CHIPPED BOWL

I have never really liked oreos.  These are so much better than the ones you find at your local grocery store.  Plus they are vegan!  They won’t last long, so make the whole batch.

Homemade Oreos, adapted from Flour Bakery

Ingredients

• 1 cup Earth Balance, melted
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
• 1 TB ground flax, mixed with 3 TB water
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt

Filling

• 1/2 cup Earth Balance, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 TB soy milk

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix the Earth Balance and sugar until combined.  Stir in vanilla and melted chocolate chips.  Add the flax mixture and stir.
2. In another bowl mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture.  Cover with plastic and let sit for 1 hour until firm.
3. Preheat oven to 325 F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Make 32 balls of dough and flatten them on the baking sheets, 1 inch apart. 
4. Bake the cookies fro 20-25 minutes, until firm in the center.  Cool.
5. To make filling, beat Earth Balance on low speed for 30 seconds.  Add vanilla and sugar and beat until smooth.  Beat in the soy milk.
6. Place 1 TB of filling on the flat side of 16 cookies.  Press the remaining 16 cookies on top.  Enjoy!

A and I have always loved Indo-Chinese food.  Gobi Manchurian is by far our favorite.  This is a spicy combination and really one of the only ways I will eat cauliflower.  Enjoy!

Gobi Manchurian, adapted from Hot Pot Cooking

Ingredients:

• 1 small floret Cauliflower
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup corn or rice flour
• 2 tsp chili garlic sauce
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sriracha sauce
• Salt to taste
• 2-4 TB oil

For sauce:

• 1 onion
• 1 bunch green onions
• 3 jalapenos
• 2 tbsp sriracha
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 cup  tomato puree
• 2 tsp corn flour
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• Salt -  to taste

Directions

1. In a small bowl combine all purpose flour, corn flour, chili garlic paste, soy sauce, sriracha, and salt with enough water to make a thick paste.
2. In a wok, heat the oil. Dip the cauliflower in the batter such that it is coated well. Fry the cauliflower in oil till they are golden brown. Drain them in a paper towel.
3. Chop the onions and green onions finely. Save the green part for garnishing.  In a large wide pan, add sesame oil. Add onions, white part of spring onions, chili garlic paste and green chilly and fry for 5 minutes.
4. Combine all the sauces. Mix cornflour in 2 tbsp of water and add in the pan. Lastly add the cauliflower and increase the heat tossing the pan to coat sauces on cauliflower. Switch off and serve immediately.

This is a great quick and easy pasta.

Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Capers

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 3 TB olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 4 medium tomatoes
• 6 garlic cloves
• 4 TB capers
• 3/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 cup frozen peas (optional)
• 1/2 cup parsley (optional)
• 1 lb pasta

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to directions.  Reserve 1/2 cup of water.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet, saute onions on medium heat, covered for 3 minutes.  Add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, capers, thyme and oregano.
3. Add the fresh tomatoes and peas. Saute, covered until the tomatoes soften and lose their shape. Stir in pasta water.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

There are not many pictures of these cookies because they disappeared before photos could be taken.  They are that good.  A made them for us, and we used this strawberry frosting on top.  They were perfect!

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Earth Balance
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 TB vegan sour cream or cream cheese
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/4 cup flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a large baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, vanilla and sour cream until light and fluffy.  Mix in the salt, baking soda and flour until just combined.
3. Drop dough by 1 1/2 tsp balls onto baking sheet.
4. Bake for 8-9 minutes, until golden.  Top with your favorite icing and sprinkles.

This is my favorite hummus recipe. It is so easy to make and is perfect on whole grain bread or for dipping pita and carrots.

Hummus, adapted from Oh She Glows!

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, liquid reserved and set aside
• 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/3 Cup tahini
• 10 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp reserved chickpea liquid (or water)
• 4-8 drops of Tabasco sauce (amazing), to taste
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• Paprika, for garnish

Directions

1. Place all ingredients into a food processor (except the salt) and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Now add in salt gradually, stopping to taste as you go.
2. Scoop into a bowl and drizzle with a good quality olive oil and garnish with paprika. Makes about 2 cups and lasts for about 4-5 days in the fridge in a sealed container.

I love strawberry season.  This is a great cupcake recipe; A says its his new favorite.  The icing was so good we used leftovers on sugar cookies the next day (the cupcakes only lasted a few hours).  I brought a batch of mini-cupcakes to a party were they quickly gobbled up.

This recipe makes about 24 cupcakes, and is easily cut in half for small households.

Make extra strawberry milk for a tasty drink!

Strawberry Milk Cupcakes, adapted from The Tolerant Vegan

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups strawberries, chopped (plus more for garnish if you want)
• 1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk (I used soy)
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2/3 cups canola oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 8 ounces vegan cream cheese
• 6 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 cup of Earth Balance

Directions

1. To make the strawberry milk, combine 1 cup of chopped strawberries, 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a pot and boil it all for 10 minutes.
2. Scoop out the berries and use them for another recipe (I put mine in some plain soyogurt) and pour the remaining liquid in a glass filled with 1 1/2 cups of milk. Stir.
3. Preheat your oven to 350F.
4. To make cake, combine the all-purpose flour, 2 cups of sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the strawberry milk, oil, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. 
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix on low-medium speed for 1 minute, or until combined.
7. Spoon the batter into a cupcake tin and bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick can be inserted and removed cleanly. Let the cupcakes cool before whipping up the frosting.
8. To make the frosting, puree 1 cup of chopped strawberries in a food processor. If there are still small chunks in there don’t worry, that makes it even better.
9. Combine the puree, confectioners’ sugar, Earth Balance, cream cheese and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract in a bowl and mix on low-medium speed until fully combined.
10. Frost your cupcakes and top with more strawberries if you want. 

Hooray for the spring harvest.  I love spring vegetables like asparagus and fennel.  This dish is perfect for those cool spring nights when you want something healthy, easy and hearty.

Orzo with Fennel and Tomato Ragout, adapted from Vegetarian Times

Ingredients

• 1/3 c chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 3 T tomato paste
• 16 oz dry orzo pasta
• 1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 2 medium carrots, scraped and diced (2 c)
• 1 large onion, chopped (2 c)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 T)
• 1 28-oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 2 15-oz cans white beans, drained and rinsed (about 4 c)

Directions

1. Cook orzo according to package instructions and set aside.
2. Coat a large pot with cooking spray and heat over med-high. Add fennel; top with carrots and onions. Cook 5 minutes without stirring. Stir and let cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in fire-roasted tomatoes, beans, tomato paste and sun-dried tomatos. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Mix in orzo.