Peanut Butter Goodness

I'll be the first to tell you I'm not a fan of peanut butter cookies. However, my friend Manne loves peanut butter cookies. They're his favorite. So since I'm going to be hanging with his crew in the morning, I decided to make some peanut butter cookies. The trick to these cookies is in the peanut butter. Be sure to find an all natural peanut butter. It's unlike any other peanut butter I've ever had. And it was only a little over $2 at Central Market!

Peanut Butter Crisscrosses
Ingredients
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening
1/2 cup natural smooth peanut butter (try to get the no-stir kind if you can find it. If you can't, then stir like crazy so that the PB isn't clumpy)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 TBS molasses
1 1/4 cups flour
2 TBS cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 TBS nondairy milk (optional)

Directions

1. aPreheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the shortening, PB, and sugar until light and fluffy. This can take up to 2 minutes with an electric mixer at medium speed or 4 minutes just using a fork. Mix in the vanilla and molasses.
3. Add half the flour along with the cornstarch, baking powder, and salt and mix well. Add the remaining flour and mix. Use your hands at this point to really work the ingredients together. The dough should hold together when squeezed; if it does not, then add a tablespoon or two of nondairy milk until it does (I had to add 1 TBS of soy milk for it to get to stick together).
4. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls, flattening them with the palm of your hand. The dough may crack on the edges and that is OK. Place the cookies onto the cookie sheet. Use the underside of fork tines to press cross hatches into the cookies, one horizontal and one vertical.
5. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are very lightly browned. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the sheets for 10 minutes, andy less and they might crumble. Use a thin, flexible spatula to transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Fudgey Frosting

If all vegan food tasted like this (and I wasn't in love with meat), I would go vegan. Seriously. These cupcakes are amazing. And I must say I'm pretty proud of the frosting - I mixed it up myself. Talk about becoming a great baker!

I would only make these for very special occasions. Why? Vanilla beans are EXPENSIVE. So what prompted me to make these? It's my friend Chris' birthday, and I've promised him cupcakes for a few months now, so it was time I gave him some really good cupcakes. I'm glad I made these, because they are TO DIE FOR. And best of all, they're vegan!

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened almond or soy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 TBS corn starch
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped

Fudgey Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup margarine (1 stick)
a couple squeezes of agave
a couple TBS soy milk
1/3 cup cocoa powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pan with liners.
2. Whisk soy/almond milk with vinegar and set aside for a couple of minutes so that it can curdle.
3. Sift flour, corn starch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
4. Beat together milk mixture, oil, sugar, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean in a bowl. Sift in (yes, sift twice) dry ingredients. Mix until there are no large lumps.
5. Fill cupcake lines 2/3 full. *Note: Batter is very liquidy! So don't overfill the liners!*
6. Bake for 20-22 minutes.

While the cupcakes are baking....

1. Beat together 1 stick of margarine with the powdered sugar.
2. Add some agave and milk to thin out the margarine mixture.
   
3. Add the cocoa powder and beat together.
4. If the frosting is too thick, add more liquid.
   
5. TASTE! If it's too bitter, add more agave.
   
6. Adjust agave and milk until you have your desired sweetness and consistency.

I don't have a picture, but trust me when I tell you these are AWESOME. Go make some. Now. I'm totally serious.

Deluxe Cocoa Brownies

Yum! Brownies!!!! Who doesn't love brownies? My friend Manne loves brownies. So when I was invited to hang out with him, his son, and his son's friends, I knew I had to make brownies. Because let's face it, kids won't say no to brownies, either.

This recipe is super easy, and a well stocked vegetarian/vegan/Asian household should already have the ingredients on hand. So if you've already got everything on hand, why not just make these brownies right now? :-)

Deluxe Cocoa Brownies

Ingredients

3 oz firm silken tofu, a little less than 1/4 of the package (I couldn't find silken tofu in firm, so I used regular firm tofu)
1/4 cup nondairy milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 TBS cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper or foil.
2. Puree the tofu, nondairy milk, and oil in a blender or food processor until smooth and fluffy. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides to make sure you get everything.
3. Transfer the tofu mixture to a mixing bowl. Use a fork to vigorously mix in the sugar. Add vanilla.
4. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, cornstartch, baking powder, and salt. Use a spatula to fold and mix batter until smooth. Transfer the batter to the pan and smooth out the top. It's OK if the batter doesn't sink all the way into the sides and edges of the pan, as it will spread during baking.
5. Bake brownies for 30-32 minutes, remove from the pan, and let the brownies cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving

Optional

1. Chocolate Chip Deluxe Brownies: Fold 3/4 cup chocolate chips into the batter.
2. Walnut Brownies: Fold 1 cup chopped walnuts into the batter.

