If you don’t like peanut butter cups, I don’t get you.

This recipe is courtesy of The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone and she offers them up as a delicious alternative to good old fashioned (non-vegan) Reese’s. They’re definitely yummy but be warned: they will not be kind to your waistline (350+ cals a pop!). If you whip up a batch of these, share the love!

Vegan Peanut Butter Cups
Recipe courtesy of The Kind Diet

Ingredients

1/2 cup Earth Balance
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (unsweetened/unsalted)
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (~10 graham cracker squares)
1/4 cup maple sugar or other granulated sweetener
1 cup vegan, semi-sweet chocolate chips*
1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/4 cup chopped peanuts, pecans or almonds

*I think these could use a least another 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and 1/8 cup of milk. Just my 2 cents.

Note: I read somewhere that adding some rice crispies to the peanut butter mixture makes for a yummy variation here. Just an idea.

Directions

• Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners, set aside
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat
• Stir in peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs and maple sugar and mix well
• Remove mixture from heat and evenly divide among the muffin cups (about 2 tbs per cup)*
• Combine the chocolate and milk in another small pan
• Stir over medium heat until the chocolate has melted
• Spoon the chocolate evenly over the peanut butter mixture
• Top with chopped nuts and place in fridge to set at least 2 hrs before serving

*I’ve made these twice now and I firmly believe that it would be best to place these in the fridge for 15-30 min. before melting and applying the chocolate. When the pb mixture is still very warm, it’s really hard to get the chocolate to spread evenly over the top rather than pool down into the center.

Yield: 1 dozen

This is a recipe from the “Superhero” (aka: macrobiotic) section of Alicia Silverstone’s awesome book, The Kind Diet. As Alicia notes, this dish is absolutely bursting with flavor and texture! It also makes for a really pretty addition to a meal.

This is great as a side or a base for protein, but I’ve also made it solo and enjoyed it as an entree. At dinner, my husband suggested that it would be a good side for Thanksgiving, and I think he’s on to something!

Sidenote: in the picture above, you can see a ‘lil peek of what I paired with this last time I made it: Seitan Piccata. That’s another recipe from Alicia’s book and it was the first time I’d tried it. It was good, but I don’t think it looked anything like it was supposed to and it wasn’t very pretty, so I think I’ll hold off on sharing that recipe until I can make it look more appetizing!

Rice Pilaf with Carmelized Onions
Recipe courtesy of The Kind Diet

Ingredients

2 tbs plus 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, cut into thin half-moon slices
3 pinches of fine sea salt
Mirin or white wine
1 small carrot, finely diced
1/2 cup pecans, lightly oven-roasted and coarsely chopped
3 tbs pumpkin seeds, lightly pan toasted*
2 cups cooked short-grain brown rice
Brown rice vinegar
2-3 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced for garnish

*to make toasted seeds: rinse the seeds and drain immediately in a fine sieve. Transfer to a hot pan over medium heat and stir constantly as they dry and become golden brown and a little puffed. They may begin to pop, and some popping is ok, but if they start popping out of the pan, reduce the heat. Remove from pan when done and sprinkle with a few drops of shoyu (or soy), stirring to combine.

Directions

• Place 2 tbs oil and the onion in a medium skillet over medium heat. When the onion begins to sizzle, add a generous pinch of salt and saute for 3 to 4 min. Add a generous sprinkle of mirin or wine and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 15 min, or until the onion begins to carmelize
• While the onion cooks, place the remaining 2 tsp oil, the carrot and generous pinch of salt in a large skillet over medium heat. When the carrots begin to sizzle, add a pinch of salt and saute until just tender, about 10 min.
• Turn off the heat and stir in the pecans and pumpkin seeds just to coat with oil
• Add the rice and a generous splash of vinegar and stir to combine
• Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the carmelized onions. Sprinkle with scallions and serve

Yield: 4-6 servings

When I first went vegan I figured cheesecake was a thing of the past, or good cheesecake, at least. It turns out that’s not the case.

This recipe is another winner from Alicia Silverstone‘s fabulous book, The Kind Diet. I made it for dessert on Mother’s Day and it was much enjoyed by all – not to mention a completely gorgeous addition to the table. So pretty!

This definitely isn’t quite as heavy and sweet as a typical dairy cheesecake, but it’s good nonetheless and certainly a whole lot better for you!

Vegan Mixed-Berry Cheesecake
Recipe Courtesy of The Kind Diet

Ingredients

3/4 cup Earth Balance
2 cups vegan graham cracker crumbs*
1 (12 oz.) package silken tofu
1 cup nondairy cream cheese
1 tbs safflower oil
1/4 cup (pure) maple syrup plus an
additional 1 to 2 tsp if using a fresh fruit topping
1/4 cup soy milk
2 tsp arrowroot
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon or orange extract (optional)**
Fresh mixed berries for topping
(or frozen mixed berries, thawed)

*To make graham cracker crumbs, place graham cracker squares in a sealed plastic bag and smash with a rolling pin or grind graham cracker squares in a food processor. You’ll need 12 to 13 squares to make 2 cups of crumbs.

**Next time I make this I’ll use a lot more lemon extract, maybe double.

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Oil an 8″ or 9″ springform pan (I don’t have a springform pan, so I used a glass pie plate and it was fine)
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Turn off the heat and stir in the graham cracker crumbs. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the prepared pan and bake for 5 min. Let cool on a baking rack
• Combine the tofu, cream cheese, oil, 1/4 cup syrup, milk, arrowrrot, vanilla and citrus extract (if using) in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Pour the mixture into the graham cracker crust and smooth the top with a spatula
• Bake the cheesecake for 45 min to an hour. Let the cheesecake cool to room temp. If using fresh berries, toss them with 1 to 2 tsp syrup to create a slightly glazed effect. Top the cheesecake with the berries and chill until you’re ready to serve

Yield: Serves 8