Instead of Winning Powerball Numbers, I Dream Up an Almond Butter-Chocolate Chunk Cookie Recipe.

I'm on summer vacation.  I know people think that teachers have it soooooo easy in June, July, and August, but that isn't always the case.  Many of us (myself included) are taking classes, teaching summer school and attempting to entertain our own kiddos 24/7.  Even so, I am lucky enough that I am getting a break from getting up at 5 am and heading out to work in complete darkness.

One of my problems, though, is I have a very difficult time sleeping in.  I want to.  I really really want to.  I just can't do it.  So I have gotten into the habit of doing little solitary projects in the early hours of the morning while my menfolk are still sleeping. 

This morning as I woke up I realized I had been dreaming about a cookie recipe.  Such is my life, I guess.  Anyhow, I've been reading a lot about gluten-free baking and also the whole paleo diet movement.  I think it's interesting how similar the gluten-free and paleo diets are to vegetarian diets (with the obvious exception of meat).  I thought I would try to create a cookie that was gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free and both vegan AND paleo-friendly.  I went to bed last night thinking about it, and woke up with the recipe in my head.

I love how these turned out.  Out of the oven they were crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.  The chocolate was all warm and melty and I convinced myself that they had no calories.  I have to say, however, that much like an 8th grade girl's promise to keep something a secret, these cookies don't last long.  They are best for the first hour after baking.  After that, they become quite cakey and lose their outer "cookie crunch."  I decided to freeze the leftover cookies, though, and plan to mix them into some almond milk ice cream once I work off the half dozen I ate this morning.

 

 

 

1 ripe banana

1/2 cup crunchy almond butter

1 tablespoon flax meal mixed with 3 tablespoons water (mix and allow to sit until goopy)

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups almond meal

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2/3 cup almonds, coarsley chopped

1/2 cup dark chocolate, coarsley chopped

 

 

1.  Cream banana with a mixer until there are no chunks.  Add all the wet ingredients and mix well.

2.  Fold almond meal into liquid.  Fold in chocolate and almond chunks.

3.  Put mixture into the refrigerator for an hour so it firms up a bit.

4.  Preheat oven to 350°.  Use a non-stick cookie sheet or make sure you grease yours or use parchment paper (I used a non-stick sheet AND greased it as well).

5.  Portion dough out using a small scoop.  Pat them out on the tray as big as you'd like; they won't really spread and if you leave them too thick they won't cook well in the middle.

6.  Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until they crisp up and the edges begin to darken.  I suggest doing a test cookie first to find your baking time (these ingredients are pretty pricey so you don't want to screw up a batch by under or over cooking).  The bottom of the cookie browns up pretty quickly, so keep an eye on the clock.

7.  Cool slightly on the sheet then move to a wire rack.  Serve while they're still warm.  Makes about 18 cookies.

 

 

 

 

 

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Obligatory Granola Recipe (Since this is a veggie blog and all . . . )

You knew it was coming, didn't you?  I know enough to know that a vegetarian blog ain't worth a thing if it ain't got that . . . granola recipe.  Mine was born of necessity (I have been snacking on complete junk during the school day and these hips don't lie) and the fact that I had exactly enough tahini to make this batch.

This recipe is not as sweet as traditional granola.  I used pomegranate syrup instead of agave syrup because I thought it would be a nice complement to the tahini.  Don't have pomegranate syrup?  Use agave syrup or honey for you non-vegans.   In fact, the best thing about granola is you can switch it up with whatever ingredients you have on hand. Change out the fruits and nuts with whatever you have and it's still a healthier choice than my snack du jour (potato chips or cookies).  Be careful, though: granola is still pretty high in calories with all the fruit and good stuff packed in there.  So, if you're counting, try to keep your serving to about a half cup or use the granola to sprinkle over vegan yogurt or ice cream.   I ate the entire batch during one stressful day with my 7th grade students, so, sadly, my hips are still a disappointment.

