Author Archives for Ben Woodworth

About Ben Woodworth

Father, vegan. Sharing what i eat and cook. Juggler of things real and imagined.

Orange & Radish Salad with Mint

This recipe for my Mom. She loves radishes! My Mom & Dad will plant these first thing every spring and see how many crops they can get in before the weather stops cooperating. With a salt shaker handy, they’ll eat them like popcorn while they wait for the next batch to get big enough to harvest.

This citrusy salad will make a flavorful, fresh (and inexpensive) complement to your holiday table!

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Refrigeration Time: 2 hours

½ cup lemon juice

2 Tbsp sugar

¼ tsp salt

4 large navel oranges

1 bunch red radishes

2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Zest of 1 lemon & 1 orange

In a small bowl combine the lemon juice, sugar, and salt and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. Set aside.

With a sharp knife, slice the tops and bottoms off of the oranges. With one of those flat sides on the cutting board, guide your knife under the peel from top to bottom to remove the peel and pith. Hold the now naked orange in the palm of your clean hand and over a large bowl slice out the sections, letting the juice and orange segments fall into the bowl. Clean, trim, and thinly slice the radishes (I use a box grater). Combine and toss with the oranges. Chop the mint and parsley and add to the bowl along with the lemon juice mixture. Toss gently and chill for at least 2 hours. Toss gently again and serve with freshly zested lemon and orange.

Enjoy!

Roasted Beet Catsup

Prep Time: 20 minutes / Cook Time: 45 Minutes / Refrigeration Time: 2 hours

3 medium/large fresh beets, trimmed, peeled, and quartered

½ sliced red onion

1 peeled garlic clove

3/4 cup of water

2 Tbsp white vinegar

1 Tbsp brown sugar

½ tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce

1/8 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Trim, peel, and quarter the beets. Place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Let cool.

Slice the red onion and add it to a high-speed blender or food processor. Add the cooled roasted beets, garlic clove, white vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and ½ cup of the water. Pulse the blender and check the consistency. It should be obvious, but you’re going for a catsup consistency…if you’ve arrived, do not add the additional ¼ cup of water, if not, add the remaining water slowly until you reach your preference. Test for salt and sweetness. You’re going to have some variability with this recipe due to the liquid and sugar content of the beets. Do not be afraid to adjust until it’s best for your taste buds. Chill before serving.

Enjoy!

Cranberry Pumpkin Scones

Prep Time: 15 minutes / Cook Time: 20-25 Minutes / Total Time: about 1 hour

This is probably the best scone recipe I’ve ever come across – It’s from King Arthur Flour and here’s the original link:

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/harvest-pumpkin-scones-recipe

I went ahead and veganized it and instead of the crystallized ginger, I used 1 ½ dried cranberries.

Here are the veganized adjustments:

Swap the ½ cup butter with Earth Balance Sticks or similar plant-based brand.

Replace the 2 eggs with Flax eggs. For the flax eggs: Mix 2 Tbsp of ground flax seed with 6 Tbsp warm water. Let this mixture sit and thicken for at least 5 minutes before adding it to the recipe as instructed.

Lastly, I topped my scones with Demerara Cane Sugar Crystals – it’s sturdy, won’t melt as easily as brown sugar, but still has those nice molasses hints in its flavor. I eliminated the milk wash altogether; the dough was tacky enough for the sugar to adhere without it.

Enjoy!

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Prep Time: 25 minutes / Cook Time: 10-12 minutes per batch / Preheated 375 degree Fahrenheit oven

1 cup of Earth Balance (or similar) butter

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 cups of granulated sugar

2 flax eggs (1 Tbsp ground flax seed + 3 Tbsp warm water + 5 minutes = 1 egg)

2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

For the flax eggs: In a small bowl, mix 2 Tbsp of ground flax seed with 6 Tbsp warm water. Let this mixture sit and thicken for at least 5 minutes before adding it to the recipe.

In a large bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, and sugars with an electric mixer on medium until creamed. Add the flax eggs and vanilla and beat well.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix well.

Form dough into a big hunk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

When chilled and firm, using a big spoon, drop about 2 rounded Tbsp of dough on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2” apart. Flatten with a fork dipped in warm water with a crisscross pattern.

Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit on center oven rack for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!

Chewy Cocoa Cookies

Prep Time: 25 minutes / Cook Time: 8-10 minutes per batch / Preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven

1 ¼ cups of Earth Balance (or similar) butter

2 cups of granulated sugar

2 flax eggs (1 Tbsp ground flax seed + 3 Tbsp warm water + 5 minutes = 1 egg)

2 tsps vanilla extract

2 cups of all-purpose flour

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

For the flax eggs: In a small bowl, mix 2 Tbsp of ground flax seed with 6 Tbsp warm water. Let this mixture sit and thicken for at least 5 minutes before adding it to the recipe.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium until creamed. Add the flax eggs and vanilla and beat well.

Combine flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix well.

At this point I put the mixer away and use a rubber spatula. Fold in the walnuts (optional) until distributed evenly.

Using a big spoon, drop about 2 Tbsp of dough on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2” apart.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit on center oven rack for 8-10 minutes or until the edges have firmed up. Let cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Variation: Substitute up to 1 cup of the flour with Vega Vanilla Chai or Chocolate…a tasty and healthful twist.

