Vegan Chocolate Chipper Cookies

I LOVE chocolate chip cookies...I always have, but I don't eat pre-made, processed, conventional ones anymore because of some food allergies and personal ingredient choices. 

After experimenting with many cookie recipes over the last 8-9 years, I feel that this is the best at-home, veganized one so far.

I think that these really tatse like warm, yummy chocolate chip cookies and not like a bad, sad reproduction!

Let me know what you think...

Vegan Chocolate Chipper Cookies

½ cup vegan butter substitute, like Earth Balance

¾ cup organic sugar of choice

2-3 teaspoons of vanilla extract

3 (or more) tablespoons of water

2 cups whole grain flour

½ cup finely ground walnuts

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ to ½ cup vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to ◦350

In a large bowl, blend the butter substitute, sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of water until well mixed.

Stir in the flour, ground walnuts, baking powder and salt. Keep stirring until it forms together like dough. If it is too dry and crumbly add more water one tablespoon at a time, just until a small piece of the dough will hold together when formed into a little ball.

Form small dough balls and press onto an ungreased cookie sheet. When pressed, cookies should be about ¼” thick.

Bake for about 15 minutes and check. They should hold together but be sure the bottoms are not burning. My batch took a bit longer and I checked them about every 2 minutes.

Let them cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Chi Chi Chickenless Salad

I LOVE this recipe! It is super simple and surprisingly hearty. I saw the idea for this in a book put out by PETA. The book was geared towards college aged vegans with little time and few resources.
I tweaked it a bit to suit my tastes and added a special ingredient that I use to add to real chicken salad…way back when I ate that.

This recipe is VERY loose…no real measurements. I make it to ‘feel”.

Chi Chi Chickenless Salad

1 can of Garbanzo Beans (AKA: Chi Chi beans, Chick Peas, etc…) rinsed and drained
1 or 2 small handfuls of celery, finely chopped
1 – 2 small red apples, finely chopped
Lemon Juice
Veganaise to taste/texture preference
Sea salt and pepper to taste

With a fork, slightly mash the Garbanzo beans in a medium sized bowl. Add the Veganaise, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency. Sprinkle some lemon juice and then toss in celery and apples. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

That’s it! So easy.

I like to just eat it with a fork but you could stuff a pita with it too…

Enjoy!

Food Art - Dessert Flower

A dear friend of mine was lucky enough to have this thoughtful dessert display created especially for her...while she was on holiday in Greece, no less!

Just shows you how simple ingredients can be arranged in a supremely unique way.

Honor yourself with pretty things.

Egg Free, Wheat Free and Soy Free French Toast Recipe

There isn't only one way to do things...

that is a statement that is so easy for me to forget.

My son and I have known about our various food allergies for over a year now and this entire time, I just assumed that french toast was off of our "safe" food list.

After all, how on earth do you make french toast without eggs? That is one of the main ingredients.

I briefly entertained the idea of using our egg replacer but it didn't feel right...not natural.

Last night I decided to try and find some recipes for my family that would give us more options as we move towards healthier choices.

Anyway, I found a recipe for vegan french toast but it had flour and soy...we cant eat wheat and I have a sensitivity to soy. Since discovering these allergies I have become much more adventurous with cooking and preparing food, so this morning I made an altered version of the french toast.

OMG!

It was amazing! It even looked like conventional french toast...

don't you think?

Being a visual person, that is very important to me.

Try my altered recipe below and let me know what you think.

I would love to hear your additions and substitutions as well.

Enjoy!

 Freedom French Toast

1/2 - 1 cup of plain rice milk

5 Tablespoons non-wheat flour

3 Teaspoons of organic sugar or agave syrup

1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Wheat and egg free bread slices (We use Ener-G Foods brand)

Mix 1/2 cup of rice milk, flour, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar in a shallow bowl.

Add more rice milk as needed to create a loose batter.

Dip your bread slices in the mixture coating both sides.

I use Earth Balance to grease the grill.

Fry until crispy and golden brown.

(As these cook, the aroma is heavenly)

We ate them with pure maple syrup but you could get creative...

drizzle agave syrup or top with fresh berries

Semi Raw Vegan Homemade Brownies

Treats we make to share with friends...

no wheat, no eggs, no dairy, no peanuts.

They always get a big "thumbs up"!

I think this is a great recipe to start out with...

tastes amazing and begins introducing you to the wonderful world of "raw foods".

I can't remember which books

some of this came out of..

so I apologize that I can't give an accurate reference.

Vegan Black and White Brownies:

* 2 cups pecans (or any nuts you like)

* 2 cups dates pitted and soaked in water for 5-10 min.

* 2/3 cup raw cacao powder (available at Whole Foods or health foods stores)

* 2 tsp vanilla extract

* pinch of sea salt

Blend dates in a food processor or high speed blender till a paste.

Separately grind nuts in a blender or chopper. Mix all ingredients in a bowl with your hands and press in a glass pan. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to set up.

When set, cut into squares, remove from pan and place on a platter, top with the frosting below and drizzle with the chocolate syrup below.

The chocolate syrup turns into a shell when refrigerated! yum

Frosting:

“Pamela’s Products” Vanilla Frosting Mix (available at natural food stores or Whole Foods)

I use Earth Balance in place of the butter to eliminate the dairy.

Just follow the package directions.

Chocolate Sauce:

½ cup Raw Cacao Powder (available at Whole Foods or health foods stores)

¼ cup Coconut Oil

¼ cup Agave syrup

mix by hand in a small bowl till smooth

* great on any dessert!

* Note: I did non create these individual recipes

but I did combine them to make these yummy treats.

Pre-made, Allergen-Free, Vegan Cupcakes - Izzi B

These were a real find!

Totally decadent and pretty to look at.

We found them at a small natural foods store in New Canaan, Connecticut but I think they can be ordered online or by phone.

We shared them with non-allergic friends and they didn't know they were so allergen free!

Izzi B's promotional material states:

No wheat

No soy

No eggs

No gluten

No dairy

No nuts

No casein

No refined sugars

No honey

No seeds

No apples

No trans-fats

No preservatives

Celiac-friendly

Vegan

All Natural...

-whew!

One would assume that that would translate into

No taste...but no!

They were super yummy.

Let me know what you think...

Click here to visit Izzi B's Website