Prep: 5 minutes + overnight chill time for a can of coconut milk
Makes: 1 ½ cups
Pairs well with: Apple & Summer Berry Crumble
 
Main Ingredients:
1-400ml (14 oz.) can of full-fat coconut milk
1-1.5 tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar – start with 1 tbsp and add more if you would like a sweeter whipped topping
1tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of cinnamon
 
Method:
Place a can of full-fat coconut milk in your refrigerator overnight or longer, upside down.
 
The fat of the coconut, or coconut cream, will separate from the coconut water as the can chills.
 
The cream is significantly heavier and as a result will settle at the bottom. By turning the can upside down the cream with be at the top of the can when you turn it right-side-up to open it.
 
After the can of coconut milk has been thoroughly chilled (overnight or longer), remove the lid and, using a spoon, remove only the coconut cream.
 
Leave the cloudy coconut water behind, and transfer the spoonfuls of coconut cream to a medium sized mixing bowl.
 
Using an electric beater on medium-high, whip the coconut cream, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon together for approximately 1-2 minutes.
 
Your whipped topping may not be a bright white like commercial whipped topping as you’ve added maple syrup, possibly caramel coloured vanilla, and cinnamon.
 
The mixture should be firm enough to spoon over fruit or other desserts and not runny. If you won’t be enjoying this topping right away, be sure to refrigerate it as it is temperature sensitive and will become runny quickly.
 
This can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, but should be used the same day or as soon after being made as possible.
 
Tips & Variations:

• If you want to try a different flavoured topping, omit the vanilla, and add the same amount of another extract, orange or peppermint may pair well with chocolate desserts depending on your preference

Prep & Cooking: 45-60 mins.
Serves: 6-8
Pairs well with: Coconut Whipped Topping

Main Ingredients:
3 medium sized apples – I don’t peel my apples, but if you prefer, you can
2 ½ cups fresh or frozen berries of your choice – I used a mix of strawberries, blueberries & blackberries
1 ½ tbsp flour – use what you have; gluten free blend, whole wheat or all purpose

Crumb Topping:
1/4 - 1/2 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
½ cup plant-based butter
¾ cup flour of your choice
¾ cup rolled oats
1/3 cup walnuts chopped (optional)

Seasonings/Spices:
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Method:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Add salt, cinnamon, flour, oats and chopped nuts, stir to combine. You may find it easier to work the ingredients together by hand or with a fork to ensure that the oats are evenly distributed. Set this mixture aside while you prepare the fruit.

If you are using frozen fruit, allow it to sit out for 10-15 minutes or thaw it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, this will help to release some of the fruit’s juices which will help with combining flour with the fruit. If you are using fresh berries you may wish to mash a few pieces with the back of a fork in order to create some juice.

In a large bowl combine apples, berries and 1 ½ tbsp flour, stir until all of the fruit has been coated. This will thicken any fruit juice and will create a less liquid finished product. Transfer fruit mixture to a 9x9 baking dish. If you do not have a 9x9 baking dish use an oven safe container that will hold the fruit, creating approximately a 1 ½ - 2 inch layer of fruit. You can also use multiple smaller containers, baking times will vary, but not enough to worry about. As you can see in the photos for this recipe I used a loaf sized pan and a small circular dish.

Layer the crumb topping evenly over the fruit mixture and place on the middle rack of a preheated oven. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes. When finished the topping should be golden and the fruit mixture will be bubbling. Allow the crumble to cool for 15 minutes or more before serving.

Tips & Variations:

• If you don’t have walnuts, pecans or almonds will work well as a substitution
• If you want to add a personalized touch these fruit crumbles can be made in small individual cups or jars that are oven safe to 400°F or higher
• After completely cooled this crumble can be kept frozen for several months, allow to thaw and bake at 400°F for a 20-25 minutes

Prep & Cooking: 15 minutes
Makes: 32 chips
Pairs well with: Smoky White Bean Dip
 
Main Ingredients:
4 pocketless whole wheat pitas
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of one lime or 2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp garlic powder
1.5 tsps salt
Pepper to taste
Additional salt and lime juice to lightly sprinkle over chips before and after baking
 
Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminium foil.
 
