Apple Crisp

Makes 9 servings

Choose a tart variety of apple, such as Pippin or Granny Smith, for an especially tasty dessert. For a special treat, top it with vanilla non-dairy “ice cream”.

• 4 green apples, peeled and cored
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Slice apples thinly and spread in a 9″×9″ baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine oats, walnuts, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt in a bowl. Stir to mix, then spread evenly over apples.

Bake until apples are tender when pierced with a knife, about 35 minutes. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Kilde: Neal Barnard, M.D.

Banana Bread

This banana bread recipe is a delicious option for breakfast or light dessert. It’s not too sweet and the nuttiness of the walnuts is a compliment to tea or coffee.

Makes 16 servings

• 1 cup – 2 bananas
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 1/4 cup soy or almond milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
• non-stick cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mist an 8-inch square glass baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Combine bananas, syrup, oil, plant milk, and vanilla in a large bowl and mix well. Place remaining ingredients, except walnuts, in a separate large bowl and stir together. Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients, sprinkling in about 1/3 at a time. Mix until well combined. Batter will be very thick. Stir in walnuts.

Spoon batter into prepared baking pan. Bake on center rack of oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan on a cooling rack. Serve warm.

Kilde: Neal Barnard, M.D.

Cranberry Sauce

Makes 8 servings

• 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1/2 cup orange juice concentrate
• 2 ripe pears, finely chopped
• 1 medium apple, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1/2 cup agave

Combine cranberries, juice concentrate, pears, apple, cinnamon, and orange peel in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue cooking, uncovered, until cranberry skins pop and mixture is thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Add sugar or other sweetener to taste.

Serve hot or cold.

Kilde: Neal Barnard, M.D.

Mango Lime Sorbet

Serves 6

This dessert is a silky smooth sorbet inspired by the lush flavors of Thailand.

• 2 cups pureed partially frozen mango
• ½ cup agave nectar
• Juice of 2 limes

Instructions: This recipe works best if the mango is frozen, and then allowed to thaw for about 15 minutes. Once it has partially thawed, puree the mango along with the agave and lime juice. Pour the puree into a shallow glass or metal bowl and then place it in the freezer. After 30 minutes, stir the puree, then repeat every 15 minutes thereafter until you are ready to serve.

Making It Simple: Use store-bought frozen mango to avoid peeling and deseeding several fresh mangoes.

Core Concepts: The freezing process accentuates tartness and reduces the sweet flavor. That means the puree should be slightly less tart and slightly sweeter than you expect the final product to be.

Kilde: Neal Barnard, M.D.

Black Bean Brownies

Makes 16 brownies

A brownie made with beans? You bet! The beans add fiber, calcium, and protein, making these brownies a nutritious indulgence. They are free of saturated and trans fats.

Note: Trans fats and saturated fats more than triple your risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

• 1/4 teaspoon safflower oil
• 2 15-ounce cans low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup pitted dates
• 1 cup all-fruit raspberry jam
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease an 8×8-inch baking pan with the oil.

Combine the black beans, dates, jam, and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt and process again.

Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top looks set. Remove from the oven and cool completely, then cut into 16 squares. The brownies will keep, refrigerated in a covered container, for up to 1 week.

Kilde: Neal Barnard, M.D.

Chocolate Cake

Makes 9 3″x3″ pieces

Here is a delightful version of legendary Wacky Cake, which is said to have its origins in World War II rationing, when milk and eggs were hard to come by. At the time, the cake was lower in fat and cholesterol, not by choice but by necessity. Today, those characteristics are virtues.

• 11/2 cups unbleached pastry flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 11/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 teaspoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 cup cold water

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder in a bowl; stir with a fork until mixed. In a separate bowl, whisk the vanilla, applesauce, vinegar, and water. Pour the mixed wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until well mixed. Pour into a 9″x9″ baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Kilde: Neal Barnard, M.D.