Vegan MoFo “Other” Week – Recipe Roundup

I can’t believe the month is already drawing to a close.  At some point I’ll stop waxing poetic about how incredibly glad I am that I chose to participate, but that time has not yet arrived.  I have discovered so many new blogs that are now permanently in my Feedly, which means I can continue to follow them going forward.  Plus, I have added at least 100 new recipes to my Gmail folder for future cooking inspiration and guidance.  It’s just friggin awesome!

Anyway, this will be my last recipe roundup for Vegan MoFo 2013.  Blue, purple, white, brown, and black foods.  Maybe a weird spectrum, but definitely great.

Today’s recipes come from other participating MoFo bloggers and happen to fit in with my color theme.  🙂 [Note: all of the images belong to the individual bloggers unless otherwise noted.  They are works of art and I’m posting them to encourage YOU to click through and check out the recipes!]

Blue/Purple
Easy Plum Applesauce in the Slow Cooker by Fo Reals Life (one of my new absolute fave blogs!) (click for recipe)

Appleberry Pie with Olive Oil Crust from the ever-amazing Post Punk Kitchen (click for recipe)

Vanilla Fig Cake by Vegan Yack Attack (click for recipe).  I’m calling the figs purple.  Sorry I’m not sorry.

White
Coconut Crusted Tofu from Fried Dandelions (click for recipe)

Cauliflower Steaks with Mushroom Gravy by Vegan Richa (click for recipe).

The photos are from when I made this recipe.  I adored this recipe! My new favorite way to eat cauliflower.

Brown
Vegan Bacon Lentil Crunchies, also by Fo Reals Life (click for recipe). Like seriously…what a brilliant idea.

Homemade Vegan Heath Bars by Fork ‘n’ Beans (click for recipe).  Cara’s candy-themed posts this month blew me away!

Black
Thyme and Apple Beany Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy, Cabbage and Peas from Veg Hot Pot (click for recipe). I can’t wait to make this one!

Smoky Black Beans Parsley Chimichurri Spinach Wraps also by Vegan Richa (click for recipe)

Feel free to share any new favorite blogs or particular recipes from MoFo 2013 in the comments!

Black Bean Taco Salad with Cheesy Poblano Pepper Dressing

I love black beans.  A lot.  One of my favorite ways to cook them is what I call “taco style.”  And here’s a recipe!  (Bonus: for my “other” colors week, this recipe includes black beans, brown rice, and lovely purple-hued red onions!)

Crunchy fresh veggies, creamy avocado, spicy beans, and a warm cheesy topping–so delicious and pretty healthy too!  I had trouble deciding if the yellow stuff should be called a sauce or a dressing.  I wanted to say “dressing” because it was going on a salad, but in my head I was going for something kind of like nacho cheese sauce.  Whatever it is, it works!

Black Bean Taco Salad with Cheesy Poblano Pepper Dressing
Vegan and gluten-free as written (just check the prepared ingredients carefully)
(This recipe has a hearty omnivore seal of approval from H.)

Yield: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes

For the beans:
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
scant 1/4 tsp. ground coriander
(optional) 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
(or skip the seasonings and add 1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix)
(OR add whatever seasonings you like!)

For the Dressing/Sauce (makes 1 cup):
1 small poblano pepper, cut in half, seeds and membranes removed
1 cup unsweetened plain soy milk
1 tbsp. tahini
1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. yellow mustard, like Heinz (use less if you don’t love mustard because the flavor comes through kinda strong)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. turmeric (mainly for color, but I like the flavor too)
1/2 tsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1 tsp. sriracha (or more!)
(optional) 1 1/2 tbsp. nutritional yeast (if you don’t like nooch then leave it out)

For Serving:
Head of romaine, washed and chopped
(optional) Red onion slices
(optional) Avocado slices
(optional) Cooked brown rice
(optional) Tortilla chips

To Make:
The Pepper: Preheat the oven to 425.  Brush both sides of each poblano half lightly with olive oil and place on a baking sheet.  Roast for 10 minutes, until skin looks blistery (P.S. – it smells SO GOOD when it’s roasting!).  Remove from oven, allow to cool, then peel off the skin and chop the peppers very finely.

