Chocolate - Peanut Butter Cookies

Chocolate - Peanut Butter Cookies

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground flaxseed (flaxseed meal)
1/2 cup almond milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F

In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, flaxseed meal, almond milk and vanilla extract. Mix until very smooth.

Fold in the dry ingredients in batches. The dough will become very stiff. You may need to add some water. Only add one tablespoon of water at a time.

Add the walnuts.

Mix with your hands to form a stiff dough.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll the dough into one inch balls. Flatted in the baking sheet by hand. Use a fork to make an impression on the top of each cookie.

Bake on sheet at a time for 13 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes.

Basil Cashew Cheese Lasagne

Basil Cashew Cheese Lasagne - This is a wonderful Lasagne dish.

Vegan, Fat Free, Minestrone Soup

This recipe is modified from the Barefoot Contessa's original non-vegan recipe.

Ingredients:

1½ cups chopped yellow onions 
2 cups (½-inch) diced carrots (3 carrots) 
2 cups (½-inch) diced celery (3 stalks) 
2½ cups (½-inch) diced peeled butternut squash 
1½ tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves) 
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves 
26 ounces canned or boxed chopped tomatoes
6 to 8 cups vegetable stock, preferably homemade 
1 bay leaf 
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 
2 cups cooked small whole grain pasta
8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
1 zucchini cubed
1/2 cup good dry white wine 
2 tablespoons pesto (recipe follows)

Dry sauté the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Remove and move ingredients to Crock Pot.

Add the tomatoes, beans, 6 cups of the vegetable stock, the bay leaf, and one-teaspoon pepper to the Crockpot. Cook on low for 4 or more hours.

Discard the bay leaf. The soup should be quite thick but if it’s too thick, add more vegetable stock. Just before serving, add the spinach, zucchini, and toss with 2 big spoons (like tossing a salad). Cook just until the leaves are wilted. Stir in the white wine and pesto. Add the cooked pasta and serve.

Note. If you are planning on having leftovers, keep the pasta and soup separate.  Add ¼ cup cooked past to each bowl of soup before you serve it.

Pesto:

1 bunch basil leaves

1 clove garlic

1 T nutritional yeast

1 T lemon juice

Process in a food processor until smooth.  Add entire contents to soup.

"Meatballs" with Sweet Sauce

  Ingredients

· 1/2 cup white onion, minced

·  3 cloves garlic, minced

·  1 flax egg (1 Tbs ground flax with 2 Tbs water) or egg substitute

·  8 ounces tempeh

·  1/3 cup nutritional yeast

· 1 Tbsp  Italian Seasonings

·  1/2 cup vegan bread crumbs 

·  2 Tbsp your favorite marinara or tomato sauce

For Coating

·  1/3 cup bread crumbs

·  1/3 cup nutritional yeast

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare flax egg in a small dish.

2.     Add tempeh to food processor and pulse to break down. Then add sautéd garlic and onion pulse the remaining ingredients and mix, scraping down sides as needed. You want it to form into a moldable “dough.”

3.    Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

4.    Scoop out 1 Tbsp amounts of dough (I used a small melon ball scoop) and roll into balls.

5.     Mix remaining bread crumbs and nutritional yeast together in a shallow dish. Add tempeh balls one or two at a time and roll to coat and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

6.    Bake for about 15 minutes, or longer if desired for a crispier result.

7.     Once meatballs are deep golden brown and fairly firm to the touch, remove from oven.

8.     To serve, place on a small platter and drizzle warmed sauce over the top. 

Sauce:
2 T C grape jelly, 4 T vegan BBQ sauce (warmed in a small bowl or cup)

Vegan Ceasar Salad Recipe

Dressing:

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.



Parmesan Cheese:


1 Cup ground almonds
1/2 Cup nutritional Yeast

Mix ingredients together


Salad:


1/2 head Curly Kale (chopped)
1 head Romain lettuce (chopped)


Directions:


Place Kale in a salad bowl and pour half of dressing mixture over it.  Massage Kale to soften it.  Let it stand for 15 minutes.  Add the Romain lettuce and the rest of the dressing.  Toss lightly.  Add 2 to 3 T of the Parmesan cheese, and toss.  Serve with croutons on top, if you like.

Vegan Wild Mushroom Gravy

I only have a paper copy of this recipe.  I tried to find it again on the internet, but it is lost.  It is a great recipe for holidays.  I'd give a nod to the chef, if I could find him.

Vegan Wild Mushroom Gravy

¼ cup stock (for steam frying)

3-6 cloves of garlice minced

1 large white onion diced

1 ½ cups wild mushroom of choice chopped

2 T tamari

3 cups vegetable or mushroom stock

¼ cup merlot, or other spicy red

½ cup all – purpose white flour

¼ cup nutritional yeast

3 sprigs of rosemary, off stem and minced

2 T fresh thyme minced

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Steam fry the garlic and onion in the ¼ c stock for about three minutes on medium heat, add the mushrooms and fresh herbs and continue to sauté for a few minutes.  Add the red wine and cook for a few minutes.  Add stock and stir, bring to a simmer.  For the flour, yeast, and soy sauce make a slurry and add slowly to stock.  Bring the gravy to a boil on medium to medium – high heat, stirring constantly.  Add salt and pepper to tast.  If the gravy is to thin for your taste, add one or two tablespoons of flour or small amounts of cornstarch to thicken it.  Use a wire whisk to eliminate lumps.

Oil Free French Fries

Serves 6

Ingredients 

6 medium Yukon gold potatoes

1 tsp garlic powder

2 T Mrs Dash Garlic and Herb

½ tsp salt (optional)

1 tsp ground pepper

1/4 C oat flour

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients together into a gallon plastic zip lock bag.

Slice potato into 1/4 inch French fry pieces. Place in the plastic bag.  

Shake the bag until potatoes are covered with the flour mixture.

Spread on two cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Cook at 500 degrees for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and turn the fries.

Rotate the pans and place back in the oven and cook for 15 more minutes.

Serve hot from the oven with ketchup.