*Vegan* Chocolate Chunk Spice Cookies

Need a last minute valentine treat for a loved one, who happens to be vegan or dairy-free? These festive cookies are quick and easy to make, and you will surely find most of the ingredients in your pantry already. Their spiciness also lend themselves to other winter holidays, such and Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you need a bunch of cookies, double or triple the batch, as they only make a dozen large or 20 small cookies.

What's in it

1/3 C sugar (turbinado or unrefined sugar recommended)

1/2 C dark chocolate chunks (be sure to check they are dairy-free, Nestle typically has milk products in their morsels)

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

1/16 tsp ground allspice

1-2 pinches ground cloves

1 C barley flour (or 1 C minus 2 Tbl all-purpose flour)

3 Tbl cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/3 C maple syrup

1/4 C + 1 tsp canola oil

How it's made

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.

In a small bowl, combine maple syrup and oil. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the rest of the dry ingredients, except the chocolate chunks. Whisk or sift together until well combined and not very clumpy. Add in the chocolate chunks - you can save out some chocolate chunks if you would like to press them on top before baking. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Scoop out rounded tablespoons of batter onto your baking sheet. Press reserved chocolate chunks on top of each cookie. Bake 11 minutes (no more, or else they will get dry!). Cool on pan 1 minute, then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

Vegan Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

No, don't go! Really, these cupcakes may be vegan, but they are also one of the best cupcakes I've ever made (and I am a cupcake making machine). You might think "Why would I eat a cupcake that is healthy?", and I am here to tell you these cupcakes are not only not healthy, they are next level delicious. Plus, there is something about cupcakes that makes everyone happy - the people who bake them and the people who eat them. It's akin to going to Disneyland, or Christmas in July. Recently I finally got my hands on my friend Michelle's copy of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World so I could make her vegan cupcakes for her birthday. I was pleasantly surprised how easy these seemingly complex cupcakes were to make, and required no special ingredients to veganize them (like arrowroot or a dried-up newt). The cake was moist and dense, holding it's own under the mint 'butter cream' frosting and dollop of chocolate ganache on top. Like I said, decadent. Your vegan and non-vegan friends will love you for making these cupcakes.

Vegan Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
~Print Recipe~

What's in it (makes one dozen)

For the cupcake:

1 C soy milk

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

3/4 C sugar

1/3 C canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp mint extract

1 C flour

1/3 C cocoa powder (regular or dutch)

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

For the butter cream frosting:

1/4 C shortening (preferably non-hydrogenated)

3 C confectioner's sugar (sifted if lumpy)

1/4 C plus 1 Tbl soy milk

1 1/2 tsp mint extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

small drop green food coloring

For the chocolate ganache:

3 Tbl soy milk

1/3 C semisweet chocolate chips

How it's made

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tray with 12 paper liners.

Make cupcakes:

In a large bowl, combine soy milk and vinegar, whisk together and set aside a few minutes and allow to curdle. In a medium bowl, sift together dry ingredients (flour ->salt). In the large bowl with soy milk mixture, add and cream together sugar, oil and extracts until foamy. Add dry ingredients in two batches, mixing with beater in between until smooth. Pour batter into paper lined cupcake tin, filling 3/4 full (evenly distribute to make 12 cupcakes). Bake 18-20 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Cool on racks.

Make butter cream frosting:

In a medium bowl, cream shortening for a few seconds to soften. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and a splash of the soy milk, and cream until smooth. Repeat with remaining soy milk and powdered sugar until smooth and buttery. Add the extracts and coloring and mix until incorporated. At this point I recommend putting the frosting in the freezer or refrigerator, to chill it before frosting the cupcakes. This helps the frosting hold its shape on the cupcake. When frosting is sufficiently cooled, put in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, and pipe onto cupcake, from the outside in, leaving an edge around the rim to show the chocolate cupcake below. Once all the cupcakes are frosted, place in freezer or refrigerator to set the frosting.

Make chocolate ganache:

In a small sauce pan heat the soy milk until just about to simmer. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips, stirring until melted and incorporated. Allow to cool to room temperature (you can put in fridge or freezer to speed this up). Spoon a dollop of ganache on the top of each cupcake, being as precise or haphazard as you like. You could even use a fork to drizzle, depending on your style. I used a cookie scoop to plop them on top. Stick cupcakes in the fridge or freezer one last time to set the ganache.

You can also top with any decorative candy you choose. I recommend Mint Newman O's, green M&M's, sprinkles, mint chips, or a sprig of fresh mint. Or keep it simple and stick a candle in it, for a special occasion.

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

My good friend Michelle just came back home from 3 months in South America (why do my friends always leave me?!!) and seeing as she is vegan, and hadn't had dessert in so many months, we had her over for American Dinner and vegan cupcakes. I didn't have a complete recipe, seeing as she is the one with 'Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World', so I pieced something together from my 'Moosewood Desserts' cookbook. It's a take on their Six Minute Chocolate Cake recipe.

