Vegan Mofo Day 11 Dessert without sugar - Apple Donuts

Today's vegan mofo theme is "Dessert without added sugar"
In my opinion there's no better way to value the natural sweetness of fruit than by drastically reducing your sugar intake. And not just "sugar" but all forms of added sweeteners. 

You've probably all seen apple nacho's doing the rounds on various blogs and I've been making them for my daughter for many many years.....

BUT have you ever seen apple donuts???

Here's a bit of fun way to eat apples to give you inspiration for a tasty & healthy dessert without any sugar! 

APPLE DONUTS

Slice apple into 1cm thick pieces across the core. 

Cut the core out using an apple corer.

Spread with a variety of nut butters. 

Top with seeds and/or fresh or dried fruit. 

Delicious! :D

Question of the day:
What's your favourite fruit to eat?

I would have to say that probably raspberries and mango are my favourite fruits, but I sure do love a fresh crisp apple with nut butter too! 

Apple Wonton Fold-overs

When I was younger we used to make apple fold-overs that we called "treats for Daddy". I still make "treats for daddy" but now with my daughter and also without thick pastry.

These are a super easy and delicious treat. 
Great for when visitors pop over or for a quick dessert.
They are very quick to make.

APPLE WONTON FOLD-OVERS

You'll need:
wonton wrappers
pie apples (either store bought or home made)
cinnamon
sultanas
plant milk of choice
Optional: whipped coconut cream for dipping

Lay wontons out on a bench.
Place a few pieces of pie apples on one half of the wonton wrapper. Add a few sultanas in each wonton and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Fold over to make a triangle shape and press the edges together firmly.
Place on a lined baking tray and brush the tops of the wontons with plant milk.
Place in a preheated 200C oven for 10-15minutes until lightly golden brown.

Question of the day:
Did you have a childhood treat that you still make now but in a different way?


 
Submitted for Healthy Vegan Fridays.

Add your healthy vegan recipe on these blogs:

Herbivore Triathlete 
Hello Veggy 
Rock My Vegan Socks

Apple, Fig & Walnut Strudel

 

I did promise the occasional treat, and again I'm resorting to filo pastry :-)

But yes, I have added some tweaks to my version of strudel to make it healthier. 

Instead of spreading the pastry with butter & breadcrumbs to create layers I have used soy milk & oat bran, and I haven't sprinkled it with sugar either!
And just for the record --> No, I will never be bothered to make my own filo pastry ;-)

APPLE, FIG & WALNUT STRUDEL

You'll need:

2 green apples

4 dried figs

1 orange

1/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup oat bran

2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds

1 teaspoon cinnamon

soy milk - roughly 1/4 cup

6-8 sheets filo pastry

Core the apples and slice into thin pieces. Dice the dried figs. Juice the orange and remove half the zest. Combine all of these in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. 

Crush the walnuts into little pieces and stir into the apple mixture.

 

While the apples are cooking, prepare the pastry sheets.

In a small bowl mix together the oat bran, flax seeds and cinnamon. (This will be used in place of breadcrumbs in tradition recipes to create the layers between the pastry.)

Lay 2 sheets of pastry on a flat surface and brush with soy milk. Lightly sprinkle the pastry with a layer of the oat bran/flax mixture.

Repeat this layering process until you are down to the last sheet of pastry - if you're pressed for time you can add 2 sheets at a time.

*Do not spread the top layer of pastry with the milk and oat bran.* 

On the top layer spread the apple mixture in a log shape towards the end, but leaving the edges bare to be tucked in.

Roll the pastry up, folding tightly and tucking the side edges in.

Brush the top of the strudel with soy milk & sprinkle with another layer of the oat bran/flax mixture.

Bake in a preheated 200C oven for 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Apple Crumble Pie

 

I haven't finished with pie yet.... can't have all the pie recipes being savoury ones!

Today I bring you a sweet pie.

APPLE CRUMBLE PIE

 

You'll need:

1 pie crust (see my recipe posted earlier for Mofo)

1 x 800g can pie apples

3/4 cup oat bran

1/2 cup apple sauce

1/4 cup demerara sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

 

Pour the canned apples over the pie crust.

