Vegan Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have chocolate on my mind today.  What's better than a chewy chocolate chip cookie and a tall cold glass of almond milk?  Probably not all that much, except maybe getting to eat the dough beforehand.  Being that this dough is vegan, and therefore has no egg to make you sick, it's a little too easy to eat a few spoonfulls or more, but who's counting.  These cookies have a slight hint of coconut because of the coconut oil, but personally I prefer it.  I would suggest a quality brand, such as Spectrum, because I've used a generic organic coconut oil in the past and they don't turn out nearly as good.  I always have coconut oil on hand in the kitchen as well as in the medicine cabinet.  For cooking it has a much higher smoke point than other oils and is over all healthier than most oils.  I also use it to moisturize my skin,  shave, and remove eye makeup.  I firmly believe that since your skin is your largest organ one should be extra careful of what you put on it.  Those fancy fragrance and chemical laden lotions and potions are absorbed through your skin and end up in your blood stream.  Besides coconut oil being healthier and having a plethora of purposes, its also cheaper and works better than anything else i've tried.  Your skin and what's beneath will thank you no doubt.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes approximately 15 cookies, but this was after the kids and I ate several bites of the dough :)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

-1/2 cup coconut oil (best if not completely solid or liquid)

-1/4 cup sugar (the Wholesome Earth brand is vegan)

-1/2 cup light brown sugar

-1 Tbsp vanilla extract

-1/4 cup almond milk

-2 cups all purpose flour

-1 tsp baking powder

-1 tsp baking soda

-1/2 tsp salt

-1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

In the bowl of a stand mixer add sugars and oil.  Mix for a few seconds until incorperated.  Add vanilla and almond milk, mix again.  In seperate bowl combine dry ingredients and sift together.  While the mixer is running, carefully add the dry ingredients.  Once fully mixed, stir in the chocolate chips.  Using a tablespoon drop onto ungreased cookie sheet a couple inches apart.  Bake for 10 minutes.  They will seem a bit soft when they are finished, but this makes for a perfectly chewy cookie.

Eggplant Non-Meatballs

So I thought I'd do a couple product reviews today.  A majority of the groceries I buy are of the Whole Foods 365 organic brand (these are way cheaper than most organic brands and are awesome quality), but there are a few other staples I love and buy almost on a weekly basis.  First off, I don't like most of the "meat substitutes" on the market.  They have a million ingredients and nine out of ten times that includes soy, probably gmo soy at that.  I do, however, like the Field Roast line.  Especially the Italian sausage and the breakfast sausage they came out with fairly recently.  The ingredients are minimal and, more importantly, recognizable.  I've used the Italian sausage in everything from lasagna and stuffed mushrooms, to over quinoa with braised kale and roasted sweet potatoes (one of my go-to meals I'll be sharing soon).  Probably the only thing I don't like is that they aren't organic, but beggars can't be choosers I guess!  The breakfast sausage is sweet and savory at the same time, since it has maple syrup in it, and my daughter loves these on an english muffin to bring for school lunch.  They're also fantastic for breakfast along side some crispy home fries and a chickpea flour (besan) omelet.  I saw they just came out with a vegan cheese made from coconut milk in a few different flavors.  So anxious to give them a try considering I'm not a big fan of Daiya, not only because of the taste, but that it's mostly oil.  The only vegan cheese I seem to like are the ones from Kite Hill and Treeline.  Treeline cashew cheese just came out with two new flavors as well and one is chipotle!!  So excited for anything chipotle!  Their Garlic & Herb cheese is also great for stuffed mushrooms, or on pizza, or anywhere the recipe calls for goat cheese since it has a similar texture.

This rainy chilly weather, along with a tad extra stress the past few weeks, makes me crave comfort foods like no body's business.  Good thing I'm training for my first 5 mile run next month so I can easily eat these in abundance with no guilt.  What says comfort more than spaghetti and meatballs, or maybe soup and grilled avocado samiches, or maybe mac n' cheez with butternut squash.  I'll get to those sooner rather than later for sure.

