Vegan Baked Macaroni & Cheese | Living Vegan

It’s taken me months to find the time to share this amazing Vegan Macaroni & Cheese recipe with you. Created last year, this mac & cheese became one of the most popular dishes that I created for 540WMain Learning Academy’s monthly vegan pop up dinners. My goal was to create a vegan version of this classic American “main” dish as a side.

Feedback was so positive that I made it a staple for the newly created Vegan Cheese Making Class also at 540WMain. I’m elated to finally finally share this recipe with the world. Get into the recipe below.

Vegan Baked Macaroni & “Cheese”

Ingredients

  • 3 yams, peeled and steamed soft
  • 2 stalks celery
  • scallion
    3 cups non-dairy milk
  • 2 cups veggie broth
  • ¼ cup just mayo
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast
  • ½ cup (1 stick) vegan margarine
  • ¼ cup almond meal
  • ¼ cup balsamic or apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup Dijon mustard
    3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
    2 teaspoons tumeric
    1 teaspoon cumin
  • cooking spray

Preparation

  1. Wash and scrub yams, cut in half, cover with foil and bake on 400 degree F for 50-60 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool completely before moving on.
  2. Meanwhile, bring 5-6 cups water to boil. Add pasta, a pinch of salt and drizzle of olive oil. Reduce heat to low-medium, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside in large mixing bowl.
  3. In a food processor blend yams with milk until smooth. Set aside.
  4. Coat a cast iron skillet with cooking spray, add celery and scallion and sauté on medium heat until tender. Add margarine, almond meal, vinegar, just mayo, mustard, garlic, cumin, and tumeric and stir until margarine is completely melted. Add in puree yam mixture. Pour this sauté mixture over macaroni along with veggie stock. Stir in yeast and salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Grease a 6×9 pirex dish and add macaroni mixture. Bake on 400 for 15 minutes until bubbly. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

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A Tribute to Chocolate Chip Cookies | REPOST

One would be hard pressed to search the web and not find a Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. In fact a simple Google search will pull up millions (literally) of recipes for the all American classic. What is it about the chocolate chip cookie that screams American tradition? A staple in just about every kitchen, every mom and grandma makes claims to have the world’s greatest. The perfect recipe. The best combination. The foolproof technique. No matter the technique, variation, or ingredient there is something nostalgic about a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie. As a gluten free baker I’ve tried, retried, converted, test baked and perfected quite a few recipes. One recent baking session sparked the idea for this post. A post where I show some long overdue love to the classic chocolate chip cookie. I have compiled five of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes from a few of my favorite blogs. Most are gluten free a few are not but can be easily converted with a cup for cup all purpose flour blend. As you know Enjoy Life is my go to brand for allergen free chocolate.

How do you like your chocolate chips?

Let me know in the comments and be sure to try one of these A+mazing recipes and share a few of your favorites.

the gluten free chef’s Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes

Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies courtesy of Blissful Eats brown butter chocolate cookies
Gluten free, Dairy free Chocolate Chip Cookies courtesy of Silvana’s KitchenChunk Cookies_png-e1367498983963
Date- Sweetened Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies courtesy of The Sweetest Kitchendate quinoa chocolate chip cookies
Protein Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies courtesy of The Iron YouProtein oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
Dark Chocolate Chunk Eggnog Cookies courtesy of Brown Eyed Baker eggnog chocolate-chunk-cookies-25-600

P.S: This post was originally featured on February 10, 2014

5 Amazing Benefits of Herb & Fruit Infused Water

Since 2013 when I started my foray into sustainability and gardening; I’ve been I’ve been filling my water with natural herbs and fruits. It started as a way to flavor my water to encourage myself to drink more than the daily recommended share (64 ounces) but quickly morphed into one of the many ways I try to keep myself as healthy as possible living with a chronic illness.

If you didn’t know there are many many touted benefits to filling your water with herbs like mint, lemon balm, and basil to fruits and veggies like cucumbers, oranges, and grapefruit.

What is Infused Water?

