Eric's Double Chocolate and Andes Mint Cookies

Ingredients (makes ~16 cookies)
2 sticks butter, cubed at room temperature
1 1/4 C sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 C cocoa powder
2 1/4 C flour
1/4 t sea salt or coarse salt
1 t baking powder
1 1/2 C dark chocolate chips
1 C (1 box) broken up Andes mints


Preheat oven to 350 and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Combine the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs. Mix in cocoa powder until well blended. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder just until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips and Andes mints. The dough will be very thick.


To prepare cookies, roll 1/4 cup dough into a ball in your hands, then break into two halves. Recombine halves so the broken part is now the top (this is what gives the cookies the rough texture). Place cookies a couple inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 16-20 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for five minutes then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

Roasted Tempeh With a Creamy Dijon Sauce

For the Tempeh:

1 lb. tempeh, cut into 4 portions

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup wheat-free tamari

1/8 cup rice vinegar

2 bay leaves

2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

3 garlic cloves, minced

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and drop in the tempeh. Cook for about 10 minutes. (Tempeh has a mildly bitter flavor that boiling will remove.)

Meanwhile, mix together the vegetable stock, tamari, rice vinegar, bay leaves, rosemary, and garlic.

Place the tempeh in a baking pan and pour the liquid mixture on top. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes in a 350°F oven, turning once halfway through. Remove from the oven but leave the tempeh in the pan to soak up the remainder of the liquid while it cools to ensure moist tempeh.

After the liquid is absorbed (or pour it off if there is too much left), reheat in the oven until slightly browned on the edges, about 10 minutes or so.

For the Dijon Sauce:

1/2 cup grainy Dijon mustard

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup soy milk

2 Tbsp. maple syrup

2 Tbsp. honey

Mix together all the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.

Cook for 20 minutes, until slightly thickened, stirring frequently.

Make mashed potatoes as you normally would, adding prepared vegan horseradish, as well as soymilk, and earth balance and seasoning with salt and pepper.

Saute spinach with a tiny bit of olive oild and salt and pepper.

Assemple on plate with potato first, then spinach, then tempeh and pour sauce on tempeh and around plate.

Apple Berry Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

Salsa:
2 Granny Smith apples, chopped (I only used 1 apple. Eric, you could replace this with pear)
1 cup strawberries, sliced
1 kiwi, chopped
1 sm. orange. zest and juice orange
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. apple jelly (optional)

Chips:
water
1Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
10 in flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 475. Lightly brush one side of tortillas with water. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon mixture onto tortillas. Cut into wedges or strips. Place on cookie sheet. Bake 5-7 min.

Moroccan Chickpea Soup

From: The America’s Teat Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

1 T canola oil
1 onion, minced
1 tsp. sugar
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp. paprika
¼ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. saffron threads, crumbled (I never add this because saffron is SO expensive)
2 (15 oz.) cans garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 pound red potatoes (about 3 medium) cut into ½ inch pieces
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
4 cups low sodium chicken broth (or Veggie broth)
1 zucchini cut into ½ inch pieces
salt and pepper
fresh parsley (I prefer it without the parsley)
Lemon wedges for serving (I don't do this either)

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sugar and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, paprika, ginger, and cumin until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Stir in the garbanzos, potatoes, tomatoes with their juices, and broth.  Bring to a simmer, partially cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and continue to simmer 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Mash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot with a fork to thicken the soup slightly.

Ranch, Black Bean, Rice, & Veggie Casserole

Small zucchini

Small yellow squash

1 packet ranch dressing mix

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 ¼ cups lowfat buttermilk

2 cups cooked rice

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar

1 medium tomato

1. Slice squash into very thin disks, place in large Ziploc.  Drizzle in olive oil and ½ of ranch packet, and toss to coat.  Let sit.

2. Reserve 1/3 cup black beans, mix the rest with the rice and spread on the bottom of a 1 Qt greased baking dish.

3. Whisk remaining ranch mix into buttermilk and pour over rice/bean mixture.

4. Thinly slice tomato and layer on top of mixture.  Top with ½ of grated cheese.

5. Layer squash on top.  Top with remaining beans and cheese.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until squash is tender.

**Note: The original recipe called for 2 cups crushed tortilla chips instead of rice.  We think it tastes MUCH better with rice instead of the chips (which turn back into soggy tortillas after you coat them in buttermilk and bake them).

Delicata Squash Bisque

This is delicious!  If you haven't tried delicata squash, this will make you a believer.

