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).

Gluten Free Chickpea Loaf

Here's a very, very simple loaf.  Just in time for the holidays!  Enjoy.


Gluten Free Chickpea Loaf
Yield: 1 9x11 loaf

4 cups garbanzo beans cooked, partially mashed (slightly overcooking them gives nice flavor)
1 cup pecan meal
2 cups walnut meal
1 large onion, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
2 TB McKay's Chicken Seasoning
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sage or thyme, optional
2 TB arrowroot powder, optional
2-4 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup brown rice flour, if needed*

Mix everything together in a large bowl, until fully incorporated.  Place in lightly greased 9x13 glass pan, press down with the back of a spoon until even in pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

*If it looks like the consistency needs a little something more, you may add some brown rice flour to bind it together.

Iced Mocha

I've taken a leave of absence of posting recipes.  Getting through each day with a toddler is sometimes all I can do, let alone all those extra things in life.  (Like, this blog for example.)  But, my short term goal is to post recipes consistently, in these fall and winter months.  So please bear with me as I accomplish this.

Here's a recipe that is my go-to, quick, comforting, anytime of the day, lazy drink.  All you need is a blender of any kind, and you should be good to go.  Oh yeah, and the ingredients would help, too.

I always just throw all these things in the blender and eyeball it every time.  This is always the quantities that I put in, so I put it in a recipe format for you all.  This is something that is easy when you're tired, or in a pinch to entertain dinner guests.


Iced Mocha
Yields: about 6 cups 

4 cups non dairy milk (soy, almond, rice, etc)
1/4 cup coffee substitute (Roma, Pero, or Caffix)
2 TB cocoa powder (or carob powder)
1/4 cup maple syrup
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
a big pinch of salt
1 TB creamy almond butter

1.  Put everything in the blender except for the almond butter.  Blend until very smooth.
2.  With the blender going, add the almond butter, and blend until smooth.
3.  Add about a cup (or more if you want a thicker consistency) of ice while blender is going, and blend until everything is incorporated.
4.  Top with vegan whipped cream if desired.  Serve with a straw.  Keep chilled in the fridge.

Note:  You may be saying to yourself that "this seems way too gourmet for me to make due to the use of a vanilla bean."  If you don't have any; first of all, use 1 TB of pure vanilla extract.  Secondly, you should buy some!  I buy grade A vanilla beans on Amazon.com and I prefer using them in uncooked recipes like this, because you don't taste any of that alcohol from the extracts.  And there's a huge taste difference when it comes to using the real deal.  You will not be let down.

Oil-Free Vegan Diet

Hi all,

I have really been slacking with posting any new recipes.  With a toddler around, my excitement for food and new recipes has not changed, but with how much time I have in a day, posting new things I've been trying has been put on the back burner for right now at least. 

I want to write about something I am really excited about.  On Friday, August 23rd, I drove to Fargo to hear Dr. Neil Barnard speak.  If you don't know who Dr. Barnard is, Dr. Barnard is adjunct associate professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and founder and president of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).  He's a doctor who is also a health advocate (shouldn't they all be?).  His organization has sued the food industry many times because of the poor quality of foods these companies are supplying to use of Public Schools.  He focuses on strongly encouraging a whole grain vegan (no animal products) diet, without the use of any added oils, to reverse Type 2 Diabetes.  This diet Dr. Barnard recommends, also helps to maintain a healthy weight by taking in fewer calories, helps to strengthen and protect the heart by clearing out and keeping the arteries clear of any saturated fat build up, and this diet also helps the brain to function clear and properly. 

Here's my story.  I have been a vegetarian who only cooks vegan at home, but occasionally has some dairy while dining out.  I have seen Forks Over Knives, I am well aware of Dr. John McDougall, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Rip Esselstyn, and others.  I have been aware of an oil-free diet, and I have owned vegan oil-free cookbooks, ever since I chose to stop eating meat in 2006.  I have prepared countless recipes that use no oil or animal fat in the past 7 years, but I was never very interested in completely cutting out all added oils from my diet.

Up until the past 6 months or so, I never really thought about how much oil I was actually consuming on a daily basis, on a weekly basis, and on a monthly basis.  Its been a slow eye-opener with one thing after another, after another, the past 6 months.  Sometimes I would think in my head, "Boy, Courtney.  That's a lot of oil!  Do you think all of that oil is okay to eat just for this dish?"  I would justify it in many ways, but lately - especially the past 6 months or so - I've been very convicted about how much oil and fats I have been eating.

Hearing what Dr. Barnard said on Friday night hit me right between the eyes.  I honestly left that place determined to make something happen in my life for the better.  And I didn't know what, exactly.  But I had bought 2 of his books (the 21-Day Weight-loss Kickstart & Power Foods for the Brain).  This had to be it, I knew deep down.  Something to help me loose and keep off the weight I've been trying to loose, and to give me more energy to chase after a toddler.


Its been 48 hours with no added oil.  Let me share what I've been eating:

Saturday night:  Air Popped Popcorn with (only a couple spritz of) safflower oil - just to get some Nutritional Yeast Flakes to stick - and a few pinches of fine Celtic grey Sea Salt. 

Sunday Breakfast:  Breakfast burritos - tofu scramble with seasonings and onion, green and orange pepper sauteed in a little water.  Wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla with organic diced tomatoes, organic cilantro, and a little Garlic Sour Cream on top.   And a small Silk Soy Strawberry Yogurt.

Sunday Lunch:  Cuban Black Beans (without the Spanish olives and oil to saute the veggies in) over short grain organic brown rice, with organic tomatoes, organic cilantro, a few sliced Spanish olives, a spoonful of diced avocado, a little Garlic Sour Cream, and some freshly squeezed lime juice, and Tapatio mild hot sauce.  Also, can't forget the sweet potato fries (tossed with a spritz of oil, salt, and fresh garlic) baked and broiled.  Those were amazing, and went REALLY well with the beans and rice.

Sunday Dinner:  We usually do something light for dinner, like popcorn or a smoothie depending on the day.  But, I baked some vegan Gardein Chickn Strips last night and served them with homemade agave-sweetened BBQ Sauce!  That was a nice treat, because I don't buy veggie meats very often.  And, I was excited to try an agave-sweetened chocolate cake with apple sauce instead of any oil.  It turned out good, and I made a chocolate tofu whipped topping for the top.  I still have more experimenting to do, but I will post a recipe soon.

Monday Breakfast:  Breakfast burritos again with some soy milk to drink.

Monday Lunch:  homemade Vegan BBQ Ribz with homemade agave-sweetened BBQ sauce.  And some organic oil-free yukon gold mashed potatoes.  They were very, very yummy.


I have already started detoxing.  My body is saying, "Whoo-hoo!  I are glad to not have to worry about newly consumed fats to process, so we can expel all of this extra fat sitting around!  Yay!"  

I felt impressed to share the start to my journey that will go to 21 days and beyond!

I hope you benefited from reading this blog post!  Here's to FEWER CALORIES!!!

Sincerely,
Courtney