Apple Cheesecake Vegan Creme Brulee

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

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!

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

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

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

Veganized Savory Chicken Pot Pie

Lately, I have been addicted to Food Network Star. It ended the other night and the pie man lost but that didn’t make me lose the inspiration he created on screen. He could make anything into a pie. When I saw that grilled cheese pie with the short ribs I started to drool. I have actually been lucky enough to visit his restuarant in DC on my April road trip and was suprised to see they always feature multiple vegan pies there! However, I do not know how to make a vegan short rib equivalent so I started googling savory pies and looking at his pie shop menus. Chicken pot pie and chicken pie came up a lot in all these searches.

When I was a kid my mother would make Chicken Pot Pie a few times a month I swear. My father was always traveling and I can only imagine how stressed my mom was, so a one pot/pie meal was something she could throw together from all the leftovers during the week and we would have our bellies full. We either got it from scratch or in the box from Willow Farms that was fresh and local and a good alternative. My favorite however was just chicken and stuffing or potatoes. After watching Food Network and then googling for hours I decided I was going to make a chicken pie that was half chicken pie and a smidge chicken pot pie. I called my husband and told him to pick me up some pie crust on the way home. I was lucky because he got the refrigerated vegan pie crust from Whole Foods instead of the boxed kind and defrost was not needed.

NOTE: He is such a good sport about supporting my culinary undertakings without question.

I then embarked upon my first ever savory pie attempt and the stars must have aligned because it was the most delicious pie I had ever made. I don’t say this lightly because I make an amazing chocolate strawberry pie but this one was unbelievable. The crust was just a little sweet and perfectly flaky and the filling was hearty and subtle with an aroma of calming rosemary filling the house and the slight crunch of the diced broccoli stalks just finished it off. It will be ideal when Autumn hits. My husband, the resident omnivore, even had two slices before I was done with my first.

So let me tell you how I did it and you can make this for your Meatless Monday or meatless anyday or meatless everyday!

pie cut out

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Savory Rosemary and Thyme Chicken Pie

INGREDIENTS:

Filling

  • 1 Container Beyond Meat Lightly Seasoned Chicken Strips (available at Whole Foods)
  • 1 head of broccoli
  • 1/4 of an onion ciabatta bread square (8×8) (or any bread you have leftover just add extra onions)
  • 1 carmalized onion diced into tiny pieces or 1/3 cup of dehydrated onions (which I prefer)
  • 2tbsp Rosemary
  • 2tsp Thyme
  • 2 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1tsp black freshly ground pepper
  • 1tsp granulated garlic

Sauce

  • 1cup Almond Milk
  • 1/3 cup Tofutti Sour Cream
  • 1/3 cup Daiya Mozzarella Cheese Shreds
  • 1/4 block of Daiya Havarti Cheese
  • 2tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2tbsp dehydrated onion
  • 1tsp salt

Pie Crust

  • 2 Vegan Refrigerated Pie Crusts from Whole Foods
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Thyme
  • Rosemary
  • Granulated Garlic
  • Dehydrated Onions

Finishing

  • Olive Oil for Misting the top only
  • Pinch of salt

pie slice

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COOKING:

Prepare Filling:

  1. Dice Beyond Meat Vegan Chicken.
  2. Dice into very small pieces broccoli.
  3. Dice cubed bread and soak in warm water for 3 minutes. Remove and add to mixture.
  4. Toss all ingredients of filling until well combined.

Prepare Sauce

  1. Place all sauce ingredients in sauce pan on Medium heat and stir until melted and well combined.
  2. Take off heat and add filling until all contents are covered in sauce.

