Blueberry Amazing cake!!!

Blueberries. Blueberries are amazing little fruits. One cup contains about 80 calories and zero fat. 4g fiber and 24% of your daily vitamin C needs. They are rich in vitamins C and K - and they also contain smaller amounts of various B vitamins and vitamin E. They are rich in manganese and contain some potassium too. Blueberries are quite amazing based on their strong antioxidant capacity. Beyond the rigid nutrition data facts - the power of blueberries is in their color - their phytonutrients.

Fron WHFoods.com: "Virtually all of the (blueberry) phytonutrients function both as antioxidants and as anti-inflammatory compounds in the body, and they are responsible for many of the well-documented health benefits we get from regular consumption of blueberries."

..the short story: eat more blueberries! Here is one delicious way (scroll down for recipe!)..
Blueberry Cake
vegan, makes one 9" round cake

1 1/2 cups organic white flour
*sub with other flours if desired
3/4 cup sugar, organic (why organic here)
1 Tbsp baking powder
3 Tbsp vegan butter, softened
1/2 tsp almond extract (sub with vanilla if desired)
3 Tbsp rolled oats
2 Tbsp flax seeds + 2/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup soy milk, vanilla
1/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened
3 Tbsp orange juice + pinch orange zest (fresh squeeze room temperature oranges - or warm OJ to about room temp)
1/2 tsp salt
optional: 1/2 tsp cinnamon

fold -ins:
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or almonds)

topping: blueberries +pinch rolled oats + sprinkle of almonds

note: I used about 10 ounces blueberries total - buy 2 6oz packs and eat any leftovers :)

Frosting:
1/3 cup vegan butter, softened
2/3 cup virgin coconut oil
3 cups powdered sugar
pinch salt

note: if you only use coconut oil this frosting is STILL super yummy. You could also add in or sub in some vegan cream cheese if you'd like.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Add flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, oats and optional cinnamon to a large mixing bowl. Toss a bit.

3. In a small dish, combine the water and flax seeds. Stir briskly and let sit for about 2-4 minutes.

4. Add the water/flax mixture, orange juice, applesauce, vegan butter, salt, extract and soy milk. Tip: try to make sure these ingredients are either room temperature or slightly warmed. I used room temperature oranges to fresh squeeze - and room temp applesauce. This will help your batter blend more seamlessly - and the vegan butter will stay smooth.

5. Stir your batter by hand until smooth. Fold in the blueberries and chopped nuts.

6. Pour your batter into your cake dish - grease and flour the sides before pouring.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes - or until edges begin to brown a bit. Remove from oven to cool.

8. Start your frosting about 20 minutes before you want to frost your cake. Your cake must be cooled when you frost it or the frosting will melt.

9. Add frosting ingredients to mixing bowl and blend with hand beater mixer until fluffy and smooth. Add in a splash of room temperature soy milk or coconut milk if needed to thin out the blend. Place frosting in fridge for just about five minutes before frosting. Any longer and the frosting will get too firm.

10. Frost cake and add blueberries on top. Serve with softened frosting. Store in fridge - but allow frosting to soften a bit before re-serving from fridge.

Lemonade Parfaits with fresh summer berries

Sink your spoon into this summertime treat: my Lemonade Parfait. Dairy-free and filled with lemonade and fresh berry flavor, accented by nutty crunchy toppings like crushed walnuts and nutty granola.

Lemonade by the Spoonful. This tall tower of lemonade bliss makes a beautiful dish to serve for breakfast, brunch, an afternoon pick-me-up or even a lively dessert. My silky lemonade pudding is rich and creamy with bright fresh lemon flavor in each bite. This protein-rich, fiber-rich and antioxidant-rich parfait is a pretty summer treat to feel good about enjoying! Easy recipe too!..

What to do with lovely summer berries? Parfait them!

Silky Surprise. This pudding is so easy to make because it is made using silken tofu. The tofu makes this pudding rich in plant-based protein.

Make to taste. This is a recipe that comes with a basic set of ingredients and can be modified quite generously to fit your tastes and what meal you are serving this parfait as. If you are serving it as a dessert, you can be a bit more generous with the sweetener and coconut oil. If this is for a healthy breakfast, go a bit lighter on those ingredients.

