Chocolate Almond Tart May 25, 2010

Crust

1 cup ground almonds

1/2 cup vegan butter substitute, slightly softened but not at room temperature

1/2 cup soy cream cheese

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Filling

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vegan butter substitute

1 container (8 ounces) tofu cream cheese

1 cup soymilk

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons slivered, lightly toasted or raw almonds

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Oil a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  If you don’t have one you can use a 9×9 square pan. Beat the vegan butter substitute, cream cheese and sugar using an electric mixer, until creamy. Add the flour and ground almonds and knead with your hands until just combined, but not mushy. Do not overwork the dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least a half an hour, and up to two days. Press into pan and up sides. Bake 25 minutes then let cool.

To make the filling, melt the chocolate, sugar and vegan butter in a double boiler over gently simmering water or in a glass or ceramic bowl in the microwave. Add the mixture to a blender or food processor. Add the cream cheese, soymilk, cornstarch and vanilla and process until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Pour into the crust. Sprinkle the almonds over the filling and press down slightly so they stick. Bake 25-30 minutes until the edges are set but there is still movement in the center of the filling. Let cool then refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.

Love,

Sharon

www.sweetutopia.com

Triple Coconut Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Vegan Pancakes May 19, 2010

Makes 8 pancakes (recipe easily doubled)

1/2 cup dried unsweetened coconut

1 cup brown rice flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup full-fat coconut milk

3 packets stevia

Coconut oil for cooking

Pulse the dried coconut in a food processor until mostly ground.

Add the rice flour and baking soda and mix.

Add in the coconut milk and stevia. Stir to combine.

Cook with a small amount of coconut oil until each side is cooked through and lightly browned, taking care when flipping because the pancakes are very delicate.

Love,

Sharon

www.sweetutopia.com

Vegan Crabcakes w/Dipping Sauce

Break out your food processor and you can whip these right up. You can make these as spicy as you like, and there’s no overwhelming fishy taste. They are super healthy and provide a good amount of protein and veggies! Plus, the dulse flakes give you some trace minerals you don’t normally find in other foods.

Makes 6 crabcakes (easily doubled)

Crabcakes

1 clove garlic

1/4 green pepper

1/4 red pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (leaves and stems)

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

1/3 cup bread crumbs*

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons dulse flakes

1 tablespoon lemon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon onion granules

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

pinch cayenne pepper

Olive oil, for frying

Pulse the garlic clove in the food processor until finely chopped.

Add the peppers and parsley and pulse until finely chopped.

Add the rest of the ingredients (except cooking oil) and pulse until combined but not too mushy.

Mix by hand to make sure everything is integrated. You can mash the mixture a little using a wooden spoon.

Form 6 cakes and fry in a large pan with the olive oil, 3-5 minutes on each side, or until browned.

Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup vegan mayonaise (I recommend Vegenaise)

1 1/2 tablespoons pickles, chopped into tiny bits

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon onion granules

To make the dipping sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl.

* You can substitute gluten-free bread crumbs to make the recipe gluten-free.

Love,

Sharon

www.sweetutopia.com

My Favorite Garbanzo Bean Salad May 13, 2010

I confess, I am a total Vegenaise junkie. Not vegan mayonaise in general, just Vegenaise. I will even dip crackers or pretzels into it. I like to make this salad all the time and everyone likes it. Serve it plain, with crackers, over greens, or in a sandwich with toast, more Vegenaise and mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickles, avocado, and vegan cheese. Just had it tonight!

1 can garbanzo beans

2 heaping tablespoons Vegenaise

2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

pinch dulse flakes

pinch cayenne pepper

pinch freshly ground black pepper

pinch garlic powder

Mash all ingredients together to the texture you desire. Some chunks are ok in my book!

Love,

Sharon

www.sweetutopia.com

Coconut-Lime Agave Cream Pie May 12, 2010

photo: http://www.milanphotography.com

I love this tangy, creamy pie that is agave-sweetened. Use any kind of agave you prefer.

Yield: 8 servings

1 1/2 cups silken tofu

1 cup full fat coconut milk

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 t coconut extract

½ t lemon extract

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons lime juice

Zest of 1 lime

1 prepared pie crust (such as graham)

Blend the tofu, coconut milk, shredded coconut, agave nectar and cornstarch in a blender or food processor. Cook all for about 8-10 minutes on medium heat until the mixture thickens slightly without coming to a boil, whisking often. Quickly transfer the mixture to a large bowl and whisk in the lime juice, extracts and zest until the mixture is smooth and pour into the pie crust. Chill several hours before serving, and keep refrigerated.