Prepare Crust

  1. Preheat oven to 350degrees.
  2. Take both pie crusts and knead in spices and salt until well-distributed through dough.
  3. Press 1 crust dough back into pie pan and then place parchment paper and pie weights on top for precooking. If you do not have pie weights you can use canned veggies with the paper ripped off or dry beans you have on hand to weigh down the crust and keep it from bubbling up while you precook the dough. Do not forget to precook the dough or the filling will cause it to come out raw. Precook until lightly golden.
  4. Knead second dough with spices and salt. Roll out to twice the size of original dough as this will cover the heaping pie.
  5. Take pie crust out of oven and fill with filling/sauce mixture. It will be dome shaped on top. Press in and condense. The Beyond Meat chicken is already cooked so you do not have to worry about raw meat.
  6. Once all the filling is in the crust cover with the second seasoned dough. Tuck in the edges so that it forms and thick layer that has no holes at the seam of the pie pan.

pie oven 2

  1. Cut air holes on the top of the crust to allow for steam to escape. I say 4 1 inch slits always work out well.
  2. Mist lightly with olive oil and sprinkle a pinch of salt on top.
  3. Bake at 425degrees for approximately 30minutes or until crust is golden on top .

pie done oven

Eat. Serve. Enjoy.

Serves 8-10.

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XOXOX,

The Hippie Gypsy

Veganized Savory Chicken Pot Pie

Lately, I have been addicted to Food Network Star. It ended the other night and the pie man lost but that didn’t make me lose the inspiration he created on screen. He could make anything into a pie. When I saw that grilled cheese pie with the short ribs I started to drool. I have actually been lucky enough to visit his restuarant in DC on my April road trip and was suprised to see they always feature multiple vegan pies there! However, I do not know how to make a vegan short rib equivalent so I started googling savory pies and looking at his pie shop menus. Chicken pot pie and chicken pie came up a lot in all these searches.

When I was a kid my mother would make Chicken Pot Pie a few times a month I swear. My father was always traveling and I can only imagine how stressed my mom was, so a one pot/pie meal was something she could throw together from all the leftovers during the week and we would have our bellies full. We either got it from scratch or in the box from Willow Farms that was fresh and local and a good alternative. My favorite however was just chicken and stuffing or potatoes. After watching Food Network and then googling for hours I decided I was going to make a chicken pie that was half chicken pie and a smidge chicken pot pie. I called my husband and told him to pick me up some pie crust on the way home. I was lucky because he got the refrigerated vegan pie crust from Whole Foods instead of the boxed kind and defrost was not needed.

NOTE: He is such a good sport about supporting my culinary undertakings without question.

I then embarked upon my first ever savory pie attempt and the stars must have aligned because it was the most delicious pie I had ever made. I don’t say this lightly because I make an amazing chocolate strawberry pie but this one was unbelievable. The crust was just a little sweet and perfectly flaky and the filling was hearty and subtle with an aroma of calming rosemary filling the house and the slight crunch of the diced broccoli stalks just finished it off. It will be ideal when Autumn hits. My husband, the resident omnivore, even had two slices before I was done with my first.

So let me tell you how I did it and you can make this for your Meatless Monday or meatless anyday or meatless everyday!

pie cut out

___________________________________________________________________________________

Savory Rosemary and Thyme Chicken Pie

INGREDIENTS:

Filling

  • 1 Container Beyond Meat Lightly Seasoned Chicken Strips (available at Whole Foods)
  • 1 head of broccoli
  • 1/4 of an onion ciabatta bread square (8×8) (or any bread you have leftover just add extra onions)
  • 1 carmalized onion diced into tiny pieces or 1/3 cup of dehydrated onions (which I prefer)
  • 2tbsp Rosemary
  • 2tsp Thyme
  • 2 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1tsp black freshly ground pepper
  • 1tsp granulated garlic

Sauce

  • 1cup Almond Milk
  • 1/3 cup Tofutti Sour Cream
  • 1/3 cup Daiya Mozzarella Cheese Shreds
  • 1/4 block of Daiya Havarti Cheese
  • 2tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2tbsp dehydrated onion
  • 1tsp salt

Pie Crust

  • 2 Vegan Refrigerated Pie Crusts from Whole Foods
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Thyme
  • Rosemary
  • Granulated Garlic
  • Dehydrated Onions

Finishing

  • Olive Oil for Misting the top only
  • Pinch of salt

pie slice

____________________________________________________________________________

COOKING:

Prepare Filling:

  1. Dice Beyond Meat Vegan Chicken.
  2. Dice into very small pieces broccoli.
  3. Dice cubed bread and soak in warm water for 3 minutes. Remove and add to mixture.
  4. Toss all ingredients of filling until well combined.

