Author Archives: LD

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About LD

https://instagram.com/littlehippievegangypsy/ @TheHippieGypsy

Banana Bread Bars

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts, QUICKIES!, Traveling Vegan and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

There are very few things that can make me feel as cozy as banana bread. My mom would make it all the time when I was a kid (and would even bring it to my dorm in college sometimes). Saving up all the brown bananas we didn’t eat in time and putting them in the freezer. When she had enough she would make the whole house smell like heaven and it was hard to keep us back long enough for the banana bread to cool so she could cut a slice for my brother and I. My grandmother would cozy up next to me with some tea and her banana bread and on those chilly fall days we would watch infomercials and old movies at my parents house. So when I got a tweet on Twitter the other day from a follower that wanted to use up some Chia seeds I thought what better way than to give out my banana bread bars recipe! The recipe is easy and just requires dumping everything in a bowl and mixing and then placing it in the oven. The weather was cool over the weekend so I made a batch as a breakfast snack for my husband and I this week. They were also snacked on by both my parents yesterday while we continued mounting new things to the walls of my new house.  Note: I bribe family and friends with dinner and snacks for free labor 🙂 

 

banana bread bars done

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Banana Bread Bars

 

Ingredients:

(3) Bananas (overripe and brown is best)

1 1/2 cup Quick Oats

1 tsp tapioca granulated

2 tbsp chia seeds

1/4 cup of Raw Agave Syrup/Nectar

1/4 cup raw unsalted pistachios

1/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup white chocolate chips (I use Lieber’s White Decorative Chips)

Spectrum Coconut Oil Spray for pan

 

banana bread bars ingredients

 

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Preparation:

  • Place white chips, nuts, seeds, coconut, and tapicoa in a medium mixing bowl and stir until combined.
  • Add quick oats. Stir until combined.
  • Add bananas (i ususally microwave frozen bananas for 1 minute and then add them). Mix until thick adn well combined throughout.
  • Add agave and fold in.

banana bread raw mix 1   banana bread raw mix 2   banana bread raw mix with oats   banana bread raw mix with banana   banana bread raw mix with agave

 

Cook!

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray a bread pan with coconut oil.
  • Place bar mixture into bread pan and pat flat with spatula.
  • Bake for 30-40minutes until the sides turn brown and the center is firm tot he touch.
  • Cut into 6 bars and serve after cooled about 15-30minutes.
  • Enjoy!

 

banana bread raw mix patted flat   banana bread raw mix in pan   banana bread bars done

 

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WW Points: 8pts per bar.

 

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XOXOX,

 

The Hippie Gypsy

 

 

Pumpkin Pie Vegan Creme Brulee

Posted by LD in Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts

Thanksgiving may seem like it is far away but in Canada it is next month and for the USA it is around 75 days away. So this is my favorite time to start testing recipes that I may cook. I also start inviting folks over for the holiday so I can get the right amount of recipes down for the group I am serving. I started late last year because I was only having a small group in an even smaller house but this year I am going all out. Since Pumpkin Pie seems to be everyone’s favorite dessert at Thanksgiving I thought why not try a pumpkin pie custard/pudding/or brulee? So I did. And although the first time it came out to liquidy I learned that upping the agar and arrowroot helps immensely. You can always add more pumpkin as well and allow to chill overnight. I love a challenge!

139

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Pumpkin Pie Creme Brulee

Ingredients:

  • 1/2cup raw cashews
  • 1/2 can of pumpkin or 1/2 boxed carton of pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1/4cup maple syrup
  • 1/3cup sugar
  • 1tablespoon agar agar powder (this is vegan gelatin powder found in the asian section of the grocery store)
  • 1tablespoon arrowroot powder/starch (don’t use cornstarch due to the high heat, arrowroot is better)
  • 1 1/4cups Soy Creamer
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon-1tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice (depends on your pallet, I use a little more)
  • 1/2teaspoon of Vanilla Extract (I use Penzey’s)

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Preparation

Place all ingredients in a high powered blender or food processor and mix until smooth.

