No kidding, right? How long have we heard it ~ that no one really knows what goes into a hot dog…. that everything left over is what creates a sausage. But yet, Oscar Mayer is still in business, and different varieties of gourmet sausages are still high on the list of (non-vegan) food writers. What is it going to take?

But there are alternatives for those of us who will not eat an animal product, and for those who will hopefully get a clue and stop eating them: like these vegan bacon cheddar mini-quiches!

These bite-sized quiches feature Phoney Baloney’s Coconut Bacon, a crispy smoky vegan bacon substitute. I chose to use some inside the quiches (so these didn’t stay crunchy, but added a nice smoky, salty flavor) and the pieces on top added the crunch!

I also wanted to make these a quick & easy appetizer or mini-meal, so I used tortillas for the crust, which worked out nicely.

These are so easy to make, not more than a half hour from start to finish, and are a great appetizer or addition to your meal. With a creamy, salty, smoky taste, they have all the flavors to please everyone.

Vegan Bacon Cheddar Mini-Quiches

• 8″ tortillas, quartered (these made the perfect size but you could also use larger ones and cut them into smaller pieces
• Coconut oil to grease the pan
• 1/2 package firm tofu (I used sprouted tofu)
• 1/4 of a red onion, minced (you can optionally saute it for a different flavor)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• dash cayenne pepper
• replacer for 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup Daiya cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup Phoney Baloney’s Coconut Bacon, plus extra for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Quarter the tortillas. Lightly coat the inside of a mini-muffin tin with coconut oil and fit the tortillas inside, being careful not to tear them. Prebake the tortillas for 5 minutes.

Crumble the tofu into a medium bowl. Add the onion and seasonings and stir well. Stir in the Daiya cheese and the coconut bacon, and add the egg replacer last. Mix well.

Spoon the filling into the shells and bake for 12 minutes. Top with extra coconut bacon for garnish and bake for a few minutes longer.

This amount will make between 2-3 dozen appetizers.

It’s been a busy week, thus the lack of creative items to post. I find that the busier I get, the less creative I become. Somehow in the busyness, there is no room for the new and interesting to flourish. Just another reason to make sure there is room for that to happen.

Note to self: Take the time to make sure you have enough space for creativity to flow!

And the first 28-day Transition to Vegan Program is underway, and it’s alot of fun! I look forward to meeting more and more friends as they continue. The next one will begin in July.

Also coming up is a 2-hour online Introduction to the Plant-Based Ahimsa Diet, which will happen on Sunday, June 9. More details about that coming soon!

And now to today’s recipe. I’ve been looking for new, exciting breakfast recipes. It’s been hot here, so have been doing lots of fruit and smoothies and such, and wanted something raw and light, yet different.

Enter ~ Raw Sweet Potato Pudding. Ok, the flavors in this are more suited to the fall and winter, but I don’t think there is ever a bad time to have sweet potatoes. And this turned out really good. And it’s so easy!

Confession: I ended up eating it the day after I made it, and I think it was even better than the taste I had right after it was made.

Blend together:

• 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 1 banana
• 2-4 tablespoons sweetener (depending on how sweet you like it – I went with 2 T)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2-4 tablespoons chia seeds

Blend and serve with a drizzle of sweetener and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Note: You can reduce or omit the chia seeds if you reduce the amount of almond milk. I think it would be fine with about a half cup of almond milk, making a thick pudding, but I chose to add more liquid for a fluffier result, and then added the chia seeds to thicken it up a bit.

Today, 168 bloggers from around the world are posting fabulous recipes to bring to the potluck. Each one is linked together, so you can go from one to the next to the next and enjoy all of the fabulous creativity and amazing vegan recipes.

To start at the beginning, visit the wonderful Lydia at Vegan Bloggers Unite, the host site for the potluck.

To see the post before mine, visit Pixie at  Cheerfully Vegan.

I’ve chosen to bring dessert this time (after the fun of the Twice-Baked Russet & Sweet Potatoes with Spicy Tomato Jam from last October), so now we have Raw Vegan Chunky Monkey Ice Cream Sundaes!

Before I was vegan, Ben & Jerry were good friends of mine, and veganizing some of their flavors is a great adventure… Not only do we get to enjoy it all over again, we actually get to improve upon it (bye bye big hard pieces of frozen chocolate!)

I chose to create mine with creamy sweet banana ice-cream with chewy raw brownie pieces, walnut chunks, and chocolatey-good fudge sauce. And here we go…….

