Mango Cake - The Perfect Vegan And Gluten Free Easter Dessert

This gluten and dairy free dessert is the
perfect ending to your Easter Brunch.

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My Favorite Mango
Our favorite little mangoes are in season. They come with many names like Manilla, Ataulfo, Champagne, and Honey, with slight variations and places of origin. But they are all small (around 9 to 11 ounces) and as sweet as sugar.

Doug and I have been under the weather so to cheer ourselves up, and with the excuse of having to create an Easter dessert for the blog, we created a cake on Sunday with our very favorite fruit.

These are smaller, less stringy, and much sweeter than the large, more commonly found mangoes.

Easter Sunday is a great time to have family and friends over for brunch and this dessert is a good choice. It's vegan and gluten free so besides delighting everyone's taste buds, it will accommodate most everyones dietary issues. (See "Variation" below for a whole wheat version of the recipe.)

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Mango Cake
Vegan, Gluten and Dairy Free
[makes 12 servings]

Requirements
Electric Hand Mixer
9" round cake pan
Waxed paper, cut in a 9" circle

Ingredients
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing pan 
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds 
6 tablespoons warm filtered water 
1 (10-ounce or more) Champagne mango
2 cups Bob’s Red Mill all purpose baking flour 
1½ teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder 
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut plus some for sprinkling
½ cup organic cane sugar 
½ cup unsweetened applesauce 
1 teaspoon coconut extract 
1 mashed ripe banana
Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F; grease a 9" round cake pan and insert a 9" circle of wax paper on the bottom of the pan.

In a small cup, make flax eggs by combining the ground flax seeds with the water. Beat well and set aside. After a few minutes, beat again until gooey. Set aside. 

Peel the mango with a potato peeler. Cut the mango off the seed and dice in small pieces. Some will be used in the cake and some will be used for the topping. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the shredded coconut. 

In a large bowl, combine the oil, sugar, applesauce, and coconut extract; beat with an electric hand mixer until creamy. Add the mashed banana and flax eggs and beat again until well combined.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat with the electric mixer until well combined. The mixture will be quite stiff.

Fold in 1/2 cup of the diced mango and set the rest of it aside. 

Spread evenly into the prepared cake pan.

Bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the cake pan for 30 minutes. Cut around the edges of the cake pan and flip the cake out onto a plate. Peel off the wax paper.

I like the looks of the browned top of the cake better than the bottom so flip over again onto the final serving plate. Let the cake cool completely before you proceed.

Pile the rest of the diced mango onto the center of the cake. Sprinkle a bit of shredded coconut over the mango and dust the entire cake with powdered sugar. 

Slice, making sure each piece has some diced mango over it, and serve.

Nutrition
Per serving: 181 calories, 7 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 310 mg omega-3 and 538 mg omega-6 fatty acids*, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein, 30 g carbohydrates, 3.5 g dietary fiber, and 190 mg sodium. 

* Nutritional information for omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids excludes any contribution from Bob’s Redmill all purpose baking flour and xanthan gum since that information was not available from the manufacturer.

Variation
For a whole wheat cake, replace the gluten-free flour with King Arthur’s white whole-wheat flour, omit the xanthan gum, and increase the applesauce to 2/3 cup.

For more menu and recipe ideas, download my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen.

Vegan And Gluten-Free Easter MenuOn Stove Or Instant Pot Recipes

Asparagus Soup

Butternut Squash Risotto with Meyer Lemon Gremolata

Dark Chocolate Flourless Crinkle Cookies

Easter Dinner
Whether you celebrate Easter the Beginning of Spring, here's a vegan and gluten-free menu that is sure to please all your guests and accommodate most of their eating preferences and allergy concerns.

Start with a Soup Course
Since asparagus is in season, begin the meal with a lovely Asparagus Soup blended with leeks and Yukon gold potatoes. This recipe can be made in your Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker or on the stove top. It's not much faster in the Instant Pot so I would save the Instant Pot for the main course, the risotto, where it really makes a difference.

The main course is a Butternut Squash Risotto with Meyer Lemon Gremolata. This recipe can be easily made in your Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker or on the stove top but is much easier in the pressure cooker so that you aren't too busy stirring while your guests are there.

For dessert, try making these Dark Chocolate Flourless Crinkle Cookies made with aquafaba instead of egg whites. Aquafaba is basically bean juice! Although they are good warm out of the oven, these are equally good made the day before and kept in the refrigerator. The cold brings out their deep, fudgy, taste and texture.

