Kim’s Vegan Sugar Cookies

28 Apr 2011 2 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

My wonderful friend and reader, Kim, has shared some really great recipes with me in the past. I am super excited to have her Guest Post here 🙂 These cookies look absolutely amazing!!!! I think these would be great for any holiday or event as they are so versatile!! YUM!!!!

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So I always find family holidays a bit tough because they always revolve around candy and sweet baked goods.  So every year I usually try out a new recipe of some sort to see how it comes out and to test it on my family.  My goal is to find the perfect vegan holiday recipe that not only will I enjoy, but my family will as well (and they are picky eaters).  So I found this recipe in VegNews and decided to give it a go.  Not only did it come out fantastic but my family can’t get enough of them.  My Grandmother and myself were up to our elbows in cookies for Easter, with frosting everywhere.  We spent a good amount of time trying to design the perfect cookie to be photographed, but got so tired by the end of the night that we only shot a few cookies and decided that we would just slap some frosting on the rest for the family.  They are so delicious that we didn’t think the family would mind or notice.  Hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as me and my family does.

Vegan Sugar Cookies

For the cookies:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup vegan margarine, softened
3 teaspoons ener-g egg replacer, mixed with 1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup vegan sour cream
4 1/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the frosting:
1/4 cup vegan margarine
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons soymilk (I use almond milk)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
(for the frosting I think they messed up the amount of milk. It  makes
a crumbly consistency so i usually follow it and once it’s mixed I
slowly pour in more milk until it becomes a nice smooth frosting)

  1. To prepare cookies, preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl cream margarine and sugar until fluffy.  Add egg replacer, vanilla, and sour cream and mix well.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix flour, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add dry mixture to wet
  3. Mix for 1 to 2 minutes or until combined then roll dough into large ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes
  4. Remove dough from fridge and roll out 1/2 inch thick on floured board.  Cut using cookie cutters.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden.  Allow to cool before frosting.
  5. For frosting mix all ingredients with mixer on medium speed until creamy and soft (will need to add more milk I have yet to calculate how much I usually add so just eye it)
  6. This makes a lot of cookies and I usually put the dough in the freezer  while each batch is in the oven so that while your waiting the dough doesn’t get too soft ( just don’t leave it too long or else you will have iced cookie dough)

And be warned these are addicting, be prepared to eat at least 5 before you even offer them to anyone else because they are that good. My grandmother ate at least 2 handfuls by Easter and she doesn’t usually eat that much sweets.

Vegan Passover 2011

26 Apr 2011 6 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

This Passover was extra special with an addition of some new recipes! YUM!!!

We always eat a lot of quinoa, salads and veggies. And of course I also get to have the treat of Matzah & Earth Balance. So simple, yet amazing of course!

Last year we tried these vegan matzah balls but they disintegrated when left in the broth. This year my friend Lisa Dawn has been experimenting for a few weeks for the perfect Passover recipes. Thanks to Lisa Dawn and to Nava Atlas for these new amazing Matzah Balls and Matzah Brei recipes!! And thanks to my Mom and Mother-in-Law for making these amazing matzah balls for us. And Michael and I loved the Brei! YUM!!!

Also check out these recipes as well 🙂

photo from http://lisaprojectvegan.blogspot.com since we didn't photo them from my Mom and Mother-in-Law

Matzah Balls
Makes: About 24

The main difference with these matzah balls are you don’t boil them, you bake them so they stay intact!  The quinoa flakes bind them together and adds protein, how fabulous! These were amazing!!! And now I see what Lisa Dawn was saying how quinoa flakes are her new best friend!

1 cup quinoa flakes
2 cups boiling water
One box (2 packets) Streit’s or Maneschewitz Matzo Ball Mix
1/4 cup light vegetable oil (like safflower)

In a large mixing bowl, cover the quinoa flakes with the water. Let stand for 2 or 3 minutes.  Stir in both packets of matzah meal mix along with the oil, and mix until well blended. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.  Just before baking, preheat the oven to 275º F.  Roll the matzah meal mixture into approximately 1-inch balls; don’t pack them too firmly. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, carefully turning the matzah balls after 10 minutes, until firm to the touch; don’t let them brown.  If making ahead of time, let the matzah balls cool completely, then cover until needed. Warm them briefly in a medium oven and distribute them among the soup bowls, allowing 3 or 4 matzah balls per serving.

