Julee's Pesto Recipe

1/2 C pine nuts
big bunch basil
1 T parsley flakes
1 C olive oil
3 T lemon juice
1 t salt
4 cloves garlic (2 cloves for kid friendly)

Blend in a blender.

Best Vegan Gluten-Free Waffles in the World

This is the best vegan gluten-free waffles in the world. The rice flour makes it crispy on the outside, yet it's also soft in the inside. Healthy and filling. Great frozen and toasted for future meals. I usually make at least 2 recipes for our family of 5.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cup almond milk 

1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 T maple syrup (optional)

1 C brown rice flour

1/2 gluten-free rolled oats

1/2 cup potato starch (not flour)*

1/4 scant cup tapioca starch* 

*can be replaced with whole wheat/all-purpose flour if not gluten-free

1 T flaxseed meal

1 pinch salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 T sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine almond milk and vinegar in a large liquid measuring cup and let set for a few minutes to curdle/activate. Then add melted butter, vanilla extract and agave nectar and whisk. Set aside.
2. Add dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until well incorporated. Let set for 10-15 minutes while your waffle iron preheats. 
4. Once waffle iron is ready, generously coat with non-stick spray (I use coconut oil) and pour on about 1/3 cup of batter. Cook according to manufacturer instructions and then remove and place on a baking rack in a 200-degree F (93 C) oven to keep warm. Do not stack and instead keep them in a single layer to ensure crispiness remains.

Creamy Vegan Alfredo Sauce

This is our family's favourite alfredo sauce. The nutmeg brings it to another level. If you want to make it gluten-free, use a gluten-free flour like brown rice flour for the roux and use gluten-free pasta.

Creamy Vegan Alfredo Sauce

1 1/2 C almond milk
1 C water
2/3 C cashews
2 T lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cloves ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
2 T olive oil

Blend all above in a high speed blender until smooth. In a pan, add the following ingredients for the roux.

Roux
2 T oil
1/4 C flour

Add the ingredients from the blender into the pan until it thickens. Then add

1/4 C sundried tomatoes

Serve over pasta.

One Bread Recipe

4 C warm water
1/4 C organic cane sugar
2 C rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 T yeast
2 T gluten flour (optional)
2 T oil
3 C flour (combo of WW and white)
1 T lemon juice
5 additional cups WW and unbleached flour combined

 Mix all except 5 C of flour in large mixing bowl. Let proof for 10 minutes.

Gradually add remaining flour until dough is soft and kneadable and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Knead for 10 minutes. Place in oiled bowl and turn dough over. Let rise for 20 minutes in a warm place.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Divide and shape into loaves or buns. Place in oiled pans and let rise for 30 minutes. Bake for 45 minutes.

Optional: Add raisins or nuts to dough before you add bulk of flour.

Bannock

1.5 whole wheat flour
1.5 cups unbleached flour
1.5 T baking powder
3 T organic cane sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp dried vegetable seasoning
1/2 C coconut oil/oil
1 1/4 almond milk

Measure dry ingredients into a bowl. Add coconut oil until crumbly. Add milk until dough forms a ball. Roll out to approximately 1/2 inch thick and cut into 2 1/2 in squares. Fry in lightly oiled frying pan on medium-low heat. Cover with lid to trap heat and moisture. This method also activates the baking powder to create a lighter biscuit. Cook 4 minutes on each side.

Alternatively, if camping, dough can be wrapped around a thick stick and roasted over a fire.

Can also be baked on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 400 F. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Multigrain or Oat Waffles

2 cups almond milk
1.5 cups oats
2 tsp vanilla
2 T coconut oil
1 T maple syrup or other sweetener
1/2 C cornmeal
1/2 C nuts
1 tsp baking powder

Blend all ingredients except baking powder. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, add baking powder. Add more milk if too thick. Bake in waffle maker.  (Makes 6 inch round waffles)

Cassava Cake (Vegan)

One of my very favorite things about Filipino cuisine is cassava cake. We would have it during the big Filipino get-togethers, especially during New Years' or Christmas. I didn't really make it growing up (I was a bookworm and not a big help to my mom, sorry, Mom!) so when I had moved away from home  and actually started cooking for myself, I emailed my mom for the recipe. The recipe she sent was so simple, I couldn't believe something so yummy was so easy. Since becoming vegan, I veganized it, which was relatively simple since only the topping was really what needed tweaking.

The cassava is a staple root crop in many parts of Africa, Asia, and South America. When my husband lived in Guyana, they used it for making a large flat bread that they then broke in pieces eat with a yummy leaf sauce with fish. In the countries I lived in Africa, they would use the flour in making fufu, their version of something like mashed potatoes but more like steamed dough, eaten by forming little balls with your hands, accompanied by different sauces. In the Philippines, it's eaten plain boiled or in desserts such as cassava cake. I have many memories of having boiled cassava as a snack mid-afternoon, sometimes with boiled kamote (sweet potato) and boiled plantain (the closest thing my mom could find to saba, the Filipino cooking banana, in west Africa where I grew up).

The first step is to get yourself some cassava and coconut milk. You can find cassava in the grocery section with the root vegetables or at the international produce section. I have an African friend who would break off the ends to make sure they were white (and fresh) before buying but I don't think the store folk are very thrilled about that. But if the ends are broken, you want the whiter fleshed ones for sure. I know in some parts of the US, especially with a high Latino population, they are sometimes referred to as yuca. If you are lucky to have a Chinatown nearby or a good Asian section in your local grocery store like here in the BC, you can also find packages of frozen and shredded cassava in the freezer section. Usually they're with the Filipino food stuff here.

I usually go with the fresh variety. Usually it's cheaper and I like to try to do things the traditional way sometimes because I feel we've lost our connection to our food by buying everything packaged. But if you want to make it's a lot easier to just buy the package if you don't have time.

I will update this post with pictures the next time I make cassava cake but this link will give you an idea of how to prepare the cassava for grating. http://latinfood.about.com/od/preptechniqueshowtos/ss/How-to-Prepare-Yuca-For-Cooking.htm#step-heading

Note: I find it a LOT easier to cut the yuca in 4-6 inch sections, cutting just the peel lengthwise on a section, then grabbing a corner of the peel and just pull the peel away. You can then cut the cassava in half and pull out the hard thread-like core.

You can then grate the cassava. You can get 2 cups from a medium section usually (just eyeball it), but I always get more because you never know how many bad spots there might be and you can always make more cassava cake or boil the extras for a snack.

My mom sent me the following recipe. My notes are in italics.

CASSAVA CAKE

2 cups grated cassava
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs beaten (optional) *I just omitted.
1/3 cup raisins (optional) *I thought this was strange, had never had cassava cake with raisins but I had a friend once that threw in some ripe jackfruit into her cake for a twist.
pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients and pour in baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until done.

Topping: Mix enough condensed milk and coconut milk (approximately 1 cup total) and pour over top of baked cake. Bake 10 minutes more until the topping is brown.
*To replace the condensed milk I just added brown sugar to the coconut milk. I think I used about 1/2 C sugar and 1 C coconut milk. It may take a little longer than 10 minutes.

I also doubled the recipe to fill a 9x12 baking pan, if I remember correctly. Will update the next time I make cassava cake, but for the moment, this is for you, Tara :)