Blueberry Cobbler (vegan, gluten-free, low fat)

Don't be surprised if this cobbler doesn't make it to your plate!

This year I've made some of the biggest leaps yet in my culinary adventures. Mostly it's because I've given myself permission to explore more, and in that exploration to trust my intuition on how to take a typical recipe and transform it so that it works for my body's needs.

This is one such recipe. Who knew you could make a delicious cobbler with no fat? I certainly didn't, and wouldn't have expected this kind of flavor!

I took hints from about 10 different recipes, then blended that with my own twist on biscuit batter to come up with a cobbler base that won't leave anyone missing gluten (and trust me, I truly miss being able to eat wheat-based breads).

It would be a crime to keep this one to myself. So, here you go. You're welcome. :)

BLUEBERRY COBBLER

Yield: 9 servings / 8"x8" cobbler
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 40 minutes

You'll need parchment paper for this recipe.

FOR THE FILLING:

3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
1 Tbsp arrowroot flour (dissolve in the lemon juice first)
1 tsp vanilla


FOR THE COBBLER BASE:

Dry Ingredients

1 1/4 cups rice flour
1 cup garbanzo bean flour
1 Tbsp tapioca starch
1 Tbsp potato flour
1 Tbsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground chia seed
2 Tbsp coconut sugar

Wet Ingredients

3/4 cup rice milk (or other plant milk)
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1/2 tsp vanilla


Method

Preheat oven to 375˚ F.

Line an 8"x8" glass baking dish with parchment paper. (If you use a metal dish, you'll likely need to lessen the bake time.)

Assemble the cobbler filling by combining all filling ingredients and set aside. (Be sure the dissolve the arrowroot flour in the lemon juice as noted before adding it to the remaining filling ingredients.)

Assemble the cobbler base. In a medium sized mixing bowls, whisk together the dry ingredients (rice flour, garbanzo flour, tapioca starch, potato flour, baking powder, sea salt, ground chia seed and coconut sugar). In a separate small bowl, combine the rice milk and applesauce; mix well and stir into the dry mixture until all dry ingredients are moist.

Place about 3/4 of the base mix into the parchment-lined baking dish, spreading the mixture evenly to coat the base of the pan.

Cover the base mixture layer with all the filling mixture.

Use the remaining 1/4 of the base mix to dollop the top of the cobbler. There's no need to spread out the topping, just make sure the dollops aren't really thick by making multiple small dollops instead.

Bake at 375˚ F for about 40 minutes or until crust is a golden brown. Serve warm or cool. Try it with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream or the vegan version of cool whip, coco whip...YUM!!!

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NOTE: If you have a sweet tooth, you may prefer more sugar than listed in this recipe, so feel free to adjust. You can also substitute stevia for a sugar free version of this recipe.

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*gluten free, soy free, low fat

Crabby Cakes with Tartar Sauce (vegan, gluten-free, low fat)

Crabby Cakes with Tartar Sauce

Before going vegan, I was a "seafood" lover. Since regaining my compassion, I can't fathom the thought of seeing these beautiful sea creatures as food, so I've been super curious about recreating the flavors and textures of seafood dishes, vegan style of course!

My first attempt to veganize crab cakes turned out really great. I call them "Crabby Cakes," because I like I said, I can't fathom eating a beautiful crab now, so even the name "Vegan Crab Cakes" makes me feel crabby! So Crabby Cakes they are.

The texture and taste is truly seafood-like...so much so that if I hadn't made these myself, I'd have been a bit worried about what was really in them!

These little cakes come together pretty simply, it took me just a few minutes to assemble them, and baking them brought the flavor together perfectly. You could also fry these in coconut oil first and then bake them, if you prefer.

I think you'll love these as much as I did. Enjoy!

I love to serve these with baked oven fries and slaw.

CRABBY CAKES

Yield: 6 small crabby cakes (serves 2)
Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes

You'll need parchment paper for this recipe. The Tarter Sauce recipe is here.

Ingredients

1 (14 oz) can heart of palm, diced small
1 Tbsp grated carrot
1/4 cup frozen, canned or fresh corn kernels (I used roasted frozen kernels)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley or 1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

1 flax egg (see note below)
2 Tbsp (approximately, see instructions) garbanzo bean flour

1/2 cup plain gluten free bread crumbs (store bought or make your own, recipe here)

Ready to pop in the oven!

Method

Preheat oven to 400˚ F.

In a small mixing bowl, combine heart of palm, carrot, corn, green onion, parsley, dill, lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in flax egg. Add garbanzo flour a little at a time, stirring between additions, watching for the mixture to started coming together into a texture that will allow you to form the cakes easily. The cakes should bind nicely but still be fairly moist, so if they aren't binding, add a little more flour while being mindful not to over add and make them dry.

Form 6 small cakes with the heart of palm mixture. Coat each cake with breadcrumbs, and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. The cakes will bind together even more upon baking, and will hold together easily when moved from the baking sheet to your plate.

Bake cakes in a 400˚ F oven for 25 minutes, or until cakes are light golden brown.

Serve with chilled tartar sauce (recipe here).

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NOTE: If you're new to flax eggs, place 1 Tbsp ground flax meal + 3 Tbsp water FOR EACH EGG NEEDED in a food processor (I use a the Magic Bullet for this job...works like a charm) and process for at least 1 minute. This creates a wonderful "gummy" texture that mimics an egg and works perfect for subbing eggs in most baking recipes. Bonus, no cholesterol!

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*gluten free

Tartar Sauce (vegan, gluten free, low fat)

Try this delicious sauce with my Crabby Cakes recipe!

TARTAR SAUCE

Yield: 1/2 cup sauce
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Chill Time: 0-30 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup tofu mayo (recipe here)
1 Tbsp low-fat Vegenaise or other prepared low-fat vegan mayo (optional, improves texture)
1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp sweet pickle relish
1 1/2 tsp finely minced onion
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Method

Combine all ingredients and serve immediately or chill for up to 30 minutes before serving.

P.S. This sauce is a Crabby Cake's best friend.

*gluten free

Tofu Mayo (vegan, gluten-free, low fat)

This is a super simple recipe for tofu mayo, a sauce that can be used on sandwiches, in dressings and dips, in certain sauces to replace oil, and in any recipe that calls for mayonaisse.

TOFU MAYO

Ingredients

1 (1 lb) pkg organic silken tofu, drained
1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp coconut sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp mustard powder

Method

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Place in a storage container and refrigerate. Your tofu mayo should stay fresh for at least 1 week if properly refrigerated.

*gluten free