Dreena Burton Archives - Forks Over Knives

Vegan Holiday Dinner Torte

Dreena Burton — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 01:41:41 +0000

Dreena Burton’s savory vegan holiday torte makes a beautiful and delicious centerpiece for your next Thanksgiving feast. Flecked with cranberries, herbs, and pumpkin seeds, it’s a souped-up vegan loaf reimagined in torte form that’s packed full of everything you love about holiday stuffing—no turkey required. Brown rice, oats, and chickpeas form the hearty base, which includes mouthwatering sautéed onions, white wine, and poultry seasonings. Chopped apples add bursts of juicy sweetness to each bite and celebrate the season’s best produce. Brushing the torte with a layer of vegan Worcestershire sauce infuses savory flavor into every nook and cranny as it bakes in the oven. Serve each slice with a side of cranberry relish or vegan gravy, and watch how quickly your loved ones gobble it up!

For more vegan Thanksgiving mains, check out these tasty ideas:

Harvest Vegetable Casserole with Lentils and Gravy
Pumpkin Risotto Frittata with Mushrooms
Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Creamed Spinach
Or take a look at our full collection of plant-based Thanksgiving recipes

Yield: Makes one 9-inch torte

Time: 60 minutes

1½ cups ½-inch diced apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1½ cups chopped onions
¼ cup dry white wine or water
2 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
¾ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained (3 cups)
3 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons for topping
1 tablespoon tahini
2½ cups cooked brown rice
1 cup rolled oats
¾ cup toasted pumpkin seeds, plus 2 tablespoons for topping
2 to 3 tablespoons dried cranberries or sliced fresh cranberries, for topping (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a small bowl toss apples with lemon juice.
In a large skillet cook onions, wine, garlic, poultry seasoning, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and a few grinds of pepper over medium 10 minutes or until onions soften and turn golden, stirring occasionally and adding water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed to prevent sticking and to loosen any browned bits in bottom of skillet.
Transfer onion mixture to a food processor. Add chickpeas, 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, the tahini, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Process until mixture is fairly smooth. Add rice, oats, and ¾ cup pumpkin seeds; pulse to combine. Scrape sides of food processor; process just until mixture reaches a fairly uniform consistency but still has some texture. (Don’t overprocess or the rice will become sticky.) Remove blade from food processor. Stir in apples.
Transfer mixture to a 9- or 10-inch nonstick springform pan. Use a spatula to smooth out the mixture, lightly pressing to evenly distribute. Spread the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce over surface of mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds and the cranberries (if using).
Bake 30 minutes or until torte is slightly firm and top is lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes. Release pan’s outer ring. Cut torte into wedges.

The post Vegan Holiday Dinner Torte appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

Vegan Cinnamon Bun Muffins

Dreena Burton — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 17:41:55 +0000

Start your morning on a sweet note with these tantalizing vegan cinnamon muffins from Dreena Burton. A blend of spelt and oat flours creates a fluffy texture that locks in the warming flavors of cinnamon, vanilla, and maple syrup, while raisins add pockets of natural sweetness throughout the batter. Vegan yogurt ensures a perfectly moist end result, but the best part of these baked goodies is the cinnamon-sugar date paste topping. Sprinkled on top just before going in the oven, this gooey, melt-in-your-mouth garnish is the perfect whole-food, plant-based way to enjoy a cinnamon roll without all the processed ingredients. Enjoy this recipe as a light breakfast, an afternoon snack, or dessert!

Recipe by Dreena Burton for forksmealplanner.com

For more vegan muffin recipes, check out these tasty ideas:

Yield: Makes 12 muffins

1½ cups spelt flour
½ cup oat flour
2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup plain vegan yogurt
½ cup pure maple syrup
½ cup unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk
2 tablespoons raisins
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup chopped pitted dates
2 tablespoons pure cane sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line twelve 2½-inch muffin cups with paper liners or use silicone muffin cups. In a large bowl combine flours, 1½ teaspoons of the cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Sift baking powder and baking soda into bowl; mix well.
In a medium bowl stir together the next five ingredients (through vanilla). Add to flour mixture. Stir just until flour is moistened. (Do not overmix.) Spoon into prepared muffin cups.
In a small bowl stir together dates, sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoons cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon salt. Rub mixture together with your fingertips until small clumps form. Spoon 1 to 2 teaspoons date mixture over batter in each muffin cup.
Bake 20 minutes or until muffins are set to the touch. Let stand in cups 10 minutes. Remove muffins from cups and cool completely on a wire rack. Sprinkle with any remaining date mixture.

