Easy Homemade Croutons

Easy Homemade Croutons

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Once you've made these easy homemade croutons, you'll never go back to store-bought!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 day-old 8 oz. sourdough baguette

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder 

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 425 °F. Chop the day-old baguette into quarter-inch to half-inch cubes, and place them in a large mixing bowl. Toss with the olive oil, salt, and garlic powder. Use your hand or a flexible spatula to coat each chunk of bread. 

Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet, and distribute the bread chunks evenly, on one layer. If the pieces don't fit onto a single layer, use a second baking sheet. 

Bake for 10 minutes, then test if the croutons are crisp. They should look well-toasted and be crunchy, but not so crispy to have burned edges. If the croutons are soft after 10 minutes, put them back in for approx. 2 minutes more. The exact time will depend on how dry the bread was and the size of the chunks.  

Let cool for 10 minutes. Once cooled, enjoy on top of a salad immediately, or store in an air-tight container in a cool cabinet for up to a month. 

ADDITIONAL NOTES

If using a smaller amount of leftover bread, adjust the oil, salt, and garlic powder accordingly, but the cooking time will remain the same. 

White sourdough or other white bread baguettes work best here, because of the lower moisture content, but you can experiment with other dry bread as well.

Fig Crumble

Fig Crumble

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My parents have a huge fig tree in their backyard, and this is a tasty recipe I learned from my mom while visiting Portland this summer. 

Fig Filling: 

• 1 lb ripe figs

• 1 Tbsp brown sugar 

• 1 tsp lemon juice 

Crumble:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 

• 1 cup rolled oats 

• 1/4 cup coconut flakes

• 1/4 cup brown sugar 

• 1/2 tsp baking powder 

• 1/4 tsp sea salt 

• 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted) 

Preheat oven to 350 °F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. 

For the filling, cut the stems off the figs and chop into pieces 1/2 inch or smaller. Warm in a saucepan on medium heat, with th brown sugar and lemon juice. simmer for 10-15 minutes, uncovered, stirring periodically until softened to a jam-like consistency. 

For the crumble, in a large bowl mix the flour, oats, sugar, coconut flakes, baking powder, and salt. Add the melted coconut oil and mix well with a wooden spoon or your fingers, until it looks like a crumble. Press half of the oat crumb mixture into a rectangle on the baking pan. Bake this crust in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. 

Remove the tray from the oven, pour the fig filling on top of the crumble crust, then sprinkle with the other half of the crumble mixture on top. Bake for an additional 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before cutting into crumbly squares. Save any leftovers in the fridge. 

Cashew Mozzarella

Cashew Mozzarella

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A melt-in-your-mouth plant-based mozzarella substitute that's easy to make in 10 minutes. This works wonderfully on pizza or on sandwiches.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raw cashews*

• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• 2 Tbsp tapioca flour

• (Optional: additional 1 Tbsp salt if creating a brine to save the mozzarella for later)

Directions

Blend the cashews with 1 cup water in a high speed blender until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend for another 30 seconds. Pour into a saucepan and whisk on medium heat for 2 - 3 minutes. Don't stop whisking, because as soon as it begins to thicken, it comes together very quickly! Whisk for another minute, and you're done.

Use the cheese immediately, or if you want to use it later, cool the cheese by dropping quarter-cup spoonfuls into a bowl of salt water (a brine of 4 cups water plus 1 Tbsp salt), then remove to save in the fridge for several days.

It will look like traditional fresh mozzarella—soft balls of melt-in-your-mouth cheese. It's too soft to grate, but you can slice it into small pieces. It spreads well, and it melts marvelously when toasted in the oven.

*If you don't have a high speed blender, soak cashews in boiling water for 30 minutes and drain.

Tahini Dressing

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Ingredients 

• 2 Tbsp tahini

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp maple syrup (or substitute sweetener of choice)

• 1 small garlic clove, minced (or 1/4 tsp garlic powder)

• Pinch of salt

Directions

Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Add a splash of water, to desired consistency. Use on a salad or to jazz up vegetables. 

Salted Dark Chocolate Cardamom Almond Butter Cups

Salted Dark Chocolate Cardamom Almond Butter Cups

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A rich and delicious treat. Makes approx. 8 servings.

