Oat Bars

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4c butter or coconut butter
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp agave
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp brown sugar or coconut sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp water

In a blender or food processor,  pulse 1 cup of oats until it is consistency of coarse flour.  Mix in a large bowl with the other cup of oats & cinnamon.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  then add salt, syrup, honey, sugar, vanilla and 1 Tbsp water.

Pour into lightly greased 8x8" pan and press down until compact and even.  Let it cool for at least 1 hour in the fridge and then cut into squares.

Comfort Loaf

Adapted from Kathy Freston

Serves 4 to 6
Great twist on meatloaf, also great in sandwiches.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained, rinsed, and mashed
1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon yellow or spicy brown mustard
1/2 cup ground walnuts
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup oat flour
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried savory
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a 9-inch loaf pan and set aside.
2. Saute oil,  onion, celery, carrot, and garlic until softened. Mix in beans and set aside.
3. Puree the tofu, soy sauce, tomato paste, and mustard until smooth. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl combine the walnuts, oats, bread crumbs, and flour. Add the parsley, basil, thyme, savory, salt, and pepper. Stir in the tofu mixture and the vegetables and mix well to combine.
5. Scrape the mixture evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until firm, 45 to 50 minutes. If the top begins to brown too much, cover loosely with foil. Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes before slicing.

Super Quick Chickpea-Tomato Soup

Adapted from Kathy Freston

This soup is great warm or cold and is so quick it can be made in under 10 minutes, nice!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
• 1 cup plain unsweetened soy, coconut or almond milk
• salt
• ground cayenne
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro or parsley

Directions
1. In a high-speed blender or food processor puree  the chickpeas and garlic.
2. Add the tomatoes, cumin, juice, oil, 1/2 cup of the milk, and salt and cayenne and blend until smooth.
3. Add as much of the remaining 1/2 cup of soy milk as needed to achieve desired consistency and blend to incorporate.
4. Either warm up or chill for a few hours in fridge if serving cold.  Top with minced cilantro or parsley

Butternut Squash Pancakes

I have been searching (or should I say wasting half my day) looking for more recipes as getting tired of the usual standby gluten free vegan recipes I have been using and came across Clean Eating Chelsey website which is full of a ton of awesome recipes, thank goodness, now maybe I can get to cooking something!  Check out her site as she also has full list of her recipes which makes finding things to make super quick and easy :)

Makes: 12 pancakes
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes (per batch on your griddle)
Total Time: dependent upon size of griddle

• 3 cups roasted butternut squash, mashed
• 1/4 cup & 2 tbsp. garbanzo bean flour (*see note)
• 3 tbsp. almond milk
• 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp. flax + 6 tbsp. water)
• spices of choice (I went savory with basil, oregano, garlic, and pepper)

Directions: In a small bowl, mix your 2 tbsp. flax and 6 tbsp. water to make two flax eggs. Stir and set aside for ~5 minutes or until the flax has reached a “gel-like” consistency. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butternut squash, garbanzo bean flour, almond milk, spices, and flax eggs (when they have “set”). Heat a griddle over medium high heat and spray with cooking spray or drizzle with olive oil. Once the griddle is heated, scoop 1/4 cup portions of the butternut squash batter onto the griddle. Cook for 3 minutes on one side, flip, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes on the other. Enjoy!

Breakfast Cookies

I was looking around for new recipes (vegan & glutten free) and came across breakfast cookies  from She Knows.com One of the recipes she shares online is below and is from the and sounds delicious so of course I am off to make a batch to try out. 

Makes 2 dozen
Ingredients:2 cups pomegranate juice
1 cup steel-cut oats (uncooked)
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup goji berries
1 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup freshly ground peanut butter
1/4 cup vegan butter (try Earth Balance)

Directions:1. Bring pomegranate juice to a boil in a saucepan and add oats. Cook until mixture just starts to boil then remove from the heat immediately. Cover and allow liquid to absorb and cool.

2. Place the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and blend to mix. When oats are cool, mix with the rest of the ingredients to form a wet cookie dough. Place dough in the middle of a 2-foot-long piece of plastic wrap and roll into a log shape. Tie both ends, ensuring that the cookie dough is airtight. Freeze until needed.

3. When ready to use, defrost until just soft enough to cut into 1/2-inch slices. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and line cookie sheets with parchment. Bake for 10 minutes then turn off oven and continue to dehydrate until cool.

Note: Freston likes to reheat these cookies every morning and pour her daily dose of 2 tablespoons of flax oil on top.

Quick Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers

• 1½ cup cooked quinoa
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
• 6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped (¼ cup)
• 1½ cups cooked black beans, or 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• 2 tsp. dried steak seasoning
• 8 whole-grain hamburger buns

1.  Saute onion and sun-dried tomatoes in over medium heat until onion has softened. Stir in ¾ cup black beans, garlic, steak seasoning, and 1½ cups water. Simmer 9 to 11 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.

2. Transfer bean-onion mixture to food processor, add ¾ cup cooked quinoa, and process until smooth. Transfer to bowl, and stir in remaining ¾ cup quinoa and remaining ¾ cup black beans. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and cool.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F, and generously coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Shape bean mixture into 8 patties (½ cup each), and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, or until patties are crisp on top. Flip patties with spatula, and bake 10 minutes more, or until both sides are crisp and brown. Serve on buns.

These are great to have in the freezer so make a double batch.

Black Bean & Quinoa Burgers

• ½ cup of rinsed Quinoa
• 1 cup gluten-free flour (Quinoa Flour, Amaranth Flour, Millet Flour etc.)
• 2 Tbs raw coconut oil
• 2 medium cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 medium to large red onion, minced
• 3 cups of organic spinach (or collards, stems removed), finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and minced
• 1/2 bell pepper (red or orange), seeds removed and minced
• 2 stalks of celery, minced
• 1 Tbs of Cumin
• Sea salt (to taste)
• ½ tsp. stone ground pepper

Directions.

1. Bring quinoa and water to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, with the lid on until cooked (approx. 15 minutes)
2. In a frying pan, heat 1/2 of the allocated coconut oil with the garlic and onions (approx. 3 minutes)
3. Add the greens (spinach, collards etc.), carrots, bell pepper and celery, cook for 2 minutes and then add the cumin
4. Take the quinoa and add in a sprinkle of cumin and pepper
5. Add the quinoa to the frying pan, and adjust seasonings (salt, maybe some cayenne pepper if you like it spicy)
6. Turn off the heat, place contents into a mixing bowl and add the flour to the veggie quinoa mix – stir well until everything is coated – set aside
7. Clean the frying pan while the mixture cools
8. Then, heat the pan on high and add the rest of the coconut oil
9. Make patties from the mixture in the bowl (approximately 3 inches in diameter)
10. Cook each burger on both sides until brown and crispy

White Bean Dip

Combine all ingredients in food processor until smooth, yum!

1.5 cups white beans cooked or canned 
1 tsp sea salt
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp olive, grapeseed or coconut oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp lemon juice
 dash of paprika

Veggie Fritters

Serve with a  sweet or savoury chutney. They make a great appetizer, lunch or on-the-go snack.
2 cups finely chopped/grated veggies (try a mixture of cabbage, onion, carrot, and/or zucchini)
1 Cup Chickpea Flour (also known as Channa flour, Gram flour or Garbanzo bean flour)
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp cold-pressed vegetable oil
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp curry powder
¼ - ½ Cup Water

Mix vegetables, chickpea flour, baking powder, oil and curry together in a bowl. Add water slowly and mix until a thick batter is formed. Bake at 350 for 25 mins, or until golden brown. Eat hot or cold.