Are you a green smoothie-er? Have you tried them but didn’t like them? There are some tricks to make green smoothies (a) smooth! (b) taste good (c) extra nutritious, and we are going to cover all those today.

I started making green smoothies about 6 or 7 years ago, as I was writing eat, drink & be vegan. I remember it well. I went to a local raw foods class with my sister, and we sample a green smoothie that night. At first I was hesitant. “Drinking” greens seemed so odd! But, once I tasted it, I realized I could do this! They taste pretty good – and I’ve made them taste even better over the years as I’ve understood how to combine components.

Why bother with green smoothies? Why not just eat salads or saute greens?

1- Convenient. When hustling through the day – maybe commuting, eating lunch out of the house, running with the kids or to meetings – a green smoothie is a guaranteed quick and easy way to get the plant-powered goodness of green leafies in your diet! While I make them in the mornings, they can be made any time of day – for a light lunch, afternoon snack, or evening treat. Yes, they can be a treat. Promise.

2- Nutritious. In short, you can get plenty of fiber, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and abundant minerals and vitamins in a hydrating green smoothie, with ingredients that are also alkalizing for the body. Many of us may not eat a lot of raw kale or collards – or dandelion greens or parsley. Or, maybe not in the amounts that we put in a green smoothie. Before drinking green smoothies, I ate leafy greens, but not much kale or collards. Plus, every day I add a good amount of fresh parsley in my green smoothie. You now know that parsley is an nutrient-packed green, right? Add some to your smoothie, and it’s bright and energizing! Trust me, I add it every day and hubby has no clue he’s drinking parsley. Or dandelion greens. One day I’ll tell him.

3- Kiddos. My girls aren’t green smoothie drinkers, but I think that’s because I make them in the morning, and they have heartier breakfasts before school like oatmeal or waffles with almond butter. Our eldest likes them, and when she is training for hockey, she drinks them knowing they are giving her extra nutritional perks and helping boost her immunity. Our younger girls have a “greens” connection with them, and so while they will eat lettuce and asparagus, and green beans and zukes, they do have that mental block about drinking the greens. But, I hear from parents all the time that make green smoothies for their kiddos. So, give them a try, your wee ones just may become lean-keen-green-drinking-machines!

4- Digestible. For some people, having a liquid meal can be easier on their digestion. Just try not to drink your smoothie too fast. Take sips and allow it to meet the saliva in your mouth and swallow – rather than chug. I don’t think many of us actually chug smoothies, but when they taste very good we can drink them a little quickly!

5 – Allergen and Dietary Specific-Friendly. For those of you that are gluten-free or soy-free, plant-strong, oil-free, or nut-free, green smoothies are a beautiful way to incorporate many healthful ingredients with flexibility to YOUR dietary needs and preferences.

So, let’s get our green on! Here are some tips to get you drinking your greens:

Choose your greens. First, get to know your greens. If you are intimidated by dark leafy greens, that post will help you immensely. My favorite leafies to use are kale and collard greens, with a hit of parsley! They are robust, store well in the fridge for a few days, and are very nutritious with more absorbable calcium and iron than greens such as spinach and Swiss chard. But, spinach and Swiss chard still offer many nutritional benefits, so don’t rule them out. And, if the swiss chard is gloriously fresh from the market at your store and on special, while the collards look homely – the choice is simple. Also, milder tasting greens like spinach and chard – or even romaine – are great “starter” greens for making smoothies. If you are new to the green smoothie business, start with something like spinach or romaine, and work your way into stronger-flavored greens such as kale. Try blending spinach with kale; once you get the knack of fruit-to-greens proportions, this will also help you determine how much sweet fruit (e.g., banana, mango, and pineapple) to combine with the greens for the best flavor. Recently I’ve been using dandelion greens in my smoothies. I never thought I would. I grew up seeing them as weeds that my parents would curse for covering our lawn. So, they didn’t appeal to me. But, I tried them recently in my smoothies and now they are in regular rotation! They don’t store as well as kale/collards, so if you buy them, use them within a day or two. You can also experiment with other greens (ex: beet greens) and lettuces (ex: escarole, red leaf lettuce), though I wouldn’t recommend spicy greens such as arugula or mustard greens in a smoothie— they are just too strong and peppery. Save those for your sautés and salads!

Wash and stem greens. Some greens can hold more grit, so fully submerge the greens in a sinkful of water, then rinse and shake off the excess water. Be sure to dry your extra greens before refrigerating. Use a salad spinner or shake to dry well. Once they are mostly dry, I store in the fridge by loosely wrapping in a dish towel, and placing inside a large resealable plastic bag (leave unzipped). I find the greens keep well for a couple of days, don’t get soggy and rot, and stay nicely crisp. With such greens as collards, chard, and kale, you’ll want to separate the leaves from the thick stems. Holding the leaf in one hand, run your fingers of your other hand down the length of the stalk to strip the stalk (separating the leafy portion from the tough stem). The more tender parts of the stem (at the tops) will usually tear away with the leaves, and this is okay—they are tender enough.

Fruits – Which to Use, Proportions, and Frozen

• Frozen bananas and mangoes: Adding these sweet fruits will (1) balance the bitterness and grassiness of the greens an (2) create a creamy consistency. Bananas are an obvious choice because most of us have them on hand. Greenish bananas, stay on the counter—you’re not welcome to this smoothie party! Let your bananas overripen, and then peel, slice, and store them (in large resealable bags or in other airtight containers) in your freezer. If you aren’t overly fond of bananas, try frozen mangoes or peaches! My friend Melissa West had to modify her diet and eliminate bananas. We talked about how to make smoothies without them, and frozen mangoes were my first suggestion. Check out Melissa’s video where she talks about bananas and migraines, and also gives great tips for a breakfast protein smoothie. Mangoes are very sweet, and also lend a subtly creamy texture. I keep bananas in my freezer, and regularly buy bags of frozen mangoes. Either or both combine well with other fruits—and those not frozen—for a delicious smoothie. Frozen pineapple also works very well, but it is VERY sweet, so use less, or add in combination with more veggies. If using bananas or mangoes that are fresh and not frozen, you may want to add ice cubes in place of water for your blending, to chill your drink, as using all room-temperature fruits will give you a warmish smoothie (not the greatest).

• Seasonal Fruits: Also include seasonal fruits for your smoothies. In the winter, along with my frozen bananas/mangoes, I add either apples, oranges, pink grapefruit, or pears. In the spring and summer, you can use melons, peaches and nectarines, grapes and berries (red and purple berries will change the color of your smoothie, more on that soon). All these fruits will help counter any harsher notes in the greens.

• Lemons/Limes: Citrus are very alkalizing for the body, and lately I’ve enjoyed adding some sourness to my smoothies with the addition of one small lemon. Simply peel and add (including any seeds). You may particularly enjoy lemons/limes if, in general, you don’t like a lot of sweet foods.

• Berry Interesting: Fresh or frozen strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are, of course, delicious in a green smoothie—and very nutritious. Even when not in season, most of have a frozen stash. The only thing you need to know about using red or purple berries is that the color of the smoothie changes. No longer will it be a vibrant inviting green color; rather, a more swampy brownish color. But if you can ignore the color aesthetic, by all means, include some berries! On the other hand, if you want to mask the green color (for children OR adults!), then blue or purple berries such as blueberries, blackberries, or açai pulp work magic.