Happy Easter!

For additional healthy and delicious holiday recipes and menus, download my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen,  available on Amazon and iTunes.

Spicy Deviled EggsWhat To Do With Leftover Easter Eggs

Use red pepper aioli to spice up these deviled eggs.

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Leftover Easter Eggs?

It's the day after Easter and if you're looking at a pile of hard boiled eggs and wondering what to do with them, here's a simple and tasty way to use them up.

Remember my recipe for Spicy Red Pepper Aioli? Today we're going to use it to spice up those deviled eggs!

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Deviled Eggs with Spicy Red Pepper Aioli

Vegetarian

[makes 8 servings]

8 hard boiled eggs

3 to 4 tablespoons spicy red pepper aioli

1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)

Carefully remove the shells from your hard boiled eggs by cracking them gently all over and removing the shells. If the shells stick to the eggs, remove the shells under cold water.

Cut the peeled eggs in half, remove the yolks, and place them in a bowl. Set the egg halves aside.

Using a fork, smash the yolks. Stir in the aioli a tablespoon at a time until the mixture is smooth and reaches the desired consistency. 

Fill the egg halves, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Per serving (2 halves): 105 calories, 8 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 213 mg cholesterol, 6 g protein, 1 g carbohydrate, 0 mg dietary fiber, and 145 mg sodium.

Vegan Coconut And Macadamia Nut CakeThe Perfect Easter Dessert

Coconut and macadamia nuts blend beautifully
in this simple and delicious Easter cake.

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Simple and Delicious
When the holidays come, I like to go with a simple dessert, like a cake without icing. It's quick and easy and I get to dress it up with fresh fruit, and a selection of dairy-free ice creams. And what goes together better than coconut and macadamia nuts? 

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Coconut and Macadamia Nut Cake
Vegan
[makes 12 servings]
Requires a 9 inch cake pan and wax paper

Earth Balance or olive oil to grease cake pan
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
6 tablespoons room temperature water
1/2 cup almond or light coconut milk
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small ripe banana, mashed (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1 1/2 cup King Arthur white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup macadamia nuts

Cut the wax paper to fit the bottom of a 9 inch cake pan. Grease the sides with Earth Balance or olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Make flax eggs by mixing the ground flax seeds and water. Beat until gooey and set aside.

Place the milk, coconut extract, oil, mashed banana, sugar, and flax eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer until well combined.

Make sure the banana is very ripe.
One small banana should yield 1/2 cup of mashed banana.

Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and beat until well combined.
Add the coconut and blend in thoroughly with the beater.  

Crush the macadamia nuts and fold into the batter.

Crush the macadamia nuts with the side of a mallet.
Don't overdo - leave big chunks.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Place on a rack and cool in the pan for 15 minutes.

Flip over onto a plate and slowly peel the wax paper off of the bottom of the cake.

Flip back over onto the rack and cool.

Place on a serving platter with the golden top up.  Slice into 12 or more pieces.

Serve with fresh raspberries or other fruit, like pineapple or strawberries, and a scoop of vanilla, or coconut non-dairy ice cream.

Per serving (make with unsweetened almond milk): 226 calories, 14 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 326 mg omega-3 and 760 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 3 g protein, 22 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, and 198 mg sodium.

Mexican Lasagna Or Enchilada CasseroleWhatever You Call It, It's Yummy!Vegan And Gluten Free

This Mexican Lasagna or Enchilada Casserole
is perfect for entertaining!

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Holiday Entertaining
Spring is here and guests will soon be arriving for the Easter holidays. If you are trying to think of easy meals that feed a larger group, this delicious casserole could be it. Since I'm Italian, I can turn anything into a lasagna. This recipe takes beans, rice, corn, my delicious homemade enchilada sauce, daiya pepperjack style shreds, and tortillas and makes a mouth watering healthy Mexican meal for eight people. 

Homemade enchilada sauce is easy to make!

I'm not generally a fan of fake cheese but's what's a lactose-intolerant girl gonna do when she's craving enchilada casserole? But I must say, of all the one's I've tried, spicy daiya pepperjack style shreds is my favorite. It has a nice little kick to it and adds just the right flavor to this dish.

