Chocolate Almond Cookies

I was craving chocolate. You know those kind of cravings ladies. I don't know if it's all in my head, but I needed chocolate. Thankfully, I had a bag of dark chocolate chips stashed away. When I pulled them out, I remembered that these were the ones that spent a hot afternoon in the trunk of my car and melted into a massive block. No problem, I simply grated up the chocolate and mixed it in. Making these again, I get chocolate bars to grate...unless I have another meltdown in my trunk.

1/4 cup water

1 Tbsp ground flax seeds

Mix ground flax and water. Set aside for about 10-15 minutes until it thickens.

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup almond flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

1/8 cup agave

Add agave and water/flax mixture. Stir to combine.

Handful of sunflower seeds, shredded unsweetened coconut, etc.

Fold in mix-ins. I used what was in my cabinet - a handful of sunflower seeds and a couple of Tablespoons of shredded, unsweetened coconut. Nuts would also be good.

These are vegan and could easily be gluten-free by subbing gluten-free flour. 

Vegan chocolate cake

I made this cake for my birthday. It is rich, fudgey, and super sweet. The ice cream on top was great and made it seem like a brownie sundae. I want to make this again with a tsp or two of instant espresso in the batter. 

Cake:

1 1/4 cups of flour

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup warm water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar

Glaze:

1/2 cup sugar

4 Tbsp vegan butter or margarine

2 Tbsp almond or soy milk

2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbsp vanilla

Mix all the dry ingredients for the cake together. Make sure to mix well and get rid of any clumps of cocoa. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients, except the vanilla. Gradually add the wet to the dry, stirring well. Add the vanilla and stir to combine well. The batter will be very thin. Put in a greased 8X8 pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until the sides start to pull away and the middle springs back from touch. Cool completely.

When ready for the glaze, put all ingredients except vanilla into a boiler over medium-low heat. Melt and bring to a simmer. Simmer for two minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Pour onto the cake and watch it soak. Let cool, cut, and enjoy. 

Okra Stew

Summer in the South means a lot of things: long days of humidity fading into beautiful sunsets, munching mosquitoes, cold drinks. It also means okra. Lots and lots of okra that love the sun and grow tall under its intense, summer gaze.

I love okra. Growing up, the only way I ever tasted it was fried. My Granny fries the best okra. She puts it in a cornmeal mix and pops it in the hot oil waiting on the stove. But in the past few years, I've discovered that I love okra in several form. I can't get enough of it raw. Just washed and eaten whole, dipped in hummus, or chopped in salads. It's also great pan roasted. Next summer, I want to try grilled.

Cooking the okra whole contains the slime. Frying also does this, as it helps the meal to stick and thus makes the perfect fried vegetable. But to be healthier, and still stay away from slime, cooking it whole works.

For this dish, simply put the okra in a frying pan over medium heat. Cover the bottom with water to prevent sticking. Cover with a lid and cook for about five minutes or until the okra is soft but still holds it's shape. Then add a tomato, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and cook it another minute, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add about one tablespoon of Bragg's or soy sauce to taste.  

I served this over brown rice. This would be a great side dish with a bean entree.

Neiman Marcus Cookies vegan gluten-free

This is a vegan, gluten-free recipe based on a version of Neiman Marcus cookies.

The legend is that a woman ate at a Neiman Marcus café and loved their cookies. When she asked if she could get the recipe, the waiter said it was for sale, for two fifty. The woman bought it and later saw the bill for $250…not the $2.50 she was expecting. So she decided to get back at Neiman Marcus by circulating the recipe. Now whether or not this is true, it is a delicious cookie. I came home from work today in a mood. Work has been very stressful and has managed to spill over into all of six days of the week. I like work, but not that much. I’m leaving on vacation next week (oh blessed, promised land of vacation, aka Nepal) and have a million and one things to do before then, including some pretty important presentations, an interview, an annual report, and a grant proposal.

But first, before I create another PowerPoint or finagle another budget line, I’m going to bite into a warm cookie with the chips slightly melting and the crispy outside giving way to a soft center. I’m going to sip a steaming cup of coffee, and have another bite. I’m going to relax and enjoy a few minutes of peace. And then, with sugar and caffeine, I’m going to tackle that proposal and straightened out that budget and just generally kick butt before it kicks mine.

Neiman Marcus Cookies

½ granulated sugar

½ brown sugar

1/8 cup coconut butter

¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons canola or coconut oil

1 Tablespoon ground flax mixed with ¼ cup water

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 cup gluten-free flour (Bob’s Red Mill)

1¼ cups blended oatmeal (Bob’s Red Mill)

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp cinnamon 

6 ounces chocolate chips

Nuts, optional

Combine sugars. Add coconut butter and oil and mix. Add flax water and stir until well mixed. Stir in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.

