Vegan Portobello Mushroom Stuffing

Vegan Portobello Mushroom Stuffing

Yield: about 8 servings

4 large celery stalks w/leaves, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 cups portobello mushrooms, chopped

3 large cloves garlic, pressed

1½ tsp rubbed sage

1 TB dried thyme

1 TB dried rosemary

½ cup fresh Italian parsley, minced

9 cups day-old Italian bread, diced

1⅓ cup vegetable or chicken-like broth

½ cup light olive oil

2 tsp fine sea salt

1.  In a large pan, sauté the celery, onion, and mushrooms over medium high heat, with a pinch of salt and some oil, until everything gets nice and soft.

2.  Add garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary, and parsley, and sauté for another few minutes.

3.  In a large bowl, add sautéed mixture, diced bread, vegetable broth, olive oil, and salt. 

4.  Spread out on lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375º F for 45 minutes, or until golden and crispy on top.

Vegan Green Bean Casserole

Vegan Green Bean Casserole

Yield: a 9x13 casserole

4-15oz. cans of green beans (or 6 cups fresh green beans, stemmed and cut)

1 recipe Mushroom Gravy

2 cups French-fried onion rings

Mushroom Gravy

1 TB oil

1 medium onion, chopped

8oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp thyme

½ tsp sea salt

1 cup raw cashews (or blanched almonds)

3 cups water

1.  Preheat oven to 350º F. 

2.  If using fresh green beans, steam beans for 4-5 minutes.

3.  For Mushroom Gravy: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add onion, and cook until it is translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and salt.  Cook until water starts to come out of the mushrooms, and they start to brown.  In a blender, blend cashews and water for 3-5 minutes until very smooth.  Pour cashew mixture into the pan with mushroom mixture, and stir together.  Cook until mixture becomes thick to make a creamy gravy.

4.  Combine green beans and gravy together in a casserole dish.

5.  Bake 20-30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

6.  Remove from oven and cover with French-fried onions.  Return to oven and cook 3-5 minutes, until onions are golden brown.

Maple Pecan Ice-Cream

Maple Pecan Ice-Cream

Yield: about 1 quart

2½ cups soy milk

1 cup coconut milk

1/8 cup organic cane sugar

½ cup pure maple syrup (or 3/4 cup)

2-3 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp sea salt

¼ tsp xanthan gum

¼ cup pecans, chopped

1. In a blender jar, blend everything (except xanthan gum) until very smooth.  Add xanthan gum and blend again until incorporated (about 10 seconds).
2. Chill mixture overnight (for 8 hours or more) in fridge.  Pour ice-cream mixture into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.  Add chopped pecans after ice-cream is done churning.

* If you don’t have a machine: Freeze mixture, pulling out every couple hours to stir.

Multi-grain Pancake Mix

There's one thing that is especially nice to have while you are camping, and that is a good quality homemade pancake mix for breakfasts over the fire!

This mix is something we enjoy as a family, when we go up to the Boundary Waters and Quetico wilderness canoe areas in northern Minnesota and into Canada, or to the North Shore of Lake Superior in northern Minnesota.

Because it is a dry/pre-made mix, it is very light to carry.  This is always a very good recipe to take on backpacking trips, hiking trips, or any kind of camping trip really.  And its much healthier than those store bought mixes that have a bunch of ingredients you cannot pronounce in them.  And when you use whole grain flours, that's the biggest bonus!  Talk about getting your FIBER in for the day!

We enjoy these for breakfast camping, with some fresh blueberries sprinkled in, and our special homemade maple syrup drizzled on top!

Give this a try this summer season, and let me know what you think!


Multi-grain Pancake Mix 
Yield: around a gallon zip-lock bag full

4 cups oat flour
4 cups barley flour
4 cups whole grain spelt (or wheat) flour
2 cups walnuts
⅔ cup arrowroot powder (or organic corn starch)
⅔ cup vanilla soy (or rice) milk powder, optional
½ cup baking powder
¾ - 1 cup organic sugar
2 TB fine sea salt

1.  Blend the walnuts and 2 cups of the flour in your food processor or high speed blender until the walnuts turn into a fine meal.  Pour into large bowl.
2.  Add everything else to the large bowl, whisk together very well.  Store in freezer bags in the freezer.  
3.  To Eat: Take 1 part dry mix to 1 part water, mix together.  The batter thickens as it sits, so you may have to add more water to the batter.  (The oats tend to soak up a lot of water.)  Cook on hot, oiled griddle until pancakes are done.  We like to sprinkle blueberries on the pancakes after we put them on the griddle.  Serve!  