Ingredients

• 1 cup roasted, unsalted almonds (or substitute peanuts)

• 1/4 cup jaggery powder* or brown sugar

• 3 Tbsp melted coconut oil, divided

• 1/2 tsp cardamom

• 1/2 tsp flaky salt, divided

• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chunks 

Directions

Toast the almonds in the oven for a few minutes to get their oil to release. Transfer to a food processor and blend until broken into small pieces. Add jaggery/sugar, cardamom, 2 Tbsp coconut oil, and half the salt. Blend until smooth but still very thick. Separately, melt the chocolate with 1 Tbsp coconut oil (either microwave in 15-second increments, stirring in between, or melt on the stovetop using a double boiler). Scoop tablespoons of the almond butter mixture into cupcake liners. Pour the melted chocolate mixture evenly on top. Sprinkle the remaining flaky salt on top. Move to the fridge for at least an hour to set. Enjoy!

*Jaggery is an unprocessed sugar, common in India, that you can find at Indian grocery stores or online. It’s a bit less sweet than other sugars.

Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

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An easy, versatile cookie that’s ready in less than half an hour. So many mix-in substitutions work, so go with whatever nuts or dried fruit or chocolate you’ve got in the cupboard. 

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats

• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Wet ingredients

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 1 tsp vanilla 

Mix-in ingredients

• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or substitute a favorite nut)

• 1/4 cup unsweetened dried tart cherries (a favorite dried fruit, such as cranberries) 

• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (if you skip the chocolate, up the nuts and dried fruit to 1/3 cup each)

Tip: Even if you’re not a fan of plain dried cherries, try them here at least once, because this combination brings out the best in them.

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 °F. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Stir the combined wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold in the mix-in ingredients.

Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Form approximately 12 cookie dough balls with your hands, and place them on the baking sheet two inches apart. Bake for approximately 12 minutes.

Frozen Fruit Chia Jam

Frozen Fruit Chia Jam

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup frozen summer berries, such as blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries

• 1 Tbsp chia seeds

• 1 Tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan on medium-low, stirring periodically, for approximately 5-10 minutes, until syrupy. Use to top oatmeal, toast, or scones.

Variation: If it’s summer and you have fresh berries, you can use fresh berries instead, but add 1 Tbsp of water or more, to make sure the mixture doesn’t burn.

White Bean Dip

White Bean Dip

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A savory spread that’s great on bread and as a dip. 

Ingredients

• 1 15oz. can of white beans, such as cannellini beans or butter beans, rinsed and drained

• 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes

• 1/4 cup tahini

• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/4 tsp cumin

• 1/4 tsp salt

• Dash (approx. 1/8 tsp) pepper

Directions

Soak the sundried tomatoes in 1/4 cup boiling water while assembling the other ingredients.

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.

Refried Beans

Pinto Beans

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This recipe is easy and decadent—and also vegan. No lard is needed, only a little time to slow-cook the onions. 

Ingredients

• 2 15oz. cans unsalted pinto beans, rinsed and drained 

• 1 large yellow onion (or substitute red or white onion) 

• 2 cloves garlic (or 1 tsp garlic powder) 

• 1 Tbsp oil of choice 

• 2 Tbsp tomato paste (or 1/4 cup tomato sauce, or 1 Tbsp salsa, or 1 small tomato—it’s flexible!) 

• 2 tsp chili powder (or 1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes) 

• 1 tsp cumin 

• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt 

Directions

Dice the onions and garlic, and cook them in the oil on medium heat for at least 20 minutes. Caramelizing the onions is the key to a flavorful dish. Add the tomato paste and spices, cook for one minute, then add the beans. Add a splash of water if the mixture is too dry. Simmer for 10 minutes, then mash roughly with a wooden spoon or potato masher and cook for 10 more minutes.

Chocolate Oatmeal

Chocolate Oatmeal

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A decadent and healthy comfort-food breakfast.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup “quick” oats (not instant)

• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 Tbsp dried tart cherries

• 1 Tbsp walnuts

• dash of salt

• 1 tsp maple syrup

• Optional: 1-2 Tbsp almond milk

DIRECTIONS

Put all the ingredients except the almond milk into a bowl, and pour boiling water over the mixture (approximately one cup of boiling water, but you can vary the amount of water depending on how thick or thin you want the oatmeal). Cover bowl and let it steep for 10 minutes. Steeping rather than microwaving lets the cherries plump and become both softer and sweeter. Once the oats and cherries have thickened, add almond milk, if desired.

