Baked Apple Slices

Adapted from Wenderly

Ingredients

Apples

Cinnamon

Brown Sugar

Aluminum Foil


Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400 º

Tear an approximately 12 inch sheet of aluminum foil.

Core your apple and slice thinly (1/8^th inch), makes approximately 40 slices per apple.

Place the apple slices into the center of the aluminum foil.

Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar over the apple slices.

Gather the corners of the aluminum foil and pinch together to make a sealed pouch.

Place your packet onto a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.

The sugar and cinnamon meld together with the juice from the apple to make a great sauce.

Serve over ice cream, granola, yogurt, or just eat it by itself! Yum!

Roasted Grape Galette

Adapted from Baking Bites

INGREDIENTS

pastry for one 9-inch pie crust, chilled
16-oz red grapes (1-2 large bunches)
1 tbsp red wine or grape juice
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp coarse sugars

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

On a large, lightly floured surface, roll out pie crust into a large circle 10-12 inches in diameter. Transfer crust to prepared baking sheet and lay flat.

In a medium bowl, toss grapes with wine/juice and cornstarch. Spoon about 3/4 of the grapes into the center of the pie crust, arranging them in as close to a single layer as possible and leaving a 1 1/2-inch border around the edge of the grapes. Fold up that extra edge of pie dough, covering about 1-inch of the grape filling all the way around the galette. Pile remaining grapes into the center of the tart.

Sprinkle grapes and tart crust with sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until pastry is a deep golden brown. Allow tart to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Veggie Quiche in a Potato Crust

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb red, white, or yellow potatoes, peeled and shredded
1 1/4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 lb crimini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb zucchini, sliced into coins
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup grated medium cheddar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk or 1/2 cup cream

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lightly grease a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie dish with 1/4 teaspoon oil. Toss potatoes with 1 teaspoon oil and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Press into an even layer in the pie dish, up the sides like a crust. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown at the edges and dry. Let cool.

Increase heat to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and saute, stirring constantly, until wilted. Add the mushrooms and zucchini and saute for four more minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for two more minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before stirring in the grated cheese.

Spread the vegetable and cheese mixture in the potato crust.

Combine eggs, milk or cream, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour over the vegetables.

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 30 minutes longer, or until filling is set and top is lightly browned.

Serve warm.

Baked Latkes

INGREDIENTS

4 to 6 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 lbs potatoes (or combination of any of the following: potatoes, zucchini, yams, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, turnips)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
1 Tbsp fresh dill, minced (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Coat two cookie sheets with 2 to 3 teaspoons of the oil on each.

Grate the potatoes (and other vegetables, if using) into a large bowl. Add all the other ingredients, including remaining oil. Stir to combine.

Drop the potato mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the greased cookie sheets. Flatten slightly to make them into patties rather than mounds.

Bake for until the undersides are lightly browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Brush the tops of the latkes with a very light coating of oil, then flip them over and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook them; they are done when they are crisp and golden brown.

Serve hot with sour cream or apple sauce.

Vegan Manicotti

INGREDIENTS

1 package lasagne noodles
3 packages medium-firm tofu, drained, patted dry, and mashed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup soy milk
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
2 tsp dried basil
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 jar of your favourite pasta sauce

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the lasagne noodles and cook until tender, being careful not to overcook. Drain carefully and lay them out on a piece of waxed paper. Cut each noodle in half to make two shorter pieces.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine mashed tofu, garlic, soy milk, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, basil, and spinach in a large bowl.

Spread half of the pasta sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Divide the tofu filling evenly between the cut lasagne noodles, putting the mixture in a line at one end and then rolling up the noodle. Place each completed manicotti in the baking dish in a single layer.

Pour the remaining sauce over the stuffed noodles. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles.

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

INGREDIENTS

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, diced
2 cups white button mushrooms, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 cup pasta sauce
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
6 bell peppers, any colour, cut in half from top to bottom and seeded
1 cup shredded mozzarella, or more to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).

Cook quinoa according to package directions.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil. When hot but not smoking, add onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and slightly translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add zucchini, mushrooms, and tomato and cook until slightly tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and cover and simmer until the vegetables have softened, about 10 more minutes.

Remove from heat and stir the cooked quinoa into vegetable mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Fill bell peppers with quinoa-vegetable mixture. Place peppers in a deep baking dish. Cover dish with aluminum foil. Bake until bell peppers are slightly tender, about 18 minutes.

