Blue-Ribbon Carrot Cake by Marlene Sorosky

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Serves: 16 Prep Time: 20 Cooking Time: 55 55

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

Cake

3 eggs
3/4 cup Safeway SELECT Verdi Extra-light Olive Oil
(Can you tell this was first published in a Safeway magazine?)
3/4 cup whole, low-fat or non-fat buttermilk
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup (4oz) coarsely chopped walnuts
3/4 cup shredded coconut

Buttermilk Glaze

1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup whole, low-fat or nonfat buttermilk
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter or margarine
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 pound (1 stick) butter or margarine, at room temperature
1 package (8oz) cream cheese, a room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon milk

Instructions

To make cake: In a mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla until blended. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix until incorporated. Blend in pineapple, carrots, walnuts, and coconut. Pour into 1 greased 9 by 13-inch baking pan or 2 greased 9-inch layer cake pans. In a 350 oven, bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
While cake bakes, make glaze: In a medium size saucepan, bring sugar, baking soda, buttermilk, butter, and corn syrup to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Remove cake from oven and slowly pour glaze over hot cake. Cool cake in pan until glaze is absorbed, about 15 minutes. If desired, remove from pan.
To make frosting: In a small bowl with an electric mixer, mix butter or margarine and cream cheese until fluffy. Add vanilla, powdered sugar, and mild. Mix until smooth.
Frost cake and refrigerate at lease an hour until frosting is set. The cake may be refrigerated for several days.

Notes

The recipe for this ultra-moist, rich cake was originally published in my first cookbook, Cookery for Entertaining. It has become so popular, many people consider it a classic.

The post Nick’s Carrot Cake appeared first on ColorMeKevin.com.

These muffins are a winner! I made these for a group of omnivores and everyone loved them. If you’re looking for a good, solid WFPB Banana nut muffin recipe, look no further, this is it!

Note: These are better the next day!

See original recipe here.

Banana Muffins (Oil-Free, WFPB, Vegan)

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Serves: 12 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes 25 minutes

Nutrition facts: 1858 calories 93 fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

3 large overripe bananas (make sure you have 1-3/4 cups) - 390g
1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey or other sweetener of choice) - 75g
1/4 cup milk of choice - 75g
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour (or 4-4.25oz Oat Flour) - 163g
3/4 cup almond flour (makes them fluffy and tender. Replace with whole wheat if you don't have this) -88g
1/2 tsp baking soda - 2g
2 tsp baking powder -9g
1/2 tsp salt - 2-3g
1 tsp cinnamon - 2g
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips, optional
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional -67g

Instructions

1. Grease muffin pan (or use silicone pan), and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, break up the bananas and mash with a fork until as smooth as possible. Make sure this measures at least 1-3/4 cups).
2. Stir in syrup, milk and vanilla. Stir until well-combined.
3. Add dry ingredients to a single bowl and combine.  Add dry ingredients to banana mixture. Do not over-stir. Add chocolate chips and/or walnuts if desired.
4. Fill greased muffin cups 3/4 full. Makes 12 large muffins or 24-30 mini muffins. Sprinkle tops with oats and crushed walnuts if you'd like to be fancy...
5. Bake for 25 minutes, or until firm to the touch.  (Bake mini muffins for about 12 minutes)
6. Store in an airtight container. 

The post WFPB Banana Nut Muffins appeared first on ColorMeKevin.com.

Concetta and I came up with the recipe as the perfect topping for our “honest tom’s” inspired fishless tacos. While this recipe is amazing when made with fresh pineapple, it’s just about as good when using canned pineapple – and quite a bit easier!

Pineapple Salsa

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Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

1 can cubed pineapple - chopped slightly smaller (or two cups fresh pineapple)
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 jalepeno diced
1 lime, juiced
small handful chopped cilantro

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in bowl. Let sit in the refrigerator. Allowing it to sit before serving gives it a better flavor.

The post Pineapple Salsa appeared first on ColorMeKevin.com.

I only put recipes on my site that I love, and this is no exception. Whether you’re a Whole Food, Plant Based person, vegan, vegetarian, or meat eater, you will love this healthy & delicious recipe. It makes a great side, is good in a wrap, or eaten straight as your main entree. 

NOTE: To cook dry chickpeas in a pressure cooker, rinse dry beans and make sure there are no stones. Add them to the pressure cooker with 1″ of water covering them. Set the pressure cooker to manual and cook at pressure for 50 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, and then release pressure.