Vegan Matzah Brei
Makes 4 servings
Adapted from Nava Atlas and Lisa Dawn

I have only seen recipes for vegan mazah brei with tofu and was sooo happy when Lisa Dawn posted this recipe from Nava Atlas. More of our new best friend Quinoa Flakes! This was so good and I added the sugar so it tasted just like my mom’s growing up! YUM!

6 sheets of matzah, crumbled
1 cup quinoa flakes
4 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons Earth Balance
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup Sugar

Boil the water.  In a bowl, mix the crumbled matzah and the quinoa flakes.  Pour the hot water over it and let it sit for 3 to 4 minutes.  It is ready when the water is absorbed.  In a skillet, melt Earth Balance and pour the mixture in.  Sort of flatten it down a little and sprinkle with salt and sugar.  When it has been going for a few minutes, scramble it a little to give all sides a chance to crisp up. Just scramble for a few more minutes and then serve and Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash with Spicy Braised Greens, Raisins, and Nuts

25 Apr 2011 1 Comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I love the ‘Skinny Bitch in the Kitch’ Ladies! This is such an amazing and deelish meal and beyond healthy and nutritious. Of course love that too 🙂

Great Combo! We love all things Kale. We have been eating it so many times a week lately and just can’t get enough of this super nutrient-rich green. Expect a bunch more kale recipes coming up soon, but typically we steam it and mix it with some tamari or sea salt and enjoy just like that. So good! But if you want a little something extra, check out some of my other ways to enjoy this amazing vegetable: Polenta with Black Beans, Pan-Fried Tofu & Roasted Coconut Tomato Sauce, Kale Chips, Sunshine Joy Soup, Green Goddess Pasta and of course Everyday Green Juice.

And Spaghetti Squash is always so fun. It really adds a substantial and tasty addition to any meal. I remember as a kid loving to have fun with this one. See here for an extra Simple Spaghetti Squash Recipe.

See the other Skinny Bitch Recipes I have played with and enjoyed here: ‘Chicken salad’ sandwich, Green Goddess Pasta and Vegan Summer Garden Pasta

Spaghetti Squash with Spicy Braised Greens, Raisins, and Nuts
adapted from ‘Skinny Bitch in the Kitch‘
6 servings

4 lb spaghetti squash, scrape out seeds
water
3 tablespoons refined coconut oil
3 cloves of garlic
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, seeded and minced or 2 jalapenos or other hot chiles, seeded and minced
2-3 bunches kale, chard, mustard greens, collard greens, or combo, cut into 1/2 in. strips
2 cup vegetable stock
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375
  2. Place the squash flesh down in  baking pan. Add 1/2 inch water and bake for about 1 hour, until squash is easily pierced with a fork.
  3. Heat coconut oil in a 4-6 quart stockpot over medium. Add garlic and chiles and cook for 1 min.
  4. Add the greens, stirring until they’re all in the pot. Add 1 cup or more of the stock, 1 tsp of the salt and the raisins. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.
  5. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, cook until greens are tender, about 10-15 min (15-20 for collard greens) (If pan gets dry before cooked, add more stock a bit at a time, 2 tablespoons as a time)
  6. Stir in the pinenuts.
  7. When the squash is done, use fork to separate the strands into a large bowl. Add olive oil and salt and toss gently.
  8. Transfer “Spaghetti” to plates and top with greens mixture. Garnish with pine nuts and serve.

My 30th Birthday!

19 Apr 2011 Leave a comment

by marisashealthykitchen in New York Highlights, Raw Desserts and Treats Tags: , , , , , , ,

I LOVE Birthdays and I turned 30 last week! SO of course a fun reason to celebrate!