• Avocado: Green suprise! Technically avocado is a fruit, though not often thought of as a fruit because it isn’t juicy or particularly sweet. While it won’t lend much sweetness to your smoothie, it will add a luscious creaminess to your smoothie (as well as nutritional benefits), so try adding half an avocado to your mixture and see how you like it.

Other Veggies

Even though my focus is on getting the leafy greens into your smoothies, let’s not forget that there are other veggies worthy of joining the smoothie club. And green smoothie veterans might appreciate lessening the fruit proportions to favor more vegetables. I posted this chart on facebook recently, showing how cucumber is in the melon family.

I often add cucumber to our smoothies, it adds a light melon flavor without added sweetness. Also try adding carrot with mangoes/oranges/peaches! Start with smallish measures (perhaps 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup), as some vegetables impart strong and bitter flavor tones. Cucumber is rather mild, with a melonlike flavor, so you might try adding more. I have even added a small amount of beet to a berry-green smoothie. Yes I did.

Add-ins

Smoothies are the perfect place to get in nutritious bits and bobs that you might otherwise find tricky to include in your diet. Try:

• Hemp, flax, or chia seeds
• Nuts (or nut butters, such as like almond)
• Goji berries, cocoa nibs
• Blackstrap Molasses (will turn your smoothie dark, but good hit of iron, plus calcium)
• Spirulina (confession: I have a hard time with spirulina, but I know others quite like it (and can eat it off a spoon – really?!). It is an extremely nutritious food source, so go for it if you can!)
• Ginger – fresh ginger is a great immunity booster!
• Nutrient-Dense Powders. I hesitate to call them ‘protein powders‘, because it conveys the message that we need to add protein to our smoothies. Still, many of these powders are very nutrient-rich, not just in protein but also fatty acids and vitamins and minerals. My favorite is the Vega Energizing Smoothie powders. Note: I tried the Vega powders years back and the flavors just didn’t work for me. But, these shake ‘n go smoothie infusions taste TERRIFIC! I especially love the Tropical Twist and the Vanilla Almondilla. If you like making creamy smoothies, the chocolate is amazing too. I typically add 1- 1 1/2 scoops to our smoothie batch, which makes 2 smoothies. Melissa also talks about the Sun Warrior protein powders. I haven’t tried those yet (have you?). Side note: Melissa also has some juicing videos if you are keen to learn more about juicing.

Blending

You have all the elements, now you need to make your green drink deliciously smooth. Trust me when I tell you that you need to blend the heck out of your smoothie! A high-powered blender like a Blendtec makes this an easy job. But, before I had my rambo blender, I used a standard blender and also an immersion blender. They just required a little more time – and also the frozen fruit needed to be cut in smaller pieces prior to freezing. With a Blendtec, you can pretty much throw whole frozen bananas and big ol’ chunks of frozen mango in there – in can take it. Point is, you want to make it smooth, not still grainy or chunky or with bits of leaves floating about. Quick story: When I went away to Summerfest last year, my parents-in-law were visiting. Bless her, hubby’s mother tried to make him a green smoothie when I was out of town. It was still in the fridge when I returned. It wasn’t smooth, and at that point, not too pretty.

So, you truly need to blend it until beautifully smooth! It can be thick, as you can always thin with water, but definitely smooth. Ergo smooth-ie. Blend until the greens are so pulverized that they are no longer visible, other than infusing your smoothie with a beautiful green color. If using a high-powered blender such as a Blendtec, simply run the whole juice cycle, and if needed, pulse again afterward if any chunks of frozen fruit remain. Kale leaves can take longer to fully blend than spinach or chard (especially depending on your blender). I find that frozen fruits, such as banana and mango, also help the blender cut through the greens. Add 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 cup of water to get everything moving. You can add more later to thin, if desired; the amount of water needed varies depending on the proportion of thick fruits, such as bananas, and the amount of very juicy fruit, such as melon or orange. Start with less, then add more if you need to. Better to have a thick smoothie that can be thinned rather than a watery smoothie.

Taste Test!

After blending, dip in a spoon to taste before serving up. If you need more fruit to balance the sweetness – or water to thin, add it now. You can also opt for coconut water to replace part or all of the water, or even non-dairy milk (though I don’t care for milk in green smoothies, but it can make them creamier). Once you’ve made a dozen or so green smoothies, you probably won’t need to taste-test, as you’ll have a sense of proportions needed.

I have a couple of greens smoothie recipes in my cookbooks, including this “Apple-A-Day Smoothie” (recipe here).

But, once you start making smoothies you’ll realize that you don’t need to measure ingredients. At first it’s helpful to understand proportions, but soon you’ll be a green smoothie pro and blend with creative abandon! Until you’re there, here are a few more examples of smoothie combinations. But, know that this list is by no means exhaustive. There are so many combinations, you just need to experiment to find your favorites. I’m including kale and collards here as the base green, just because they are the ones I use most and they offer the most absorbable calcium and iron. Certainly chard or spinach can be substituted for kale and collards. I’ve also started with 1 to 1 1⁄2 cups of greens, but by all means increase the ratio of greens to 2 cups or more as you become accustomed to the flavor. These suggestions should yield two pretty large smoothies, but measurements are quite approximate, so modify as you need.

Orange Juicius: 1 to 1 1⁄2 cups of collard greens leaves, about 1 1⁄2 cups of frozen banana chunks, one apple (core removed, skins intact), one orange (peeled), 1 to 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds, plus enough water to get it moving and thin out, if you like.

Tropical Twist: 1 to 1 1⁄2 cups of kale leaves, about 1 cup of frozen banana chunks, 1⁄2 to 1 cup of frozen mango chunks, 1⁄2 cup of fresh pineapple (cubed), 1⁄2 cup of cucumber chunks (optional), 1 to 2 tablespoons of Vega Tropical Tango, 1-2 tbsp hemp seeds, plus enough water to get it moving and thin out, if you like.

Immunity Zinger: 1 to 1 1⁄2 cups of kale leaves, 1 to 1 1⁄4 cups of frozen bananas chunks, one large or two small apples (core removed, skins intact), 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 cup of frozen mango chunks, about 1⁄2 tablespoon of peeled ginger, 1⁄2 peeled lemon, plus enough water to get it all moving.

Berry Blaster: 1 to 1 1⁄2 cups collard greens leaves, about 1 1⁄2 cups of frozen banana chunks, about 1 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries, one apple, 1 to 2 tablespoons of Vega Vanilla Almondilla, 2 tablespoons of goji berries, plus enough water to get it moving and thin out, if you like.

Purple People Feeder: 1 to 1 1⁄2 cups of collard greens leaves, about 1 1⁄2 cups of frozen banana chunks, about 1⁄2 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries or blackberries, 1⁄2 cup of purple or red grapes or one red apple or pear, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, plus enough water to get it moving and thin out, if you like.

Smooth Talker: 1 to 11⁄2 cups of kale leaves, 1 to 1 1⁄2 cups of frozen banana chunks, about 1⁄2 cup of honeydew melon (cubed), 1⁄2 cup of cucumber, one orange or 1⁄2 cup of fresh pineapple (cubed), 1⁄2 avocado, plus enough water to get it moving and thin out, if you like.

Orange Blaster: 1 to 1 1⁄2 cups of kale leaves; 1 cup of peach, nectarine, or mango chunks; two oranges (peeled); 1⁄3 cup of chopped carrot; 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 cup of frozen banana; 1⁄2 cup of vanilla nondairy yogurt (optional); plus enough water to get it moving and thin out, if you like.