These cupcakes are a cinch to make, and incredibly delicious. Andy couldn't get enough of them. They are delicious on their own, but could easily be embellished to make a seasonal cupcake. I pondered putting crushed candy cane on top, but figured I'd go the purist route the first time around. I did decorate with some Pilsbury frosting I had laying around, piping it on to spell out words and silly decorations.

What's in the cupcakes

1 1/2 C unbleached flour

1/3 C cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 C sugar

1/2 C vegetable oil

1 C cold water or coffee

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tblsp apple cider vinegar

How the cupcakes are made

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients, including the sugar, with a whisk. In a small bowl or measuring cup mix together all the rest of the ingredients except for the vinegar. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, then mix in vinegar into mixture with a whisk. The vinegar will react with the baking soda to make bubbles and a bit of foam. Spoon batter into cupcake tins lined with paper, filling 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool on rack when done. Prepare glaze as cupcakes bake. Makes 18 cupcakes.

What's in the glaze

4 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips (about 1/4 to 1/3 of a bag)

1/4 C hot water or coffee

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

How the glaze is made

In a double boiler (or a pot of 2 cups boiling water, with a larger metal bowl rested on top) melt chocolate, stirring often until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in water and vanilla until combined and smooth. Spoon glaze over each cupcake (about 1 spoon per cupcake) and using the back of the spoon, spread glaze in a circular motion to cover the cupcake. Place in the refrigerator at least 20 minutes to harden the glaze. If putting crushed candy cane or chocolate chips, or mint UFO's on top, place before putting in fridge. If using frosting to pipe on decoration, do so after glaze is hardened.

Vegan Maple Cupcakes with Vegan Maple Buttercream Frosting

The first time I made these cupcakes, people went crazy for them. They likened them to maple bar donuts and gobbled them up. When I made them this time, I had been doing homework all night and didn't have time to do the sugared walnuts. Then I forgot to double the recipe so there would be enough cupcakes for everyone in my class. I tried a vegan maple cream cheese frosting, but it didn't turn out as well as the buttercream I used in the recipe below. But, I did at least take a photo this time! You'll just have to imagine the fancy sugared walnut on top.
_____________________
Re-post from recipe archives, originally from 12/21/08

There are a number of vegans in my life and they have happily introduced me to the art of vegan baking. Up until a few years ago, I'd been under the impression that 'vegan' automatically meant no tasty desserts. Oh, how very wrong I was.

My friend Audra lent me and Natalie a snazzy little book called Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Between the two of us, we've made a nice array of delicious cupcakes--and people are definitely surprised to find out they are vegan.

I've had numerous people tell me that the little treats from this book are the best cupcakes that they've eaten--ever. But this recipe in particular really takes the cake...

Vegan Maple Cupcakes

~Print Recipe~ 

For the Sugared Walnuts:

• 1 cup walnut halves
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• Dash of salt
• Dash of cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Spread the walnuts on a pan and bake for 6-8 minutes. Toss after 4 minutes and keep a close eye on them so they don't burn. Remove from oven and place in a bowl to cool. Prepare a lightly greased piece of parchment paper to use in just a minute.
2. Pour sugar, maple syrup and salt into a large, heavy skillet. Heat on medium, stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts and the mixture is thick and smells caramel-ly.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the walnuts and cinnamon. Stir to coat each nut. Immediately spread coated walnuts on the parchment; use a spatula to keep them from clumping. Cool completely before handling.

For the Cupcakes:

• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/4 maple extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugared walnuts (from above recipe)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake pan with liners. (Recipe only makes 12 cupcakes.)
2. Whisk together soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl. Set aside for a few minutes.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg into a separate bowl and mix. Whisk the maple syrup, oil, brown sugar, vanilla and maple extracts into the soy mixture.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until lumps dissolve. Fold in the sugared walnuts.
5. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

• 1/4 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
• 1/4 cup room temp. margarine (Earth Balance is the best!)
• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar (sift it for silky smooth results)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons maple extract
• 1/4 cup soy milk

1. Beat the shortening and margarine until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for 3 minutes. Add the maple extract and soy milk. Beat until fluffy--5-7 minutes.
2. Frost cupcakes and top with the remaining sugared walnut pieces.

Robin's Enchiladas

You must try these enchiladas! I say that because once I start telling you about them, I feel like you might be less inclined to try them, but that would be a huge mistake. They are amazing and very flavorful in the most perfect enchilada-y way.

Here's the thing: these enchiladas are made with tofu. WAIT! Don't go. Don't give up on these enchiladas just because I said the world tofu.  You may like tofu, but maybe you think an enchilada is no place for tofu. You may not even like tofu. BUT, let me tell you. You will like these enchiladas. My mom has even gone so far as to not tell people they are tofu until after they've devoured them, just to prove a point (tofu can be delicious). I wouldn't necessarily recommend that, but it does illustrate my contention. These are fantastic enchiladas (that just happen to be made with tofu). Trust me on this one.

