Orange Spice Cake (vegan, gluten-free)

This cake recipe was adapted from a recipe found in Cooking Light magazine, by Marge Perry. I've adapted to be vegan and gluten free, and I must say, it adapted very well. If you want a more dense cake, just increase the flax 'eggs' by one.

Remember to choose organic ingredients wherever available. It's worth paying the farmer for safe produce rather than the doctor for the side effects of GMOs down the road.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prep a square or round 8x8 cake pan (use a safe pan, we like DANNYSEO's eco pan) by coating it lightly with a vegan butter (like Earth Balance Soy Free) and dusting it with rice flour.

Spoon measure dry ingredients and combine well with a whisk:
1 cup organic brown rice flour
1 cup organic quinoa flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup raw organic cane sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp salt

In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients:
3/4 cup organic orange juice
2/3 cup organic coconut oil (warm lightly if solid)
1 Tbsp zest of organic orange rind
1 tsp zest of organic lemon rind
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 flax 'eggs'*

*Flax 'eggs' (egg replacement, incredible binder!) are made by combining 1 Tbsp ground flax seed with 3 Tbsp warm water and processing in the food processor for about 2 minutes. So for this recipe, you will need 3 Tbsp ground flax and 12 Tbsp water.

Combine wet and dry ingredients, mixing until smooth. Pour batter in prepared cake pan and bake in the center of the preheated oven for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan and place on a wire rack to complete cooling.

Glaze as follows when completely cool:
1/2 cup sifted organic powdered sugar
2 Tbsp organic orange juice (or to desired glaze consistency)
1/4 tsp organic lemon juice
Whisk together and drizzle over cake. Ready to serve!

*gluten free, soy free (when using a soy free vegan butter)

Potato Kale Soup (vegan, gluten-free)

This recipe is simple, delicious and filling.

2 medium onions, diced

1 small jalapeño, diced
6-8 medium potatoes, cubed
2 bunches of kale, ribs removed and torn into pieces
5 cloves of garlic minced
6 cups veggie broth
1 can coconut milk
2 TBSP coconut oil

In a large soup pot sauté onions and jalapeño in coconut oil until onions become translucent; add garlic and sauté for 3-5 more mins. Add kale a handful at a time and stir until wilted. Pour in veggie broth and coconut milk and stir until well mixed. Add potatoes and simmer until potatoes are fork tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Note: This is a broth-based soup. If you prefer the soup to be a bit thicker, you can use a potato masher to gently mash about half of the potatoes, stirring them into the soup to thicken the broth.

Recipe by Marty's partner, John Arms.

*gluten-free, soy-free

Spicy Kale (vegan, gluten-free)

This is a regular on our dinner table. It's delicious, filling, and the leftovers reheat very well. We serve it with steaming hot basmati rice.

2 tsp coconut oil

1 red onion, diced

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 bunches of green kale, chopped (de-rib if you prefer)

1/2 cup water

2 tbs lemon juice

pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

sea salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste

Heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until onions begin to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, cooking until tomatoes are soft and juices have released. Add the kale, water, lemon juice and cayenne, cover and cook until kale is soft and flavors have melded well, about 10-15 minutes. Serve alone or with rice.

Recipe by John Arms

*gluten-free, soy-free

Peach Curry (vegan, gluten-free)

Yes, you read the title right. PEACH Curry. Delicious curry. You will love it so much you won't want to share curry. A delightful blend of sweet and savory flavors in this satisfying yellow curry. Get ready for requests for seconds!

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PEACH CURRY

Gluten free, soy free and vegan.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

You'll want to serve this with a plain basmati rice, which isn't listed in the recipe.

Ingredients

1-2 Tbsp unrefined coconut oil (optional)

1/2 medium onion, diced
1 inch ginger, peeled and diced very small
3 cloves garlic, diced
dash of sea salt

2 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1 (15 oz) can organic peach slices, chopped in half and liquid reserved
3-4 small red potatoes, cubed (no need to peel them)
2 kaffir lime leaves OR juice of 1 small lime

1 can full-fat coconut milk
1-2 Tbsp coconut sugar or to taste

Veggies of choice, I usually use:
1 red bell pepper, cut in strips
1/2 cup frozen peas
about 20 whole cherry tomatoes
(You could also use snow peas, broccoli, or any other veggie you love in curry.)

sea salt to taste (I use between 1/2-1 tsp, depending on how many veggies I add)
fresh cilantro, about 1/2 cup chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation note: This curry is best served with basmati rice. Get your rice of choice cooking before you begin, so everything is ready to go when the curry is finished and your peppers/peas don't grow soggy waiting for the rice.

Method

1. Heat oil over medium flame.
2. Add onion, ginger, garlic, and dash of sea salt; sauté until onions are translucent.
3. Add curry powder, turmeric, and red pepper; sauté for about 2 minutes (you can add a small splash of water if the pan seems dry). It's important to heat the spices properly prior to adding the remaining ingredients.
4. Add peaches, potatoes, and lime leaves; sauté another 2 minutes. (IF YOUR SUBBING LIME JUICE for the lime leaves, add this at the END, once the curry is complete.)
5. Add coconut milk, liquid from canned peaches and coconut sugar; bring to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
6. Add bell pepper and peas; simmer another 2-5 minutes or until peppers and peas are just heated and maintain their crunch.
7. Stir in fresh cilantro and add sea salt to taste.
8. Remove the lime leaves (if using) and serve over/alongside basmati rice; enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread

Banana bread! Whether as a treat with a warm beverage, a quick breakfast or the ultimate bread for a PB & Jelly sandwich, many of us have our favorite recipe and fond memories of this comfort food. When I switch to a cruelty-free diet, I had to reinvent many of the favorite foods in my culinary closet. I also went gluten-free after realizing a sensitivity and baking proved my biggest challenge, but it has now transformed into a newfound adventure skill. Here is one of my favorite ways to make banana bread now.

Mix together by hand or with electric mixer:

1/4 cup raw sugar (omit if you prefer a low-sugar version)
1/4 cup vegan butter, softened (like Earth Balance Soy-free)
3 mashed ripe bananas
1/4 cup rice milk (or any vegan milk)
1/4 cup vegan sour cream (I use Wayfare) or vegan plain yogurt or apple sauce


Whip for 1 minute1 in food processor and add to banana mixture, stirring well:
2 Tbsp ground flax
6 Tbsp water


Combine in a separate bowl and then add to banana mixture, stir until just combined:
1 cup rice flour
1 cup oat flour
1 tsp baking soda (aluminum-free)
1/2 tsp sea salt


Fold in gently:
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts


Place batter in a lightly buttered loaf pan. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test. Remove  from pan to a wire wrack after cooling for 10 minutes and cool completely (or at least as much as you can before devouring the loaf with a slathering of vegan butter on each slice!).