Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup coconut oil 

6 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce 

1 teaspoon salt 

2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract 

1 ¼ cups rice syrup 

2 cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour 

1¼ cups + 1/2 teaspoon cup flax meal 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 cup vegan chocolate chips (TJ's dark chocolate bark bar cut up has no milk, but does have sugar)

Preparation

Preheat the oven the 325°F. Spray pans with oil or use parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, mix together wet ingredients and dry in separate bowls. Gently mix everything together until dry ingredients are wet. Fold chocolate chips in.
Scoop about 1 1/2 tsp size cookies to baking sheets space every 1 inch. If necessary, push down on top of cookie to help flatten a bit. Bake, on center rack, 15 minutes, rotate 180 degrees half way through. The finished cookies will be crisp on the edges and soft in the center.
Let cool on sheet for 10 minutes, then on wire rack. Cool completely before covering. Store in airtight container at room temp. for 3 days.

Adapted From Babycakes by Erin McKenna, (C) 2009 Clarkson Potter

Gluten-free Waffle - the rules

via thedailydietribe.com

Here are my rules for making gluten-free waffles: 

1. Start with 1 cup of a mediumweight flour, such as amaranth, sorghum, or millet. You can use all one type of flour or mix two or more together. For a heartier waffle, try replacing some of the flour with a heavyweight flour such as almond flour or buckwheat.
2. Add in 3/4 cup of starch, such as tapioca or potato starch. Again, you can use all one kind or do a mix. If you want a lighter waffle, you can increase the starch and decrease the mediumweight flour. For a healthier, whole-grain waffle, increase the flour and decrease the starch. Either way, you should end up with 1 3/4 cups total of flour and starch. 
3. Add 2 tsp. baking powder and 1/2-1 tsp. salt. Whisk the dry ingredients together. 
4. For your wet ingredients, you have a lot of options. You want to start with 1/4 cup of pureed fruit, applesauce, oil, or melted butter/Earth Balance. I'm pretty sure yogurt would work well here too, although I haven't tried it myself. If I'm thinking healthy, I go with applesauce or pureed fruit. For savory waffles, I use canola oil. For a richer taste, I would go with melted Earth Balance. 
5. Next, eggs. I've tried the same recipes with and without an egg, and I barely notice a difference. In fact, in some cases, they taste better without the egg. I add one in for extra protein, but if you want to skip it, go ahead. 
6. Liquid. You'll need 1 3/4 cup of liquid, although you may need more or less depending on the types of flour you use. You can use water, any type of milk including coconut milk, even fruit juice in some cases. You can use all one or a combination, although if you're using fruit juice, I recommend mixing it with water or coconut milk to dilute the flavor. 
7. Optional add-ins: If you're planning on drizzling your waffles with maple syrup, they don't need to be that sweet, so 1 Tbsp. of honey/agave nectar/maple syrup should be plenty. You can also skip that and chop up some fresh or dried fruit to add in. Chopped walnuts and pecans, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, even sesame seeds (in a savory waffle) add a nice texture. Play around with spices and herbs: cinnamon is wonderful in a sweet waffle. Fresh dill, basil and garlic powder go well in savory waffles.  
8. This should make 4-6 servings (2 squares each).

Because that was long, I'll summarize: 
1 cup mediumweight flour
3/4 cup starch
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2-1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup applesauce, melted butter, oil, etc.
1 egg (optional)
1 3/4 cup water, milk, fruit juice, etc.
optional: chopped nuts, fruit, seeds, spices, and herbs


Whisk dry ingredients. Whisk wet ingredients into dry. Pour onto (greased) waffle iron.

Millet Sweet Vegetable Soup

via christinacooks.com

Ingredients
1/2 cup millet-rinsed well
1/4 cup each onion, carrot, winter squash, green cabbage-finely diced
5 cups spring or filtered water
2 teaspoons barley miso
1-2 fresh scallions-thinly sliced for garnish


Directions
Rinse millet by placing in a glass bowl and covering with water. Gently swirl grain with your hands to loosen any dust. Drain well.

In a soup pot, layer onion, cabbage, squash, carrot, and then millet. Add enough water to just cover, careful not to disturb layering too much. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and cook soup for 30 minutes. Remove a small amount of broth and puree the miso. Gently stir into the soup and simmer for another 3-4 minutes. Serve garnished with fresh scallions.

Rosemary Lentils from Martha Stewart website

Ingredients

Serves 4.