Delicata Squash Bisque

Serves 4 large bowls, 6-8 Cups

3 Pounds Delicata Squash, (2 pounds after prepping)

Oil for roasting

4 Cups Rich Vegetable Broth (Homemade recipe is also on the blog)

1 tsp Thyme

Lots of Black Pepper

1 1/2 tsp Salt, more or less to taste

Cashew Cream

1 Cup Raw, Unsalted Cashews

1 Cup Rich Vegetable Broth, divided

Preheat oven to 400º F.

Peel squash and chop off the ends.  Halve the squash and scrape out the seeds.  Place on a baking sheet cut-side down and brush lightly with oil.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until tender and beginning to brown.  Flip squash before the baking is finished if needed to prevent burning.

Meanwhile, add the cashews to your blender and 1/2 cup of veggie broth. Begin pulsing to incorporate, eventually turning the blender all the way on while slowly adding the other 1/2 cup of broth. Once all the broth is added (1 cup total), let the blender run for 1-2 minutes until very, very smooth. Set cream aside.  If your blender can’t get the cream completely smooth, strain before adding it to the soup.

Remove squash from the oven. Using a spatula, transfer it into a large soup pot. Break up the squash into chunks with a spoon or your spatula and add 4 cups of veggie broth, thyme, and black pepper. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes, covered.

Working in batches if needed, blend the soup until very smooth, being careful not to overfill your blender. My 64 oz blender fit the entire batch of soup.

Return the blended soup to the pot and add all but 1/4 cup of the cashew cream. Season with salt and more pepper. How much salt you add with depend on how salty your broth is to begin with. I thought 1 1/2 tsp salt was perfect for my batch, but yours might differ.

Remove soup to bowls (or mugs!) and garnish with extra cashew cream drizzled on the top and some fresh black pepper.  Little squigglies of cream look nice, but you can also draw hearts or stars or swirls, whatever!

Homemade Vegetable Broth

I know what you are thinking.  Make my own broth?  Why?  Because it is DELICIOUS and easy and healthy. 

Vegetable Broth

Makes about 10 Cups of Broth

Core Ingredents for Broth

2-3 Tbs Olive Oil

1-2 Large Onions, chopped

1 lb Celery, Chopped

1 lb Carrots, washed but unpeeled, chopped

3 Whole Cloves Garlic

1 Bay Leaf

10 Whole Black Peppercorns

2 tsp Salt

1/4 Cup Low Sodium Tamari

1 Gallon Water

Optional Ingredents:

I also added, because I could

2 Parsnips, chopped

2-3 Tbs Tomato Paste (or one or two tomatoes)

A few Sprigs Rosemary (parsley is more traditional, use a lot!)

1 Head Broccoli (a strange but decent choice)

1 Sweet Potato (another odd choice, whatever)

Any fresh veggie scraps from other meals

Leeks

Mushrooms

Celery Root

Potatoes

Peppers

Turnips

Any Greens

Zucchini

Fennel

Heat a large stock pot with some olive oil in the bottom.  I chop my way through the vegetable list as I’m cooking–so once the onion is chopped, add it to the pot, then do the celery, the carrots, etc, adding each thing once it’s chopped up a bit.  When you’re out of stuff to add, pour in the water, turn up the heat and cover.  It should only take you about 20 minutes to chop everything and get it in the pot.  From then on out it’s easy street.

Cook for 1 hour, turning the heat down a bit once the whole thing starts boiling. 

I finish my broth by adding salt/tamari/soy sauce to taste and letting it simmer uncovered for another 20-30 minutes to concentrate the flavors.

Strain the veggies out into a large pot

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

This sauce is easy to make and has a subtle chocolate taste.

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa

 2 tablespoons chili powder

 1 teaspoon cayenne chili powder, or more to taste (optional)

 1 teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram

 2 teaspoons ground cumin

 2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder

 2 cups vegetable broth

 1 cup water

 2 8oz cans of tomato sauce (or 1 16oz can)

 salt to taste

For the sauce: whisk together the flour, cocoa, and spices in a saucepan without turning on the heat. Add 1/4 cup of vegetable broth and stir into a paste. Slowly whisk in the remaining broth and the cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and whisk in tomato sauce. Allow to cook for a few minutes until it thickens slightly to the consistency of tomato soup. Remove from heat and set aside. Taste for salt, you may need to add some depending on the saltiness of the vegetable broth you used.

Fresh Peach Pie

6 Tablespoons lemon jello
6 Tablespoons corn starch
1 cup water
1 & 2/3 cup sugar
Fresh peaches, diced

Graham cracker crust(s) (of course, home made is always better)

Combine the jello and cornstarch in a small pan.  Add water, and stir until dissolved.  Bring to a boil and cook until very thick.  Add sugar and cook just until dissolved.  Cool some while you finish chopping peaches, but don't let it completely set up.