If you have Let Them Eat Vegan, you can find some of this smoothie information starting on page 26. I’ve edited/added/updated some things for this post, but if you have LTEV, you can quickly flip to reference when ready to blend!

So, do you green smoothie? What are your favorite combinations? Share some of your own tips and favorite ideas!

(p.s. I’m off to Vida Vegan Con the end of this week, so I’ll be a little quiet on my blog and social media. Hope to share some fun pics with you when I return!)

On a work-level, despite the fact that I seem to keep myself in a somewhat perpetual state of busy (to the point of chaotic many days), it feels as though many things are connecting with my work. But also in the vegan world in general. We are reaching a pivotal point, where awareness will soon break open much wider and inspire more people to at least significantly reduce their consumption of animal products if not adopt a full plant-based or vegan diet. Do you also feel this? While I am not oblivious to the great amount of work we have ahead to eliminate animal suffering and improve our culture’s state of dis-ease, I really feel a shift in beliefs and habits is on the horizon.

I am feeling hopeful for changes in society, and also grateful for those of you that connect with me everyday. Through email, here on my blog, and also facebook and twitter – you motivate me to continue my work. On a lighter note (because this post is getting serious!) – this week my ‘online kitchen’, aka my facebook page, reached 10K likes. Pretty fun! I thank you for joining me and being so engaged with posts and discussions. Don’t tell pinterest and twitter, but facebook is my favorite. Shhh.

One final gratitude entry. I have received kindness and goodwill from people I’ve come to know online, as well as in person. Some of you I knew only as acquaintances and now we have friendships. Others have reached out to provide some assistance to me in my work, knowing I’m juggling too many balls! So, I thank you for the kind and helpful and generous people you are. I’ve expressed as much by email to you, and if you are reading this just know I appreciate your goodness.

Today, I want to give back a little. The best way I know how is with a good ol’ giveaway of my stuff!

How about we line up FIVE of you with one of my cookbooks (your choice!) plus… my new ebook? That’s 5 winners, each taking home a cookbook and ebook. If you have my books and ebook, enter anyway! I’ll send them to a friend for you.

I saw this image with Gratitude Mantras from Integrative Nutrition, and thought that this is something we can all reflect on daily. When we are having a crummy day, a hectic “Calgon-take-me-away” mama day (yes, I’ve dated myself), or just any kind of challenging or ‘blah’ day –

– we can always remember the blessings we do have.

To enter this “Gratitude Giveaway”, join me with a comment of something you are thankful for right now - be it big or small, silly or serious.

I am grateful for all of the love I have in my family and life, and for the community of supportive and enlightening readers I have in you. ♡

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now I am off to make cupcakes for our wee girl’s 4th birthday.

I have been wanting to share this recipe with you for SO long. It’s one of my very favorite burger recipes in Let Them Eat Vegan (as many of you know, there is a full burger chapter) – in fact, it’s one of my very favorite veggie burgers of all time! Only two of the recipes in that chapter are photographed in LTEV – the Pan-Fried Falafels and the Nutty Veggie Burgers. I happen to love both of those very much as well, but the falafels are well, falafels – and the nutty veg burgers are quite dense/hearty with the nuts, but sometimes I want a burger that uses its bean! These top my go-to veg burger recipes, along with the falafels, nutty veg burgers, grilled portobello burgers (LTEV), and the Umami Almond and Sundried Tomato Burgers (in the Plant-Powered 15 ebook). Those are the recipes I make most often (shhh, don’t tell my other burgers)!

These Mediterranean Bean Burgers have been getting really great feedback, and I’ve made them at a couple of cooking demos with rave reviews from the audience. So, I have been determined to get a few decent photos of these plant-powered burgers to share with you… so you can finally enjoy the recipe too!

Here are the ingredients waiting for action in my food processor (and before you ask, I have a Breville Sous Chef… all the scoop here). I just LOVE the brilliant colors in this pic, all the nutritional GOODNESS going into these plant-powered burgers!

double-batching!

The Breville has a 16-cup capacity, so it can easily manage a double-batch of this mix. I often make an extra batch to freeze for a later date. This time round, that later date will be so the fam can eat them while I’m away at VVC! (Are you going?!)

I get emails often asking whether my burger recipes can be frozen. Short answer: YES! Long answer: Yes, to do so, prep the batch… shape in patties (do not cook), place in an airtight container, separating the patties with pieces of parchment. To cook, let thaw and you’re in burger business!

When I created these burgers, I had NO idea our girls would like them as much as they do. Bonus! I do have to make a couple of patties sans the olives and red peppers for the younger two girls, but that takes just another minute of prep (directions are in the recipe notes).

Mediterranean Bean Burgers on whole-grain tortilla

Last year I made a cooking video for this recipe. (That’s just HOW long I’ve been wanting to post this, truly need an assistant!) Have a watch… and yeah, laugh with me, not at me, when our daughter cheers for the salt. And, then asks me to “scrape out the red peppers”. Uh-huh. Oh, in the clip I made the burgers miniature/slider size, but I usually make full-size patties. OH! Should mention – because this video was recorded last year, that’s my old processor you see in the clip, not the Breville.

What I love about these burgers is that they are really different from many burger recipes. First, they use kidney beans – which have a beautiful color and creamy texture (similar to cannellini beans). I really enjoy them and use them a lot in our weekly cooking. Second, they have a unique blend of seasonings for a vegetarian burger! How often have you had olives and fresh oregano in a burger?! Don’t skip the balsamic vinegar – or any of the ingredients. It’s flavor synergy!

Have I rambled enough? Yeah, I think so. Time to get to the goods!…

Mediterranean Bean Burgers Link to RECIpage for emailing/printing

Kalamata olives, fresh oregano, and other Mediterranean-inspired seasonings give these healthy meat-free burgers a perky twist!

2 cans (14 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 to 2 medium to large cloves garlic, roughly chopped (use 1 for kid-friendly)

2 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 tablespoon red wine or balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon (little generous) Dijon mustard

3/4 cup green onions, sliced (using mostly green portion, and less white)

1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

2  tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped (fresh is best, but if you don’t have it, substitute about 1 1/2 – 2 tsp dried oregano)

1/2 teaspoon (rounded) sea salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 1/4 cups rolled oats (use certified gluten-free for that option)

1/3 – 1/2 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped (see note)

1/4 cup diced red bell pepper (optional, see note)

In a food processor, combine the kidney beans, garlic, tomato paste, vinegar, and mustard. Pulse until pureed. Add the green onions, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper to taste, and process to break up and blend. Add the oats and pulse to begin to incorporate. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl (or remove the blade) and stir in the olives and red pepper (if using; see note). Refrigerate the mixture for 30 to 45 minutes, then shape into patties with your hands (see note). To cook, wipe a smidgen of oil over a non-stick skillet on medium/medium-high heat. Cook the patties for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Alternatively, bake the patties for about 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees, flipping once through cooking. Makes 6-7 patties.

If This Apron Could Talk: 

If you have family members that don’t care for olives, simply remove a scoop of the mixture before adding the olives and form into a patty or two. And the red peppers add a touch of freshness and texture to the burgers, but can be easily omitted—or, as with the olives, you can make some patties without them before adding the diced peppers.