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Healthy Lunchbox Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for Back-to-School

Dreena Burton — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 18:02:00 +0000

Adapted from Plant-Powered Families by Dreena Burton.

These tips and ideas will arm you with so many ideas for healthy lunches, and hopefully shake up any lunchbox ruts. Readers ask me all the time, “What do you give your girls for school lunches?” Now, you have the answers!

Set a Lunch-Packing Routine

Once you establish a routine complete with simple recipes and weekly staples, packing lunches becomes much easier. For parents working outside the home, this is just as handy for packing your own lunches. Here are some strategies that I find useful.

First things first: pick a regular packing time. When are you most productive? Morning? Night? Find a convenient time and make it a habit to prepare lunches at that time. One exception: If packing hot soups (or similar) in a thermos, pack those the morning of school.

Lunchbox Logistics: Containers and Storage

You will need an arsenal of lunchboxes or meal-sized food storage containers, especially if you are making lunches for several children. I find it useful to have a variety of sizes and shapes:

Larger square containers for wraps, sandwiches, pasta, quinoa, veggie burgers, hot dogs, and other main lunch foods
Small to medium containers for muffins and other baked goods
Small to medium containers for fruit, veggies, and other smaller snacks
Small containers for sauces and dips
Thermos containers (if using for heated or chilled foods)
Water bottles

There are many types, from individual containers to compartmentalized lunch kits, made from stainless steel, BPA-free plastics, and other materials. I opt for inexpensive but practical BPA-free containers like those made by Ziploc and Glad. They are durable enough to last a while, but also inexpensive enough to replace frequently misplaced tops and bottoms.

Plan and Prep Ahead of Time

It’s very useful to batch-cook staples like grains, beans, and potatoes and also recipes like dips, soups, and muffins. When possible, double or triple recipes that you know are in heavy lunch rotation to ease your food prep through the week.

Embrace “Lunchovers”

Don’t discard a leftover spud or a modest amount of hummus; instead, think, “What can I do with it?”

Leftovers make some of the best lunch add-ins. I call them “lunchovers.” Kids love to nibble on a variety of foods anyway, and I find these small amounts are perfect for wrap and sandwich fillings, and pasta and rice bowls. Once you think beyond just sandwiches with a spread like PB&J, there’s really so much you can do!

Give Your Kiddos Some Input

Occasionally ask them what they’d like packed in their lunchbox. If there is time, they can help pack. If not, they will still enjoy knowing they helped conceive it!

Hummus Is a Food Group!

This is one of my mantras. Jokingly, yes, but in reality I do use hummus like it’s a food group! I use not just traditional hummus, but all flavor variations that use different beans and seasonings. We love it as a family, and I enjoy creating different flavor variations.

Some Hummus Tips:

Make hummus from scratch. Not only is it easy and less expensive, but it also tastes far better. Most store-bought varieties have a noticeable citric acid taste, or are too spicy for kids. Make it fresh, and you will also be able to adjust the seasonings as you like.
Make large batches. Refrigerate a portion, then freeze the remaining in portioned containers. Hummus freezes and thaws brilliantly!
Make hummus a meal! It’s not just for dipping with pitas and veggies!
Try hummus:

as a sandwich spread
on toast, topped with avocado
in wraps with veggies and other favorite fillings
as a base layer on pizzas
mixed with hot grains such as rice or into hot pasta
dolloped on potatoes or sweet potatoes
spooned in the center of pitted dates for a snack
spread on rice or popcorn cakes for a snack
thinned with a little water for a salad dressing
thinned and mixed through hot pasta or as a sauce for raw (ex: zucchini) noodles
as a dip for steamed and roasted vegetables
layered in lasagna or other casseroles
in “grilled hummus sandwiches,” tucking in a few slices of avocado after heating
spread in tortillas with spicy seasoning and cooked fajita-style

