Lemon Garlic Salad Dressing

Ingredients

one to two cloves of garlic

one to two medium sized lemons

3/4 cup oil

salt and pepper to taste


Step 1:  Mince or press garlic and add it to a small bowl.  Juice the lemons, and add the juice to the bowl as well.  Depending on how strong you want the dressing, you can use just one or both of the lemons.  One will yield a mild dressing, while two will create a bolder, tangier flavor. 

Step 2:  Add oil, salt, and pepper to bowl and whisk until combined.  You can use any oil you like best.  I use organic canola oil, as it has a mild flavor and doesn't solidify when refrigerated.

Step 3:  Pour dressing into a glass jar or bottle.  Keep refrigerated, and shake well before use.  Enjoy!

I make this recipe weekly, and have never had to buy store bought dressing!  We usually eat it up within a week or two, and I've never had it go bad.  Not sure why it would, as long as it's kept in the fridge.  It's perfect for a green salad full of peppers, onions, and cucumber! 

SK

Spicy Potato Soup

Ingredients

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 onion, diced

1 jalapeno, minced

1-2 small carrots, diced

1 cup broccoli, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons oil

4 cups chicken broth

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup flour

1 cup milk (you can substitute it for any non-dairy milk, just make sure it's unsweetened)


Directions

Step 1:  Heat oil over medium high in a large pot.  Add all the vegetables except for the broccoli.  Simmer, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. 

Step 2:  Add broccoli, chicken broth, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.

Step 3:  Whisk together flour and milk until all the clumps are dissolved.  Add mixture to soup and stir until thoroughly mixed in.

Step 4:  Check potatoes to see if they're done, and if not, continue boiling, stirring frequently until potatoes are tender and soft.

Don't worry about being too particular with this recipe.  Fine tune it to suit your personal taste.  Hate broccoli, but love cauliflower?  Substitute it out.  Don't feel like peeling potatoes?  Leave the skins on.  Don't have any jalapenos?  Use 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper instead.  Have fun with it!

Also, to make the carrot hearts in the picture I did this!

SK

Simple Vegan Scones

Ingredients

3 cups flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup vegan butter

1 1/4 non-dairy milk (I like using homemade oat milk)


Directions

Step 1:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.

Step 2:  Add the vegan butter and mix until crumbly, then add the milk and mix until just combined.
Don’t over mix or the scones will turn out too chewy.

Step 3:  Grease a cookie sheet with a little more butter, and drop the dough onto it by 1/4 cupfuls.  Lightly pat the tops and sprinkle with a little sugar, if desired.  Bake 12-15 minutes or until they are just a little golden brown on top.

These scones are delectable and very versatile!  Feel free to mix in anything from a dash of vanilla to dried cranberries to chocolate chips.

This recipe is also a great way to use up all that leftover oat pulp from your homemade oat milk.  Modify the amounts just a little (see below), and you end up with scrumptious “Simple Vegan Cinnamon Oat Scones”.

2 1/2 cups four

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup vegan butter

3/4 cup oat pulp (A little more or a little less won’t matter.  Just use up whatever you have left!)

3/4 cup non-dairy milk


Directions:

Follow the same directions as above, adding the cinnamon with the dry ingredients and the oat pulp along with the butter.

Enjoy!

SK

Easy Homemade Oat Milk

Ingredients

1 cup steel cut oats

4 cups water (plus more for soaking)

pinch of salt


Directions

Step 1:  Put oats in a bowl and cover with about an inch of water.  Let them soak anywhere from an hour to overnight.  I find the milk has a slightly better flavor when I let the oats soak longer, but if you're in a pinch, an hour will be fine.

Step 2:  Rinse the oats well.  Very well.  If they aren't rinsed enough the milk will be a bit slimy, and the leftover oat pulp will be as well.  I usually run them under the tap for a good minute and a half and then run them under a bit of clean water to get the icky tap water off.

Step 3:  Put the oats and pinch of salt in a blender with the four cups of water.  Blend, gradually increasing the speed, and leave it on high for about 10 seconds.

Step 4:  Pour the oats through a fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth, or a nut milk bag into a bowl with a spout.  If you're using a strainer (like me) then you may want to pour the oats back and forth between the bowl and blender a few times to really get all the pulp out.

The milk should last one to two weeks in the refrigerator, and remember to shake well before using!  Store bought non-dairy milk is filled with harmful additives that make it so it won't separate.  Even "all natural" or organic brands are guilty of this!  The absence of these ingredients make our homemade oat milk so much healthier, but it will separate, so shake it up.

Be creative!  I use my milk for both sweet and savory dishes, so I stick to the basic recipe, but if you're looking for a full-flavored beverage to drink by the glass, feel free to try a variety of things.  You can mix in a little cinnamon and maple syrup at the end, or even add a little fruit to the blender, use you're imagination!

SK

Perfect Wheat Bread

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup warm water

1 1/2 tablespoon dry active yeast

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoon oil

1 1/2 tablespoon honey

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour


Directions

Step 1:  Mix warm water and yeast in a bowl and let sit for about 5 minutes, until it begins to bubble.  Then add in salt, oil, and honey.

Step 2:  Add in flour one cup at a time until no longer sticky

Step 3:  Knead in a mixer for about 5 minutes, or by hand about 100 times.  Kneading helps develop the gluten in the dough, which makes the finished loaf softer and less dense.  The dough should be smooth and elastic.  Test this by pinching a bit of dough and pulling.  If it pulls at least an inch without breaking, it is ready.

Step 4:  Grease a glass or metal bowl and place dough in the bowl, turning to coat lightly with oil.  Let raise in a warm place for 1 hour.  When finished, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll the dough into a log, place in bread pan, and let raise another 30 minutes.

Step 5:  Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until done.  Let cool completely before slicing and storing.

I like to wrap mine in a clean towel before putting it in a plastic bag, that way it stays nice and fresh without any condensation.  Bread should keep at room temperature for about a week.  Don’t refrigerate or it will turn into a rock.

SK