Vegan Mexican 'Cheesecake' Sopapilla Bars

• Quite possibly the most crazy-good, embarrassing, bad-for-you, crowd pleasing, yet actually VEGAN potluck dessert EVER. But no apologies!
• I dare you to make these and share them with your skeptical friends. They may convert to veganism on the spot just to convince you to make more...
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• They do not resemble Mexican food, sopapillas OR cheesecake in any way, but that's what the 'original' recipe is called, so I'm sticking with the title. And it really doesn't matter what you call them, they are inhaled in about ten seconds flat. Before you even have a CHANCE to warn everyone away from the freaky vegan food - heehee! (I veganized the approximate recipe from a friend's version of NOT vegan, but still yummy, bars, she's not sure where it originated from either... thanks Julianna!!)
• Many of you know I'm not a fan of cinnamon, but I've made an exception here because these things are SO freakin'good, and they don't use a lot, you might add more if you're a fan...

Vegan Mexican 'Cheesecake' Sopapilla Bars

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp. good quality real vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 (8 ounce) packages Tofutti Better-than-cream-cheese
• 2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls (yes, many varieties are actually vegan! Yes, they do have weird ingredients and yes, some trans fat and yes some artificial crap, so deal with it or go make granola bars!! Or use puff pastry for a slightly different texture but still yummy!!)
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance, room temperature
• 1/4 cup honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or fruit syrup

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly(!!) oil a 9x13 inch baking dish with canola oil.

Mix cornstarch into 1 cup sugar. Beat together the Tofutti cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar/cornstarch, vanilla extract and lemon juice, in a bowl, until smooth.
Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each piece into 9x13 inch rectangles. (Or use pc. of puff pastry)

Press one piece into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough.

Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Dot the mixture over the top of the pastry.

Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 - 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey or syrup of choice.

Cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.

Trying to use up some BEETS!

This salad was thrown together the other day to use up random kitchen and garden surplus.

The results? So yummy I decided to make it again, and share with you!!

Baby Beets and Greens Salad

4 cups baby spinach, baby arugula or mixed greens    (even some baby beet greens are nice here) 
12 baby beets 
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts or pecans 
1 blood orange or two tangerines, peeled and sliced 
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar 
1/4 tsp. salt 
1 bay leaf 
5 whole black peppercorns 
fresh ground black pepper

Vinaigrette

1/2 cup fresh blood orange or tangerine juice 
1/4 cup honey (*gasp* yes, I know), agave or brown rice syrup 
1/3 cup olive oil 
1/3 cup grapeseed oil (or olive oil) 
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar 
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint

In a saucepan place cleaned beets with enough water to cover. Add rice vinegar, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until beets can be easily pierced with a knife. Remove from heat, strain beets and allow to cool. Cut beets in half or quarters and refrigerate until ready to use.

Vinaigrette:
Combine juice, honey and rice vinegar in a bowl. Slowly drizzle oils in a steady stream while whisking continually to create an emulsion. Season with salt. Refrigerate until ready to use. Stir in chopped mint when ready to serve.

To Serve:

Lay greens on platter or individual serving plates. Lay slices of oranges on greens. Sprinkle with nuts and beets. (Or arrange all fancy-like if that's your thing...) Fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Drizzle with dressing.

Vegan Meatloaf (Nutloaf, Mushroom Loaf, etc...)

Tonight's dinner was another basic family

favorite: Vegan Meatloaf with smashed 'taters and garden veggies. YUM!

Although this seems very "brown-shapeless-tasteless-vegan-food", it's really not. Otherwise known as Nut-Loaf, Mushroom Loaf, Vegetable Loaf or many other titles, it's a great basic to throw together on those "meat-and-potato" nights. I thought I'd post it, because I ended up making it four times in ten days while the not-vegan-bottomless-pit-growing-teenage-BOY cousins were visiting!!

I know they liked it 'cause they requested I make it again, it disappeared from the table in record time, and miraculously, it SEEMED to fill them up. (Hard to say, they ate everything that wasn't nailed down...)

This "loaf" is really pretty simple. It may look

like a lot of ingredients, but it goes together quickly, especially with a food processor.

Feel free to vary ingredients as needed, it's quite the flexible recipe; keep in

mind the onions, mushrooms and herbs definitely make this loaf tasty!!

