(Homemade) Date Paste

I use date paste a lot in my recipes to replace sugar.  I thought I would make a separate post for the recipe so that from here forward, every time I make something using it, I can just reference this post rather than writing out the whole process of making it each time.  

Date Paste
(yields one cup)

Ingredients

1 cup Organic, Medjool dates (pits removed)

1 cup water

Directions

Soak dates in 1 cup of water for 10-15 minutes.

Drain, reserving 1/2 cup liquid.  Place dates & 1/2 cup liquid in food processor and blend until a paste is formed. 

It's as simple as that!


You can use date paste in a wide variety of ways.  It can replace oil or sugar in cookies, cake, muffins, etc., or you can use it as the base for your own healthy snack bars. Do some research and have fun making your favorite treats healthier by using this substitution in place of other, less nutritious ingredients.

(Vegan, Bread Machine) Oatmeal Maple Pecan Bread & Apple Nut-Butter Sandwich

This recipe is straight from my West Bend Bread Machine Instructional Manual.  I adapted it to make it dairy-free.  I was in the mood for a sweet bread and thought I'd give it a shot. The only ingredient I left out was 2 tbsp's of dry milk.  I confess....I'm famous for leaving out ingredients and hoping for the best when I don't have them on hand or in this case, wouldn't use them and don't know how to substitute for it! :-)  I did a quick Google search and determined that leaving it out should not detrimentally effect the outcome, and it didn't!   (The only use I could find for adding the dry milk was to make the crust crispier, but it turned out plenty crisp without it).

Oatmeal Maple Pecan Bread

(Yields 1.5lb loaf)

Ingredients

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp warm water

1/3 cup Organic, Grade B maple syrup

2 tbsp coconut oil (use in its solid form to replace butter)

2 1/2 cups bread flour

3/4 cup quick oats

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp dry active yeast

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Place ingredients in bread machine in order recommended by manufacturer.   Set to "sweet" cycle and light crust.   

This bread turned out hearty, very moist and really, really good!

I wasn't sure what to have for lunch so I threw together this quick and nutritious sandwich using some slices of this bread.   It's easy and shouldn't even be called a "recipe", but I'll include it anyway as a suggestion!  

Apple Nut-Butter Sandwich

Ingredients

1 apple, sliced thin

1-2tbsp almond butter, or nut butter of choice

2 slices bread

Directions:

Spread nut butter over bread.  Thinly slice 1/2 an apple and place slices on top of nut butter.  Enjoy as a sandwich with the other half of your apple on the side!

The apple and nut butter was the perfect combination of flavors to combine with the Oatmeal Maple Pecan bread!  (You can make this sandwich with any bread you like though.) 

Pinto Patties w/Mango Chutney

I got the inspiration for this dinner from a meal I used to eat in my pre-veg days.  I used to think that eating ground turkey was healthier than eating ground beef, so I made turkey burgers with chutney quite often.   I can't exactly remember how I made the chutney, I think it was peach and not mango, but I do remember using refined sugar.  Since I had a mango and some dates hanging around, as well as leftover cooked brown rice and pinto beans, I decided to figure out a way to 'veganize' that former favorite of mine.

There are many ways to make chutney, but I like mine more on the sweeter side, so that's what you'll find with this recipe.  You can tailor the ingredients to suit your own taste.  

Mango Chutney

Ingredients

1 medium mango (not quite ripe yet)

1 cup dates, pits removed

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 + 1/4 cup water

Directions:

For "date paste": Soak dates in water for 10-15 minutes.  Add to processor/blender with 1/4 cup water and blend until smooth.   Set aside.

Remove skin from mango (I used a potato peeler).  Slice & chop mango into small chunks.  Set aside.

Heat 3 quart sauce pan over medium heat.  Add mango, date paste, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/2 cup water.  Stir to combine and bring to a light boil. Reduce heat to simmer, add chopped walnuts and mix to combine.  Cover and cook 45-60 minutes, until it thickens.  (Mine took the full 60 minutes to thicken nicely and for the mango to soften up).

Store leftovers in air tight container in fridge.

 Date Paste

Chopped Mango 

(next time I might chop it a bit smaller)

Chutney Cooking on stove-top

Using dates to sweeten this up in place of refined sugar worked perfectly.  I liked my blend of spices too, but as I mentioned above, feel free to experiment with what you prefer.  

Pinto Patties

(makes 6 patties)

Ingredients

16oz pinto beans, cooked

1 cup leftover, cooked brown rice

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

*1 flax egg (1 tbsp flax + 3 tbsp water)

salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp water

*any egg replacer should do if you don't have flax

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

For the "flax egg":  Combine 1 tbsp flax with 3 tbsp water.  Whisk until combined and set aside.  The longer you let it sit, the thicker the mixture will get, which is good.