074   075

If you do not have a high powered mixer soak cashews for at least 4 hours or overnight so that the batter will not be grainy. 

089   090

Cook

Preheat oven to 375degrees.

095   094

Fill a casserole dish with water to go halfway the height of the  jars you in tend on placing the brulee mixture in. I have used both mason jars and square ramekins before and both come out well.

093   096

Pour batter into each ramekin allowing a little space so that they do not spill over as the casserole dish will be heavy with all the water in it. You need to be careful not to allow water into the ramekin.

097  132

Cook for at least 30 minutes or until the batter is wiggly but not liquidy and slightly firm on top.

112   114   115

Chill

Take jars out of the water with tongs and place on a towel on a drying rack. Let cool 15 minutes and then transfer into the refrigerator for 2-4hours. I prefer overnight for real custard consistency.

134

Brulee

After the creme is completely firm and chilled through and you are ready to serve. …Take sugar, sprinkle a good layer on each creme top, and brulee with a hand torch until the sugar bubbles, browns, and quickly hardens.

   136   137   138

Serve Immediatly.

Serves 6. WW Points 6.

(PS Any of these can be simply custard without the brulee if you do not have a torch)

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XOXOX,

The Hippie Gypsy

Pistachio Vegan Creme Brulee

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

When I was a kid we would go to this little Tavern down the street from my house. It was called the North Pond House back then. It was next to North Pond and boasted karaoke and traditional english pub fare. I ate a lot of fish and chips there and regrettably sang a lot of karaoke as a child (which everyone clapped but I am sure it was funnier than it was actually entertaining). For dessert however they had this ice cream called Spumoni which was an Italian layered slice of heaven as far as I was concerned as a kid (I also think this was an 80s dessert because I never see it anymore). I loved the green layer of pistachio. Pistachio ice cream was a luxury that was not in my fridge at home often. We did popsicles at home. So I loved these visits where I could indulge in my pistachio layer of ice cream. It seemed so fancy back then. So when I was testing creme brulee recipes I remembered my fall visits to the pub with the smell of fireplaces and pumpkins and haystacks in front of the doors of the neighborhood near the pond which was cirlced in orange and red leaves. Pistachio creme brulee would be amazing. I said to myself this weekend “Let’s see if we can make it work”. And I did. Enjoy!

142

 

 

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Pistachio Creme Brulee

Ingredients:

  • 1/2cup raw cashews
  • 1/2cup pistachios
  • 1 avocado (skin and seed removed)
  • 1/4cup raw agave
  • 1/3cup sugar
  • 1 1/2teaspoon agar agar powder (this is vegan gelatin powder found in the asian section of the grocery store)
  • 1teaspoon arrowroot powder/starch (don’t use cornstarch due to the high heat, arrowroot is better)
  • 1 1/4cups Soy Creamer
  • 1 heaping tablespoon of Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4teaspoon of Vanilla Extract (I use Penzey’s) (or use almond extract)

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Preparation

Place all ingredients in a high powered blender or food processor and mix until smooth. This batter will be quite thick. Consider stirring it with a spatula if needed.

074   075

If you do not have a high powered mixer soak cashews  and pistachios for at least 4 hours or overnight so that the batter will not be grainy. Also, place half the nuts in at first and the second half after most ingredients have liquified.

100   098   099   077

Cook

Preheat oven to 375degrees.

105   102   108

Fill a casserole dish with water to go halfway the height of the  jars you in tend on placing the brulee mixture in. I have used both mason jars and square ramekins before and both come out well. Then sprinkle each jar bottom with extra pistachios. It’s a fun surprise on the bottom. Also remove metal presses from the jars. They will be so redhot it is better to pop them off now.

109   110   111

Pour batter into each jar allowing a little space so that they do not spill over as the casserole dish will be heavy with all the water in it. You need to be careful not to allow water into the jars.

124   125   113

Cook for at least 30 minutes or until the batter is wiggly but not liquidy and slightly firm on top.

126

Chill

Take jars out of the water with tongs and place on a towel on a drying rack. Let cool 15 minutes and then transfer into the refrigerator for 2-4hours.