Prepare Sauce

  1. Place all sauce ingredients in sauce pan on Medium heat and stir until melted and well combined.
  2. Take off heat and add filling until all contents are covered in sauce.

Prepare Crust

  1. Preheat oven to 350degrees.
  2. Take both pie crusts and knead in spices and salt until well-distributed through dough.
  3. Press 1 crust dough back into pie pan and then place parchment paper and pie weights on top for precooking. If you do not have pie weights you can use canned veggies with the paper ripped off or dry beans you have on hand to weigh down the crust and keep it from bubbling up while you precook the dough. Do not forget to precook the dough or the filling will cause it to come out raw. Precook until lightly golden.
  4. Knead second dough with spices and salt. Roll out to twice the size of original dough as this will cover the heaping pie.
  5. Take pie crust out of oven and fill with filling/sauce mixture. It will be dome shaped on top. Press in and condense. The Beyond Meat chicken is already cooked so you do not have to worry about raw meat.
  6. Once all the filling is in the crust cover with the second seasoned dough. Tuck in the edges so that it forms and thick layer that has no holes at the seam of the pie pan.

pie oven 2

  1. Cut air holes on the top of the crust to allow for steam to escape. I say 4 1 inch slits always work out well.
  2. Mist lightly with olive oil and sprinkle a pinch of salt on top.
  3. Bake at 425degrees for approximately 30minutes or until crust is golden on top .

pie done oven

Eat. Serve. Enjoy.

Serves 8-10.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

XOXOX,

The Hippie Gypsy

Grilling for Vegans: What to Eat and How to Make it

As grilling season approaches I realize that my husband gets so excited his heart may just explode. I say it is from the meat heavy dishes and he says it is from the amazing Weber Grill my father got him as a present. Whatever the case is I make him grill me veggie burgers, corn, whatever. And he has started to become an expert. No grill baskets needed. So here is my veg-lovers guide to eating at a barbecue without all the looks (except of envy) and the extra equipment!

1. Invest in fresh veggies. The frozen kind will not be able to hold up to direct fire. Save those for the wintertime when you are feeling lethargic and uninspired.

2. Buy tinfoil/aluminum foil. This is a cheaper but I admit a less ecofriendly option to grill baskets but it is reasonable especially when you have a bunch of people hitting up your home on a hot day. You can just toss out the oil salty foil after and worry about that sink another day. And no cross contamination!

3. Invest in an olive oil mist sprayer. I have the one from Macy’s that I also know Martha Stewart sells. It works and doesn’t slather on too much oil.

4. The only seasoning you need is salt and pepper. That being said take any veggies you want and spray them season them throw them on tinfoil and grill to your hearts desire. I am a big fan of grilling corn, chopped broccoli florets, Portobello mushrooms, zucchini, summer squash, and tomatoes. My Aunt came over the other day with pineapple and my husband grilled it right on the grill no foil needed and we topped our burgers with it.

As for a good grillable burger. Which is every vegan’s 10million dollar question… My husband makes my Vegan Boca Burgers on foil on the grill or Dominix Eggplant Burgers. Perfect with a little ketchup and mustard!

A good grillable sausage? I am obsessed with Tofurky’s Beer Brats. I mean obsessed. No foil needed and I will eat them year round. We also do soy hot dogs and all seem to be good so I just get whatever is on sale. The kids don’t notice the difference but on a side note cook them in a hot dog toaster or microwave. The grill sometimes overcooks them fast. You can place on for a second after for the grill markings.

Enjoy!

