Recipe: Super Seedy Granola Bars For a Festival! (Vegan)

I've got a few race recaps on the docket, but first, there are more pressing matters to attend to: Festival snacks!

The greatest weekend of all the weekends of the year is upon us. It is the eve of the Newport Folk Festival. Although Chris and I will be participating in an abbreviated version of this weekend's events (Chris is in a good friend's wedding on Saturday), we couldn't be more excited to lay out our blanket, drag out our cooler, and soak in the music-filled breeze at Fort Adams on Sunday.

In the spirit of music festival stereotypes, I will share my new favorite granola bar recipe. These granola bars are seriously addictive. As I was packaging them away, I found myself driven to cut off the edges of the "crooked ones" and eat the leftovers. Obviously, all of the bars were "crooked ones".

The recipe is from Dana at Minimalist Baker. It is one of her many simple granola bar recipes and it is full of seeds, sweetened by dates and maple syrup, and so very good. I didn't change much from her original recipe. I simply added dried tart cherries and chopped dark chocolate and I cut the bars into smaller servings than suggested.

Super Seedy Granola Bars
adapted, very slightly, from Minimalist Baker

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
• 1 heaping packed cup medjool dates, pitted
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds
• 2 Tbsp flax seeds
• 2 Tbsp hemp seeds
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup creamy salted natural peanut butter or almond butter (I used Teddie peanut butter)
• 1/3 cup dried unsweetened tart cherries (optional*)
• 40g (1.4 oz) chopped dark chocolate (optional*)

Instructions

1. Toast your oats and almonds in a 350 degree oven for 13-15 minutes or until slightly golden brown. 
2. Process dates in a food processor until small bits remain (about 1 minute) and dates have a dough-like consistency. Mine rolled into a ball.
3. Pour oats, almonds, and dates into a large mixing bowl. Add all of the seeds and set aside.
4. Warm maple syrup and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir and pour over oat mixture and then mix, breaking up the dates to disperse throughout. Use a spoon or your hands to thoroughly mix. Add in cherries and chocolate and mix again until evenly distributed.
5. Transfer to an 8x8 dish or other small pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper so they lift out easily. I only have a 9x13 pan, so I used 2/3 of the pan. 
6. Cover the mixture with parchment or plastic wrap and press down with something flat, such as  a book, to get them flat and packed tight. This will help prevent them from crumbling. Chill in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden. 
7. Remove bars from dish and chop into 20 even bars (the original recipe called for 10, but I like smaller snack-size bars. Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. I like them best straight out of the freezer.

* You don't need the dried fruit or chocolate, but I think they taste excellent. You could substitute in raisins, dried cranberries, etc. Although I chopped up a dark chocolate bar I had hanging out in my freezer, you could also use vegan chocolate chips, etc. 

Newport, we're ready for you!

Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake (Vegan + GF)

If you've read my blog before, you may know that I hate baking but I love pulling out the stops for a serious birthday cake.

There was Chris's 29th birthday German chocolate cake,

And his 30th birthday coconut layer cake.

There was Julie's vanilla buttercream cake.

I have no idea why I have no pictures of the finished cake product. But it was my first time using a Kitchenaid Mixer in all its glory. Man, did I hate those green grapes painted on my kitchen wall

Joe's mocha ice box birthday cake was served at a Revs tailgate.

Becca's funfetti birthday cake had all the sprinkles I could find in the store.

Never before have I attempted a vegan birthday cake! But a birthday needs a cake, even if the cake maker is dabbling in veganism.

I personally prefer ice cream cake over layer cake. I asked my parents for a Carvel cake for every birthday I can remember. So when I learned that Joe and Kyle would be traveling to Gillette Stadium for a New England Revolution game on Joe's birthday, I set out to make some semblance of an ice cream cake using no dairy.

I turned to the internet for guidance. What did you vegans do for inspiration before Google and Pinterest and Blogging? A quick Google search led me to Emily's recipe for deep dish chocolate peanut butter ice cream pie on her amazing blog This Rawsome Vegan Life. One look at her photographs and there was no turning back.