VEGAN MEATLOAF

• 1 onion, finely diced (or in food processor)
• 2 T. olive oil, plus additional to oil pan
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs (whiz in food processor) OR 2 1/2 cups corn flakes
• (optional, but good!) 3/4 cup finely chopped/ground pecans, sunflower seeds, walnuts or cashews
• 1 cup oatmeal (uncooked)
• (optional, but good!) 1 cup grated carrot (or beets or celery or potato or more onion or whatever)
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
• 1 tsp dried sage (or more fresh)
• 1/2 tsp rosemary (crushed - more if fresh)
• 2 cups fresh mushrooms, whizzed until chunky in food processor (2 cups after processing)
• 3 T. nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 Tbsp soy or tamari sauce
• 1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup soy/rice/almond milk
• 3 tbsp flax seeds (OR chick pea flour OR ENER-G Egg replacer)
• 1 cup silken (or any kind) tofu

Mix together all ingredients except soymilk, flax and tofu. Put milk, flax and tofu in food processor and blend well. Pour over other ingredients and mix thoroughly. It should be moist and mooshy but not "soupy". Too dry, add more soymilk, if it's too wet, add more breadcrumbs.

Spread into oiled 8 X 11 pan and bake at 350 about 1 hr. 15 min - until browned on top, and fairly firm. (Sometimes it sets up more than others, depending on the moisture in the mushrooms, onions, etc...)

This is better the next day, but who can wait? Serve with gravy, BBQ sauce or ketchup. Leftovers (sorta) slice for GREAT sandwiches.

ENJOY and have a great weekend!

COW-FREE Raw Vegan Ranch and 'Regular' Vegan Ranch Dressing

Since this post is obviously about COW FREE Vegan Ranch, I thought I'd post some pictures of my kids, with, ironically, the cows on our neighbor's ranch...

Yes, ultimately, we all know where these cows end up, but they're friendly cows, and kept clean, well-fed and free to roam large pastures at least.

My kids love to "visit" them from time to time and the cows seem to enjoy it too, wandering over for petting and scratches (too bad this ranch isn't a VEGAN ranch, huh?)...

Anyway, on to the recipes: If there was one item my kids wanted in the fridge this summer (besides iced herb tea from my herb garden) it was RANCH DRESSING!

I think I made several gallons over the course of the summer months, all consumed with truck-loads of fresh veggies by hungry teenagers and their friends, cousins and random acquaintances.

I'll post my two standbys. (It's always nice to have more than one "favorite" for those days you're out of a key ingredient):

One is with raw cashews and is my fave, though I don't always have raw cashews on hand.

The other is slightly more "traditional", but I swear you'll be able to pass off either one as the "real deal" at your next Ranch Dressing Lovers Convention or family picnic!

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CASHEW RANCH (with RAW option)

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Soak 1 1/4 cup raw cashews for 2 hours

-- 3/4 cup soymilk OR water if you want a completely RAW dressing!!

-- 1/2 a lemon, juiced

-- 1/3 cup cider vinegar (I think that's raw, right?)

-- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

-- 3 cloves garlic

-- 1 teaspoon garlic powder

-- 3 teaspoons onion powder

-- 1 teaspoon dill (or 2 tsp fresh - fresh is better!)

-- 1 tablespoon sea salt

-- 1/2 teaspoon basil (or 1 Tbsp. fresh, fresh is better)

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Drain soaking cashews. Blend cashews and soymilk, vinegar and lemon juice until creamy and smooth in your food processor - this takes a while. Then add everything else. Stir well.Let refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Just before serving stir in an additional 1/4 cup finely minced parsley and 1/2 t more dill, minced.

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"TRADITIONAL" VEGAN RANCH

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2/3 cup Vegannaise (vegan mayonnaise)

1/2 cup plain soy milk

2/3 cup Sour Supreme or Tofutti vegan sour cream

2/3 cup pureed silken tofu

1 tsp. white vinegar

1/2 tsp celery salt OR:1 tsp celery seed AND 1/4 tsp salt

*2 tablespoons chopped green onions (or fresh chives, chopped)

*1/4 teaspoon onion powder

*1 - 2 Tablespoons minced parsley (fresh is WAY better here)

*1(or more) garlic clove, finely minced

(*You can whiz the chives, parsley, onion and garlic with a little soymilk in the food processor to speed up making the dressing. Fresh herbs TOTALLY make this dressing!)

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

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Use an immersion blender to combine all ingredients, or shake in a jar with tight-fitting lid.

Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.

Chill for an hour or so to thicken and blend flavors.

Makes 2 cups.

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Vegan Alfredo Sauce, Two Recipes

Time for a (*gasp*) repeat.

Yes. I've posted both of these lovely Vegan Alfredo recipes several times - but they seem to get buried deep in the archives of my blog and for whatever reason, even I forget where they are.