Refrigerating the mixture is important as it helps the burger mixture firm up. When you first start to pulse in the oats, the mixture will appear somewhat loose. But, the oats absorb moisture as the mixture sits and refrigerates, and once you remove to shape into patties you’ll notice the mix- ture has firmed up some.

Ingredients 411: If you dislike olives and want to omit them altogether, note that you may want to add another few pinches of salt to season the mixture, as the olives contribute a salty bite.

If you have LTEV, have you made these yet? If so, please share your thoughts, I’d love reads to have some feedback other than mine! And, what are YOUR favorite veggie burgers?

It’s somewhat fitting that my last post talked about avocado sauce and guacamole – and tips for storing both. Today I have another avocado recipe for you… though, this time I truly doubt you will have ANY leftovers!

This recipe is an exclusive sneak peek from Engine 2 Diet‘s new book My Beef with Meat: The Healthiest Argument for Eating a Plant-Strong Diet. This book follows Rip Esselstyn’s bestselling Engine 2 Diet, which has helped people transform their health through a whole-foods plant-based diet. If you follow E2D on facebook, you will regularly see testimonials from their readers of weight loss, lowered cholesterol, and even disease reversal (heart disease and diabetes most notably).

In just a few weeks, Rip’s new book “My Beef With Meat” hits shelves. In this new book, Esselstyn shares insight about the foods that most people believe are healthy, yet science reveals are not.  My Beef With Meat tackles the questions and skepticism surrounding a plant-based diet, including how we don’t need meat and dairy to have strong bones or get enough protein, how we can get enough calcium and iron in plants, and the problems with the (currently trendy) Paleo fad-diet. In short, Rip delivers the message – and proof – that if you eat plants, you lose weight and feel great.

Today, Engine 2 Diet has kindly given my plant-powered readers an early inside scoop on this book with an exclusiverecipe release!

This CHOCOMOLE is family-friendly, easy, and scrumptious. So, get a spoon. Who needs a bowl?

Chocomole LINK to RECIpage print/share

Prep time: 5 minutes  Makes: 1 cup

1 ripe avocado
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp sea salt
¼ cup water (or more if needed)

Instructions: Process everything in a food processor or blender. Add water as needed until smooth.

Variations: If you don’t like the cinnamon taste do not add it. Or, instead of cinnamon add a drop of mint extract. Or add a pinch of cayenne for some heat! Add fruit to make a delicious parfait.

You can preorder My Beef With Meat now, and can visit their new site for more information.

Have you made avocado pudding before? What are your favorite variations? Have you read Engine 2 Diet? 

At least I got this recipe photographed for LTEV. Still, I think it may have flown under the radar somewhat because it resembles a chili. For me, this soup is quite different than chili. You know how chili can feel ‘heavy’ after eating it? It’s not just the beans, it’s the thickness of the stew itself, and the ingredients in combination.

As I mention in the description of this Mexican Bean Stew, it is rather different than chili. First, it has no chili spice. Second, it has a lighter broth, and a very distinct earthy, smoky flavor from the cumin seeds. The cumin seeds, in combination with the oregano and cinnamon, give a full, pleasing, intoxicating flavor – without the heaviness of chili.

Mexican Bean Soup with Chipotle Avocado Cream (foreground)

I really love this photo. I think Hannah beautifully captured the colors and simplicity of this soup.

Wait. Do not stop at the soup!

Definitely make the Chipotle Avocado Cream. It adds a lusciousness to this soup, add a dollop and take a spoonful and you’ll understand why you must pair the two together! This cream is equally good as a substitute for guacamole. You can skip the cashews (see recipe note), and also omit the chipotle sauce for a more neutral flavor that kids really love. You will find yourself going to this sauce for ALL sorts of dishes. With such a rich and velvety texture, it is one of the best vegan sauces to accompany grains, salads, noodles – even to drizzle on hot pizza!

Oh yeah, you can tell I make this avocado cream often. The girls ADORE guacamole, and I find I can stretch those avocs just a little further in a sauce – and that’s important when your kids can easily eat 5-6 avocs in one guacamole hit! (And, I don’t hesitate to let them have that much, they are growing and need these healthy whole food fats. I used to make it with my immersion blender, but now I often just pop the ingredients in my Twister Jar, and then we spoon it straight from that jar.

But, how do you prepare guacamole or an avocado sauce a few hours ahead of time without it turning brown? Or, how do you store leftover guacamole without it oxidizing so badly that you don’t want to eat it. Now, it is rare … rare I say … that we have leftover avocado sauce or guacamole in this house. Usually my kids are I’m scraping out the bowl or jar with tortilla chips.

However, we have had the odd occasion, I think 3 times in the last 5 years, when I have in fact made too much guacamole or avocado sauce – more than our family can eat. And, I have also wanted to prep guacamole in advance. So, what works best to preserve its color?

I have tried a few different techniques, including the ”pit in the centre of the dip” trick. That may be slightly effective, but if the dip or sauce is in the bowl, there is still much oxidization. I have found this technique works the best…

Put your leftover sauce or guac in a cup or other vessel that is tall/narrow rather than shallow and wide like a bowl. There will be less surface area to oxidize, so less will turn brown. For the guac, pack it down as much as you can in the cup. Then squeeze lemon juice over top, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. You can also smooth the plastic wrap directly on to the surface of the guac/sauce if you want, it will also help reduce the browning – but that’s if you are okay with the plastic wrap sitting on the surface of your food.

So, get your plant-powered behind out shopping for a dozen or so avocs (ok, you only need a couple for this recipe, that’s just how many I buy at a time)… and get ready to spoon into some deliciousness!

Mexican Bean Soup with Chipotle Avocado Cream gluten-free, oil-free, soy free
RECIpage link to print/share

This soup has bold, vibrant flavors without being heavy, as a chili can be. Be sure to pair with Chipotle Avocado Cream. And avoid substituting cumin powder for cumin seeds—the whole seeds really add a distinctive flavor element.

Serves 4-5.

1 tbsp water

1 1/2 cups   red onions, finely chopped

6-7 medium – large cloves garlic, minced

3/4 tsp sea salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 1/4 tsp cumin seed (don’t substitute ground cumin!)

2 ½ tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 – 2 tbsp jalapeno pepper, chopped (adjust to taste, optional, can also sub crushed red pepper, see note)

1 28-oz can (796-ml) diced tomatoes

1 14 or 15-oz can  black beans, rinsed and drained

1 14 or 15-oz can  kidney beans, rinsed and drained (or pinto beans or black beans)

1  cup frozen corn kernels

1 vegetable bouillon cube (ex: I use Harvest Sun brand) (not stock, just the cube)

2 ½ – 3 cups water

1 tsp pure maple syrup or agave nectar (optional)

1 ½ tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

chopped fresh cilantro for serving

lime wedges for serving

In a large pot over medium heat, combine the oil or water, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin seed, dried oregano, cinnamon, and jalapeño (if using). Cover and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally; lower the heat if the onion is sticking. Starting with 21⁄2 cups of the water, add the remaining ingredients, except the lime juice, cilantro, lime wedges, and Chipotle Avocado Cream. Stir, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and add the remaining water to thin, if desired. Serve in individual portions with cilantro and lime wedges and a dollop of Chipotle Avocado Cream (recipe below).