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Enchilada Casserole (Mexican Lasagna)
Vegan, Gluten Free (If using corn or GF tortillas)
[makes 8 servings]
Requires 9x11 deep baking dish

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can organic corn, drained (or 1 1/2 cups fresh kernels)
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 cups medium-heat enchilada sauce
1 1/2 cups daiya pepperjack style shreds
12 (6-inch) tortillas, cut in half

This recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice so if you don't have leftover rice, prepare ahead of time.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven or large pot and cook the onion and bell pepper on medium-low heat until they begin to soften, about 5 to 8 minutes. 

Stir in the pinto and black beans, corn, rice, cumin, salt, and cilantro and turn off the heat.

To build the casserole, place one cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x11 baking dish. Spread evenly.

Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 8 tortilla halves in this manner.

Place one half of the bean filling evenly over the tortillas. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the daiya shreds over the filling and 1 cup of the sauce.

Cover with an additional 8 tortilla halves in the same manner as above.
Place the rest of the bean filling over the tortillas.
Sprinkle another 1/2 cup of "cheese" over the filling and another 1 cup of sauce.

Place a final layer of tortillas over the filling and cover with the last cup of enchilada sauce.

Cover tightly and bake until heated through, about 40 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle the last 1/2 cup of daiya shreds over the top and heat, uncovered, until melted. About 10 minutes.

Cut into 8 slices and serve with diced avocado and vegan sour cream.

Enjoy!

Roasted, Pumpkin Pie Spiced Sweet Potatoes On A Bed Of Broccoli - A Healthy And Colorful Dish For Easter Brunch

A colorful and healthy dish for Easter!

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes
I love the way the house smells when I'm roasting sweet potatoes. Especially when I toss them with pumpkin pie spices! If you are still looking for ideas for Easter dinner, try these colorful roasted potatoes on a bed of broccoli! 

Sweet potatoes are one of the absolute best sources of beta-carotene which the body converts to vitamin A. Although sweet potatoes are themselves fat free, you should eat them with a little fat so that your body can better absorb the beta-carotene. The touch of oil in the broccoli should do the trick!

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Roasted pumpkin pie spiced sweet potatoes
Vegan, Gluten Free
Requires Large Roasting Pan and Steamer
[makes 4 to 6 servings]

For the potatoes
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled
1 medium onion, large diced
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil plus some for greasing pan
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the broccoli
1 head of broccoli, cleaned and cut into florets
1 tablespoon cold pressed hemp oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Lightly grease a large roasting pan.

Prepare the potatoes. 
Cut the sweet potatoes into small pieces about 1/2 inch by 1 1/2 inches.
Place them in a large bowl with the diced onion, oil, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
Mix until well coated and spread out in one layer in the prepared roasting pan.

Seasoned potatoes and onions in a roasting pan.

Bake until lightly browned and fork tender, about 30 minutes, turning after about 15 minutes.

While the potatoes are roasting, cook the broccoli. 
Place florets in a steamer and cook for several minutes. If you cook them too long, they will fall apart when you dress them so just  steam briefly but don't leave them so hard that you can't get a fork through them.

In a large bowl, combine the oil and lemon juice. Place the cooked broccoli in the bowl with the dressing. Salt to taste and toss gently until coated.

Place the broccoli around the edges of a serving dish.

Removed cooked sweet potatoes from the oven. Place them in the center of the serving dish.
Serve immediately.

Arrange broccoli around the edge and
 place roasted sweet potatoes in the center.

Have a Happy Easter!

Per serving of sweet potatoes (6 servings): 132 calories, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 25 mg omega-3 and 310 g omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 2 g protein, 25 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber and 159 mg sodium.

Per serving of broccoli (6 servings): 55 calories, 2.5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 355 mg omega-3 and 1,351 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein, 7 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber and 130 mg sodium.

Healthy And Delicious Vegan Easter Brunch Featuring Spring Vegetable Curry On Farro With Green Lentils

Vegan Easter Brunch Menu

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Easter Time
This time of the year is all about renewal. The buds on the vineyard have just broken through and we're enjoying calla lilies, camellias and daffodils. These signs of growth together with the long awaited extra hours of daylight are indications that spring is here and the cycle of the seasons presses on, even if we're not quite ready for it. 


Easter is often a time for gathering friends and family together whether you observe this as a holy day or a celebration of spring. To help make this a special occasion, I've put together a delicious vegan menu with an abundance of fruits and vegetables.