*You may also use this in your waffle iron. 
*If you don't want to use dry soy or rice milk powder, you can leave it out.
*You can sub any flour for something else.  I really like the flavor of the oats, because it makes your mix very light and fluffly.  So, I usually keep the oats, and use whichever other flours I have on hand.  Barley is a light, fluffy flour too, so I like using it for this.  You could use 8 cups barley flour and 4 cups oat flour if you desire.  The mix of flours is completely up to you!  Just make sure you use 12 cups total.
*Gluten Free Alternative:  If you want to make this gluten-free, just use gluten-free flours.  I would suggest brown rice flour, sorghum flour, coconut flour, etc.

Homemade Chocolate Chips

Homemade Chocolate Chips

1 cup coconut oil
1 cup cocoa powder
6 TB maple syrup
1 TB pure vanilla
Pinch of salt

1.  Melt everything together in a double boiler over the stove, and whisk until everything comes together and is very smooth.  (Alternately, you may just melt the coconut oil, and whisk everything until it comes together and is smooth.  It tends to clump up this way easier, but you are always willing to try it this way.)
2.   Place batter on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, spread out thin with a spatula, and freeze for a couple hours or overnight until it hardens up.  Then, cut up with a knife into squares.  (Alternately: find a chocolate chip silicone mold, or a silicone pot holder, and pour batter into that.  Freeze for a couple hours or overnight until it becomes solid.)  Store in a freezer bag in the freezer at all times, until use.


Notes:
*If you are wanting to use carob powder, I would recommend tasting it before you add any maple syrup.  You may not have to add much sweetener at all, because carob is naturally sweet, unlike chocolate, which is naturally bitter.
*If you are wanting a neutral flavor, I recommend using the expelled pressed coconut oil instead of the extra virgin coconut oil.  The expelled pressed doesn't have any flavor.

Veggie Potato Pancakes

These potato pancakes were one of my favorite meals growing up.  For my special birthday meal, I always requested these!  To get me and my brother to eat our veggies when we were kids, my mom came up with this idea.  She would have us in the kitchen with her, grating all the veggies.  We had one large hand grater, so I always was the one to receive battle wounds from this meal.  But, it was so worth it.

There's no recipe involved here, its very simple.  All we would do, was shred about the same amount of potatoes, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, and an onion - and cook them up on the stove.  Its very easy and quick (especially if you have a food processor).  Anyone can make this!

It has been a while since I have made these Veggie Potato Pancakes for us.  I used to make them all the time when I had a garden in the summer, because they're a nice and fresh summer garden harvest meal.  Its a good way to use up those yellow and zucchini squash that seem to grow faster than weeds!  I made these for dinner tonight, and my 3 year old girl devoured them!  So, I thought you might like them, too.

Veggie Potato Pancakes

Yield: 6-8 servings

2-3 pounds russet potatoes
2 small zucchini squash
2 small yellow squash
2 large carrots, peeled
1 large onion
2 TB grape seed oil (or high-heat oil of choice)
Non-dairy butter, or oil

1.  In a food processor, shred everything.   
2.  Put the "batter" in a large bowl.  Drizzle about 2 TB of high heat oil in the bowl, and toss everything together with your hands.
3.  In a preheated skillet, add butter/oil to pan and let it shimmer.  Make 3 small hash browns in the pan.  sprinkle with sea salt, and flatten.  Cover, and cook over medium heat until GB&D (golden brown & delicious). 
4.  Uncover, flip them over, and cook for another 5-10 minutes uncovered until cooked through. 
5.  Serve hot with organic applesauce or sour cream.  These pair well with a hearty veggie meatloaf-style entree and a nice tossed salad, or just some soup and salad.


*Note: I buy my potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, and carrots all organic.  I highly recommend everyone to do the same, if it is accessible to you.  (The less chemicals and GMOs in our food, the better!)

Sweet Almond Cream

This is a nice, sweet topping to replace whipped cream at breakfast or dessert time.  Let me know what you think in the comments below!


Sweet Almond Cream
Yield: 2 cups

1 cup water
3/4 cup blanched almonds
3 Tbsp coconut milk powder (or ½ cup coconut milk)
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp Celtic grey sea salt
2 Tbsp maple syrup (or Agave syrup)

1.  Blend in a blender until creamy.  Serve chilled.  Place on top of waffles or berries.  Store in the refrigerator.

Sweet Potato Latkes

This is a good recipe if you're wanting to incorporate some more nutrients and variety in your diet.  I'm a huge fan of starch.  Potatoes of any kind are so good for you, are packed full of nutrients, and fill you up.  And I can especially say that about sweet potatoes!

