Ethnic Lentil Burgers (Vegan)

Ethnic Lentil Burgers (Vegan)

Your usual lentil burger is made with fresh vegetables and bread crumbs, but this recipe takes a Middle Eastern spin by adding spices like cinnamon to the lentils. This recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare. You can cook the lentils ahead of time to make the cooking time even less!

Makes 8 burgers

Ingredients:

·        1 cup of water

·        ½ cup dry lentils

·        ¾ cup instant brown rice

·        ¾ cup uncooked oatmeal

·        ¼ cup corn

·        ¼ cup red pepper, chopped

·        ¼ cup fresh onion, chopped

·        4 tablespoons fresh parsley

·        ½ cup shredded carrot

·        ¼ cup chopped celery

·        1 teaspoon safflower oil

·        2 teaspoons salt

·        ¼ teaspoon allspice

·        ½ teaspoon cinnamon

·        ¼ teaspoon cloves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit.

2. Boil the water in a kettle, pour into a pot, and add the lentils. Simmer and cook lentils for 20 minutes or until soft.

3. Cook the brown rice according to package directions: add ¾ cup of water and rice into a microwavable bowl. Microwave on for 6 minutes and 30 seconds. Fluff with fork.

4. Put the oatmeal into a blender and blend into a fine powder.

5. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients.

6. Separate them into 8 evenly-sized balls, making sure to squeeze them so the burger will stick together.

7. Form into ¾ inch thick patties and place on parchment paper-lined pan. Bake for 10 minutes on each side. 

After making these burgers, I freeze them, and later, they make a super quick and easy meal. Just reheat them in the microwave for 90 seconds or until hot!

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan)

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan)

These cookies have a nice brown color so you might assume that they are crunchy, but after one taste, they fall apart in your mouth. Plus, they have the slightest hint of coconut.

Adapted from recipe in BabyCakes.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup coconut oil
• ½ cup (1 stick) Vegan Margarine
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups cane sugar
• 2 cups All-purpose flour
• ¼ cup ground flaxseed (as the egg substitute. Click here for more information)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons Xanthan gum (to make it chewy)
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips (60% or more chocolate)

(Flavor combinations)

Makes 48 cookies

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 325 Fahrenheit.

2.   In medium-sized bowl, combine the various oils, applesauce, salt, vanilla, and sugar using a mixer.

3.   In another medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour, flaxseed meal, baking soda, and Xanthan gum.

4.   Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.

5.   Remove from the mixer, and fold in the chocolate chips.

6.   Using a spoon or a small ice cream scoop, place the cookies on a pan with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes.

7.   Enjoy!

Velvety Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup (Vegan)

Velvety Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup (Vegan)

Quick, delicious, and low fat. This is a good recipe made with cupboard staples and leftover vegetables. 

Ingredients:

·       1 lb sweet potatoes (3-4 medium-sized)

·       1 lb carrots

·       1 medium onion, chopped

·       1 glove garlic, minced

·       1 teaspoon olive oil

·       4 cups vegetable broth

·       ½ cup unsweetened Almond Milk

·       Salt (optional)

·       (For an exotic taste, try adding 2 teaspoons of both cumin and curry!)

Directions:

1.       Cook the sweet potatoes by poking them and placing in the microwave for 5 minutes.

2.       Peel them after microwaving.

3.       Steam the carrots by placing them in a microwavable covered dish with 2 teaspoons of water, and microwave for 4 minutes.

4.       Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic in a large pot. Add the broth and vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes.

5.       Let it cool until the soup is warm and put into blender until smooth.

6.       Pour the soup back into the pot and mix in the almond milk.

Vegan BBQ Chicken Pizza

CPK-Style Vegan BBQ Chicken Pizza

This is perfect for the college apartment because it takes less than 30 minutes to make and bake!

Even though I live in the Mid-Atlantic region, California Pizza Kitchen pizza still has a reputation for being some of the best pizza around. A few years back, before I was a vegetarian, my favorite pizza to order was the BBQ Chicken Pizza. Now, I’ve made a vegan spin on it, and it’s quite delicious! Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

·        1 premade 12 inch pizza dough (I bought Whole Wheat from Trader Joe’s for $1.19!)

