Cook Book Challenge Week #6

Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Dairy-Free Recipes for Everyone's Favorite Treats
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Cherry Almond Cookies
Peanut Butter Blondies
Bonus: Brooklyn Brownie Cupcakes

This week was supposed to be "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World," which I planned to follow.  BUT I went to the library on Saturday to check out the book, only to find they were closed on Friday and Saturday in observance of Lincoln's birthday (c'mon, my cupcakes are important, too!).  My next plan was to purchase the book from Barnes & Noble, only to find that they were out of the book.  So, my consolation (which really is equally as exciting) was "Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar."  Since Monday was Valentine's Day and I didn't want to eat three dozen cookies in one week, Chad and I spent Saturday night slaving away in the kitchen baking cookies to share at school.  

We started out with the Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookies.  The recipe was pretty straight forward and easy to follow.  I used a generous scoop of my cookie scoop for each cookie and rolled them in chopped peanuts.  There's a lot oats (2 cups!) in the cookies, so they feel a little healthy.  They turned out perfectly, crispy on the edges and still chewy on the inside.

The next batch we made was the Cherry Almond cookies.  I realized as we were gathering the ingredients that we were out of almonds, so we had to skip that.  To make up for it, used almond milk, replaced some of the flour with almond meal and used almond oil instead of canola.  They would have been really good with the extra crunch of almond slivers, so I'll probably make these again.  Plus, cherries are my favorite!  I thought about making a cherry flavored drizzle, but lost ambition!  These turned out surprisingly crispy and crunchy and were really good dunked in almond milk and would also be good with coffee.

I made the Peanut Butter Blondies on Monday for our Valentine's Day dessert.  Chad loves peanut butter, so these were an easy choice.  I love chocolate, so I doctored the recipe a little.   I chopped up some chocolate and mixed it into the batter before baking.  I also bought some peanut flour a while ago at Trader Joe's and have been looking for a reason to use some, so I subbed 1/4 cup of the flour for peanut flour.  Otherwise, I followed the recipe pretty closely again.  In the end, it was the perfect dessert for both of us!  To serve it, I melted some extra chocolate mixed with almond milk to make a chocolaty drizzle topping.  These were SO rich, but really good.  They were really moist, obviously peanut buttery and just a little crumbly.  I even had dreams that I couldn't stop eating them!

Finally, since I planned to make cupcakes, I still wanted to make at least one recipe.  I found the recipe for Brooklyn Brownie cupcakes on Amazon and since I hadn't made any chocolate cookies, I thought this would be a good selection.  This, again, was a pretty simple recipe.  The only thing I changed was using my mom's homemade strawberry jam in place of the cherry preserves.  We also baked these in a mini-muffin tin, so there would be more to share!  I made butter cream frosting from Betty Crocker (subbing EB for the butter and almond milk for the milk) and added about a tablespoon of strawberry jam for some color and flavor.  I was pretty happy with how they turned out, and they were the perfect little snack size.  Yes, we sampled a few before sharing!

That's a whole week in one post!  I have to say, the recipes in this book are really easy to follow.  I remember when I was first considering going vegan, this was one of the cookbooks that I flipped through (dessert's important, right?!).  I don't know what I was expecting, but I was surprised by how simple and basic the ingredients were.  All of the recipes I made this week used flax in place of the eggs and oil in place of butter.  Even if you're not vegan, the recipes are fun, easy and most important, tasty!

Week 3 Training Update

This week was not nearly as productive as last week.  It turned out to be a busy week between school and dance practice.  I made it to the gym a few nights and did some Pilates at home.  Today was the best, because it was nice enough to run outside AND Chad ran with me!  I think it's probably been a few years since Chad ran more than two minutes with me (I'm usually too slow and he either runs way ahead or runs circles around me).  We ran three miles between 8:30-9:00 pace, which is awesome for me!

This week's mileage: 5.5

I'm going to be really busy again next week, but I need to re-focus and add on some extra miles.

Spring?!

Could this very plump robin sitting on our fence mean that spring will soon be here?!

Cold Season

Schatzi hit the jackpot last night when she found a box of Kleenex within her reach.  We've had to start keeping the bathroom door shut, because she can reach the garbage in there... so I can only imagine her surprise and delight when she found this box!

Cook Book Challenge Week #5

Eat, Drink & Be Vegan
Last Night's Menu: Lemon Chickpea Lentil Soup

Last night's dinner was really quick and surprisingly filling.  All I had to do was chop the veggies, add seasoning, measure a few things and let the soup simmer.  Once the soup is ready, you blend it (I left mine a little chunkier) and add extra chickpeas.  It reminded me of pea soup, but with more flavor and a little lemon.  I thought it was interesting that you blended the cooked lentil, but the resulting texture was great.  I ate leftovers for lunch today, and since it was thicker today, served it over brown jasmine rice.  It was just as tasty today!

Thought's on "Eat, Drink & Be Vegan"?  Originally, I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I was pleasantly surprised by a few things-- lots of veggies, quick recipes and simple ingredients.  I LOVED the Thai Chick-Un Pizza.  The other two recipes were good, relatively quick meals that I'll keep in mind for the future.  I'm sure there are other things in the book that I would really like, so I'll add this to my wish list!

