It sounds kind of odd, but the combination of strawberries, sunflower seeds and chocolate chips tickles me. Something about the different flavors and textures. Go ahead and try it out. I’m too exhausted to say anything else, so I’m going to skip right to the recipe plus a bonus recipe for sunflower seed milk. Lucky you!

Strawberry-Sunflower Seed-Chocolate Chip Granola

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup chopped frozen strawberries (or fresh, if you can get ‘em)
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. Mix rolled oats, brown rice flour, seeds and salt in a medium-sized bowl. In a separate bowl, combine oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Add wet to dry and mix well. Fold in strawberries.
3. Spread evenly on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir well. Bake for 10 more minutes. Mix in chocolate chips while granola is still warm so it coats the granola. After granola has cooled, store in a covered container/jar in the refrigerator.

Yield: 3 cups

Sunflower Seed Milk

This milk takes a little time to get used to. The flavor is very sunflower seed-y, so don’t expect it to have a very neutral flavor like soy and almond milk. But it’s tasty once you’ve become accustomed to it (and sunflower seeds are cheap!).

• 1/2 cup raw, unsalted sunflower seeds, soaked in water overnight
• 2 cups water
• 1 pitted date or 1 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• pinch of cinnamon

1. Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender for several minutes. Strain through a nut milk bag (or a paint straining bag — cheap at your local hardware store) and store in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Yield: 2 cups

This is really tasty granola, guys. With Valentine’s Day around the corner (groan), here’s a recipe you can make your sweetie or your mailman, whatever. It won’t disappoint, I promise.

Chocolate-Covered Granola – adapted from Celine Steen’s White Chocolate Raspberry Granola

• 1 cup rolled oats
• ¼ cup brown rice flour
• ¼ cup chopped pecans
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• ¼ cup + 1 tbsp. maple syrup
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ¼ cup frozen (or fresh, if you can get them this time of the year–and if you can, tell me where you live) strawberries, chopped
• ¼ cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.

Combine rolled oats, brown rice flour, pecans, sesame seeds and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk oil, maple syrup and vanilla in a small bowl. Add liquid ingredients to dry and mix well. Fold in strawberries. Spread evenly on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir well. Bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top, stirring to coat the granola.

Let cool and then transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator. Serve with your favorite nondairy milk (my favorite is homemade almond milk), and try not to eat all of the granola when it’s warm and the chocolate’s all melty.

Yield: 3 cups

Homemade nut milks are much healthier, fresher and tastier than store-bought nondairy milk. Once you’ve enjoyed your own nut milk, you’ll definitely notice a difference. I still buy store-bought nondairy milk for convenience (especially for baking), but I make my own nut milk for a treat, especially when I’m drinking the milk plain or with chocolate, over granola or in smoothies.

There are a ton of recipes for nut milk out there, but this is my preferred way of making it. Straining the pulp out was always kind of a hassle (using a cheese cloth or a fine mesh strainer), but I recently obtained a nut milk bag, which makes it super easy! If you don’t have one and want one, here’s a tip: go to your nearby hardware store and get a package of paint straining bags. They’re really cheap (cheaper than fancy nut milk bags) and do the same thing. I got a pack of two for a few bucks.

Another tip: don’t throw the pulp away! It’s totally useable. The cookies in the photo up there were made out of the pulp and a few other ingredients. They are really rich, so enjoy ‘em with the almond milk you just made.

Almond Milk

-1/2 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight
-2 cups water
-1 date, pitted, soaked in hot water for a few minutes, or 1 tbsp. maple syrup
-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-pinch of cinnamon
-pinch of salt
-(for chocolate milk, add 2 tbsp. cocoa powder)

1. Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender for several minutes.
2. Place nut milk bag in a wide-mouthed jar with the elastic/string wrapped around the mouth of the jar, like so:

3. Pour milk into nut milk bag and squeeze all of the milk out of the pulp like a sponge, being careful to not spill the milk outside of the jar (a little might; that’s fine).
4. Store milk in a glass jar with a lid in the fridge for up to 5 days or so (it never lasts that long in my house).
5. Save pulp for cookies!

Yield: 2 cups milk

Nut Pulp No-Bake Cookies

-1 cup of nut pulp (this will be the amount you’ll get from two of the above recipe; just cut everything in half if you’re only using pulp from one recipe.)
-1/4 cup almond butter (or your preferred nut butter)
-3 tbsp. maple syrup (or 3 dates, pitted, soaked in hot water first if dry)
-2 tbsp. cocoa powder
-2 tbsp. coconut butter (unsweetened shredded coconut will also work here.)
-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-pinch of salt
-pinch of cinnamon
-1 cup rolled oats (technically these aren’t raw; leave ‘em out, if you prefer)

1. Blend pulp, nut butter, maple syrup, date, cocoa powder, coconut butter, vanilla, salt and cinnamon in a food processor for a few minutes until it forms a dough-like consistency and holds together. Add rolled oats and pulse several times until the oats are broken up a bit.
2. Form into balls a little bit smaller than a golf ball. Flatten with your hand, if you prefer, or leave as is.
3. To store: Place on a cookie sheet and let freeze, then keep in a container with a lid in the freezer. Remove however many you’re planning on eating from freezer and let defrost for a bit before enjoying. These are a great treat to have when you’re running to work or school and you need a quick snack to bring along with you.

