Thursday, January 18, 2024

Kristen's Memorable Lasagna

This was given to me by my good friend, Kristen. She recited from memory, her favorite recipe for lasagna as I wrote it down. I will never forget her kindness to me. This is in a bit different format than I usually write my posts, but I think you'll understand that she was also one of a kind. I will never forget her.

Sauce: Combine: onion, chopped & sautéed

        carrots, thinly sliced (mandolin is optional)

        prepared tomato sauce

        garlic &/ onion powder, optional


Pasta: Boil one package of lasagna noodles, preferably gluten free, made from brown rice, until al dente, not too soft! 


Creamy Cashew Cheese: Make one batch of creamy cashew cheese, by blending in a high powered blender until smooth the following

1 cup cashews, fermented if you choose

1/3 cup water

1/4 teaspoon garlic granules

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

Blend in a high powered blender until smooth.


Assemble in layers, a little bit of sauce on bottom of a 9”x13” pan, then the following:

1. 3 noodles

2. Sauce

3. Fresh spinach

4. Dollops of creamy cashew cheese 

5. Optional - vegan cheese

6. Repeat steps 1-5

7. Again, repeat steps 1-5

8. Repeat step 1 with the last 3 lasagna noodles 

9. Add the last of the sauce and any cashew cheese left. 


You can add any seasonings in the dish or as a topping before baking that you like. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and cheese is melted. Let rest for a few minutes, before cutting, so it will stay together better. 

Saturday, January 15, 2022

Thoughts and Milestones...

   I am coming up on my 14th year with this blog. I have wanted to revamp things here some for quite some time. I need to scale down some old posts. Add things here and there. That type of thing. 

   Some things may disappear... But as it is now, this (updated and revamped) Vegan Footprints blog will continue to be available. I want to post links to other blogs to show you where I have used some recipes that my family enjoys on the regular. 

   I have found that since I started this blog back in 2008, the vegan, now called plant based, world has really exploded with ideas... and some very good ones, I might add. What better way to see those great ideas, than to point you to those other places, to see for yourself.

   I have enjoyed writing this blog and have never monetized it for a reason. I truly like the cozy feel of an unfettered blog. No ads, no sponsors, etc. will distract you here or clammer for your attention. Commenting will show me who's reading and enjoying the content I feel relevant enough to post. 

My corner of the internet will remain for now. It just might look different. Thanks, everyone! 

Saturday, October 23, 2021

A True Friend is a Blessing Forever... and A Note About Tidying Up & Peace of Mind

 I am inspired today to write after a day of rest. In our home, Shabbat Shalom is a greeting and blessing. 

Today we had nothing planned. In fact, something this morning I thought I needed to do, was not happening after all and I found my day laid bare of any responsibilities, as it should be on such a day. I was glad for the breather really. Soon after I dressed and was in the kitchen making myself a smoothie on this fine day, a friend called. Because of this call, we had a wonderful visit with them for a number of hours, just chatting and enjoying catching up. 

This visit happened to be in our home. I only mention this because I must confess something. I am a procrastinator when it comes to inviting others to come to our home. I'm still learning how to do it well and without reservation or anxiety. This was a close friend and is always welcome. In fact, we were exceptionally excited they reached out to us, especially on their way here. On short notice and all. 

There are a few things I want to note here today. First of all, we had prepared our home yesterday for Shabbat (Sabbath), mainly because our son joins us almost every Friday evening. He comes after a long day at work for a late supper and fellowship before he heads home. While I wasn't always prepared like this every Friday evening, this time we were in good shape. And by that I mean not perfect, but tidy and dishes done. My dusting isn't up to par yet, but nonetheless, things were put away mostly. Our home has what you might call a "lived in" feeling that yes, indeed, a family really lives here. 



