Homemade Candy Bars

 

If you are a regular consumer of store bought candy bars, then this may take an adjustment, but, try it because it is delicious, amazing, and sort of healthy even!  I plan to make these again experimenting with diffrent types of nut butters.  Next on the list, peanut butter.  I absolutely LOVE peanut butter.

Homemade Candy Bars

In a food processor, mix together well:
4 1/2 cups raw cashews
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 Tbs. cold water
1/4 tsp. salt
Press into a pan lined with parchment paper and put in the freezer.
This is the nougat layer

Next, make the caramel layer:
Combine 3/4 cup raw tahini
3/4 cup maple syrup or agave
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4- 1/2 cups + shredded coconut
mix until well combined.
Press onto the nougat layer and put back in the freezer for one hour.
after the hour, cut into bite size pieces.
Melt chocolate chips in a small saucepan while stirring until completely melted and smooth.  drizzle over the cut and seperated candy pieces on parchment paper (don't use a wire rack, they will stick.  I found that out the hard way.) Put back int he freezer unti lchocolate is set,  Unfortunately, these don't survive long out of the freezer, but that shouldn't be a problem, they are so yummy you will have them gone in no time.

Tofu Pies (v)

this is silken tofu

Tofu is amazing, and these recipes prove that it can take any form or flavor.  Perfectly smooth and cool, these are great summertime dessert recipes followed by my favorite savory tofu dishes that I have been making for years. 

But, dessert first!

Chocolate Tofu Cream Pie

3 cups silken tofu *important!  Silken tofu has more water added during production which gives it a silky texture.  Silken tofu comes in shelf stable aeseptic packaging like the photo above.
1/2 cup melted soy butter or butter substitute
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp salt *don't omit this!  It helps the cocoa to taste like chocolate!
1/2 cup water, soy milk, almond milk, etc. as needed for blending

In a food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth.  Scrape down the sides and be sure to blend completely and evenly.
Pour into a prebaked or pressed pie shell and refridgerate for a couple of hours.
Don't freeze..the tofu does weird things when frozen!  You will not be happy!


Banana Tofu Cream Pie

Blend in the order given:
2-3 bananas
2 tsp. vanilla
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
Add:
2 1/2 cups drained silken tofu

In a food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth. Scrape down the sides and be sure to blend completely and evenly.
Pour into a prebaked or pressed pie shell and refridgerate for a couple of hours.
Don't freeze..the tofu does weird things when frozen! You will not be happy!


Tofu Cheesecake

This is one seriously amazing pie.  This tastes as close to real cheesecake as a fake cheesecake can!

3 cups silken tofu, drained
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt

In a food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth. Scrape down the sides and be sure to blend completely and evenly.
Pour into prepared graham cracker crust and bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes or until set in the middle. Cool completely, and best served cold with fresh a fruit topping.

graham cracker crust
In a food processor, combine and blend well:
1 1/2 cups graham crackers, crushed
1/4 cup melted margerine or vegetable oil
1 Tbs. sugar or honey
Mix well then press into the bottom and sides of a 9" pie plate.  This crust does not need to be pre-baked for cheesecake, but if you want to use it for the tofu cream pies, then bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes & let cool completely before filling.

pie crust
Mix together 1 cup flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/3 cup oil.  Add just enough warm water to form a ball (about 2 Tbsp).  Roll out on a well floured surface, or between two sheets of waxed paper and place in the pie pan.  Bake at 325 for 8-12 minutes or until evenly golden.