5. Find lots of great hummus recipes here.

Grain Bowls

Many vegetarian restaurants have some sort of grain bowl or “Buddha Bowl,” where hot rice is topped with steamed tofu or tempeh, and then covered with an irresistible sauce. You can recreate something similar at home, using quinoa, millet, or brown rice. Add some favorite veggies, or even fruits like chopped grapes or berries, along with any other nutrient-dense add-ins like hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, beans, tempeh cubes, etc. Add a zippy sauce and pack in a thermos or an airtight container with a fork or spoon to go! Looking for grain bowl recipes? Look right here.

Pasta Bowls

Much of what you can do with a grain bowl works equally well for leftover pasta. Short shapes (rotini, penne, etc.) work best for lunches.

Soups That Make a Meal

If your kids enjoy soups at school, cook a batch or two every week that can be worked into lunches. If you don’t have time to make soups, there are some healthy store-bought varieties. When I use store-bought soups, I always add extra beans, pasta, tofu, grains, or vegetables. They make the soup more satisfying and nutritious, and also stretch one can over several kiddos!

Don’t Forget Sauces!

Kids love to dip and dunk, so pack small containers filled with some of their favorite sauces. All these sauces can also be used to mix into whole grains or pasta, along with veggies, seeds, beans, tofu, etc. A sauce can turn something fairly ordinary into something extraordinary, so have a few in your arsenal.

Sandwiches (Savory and Sweet Ideas)

Using whole-grain and sprouted bread, and also whole-grain pita bread and tortilla wraps, try these ideas:

Savory

Hummus and bean dips layered with veggies or on their own
Chickpeas or white beans mashed with favorite condiments (use a mini food processor to quickly pulse beans into a mash)
Leftover potatoes sliced and layered with veggies or avocado
Leftover veggie burgers (whole or chopped/mashed)

Wraps

Our girls love wraps. They are easy to eat, can be filled with some of their favorite ingredients, and are also individualized! Think of using leftover grains, bean spreads and dips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, nuts/seed butters, chopped or grated veggies, nutritional yeast, refried beans or baked beans, and cubed tofu or tempeh. Then, if your kiddos love things like olives or pickles, you can chop some up and add to their individual wrap—they will love it! Use whole-grain tortillas, or if your kids love nori, wrap fillings in those (but don’t overstuff).

Try Breakfast for Lunch

Some children love to have breakfast foods at lunchtime, such as pancakes, French toast, or oatmeal.

Quick Fixes

You don’t have to make everything from scratch! Busy parents need some quick fixes with wholesome store-bought items as well. If you are fortunate, you might have a health food store with a bakery or deli that offers some plant-based baked goods, salads, dips, and other lunch items. Other quick lunchbox options include:

Energy bars (ex: Lärabars, if nuts are permitted)
Bean dips/hummus
Whole organic fruit bars
Unsweetened applesauce cups
Whole-grain crackers
Popcorn and brown rice cakes
Toasted seaweed snacks
Seasoned pumpkin and sunflower seeds
Dried fruit
Whole-grain cereals (to eat dry)
Granola (opt for ones with less sweeteners)
Roasted chickpea snacks
Raw cookies (ex: macaroons)

Quick Homemade Snacks

Some homemade snacks are just about as quick to pack as a store-bought snack! Here are examples of snacks that don’t require baking or cooking, just quick assembling:

Sliced fruit with nut butter or hummus for dipping
Brown rice cake spread with seed or nut butter
Pitted dates filled with nut butter, cashew cheese, or hummus
Whole-grain cereal mixed with seeds or nuts
Whole-grain crackers with hummus or nut butter
Frozen edamame (simply cover in boiling water for a few minutes, drain, and sprinkle with salt)
Baby carrots with dip of choice (nut butter, hummus, etc.)
Leftover cooked potatoes or sweet potatoes, halved and sprinkled with sea salt

Don’t Forget the Fruits and Veggies

Always include fruits and veggies in your kids’ lunchboxes. I like to include a whole piece of fruit (ex: apple, peach, pear), and also some smaller, cut pieces (especially for veggies). Fruit is plant-powered fast food! It’s easy to eat, and most children love “finger fruits” like grapes, strawberries, and blueberries. But other fruits like cubed melon, plums, kiwi wedges (kids can eat them like an orange), and half a mango (scored) are welcome changes. Try replacing raisins with other dried fruit, such as apple slices, mango, or apricots. (Choose unsulfured and organic whenever possible.)