Brulee

After the creme is completely firm and chilled through and you are ready to serve. …Take sugar, sprinkle a good layer on each creme top, and brulee with a hand torch until the sugar bubbles, browns, and quickly hardens.

140      143

Serve Immediatly.

Serves 6. WW Points 6.

(PS Any of these can be simply custard without the brulee if you do not have a torch)

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XOXOX,

The Hippie Gypsy

My 9/11 Story: How a newborn, a father, an uncle, and the weirdest drive of my life lead to joy.

Posted by LD in Confessions and Rants of the Vegan Persuasion

I was 19 when 9/11 happened. I was sleeping in my childhood bed at my parents house because I didn’t move into my new dorm until Saturday. I was woken up to my mother screaming “We are being attacked” and that my father was possibly on one of the planes. Within an hour we found out my uncle may be on another. It was unreal. We lived just outside of Boston and my father regularly traveled for business as did my mother’s brother. He had rescheduled his trip and sent someone in his place. They all perished. My father had been late that morning and went to work cancelling his flight because he would never make it. His coworker perished. On the other side of the world in San Diego California my now husband was at the hospital with his now ex-wife and 1 day old newborn baby girl who turned 12 yesterday. She is my oldest stepdaughter. My husband was enlisted in the US Navy at the time and had to begin preparations immediately to leave his 1 day old baby behind. While he made preparations our phones were all turned off in Boston. Since the flights came out of our airport. I got in my car and drove on an empty highway all the way to my father’s work. I found him there and eventually got in touch with my mother to tell her the good news. Everyone in his office was crying or glued to small TVs. I then had to take one of their workers who was also a reserve back into the city because he needed to report for duty. He hopped in the car and we headed back south into a city that everyone was escaping. It reminded me of that scene from Independence day where they drive into DC and everyone is in a traffic jam going the opposite way. I dropped him off and headed home. The whole world seemed numb for days. Everyone I knew was affected in some way, lost someone, knew something. Boston became this tiny city where everyone new everyone and New York was only 3 hours away so it just became this devastating day in this tiny area of the world. When I was 22 I even became a Homeland Security Officer because I was so influenced by those days and moments that seemed to last forever. However years later, I see it differently now.

I look at my stepdaughter. She was born 1 day before this devastating terrorist attack. She is still growing and happy and beautiful. My husband gave up an epically important moment in any father’s life, that first year of his first child’s life, to protect people he didn’t know from an enemy that was threatening our livelihood. I do not know many people who could do something that courageous and even as his wife I am humbled by that commitment he and so many men and women made. I also learned that this little girl represents the one thing we say so often but never practice, “Live for today”. We need to enjoy our lives and treat our lives and days with respect because tomorrow anything can happen. Find joy in your day and soak up that moment. If you learn anything from 9/11 it should be the heroism, the selflessness, and the joy others share. The calls of “I love you” that people made from planes and the babies that were born to remind us that life will go on and we need to protect it for these little guys. Be selfless, be joyous, be happy, be free. It’s what being an American is really about that pursuit of happiness. We should learn from the past in this way. No one who perished that day would want us to dwell they would want us to continue on and fill the world with peace and joy. So today honor them by doing something to pay it forward. Pay their sacrifice forward and fill this world with more joy.

Apple Cheesecake Vegan Creme Brulee

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The fall weather has officially started here in Coastal Massachusetts. This weekend I started raking, trimming back trees, turned off the Central Air, and opened up all the windows in my house. The cool air made the sheer window coverings sweep the floors from the wind like a chiffon wedding dress. It was a beautiful weekend. I could smell chocolate chip cookies and ocean air from my deck and I even kicked it off with a trip to the Brimfield Antiques Fair which just screams “Welcome Fall”. Together my mother and I picked up a red rocking horse for my nephew Nolan, a few records for my new record player, a set of silverware that completed a set I had inherited which was just dumb luck!, a buddha painted in reds and blues and gold for my side garden to go just underneath the chimes, and a poster from the 1980’s when a friend of mine ran for office which I will make him sign because it was such a fun find! Who doesn’t love a gigantic yard sale? I would be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t have a good time at these events. I then went over to my aunt’s to help her pack up her apartment to move to her dream destination. I am so proud of her. I know she appreciates a good dessert. So this weekend I worked on puddings.

