Cue the Cookie Monster!

I have confessed before, that although I have tried many new recipes since becoming plant based eaters, I haven't really tried that many dessert type dishes. 

I need to have a few in my files, for when we have company and also for when we think we might die if we

won't get something sweet to
eat.  We try to keep those treats few and far between, but every now and then a girl needs a cookie.  This recipe was super easy to put together and quite yummy.  I have to admit, I have a killer chocolate chip cookie recipe that I have used for years, and this recipe is not as good as that one, but I would rather use this one. I can feed my belly and my soul at the same time with this one.

VEGAN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

½ cup coconut oil

1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup almond milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
½ cup toasted, chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together the coconut oil and brown sugar.  Add the almond milk and vanilla and cream. 

In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients, then stir in chocolate chips and nuts. 

Place by tablespoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet or parchment paper. 

Bake for 7-10 minutes.  Place on a rack to cool.

Husband's thoughts: These are great!  She made some with dark chocolate and others with the white chocolate and dried cranberries.  Those are show on the picture to the right. Both kinds were tasty.  I refuse to admit how many of these I ate.   

Sort of Ranch Salad Dressing

I am trying to get as much processed fat out of our diet as possible.  I really bought into the thought that olive oil and coconut oil are good choices for a healthy diet.  I knew they still had a lot of calories, but I did not realize just how harmful they are for our health.  If anyone has an interest in researching this, there are many videos on You Tube from people such as Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, and many more.


When we have a salad, we almost always use a homemade vinaigrette.  I keep it in the fridge most of the time.  But the truth is, there is a lot of olive oil in that vinaigrette.  I decided that I would start trying some healthier dressings.  My daughter sent me this recipe.  I did a little tweaking, but it is really quite good.  It is a "creamy" dressing, and that was nice.  Please note that this is not a fat free dressing, because there are cashews in the dressing.  I was not too worried since the amount of cashews was quite small.                                                        
                                                                                                           
PLANT BASED RANCH DRESSING

¼ cup raw cashews

¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbsp. chia seeds
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
½ medium garlic clove or ¼ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. granulated onion
½ tsp. dill weed
½ to 1 tsp. celery seed
1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper
¼ tsp salt or to taste
1 t sp. minced fresh parsley
2 tsp. chives, snipped

Soak the cashews in water for 4 hours or overnight.  Drain water off and proceed with recipe.

Place all ingredients except parsley and chives into a blender and process on high until smooth.  Add parsley and chives and blend on low briefly to incorporate them.  Check seasonings and add more as needed.   Let sit in refrigerator for at least one hour.

In the interest of complete disclosure, my husband did not love this dressing.  He didn't hate it, just didn't love it.  I will keep searching for a dressing that he likes, but I plan to keep making this for myself.

Healthier falafels

I have changed my falafel recipe up a bit.  In the past, I was sautéing them in a pan.  Since they are dipped in panko crumbs, the olive oil was soaked up somewhat when they were sautéed, and that made me hesitant to make them very often at all.  They were good, but it took more olive oil than I was comfortable with ingesting.  I decided to try baking them instead.

I also made some other changes to my recipe, including increasing the spices.  I had some at a Middle Eastern restaurant a week earlier, and theirs were much spicier than mine, so I knew I needed to step it up in the spice area. 
The last time I made them at home, I had wished that they were just a little less dry.  I simply added a couple tablespoons of vegetable broth, and that problem was resolved. 


I wanted to check out how much difference it would make between sautéing them and baking them, so before I cooked them, I just sautéed one patty in olive oil and baked one patty.  The sautéed patty took half as long to cook and looked better, but once they are put in the oven, it doesn't really matter if they take 20 minutes

instead of 10 minutes.  That time can be used putting together the rest of the meal, or having a glass of kombucha. 

FALAFEL

 2 ¼ cups cooked chickpeas

3 scallions, coarsely chopped
1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
1 ½ tsp ground coriander
¾ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp. Bangkok seasoning, optional
¼ cup packed coarsely chopped parsley
¼ cup packed coarsely chopped cilantro
1 egg or egg substitute
1 lemon, juiced
kosher salt
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1/3 cup flour
2-3 Tbsp. vegetable broth
½ cup panko crumbs
cooking spray, olive oil preferred, (such as Pam)

In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas with a potato masher, leaving some texture, (bits of chickpeas).  Stir in the  scallions, garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne, Bangkok seasoning, parsley, cilantro, egg or egg substitute, lemon juice, and salt to taste. 

Add in the baking powder and flour and stir to combine.  Add the vegetable broth, a little at a time, until there is a bit of moisture to the ingredients.  Place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.    

Remove the chickpea mixture from the refrigerator.  Drop spoonfuls of the chickpea mixture onto a plate with the panko crumbs and press gently into patties.  I like the patties to be about 1 ½ inches in diameter.   Place the

patties onto a sheet pan which has been sprayed with the cooking spray.  Then spray the top of the patties also with the cooking spray.

Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes, flipping them over once.  If more browning is desired, turn the broiler on to brown the tops a bit more.

NOTE:  Can be served on top of a salad.  Our favorite way to serve them is in a pita.  Half the pita bread and stuff with your choice of:

Falafel patties

Tomatoes, chopped
Green onions, chopped
Beets, diced
Dill pickles, diced
Lettuce, shredded
Honey mustard dressing or tzatziki sauce

I was really expecting the sautéed falafel to be far better than the baked one.  However, my husband and I both felt that there was very little difference in the taste of the two.  I will definitely choose baking them from now on.  When I use the cooking spray, I realize that I am still adding oil to the dish, but it is far less oil than the other methods. 

We are going to kick this olive oil/coconut oil habit if it kills us.  (Actually, hopefully it will extend/enhance our health. 

Kombucha Tea- It's a good thing.

I have given up coffee and only rarely drink ice tea.  I gave up sodas years ago.  I really enjoy drinking water, but it can get tiresome sometimes.

There is a new, (to me) drink in town.  My daughter introduced me to it.  It is called kombucha tea. 
Yes, my daughter should have been a hippie in the 60's.  When she was a teenager she listened to 60's music almost exclusively.  Maybe that is what caused her to be such a present day hippie.  Anyway, I love her personality and interests in life.

Kombucha tea has been around for decades, but has recently become very popular in the U.S.  There are quite a few manufacturers of this drink.  I have seen it in Costco, Whole Foods, a local regional grocery store in my town.  I even heard they carry it in Walmart, although I cannot confirm that.  It seems to run from around $2.50 to $4.00 for about 12-16 ounces. 

That is more than I want to pay for a drink that I try to have every day.  That is where my daughter comes in.  She set me up with a SCOBY, (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast), and gave me specific instructions on how to make my own kombucha tea.

I am not going to go through the steps of how to make kombucha tea.  There is loads of information on the internet.  There are kombucha tea groups which are quite interesting.  Some of the people have actually named their SCOBY's and some even pray for them.  I am not going to judge, though, because I do refer to mine as a "she". 

If you decide to take up this endeavor, please be aware that if improperly handled, it can become
contaminated with mold.  Also, if the tea is fermented for too long, it can become an alcoholic beverage.  I guess that might be a plus for some people, but I really don't want to drink beer in the morning or at any time as far as that goes. 

There are tons of health benefits purported for drinking this tea.  Supposedly there are a lot of probiotics in this.  I feel like it has helped me tremendously with digestive problems.  Honestly, if there were no health benefits, I would drink it anyway, because I really enjoy it. 

Husband's note: This stuff looks like a science project gone wrong. Please do your research as you are dealing with bacteria here.  My wife loves this stuff and it helps her stomach too.  It's much cheaper than store bought stuff and while I do not care for it, anything that makes her happy and healthier I am for.

For more on making your own kombucha tea check out: the Facebook group called, "Kombucha Nation."  Some interesting information and even more interesting folks on there.

One Year

Life has gotten in the way of my blogging.  I am going to try to get back into the discipline of regular blogging. 

As of August 1st my husband and I have been whole food, plant based eaters for
one year.  It started out as a one month experiment.  We even voiced that if we did not make it for the whole month, we would not beat ourselves up about it.  We had been making changes to our diet for some time and just seemed somewhat lost in which direction to go.  There were multiple health problems which we had decided we would no longer be complacent to accept as a permanent part of our lives. 

Two things brought us to the decision to go plant based.  The biggest was that our daughter and her family had been plant based for several years and had seen considerable improvement in their lives.  They are raising two beautiful, healthy children on the plant based diet, and those children are thriving. 

The other reason for our going plant based is a documentary called "Forks Over Knives".  Within about 15 minutes into the film, we were looking at each other and agreeing that we needed to try plant based eating. 

I have heard it stated that instead of thinking of all the foods a person gives up to be plant based, we need to look at the incredible amount of foods we can enjoy.  That has been so true.  Just last night I was looking at a cookbook from the library that was by a favorite cookbook author of mine from the past.  My husband walked into the room, and I told him I was having a hard time looking at all of the beautiful dishes that I can longer eat.  He told me I needed to quit looking at it.  His statement was so simple but so true.  I put it down and started making out my weekly grocery list, which includes my weekly menu.  I was excited all over for the foods we will be eating next week. 

I have had some substantial improvements in my health.  I was taking four doses of a prescription medication for reflux daily, with zero improvement.  I am now down to one half dose per day and  am about to drop that.  I had been told I would have to do that for the rest of my life.  This medication causes an inability of the body to absorb nutrients properly, and that is completely unacceptable to me.  I am now my own "GI doctor".  

