Vegan Lemon Curd

The word "curd" is a little off-putting. I always end up thinking of cottage cheese or the great state of Wisconsin. But in reality, lemon curd is a delicious and versatile treat. Surprisingly creamy and delightfully tart, you can spread lemon curd on just about anything: ice cream, toast, scones, or you could even use it to fill a cupcake. Sure, you could buy a jar, or you could make your own in less than 15 minutes.

The great thing about curd recipes is that you can tweak it to however you'd like it to be. Want it sweeter? Add more sugar. Rather have lime or orange curd? Go right ahead. I'm not the kitchen police. Mix it up and have a little fun.

Further, a citrus curd makes a great present. Just wrap them up in little jars with a cute little tag describing the contents and you could give this away as a birthday or even Christmas present. I even think this would make a really great party favor!

This lemon curd recipe is adapted from Kim's recipe at C'est La Vegan . I prefer more lemon juice and more lemon zest for a more tart, lemony impact. Also, many recipes call for turmeric just for the color. I didn't want to muddle the flavor at all, so I left that out and still got a beautiful creamy yellow hue. While the curd smells like an ambrosial blend of coconut and lemon (I wish I could turn it into a candle, in fact), it has a great tangy lemon punch with a twinge of creamy coconut on the finish. Delicious.

Lemon Curd 
3/4 cup light coconut milk
3/4 cup lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
lemon zest (I used zest from 3 lemons)
Zest lemons, then juice. Add lemon juice, coconut milk, cornstarch, and sugar to saucepan. Whisk until completely combined. Cook/whisk on high heat until mixture is hot, but not boiling. Reduce heat to medium, and continue to whisk until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and add vanilla and lemon zest. Remove from pan immediately and allow to cool before covering and refrigerating. 

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

I'll admit that I've spent a lot of time in the kitchen this summer. And as much as I'd like to pretend I've been slaving over a hot stove and whisking sauces until my arms are ready to fall off, it hasn't been like that. I've enjoyed every single minute of food preparation, and I've challenged myself to make new dishes and try new things.

Well, this is one of those new things I've tried. I'd seen recipes for this popping up on FoodGawker every now and again, some comparing it to my beloved macaroni and cheese. I didn't believe that a pasta with Butternut Squash Sauce would be such an amazing comfort food, but it truly did parallel my favorite cheesy pasta dishes and definitely won a place in my go-to recipe box.

This recipe is a simplified version of other recipes I found online. Mostly, I didn't have celery or tomato paste on hand and really didn't feel like going to the grocery store. But as a result, this pasta sauce is full of butternut flavor and because of the combination with thyme, tastes like fall. Even better, it's incredibly simple.

 First, I boiled a 20 oz package of butternut squash until it was soft. Usually I don't mind deconstructing fresh vegetables, but this is actually a bit out of season right now, so I could only find it in chunks. But, it was a great time-saver!

Then after removing the squash from the pot and draining the water, I heated some olive oil and added a chopped onion and two cloves of garlic. I let the onions turn translucent, and then added the vegetable stock. Again, cook the onion until very soft.

 After adding the squash back into the pot and letting it cook for a few more minutes, I took the pot off the heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Then, I blended the squash and onions until smooth (I had to do this in batches because my blender is pretty small). Then, I poured the squash puree back into the pot.

To season, I added a teaspoon of dried thyme (you could use a tablespoon of fresh thyme if you have it on hand) and a bit of salt and pepper to taste. I also added some plain unsweetened almond milk to make it creamy. I set the sauce aside while the pasta cooked and threw it back on the stove for just a minute to reheat before serving (I like my pasta sauce steaming hot).

 A little bit of extra cracked pepper on top....and oh, I suppose you might like a close-up.

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce (Serves 4)

20 oz butternut squash pieces

1 large onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup low sodium vegetable stock

1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk (or other plain milk)

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and pepper, to taste

Boil squash in medium pot on stove until soft. Drain and set aside. In the same pot, heat olive oil and add onion and garlic. Cook on medium heat until onions are translucent. Add 1/2 cup of the vegetable stock and let simmer until onions are soft. Add squash pieces back in and let cook until all vegetables are soft. Remove from heat and let mixture cool about 10 minutes. Blend mixture until smooth, then put back in the pot. Add remaining vegetable stock, almond milk, and thyme. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat through and serve.

Nutrition Estimates (for one serving of sauce)

Calories: 142 Carbs: 20g Fat: 7g Protein: 4g

Cold Quinoa Tacos

I knew when I stumbled across a recipe for a quinoa, black bean, and corn salad from Girl Cooks World that it would be a dish that I would absolutely have to try. Not to mention I felt inspired by the beautiful pictures on her blog of Cuzco, so I set out to make a bright meal that would please the palette.

But I made a few changes. And those change, while not necessary, made a salad into a meal. Instead of the balsamic vinaigrette, I used a Southwestern Vinaigrette adapted from CDKitchen. The combination of cumin, cilantro, garlic, and oregano gave the salad a warm flavor, and a dash of cayenne pepper probably helped too. Also, it was blazing hot outside when I made these, so the cool food was quite light and refreshing (but really filling).

I mixed up the salad earlier in the day, and let it marinate in the Vinaigrette for a few hours before dinner. I plated a huge serving of the salad (guiltlessly: it's quinoa, after all) alongside half of a sliced avocado and a few corn tortillas heated in a pan on the stove. Trust me, take the extra few minutes and heat your tortillas this way: they turn crispy and warm in a way that is much more pleasing than warming them in the microwave.

Cold Quinoa Tacos (Makes 8 Servings)
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1 15 oz can black beans (rinsed)
1 cup frozen corn (I used fire roasted corn from Trader Joe's)
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar or rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
black pepper (to taste)
garlic powder (to taste)

Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve if not pre-washed. Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a medium covered saucepan, then reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes or until water is completely absorbed. Remove from heat, uncover, fluff with fork, and let cool slightly.

In another bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard powder, oregano, cumin, black pepper, and garlic powder. Adjust seasonings to your own preferences.

In large bowl, combine quinoa, black beans, corn, red bell pepper, and cilantro. Toss with vinaigrette. Serve immediately or chill for a few hours to marinate. Serve with heated corn tortillas and sliced avocado or guacamole.

Nutrition Estimates (for taco filling without tortillas or avocado)
Calories: 230 Carbs: 31g Fat: 9g Protein: 6g

Banana Oat Muffins

Those who know me know that I love breakfast foods. And there's two breakfast foods that I favor the most: pancakes and muffins. But this post, I will limit the fangirling to the topic of muffins.

The morning is a time for sipping large cups of coffee while reading the paper or watching the television and eating sweet carbohydrates. But of course, not everyone has time to lounge about with their mug. But I insist on at least having the muffins.

I should probably mention that I have a habit of buying cutesy muffin tin liners. Polka dots, stripes, and plaid call to me. I don't like fancy decorations on my breakfast cupcakes, but pretty muffin tin liners are completely acceptable and in fact are necessary. You know, because of the cute.

These muffins, while made to use up some blackening bananas, are deliciously moist (almost gooey) and chock full of banana flavor while surprisingly healthy (and vegan). I highly suggest smearing these with your favorite peanut butter alongside a steaming mug of strong coffee.

Banana Oat Muffins (Makes 12 muffins)
1 1/4 cups wheat flour
1 cup rolled or quick oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 mashed bananas (overly ripe are best)
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix wet and dry ingredients separately, then mix together until just combined. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each well of a lined muffin pan and sprinkle tops with decorative sugar or a few extra oats. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Nutrition Estimates:
Calories: 150 Carbs: 27g Fat: 4g Protein: 3g