Also, try making it easier for kids to eat these fruits—sometimes they only have 10 or 15 minutes to eat! So, peel and segment their oranges. Put cubes of melon or pineapple in a small container, and pack a fork. Add cut grapes to their nut or seed butter sandwiches instead of jam. Make veggies convenient, too (ex: baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, sliced bell peppers, sliced cucumbers).

The post Healthy Lunchbox Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for Back-to-School appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

Incredible Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake

Dreena Burton — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 17:08:51 +0000

You’d never guess that orange sweet potatoes are the secret ingredient behind this lusciously moist vegan chocolate cake. The tasty tubers lend their creamy texture and subtle sweetness to both the cake and the frosting to create an undeniably delicious dessert sans dairy. Nut butter makes the decadent frosting extra smooth while the batter delivers a one-two punch of chocolate goodness thanks to both cocoa powder and vegan chocolate chips, which get tantalizingly gooey as it bakes. This sweet potato cake would be great topped with fresh berries, edible flowers, or a light dusting of powdered sugar—with or without the frosting. So what are you waiting for? Get out a fork and satisfy your sweet tooth!

Tip: Orange sweet potato is ideal for this cake because it is a little sweeter and looser than yellow sweet potato. It’s best to use a blender or food processor (versus a stand mixer) to ensure the sweet potato in the batter and frosting become deliciously smooth.

Adapted from dreenaburton.com

For more chocolate vegan desserts, check out these tasty ideas:

Yield: Makes one 9-inch round cake

Ingredients

Frosting

1 cup peeled, cooked, and cooled orange sweet potato (see tip in intro)
½ cup coconut sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup cashew butter or almond butter
2 tablespoons plant-based milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt

CAKE

¾ cup peeled, cooked, and cooled orange sweet potato
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole grain spelt flour
⅓ cup coconut sugar
¼ cup miniature or regular nondairy chocolate chips
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon regular or sodium-free baking powder
1 scant teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch round or 8-inch square silicone or other nonstick cake pan with parchment paper.
For frosting, in a blender or food processor combine sweet potato, coconut sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, cashew butter or almond butter, plant-based milk, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Cover and blend until very smooth, scraping sides as needed. If necessary, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk and 1 to 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar to make desired consistency and sweetness. Cover and chill until ready to use.
For cake, in a blender combine sweet potato, maple syrup, vinegar, vanilla, and ½ cup water; cover and blend until completely smooth.
In a large bowl stir together flour, coconut sugar, chocolate chips, and salt. Sift in cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Add sweet potato mixture to flour mixture. Use 1 tablespoon water to rinse blender to remove any remaining puree and add to flour mixture. Mix just until well incorporated. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Bake 21 to 23 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Remove cake from pan and top with frosting.

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Cheesy Vegan Potato Casserole

Dreena Burton — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 18:35:48 +0000

Transform ordinary steamed potatoes into this comforting hash brown–inspired pie for two. Chopped potatoes are smothered in a creamy, cheesy sauce that gets its heavenly flavor from a mixture of nutritional yeast, smoky paprika, and nutty tahini. Mashed cannellini beans create a deliciously smooth texture and chopped chives add herbal brightness. If you want to get fancy, feel free to add sautéed onions and bell peppers to the mix before serving in generous wedges. Enjoy this hash brown pie on its own or alongside fresh fruit and waffles for a plant-based brunch feast.

This recipe was developed by Dreena Burton for Forks Meal Planner. Learn more about Forks Meal Planner and sign up for a free two-week trial here!