Menu 

[Serves 8]

Mixed Greens, Mango, Avocado and Cashews 

with Mango Poppy Seed Dressing


Spring Vegetable Coconut Curry
with Cauliflower, Peas, Bell Pepper, Onions and Mushrooms


Farro with Green Lentils *


Creamy Vanilla Chia Pudding with
Fresh Strawberries


* (Farro not gluten free. Serve brown rice 
as side for gluten sensitive guests).

Mixed Greens with Mango Poppy Seed Dressing

Vegan, Gluten Free
Requires high speed blender

[makes 8 servings]

For the dressing (make the day before)

1 medjool date, pitted and cut in quarters

1/2 cup So Delicious coconut milk beverage

1 cup mashed, ripe mango or mango pulp

1/3 cup shredded or sliced carrot

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 small clove garlic, chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

pinch black pepper, or to taste

1/4 cup raw hemp oil (or extra virgin olive oil)

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

For the salad

1 lb container pre-washed mixed greens

2 avocados, thinly sliced

large mango, thinly sliced

several slices red onion, separated

1/2 cup cashews

To make salad dressing, soak medjool date in coconut milk for 4 hours or overnight in refrigerator. 

Place date, coconut milk, mango, carrot, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in a high speed blender and process until smooth.

Running the blender on low, slowly drizzle in hemp (or olive) oil until combined.

Add poppy seeds for a few seconds to combine. Store in a 1 pint container and refrigerate until needed. (It keeps well so make early the day before since you need time to soak the date.)

Mango poppyseed dressing.
Dress salad or serve on side.

To make the salad, place greens in a large salad bowl. 

Place avocado, mango and onion slices over greens and top with cashews. Serve with dressing or dress  greens first and place avocado, mango and onion slices on top.

Prepackaged organic greens are very convenient, especially when you're entertaining.

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Farro with Green Lentils

Vegan

(Makes 5 cups, 8 servings)

5 cups water

1 Rapunzel vegetable bouillon with sea salt and herbs

1 cup farro, rinsed

1 cup green lentils, picked through and rinsed

Place water and bouillon in 5 quart Dutch oven or large pot and bring to boil. Mix to dissolve.

When using bouillon, do not add extra salt.
Use less if on a sodium restricted diet.

Mix in farro and lentils and bring back to boil.  Lower heat and cook on a low boil, covered, for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and moisture is mostly absorbed. Turn off heat and keep  in covered pot. It will continue to absorb moisture as it sits. Set aside until needed.

Farro and green lentils cook in the same amount of time.

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Spring Vegetable Coconut Curry

Vegan, Gluten Free

[make 8 (1 full cup) servings]

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

2 cups chopped red bell pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pound white button or crimini mushrooms

1 tablespoon Penseys sweet curry (or to taste)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon Penseys hot curry (or to taste)

1/2 cup veggie broth or water
15.5 ounce can light coconut milk

4 cups cauliflower florets (1 medium cauliflower)

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen peas (or 1 can, drained)*

In a 5 quart Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil and sauté onions and peppers for 5 minutes. 

Add garlic and mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms soften. 

Stir in sweet and hot curry. 

Cook onions, red pepper and garlic.
Stir in sweet and hot curry.

Add veggie broth, coconut milk and cauliflower. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in peas, cover and cook another 5 minutes until peas are cooked and cauliflower is fork tender but firm. 

Add veggie broth and cauliflower.

After 5 minutes, add peas.

When veggies are cooked, place curry in a large serving bowl and serve.

Don't overcook cauliflower or it will fall apart.

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Vanilla Chia Pudding with Fresh Strawberries
(make pudding at least a day early but add strawberries when serving)

Vegan, Gluten Free

[makes 8 servings]

4 cups sweetened vanilla non-dairy milk soy, hemp or coconut milk *

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chia seeds

2 to 4 (1 gram) packets stevia extract, to taste

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

4 cups thinly sliced fresh organic strawberries

* You may use unflavored non-dairy milk and add 1 or more teaspoons vanilla and additional stevia (or other sweetener) to taste. 

Combine chia seeds with milk, stevia and cinnamon and stir vigorously with a fork for several minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes and stir again until the chia seeds are well blended and separated. Let the mixture sit out for an hour, stir one more time and refrigerate at least 8 hours, or overnight, until thickened and firm. This is a good dessert to make a day in advance in order to give it time to set. 

When ready to serve, mix in strawberries. Place in a large serving bowl.

This sweet, creamy dessert pairs perfectly with the spicy curry dish.

Other brunch ideas
Check out this Raw Vegan Easter Brunch Menu.

Happy Spring!