Yield: 12 cookies

These muffins are really good (and, bonus, very easy to make ). They’re not as sweet as the Bakery-Style Strawberry Muffins I just posted about (even though they are chocolate-y) and would be perfect for breakfast or brunch. This recipe is adapted slightly from the Cocoa Raspberry Muffins in Vegan Brunch.

• 1 cup nondairy milk
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. applesauce
• 1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups frozen (or fresh) strawberries, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375 and line 12-cup muffin pan.
2. Combine nondairy milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and let sit for a few minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add nondairy milk, oil, applesauce and vanilla extract. Fold in strawberries.
4. Transfer batter evenly to muffin pan. Bake for 24-28 minutes, until a knife inserted into a muffin comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes in the pan, and then carefully transfer to a cooling rack.

Yield: 12 muffins

I adapted this recipe from the bakery-style berry muffins in Vegan Brunch. They are closer to dessert than breakfast, but I still enjoy them in the morning (or any time of day, really). Feel free to replace the strawberries with a different berry (my sister thinks this recipe would make a killer blueberry muffin).

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup nondairy milk
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1-2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups frozen (or fresh) strawberries, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375 F and line 12-cup muffin pan with baking cups.
2. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add wet ingredients, and mix until just combined. Fold in strawberries.
3. Transfer batter to muffin cups. Bake for 26-30 minutes, until a knife inserted into a muffin comes out clean. Let cool in pan for a few minutes, and then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

Yield: 12 muffins

I posted about this tart before, but I made it slightly different this time and used a new pie crust recipe and liked the results better this time around, so here is the updated version. Dreena Burton’s original recipe for the tart can be found here and also in her upcoming cookbook Let Them Eat Vegan!, which I am anxiously anticipating. I adapted the recipe for the crust from the Olive Oil Double Crust in Vegan Pie in the Sky.

Festive Chickpea Tart with Olive Oil Crust

For the tart:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
• 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• Few pinches of black pepper
• 1 2/3 cups + 1/3 cup chickpeas, separated
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. soy sauce or tamari
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 3/4 cup toasted walnuts
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 2 cups spinach, rinsed thoroughly
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 cup raisins (or dried cranberries)

For the crust:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• scant 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil, partially frozen (instructions below)
• 2-4 tbsp. ice water
• 1/2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

For finishing:

• 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. tamari
• 2 tbsp. walnuts, chopped

Prepare the crust:

1. To freeze the olive oil, place it in a plastic container in the freezer for about an hour, just until it’s like slightly melted ice cream. It should be frozen but still workable.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the slightly frozen olive oil in small batches, working it into the flour with your fingers until it’s pebbly.
3. In a separate small bowl, combine the 2 tbsp. water with the apple cider vinegar. Drizzle the mixture over the dough and stir. Add up to 2 tbsp. more of the ice water until the dough forms a soft ball. Try not to overwork the dough.
4. Using a clean surface and a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a disc until it’s about 1/4-in. thick. Carefully transfer to your pie pan. Use a fork to decorate the edge of the crust for a fancy look (just press the fork around the edge of the dough). Refrigerate the crust until you are ready to fill it. In the meantime, prepare the chickpea filling.

To make the filling:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Saute onion, carrot, garlic, salt and pepper in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat for 9-10 minutes — turn down heat if it starts to stick. For the last minute or so, add the spinach and cook just until wilted.
3. In a food processor, add 1 2/3 cups chickpeas, lemon juice, tamari, salt, dried thyme and sauteed mixture, and partially puree (you’ll want a chunkier consistency than hummus). Add toasted walnuts and rolled oats, and process just until the nuts are broken up a bit. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in raisins and remaining 1/3 cup chickpeas. Transfer mixture evenly to prepared pie crust and drizzle on mixture of olive oil and tamari and sprinkle on walnuts.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Cool 5-10 minutes. Serve with cranberry sauce or (my personal favorite) a slurry of olive oil and balsamic vinegar drizzled on top.

Well, that was kind of an introduction. Oh well. Just go make ‘em!

Chai Brownies – recipe adapted from the “fudgy brownies” in Vive le Vegan!