Be sure to use El Pato brand enchilada sauce. I am normally a fan of green sauce, but this red sauce is wonderful. If you are feeling feisty, go spicy hot instead of the mild. Look for it at a grocery store that has a good Hispanic foods section (like Food 4 Less). These can easily be made vegan, too!

The filling can be made days in advance and either refrigerated or frozen until you are ready to assemble the enchiladas. In fact, the longer the flavors get to sit with each other the better. I'd recommend making the filling a day before you want to serve these for the tastiest results.

Robin's Enchiladas
~Print Recipe~

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon (or more to taste) minced garlic
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 green chiles (such as Anaheim), chopped
• 1 can pitted and sliced (or chopped) black olives
• 2 lbs. firm tofu, drained
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 large cans of El Pato brand enchilada sauce
• 2 1/2 cups mixed jack and cheddar cheese, grated
• 24 fresh corn tortillas*

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add garlic, onions and green  chiles and saute until transparent. Meanwhile, squeeze any remaining water out of the tofu and crumble it into a large bowl.
3. Add the onion mixture to the bowl with the tofu. Add olives, oregano, cumin, chili powder, thyme and salt. Mix well. 
4. Heat tortillas in small batches in the microwave (20 seconds or so) until pliable. (Or, quickly fry them in oil if you prefer.) Pour some of the sauce on a small salad plate. Dip the warmed tortillas in the sauce, covering both sides completely. Cover the bottom of a baking pan lightly with enchilada sauce.
5. Set the tortilla in the baking pan and fill with tofu mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Roll the up the enchilada, leaving it seam-side down in the baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour a little more sauce on top and sprinkle with cheese. 
6. Bake for 20 minutes. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving. Top with guacamole, sour cream and/or garnish with cilantro.

Serves 12

*Fresh tortillas are less likely to tear when you try to roll them up!

Kale with Onions and Garlic

I always wanted to like kale more than I actually did. The first time I had it, my vegan roommate sauteed it before adding it to some dish she was making. I was intrigued and pleasantly surprised by this kinda scary looking, dark leafy green. The first time I used it, I added it to a potato, kale and chorizo soup. First of all, I couldn't believe how much went into the pot, and then when I tasted it I was a little underwhelmed. The potatoes and the sausage stole the show. But, like magic, as the soup---how shall I say it---matured, the kale became more and more delicious with each bowl. It was growing on me.

I've also tried sauteing kale on various occasions and found it decent, but not fantastic. Still, for some reason, I always cut out every single kale recipe I found. And recently, I found out that kale is probably the most nutrient-and-antioxidant-dense food on the planet. I wanted to LOVE kale! Why didn't I?

Well, luckily I never gave up. I soon came across a recipe that boiled the kale before sauteing it garlic and onions. Perfect! Amazing! It's everything I always wanted kale to be. It is honestly my favorite thing to cook and eat right now. So satisfying---AND healthy. This is a win-win recipe.

Kale with Onions and Garlic

~Print Recipe~

• 1 bunch of kale, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, or more to taste
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
  
• 3-6 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
  
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
   
2. Remove kale leaves from stems by folding leaves in half, then chopping off the core. Tear leaves into smaller pieces. Add kale to boiling water, stirring well to incorporate. Cover and cook for 8 minutes, until the kale is almost tender. Drain.
3. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onion and cook stirring occasionally until translucent. Add garlic, stir and cook 1-2 minutes more.
4. Add kale and stir to toss in the garlic and onions. Cook a few minutes more, until the kale is tender and the flavors have blended. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
   

Spicy Mustard

For the first 26 and a half years of my life, I never once thought about how mustard was made. It never, ever occurred to me that I could or should make mustard myself. In fact, for the vast majority of my life, I didn't even like mustard.

But, now that I think about it, I wasn't really exposed to good mustard until recently. There was an abundance of French's yellow mustard at cookouts when I was young--no one brought the equivalent of Sierra Nevada's Porter mustard to those things. Well, like a lot of things I didn't like when I was a kid, I've since discovered that mustard is really quite wonderful. Especially if it is coarsely ground and usually made with beer. And a little spicy.

The first time I realized that I actually liked mustard was at a local pizza restaurant. I ordered the stromboli which comes served with marinara and a house-made beer mustard. It blew my mind, and I've been into mustard ever since. (Mostly I've been importing a stock of Sierra Nevada mustard to Oregon every time I am near the brewery.)

Then last summer, I came across a recipe in Gourmet that began, "mustard couldn't be any simpler to make." What?! Why didn't anyone tell me about this?! Paradigm shift. I cut out the recipe and added mustard seeds to my shopping list, where they stayed for the last 4 months. I finally found out that New Seasons carries mustard seeds (yellow and brown) in their bulk spice section. And enough seeds to make this recipe will set you back less than a dollar! I personally find this truly mind blowing and exciting. (But maybe I'm easily impressed...) And there are so many different mustard possibilities!