Quite simply infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent such as water, oil or alcohol, by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time. (Wikipedia)

In other words when you pour water over a vessel of lemons, limes, or herbs and let the ingredients steep together over several hours, you are infusing. The chemical compounds and oils for the veggies seep into the water and make the beverage extra tasty in the process.

Why Infuse Your Water

While the benefits of getting a sufficient intake of water are well known, the benefits of infusing your water with healthy fruits and herbs are not always well known. In fact, many folks I’ve encountered see infused water as nothing more than garnish; just something to look at. However, it’s so much more than that.

However it’s so much more than that

The benefits have been touted that infusing your water with lemon and other fruits help you:

  • Clear your skin

  • Lose weight

  • Detox and more

5 Amazing Health Benefits of Infused Water

Lemon Water

One of the most popular infusions out there is adding sliced lemon to plain water. Lemon not only elevates the taste but is a great source of vitamins C and B, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and fiber and helps relieve gas and bloating and can relieve inflammation.

2. It tastes great so you drink more of it and improves your hydration and circulation.

3. Allows the body to more efficiently rid itself of waste through organs including the kidneys, liver, and skin.

4. Gives you less time to drink sugar laden juices and sodas.

5. Drinking more water helps you feel fuller and addresses the false hunger that dehydration can cause.

In Conclusion

Drinking enough water is essential to maintaining a healthy body. Our bodies are about 60 percent water, and every drop of that fluid works hard to promote proper blood circulation, food digestion and elimination, temperature regulation, and the flow of nutrients. Fruit infused water helps you feel great while improving your daily life functions.

So don’t delay fill your water with fruit today!

Source: Allrecipes

Gluten Free Product Review | Enjoy Life Baked Chewy Bars

If you’ve followed the blog for any length of time then you know that I love Enjoy Life Foods and their products. From baking mixes, to crackers, cookies, and granola bars since 2001 Enjoy Life has been committed to creating allergen free convenience products for those of us living without.

With an ever increasing product line, Enjoy Life Foods  continues to push the envelope with tasty snacks and products that are free from the most common food allergens. A Brand Ambassador since 2013, it has been my job to taste test products and provide honest feedback so the company can create products that are better and healthier than the competitors. Their newest flavors of their Baked Chewy Bars came to my doorstep earlier this summer and I’m finally able to share my thoughts with you.

About Enjoy Life Baked Chewy Bars

The Baked Chewy Bars launched a few years ago with three flavors (cocoa loco, caramel apple, sunseed crunch) and just recently Enjoy Life released three new flavors:

  • Caramel Blondie
  • Carrot Cake
  • Lemon Blueberry Poppyseed

The new flavors follow their predecessors pattern of packing a lot of natural flavor in a small bar using pure and simple ingredients, featuring real inclusions and a proprietary Pure Life Balanced Dry Blend™ of (hulled sunflower kernels, cassava flour, white pearled-grain sorghum flour, quinoa flakes). As with all Enjoy Life products, the new bars are made in a dedicated nut-free and gluten-free bakery, are Certified Gluten Free, Non-GMO Project Verified, Kosher and Halal Certified, and are free-from the top eight common food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soy.

Real Flavor | Less Sugar

What I like most about the Baked Chewy Bars is that they actually taste like the flavors they are named after. The carrot cake evokes the flavor of real carrot so much so that it is hard not to feel like you shredded the carrots yourself. The Lemon Blueberry is easily my favorite and has the bright essence of lemon zest and poppyseed. The lemon poppsyeed only has 5 grams of sugar so those looking to watch their sugar intake need not worry. On the flip side, if you are looking for a super sweet snack to replace dessert; these bars are not that. More like a quick pre-workout snack or afternoon pick me up with the addition of a low fat cheese stick. Add a low-sugar greek yogurt and you could have yourself a light breakfast.

Always Free All The Time

What makes Enjoy Life Food the #1 free from brand is that the baked bars like all of  their products are free from not only gluten but:

  • Wheat
  • Dairy
  • Peanut
  • Tree Nut
  • Egg
  • Soy
  • Shellfish
  • Casein
  • Sesame
  • Sulfites
  • Potato

and prepared in a facility that is free from contamination as well which means you eat exactly what the ingredient list says and nothing more.