Remove foil and sprinkle peppers with mozzarella. Bake until cheese is bubbling and melted, about 5 more minutes.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 tablespoons for topping
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
Coarse sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
2 large eggs
2 large eggplants (2 1/2 pounds total), peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
2 jars (6 cups) of pasta sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly oil two cookie sheets and set them aside.

In a shallow bowl or deep saucer, combine the bread crumbs, 3/4 cup of Parmesan, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper.

In another shallow bowl, whisk the eggs with 2 tablespoons of water.

Dip the eggplant slices in the egg mixture and then coat them well with the breadcrumb mixture. Place on oiled cookie sheets. Bake until golden brown on bottom; about 20 to 25 minutes. Turn slices and continue baking until browned on other side; about another 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven, then raise oven heat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spread 2 cups of the pasta sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange half the eggplant in the dish, cover with another 2 cups of the sauce, then cover with a 1/2 cup of the mozzarella. Repeat with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella. Top with remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Bake until sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted; about 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Vegan Zucchini Bread

INGREDIENTS

3 Tbsp water
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups finely chopped zucchini
3 cups flour
3 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two 8-inch loaf pans with a small amount of coconut oil or other flavourless oil.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, melted coconut oil, applesauce, sugar, and vanilla. Stir in the zucchini and mix well.

In a medium mixing bowl. combine the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder with a wire whisk. Stir the dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Sunny Date and Nut Bread

INGREDIENTS

1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 tsp baking soda
1 small orange
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup chopped hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, or other nuts
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp butter, cut into 4 pieces
3/4 tsp sea salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

In a small mixing bowl, combine dates and baking soda. Add 3/4 cup of boiling water and set aside.

Without peeling, cut the orange in 6 pieces and remove the seeds. In a food processor, chop the orange pieces for about 15 seconds. Add the flour, nuts, sugar, eggs, butter, salt, and about half of the date mixture. Process to mix, about 5 seconds. Add the remaining date mixture and process until well mixed, about 15 to 20 seconds.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the loaf springs back when touched lightly in the centre.

Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then loosen the sides with a spatula and remove from pan.

Baked Brown Rice Croquettes

INGREDIENTS

Rice balls:
1 1/3 cups brown rice
2 2/3 cups water
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 eggs
1 cup finely cubed mozzarella
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped, lightly packed
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Coating:
2 eggs
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
Fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

DIRECTIONS

Soak the brown rice overnight in the water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, mix together the other ingredients for the rice balls. Stir in the cooled rice until all the ingredients are well combined.

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat the bottom of a glass baking dish with a generous layer of extra virgin olive oil.

To make the coating for the rice balls, whisk together the eggs and olive oil together in a small bowl. In a separate small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs with the black pepper.

Wet your hands to keep everything from sticking to you. Shape some of the rice mixture into a 2-inch ball, then dip it into the egg and oil mixture and then roll it around in the bread crumbs to cover it evenly. Place it in the prepared baking dish.

When all the rice mixture has been shaped and coated, bake until the bottoms of the balls are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Turn them over and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. Drain on paper towel and serve hot with a side of salsa or pasta sauce for dipping.

Makes about 18 2-inch croquettes.

Lime and Butter Delicata Squash

INGREDIENTS

2 delicata squash, halved and seeded
3 Tbsp butter, softened
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp chile powder, or to taste
1/2 tsp lime zest (optional)
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).

Place the squash cut side down into a baking dish. Pour water into the dish to about 1/4 inch deep. Bake in preheated oven until the squash's flesh pierces easily with a fork, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, blend the butter with the lime juice and chile powder in a small bowl. Mix in the lime zest, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the butter mixture into the cooked squash, and serve immediately.

Apple-Cinnamon Coffee Cake

INGREDIENTS

1 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
5 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup homogenized milk
1 medium apple, peeled and sliced
1 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Beat in the egg until blended. Add one third of the milk, followed by one third of the flour mixture, beating until just combined after each addition. Continue alternating in this way until everything is blended together.

In a small bowl, mix remaining sugar with the cinnamon.

Pour half the batter into the baking dish. Lay the apple slices on the batter so they just cover the batter, overlapping if needed. Sprinkle the apples with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, reserving a teaspoon or two. Spread the rest of the batter over the apples and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar on top.

Bake the cake for 25 minutes or until it is golden brown and the apples start to bubble at the edges.