Another Variation: Sub the walnuts for chocolate chips or chopped peanuts.

Enjoy!

Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Prep Time: 25 minutes / Cook Time: 8-10 minutes per batch / Preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven

1 stick plus 6 Tbsp, Earth Balance (or similar) sticks, softened

¾ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 flax eggs (1 Tbsp ground flax seed + 3 Tbsp warm water + 5 minutes = 1 egg)

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

3 cups “Old Fashioned” oats (uncooked)

1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

For the flax eggs: In a small bowl, mix 2 Tbsp of ground flax seed with 6 Tbsp warm water. Let this mixture sit and thicken for at least 5 minutes before adding it to the recipe.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer on medium until creamed. Add the flax eggs and vanilla and beat well.

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix well.

At this point I put the mixer away and use a rubber spatula. Add in the oats and raisins and mix well.

Using a big spoon, drop about 2 Tbsp of dough on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2” apart.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit on center oven rack for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!

Easy Cornbread

Prep Time: 15 minutes / Cook Time: 20 minutes / Preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

½ cup Earth Balance Sticks (or similar), melted and cooled slightly

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp Agave syrup

1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax seed + 3 Tbsp warm water + 5 minutes = 1 egg)

1 cup plant milk (I use unsweetened almond milk

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

For the flax egg: In a small bowl, mix 1 Tbsp of ground flax seed with 3 Tbsp warm water. Let this mixture sit and thicken for at least 5 minutes before adding it to the recipe.

Mix plant milk and apple cider vinegar together and let it come to room temperature to make “buttermilk”.

Mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.

Next, mix the melted butter, brown sugar, and agave together until smooth. Whisk in the room temperature “buttermilk” mixture and flax egg.

Add the wet ingredients into the dry and combine – Don’t overmix.

Pour batter into a greased 8 or 9 inch square or round baking pan and place on the center oven rack. Bake for 20 minutes. The top should brown a bit and the edges should pull away from the sides of the pan. An inserted toothpick should come out clean.

Let it cool and rest. Slice.

Variations: Add vegan cheddar shreds and/or fresh jalapeños to the dry ingredients and coat before adding the wet ingredients. Not too much though or you’ll have to adjust the wet ingredient proportions to compensate for the extra moisture.

Enjoy!

Fiesta Chickpea Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Refrigerate for 2 hours to rest and blend / Serve at room temp

2 cans of garbanzo beans drained – around 2 cups

1 small can diced green chilies

1 medium onion – chopped

2 garlic cloves – chopped

3 medium tomatoes – chopped

2 jalapeños – chopped

3 Tbsp of chopped fresh cilantro

1 ½ tsps. cumin

½ cup fresh lime juice

¼ cup olive oil

Salt and black pepper to taste

Get a bowl and mix everything together. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours but serve at room temperature.

You can leave out the green chilies if you want or replace them with a couple canned chipotle chilies in adobo.

Get fancy and grate a little lime zest on top before serving…why not!

Another crazy variation: Blend the whole thing into a hummus consistency and serve with tortilla chips and salsa!

Enjoy!

Fennel Orzo Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes / Cook Time: 10-12 minutes for Orzo / Refrigerate for 1 hour

1 pound (1 package) cooked Orzo – Drained and shocked with cold water to stop cooking

1 cup finely chopped green onions

1 cup finely chopped fresh fennel (can substitute celery)

¼ finely chopped fresh parsley

1 ½ cups of plant-based plain Greek yogurt (about 2 store-sized packages)

¼ olive oil

¼ Tabasco

¼ dried dill

½ tsp black pepper and salt

Cook the orzo according to the package directions and shock to cool…drain well. In a large bowl mix the orzo with the veggies, parsley, and olive oil. Add the yogurt, spices, and tabasco. Mix well and refrigerate to rest and blend the flavors. The starches will tighten up a bit so toss again before serving…add some additional olive oil, salt and pepper if needed before serving.

Variation: Add some thawed frozen baby peas or edamame for some extra protein or top with some toasted pistachios or walnuts for an additional crunch.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Krispie Bars

These crispy treats will raise your body temperature a little, but in a good way! Easy to make and experiment with…change up your nut butters and rice cereal, layer them with coconut, or sprinkle them with nuts, any way you make ’em they’ll be the most popular sweet at the potluck!

Prep Time: 5 minutes / Cook Time: 10 Minutes / Refrigeration Time: 2 hours

3 cups of Cocoa Crisp Rice Cereal

1/2 cup unsweetened Almond Butter (or other unsweetened nut butter)

1/2 Raw Agave Syrup

1/2 Dark Chocolate Chips or Chunks

Grease an 8 x 11″ glass baking dish with coconut oil.

Pour the Rice Cereal in a large bowl. In a double boiler (or gently in a saucepan) soften the almond butter and agave, stirring it smooth in the process. Once this has become warm, turn off your heat and add the chocolate chunks. Fold in once or twice – they should just start to melt. Pour over the rice cereal and fold to combine with a rubber spatula. Working quickly, scrape the mixture into the baking dish and press to flatten evenly to the perimeter.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Cut into domino size pieces as needed and serve. Best kept refrigerated.

Enjoy!

 

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