posted May 17, 2022
My new cookbook, The Plant-Based for Life Cookbook: Deliciously Simple Recipes to Nourish, Comfort, Energize and Renew, was just released, and I’m so excited to share it with you after working on this project for so long!
Getting nutrition from plant-based foods is one of the best decisions you will ever make, so if you’re ready to enhance your energy, your mood, and your health, The Plant-Based for Life Cookbook has everything you’ll need to make healthy eating easy.
With over 100 delectable recipes, from creamy Stuffed Baked Potatoes to savory Ethiopian Lentil Soup and decadent Chocolate Strawberry Brownies, I hope you discover how easily you can be plant-based for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—and for life.
Chocolate Strawberry Brownies
These amazing brownies are oh-so-fudgy good with the flavor of cocoa and fresh strawberries in every bite.
Makes 24 to 30 (1½-inch) brownies
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup cocoa or cacao powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ripe banana
- 20 Medjool dates, pits removed
- 3 cups fresh strawberries (trimmed, rinsed, and patted dry), divided
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- Into the bowl of a food processor, add oats, cocoa, and baking powder. Process for a few seconds. Add banana, dates, and 2 cups (only) of the strawberries, and vanilla.
- Process until the mixture is well combined.
- Remove bowl and blade from the base. Divide batter evenly, filling either a silicone brownie-bites pan or a nonstick miniature muffin pan. (I usually have enough batter to fill 30 sections, so I use 2 pans.)
- Dice the remaining cup of berries. Dot the berries over the top of the brownie batter, pressing just slightly so that they stay in place. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until firm.
- Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Allow to cool, and enjoy.
The first batch I made of these disappeared before they even had a chance to cool. By the next morning, my husband, my son, and my daughter had each separately appealed, “Please make more!”
Banana Monkey Bars
Makes approximately 24 (1½-inch) bars
- 3 bananas
- ¼ cup almond butter
- ¼ cup dates, pits removed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Into the bowl of a large food processor, add all ingredients in the order listed above. Process until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Remove bowl and blade from the base. Divide batter evenly, filling either a silicone brownie-bites pan or a nonstick miniature muffin pan.
- Bake for 14 minutes, or until tops are golden and firm to the touch. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.
Recipes from The Plant-Based for Life Cookbook: Deliciously Simple Recipes to Nourish, Comfort, Energize and Renew by Vicki Brett-Gach, published by Brooklyn Writers Press. Copyright © 2022. All rights reserved.
Vicki Brett-Gach is a Main Street Vegan Academy Master Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator, Certified Personal Chef, Plant-Based Culinary Instructor, and author of The Plant-Based for Life Cookbook: Deliciously Simple Recipes to Nourish, Comfort, Energize and Renew. She is a graduate of Dr. McDougall’s Starch Solution Certification program and is Forks Over Knives Plant-Based certified. Vicki holds certificates in Plant-Based Nutrition, Culinary Health Coaching, and in Wellness Counseling, and is trained in Nutrition for a Healthy Heart, as well as Dietary Therapy for Reversing Common Diseases.
Vicki teaches whole food plant-based cooking classes to individual clients and groups of all sizes, and as a coach, works with people across the nation, helping them reverse chronic health challenges, one delicious meal at a time. Connect with Vicki through Ann Arbor Vegan Kitchen, Facebook, and Instagram.