Today's recipe is for Eggplant Non-Meatballs and is one I've been making almost on a weekly basis.  This is mainly because they are pretty simple to throw together, I almost always have enough for leftovers, and the kids absolutely love them.  My 2 year old especially! :)  This recipe was adapted from a recipe I saw from Mark Bittman and I have since changed it up a bit.  Basically I've added more eggplant (who doesn't love more eggplant, right?!) to the recipe as well as more breadcrumbs and replaced the parsley with fresh basil.  I love these over pasta or on a roll with some cashew cheese, extra basil, and sauce.  I had the leftovers today over spaghetti squash and a generous amount of almond parm.  Yum!!  I roasted the squash at 400 degrees F for approximately 45 minutes to an hour after cutting it in half lengthwise and scooping out the seeds.  Perfection!

Eggplant Non-Meatballs

-2 medium eggplants (peeled, unless organic, and cut into 1 inch cubes)
-1/2 to 3/4 cups water
-1 teas salt
-cracked pepper to taste
-3 cloves crushed garlic
-1 onion chopped
-1 13oz package cannellini beans (I try to not buy beans or tomatoes in cans and Whole Foods carries them without)
-1/2 cup fresh basil
-1/ 1/2 to 2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
-large pinch red chili flakes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

In a large pan saute onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent.  Remove from pan and put in a large bowl, set aside.  In the same pan add a little more olive oil, eggplant, and water.  Cook over medium high, stir often until all the eggplant is cooked through.  Add cooked eggplant to the bowl of a food processor along with beans, basil, chili, salt, and pepper.  Pulse several times until combined, but not fully pureed.  Add mixture to the large bowl with the onion/garlic and breadcrumbs.  Stir together.  Oil a large cookie sheet.  Form balls, with wet hands to avoid sticking, and place on the cookie sheet.  Bake 20 minutes, turn using a butter knife to carefully pry, and cook another 20 minutes.

Sunday Scones

Ahhhhh Sunday.  Sleeping in, waking up and having coffee and scones, relaxing with your feet up in front of the tv or cozying up to a good book.  All is quiet and still, but for a few little birdies chirping outside.  Who am I kidding!!!  Maybe someday, in my distant future, this is what Sunday will bring me once again.  I'm not complaining though, because I still love what Sunday has to offer although it looks very different than the aforementioned.  It's more like, waking up at the crack of dawn to kids laughing their heads off and jumping on your stomach, whining over not getting to watch cartoons because CBS Sunday Morning is on, and whipping up some tasty scones.  At least the scone part is the same.  I love a frothy cappuccino and a scone while watching my favorite news magazine program.  I truly believe it's the little things in life.  I don't drink coffee that often because it tends to make me jittery (and decaf is for suckas! Just kidding), but about once a month I'll indulge in a cappuccino.  Most non dairy milks unfortunately don't froth, but with a bit of trial and error I've found that Whole Foods brand almond milk makes the foam exactly the way I like it.  It's creamy and absolutely delish!  I like that it's one of the only almond milks that's organic, and it's cheap, around $3 and change.  I read in Mother Jones a while back that it's important to make sure to buy organic when it comes to almonds because the pesticides they use for non organic almonds kill honey bees.  You know what they say about bees, no bees, no plants, no plants, no people.  Ok, so I'm pretty sure I just made that saying up, but it's 100% true none the less.  I'll get the coffee going in the moka and steam myself some almond milk to perfection in the meantime.  I like to either sweeten my coffee with coconut sugar, coconut nectar, or even maple syrup if I'm feeling adventurous.  There's already plenty of sugar in the scones and I try to limit my sugar anyway so these are some great options that are low glycemic.  Now, if only I could get some of my family members to switch to one of these instead of that fake brain eating cancer causing crap otherwise known as Equal or Sweet & Low or Splenda (they're all the same anyway).