Here is my version of the basic recipe. But, be warned, it is quite spicy!

Spicy Mustard

~Print Recipe~

• 1/2 cup brown mustard seeds (use yellow if you do not want it spicy)
• 3/8 cup red wine vinegar (I mixed the vinegars to equal 3/4 cup. You could use one or the other.)
  
• 3/8 cup distilled white vinegar 
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Soak mustard seeds in vinegar and water at room temperature for 2 days. Make sure all seeds are submerged. 
2. Puree mixture in a food processor with sugar and salt until almost smooth. Thin, if necessary, with water to the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt.
   

Sauteed Carrots with Fried Sage

I don't usually cook carrots. In fact, most of the time I'm more of a raw, fresh vegetable kind of person--something I definitely get from my mom. I would be very satisfied with a big, colorful salad for dinner. Recently, though, I've been discovering the joys of steamed and roasted veggies. Until now, I've mostly stuck to my standbys--broccoli and eggplant. You know, I've just had more than my fair share of overcooked, mushy bland vegetables--especially carrots. Yuck.

Well, I can't tell you exactly why, but I was flipping through one of the four food magazines I'd acquired well before Thanksgiving and I decided to make this carrot side dish on Turkey Day. Carrots and sage---two ingredients with which I rarely cook. Maybe it was the simplicity of the recipe. Closer to Thanksgiving, I went back to find this recipe and for the life of me could not located it. I flipped through every magazine I had and nothing. I somehow had recycled the one magazine with my side dish recipes! (And, don't get me started on trying to find sage in the days before Thanksgiving--everybody was out!)

I was lucky enough to find the missing recipe online (though not before searching the Cooking Light website very, very diligently. What is up with their hard to navigate interface?!) and some sage after work on Thanksgiving day. Anyway, it was all smooth sailing from there. I tweaked their instructions a bit and fried the sage in the butter and oil (um, why exactly do they call it Cooking LIGHT?) first, which cooks the sage lightly and also flavors the fats with it's sage-iness. Such savory goodness! The carrots then absorb all of this wonderful flavor and develop their own satisfying sweetness. This would be an excellent side dish anytime.

Sauteed Carrots with Fried Sage

~Print Recipe~

• 1 tablespoon butter (use Earth Balance to make this vegan)
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 2 tablespoons (or more to taste) small fresh sage leaves (or larger leaves, torn in half or quarters)
  
• 3 heaping cups diagonally sliced carrot
• 4 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan and stir to mix. Stir in sage leaves and fry for 1 minute, or until lightly crisp. Remove leaves, draining excess oil back into the pan, and set aside. 
2. Add carrots and water to skillet. Stir to coat with oil. Partially cover and cook 10 minutes or until carrots are almost tender.
3. Add salt and pepper to pan. Increase heat to medium-high heat. Cook 4 minutes or until carrots are tender and lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add sage back in and stir. Serve immediately.

(Serves 4 as a side dish)

Persian Kidney Beans

I first made these years ago for an Iranian themed book club meeting. I had no idea how they would turn out and I had 15 people coming over, so I really hoped it would be good. The great thing about this dish is that it is simple and inexpensive to make. And it will serve a ton of people. The flavor combination is maybe a little different, but to me onions, garlic, cumin, jalapeno and citrus is redolent of Mexican cooking. The cinnamon is really what gives it a more exotic touch.

It all worked out fine that night, but for some reason I hadn't come back to this recipe. Then, flipping through one my new cookbooks, Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven, I found this recipe again. I compared it to the one I'd made earlier from Allrecipes.com and they are strikingly similar. Here is my own conglomeration of the two. Plus the addition of cilantro, because we had some, it goes well with the flavors and spices in the dish and it seems like fresh herbs always take a dish to the next level.

Persian Kidney Beans
~PRINT RECIPE~

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3-5 gloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups orange juice (to taste)
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1 can tomato paste
• 4 cans kidney beans, rinsed
  
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• 1/2 each lime and orange zest (optional. Zest before juicing!)
  
• Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
• Black pepper to taste (optional)
• Torn fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
• Pita bread

1. Heat the oil in a deep sauce pan or Dutch oven. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the garlic, salt, cumin and cinnamon. Saute for 5 more minutes.
2. Stir in the orange and lime juice. Add the tomato paste and stir until well combined. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
3. Add the beans, the jalapeno, the citrus zest and red pepper flakes. Stir often and cook for 20 more minutes over low heat.
4. Taste and adjust seasonings, then serve hot topped with more zest, red pepper flakes and fresh cilantro and pita bread to the side.

*Despite the jalapeno and red pepper flakes, this dish is not particularly spicy.