Tofu Pot Pie

This was a classic standby in my house.  I made this for my dad in the height of my vegan glory days, he liked it, and that meant a lot coming following all the "eeeewww, tofuuuu!" comments!  He wasn't just being nice, he really liked it and didn't pick out all of the tofu.
get everything ready to make the assembly a snap.  I do things in this order:
-cook and drain one bag of frozen mixed vegetables
-make two pie crusts and set aside
-fry the tofu
-make the gravy
-add the veggies to the gravy
-add the tofu to the gravy
-mix and bake
-eat

Fry the tofu:
Combine in a small bowl:
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbs. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/8 tsp celery seed
Add and stir to coat:
2 cups drained tofu cut into small pieces
Heat a skillet and saute tofu in:
2 Tbs. oil
Cook in oil until browned.
Remove tofu and drain the oil from the pan. 
Make gravy!
Add to the hot pan:
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1-2 Tbs. oil or butter oil or butter
cook until bubbly then keep whisking and add
2 cups water
1 Tbs. soy sauce
salt & pepper to taste
Add to the gravy:
one bag frozen mixed vegetables, cooked and drained.  Stir in the tofu and mix well.
Using the pie crust recipe above, make two crusts: one for the bottom, and one for the top.
Pour the mixture into the pie shell and top with the other crust.  Crimp the edges with a wet fork and bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes, until top is browned.

Tofu Quiche
This is a great recipe for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  It's good hot and cold, and is pretty amazing with cheese baked into it.

Steam or boil one to two heads of broccoli, chopped.  Drain and set aside.
1 large onion, sliced
2 Tbs. butter or oil
Fry the onion until limp and remove from the pan. 
Add to the pan:
1 Tbs. butter or oil
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
Cook for a few minutes and set aside with the onions.

In a food processor, combine and blend until creamy:
2 cups regular tofu, drained
2 Tbs. oil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. nutritional yeast
2 Tbs. flour
Add the onions and mushrooms and blend until combined.  Stir in the broccoli and mix well.
Pour into an oiled pie plate and bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes until filling is set in the middle.


Tofu Spinach Pie
I made this recipe using home grown beet greens once and I swear it was the best thing I ever ate.  This is seriously good food.

Saute until soft:
1 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup oil
Stir in:
2 cups spinach, cooked and drained
Remove from heat and mix in:
2 cups tofu, drained and crumbled
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbs. nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. oregano
1 Tbs. lemon juice
Place in a partially baked pie shell, cover top with an unbaked crust, poke holes in the top crust and bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Lemon Cookies (v)

No butter, no eggs, no milk, a perfect little lemon cookie!

Lemon Cookies

In a large bowl, mix tegether:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. fresh lemon zest

In a seperate bowl, mix together:
3/4 cup oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract

Add the liquid mixture to the drys and mix until completely blended into a cohesive dough.
Place by teaspoonful onto oiled cookie sheet, bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

(I used olive oil in my cookies, and they turned out great!  I also added a handful of shredded coconut to the last half of the dough.  delicious!)

Waffles (v)

I will choose a waffle over a pancake any day.  Eventually, I will write an entire cookbook on waffles alone.  I'm a freak about them.  This morning, I made some plain waffle batter.  I made one plain waffle.  Then I made one strawberry, one blueberry, and two coconut waffles.  I figured it was time to share the basic waffle recipe.  You can add whatever you want to this recipe.  It's super easy and delicious.  Waffles are always a dinner option for me.  I got my waffle iron for 5 bucks at a garage sale in Kalamazoo.  Best 5 bucks I've spent in a long time!

breakfast, lunch, dinner, whenever.

Waffles

In a large bowl, stir together:

1 1/4 cups flour

2 Tbs. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

In another bowl, mix well:

2 Tbs. oil

1 1/4 cup water

OR

1/2 cup milk or soymilk or almond milk or whatever + 3/4 cup water (You can even use yogurt!)

Mix the wet ingredients into the drys and mix only until ingredients are blended.  You want a somewhat lumpy batter.  Stirring too much makes the batter tough.

Bake in a preheated and well oiled waffle iron.

I always add something to the batter.  This morning, I added 3 Tbs. cornmeal & 1/4 cup oatmeal.  I added a little extra water to make up for the added dry ingredients.

For coconut waffles, all I did was add about 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut to the batter.  I wanted there to be a prominent coconut flavor, so I added about a Tbs. or two of coconut rum and stirred it in.  The waffles not only smelled amazing as they were baking, and they tasted like a slice of sweet southern coconut cake,  Next time I will add vanilla.  I'll post the official recipe when I perfect it!