Packed with vitamin A, C, manganese, copper, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, biotin, potassium, fiber, vitamin B3, B1, B2, and Phosphorus... they're a food you can "literally" live on.  Seriously, no joke!  The okanawan's live on a diet of sweet potatoes!  You can do it too!

Enjoy these yummy, gluten free, Latkes!  And be sure to let me know what you thought of them in the comments below!  Happy cooking!


Sweet Potato Latkes
Yield: 6-7 medium sized latkes

4 cups sweet potato, shredded
1/2 medium onion, shredded
4 garlic cloves, shredded
1 tsp Celtic grey sea salt
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 Tbsp dried parsley (or small handful chopped fresh parsley)
1/4 cup olive oil

1.  In a food processor, shred the sweet potatoes, measure out and place in a bowl.
2.  Then place the onion and garlic and shred them in the food processor, add them to the bowl.
3.  Add sea salt, stir, let sit for a moment.  Then stir in brown rice flour and parsley, then stir in the olive oil.
4.  Fry in a skillet like latkes, (or bake) until brown on both side.  Serve with a dollop of Toffuti sour cream or Almond Sour Cream.

Hot Cocoa Mix

I made a bunch of this and gave it out to close friends and family for Christmas gifts this year!  Everyone loved it.  

 I use soy milk powder for it instead of regular dried milk powder.  I have never used regular cows milk powder, so I don't know what the outcome would be.  But, you may use whatever you like!  You are the chef, remember?!  I have also made this with rice milk powder for friends who are allergic to soy, and it turns out great.

Let me know what you think in the comments below!


Hot cocoa mix
Yield: about 6 cups

1 1/2 cups cocoa powder (or carob, if desired)
2 1/2 cups organic powdered sugar
2 cups vanilla soy milk powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp fine sea salt

1.  Sift everything together in a large bowl.  Then, whisk everything until combined.  Store in a glass container.

To Serve:
Place 2-3 large TB in a mug, add hot water or milk, stir.  Enjoy!

World's Best Guacamole

Seriously.  Would I make a claim such as this if it were not true?  This is also the simplest guacamole you will ever throw together!

Try it.  See for yourself!  Oh, and don't forget to let me know what you think in the comment section below!  Have yourself a Mexican holiday!


World's Best Guacamole
Yield: 4 servings

2 large ripe avocados
2 TB onion, finely minced (I prefer red onion, but you can use whatever you want)
3-4 TB cilantro, chopped
juice from at least 1 lime
sea salt

1.  Slice avocados in half, score each one into chunks, scoop or squeeze out into a small bowl.
2.  Add finely minced onion, cilantro, lime juice, and a large pinch of salt.  Using a fork, gently mix everything together, gently squishing the avocado a little.  This guacamole should be more chunky, it gives it a really nice scooping consistency. 
3.  Taste with a chip so you get the salty/tart consistency you desire from your guacamole.  In the end, I usually add a little more lime juice, and another small pinch of salt.  You are the chef, so have fun with this!  Then, serve anyway you desire!  We like to use as a chip dip.  Bon appetite! 

Sweet Potato Fries

Every time I make Cuban Black Beans with rice, I always make these to go along side!  They are the perfect sweet and savory side dish to eat along with the black beans.  I love the flavor combination together, and I know you will too!  And these are soo simple and easy to throw together. 

Sweet Potato Fries
Yield: 4 servings

4 medium sweet potatoes
1 medium onion, sliced
8-10 garlic cloves, crushed
fine sea salt
olive oil

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.  Slice washed sweet potatoes into 4-inch long wedges (keep the skin on them for extra nutrients).  Spread the wedges out on two cookie sheets.  Sprinkle onion & crushed garlic evenly over them. Generously sprinkle fine sea salt over everything.  Then, drizzle olive oil over everything.
3.  Place in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Flip them over and stir them around a little, then bake for another 10 minutes.  Serve with Cuban Black Beans and rice.

*Note: Cut the recipe in half if you are only going to serve two people.

Chicken-less Noodle Soup

Here is a quick and easy soup that pairs well with sourdough toast, or open-faced sandwiches, for a quick weeknight dinner.