Usually before I even get the coffee started I'm putting together a batch or two of scones faster than I ever thought humanly possible.  This is because when children wake up in the morning they have to eat their breakfast in the upcoming half hour or all hell breaks loose, literally.  I love this recipe because its fast, easy, you can make a couple kinds of scones in one batch (since there always has to be a batch of chocolate chip), and you can halve it or double it with ease.  I kept it pretty simple this morning with cranberry scones and, you guessed it, chocolate chip scones.  I don't remember exactly where I got the original recipe from, but it was for buttermilk scones and I have since veganized it.  Obviously store bought buttermilk is not vegan, but you can make it just by adding 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to 1 cup non dairy milk and letting it sit for about 5 minutes.  If I'm using dried fruit in my scones I like to soak the fruit in hot water for a few minutes so they'll be extra plump.  For the chocolate chips I use the Enjoy Life mini chips.  They're not only vegan, but soy free as well.

Vegan Buttermilk Scones 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

-3 cups flour
-1/3 cup sugar + a little more to sprinkle on top
-1 tsp salt
-2 1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-3/4 cup soy free Earth's Balance or Coconut Earth's Balance (freeze for 5-10 mins)
-1 cup almond milk w/ 1 Tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
-1/2 cup mix-ins (cranberries, chocolate chips, raisins, fresh fruit, nuts, cinnamon, or anything)

Sift together dry ingredients, aka stir with a whisk.  Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or your hands until it resembles a coarse meal.  Make a well and add milk/lemon mixture.  Stir until combined.  Divide, if making two separate kinds, and add mix-ins.  Flatten into a disc on a floured surface and cut into triangles or make into rounds.  Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 15 minutes or until slightly brown on the bottom.

Mediteranean Kale Salad

I don't know about all of you, but I absolutely love this time of year!  The food, the fashion (boots anyone?), the colors, the smell in the air, and the over all feeling that's hard to describe.  There's an array of color outside my window as we speak and it makes me want to do all those fun fall activities with the kids.  Of course pumpkin picking comes to mind and I've been dying to check out that corn maze up the street.  Anything that is remotely like a Labyrinth has me immediately intrigued.  I'm sure this is do to the millions of times I've watched the Jim Henson movie with that namesake.  It has to be one of my absolute favorites and my daughter loves it too!  Yaaaaay, I've accomplished something as a parent!  Just heard they are contemplating making a second one and I think I may be a little too excited about it.  Anyway, I'll let you know how the corn maze goes next time, unless we get lost that is.  Muhahaha :)

In this post I want to address raising vegan children, since I get asked this quite often.  My kids are mostly vegan, not that it's an effing purity contest or anything.  I'll let them decide for themselves after teaching them what I know in the most gentle manor I can.  If it were solely up to me they would be completely vegan since birth (I wish I was), but their father is not, so that makes it a tad difficult.  Pretty much the only time they do eat meat or dairy is when fed by their grandparents and in social situations.  My 6 year old is, however, beginning to make her own decisions when it comes to both of these.  A few months ago while riding in the car with her uncle she exclaimed, "if you love animals then why do you eat them?"  I was so very proud, but I also think most children would have the same logic.  I do have to say they, without a doubt, eat more healthily than most kids.  No disliking greens in this house because kale salad is a fav for all!  Most children in America eat pizza, chicken nuggets, and macaroni and cheese as staples in their diet with occasional veggies, mostly forced.   I think its important they get used to eating a wide variety of vegetables early on so they continue to like them.  I've always been a fan of feeding my kids the same food I'm eating as early as possible.  Not only do I know exactly what's in their food, but I know they are getting all the right nutrients.

