Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Tag: 4th of July

  • BBQ Lentil Sloppy Joes

    BBQ Lentil Sloppy Joes

    When I was a kid, sloppy joes were a staple at just about every summer gathering or party that I went to.  Most likely because they were great for making in a crock pot and having ready ahead of time, and everyone loved them.  They actually weren’t my favorite most of the time unless someone had a really good recipe but I still would eat them as was tradition.  Now of course I have to pass most of the time because I am vegan and ground beef an option for me.  But I have come up with a recipe to make at home that I actually really love, much more than those ones I grew up eating.  I am a big fan of lentils, and I had seen other people make lentil sloppy joes so I gave it a go.

    The only putzy part about this is cooking the lentils, but luckily they cook a lot faster than most beans.  I cooked mine a day ahead of time actually to speed the process.  I like to use french lentils for this, but green lentils or brown will work as well, anything that holds its shape and doesn’t fall apart too much (like red lentils, which would not be a good option).  I made a simple sauce  for these with ingredients I already had on hand and it worked out great!

    I know some people put a lot of extra veggies in their sloppy joe mix but I just went with onions, garlic and tomatoes and kept it simple. To make it BBQ flavored and a bit tangy, I added apple cider vinegar, mustard, maple syrup for a little sweetness and some smoked paprika to give it that smokey flavor.  I don’t like my sauce super sweet, but if you are one of those people that does, feel free to add a little maple syrup. That is what cooking for yourself is all about, making recipes that are tailored to your own tastes!

    These turned out super delicious!  They were way better than the ones I grew up eating.  They had plenty of flavor, and were filling without being heavy.  I served them on buns the first day, but for leftovers the next day I served them over some brown rice and that was good as well!  So you have options here if you are not a bread person or are gluten free.  I hope you all are having a wonderful summer so far!

    BBQ Lentil Sloppy Joes

    Makes 8

    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/3 cups dried french lentils or green lentils
    • filtered water
    • 1 tsp olive oil
    • 1 medium onion, minced
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 6 oz can tomato sauce
    • 1 5 oz can tomato paste
    • 3/4 cup filtered water
    • 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
    • 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1 tsp smoked paprika
    • 1/2 tsp black pepper
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste
    • 8 whole wheat buns for serving

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a medium pot, combine the lentils and enough filtered water to cover them by 3 inches. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for about 30-40 minutes or until the lentils are tender but still holding their shape. Remove from heat, drain well and set aside.
    2. In a medium saucepan, heat the onions and garlic in the oil and saute until starting to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, paprika, black pepper, and sea salt and bring to a simmer.  Allow to cook for about 20 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
    3. Mix in the lentils, and cook until everything is heated through.
    4. Serve the BBQ Lentils on the buns.

     

  • Tie Dye Lemon Berry Popsicles

    Tie Dye Lemon Berry Popsicles

    When I was little, I think we mostly lived on popsicles and freezees in the Summer.  We would play outside most of the day, doing things like building forts, riding our bikes, or running through the sprinkler.  But we would always come back and want something cold and refreshing.  My Dad always had a giant supply of freezees and popsicles in the freezer for us, and we loved them. They may have just been sugar water, but it was awesome to my 8 year old self and my friends. As I got older though, I realized that they were not good for me, and didn’t have much flavor or any real flavor at all and I began t prefer the popsicles made from real fruit.  They tasted so much better!  I now like to make my own popsicles instead of buying them from the store, and I share them with Eric.  We like to eat them while we go for a walk on a hot day, it helps for a little while at least to stay cool.  I recently made some lemon berry ones that were really simple, but so good, and the perfect thing to enjoy on a super hot day.  Which it totally was, because the day I made them it was heat indexed at 108F degrees. That’s the thing about Minnesota, people think it is just cold here, but it gets really hot and humid in the Summer, like the type of heat where you immediately start sweating after walking outside.  So the popsicles were needed.

    I admit when I made these I was going for more of a red, white and blue healthy Bomb Pop (those sugary red, white and blue ice pops everyone has around the 4th of July) sort of thing for the 4th of July, but they didn’t exactly turn out those colors.  Red and purple was more like it and it reminded me of tie dye, so that is what I named them.  They turned out really good though, which was what mattered, so I still wanted to share the recipe even though they look different than I wanted.

    These are super simple to make if you have a blender, and now is the time to make them when fresh berries are in season.  They can be made with frozen as well, if you don’t happen to have fresh on hand. I am all for using what you have at the time!  They are sweet from the berries, and a little tart from the lemon, like a really good lemonade when you get to the lemon layer. These are so much better than any of the popsicles I ate as a kid.  The flavors are real, bright and delicious!  You might just want to eat more than one, and you totally can because they are healthy! I hope you are all staying cool this Summer!

