Peanut Butter Cookies

Gracie and I were in the mood to bake cookies. I have an over abundance of peanut butter, so naturally the best way to use it up is make Peanut Butter cookies, right? Daddy has been gone all weekend (just arrived early this morning) so we decided to surprise him with a little treat.

This recipe is very easy. Measurements are pretty much the same throughout, so it's easy to memorize. I substituted flax seed for egg and like the gentle nut flavor it adds to the dough. 1 tablespoon ground flax seed mixed with 3 tablespoons water is the equivalent of one egg. You could also use chia seed gel which adds yet another layer of protein to these delicious cookies. 3 tablespoons of chia seeds mixed with 1 cup of water yields a nice thick gel. 3 tablespoons of gel equals 1 egg.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar or 1/4 cup honey

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 Tb. ground flax seed, mixed with 3 Tb. water

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Granulated sugar

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in flax seed mixture and vanilla until combined. Mix in as much flour as possible with the hand mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon.

Shape dough into 1-in balls. Roll in additional white sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten by making crisscross marks with the tines of a fork.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 7-9 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Tasty, tasty! Enjoy with a short glass of soy or almond milk. :-)

Vegetable Pot Pie

One of our family's favorite meals is vegetarian chicken pot pie. I remember when I was a child, we could buy individual frozen vegetarian pot pies at the health food store: chicken or beef flavor. Once in a while we'd have them for a treat and it seemed like the longest 45 minutes in the world as that delicious pot pie cooked in the oven. I'd sneak a peek at the ever-goldening crust and hope that it was ready to eat soon. Then...the moment arrived. I'd slip my fork through the flaky crust and try to take a bite and immediately burn my tongue! It was worth it. All too soon the pot pie was finished and the craving was satisfied for a while.

Unfortunately, the company stopped making those little delectable morsels of vegetable goodness. The only frozen precooked pot pies you can find now are the Amy's brand. I've tried them, and while very good, they just don't measure up to the original vegetarian pot pies of my memories.

The solution? Make my own. Here is my rendition of pot pie. I'm sure there are many wonderful recipes out there, but this is what I've created. I hope you enjoy this recipe. If you make it, please send me your feedback. I'd like to hear what additional ingredients you added or subtracted.

Ingredients:

Filling

1 T. olive oil

3 small Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and diced (red potatoes would work fine, too)

1/2 onion, diced

2 celery ribs, diced

1 carrot, peeled and sliced into bite sized pieces

2 vegetarian chicken patties, cooked and cubed

1 T. vegetarian chicken seasoning

1 tsp. granulated onion

1/2 tsp. granulated garlic

salt, pepper to taste

Gravy

1/2 cup raw cashews

2 cups water

4 T. vegetarian chicken seasoning

1 T. cornstarch

Instructions:

In a medium pot, saute vegetables in olive oil. Add seasonings as vegetables soften.

In a blender, blend 1/2 cup cashews with 1 cup of water until very smooth. Add additional 1 cup of water, chicken seasoning and cornstarch. Continue blending until well combined.

Pour cashew milk mixture into vegetables and cook over medium heat until combination begins to thicken. Stir often to make sure vegetables do not stick. Take off of heat and immediately pour into 8 x 8 casserole dish. Cover with your choice of uncooked pie crust. Poke 4-5 holes in top of pie crust to vent. Bake pot pie at 350 degrees for 45 - 60 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes before cutting through.

Complete the meal with a fresh green salad. Serves: 4 (depending on the size of pieces you cut!)

A Classic Favorite

I went to bed last night wondering what I would make for breakfast this morning. I know, I know! I really need to expand my thought patterns. I had some leftover home fries and sausage. Throw some scrambled tofu and a flour tortilla into the mix and you have one of my all-time favorite breakfast foods: the breakfast burrito. Voila! Breakfast is solved.

The breakfast burrito is so user friendly. You can add or subtract ingredients as you like.

Ingredients:

Flour or corn tortillas

Scrambled tofu

Crumbled cooked tator tots or hashbrowns

Vegetarian sausage links or patties, cooked and crumbled

Soy sour cream

Soy cheese

Salsa or Taco sauce

Olives, optional

Instructions:

Layer ingredients in tortilla. Roll and enjoy!

I made a Mexicali Tofu Scramble for my breakfast burrito this morning.

Ingredients:

1/4 of an onion, chopped fine

1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped fine

1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped fine

1 block water-pack tofu, crumbled

Turmeric, Cumin, Granulated Onion, Granulated Garlic, Soy sauce, Oregano, Salt

Instructions:

Saute onion and bell pepper in a little cooking spray over medium heat. Add crumbled tofu to pan. Add seasonings to taste and color consistency. I only used a sprinkling of turmeric, oregano and garlic. I like the taste of cumin so added more. The soy sauce is nice because it adds a touch of saltiness with a rich flavor.

You'll have to experiment for yourself, but that's most of the fun, isn't it?? :)

Enjoy!

Breakfast Today

So, last night I planned to make waffles for breakfast this morning. I usually use a modified recipe that my mom created with granola and other ingredients (super easy!), but I didn't have everything that I needed. My husband always talks about these incredible oat waffles that he used to eat, so I decided to try my hand at making oat based waffles.