Alfredo pasta is always a requested favorite with my friends and family (vegan and not). Since I KNOW the recipes are a reliable hit and they're both super-easy to throw together, these were my fall-back this summer if (when) called upon to "bring something" to whatever impromptu potluck or gathering we might be involved in.

With that introduction, VEGAN ALFREDO, TWO WAYS, HERE YOU GO:

OK, OPTION #1:

Cashew Garlic Alfredo Sauce (with option for RAW Alfredo):

1/2 cup raw cashews (not roasted)

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice (I don't measure, just a good squeeze)

1 1/2 cups boiling water (or not boiling, if you want an RAW sauce, the texture will be less creamy, but still good!!)

1 clove garlic (or more to taste)

1 Tbsp. extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tb. nutritional yeast (optional)

Pulverize raw cashews in the food processor until very finely ground, but NOT until they start to turn into cashew butter. Carefully add boiling water.

(*The BEST way to do this, is to make the sauce while your pasta is cooking and scoop out 1 1/2 cups of lightly salted pasta-cooking water and use it - the starch from the pasta-cooking water thickens the sauce PERFECTLY!)

Add water to cashews and process until smooth... this will take several minutes. Add nutritional yeast (optional - my kids prefer it without), garlic clove, olive oil and squeeze of lemon juice. Process again until smooth, another couple minutes, it'll start to thicken a bit too!

Taste and add salt, pepper or whatever you think it needs. Makes a really nice creamy sauce if you get the cashews ground finely. Serve over cooked pasta, potatoes, meatballs, etc...

OPTION TWO:

Vegan "Alfredo" Cream Sauce

1/2 c Earth Balance or other vegan margarine

2 cups soymilk/almond milk/ricemilk (unsweetened!!! NOT just "plain" as that is usually sweetened...)

1 package Mori-Nu Silken Tofu (the kind in the shelf-stable tetra packs)

1-2 tbsp lemon juice or white wine

2 tbsp onion powder

1 crushed garlic clove

1-2 tsp salt

1-2 tsp black pepper (to taste)

pinch of nutmeg

3 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in cold water

Blend tofu and soymilk in food processor or blender until creamy. Melt margarine, add other ingredients except cornstarch, in saucepan.. Heat over med low heat until hot, stirring often. whisk in cornstarch mixture and heat until just bubbling and sauce thickens. Heat until thick but don't let it boil.

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Add chopped fresh parsley, basil, chives or other herbs as you like.

Also, some sauteed veggies, mushrooms, chopped Kalamata olives or your fave vegetarian protein. Pour over pasta, rice or potatoes and ENJOY!!

Summer, Family and STUFF!

(▼ ▼ "Middle Sprout" and Mommy,

Wading in Mowich Lake at Mt Rainier)

Yikes! Been gone so long my Blogger account didn't even recognise me, I won't be offended if you don't either! I feel like apologizing for the lack of recipes, but I just haven't been cooking much lately.

( ▼ ▼ New Mexico's famous Green Chiles!)

To be fair, (or as an excuse) I was busy (even though I dislike the word as an excuse) but probably no more busy than any of my fellow Bloggers. You put me to shame daily!

(▼ ▼ At Grandma's: My girls and cousin Jonathon)

I've had a gloriously full summer: company, family reunions, trips to California and New Mexico, a bunch of great Vegetarian/Vegan BBQ's and potlucks, camped, hiked, played tour-guide-entertainer to teen-age cousins... and then of course we had those record-breaking temps making it impossible to even be in the house, let alone near the kitchen;

(▼ ▼ And Another one of My Silly Kids...)

Yes, I've been busy, but mostly, I've just been lazy (and a little broke - HA!). It's all good.

(▼ ▼ More cousins - with matching hair-dos...)

I'm embarrassed to admit it, but my girls and I mostly settled for cold cereal, sandwiches, grilled garden produce and smoothies.

(▼ ▼ Mmmm, grilled veggies! ABQVeg Group BBQ!)

And while that's not really anything to be embarrassed about, and I COULD do a run-down of the twenty or so sandwich combinations we came up with, I think we've all sort of "been there, done that."

(▼ ▼ Hiking in the SNOW!! August at Mt. Rainier)

OK, seriously: Whining aside, so I HAVE managed to cook on occasion, even a few interesting and unusual things - so I thought I'd post a few pictures of my wonderful summer with my girls - and attempt a bit of foodie catch-up over the next week or two.

(▼ ▼ Watermelon with yet another cousin!

Third-cousin-twice-removed if you want to be technical - but really, they don't care!)