Fall is the time for puddings both warm and cold. There are bread puddings (my mom’s favorite) and the more exciting french puddings like the creme brulee and then there are the puddings I would never eat like black pudding. My favorite has always been a vanilla bean creme brulee with a good crunchy crust and a thick custard filling but not to sweet to offset the brulee. My parents would bring us to brunch on Easter and Mother’s day and I would always run over to make sur ethe hotel had the little ramekins of this dessert. So I tried to replicate it now as a vegan with a few fall fun flavors. This is my first of a series of three I will post this week (all tested and approved by the omnivore husband). They are all easy to prepare (35minutes max) but the cooling process (2hrs min.) causes it to be something you have to make in advance. Since everyone in the office was talking about apple picking on Friday we shall start with apple! Enjoy!

145

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Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake Creme Brulee

Ingredients:

  • 1/2cup raw cashews
  • (2) Macintosh Apples Cored, Peeled, Diced
  • 1/4cup maple syrup
  • 1/3cup sugar
  • 1tablespoon agar agar powder (this is vegan gelatin powder found in the asian section of the grocery store)
  • 1tablespoon arrowroot powder/starch (don’t use cornstarch due to the high heat, arrowroot is better)
  • 1 1/4cups Soy Creamer
  • 2 heaping tablespoons of Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon-1tablespoon Apple Pie Spice (depends on your pallet, I use a little more)
  • 1/2teaspoon of Vanilla Extract (I use Penzey’s)

073   080   088   072   076   083   084   086   101   120   121   085

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Preparation

Place all ingredients in a high powered blender or food processor and mix until smooth.

074   075

If you do not have a high powered mixer soak cashews for at least 4 hours or overnight so that the batter will not be grainy.

122   127   128

Cook

Preheat oven to 375degrees.

Fill a casserole dish with water to go halfway the height of the ramekins or jars you in tend on placing the brulee mixture in. I have used both mason jars and square ramekins before and both come out well.

094   095

Pour batter into each ramekin allowing a little space so that they do not spill over as the casserole dish will be heavy with all the water in it. You need to be careful not to allow water into the ramekins.

130   129

Cook for at least 30 minutes or until the batter is wiggly but not liquidy and slightly firm on top.

132    131

Chill

Take ramekins out of the water with tongs and place on a towel on a drying rack. Let cool 15 minutes and then transfer into the refrigerator for 2-4hours.

134   133

Brulee

After the creme is completely firm and chilled through and you are ready to serve. …Take sugar, sprinkle a good layer on each creme top, and brulee with a hand torch until the sugar bubbles, browns, and quickly hardens.

136   118      144082

Serve Immediatly.

147   146

Serves 6. WW Points 6.

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XOXOX,

The Hippie Gypsy

Meatless Monday Meal Menus and Recipes

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Appetizers, Meatless Monday Desserts, Meatless Monday Family Dinners, Menus, QUICKIES! and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

At my office there are quite a few folks trying to do Meatless Mondays for environmental and health reasons. We have a fabulous Wellness Committee that I am honored to be a part of that organizes everything from 15minute chair massages to bootcamps to a Wellness Day once a year where everything that helps us be healthy comes together. This year there was healthy food, healthy activities, mindfulness activities, ecofriendly ideas for the year, carpooling incentives, etc. It’s amazing! I am very blessed to be here. I held the Meatless Mondays booth feeding the masses vegan and vegetarian foods and giving them the ecofriendly reasons to try Meatless Mondays as well as health benefits and of course the history behind it all. It was fun. But now is the hard part. Months have passed and my coworkers and others around the world participating in Meatless Mondays have to scour the fridge, the internet, and the grocery for menu ideas for the family when Monday comes around. So here are some collections of my recipes formed into “menus” to help my coworkers and fellow Meatless Monday participants out. Enjoy!