Kid-Friendly: If making this soup for a family with young children, you may want to omit the jalapeño so the soup does not have spicy heat. It will still be flavorful, just not spicy hot for the little ones. Also, if you don’t have a fresh jalapeño on hand, feel free to add a few pinches of crushed red chili flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce, to taste.

Chipotle Avocado Cream

This sauce adds lusciousness to any Mexican-inspired meal, and is a must for Mexican Bean Soup.

1 cup (fairly packed) ripe avocado, cut in chunks (about 1 ½ medium-large avocados)

1/3 cup raw cashews (soaked beforehand is preferable, but not essential – see note for nut-free)

1 ½ – 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice

½ – 2/3 cup water

1/2 tsp sea salt

¼ tsp pure maple syrup or agave nectar (optional, to taste)

¼ tsp chipotle hot sauce (ex: Tabasco brand) (or more to taste, or omit, see note)

Using a standing blender or an immersion blender and deep cup or jar, puree all the ingredients (starting with 1⁄2 cup of the water). Start on a slow speed to incorporate the cashews, then increase speed to high until very smooth and creamy. Add additional water to thin, as desired, and salt, agave, and chipotle sauce to taste. Dollop on soup, or use as a dip with tortilla chips.

Adult-Minded: I like this sauce with a modest amount of chipotle hot sauce to give a hint of flavor but no added heat. If you like the heat, though, add more hot sauce to taste!

Cashew-Note: You can omit the cashews if you have a nut-allergy. Simply puree the avocado with the water and other ingredients, but you will need less water. Start with about 1/4 cup, then adjust to thin as needed. Also use a lesser amount of salt and adjust to taste.

Kid-Friendly: Omit the chipotle hot sauce altogether, add another 1⁄4 teaspoon of agave nectar, and use this sauce to top your kiddos’ burritos, tacos, or even pasta or simple beans and rice.

Serving Suggestions: This sauce has star power beyond pairings with Mexican-inspired dishes. By merely omitting the chipotle seasoning, this sauce transforms into a creamy, sumptuous topping for just about anything, such as baked beans, rice and grain dishes, pasta casseroles, pizza, baked potatoes, salads, and stews.

Have any handy-dandy food storage/leftover tips to share – for avocados or otherwise?

Hope you love the soup! I’d love to hear from you when you try it. Enjoy my plant-powered pals!

I’ve been mothering for 12 years now. I’ve been writing cookbooks even longer, and blogging about 8 years. Through these years, I have been asked many times – both in my personal life and through online acquaintances – “how do you do it? … how do you find the balance?“.

My short reply is often “I’m not sure there is any balance“. We may wax poetic about how us moms can “have it all”, but is that really true? Can we? For me, motherhood and working has always been more of a juggling act than a balancing act. With all the demands of family and work-life, something has to give – eventually a ball is going to drop.

Admittedly, I don’t even experience the challenges of working outside the home. The pressure and stress that must arise from trying to keep on top of chores, errands, your household, kids’ activities, homework, and just simple “time” with children – to talk about daily joys or worries. I can only imagine how trying it must be to keep on top of day-to-day life. Myself, I have perpetual guilt when I’m working… that I’m spending time in front of the computer instead of with my girls. (Time in the kitchen is easier to mentally and emotionally justify – the family reaps the benefits of the cooking and baking). And, if I take much time off to reboot with my family, I feel I am not being very responsive with you, my readers – and that I am falling behind on deadlines and projects.

One day I was on the computer (I have dubbed myself “momputer”), and the girls were stick-handling in the garage with hubby. I heard our middle girl say “mom’s missing out on all the fun because she’s tweeting to the world“.

*sinking heart*

Truth be told, the idea of dodging pucks in a cold garage is NOT my idea of fun. Yet, I realized in that moment that our girls see me momputing a lot because I don’t have “regular” work hours – I’m catching up when they are engaged and I have a few moments.

As I said, something’s gotta’ give. For me, it’s two areas (1) social and leisure time and (2) household. I rarely go to movies or concerts or events or dinners or even tea with my girlfriends (they are nodding their heads right now). Hubby and I have little time together as a couple too, partly because we are struggling with babysitting right now, and we don’t have that extended family support which is such a blessing when raising children (even for their connectedness with other loving adults). So, I work and mother most of my hours. The trickiest part for me is that working blurs into mothering and mothering back into working – there is little separation between the two. Also, areas of my house are disastrously disorganized! I need that Peter Walsh bloke in here to help me sort out my office, my kitchen pantry, and my PHOTOS! (who else has 164,987 digital photos of their kids to go through? Raise your hand!)

At times it feels like you are not doing anything particularly well! Anyone relate to that? In my heart of hearts, I know that really I AM doing a good job with my work, and more importantly that I AM a pretty good mom (I have my shit days, and even shittier hours). Yet, I think as women, we are often tough on ourselves, because we hold ourselves to high standards and expectations – rooted in our goals for our career and family. As I type this, I have the contract for my next book. I am excited and yet plenty nervous, wondering how I will “do it all”. Things have gotten busier as the girls have grown, and they aren’t slowing down yet!

Recently I’ve had many discussions with girlfriends about this pressure of working and motherhood. Several of my friends have been at home with their kiddos since birth, and now that their youngest children are in kindergarten they are struggling with the decision of going back to work. We have talked about how it’s still so busy even with the kids in school, catching up on household chores and also being part of school volunteering, and more. Then, once the kids are out of school, our days truly just begin! With homework and activities, dinner hour, and bath/bedtime and getting ready for the next day – there is so much to do in those after-school hours. Some of my friends don’t really want to go back to work, but they feel that pressure to do so, that it is expected. Many of them are asked “well, what are you going to DO now?”  Huh?! I find that upsetting and unfair, as if there is nothing to do during school hours. And, it is disappointing that our worth is so quickly ‘diminished’ as mothers once our children are in school. Our children still need us, in many ways! Also, many mothers feel the financial pinch to get back to work because our current day of parenting means we have so many expenses associated with our kids’ activities. After being at home for 7-10 years with children, it’s not simple to transition back to the work force. We need more flexibility with hours, our skills sets may need retuning, the field we’ve worked in has moved on “without us”, we may have completely different interests than before (often we do).

While I hardly have all the answers, I have found a few things that work for me. First, I do love my work. It feels meaningful and creative and purposeful. I wouldn’t work as hard as I do if I didn’t have this connection and passion. Second, I respect my burnout. When I have had too much, I break from blogging or social media. I only blog about once a week, because that’s really all I can maintain right now. Third, I respect my sleep. I have always been an early bird – early to bed, early to rise. So, I don’t abuse that. I shut off from momputing by about 8:30pm. Here’s the embarrassing confession: I’m in bed most nights by 9:30. I know, plant-powered partay! Well, I’m often up at 5:30 or 6am, so it’s my rhythm. Sleep is critical for maintaining our serenity as mothers, and I have had periods of torturous insomnia after having children – which could be a whole post on its own. So, I do my best to respect my rhythms and try – try – not to be hard on myself. Fourth, I exercise. I don’t run miles or endure long, exhausting workouts. For my body, just small spurts of daily exercise works best. So, 20-30 minutes a morning of yoga, weight-training, or rebounding (I hope to post about that soon)! Fifth, I feel whole foods help energize and stabilize me through the day. My diet is about 80-85% whole foods. I’m not perfect, I enjoy my treats. I love my chocolate. And there you have my sixth coping mechanism.

