Stuffed Grape Leaves Casserole

 

www.vegetariantimes.com

Serves 8

If you like stuffed grape leaves, you’ll love this casserole, which has all the flavors of the bite-size appetizers without all the rolling. You don’t have to parboil jarred grape leaves, but a quick dip in boiling water tenderizes them and removes some of their saltiness.

• 30 jarred or fresh grape leaves
• 2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for brushing top of casserole and casserole dish
• 1 large onion, finely diced (2 cups)
• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 cups low-sodium tomato juice or vegetable juice
• 1 cup chopped unsalted, hulled pistachios
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1 cup raisins or dried currants
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 1 lemon, sliced, for garnish
• Pomegranate molasses, for drizzling, optional

1. Dip grape leaves in large pot of boiling water 2 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 7 to 10 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Add rice and 21/2 cups water, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 30 to 40 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, and stir in tomato juice, pistachios, parsley, mint, raisins, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. (Mixture will be very wet.)

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush 2-qt. baking dish with olive oil. Pat grape leaves dry. Line bottom and sides of baking dish with grape leaves, allowing leaves to hang over sides. Spread half of rice mixture over grape leaves. Top rice with more grape leaves, then top with remaining rice mixture. Cover casserole with remaining grape leaves, and seal by folding over grape leaves around edges. Brush top with olive oil. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until grape leaves on top darken and casserole looks firm and dry.

4. Dip knife in cold water. Cut straight down with tip of knife to make 8 servings, then remove servings with spatula. Garnish with lemon slices, and drizzle with pomegranate molasses (if using).

Banana Pudding

www.vegetariantimes.com

Serves 8

Coconut milk beverage adds a hint of sweet flavor to this classic dessert.

• ⅓ cup raw cane sugar
• 4 Tbs. cornstarch
• ⅛ tsp. salt
• 3 cups coconut milk beverage, such as Silk, divided
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 very ripe bananas, sliced
• 48 vanilla wafer cookies
• Nondairy whipped topping for garnish, optional

1. Place sugar, cornstarch, and salt in saucepan, and gradually whisk in coconut milk. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-low heat. Cook 5 minutes, or until thickened, whisking constantly. Stir in vanilla, then banana slices.

2. Line bottom of 11- x 7-inch baking dish with 24 cookies. Spread hot pudding over top, making sure bananas are submerged to prevent browning. Top with remaining 24 cookies, cover with plastic wrap, and cool. Refrigerate until cold. Top with whipped topping (if using).

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

Author: Edible Harmony
Recipe type: Paleo Dessert
Serves: 24 cookies
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 3o mins

Ingredients
• 2 1/2 cups of almond flour
• 1/2 cup of chocolate chips (see recipe below)
• 1/4 cup of coconut flour
• /.3 cup of coconut oil
• 1 tbsp of vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup pitted dates, gently packed (about 12-13 deglet dates)
• % cup of honey
• 1 tsp of baking soda

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 35o

2. Using a blender or food processor, blend the dates, vanilla, oil and
honey, until there aren't any large pieces of dates.

3. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and mix in the almond flour,
baking soda, and coconut flour.
4. Add the chocolate chips.

5. Divide the dough into small balls (about 1 tbsp) and press them onto
a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, making circles about a 1/4 inch
thick.

6. Bake for about 12 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.

7. Carefully transfer cookies to a cooling rack for at least lo minutes.
Cookies will be very soft coming out of the oven but they will harden
as they cool.

Gluten free Sunshine Muffins

http://www.hacres.com/recipes/cards/gluten-free-sunshine-muffins
Ingredients
•1-1/2 cups garbanzo bean/fava flour
•1 cup millet flour
•3/4 cup almond flour
•5 tsp baking powder (aluminum free)
•1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt
•2 cups water
. 1/4 cup coconut butter (warmed)
•1 portion of egg replacer to equal one egg
Directions
i.Mix together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, egg replacer and
salt).
2.Add water and coconut butter.
3.Use a wire whisk and combine until all ingredients are mixed. Don't
over-mix.
4.Pour into muffin tin or place mixture in a greased 8" x 8" pan.
5.Place in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out
clean. Muffins will be a bit crumbly if cut in a pan.

Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup raw almond butter
1/2 cup almond flour
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup dark chocolate, broken into pieces (at least 70% cocoa)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place all ingredients in a food
processor and process until smooth. Chill dough for 20 minutes. Roll 2
Tablespoons of dough into balls and place on parchment paper-lined
baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.
Recipe courtesy of Dr. Josh Axe (www.draxe.com )

No Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies

Makes 48 cookies
3o minutes or fewer
Need a fast after-school snack? These salty-sweet nuggets are just the
ticket.
INGREDIENTS
• 1/2 cup vanilla flavored powdered soy beverage
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar --
• 3 Tbs. brown-rice syrup
• 2 cups crushed mini pretzels
• 1/3 cup sweetened flake coconut, chopped, optional

1. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Whisk together powdered soy
beverage with 2 Tbs. water in bowl. Stir in vanilla.
2. Warm peanut butter, sugar, and rice syrup in saucepan over medium
heat 2 minutes, or until smooth. Stir in soy beverage mixture. Stir in
crushed pretzels and coconut, if using, until evenly combined. Pinch off
Tbs.-size chunks of dough, and place on prepared baking sheet to cool.
Cool cookies 109 minutes before serving

Raw Cookies

2 cups oat flour
1/2 cup coconut sugar - powdered
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
freshly ground seeds of 2-3 cardamom pods
dash of both clove and all spice
1/4 cup melted cocoa butter
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup finely shredded butternut squash
about 1 cup fresh cranberries

1. In a large bowl, combine the oat flour, sugar, salt and spices. Add in the cocoa butter and mix in thoroughly. In a small bowl, combine honey and vanilla extract, add to the dry mixture along with the butternut squash and cranberries. Stir to combine thoroughly, add water if needed, 1 tablespoon at a time.
2. Prepare a mesh-lined dehydrator tray. With a wet ice cream scooper, scoop the cookies onto the mesh screen one at a time, leaving some space in between them. Dip the ice cream scooper into a small bowl with water in between each cookie.
3. Dehydrate at 115 F for 24 hours or until dry on outside but still soft on the inside

Butternut Squash and Cranberry Cookies

(makes about 22 small cookies)

1 cup and 2 tablespoons brown rice flour
1/4 cup each almond and coconut flour
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon quinoa flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
freshly ground seeds of 2-3 cardamom pods
dash of both clove and all spice
3 tablespoons coconut oil - melted 
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups finely shredded butternut squash
about 1 cup fresh cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). In a large bowl, mix the flours, baking powder, soda and spices. Add the coconut oil and work it in.
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix the coconut milk, sugar and vanilla extract. Add shredded butternut squash, mix to combine. Transfer the wet ingredients into the dry ones, add cranberries and mix to incorporate thoroughly.
3. Prepare a parchment paper lined baking tray. With a wet ice cream scooper, scoop cookies one at a time onto the tray, leaving some space in between them. Dip the ice cream scooper into a small bowl with water in between each cookie.
4. Bake for 25 minutes or longer, until a toothpick comes out clean.