Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hello fellow food lovers! Here's another favorite from my kitchen! I LOVE these cookies. It's egg free so it's fun to eat just right out of the bowl while there is a batch in the oven. (honestly, I eat it with egg too...) I'm spending the weekend with Traci and I'm going to make them for her and her fabulous children. They are going to love them...so will you! Make them! Tonight!

3/4 c applesauce
2 T coconut oil
3/4 c maple syrup
1 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 c oats
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 package (or less...or more...I just eyeball it) mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Mix applesauce, oil, syrup and vanilla. Add cinnamon, salt, flour, oats, soda & baking powder. Mix together until "just mixed." Add chocolate chips and mix them in gently. Scoop 2 T sized globs of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. (I use an iceceam scoop) Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges of the cookies are golden.
Makes 24 cookies (but they don't last long...)
Enjoy!

Enchilada Sauce

2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 onion chopped
3 T flour
1 T chili powder
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t ground cumin
1/2 t oregano
dried thyme
black pepper
3 1/2 c chicken broth (or veggie or beef...whatever works best for your enchiladas)
1 t honey
1 t fresh lime juice
1 t salt

In a large pan, saute onion and garlic with a few tablespoons of olive oil until tender. Add flour and dry herbs and spices and cook over medium heat until golden brown. Add remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
Pour over your favorite enchiladas! Enjoy! It's SOOOOOO good!

Festival Spice Muffins

I made these muffins this morning from the Tassajara Bread Book and they are so yummy. They have a very light and pleasant flavor. I might make them tomorrow too...they are really good! Enjoy!

2 c whole wheat flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t mace
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t allspice
1/4 t ginger
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c oil or melted butter
1/4-1/2 c honey or molasses (i used about 1/3 c honey)
1 1/2 c milk

Preheat oven to 400. Combine dry ingredients. In a seperate bowl combine the wet ingredients. Fold the wet and dry ingredients together with as few strokes as possible, just until the flour is moistened, leaving a few clumps. Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake for about 15-18 minutes.

Mexican Taco Stew

This soup is perfect for these cold winter nights. I served it with Mandi's cornbread. Enjoy!

1/2 pound ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
2 cups chicken broth
1 large zucchini or summer squash, cut into small cubes
1 (15-ounce) can black beans
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup medium salsa

Brown meat in a large pot over medium high heat. Drain, remove and set aside. In the same pot, sauté onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add meat back to pot and sprinkle mixture with taco seasoning to blend. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes.

Gingersnaps

I wanted to make gingerbread men with my little men and I found this recipe in The Living Cookbook (which I love)! I'll put the recipe from the book and then tell you what I did.

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t ginger
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t cloves
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup honey (I used real maple syrup b/c that's all I had)
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
sesame seeds

Measure flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves onto wax paper. Beat butter, honey and egg in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add molasses, blending thoroughly. Stir in flour mixture. Shape dough between palms of hands, a level tablespoon at a time, into balls. Roll in sesame seeds. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.

Cheryl's modification:
After mixing all of the ingredients together I rolled out a hand full of dough at a time on the wax paper and used our handy dandy gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out little men. We also used a star at Jay's request. I put them on a cookie sheet and baked them for 8-10 minutes. They expand. So don't put them too close together. I think I put them about 3/4 inch apart and they were fine. let them cool or a minute or two and serve! They are a soft cookie and really yummy. The boys loved them. We didn't decorate them or even get a picture of them...they didn't last that long. Those cute little gingerbread didn't even stand a chance against my hungry people!

Marie's Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast

I don't know who Marie is but she makes one tasty pot roast! =) I put the roast in the marinade overnight and John was supposed to put it on to cook the next morning while I was at Traci's for G6 and W3 birthday party. Well, he forgot....
So it marinaded for 2 nights....maybe THAT was the secret! I used a chuck roast from Yonder Way Farm and it was fabulous! I'll stop gabbing on and on and just post the recipe so you can make it for your family! This is great weather for it! Ok...here it is!

Marie's Easy Slow Cooker Pot Raost

• 4 pounds chuck roast
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 packet dry onion soup mix (I used Frontier brand organic b/c the other brands have MSG as a main ingredient and it's yucky! Check your local health food store, they can hook you up!)
  
• 1 cup water (I used veggie broth - would have used beef but didn't have any)
• 1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed (I used a combo of sweet and red potatoes)
  
• 1 stalk celery, chopped

1. Take the chuck roast and season with salt and pepper to taste. Brown on all sides in a large skillet over high heat.
2. Place in the slow cooker. Place carrots, onion, potatoes and celery on top. Combine soup mix, water/broth, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic in small bowl or measuring cup, mix well and pour over meat and veggies.
   
3. Cover and put in refridgerator for a night or two. Cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours. The meat falls off the bone! It's so yummy!
   

Turkey and Wild Rice Casserole

Use leftover turkey and cranberry sauce for this delicious meal!

Serves 8

Ingredients

6 cups water
Salt to taste
3 cups uncooked wild rice blend
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth, hot
Ground nutmeg to taste
Pepper to taste
2/3 pound yellow squash, grated (with skin and seeds)
1/2 pound cooked turkey, shredded
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons chopped mixed herbs (such as sage, thyme, rosemary or oregano)

Method

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a 9- x 13-inch casserole dish; set aside.