For the crunchy accents, aka crunchies, you can use a wide variety of favorites. I used crushed walnuts, a sprinkle of freshly ground flax seeds and some raw cacao granola I had in my pantry. But you can use any nut or seed you'd like - and any granola variety you have handy. Or make your own.

You could even add a few sweet spins on this parfait..

* Whip it. Add a dollop of fresh coconut whip in between the silky layers.
* Leftover Baked Goods. Crumble a homemade chocolate chip cookie in between the layers. Or a crumbled up muffin will also work.
* Creative Crunchies. Get creative and add what you crave to crunch! Granola, crushed vanilla cookies, chopped nuts or ground seeds, spirulina crunchies,toasted coconut, crushed pretzels or graham crackers.
* Fruit Galore. Add a wide variety of fruit slices to the parfait. Lemonade flavor pairs well with many ingredients. Try mango, kiwi, berries, banana, citrus, peaches, cherries, apples and more.
* Fruit Sauce. Add some fresh raspberry sauce topping.
* Make it PINK! Make a pink lemonade parfait simply by blending in 2-3 fresh raspberries or strawberries when you blend your pudding.

Or simply follow my recipe below. And let the summertime lemonade refreshment begin!



Lemonade Parfaits with fresh summer berries

Silky Lemonade Pudding
vegan, makes about 1 1/2 cups - pudding makes about 2-3 large parfaits

14 ounces silken tofu (organic)
2 small lemons or 1 large, squeezed + zest from 1 lemon
1/4-1/3 cup maple syrup (grade B) - (agave can be subbed in needed)
1-4 Tbsp organic virgin coconut oil (I used 2 Tbsp)
tiny pinch - 1/4 tsp salt (salt to taste, I used pink Himalayan salt)

optional:
a few drops natural lemon and/or vanilla extract to boost flavor
dash of cayenne (spicy accent)

My Parfait - as shown:
(for each parfait glass)
2 Tbsp crushed walnuts
2 Tbsp raw chocolate granola
1 tsp ground flax seed
1/2 banana, thinly sliced
3-5 strawberries, sliced
a few blueberries or blackberries
fresh lemon zest on top

Directions:

1. Drain your silken tofu and transfer to a bowl. Place in microwave for 10-15 seconds just to warm the tofu a bit. (You want all ingredients to be room temperature or warmer when blending so that the coconut oil stays silky.)
2. Juice and zest lemons, remove any seeds from juice.
3. Warm coconut oil so that it is in a liquid state.
4. Add the warmed tofu, a few spoonfuls of the liquid coconut oil, lemon and zest, optional extract, salt and 1/4 cup maple syrup to a food processor or high speed blender. I used my Vitamix. Blend starting on low and move to high until everything is silky smooth. Do a tiny taste test and add more sweetener and salt as desired. I added 1/3 cup total maple to my pudding but you may want a bit less or more depending on your tastes. If you want a richer, more mousse-like pudding, you should blend in a few more spoonfuls of melted coconut oil.
5. Transfer the pudding to a medium bowl - scraping the sides of the blender to get every last bit. Place bowl, covered, in the fridge.
6. Chill pudding for at least two hours before serving. Best if chilled overnight - for maximum firming of the pudding. Cold pudding will be thicker than warmer pudding due to the coconut oil.
7. Serve by assembling your parfait in layers. Alternate add berries and crunchy toppings to a tall parfait glass. Garnish with a few pretty berries and a lemon slice.

Coffee Shake: Walnut Cinnamon Mocha

This Walnut-Cinnamon-Mocha Coffee Shake is frosty bliss in a glass. Creamy cool almond milk and rich coffee bean ice cubes blend with swirls of cinnamon, nutty rich walnuts and cacao. This vegan shake tastes like a rich, creamy "milk"shake, but this spoonable smoothie is quite healthy!

Raw walnuts add fiber and healthy omega-3 fatty acids, cinnamon warms, cacao powder adds antioxidants and a frozen banana adds potassium, fiber and natural sweetness. Coffee-lovers, (or coffee ice cream lovers!) try this chilled out version of your beloved beverage. Recipe + coffee machine giveaway!..

Custom cubes. Vanilla almond milk and sweetened espresso..

