Vegan, Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted by Michele at 3:26 PM 0 comments

Originally posted here on August 29, 2012 as "Vegan, Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies"

The kids and I really enjoy cooking together. Maya is my chef. She loves to do meals. Bobby is my baker. He gets excited when the oven flips on (but would rather eat what comes off the stove than make it!). Cooking is a great way to toss a bit of math into our day; since I dont normally measure things unless I'm doing GF or V cooking, these cookies are the best of both worlds (and they taste AMAZING!) So, in the vein of vegan banana bread and Peter's GF chocolate chip cookies, here are the most recent happy addition to Bobby and Maya's baking repertoire!

Bobby & Maya's Vegan, Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies



Cream together: 1/2 cup vegan butter (or 1/3 cup canola oil), 1/4 cup coconut oil, and 1/4 cup applesauce with 3/4 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup sugar.

Add 1 banana and 1 tsp vanilla and mix until smooth.

In another bowl, mix together 1/3 cup almond flour, 1/3 cup coconut flour, and 1 2/3 cup white rice flour with 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt.

Add flour mixture to your wet ingredients and mix until well combined.

Add a 12oz bag of vegan chocolate chips and continue to mix until well combined.

Drop by tbsp on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and flatten with a fork; cool for 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack or wax paper to cool for 5-10 minutes.



These are moist and just perfect! Enjoy with a cup of milk (dairy free, if you prefer!) or just shove them in your mouth before the little Bobby and Maya monsters get your house!!!

Chocolate Raspberry Decadence Cake

Posted by Michele at 3:25 PM 0 comments

Originally posted here on July 17, 2012 as "The Way...Part II"

Per Amelia's request!

I'll give you two versions of the cake. The 100% homemade and the cheat. :)

The cheat:
A box of Duncan Hines Triple Chocolate Cake. Mix both packets with:
2 eggs plus 1 egg white
1/3c apple sauce
1/4c oil
1/4c Greek yogurt
1c water
1/3c chocolate milk
Bake in pans according to directions (350 for 25-30 minutes)

The homemade... (It's my basic butter cake with the chocolate addition.)
Basic Butter Cake:
Mix & Set Aside: 2c A.P. flour, 1tbsp baking powder, 1tsp salt
Cream: 1/2c softened butter, 4oz. applesauce (a snack size cup)
Slowly beat in: 2/3c white sugar, 1/2c brown sugar
Add in, one at a time, and mix well: 6oz plain Greek yogurt, 1tbsp vanilla, 2 eggs + 1 egg white, 1/6c
almond milk (or chocolate milk for the chocolate cake version)
Add in the flour mixture slowly then beat on medium-high for 2 minutes
Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes (however your oven works) until done. Makes two 9” rounds.
Chocolate Cake: Melt 7oz dark chocolate with 2 tbsp (of the 8 you will use for the recipe) butter. Add to the creamed butter (before the sugar) and then follow the above recipe.

For the frosting (it's a take on my basic buttercream)
Basic Buttercream:
Beat 1c of softened butter until creamy. Add 1tsp vanilla and 1/6c almond milk (or regular milk). Slowly cream with 3c powdered sugar.
Chocolate: Melt 3.5oz chocolate with 1tbsp butter. Cream rest of the 1 cup of butter with tsp vanilla. Add the melted chocolate, then cream with 3c powdered sugar.
For the Decadent cake, double the chocolate/butter melting (7oz choc and 2tbsp butter).

Cool the cakes completely.

Ice the top of one layer then slather on raspberry preserves (I prefer French style or to make my own). Top with the second cake. Frost the sides and top. Put remaining frosting in a ziplock and cut off a tip. Pipe frosting around the edge,building a ledge around the cake. Within the ledge, lather on 1/4-1/2 cup of raspberry preserves. Chill.

Bring to room temp before serving and toss fresh raspberries on when you serve.

Keep chilled.

(And, like I said, I dont even want to GUESS at the calories!)

Lamb Biryani

Posted by Michele at 3:23 PM 0 comments

Originally posted here on July 17, 2012 as "They Way..."