On Friday Night we celebrated at Friday Night Yoga Social! FNYS is an AMAZING class I teach with two unbelievable, inspiring and beautiful teachers and friends; Mimi and Angie. It was so perfect to be able to celebrate with many of our students and friends, such a special night as always! If you are ever in NYC on a Friday Night, come to our fun class!!

Saturday was more fun party time 🙂 And of course since this was my party, there had to be yummy vegan food!

Terri’s delivered their SUPER YUMMY sandwiches. Michael and I LOVE all their Vegan sandwiches but seem to never get enough of the Vegan Bacon Cheddar Chicken Ranch sandwiches. See my review here from when they first opened. It was great to see all these non-vegans Loving these scrumptious sandwiches too, always fun of course! Sorry, I didn’t take any pictures. But go there yourself and try these sandwiches out, so good!

I also had a crudité platter from Whole Foods. Of course a crudité platter would not normally get a honorable mention but this one was special because it had a super yummy Vegan Caramelized Onion Dip. The catering guy at Whole Foods Union Square, Mark, was Super awesome and so helpful! We went around the whole store to score the best vegan dip for the platter. Perfection!

I love my sweets and since it was a birthday party, there had to be a cake and then of course some more desserts 😉 I brought the deelish vegan brownie bites, chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies from BabyCakes. And the cake, oh the cake…. one of our faves, Chocolate Peanut Butter Bomb Cake from Vegan Treats… we bought it at Atlas since Vegan Treats is in PA, but they sell their AMAZING cakes and treats all over the city so thank goodness not hard to come up with. (pic below)

Then on another night Michael took me to Pure Food & Wine to celebrate just the two of us 🙂 YUM!! And of course this meal had to end with the amazing Mint Sundae. (pic below)

Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate with me and who sent Birthday Wishes!! Lots of love all around!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bomb Cake

Ugh Oh! This is a dangerous cake to have leftovers of! YUM!!

Mint Sundae from Pure Food & Wine

Veggie and Tofu Moo Shu

11 Apr 2011 Leave a comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , ,

This was super yummy, quick to make and very low in fat, which is always lovely! Perfect weeknight meal! Deelish!

Veggie and Tofu Moo Shu
Makes 8 wraps

8 – Whole Wheat Tortilla Wraps
12-oz. bag dry broccoli slaw mix
8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
1 block tofu, cubed and crumbled (or vegan crumbles)
1 cup water chestnuts
1 can bamboo shoots, drained and chopped
3 tablespoons tamari
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
dash white pepper (black is fine, if you don’t have white)
hoisin sauce

  1. In a small bowl, combine tamari, vinegar, garlic, cornstarch, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
  2. Heat a wok to medium-high heat. Add tofu and cook, 2 minutes.
  3. Add broccoli slaw and mushrooms to wok and, stirring occasionally, cook for 3 – 4 minutes, until veggies are soft.
  4. Add bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and sauce to the pan, mix well, and cook for an additional 3 – 4 minutes, until entire dish is hot.
  5. Remove from heat and transfer moo shu mixture to a serving dish. Set aside.
  6. Serve tortillas and hoisin sauce alongside moo shu mixture. Spread hoisin sauce on tortilla and spoon moo shu mixture and wrap.
  7. Enjoy!

Marisa’s Healthy Kitchen 2nd Anniversary!

08 Apr 2011 3 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in In the News Tags: ,

Today is Marisa’s Healthy Kitchen’s 2nd anniversary! I am so surprised that it has already been 2 years!

This last year has been one of the most amazing yet! I am so humbled and inspired by everyone and everything around me!

I went through the 200 hour Vinyasa Teacher Training, the 300hr Jivamukti Teacher Training and I’m almost finished with my 800hr Jivamukti Advanced certification and I’m teaching so much now! We were so lucky to spend almost a month in India and take some other amazing trips as well. I was the Maid of Honor in my best friend’s wedding in Jamaica! My sister is now engaged to be married this August! And every day just gets more romantic and magical with my beautiful husband! And that is not even counting all the inspiring and extraordinary events that happen every day!!!

Thank you all for reading and showing the love 🙂 I hope you keep enjoying my posts and recipes! Let me know if you make them and what you think.

Miami!!