Yield: Makes one 9-inch pie

1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed (about 5)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1½ teaspoons tahini
1½ tablespoons unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk
1½ teaspoons nutritional yeast
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon sea salt
⅓ cup cooked or canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place whole potatoes in a steamer basket in a large saucepan. Add water to saucepan to just below basket. Bring to boiling. Steam, covered, 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. (To steam potatoes in the microwave, prick each potato several times with a fork. Place on a plate and microwave on high 5 minutes. Turn potatoes over; microwave 5 minutes more.) Let cool, then roughly chop.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together vinegar and tahini. Whisk in milk, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, and salt. Add beans; use a spoon or spatula to mash gently and combine. Stir chopped potatoes and chives (if using) into bean mixture.
Transfer potato mixture to a 9-inch pie plate; press evenly into dish. Season with black pepper. Bake 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven; let cool 5 minutes. Cut into wedges. Serve hot.

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Thai Chickpea-Almond Curry

Dreena Burton — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 20:15:18 +0000

Dig into this warming bowl of curry on a cold night. Fresh veggies and hearty chickpeas are baked in a velvety almond butter sauce that turns up the heat with Thai spices. Served over brown rice and topped with fresh basil and lime juice, this easy recipe will quickly become an all-time favorite in your household.

This recipe is from Forks Meal Planner, which features more than 1,000 exclusive recipes and customizable weekly meal plans to simplify healthy plant-based eating. Try Forks Meal Planner for free today.

Yield: Makes 3 cups curry

½ cup brown rice, rinsed and drained (1½ cup cooked)
1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 medium zucchini, cut into matchsticks
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
½ 14-oz. can light coconut milk (¾ cup)
1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
1½ tablespoons almond butter
2¼ teaspoons grated fresh ginger
¾ teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari or liquid aminos)
1 teaspoon red curry paste
1 clove garlic
¼ sea salt, plus more to taste
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1½ tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped (optional)
1 lime cut into wedges

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a saucepan over high heat, bring rice and 1 cup water to boiling. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool; fluff rice with a fork.
Meanwhile, in a high-powered blender (or a food processor), combine coconut milk, lime juice, almond butter, ginger, soy sauce, curry paste, garlic, and salt (alternatively, use an immersion blender and a deep cup). Purée until smooth.
Pour almond curry into a baking dish and stir in pepper flakes (if using). Add chickpeas, zucchini, bell peppers, and scallions, and stir well. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil, stir, and bake, uncovered, for 5 to 8 minutes more. (Remove once it starts to thicken—you don’t want it to become pasty.)
Season curry with a few pinches of salt to taste, if desired. Serve curry over rice, topped with basil, if desired, alongside lime wedges.

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Zucchini Fritters

Dreena Burton — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 17:19:18 +0000

I created this recipe when we were growing our own zucchini at home. Now, those zucchini can’t grow fast enough to keep up with how much we love the recipe! Whether you opt for yellow or green, you don’t need to peel the zucchini for this recipe; simply grate on the large holes of a box grater, or feed through the grating blade of a food processor. These make a light meal or a lovely side dish. Serve with a vegan sour cream (or a nut cheese thinned with a little water), or even simply with ketchup or a balsamic reduction.

Flour Tip: Depending on the moisture in the zucchini, and how it measures grated, you may need more or less flour. I like ¾ cup; it yields fritters that are still moist with zucchini but hold together just fine. You can always start with ¾ cup and adjust with a touch more flour if you like as you start to cook. More flour will yield firmer patties.

Dill Seed Tip: Dill seed beautifully accents these fritters. If you don’t have it, I wouldn’t substitute fresh or dried dill weed. Instead, try substituting ¼–½ teaspoon cumin seed or fennel seed.

From Dreena’s Kind Kitchen: 100 Whole-Foods Vegan Recipes to Enjoy Every Day

Yield: Makes 7–8 fritters

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon tahini
3 cups grated zucchini
¾ to 1 cup chickpea flour (see tip in intro)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
3 to 4 tablespoons chives or sliced green onions (green portion only)
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon dill seed (see tip in intro)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Stir together lemon juice and tahini. In a large bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients and pour over the lemon-tahini mixture. Combine with a spoon or spatula until you have a uniform mixture. As the zucchini releases moisture (from the added salt), the chickpea flour will absorb that liquid. Allow mixture to sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Scoop a portion of the mixture (about ¼ cup) onto the skillet. Use a spatula to flatten it into a fritter shape. Cook on one side for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden. Flip and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes, until golden on both sides and cooked through. If the fritters are browning too quickly, reduce the heat to allow the centers to cook more fully.

