Strawberry Spinach Salad

Merry Christmas!!! This is the perfect side dish to your yummy holiday dishes. Enjoy!

Salad
Spinach
Lettuce - red leaf, green leaf, and/or Romaine
16 oz. strawberries, sliced thin
1/2 cup Candied pecans (recipe below)
Strawberry Dressing (recipe below)

Candied Pecans
1/2 cup Pecans, chopped
2 TB butter (I use Earth Balance)
2 TB Brown Sugar (I use Succanat)
Brown on Med-Med High til Pecans seem caramelized. Careful not to burn.

Strawberry Dressing
1/3 cup Strawberries
3 TB balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 TB sugar (I use Turbinado/evaporated cane juice)
Sea Salt, dash
Pepper, dash
Blend in Vita Mix til creamy

Chicago Chocolate Cinnamon Cake

I served this cake tonight in cup cake form and was asked if they had coconut in them. They are delicious and very moist. Thanks Megan!

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup Turbinado raw sugar/organic evaporated cane juice
1/2 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup water
1/2 cup plant milk with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar - to make a buttermilk substitute
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon real vanilla
Equivalent replacer for 2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour and sugar. Bring Earth Balance, cocoa and water to a boil in a saucepan. Pour over flour mixture and mix well. Add buttermilk substitute, soda, cinnamon, vanilla, egg replacer, and salt. Mix well. Pour into greased and floured 9x13 pan. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350.

CREDIT GOES TO: Megan

Vegan Aebleskiver

I converted Maple Spice's metric recipe to American measurements...

Makes 2 pans of aebleskiver (14 balls):

2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 heaped tsp baking soda
1/8 heaped tsp sea salt
4 tsp turbinado
2/3 cup plain, unsweetened soy yogurt
1/2 cup soy or almond milk - use a little less than 1/2 cup (can be sweetened or unsweetened)
1/3 cup melted vegan margarine - Earth Balance
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the dry ingredients together. Whisk the yogurt, milk and vanilla together then slowly whisk in the melted margarine until fully incorporated. Pour this into the dry ingredients the fold in with a rubber spatula until no more flour shows. The batter will be very thick and lumpy, it may even look slightly curdled if using soy milk - that's ok. Heat your aebleskiver pan till hot then turn down to the lowest heat. Brush the holes with leftover melted Earth Balance then spoon in the batter till level with the top. Turn with a toothpick. Cook until golden all over and a toothpick comes out clean. Keep warm in the oven while you make the next pan.

Serve with Earth Balance and warmed maple syrup over top, and of course the applesauce and sugar!!

** May also use this recipe to make blueberry pancakes. Increase the milk to a full 1/2 cup, butter the frying pan, spoon on some batter, you'll have to spread it out a bit. Dot the top of the pancake with blueberries (don't add the blueberries to the batter), cook till golden underneath then flip over. Serve with Earth Balance and warmed maple syrup.**

CREDIT GOES TO: http://www.maplespice.com/2009/01/vegan-aebleskiver.html

Banana Coconut Bread

Melts in your mouth! Mmmmmm. My favorite version is with flax meal because the bread is super moist and soft. If you like bananas and coconut you will not be disappointed! I actually make this in four little loaf pans and cook it only for about 45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out perfectly clean.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Earth Balance (healthy butter OR use 1/4 cup applesauce + 1/2 cup Earth Balance)
• 2/3 cup agave nectar
  
• 1 1/2 cups mashed super-ripe bananas (about 3)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 egg replacer equivalent - Ener-G Egg Replacer and Flax meal (1 heaping Tbsp. flax meal with 2 Tablespoons warm water - let sit for 5 minutes) both work well
  
• 1/2 cup soy milk (Silk brand)
  
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (I like Bragg brand)
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes or coconut flour (I used coconut flour)
  
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour - I want to try whole wheat or brown rice flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 cup chopped nuts (almonds or walnuts)

Combine soy milk and cider vinegar and set aside. In a mixer, cream the butter, agave nectar, and bananas. Add egg replacer and vanilla. Add all dry ingredients. THEN add soy milk/apple cider vinegar mixture. Mix well. Pour into loaf pans (makes 2 loaves) and bake at 325 for 1 1/4 hours.