    Tie Dye Lemon Berry Popsicles
    Makes 6

    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/2 cups fresh organic strawberries and raspberries
    • maple syrup
    • 1 1/2 cups fresh organic blueberries
    • 1/4 cup lemon juice
    • 3/4 cup filtered water

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the popsicles, blend up the fresh strawberries in the blender until smooth, and add about 1 tsp maple syrup. Pour into the bottoms of your popsicle molds.
    2. Next, blend up the blueberries and add about a tsp of maple syrup.  Pour into the popsicle molds over the strawberry raspberry layer.
    3. Mix together the lemon juice, water, and about 2 Tbsp maple syrup (or to taste).  Pour over the other layers in the popsicle molds.
    4. Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes or until the mixture is starting to harden, and add the popsicle sticks (you do this because otherwise they fall over if the mixture hasn’t started to freeze).
    5. Let freeze until firm (I left mine overnight), then un-mold and enjoy!  If they are stuck to the molds, run them briefly under warm water then try to remove them.

     

  • Vegan Berry Crisp in a Jar

    Vegan Berry Crisp in a Jar

    Last Saturday was a beautiful day.  The sun was out, it was about 50 degrees in the morning and I ran the Roseville Run for the Roses 5k.  Now, 50 degrees might not sound like a nice Summer day to some, but it is perfect for running and I was thankful for the cooler temps for my race.  It went pretty well, and although I didn’t have as fast of a time as I would have liked since the course was hilly, I won the women’s division so that was cool.  This is a race I used to do back in the day when I first started running outside of school and actually the first road race I ever ran 14 years ago.  So I was glad it went well this year too.  After the race in the afternoon it had warmed up a bit, and Eric and I decided to visit a local vineyard for their raspberry festival.  Nothing like enjoying wine on a beautiful afternoon!  Then it was time to relax, and I was in the mood for something like pie for dessert but I wasn’t in the mood to bake something complicated so I went for a berry crisp.

    Crisp is always so delicious and is the perfect sweet comfort food.  The one I made requires very little oven time as I cooked the fruit on the stove and just the topping in the oven. I decided I wanted to make it festive as well, since the 4th of July is fast approaching so I cooked my two types of berries separately.  You wouldn’t have to do this if you wanted it to be less fussy, you would just end up with a purple filling instead of separate red and blue. The berries were so sweet that they needed very little sweetening which is always nice and this is the way it often is when you use fruit that is in season.  For the topping I used a mixture of oats, coconut and flour made a little rich with some pecan butter instead of the usual coconut oil.  I am liking this for crisps lately, it tastes wonderful!

    They smelled wonderful once they were all done and I enjoyed one warm with some cool coconut ice cream on top.  I always have to have cool ice cream on my warm crisps and cobblers, I love the contrast of textures, temperatures and flavors. This was simply heavenly!  If you are looking for a delicious recipe for the 4th, give this a try!

    Vegan Berry Crisp in a Jar
    Serves 2-4

    Fruit:

    • 2 cups organic strawberries, halved
    • 2 cups organic blueberries
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup (divided)
    • pinch sea salt
    • 2 Tbsp (divided) arrowroot powder
    • 2 Tbsp (divided) lemon juice

     

    Topping:
    • 3 Tbsp gluten free all purpose flour
    • 3 Tbsp large flake dried unsweetened coconut
    • 1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats
    • 3 Tbsp coconut sugar
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 3 Tbsp raw pecan butter or almond butter

     

    For serving:

    • 4 smaller, shorter mason jars (or 2 large if you like a big serving like me)

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
    2. Place the strawberries in one medium saucepan and the blueberries in another.  Add 1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup to each pan, then a pinch of sea salt to each, and cook over medium heat until the berries start to sizzle, then lower heat to medium, cover, and cook until the berries in each pan are tender (stirring often) about 15 minutes.  Dissolve 1 Tbsp arrowroot in 1 Tbsp lemon juice in a small bowl, add it to the strawberries and stir until thickened.  Remove from heat.  Repeat with the blueberries using 1 Tbsp arrowroot and 1 Tbsp lemon juice again and cooking until thickened once added.  Remove from heat. Set pans aside.
    3. To make the topping, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together with your hands scrunching together to form small clumps until there are no floury spots left. Spread out on a sheet pan, place in the oven and bake until crunchy, about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.
    4. Spoon the berry filling into jars, the blueberry first, then the strawberry, then top with the crumble topping.  Serve!
  • Vegan Galaxy Berry Swirl Ice Cream

    Vegan Galaxy Berry Swirl Ice Cream

    I wanted to make a red, white and blue ice cream for the 4th, but I never thought that I would end up with a beautiful galaxy ice cream.  Most of the time in my kitchen, recipes sort of go like this.  It is an experiment, I am not exactly sure how it will turn out, and I build on it as I go, writing down the process so I can share it if it is a successful recipe.  So, I have made ice cream hundreds of times before, I know how to do that, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted an ice cream cake, or just a berry ice cream that was scooped.  If I mixed all of the berries together in the ice cream and blended it, then I wouldn’t have a pretty red, white and blue ice cream, it would just be purple.  So I decided to make layers of ice cream in a container.