A friend who was switching to a plant based diet recently asked me how to make sure they are given the adequate nutrients required and my own mother questions this quite often as well.  I think the biggest concerns seem to be, calcium, protein, iron, B12, and vitamin D.  These are, for the most part, easily given through plant based foods and are mostly more absorbable too!  Most almond milks have more calcium than dairy to start.  Plus, dark leafy greens, broccoli, beans, nuts, and molasses are chock full of calcium.  Protein, well, I almost feel like skipping this one since it's so easy, but here goes.  Beans beans the magical fruit people!!  Besides that, quinoa, other whole grains, peas, nuts, seeds, leafy greens again, and soy.  Iron, for sure peas and lentils, but also most the protein sources already mentioned.  B12, ok, I'll admit, this is a little tricky, but I haven't had an issue since I use a ton of nutritional yeast in my cooking (who wouldn't want to anyway) and I give the kids foods fortified with B12 as well.   Most lambs, and sloths, and carp, and anchovies, and orangutans, and breakfast cereals, and fruit bats, and large chu.........., sorry Monty Python reference.  No, but really, breakfast cereals are fortified with B12 and so are many soy products.   I do give my kids a multi-vitamin for good measure too, but so do most people, vegan or not.  Vitamin D is easy as well, since fortified orange juice, almond milk, and cereals all contain plenty.  Along with a daily dose of sunlight, (get those kiddies outside peeps!!!) they'll be golden.

Today's recipe is one that is very easy and very versatile.  I originally made it as a kale caesar, but have since changed it up many times.  The recipe I will be writing today has kalamata olives and grape tomatoes and is served over quinoa, but I sometimes put only croutons (for the caesar), or roasted peppers instead of the tomatoes.  I've also added roasted sweet potatoes on occasion because I think they make everything better.

Mediterranean Kale Salad

-1 large or 2 small bunches curly kale
-1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
-1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced or halved
-1 recipe almond parm
- freshly ground pepper

Almond Parm

-1 cup raw almonds 
-2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1/2 tsp salt

Put in food processor and process until very fine.  

Dressing (I kinda eyeball this usually)

-Juice from 1 large lemon
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1/4 cup balsamic
-1 clove garlic
-1 tsp worstershire (Annie's makes a vegan one)
-2 tsp dijon mustard 

Blend or process all ingredients well. You will only use about half to 3/4 of the dressing depending on your preference. 

Chop kale by holding a tight handful at a time to the cutting board and chop, turn and chop again.  Add parm and dressing to finely chopped kale in a large bowl.  Season with freshly ground pepper. Massage kale for a minute or two.  Add halved grape tomatoes and chopped kalamata olives, toss.  Serve over quinoa cooked to package directions.  I cook my quinoa with vegetable broth for a little extra flavor.  

Vegan Moussaka

I suppose I'll start by saying I was a vegetarian for the majority of my life, beginning at the age of 13.  This came about due to my extreme disgust of seeing blood in my food and veins when I bit into chicken.  No thanks!  I became vegan more recently, in 2011.  This was, by far, one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.  I've loved to cook and bake since I can remember, so I also had a lot of fun trying new things.  Since becoming vegan I've learned to veganize many of my old favorite recipes without losing out on anything what so ever.  I would love to share these recipes with all of you guys and gals!  They are meat eater and mostly kid approved as well.  Thankfully, my 2 year old and 6 year old are two of my biggest fans.  I would also like to add some vegan product reviews and over all tips and facts I've learned on here too. Whether you're just dabbling in veg recipes, just starting out on a plant based diet, or have been following one for years, I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do.

Ok, now for a little education kiddos.......

I became vegan for three major reasons.  In no particular order, the environment, the animals, and my health.  I'm sure if you're already vegan then you probably know about the following facts, but if you're not please read on and please please don't hate me for opening your eyes a little, or a lot.