There are many things I know I should do more. I know I should meditate, have more “me” time like spa visits (ahhhh!), get out for girls’ nights, and also get away to food and veggie conferences more often. Maybe in time. I’m sure I could fit in even 10 minutes of meditation a day, that might be the best place to start.

As for “finding the balance”, that may forever remain elusive … at least until our children are much older and independent – and by that time I will likely miss the noise and chaos of my current days.

How do you feel? Are you a mother working from home or outside the home? How do YOU do it all? Do you feel you have “balance”? Do you feel a lot of pressure from peers and family and society to “get back to work”? Does that upset you? What are your coping strategies? Please share your thoughts and experiences. I’d really like to hear from you on this, and if you have any links to share – feel free to do so.

On the work front, I’ve been very busy for a few reasons. First, I had plans to start another cookbook. That plan still exists, and I’m in the final stages of a contract. So, I will have news for you soon about my next big book project!

Then, I got this crazy idea in my head back in December, that I could do an ebook. I love it when I get these crazy notions thinking I can “do it all”. Yeah. Crazy lady. It started like this…

Do any of you remember my holiday cookbook promotion? Well, once people started trying these recipes and I was posting details about the promo on facebook, I received a lot of requests to turn those recipes into an ebook.  HUH! I never even thought of that! Until someone planted the seed, and off I go running.  So, I procrastinated on the idea for a month or so, because I knew (1) it would be a boat-load of work, and (2) I didn’t know where to start with that boat-load of work. (I’m trying hard not to unleash my potty mouth here. You know what I mean when I say ‘boat-load’ – say it for me!)

Until one day, I get an email from one of my readers, Lynn McLellan. The email subject line reads: Recipe “Feed”back. I open the email nervously, thinking I’ve messed up something in a recipe or two (because that’s what us neurotic cookbook authors think). Was I ever surprised to open the email and see that Lynn had taken photos of EVERY recipe in the Plant-Powered 15 package and shared her feedback on EACH recipe!  I was humbled and teary, that she took the time to put all that together for me to read.  And, it was a sign to get off my behind already and put this ebook together! If you are with me on facebook, you have seen some of this ‘feed’back, as I’ve been posting examples. For instance, Lynn said this about my “Coconutty Cookies”:

Wow! I couldn’t get enough of these. They taste like little coconut pillows! So light and satisfying. In fact, they were so good I made a second batch right away while I still had the ingredients handy. That’s how fast they disappeared! 

Coconut Pillows, eh? Yep, that name stuck!

I asked people on facebook again… should I do this? Do you still want it? Would you buy it? Then THEY told me to get off my behind.  So I did. And here it is!

While I’d love to go on about how clueless I was in the beginning working on this project, I will spare you that dull reading. What I will tell you is that I got lucky. Sometimes people come into your life at certain times, and you have a feeling it’s for a reason. That happened when Nicole Axworthy emailed and said she’d like to help me with the photography for this book. I already knew of Nicole’s talents, because she is the co-author of the Tiny Treats ebook with Lisa Pitman (I sang its praises on FB and mentioned it in this post). I LOVE that ebook. The recipes are insanely creative, and the photos are simply stunning. When I bought that book and opened it on my computer, my jaw dropped. So, needless to say I was pretty stoked that Nicole wanted to work with me on the Plant-Powered 15!

Nicole captured every recipe in the Plant-Powered 15, in a full-size photo. One thing I hear from readers most often is “we want more photos of recipes”. I couldn’t agree more. (And, as a side note, my next book will also have photos of every recipe).

So, what types of recipes are in the Plant-Powered 15? To start, all the recipes are whole-foods vegan recipes. And, all the recipes are made without any added oils. That’s what you have been asking for, with emails and facebook comments and tweets and more… that’s what I’m delivering. You can be sure you aren’t losing flavor, though. Many of us know from a culinary perspective that fat is a flavor carrier. You are NOT losing flavor in these recipes. The flavor stays, and some whole-foods fats are included in certain recipes to ensure texture and taste are not sacrificed! These recipes are all also gluten-free if you are able to eat certified gf oats. Not all recipes use oats, of course, but that is the only ingredient that requires mention for gluten-free readers.

Here are all the recipes included in your Plant-Powered 15! (along with a few sample photos)

1. Almond Zen Granola 
2. Pumpkin Seed and Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
3. Creamy House Dressing
4. Green Goddess Dressing

Green Goddess Dressing; photo by Nicole Axworthy

1. Orange-Miso Dressing
2. Wonder Spread
3. Black Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes
   

   Black Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes (photo credit: Nicole Axworthy)

4. Presto Pistachio Pasta
5. “SweetBalls” (yes, I said it!)
6. Umami Sun-Dried Tomato and Almond Burgers
   

   Umami Almond and Sundried Tomato Burger

7. Sneaky Chickpea Burgers
8. Mac-nificent
9. Coconut Pillows
10. Sticky Almond Blondies
11. Peanut Butter Munchy Squares
    

    Peanut Butter Munchy Bars/Squares – photo by Nicole Axworthy

The Plant-Powered 15 is now officially available! You can pick up a copy here:

And you can also link through to purchase on my “Books” page at anytime.

Please come back and tell me your recipe experiences from this ebook. I’d love to know which recipe caught your eye first, what you tried straight away, and which recipes are your favorites!

In fact, one of my readers told me “eating your black bean and quinoa croquettes with the chipotle cream sauce is what made me know that I could eat vegan, not only to be healthy, but eat vegan because it was so delicious and made me feel so fantastic!“. ♥

Black Bean, Quinoa, and Sweet Potato Croquettes with Pumpkin Seed Chipotle Cream gluten-free, soy-free, oil-free option

click links above for RECIpage link to print/share photo credit: Hannah Kaminsky

These are more delicate than a burger, and meant to be eaten with a fork as a patty or croquette (rather than on a bun). The sweet potatoes balance the smoky and savory elements of cumin, oregano, chile, garlic, and the infusion of lime to heighten all the flavors. Be sure to serve with Pumpkin Seed Chipotle Cream—the combination is dynamite.

Makes 8-11 croquettes.

1 tbsp organic coconut oil or olive oil, or splash of water for oil-free version

1 1/4 tsp cumin seed (not powder, use whole seed)

3/4 – 1 cup onion, diced

1/2 tbsp (roughly) Serrano chile (about 1 chile) , finely chopped (can use jalapeno or red chile, or a couple pinches crushed red pepper) (optional)

2 medium-large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp dry oregano

1/8 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp (lightly rounded) sea salt (for saute)

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato (orange-fleshed), packed, skin removed (see note)

1 can (14 oz, not larger) black beans (rinsed and drained, and patted dry)

1 ½ cups cooled pre-cooked quinoa (see note)

1 tbsp ground white chia seeds (see note)

1/2 tsp sea salt (to stir in)

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice (first zest limes, see below)

½ – 1 tsp lime zest (zest first, then squeeze juices)

¼ cup chopped cilantro, optional (can omit and sprinkle finished individual patties with cilantro, see note)

1/2 – 1 tbsp organic extra-virgin coconut oil (or olive oil) (for pan-frying, optional, can use non-stick skillet or oven-bake)

Pumpkin Seed Chipotle Cream (for serving)

In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil/water. Add the cumin seeds and cook for a minute or two, stirring. Lower the heat to medium and add the onion, chopped chile, garlic, oregano, allspice, 1⁄4 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper to taste, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until onion is very soft (be sure to lower the heat if the garlic starts to brown, so it doesn’t burn and develop a bitter taste). Once the onion is soft, transfer the mixture to a large bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients (except the coconut oil for panfrying and Pumpkin Seed Chipotle Cream) and mix well. At this point, you can refrigerate the mixture until ready to fry (refrigerating for at least 30 minutes will make it firmer and easier to shape). Take scoops of the mixture and form into small patties with your hands. These are not firm patties; they will be soft and more delicate, so simply shape in relatively neat patties, repeating until you have used all of the mixture. In a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat the 1⁄2 to 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the patties, flatten gently on the pan, and fry for 6 to 9 minutes on each side, until golden and a crust has developed, flipping them over only once or twice (the second side will cook quicker than the first), working in batches, if necessary. Serve with a generous drizzle of Pumpkin Seed Chipotle Cream.