07 Apr 2011 2 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in In the News Tags: , ,

Last weekend me and some lovely ladies had a super fun trip to Miami! SO much fun, beach time, dinners and dancing! Love my ladies!!!

The Ladies!!!

Of course I did my homework before going to find out some good vegan options for us 🙂 There were many options, so awesome! We only got to hit up a few, but the ones we did were super great!

The first night we went to The Standard for dinner. Although the service was noticeably super slow, we had a great meal outside right on the water! Fabulous! Too bad The Standard NYC’s menu is not vegan friendly at all 😦

We ordered the Mezze Plate (Hummus, Baba Ghanoush, Chick Peas & Olives) to share and then I had the deelish Soup (carrot and coconut – indian spiced) and the amazing Living “Lasagna” Terrine, yum!!! For me the highlight is typically the dessert and I was very pleased to have the Vegan Ding Dong! (see pics below)

Also on the menu: Sprouted Grains & Organic Greens Salad  Quinoa and Lentil Live Sprouts and Mixed Greens, Avocado, Julienned Vegetables and Carrot-Ginger Vinaigrette,
Vegan Fritto Misto  Chick Pea Panisse, Baby Artichokes, Mushrooms,
Marinated Tofu + Quinoa with Dried Fruit + Raw Coconut Chutney

Soup du Jour (Usually Vegan) (carrot and coconut)

 

Living “Lasagna” Terrine Served Cold; Cashew Nut Cheese, Raw Tomato Sauce, Nut & Veg “Sausage”, Squash “Pasta”

 

Vegan Ding Dong

The next night we had the most amazing meal at Hakkasan!! There was plenty of food for the non-veggie people but for me; we started with the Wild mushroom lettuce wraps and the veggie Dim sum platter. Then we had Tofu claypot in black bean sauce, Stir-fry lotus root and asparagus and lily bulb in black pepper and Stir-fry seasonal Chinese vegetable fried rice. I had never had lily bulbs before and I just Loved them! What an amazing meal!!!! I only got to take a few pictures because we were having the best time so pictures took a back seat 🙂

Stir-fry lotus root and asparagus and lily bulb in black pepper

 

Stir-fry seasonal Chinese vegetable fried rice

 

Kitchari Challenge – Recipe #1

30 Mar 2011 2 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Cleansing, Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

I love Kitchari!! Kitchari is typically considered a fasting food and is used to purify digestion and cleanse systemic toxins but is also an amazing meal on its own account. I eat it at least once a week at the amazing Jivamukti (Jivamuktea) Cafe. When Michael and I were in India I expected to eat it all the time, but strangely we never had it, not once! So upon returning home I wanted to take on my very own Kitchari Challenge 🙂 I am going to play around with different takes of this amazing mixture of Dal and Rice. Some recipes have many spices in them and some call for just a dash of salt. This is where my challenge comes in, I want to try many of them out. I will post them as I make them. Enjoy!

I made a super big double batch of this first recipe and Michael and I were thrilled to have it in the house for over a week! It was super enjoyable and very nourishing.

Kitchari Recipe
Recipe adapted from The Ayurvedic Institute

1 cup     Basmati Rice
2 cups     Mung Dal (split yellow)
7 cups (approx.) Water
a bit of     Salt
2 Tbs.     neutral oil (like canola)
3 tsp.     Mustard Seeds
2 tsp.     Cumin Seeds or Powder
2 tsp.     Turmeric Powder
2 tsp.     Coriander Powder
2 tsp.     Fennel Powder
1 pinch     Asafoetida (Hing)(I was very excited to bring this back from India – although you can easily get it at your local Indian store)

I did not adapt my recipe for the specific doshas – but below is what The Ayurvedic Institute suggests to do.
* For Vata or Kapha conditions:
add a pinch of ginger powder
* For Pitta: leave out the mustard seeds

  1. Carefully pick over rice and dal to remove any stones. Wash each separately in at least 2 changes of water.
  2. Sauté the seeds in the oil until they pop. Then add the other spices. Add the mung dal and salt. Sauté for 1 or 2 minutes. Add boiling water, bring to boil, then simmer for 30 minutes or until the dal is about 2/3 cooked.
  3. Add rice and stir to mix, adding extra water if required. Bring back to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is fully cooked. Aim to have minimal water remaining, leaving the lid on the pot to allow any excess to slowly be absorbed.
  4. Stir until the rice and dal begin to mush together and Enjoy!