Vegan Chickpea Salad

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Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

1lb dry chickpeas, cooked
3 celery stalks, chopped small
1/8 red onion chopped very small
1/2 red pepper, chopped small (optional)
1/2 cup plain vegan yogurt (or enough to coat all beans to the consistency you enjoy)
1-2Tbsp dijon mustard
1-2tsp poultry seasoning or "makes it taste like chicken" seasoning
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

Combine all ingredients. You can mash the chick peas or leave them whole. If you choose to mash, I recommend adding the yogurt and seasoning, then smashing the chickpeas, and add the chopped ingredients last.

The post Chickpea Salad appeared first on ColorMeKevin.com.

When my mom gave me a pressure cooker, I rolled my eyes and thought “Thanks. Another “as seen on tv” gimmick.” I felt bad for feeling so unappreciative, but I just didn’t want any more junk taking up space in my house. BOY WAS I WRONG!!! I’ve you’ve never used a self-contained electric pressure cooker, you don’t know what you’re missing! For me, as a vegetarian (trying to be WFPB) I’ve been discovering the wonderful world of pressure cookers and they’re just great! They allow you to cook everything right inside the one pot so all you have for cleanup is a few utensils, a cutting board and the pot! Like a slow cooker, they’re a set-it-and-forget-it cooking tool that makes many dishes an absolute breeze. (For an example, check out my Vegan Pressure Cooker Cuban Black Beans)

Dried beans are one of my favorite uses for the pressure cooker for a number of reasons.

1. Dry beans are cheaper than canned beans
2. Dried beans aren’t sitting in a ton of sodium
3. The texture is better (and you can control it if you want the texture different

So here is how you cook black beans in the pressure cooker.

1. Rinse your dry beans and make sure there aren’t any pebbles or stones.
2. Add you rinsed beans to the pressure cooker
3. Add the appropriate amount of water (see below)
4. Set the pressure cooker and walk away!

• 1 pound dried beans + 5 cups water – Set your pressure cooker for 30 minutes and then when it finishes, allow 20 minutes for it to naturally de-pressurize. This should give you perfect beans without much liquid to drain. I drain and rinse my beans before using them for most things. This should leave your beans whole and perfectly cooked. Not too mushy, not too hard. For more al dente beans, try cooking for a few minutes less. For softer beans, 5 minutes longer.

Helpful Notes:

Helpful Measurements

• 1 pound dried beans = 2 cups dried beans = 5 cups cooked beans
• 1 (15-ounce) can = 1 ½ cups cooked beans If a recipe calls for a “can of black beans” use this as your guide.

The post Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Black Beans appeared first on ColorMeKevin.com.

This guilt free brownie recipe has become a staple for me. After a lifetime of letting my health get out of control, I’ve been working hard to try and convert to a completely whole food, plant based diet. People seem to think that I’ve had such a  healthy diet, but the fact is, I’ve been a junk food vegetarian for most of my life. Not eating meat doesn’t make you healthy if what you eat instead is a bunch of processed fake meats, simple carbs, sugars, fats and alcohol! My gut ended up out of whack, i had high blood pressure, a fat liver. Top top it off, I was unhappy with how I looked. After watching Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, as well as What The Health, I decided to get my life in order. I did a full 30 day juice cleanse to get me kick started and then switched over to a whole food, plant based diet as the one Dr. McDougall recommends. The one thing I was truly missing was dessert. Cake, cookies, brownies, etc. One day I was scrolling through TikTok and came across a video from Vincent Esposito.  Vincent is a Chiropractor in New York who takes a holistic approach to helping his patients. One message that he tries to spread is that of a healthy, plant based diet. With his 30 second TikTok videos, he teaches watchers, fast, simple, tasty recipes that will help them meet their health and wellness goals. Be sure to check out his video for this recipe. The recipe I’m posting below is slightly modified since i have a bit of a sweet tooth. Whether you go with his original recipe, my modified version, or modify it to your own taste, you will be thrilled with this guilt free dessert.

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Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

3-4 sweet potatoes (I use 3 + the bananas. Use 4 if you're not using bananas or if they are very small)
2-3 very ripe bananas (speckled or almost all black)
1.5 cup oat flour
1.5 cup Cacao Powder
1tbsp nut butter (cashew, but substitutions are fine!)
1/2 cup cacoa nibs
1 cup oat milk
1 tbsp Maple Syrup
1 tsp Cinnamon
cashew and pumpkin seeds (or whatever nuts you have around)
3-4 dates, chopped small (optional)

Instructions

Roast the sweet potatoes in a 400 degree oven for 50-60 minutes or until tender

When the sweet potatoes are done basking, remove the skin (should come off easily) Place in a bowl and mash well.

To the mashed sweet potatoes, add all other ingredients and mix well.