There is no baking involved in making this "ice cream" cake and it's made of pretty amazingly delicious real stuff. I modified Emily's original recipe only slightly, mostly because the spring form pan Steph loaned me was 9 inches and the one Emily used in her recipe was 7. You can adjust the crust and filling ratio as needed.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake (Vegan + Gluten Free)
Recipe adapted from This Rawsome Vegan Life
Makes one 9-inch cake (serves 10-12)

Ingredients
For the crust:

• 1 1/3 cups pitted medjool dates
• 2/3 cup hemp seeds
• 1/3 cup flax meal
• 1/3 cup almond meal
• 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder

For the filling:

• 4 frozen bananas
• 1 1/3 cups pitted deglet or medjool dates
• 2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water overnight
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 1/4 cups almond milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
• 2 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter, plus a little extra for swirling in and topping. (My favorite brand is Teddie) 

For the chocolate sauce:

• 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Cooking Directions

1. Make the crust. Pulse the hemp seeds, flax meal, almond meal and 3 tablespoons cacao in a food processor until they become a rough flour. Add the dates and process until the mixture becomes sticky and soft. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a spring form pan to make a uniform crust. Chill in the refrigerator.
2. Make the chocolate sauce. In a small bowl, melt the coconut oil by microwaving for about 15 seconds. Whisk in the syrup and cacao powder until smooth. 
3. Make the filling. Blend all filling ingredients until smooth, adding water or non-dairy milk as needed to achieve a creamy consistency. Spread filling evenly into your chilled crust, intermittently swirling in peanut butter and chocolate sauce. Drizzle peanut butter and chocolate sauce over the top of the cake. Place cake in freezer overnight or until frozen solid. When you're ready to serve, allow to thaw for a few minutes so the cake is creamy and easy to slice. Maybe eat it with some chili in a parking lot.

Recipe: Kale + Edamame Dumplings (Vegan)

Dumplings intimidate me. They seem so delicate and precise, I've always imagined them to be painstaking to make. When I consider that I've been making pierogi with my aunt and cousins for years, this fear seems rather silly. Pierogi are nothing more than Polish potato dumplings.

I have conquered my fear. Surprise! Making dumplings can be way easy. The recipe I followed, from Em at This Rawsome Vegan Life, creates a simple, almost-pureed dumpling filling made of lightly steamed kale and edamame with a touch of tahini, lemon, and garlic. I used my Vitamix and ended up with a thick bright green filling that was easy to scoop and shape in the dumpling skins.

I recently purchased this bamboo steamer for my kitchen and I couldn't be more pleased with how gently and efficiently it steams my vegetables. And now it steams my dumplings, too!

The use of store-bought dumpling skins is a time and effort saver in this recipe. If you're feeling ambitious, you can certainly make your own wrappers using any basic dough recipe you like.

The only part of Em's recipe I took liberty with was the dipping sauce, replacing her simple dipping sauce with my favorite basic soy ginger sauce.

These are so good. I want to make them again. Like now.

Kale Edamame Dumplings
Adapted, slightly, from This Rawsome Vegan Life
Vegan

Ingredients
Filling

• 3 cups kale, roughly chopped and lightly steamed
• 1 cup edamame beans, steamed
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 green onions, sliced
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• Black sesame seeds (optional)

Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-inch knob ginger, peeled and grated
• 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
• Sriracha, to taste
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

About 20 dumpling skins (I used Nasoya won ton wraps, which I found next to the tofu in Whole Foods. If you live near an Asian grocery market or a specialty store, there is likely a wider selection of dumpling wraps to choose from.

Instructions

1. Make the filling. Blend all filling ingredients together in a food processor or blender until you get a chunky paste. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. 
2. Assemble the dumplings. Place a rounded tablespoon of filling onto each dumpling skin. Using your fingers with a few drops of water, moisten the edge of the skin halfway around. Fold over and pinch edges. If you have round dumpling skins, you'll have a half moon shape and you can create small folds along the edge. If you have square dumpling skins, as I did, you can fold into a triangle and bend the bottom corners toward one another to make a cute little purse.
3. Steam the dumplings until they're somewhat translucent (3-5 minutes). Garnish with some sesame seeds.
4. To make the dipping sauce, put all the sauce ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake it. 

My Vegan Experience

This March I've embarked on a month-long Vegan Experience. I've been contemplating veganism for nearly a year, and now I've finally found a starting point: I committed to following a vegan diet for 31 days.

My vegan month was inspired by the awesome food blog Serious Eats. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt authors the column The Food Lab, where he obsessively examines and develops home-cooking techniques through science. Each year, Lopez-Alt lives one month of veganism and shares his recipes, tips, and techniques.

Now that I'm in the final hours of my challenge, I find myself conflicted about how to proceed when the calendar changes.

The decision seems straightforward enough: My values tell me that a plant-based diet is best for the environment, for the animals, and for my health. I believe that the environmental impact of meat production is a wasteful contributor to global food scarcity, and that following a vegan diet is a way I can personally take responsibility for minimizing my own impacts on climate change and better sustain food security. I don't see the value in cruelty and have grown ethically opposed to the idea that humans need to turn beings into products. Most selfishly, I believe that a whole-foods, plant-based diet is the best path to maximize my health and physical performance in athletic pursuits.