Bird's Nest Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, separated
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
Pinch sea salt
1/2 cup of your favourite nut (suggestions: almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.)
1/2 cup of your favourite jam

DIRECTIONS

Cream together butter and sugar at high speed. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix in. Add the flour and salt and mix until just combined; don't over mix. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. If your nuts are raw, toast them to bring out the flavour: Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes (about 15 minutes for hazelnuts), until light golden-brown and fragrant. Let cool completely, then process in a food processor until finely chopped, or chop them by hand.

Whisk egg white until bubbly and frothy. Roll the chilled dough into about 1 inch balls. Dip each ball into the egg white then roll it in the chopped nuts. Place on a cookie sheet and press down gently with your thumb to flatten the cookie slightly and make a shallow well. Fill the indentation with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam.

Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, until slightly brown.

The jam will tend to soften the cookie after a couple of days. To keep them longer or make them easier to freeze, bake them without the jam (reduce the baking time by a few minutes), then just fill the cookies with jam the same day as serving.

Popovers

INGREDIENTS

2 - 3 Tbsp coconut oil
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/4 cups milk or soy milk
2, 3, or 4 eggs

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Put the coconut oil in an 8 or 9 inch baking dish and pop it in the warming oven until the oil melts, then brush it all over the inside of the dish.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour and salt.

In a measuring cup, beat together the milk or soy milk and the eggs. Add to flour and salt and beat with a whisk until there just a few lumps left. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish; it should fill the dish about 1/2 to 2/3 full.

Bake for 25 minutes if using 2 eggs, 30 minutes if using 3 eggs, or 35 minutes if using 4 eggs. Don't open the oven during the baking.

Remove from the pan promptly. Cut into squares and serve hot.

Simple Baked Polenta with Tomato Sauce

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 798 mL jar pasta sauce
1 tube of polenta, at room temperature
1/2 cup grated emmental or swiss cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft. Add pasta sauce and heat.

Slice the polenta into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place half the slices in a greased ovenproof dish. Spoon on half of the pasta sauce and sprinkle with half the cheese. Layer on the other half of the polenta and repeat the pasta sauce and cheese layers. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if using.

Bake until golden; about 20 minutes.

Baked Butternut Squash

INGREDIENTS

2 butternut squashes
2 Tbsp butter, melted
Nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Scrub the squash, then cut in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and stringy portion. Place cut side down on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven, brush with melted butter and add seasonings. Return to oven, cut side up, and bake for 15 minutes longer.

Baked Corn Fritters

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
3 cobs corn, cooked and cut off the cob

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Add egg and milk to dry ingredients and stir until uniform. Mix in the corn.

Drop batter by the tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until just barely brown. Be careful not to overcook.

Instant Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Adapted from Nature's Path's recipe.

INGREDIENTS

4 pouches Nature's Path FlaxPlus Instant Hot Oatmeal, uncooked
1/4 cup packed demerara sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup melted coconut oil, plus more for preparing pan
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk or plain soy beverage
1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking pan with coconut oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the instant oats, demerara sugar, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips.

In a small bowl, combine melted coconut oil, eggs, milk or soy beverage, and vanilla. Stir liquid into oats mixture just until oats are moistened.

Transfer dough to the prepared baking pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 14 minutes. Rotate pan and bake until the middle feels firm and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 12 to 16 minutes longer.

Set pan on cooling rack. When cool, slice into bars or squares and carefully remove them with a spatula. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Cheese & Chive Biscuits

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour
1 cup finely grated extra sharp cheddar
Pinch of sea salt
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 egg yolk

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sift the flour into a bowl. Stir in the grated cheddar, salt, and chives.

In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, egg yolk and 1/3 cup of water together. Add the oil mixture to the flour mixture and stir until well combined. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough out between sheets of lightly floured non-stick baking paper until about 5 mm thick. Use a 5 1/2 cm round cutter to cut out the biscuits. Place on a non-stick cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden. Cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Baked Carrot Fritters

INGREDIENTS

4 medium carrots
1/2 medium onion
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
3 Tbsp flour
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
Sea salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grate carrots and onion separately. Press with towels until mostly dry.

Combine carrots and onions in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the powdered ginger and flour and toss to mix well.

Whisk together the remaining ingredients and then add to carrot and onion mixture. Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Press with a spoon or glass to flatten into 3-inch circles.

Bake for 15 minutes, and then flip them over. Bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot for dinner or brunch; delicious on the side of an omelet.