Minty Carob Fudge with Crushed Graham Cracker Crumbs

3 cups Sunspire vegan carob chips

3/8 cup (1/4 + 1/8) Silk creamer, original or French vanilla flavor

2 teaspoons pure mint extract, or to taste

3 cups honey graham cracker crumbs (about 13 whole)

Recipe Preparation

1. Melt carob chips with the creamer in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until smooth; remove from heat. Stir in mint extract.

2. Using a food processor, turn the crackers into crumbs. Stir into warm carob mixture until well combined. This mixture becomes very stiff and you may need to use your hands to mix well. Press between layers of wax or parchment paper on a cookie sheet to 1/2-inch thick; freeze.

3. When ready to serve, allow to sit out at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. Using a “bash-n-chop” tool (a straight-edged 6-inch piece of metal with a handle), press down through the fudge to cut it into squares or triangles to serve. Store in an airtight container in the freezer or refrigerator.

2 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound roasted, salted peanuts, shelled with skins removed
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon milled cane sugar

Recipe Preparation

1. In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the margarine and cayenne together.

2. Add peanuts and stir well, coating all.

3. In a small bowl stir together remaining seasonings. Sprinkle over peanuts; stir well to coat.

4. Allow to cool before serving.

Zesty Tomatillo Salsa with Cilantro, Parsley, and Lime

3 cups water
1 pound tomatillos, shucked and washed
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup scallions, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup fresh cilantro coarsely chopped
1/3 cup fresh parsley coarsely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 medium cucumber, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

Recipe Preparation

1. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil.

2. Drop in the tomatillos and cider vinegar.

3. Bring water back to a boil, lower heat to medium-low, and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Drain tomatillos and submerge them in ice water.

5. In a food processor, combine tomatillos with remaining ingredients except cilantro. Process until thick (do not puree).

6. Transfer to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Makes 3 cups

“Without Christ, not one step; with Him, anywhere.”

—David Livingstone

1/3 cup vegetarian bacon bits (I used Bac-O’s), chopped smaller
1/3 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped
1 cup Tofutti Sour Supreme, Better Than Sour Cream
1/4 teaspoon curry powder (optional)
1/8 teaspoon salt

Recipe Preparation

1. Using a hand chopper or food processor, lightly break up bacon bits. Chop peanuts.

2. Stir bacon bits, peanuts, curry powder, and salt into Sour Supreme. (This dip is best if made just before serving, then the peanuts and bacon bits remain crunchy.)

Makes 1 1/8 cups

Ingredients Needed for Bill’s Killer Vegan Chili:

4 cans (15 ounces each) dark red kidney or pinto beans
3 cans (15 ounces each) spicy stewed tomatoes
2 whole jalapeño peppers, sliced in half with seeds removed (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, diced medium
1 cup celery, diced small
1 bag (12 ounces) Morningstar Farms crumbles, hamburger or sausage-style
2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 peppers, yellow or red, diced small
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 to 3/4 cup favorite barbecue sauce
1/2 cup ketchup

Recipe Preparation

1. In a 6-quart Dutch oven place beans, stewed tomatoes and jalapeños. Simmer uncovered while you sauté the onion mixture.

2. In a large skillet heat oil. Add onions and sauté until brown around the edges.

3. Add the celery, Morning Star crumbles and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Continue cooking until the crumbles brown and the celery is softened.

4. Stir onion mixture into the Dutch oven, combine well.

5. Add the remaining teaspoon salt, diced peppers, chili powder, BBQ sauce, and ketchup.

6. Simmer for 20 minutes on low until peppers are soft. Remove jalapeño peppers before serving.

The Ingredients

1/2 cup Better Than Ice Cream powdered mix
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Rumford baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milled cane sugar
1 tablespoon EnerG egg replacer
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup vanilla Silk soymilk
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

The Preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine ice cream mix, flours, baking powder, salt and cane sugar.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg replacer and water until foamy. Add soymilk and oil.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry just until combined. Gently stir in blueberries.
4. Line 12 muffin cups with paper cupcake liners and fill 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 to 23 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Yields: 12 muffins

“Be yourself. Who else is better qualified?” – Frank J. Giblin II

Southern Crumble Peach Streusel Pie

Every time I make this pie it’s gone in minutes! Vegan or not this is a hit every time it comes out of the oven. If done with ripe fresh peaches you won’t be disappointed. It has become the defacto Father’s Day Pie in our home.