Coconut Jalapeño Chutney

Coconut Jalapeño Chutney

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A mildly spicy condiment that brings freshness and kick to any dish.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup dried coconut flakes

• 2 Tbsp roasted peanuts, no skin

• 1 jalapeño (seeded if you don’t want too much spice)

• 1 clove garlic, peeled

• ½ tsp cumin seeds

• ¼ tsp salt

• ½ tsp coconut sugar

Directions

Blend all the ingredients together in a blender with water. Start with ½ cup water, but you may need up to ¾ cup. Blend until smooth.

Green Smoothie Alchemy

Green Smoothie

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Great for breakfast or a snack.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pear, cored

• 1 cup frozen broccoli

• 1 cucumber, peeled

• 1/4 of a large avocado, or 1/2 of a small avocado, peeled and with the pit removed

• 1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled

• 1 cup of coconut water (or plain water if you don’t want added sweetness)

• Optional: If you’re a chocolate lover, add 1 Tbsp cacao nibs or unsweetened cocoa powder (note: if you use cocoa powder in place of cacao nibs, your “green” smoothie will turn the color of a chocolate milkshake)

• Optional: If you’re making this as your breakfast, add 1 or 2 Tbsp of added protein such as almond butter or hemp seeds

DIRECTIONS

Toss all of the ingredients into a blender. If you’ve got a high speed blender like a Vitamix, blending will take around 30 seconds. Other blenders work just fine, but will take a couple of minutes longer. Makes 1 large breakfast-sized smoothie or two small smoothies.

Gigi's Quarantine Granola

Granola made with whatever was on hand in the pantry

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This recipe is especially great during the pandemic quarantine, because everything besides the oats and salt has a substitution, so it will work well with many ingredients you’ve got in your pantry. 

INGREDIENTS

Dry:

• 2 cups rolled oats

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 2 Tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar (optional)

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)

• 1/4 cup chopped nuts of choice - almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc. - (optional)

Wet:

• 2 Tbsp oil (melted coconut oil works best, but any neutral oil will do)

• 1/4 cup any nut butter you have on hand: peanut butter, almond butter, or a seed butter like sunflower butter (however tahini, from sesame seeds, won’t work well here)

• 1/4 cup maple syrup or date syrup

• dash of vanilla (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 300 °F. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients together in a small bowl and stir into the dry ingredients. Once mixed, add the nuts. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. If you like your granola in smaller pieces, stir the mixture halfway through. If you want to add dried fruit, mix it in after it’s done baking. Once fully cooled, store in a jar on the countertop. This granola should keep for several weeks, but it always disappears within a few days at my house

Cashew Cream

Soaking cashews to make cashew cream—one of my favorite things to cook with

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A vegan alternative to heavy cream that loses none of the delicious flavor.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups raw cashews

• 1 cup filtered water (plus more for soaking)

For savory cream:

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

For sweet cream:

• 2 Tbsp maple syrup

DIRECTIONS

Soak cashews overnight in filtered water. Rinse and drain. Using a high-speed blender, blend cashews and water (add more water for a thinner cream). Add salt & lemon juice for a savory cream, or maple syrup for dessert baking.

Crahachan Scottish Pudding

Cranachan Scottish Pudding

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My delicious, veganized version of the Scottish treat. (Cashew cream replaces heavy cream.) 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup oats

• 2 Tbsps honey or maple syrup

• 1 cup homemade sweet cashew cream (see recipe directly below)

• 1 Tbsp whisky (a bourbon works wonderfully here)

• 1 cup raspberries

DIRECTIONS

Make your cashew cream the day before, so it thickens in the fridge; mix in 1 Tbsp of whisky (or more, to taste).  Toast the oats in a skillet with the honey or maple syrup until it smells toasty, approximately 5 minutes. Once it cools, layer the raspberries, cream, and toasted oats into 4 dessert cups.