It's very important that you let these brownies cool. While they're warm, they are still very sticky and aren't good to work with. If needed, pop them in the fridge and have the fridge do all the work.

As for the taste, they taste like the brownies I used to make as a kid. They are very yummy, chocolate-y, and satisfying. Let's hope a group of 11 year olds agree with me.

First cookie attempt

It's that time of year again....FINALS. Which means finding new ways to procrastinate. I went with the tried and true method today: baking! Plus, I've been craving cookies/brownies/sweets for 2 weeks now, I figured I'd go ahead and just give in and bake. I was going to make cupcakes for cinco de mayo, but that turned into a bust. So today, I took my cookie book, Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, a try. The cookie of the day?

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip
Ingredients
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup nondairy milk (I used light vanilla soy)
2 TBS cornstarch
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups white whole wheat flour (I used regular all purpose whole wheat)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix together the sugars and oil for about a minute. You want the sugars a bit broken down. Add the nondairy milk and cornstarch and beat vigorously until there are no clumps of cornstarch left. Mix in the vanilla.
3. Add half the flour, the baking soda, and salt and mix well. Mix in the remining flour. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, or lightly greased. Space cookies about 2 inches apart and flatten them down a bit with your fingers. Note: cookies won't flatten out, so be sure to flatten them manually.
5. Bake 10 minutes for soft, chewy cookies, 12 mintues for crispier ones. When they're done baking, let the cookies rest on sheets for about 5 minutes before tranfering them to wire racks to finish cooling.

If you don't eat the dough, you can make over 2 dozen cookies. Even if you eat some of the dough, you'll end up with over 2 dozen cookies....

The texture is cake like, with a satisfying "whole wheat crunch." If you've ever had whole wheat pancakes, the texture is similar. It almost reminds me of an oatmeal cookie.

So the verdict? Vegan cookies are gooooooood.

French Apple Tart

Ina's apple tart is ALMOST vegan - just a simple switch of butter to margarine does the trick. These are so good, I dare you to only eat one little square. (Please ignore the blue...just follow the recipe) :-D

Ingredients
Pastry:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS sugar
1 1/2 stick cold margarine, diced (try putting in the freezer for 5 minutes)
1/2 cup ice water
Apples:
4 Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 stick cold margarine, small diced
1/2 cup apricot jam
2 TBS Calvados (apple brandy), rum, or water

Directions

For the pastry, place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baler. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. (I tend not to use the apple ends in order to make the arrangement beautiful.) Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Don't worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine! When the tart's done, heat the apricot jelly together with the Calvados and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn't stick to the paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Tortellini Salad Primavera

This pasta is AMAZING. It's so light and refreshing, perfect for this last burst of spring weather here in Texas. And it's yet another great way to use up veggies in your fridge. You can use any type of pasta for this, but if you can find a vegan tortellini (I'm sure Whole Foods will have it), do it! This is also a great meal on its own, with a regular green salad on the side. But this has so many veggies in it already, you may just want a nice crusty slice of garlic bread.

Ingredients
1 16 oz package of tortellini
8-10 asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
half a bunch of broccolini (Or broccoli chopped up in bite size pieces)
10-12 cherry tomatoes
one small handful of cilantro or mint, chopped
one small handful of bean sprouts
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts or almonds
1 ripe avocado, sliced into small pieces
Dressing
1 garlic clove
pinch of salt
2 TBS lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Cook the tortellini according to package instructions.
2. About 30 seconds before the pasta is done, add asparagus and brocollini. Cook for 30 seconds.
3. Drain and run under cold water.
4. For the dressing, use the flat side of a knife to mash the garlic clove and salt into a paste.
5. Whisk together the garlic paste, lemon juice, and olive oil. Add more salt if needed.
6. Toss the pasta, asparagus, broccolini, and cilantro with half the dressing.
7. Add bean sprouts, tomatoes, nuts, and avocado.
8. Add more dressing as needed.
9. Gently toss to distribute ingredients.

So lemony, so refreshing, so yummy! You will love this one!

Best.Salad.Ever

O.M.G.

