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Summer Smoothie-sicles

Kids and adults alike love popsicles. So why not make them a little healthier and more substantial than what the ice cream truck guy has to offer? You can take this simple recipe and add all kinds of healthy secrets: liquid chlorophyll, dehydrated greens powders, or even ground nuts and flaxseeds. Go crazy! One caveat: Don’t try to use citrus juices in this recipe — they don’t work well.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Freezing time: 6 hours

Yield: 6 to 10 servings, depending on the size of your popsicle molds

2 cups fruit juice (except citrus juices)

1 cup soy yogurt

2 tablespoons agave syrup or brown rice syrup

1/4 cup fresh green juice from kale or broccoli (optional)

1 Blend all the ingredients together, including green juice, if desired, until creamy and smooth.

2 Pour into popsicle molds.

3 Freeze for at least 6 hours and then serve.

Tip: Run the mold under cool water once the popsicles are completely frozen. This will help loosen your treats and make them easier to remove.

Vary It! If you have any leftover mashed sweet potatoes, dregs of almond butter in a jar, or a handful of cashews waiting to be eaten, throw them in when blending the ingredients together too!

Per serving: Calories 88 (From Fat 5); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 23mg; Carbohydrate 20g; Dietary Fiber 0g; Protein 1g.

Everything Old Is New Again

The recipes in this section are my vegan takes on old favorites. These recipes provide a good learning opportunity for anyone who’s worried about converting their old dairy and meat recipes to vegan ones. Candy, cakes, shakes, and baked goods can be made vegan and still taste delicious.

Baking and candy making require more precision than other types of cooking, because they involve more chemistry than average cooking. So, when learning how to bake, freeze, and cook vegan desserts, be patient with the process and with yourself. Use vegan recipes to get acquainted with the techniques and ingredients; and if a recipe doesn’t work out as planned, just let it roll off your back. Nine times out of ten it still tastes good, even if it doesn’t look like the picture in your mind.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombs

A simple take on the old favorite chocolate peanut butter cups from childhood, these delicious morsels will win over any crowd. They also can be made using almond or cashew butter, if desired.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Chilling time: 4 hours

Yield: 12 to 15 servings

1 cup vegan chocolate chips

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

1/3 cup agave or brown rice syrup

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a heat-safe spatula until completely smooth and melted.

2 Set 12 to 15 mini paper and foil muffin cups on a cookie sheet.

3 Pour the mixture in small spoonfuls into the muffin cups, filling them to the brim.

4 Refrigerate the filled cups for at least 4 hours, or until completely set and firm.

Tip: To help the muffin cups retain their shape, you can set the empty cups in a mini-muffin tin and then fill them. Set the entire tin in the refrigerator to set.

Per serving: Calories 159 (From Fat 71); Fat 8g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 120mg; Carbohydrate 22g; Dietary Fiber 1g; Protein 3g.

Apple Crumble

Share this simple dish with friends and family for a holiday feast. Try using local, heirloom apples to explore the different flavors available. Try sweet apples like Baldwin, Gala, Honeycrisp, or Pippin, combined with tart apples like Fuji, Winesap, or Mutsu. You can substitute pears for all or some of the apples. You can even try using sweet potatoes or sweet winter squashes for another color or taste.

Preparation/cooking time: 10 minutes

Baking time: 30 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

Filling:

3 tart apples, cored and sliced thinly (see Figure 15-1 for instruction)

3 sweet apples, cored and sliced thinly

1/2 cup fresh or frozen (thawed overnight in