Chicken-less Noodle Soup
Yield: 4 servings

1 cup rice pasta spirals (or any pasta of your choice)
2 cups water
2 cups chicken-like (or vegetable) broth
1 medium carrot, sliced thinly
1 stalk celery, sliced thinly

1.  In a medium sauce pot, fill with water, add some salt, bring it to a boil.  Add pasta and cook until AL-dente about 8-10 minutes. After cooked, then drain the pasta.
2.  Meanwhile, bring broth and water to a simmer.  Add veggies and simmer until really nice and tender.  Add cooked pasta.  Serve!

*Note: You may add about a cup of veggie meat, or soy curls (reconstituted in boiling water for 10 minutes, and drained). 

Creamy Breakfast Gravy

Here's a nice, rich, creamy, seasoned breakfast gravy to go over your morning tofu scrambles, eggs, toast, or biscuits!  

This is a very versatile recipe, so you can adjust seasonings to your own taste.  I  used to serve this as my go-to recipe for breakfast gravy.  The past several years, I've experimented with lots of different kinds of flavors and ingredients in my breakfast gravies, but this texture is really yummy.  Simple, rich, and compliments your savory Sunday morning brunch quite nicely!

Give it a try, and let me know what you think in the comments below! 


Creamy Breakfast Gravy
Yield: 6-8 servings

3 cups water
1 cup raw cashews
3 TB nutritional yeast flakes
1 TB Chicken-style seasoning
1 TB soy sauce, Tamari, or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp granulated onion
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley

1.  Place everything into a blender jar, except basil and parsley.  Blend on high until really smooth, or about 2-5 minutes, depending on the quality of your blender.  (A good test is to stop the blender, stick your finger into the mixture, and rub your fingers together.  You are looking for a smooth, non-gritty consistency.  If in doubt, blend it a couple more minutes.)
2.  Then add dried basil and parsley and blend briefly, just until incorporated.  (Your gravy will turn green if you blend too long.)
3.  Cook over medium heat whisking constantly until thick and creamy.  Serve over biscuits!

Taco-Style Beans

What's cheap, low fat, easy to prepare, with more protein than any animal product?  BEANS, of course!  Beans, beans, they're good for the heart... RIGHT?!  Right.  They are very good for us.

Here is a very easy recipe for beans that go really well on taco-salad, served as a side dish for any Mexican-style meal, or just over some brown rice with some fresh toppings!  This is a recipe in which all of the ingredients are for sure going to be in your pantry already, and it is very easy to prepare.  NOTHING intimidating here, folks!

Have yourself a happy bean holiday!  Yay!


Taco-Style Beans
Yield: a large crock-pot full

6 cups pinto beans, or a mixture of a few different kinds
1 medium onion, diced
10-12 large cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1 TB taco seasoning
1 TB dried oregano
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 TB sea salt, or to taste
½ a 15oz can tomato sauce
2 TB organic brown sugar, agave, or maple syrup

1.  Soak beans for 8 hours, drain, rinse, place in crock-pot and cook on low for 8 hours.
2.  In a large, hot, oiled skillet, place onion.  Sauté with a pinch of salt until translucent and almost caramelized.  Throw in garlic, taco seasoning, oregano, cumin, granulated garlic, and salt.  Sauté for a minute or two until everything smells fragrant.  Add tomato sauce (and a little water if it starts to stick). 
3.  Put beans in a colander after they are cooked, rinse them off really well.  Add them to a large pot.  Add seasoning sauté mixture, your sweetener of choice, and enough water to just cover the beans barely.  Bring beans to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low.  Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes.  Serve.  

Potato Breakfast Scramble

Here's my favorite recipe for tofu scramble.  Here are a couple photos of when I made this for samples at the Fargo-Moorhead Health Expo on February 22, 2015.  I cooked everything separately, then you throw it together at the end, and serve!

I love the simplicity of this recipe, because I always have the ingredients in my pantry.  And if you like, you may cook any style of breakfast potatoes (boiled, baked, fried, etc.)... and this is pretty versatile, because you can keep the tofu and potatoes separate, or throw them together at the end.  

Depends on who you're serving breakfast for, I guess.  

My husband is not a vegetarian, so he's not the biggest fan of tofu scramble for breakfast.  But, if I'm just making this for my daughter and I, usually I make as directed.  Bon appetite!  

Let me know what you think in the comments below!  Or on our Facebook page "Courtney's Pantry."


