Liz Castle's Chocolate Lava Cupcakes

The world thanks you, Liz Castle !!

For Ganache

Heat 1 cup coconut milk

Add ½ 1b Ghirardelli chocolate chips (they are vegan)

Melt together on stove

Refrigerate until firm

For Cupcakes

1 cup coconut milk (or any other milk such as soy or rice)

1 t apple cider vinegar

¾ cups sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1-2 t vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ t baking soda

½ t baking powder

¼ t salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Wisk together milk and vinegar- let sit for 10 minutes

Add sugar, oil, and vanilla

Beat until foamy

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients

For plain cupcakes…

Fill paper baking cups about 2/3 full

Bake in 350-degree oven for 18-20 minutes

For ganache filled cupcakes….

Fill stiff paper baking cups 1/3 full with the batter

Add about a tablespoon of ganache

Continue filling baking cups to about 2/3 full

Trust that the cupcakes are done when they look puffy

This will take 18-20 minutes

Don’t bother checking as the center will be wet!

Swiss Chard with Lemony Tahini and Cashews

This is also great with collards or kale.
This recipe serves 4

Ingredients:
1/2 c tahini
juice, and yes Liz, ZEST, of 1 large lemon ( :
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
2 lbs. chard, collards, or kale
3 T olive oil
2 c chopped onions (Ben can do this!)
1/2 c roasted cashews broken in pieces

Directions:
process the tahini, 1/4 c juice, zest (don't leave this out Liz....) and garlic in a food processor. Add 1/3 to 1/2 c cold water until smooth. Add S & P.
Wash greens and cut into 1/2 in. pieces. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet, add the onions and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, for 3 min. Add greens and cook over high for 5 min. Add a pinch of salt and continue cooking for another 5 min. Transfer to a platter, drizzle with the tahini sauce, and sprinkle with cashews.

Healthy Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Honey

OMG, this is yummy, and sooooo easy!
This recipe serves 4-6, so you might need to half it depending on your needs

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 c chicken broth, not
1/4 c honey (or agave works too)
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste (don't leave this out- wow!)

Directions:
boil potatoes until tender, drain and return them to the hot pot. Mash with all other ingredients except the nutmeg- save this for the top!

Irish Oatmeal Banana Bread from Mom

This recipe was easily adapted from the McCann's banana bread recipe on their website- actually any quick cook oats will do ( :

Ingredients:
1/3 c earth balance butter
1 c sugar or substitute 2/3 cup agave
1 egg (use ener-g egg replacer)
1 banana
1 c whole spelt flour (yum!)
1/2 c McCann's quick cooking oatmeal
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

optional:
1/4 c walnuts or pecans
1/4 c candied citrus peel

directions:
Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg replacer and mix well. I like to add the dry ingredients next to mix well and then pulse in the whole banana last to leave it a little chunky. stir nuts in last if desired.
Spread mixture into a greased loaf tin. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45-60 min.

Breaded Fried Eggplant and Kale-Garbanzo Yum

Breaded Fried Eggplant



1 medium large eggplant, scored and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
1 cup fine bread crumbs (we toasted bread and pounded it in a pinch)
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon dill
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tsp ground garlic (ginger, too, if you want...I know Liz won't want!)
salt and pepper
1 cup oil
1 cup flour
1/2 water

Once your eggplant is scored and cut in rounds, sprinkle salt on both sides of the eggplant cuts, then let sit for 20 or so minutes. Use paper towels to blot out extra moisture. Mix bread crumbs, herbs, spices, and any other ingredients you find tasty in one bowl. In another bowl, mix flour and water until you have a runny paste (this paste is to avoid using eggs as a binding agent between eggplant and breading).

Bring a liberal amount of the oil (1/2 cup or so) to medium heat in a pan. Dip eggplant rounds in the flour paste, allow excess flour-water to drip off, dip both sides into the breading. Allow 3-4 minutes per side in the oil, which should be at least half of the height of the eggplant--I suppose you could go more or less depending on your oil taste--and remove once both sides are a crisp brown outer. For good measure, use a fork to get test if the eggplant is tender.

Serve with horseradish sauce or perhaps a vegan tzatziki (does this exist?). Or, make a delicious sandwich with veggie sauces, lettuce, etc.



Kale-Garbanzo Yum

1 head of kale, chopped
1 can of garbanzo beans
lemon juice
oregano, dill, cayenne, basil, salt, pepper, any of your favorite flavors.
vegetable broth
garlic, minced
oil

Brown a clove or two of minced garlic in a large pan, then add about a cup of vegetable broth when the garlic is golden. Add kale and garbanzo beans and simmer until the veggies are tender and the vegetable broth nearly gone. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice, all your favorite spices and herbs, and serve as a lovely side to any meal!