 

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
-Fanny Fern


Way back when, this was a piece of advice that a woman gave her daughter-in-law... What Peter's mom must have known when she said those words was that I not only love to cook but am happy to spend my days continuing to work myself into her son's heart. :) On today's dinner menu? Dark Chocolate Raspberry Decadence Cake (I'm not even going to guestimate the calories in a sliver of that bad boy... It's petty deadly. It's also Peter's favorite dessert, well, one of them!) To go with dinner is a dish he's mentioned he'd love for me to make: biryani. Lamb biryani to be exact. Using lamb from a local farm, I've modified everyone's favorite, potty mouthed chef, Gordon Ramsay's chicken biryani recipe (which is found in his cookbook Great Escape), and thought I'd share it... You know, just in case you have a heart (that loves Indian food) that you're trying to weasel into! ;) I'll be serving ours with samosas and garlic naan tonight...


Lamb Biryani

Mix the following together and marinate for several hours:
1lb lamb, diced into 1 inch pieces
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1tsp chili powder
1tsp tumeric
1tsp garam masala
1.5tsp minced ginger
1tbsp minced garlic

Heat 1tbsp olive oil and 1tbsp butter over medium heat, and toss in 2 medium onions, chopped, cooking for 8-10 minutes or until soft and caramelized. Add 1tbsp butter, 1 cinnamon stick, 6 whole cloves, and 3 cardamom pods, sauteeing for 30 seconds and until aromatic. Add 1.5tsp minced ginger and 1tbsp minced garlic, and cook for another minute. Add the lamb mixture (with the marinade) and cook for 10-12 more minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat while you prepare the rice.

For the rice, heat 2tbsp butter, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 star anise pod, and 4 cardamom pods in a large pan. Cook for 30 seconds, until the spices become aromatic. Add 300g basmati rice, rinsed and drained (approx 1.5 cups) and 85g raisins, stirring the rice and raisins in the butter for one minute. Add 375ml water (about 1.5 cups or 375 grams) and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then gently simmer and cover, cooking for 10 minutes. Add the lamb and sauce, then recover and simmer for 5 more minutes. Leaving the lid in place, remove from heat and stand for 5 minutes. Prior to serving, thoroughly mix the rice and chicken, and garnsh with coriander leaves (optional).

(4 servings: 550 calories each)

Greek Pasta Salad

Posted by Michele at 3:22 PM 0 comments

Originally posted here on April 17, 2012 as "When It All Works"

I had a taste and man... I didnt know how I'd get there, but this is what I had and what I made... And it was good!

1/2 box macaroni, cooked then washed in cold water
1 can italian herb diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup mixed greek olives, pitted and sliced
2 slices of fresh pineapple, cubed (after peeling of course!)
1/3 avocado, diced
1/4 large red onion, diced
1/3 bag (a little under 1 lb?) frozen, precooked shrimp, tails off and thawed
a handful of feta, crumbled

Mixed all together in a bowl and then mixed well with a mustard vine that I made. (measurements are all really off... I eyeballed it)

2tbsp mustard
1/8 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/8 cup white wine
1tsp minced garlic
handful dried italian herbs (or you could even use maybe 1/4-1/3 packet of the italian dressing mix)

Chill and eat. Or, do like I'm doing, and eat it right from the bowl...

Vegan Banana Bread

Posted by Michele at 3:20 PM 0 comments

Originally posted here on March 11, 2012 as "Vegan Banana Bread"

I made this for the first time on Friday. During Lent, as I'd mentioned before, we are eating a vegan diet (instead of the simple "abstinence from meat" which we tend to practice regularly anyway). Part of that, in my book, is also a "no dessert" rule- even vegan ones! Peter was a bit bummed and in search of a sweet treat, so I popped out a loaf of this modification I made from the Veganomican's recipe (pg. 228). Here's mine! Enjoy (on a Friday of Lent or any other day of the week- like today)!

Vegan Banana Bread

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a loaf pan.

In a mixing bowl, toss together:
3 large bananas, mushed (the kids love this part!)
1/4 cup applesauce (made some today with local Kiku apples-DELICIOUS!)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp molasses

Blend together on medium-low until well combined.

Stop and add:
1 1/4 cup A.P. flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Blend together on low until just combined. Use a spoon/spatula if more is needed, to avoid creating too much gluten, but I find just blending for 30-45 seconds does the trick!