Once learning about the tolls factory farming has on our earth, and that it's one of the biggest causes of global warming, I could not just sit back and not do anything.  I want nothing more than for future generations to enjoy our beautiful planet as much as we do.  It amazes me that more people don't realize this.  Or I guess if they do, their taste buds are more important than what our children's lives will be like if we don't do something asap.  It's really no surprise the big wigs from the factory farming industry do everything in their power (and they have a hell of a lot of it) to make sure they promote their products and hide the truth about not only how they are destroying our planet, but how they are destroying our health.  Everyone is so concerned about recycling and water usage. but they should be eating less, or really, NO meat.  If you really want to save water, it takes 1700 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef and 2000 gallons of water for 1 gallon of milk.  Giving up meat would also solve our world hunger problems (did you know the majority of soy and corn crops are used to feed the animals on your plates).  The movie Cowspiracy talks about this in great detail, so everyone should watch it if they are even a tiny bit concerned about the environment.  It's not on the internet yet, but I'll be sure to post it when it becomes available.

I know first hand people seem to get offended when you tell them you are vegan for the animals and start to get all defensive.  This is only because they need to justify to themselves that it's ok to kill another sentient being for their own pleasures.  For this very reason, I was the type to not say anything unless asked, but I'm certainly working on being more out spoken for those who can't speak.  I urge you, if you haven't already done so, to watch a few documentaries on the subject.  They are very difficult to watch, but it's important to know the price of your actions.  Four of my favorites are, Earthlings, Death on a Factory Farm (HBO), Vegucated, and Peaceable Kingdom.  After watching these I'm not sure how anyone could not go vegan.  "Oh, but what about humanely raised meat and humane slaughter," you say?  Well, even if Betty the cow or Pete the pig lived all of their short lives (animals are normally killed at a very young age) on a beautiful grass filled hillside with farmers who gave them the very best care they could get, they all die in the same manor, and certainly not willfully.  Getting a bolt to the head, which many times leaves the animal still conscious, and then your throat slit (anyone who saw the first episode of this season's Walking Dead will surely resonate with this) doesn't seem all that humane, but maybe that's just me.  "What about eggs and dairy? No one has to die for those," you say?  The male chicks and calves sure do.  Male chicks are put on a conveyor belt and sent straight into a grinder shortly after they hatch.  Male calves are taken away from their crying mothers right after birth to be sold for veal.  It's very sad to me when I hear that someone doesn't eat veal because they think it's cruel, but has no idea they are still supporting these atrocities just by consuming dairy.   Milking cows are also killed at only five years old since they usually dry out by then and are of no use to the farm any longer.  Cows live to be at least 25 years old under normal circumstances.

It also became quite obvious to me that becoming vegan is the best choice for optimum health.  Never has a doctor said,"you need to eat more bacon, eggs, and cheese Sally."  Most people will argue, but meat tastes sooooo good!  I assure you that there is no lacking in taste when eating plant based.  Oh, but what about CHEESE!!?? It's a fact that the the less cheese you eat the less you want it.  This is because casein is very addictive so that the calf it's intended to feed will thrive.  It creates caseinmorphins which have an opiate effect on humans.  Besides that, dairy has a certain amount of puss cells in it (this is allowed by the USDA).  Is your stomach turning yet?  Yes puss people!  Pretty nasty right?  This is from the cows being milked so often that they get mastitis and therefore puss gets in your milk.  Yummy!  We are the only animals on this planet that still drink milk after infancy and not even from our own species.  You think I'm weird for not consuming puss juice, I mean milk.  I think you're weird for drinking the bodily secretions of another mammal after their baby is torn from them at birth.  If you are worried about getting the right nutrients, ie calcium, the over hyped protein, among others, I'll be the first to tell you it's unbelievably easy to get these just by changing the way you eat, no supplements required.  Consider the standard American diet, way too much protein, too much fat, too much salt, not enough fruits and veggies.  No wonder there is such a problem with obesity in this country, not to mention diabetes, heart disease, cancer, among other things.  By switching to a plant based diet you can not only boost your immune system, get clearer skin, lose weight, live longer, have more energy, and have better sex (yeah baby!).  Indeed any one of those is reason enough for me!

Now, for those of you who think it's difficult or expensive to eat vegan, I am here to help.  You can pretty much take any non vegan recipe and make it easily vegan or veganize it!  As for expensive, meat and dairy are more expensive than veggies and for the few things that may be a little more, such as  buying organic and super foods (that you don't really need any way) spending a little more for your health pays off in the end since you won't be paying for medication and medical bills due to clogged arteries etc.