I had this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely amazing. It made such an impression, I raced to my computer to update this blog. I admit, I've had a dry spell. But believe me, this recipe more than makes up for it.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
Ingredients
1 (1 1/2 lb) butternut squash, pealed and diced (3/4 inch)
Good olive oil
1 TBS pure maple syrup
Salt and pepper
3 TBS dried cranberries
3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 TBS cider vinegar
2 TBS minced shallots
2 tsp dijon mustard
4 oz arugala (I used a spinach and arugala mix)
1/2 cup toasted walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Place the squash onto a baking sheet. Add 2 TBS olive oil, the maple syrup, S&P, and toss (mix together).
3. Roast squash for 15-20 minutes, turning once, until tender.
4. In the last 5 minutes, add the cranberries.
5. While the squash is roasting, combine apple cider, vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat.
6. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup.
7. Off the heat, whisk in mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, and S&P to taste.
8. Put salad greens in a large bowl and add squash mixture and walnuts.
9. Spoon just enough vinaigrette to moisten the salad and toss well.
10. Sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese if desired.

Yes, it's a warm salad, and it is SOOOOOOOOOOOO good. Please make it ASAP. :-D

Amazon Bars

Holey Moley! This is a treat I grew up with: rich with condensed milk, gooey chocolate, crumbly graham cracker crust... This was the BEST treat ever. And guess what...it's now vegan friendly. :-)

Amazon Bars
Ingredients
1 14 oz can coconut milk
2/3 cup brown sugar (or 2/3 cup white sugar and enough molasses to turn mixture brown)
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (or chocolate wafer crumbs)
2 TBS sugar
1 stick margarine (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans or nut of your choice

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a 13x9x2 baking dish with parchment paper or foil.
2. Put coconut milk and brown sugar into a small pot. Bring mixture to a boil and mix until all sugar is melted. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Melt margarine. Mix with graham cracker crumbs and sugar so that everything is moist.
4. Press graham cracker crumbs into the baking dish. The more you press, the firmer the crust, the easier it will be to cut the bars!
5. Pour the coconut mixture over the crust.
6. Evenly distribute chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts (in that order).
7. Bake for 28-30 minutes.
8. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Put in fridge and let it cool for 4 hours.
9. Cut into desired size bars. Put back in fridge.
10. EAT! You deserve a piece after waiting so long!
3.

Coconut Lime Cupcakes

True Story: These were inspired by the Key Lime Pie I didn't order for dessert the other day...

Coconut Lime Cupcakes

Ingredients
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup soy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 TBS lightly packed lime zest
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup shredded coconut

Direction

1. Preheat overn to 350. Line cupcake pan with liners.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the oil and sugar. Add the coconut milk, soy milk, vanilla, and lime zest. Mix to combine.
3. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until smooth. Add the coconut and mix.
4. Bake for 23-25 minutes.
5. Cool completely before icing.

Icing

1. Beat 1/2 cup nonhydrogenated shortening and 1/2 cup (1 stick) of nonhydrogenated margarine until fluffy.
2. Add 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar and beat for 3 more minutes.
3. Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 1/4 cup fresh lime juice. Beat for another 5-7 minutes.
4. Top the cupcakes with icing and shredded coconut.

And it's done. Amazing. And a crowd pleaser. Seriously, everyone was raving, so make these today!


Some notes...my icing was a little watery because I had a very juicy lime. So that meant that the icing didn't "stack" on itself like the icings you see on store cupcakes. The shredded coconut in the cupcakes add for some unexpected goodness.

not-so-new recipe

So on cold days like this (yes, it reached 35 in Houston!), I love nothing more than to snuggle up with a big mug of hot chocolate!

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Ingredients
1 cup soy milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
Cocoa Powder
Sugar
Vanilla Extract
Peppermint Extract
Tiny pinch of salt

Directions
1. Pour cup of milk into microwave safe liquid measuring cup (or bowl, if you want to be ghetto lol)
2. Microwave milk for 1 minute 30 seconds.
3. While milk is heating up, take a regular spoon and put in 2 equal spoonfulls of sugar and 2 equal spoonfuls of cocoa powder into a large mug. Put tiny pinch of salt into the cup.
4. When milk is heated, slowly pour into sugar mixture. Mix thoroughly with a fork.
5. After everything is mixed, pour in a dash of vanilla extract and a pinch of peppermint extract.

Yummmmmmm. So good on a cold day. Snuggle up and enjoy with a good TV show.