Final Words

Overall these new baked chewy bars are a great addition to an already dynamic product list and give me just what I expect from Enjoy Life | good taste free from what I can’t have yet full of the natural goodness that I need.

Rating: 3.5/5

Disclaimer: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received products for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my personal experience with the products.

 

Vegan Blueberry Curly Kale Smoothie | Guest Post by Shell Harris of Smoothieweb.com

Many feel intimidated putting vegetables like kale or spinach (or broccoli) in their smoothies because it seems like a strange thing to drink…Well, I think this smoothie will change your mind! The delicious blueberry flavors completely mask the taste of the kale and even the avocado, which means if you close your eyes, you would not even notice all the nutritional goodness that is in there!

Give it a go and I guarantee you will be throwing vegetables in your smoothies left right and center.

Blueberry Curly Kale Smoothie

Ingredients

  • ¼ Cup Kale
  • ½ Cup Frozen Blueberries
  •  ¾ Cup Coconut Water
  • ½ Avocado
  • ¼ Cup Ice

Preparation

  1. Add all of the ingredients to a blender and mix on a pulsating high speed until completely mixed and thick.

*You may need to remove thick kale stalks before adding to your blender!

Why These Ingredients

Using ice in this smoothie helps to thin down the consistency as the kale and avocado act as thickeners and using ice in addition to frozen blueberries helps to chill it to the perfect drinking temperature for a better flavor (trust me). Also, using coconut water in this smoothie removes the lactose from conventional recipes and makes it suitable for those with intolerances or living a vegan/dairy-free lifestyle.

Nutritional Info

Calories: 230 | Fat: 7g | Protein: 6g | Sodium: 40mg | Sugar: 31g | Fiber: 9g

Benefits

  • Vitamin K is for kale! Ok maybe not, but it does contain a large amount that can reduce the risks of some cancers and has even been linked to the reduction of suffering for those with Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to this, kale is high in iron and is recommended by nutritionists to treat those who suffer from deficiencies and their effects.
  • Avocados actually have a high potassium content than bananas but many don’t realize! Potassium can help to reduce your likelihood of having a stroke, heart attack and even kidney failure.
  • In addition potassium can contribute to reducing high blood pressure and maintaining a healthy heart. In addition, the “flesh” of an avocado is high in healthy protein and monounsaturated (healthy) fats, which can be particularly beneficial for vegetarians or those who are looking to increase their protein consumption without the aid of meat.

Shell Harris is the founder of http://www.SmoothieWeb.com, the web’s largest resource for smoothie recipes. His first book, 101 Skinny Smoothies for Weight Loss and Detox is his first book supporting one of his passions (smoothies). His other interests include top 10 lists at http://www.Toptenz.net – and vintage posters and jack russell dogs.You can find more delicious and healthy recipes at smoothieweb.com

Oven Fried Garlic-Chive Potatoes (VEGAN)

These crispy crunchy oven fried potatoes were all the rage at last month’s Vegan Meet & Mingle Dinner at 540WMain Community Learning Academy. They are so simple and easy to make and make a great healthy alternative to deep fried potatoes. What’s even better is that they will satisfy your crunchy salty cravings without doing damage to your caloric intake. Get into the recipe below:

Oven Fried Garlic-Chive Potatoes

Ingredients

5 large Yukon Gold Potatoes, washed and cut into wedges
4 tablespoons chives finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons F. Oliver’s Garlic Infused Olive Oil 

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

  1. Leaving peel on, cut the potatoes into 6 lengthwise to make long wedges, about 3/4-inch to 1-inch wide.
  2. Add potatoes to large stock pot and cover with warm water until just covered. Add vinegar. Soak for 2-3 hours.
  3. Drain potatoes
  4. Combine the potatoes, oil, salt, garlic and chives on the baking sheet and toss to combine. (1 less bowl to wash) Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer, so a cut side is in contact with the pan, but evenly spaced so the potatoes aren’t touching each other.
  5. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 35 minutes. Slip a spatula under the potatoes to turn them over and cook for 5 minutes more.Transfer potatoes to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Photo credit: Café Delites