If This Apron Could Talk:

• When cooking grains such as quinoa, it is helpful to cook extra so that you have leftovers refrigerated for another day. One cup of dried quinoa yields roughly 3 cups cooked. Using cooled precooked quinoa also helps with forming the croquettes, as freshly cooked quinoa is moist and can make the patties too wet. So, cook your quinoa in advance, and refrigerate until ready to prep this recipe.
• Some of my readers enjoy this mixture eaten straight up, almost like a hash with the cream drizzled over top, rather than fussing shaping the mix into patties – give it a try!

Ingredients 411:

• Cook the sweet potatoes in advance by baking whole. Simply place one or two sweet potatoes (depending on size) on a baking sheet lined with a little parchment paper (to catch drippings). Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until very soft when pierced with a knife or skewer.
• The ground white chia helps the patties hold together. They can be made without the chia, but will be a little fragile and more difficult to flip. If you use the chia, be sure to use ground, not whole, white chia.

Kid-Friendly:

• For kids, omit the chile in the sauté stage, and then before making the patties, remove a portion for your children. You can add the chile (raw, or cook it) or another spice to the remaining mixture to be served to the adults.

Pumpkin Seed Chipotle Cream

This cream has a smoky essence with an acidic hit from fresh lime juice.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

3 tbsp raw cashews
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
smidgen fresh garlic (about 1/4 – 1/2 small clove)
1/4 + 1/8 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup+ 1 tbsp plain unsweetened non-dairy milk (almond or soy preferred)
1/2 – 1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 – 1 tsp chipotle Tabasco hot sauce (adjust to taste; I like 1/2 tsp)

Using a standing blender or an immersion blender and deep cup or jar, puree all the ingredients. If using a immersion blender, start on low speed and then work up to a high speed to finish blending (it will take several minutes of high blending to achieve a smooth consistency). Puree until very, very smooth, adding more milk or water to smooth out and thin, as desired. Be sure to blend this sauce long enough for it to become creamy smooth. Add additional Dijon and/or chipotle hot sauce to taste. This sauce is fairly thick while pureeing and will thicken with refrigeration. To use as a dip, simply make ahead and refrigerate for an hour or more before serving. If you prefer a thinner consistency, stir in extra milk or a touch of water.

Serving Suggestions:

• This is an absolute must to spoon over Black Bean, Quinoa, and Sweet Potato Spicy Croquettes. It is also scrumptious with fried plantains. Peel and slice ripe (blackened) plantains on the diagonal and panfry in a smidgen of coconut oil over high or medium-high heat, seasoning with coarse sea salt, until browned and crispy, flipping as needed.

Now for some other recipes, from me and other chefs/authors/bloggers:

Moroccan Chickpea and Vegetable Phyllo Rolls with Maple Balsamic Sauce

Boulangerie Potatoes with Sauteed Fennel and White Beans – this dish almost melts in your mouth! The beans and fennel become buttery and soft, it is really a delicious, special entree. On page 116 of Let Them Eat Vegan.

Festive Chickpea Tart

No-fu Love Loaf

Chickpea Ratatouille

Moroccan Bean Stew – try serving this with my Kale-Slaw and some crusty bread. I did for a casual holiday dinner last year, and it was a great hit!

Freeform Tomato Tart with “Goat Cheese” and Basil from Ricki Heller

Lightened Up Spring Stuffing from Angela Liddon

Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Cakes with Pumpkin Pesto from Christy Morgan

Bow Tie Pasta Primavera with Avocado Pesto from Kathy Patalsky

Vegan Avgolemono (Greek Easter Soup with Lemon) from Gena Hamshaw

Jackfruit and Sweet Potato Enchiladas from JL Fields

Socca with Kale Pesto from Nicole Axworthy

Have you tried the croquettes from LTEV yet? What are Easter menu plans? Do you have a fabulous recipe to share? If so, add the link!

Mention “dessert” and I think of chocolate. Wait, ice cream. Yes, definitely ice cream. Because chocolate is my afternoon treat. Who says we can’t enjoy both? As much as I love chocolate, I often prefer a lighter dessert or evening treat, especially now that the weather is warming up and the days are brighter. With Easter this weekend, I thought I’d share a dessert that is just perfect for a special occasion – not to mention sunnier days (rejoicing here on the “wet” coast)!

This is my Raw Lemon-Lime Cheesecake with Fresh Mango Sauce from LTEV. While many raw cheesecakes use coconut oil, this one doesn’t. My version uses coconut butter, which is similar to nut butter – it is the whole coconut meat pureed into butter. It makes the magic in this recipe (and in many dessert recipes, imho).  I discovered Artisana Coconut Butter about 5-6 years ago, and have loved it ever since. Slowly it has become more available in stores (I used to order it online), and slightly more affordable.  It’s not cheap, but it’s worth every penny (er, should I now say nickel?) for a homemade, delicious, healthy dessert!

Raw Lemon-Lime Cheesecake with Coconut Nut Crust and Fresh Mango Sauce gluten-free, raw, oil-free link to RECIpage to print/share

Raw cheesecakes trump any tofu or soy cream cheese version (at least for me)! I wanted to come up with my own signature raw cheesecake. This one combines the tang and flavor of both lemon and lime juice, and has a tropical twist with coconut in the crust and a fresh mango sauce for serving. The recipe makes a fairly large batch of mango sauce. You can halve the batch or save the extra to top other foods, such as yogurt or waffles. You can also try the Fresh Strawberry Sauce as a switch from the mango puree. Regardless of the sauce you choose, this dessert is heavenly.

Crust:

1 cup raw almonds (soaked preferably, this is about ¾ cup raw, unsoaked almonds, see note)

1 cup pecans (soaking not necessary)

¾ cup pitted medjool dates

¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/8 tsp sea salt

Filling:

3 1/4 cups soaked raw cashews (soak first, then measure – this is about 2 ½ cups unsoaked)

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tsp lemon zest

¼ tsp sea salt

½ cup + 1 tbsp raw agave nectar (little generous; can substitute maple syrup but the cheesecake will be darker in color)

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out

1/2 cup coconut butter, packed (I use Artisana)

Mango Sauce: (see note)

1 1/2 cups frozen mango chunks

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

¼ cup raw agave nectar (or pure maple syrup)

½ tsp orange zest

Pinch sea salt

Wipe the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan to lightly oil (can use coconut butter or oil). Prepare the crust: Place the almonds and pecans in a food processor. Pulse until very crumbly, then add the remaining ingredients and process until the mixture will hold together when pressed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared springform pan. To prepare the filling, place all the filling ingredients in a high-powered blender (see note). Puree until very, very smooth and lightened in color. Pour the mixture over the crust and tip the pan back and forth to distribute evenly. Cover the pan with foil and pop into the freezer to set (you can freeze overnight, if you like, but freeze at least 3 to 4 hours so it can become firmer). Serves 6-8.