On occasion, I have heard those visit say that our home helps them to relax and feel at home in a tidy place, to paraphrase. You see, I grew up in a home that wasn't always to the standard that my mother was comfortable. In fact, very few of my friends probably even came to my home growing up. It wasn't bad, but it was not what my mother thought others would like. She was very anxious about others in her home and didn't feel the decor or amount of stuff in her home was picture perfect. She was worried what others would think.

My anxiety as an adult has always been lessened when I put things away or just had fewer things to take care of. Many people may see that as a leaning toward minimalism. Call it whatever you want. I like to call it peace of mind, sanity, a margin if you will. My mind finds clarity, peace and so much more when I have things in order. 



My stove might be clean on top, but I'm not perfect when it comes to wiping out my oven as much as I'd like. Or that dusting I told you about... Oh, and my desk! Well, let's just say it's "lived in". 

I don't say it to boast, but rather to mention that I have learned ways to adapt my surroundings so my mind can rest. Today, was a rather light day and it was made easy and enjoyable by our friend coming to visit. They were a blessing to me today. And it doesn't hurt to prepare for anything, come what may. Blessings and all. 

Friday, May 3, 2019

Simple Spice Cake - Oil Free

I've been involved with theater for the past few years and I had the privilege to portray Mrs. Frank for a production of The Diary of Anne Frank earlier this year. Because of my interest in food, I volunteered to make the food that was part of our onstage scenes. There's a scene for New Year's Day 1944 celebrating with spice cake. Historically The Diary of Anne Frank is one of many stories of Jews hiding during the holocaust, and it takes place in Amsterdam, Holland.

I loved spice cake when I was young and hadn't had any for years until I was looking for a recipe for this play. I hope you enjoy this simple version. It isn't overly sweet and I like it that way.

Spice Cake - Oil Free



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (185 degrees Celsius). Prepare a large loaf pan or a square  (8"x 8") cake pan using parchment paper to line pan.

Mix and set aside:
1 Tablespoon ground flax seed (dark preferred)
1/4 cup water

Mix in separate bowl and whisk to mix (using a small sieve to sift any lumps):
1 1/2 cup whole grain flour (can be whole wheat pastry flour)
1/3 cup turbinado sugar or 3 Tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon Chinese five spice OR pumpkin spice

Mix in a separate 2 cup liquid measuring cup the following:
1 cup applesauce (can be part pumpkin puree)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons dark molasses (not blackstrap, unless you prefer it)
ground flax seed & water as directed above - add here to liquids

Mix the wet into the dry ingredients. It should be a fairly stiff batter. Pour and spread into your prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes (less for cupcakes*) or more until toothpick inserted comes out clean. After removing from the oven, let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then remove and cool.

You may add a bit of grated carrot, zucchini, etc before baking. If batter seems too moist and not stiff, add some more flour, a little at a time, before you bake. Some people like dried fruit or nuts (I added chopped dates to the one in the photo above).

Note on the spices: I really like to use Chinese five spice for this, as it tends to have star anise flavor and is like taking the cake up a notch from the pumpkin spice most people are used to. I also prefer Chinese five spice that does not include pepper, which might be hard to find, but you can use the pepper versions too. I plan to post my own spice blend recipe for Chinese five spice soon. Most people have a ready made pumpkin spice that can be used, otherwise you can follow my recipe for that here.

Optional sauce topping: I have used a simple strawberry sauce as a topping sometimes. You can make this by pureeing fresh or partly thawed frozen strawberries in a blender with a little water and your choice of sweetener if needed. It is a nice addition. I originally used strawberries because we also ate strawberries in the play in another scene. I never used it this way onstage, but it was a fun thing to have for the cast party! =) You could use another fruit for the same idea. You may frost instead if you like after it cools. I like it plain without any extra anything on top.

*Cupcake tip: You can use canning lid rings (no lid) on a cookie sheet if you don't have a muffin pan. It holds cupcake papers/liners nicely for cake batter. This is what I do, since I don't own a muffin pan. This was how I made spice cake cupcakes for our concession stand for snacks at intermission for the play.