Kate's Fave Potato Salad

I never liked potato salad much as a kid until I had my grandmas. All potato salad was kind of sweet or too mustardy or too mushy. Then at a family reunion of sorts when I was 11 or 12 I tried hers. It did not have sweet relish or mustard in it. And as for the mushy, I was able to get past that because of the first two omissions. About 15 years later I developed my own recipe for potato salad that I love. Today, while finishing off the last bit left over from a recent BBQ* I realized this is an easy one to post and share. Please forgive me as the only bits I had left for a picture were practically traces in my NS "bowl."


In order to remedy the mushy part I use red potatoes. They are a little more waxy than russets and hold their form a little better. Here is how I make it:

Ingredients
a few pounds of smallish red potatoes
3-6 stalks of celery
2-5 green onions
1 can of medium black olives
1 cup of Mayo (Vegenaise** or Best Foods)
Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper***

Optional Ingredients
Hard boiled eggs
Fresh parsely
Capers

First, chop the potatoes into small cubes, about 3/4" x 3/4" -ish. Then boil them until they are just soft enough to stick with a fork. Not mushy! But rather, just cooked, firm but not crunchy. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside to cool. (Sometimes I spread them out on a pan and put in the frig.)

While the poatoes are cooking, chop the celery - slicing it length-wise frist and then into little pieces. I even chop up the leafy parts on top. Chop onions into little pieces as well and add to a large bowl. Finally, chop olives. I like to cut them into quarters the long way. It's pretty, but you can chop them however you want.

When the potatoes are cooled add all ingredients to a large bowl and toss with mayo. Add more or less mayo depending on your style. It's best if this can sit for an hour or so in the frig before you serve it, but it's really good anytime.

Enjoy!

*Ramon is coaching me on BBQ, which I recently learned is different from grilling. More to come on that in the next months.

**Vegenaise is a great way to make this dish vegan if you're interested or have friends who you want to impress. Grapeseed Vegenaise is my favorite.

***If you don't own a pepper mill, now is the time! Fresh pepper makes everything better (even sweets I've recently discovered). If you're using the pre-ground stuff you might was well leave it out. It's stale and bland. Fresh ground pepper is amazing and SO worth it.

Moosewood Muffin Madness

There's nothing like the smell of fresh baked muffins - any time of day. Usually I try to have bananas on hand all the time for cereal, and when they overripe, they go into banana bread. Today I tried out the Moosewood muffin recipe, instead of my standard banana bread, and it looks great! It's nice because there is a standard base, and then you can add whatever variation you want to make your muffin flavor. It also could be made vegan fairly easily by using egg substitute.

What's in it
Wet ingredients:

2 eggs

1/2 C vegetable oil

3/4- 1 C brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

Dry ingredients:

2 C flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Additional variations 

(must have one of these along with the wet and dry ingredients):

Apple: Add 2 C grated tart apples and 1 tsp fresh lemon zest to wet ingredients.  Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon to dry ingredients.  Optional: fold in chopped walnuts or pecans into batter.

Banana: Add 1 1/2 C mashed ripe bananas to wet ingredients.  Optional: Fold in chopped nuts or chocolate chips into batter. 

Blueberry-Lemon: Add 1/2 C fresh or frozen blueberries and 1 Tbls fresh lemon zest to wet ingredients.

Zucchini: Add 2 C grated zucchini to wet ingredients, and 1 tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of ground cardamom to dry ingredients.  Fold 1/2 C raisins or currants, and 3/4 C chopped nuts if you like, into batter.

How it's Made

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, combine wet ingredients.  In small bowl, combine dry ingredients.  Add appropriate variation ingredients to wet or dry ingredients.  Stir dry ingredients into wet until just combined.  Fold in additional ingredients if necessary.

Spoon batter into oiled standard muffin tins (makes 12), and bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.  If using mini muffin pans, bake 10-15 minutes.

Vegan Sushi

Ok, so I loooove sushi. I could eat sushi pretty much anytime. I often get intense cravings for it. It doesn't help that there's a sushi restaurant in the same building as my gym. Every time I go to work out, I have to walk right by the place!

Since sashimi grade fish is typically a little out of my price range (and takes extra effort to acquire), I usually just make veggie sushi, which is just as good. I never would have thought I could make my own sushi, but a friend of mine gave me a quick lesson and I've been rolling my own seaweed ever since. It's so much cheaper than going out! And it's easy. All you need is a sushi mat, nori and some tasty fillings.

• 1 package nori (seaweed)
• Prepared sushi rice (from 1 cup uncooked)
• carrots
• celery
• avocado
• baked tofu
• anything you can think of that sound good in a sushi roll
• a few tablespoons of water in a small container
  
• soy sauce
• wasabi
  

1. Chop up your fillings. You want little matchstick size-slices---long and thin.

2. Set up your rolling stations. I usually let people roll their own sushi, so they can chose their own ingredients. I have two sushi mats with the rice cooker and the fillings in the middle and the small containers of water near the top of each mat.