Cook Book Challenge Week #5

Eat, Drink & Be Vegan
Tonight's Menu: Bean and Corn Tortilla Lasagna with Avocado

I don't have a whole lot to say about the lasagna, because it was pretty straight forward.  I followed the recipe nearly word-for-word.  The only thing I changed was baking it in a round CorningWare dish.  The tortillas that I used fit perfectly, so I decided to use it instead of piecing them together in a rectangular pan.  Since it was smaller, I layered everything twice.  There wasn't much to chop or prep, so it was pretty quick to toss it together.  The lasagna was nice and spicy and I was surprised that I could really taste the lime juice in between the layers.  Chad really liked it and had only good things to say.  If I make this again, I would probably add either chopped tomatoes, green chilies or chopped green peppers to the sauce layer.  It was good as is, but it was just missing the "wow" factor.  On the other hand, it was really quick to prepare.. so I guess that's a trade off.

Like I said, not much to say... I'll add a picture soon!

Cook Book Challenge Week #5

Eat, Drink & Be Vegan: Everyday Vegan Recipes Worth Celebrating

Last Night's Menu: Thai Chick-Un Pizza

Week five already?  I though this challenge would be a lot of work, but it's turning out to be pretty fun.  The only thing that's been a little difficult is that I don't own all of the cookbooks, but with the help of my friendly, local library... problem solved!  This week is another book that I hadn't really looked at before.  There are a ton of things I'd like to try, so it's looking like a promising week.

no cheese to miss her

To start the week, we made Thai Chick-Un Pizza.  Chad was pretty excited about this and I was also looking forward to trying it, because we both liked the Brooklyn Pad Thai last week.  It took me quite a while to (at least an hour) prep the ingredients, because there's a lot of rinsing, chopping and blending to do.  The peanut sauce has all kinds of goodies mixed in and the pizza is loaded with toppings.  I followed this recipe pretty exactly and it turned out great.  The peanut sauce was really rich and flavorful.  I loved the sweetness from the pineapple, and I'm also realizing I love the crunch and taste of bean sprouts.  Finally, the cilantro and green onions added another layer of flavor.  This was definitely the pizza we were both hoping for!  It was so filling, that there are leftovers (which Chad claimed again) for lunch.

Also, I thought I'd include the recipe for the pizza crust.  It's something my mom came up with years ago.  She mixed and matched a bunch of recipes until she came up with this.  It's really quick and if you're making a simple pizza, you can usually have in on the table in thirty minutes. 

Stir and Roll Pizza 

2 c flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour yesterday)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2/3 c non-dairy milk (I used rice)

1/4 c oil 

1.  Heat oven to 425.  Measure all ingredients and stir until well-combined.

2.  Gather dough together and press into a ball.  Knead 10 times on counter.

3.  Spread some flour on the counter and roll crust into desired shape.  (Fits large pizza pan or cookie sheet)

4.  Bake 5 minutes.

5.  Top with desire toppings.

6.  Bake additional 10-15 minutes.

Smoothies for Dessert

I opened a box of coconut milk to use for tonight's dinner and came up with this for the remaining milk.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie

1 c coconut milk

1 c almond milk

1 c frozen strawberries

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tbsp agave

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
Pour and serve!

Serves 2

Week 2 Training Update

Another week closer to the Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon!  My training is actually going much better than I expected, considering it had been a while since I've spent any time running.  I've been training around a pace of 10:00-10:30, and have been able to add an extra one half to one mile at 9:00-9:30 pace.  Next week, I just need to work a little harder on the cross-training days, since I've been skipping those so far.  I'm also looking forward to some nicer weather (who knows when that will be!), so I can get off the treadmill and run outside.  

This week's mileage: 9

So far, so good.  Let's hope this keeps up!

Cupcakes, Anyone?

Since most of my coworkers are Chicago Bears fans, I thought it would be funny to make delicious cupcakes and decorate them green and gold.  I added a few drops of yellow to the cupcake batter, which didn't really make a difference.. so I also used yellow cupcake liners.  I colored the frosting green and added green sugar sprinkles.  I followed this recipe from PPK, and they're sooo good!  I baked the cupcakes Wednesday afternoon, thinking we would surely have school on Thursday.  Anyway... school was canceled again on Thursday and when I left home this morning, there were four cupcakes left.  Guess the only thing I have left to share is the picture :)

Cook Book Challenge Week #4

Vegan with a Vengeance
Wednesday's Breakfast: Tofu Scramble and Tempeh Bacon
Thursday's Dinner: Falafel and Tahini Dressing

On Wednesday, we couldn't leave the house due to all of the snow!  We managed to shovel out the driveway and patio, but beyond that.. things weren't looking too promising.  We even had to help a neighbor who was stuck on our street.  Since Chad spent most of his morning shoveling the driveway, I made a delicious, hot breakfast.

sunshiny yellow

We used the Tofu Scramble recipe and added tomatoes and spinach.  I think I added a little too much turmeric, because the tofu was a super bright, sunny yellow!  Chad was excited to use some extra nutritional yeast, too.  I also decided to try making Tempeh Bacon.  We buy Fakin' Bacon once in a while, but it's so much more expensive than plain tempeh.  I was missing a bunch of ingredients (and since I couldn't just make a quick trip to the grocery store) I had to make a few substitutions.  I was surprised with the homemade version, and it will definitely save us some money!  If you're curious about tempeh bacon, it doesn't really taste like or replace bacon, but it's really good on sandwiches (like BLT) or as a side (for breakfast), plus it's packed with protein and is extra healthy because it's a fermented food. 