• 1 cup dried French green lentils
• 2 shallots, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed with the flat side of a large knife
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Put lentils, shallots, garlic, rosemary, and bay leaf in a medium saucepan; cover with cold water by 2 inches (about 5 cups water). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Drain; discard garlic, rosemary stem, and bay leaf. Return lentil mixture to pan. Stir in salt, vinegar, and oil; season with pepper. Cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

*Ten Minute Couscous Soup Recipe - from 101 Cookbook

* have not tried yet

This is a soup that should be made to order, if it sits around the consistency changes and the vegetables get that over-cooked flavor no one likes. I like to use whole wheat couscous, which I've been seeing around more often lately. I also picked up a box of barley couscous the other day - delicious. If all you can find is regular couscous, no problem, that will work as well too. I just try to pick up "whole" versions when given the choice. Use a delicious broth, one you wouldn't mind enjoying a bowl of on its own - I've mentioned before that I like Rapunzel Herb Bouillon with Salt (available at many stores). This soup can easily be made vegan by leaving out the cheese.

7 cups great-tasting vegetable broth
2 or 3 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup whole wheat, barley, or regular couscous
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, cut into tiny pieces smaller than your thumb
1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets, cut into tiny pieces smaller than your thumb
4 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (opt)
4 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
an ounce or two of goat cheese

In a large pot heat the broth, red pepper flakes, and olive oil. When it comes to a boil remove the pot from the heat and stir in the couscous. Wait two minutes and stir in the broccoli and cauliflower. Wait another two minutes - just long enough for the vegetables to loose their raw edge, and ladle into bowls. Top each bowl with some sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, and a bit of goat cheese.

Serves 4-6.

*Spinach and Zucchini Soup Recipe - from 101 Cookbook

* not tried yet

I prefer to use a light tasting vegetable stock here, nothing too overpowering. If you'd like a richer version of this soup feel free to finish the soup with a splash of cream, or a dollop of creme fraiche or plain yogurt in place of the finishing drizzle of olive oil.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
big pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups potatoes (2 medium) cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 1/2 cups zucchini (2 medium), loosely chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
4 cups fresh spinach leaves, loosely packed
1 cup cilantro, loosely chopped
one lemon

In a large, thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot (but not smoking) add the garlic and onions and saute for a few minutes along with pinch of salt - just until they soften up a bit. Stir in the potatoes and zucchini. Add the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are soft throughout, roughly 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the spinach, and wait for it to wilt, just ten seconds or so. Now stir in the cilantro. Puree with a hand blender until smooth. Whisk in a big squeeze of lemon juice. Now taste, and add more salt if needed. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.

Serves about 6.

Heather's Quinoa Recipe - from 101 Cookbook

If you don't have the time or inclination to roast cherry tomatoes, substitute some chopped, moist, sun-dried tomatoes. Also, a delicious alternative to the tofu in this recipe might be paneer cheese which can stand up to the heat without losing its form. Vegans can leave out the Parmesan in the pesto and make it more of a basil-nut drizzle - still tasty, and a good fit for this recipe.

a splash of extra-virgin olive oil
a pinch of fine grain sea salt
1 shallot, minced
3 cups cooked quinoa* (or brown rice, or other grain)
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1 1/2 cups kale, spinach or other hearty green, finely chopped
2 cups extra-firm nigari tofu, browned in a skillet a bit
1/3 cup pesto
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
1/4 cup roasted cherry tomatoes** (or chopped sun-dried tomatoes)

In a big skillet or pot heat the olive oil and salt over medium-high heat. Stir in the shallot and cook for a minute or two. Stir in the quinoa and corn and cook until hot and sizzling. Stir in the kale and then the tofu, cooking until tofu is heated through. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the pesto and pumpkin seeds. Mix well so the pesto is spread throughout. Turn everything out onto a platter and top with the cherry tomatoes.

Serves 4 - 6.

*Rinse about 2 cups quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer. In a medium saucepan heat the quinoa and 4 cups water until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa fluffs up, about 15 minutes. Quinoa is done when you can see the curlique in each grain, and it is tender with a bit of pop to each bite. Drain any extra water and set aside.

** To roast cherry tomatoes: Heat oven to 350F degrees. Cut each tomato in half and arrange in a large oven-proof baking dish. Mix together a big splash of olive oil, a spoonful of brown sugar, and a few pinches of salt - pour this over the tomatoes. Gently toss them a bit, making sure they all get coated, finishing with each tomato facing cut-side up. Place in the oven and bake for 45 mintutes or so, until the tomatoes are shrunken and sweet.