2 cups oatmeal
1/3 cup tahini
1/3 cup pomegranate syrup (or agave syrup or maple syrup or honey for non-vegans)
1/2 cup soy nuts (or peanuts, or-- you know, whatever you want.  Granola, People.  Not rocket science . . .)
3/4 cup dried figs, chopped into chunks
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (which, basically, are just dark chocolate chips, Folks.  Beautiful, beautiful dark chocolate . . .)
1/2 cup raisins

1.  Mix the oatmeal, soy nuts, figs and cinnamon in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix the pomegranate syrup and tahini.
2.  Add the tahini mixture to the fruit and oatmeal; stir to coat.
3.  Spread the mixture out evenly on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
4.  Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, give it a good stir, and return it to bake for another 15 minutes.
5.  Remove the granola from the oven and add the raisins.  Add the chocolate chips (if using).  If you want the chocolate to melt, add them to the granola while it is still hot, stir it up good, and spread it out again to cool.  Otherwise, wait to add the chips until the granola is completely cooled.  Once it is cooled completely, your granola will be crunchy and delightful.  Store it for a few days in an airtight container.

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Baked Banana-rama x 3

Well, Folks, it's official:  I am spending too much time dreaming up ways to use the banana surplus at our house.  My four-year-old, who if given the choice would've lived on bananas and Pop-Tarts alone, has recently announced that he is "mostly done" with the fruit.  This leaves me over-thinking the purchase each week.  If I buy too few he is sure to decide his decision about giving them up was too hasty.  If I buy too many, well . . . you get the idea.  Another blog post.

For this recipe, I had about a half dozen over-ripe bananas and too much time on my hands.  I baked the batch, added some candied walnuts (which were so good I almost didn't have enough to use in the pictures because I would not stop eating them) and then did the final preparation three ways:  straight-up baked bananas, banana pudding, and banana ice cream.  

                           

Candied Walnuts

1 cup whole walnuts

1/2 cup agave syrup or maple syrup (or honey for non-vegans)

1/2 cup Florida Crystals natural sugar

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1.  Heat all ingredients (except walnuts) over medium; stir once until mixed then cook until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes.

2.  Add walnuts and bring to a simmer.  Give the mixture a good stir to coat then cook for about 5 minutes while the sugar browns up a bit.

3. Drain walnuts in a mesh sieve over a bowl to catch the hot sugar mixture.  Spread the walnuts over wax paper on top of a wire rack.  They will get all crunchy and yummy as they cool.

4.  Spread the reserved hot sugar on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper.  When the sugar mixture starts to harden and cools enough to touch (about 2 minutes), peel from the wax paper and set aside to harden on the cookie sheet as you prepare the bananas.  Makes 1 cup walnuts and about a 1/4 cup of the candy chunks.

5.  Once the sugar has hardened on the cookie sheet, bust it up with a mallet into candy chunks and set aside.

Baked Bananas

Half a dozen or so over-ripe bananas

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup brown sugar

Steps:

1. Slice the bananas lengthwise and place into a baking dish

2.  Pour milk over bananas and sprinkle all with brown sugar.

3.  Bake uncovered at 350° for 30 minutes.

4.  Now, decide how you want to serve them!

Baked Bananas

1. Carefully plate the bananas and sprinkle with walnuts, candy chunks and a dash of cinnamon for color. Serve warm or cold.

Baked Banana "Pudding"

1.  After baking bananas, purée them in a food processor until the consistency of pudding.  Add some of the baking liquid (the milk and sugar) as needed to get it to desired creaminess.

2.  Sprinkle with walnuts, candy chunks and  cinnamon. Serve warm or cold.

Banana Ice Cream with Candied Walnuts

1.  After baking bananas, purée all but 2 of them to a smooth consistency.  Add some of the baking liquid (the milk and sugar) as needed until mixture is nice and smooth.

2.  Gently add reserved bananas, cut into chunks.  Add 1/4 cup of the walnuts and stir carefully until mixed.

3.  Add mixture to a small container for freezing.  Smooth it down to make sure it freezes uniformly.

4.  Coarsely chop another 1/4 cup of walnuts and cover the top of the mixture as pictured.  Add the sugar chunks as well.  This will be the bottom of the ice cream.

5. Cover and freeze upside down overnight.

6.  Top with remaining walnuts to serve.

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Orange You Glad this Glaze is So Good?