Place batter into a parchment lined loaf pan. Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes (I usually bake it for closer to an hour, but Vincent's original recipe calls for less time. Al ovens are different, so you have to play this by ear to a degree, I use the "toothpick method", but you're never going to have a toothpick come out of this completely clean. It's a bit fudgie.)

 

Notes

Oat Flower - You can buy this pre-made or just put stanard oatmeal into a blender or food processor and grind it to a powder.
Suggestions: Get creative! Add dried fruits, other nuts, Vincent suggested topping it with tahini before baking it. Go wild!
Too much batter? Make cupcakes for when you're on the go. I was having them for breakfast at work at one point!

The post Guilt-Free Dark Chocolate Sweet Potato Brownie appeared first on ColorMeKevin.com.

They say necessity is the mother of invention. This is so often the case with drink recipes that I create. In this instance we had a friend over that wanted a drink. They were hoping for something delicious, but they were tired and asked if we had coffee. I decided to kill three stones with one rock and came up with this recipe for an espresso martini.  I have to say, I’m not the world’s biggest coffee fan, but this martini is incredible. Our other friend Carol said “If I was out, I’d be happy to pay $18 for this!” With a testimony like that, how could you not try it?! This martini is not shaken over ice, but instead is served slightly warm. (not hot, just room temperature liquors and the hot espresso.

Espresso Martini

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Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.7/5

( 3 voted )

Ingredients

1 part Vanilla Vodka
1 part Kahlua
1 part Creme de Cacoa
3/4 part Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur
1 shot fresh espresso

Instructions

Mix all ingredients in a cup or shaker and blend well, pour into martini glass.

Should you choose to, rim the glass with chocolate syrup or fudge. and cocoa powder or chocolate shavings. (syrup will run and drip, so try to rim the inside edge of the glass) A drizzle of chocolate syrup inside the glass is also a nice touch.

The post Espresso Martini appeared first on ColorMeKevin.com.

Vegan Pressure Cooker Cuban Black Beans

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Serves: 8 Prep Time: 15 Min Cooking Time: 45 Min 45 Min

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
1 cup (160 g) chopped red or yellow onion
1 red pepper, chopped (optional)
6 chopped garlic cloves
1 green jalapeño pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons smoked or sweet paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped, depending on your heat preference (I use one)
2 tsp pink himalayan sea salt
1 pound (450 g) dried black beans, picked over and rinsed
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lime juice
3-1/2 cups water

Instructions

• Press the “saute” button on an electric pressure cooker and preheat on high heat. Once the interior pot is hot, add the olive oil and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, about 3 – 5 minutes. 
• Add the red bell pepper and saute for 1 minute.
• Stir in the garlic, jalapeño, paprika, oregano, cumin seeds, chipotle and 1 tablespoon salt (see note below) and stir until fragrant and the spices are coated in oil, about 30 seconds.
• Add the black beans, bay leaves, orange and lime juice and the water. Secure the lid of the pressure cooker and cook on high for 45 minutes, allowing the pressure to release naturally.
• Taste the beans and season with additional salt, if needed.
• Serve the beans in bowls with cooked rice, quinoa or other whole grain. Top with desired garnishes and enjoy.

The post Vegan Pressure Cooker Cuban Black Beans appeared first on ColorMeKevin.com.

These fish-less cauliflower are simply amazing! Inspired by “Honest Tom’s Taco Shop” in Philadelphia, PA, these tacos boast flavor beyond compare. When we formulated this recipe, we pulled from a few of our favorite things. Cashew sauce that has been modified to offer a smokey, limey, creamy flavor with a touch of heat, a Pineapple salsa for a touch of tropical flavor and cauliflower prepared in a shrimp boil sort of way with beer and old bay. Connie knocked this one out of the park – ENJOY!

(note: if you want to cut your prep time in half, buy frozen cauliflower! It’s already prepped and being that it is boiled, you don’t have to worry about texture!)

Fish-less Tacos (Cauliflower Tacos)

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Serves: 6 Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

1 can Lager beer (such as Yuengling)
1/2 cup water
1 Head Cauliflower (or two frozen bags)
Chipotle in Adobo Sauce
Salt
Pepper to taste
Onion Powder
Old Bay
Smoked Paprika
Garlic Powder

CASHEW SAUCE:
1 Cup Raw Cashews
Water to just under the top of the cashews in blender
1tsp Lime juice
tsp Adobo sauce
1/2 Chipotle Pepper
1/2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

Pineapple salsa (see recipe)

Instructions

Cauliflower

In a pot, bring beer, water & seasoning to a boil.

Seasoning is to taste, but here is a starting point. 2 TBSP Old Bay, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, pinch of salt and pepper

Once boiling, put cauliflower in pot and let come to a boil & lower to medium for about 10 minutes, or until tender.

