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Sneaky Berry Smoothie 

Recipe by: Eileen Mierski, featured on Chef AJ live on 1-16-24

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries 
  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries or blackberries 
  • 1 frozen banana, cut into 1 inch slices
  • 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower 
  • 1/2 cup soy milk or plant milk of choice 
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract or powder 
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup Blackberry Balsamic 
  • 1/4 cup cooked white beans (optional) 

Directions:

  1. Add all ingredients to a blender and process until completely blended to a pretty purple liquid. Add more water or plant based milk to your desired consistency. (Or, add less water to serve as a Berry Sorbet.) 
  2. If the smoothie is not sweet enough for your taste, add a squirt of date syrup, some frozen pineapple or more of the Blackberry Balsamic. 

Notes:

  • Banana should be very ripe, with black spotting on the peel, before freezing. They will be sweeter this way. 
  • The cauliflower and beans cannot be tasted. They elevate this smoothie to a substantial snack and will keep you satiated longer. Using frozen berries and cauliflower is generally more convenient economical than fresh and equivalent in taste. 
  • Be sneaky- don’t let children or skeptical adults see you add the cauliflower or optional beans to this smoothie. If children know, I can almost guarantee they won’t like it, even before they try it. On the other hand, the pretty purple color should nudge them in the opposite direction, even before tasting.
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Mixed Berry Rice Salad

Recipe by: Brenda Pachel, featured on Chef AJ live on 1-16-24

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup coconut milk, canned like Thai Kitchen brand or similar
  • 3 Tbls mixed berry jam, (fruit juice sweetened)
  • 2 Tbls Blackberry Balsamic
  • 1/8 tsp vanilla powder
  • 4-6 drops liquid stevia, optional
  • 2 cups cooked rice, (I used Jasmine)
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 3/4 cup fresh strawberries, bite sized pieces
  • 3/4 cup frozen cherries, thawed and quartered
  • 2 bananas, 1/2 inch sliced then quartered
  • Chopped walnuts or hemp seeds, for garnish

Directions:

1. In a small bowl; add the coconut milk, blackberry balsamic, mixed berry jam, vanilla powder and stevia.  Stir until combined.
2. In a large bowl; add the rice,  blueberries, strawberries, cherries and sauce. Stir until everything is coated.
3. Gently stir in the banana chunks and serve garnished with walnuts.

Notes:

  • It’s best to add the bananas and sauce to the rice just before serving.  This is to keep the rice from soaking up too much sauce, making the salad drier and to keep the bananas from getting brown and mushy
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Blackberry Balsamic Glazed Portobello Mushrooms

Recipe by: Susan Vierck, featured on Chef AJ live on 1-16-24

Ingredients:

  • 4 large portobello mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
  • 1 cup blackberries
  • 1/4 cup blackberry balsamic
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari for a gluten-free option
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
  • Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F 
  2. In a blender, combine blackberries, blackberry balsamic, soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
  3. Place portobello mushrooms in a baking dish, gill side up.
  4. Pour the blackberry balsamic mixture over the mushrooms, ensuring they are well-coated.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender.
  6. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
  7. Serve as a main dish or on a bed of quinoa or rice
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Blazin Cranberry Spice dressing

Recipe by: Karen Richter, featured on Chef AJ Live on 11/21/23

Ingredients:

  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 Tbsp. of California Blazin Habanero Balsamic
  • 3 whole stalks of green onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 ½ cups of fresh cranberries or a bit more for a thicker dressing (mine were from Trader Joe’s)
  • 1 small-ish (thumb-size) chunk of fresh ginger, or more to taste
  • 7 Medjool dates, pitted (do remember to keep track of those pits!)
  • 1 Tbsp. of miso paste (I used Mellow White)
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • ¼ tsp of the following: allspice; mustard powder; sage; thyme
  • 1-1 ½ cups filtered water

Directions:

  1. Blend together all ingredients in a high-speed blender. This recipe Makes 24 oz of dressing, enough to fill to salad dressing bottles and then some.