In 2015, the Federal Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee issued a report that concluded that plant-based diet was both healthier and better for the environment. A quote from the report:

"Quantitative modeling research showed how healthy dietary patterns relate to positive environmental outcomes that improve population food security. Moderate to strong evidence demonstrates that healthy dietary patterns that are higher in plant-based foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and lower in calories and animal-based foods are associated with more favorable environmental outcomes (lower greenhouse gas emissions and more favorable land, water, and energy use) than are current U.S. dietary patterns." 

So there it was. What better time than now?

I'm grateful for the things I've learned being vegan this month. It's been a surprisingly simple transition from vegetarianism to veganism. I feel physically strong and healthy. I feel like I'm doing a better job living out my values. I've even had fun! Eating vegan has encouraged me to be creative in the kitchen.

Did you know you can use the liquid from a can of chickpeas, known as aquafaba, to make vegan mayonnaise?

That tofu makes a great breakfast scramble?

Or that cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and salt make a perfectly delicious "cheese" topping for pizza?

With the exception of the time we went to Toscanini's and I settled for mango sorbet even though I really, really, really wanted coffee cookies-and-creme ice cream, I honestly haven't felt like I'm missing out. At home, it's easy to select vegan recipes or make substitutions. Flax meal makes a great egg replacer and almond milk is pretty tasty. I am fortunate to live in a progressive, vegan-friendly city filled with abundant grocery, restaurant, and take-out options.

In spite of the Toscanini's disappointment, I made sure to eat a LOT of vegan ice cream. Including this fantastic cone from Van Leeuwen in Brooklyn.

So why do I have any hang up at all about committing to full-on veganism?

For one thing, I value shared meals with my loved ones. Whether that means hosting a potluck, visiting family, or going out to dinner with friends, I know that my dietary restrictions can exclude me from participation. It is not my goal to cast my judgment on others, to miss out on community experiences, or to come across as ungrateful when so many people in my life already go to great lengths to accommodate my diet.

I also feel this small, nagging sense of guilt that my choice to live a vegan lifestyle is a reflection of privilege. I have access to high quality foods, the financial security to purchase them, and the time to prepare my own meals. I know that these are luxuries not everyone can afford. Then again, I suppose my privilege is all the more reason to hold myself accountable for my choices.

Perhaps my biggest lesson from this experience is discovering that I don't have to live in absolutes. I can follow a vegan diet at home and make conscious choices each day about when to draw lines and when to be flexible. It would feel so wasteful to throw away my down winter coat and my leather Frye boots, so I'm not going to. There will be times when the one vegan option on the menu is neither the healthiest nor the most responsible, humane option. There will be choices to make at family dinners for the rest of my life.

And, yes. I'm eating enough protein.

Vegan Lentil Sloppy Joes

After missing three New England Revolution home games in a row, I was thrilled to tailgate with the Midnight Riders this weekend. The Riders have organized a "Welcome Tent" during home Revs tailgates all season long. This potluck style event has a different theme for each game and many members contribute great food in the spirit of sharing and community.

Before we witnessed the New England Revolution defeat Orlando City Soccer Club 3-0 on Saturday, The Midnight Riders hosted a "School Lunch" themed potluck, complete with school lunch trays, Cosmic Brownies, baked macaroni and cheese, buffalo chicken wraps, dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets, homemade Dunkaroos, and even homemade potato chips with corny joke bags:

It was public school cafeteria nostalgia at its finest.

Nothing says "school lunch" to me quite like a sloppy joe. My memories of school sloppy joes were more about texture and seasoning than meat anyways, so I figured this would be an easy enough dish to cut the meat from. As usual, I turned to the internet for vegetarian inspiration. The result? Stewed and spiced lentils and vegetables, sweetened just a little with apples and maple syrup, made for a tasty and filling slop on a bun.

One note if you're going to attempt this recipe: I diced my vegetables and apple VERY finely, and would recommend doing the same.

Here's the recipe.

Vegan Lentil Sloppy Joe

Adapted from this recipe and this recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 apple, cored & diced
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup small green lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (brown sugar would work too)
• 1 teaspoon sriracha
• 1/2 cup red lentils
• salt & pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes or until onion softens. Add garlic, carrot, bell pepper, and apple. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 more minutes or until all vegetables and fruit are softened. Add chili powder, cumin, and paprika and allow to cook for 1 more minute.
2. Add the green lentils, 2 cups of water, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sriracha and maple syrup. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes. Although I covered my dish while it simmered, I don't think this was necessary. Add red lentils and simmer 15-20 more minutes, or until all lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. If the mixture becomes too thick at any point during cooking, you can add a little water or stock to achieve desired consistency and prevent sticking. Season with salt and pepper and serve on toasted buns.

Since it would be a tremendous shame not to take advantage of the spectacular late summer harvest, I threw together some grilled green beans and peaches to serve on the side.

We ate a lot. We drank beer. The weather was perfect. Summer is NOT over yet!