The Beans: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm olive oil then saute garlic for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant and softened.  Add black beans, stir a few times, then add tomatoes.  Bring mixture to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat, stir in the spices, cover, and let it marinate for about 15 minutes.  Taste for seasoning, then turn off heat, remove cover, and let it sit some more to cool down a bit.

The Dressing/Sauce: Combine all ingredients except sriracha in another medium sauce pan over medium-low heat.  Heat gently until it starts to thicken and a few bubbles appear, stirring fairly frequently and watching it carefully so that it doesn’t burn.  Once the mixture begins to bubble, remove from heat and cover.  Let it sit for 5 minutes, then uncover and stir in the sriracha.  Allow it to cool slightly.

To Assemble:
Not that you need instructions on this, but here’s how I did mine:

1) Lettuce, topped with red onion slices and avocado (this avocado was in the top 5 best I’ve ever eaten, btw):

2) Brown rice, topped with beans:

NOTE: my rice was pre-cooked and cold from sitting in the fridge, so here I used it sort of as a buffer to keep the warm beans from ruining my raw veggies

3) Finally, drizzled with the dressing/sauce:

I was thrilled with how this salad turned out.  As I mentioned in the ingredients list, the sauce on its own has a strong mustard flavor, and the flavor of the roasted poblanos is fairly subtle by contrast.  But once you mix it all up into your salad it just tastes GOOD.

H was also super-happy with his dinner and I’m so glad that his little omnivore taste buds have embraced vegan cheesy sauces to such a degree, because it’s opening up a lot more options for me in terms of making dinners we can both enjoy without me having to make omni adjustments.   His palate has definitely adapted to the taste of nooch too, because not only did he gobble this meal, but he loved the carrot and squash risotto I made on Saturday and has been reheating it for lunch every day at work since.

By the way, I’m planning on pouring the leftover sauce over a tofu scramble.  Yup.

What do you think–is it a dressing or a sauce?

Also, if you have a great vegan cheese sauce recipe, please share it in the comments!

Vegan MoFo – Gettin’ Down with Brown

The point of this post is definitely not to be like “Look What I Ate!”  Trust me, I am aware that this is not 2007.  But once in a while I get excited about something I’ve made out of whatever stuff I have lying around.

Plus I’m really excited about the little bowl I made today because it fits in with my MoFo theme this week in that it’s full of yummy and under-appreciated brown foods!

Allow me to introduce you to the Brown Bowl (with accents of green of course!):

You’ve got your quinoa, your steamed kale, tempeh sausage crumbles, and brown rice all in one! (Sorry the image is a little off-center…Wordpress and I are currently having a disagreement over photo-editing.  And of course the rice looks white…sigh.)

Anyway, the bowl.  It’s a super-yummy and healthy option for lunch or dinner!  I suppose it doesn’t technically need a sauce but I like to have one.  Here, I used straight-up sriracha but a tahini sauce would be amazing as well (specifically I’m thinking a sriracha-tahini sauce.  Yeah, I’m obsessed.)

(And in this one everything is still off-center and looks yellow/orange.  Grr.)

I used the recipe for Tempeh Sausage Crumbles from Vegan with a Vengeance (click for recipe).  As I’ve mentioned before, I’m in the early stages of my tempeh appreciation.  I’m loving this recipe as a cheap and versatile way to incorporate this protein- and iron-rich food into my diet.  Seriously, a single serving of tempeh (1 cup) has 31 grams of protein.  [Source: NutritionData.com]  Compare to a serving of steak (3 oz., and who actually eats that little?) which has 23 grams of protein but is also served with an unattractive side of cholesterol [source].

My first go at the tempeh crumbles recipe made enough to feed me for something like 5 meals.  Last week I packed it up with mashed Yukon Gold potatoes (left over from this recipe) and steamed kale.

I didn’t eat it in little perfect sections obviously.  Here it is, all mixed up like 311:

Tempeh sausage crumbles…not just for brunch anymore!

Vegan MoFo – Somewhere in the Rainbow

The final week of Vegan MoFo is here!  I have covered foods of the red, orange, and yellow color persuasions, and I will spend this final week working with foods that cover the rest of the spectrum–blue, purple, black, brown, and white.