Place pinto beans in food processor/blender with a touch of water and pulse until slightly mashed. (Don't over-process as you don't want complete mush, some chunks are okay).

Heat 1 tsp water in small pan.  Saute onions and garlic for about 5 minutes, or until softened.

In mixing bowl, combine beans, brown rice, bread crumbs, sauteed onions & garlic,  salt, pepper and flax egg mixture.   Form into 6 patties.  

Line baking sheet with parchment paper, bake patties for 30-40 minutes, until crisp and golden on top. 

I served this on a bread machine hard roll, with some baked potato wedges and steamed broccoli on the side.  

This was really reminiscent of the turkey burger.  Of course it didn't taste like turkey but then again, I don't think the ground turkey ever did either.  ;)  It had a similar look and consistency though.  It went very well with the mango chutney too.


Just keep in mind that I made the pinto patties specifically to be topped with the mango chutney, so I'm not sure how well it would go as just a "burger" with traditional toppings.


Enjoy! :)

(No Bake) Banana-Berry "Ice Cream" Pie

This is one of my all time favorite desserts!  Yes, a dessert that does not contain chocolate is one of my favorites.  It's rare, but it happens.  :)  I've made it before and remember it being a big hit at a family gathering.  I suppose it's really a warmer weather type dessert, but I really don't discriminate when it comes to what type of weather is best to enjoy a frozen treat!  ;)  

This dessert is all-natural, easy to make and so delicious.  I know you will love it!  

This recipe is adapted straight from my Green Star Juicer Operation Manual.  (If you don't have a juicer, don't worry.  You can still make this using a food processor or blender.  See directions.)

(No Bake) Banana-Berry "Ice Cream" Pie

Ingredients

1 cup almonds

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1 cup cashews

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup dated, pits removed (roughly 6 dates)

1/2 cup pecans

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp Organic, Grade B maple syrup

6 frozen bananas

1 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries

*This recipe requires the "homogenizing blank" screen if using this particular juicer to grind the ingredients.*

Directions: 
For the Crust:

Grind almonds, sesame seeds, cashews, raisins, dates and pecans together. (Note: if using a food processor or blender, soak dates first for 10-15 minutes before processing).

Add vanilla and maple syrup; knead by hand to form dough.  Press dough into a 9 inch pie dish to form the crust.  Refrigerate the crust 3-4 hours (or place in food dehydrator for 45 minutes).


For the "Ice Cream":

Grind frozen bananas and frozen berries together to make "ice cream". (Note: if using a food processor or blender, you might want to add a touch of water, but only a touch!  You don't want the mixture to get too thin).

Place "ice cream" on  top of the crust and evenly distribute.   Slice and serve! 

Nuts, dates & raisin mixture

Making the pie crust...

Making the "Ice Cream"....

Ta-da!

You can freeze any leftovers, just take it out of the freezer for about 15 minutes before serving so it can soften up.  I suggest cutting it into slices and freezing it that way.  That way you can just pull out individual slices as you want them and you won't have to defrost the whole thing each time.


Enjoy!  I know you will!!  :)

Hearty Lentil Stew

I wanted to make some lentil soup this weekend since I haven't had it in a while.  I think it's sort of a vegetarian/vegan staple, right?  The weather was cold and rainy here yesterday, so it was the perfect day for a nice warm bowl!  I thought about making it a bit thicker and more "comfort food-like", so I threw together this recipe for lentil stew.   

Hearty Lentil Stew

Ingredients

1 tbsp water

1 cup onion, chopped

3-4 small celery stalks, chopped

3-4 small carrots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 small potatoes, chopped into small chunks

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 cups lentils

               4 cups vegetable broth

Directions:

Heat 1 tbsp of water over medium heat in stock pot (I used a 4.5 quart pot).  

Saute onions, celery, carrots and garlic for about 5 minutes.  Add potatoes, salt & pepper and saute for about a minute more.  

Add lentils and vegetable broth and bring to a boil.  

Lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 30-45 minutes, or until lentils are cooked and liquid is mostly absorbed.  

*Optional - mash a bit with potato masher to thicken things up*  

Wholesome Ingredients

Sauteing the veggies

Simmering pot

This turned out very tasty and I really enjoyed the thickness of it.  I had a big bowl with one of my bread machine hard rolls.   

It really was the perfect comfort food for a dreary, rainy night!  I can't wait to have some leftovers for lunch.  :)