Sorry for my rant and if I offended anyone, although I don't know how it would be offensive.  Now for the fun part :).

My first recipe is Moussaka!  No, not moose caca, like my daughter says, Moussaka.  The traditional Greek dish that usually includes eggplant, zucchini, a custard topping, and ground lamb or beef.  Not sure how anyone can eat something as adorable as a lamb (cries), but I digress.  I tried looking up a vegan version for Moussaka a while back to no avail.  I especially wanted a soy free recipe and any that I did find had tofu in the bechemel.  I do try to avoid soy as much as possible because it tends to mess with my hormones a little.  Now, I know what your thinking, but that's not very seasonal lady.  Ok, ok, next time I'll no doubt be more seasonal, but for now bring on the eggplant and zucchini!  This recipe is a tad involved, but not much more then the original, to tell you the truth, and it is well worth the extra effort.  I promise the next recipe will be easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Vegan Moussaka (soy-free)

Ingredients

For the sauce:
-3 Tbsp olive oil
-1 med onion chopped
-2 cloves garlic crushed
-1 large green pepper chopped
-1 large can crushed tomatoes
-1/2 tsp dried dill
-1/4 tsp cinnamon
-3 Tbsp flat leaf parsley chopped
-salt & pepper to taste

Saute onion and garlic in a medium sauce pan.  Then add green pepper and saute until cooked through. Add tomatoes and spices and simmer for 30 minutes.  

For the layering:
-1 large eggplant peeled and sliced in 1/2 inch circles
-2 medium zucchini sliced in 1/2 inch circles
-1 cup almond feta*
-1/2 cup almond parm*
-3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs (I use Edward & Sons)
-Chopped parsley for top

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Place eggplant rounds on an oiled baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, and cover with foil.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Saute zucchini until golden on both sides.  Remove from pan and place on paper towels to drain any excess oil.  

Custard:
-1/3 cup soy free Earth's balance (or other non dairy butter)
-1/3 cup all purpose flour
-2 cups heated almond milk (or any non dairy milk)
-3 Tbsp chickpea flour mixed with 3 Tbls water
-generous pinch of nutmeg

Heat almond milk in small sauce pan.  In a separate pan melt butter over medium heat.  Whisk in flour and continue to stir for 3 minutes.  Gradually pour in the hot milk whilst still whisking.  Remove and cool 10 minutes.  Whisk in chickpea mixture and nutmeg.

Assembly:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In an oiled baking dish, put half the sauce on the bottom.  Layer eggplant, crumble half the feta, and half the breadcrumbs.  Add the remaining sauce, zucchini, feta, and breadcrumbs.  Top with custard and distribute as evenly as you can.  Sprinkle with almond parm and chopped parsley.  Bake for 45 minutes or until golden and bubbly.  Let stand at least 15 minutes before eating.  It's best slightly warm or close to room temp.

*Almond Parm
-1 cup raw almonds
-2 Tbls nutritional yeast
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1/2 tsp salt

In a food processor add all ingredients.  Process until finely ground.  Use on soups, pasta, salads, whatever.

*Almond Feta
-1 1/2 cups blanched almonds finely ground (I've used regular almonds in a pinch and still works fine            although the color is darker)
-1/4 cup lemon juice
-1/2 cup water
-3 Tbls olive oil
-2 cloves garlic
-1 1/4 teas salt

Process until smooth.  Line a bowl with 3 layers of cheesecloth.  Pour in the mixture and tie ends together.  Place over a bowl and let sit in the refrigerator over night.  

Preheat oven to 350. Transfer to a greased baking dish after removing the cheesecloth.  Bake 40 minutes or until slightly golden and cracked on top and firm to the touch.  Let cool.  Substitute anywhere you would use feta.

This recipe is adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook with additions from The Simple Veganista for the parm and Maple&Spice for the feta.