So yeah, I’m basically lumping a ton of stuff into one but that’s because there’s only a few days left and I don’t know if a) I could find enough to write about blue foods to fill those days, and b) I don’t want to leave out things like black, brown, and white because I feel like that would be too easy to do.  I love all colors the same and there are some wonderful foods in the neutral tones!

My pancake batter was smiling at me!

It’s actually going to be a pretty busy week for me so I might change up the order that I’ve been following a little bit, i.e. do a recipe roundup early in the week and show you an actual original recipe later.

For today I’m giving you risotto.  Yes, arborio rice is white and pretty.  I was feeling fall-y over the weekend and I had a ton of time on my hands while H was working, so I decided to make something that requires a little extra effort than I’d be prepared to exert on a typical weeknight.

I veganized and slightly adapted this recipe for Carrot and Winter Squash Risotto from The Produce Bible by Leanne Kitchen (I know! I wish my last name was Kitchen).

Ingredients
1/3 cup Earth Balance or other vegan butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 3/4 cup diced winter squash (I used butternut)
2 carrots, diced
8 cups vegetable stock
2 cups arborio rice
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese (I used Go Veggie!)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
(optional) fresh parsley for garnish

Directions
Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan.  Add the onion and saute for 1-2 minutes or until soft.

Add the diced winter squash and carrot and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Mash slightly with a potato masher.  In a separate stockpot, heat the stock over medium heat and keep the stock at simmering point.

Add the rice to the vegetables and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the grains are translucent. Ladle in 1/2 cup of hot stock and stir well. Reduce the heat and add the stock little by little, stirring constantly for 20-30 minutes, until the rice is tender and creamy.  You may use not all the stock or need to add some water.

Remove from the heat, add the remaining butter, parmesan cheese, nooch, and spices. Season with freshly ground black pepper and stir thoroughly. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.  Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Hope your week is off to a great start!

Vegan MoFo Yellow Week – Lunch Break

Week 3 of Vegan MoFo has put many delicious yellow foods on my plate.  Today for lunch I’m enjoying Vada Pav and Samosa Pav from my favorite (and 100% vegetarian!) Indian restaurant, Ritu Ki Rasoi in Burlington, Massachusetts.

The yellow color comes from the curry that is cooked into the potato fillings.

While deep-fried and therefore not the healthiest fare, these little fried potato sliders are honestly so freakin’ delicious.  They are garnished with garlic-coconut, tamarind, and cilantro chutneys, and are hot and crispy on the outside, and warm, soft and spicy on the inside.

Sometimes a little indulgence is totally called for. 🙂

Have a great weekend everyone!

Vegan MoFo Yellow Week Recipe Roundup – Chickpea Edition

I couldn’t go through a whole week of yellow foods without having at least some celebration of the chickpea!  Today I am sharing some recipes that showcase this wonderful legume.

Each and every one of these is a tried and true favorite of mine.  I can attest to their deliciousness AND the fact that they come together quickly.  This means that they are all great weeknight meals, and make great leftovers too!

From Cookbooks
Lemon Chickpea Lentil Soup from Eat Drink & Be Vegan by Dreena Burton (click for recipe)

Tamari Roasted Chickpeas also from Eat Drink & Be Vegan by Dreena Burton (click for recipe)

Chickpea Quinoa Pilaf from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terri Hope Romero (recipe reprinted here)

From the Blogosphere
Chick & Split Pea Curried Gravy (click for recipe) by How to Feed a Vegan (an oldie but goodie!  I posted about it way back in 2009!)

Maple Mustard Beans and Greens by Tina Haupert of Carrots ‘n’ Cake, for Health.com (click for recipe)

I made mine with frozen Swiss chard and corn (I didn’t have peas)

Chickpea Flour Pancakes Two Ways:
Jumbo Chickpea Pancake (click for recipe) by Angela of Oh She Glows
Chickpea Flour Pancakes with Cauliflower and Shiitake Mushrooms (click for recipe) by Vegan Richa

If that photo doesn’t make you want some, I don’t know what will!

If you have a favorite chickpea recipe, please share it in the comments!

Vegan MoFo Yellow Week – Lemon Desserts!

I originally intended for this to be a post about yellow dessert foods, and only as I was finishing up did I realize that all of these desserts utilize lemons! I guess I just really love lemons.  🙂  Here are some of my favorite desserts made from this lovely yellow fruit.