Bring 6 cups salted water to a boil in a medium pot. Add rice and bay leaves and stir briefly; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked through, about 40 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves; fluff rice with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes more. Whisk in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper; set sauce aside.

Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add squash, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer to a large bowl. Add reserved cooked rice, sauce and squash and toss to combine. Add turkey, cranberries, walnuts, herbs, salt and pepper and toss again, just until combined. Transfer rice mixture to prepared dish and bake until hot throughout and just golden brown on top, 20 to 30 minutes.

Beautiful, Yummy and (Shhh...Easy) Dinner

Homestyle Roasted Chicken

1 lemon
2 sprigs rosemary
1 (4- to 5-pound) whole chicken
10 small red potatoes, halved
3 large carrots, cut into large chunks
1 yellow onion, cut in 6 wedges
1 (1/2-pound) yam, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Pierce lemon all over with a fork. Place whole lemon and rosemary sprigs into cavity of chicken. Truss chicken with butchers' twine and place breast-side up in a large roasting pan. Arrange potatoes, carrots, onions, and yams around the chicken. Pour both and wine over chicken and vegetables, then drizzle chicken with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover chicken tightly with foil and roast chicken and vegetables for 30 minutes.

Reduce to 350°F. Remove foil and set aside for later use. Continue to roast chicken, basting periodically, for 1 1/2 hours more. Transfer chicken to a platter and set aside to let rest for 20 minutes. While chicken is resting, cover vegetables with reserved foil and continue to roast for 20 minutes more.

Carve chicken and serve alongside the roasted vegetables, drizzled with pan juices, if you like.

No Knead Dinner Rolls

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm (105 to 115°F) milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour

To get started, make sure that all ingredients are at room temperature. Put whole wheat flour, sugar, salt and yeast into a large bowl and stir well. Add milk, butter and egg and beat with a spoon until smooth. Add all-purpose flour and mix until fully incorporated and batter is smooth. Cover bowl and set aside in a warm spot to let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, lightly grease a 12-muffin tin with olive oil and set aside.

Stir the batter gently to deflate it. Spoon even amounts of the dough into each cup of the prepared muffin tin and set aside in a warm spot until the dough has risen just over the top of the muffin tins, about 1 hour more.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake rolls until golden brown and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Linguine with zucchini and chickpeas....yum!

This is super easy and super yummy! My family loved it!

Linguine with zucchini and chickpeas

12 oz linguine
2 T olive oil
3 small zucchini, cut into thin half moons
salt
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 t crushed red pepper
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 c of the pasta water, drain, and return pasta to the pot.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini ans 1/2 t salt. Cook, tossing often, until just tender, 4-5 mins. Add the chickpeas, garlic, and red pepper and cook until heated through, 2-3 mins.

Toss the pasta with the reserved pasta water and 1/4 c of Parm. Divide the pasta among bowls and top with zucchini mixture and remaining 1/4 c Parm.

YUM!

A Little Fishy Lunch!

I grew up on fish sticks and hamburger helper and sometimes the convenience and nostalgia of these meals are sometimes hard to pass up! While planning my menu last week I found this recipe and it's just like those fish sticks I grew up on....no, nevermind...these are better!

Oven-fried Fish Sticks

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly oil a baking sheet

Skin and cut salmon into strips/chunks (1 lb of salmon fed my family of 4 easily. I was worried that I didn't buy enough, but it worked out PERFECTLY)

3/4 c whole wheat breadcrumbs
2 T finely chopped parsley
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
Spread this mixture on a plate

Beat one egg in a bowl

Spread 1/2 c whole wheat flour on another plate

Dip each fish slice first into the flour, then into the egg, and finally into the breadcrumbs to coat.

Place fish on a lightly oiled baking tray and cook in the oven for 15 minutes until the fish is cooked.

YUM!

Our side dish:

Sweet Potato Cakes

1 1/2 lb sweet potato, shredded

1/2 lb potato, shredded

2 t onion powder

1/3 c flour

1 egg

3/4 t ground ginger

1/4 t cinnamon

1/4 pepper

Line baking sheet with foil and grease with olive oil. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until they are moist enough to hold together. Heat 2 T olive oil in skillet over medium -high heat and drop about 1 T of potato mix into the hot pan and flatten with spatula. Cook 2 minutes; flip, flatten, and cook 1 -2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat and place on baking sheet. Repeat process. Keep the cakes warm in oven (about 300) until ready to serve!

I have also solved my "can't get a salad on our plate to save my life becaue I hate making them even though we all love to eat them " problem. I pre-make them and store them in ziplock baggies! I wash and chop lettuce and spinach, chop carrots, cut broccoli, boil eggs and they are ready to pull out and serve! (I don't store the eggs in the baggies though) It's been GREAT! We eat salad for lunch and dinner and loving it! The prep work takes about an hour (?) but worth the investment. This seems so simple but it's been the best thing to happen in my kitchen in a while. =)

Happy Cooking!