Love,

Sharon

www.sweetutopia.com

Swathi’s Special Potatoes and Carrots

All the kids in my son’s kindergarten class had to send in their favorite recipe and the teacher made each child a personal book with their picture on it to give their moms for mother’s day. My son’s recipe was the Delicious Vanilla Cupcakes from Sweet Utopia. He is very excited there’s a vegetarian girl in his class–Swathi–and this is her recipe. I’m baking it for dinner tonight, with some vegan chicken patties.

6 red potatoes, quartered

2-3 carrots, sliced at an angle into chunks

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons cumin

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of cayenne

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Scrub potatoes and carrots. Cut up the vegetables and place in an 8×8 baking dish. Mix oil and spices together in a small bowl and drizzle over the vegetables. Mix until evenly coated. Cover pan and bake 45 minutes. Remove cover and bake until tender and slightly crisp. You can also use sweet potatoes, parsnips, squash. Recipe by Swathi’s mom.

Love,

Sharon

www.sweetutopia.com

African Banana Dessert (vegan, gluten free) May 11, 2010

Here’s a quick, easy and exotic dessert!

Serves 4

1 Tbsp vegan butter substitute

2 Tbsp firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

2 large bananas, medium-ripe

1/4 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/3 cup shredded coconut

3 tablespoons  finely chopped or partially ground unsalted peanuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.In a small bowl, melt butter in the microwave, about 25 seconds. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon until well blended. Oil a 9-inch square baking pan. Peel bananas; cut each banana lengthwise in half. Place cut-side down in baking pan. Sprinkle the bananas with the orange and lemon juices. Sprinkle the brown-sugar mixture over the bananas. Sprinkle with the coconut and peanuts. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until bananas are lightly browned. Serve warm. Great with nondairy vanilla ice cream too!

Oat-Spelt Vegan Chocolate Chip Pancakes May 5, 2010

Makes 8 pancakes

1 cup oat flour

1/2 cup spelt flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

pinch salt

1 cup nondairy milk

1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar (optional)

chocolate chips

Combine the dry ingredients. Stir in the milk and agave if you’re using it. Sprinkle chocolate chips over each pancake as you cook it then flip.

Rice Noodle Stir Fry

Do you ever feel like making a big stir fry but don’t know how to flavor it? This is an easy way to get excellent flavor using basic ingredients. It’s quite a versatile dish, and you can add and omit the veggies you wish to use, whatever you have in the house. It’s my everyday stir-fry, simple enough to make all the time, but nice enough for guests, and it’s always appreciated. Use various colored vegetables and cook them lightly to retain a rainbow palette.

photo: http://www.milanphotography.com

Yield: 4 servings

10 ounces dry rice noodles

2 teaspoons toasted sesame or olive oil

1 tablespoon olive or toasted sesame oil

1/2 cup carrots, sliced in thin strips

1/3 cup soaked dried or fresh mushrooms

2/3 cup shredded cabbage

3/4 cup baby corn

2/3 cup red peppers, sliced in thin long strips

1/2 cup cooked edamame (removed from pods)

1/3 cup water chestnuts

1/4 cup green onion/scallions, sliced thinly, diagonally

2 tablespoons of the soaking water from dried mushrooms, vegetable broth, or water

Sauce

1/4 cup olive or toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons tamari

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1 tablespoon shredded, minced or very thinly sliced ginger

3 cloves minced garlic

1 teaspoon orange zest

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder

Optional Garnishes:

sesame seeds

white pepper

chopped cilantro

Prepare the sauce. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Prepare the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again and toss with the 2 teaspoons sesame or olive oil. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok or large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the carrots and mushrooms and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cabbage, baby corn, red peppers and edamame and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Add the water chestnuts, green onion and soaking water and stir. Add in the sauce to the vegetable mixture and cook another 3 minutes. Serve immediately over the rice noodles. Garnish with sesame seeds and white pepper.

Note: You can also add tofu or another vegan meat to the dish. Use more oil and saute it prior to adding the vegetables. If you decide to add more ingredients, you’ll have to make more sauce.

Papaya Lime Drink May 3, 2010

photo: http://www.milanphotography.com

So refreshing and healthy!! (And it’s extra good with rum in it.)

1 1/2 cup fresh papaya chunks

2/3 cup nondairy milk

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon agave nectar

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Serve with lime and fruit wedges.

Love,

Sharon

www.sweetutopia.com