First I give you Lemonade Parfait with Fresh Summer Berries from Happy. Healthy. Life. (click for recipe).  Sorry for the kinda dark picture…this was a late night treat. 🙂

This is a homemade lemon pudding layered with fruit and “crunchies.”  Instead of the berries Kathy used in her original creation, I used chopped mango and bananas.  For crunch I used a vanilla almond granola I scooped from the bulk bins at Whole Foods.  There are tons of possibilities with this recipe and it’s a pretty healthy way to treat yourself.  My sister M (who is lactose-intolerant) was visiting when I made these and she seemed to enjoy it.  H said he liked his too. I’m not sure if he knew there was tofu in it though (surprise, honey!).

Banana Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting from Chloe’s Vegan Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli.

Unfrosted:

Frosted:

Believe it or not, I don’t usually salivate over my own photographs while I’m posting them after the fact, but these cupcake pictures are having that effect, just remembering how good they tasted.  I don’t even know what to say about these cupcakes without being a huge food bloggie cliche.  Heavenly?  Divine?  Whatever, they’re GOOD.  Make them.  I found the recipe reprinted online here.

And finally, the big kahuna, Lemon Yogurt Cake.

The original egg- and dairy-filled recipe by Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) has been one of my family’s favorite things around the holidays for years now.  It is a complex and impressive dessert (and high-calorie!), making it a perfect special occasion recipe.  I decided to veganize it for MoFo, because it’s yellow, and because, well, it’s about damn time.

Lemon Yogurt Cake, adapted/veganized from this recipe.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup plain coconut milk yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
2 flax eggs (1 flax egg = 1 tbsp ground flax seed + 3 tbsp water.  Combine and set aside for 15 minutes until it thickens up.)
1/2 ripe banana, mashed
2 tsp grated lemon zest (~2 lemons)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Glaze:
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.  Then grease and flour the pan.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.  In a separate large bowl, whisk together yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the flax eggs, banana, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup of lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear.  Set aside.

When the cake is done baking, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove it from the pan.  While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in.  Let the cake cool completely (this is the hardest part!).

Once the cake is cooled, make the glaze by combining the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice.  Pour glaze over the cake (I usually go back 3-4 times to collect the glaze from around the edges and re-pour it over the cake.).

Slice and enjoy!

Ready to go into the oven:

Fresh baked:

Soaking in the lemon “syrup”:

Glazed:

Sliced and finally ready to eat!

I was pretty pleased with how this adapted version of the cake came out.  It looks different than the original with the little flecks of flax seeds peeking through.  It’s also denser and slightly less sweet, but it is still moist and lemony and has the delicious “crust” of lemon glaze on the outside that is so delightful to bite into.

I initially wrestled with what to do to replace the 3 eggs that the original recipe calls for and settled on 2 flax + 1 banana “egg.”  I think 3 flax eggs is too much for any recipe, but I thought 1 flax + 2 banana, or even 1 flax + 1 banana + 1 applesauce “egg,” might have been too wet.  If I did it again, I might experiment with 1 flax + 1 banana + 1 silken tofu “egg.”  If you have no idea what I’m talking about, see this handy dandy guide to replacing eggs in vegan baking, courtesy of the ever-awesome Post Punk Kitchen.

If anyone tries this recipe with a different “egg” combo, let me know how it turns out!!

Cornmeal Crusted Mushrooms Stuffed with Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes

It’s Yellow Week!!

How much are you loving Vegan MoFo?  It can’t just be me.

I’ve been publishing this blog for over five years, and deciding to participate in MoFo this year was one of the best things I’ve done in that time.  Rather than feeling pressured or writer’s-blocked (not really a term) as I’d imagined I would, I feel totally inspired and eager to post!

The weirdest (or, more accurately, the most unexpected) thing for me is how motivated I have been to get in the kitchen and create my own recipes.  This is something I have never really done before.  As much as I’ve admired other bloggers who seem to have a never-ending stream of original recipes to share, over the years my own blog has focused on recipes I’ve made from my cookbooks or my vast collection of web-based recipes (most of them culled from other vegan food blogs), or on quick, convenient fare that is either semi-homemade or is homemade but way too simple to deserve a “recipe” post (e.g., roasted broccoli or baked potato with veggie chili).