Pour over peaches.  If you have a lot of good, fresh peaches, this will be enough to make two pies. (It's better that way, but still good with fewer peaches making just one pie).

Refrigerate until set up, (or just eat it if you can't wait that long).

*Note:  The original recipe says to mix the sugar in during the first step before cooking, but in my experience it does not thicken up that way, as the sugar just melts and gets runny the longer you cook it, so it doesn't ever thicken up right.

Tempeh Bacon

I know...fake bacon?  But, it is delicious!

Tempeh Bacon, Vegan Facon
makes about 1/2 cup
*a nice stack for 1-2 sandwiches

5 ounces tempeh (2/3 a standard 8 ounce pack)
1-2 Tbsp maple or agave syrup
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
a dash of cayenne
1 tsp liquid smoke (opt'l)
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp thick black pepper
for pan: 2 tsp olive oil
*if you don't have liquid smoke use these BBQ spice combos:
(garlic, pepper, paprika and onion)

To make:

1. Very thinly slice the tempeh.

2. As thin as you can slice it without it falling apart.

3. Combine all ingredients in a shallow dish.

4. Soak tempeh in marinade for 1-2 minutes.

5. Turn saute pan on high, add 1-2 tsp olive oil. Lay the tempeh flat on skillet. One layer only. Drizzle a bit of excess marinade onto skillet-it should be sizzling a lot now.

6. Allow to cook for 1 minute, then flip. Allow to cook for another minute on other side-or until both sides are crisp and browned.

7. Lay cooked tempeh on parchment paper to cool. Sprinkle with black pepper and thick sea salt to taste.

8. For a crisper tempeh bacon, do not pour excess marinade in skillet, and allow all liquid to steam off of pan while cooking.

Chia Pudding

I know it seems a little weird, but it is surprisingly tasty and a really healthy way to satisfy a sweet tooth.  We love this for an evening sweet snack (not even just "it's pretty good for how healthy it is" - it's seriously really really good).

1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup coconut milk
2 T agave nectar
vanilla to taste (about 1/2 tsp)
{fresh raspberries}

Mix all ingredients together very well.  Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, or overnight.  It should end up with a thick texture, a lot like tapioca pudding.  This will make 2-3 servings.

We think it is absolutely best served with a big handful of fresh raspberries.

Variations:
You can change pretty much any part of this you want (except the chia) - almond milk instead of coconut milk, honey or stevia instead of agave nectar, cocoa powder or pureed fruit instead of vanilla.

Roasted Beets

2 bunches of yellow beets
1 bunch red beets
½ lb of carrots, cleaned and sliced diagonal
1 small red onion (optional)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoon Fresh Rosemary, stemmed and chopped (but I never have fresh, so dried to taste works, too)
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
½ teaspoon Black Pepper

1. Clean the beets by washing and cutting off each end. The peels have lots of beneficial fiber so only discard any bad spots (at least that's what the recipe said. You can just peel them if you want, that is easier to do after they have been steamed).

2. Steam the cleaned beets whole for about 10- 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, dice the beets (about 1 inch).

3. Place the beets, carrots and red onion, olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary in a roasting dish. Mix gently and roast in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until tender.

4. For extra flavor drizzle 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar on top right after they come out of the oven.

*This recipe is a good side dish for 6-8 people. It also cuts down really well if you only have 1 bunch of beets. Use 1 cup sliced carrots, 1/3 c onion, 2 T olive oil, ¼ t dried rosemary, and salt & pepper to taste.

*I also seem to remember forgetting Step 2 and just throwing it all in to roast together. It takes a little longer, and the beets come out a little crunchier, but it's fine that way, too.

Vegetable Tian

This is hands down one of my favorite cooked vegetable recipes. I had small potatoes and small roma tomatoes, so I ended up using two of those to make everything else come out even.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion
1 tsp. (2 cloves) minced garlic
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium potato
1 medium tomato
1 tsp. dried thyme
to taste salt & pepper
1 cup shredded Italian cheese

Directions:

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 180 (400 degrees f) Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Thinly slice remaining vegetables.  This step is really easy if you have a mandolin slicer, and it made me fall in love with mine all over again.  I'm not sure I'd like the recipe as much without it, because that's a LOT of thin slicing...

STEP 2: Sauté onion and garlic in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).

STEP 3: Spray the inside of an 8x8 square or round baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread the softened onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme.

STEP 4: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown

Spinach Molasses Sweet Potato Muffins

Because sometimes you'll do just about anything to get some vegetables into your toddler. But the adults at our house think they taste pretty good, too.