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24-Carrot Gold Dressing

Dreena Burton — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 18:55:55 +0000

Fresh carrots combine with a touch of tahini in this nutrient-rich, creamy dressing. The hint of ginger adds a beautiful flavor boost. Try this on grains, too!

From Plant-Powered Dressings

[PDF version of the ebook here]

Yield: Yields ¾ cup

½ cup carrot, cut into discs or small chunks
⅓ cup water
1½ tbsp red wine vinegar
1 – 1½ tbsp tahini (use full 1½ tbsp for richer flavor)
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
½ tbsp chickpea miso
½ tsp fresh ginger, roughly chopped
¼ tsp (rounded) sea salt

Instructions

Using a standing blender (high-powered works best to smooth, but regular blender will also work, just purée longer), purée all the ingredients until very smooth. Serve, or refrigerate. Will keep about 4-5 days in the fridge. Note: Fresh ginger has a better flavor than dried ginger. Buy a few knobs and keep it in your refrigerator. Then, for this recipe, simply trim away the peel and chop a small amount, you need just a little. It doesn’t have to be finely chopped, as the blender will take care of working it through the dressing.

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Cheesy Caesar Dressing

Dreena Burton — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 15:13:28 +0000

You can make this creamy, delicious (and very authentic-tasting) Caesar dressing as is, or add nutritional yeast for a cheesy twist. You can also reduce the milk and use it as a dip or sandwich spread.

From Plant-Powered Families

Yield: Makes 1 Cup

⅓ cup raw cashews, soaked for 3-4 hours in advance and then drained
1−2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
1 teaspoon whole chia seeds
scant ½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon kelp granules (see notes)
½ teaspoon capers
1 medium clove garlic, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
⅓−½ cup unsweetened, unflavored plant milk (plus extra to thin)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1½ teaspoons pure maple syrup

Instructions

Combine the cashews, 1 tablespoon of the nutritional yeast (if using), the chia, salt, kelp granules, capers, garlic, pepper, milk, lemon juice, and maple syrup in a blender, and purée until very smooth. Add more nutritional yeast for a cheesier flavor if you like, and add extra salt, pepper and/or garlic if desired.
Serve tossed into romaine lettuce, along with your choice of croutons, if desired.
Refrigerate for up to 4 days. This oil-free dressing will thicken after refrigeration. You can thin it by stirring in 2 to 3 teaspoons of plant milk or water, if desired. Notes: Kelp: If you have trouble finding kelp granules, the dressing is still delicious without them! Milk: I prefer unsweetened, unflavored almond milk or soy milk in this recipe, but you can choose another plant milk if you prefer.

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Chocolate Chia Pudding

Dreena Burton — Sun, 17 May 2015 14:48:27 +0000

This chocolate chia pudding sets quicker than other versions, since the seeds are blended first. It sets up in just about a half hour, making it almost instant! Our girls love this pudding … I am always surprised just how much!

From Plant-Powered Families

This kid-friendly and cool dessert recipe is also available in our convenient iPhone app and newly released Android recipe app.

Yield: Serves 2-3

1 cup unsweetened, unflavored or chocolate plant milk (see note)
½ cup (packed) pitted dates, plus another 1−3 dates
3 tablespoons chia seeds
1½ tablespoons cocoa powder
⅛ teaspoon sea salt (slightly rounded)
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2−3 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
2 tablespoons mini nondairy chocolate chips (optional, but really tasty)

Instructions

Place the milk, dates, chia seeds, cocoa, salt, and vanilla in a blender, and puree for a minute or more (depending on the blender), until the seeds are pulverized. Taste, and if you’d like it sweeter, add another few dates.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, stir in the coconut and chocolate chips (if using), and refrigerate until chilled, ½ hour or more. (It will thicken more with chilling but really can be eaten straight away.)
Serve, sprinkling with more coconut, if desired, and topping with fresh berries or other fruit, if desired. Notes: Milk: I typically use unsweetened milk when I make this pudding. If you are using a sweetened milk, you may want to reduce the sweetener.

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