3. Center a sheet of nori on your mat, shiny ridged side up. Scoop some rice onto the center of the nori and use a spoon to smash it flat and spread it out so that it covers the nori (to the edges!) leaving only about an inch at the top end uncovered. (This will allow the nori to stick to itself and form a roll.) About a third of the way from the bottom, press a small divot across the rice, creating a little space to nest your fillings.

4. Place a small row of the first filling all the way across the nori to the edges, leaving no gaps, but also not overlapping too much. That way each bite will have all the ingredients you add. Add your remaining toppings in a similar fashion, piling them up on top of each other in the divot area you created. The more toppings you add, the fatter your sushi rolls will be. For very spicy rolls, add chili sauce, or my personal favorite---a thin line of wasabi all the way across the nori.

5. Now for the fun part. Once you're satisfied with your fillings, it's time to roll. Pick up the bottom end of your sushi mat in both hands. Lift the mat (and therefore also the nori) up over the row of toppings and tuck it up snuggly on the side of the toppings furthest from you.

You want it to be tight or your rolls will fall apart after you cut them. Using little movements, roll the mat towards the top ( so that the mat ends up more or less folding in half), while continuing to roll the nori onto itself. Stop when you get to the inch you left rice-free.

6. Spoon a small amount of water onto the empty strip of nori. This will be the "glue" that makes the nori stick to itself and will secure your roll. Finish rolling the nori up over the top strip. Look, sushi! My friend said to put the finished rolls on a plate in the freezer while you make the rest. Chilling them slightly will make them easier to cut.

7. When you are ready to eat, cut each roll into bite-sized slices.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

According to Mollie Katzen, these are the brussel sprouts that will convert any non-lovers of brussel sprouts. I put it to the test, and promptly converted Mary Ann, although her disclaimer was she would only eat them if they were prepared like so. My next test case will be the hardest - Andy Zoo. Not only is this recipe incredibly easy, but super delicious as well!

What's in it

Brussel Sprouts, cut in half (as many as you like)

Olive Oil

Salt

How it's made

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil and treat with the olive oil so there is a thin coating all over the foil. Place all the brussel sprouts cut side down on the tray, and smear them around so they get coated with oil on the bottom.

Once oven is preheated, bake for ten minutes, then shuffle the sprouts around again to get them coated with more oil. Bake five minutes more or until done to your liking. They will continue to cook a bit once you take them out, since they will be so hot. When removed from oven, sprinkle with ground sea salt if you like. Prepare to love them, then eat them!

Spicy Eggplant Stir Fry

A few days ago, I was really craving eggplant--it's so rich and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I searched the internet for a recipe that looked easy and that didn't smother the eggplant in cheese. I found a stir-fry type recipe at allrecipes.com that got some rave reviews. The nice thing about that website is that if a dish is good, people will leave comments saying so--no guess work. They also put tips they used (or should have used) to make the dish even better. I usually take the recipe and the user comments and then add to it or tweak it to suit my taste or on-hand ingredients. I've been consistently satisfied with the results.

Spicy Eggplant Stir Fry

~Print Recipe~ 

• 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil 
• 2 long Chinese eggplants, cubed (I went to Safeway and could only find the plump regular kind, so I went with that)
• 1 onion chopped into bite-sized chunks
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized chunks
• Any other veggies you want
• 4 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce/tamari
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 green chili pepper (as spicy as you desire), finely chopped
  
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 teaspoons corn starch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili oil (you can substitute chili sauce, red pepper flakes, etc for some heat)
• Salt to taste
  

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and saute for a couple of minutes. Add minced garlic and other veggies and saute until cooked--the eggplant will become tender and start to brown in 5-10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, red wine vinegar, chili pepper, sugar, corn starch and chili oil.
3. Add sauce to the stir fry, stir to coat evenly and cook until the sauce thickens.
   
4. Serve with rice.

*Many comments suggested adding pork or chicken to this dish. One of the nice things about this recipe is you can pretty much add or subtract anything you like. People tried it with potatoes, green onions, fish sauce, Sriracha, cashews--you name it.
*The sauce originally called for 1/3 the amounts shown here, but all of the comments said to make more sauce; I doubled it, and then found I needed even more.

Rich Chocolate Truffles (vegan)

This is from a co-worker's vegan cookbook called "Eat, Drink & Be Vegan". Apparently these are unbelievably rich, but I won't know until Sunday afternoon when Michelle and I make them (before having to count our store's inventory till midnight).

What's in it

3/4C regular coconut milk (not light)

10-10.5 oz good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped (about 2C)

1/2 tsp almond extract (or 1/2- 1 tsp other extract of choice)

1 Tbsp liquor (e.g. brandy, Grand Marnier, Kahlua)

2-3 Tbsp Dutch-processed or regular cocoa powder or ground nuts

How it's made

In a small pot on medium heat, heat coconut milk, stirring until very hot but not boiling. Place chocolate in a glass bowl. Pour hot milk over chocolate and use a heat-proof spatula to stir until chocolate is fully melted and mixture is well combined. (If chocolate needs more melting, place bowl on top of a pot of boiling water and stir continually until melted). Stir in extract and liquor.