·        2/3 cup of vegan barbecue sauce (Be sure to check that it does not have honey)

·        ½ package  of chicken-flavored Seitan (Or Tofu)

·        1 tablespoon of olive oil

·        1 ½ cups of vegan shredded cheese (I used Lisanatti  THE ORIGINAL Almond)

·        ½ cup of chopped onion

·        2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

Directions:

1.       Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.      Drain the package of Seitan and break the “chicken” pieces into bite-sized chunks.

3.      Heat the oil in a pan and cook the Seitan for 6 minutes, or until brown on the edges. Take it out the pan and transfer to small bowl.

4.     Roll out the pizza crust onto a pizza pan or an oiled baking pan.

5.      Pour 1/3 cup of barbecue sauce onto the Seitan pieces and coat evenly.

6.     Cover the pizza crust with the remaining barbecue sauce and top with half of the cheese, all of the chicken, and onions.

7.     Complete the last layer of the pizza with cheese.

8.     Bake the pizza for 20 minutes. Once out of the oven, top with fresh cilantro.

Mom's Banana Muffins

Fluffy and Moist Banana Muffins (Vegan)
(Thanks, Mom for the recipe!)

Makes 16 large or 30 small muffins

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas (1 cup mashed) 
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce 
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour 
1 tablespoon baking powder 
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
1 teaspoon nutmeg 
1 teaspoon Xantham gum 
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon fiber powder (optional) 
½ cup cane sugar 
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted 
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (heated 30 seconds) 
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (or 375 if you have dark pans). 

2. Mash the bananas in a small bowl and mix them with the applesauce. Set aside.

3. Mix the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, xantham gum, and fiber powder in a large bowl.

4. In a medium bowl, combine the sugars, melted coconut oil, heated almond milk, and vanilla. Whisk until well mixed. 

5. Add bananas to the liquid mixture. Whisk again.

6. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry and stir until just combined. (You don’t want to over mix because muffins can get tough).

7. Grease or line the muffin pan and fill with batter.

8. If making small muffins, bake for 8 minutes. If making regular-sized muffins, bake for 18-20 minutes.

9. Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then enjoy! 

Top 8 Alternative Milks

Summary of Top 8 Non-Dairy Milks

Whether you are a vegan or not, alternative milks can be healthier for you than diary milk because of various vitamins and nutrients in them. When in college, I aim for alternative milk that is healthy, tastes good, versatile, and inexpensive. Also, because I’m an engineer, I like charts and tables, so I created a handy chart to condense the research into one nifty little page! Below the chart are links to videos showing how to make your own alternative milks at home!

Making your own non-dairy milk is preferred because it’s less expensive and healthier, since you control what goes in the milk. Also, there are not any preservatives nor added mystery elements!

Name	Origin	Health benefit	Texture and Color	Price
Soy Milk	Soy beans	High protein, high iron. Lower in calcium than dairy milk so it comes fortified	Cream, beige color and milk-like texture	$3.99- $4.29 for 1 quart
Almond Milk	Almonds	High in protein, calcium, and vitamin E.	Creamy, beige color and nutty flavor.	$3.00-$5.00
Rice Milk	Rice	Least amount of fat. Low protein, calcium, and very starchy.	Very light, white color.	$2.70 - $6.00
Oat Milk	Oatmeal	High in fiber and protein but is very starchy.	Creamy, beige. Tastes like oatmeal.	$3.00-$6.00
Hemp Milk	Hemp	Good source of Omega 3 fats	Creamy, white color. Similar to dairy milk taste.	$4.00-$6.00
Cashew Milk	Cashews	Provides copper, calcium, magnesium, and protein.	Similar texture to almond milk, nutty taste.	(Typically made at home, but can be found at certain natural stores) $10.00 for 32 oz.
Coconut Milk	Coconut	Low carbohydrate content and lauric acid (good for immune system). But, high in saturated fat.	Very creamy, coconut flavor	$2.00 - $5.00

Resources:

Soy Milk

Click this video for a great way to make your own soy milk at home!

Click this video to learn how to make almond milk at home!

Click this video to make your own rice milk!

Click this video to make your own oat milk!

This video shows you how to make your own hemp milk!

Click this video to make your own cashew milk!

This video shows you how to make coconut milk at home!