Potato Tofu Breakfast Scramble
yield: 2-4 servings

1 pound small red, or gold, potatoes
1 TB oil
1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (any color)
1 14 or 16 oz container extra firm tofu, rinsed
4 large cloves garlic, pressed or minced
3 TB nutritional yeast flakes
1 ½ TB chicken-style seasoning
1 TB soy sauce, Tamari, or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
½-1 tsp dried parsley
Sea salt, to taste

1.  Cook the potatoes: Bring unsalted water to boil over medium high heat.  Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.  Let cool, and dice potatoes into chunks.  Add potatoes to a hot, oiled skillet in one single layer.  Cook for 10 minutes until golden brown.
2.  Cook the tofu: In the meantime in another skillet over medium high heat, add the onions and peppers.  Cook until 10 minutes, until the onions and peppers are soft and everything is browned as you like it.  Crumble the tofu with your hands into a large pan.  Add the garlic, yeast flakes, chicken-style seasoning, soy sauce, and dried parsley.  Stir everything together, and cook it until the tofu starts to look nice and golden brown.  You may add a dash of oil to help the tofu to brown up a bit.
3.  Mix everything together: In a large bowl add potato mixture and tofu mixture.  Toss together and season with salt, to taste.

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow, its this time of the year again!

I know its been quite a while since my last blog post (ah...sorry).  Living in Minnesota makes for short seasons, so we try to soak up as much sun (or anything above freezing) as is humanly possible.  I'm sad that summer has come and gone, again.  But, autumn is (was) my favorite season!  Even thought its winter now in Minnesota.  What a surprise.  Can you say, "hello, subzero temperatures?"  I know, its a phrase never to be uttered- believe me!  Disclaimer; please don't say it if you want to keep your sanity.

Shout out to my homies!!!

Out of all the completely awesome food and recipe blogs out there, and I am very humbled and honored that you would even want to read this post, or anything on my blog.  And if you're reading this far, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  This post is for you, man.  There are so many recipes out there on the internet that are tremendously better than anything I've ever posted.  So, thank you for reading, homie!

Lets get down to business.  What says "Thanksgiving" more than creamy mashed potatoes?  Because, I seriously can't think of anything.  So, today I'm going to share my top secret recipe for Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

That's right.

They are super simple, really fancy, and altogether amazing.  They go great with anything you're gonna eat them with!  Hey, that's a good tag line.  I'm going to use that again.

Every time I bring these to a potluck, they disappear...

And everyone ALWAYS asks how I make them... 

And, they've only got a few ingredients that you most likely already have in your pantry!  So, here you go, just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas!  Your dinner guests will NOT be disappointed.

(Disclaimer: Neither the Publisher nor Author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages resulting from use of this Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe.  All recipes are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content, accuracy, or any other implied or explicit purpose.  In other words, don't blame me if your friends don't like these mashed potatoes.)

Just kidding.

But seriously, leave me a comment below to tell me what your favorite Thanksgiving or Holiday-style food is.  Also, let me know if you give these a try and how they turned out!  Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes                    
Yield: serves about 4-6 guests

"They go great with anything you're gonna eat them with!"
  

What:
3 pounds potatoes (russets, reds, or golds all work great, and organic gives best flavor)
1 TB vegetable broth powder, or chicken-like seasoning*
1 tsp sea salt

1/3 cup butter or vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance or Smart Balance)
2-3 TB unsweetened non-dairy milk (like soy, almond or rice milk)
2 tsp granulated garlic
1 TB dried parsley
1/2-1 tsp sea salt

How:
Scrub potatoes, put them in a large pot.**  Cover them with water, and add the broth powder, and salt (or, just use vegetable broth).  Bring to boil, simmer on low for about 15-20 minutes, until they're really fork tender and falling apart.

Drain out liquid, but leave about 3/4 cup of it.  Mash up the potatoes a bit with a masher just to break them up.  Then add butter, milk, granulated garlic, parsley, and salt.  Beat the potatoes with a hand beater until everything is creamy and smooth.

Add any extra seasonings to taste, and serve.



Notes:

 *It might seem pointless to some people to cook them in broth.  I know there are varying opinions on this subject.  But, I personally think it gives them an added depth of flavor.) 

**I leave the skins on, especially when I use organic, but you can always peel them if you don't like your taters with the skins on or something.  But, don't worry, I'm not one to judge.  You're just a  weirdo, that's all.

Barbeque Crockpot Soy Curls

Serve these on a bed of Mac and cheese, and you had me at hello!  They're also really good as a sandwich filling.  Or eaten over a bed of mashed potatoes.  Or over a bed of rice.  Over a bed of anything, good they'd be on.  I'm starting to sound like Yoda.  I've gone too far, haven't I?