Refrigerate for one hour or more, until completely cooled and firm. Scoop using a melon baller or small spoon, then lightly roll into balls using your hands. (You will need to rinse your hands a few times). Place truffles on a plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place cocoa or nuts on a plate and lightly roll truffles on to coat. Serve as is, or refrigerate until serving.

Vegan Nut Roast

Here it is... That tasty dish I served on Thanksgiving. Super easy and simple.

Ingredients:

The roast:

two tablespoons oil or margarine
2 large onions, chopped fine
5 cloves (or an entire bulb) garlic, minced
3 cups raw cashews
1 1/2 cups bread
1 cup soup stock (or water)
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons lemon juice

The "stuffing":

3 cups bread cubes, toasted
two tablespoons margarine, melted but not hot
1/2 to 3/4 cup finely-chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon sage
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
salt to taste

Method:

(From the first list:) Cook the onion and garlic in the oil or margarine until tender, and remove from the heat.
Chop the cashews by hand or in a food processor; cut up the bread as well. Add the cashews and bread to the onion, then add the vegetable stock, salt and pepper, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Put half of this mixture into a small, non-stick loaf pan (or line a regular loaf pan with parchment paper if a non-stick pan is unavailable).
Mix together all the ingredients from the second list. Put the mixture on top of the stuff in the loaf pan, and add the rest of the first mixture so that there are three layers of food in the pan.
Place the pan on a baking sheet or in a larger loaf pan (in case it overflows while cooking), and bake at 400 degrees F for half an hour. The top should be browned.
Let the roast cool for a few minutes, then turn the pan over and serve the roast on a plate (or simply serve it out of the pan). Serve with gravy if desired, keeping in mind that it is a very rich dish.

Notes:
The roast will take about an hour to prepare.
The stuffing works well on its own -- and I often make extra!
The roast refrigerates well and can be frozen for a few months and microwaved back to life.
As shown, recipe makes roughly six servings.
Vegetable stock is often available in concentrate or as bouillon cubes, in health-food stores and in general grocery stores. If you really can't find it, use water.

Tom Kah Gai: Chicken Coconut Soup

I've always been a fan of Thai food, but Thai cooking somehow seemed rather mysterious. Then Amber told me about a wonderful cookbook called Quick & Easy Thai. (Now, I've seen some "easy" Indian food cookbooks that don't seem to have a quick recipe in them, so I was a little hesitant.) But, the author--previously a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand--wrote these recipes for busy people to cook on a weeknight.

As it turns out, many Thai recipes are not difficult to prepare and can be made any time, not just on fancy special occasions. The recipes I've tried are pretty amazingly simple, but still incredibly delicious. Some of the recipes call for exotic ingredients (that is, if you live in Oregon and not California), but most of the time you can substitute or skip an ingredient and your dish will be fine.

This is an impressively flavorful soup! It pairs well with other recipes in the book, like chicken satay or crab cakes.

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced crosswise
• 6 wild lime leaves, cut into quarters (optional)
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (a light version is available at Trader Joe's)
  
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth or water)
• 10-12 slices galanga (this is a relative of ginger--I substitute fresh ginger slices)
• 2 stalks fresh lemongrass (available at Whole Foods and Safeway--do not leave this out!)
• 3/4 pound boneless chicken cut into bite-sized chunks (or tofu!)
• 1 cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms

1. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, fish sauce and green onions (plus half of the wild lime leaves--optional). Set aside. Put chopped cilantro in a separate small bowl and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, add the coconut milk and the chicken broth. Bring to a light boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the galanga or ginger and lemongrass (plus remainder of lime leaves, if using.)
   
3. Add the chicken and mushrooms. Return to a gentle boil and simmer until the chicken is cooked--about 10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Pour the lime juice mixture into the pot and mix well! Ladle soup into serving bowls and sprinkle chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.
   

*Serves 4*

I substituted the chicken for tofu only because I was also serving another chicken dish, but if you use vegetable stock, tofu and leave the fish sauce out this would be vegan. The fish sauce does add a distinct depth to the soup, though, as it does to a lot of Thai dishes. If you have vegetarian friends who eat fish, leave it in for best results.

Vegan Maple Cupcakes with Sugared Walnuts

There are a number of vegans in my life and they have happily introduced me to the art of vegan baking. Up until a few years ago, I'd been under the impression that 'vegan' automatically meant no tasty desserts. Oh, how very wrong I was.

My friend Audra lent me and Natalie a snazzy little book called Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Between the two of us, we've made a nice array of delicious cupcakes--and people are definitely surprised to find out they are vegan.

I've had numerous people tell me that the little treats from this book are the best cupcakes that they've eaten--ever. But this recipe in particular really takes the cake...