Spoon (or use your hand to get) out into your greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or so until done.

St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes

Posted by Michele at 3:19 PM 0 comments

Originally posted here on March 10, 2012 as "St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes"

These are actually called something else, which gives a negative connontation with car bombs. Due to the offense of that name, abbreviated ICB, I've updated this post to reflect a new title.While I dont personally like either the drink or the name of it, I couldn't resist taking a go at making these, after Sarah forwarded me a link to the recipe. So, I've made some chances and, the verdicts from neighbors, my MIL, Peter, and the kiddos is in... These are a new keeper. A big thanks to our neighbors, C and D, who gave us the Guinness substitute we used! Normally, I'm not an Irish gal who'd substitute her Guinness for anything, but in these delicious cupcakes, the chocolate stoudt is to die for! Dont even bother looking at the calories... I didnt because, really, I dont want to know.

The ganache makes extra (enough to layer a 9" cake) and the icing makes enough extra to ice said cake. On top of the 24 cupcakes.

For the cupcakes:
1 cup Brooklyn Brewing Co. Black Chocolate Stoudt
1 cup salted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 dark unsweetened cocoa
1 1/3 cup A.P. flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup Greek yogurt

For the ganache:
7.5oz 56% Icelandic chocolate (Sirus, bittersweet)
2/3 cup half and half
2 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
1tbsp Red Breast 12 year Irish whiskey (Middleton's is my fave but my stepdad would have a FIT if he even thought that I cooked with that! Don't worry, Dad!!!)

For the frosting:
2 cups salted butter, room temp
5 cups powdered sugar
6 tbsp (1/4 plus 1/8 cup) Bailey's Irish cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring the stoudt and butter to a simmer over medium heat. Add the cocoa and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk the flours, sugars, baking soda, and salt together and set aside. Beat the eggs and yogurt on medium to combine; add in the chocolate mixture. Reduce to low and add the dry ingredients a tbsp at a time until incorporated. Divide the batter into the cupcakes. Bake for 17min or until done. Cool completely.

2. Finely chop the chocolate for the ganache and place it in a heatproof bowl. Heat the half and half until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. After 1min, begin to whisk. Add the butter and whiskey. Place in the fridge for an hour, until it becomes thick and cooled. Place on the counter for another hour. You'll be piping this into the cupcakes.

3. Using the whisk attachment, whisk the butter for the frosting until fluffy. A half cup at a time, beat in the sugar. Finally, beat in the Irish cream and continue until fully incorporated.

4. Piping in the ganache: use a cupcake filler and cut out the center of the cupcake, filling it with the ganache and then placing the cake back over the hole.

5. Frost the cupcake. I like to fill a ziplock with the frosting, cut off the tip, and pipe it around the top. Sprinkle some green sugar on top to complete the perfect St. Patrick's Day look!

6. EAT. EAT. EAT. And try to remember to share. :)

Vegan Chocolate Mousse

Posted by Michele at 3:18 PM 0 comments

Originally posted here on February 26, 2012 as "Another Vegan Treat"

I love mousse... Wait, let me say that I LOVE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE (that's better), so that was going to be a sad good-bye. Or not... This one is all the deliciousness (and none of the post-delicious-eating-throwing-up). Thanks to Whole Foods for the recipe (which I only modified slightly). I'd had the WF mousse made with tofu and wasnt all that impressed, but this one? OUT OF THIS WORLD. I made it tonight. YUM!


Vegan Chocolate Mousse

3/4 cup raw cashews
20 pitted dates
15oz pureed butternut squash
3/4 - 1 cup chocolate coconut milk
1/4c unsweetened dark chocolate powder
1tsp vanilla extract

Soak the cashews and dates in hot water for 2 hours (with my run and needing to go to the market, mine soaked for almost 4 hours and this worked GREAT). Drain well. In a food processor (or high powdered blender), process the cashews, dates, butternut squash, and 3/4 cup of the coconut milk until smooth. Add the cocoa and the vanilla (and up to 1/4 cup of additional chocolate coconut milk if you need it), and process until the mixture becomes the proper chocolate mousse consistency.

8 servings/300 calories each