If you are vegan, be sure to use vegan sugars and chocolate. If you don’t want to use coconut butter, omit it and increase the oil by 1/8 cup. Bake on 375 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.   

Raw Wednesdays

I’m in some sort of eating phase. I’ve really been enjoying food lately and have been eating a lot. It’s not necessarily unhealthy food, just lots of it. I’m working out a bit more too, but the scales have crept up a couple of pounds and I can feel a little extra softness around my middle.

I need to make sure I’m getting enough of what I need, which can be tricky as a vegan. In the past, that’s usually when I’ve had “eating phases” like this when I can’t get full – I wasn’t be smart about what I was eating. I’m taking a daily vitamin now to help with that, as recommended by my doc. And honestly, I feel good.

But I don’t want to keep adding extra pounds to the scales, and taking an honest look at my refrigerator and cabinets right now, I don’t have a lot of fresh stuff in there. I keep a lot of frozen vegetables and dried beans and grains because they are cheap and easy. But I probably need to get back to eating more fresh food.

So, I’m going to go raw on Wednesdays to help me get over this hump.

A few years ago when I was living in Miami, I went to a totally raw diet. It lasted about two months. I dropped 12 pounds, which was good, but was RAVENOUS the ENTIRE time, which was bad. I woke up in the middle of the night from hunger. Looking back, I should have been eating a higher volume of nuts and filling vegetables, but hey, those two months were a good “get back on track” for my system.

Where to begin? I have a copy of Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen by Ani Phyo from when I was trying to be 100% raw. There are some good things in it, but a lot are very time consuming, which makes it a bit daunting. Searching online pulls up words and how to’s that make me want to rethink my decision: “dehydrator,” “how to sprout x grain,” “how to crack a coconut.” No, this is not what I had in mind. While I love the slow food and raw movement ideas, I also need something a little less intense. I found a pretty interesting site that I want to look at more, http://www.rawmazing.com/. A lot of her recipes seem to be heavy-handed on the prep and machinery too though.

I did stock up on fresh veggies for salads and fruit last night. Here goes!  

Over-the-top GF Vegan Birthday Cake

A cloud hung over my mom's birthday this year. Her two daughters had gone vegan and one was gluten-free as well.

Am I even going to have a birthday cake this year? She cried over the phone.

Yes, don't worry, I tried to sound reassuring, but where in the world was I going to get a vegan, gluten-free birthday cake recipe that would actually taste good?!

Why, the internets of course. Where everything is true and the world is at your fingertips.

I found some great mimic recipes for momofuku's cakes and treats and tweaked them further into this awesome, totally over-the-top birthday cake. Would you believe it was gone in two days? 'Cause actually it was a day and a half.

Vanilla Cake

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 1/4 cups Bob's gluten-free flour mix
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Put liquid ingredients plus sugar in a bowl and mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. 
Add liquid to dry and mix well.
Pour into two cake pans oiled, floured, and covered in parchment paper.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool completely before frosting. 

Cookie Crumbles


3/4 cup Bob's gluten-free flour mix
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2  teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles
1/4 cup coconut oil1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, and baking powder. Add in the sugars, salt, and sprinkles and whisk to combine.  Stir the oil and vanilla extract into the flour mixture (use your hands if you find it easier), working until completely moistened and crumbs begin to form.

Transfer the crumbs the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, pausing halfway through to break them up a bit.  The crumbs will become hard when cool, so avoid leaving very large chunks.  Cool completely on the baking sheet.  Crumbs can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a week, or up to a month in the refrigerator.

Caramel

The caramel was not the best part. I used almond milk, sugar and vegan butter. The consistency was good at first, but then went gritty. It was too sweet not didn't have enough of that golden caramel taste. I will keep trying for a better vegan caramel! 

Chickpea & Cashew Cream Soup

This soup, adapted from Post Punk Kitchen, revealed the wonders of cashew cream. I had no idea that this little nut could make soups and stews creamy and delicious. It's a secret weapon ingredient.  

3/4 cup cashews, soaked in water for 2 hours or overnight
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh black pepper
3/4 cup rice 
3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, diced chunky
5 cups vegetable broth
1 24 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 3 cups)
4 cups chopped kale

Drain the cashews and place them in a blender with one cup of fresh water. Blend until completely smooth, scraping the sides occasionally. 

Preheat a pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute in olive oil with a pinch of salt until translucent. Add garlic, salt and pepper and saute a minute more.

Add rice, celery and carrots to the onion and then pour in the broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, add the chickpeas, and let cook for about 15 more minutes, until rice is cooked and carrots are tender.

Add the cashew cream and kale, and simmer until kale is wilted, 3 to 5 more minutes. You may need to add water to thin the soup if it seems too thick. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Black lentils and ripe plantains

I love quick meals that I can fix after work. Let's face it, if it has a lot of prep or takes a long time to cook, my stomach usually won't let me wait long enough to make it. I usually go to the gym after work, unless I have to work late, which is really too often.  Either way I walk in the door famished!