A few years back I put together a cookbook of all of our family recipes.  I use it all the time, and many of the posts for this blog are veganized versions of recipes from the book.  One of my favorite sections is the one filled with sauces, rubs, marinades and glazes.  There is nothing like a great glaze or marinade to spice up a vegetarian meal (especially tofu and tempeh which happily take on the flavors of whatever you cook it with).

This orange glaze can be used with tofu, tempeh, or any little old thing you have a hankering for.  I like it best with tofu over rice and vegetables.  This recipe makes enough for one container of tofu or one brick of tempeh.  Add water as directed for a thinner glaze, or omit the water altogether (as I did) for a thicker, gooey glaze.  Either way it is super easy and delicious.

2 tablespoons water (I omitted the water for a thicker glaze)
5 tablespoons Florida Crystals sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
10 whole cloves
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1/2 teaspoon diced cherry peppers (optional, but it really adds a nice kick)
1/2 cup orange juice

1. Combine all ingredients and pour over tofu or tempeh or gardein cutlets browned with salt and pepper.
2. Bake in baking dish at 350º for about 30 minutes until thickened and bubbling.  Check halfway through cooking and turn tofu (or tempeh or gardein cutlets) so both sides get coated.

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I Finally Trust You Enough to Share my Recipe for Black Magic Cake!

I have trust issues, Folks.  My issues are varied, come in all shapes and sizes, and will take lots of therapy to overcome.  My life has changed a lot since I've started this blog.  I've divorced, moved back to my hometown with my kids, fallen for a new fella and moved the big lug in.  I've really been trying to work on fresh starts and a positive attitude and not being so guarded and . . . skeptical of everyone.

So what in the hell does this have to do with chocolate cake, you ask?  Great question!  This recipe means a lot to me.  I can't remember a family celebration when this cake wasn't in the middle of our big table.  My father would make this for every birthday and knew the recipe by heart.  Then, years ago, I made a family cookbook and it was the first time I had seen an actual recipe.  For every celebration after that, I would make Dad's Black Magic Cake, and it was awesome.

Then I started this blog, and figured one day I would tinker with his original recipe and not only veganize it, but make it, well, awesome-er.  In the past few years every time I attempted to transform the recipe I would doubt myself and never changed it.  I didn't trust my skills and didn't trust that I would be able to make a vegan version that was even close to what I grew up with.  And then something magical happened: my son asked for the cake for his 10th birthday, and added that I should post the recipe on Vegerrific.

The beautiful thing is I just "went with it," trusted that I had good instincts and- damn it all- I do believe that this is the best cake I have ever made, eaten, and allowed my children to devour until they were in chocolate comas.  It was, without a doubt, awesome-er!

Dry Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour
2 cups Florida Crystals sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Wet Ingredients:

6 ounces (3/4 cup) coconut yogurt (vanilla flavor)
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons Egg Replacer, mixed with 4 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon chocolate extract (or just double the vanilla extract)
2 tablespoons instant espresso prepared with 1 cup water, cooled to room temperature
Desired frosting (recipe follows for my Black Magic frosting)

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Mix all the dry ingredients in bowl and set aside.
2. Mix all wet ingredients, beating with hand mixer for two minutes exactly.
3. Combine both mixtures, stirring gently. When all ingredients are wet, beat with hand mixer for 2 minutes. The batter may be thick.
4. Pour into a greased and floured 9” x 13” x 2” pan or two round cake pans. For the record, we always made this cake in a rectangular baking dish and didn't mess with trying to make a pretty round cake.  We are cake eaters in this family, not cake decorators.
5.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Check for doneness at 35 minutes.
6. Spread with Black Magic Frosting when cooled (recipe follows).

"Look, Ma . . . no salmonella!' (Get it? 'Cause there aren't any eggs in the cake batter!)

Black Magic Frosting

2 tablespoons softened Earth Balance (more to taste for creamier frosting)
1 tablespoon instant espresso prepared with 1/2 cup water, cooled to room temperature
4 tablespoons coconut milk 
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
32 ounces of Florida Crystals powdered sugar
2 pinches ground cinnamon
1 bag of vegan chocolate chips (if desired)

1. Combine Earth Balance, coffee, cocoa and cinnamon. Add creamer, blending well.
2. Add sugar cup by cup, beating to desired consistency.
3. Add more Earth Balance to make the frosting creamier if desired.
4. Frost cake and the cover top with chocolate chips, of using.

