jalapeño popper boats

what you'll need to make 12 jalapeño poppers:
6 organic jalapeños, sliced in half lengthwise & seeds/membrane removed
vegan sour cream
1/2 cup vegan cheddar (i use Daiya Shredded)
1 cup gluten free breadcrumbs
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 chili powder
organic vegan spray butter

1. preheat oven to 350F.
2. combine vegan sour cream & vegan shredded cheddar in one bowl and the breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder, and chili powder in another bowl
3. using a spoon fill the jalapeños with the sour cream/cheese mixture.
4. spray each filled jalapeño boat with vegan spray butter and place one by one into the breadcrumb mixture until each one is fully coated
5. lay out on a baking sheet and put in the oven until top starts to brown and cheese is melted (about 20 minutes)

pulp pancakes

what you'll need for 10-12 pancakes:
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
GFV pancake mix
1 cup vegan parmesan cheese
sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 1/2 cups raw vegetable pulp (any combination of juiced organic veggies - carrots,
spinach, zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, etc.)
vegan butter

vegan sour cream for serving

1. in a large bowl mix garlic, olive oil, vegan parmesan cheese, and vegetable pulp into GFV pancake mix (add rice milk if the mixture is too dry) sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
2. on a low heat, start making pancakes. they will take a little bit longer to cook then regular pancakes.. they actually never fully look cooked in the inside but cover them and let sit until the sides are browned.

kale chips

this is the 5th time i made these. i've followed advice from 8 different people and seriously tried 5 different ways. everyone who has tried to tell me how to make them (with using a dehydrator) has told me to not bake the stems or to take as much of the stem off because they will never crisp up. LIES. i was picking off little piece and they were just not getting to how i wanted them. so here we are.. cajun kale chips.. and my goodness were they awesome!

what you'll need for a bowl of kale chips:
a large bunch of organic kale
1 medium size lemon
vegan butter
vegan parmesan cheese
seasoning (i used perfect punch cajun by mccormick)

1. pre heat oven to 200F
2. pull off the large thick parts of the kale stems (i pulled off the rest to use for another dinner instead of just throwing it out) wash them and pat dry with a paper towel to dry all the way through!
3. in one small bowl mix a few tablespoons (depends on how many kale pieces you have) of vegan butter and the juice of half of the lemon
4. in another small bowl mix the seasoning and vegan parmesan cheese
5. when the kale is fully dry lay them out on parchment paper on a cooking sheet
6. drizzle the butter/lemon juice mixture on top of the ruffled sides
* try not to just pour it in the middle. i made this mistake on a few and they stayed a little too soggy
7. sprinkle seasoning/parmesan mixture on top ..i put a lot because my hubby likes the cajun kick but it's up to you
8. place cooking sheet in the oven for at least 40 minutes before you check on them. they may still need anywhere from 10-20 minutes more. they are ready when they are crisp and a little bit brown.

string bean casserole

this recipe was thought about by me, myself, and i.. of course with knowledge of what's in a string bean casserole.. i'm so proud of myself bc this is definitely one of the top 5 best things i've ever made!

what you'll need for 4 servings:

1 large bag of string beans, rinsed & cut off sides

1 1/2 cups gluten free flour

1 large onion, sliced and separated to circles

3 cups of sliced and cleaned mushrooms (doesn't matter which kind)

3 cups almond milk

1/2 cup green onions

2 1/4 cups vegetable stock

seasoning (i used perfect pinch rotisserie chicken by mccormick)

EVOO

1. in a medium bowl, pour 1 cup of almond milk and let onions soak. in another medium bowl mix 1/2 cup of the gluten free flour and a pinch of seasoning.

2. one by one remove the onions from the almond milk and cover in flour mix, shaking excess off. heat up some EVOO in a skillet and fry a handful at a time, flipping them when they are golden.

3. lay them on paper towels to soak up extra oil and put aside.

4. boil water in a large pot and add string beans. let cook for about 15-20 minutes then run them under cold water.

5. in a large skillet season mushrooms & green onions and cook in a spoonful of butter for about 5 minutes. slowly add in vegetable stock, then the rest of the flour, then the rest of the milk.

6. let simmer until liquid is reduced and almost gone. add string beans and mix well until coated with mushroom mixture.

7. pour mixture into a medium sized baking pan and add a layer of onions on top.

8. cook until onions have turned dark brown and mushroom/string bean mixture is bubbling. (about 20 minutes)

collard green wraps with yams, black beans, & avocado

i've been trying to incorporate new things in our dinners bc i'm really trying to expand what i cook for when benny starts eating bigger meals then single veggies and/or fruits! my first step was collard greens. this was exciting for me bc i originally found that if you blanch collard greens they can be used as wraps which is awesome bc GFV wraps are hard to find and just the GF wraps usually fall apart if you don't have a steamer machine to warm them up in. so this is my first attempt at with what's inside.. i do plan on using collard green wraps soon again with different ingredients! this was more filling then it looks so making 4 (2 each for steve and i) was a perfect amount.

collard green wraps with yams, black beans, & avocado

what you'll need for 4 wraps:

4 large collard green leaves, de-steamed, blanched

1 large yam cut into thin chunks

2 cups soaked black beans

1 avocado

1/2 of a sweet onion, diced

1 lime

vegan butter

salt, seasoning (i used perfect pinch fiesta citrus by mccormick)

for dressing/dipping sauce:

1/2 of a lime

2 T EVOO

pinch of salt

1/4 tsp chipotle powder

1. preheat oven to 425F

2. prep collard greens - slice off the stem with a sharp knife (the thickest part of the large vein) drop in a pot of salted boiling water for about 45 seconds. remove and place in ice water for a few minutes and then blot dry.

3. line a cooking sheet and layout all of the yam chunks. melt a few spoonfuls of vegan butter and pour on top along with some seasoning. cook until slightly crispy on top (about 25 minutes).

4. in a large skillet heat up juice of lime. cook onion until golden brown, add in soaked black beans and some seasoning. cook for about 10 minutes until mixture is warm-hot.

5. when yams are roasted transfer onto paper towels to soak up excess butter.

6. lay out the collard greens and get to wrapping.! i put the black bean mixture on first evenly between the 4 wraps at the bottom of the leaf then on top i laid 2 large slices of avocado and a handful of yam chunks, roll up like a burrito, cut in half and drizzle some lime/chipotle sauce on top.