Stack pitas 2 or more at a time, and using a large knife or pizza cutter, cut the rounds into 8 equal pieces (as shown in the photo below).
 
Transfer pita triangles to the prepared baking sheets, being sure to arrange them flat with no overlapping.
 
In a small bowl, mix together oil, chili powder, garlic powder, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Combine ingredients using a small whisk or fork until no lumps remain.
 
Using a kitchen brush or spoon apply the mixture evenly over each triangle. Sprinkle coated chips with additional salt if desired and bake for 10-12 minutes, the edges will be golden and the spice mixture will be darkened and dry.
 
Remove chips from the oven and while still warm, sprinkle lightly with additional lime juice if desired.
 
Allow chips to cool for at least 5 minutes before removing them from the baking tray to enjoy.
 
Store cooled chips for up to one week in a sealed container or bag.
 
Tips & Variations:

• If you prefer a milder flavour, omit or decrease the chili powder and opt to just use salt, pepper, and lime
• If you are including these chips with a dip (suggestion above) consider boosting the colour on the plate with addition of cut vegetables

Prep & Cooking: 1- 1 ½ hours (depending on marinating time)
Serves: 6-8
Pairs well with: Tangy Dill Potato Salad
 
Main Ingredients:
1 block (450g) firm or extra firm tofu
1-1 ½ cup(s) of your favourite BBQ sauce
 
Method:
Drain water from the tofu package, remove tofu and gently squeeze the block applying enough pressure to release some liquid but not enough to crumble the tofu. You may want to do this over the sink in a colander.
 
Wrap the tofu in paper or cloth towel and place on a plate large enough to catch any liquid that will drain. To speed the draining process, place a heavy object securely on top, I find a can of beans works well. This will allow excess water to drain before slicing the tofu and should be done for a minimum of 10 minutes.
 
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
If you are making your own BBQ sauce now is the time, if you are using a pre-made favourite find something enjoyable to do for about 10 minutes.
 
Slice tofu into ½ inch slabs lengthwise, this will give you 4-5 slabs about the size of a large cell phone.
Slice again, in half to create 2 squares from each slab, and slice again into triangles.
In total you should have 16-20 triangles of tofu.
 
Place sliced tofu pieces in a shallow bowl or container (a baking dish works well) and cover in bbq sauce, gently turning pieces to coat. At minimum, allow the tofu to marinate for 15 minutes, if you have time, allow the pieces to marinate for 30-60 minutes, if not, forge ahead.
 
Line a baking sheet or shallow oven proof dish with parchment paper. Place tofu pieces on the sheet and with a brush or back of a spoon, top pieces with any remaining BBQ sauce. Bake for 20 minutes turning once at the 10 minute mark.
 
Allow pieces to cool for a few minutes, top with additional sauce if desired.
 
Tips & Variations:

• Serve the finished tofu as a main dish with salads or over a bed of rice with a side of vegetables
• Add these tangy triangles to a bun with lettuce and tomato for a mouth-watering BBQ sandwich
• To create a different flavour profile use a teriyaki sauce in place of BBQ, and top with chopped green onions or toasted sesame seeds

Prep & Cooking: 20 minutes + cooling time
Makes: 1/2-3/4 cup

Main Ingredients:
1 cup fresh or frozen berries – raspberries, blackberries and strawberries, or a combination
*if you are using fresh strawberries cut into quarters or smaller, before heating
*frozen berries often produce more liquid than fresh when heated, you may need to add a tablespoon of water or juice to fresh berries to create more liquid
*see photos below for the results using different fruit, frozen mixed berries and fresh strawberries
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp liquid sweetener of your choice -maple syrup or agave nectar nectar work well
Zest of 1/2 lemon or orange or about 1/2 tbsp
 
Method:
In a medium sized saucepan over medium-low heat, combine fruit and sweetener. Let simmer, stirring occasionally until fruit becomes soft, about 5-7 minutes. Using a small potato masher, back of a fork or wooden spoon, mash some, or all of the soft fruit depending on the desired texture of the finished jam.
 
Add chia seeds and continue to simmer on low heat, stirring continuously until fruit mixture thickens, about 5-7 minutes.
 