I think I may have created a new favorite! It takes a little longer than your average white flour waffle, but it's definitely worth it. Not only for your heart and digestive system, but for your taste buds as well.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raw cashews (you could experiment with other kinds of nuts if you wanted)

7 dates

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup corn meal

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups of water (plus a little more as needed)

handful of coconut (opt.)

1 T. flax seed (opt.)

Instructions:

Blend cashews and dates with 1 cup of water in blender until very smooth and creamy. Add rolled oats, corn meal, vanilla and salt ~ blending with the rest of the water. Turn off the blender and stir in the coconut, if using.

Spray your waffle iron with cooking spray and pour batter onto hot waffle iron. Bake for 11 minutes. Remove and enjoy with your favorite toppings! I made a mixed berry sauce for mine.

Yield: 3 large square waffles or 7 small round waffles (give or take depending on your waffle iron)

Something Different

I know...it's been a while since I've posted anything. There is a good explanation for that! Around the time of my last blog, I discovered the joys of morning sickness. I was sick for seven weeks straight, sometimes not able to get out of bed without being overcome with nausea. I couldn't think about food, much less cook, thus the quiet blog. (We are due in early October.)

Yesterday I was given a bag of plums. I've never cooked with fresh plums before, but I had seen a recipe in my recent Vegetarian Times magazine that sounded good, Plum Cobbler. Since I had most of the ingredients on hand, I decided I would put it to the test. The results? My husband thought, and I quote, " it was awesome".

My 3 year-old daughter enjoyed helping me make this dessert. She washed the plums and carefully placed most of the ingredients into the blender. It's a joy to watch her take an interest in something that I'm passionate about.

The texture of the cake-like topping is very moist due to the escaping juices of the fruit as it cooks. The cobbler has a nice contrast of sweet to tart.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. fresh or frozen, thawed, pitted and halved plums or apricots, or trimmed, halved figs

6 oz. silken tofu, such as Mori Nu, drained

1 Tb. cider vinegar

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 Tbs. cornstarch

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray deep-dish glass or ceramic pie dish or 9-in. square baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange fruit in layer in prepared dish.

Blend tofu in blender or food processor until smooth. Add vinegar and 1/4 cup water, and blend until smooth. Add sugar, vanilla, and almond extract; puree 1 minute or until sugar dissolves. Add flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Blend again for about 2 minutes, or until a smooth thick batter forms.

Pour batter over fruit in baking dish. Bake 30-40 minutes, or until top is golden-brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

*This dessert freezes well, too. Wrap the baked, cooled cobbler with foil and plastic wrap before freezing. Thaw frozen cobbler, remove plastic wrap and foil, and warm in a 350 degree oven 20 minutes or until filling is hot and bubbly.

You can find this recipe in the July/August 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times.

Fruit Empanadas

So, tomorrow I am making a mexican themed breakfast, complete with beans, huevos rancheros, and fruit empanadas. I like to practice the principle of eating like a king for breakfast, a prince for lunch, and (sometimes) a pauper for supper. It doesn't always happen that way, but I try to have great filling breakfasts as often as possible.

One of my first purchases as an adult was the cookbook 1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes by Sue Spitler. It has inspired many of my own attempts at creating delicious meals. Today I'm going to share the fruit empanada recipe ~ simple and delicious.

Ingredients:

Filling ~

1/2 cup dried apricots

1/2 cup dried sweet cherries

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup sugar (you could cut down on this)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

dash of lemon extract, or some lemon zest

Pastry ~

1 1/4 cups white flour

1 T. sugar

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

3 Tbs. shortening

1 tsp. lemon juice

3-4 Tbs. soymilk or water

Instructions:

Heat apricots, cherries and water to boiling in a small sauce pan. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until fruit is very soft, about 5 minutes. Mash fruit with fork until almost smooth; stir in sugar and spice.

Meanwhile, make your pastry. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in lemon juice and milk, a tablespoon at a time to form a soft dough.

Roll half of the pastry on a lightly floured surface until 1/8 in. thick; cut into circles with a 3-in. round cookie cutter (I used a glass cup). Place slightly rounded teaspoon of fruit mixture in center of each pastry circle; fold the pastries in half and crimp edges with tines of fork. Make a slit in top of each pastry with a knife.

Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees until golden, 12-15 minutes.

Yield: 24 empanadas [They are about 3-bites size! :)]

Enjoy ~

Wacky Banana Cake

This recipe is adapted from my Better Homes and Gardens Baking Book and it's in a section called Baking with Kids. This should tell you how easy this recipe is! It's so good, too. The original recipe calls for chocolate chips and butter, but you can easily substitute carob or vegan chocolate chips and margarine. It's called Wacky Banana Cake because you mix all the ingredients right in the baking dish.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

2/3 cup mashed banana

6 Tb. margarine, melted

1/4 cup cold water

1 Tb. vinegar

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or carob chips

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional, but a delicious addition)

Instructions:

In an ungreased 8x8x2 in. baking pan, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the bananas, melted margarine, cold water, and vinegar to the dry mixture. Stir until just combined. Sprinkle the chocolate or carob chips over the top of the cake. Bake in a 350 degree oven 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Halfway through the baking time, sprinkle the nuts over the top of the cake. When done baking, remove from oven and cool in pan on a wire rack.

Yield: 9 servings