(1) Homestyle Comfort Meal

(2) Fresh and Quick

(3) Guy’s Night

(4) Ladies Night

(5) Kids Night

(6) Holiday Meal

XOXOX,

The Hippie Gypsy

Holy Guacamole!

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Appetizers, QUICKIES!, Traveling Vegan and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I can’t pinpoint the exact moment I decided to eat avocados but I know it wasn’t when I lived in Southern California where they grow and I would’ve had the best opportunity at this particular produce. I am funny sometimes in that way. I always find a way to randomly miss a great opportunity like when I got parasite in Guatemala the day before I was supposed to zipline through a rainforest a life long bucket list item. Instead I was in the parking lot getting sick next to a van. But I digress. Back to the avocado, I was always turned off by the green black pimply shell and the bring mushy green insides of this so-called fruit. I knew it was fairly fatty but everyone seemed to love it as some sort of super food. So I categorized it with all those other superfoods like Wheatgrass and Seaweed and Blue Green Algae all of which (at that point) I was not buying into. They seemed alien and gross and I preferred Cheetos and Frozen Pizza. I remember trying guacamole once because my friend CiCi demanded it was amazing at a local mexican food chain one night. I thought it was soupy bland and boring. Then sometime in the past year I started putting avocado on my sandwiches to bulk them up a little after having warmed up to the smoothness of them against spicy roasted peppers at a peruvian sandwich shop near Downtown Crossing in Boston before I went vegan. I decided it was time to try guacamole but on my own terms. I would have to make it myself. I scoured the internet and saw about a thousand different recipes and gave up on them all. What flavors would I want? What would make it fresh? My mom says cilantro tastes like soap and avocados like dirt so how can I offset those flavors that she thinks she tastes so she won’t gag at the next dinner party? So I spent the day in the grocery store and then in the kitchen mixing the flavors together until I got what I wanted. I didn’t want mushy, I needed some acidity, I needed salt. So here is what I produced. It is both mom and husband approved and everyone that has tried it said the same thing “I usually don’t like guacamole from the store but I love this it’s so fresh tasting!” Mission accomplished.

guac 3

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Guacamole

Ingredients:

1-2 capfuls of lemon juice

2 avocados

1 container of Whole Foods PreMade Salsa Fresca (or you can make it:  http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/learn-cook-fresh-salsa)

Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

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Time to Prepare!

  1. I make sure that both of my avocados are a little soft to the touch they don’t have to be super squishy but a finger imprint and a dark skin almost black are good signs.
  2. I then slice them in half by placing them upright like a pear and going straight down until I hit the seed and then circling around the seed keeping that straight line of cutting it in half.
  3. I pull the two halves apart and I either scoop out the seed with my avocado tool or if it is in the dishwasher I pull it out with my fingers or I stick a knife in it and pull until it loosens up and falls out.
  4. I then scrape out the contents with my avocado tool or make a slice down the center of the fruit flesh without piercing the skin and then across making little blocks and turn it inside out to pop out the blocks of avocado like ice cubes in a tray.
  5. I take all the cubes and mash them lightly with my avocado tool or a fork but I make sure it stays chunky. Over mashing will cause it to get soupy when you add the lemon juice and salsa.
  6. Then add kosher salt and pepper to taste. I use at least 1-2 teaspoons of salt and a few grinds from a small pepper grinder.
  7. Add the capful or two of lemon juice (I use Real Lemon) and then toss with a fork.
  8. Last add 2-3 heaping spoonfuls of the salsa fresca to the mixture and lightly mix. This adds the exact freshness that the guacamole needs to not be bland. I love that Whole Foods prepares it and has it on ice in the prepared foods section. I would hate to have to cut up all those tomatoes and onions. 
  9. Serve with corn chips or on top of my chili recipe.  

   guac 1                    

 

   guac 2

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Weight Watchers Points: 1/4 of bowl is 4 points. 1/8 is 2 points. So eat it up with some fresh chopped veggies or in a veggie soup for a low point dinner or lunch!