Monday, March 11, 2019

Tiger Nut Milk

We first tried tiger nuts when we lived in Ghana, West Africa. I would say the taste is reminiscent of a cashew, but much more fibrous and yet sweet, like a mild apple sweet. In Africa, we ate them much fresher and just like a nut, popped them into our mouth. I found them at a store from this company and picked them up. I was not disappointed. Since they were dried, I needed to rehydrate them with water. They are not actually nuts, but tubers that grow in the ground. Full of fiber and nutrition, they are also gluten free and safe for those who cannot have dairy.

Tiger Nut Milk


2 cups of dried tiger nuts soaked in a quart jar (or equivalent), filled to the 3 cup mark with water

Soak for about 3 days, draining the water, rinsing, and adding fresh water each day. I soaked mine in the refrigerator. Make sure your water is completely covering the tiger nuts plus about 1 inch, each time.

In a strong blender, blend the rinsed and drained soaked tiger nuts with water and fill up to about the 5 cup mark in blender. Run for about 3 minutes. Use a nut milk bag to filter the fiber-filled pulp from the liquid milk (Obviously, this will remove much of the fiber - If you want to use the fiber in baked goods, by all means go ahead). Use less water for thicker, creamier milk and more water to thin it, whatever you like. This ratio worked well for me as it was creamy, but not too rich.

Taste. You can use as is, or add whatever add-ins you like (sweetener, vanilla, etc.). I don't add anything preferring it's natural sweetness. Use up within about 2 days as it is best fresh and will turn quickly after that. Otherwise, you can try and freeze it in freezer safe containers, but the fresh consistency may not be the same.


Today I used it with my soaked rolled oats for a muesli type breakfast. Other things I added to my rolled oats: sliced fresh banana, sunflower and sesame seeds, chia, flax, bee pollen, goji berries and pumpkin seeds. So good!


Friday, April 6, 2018

A Date with Cacao Nibs & Nut Butter

Sometimes you just need something sweet and creamy and crunchy and chocolatey all at the same time. Enter the date (Medjool pictured), raw cacao nibs, and some peanut butter or almond butter (or cashew butter - oooooh, yum). Really everything you need for a delicious snack. 



Just short and sweet.

You're welcome. 

Monday, April 2, 2018

Homemade Matzah & The Feast of Unleavened Bread



We are in the season of the Feast of Unleavened bread. We had a lovely Passover Seder with friends of ours this past Shabbat. So in light of this season, I thought I would share a homemade matzah recipe, no matter how you spell it (matzo, etc).


 Whole Grain Matzah - Unleavened Bread




Move two oven racks to the top and near top positions. You will be baking these in the top 1/2 to 1/3 of your oven. Prepare cookie sheets with silpat mats or parchment paper. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine in a bowl (or in a food processor):

3 cups whole grain flour (I used a combination of spelt, wheat, corn and einkorn flours, and a few whole seeds of millet, flax and sunflower)
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix well (if using food processor, use "s" blade or dough blade on pulse setting until combined well). Add flour as needed to get a dough that isn't sticky, but not too dry. Divide into 12 pieces (or for the size above, they were more like 14-16 pieces per batch). Roll out, adding flour as needed, to keep from sticking. You can roll out extra thin for a more cracker-like type of matzah or you can roll a little thicker to get a softer and thicker matzah. After rolling, make sure to pierce with a fork or dough docker to keep the matzah from rising. Bake on prepared sheets for 6 minutes per side, for a total of 12 minutes baking time. (The size of matzah in the photo above is about a larger hamburger bun size that is flat, but not as thin as cracker type.)

Variations: I added basil and sun-dried tomatoes to one batch. My son added honey to another batch. He also added basil and oregano to a batch that we eventually made into small matzah pizzas last evening. I want to try adding some garlic next. You can come up with variations just by adding favorite seasonings or add in finely chopped fruits or vegetables.