This is what it looks like when you throw everything in the crock-pot...

                          

Here is the final product after it cooked in the crock-pot...

And here they are pictured over some macaroni and cheese (with extra cheesy sauce drizzled on top)...

Slow cooked... Two words that belong together.  Forever.

Hope you try these.
They're amazing.

Crock-pot BBQ Soy Curls 

Yield: about 4 cups

½ pound (8 oz.) dried soy curls
⅛ - ¼ cup vegetarian beef seasoning
2 cups boiling water
1 small onion, diced
2 cups barbecue sauce
¼ cup water

 Place soy curls in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water and vegetarian beef seasoning to reconstitute.  Stir occasionally, and let sit for 20 minutes.  (Using kitchen shears, you may choose to cut these up a little bit to make them all the same size.)
 Throw the reconstituted soy curls, diced onion, BBQ sauce, and ¼ cup water in the crockpot.  Stir well.
 Cook on high for 4-6 hours until everything is caramelized, or on low for 8-10 hours.  These freeze well.

Holiday Nog

Here's a recipe I came up with for a vegan holiday nog.


Holiday Nog
Yield: 4 servings

5 cups Almond or Soymilk
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/8 cup organic cane sugar
1 TB pure vanilla extract (or the seeds from 1 vanilla bean)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg, ground
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp rum extract (add this if you want more of a buttery flavor)
1/8 - 1/4 tsp xanthan gum

Blend everything in blender until very smooth, except for the xanthan gum.  Then add the xanthan gum and blend briefly.  Chill in fridge overnight so flavors can disperse, then serve.  Adjust flavors to taste.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here's a recipe my family used growing up.  I would make a bunch of these in the summer to sell with glasses of lemonade at our annual garage sales when I was young.  I remember making quite a bit of money doing that...

Since I've been cooking a little more healthier in recent years, just by cutting the eggs out of this recipe cuts out all the bad cholesterol and cuts the calories way down, too.  Try these, you will like them!

I especially like these in the fall and winter.  They always give me such a comfort!


Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: 2 dozen

1 1/2 cups organic unbleached all purpose flour (or gluten-free flour of your choice mixed with 1/2 xanthan gum)
1 TB egg replacer (or Arrowroot powder or Cornstarch)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 cup vegan margarine (I like Earth Balance)
1 cup organic brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 cup water
1 TB pure vanilla extract
3 cups regular or quick oats, raw (or gluten-free oats, if you can't eat regular oats)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (sub Carob chips or raisins)
3/4 cups pecans, chopped

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  In a medium bowl, whisk flour, egg replacer or arrowroot, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt until fully mixed together.
3.  Beat together margarine, sugars, water and vanilla in mixer or with a hand mixer, until fluffy.
4.  Add flour mixture, mix until everything is incorporated. 
5.  With mixer running on low, slowly add in oats, chocolate chips and pecans.  You may also stir them in by hand.
6.  Using a cookie scoop, drop tablespoons onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.
7.  Bake 10-12 mins, or until golden brown.
8.  Cool a couple mins on cookie sheet until transferring to a cooling rack.

Note:  Cookies freeze really well.  If I'm making these for a special event or potluck, I will bake them, let them cool completely, place in gallon freezer bags and freeze until I'm ready to use.  They thaw out in 20 minutes and taste like you just baked them.  Enjoy!

Healthy Onion Soup Mix

Here is my healthy version of onion soup mix.

Wow.  I never thought I would be able to use all of those words in one descriptional sentence.

When I was looking to make my own, instead of using the most popular blue boxed version -loaded with hydrogenated this, and MSG that- I looked online to find a homemade recipe.  I came across a few good recipes.  This is my favorite version of all of those recipes.

I usually at least double this when I make it.  It keeps very well in a glass jar in my pantry.  


Healthy Onion Soup Mix
Yield: about 1 1/4 cups

3/4 cup dried minced onion
1/3 cup vegan beef seasoning powder (I like McKay's Beef Seasoning, but Bill's Best would probably work well)
4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp organic sugar
1 tsp fine sea salt (optional)

Whisk everything together in a bowl.  Store in a small airtight glass spice jar.  Stores very well.  5 TB of mix are equal to one 1 1/4 oz package of Lipton Onion Soup Mix.

To make Onion Dip:  Mix 5-8 TB mix into 1 pint of sour cream to make the onion soup mix (or to taste).