Vegan Winter Lentil Stew

A rich and hearty medley of vegetables, lentils, and herbs makes this freezer-friendly Vegan Winter Lentil Stew the perfect cold-weather comfort food.

Link to the Original Recipe from www.budgetbytes.com

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)

• 1 yellow onion

• 4 cloves garlic

• 4 carrots (about 1/2 lb.)

• 4 stalks celery

• 2 lbs potatoes

• 1 cup brown lentils

• 1 tsp dried rosemary

• 1/2 tsp dried thyme

• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce

• 1 Tbsp brown sugar

• 6 cups vegetable broth

• 1 cup frozen peas

Instructions

• Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the olive oil, onion, and garlic to a large soup pot and begin to sauté over medium heat.

• While the onion and garlic are sautéing, dice the celery, then add it to the pot and continue to sauté. As the celery, onion, and garlic are sautéing, peel and chop the carrots into half rounds. Add the carrots to the pot and continue to sauté.

• As the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots are sautéing, peel and cube the potatoes into 3/4 to 1-inch pieces. Add the cubed potatoes to the pot along with the lentils, rosemary, thyme, Dijon, soy sauce, brown sugar, and vegetable broth.

• Briefly stir the ingredients to combine, then place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to high, and bring the stew up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Toward the end of the simmer time, when the potatoes are very soft, begin to mash the potatoes a bit as you stir. This will help thicken the stew.

• Finally, after 30 minutes, stir in the frozen peas and allow them to heat through. Taste the stew and add salt if needed (this will depend on the salt content of your broth, I did not add any extra). Serve hot and enjoy!

Vegan Salted Espresso Brownie Cookies

The most decadent & fudgy Vegan Salted Espresso Brownie Cookies! Also known as vegan brookies, these double chocolate chip cookies feature a brownie-like batter mixed with dark, aromatic espresso & topped with flaky sea salt for the ultimate dairy-free & eggless dessert!

Link to the Original Recipe from www.shortgirltallorder.com

Ingredients

• ¾ cup all purpose flour

• 1 Tablespoon finely ground espresso

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ cup dark chocolate chips melted

• ¼ cup coconut oil melted

• ¼ cup organic white sugar

• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 flax egg *1 Tablespoon (8 grams) ground flaxseed mixed with 3 Tablespoons water, left to sit 5-10 minutes until thick*

• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

• ¼ cup chocolate chips optional, to add into mix

• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt optional, to top cookies

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350F and place a sheet of parchment paper a large baking pan.

• First, sift together the all-purpose flour, espresso, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl and set aside.

• Then, melt the chocolate and coconut oil. Add a few inches of water to a small pan and bring to a simmer. In a separate heatproof bowl, add your chocolate chips and coconut oil. Set the bowl over the pan with simmering water and stir until completely melted and smooth. Remove the bowl of chocolate from the heat and let sit. It's also fine to microwave together in microwave safe bowl, stopping every 20-30 seconds to stir until completely melted.

• Pour the melted chocolate and coconut oil into a large mixing bowl right after melting. Then, add the white sugar, brown sugar, flax egg, and vanilla bean paste to the bowl and whisk together until combined.

• Gradually add the bowl of sifted dry ingredients to the larger mixing bowl with wet ingredients and mix until a smooth batter has formed. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix one last time to make sure all the dry ingredients are evenly mixed. The batter will be soft and like a brownie batter at this point.

• If you are adding chocolate chips to the cookies (highly recommended!), add the additional ¼ cup of chocolate chips and fold into the batter with a spatula.

• Use a cookie/ice cream scooper to form cookie dough balls about 1 Tbsp in size and drop them onto the parchment paper. Make sure to leave enough space between each cookie as they will spread.

• Bake for 8-9 minutes until cookies are crinkled on the outside, but still soft on the inside. Remove from the oven and let the cookies sit on the baking tray for at least 10 minutes to cool and firm u[ as they will be very soft. After that 10 minute mark, use a spatula to gently remove each cookie and place onto a cooling rack. Once cooled, top with extra flaky sea salt and enjoy!

NOTES

• Because these cookies are made using coconut oil, it is NOT recommended to chill the dough before baking as this affects the spread of the cookies. If you chill the dough, the cookies will not spread as much and will be thick.

