Almond Fudge Brownies

Ingredients: 1/2 c pitted dates (I used 1 cup date and omitted the raisins) 1/2 c raisins 1 cup raw almond butter 1/2 c raw cocoa powder 1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut 1/2 c plain soy milk 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/3 c chopped walnuts (optional) 1/4 coconut for garnish Instructions: In a food processor, chop dates and raisins until very fine. Pour chopped dates and raisins into a bowl and mix in the remaining ingredients, except the 1/4 cup coconut. Press into an 8 x 8" glass baking dish. Sprinkle with coconut, if desired. Refrigerate or freeze.

Rainy Day Lentil Soup

2 cups lentil, uncooked
8 cups water or vegetable stock (I usually do 6 stock, 2 water)
1 med. onion, chopped
2 carrots, thickly sliced (I do more)
1 rib celery, chopped ( I do more)

2 bay leaves
1 tsp. crushed coriander
1/2 tsp. cumin
freshly ground pepper to taste (I don't use pepper)

1 large potato, cut in to cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-4 ounces spinach or kale chopped (I haven't tried it with greens, but I'm sure it's good)
2 tsp. red wine vinegar

Start stock and lentils heating in a pot while you chop vegetables. Add onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves, coriander, cumin and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the potatoes (and kale if you are doing kale) and simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Check to make sure lentils, potatoes, and vegetables are tender. If tender, add garlic and spinach and cook for just a couple of minutes to allow spinach to wilt. Stir in vinegar just before serving.

Tasty Lentil Tacos

• found on allrecipes.com
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• makes 6 servings
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• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon canola oil (I use water)
• 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth (I use vegetable broth)
• 1 cup salsa
• 12 taco shells
• 1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
• 1 cup chopped fresh tomato
• 1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (I don't use this)
• 6 tablespoons fat free sour cream (I don't use this)
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• In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Uncover; cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Mash lentils slightly.
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• Stir in salsa. Spoon about 1/4 cup lentil mixture into each taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream. We add avocado as well.

Almost-Instant Chickpea-Tomato Soup

This is from a recipe book called Vegan on the Cheap.

makes 4 servings

1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 (15.5 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 (14/5 oz.) can crushed or diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil (I never use this)

1 cup plain unsweetened soy milk

Salt

Ground cayenne (I never use this)

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro or parsley (I never use this)

In a high-speed blender, combine the chickpeas and garlic and process until finely ground.

Add the tomatoes, cumin, lemon juice, oil, 1/2 cup of the soy milk, and salt and cayenne to taste. Blend until smooth.

Add as much of the remaining 1/2 cup of soy milk as needed to achieve desired consistency-not too thin or too thick-and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more salt and cayenne, if necessary.

Transfer the soup to a large saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, until hot, about 5 minutes. If serving hot, ladle into bowls, top with minced cilantro, and serve at once. If serving chilled, let the soup cool to room temperature, then transfer to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours. Then ladle into soup bowls and garnish with the cilantro.

Lemony Roasted Potatoes

(From the cookbook “Veganomicon- The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook” by Isa Chandra Moskiwitz & Terry Hope Romero)

2 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes (medium to small potatoes work best)
1/3 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp salt
1 tsp tomato paste
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley or dried oregano (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel the potatoes, slice in half lengthwise, and slice each half into wedges no more then 3/4″ thick.

In a large, deep baking pan or casserole dish (at least 10 17-inches or bigger), combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, vegetable broth, oregano, salt, and tomato paste. Add the peeled, sliced potatoes. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and toss the potatoes to cover with the sauce. Cover the pan tightly with foil (or use lid of casserole dish), place in the oven, and bake for 30-35 minutes until the potatoes are almost done. Several times during the baking process, remove the pan from the oven, uncover, stir the potatoes, place the cover back, and return the pan to the oven.

Uncover the pan one last time, stir the potatoes again, and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15-20 minutes, until most of the sauce has evaporated and some of the potatoes have just started to brown on their edges. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and/or more dried oregano before serving.

serves 4-6

I never use the tomato paste. I use about half the oil. 1/2 cups lemon juice is about two lemons. This is Frances' most requested recipe! She LOVES it!

Almond Butter Cookies

1 cup almond butter or peanut butter
3/4 cup sucanat, or other granular sugar (white sugar, whole cane sugar)
1 tablespoon flax mixed with 3 tablespoons water
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
3 oz. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend first 5 ingredients. Add the chocolate.
Drop in balls. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

I've used a little cocoa powder instead of the chocolate chips and it turned out well. These are really good frozen!

Chocolate Dip

1 1/2 cups raw almonds

3/4 cup vanilla soy milk (or any other kind of milk)

2 cups raw spinach

2 cups frozen strawberries or blueberries

2/3 cup pitted dates

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend almonds and milk in blender until smooth (add more milk if needed, can be very thick). Add remaining ingredients and blend until thoroughly mixed. Use as a dip for fruit: bananas, strawberries, apples, etc.