PB2 Hummus

Hummus made with PB2 powder instead of tahini (lower fat)

Ingredients:
1 can chickpeas, or two cups prepared from dried (remove skins)
2 tablespoons PB2 powder
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon smoked salt
1 teaspoon flaxseed meal

Process in an intense small blender such as a "Ninja" until smooth.

Low Fat Hummus Recipe

My favorite hummus recipe without Tahini:

Put one can of drained chickpeas in a a strong blender or food processor.
Add 2 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 small mild hot pepper without seeds or stem
2 tablespoons lemon juice.
1 tablespoon water may be necessary to get it to blend

Blend until smooth.  This will make enough to last a couple of days in your refrigerator.  I use it in place of mayo.
If you prefer a hummus made with tahini, go ahead and add up to 2 tablespoons (but not more because of the amount of fat that is in tahini).  Your heart will thank you.

(Hummus Recipe from ELovings at Recipes.com)

Vegan Lemon Pocket Cake, no soy, no eggs, no added fats

While attempting to come up with a recipe for Vegan Lemon Souffle I inadvertently created a dense little lemon cake reminiscent of a Cliff Bar that would be perfect for on-the-go.  It has flaxseed meal in it and is sweetened with date sugar, and doesn't contain animal products or added oils/fats.
So although it is a failure as a lemon soufflé (see my third attempt in the second photo below), it isn't bad with a cup of coffee so I want to keep the recipe.  I won't even talk about the second attempt.....

Lemon Pocket Cake (you can put it in your pocket and go catch the bus)

Vegan Lemon Soufflé (a work in progress)

Recipe for Lemon Pocket Cake, or "Vegan To-Go Bar"

4 tablespoons raw cashews

4 tablespoons cornstarch

4 tablespoons Bird's Custard Powder

4 tablespoons date sugar

2 tablespoons flaxseed meal

2 teaspoons agar powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

zest of one lemon

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup rice milk

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

Bake in 4 ramekins (6 oz each).  Place ramekins in water bath and bake at 350 degrees f. for 30 minutes.

Homemade Banana Chips

The last time I bought a bunch of bananas, all that were available were really green.  I mean, REALLY GREEN.  I bought them anyway thinking they would turn yellow just like always but for some reason they never did turn yellow but instead became a funny gray color with brown spots.  I didn't really want to make banana nut bread because we don't need the extra calories around right now and I almost through them out but decided instead to try making banana chips with the food dehydrator.

When I skinned them, the bananas were just beautiful inside and fragrant.  Huh, go figure.

So I sliced them into 1/8" discs, put them into a bowl with lemon juice and water (about 1/4 cup of each) and then laid them out on the food dehydrator trays. (Dehydrate at 135 degrees)
And wouldn't you know, 18 hours later we had the most delicious banana chips to munch on.....

Dad's Special Rice Dish

My father sometimes would make a rice dish at night when I was a kid that I really liked.  It was made from a box of chicken flavored rice, a couple of stalks of diced celery and about 1/2 cup of Jimmy Dean Sausage.  It was something he didn't make often but I distinctly think of it as something he made as a late night snack (between dinner and bedtime) and if the smell brought me into the kitchen he would invite me to grab a plate and have some.  I considered it a nice little treat.
Now I think of it as a comfort, especially since his passing last February and that darn anniversary is approaching.
I would like to make a version of this that doesn't use Jimmy Dean sausage or rice flavored with chicken stock but that has the same essence of comfort and time spent with Dad.

Recipe for Plant-based Special Rice

2 cups brown rice
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
3 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup vegan sausage, crumbled
1 teaspoon vegan bouillon, "not-chicken" flavored
Pinch each of granulated garlic, pepper, dried parsley & rubbed sage

Simmer rice in water and broth until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes.  Add the vegan sausage, celery, bouillon and herbs.  Simmer another 3 or 4 minutes until the celery is hot but not discolored.

Makes 4 comfort servings.

I think Dad would have like to listen to "Still, Still, Still" performed on cello by Steven Sharp Nelson (featuring Marshall McDonald), I know I do.