Chloe's Vegan "Nutella"

Yum!

Chloe’s Vegan “Nutella”By Chloe Coscarelli

  

1            cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips

1            cup almonds, with or without skins

1/2         teaspoon  pure almond extract

1/4         cup soy, almond or rice milk

Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler or microwave until smooth.  In a food processor, pulse almonds until very fine and powdery.  Add melted chocolate, amond extract, and nondairy milk.  Process until very smooth.  There will still be tiny bits of almonds in the mixture, but try to get it as smooth as possible.

Can be stored in refrigerator for up to a week.  Soften at room temperature before using. 

Pesto Butter Bean Salad

I was looking for a recipe that I could use up the last of my fresh basil and this one jumped out at me.  I'm not sure I ever had Butter Beans but Kevin and I are now big fans.  I added radishes because I had them on hand but they are not in the original recipe.

Pesto Butter Bean Salad

http://deliciouslyella.com/recipe/pesto-butter-bean-salad/

Pesto:

1/2         cup of pine nuts

2            big handfuls of fresh basil leaves

5            tablespoons of olive oil

2            cloves of garlic

1            lemon

              salt and pepper

Salad:

2            14.5 cans butter beans

1            large radish (I added)

              handful of shelled pistachios (she used pumpkin seeds)

              2 handfuls of dried cranberries (she used pomegranates)

1            bag mixed greens

              olive oil

1            lemon

Pesto:  Peel the garlic and then put all the required ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth, then leave to one side.

Drain and rinse the beans and ten place them in a frying pan with the pesto and sauté the two together for two-three minutes until warm.  While the cook, squeeze the lemon for the salad over the beans and add more black pepper.

Add the radish, greens, seeds, and cranberries to your plates, drizzle them witholive oil and add the beans on top.

Cream of Carrot Soup

Cream of Carrot Soup

Adapted web recipe

5            carrots, roasted or sautéed in pan   

              olive oil for roasting

1            large potato, peeled and cubed

1            cup chopped onion

1            stalk celery, chopped

4            cups vegetable broth

1            teaspoon ground ginger

1/2         cup soy creamer or non dairy milk

1            teaspoon curry powder

1/2         teaspoon salt

1/8         teaspoon ground black pepper

If roasting:  Cut carrots in big dice, place on baking dish, sprinkle  olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast in 375 degree oven for approximately 20-30 minutes – until browned and a soft.  Give them a flip 1/2 way through.

Heat oil or vegan butter to soup pot and over medium heat add potato, onion, celery and cook for a few minutes.  Add roasted carrots, broth and ginger.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes  Uncover and cool for 15 minutes.

Transfer soup in batches to blender or food processor; blend until smooth.  Return soup to pot and stir in soy creamer or non dairy milk, curry powder, salt and pepper.  Cook over low heat until heated through, about 10 minutes.

I made home made croutons for garnish.

Blueberry, Apple and Coconut Crumble

I actually prefer to make mixed fruit cobbler or crumbles rather than a single fruit dessert.  The blueberries and Granny Smith apples, really compliment each other well.

Blueberry, Apple and Coconut Crumble

Adapted from magazine recipe

1/2         cup plus 1/2 cup superfine sugar

2/3         cup shredded coconut

1/2         stick vegan butter, melted (orig. recipe called for 1 stick, but it was all liquid)

1            cup all-purpose flour, sifted  (I used GF)

1            teaspoon vanilla extract

4            Granny Smith apples, peeled, chopped

3            cups fresh blueberries

              sprinkling of sliced almonds for the top after baking (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Add 1/3 cup sugar, coconut, butter, and flour to a bowl and rub with your fingers until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.  ***I may have added too much butter because mine looked more like batter. I think next time I wouldn’t melt the butter, just use it at room temp.  I had to add some GF oatmeal to the batter to absorb some of the liquid butter.

Place 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla, apples, and blueberries in a bowl and mix well to combine.

Sprinkle crumble mixture on top and bake 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Makes 6 servings