We also planned to make Falafel on Wednesday.  We had everything we needed (chickpeas, pita, etc.), but didn't have any of the fresh produce (cucumber, tomatoes, parsley) to accompany it.  AND since our street still wasn't plowed by dinner time, we waited until Thursday.  I was looking forward to making the falafel, because Chad and I both really like it.  The only time I actually made it, I cheating by using a mix and wrote about it here.  We've had it several times, including from Doener stands in Germany, at  Reza's in Chicago and from the buffet at Holy Land Diner.  I read some suggestions from others over at PPK, so I decided beforehand that I would bake, instead of fry the falafel.  I followed the recipe almost word for word, only omitting the onions.  I thought it looked pretty dry and crumbly, so I was unsure how it would stick together.  After some time in the refrigerator, it was surprisingly easy to mold.   Also, while that was "chilling," I whipped up the Tahini Dressing, which was not only easy and tasty, but was also a good way to use up some more of the parsley.  

pitas, loaded and ready to go

We baked the falafel using a little leftover garlic oil from the dressing for 20 minutes at 375.  Then, to make them a little crispier, I pan fried each for about two minutes on each side.  We stuffed them into the pitas with red onion (on mine), cucumbers, tomatoes, romaine, baby greens and a generous slather of the dressing.  They were scrumptious... even better than I expected after baking them.  They didn't have quite the crunch they normally have from frying, but they definitely had a great taste from the parsley and seasonings.  They really weren't as much work as I thought, and besides refrigeration, were fairly quick to make.  I can add this to the "make again soon" list at our house!

Thoughts after week four of the challenge?  I think that "Vegan with a Vengeance" is still my favorite vegan cookbook.  There is such a variety of recipes, and they're all pretty quick and simple... even, as I learned this week, ones that I thought would were daunting or difficult.  We have a Post-in stuck inside the front cover scribbled full of things we still want to make, so this cookbook will be well-loved well into the future!

Snow Day... Part IV

Snow Day... Part III

Cook Book Challenge Week #4

Vegan with a Vengeance
Today's Breakfast: Coconut Pancakes with Pineapple Sauce
Today's Dinner: Brooklyn Pad Thai Noodles

No school today called for a "real" breakfast and special dinner.  I'll admit I was a little unsure about the Brooklyn Pad Thai Noodles for a few reasons-- I haven't used some of the ingredients in the recipe, I've never actually "prepared" tofu, the ingredient list and preparation were a little lengthy and I wasn't sure that I'd like the end product.  I have to say... I was wasting my time worrying!

not your everyday pancake, here!

I'll start with breakfast first.  Like I've said before, I LOVE pancakes.  They're a quick and delicious breakfast, but they feel a little special.  The recipe was simple and I followed it pretty much as written, only subbing agave for maple syrup because I was out, and whole wheat pastry flour for the all purpose flour.  I read in the "perfect pancake" section that it helps to let the batter rest for a while, so I started the sauce, which was easy work, before finishing the pancakes.  I greased the griddle with coconut oil (the smell still amazes me) and made giant pancakes.  They came out a perfect, golden brown.  We topped them with the pineapple sauce and a few extra coconut flakes.  These pancakes were AMAZING!  The coconut in the batter gave them a little crunch, the nutmeg was just right and the warm pineapple sauce was just sweet enough.  Even Chad, who thinks we eat pancakes too often, was really impressed.  This is definitely something we'll have again and a simple, tasty recipe to share!

you should make some, too!

As I alluded to earlier, I was nervous about tonight's recipe... BUT now I can't wait to make it again!  It was one of those meals that you're almost sad to eat the last bite because it's so delicious.  It tasted and looked like something you would order at a restaurant (which according to the recipe blurb, is common in NY).  The tofu was a little chewy, a little crunchy and it really absorbed flavor from the peanut oil and sauce.  The scallions and cilantro gave the dish a ton of fresh flavor and the bean sprouts added some more crunch and texture.  Chad and I couldn't stop raving about every forkful as we gobbled up the noodles.  Preparation was easier and quicker than I expected, and the final product was more amazing that I could have hoped!  This is definitely something I'm looking forward to making again... soon!

School has already been canceled for tomorrow, so we have another extra day to play!  And eat!

Snow Day... Part II

Sleep in.. check.

Good, long workout.. check.

Wear PJs all day.. check.

Tasty breakfast.. check.

Nap.. check.

Catch up on DVR.. check.

Be productive.. maybe tomorrow?