Notes:

  • Substitution Possibilities: Sweet or red onion to replace the scallions/green onions
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Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

Recipe by: Brenda Pachel, featured on Chef AJ Live on 11/21/23

Ingredients:

  • 2 (14.5 Oz) cans pumpkin purée
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 (14.0 Oz) can light coconut milk
  • 2 (14.5 Oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 3 Tbls Blazin Habanero Balsamic
  • 1 Tbls Sweet Apple Pie Balsamic
  • 1 Tbls honey, or sweetener of choice
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 large jalapeños, seeded & diced
  • 1 1/2 – 2 Tbls curry powder
  • 1 Tbls Garam Masala
  • 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp dried cilantro
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
  • 1 small honey nut squash, peeled, seeded and 1/2 inch cubes
  • 2 tsp pumpkin spice balsamic

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a parchment lined baking sheet place the squash cubes and sprinkle them with the pumpkin spice balsamic. Stir to coat. Bake 22 to 30 minutes , or until tender and slightly browned.
  2. In a Dutch oven add onions and jalapeños. Sauté over medium heat until softened.
  3. Add remaining ingredients to onions, except for the coconut milk and squash cubes. Simmer on low for 20 minutes.
  4. Stir in the coconut milk and squash cubes. Let simmer briefly just to warm the squash.

Notes:

  • This soup freezes nicely.
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Spaghetti Squash and Blazin’ Sauce

Recipe by: Mandy Burns, featured on Chef AJ Live on 11/21/23

Ingredients:  Serves 4

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400*.  Cut both squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds and any stringy bits.  Set seeds aside for later.  Place squash cut sides down on a baking sheet that is covered with a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Bake in the oven for 45-75 minutes, depending on the size of the squash halves.  Test doneness every 15 minutes starting at 45 minutes by piercing the back of the largest squash with a fork, it should slide in easily.
  2. While the squash is cooking, dice the tempeh into small cubes.  Mix together equal parts Blazin Habanero Balsamic and Smoked Hickory Balsamic in a small dish, thin with a little water. Toss the tempeh in the balsamic mixture to evenly coat, then air-fry pieces for 20 minutes at 400*.  [The tempeh could also be baked in the oven, the airfryer gives it a nice crisp texture that I prefer.]  Reserve the remaining marinade.
  3. Clean the squash seeds discarding any of the stringy bits leftover from the spaghetti squash.  Once cleaned, toss the seeds in the leftover tempeh marinade and allow the seeds to sit until the squash is out of the oven.
  4. Warm the marinara on the stovetop.  Once the squash is done cooking, remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to the lowest temperature (100*-150* is fine).  Use a fork to fluff up the “spaghetti” strands, remove from the skin and plate it.  Top with marinara and tempeh cubes.  
  5. Spread the seeds on a baking sheet that is covered with a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and bake at 100*-150* for 1-3 hours.  Shake or stir the seeds every 30-45 minutes so they cook evenly and don’t stick together.  Check for doneness at 1h, 30 minutes by eating one, the seeds should be nice and crunchy.  Enjoy!
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Autumn Apple Delight

Recipe by: Eileen Mierski, featured on Chef AJ Live on 9/19/23

Ingredients: 

  • 4 large, firm apples, washed and cored 
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1 T. raisins or chopped dates
  • 1 T. Almond butter
  • 1 t. Cinnamon or apple pie spice mix
  • 2T. Autumn Apple Balsamic or more to taste 

Directions: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. 
  2. Peel the apple about 1/4 way down. See photo
  3. Combine the walnuts, oats, raisins, almond butter and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse to a crumbly texture.
  4. Stuff the mixture into core of the apples
  5. Drizzle with the Autumn Apple Balsamic
  6. Arrange the apples in a baking dish. Pour 1/2 cup of water around them. Cover and bake until tender, about 50 minutes. 
  7. Serve warm. Drizzle additional Autumn Apple to taste. Enjoy! 