Lisa Dawn’s Vegan Stuffed Shells with Cashew Ricotta Cheese!!

28 Mar 2011 16 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in New York Highlights, Raw Vegan Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

I am super excited about having my amazing friend Lisa Dawn Guest Blog!! She has just started her own fabulous blog, Lisa’s Project:Vegan with deelish vegan recipes which almost all take less than a half hour to make! She was the inspiration behind the Coconut Lentil Soup, which if you tried I know you loved! The Vegan Stuffed Shells with Cashew Ricotta Cheese below looks out of this world. I know I will be making this soon myself!! Thanks Lisa!

About Lisa Dawn: I am a vegan mom and wife and I love to cook. I became vegan over four years ago for several reasons – the health and welfare of the animals, myself, and that of the world. My husband has been vegan since he was a teenager and together we are raising our son vegan. It is a challenge to do so in this world but it makes it that much more fun to be creative and to cook delicious meals that people really enjoy. Everyone who joins us for a meal leaves fully satisfied and with a handful of recipes!

My cashew ricotta cheese is outstanding and I use it in a lot of dishes. But nothing beats stuffed shells! You can vary the filling (e.g., you can use butternut squash or just plain cashew ricotta). My family loves it! It is not as hard as you think to make this and it is very satisfying!

Stuffed Shells

Cashew Ricotta
1 lb cashews (soaked overnight)
water
salt
nutmeg
fresh lemon juice
Stuffed Shells
1 box shells (to make it gluten free, use rice pasta shells)
1 small bag frozen spinach
garlic powder
1 jar of tomato sauce (or make your own)
Cashew Ricotta
Soak cashews overnight.  In the morning, drain them and then place 1 cup at a time into the in the food processor.  Process the nuts until fine and then add 3/4 cup of water, a pinch of salt, a pinch of nutmeg, and a dash of lemon juice.  Process and then place in strainer (with very small mesh) over a bowl to drain excess water.   Repeat until you finish all of the cashews.  Let this strain for a few hours.  The top might get slightly hard but don’t worry, just mix it back in.  When it seems like all the excess water has drained out, place in a container and use it when ready.
Stuffed Shells
Preheat oven to 350.  Boil up shells according to package directions.  Use lots of salt in the water to season the pasta.   While they are boiling, place frozen spinach in small pot with a little water and set on a high flame to defrost quickly or do this ahead of time.  Either way, make sure you drain all of the water out.  Mix the spinach with the cashew ricotta.  Add some garlic powder and mix.  Taste it and decide if you want any more seasoning, e.g., salt and pepper.
Coat the bottom of a baking dish with tomato sauce.  When the shells are done, carefully strain them.  Assemble your shells by stuffing them with the mixture and placing them into the baking dish.  Pour tomato sauce in between and around the shells.  Place in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes so they are thoroughly heated through.

Enjoy!

Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Risotto

24 Mar 2011 5 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , ,

I Love risotto. YUM! It does take a bit to prepare and a lot of stirring but it always turns out amazing, pretty much fool-proof. This is such an amazingly creamy and deelish recipe. Serve this for non-veg company and they will be so surprised it is vegan!

Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Risotto
serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 to 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage

  1. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil on medium. Add onion and squash; season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until squash is tender, about 10 minutes.
  2. Heat vegetable broth in a separate pot on low.
  3. Add rice to saucepan with onions and squash, stir to coat for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until almost evaporated, about 2 minutes.
  4. Reduce heat to medium-low and add 1/2 cup hot broth mixture. Cook, stirring, until almost all liquid is absorbed. Continue adding 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until absorbed. The whole process takes about 40 minutes.
  5. Once creamy and rice is fully cooked, stir in the nutritional yeast, sage, salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Serve and super enjoy!

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