Baked Apples

This is a dish my dad started making on cold winter nights. It's super simple and very yummy. And it's easy to make into a crumble!

Baked Apples

Ingredients
(#) apples, cored (the number of people is the number of apples you'll use)
Raisins (or other dried fruit, like craisins)
Brown sugar
Chopped nuts of your choice

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Put cored apples into individual oven-safe dishes.
3. Mix brown sugar, raisins, and chopped nuts. Stuff into apples.
4. Bake until apple is tender, about 20-30 minutes.

Crumble

Ingredients
Margarine
Brown sugar
Oats

Directions
1. Using 2 knives in a crossing motion, work together margarine, brown sugar, and oats.
2. Pack on top of individual apples.
or
3. Slice apples up and mix with dried fruit, and nuts. Top put mixture into baking dishes. Top with crumble.

Either way, you'll get a really yummy result. :-D

Cleaning out the fridge

Do you ever find yourself with a variety of almost-gone veggies but have no idea what to do with them? I have a simple way to cook up your veggies and have a great meal, and perhaps even have leftovers for tomorrow's lunch! And I'll even throw in a recipe for garlic bread. YUM!

Pasta My Way

Ingredients
Any veggie combo you want
Olive Oil (also canola, grape, etc)
Seasoning of your choice
Whole grain pasta of your choice (I like small cuts like penne)

Directions
1. Chop your veggies in bite size pieces.
2. Put in a pan (glass pan or big baking sheet.
3. Drizzle with olive oil. Mix it together with the veggies.
4. Mix in seasoning of your choice.
5. Pop veggies in a 400 degree over for 30-40 minutes.
6. Cook pasta.
7. Mix pasta and veggies together. Add whatever sauce/salad dressing you like.

Garlic Bread

Ingredients
Whole wheat French bread (or anything similar will work too)
1 head of garlic
Olive Oil
Margerine (optional)

Directions
1. Cut the top off of the head of garlic, exposing the cloves.
2. Put the head of garlic in foil.
3. Drizzle olive oil onto the garlic.
4. Wrap the foil over the head of garlic.
5. Put foil pack in a 400 degree oven. Let it cook for about an hour.
6. Slice up the bread.
7. Drizzle olive oil on the bread and put on a baking sheet.
8. Put a little salt and pepper onto the bread to season it. (Just a tiny pinch)
9. Put in the oven for about 10 minutes.
There are two options:
1. When garlic is done roasting, just take a clove and smash it onto each piece of bread. SO GOOD!
2. Smash roasted garlic with some margerine. Spread onto the bread. Pop bread back in the oven for no more htan 5 minutes.

Sorry I don't have pics....we ate it all up before I thought of taking pictures. But trust me, it's good!

Baking Secrets

So this is a not-so-secret secret, considering it's printed right on the bag....

Looking for an easier way to bake vegan, but can't find vegan friendly egg substitute? Take a hint from Bob's Red Mill Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal:

Flaxseed Meal makes a great egg substitute for most recipes. For one egg, simply mix 1 TBS flaxseed eal with 3 TBS water in a small bowl and let sit for two minutes. Add to a recipe as you would an egg.

I found this brand of Flaxseed Meal at my local Kroger, which means you should be able to find it even if you're in a smaller town.

So for those baking needs, try substituting non-dairy milk and ground flaxseed mix!

Rocket, Pear, and Parmesan Salad

I would have never thought of this combination on my own. Thank goodness they already put these wonderful flavors together Down Under! This is so simple and so easy to make, you'll wonder why you didn't think of this earlier. And since pears are in season right now, pick one up and make this salad! It's a wonderful started to any meal, and everyone will think you're a genius for putting this together.


Ingredients
Arugala (aka Rocket)
Fresh pear slices
Shaved Parmesan
Toasted Walnuts (optional, but good!)
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 TBS brown sugar, plus a little extra

Directions
1. Arrange the arrugala and pear slices onto a plate.
2. Put the vinegar and the brown sugar into a pot. Heat on the stove for 30-60 seconds. That's all it takes!
3. Drizzel vinegar reduction over the salad.
4. Top with cheese and walnuts.
Options
You don't need to make the balsamic reduction. You could also just drizzle the vinegar over the greens.
Use any toasted nuts you'd like! Feel free to experiment.

So easy, so simple, and soooo good. You'll love the peppery bit of the arrugala with the sweetness of the pears, salty cheese, and tartness of the vinagar. And the crunch from the nuts is a nice touch.