Notes:

  • A simple and sweet, SOS-free, apple based treat that is good for you! 
  • There are many types of firm apples suitable for this recipe. Some examples are Gala, Jonathan, Jonagold, Honey Crisp, Braeburn, Granny Smith and Golden Delicious. A good tasting apple is key to this tasty desert! 
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Autumn Apple Breakfast Salad

Recipe by: Brenda Pachel, featured on Chef AJ Live on 9/19/23

Ingredients:

  • Salad:
    1. 2 cups sweet potato, bite sized cubes
    2. 2 cups cooked quinoa
    3. 1/3 – 1/2 cup walnuts, roasted and rough chopped
    4. 1 large gala apple, bite sized cubes
    5. 1/8 tsp cardamom
    6. 1/2 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
    7. 2 Tbls unsweetened applesauce
  • Dressing:
    1. 2 Tbls Autumn Apple Balsamic
    2. 1 Tbl Ginger Balsamic
    3. 2 Tbls Apple butter (like Eden Brand)
    4. 2 Tbl unsweetened Apple Juice
    5. 1/4 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
    6. 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
    7. 1/8 tsp cardamom
    8. 2-4 drops liquid stevia, optional

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl combine, sweet potato, apple sauce, cinnamon, and cardamom.  Stir to coat.
  3. Place sweet potatoes on prepared baking sheet and bake 25 – 30 minutes, or until done.
  4. While the sweet potatoes are baking, place the walnuts in a small skillet and pan fry until fragrant and toasted.   When done, let them cool and give them a rough chop.
  5. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bottle and shake until well combined.
  6. In a medium bowl combine the sweet potatoes, apples, quinoa, 3/4 of the walnuts and dressing, stir to combine.
  7. Serve with a garnish of the remaining walnuts and an extra drizzle of autumn apple balsamic, if desired.

Notes:

Note:  For extra flavor, cook your quinoa in unsweetened apple juice.  This salad also tastes delicious served on top of some fresh spinach.

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Spinach & Feta Appetizer

Recipe by: Lori Gibson of OhSoYum.org, featured on Chef AJ Live on 9/19/23

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp finely chopped sweet onion
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed or minced
  • 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
  • 12-16 oz fresh baby spinach
  • 2 Tbsp Autumn Apple Balsamic 
  • 3-4 Tbsp Crumbled Almond Feta

Directions:

  • Microwave Method
    1. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, spinach and 1 Tbsp Apple Autumn Balsamic to a heat-safe covered casserole. Microwave on high 3-5 minutes until nicely wilted. 
    2. Plate, drizzle on the remaining balsamic and sprinkle on the feta. 
  • Stovetop Method
    1. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and 1 Tbsp Autumn Apple Balsamic to a pot large enough to hold the spinach. Dry sauté on medium heat until the aromatics become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add a small splash of water as/if needed to keep things from sticking.
    2. Add the spinach, cover tightly and cook until nicely wilted, about 3-5 minutes. 
    3. Plate, drizzle on the remaining balsamic and sprinkle on the feta. Enjoy!

Notes:

  • Find more quick and tasty recipes on my website OhSoYum.org and in my cookbook: Oh So Yum!  https://amzn.to/45GOWwW
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Carrot Cake Bites

Adapted from a recipe by: Elspeth “The Speedy Vegan”

Ingredients: (Makes 24 bites)

  • 1C shredded carrots
  • 1C old fashioned oatmeal
  • 6 medjool dates, pitted or you may use 1 frozen ripe banana in place of dates
  • 1/4tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4tsp turmeric
  • 1/4tsp ginger
  • 1/2C unsweetened shredded coconut, chia seeds or hemp seeds(optional coating)
  • 2-4tbsp Coconut balsamic (optional coating, as a glaze)

Directions:

  1. Add all the ingredients, except the coconut to a food processor and process for a couple of minutes or until the mixture is well combined. Taste to make sure the mixture is sweet enough for you. Just add an extra date or two if you prefer it sweeter.
  2. Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out 2 tablespoons of the mixture and roll it into balls. You can roll the balls in the Coconut Balsamic, shredded coconut, chia seeds or hemp seeds or just skip this step if desired.
  3. Serve them right away or chill for 30 minutes before serving. Store the bites in the refrigerator for 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes:

Perfect little flavor bombs to pack in your snack bag when hitting the hiking trail!