In a mixing bowl combine the oat bran, apple sauce, sugar and cinnamon.

Mix until crumbly.

Gently press over the apples.

Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

Notes:

You can use your own pie apples if you like. 

Sometimes I really enjoy stewing apples - however when I don't have the time these are great because they are sugar & salt free and they use Australian grown apples :-)

If you don't have demerara sugar, you can use brown sugar in place of it & substitute 1/4 cup oat bran with crushed almonds to add some crunch.

Submitted for Healthy Vegan Friday.
You can add your recipe at these blogs:
carrie on vegan

veggie nook

greenthickies 

Quick baked apples

 

Everyone loves dessert!!! However, sometimes I don't have the time to make it during the day & on those days I love a quick dessert. Here's a child-hood favourite, turned quick, instead of having to wait an hour it to cook!

QUICK BAKED APPLES

Core apples and cut several slits into the skin about 5mm deep around the entire apple. Place in an oven & microwave safe dish.

Microwave on high for 3 minutes.

Fill with raisins and cinnamon then drizzle a generous amount of maple syrup into the core hole.

Bake for 10 minutes in a preheated 200C oven.

Serve in a bowl and use the sauce that has spread in the baking dish to drizzle over the top of the apples.

After microwaving they will be soft on the inside but the oven time just give them enough crisp so they aren't soggy! The texture will be slightly more chewy than apples that are completely cooked in the oven, but equally as delicious.

Apple-Almond Cookies

Apple-Almond Cookies

4 simple ingredients to make delicious healthy cookies!
Now that is something I can manage even after a hard days work!

You'll need:
2 overripe bananas
1 cup oats
1 cup dried apple pieces
2 Tablespoons almond butter


Mash the bananas in a large bowl.
Add the oats.
Chop or cut the apple into small pieces.
Add in the almond butter.
Stir until well combined and the mixture holds together.
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Place rounded tablespoons of the mixture onto the tray.
Bake at 180C for 10-12 minutes. 

They will brown quickly so don't forget about them!!!

This recipe is my submission of the week towards Healthy Vegan Friday.
You can add your link at these blogs:
carrie on vegan                    veggie nook                    greenthickies

Kids Lunchbox Club - Caramel Choc-chip Dip

CARAMEL CHOC-CHIP DIP

In a small bowl or ramekin mix together:

1/4 cup tofutti cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Stir until well combined and the sugar has dissolved into the cream cheese.
Gently stir in:
1 Tablespoon Sweet William Choc Chips

Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into another bowl/ramekin & add an equal amount of water. 
Slice an apple into thin slices.
Let them soak in the lemon mixture for 3-5 minutes.
This will stop them from turning brown.

Put both the apples and the dip into portable containers.

Apple Sponge Cake

Everyone loves apple sponge cake right?!? 

This is a light and fluffy cake with delicious soft apple pieces on top 

- that's fat free! :-)

So enjoy...

You'll need:
1 1/2 cups wholemeal spelt flour
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup apple sauce
3/4 cup ricemilk (or other plant milk of choice)
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup pie apples
2 teaspoons cinnamon

In a measuring jug combine the milk & vinegar. Allow to sit for 5 mins.
Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking powder & sugar in a large bowl. Mix well.

Make a well in the middle of the flour & add the milk mixture, apple sauce and vanilla. Fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. 

Put the pie apples into a small mixing bowl. Chop any large pieces into small pieces. Stir in the cinnamon and mix well. 

Line a 20cm round baking tin with baking paper. 
Pour the cake mixture into the base. Top with the apple mixture focusing on the middle of the cake as shown:

Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 45 mins or until cooked through when poked with a skewer.

Cool in tin for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: You can reduce the sugar if using sweetened applesauce.

