of cold almond milk!

I love this recipe because it is so easy to make- all you have to do is throw everything into a food processor and blend- That’s it! Right now I am using a small food processor- an adaption to my hand held blender so I had to make this brownie in two stages but it was still very easy. I first combined the beans, flax, water and applesauce and blended till smooth, then placed them into a bowl.

Dates, vanilla, seed butter and agave mixture.

Than I processed the dates, vanilla, seed butter, and agave (pictured above) and placed them into the bowl with the beans and then added the other ingredients to the bowl and stirred them together by hand- a little more labor intensive but now you have strong muscles! Once cooked I glazed them with a Dark Chocolate Glaze (the recipe follows) and topped them with a sliced strawberry.

This chocolate glaze is so versatile and easy to whip up in just a minute or two. I have made it using almond butter; which is my favorite, but you could use any nut or seed butter you like- peanut butter would also be divine, or hazelnut. . . there are so many variations! This recipe is very versatile; I have also made this glaze with the addition of some almond milk- about 1-2 tablespoons,  and used it as a topping for sliced strawberries! Yum!

I hope you all give these a try, even if you hate black beans- I guarantee you cannot taste them in this recipe and you get a punch of protein in your dessert! Bon Appetit!

Chocolate Black Bean Brownie (vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free)

Makes 12 muffin size brownies

Ingredients:

• 19 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• 6 Tbsp. Water
• 6 large Medjool Dates
• 2 tsp. Vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. Sunflower seed butter (or other nut or seed butter)
• 4 Tbsp. Agave syrup
• 4 Tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
• ¾ cup Dutch processed dark cocoa powder
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. sea salt
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips (optional) I use Enjoy Life brand

Preheat oven to 350° and spray a non-stick 12 muffin pan.

Throw everything except chocolate chips into a food processor and combine until smooth. The batter will be very thick- if it seems too thick to process add water a teaspoon at a time.

Divide batter evenly into the muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes, or just until the top looks dry and the sides are starting to pull away from pan. Let cool in pan about 30 minutes before removing. Glaze if desired and enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Glaze

Enough to glaze about 10 brownies

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup dark cocoa powder- I used dutch processed but I don’t think it matters
• ¼ cup agave syrup (could use maple syrup instead)
• 1 Tbsp. Sunflower Seed Butter (or your favorite nut or seed butter)

Mix together all ingredients till combined and use immediately as desired.