Remove hot jam mixture from heat and stir in citrus zest.
Allow mixture to cool completely and transfer to a lidded glass jar.
 
Tips & Variations:

• Keep this jam in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, spread it on toast or use as a dessert topping
• for a warmer spiced jam, add 1 tsp of grated fresh ginger after the mixture if removed from the heat, before jam is poured into a storage jar
• This jam is great for gifting, be sure to keep it refrigerated until you are ready to give
• Easily doubled or tripled, make as much or as little as you like!

Prep: 5 minutes
Makes: 1 ¼ cups
Pairs well with: Tangy Dill Potato Salad

Main Ingredients:
12 oz. or 340 gr. soft tofu
2 tsp Dijon style mustard
1 ½ tsp salt
3 tsp lemon juice
½ -1 clove of garlic

Method:
Drain the liquid from the tofu using a sieve or colander. Soft tofu is delicate and you will not need to pat the tofu dry or squeeze the remaining liquid as mentioned in other tofu recipes.

Using a blender, add all ingredients and blend until incorporated, approximately 1-2 minutes. Taste the mixture and add more mustard or salt if desired.

This mayonnaise alternative can be kept for up to two weeks refrigerated in a sealed container.


Tips & Variations:

• If you don’t have a standard blender you can use a food processor, hand-held stick blender or a single serve blender used for smoothies
• This recipes works well as a base for dressings and dips as well, combine with herbs, pepper, and additional mustard to create creamy dressings and dips with added flavour

Prep & Cooking: 20 minutes
Makes: 24 medium sized cookies

Main Ingredients:
1 box of chocolate cake mix - substitute a gluten-free mix if needed
¾ cup mini or regular gelatine-free marshmallows – if using regular sized marshmallows cut each marshmallow into approximately 6 pieces
6 graham crackers or digestive biscuits broken into small pieces, roughly the size of the marshmallows
½ cups chocolate chips, chunks or pieces
1/3 cup vegetable oil
¼ cup water

Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl combine dry cake mix with oil and water. Stir together until all ingredients are incorporated and there are no lumps.

Add in marshmallows, cookies pieces and chocolate chips. Mix well to evenly distribute the added ingredients, there may be some breakage of the cookie pieces and that’s ok – the more rustic looking, the better!

The dough should be firm and easy to roll into balls. If you find the dough sticky, refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. You may have some stray cookie and chocolate pieces at the bottom of your bowl that didn’t quite mix into the batter, just push the extra pieces into the top of the cookie balls before baking.

Roll dough into 1-1.5 inch balls and place on prepared cookie sheet. These cookies will spread and I recommend putting no more than 8 cookie balls on each sheet.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, transfer to a rack or plate to cool for around 10 minutes. The marshmallow in particular will be very hot and gooey, it’s delicious, but be careful!


Tips & Variations:

• This recipe is easily made gluten-free, swap a GF cake mix and use GF graham crackers or cookies
• Most gelatine-free marshmallows are also gluten free, but double check to be sure
• Create a rocky road version by swapping out the cookies for walnuts or almonds
  

Prep & Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4-6
 
Main Ingredients:
1/2lb or 1 1/2 cups fresh, trimmed green beans, or frozen
- Fresh green beans will need to be trimmed, while frozen likely won’t
-To trim a green bean, remove the stems that may still be attached to one end, you can do this quickly and easily by lining up your washed green beans and slicing the ends all at once (see photo below)
 
Dressing:
1 tsp tamari or soy sauce
1 clove or ½ tsp crushed garlic
½ tsp sesame oil – if you don’t have sesame oil you can substitute peanut oil
2 tsp rice vinegar – if you don’t have rice vinegar you can substitute apple cider vinegar
2 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
 
Method:
Fill a large pot with enough water to sit just below a steamer basket. Place the trimmed green beans in the basket and allow water to come to a boil over medium-high heat. Steam beans on medium-low heat checking the beans after 5-7 minutes by removing and tasting one. If the beans require additional cooking time, test again after 1-2 minutes.
 