This recipe can be found in the Vol. 2 Edition of the Taste of Health Cookbook

Pastry for 9-inch single-crust pie (deep dish)

FILLING

• 1/4 cup fructose or milled cane sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 cups sliced fresh or frozen peaches, thawed (2 one-pound bags from the freezer section)

TOPPING

• 2/3 cup Sucanat
• 1/2 cup granola cereal (without raisins), Kellogg’s low-fat granola or your own
• 1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance margarine

Soy vanilla ice cream

1. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry; flute edges. Line the pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450 degrees F for 5 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.

2. In a bowl, combine the fructose, cornstarch and lemon juice, and pour over peaches. Heat peaches in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat until bubbling and thickened. Spoon into pastry shell.

3. To make the topping, combine the Sucanat, granola, flour and cinnamon; cut in margarine until crumbly. Sprinkle over filling.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is browned. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm with your favorite soy ice cream.

Serves 8

Vegan Blueberry Noodles with Strawberry & Pineapple Compote

This recipe is a spin-off from an old family favorite and my mother’s childhood. It’s slightly sweet flavor lends itself to the perfect brunch recipe. High in antioxidants and elagic acid, this recipe is packed full of health benefits as well! Adding Blueberry Noodles to your vegan diet may soothe the painful effects of Crohn’s disease. Don’t let its benefits fool you, this recipe is delicious regardless of your health.

The Noodles:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons milled cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1. In a food processor combine the flour, salt, cane sugar and oil. Process 5 seconds.
2. With machine on, slowly add the blueberries through the feeder tube. Process until a ball forms. Remove top and feel dough. If it is sticky add 3 to 4 tablespoons more flour, and process again.
3. Move dough to generously floured counter top and press dough into flour on both sides. Roll out to about 3/8-inch thickness. Do not roll too thin. Add about 4 tablespoons flour to top of dough and spread out to cover entire surface.
4. Roll up jelly-roll fashion. Cut into 1/2-inch thick strips. Unroll and allow excess flour to fall off.
5. Immediately drop into lightly salted boiling water. As soon as the water returns to a boil, boil exactly 2 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
6. Place freshly cooked noodles on a serving platter, or dish up individual plates and top with 3/4 cup of Strawberry Pineapple Compote. Serve immediately.

The Compote:

• 1 cup fresh strawberries, washed, stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup fresh or canned pineapple (use tidbits if canned)
• 1 cup mandarin orange segments or kiwi (kiwi peeled and cut into [BARB: HOW MUCH?]-inch dice)
• 1 cup Welch’s 100 percent white grape juice frozen concentrate
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon lime zest

1. Cut up or drain fruit as necessary. Place in medium bowl.
2. Dissolve cornstarch into a few tablespoons of the white grape juice, and whisk the mixture into remaining concentrate.
3. Heat over medium until boiling and thickened. Cool slightly. Glaze the fruit with warm concentrate mixture, being gentle to avoid damaging the fruit.
4. Serve on top of noodles, pancakes, pies or cakes.

• 3 cups blueberries, blended to a chunky consistency
• 1/2 cup Welch’s 100 percent grape juice frozen concentrate
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water

1. Bring blueberries and grape juice concentrate to a boil; simmer 5 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in water.
3. Add to boiling blueberries, stirring constantly. Remove from heat when sauce is desired thickness.

Makes about 3 cups of sauce.

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 1/4 cup Malt-o-Meal cereal, dry
• 2 tablespoons milled cane sugar
• 4 teaspoons Rumford baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon EnerG egg replacer
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons water, divided
• 1 cup French Vanilla Silk creamer
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance margarine, melted
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, or substitute your favorite addition

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl combine flours, oats, cereal, cane sugar, baking powder and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg replacer and 2 tablespoons of the water until foamy. Whisk in creamer, margarine and the rest of the water.
3. Pour into dry ingredients and combine. Gently stir in blueberries.
4. Heat skillet. To test for temperature, sprinkle a few drops of water in pan. If they dance across the skillet, it is hot enough. Spray lightly with oil.
5. Form four 4-inch pancakes, and cook until puffed and dry around edges. Turn and cook until golden brown. (To keep pancakes hot, stack on oven-safe plate and keep in warm oven.) Serve with warm maple syrup or Simple Blueberry Sauce (also available on the site).

Makes about twelve 4-inch pancakes