For the Sugared Walnuts:

• 1 cup walnut halves
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• Dash of salt
• Dash of cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Spread the walnuts on a pan and bake for 6-8 minutes. Toss after 4 minutes and keep a close eye on them so they don't burn. Remove from oven and place in a bowl to cool. Prepare a lightly greased piece of parchment paper to use in just a minute.
2. Pour sugar, maple syrup and salt into a large, heavy skillet. Heat on medium, stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts and the mixture is thick and smells caramel-ly.
   
3. Remove from heat and stir in the walnuts and cinnamon. Stir to coat each nut. Immediately spread coated walnuts on the parchment; use a spatula to keep them from clumping. Cool completely before handling.

For the Cupcakes:

• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/4 maple extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugared walnuts (from above recipe)
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake pan with liners. (Recipe only makes 12 cupcakes.)
2. Whisk together soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl. Set aside for a few minutes.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg into a separate bowl and mix. Whisk the maple syrup, oil, brown sugar, vanilla and maple extracts into the soy mixture.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until lumps dissolve. Fold in the sugared walnuts.
5. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

• 1/4 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
  
• 1/4 cup room temp. margarine (Earth Balance is the best!)
• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar (sift it for silky smooth results)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons maple extract
• 1/4 cup soy milk

1. Beat the shortening and margarine until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for 3 minutes. Add the maple extract and soy milk. Beat until fluffy--5-7 minutes.
2. Frost cupcakes and top with the remaining sugared walnut pieces.

Best "Healthy" Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here is a GREAT cookie that will surprise anyone when you announce that they are vegan.

Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup Brown Sugar (Kosher/Vegan), firmly packed
1/2 cup Organic Sugar or Evap. Cane
1 cup Earthbalance Soy Margarine, cool – not cold
1 Tb Ener-G Dry Egg Replacer
1/4 cup Warm Water
2-3 t Vanilla Extract
2 1/2 Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 cup Wheat Bran
1 t Baking Powder
1 t Baking Soda
1/2 t Salt
1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, and soy margarine. (Margaine CANNOT be melty - this will create flat lifeless cookies that will frustrate and disappoint you! It must be cool, only 5 minutes out of the frig. Work it with the mixer spokes before you turn it on. Then let the friction do the work.) Blend with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg replacer, water and vanilla and continue mixing until even more light and fluffy.

2. In a separate large bowl, whisk together whole wheat pastry flour, wheat bran, baking powder, baking soda and salt to combine. Fold the butter and sugar mixture into the dry ingredients. Then add 1 cup of dark chocolate chips, fold them into the dough.

3. This is the key to great looking cookies (taste is already mastered if you followed the above directions). Using an ice cream scoop or some uniform scoop, portion out equal sized balls of dough, then roll them in your hands and shape like a hockey puck.

4. The formed dough should be chilled for 15-30 minutes prior to baking, otherwise you will have a cookie sheet full of crispy cookies all melted together. Once chilled, bake for 15 minutes. Each oven may vary, so check after 12 minutes, rotate pan if they still need more time and check every 2 minutes. The finished cookie will have just an hint of brown on the edges. If you like them more crispy, bake longer – but they are great chewy!

5. You can double this recipe and store the formed dough “pucks” in a well sealed container in the refrigerator for a week. The dough is great raw, and since it’s vegan, help yourself without worry and let the kids enjoy a safe spoon-full.

Super Cookies

I created these cookies a few years ago when I was asked to lead a presentation on healthy foods at a Relay For Life event. Most of the recipes I shared that day were things you don't want to live without, but if you've survived cancer you might be looking for alternative ways of making your favorites. These cookies are vegan, loaded with healthy grains, seeds, fiber and nuts. Ideally they are made with maple syrup or agave syrup and all organic ingredients. Oh yeah, they are SO good!

Preheat oven to 350

Ingredients:
1 cup Organic Maple Syrup
1 cup Earth Balance Soy Margarine
2 Tb Ener-G Dry Egg Replacer
½ cup Filtered Water
1 cup Organic, no sugar added Applesauce
1 ½ Tb Organic Vanilla Extract
5 cups Organic Rolled Oats
2 cups Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
2 cups Organic Wheat or Oat Bran
½ cup Ground Organic Flax Meal
4 tea. Organic Cinnamon
2 tea. Baking Powder
2 tea. Baking Soda
1 tea. Kosher/Sea Salt
½ cup Dried Organic Fruits: raisins, cranberries, figs, etc.
½ cup Organic Nuts and Seeds: pecans, pumpkin, sunflower, etc.
1-2 Tb Organic Orange Zest

Cream the maple syrup and soy margarine in a mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in egg replacer, water, applesauce and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet in thirds until just combined. Add nuts, fruits, and orange zest and mix. Using an ice cream scoop, portion the dough and shape each like a hockey puck with hands. Place on a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake 14-16 minutes. Enjoy!