    I made a vanilla almond coconut milk ice cream base which was delicious, silky and tasted better than any dairy that I remember having before going vegan. It was like the heavy cream of vegan milks if you will. I figured I would freeze it in the ice cream machine, then divide it in two and make one blueberry flavor and one strawberry raspberry flavor. It worked well, but when I was whisking the berries into the vanilla ice cream, it created these lovely swirls of color, and it looked kind of patriotic to leave some white in with the colors. I froze it like that in a container, and I expected it to be pretty, but what I ended up with was galaxy ice cream.

    You know, the galaxy trend that you see everywhere nowadays, like the galaxy prints on clothing, galaxy doughnuts etc…you know those beautiful swirling colors that look like a galaxy? Well this ice cream looked like that, so it was only appropriate to give it that name.  Just a beautiful accident.  I love it when my experiments yield better than expected results.  Because you know sometimes, I mess up and have to throw out a recipe and that makes me very sad.  Luckilly it doesn’t happen often and the good times more than make up for the mess ups.  Anyways, now I have this delicious ice cream to enjoy for the 4th of July to feel festive with!  I hope you are all having a wonderful day with your families and friends at your BBQs and get togethers!

    Vegan Galaxy Berry Swirl Ice Cream
    Makes 6 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 2 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    • 1 cup raw almond or cashew butter
    • 1/2 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 1/2 cups fresh organic strawberries and raspberries (mixed together)
    • 1 1/2 cups fresh organic blueberries

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine all ingredients but berries in a blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions. Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    3. Meanwhile, while the ice cream is churning, puree the strawberries and blueberries separately and place in separate bowls.
    4. Divide the ice cream between the two bowls, and fold in the berry mixture leaving streaks of white.
    5. Spoon into a freezer safe container with a lid, alternating the two flavors, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.

     



  • Vegan Vanilla Berry Cake with “Cream Cheese” Frosting

    Vegan Vanilla Berry Cake with “Cream Cheese” Frosting

    Since it is the week of the Fourth, I thought it would be appropriate to make a festive cake!  When I was little, my Mom would always make festive 4th of July desserts with fresh berries, and I guess I like to keep that tradition going.  She was a sheet pan kind of cake maker, I am a layer cake maker.  But the similar flavors were all there with the cake I made.  She used to make a cream cheese cake with berries on top, and I made a vanilla layer cake with cream cheese frosting.  Well, faux cream cheese frosting, of course since I am vegan.  I have been buying berries by the bucketfulls, so I had plenty on hand for this cake.

    For the cake layers, I just used my favorite date sweetened vanilla cake recipe.  Why dates?  Well, they keep the cake moist and if you bake it just the right amount of time it is the perfect texture and you would swear it was a regular conventional cake and not a vegan fruit sweetened one.  I knew it would be the perfect pairing with the fresh berries and cream cheese frosting too, so that they were allowed to shine. Before I went vegan I was way into the cream cheese frosting.  It was my favorite because, it was like a way to get cheesecake and regular cake at the same time (since it reminded me of cheesecake).  So luckily I have come up with a vegan version of cream cheese frosting that I enjoy even more.

    Once the cake was all assembled, it was lovely.  I had been tasting the elements as I went separately, which is one of the perks of being the baker, but I wanted to try it all together.  I shared some with Eric, and we both thought it was amazing.  I gave some to my Mom as well and she said it tasted as good as if not better than traditional cake.  I would call this a win. And it ended up looking so festive and perfect for the 4th of July!  Of course my cake is gone and it is not the 4th yet, but it was good while it lasted.  I think this cake would be perfect for any Summer celebration. I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday weekend!