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XOXOX,

The Hippie Gypsy

 

Lemon Blueberry Breakfast Bundt Cake

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts, Traveling Vegan and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I use two cookbooks when making cakes in most cases either Chef Chloe’s cookbook “Chloe’s Kitchen” or the “Joy of Vegan Baking”. The Joy of Vegan Baking has an excellent Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake Recipe if I remember correctly. For the purposes of this cake we are doctoring up Chef Chloe’s vanilla cake recipe (www.chefchloe.com) and making it a lemon blueberry cake for brunch in honor of my Mother’s birthday this past week.

My family is big on brunch. We do Easter brunch every year and for most informal birthday or family get togethers. We are great at doing brunch and I have been to so many hotel brunches all over the world I feel spoiled by them during my Sunday indulgences. I think that brunch is so much fun for everyone because it encourages good eating through small portions and copious amounts of veggie and fruit options even when they are not always attached to vegan items. There are fruit cups, quiches, and omelettes filled with veggie fillings so I am all about it! However, the pastries and baked goods are always filled with eggs and dairy so I am going to change that today with this travel friendly recipe to bring to your next family soiree. I promise everyone will love it. I have made it for a potluck at work a few years ago and recently for a family get together after the funeral of my grandmother and as the only vegan I always suffer the “this tastes different” criticism. But not with this cake. Even my Dad was found picking at it long after brunch was over!

lemon blueberry cake altered image

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Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

  • 1 lemon
  • 1 cup of fresh blueberries (plus 1 cup for garnish)
  • 1 jar lemon marmalade (for garnish)
  • 1 tbsp of Lemon Extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour plus 1 ½ teaspoon xanthan gum)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¾ cups soy milk
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • ¼ cup white or apple cider vinegar (I use ACV not white)
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (I use Penzey’s Mexican Vanilla Extract)

blueberries garnish cake

TIME TO BAKE!

Chef Chloe’s Vanilla Cake Recipe with my additions in bold caps:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease three 8 or 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together nondairy milk (I USE ORGANIC SOYMILK) , oil, vinegar, and vanilla (ALSO ADD THE ZEST OF ONE LEMON RIND AND 1TBSP OF LEMON EXTRACT AND 2 TBSP OF LEMON JUICE.)
  3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until just combined. Do not over mix. (THEN SPRINKLE 1 CUP OF FRESH BLUEBERRIES LIGHTLY WITH FLOUR AND FOLD INTO BATTER. THE FLOUR HELPS THEM FROM SINKING STRAIGHT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE CAKE PAN.)
  4. Fill each prepared (BUNDT) cake pan evenly with batter. Bake for (20-30) minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean with a few crumbs clinging to it. Rotate the cakes halfway through the baking time. Cool the cakes completely before assembly.
  5. I then flip the cake over on a cake pedestle and sprinkle with powdered sugar and garnish with fresh blueberries in the center. I serve this with lemon marmalade that I buy when it is on sale at Christmas Tree Shops since they are famous for having sales on jars of jellies.

lemon blueberry cake 2

Enjoy!

Serves 12.

lemon blueberry bundt cake

 

WW POINTS: 9pts per serving. (Based on 12 servings)

 

blueberry cake chunk

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XOXOX,

The Hippie Gypsy

Fillo Primavera: Veggie and Cheese Filled Pastries

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Appetizers, Meatless Monday Desserts, Meatless Monday Family Dinners, QUICKIES! and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I love that there are so many types of pastry and dough on the market that are vegan. Mostly because Crisco and Shortening are vegan, not healthy, but vegan none the less. So when I was craving something like a Beef Wellington pastry I thought oooh I bet I could make those with fillo dough, pie dough, Pillsbury Croissant Dough, or even pizza dough! So for my first attempt I didn’t go straight to the Gardein Beef but instead to some veggies and Daiya cheese but please feel free to try these with any type of faux meat, vegetable, cheese, or even fruit! The Farmer’s Markets are brimming with good things lately so I encourage you to experiment with this. Make an eggplant parm fillo or even a butternut squash one with a pinch of cinnamon and brown sugar try a dessert fillo with peaches and earth balance , sugar, ginger, and cardamom. Whatever you can imagine will fit perfectly in this dough!