Ingredients:
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato (microwaved not boiled)
1/4 cup chopped raisins
1 cup chopped, fresh spinach (frozen is fine, too, but makes it taste a little more spinach-y)
2 eggs (but I prefer to use 1/2 cup applesauce instead)
1/2 cup buttermilk (but regular milk is totally fine, too)
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup wheat flour

3/4 cup white flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line or spray muffin tins. Mix the raisins, sweet potatoes, spinach and wet ingredients in a bowl until smooth, and mix the dry ingredients in another bowl. Combine the two and mix until just blended. Spoon the batter into muffin tins and bake on the middle shelf until lightly browned (about 10 minutes for mini muffins, 12-15 for regular muffins.  Don't overbake.). 

Chickpea Cutlets

These are some of my favorites!  They are delicious with squash, sweat potatoes, and rice.  The recipe makes four cutlets.  I generally quadruple the recipe and freeze the leftovers.

1 cup cook chickpeas (chickpeas can be cooked in a crock pot and frozen)
2 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin is best)
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs (Italian also work just fine)
1/4 cup vegetable broth (you can also use faux beef or chicken broth)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (I like reduced sodium)
2 cloves of garlic pressed or grated (heirloom garlic from the farmer's market is best)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage (normal sage works too)
Olive oil or grape seed oil for pan frying

In a mixing bowl, mash the chickpeas together with the oil until no whole chickpeas are left.  A potato mashers works really well for this.  Add the remaining ingredients and knead for about 3 minutes until strings of gluten have formed.

Preheat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat.  Meanwhile, divide the cutlet dough into four equal pieces.  To form the cutlets, kneed each piece in your hand for a few moments and then flatten and stretch each one into a roughly six by four inch rectangular shape in yours hands and then place the cutlets on a clean surface to flatten and stretch them. 

Add a moderately thin layer of olive oil to the bottom of the pan.  Place the cutlets in the pan and cook on each side for six to seven minutes.  They will brown up nicely.  Add more oil if needed when you flip the cutlets.  They're ready when lightly browned and firm to the touch.

You can also bake the cutlets, though I prefer them fried.  Preheat the one to 375 and lightly oil baking skeet.  Brush both sides of each patty with olive oil.  Cook for 20 minutes, turning once.

Chicken Enchiladas

From:  America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed & pounded if necessary
Salt & pepper
2½ cups of enchilada sauce (I used 2 cans of green enchilada sauce)
1 cup finely crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese
1 (4 oz.) can of green chiles
½ cup minced fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas
Vegetable oil spray (or you can use vegetable oil in a little bowl with a brush)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used Mozzarella)
Lime wedges (optional)
Sour cream (optional)

1.      Preheat oven to 350. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.

2.      Combine the chicken and enchilada sauce in a medium saucepan & simmer for 10-15 minutes over medium-low heat. Then flip the chicken over, cover and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until chicken is done.

3.      Remove chicken from pan and shred well. Combine shredded chicken, ½ cup of the enchilada sauce, queso fresco, chiles and cilantro in a bowl. Add salt and pepper if desired. Cover to keep warm.

4.      Lightly coat both sides of 6 tortillas with vegetable oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake until tortillas are soft & pliable, about 2 to 4 minutes. This helps make them soft and not tear.

5.      Quickly place tortillas on a flat surface and place ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture into each one. Tightly roll each tortilla around the chicken and place in a 9×13 baking dish. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the remaining 6 tortillas.

6.      Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Pour 1 more cup of enchilada sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with the cheese. Cover with foil and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

7.      Serve with remaining enchilada sauce, optional lime wedges and optional sour cream.

Creamy Quinoa Primavera

Compliments of the Betty Crocker Cookbook:

1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
3 cups chicken/vegetable broth
3 oz. cream cheese (I used reduced fat, or I puree 3 oz of low fat cottage cheese, which works out great)
1 T chopped fresh basil, or 1 tsp dried
2 tsp butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 cups thinly sliced or bite-size pieces assorted uncooked vegetables (such as asparagus, broccoli, carrot, zucchini - I also did red pepper and green beans, but they needed a little extra cooking time)
2 T grated romano cheese

1. Rinse quinoa thoroughly; drain.  In 2 qt saucepan, heat quinoa and broth to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 - 20 minutes or until all broth is absorbed.  Stir in cream cheese and basil.

2. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Cook garlic in butter about 30 seconds, stirring frequently, until golden.  Stir in vegetables.  Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender (the recipe said 2-4 minutes, I like my vegetables a little softer than that, so I probably cooked them about 8 min.)

3. In skillet, toss vegetables and quinoa mixture.  Sprinkle with romano cheese before serving.

We had this as an entree, and thought it was delicious and filling.  It would also make an awesome side dish.