XOXOX,

The Hippie Gypsy

Veganized Chicken, Broccoli, Ziti Dish with an Alfredo Sauce

When I was a kid my family would go to Applebee’s on a regular basis and then to the movie theatre next door. We loved these trips. My brother would always order the Chicken, Broccoli, Ziti dish with a side of garlic bread. I began to order this dish as well. It was always a hit. It was only my second favorite to the chicken fingers because of their honey mustard sauce which even today I am sure has some sort of addictive drug in it and is made out of magic, but I digress.

*Please note: They have nothing vegan at Applebee’s anymore even their salads and side item veggies have meat or dairy in them 😦

My brother and his wife gave birth to a son this past month. So in honor of his new son (Nolan) and what will surely be his new son’s eating habits, I will post my recipe for a veganized Chicken, Broccoli, and Ziti. I must also make note that my step children and husband beg for this meal and state it is their favorite dinner and they are all omnivores.

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Nolan’s Chicken, Broccoli, and Ziti

Alfredo Sauce

1/4 block of Daiya Havarti

1-2cups of Silk Soy Creamer

1/4 cup of Olive Oil

1 dash of thyme

1 dash of nutmeg

1 tbsp granulated garlic

Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

“Chicken”

1 boxed container of Beyond Meat (R) Lightly Salted Chicken Strips

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Broccoli

2 heads of broccoli

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Ziti

2lbs of boxed ziti

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PREPARATION

  • Boil a large pot of salted water.
  • Add 2lbs of boxed ziti. Cook until al dente drain.
  • Wait to place in serving bowl until other items are done.
  • Dice Chicken Strips into cubes place in frying pan on medium with olive oil salt and pepper and sautee until hot. Place to the side.
  • Preheat oven to 450degrees.
  • Take the stems of the broccoli heads. Then cut into small 1-2 inch florets and slice each floret down the center so it has one flat side.
  • On a cookie sheet toss broccoli with an ample amount of olive oil until well covered and the cookie sheet is as well. Toss with a good amount to salt and a few grinds of pepper.
  • Place broccoli in oven for 25-28minutes. Or until crispy and roasted with carmelized edges. Small pieces may appear burnt.

roasted broccoli

  • In a sauce pan place oil, salt, and pepper until warm then add cream and cheese. If it appears to thin as it cooks down feel free to add a cornstarch/arrowroot slurry or some Galaxy brand parmesan cheese or even nutritional yeast (“nooch”).
  • When sauce is complete add chicken to it until well combined and then toss with pasta.
  • Last add roasted broccoli and toss lightly into mixture.
  • Serve hot. Crusty bread is always a great side choice as well!

Enjoy!

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XOXOX,

The Hippie Gypsy

Two Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies

So to keep the theme of fast recipes with leftovers… I came across this recipe from a former coworker who found it on another site and thought it was too good to be true. It was a 2 ingredient cookie (3 or 4 if you add some good stuff). I had two containers of half used quick oats and a quarter of a bag of vegan chocolate chips because my husband sneaks chocolate when I am not around, and of course at least 5 or 6 frozen brown bananas in my freezer just in case! I always keep them around because my step kids love banana pancakes. So whenever I don’t finish a bunch in the freezer one or two will go! This was the prefect recipe that I will make again and again because it is so easy and dare I say healthy! My husband thinks it needs more sugar. But I just told him to go snack on the fudge from yesterday :). Eat up!

cookies cooled

NOTE: The original recipe was on The Burlap Bag and my friend’s blog is Organic Glory. So take a looksy!

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RECIPE: Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

(2) Overripe Brown Bananas

1 cup Quick oats

Optional: Vegan Chocolate Chips, Walnuts, etc.

oats

Mash the bananas into the quick oats and then mix in any optional toppings.

silpat

Place on a cookie sheet with either a silpat or parchment, it will stick and be messy otherwise.

cookies on silpat

Bake at 350degrees for 15minutes.

cookies close up

Eat and Enjoy!

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XOXOX, The Hippie Gypsy