​Three Recipes That Are Good for the Planet and Your Palate!

With Thanks to our Climate Action Community...

Resilient Neighborhoods is a community-driven effort – and we thank each and every person who makes our efforts possible! Whether you are a Climate Action Workshop graduate… a generous donor… a volunteer… a sustainability professional… or just care about how to protect our planet and our future… THANK YOU! 

As a thank you, we are happy to share three recipes from our recent Party for a Cooler Planet event, produced by chefs who prioritize delicious, handmade, plant-based, and organic recipes. The authors have given us their permission to share these recipes with you, and we hope that you will go to their websites to learn more!

Vegan Bruschetta Crostini
​ Dee’s Organic Catering

Dee’s Organic Catering, a local Marin-based small business in Novato, provided delicious plant-based platters of savories and fruits for the event. Here is one of their recipes for you to try:

Vegan Bruschetta Recipe

Ingredients

For the Tomato Bruschetta Topping
4–5 ripe tomatoes (Roma or cherry work best), diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1–2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1⁄4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1⁄2 tsp sea salt (adjust to taste)
Fresh cracked black pepper
Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes
Optional: 1–2 tsp capers for extra brightness

For the Crostini
1 baguette (choose a vegan-friendly one)
Olive oil for brushing
1 raw garlic clove, peeled (for rubbing the toasts)

Instructions
Make the Bruschetta

1. In a bowl, mix diced tomatoes, minced garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, salt, pepper, and optional capers or chili flakes.
2. Let sit for 10–20 minutes to marinate and release juices.
3. Taste and adjust seasoning (more salt, basil, or vinegar if needed).

Make the Crostini

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
2. Slice baguette into 1⁄2-inch slices.
3. Brush each slice lightly with olive oil on both sides.
4. Bake 8–10 minutes, flipping halfway, until crisp and lightly golden.
5. While still warm, rub each toast lightly with the cut side of a garlic clove for extra flavor.

​Refreshing Strawberry Basil Lemonade
​© Katy McAvoy, author of Homemade Happy Hour

Ambassador Alison Pence (left) and Volunteer Server Chelsea Jones (right)

​Our volunteer Ambassador Alison prepared this delicious recipe as a vodka cocktail and as a mocktail using lemons and basil from her organic garden. It was a huge hit!

Strawberry Basil Lemonade Recipe​

Ingredients
1 cup fresh strawberries
1 cup lemon juice
1 ½ cups basil simple syrup
4 cups cold water

​Equipment
Large Pitcher
Fine Mesh Strainer
High Speed Blender

Instructions

1. Combine cleaned, hulled strawberries with fresh lemon juice in a blender: 1 cup fresh strawberries,1 cup lemon juice
2. Blend well. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer and pour into a pitcher. (If the mixture gets stuck in the strainer, gently use a spoon to move around the strawberry seeds in the strainer so all the liquid can get through.)
3. Add basil, simple syrup, and water. Stir and chill until ready to serve: 1 1/2 cups basil simple syrup, 4 cups cold water
4. To serve: Stir lemonade in the pitcher, then pour into a glass filled with ice. Garnish with a fresh strawberry, lemon wheel, and/or sprig of fresh basil.

Notes:
The basil flavor is subtle in this recipe. If you love basil and want to make it more prominent, add 3-4 large basil leaves to the blender along with the berries.

The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake 
© Nora Taylor, at NoraCooks.com ​

​Our event chair, Anne-Christine, baked more than 75 chocolate cupcakes using this delicious vegan recipe. Guests at Party for a Cooler Planet enjoyed this scrumptious, plant-based dessert as they celebrated the future of climate action, and you can too!

​​The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe
Total time needed: 55 minutes
Servings: 16 

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake
1 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil or melted coconut oil
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegan butter, softened baking sticks, not the tub
4-5 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk or almond

Instructions
For the Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease two 8 or 9-inch cake pans (8-inch pans will result in taller cakes). I also line them with parchment rounds for easy removal of the cakes later.
2. Measure 1 cup unsweetened milk and add the tablespoon of vinegar to it. Stir slightly and set aside to curdle.
3. In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well to combine.
4. Now add the oil, applesauce, vanilla, and milk/vinegar mixture. Mix on medium speed with a hand mixer (or stand mixer with the paddle attachment) until well combined. 
5. Lower the speed and carefully pour in the boiling water, continuing to mix into the cake batter until combined. The batter will seem very runny at this point; that is how it should be, trust me!
6. Divide the batter evenly between your cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. After 10 minutes of cooling in the pan, carefully remove the cakes from the pans and let cool completely before frosting.

For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1. Add the cocoa powder to a large bowl (I just wipe out the cake bowl and use it for the frosting). Whisk well to remove any clumps.
2. Add the softened vegan butter and mix with a hand mixer until creamed and well combined.
3. Add half of the powdered sugar and half of the milk, and mix until combined. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Mix starting on low, and turn to high. Mix until fluffy and combined.
4. If the frosting seems too dry, add more milk, a tablespoon or two at a time. If the frosting seems too wet and doesn't hold its shape, add more powdered sugar until it thickens up. 
5. Frost the cake using an icing spatula or just a butter knife.

Notes

1. For cupcakes, fill liners half full and bake for 20-25 minutes. The whole recipe will yield approximately 24 cupcakes.
2. Double the recipe to make a 4-layer cake, or cut in half to make a 1-layer round cake. You can also make a bundt cake; simply bake for 45 minutes. Or a 9 x 13-inch cake, baking for about 35-40 minutes.
3. Don't like a lot of frosting? Cut the frosting ingredients in half. The recipe as written makes enough for thick layers of frosting.
4. No applesauce? Substitute 2 flax eggs (2 tbs ground flax + 5 tbs water), whipped aquafaba, or another egg replacer such as Bob's Red Mill (2 eggs worth).

Want more information on how a plant-based diet is good for the planet – as well as your palate? Join our Free Climate Action Workshop!  Learn more and sign up here. 
​
And if you’re already a graduate, remember you can get a refresher by visiting our Online Climate Action Toolkit! ​