To prepare the mango sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth; refrigerate in a covered container until ready to serve.  To serve, remove the cake from the freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour to soften slightly before slicing. Serve with the sauce.

If This Apron Could Talk: It’s helpful to make the crust a day ahead if you have the time; it spreads out the preparation work and makes for easier cleanup!

If you don’t want cheesecake, what other desserts would be great for Easter?

Banana Butter Pie – p.253 Let Them Eat Vegan. I don’t have a photo of this recipe, and don’t have it posted. But it is AMAZING! It doesn’t have butter in it, rather NUT butter! So, if anyone wants to take a pretty pic of this pie, I’ll post it asap! (Deal?!)

Fresh Orange Cake with Fluffy Macadamia Frosting – Frosting recipe is here, both recipes from LTEV.

Gluten-Free Apple-of-my-Eye Pie – Recipe also from Let Them Eat Vegan.  Even if you don’t need a gf crust, MAKE THIS PIE!

Raw Raspberry Pudding – light, easy, bright and fresh – and can be made very last-minute.

Snifferdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches – I had to sneak in ice cream somewhere! Recipe for Snifferdoodles also from Let Them Eat Vegan.

Hello Vegan Bars – Ditto, from LTEV – these are decadent and moreish!!

Raw Chocolate Dream Mousse Pie – Forget dessert, I’d have this for breakfast! Another LTEV dessert (just realizing how many desserts I have in that book)!

Now, let’s share ideas for Easter morning!

What do you do with your kiddos? What vegan Easter treats do you buy/hide?  I do a couple of things. I have a bunch of plastic eggs and I fill those with inexpensive, small surprises – stickers, vegan gummies, foil-wrapped dark chocolate eggs, erasers, key chain, etc. I hide those along with some extra foil-wrapped dark chocolate eggs around the house (some years it’s been nice enough outside to hide in the garden, but often it’s wet). Other years, I give them each a small stuffy (they can never have enough stuffies, geez!) and do less ‘little’ treats, hiding mostly the gummies and chocolate eggs.

School can be tricky, however. Several years they dyed eggs in their classes. One year, our daughter’s class needed SIX eggs. I was stumped initially, realizing that plastic eggs wouldn’t work for dyeing -styrofoam eggs might have worked but I couldn’t find them. Then, I thought about it and realized that many craft stores carry wooden items for painting. I managed to pick up six wooden eggs, plus a few more. They did not dye as well as I thought they might, but they were still pretty and the girls had fun.  And, many years later we still have the eggs!

So, let’s share our experiences as vegan parents. What are your Easter traditions? What vegan treats do you buy and hide? And, do you have any other alternatives to wooden eggs for class projects? Also, please share any favorite Easter dessert recipes!

Tahini, unlike other seed and nut butters, is rarely called ‘sesame seed butter’.  But, that is what it is.  Sesame seeds are simply pureed into a paste or butter, much like almond butter or peanut butter.

Sesame Seeds

The first time I tasted tahini I thought it was truly awful stuff. Unlike nut butters, it is not inherently sweet.  In fact, it has quite a bitter taste, comparatively.  It was one of the first foods I tried when moving into eating vegan, but unfortunately I didn’t try it in the most appetizing way.  I tried it straight up.  It was pasty, bitter, and not all too appealing.  Had I tried it in a sauce or salad dressing, I would have had a better first impression!

Oddly, I also had cookbook at the time (when there were perhaps 5 vegan cookbooks on the market!) that used tahini in several cookie recipes.  It made all of them taste… like tahini.  There are ways to use tahini in dessert recipes, but the flavor balance is trickier than using nut butters.  Tahini can indeed be used brilliantly in sweets, but I use it most often in savory dishes.

I now LOVE tahini, despite my first disappointing taste-test.  I use it in salad dressings, sauces, entrees, creamy dips, hummus (did someone say hummus?!), salads, and more.  It adds body and creaminess to dressings and sauces and dressings (especially oil-free), nuttiness to hummus and dips, and also helps with binding and body in recipes like dinner loaves and burgers.  The very simplest sauces can be made by whisking tahini with an acid (ex: lemon juice or apple cider vinegar) and a little salt/pepper.  I also like to add just a smidgen of maple syrup or agave to balance the bitterness – just a touch.  I have several tahini recipes in my books, including ‘Tahini-Tamari Sauce’ (The Everyday Vegan), Sesame Mustard Tahini Sauce’ (Vive le Vegan), plus a ‘Peanut Sesame Sauce’ and a ‘Smoky-Spiked Tahini Sauce’ (both from LTEV).

Suffice it to say, I now quite love tahini, especially in a super-savory-drizzly sauce!  But, here’s the surprise… I now even love it straight up!  Maybe that’s not such a surprise, as we know that our palates develop when eating more whole plant foods, maybe you’ve had a similar experience!

Nutritionally speaking, tahini (and sesame seeds) are a good source of calcium and iron, as well as other minerals and vitamins (B1 and magnesium), and dietary fibre.  Tahini is a very healthy food to include in your plant-powered diet!

So, I’m often asked which tahini I use in my recipes.  I mention in Let Them Eat Vegan that the brand I use most often is “Nuts To You”.  It’s a Canadian brand, so it’s very widely available here.  Here is a rundown on three brands that I’ve used, comparing color, texture, and taste:

Nuts To You Tahini

Nuts To You Tahini: This brand is available in Canada, offering a variety of nut and seed butters.  I don’t know if I’ve ever seen it in the US (my American friends, have you seen it?).  This is my most-used tahini, for recipes and otherwise.
Color: Light beige/caramel.
Texture: Thick and somewhat dense, and not quite as silky-smooth as other two brands.
Taste: Medium-sesame flavor, slightly bitter but also earthy-nutty.

Joyva Tahini

Joyva Tahini:  This brand I have never seen in Canada.  I picked it up in the US, and couldn’t believe the difference between this and my standard ‘nuts to you’ brand.  I’ve sometimes heard people say that you can sub tahini for peanut butter, and I’ve thought “no way, not close enough in taste“… but, if they’ve been using this brand, I can see why they’d make the comparison.
Color: Darker beige, more caramel in color.
Texture: Very thick at the bottom, requires more stirring than ‘nuts to you’.  Without good stirring, you might get very loose/oily tahini at the top, and a very dense, dry paste at the bottom.
Taste: Roasted sesame flavor, very nutty, almost peanutty, less bitter.

Artisana Tahini

Artisana Raw Tahini:  This is a more specialized tahini.  Can be found in the US and Canada, but is far more pricey, double or more in price.  The price might be worth it to you if you want a very mild, subtle, creamy tahini.  This is your guy.  Since it is made from raw sesame seeds, its color is much lighter.  They claim to use ‘carefully selected seeds’ to reduce bitterness, and this appears to be true!
Color: Light, creamy-beige.
Texture: Smooth and creamy.
Taste:  Very mild sesame, minimal bitterness, creamy.

left to right: Joyva, Nuts to You, Artisana

Individual Veggie Lentil Loaves with Avocado Tahini Sauce by Ricki Heller