• Chips or Lily's Dark Chocolate Chips are my favorite. However, if you prefer a sweeter cookie, semi sweet can also work- just make sure it's vegan!

• Cookies can be stored in a closed container at room temperature for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Since we are using coconut oil, they do not store as well in the fridge.

• Recipe very slightly adapted from The Boy Who Bakes Brownie Crinkle Cookies

Recipe: Mushroom Wellington with Rosemary and Pecans

Here’s a little number that may come in handy for the holidays – Mushroom Wellington with Rosemary and Pecans. This, my friends the perfect, most elegant, vegan main dish for your Thanksgiving, Christmas or holiday table! And the best part? It is very simple!!!

Link to the Original Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 box -2 sheets vegan puff pastry, thawed in the fridge overnight. (Use cold-not at room temp)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter)

• 2 pounds mushrooms, sliced, stems OK (except Shiitake stems)

• 1 large onion, diced

• 4–6 fat garlic cloves, rough chopped

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (or sage, or thyme)

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 cup sherry wine ( not sherry vinegar) marsala wine, ruby port (or red wine or white wine) – or leave it out! see notes.

• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

• 1 cup chopped, toasted pecans ( or feel free to sub hazelnuts or walnuts)

• ½ teaspoon pepper

• 2 teaspoons truffle oil ( optional)

• OPTIONS -if you want to add cheese, add ½ – 1 cup grated pecorino, gruyere, goat cheese or cream cheese- or use a meltable vegan cheese- or make vegan ricotta!

• “Egg” wash – use nut milk, cream or melted coconut oil to brush on the pastry. If not worried about it being vegan, whisk an egg with a tablespoon of water.

Instructions

• Make sure your puff pastry is thawed before you start -cold, but thawed. (Note if it is too warm, it may fall apart, if too cold, it will be too stiff to roll.)

• Preheat oven to 400F

• MAKE THE FILLING: Heat oil in an extra-large skillet or dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onions, garlic, salt and rosemary and saute, stirring often, until mushrooms release all their liquid. Turn heat down to medium, and continue sauteing until all the liquid has evaporated, be patient, this will take a little time! Once the mushrooms are relatively dry in the pan, splash with the sherry wine and balsamic vinegar and again, sauté on medium heat until all the liquid has cooked off. This is important- you absolutely do not want a watery filling ( it will turn into a mess!). Add the toasted chopped pecans, pepper, truffle oil. Taste, adjust salt to your liking. At this point, you could fold in some cheese if you like.

• Let the filling cool 15-20 minutes (you could make the filling a day ahead and refrigerate).

• Fill 2 Puff Pastries: Carefully unroll the puff pastry onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (if it seems stiff, let it thaw a few more minutes until pliable). Place half the filling in a mound along the center (see photo) and working quickly, roll the pastry up, and over, seam side down. Fill and roll the second sheet.

• Brush with the egg or eggless wash.

• Score the pastry using a razor blade or sharp knife with your choice of design – cross-hatch, herringbone, leafy vine or just simple diagonal slits.

• Bake: Place the sheet pan on the middle rack in the oven for 35 minutes, checking at 2o mins, and rotating pan for even browning if necessary. Let the pastry bake until it is a really deep golden color – to ensure it’s done and flaky all the way through. You may need to add 5 more minutes depending on your oven. Convection will help if you have this setting (use it for the last 5-10 minutes) Please, let’s not have any pale pastries!!! Nice and golden!

• Cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving. Garnish with Rosemary Sprigs. It’s OK to serve at room temp, but warm is best.

• See notes for making ahead!

NOTES

Feel free to add other veggies to the mushrooms, just as long as the filling is not watery and still has flavor (adjust salt and seasonings!). Roasted parsnips, wilted spinach, roasted sweet potatoes or butternut, sautéed kale, roasted sunchokes ….would all work well here.

Feel free to sub other nuts for the pecans, like toasted walnuts or hazelnuts.

When I made these, I made one roll vegan and one with cheese. Both are good. 😉

If making ahead, I would recommend making the filling ahead, then assemble and bake the day of. OR you can also make and bake the whole thing ahead and reheat ( letting it come to room temp first).  If baking ahead, bake until the puff pastry is cooked through, but not too golden. Let it get golden when reheating. It will look “prettier” baked the day of.

You can leave out the wine altogether, and not replace it with anything. I find it does add another level of complexity, but up to you.