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Coconut Tenders with Peanut Dipping Sauce

One of my favorite, beautiful besties, Shannon, LOVES coconut chicken.  It's her "fave," she says.  Shannon has been such a dear and loyal friend to me, that I am often at a loss to express what her friendship means to me.  Well, folks, I'm Italian, and, well, food is love, so I created this dish for my Sha-nan-nan, with all my heart and friendly devotion.  :-)

Coconut "Chicken"

2 packages gardein Chick'n Strips or the Barbecue Wings, without the flavor packet (I used 1 package, but the amounts are listed for 2 packages)
1 can (13.66 ounces) of light coconut milk
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
3 teaspoons Egg Replacer mixed with 4 tablespoons water (or two eggs)
2 1/2 cups shredded coconut
Canola or sesame or peanut oil, for frying (I mixed 1/2 cup canola with 1/4 sesame)
Peanut Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)

1. Marinate the gardien in coconut milk and rice vinegar for at least an hour.
2.  Do something fun for that hour, like straighten your hair (which is what I did).  You could also prepare the peanut sauce to give its ingredients some time to meld before you start cooking the coconut tenders.
3.  Pat the excess milk off the gardein with a paper towel (be careful, because the tenders may feel like falling apart a little)). In a small bowl combine cornstarch, salt, pepper, and chili powder. In a separate bowl, mix the Egg Replacer until foamy.
4. In another bowl, place the coconut. Coat the gardein with the cornstarch and shake off any excess. Dip into the egg replacer and then press into the coconut to get full coverage. Try to keep 1 hand dry, this will keep things a little cleaner.
5. In a large pan, heat the oil to 350° and gently submerge the gardein, a few at a time. Fry for about 3 minutes total or until golden brown on both sides (watch closely- they will brown up fast). Remove them to a paper towel to drain. Serve with Peanut Sauce.

Peanut Dipping Sauce

1 teaspoon minced ginger (I used 1/4 teaspoon ground because I was out of fresh)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter, plus 1 tablespoon
1/2 cup of light coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon diced hot cherry peppers
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon toasted chopped peanuts

1. In a small bowl, combine the ginger, peanut butter, and coconut milk in a small bowl and whisk together.
2. Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, chili powder, diced peppers, garlic and cilantro to the bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Place the sauce in a serving bowl and garnish with more cilantro and chopped peanuts.

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No Matter How Much I Miss Summer, Canned Cherries are NOT the Answer

So, we're sliding into the end of February and I am really just DONE with winter.  I think I've been a good sport- I haven't complained about leaving in the blue-black cold at 6 am each day, haven't sweated the piles of snow, the black ice, the way the automatic door on my minivan has inexplicably stopped working due to frigid temperatures.  But I assure you:  I.  Am. Done.

To cheer myself up, I thought I'd make this summer salad for lunch on Saturday.  The original recipe was given to me by my bestie, Kate (although she used chicken instead of tempeh).  It's a pretty, happy salad and the green grapes, yellow pineapple and red cherries shout SUMMER.

Or at least, they do if it's summer and those fruits are in season.  I made the mistake of using canned cherries instead of fresh because, well, it's FEBRUARY.  Not only were they mushy, but even after careful draining they still turned the dressing pinker than I would've liked.  The result was a sad reminder that summer is still months away.  I'm posting this because the recipe is really good, the yogurt sauce is delicious, and if, unlike me, you are patient and use fresh cherries, you will not be disappointed.

2 1/2 cups cooked tempeh, cubed
2 cups seedless green grapes, halved
2 cups pitted sweet cherries, quartered
1 cup sliced celery
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 cups pineapple, cut into 1" cubes
1/2 cup Vegenaise
1/2 cup vanilla coconut yogurt
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup toasted coconut

1. Cut the tempeh into 1" cubes and cook in a little olive oil and salt, until the tempeh is golden.  Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
2.  When cooled, combine tempeh, grapes, celery, and onion.
2. In small bowl, combine Vegenaise, yogurt, ginger, and cinnamon. Combine with large bowl, tossing gently to coat.
3. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Stir in pineapple and cherries and sprinkle with coconut to serve. 4 to 6 servings.

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