    Vegan Vanilla Berry Cake with “Cream Cheese” Frosting
    Makes 1 6 inch 3 layer cake

    3 6 inch cake pans

    Cake:

    • 1 1/2 cups quinoa flour (or all purpose gluten free flour)
    • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup packed soft medjool dates, pitted, soaked in water for 30 minutes and 1/2 cup of the water reserved
    • 1/4 cup raw raw almond butter
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 cup filtered water
    • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

     

    Frosting:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk, chilled (be sure to use a brand that is mostly cream, 3/4 of the can or so or it will not work in this recipe.  I like Thai Kitchen Brand)
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp melted coconut butter (not oil, warmed to liquid)

     

    Filling/Topping:

    • 1 1/2 cups mixed fresh organic berries

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 375F and position rack in center of oven. Line the bottoms of three 6-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with parchment paper. Coat parchment paper and pan sides lightly with oil so that the cake doesn’t stick.
    2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, in a large bowl to blend well. Place dates, reserved water and additional 1 cup water, almond butter and vanilla extract into a blender, and blend until smooth, then whisk this blended mixture into the flour mixture until well blended.
    3. Whisk cider vinegar into the batter until bubbles form. Transfer cake batter to prepared pans and bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour. Cut around sides of pan to loosen. Turn cakes out onto platter; peel off parchment paper.
    4. To make the frosting, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until completely smooth.  Pour into a bowl and place in the freezer until the consistency of stiffly whipped cream (about 30-45 minutes depending on how warm it has gotten.  Once it is ready place in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
    5. To assemble, place one cake layer on a plate, and spread about 3/4 cup frosting over that and press some of the berries into it. Place  another cake layer over that, then 3/4 cup more frosting and more berries then the last cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting on the top and down the sides of the cake. Decorate the top of the cake with berries.



  • Raw Berry Almond Tart

    Raw Berry Almond Tart

    Berry Almond Tart 2

    My Mom liked to make berry desserts on to celebrate the 4th of July.  She made a frozen cake topped off with berries that looked like a flag, and a tart with cream and berries which was my favorite.  I decided this year that I needed to make a version of a berry tart with cream.  Raspberries and blueberries are so festive on their own there is no artificial color needed here!  If I had made a cake, I wouldn’t need to use any either not that I ever do.  I love that nature provides us with such beauty and color naturally.

    Berry Almond Tart

    Back to the tart, I could have made just a vanilla cream, but I went for a vanilla almond cream since this was kind of my version of a tart my Mom used to make and in her desserts that would typically be vanilla she liked to add a touch of almond extract.  I have come to love that flavor combination as well. It almost makes it sweeter.

    Berry Almond Tart 3

    The tart turned out yummalicious!  A crunchy crust with a hint of almond, a silky fluffy vanilla almond filling that melted in your mouth, and topped off with sweet and tart berries.  It was super festive!  The berries kind of reminded me of a firework on top of the tart which wasn’t planned but it was awesome.  This is simple to make, and if you serve it on the 4th your guests will love it!  I have included 2 versions of the cream, one raw, and one with canned coconut milk so that you all can make this no matter what you have access to and you can pick the one that suits you best.

    Berry Almond Tart 4

    Raw  Almond Cream Tart with Berries

    Makes one 8 inch tart

    8 inch tart pan

    crust:

    1/2 cup sprouted, dehydrated buckwheat groats (or raw almonds)

    1/2 cup finely shredded, dried coconut

    1/4 cup ground flax seed

    3/4 cup soft, medjool dates, pitted (if they are not soft, soak them in water for 30 minutes and drain well first)

    1/8 tsp sea salt

    2 Tbsp raw almond butter

    Filling:

    2 cups young coconut meat*

    1/2  cup coconut water

    3 Tbsp raw coconut nectar or agave nectar

    1/4  tsp sea salt

    seeds of one vanilla bean, or 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

    1/2 tsp pure almond extract

    1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp raw coconut butter, warmed to liquid**

    Organic raspberries and blueberries for topping

    To make the crust, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until finely chopped and holds together when squeezed (if it doesn’t add a few tsp water and pulse until it does).  Press into an 8 inch round tart pan with a removable bottom (I like to oil mine with coconut oil first). Set aside.

    Meanwhile, to make the filling, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter in a food processor and process until smooth.  With the motor running, add the coconut butter and process a minute more.  Pour into the prepared crust, and let sit in the freezer for about 1 1/2 hours until firm.

    When ready to serve, garnish the top of the tart with fresh berries. Store cake in the refrigerator.

    * 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours and drained can be substituted for the coconut meat if unavailable.

    **If your young coconut meat is especially soft and watery, you will need to add at least a few Tbsp more coconut butter.

    ***If you like, you can also make this with coconut milk for a non-raw version. The rest of the recipe is the same, but here it the filling:

    For the non-raw filling:

    2 cans full fat organic coconut milk, chilled

    1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp maple syrup or raw coconut nectar

    pinch sea salt

    2 tsp pure vanilla extract

    1/2 tsp pure almond extract

    2/3 cup plus 3 Tbsp raw coconut butter, warmed to liquid

    For the cream, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the coconut butter slowly with the motor running until incorporated. Spoon into the tart and smooth the top. Place in the refrigerator to set for a few hours before serving. Top with berries before serving.