If you are using frozen beans, steam on medium-high heat, checking after 7-8 minutes. If the frozen greens come in a bag with instructions, feel free to follow the steaming instructions.
 
While beans are steaming, in a small bowl, whisk together 1 tsp sesame seeds, tamari, garlic, oil, vinegar and salt & pepper, set aside.
 
In a small pan on low heat toast the remaining 1 tsp of sesame seeds until light brown.
 
After beans are cooked transfer to a large bowl or heat proof container and pour over dressing while beans are still warm, toss to coat and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
 
These beans can be served hot or cold.
 
Tips & Variations:

• For a twist on flavour at ½ tsp grated fresh ginger
• If you don’t have green beans you can substitute fresh or frozen broccoli, steamed
• Create a fiery version of this dish by adding ½-1 tsp red pepper flakes or chopped fresh red chili to the dressing mixture
• This recipe is easily halved or doubled, adjust dressing ingredients and amount of beans accordingly

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Serves: 8-10
Pairs well with: Chili - Lime Pita Chips

Main Ingredients:
1 (540ml /19fl oz.) can of white kidney beans (Cannellini beans)
3-4 tbsp olive oil
Juice of one large lemon or 2 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic crushed or 2 tsp minced
 
Seasonings/Spices:
½ tbsp smoked paprika
½ tbsp ground cumin or 3-5 drops cumin oil
Salt and pepper to taste
 
Method:
Rinse and drain beans.
In a blender or food processor combine beans, 3 tbsp of oil, lemon juice and garlic, process until smooth. If the mixture is lumpy add an additional tbsp of oil and blend until smooth.
 
Add paprika, cumin, salt and pepper and give the mixture a final blend until all seasonings are incorporated. Spoon mixture into a bowl and stir to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated.
 
Garnish with fresh herbs or a sprinkling of paprika, serve with crackers, bread and/or cut vegetables.
 
Tips & Variations:

• The flavours in this dip become more pronounced the longer it sits, I suggest making the dip ahead and storing it in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight to enjoy maximum smoky flavour!
• If you want to add some additional spice to this dip incorporate 1-2tsp of ground cayenne during the blending process
• If you have a deep enough bowl a hand or stick blender can be used, the consistency may not be as smooth as if you had used a blender or processor, but the flavour will be the same

Prep & Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 6-8
Pairs well with: Baked BBQ Tofu & Oil-Free "Mayo"

Main Ingredients:
6 medium potatoes
Or approximately 3 ½ cups mini potatoes

Dressing:
3 tbsp of plant-based mayonnaise - use a store-bought version or link into our Oil-Free "Mayo" recipe above
1 small red onion finely diced
1 ½ tbsp mustard – use what you have, yellow, Dijon, grainy all work well
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1-2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped OR 1-2 tsp dried dill

Seasonings/Spices:
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
In a large pot, boil potatoes until tender. Check your potatoes at the 10 minute mark by piercing with a sharp knife; if the knife goes through the potato will little to no resistance they are ready. If they are still a little firm continue to boil checking every 2 minutes.

While the potatoes are boiling, prepare your dressing. In a bowl large enough to hold your finished potatoes, combine mayonnaise, onion, mustard, vinegar salt, pepper and dill, you can whisk these ingredients together, or just use a large spoon.

When the potatoes are ready, remove from heat and drain, return them to the cooking pot and allow to cool for no less than 20 minutes, if you can cool them longer, even better. After potatoes are cooled, cut them into bite sized pieces and transfer to the bowl containing the dressing. Toss the potatoes in the dressing to coat and pop into the fridge for 20-30 minutes. If you don’t mind your potato salad a little warm eat it right away.

This salad gets better with a little time, making it the day before it is to be served allows all of the flavours to get friendly, and creates a more flavourful dish.


Tips & Variations:

• Use a spicy mustard if you want added heat and/or flavour
• If you still want dill flavour and don’t want to substitute with dried dill, dice 1-2 large dill pickles and add them to the salad
• Apple cider vinegar is part of what makes this potato salad unique and tangy, but if you don’t have any I suggest using 2 tbsp of lemon juice
• Using a bag of mixed potatoes i.e. red, white, purple gives this potato salad a colourful flare