For the raw brownies

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil

In the food processor, blend together the walnuts, raisins, and cacao powder. Let it blend for a few minutes, until it looks shiny brown and starts to stick together in little clumps. Add the coconut oil and blend for a minute, so it is incorporated into the whole batch. Place in a dish and freeze while you prepare the other parts.

For the fudge sauce

• 1/4 cup raisins
• 6 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
• dash salt
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons raw agave (or other sweetener)

Blend the raisins and water. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until fully incorporated. Set aside while you make the ice cream.

For the ice cream

• 5 ripe bananas (very ripe but not yet turning brown)
• 1 1/2 cups almond milk
• pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Chill for 15 minutes, and then freeze according to the ice-cream maker instructions. If you are making it without an ice-cream maker, place in a dish in the freezer and stir every 20-3o minutes or so.

With either method, once it starts to get to the consistency of soft-serve ice cream, stir in half of the brownie mixture and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. You can finish the sundaes and serve now, or place in the freezer to get a little harder first.

When you’re ready to serve, place a few scoops of ice cream in a dish. Top with more brownie crumbles, some chopped walnuts and some fudge sauce (either room temperature or gently warmed). Enjoy!

And now, to see the next post, visit Brandi at The Healthy Flavor.

Let’s just say that I WANTED pizza….  and without a great vegan pizza place within an hour’s drive (or any vegan pizza!), I decided to create a new recipe for some. But alas, pizza wasn’t in the plans… the recipe could have worked, but I make the crust just a little too thick and ended up with pizza-tarts.

They still tasted delicious ~ a yummy blend of creamy hummus, fresh vegetables, and vegan cheese, on an herby almond-flour based crust. They just weren’t pizza . So that recipe is still to come, but we can definitely enjoy these in the meantime!

Crust:

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 dashes cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons ground flax, mixed with 3 tablespoons warm water (set for 15 minutes)
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and spread into the baking pans. I used 2 mini-springform pans, but you can also use a pie plate or baking dish. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until light brown.

Toppings:

• hummus, tomato sauce or pesto
• chopped vegetables
• vegan cheese

I made 2 different varieties ~

1- smoked jalapeno hummus with tomato, onion, yellow bell pepper, vegan cheese

2- spicy avocado hummus with asparagus, red onion, olives, vegan cheese

Place back in the oven for about 10 minutes, until the toppings are heated through and the cheese is melty and golden brown.

Let cool and enjoy!

And I have 2 great new recipes to help fulfill that mission. Starting today, I am a monthly contributor to the Breast Cancer Yoga Blog, and will be posting articles on vegan diet and new recipes each month. I’m extremely excited to be part of the contributor family there, and look forward to the amazing information that will be shared by everyone.

You can visit the blog to read my first article, Eat Your Way to Health & Vitality with a Plant-Based Diet , and find my 2 new recipes. And while you’re there, enjoy some of the other wonderful content, such as this article on the Ahimsa Trinity by Yogini Kaliji.

This is the stuff that incredible raw vegan desserts are made of ~ simple ingredients that are combined in new and inventive ways…. a talent that Gena continually shares with her readers.

For the recipe, hop over to Choosing Raw and read on…

This…..

This is the best avocado toast I’ve ever had. It takes those amazing textures and adds the smoky spiciness of chipotle chili powder and a hint of coarse ground himalayan salt for the most amazing flavor combination. Add a few hemp seeds for fun (and some extra protein!) and you’re good to go….

You can also add a squeeze of lime juice to add a little tanginess to it.

The simple recipe:

• Bread of choice (I used sprouted Ezekial bread here)
• 1/2 perfectly ripe avocado (or a whole one!)
• sprinkle of chipotle chili powder
• sprinkle of coarse ground Himalayan salt
• 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
• drizzle of lime juice (optional)

I’m going to be starting a new program at the end of April:  a 28-day Transition to Vegan online group. More details coming soon, but if you’re interested let me know!

Register here!

I haven’t made french toast in years… literally. When I first became vegan, I tried a couple of different recipes using silken tofu as the base, but they didn’t work so well for me. The bread tended to stick to the pan, and I wasn’t thrilled with the tofu taste.

BUT ~ when I recently realized that coconut milk would make the perfect base, I was THRILLED! And it was even better than I imagined it would be.

• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Bread of choice

Whisk together the coconut milk and spices. Place the bread in the mixture and let soak for 10 minutes. Heat the griddle and lightly spray with grapeseed oil. Cook until lightly browned on both sides, and serve with your favorite toppings.

A simple recipe that gives spectacular results!

Depending on how many pieces you make, there may be coconut mixture left, which is perfect to use in a green smoothie.

It was gone before I could take a picture, but was delicious .