That's the great thing about this recipe, you can add whatever you want.  Like pizza, nothing is truly off the list for waffle ingredients.  I have made savory vegetable and cheese waffles before, and I have thrown just about everything edible in a waffle before with good end results!  Have fun experimenting!

Waffles freeze very well and are magical when reheated in the toaster or the broiler.  Just be sure to wrap them well so they won't get freezer burn, if they last that long in the freezer!

*this recipe makes yum pancakes too.  Silver dollar size turn out the best!

Chocolate Pudding

This pudding is so easy! 

It can be vegan if you use soy milk or almond milk or coconut milk or whatever it is you like!

Once you learn to keep unsweetened chocolate in the cupboard, you'll be amazed how many yummy things you can whip up late at night to satisfy that sweet tooth!  I used to make this a lot back in the day, I always used soy milk.  I don't even buy soy milk anymore, and I have never made it with actual dairy milk.  I'm sure it's good with any type of milk or milk substitute. 
It is chocolate pudding, afterall.

Chocolate Pudding

In a medium saucepan, melt:
3 squares unsweetened chocolate in 2 2/3 cups milk
Mix together:
1/4 cup cornstarch & 1/2 cup sugar,
Stir in 1/3 cup milk
Add to saucepan and cook, whisking, until thickened and smooth.
Cook for 5 minutes, stirring.  Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp. vanilla.
Enjoy hot (which is actually really yummy), or, cool completely.  To prevent a skin from forming on the top, cover with plastic wrap; press the plastic wrap down onto the surface of the pudding so that air can't get to it.  (I actually like the thick skin that this pudding forms.  Maybe I'm weird!)
This pudding is really yum with whipped cream on top.  That's not a vegan option, sorry!

Chocolate Vinegar Cake (v)

I have no idea where I originally got this recipe, but I have held onto it it very tightly throughout the years.  I even copied it down in my address book for fear of losing it, because sometimes recipes come and go!  This cake is awesome.  If I have ever made you a chocolate birthday cake, this is probably what I made.  Not only is this cake vegan and cheap, but you can mix it right in the pan you are going to bake it in.  No mixing bowl required!

Chocolate Vinegar Cake
Preheat the oven to 375.
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup pure maple syrup or honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. vinegar

Don't oil the baking pan.  Mix all the dry ingredients directly in the baking dish.
In a seperate bowl, combine the syrup, oil, water and vanilla.  Mix well and add to the dry ingredients.  Stir until all drys are mixed in.  Quickly stir in the vinegar.
You can put the cake in the oven as is and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Or, you can add frozen cherries or raspberries on top of the cake batter after you have stirred in the vinegar.  The fruit will sink to the bottom and does magical things.
I once made this recipe using frozen raspberries and loved it so much that the next time I made it I used a raspberry infused vinegar in addition to the frozen berries!  Wow.  You can probably add fresh fruit too, I haven't tried that yet.
You can also use coffee or milk instead of the water.
You can also add mini chocolate chips to the batter.
Walnuts and pecans are also a good addition.
Yum.

tofu omelette (v)

When I was a vegan, I experimented a lot.  I never really liked eggs tio begin with, but I liked breakfast.  So I invented egg-free, egg replacement dishes.  This was one of my favorites.  I found this recipe in the same notebook where I had the foccacia recipe.  I made this so many times I forgot that I even had it written down anywhere!

Tofu Omelette
1 pkg. firm or extra firm style tofu, drained
to taste:
turmeric
garlic powder
onion powder
salt
pepper
finely chopped veggies of choice for filling:
green pepper
red onion
black olives
spionach

Grate the tofu gently on the large holes of a cheese grater.
Put the tofu in a large mixing bowl and gently stir in the seasonings.

Heat oil in a large skillet and arrange the tofu in a single layer.  Let cook, undisturbed, until the edges start to brown.  Place the chopped fillings on half of the big tofu round, and fold the other half over the fillings, just as an omelette.  Cover and cook until filling is hot.  Top with cheese if desired, and serve with hot sauce.