The 12 drinks of Christmas - Drink #1

~Welcome to December!~

Yes, I realise I'm a few days late - but you know what they say.... better late than never!
I cannot believe how quickly this year has gone!!! Does anyone else feel like this year has just flown by? I feel like it should be about March..... but since it's not I thought a little Christmas collection would be nice!
There are sooooooo many recipes everywhere for Christmas meals, so I thought I would take on something a little different...... drinks.

So stay tuned til Christmas day as I present my version of Christmas drinks! :-)

Let's get started!

Drink #1 --> Hoho-Healthy Santa Juice
Poor Santa! Imagine how bloated he feels after all that milk everyone leaves out for him ;-)
Any wonder he has a tummy like he does too with all the cookies on top of that milk! 
How about this year Santa gets a nice healthy green juice!!!
This is great for after a big meal the night before too, you can have it as a fresh morning drink or an afternoon refresher too.

If you make a big batch of this juice you can also freeze it into ice-blocks for a healthy way to get some extra vitamins into the kiddies :-)



What you'll need:
A bag of green leftovers - by that I mean, the ends of broccoli that have been chopped off, buy choy ends, choy sum ends, any stray lettuce leaves that didn't quite make the salad,  zucchini ends.

These items used to be fed to our rabbit before he passed away - but now they are still put to good use!
I don't throw vitamins away!

I also included a few carrot ends, but not enough to make the juice turn a funny colour.

  


Put all vegetable leftovers through a juicer with 2-3 apples, or as many as you like to make the juice sweet enough for drinking!

 Now that is a pile of pulp that I don't feel at all bad if I throw away!!!

 

Now that's sure to refresh Santa on his trip down under where we don't quite get a white Christmas, but a red hot one! ;-)

mmmmmm, red - perhaps that's the next colour drink for Christmas! 

Subscribe to the blog by email in the right hand column to stay tuned  ---->

2 apple refresher

This drink is amazing!

I don't really know how to explain it's flavour that describes quite how amazing it is. Let's just say its smooth and refreshing and tangy and sweet with a touch of creaminess :-)What a great summer afternoon refreshment!


Combine in a blender:

1 cup frozen chopped pineapple pieces
1 granny smith apple (chopped into pieces with core removed)
1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds
juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup plant-milk



Blend until smooth. You may need a touch more milk depending on your blender.




Serve :-)

So refreshing!

Unprocessed - Start of Week 3

Monday

Breakfast was oats with 'blueberry sauce' - made by blending frozen bluberries with a date and enough milk to combine. Definitely one of my favourites!

Lunch was the leftover half of my burger from last night with some home-made chips. 
I simply cut one potato (skin on) and covered with paprika and sage. Baked at 200C, spread out on a baking sheet for 40 minutes. 

For afternoon tea I had an orange and a handful of prunes and 5 brazeil nuts! Dinner was a stir fry with peanut sauce, served over brown rice.

Tonight's dessert was a total indulgence!
Microwave chocolate cake with creamed coconut milk (difference from the linked recipe is no chocolate bits in the centre and no sugar!).

How to make creamed coconut milk:


Place a can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight (or longer).
When you are ready to use it, remove the top of the can and scoop out all the part that is 'set'.

Put into a bowl and add a teaspoon of vanilla and a tablespoon of sweetner of choice.
Whisk until light, fluffy and thick.

Tuesday

Breakfast was brown rice with raisins and cinnamon.

For lunch I made red lentil soup and had a bread roll with it.
In a pot combine 2 carrots, one potato, one onion & half cup red lentils. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Blend.
Delicious soup!

Dinner was another easy night. I am flat out this week organising my daughter's party that's coming up this weekend.
Gotta love an easy meal that taste good.
I chopped various veggies and sauteed with mixed beans and tomatoes. 

For dessert I had no pastry apple pie. I altered this recipe by using hazelnut in place of almond & rolled rye in place of oats, and omitting the raisins. Still delicious though! And topped with creamed coconut milk.

DID YOU KNOW?

A single serving of hazelnuts makes up nearly 20% of our recommended daily need of Vitamin E. Vitamin E doesn't occur naturally in our bodies. Vitamin E helps to fight free radicals that cause cancer.