Uncle Eddie’s Vegan Cookies
What constitutes a really great cookie? Opinions differ but in my mind, a really good cookie can be soft or crunchy on the outside, moist and chewy on the inside, with a sweet and decadent flavor. In other words – a truly awesomet cookie has to have both texture and taste, whether the flavor is chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal, cocoa, or molasses.
Traditional cookies made with lots of butter and eggs pretty much hit the mark every time but not everyone wants to eat cookies made with animal products. Nor, do they want to eat cookies with artificial flavors, colors, or ingredients they never heard of. So, the question becomes: Is there a really good ready-made plant-based cookie out there? Read more 
Kale Tempeh Succotash
Traditional succotash is made with sweet corn and lima beans but there are dozens of variations. In this recipe, succotash is a blend of fresh bi-color corn, sweet Vidalia onion, and fresh green beans. The beauty of fresh succotash is that little seasoning is needed when fresh summer vegetables are used because the natural sweetness of the corn and onion shine through. A dash of salt complements the sweet flavor (similar to lightly salting a piece of cantaloupe or watermelon). Read more
Frooze Balls
Frooze Balls are plant-powered energy balls that taste amazing, have great ingredients, and are fun to say (“Want a Frooze Ball?”). Created by Jeremy Dixon (in the kitchen of Dixon’s Revive Cafe), a New Zealand-based restaurant owner (Revive Cafes), author (Revive Cafe Cookbooks and Cook:30), and television celebrity chef (Cook:30), Frooze Balls are a wholesome and delicious snack or dessert.
Made with completely plant-based ingredients, Frooze Balls are naturally gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO verified, and kosher with no refined sugars or preservatives, and no processed protein powders. Read more
The Verry Cherry Plum
If you like cherries and plums, then you’re in for a very special treat this month. The Verry Cherry Plum – a new fruit that looks like a very small plum or a very big cherry (or even a mini Macintosh apple from afar) with the crunchy texture of a sweet succulent cherry and the flavor of a juicy plum – has arrived. What could be better?
The Verry Cherry Plum hit grocery stores this past week and will only be around for a few short weeks so make sure you pickup a bag of these summer fruits before they’re all gone (until next summer!). You absolutely won’t regret purchasing these flavorful sweet juicy fruits! Read more
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Years ago, I used to make a Pineapple Upside Down Cake that was to die for – literally, as the recipe called for two sticks of butter, a few eggs, and a cup of sugar. So, the challenge was to figure out a way to make a Pineapple Upside Down Cake without the butter (or substituting 2 sticks of vegan butter), eggs, and an overload of sugar. Not an easy task but with all the beautiful fresh pineapples in the grocery stores, I thought it was high time to learn how to make a healthier version so I went through all my cookbooks and came up with a variation of Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Read more
Sweet Potato Pecan Pie (Vegan)
The one question that most people ask when they find out I follow a plant-based diet is: Do you miss any of the foods you used to eat? Yes, I do, but not many.
I used to miss doughnuts but then I tasted a Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut made by the talented folks at Vortex Doughnuts in Asheville, North Carolina and the experience was pure bliss so I know where to go to get a doughnut fix. Turtles – those caramel, nut, and chocolate treats – were also a favorite treat but then I tasted Lagusta’s Luscious (available on-line or at their “Confectionary” store in the East Village in NYC) “Salted Galapagos Turtles” – vegan caramel, pecan, and chocolate turtles that taste just like the non-vegan version, only better! Read more
Confetti Slaw, Black Bean Quinoa Salad, and Roasted Carrots
The perfect summer lunch plate – Confetti Slaw, Black Bean Quinoa Salad, and Roasted Carrots – was inspired by a Purple Carrot recipe (Chipotle Roasted Carrots with Confetti Quinoa Salad, Black Beans, and Cumin Yogurt).
I’m a big fan (and subscriber) of Purple Carrot TB Performance meals (high in protein, gluten-free, and plant-based) but I prefer little or no added oils and no creamy yogurt or vegan mayo sauces. So, whenever I start to cook one of these meals, I figure out ways to reduce, eliminate, substitute, and/or add other ingredients so as to not give up flavor. Read more
Navitas™ Organics Power Snacks
When I have a craving for something sweet, Navitas™ Organics Power Snacks – date-based, nutrient-dense, bite-sized squares with no refined sugar, no dairy, and no artificial flavors or colors – fit the bill. With four flavors to choose from, Navitas™ Organics Power Snacks are plant-based superfood that are naturally sweet, chewy, and delicious.
Made with all organic ingredients, these super simple and nutritious snacks can be enjoyed right out of the bag or crumbled on cereal, granola, or a frozen treat. The four flavors include: Read more
The Baby Bok Choy Veggie Bowl
A few years ago two middle-aged friends were driving south in a Ford F-150 truck filled with household items for their casita in Mexico. At the US and Mexican border crossing, the customs officer asked them what they had in the truck so they read off a list of items and then jokingly added, “and some baby bok choy.” That’s all the customs officer had to hear.
The word “baby” to someone trained in trafficking raises a red flag. He demanded they get out of the vehicle and then searched the whole truck looking for who knows what (my friend thought maybe he was looking for a Chinese baby). They realized the customs officer didn’t know what baby bok choy was so they pointed to the cooler that held the baby bok choy and diffused the situation. Read more
Enfrijoladas with Avocado Mango Citrus Salad
One of the things I love about the Purple Carrot (a plant-based meal prep delivery service) is that the recipes inspire me to make something different from the usual fare. But, my favorite thing to do is to take the recipe and figure out how to keep the flavor but reduce or eliminate the oils or fats that don’t come from whole foods, and add more vegetables.
The following recipe is a variation of the Purple Carrot recipe for Mole Enfrijoladas. I eliminated the oils, jalapeño and garlic (but feel free to add these ingredients if you prefer a hotter, spicier meal) and nuts but added mango, sweet Marzano tomatoes, cilantro, pumpkin seeds, and more onion to make a super tasty enfrijolada (a tortilla drenched in pureed black beans) on a bed of spinach with an Avocado Mango Citrus Salad. Read more
Paddock Post 