But so far this month I have busted out the following:
Warm Strawberry Sauce
Basilberry Smoothie
Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Bisque
Gingered Sweet Potato and Black Bean Cakes
Creamsicle Frozen Yogurt Pops

Now, not saying I’m even approaching the level of the prolific bloggers I admire so much, but it’s a start!

And today I am so excited to share my latest creation–Cornmeal Crusted Mushrooms Stuffed with Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes.  The recipe looks lengthy but it’s actually very simple.  I just included a lot of steps to demonstrate the most time-efficient way of pulling it all together.

Also, don’t let my ugly night-time photos turn you off from this recipe (I also remain light years away from other bloggers in terms of food photography).  It is SO GOOD.

Cornmeal Crusted Mushrooms with Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes
Yield: 16-20 stuffed mushrooms, depending on size, plus lots of extra mashed potatoes
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
For the filling
2.5 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and rinsed
3 tbsp. + 1/2 tbsp. Earth Balance buttery spread (or other vegan margarine), separated
1 cup plain soy or almond milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. sea salt, or more to taste
(optional) Generous 1/4 tsp. turmeric
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

For the mushrooms
1 lb. cremini or button mushrooms, cleaned and destemmed (I used cremini)
1/2 cup corn meal
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1 tsp. olive oil
(optional) 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

Directions
Preheat oven to 375F.

Cut potatoes into medium-large chunks of approximately equal size.  Add to large stockpot and fill with water until the potatoes are covered.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer vigorously for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.

While the potatoes are cooking, lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and place mushrooms gills-side down on it.  Place in preheated oven and cook for 10 minutes, or until they begin to release their juices.  Remove from oven and turn over so that they’re gills-side up, then set aside to cool.

While potatoes and mushrooms are cooking, place soy milk and 3 tbsp. Earth Balance in a small saucepan and gently warm over low heat until the margarine is melted.  Keep warm on the stove.

While potatoes and mushrooms are cooking, lightly saute garlic in 1/2 tbsp. Earth Balance until fragrant.  Be careful not to burn it!  When the garlic is done, set it aside and reserve the skillet.

Once potatoes are tender, drain them and then add back to the pot, shaking around a few times to draw out some of the excess water.

Add potatoes to a large mixing bowl along with the garlic and soy milk mixture.  Mash using a potato masher until very smooth.  (It will look super-liquidy at first, but keep mashing and it’ll come together.)  Add seasonings, taste, and adjust as you wish.

Place cornmeal and Cajun seasoning on a salad plate and stir to combine.  One by one, dip mushrooms in the mixture until lightly coated.  (They should be moist enough after cooking to pick up the coating.)

Using the skillet in which the garlic was cooked, warm the olive oil.  When it is ready, add the mushrooms and pan-fry until the cornmeal coating is browned.  Flip over and repeat on the other side.  (When cooking them gills-side up, you may want to gently press down on the sides to make sure the coating cooks evenly.)

Finally, fill a pastry bag (or a Ziploc bag with a corner cut out) with mashed potatoes and pipe out a dollop onto each mushroom.  Sprinkle with smoked paprika and serve!

WIth broccoli, obviously.

I was so happy with how this recipe turned out.  Lots of yellow goodness–Yukon Golds, cornmeal, and turmeric too!  Even H thought it was good, and he has no great affection for mushrooms.

I have a whole bunch of mashed potatoes left over and I think I might buy a full-sized portobello to stuff with it for dinner tonight.  Options…

Vegan MoFo Yellow Week – Mac and Cheese Monday

It’s hard to believe that we are already halfway through the Vegan Month of Food.  I’ve been having a blast posting away on my color theme, and reading awesome content from some of my tried and true blogs while simultaneously discovering new favorites.

Week 3 of my MoFo theme is Yellow Week, and I have some good stuff lined up for it.  I’m especially excited about a post where I can share some of my favorite desserts made from yellow foods!

I’ve been pretty focused on my theme of food colors, but I did want to get in at least one post that’s on topic with the 2013 Vegan MoFo Daily Themes, one of which is Mac and Cheese Monday.

The other night I made Carrot and Cauliflower Mac and Cheese from the blog Meet the Shannons (click for recipe).

With plenty of delicious smoked paprika on top!