Fillo Primavera

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Fillo Primavera

Vegan Fillo Dough

  • 1 box Organic Fillo Dough
  • 1 head broccoli
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 1 block Daiya Havarti Cheese
  • Kosher Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic
  • Dehydrated Onions
  • Olive Oil
  • Optional: 1 Container of Victoria Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo Sauce or Rao’s Marinara Sauce (Victoria Vegan Alfredo Sauces are available at www.veganessentials.com and Rao’s Sauces are available in most grocery stores including Whole Foods)

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Prepare!

  1. Chop all veggies into tiny pieces to accommodate the fillo packages that will go in the muffin pan.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Spray muffin pans lightly with olive oil.
  4. Cut fillo dough into squares twice as large as the muffin tin holes.
  5. Place at least 3 sheets of the fillo dough square into each muffin tin hole.               Fillo Dough
  6. Spray dough with olive oil, sprinkle with Salt, Pepper, and Spices.
  7. Place chopped veggies and crumbled cheese into each fillo muffin.                                                                   Fillo Filling
  8. Add 1-2 tsp of optional sauces at this time like Victoria Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo or Rao’s Marinara.         Fillo Filling 2
  9. Sprinkle tops with more salt, pepper, and spices.
  10. Bring excess dough to a point and twist. Spray with olive oil and a sprinkle of finishing salt.

Cook!

fillo primavera baking

  1. Bake for at least 15minutes or until the dough on top starts to darken and the dough separates from the sides of the muffin tin. It may take longer depending on how dense your cups and what types of ingredients you filled it with.      Fillo Baking Done
  2. Note: Use more fill sheets for juicier fruits and veggies and less for more dense foods like chicken and broccoli.
  3. Serve immediately and enjoy!

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XOXOX,

The Hippie Gypsy

Quick and Tropical Mexican Rice Plate

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Meatless Monday Family Dinners, QUICKIES! and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

When I first met my husband I lived in San Diego, California. I ate in for most of my meals and he ate out for most of his. I learned that he was beyond obsessed with burritos. I liked burritos well enough but the tortilla was always a little to filling for me. I prefered rise dishes or the filling over a salad. One day he made me this filling of beans and fish and salsa in the oven and put it over a salad for me and I was forever in love with it. I now place it in burritos or over rice all the time but instead of fish I use vegan chicken and he still uses fish. He prefers it over rice and in a burrito. So I will show you both and I will show you the quick way without boiling rice or making pineapple salsa from scratch 🙂 Don’t forget that anything can be subbed for the chicken portion. You can place in veggies, roasted peppers, portobello mushrooms, etc.

 Gotta love a quick Meatless Mondays dish for the whole family with easy clean up!

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Tropical Mexican Rice Dish

Ingredients:

  1. 1 package Spanish Uncle Ben’s 90 second rice
  2. 4-8 Flour Burrito Tortillas (I like the Fiber One 80 calorie ones)
  3. 1 jar Newman’s Own Organics Pineapple Salsa
  4. 1 can Fat Free Refried Beans (I use Old El Paso)
  5. 1 container of Beyond Meat Chickenless Strips Lightly Seasoned
  6. Optional Toppings: Onions, Hot Sauce, lemon, lime, garlic powder, salad, etc.

Baking:

  • Preheat oven to 425degrees.
  • On a long piece of aluminum foil smear 1/4 to 1/2 cup of refried beans in a circle in the center.
  • Place chicken (or veggies or fish if you aren’t vegan) on top.

burrito preperation

  • Cover with salsa and any optional items. I cover with the onions and hot sauce first and then the salsa.
  • Bring sides of tinfoil together and roll downward. Fold other sides into center.
  • Place directly on oven rack. Bake for 25-30minutes (longer for fish less for chicken).
  • Remove from oven.
  • Place 90 second rice in microwave.
  • Place 1/4cup – 1/2cup of rice in each burrito and top with oven baked filling.

burrito done

Enjoy!

 

(WW Points for filling without rice is 5 points, Rice is another 5 points for 1 cup, Fiber One Tortillas are 2pts each)

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XOXOX,

The Hippie Gypsy