Chipotle Cashew Cream Sauce

If you are using a standard blender, soak your cashews overnight to soften them. In a vitamix, or other high power blender, this is not necessary)

Combine cashews, water, lime, salt, vinegar, adobo sauce & chipotle pepper in blender and blend on high until smooth. Texture should be creamy, not runny.

PINEAPPLE SALSA RECIPE

The post Fish-less Tacos appeared first on ColorMeKevin.com.

I can’t say enough about the power of juicing (or a whole food, plant based diet) I’d venture to say that the majority of my health issues are entirely self inflicted…and that’s probably trued for most people. As a lifelong vegetarian, I’ve had a diet loaded with sugar, carbs, & processed foods (preservatives and sodium) A 30 day juice cleanse fixed my cholesterol, my blood pressure, my triglycerides, brought my liver enzymes down and made me feel and look great. I’m not a doctor, and I’m not giving you medical advice, but I highly suggest looking into it! Included here are some of the recipes I’ve used for the 30 day juice cleanse I did. I didn’t have a set plan, just tried to keep things mixed up.

Joe Cross’s Mean Green Juice (staple)

• 16 Kale Leaves
• 2 cucumbers
• 8 celery sticks
• 4 apples
• 1 lemon
• 2″ ginger

Triple C

• 1/2 head green cabbage
• 6 carrots
• 8 celery sticks
• 2 apples
• 1 lemon

Beet-ini Juice

• 1 large beet
• 1 apple
• 1 orange

Green Carrot Ginger Juice

• 2 cucumbers
• 8 carrots
• 6 kale leaves
• 1 pear
• 2″ piece of ginger

Green Grapefruit

• 1 cup spinach
• 2 Ruby Red Grapefruits
• 2 oranges
• Ginger

Australian Gold

• 1/2 Pineapple
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 lemon
• 1″ ginger

Carrot Apple Ginger

• 6 carrots
• 4 apples
• 2″ ginger

Carrot Cake

• 6 carrots
• 1-1/2 sweet potato
• 2 red apples
• dash ground cinnamon

Celery Pear Cucumber

• 10 Kale leaves
• 2 cucumbers
• 6 celery stalks
• 2 pears

Ginger Pear-snip

• 3 Parsnips
• 1 pear
• 1.5″ ginger

Splash of Sun

• 3 carrots
• 2 oranges
• 2″ ginger

From the NAMA Recipe Book

Morning Dew

• 1 small handful Mint
• 1 small handfull Basil
• 1 lime
• 8 Chard leaves (silverbeet)
• 1/2 Honeydew
• 2 Green Apples

Vancouver Island Green

• 2 handfuls Spinach, Kale or Arugula
• 1 Lemon or Lime
• 1 Cucumber
• 4 Celery Stalks
• 3″ piece of Turmeric
• 2.5″ Piece of ginger

Little Green

• 2 Kiwis
• 2 Green Apples
• 2 Celery Sticks

Go-To Green

• 2 Handfuls Spinach
• 1 Cucumber
• 2 Apples
• 2 Celery Stalks
• 2 Carrots

The Pear-fect Green

• 4 Kale Leaves
• 1 Bunch Parsley
• 3 Pears
• 2 Celery Stalks

Sunshine State of Mind

• 1 Grapefruit
• 1 Cucumber
• 1 Apple
• 1″ Piece of Ginger
• 2 Golden Beets

Double Citrus Carrot

• 2 Lemons
• 2 Oranges
• 4 Celery Stalks
• 4 Carrots

Orange Begonia Juice

• 1/2 Lemon
• 2 cups Cauliflower (About 1/2 head)
• 1 Apple
• 1″ Ginger
• 6 Carrots

Orange Sunrise

• 1 Lemon
• 1 Orange
• 1 Handful Pineapple chunks
• 2 Orange Bell Peppers
• 4 Carrots

Carrot Apple Ginger

• 2 Apples
• 1″ Ginger
• 3 Carrots

ABC Juice

• 1/2 Lemon
• 1 Apple
• 2 small Beets
• 4 medium Carrots

Un-Beet-able

• 4 Kale Leaves
• 1 Apple
• 1 Beet (root)
• 1″ ginger
• 3 Carrots

Purple Paradise

• 4-6 Chard Leaves
• 2 Apples
• 1 Beet (root)
• 1″ Ginger
• 1 Purple Carrot

Auntie Oxide

• 1/2 cup Red Grapes
• 1/2 cup Blueberries
• 1/2 cup Pomegranate Seeds
• 8 Celery Stalks

The post Juice Cleanse Recipes appeared first on ColorMeKevin.com.