Now, I should mention that the photograph on the original recipe post shows a beautiful yellow mac.  This is why I thought it would be a perfect recipe to make for Mac and Cheese Monday on my blog’s yellow week.  Alas, mine turned out much more orange-looking.  BUT I used a gluten-free corn pasta (Sam Mills Pasta D’Oro fusilli) which was definitely bright yellow so I’m going with it!

I have to say, I loved this recipe.  It had this wonderful homey smell and taste that somehow reminded me of dinners I had with my English family when I was a kid.  H really liked it too.  After we finished our pasta we couldn’t stop ourselves from spreading some of the leftover sauce (there was a ton) on little baguette slices.  It was so good!

Even after all of the bread-dipping, plus two next-day pasta lunches, there was still a bit of sauce leftover, so I baked a potato and then mashed the remaining sauce over the top of it as a pre-fast meal for Yom Kippur.

With one last blast of caffeine, of course.

This was somehow even better than the mac and cheese, and was incredibly filling.  No joke, I think I might make more of the sauce (I still have the other half of the head of cauliflower in the fridge) and just eat it with mashed-up baked potatoes for the rest of the week.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Vegan MoFo Orange Week – Fun with Fruit

Good day, blogosphere!  [Disclaimer: I have pre-scheduled this post for Saturday, September 14, which also happens to be Yom Kippur.  Since I will not be eating, I also will not be checking in with food blogs, so if you leave me a comment and I don’t respond right away, I’m not ignoring you!  I’m just hungry.]

There are so many lovely orange fruits out there–mangoes, papayas, persimmons, apricots, and of course oranges!  Today I will be discussing oranges and peaches.

You may think that peaches are yellow (or even red, because of their skin!), but today I’m calling them orange. And this chart backs me up!

[Source]

Besides, I said I had a MoFo theme, but I never said there would be any science to it. 🙂

Anyway.  Beautiful orangey oranges!

Orange Slices

I love raw orange slices for breakfast or a pre-workout snack.  There is also nothing quite like fresh-squeezed orange juice, served as a side with breakfast or used as the base for a fruity smoothie.

This week I came up with another fun use for orange juice–Creamsicle Frozen Yogurt Pops!

Yield: 6 pops (my mold only holds 4 but there was definitely enough yogurt for 6! I know because I ate the excess for dessert :))
Time: 5-10 minutes (depending on how long it takes you to juice!)

You Need:
Juice of 2 navel oranges (mine yielded a generous 3/4 cup of juice)
1 pint of plain So Delicious coconut milk yogurt, or other non-dairy yogurt of choice
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (omit if using vanilla-flavored yogurt)

To Make:
Add ingredients to a blender and blend until well-combined. OR: add ingredients to a deep bowl and blend using an immersion blender until well-combined.  Fill popsicle molds with mixture and freeze overnight or until solid.  It’s that easy!

Note: the orange flavor of these is fairly muted.  You could amp it up by adding the juice of an additional orange.  This would also make the texture of the pops slightly more icy and less creamy.

My popsicle molds have a little built-in straw on the side through which you can supposedly sip up leftover popsicle meltiness.  I usually eat mine too quickly for there to be much melting though.

Moving on…

Peaches and orange together also make a lovely pairing.  The tart citrusy taste of the orange works so well with the smooth sweetness of the peach.  I blogged recently about the Summer Orchard Bruschetta from Happy. Healthy. Life. (click for recipe) that I made for our softball team’s end-of-season barbecue.  Seriously, try this recipe before the last of 2013’s peaches are gone!

I also love these flavors blended together into a Peach-Orange Smoothie.

This one contained 1 cup of orange juice, 1 fresh peach, 1 frozen banana, and 1 tbsp of hemp seeds.  It was SO refreshing and energizing.

[I tried (with minimal success) to photograph this smoothie without the stupid BarBri logo getting in the way.  While I normally try to avoid all reminders of the bar exam, I can’t help that I really like their smoothie cup!]

And here’s a yummy peach recipe for you, which I call Peaches ‘n’ Cream Overnight Oats:

To make this, I followed the recipe for Overnight Strawberry Banana Bread Oatmeal by Synthia from Cookies to Kale (click for original recipe), but I subbed chopped peaches for the strawberries, and used coconut-almond milk instead of water for extra creaminess.  This is a very filling breakfast!

Alright, back to starving.