Ingredients
1/2 cup super fine sugar
6 medium Granny Smith apples
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
1 tablespoon red food coloring
6 wooden candy apple sticks
Directions
Wash apples and remove the stems. Dry thoroughly, then spear each apple through the bottom with a candy apple stick and set aside.
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and sprinkle it with super fine sugar.
In a large saucepan bring water, sugar and corn syrup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 300°F on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat, and while stirring, add the food coloring.
Working quickly, tilt the pan to the side to pool the candy mixture and rotate the apple around in it, coating well. Lift the apple and let some of the excess drain back into the pot. Place the apple on the prepared cookie sheet to cool. Repeat with the rest of the apples. Refrigerate for 2 hours to harden.
To store the apples, cut a piece of cellophane to fit around each of the candied apples.
Place each candy apple in the middle of a piece of cellophane.Wrap the cellophane up and around each of the apples and tie a twist tie near the base of each of the candy apples, around the stick. Keep in the fridge for up to three days.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup soy milk (or other milk alternative)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease muffin cups or line with paper liners; set aside.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, mix together the applesauce, oil, soy milk, vanilla and lemon juice. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until moistened. Fold in the zucchini, walnuts and chocolate chips.
Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let the muffins cool for a few minutes before removing from the tin. Allow to cool completely on wire racks.
veganyumyum.com
Avocados are another newly crowned superfood. Like coconut oil, people have avoided avocados because of their high fat content. The truth is that avocados are high in protein, enzymes, fiber, potassium, vitamin E, and healthy fats. The fats in avocados are monounsaturated fats. Avocados are rich and creamy and versatile. We all love them in guacamole, but here are some other ways to use them: On top of toast with tomato, blended into a smoothie, on top of salad or in a sandwich, or stirred into salsa.
Avocado Wasabi Salad is a gorgeous dish from Lolo at veganyumyum.com. Lolo is 25 years old. She lives in Boston with her husband and two cats, and is working on a cookbook. She doesn’t like salad that much, but this one is so delicious that she had to share it. I think she’s right! (By the way, she says you can leave the Wasabi out if you want to.)
Avocado Wasabi Salad
Serves 4-6
Greens of your choice for 4-6 people
1 Carrot, shredded
2 tsp Vegetable Oil, divided
1/2 to 3/4 Cup Broccoli, chopped small
1/3 Cup Toasted Slivered Almonds
1 Recipe Wasabi Chickpeas, below
1 Recipe Avocado Wasabi dressing, below
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Wasabi-Tamari Chickpeas
1 tsp Oil
1 Cup Chickpeas
1 tsp Wasabi Powder
1/2 tsp Sugar
1 Tbs Low Sodium Tamari/Soy Sauce
Avocado Wasabi Dressing
1 Ripe Avocado, diced
2 tsp White Wine Vinegar
3 Tbs Hummus, plain or garlic
1 tsp Stoneground Mustard
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Wasabi Powder
1/4 to 1/3 Cup Vegetable oil
Begin by whisking the dressing ingredients together, except for the oil. Whisk until smooth. If your avocado isn’t super ripe, you may wish to blend the dressing in a food processor. Slowly add oil until emulsified and the dressing is smooth, refrigerate until ready to use.
Toast your almonds in a dry pan over medium heat if they are not already toasted. Set aside.
In the same pan, add 1 tsp of oil and add broccoli. Sautee over high heat until the broccoli is beginning to color in spots and is bright green, but still tender-crisp. Sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside.
Add the second teaspoon of oil to the same pan and add the chickpeas. Reduce heat to medium-high. Cook the chickpeas until they are golden on all sides, using a spatula to loosen them as necessary, but don’t worry if they stick a little. Add the wasabi powder, sugar, and tamari and stir well. Remove from pan and set aside.
In a large bowl, add your salad greens. Add the broccoli, 3/4 of the chickpeas, 3/4 of the almonds, and 3/4 of the carrots. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Plate the salad, and garnish the top with the remaining chickpeas, almonds and carrots. Crack fresh black pepper over the top. Serve immediately.
If you are serving the salad later, do not add the dressing until the last minute.
Want the perfect companion to Avocado Wasabi Salad for your vegan brunch? Take a look at the delicious vegan N-eggs recipes in Claire Gosse’s Are You Sure That’s Vegan? (Breakfasts). You can choose from N-Eggs Benedict or Huevos Rancheros or Avocado Bacon Burritos…or seven other amazing N-eggs recipes. There are 50 recipes in all, each one a perfect clone of a classic non-vegan recipe. They’ve all been tested and loved by non-vegans. Take a look at the beautiful photos in Are You Sure That’s Vegan? (Breakfasts). Get some free recipes, too.
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yummly.com
One of the new superfoods is coconut oil. After a bad reputation for years because of its saturated fat content, coconut oil is now known to contain medium chain fatty acids which are used by your body quickly as energy as opposed to being stored as fat. Raw coconut oil smells tropical, but once you cook with it, it just adds a subtle sweetness without imparting a coconut flavor. A bonus is that it has a high smoke point and can withstand higher heat. You can use coconut oil in a number of ways including stovetop popcorn, pancakes and French toast, granola, baked goods, and roasting vegetables like cauliflower or sweet potatoes.
Here are some of coconut oil’s health benefits. It
- Strengthens the immune system
- Increases metabolism, (thus aids in weight loss)
- Improves digestion
- Provides long lasting energy
- Beneficial for the heart
- Boosts key mineral absorption (calcium and magnesium)
- Contains antifungal and antibacterial properties
This vegan cupcake recipe from Yummly.com uses coconut oil as a key ingredient.
Vegan Cupcakes
Serves: 18
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups almond milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup coconut oil (warmed until liquid)
1 1/4 tsps vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 12 cup muffin pans or line with 18 paper baking cups.
2. Measure the apple cider vinegar into a 2 cup measuring cup. Fill with almond milk to make 1 1/2 cups. Let stand until curdled, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond milk mixture, coconut oil and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pan set over a wire rack. When cool, arrange the cupcakes on a serving platter. Frost with desired frosting.
If this cupcake recipe appeals to you, you should take a look at the delicious cupcake recipes in Claire Gosse’s Are You Sure That’s Vegan? (Desserts). You can choose from eight kinds including Boston Cream, Mint Chocolate Chip, Red Velvet, Strawberry Daiquiri or four more. There are 55 vegan clones of classic non-vegan recipes. Take a look at the beautiful photos – these recipes taste as good as they look. Click the link to Are You Sure That’s Vegan? (Desserts) and get some free recipes, too.
Source: Yummly.com
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I don’t make these very often, but every now and then I have a craving for them and cave in. I usually use vegan cheese slices, but didn’t have any so I used Daiya cheddar instead. They were so yummy
The recipe for these can be found in my breakfast cookbook, Are You Sure That’s Vegan – Breakfasts.