There is one other reason I am a plant based eater.  I grew up in a cattle and pork producing family.  There are so many hard working families who produce meat for America's consumption.  The animals on my childhood family farm were treated very well.  They had a tremendous amount of pasture on which to roam.   I have become aware in the last few years, however, how those animals are treated once they are sold to the "feed lots".  It is absolutely appalling and unacceptable to treat any living being in this way.  It is no different than treating a beloved dog, cat, etc. in that way.  We compartmentalize which animals can be abused, but they are all animals and should be treated with dignity.  Okay, off my soapbox, (for now).

I am rambling, so I will wrap this thing up.  I have never felt more sure about any decision I have made in my life than changing to a whole food, plant based diet.  Well, I guess marrying my husband was an equally good decision, but that's about it. 

Husband's thoughts:  Plant based is another way of saying vegan.  You know vegan right?  First you lose the meat, then you lose dairy, then you lose your friends.  Growing up I would consider a non-meat eater likely someone who plays a sitar, doesn't own shoes, and had poor personal hygiene.

Seriously, I have been in the closet about this for a couple of reasons: 1) People wouldn't believe me since I am still fat.   2) Most have a very strange reaction to plant based folks.  I enjoy going to lunch with friends, and unless they ask I just say I am not that hungry when I order a salad.  I have nothing against those family farms who raise cattle or pigs. The industrial operations and what they do to dairy cows and stack chickens on top of each other bothers me.

The few I do tell often find it strange.  Jo's blog has been about showing others that plant based food isn't boring. (As I once thought it was)  As you look through her food pictures and recipes you will see it is anything but.  After a year, I no longer crave BBQ or a chili dog. I reserve the right to fall off the wagon at any time, but for now we are healthier and happier.  It's not for everyone, but I was surprised how easy it was.  Gee, guess now I am out of the closet.  Thanks Jo for outing me!   Now where is my sitar?

Vegetable Wrap

This is a fun meal for a hot summer day.  I also love a recipe that can be made ahead, so when I have company, I can relax instead of doing last minute cooking.  This recipe actually needs to be made ahead for at least one hour, up to 5 hours.  We had some leftovers, and the next day they were still quite good, although I wouldn't recommend holding them that long. 

VEGETABLE WRAPS

½ cup vegan cream cheese

2 cups cannellini beans, rinsed if from a can, and drained
5 green onions, sliced thinly
6 Tbsp. basil, cut chiffonade
salt and pepper to taste
zest from one lemon, grated finely
2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon, or to taste
5-6 large flour tortillas
2 large carrots, shredded
4 cups lettuce of choice, thinly sliced
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
avocado, sliced, optional
pickled jalapenos or pickled banana peppers, 3-5 Tbsp. chopped, optional

Combine the vegan cream cheese and cannellini beans in a food processor.

In a bowl, combine the bean mixture, green onions, basil, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Taste for seasoning.

Spread a thin layer of this on a tortilla shell, spreading all the way to the edge.  Sprinkle some of the shredded carrot, lettuce, bell pepper, avocado, and peppers over the bean mixture. 

Roll the tortilla very tightly and place in plastic wrap.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.  Refrigerate at least one hour or up to 5 hours.  

This recipe can be eaten as a whole wrap or can be cut into "rollups" for appetizers.   If this recipe is cut up for appetizers, it makes quite a large number of them.

 

 

 

 

Is It Too Hot for Soup?

In my world, it is never too hot for soup.  That statement doesn't mean that we don't get hot in our state, but I love soup even on the hottest of days. 

I had some home cooked chickpeas lounging around in my freezer, so I put together this soup.  It was filling yet light, perfect for summertime.

I had some pasta in my pantry that someone had given me.  It was made with carrots and squash, and it was great.  I need to be more adventurous in my pasta purchasing. 

CHICKPEA NOODLE SOUP

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

4 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
8 cups of vegetable broth
1 tsp. white or yellow miso paste
2 tsp. tamari
1 Tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. vegan “no chicken” boullion base, optional
Louisiana hot sauce, ½ tsp or to taste
1/2 to 1 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste
2 whole bay leaves
15 ounces chickpeas, drained and rinsed
8 oz. of pasta, cooked

In a dutch oven, warm the olive oil up, then add the carrots, celery, and onion.  Saute over high heat until onions are translucent.

Add broth, miso paste, tamari, Worcestershire sauce, boullion base, Louisiana hot sauce, salt, and bay leaves.  Cook for another 6 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Remove the bay leaves and stir in chickpeas.  Check for seasonings and adjust.  Heat soup up to desired temperature.

 Dip up the soup into bowls and add the pasta to each bowl.  If storing the soup for later use, keep the pasta separate until ready to serve. 

I always keep my pasta separate from my soup until I dip it into each serving
bowl.  I used to cook the pasta in the soup.  If there were leftovers, the next time I would look at my soup, there would be little to no broth left, and the pasta would be much bigger and not al dente at all.  It did not take much brain power to realize that as the soup sat, the pasta was absorbing the broth.  It is so easy just to keep them separated until serving time.
 
Husband's note: I had two bowls.