For the brownies:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup more all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp. unrefined sugar
• 1/3 cup ground chocolate chips (grind in a food processor)
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt (a little generous)
• 1 tbsp. arrowroot powder
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. double-strength chai tea
• 3 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the icing:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2-1 tbsp. water (add 1/2 tbsp. first and add more if needed)
• a few drops of vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly oil an 8″ x 8″ baking pan.
2. In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Mix in sugar, ground chocolate chips and salt.
3. In a separate small bowl, combine arrowroot with two tbsp. of chai tea. Add remaining tea and other wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Add wet ingredients to dry. Transfer to baking pan and smooth evenly.
4. Bake for 23-25 minutes. Let cool in the pan. Meanwhile, prepare icing by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl. Once cooled, spread the icing evenly over the brownies. Cut into squares. These taste best after having some time to set in the fridge.

Here is a picture of my cousin, Allison, enjoying a chai brownie or two earlier today. She was definitely a fan.

Yield: 9 squares

Hummus

Note: if you’ve never made your own hummus before and rely on store-bought hummus, give it a try! I bet you’ll be amazed at how easy it is and how fresh it tastes (and you’ll save money too).

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas
• 5 tbsp. lemon juice
• 3 tbsp. tahini
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil (Dreena’s secret ingredient — no biggie if you don’t have any on hand, but it adds a really nice flavor)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 tbsp. water
• black pepper, to taste (optional)

Blend all ingredients except water in a food processor until very smooth. Add water and process again. Serve cold.

BBQ Tofu – modified from the BBQ Pomegranate Tofu in Vegan with a Vengeance

Tofu:

• 1 lb. firm or extra firm tofu, drained and pressed (directions below), sliced into eight pieces
• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce

BBQ Sauce:

• 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup red onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 cup water
• fresh black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
• 1 tbsp. peanut butter
• 1 tbsp. blackstrap molasses
• 1 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. hot sauce

Prepare the tofu:

1. Press the tofu by wedging it between two baking trays (one on top, one on the bottom) and balancing several heavy cans on the top to squeeze the liquid out. Do this for as long as you can, 30 min. to an hour. (turning the tofu over and emptying the liquid on the bottom tray halfway through).
2. Preheat the oven to 350. In a 9 x 13 in. casserole pan, coat the tofu on both sides with the oil and tamari. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the slices over and bake 15 minutes more. Prepare the BBQ sauce in the meantime.

Prepare the sauce:

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, saute the onions in olive oil for about five minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and saute for one minute more. Add the remaining ingredients (starting with the broth) and bring to a boil. Lower heat and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Pour the marinade over the baked tofu and bake for 15 minutes more. Serve with a grain and vegetable dish for a complete meal.

Yield: 4 servings

I bet by now, if you are my Facebook friend, you are sick of hearing me talk about waffles. I should be sick of waffles too, since I’ve had them for the past four meals in a row now, but I’M SO NOT! I think I could have waffles every meal for the rest of my life. As long as I take some juice breaks to get my fruits and veggies. So far, I’ve made two different recipes for vegan waffles. My favorite at this point is the first recipe for waffles in the Joy of Vegan Baking. It uses ground flax seeds as the egg replacer, which adds a subtle flax seed flavor and little golden flecks in the waffles — which I think adds a good deal of character. It does use six tablespoons of Earth Balance, though, but the upside of that is the waffles don’t stick to the waffle pan (and I didn’t even spray the pan with oil). And, if I’m eating waffles, I’m kind of expecting to eat a lot of butter anyway. The only thing I changed in the recipe, which I included below as an optional ingredient, is the addition of cornmeal, which adds some texture. You can add it or leave it out, no big deal.

Waffles (modified only slightly from Waffles I in the Joy of Vegan Baking)

• 3 tbsp. ground flaxseed
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 tbsp. non-hydrogenated, nondairy butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups nondairy milk
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal (or more flour)
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tbsp. sugar (or maple syrup, if you prefer)
• pinch of salt

1. Preheat your waffle iron (hopefully you have one, if you chose to proceed with this recipe).
2. Whip the ground flaxseed and water in a blender or food processor for about two minutes. Add the melted butter and nondairy milk and blend for another minute.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal (if using), baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the wet ingredients and stir until well-combined.
4. Pour ½ cup of batter onto preheated waffle iron and cook according to the manufacturer’s directions. Serve immediately with your favorite fixings (I prefer Earth Balance, maple syrup and sometimes an easy berry sauce (recipe below).

Yield: 4-6 waffles

Easy Berry Sauce (or compote, if you want to be fancy)

This doesn’t make a lot, just about enough for 4-6 waffles. Maybe extra, depending on how berry-ied you like your waffles.

• 1 cup berries of your choice (either fresh or frozen)
• 1-2 tbsp. maple syrup (or sugar, if it’s all you’ve got)
• 1 tsp. arrowroot or cornstarch
• 1 tsp. water

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat on medium for about 5-10 minutes, until the berries are broken down and the mixture is jam-like. Serve warm or at room temperature (or cold, if that’s your thing). Who am I to tell you how to serve your berry sauce?