Coffee Shake: Walnut Cinnamon Mocha
vegan, serves 1-2

5 "coffee" ice cubes, sweetened (about 1 cup loose cubes)
5 non-dairy milk cubes (almond milk used) (about 1 cup loose cubes)
2 water ice cubes (or for stronger coffee flavor, 3 more coffee cubes)
1 large frozen banana
1/2 cup non dairy milk (add more as needed to blend)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp raw walnuts, chopped (about 1 small handful)
1 tsp cacao powder

Options:
* Add any "coffee syrup" flavor can be added (hazelnut, vanilla, pumpkin spice)
* vanilla bean instead of cacao
* For a richer "milkshake" substitute coconut milk in place of the added non-dairy milk for ice cubes
* Add 1 Tbsp pumpkin and 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice for a pumpkin spice latte shake

Directions:

1. To make your coffee cubes, you can either freeze strongly brewed coffee that has been sweetened to your preference in ice cube trays. Or use espresso. If using espresso, I would water down each shot of espresso with one shot of water, then add sweetener to taste. These will be your coffee cubes in your shake.

2. Blend the ice cubes and all other ingredients in a blender until thick, creamy and frosty. Serve right away.

Nutritional info per recipe:

60-Second Applesauce

This 60-Second Applesauce with hints of cinnamon and maple is perfect for those times when you crave a super healthy sweet treat, or for when you may need some applesauce for baking purposes or other recipes and only have whole apples on hand. This is a quickie must-see recipe with a cute story that inspired me to try it..

Raw..

Simmered:

When life hands you apples. Makes applesauce.

In the Aisles Inspiration.. So I was in Whole Foods the other day, browsing in the baking aisle, comparing my oat brans from wheat brans when a mother and son came galloping down the aisle. The mom grabbed something from the grains section as her young son lingered behind her, having spotted something on the shelves.

"Applesauce! Applesauce! Mom look, applesauce!" He squealed with a passionate yearning in his tiny voice. The mom ignored him for a few seconds.

"Mom, can we get this please! Puh-leeeez! Applesauce!" It was like he had struck gold after digging in the mines for ten years. He was shouting the way I shout when I spot vegan cookies at a mainstream bakery. Finally his mom chimed in, very casually, without even looking away from the cereal box she was holding and scanning with her eyes..

"No no hunny. That stuff has preservatives in it, we make our own."

I silently nodded my head in approval, just about ready to spin around and give this stranger a big thumbs up sign. I restrained myself and we parted ways.

And the moral of the story.. 1) I found it adorable that this tiny boy craved applesauce the way most kids crave candy! He was blissful at the sight of it. 2) That little boy made me crave applesauce! Something I probably haven't craved since preschool. 3) His mom inspired me to get in the kitchen and try homemade sauce. Something I have actually never made before.

Two versions: I love a slow-simmered applesauce, rich with baked apple flavor, but I wanted to try two verisons: raw and simmered. Both using my Vitamix. This recipe worked beautifully and it is just one more thing I now love making in my Vitamix.

Simmered or Raw. Blended raw, this applesauce takes 60 seconds to make. The raw version has a bright and slightly tart flavor to it from all that fresh apple pectin and raw lemon juice. If you want a mellower, silkier, simmered applesauce (which tastes more like the kind you might buy at the store) all you have to do is simmer it on med-high for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour, cool and enjoy.

60-Second Applesauce
vegan, makes 1 1/2 cups

2 large apples, organic (any variety will work, the flavor will vary based o the sweetness and tartness of apple variety)
a few pinches of cinnamon
1 tsp lemon juice (optional - keeps sauce from over browning if not using right away + adds a tart accent)
1/2 tsp maple syrup
2-4 Tbsp water (add to taste to achieve desired consistency)

Directions:

1. Roughly chop your washed apple. Squeeze lemon juice and strain away seeds.
2. Add apple, lemon, water, cinnamon and maple to blender. Blend from low to high for 30-60 seconds. Or until your blender purees everything. For fastest blending, use a high speed blender. In a less powerful blender you may need to add additional water to blend.
3. For raw sauce, pour and serve. Or pour, cover dish and chill in the fridge - serve when chilled.
4. For simmered sauce, pour applesauce mixture into a small sauce pot and simmer on med-high for about 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add additional spices or a few drops of vanilla extract if you'd like. Pour into serving dish, and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Raw applesauce should be eaten same day. Simmered applesauce can be stored, covered in the fridge for 1-3 days.

The simmered sauce becomes a bit thinner, silkier and less textured...

Caramel Apple twist? This sauce would be kinda amazing drizzled with some vegan peanut butter caramel! Like this..