I also love ripe plantains! They are sweet, cheap, and quick, a magical trio. This dish took a total of about 20 minutes from start to finish. I used a just ripe plantain. The skin is still mostly yellow with a motley crew of black spots. I don't measure out the ingredients so add more or less depending on your taste or to increase the serving size. The below makes two servings.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
Add 1/4 onion, chopped.
While the onion is cooking, chop one just ripe plantain into bite size pieces.
Add the plantain to the pan.
Let the mixture cook for a few minutes, stirring and flipping the plantain occasionally, until it starts to deepen in color and get shiny. This will take about 3-5 minutes. Reduce heat if the plantain starts browning or the oil stars smoking.
Chop half of a red bell pepper into bite size pieces and add to the pan.
Add salt, pepper, and ground ginger to taste. I added 1/2 tsp of ginger.
Let cook for another few minutes, stirring frequently, until the pepper is a little shiny. It will not be sautéed completely but will remain crisp and crunchy.
Add 1/2 cup cooked black lentils. I used Trader Joes lentils. These things are good and hassle-free.
Continue cooking until the lentils are hot.
Dish up and enjoy!

Kale Chips

I just got back from a week-long work conference. I firmly believe that they use food to induce people to sit through hours of talking in one setting.

Breakfast, talk, snack, talk, lunch, talk, snack, talk, dinner. Retire. Repeat.

This week was a little better because the setting was a beautiful farm in Pauma Valley about an hour outside San Diego. We saw purple mountains at sunset and were accompanied the entire time by two inseparable roosters who loved picking through our compost bucket. I named them Bert and Ernie.

The organizer is a vegan so there were great food options. A lot came directly from the farm, fresh as fresh can be. I still grazed the whole time and drank way too much coffee. So coming home, by body thinks it still needs to be eating every hour of the day.

Sitting on the couch wanting to munch, I thought I'd try my hand at the oh-so-popular kale chips. You can buy them in the store already made, but it couldn't be easier to do it at home and is much more economical (we can even say cheap).

1 bunch kale
drizzle of olive oil, about 2 tsp
sea salt to taste

Remove the hard ribbons from the kale and divide the leaves into 1 1/2 inch sections. The kale will shrink while cooking so make them a little bigger than bite size.
Lay the kale on a pan and drizzle with oil. Toss to coat and sprinkle with salt.
Bake for 20 minutes on 275 degrees F. Turn halfway through baking.
Enjoy! 

Star Tree Topper

This is my first Christmas tree - the very first of my own in my own apartment. My mom, sister, and I piled in the car the first weekend in December and brought back this beautiful tree tied to the top of my car. My mom has been buying us each ornaments since forever so I have plenty. Lights were purchased and strung. But the tree topper - that needed to be special.  

It had to be a star. Nothing else would do. I like the angels and the bows, but I love starts. 

I  got a piece of foam board and cut out a start. I didn't use a pattern so it's not perfect, but I wanted it a little free form.

Then I took yarn and wrapped it. I tried to keep it single strand all the way around until it was completely wrapped. I tied it in the back. 

You could use a hot glue gun, but I thought it would be nice to reuse the yarn later for something else and create a new topper next year. Hey, I might have my first tradition.

Pumpkin + Kidney Beans + Kale

This year for Halloween I got a couple of little pie pumpkins. I painted the outside - a bat and a ghost - so that I could still use them in the kitchen later. I peeled and chopped them, and put them in the crock pot with enough water to cover the bottom. A few hours later, they were soft yumminess. This thing didn't even need any butter or salt or anything else! I was spooning it out of the pot! 

It made a lovely combination with kidney beans and kale. I simply put it all in a pan together over medium heat until the kale was cooked and the beans were hot. I added salt and pepper. This is the type of dinner that makes me feel good because I'm eating healthy foods, lots of lovely colors, and enjoying every bite! 

Happy Halloween - Black Cats Rule

Halloween is my favorite holiday.
You can be anyone or anything you want to be.
You get to play with knives and your food while carving up pumpkins.
You get to laugh and scare and have fun with people.
You get to eat candy and chocolate any time of the day.
What is not to like?

It's the most stress-free, hassle-free holiday there is.

I work at one of those places where "Halloween" is a bad word. Or used to be. Last year only one lonely soul dressed up. This year, it was all fun and games at our "Fall Festival." We had a chili cook-off and goodies. I made black cat cookies. The idea was to make the icing look like a skeleton, but that didn't quite work. So let's just say I was going for the mummy effect. Either way, they were yummy.

I made them by dressing up a sugar cookie recipe by adding cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and a little clove. They weren't overly sweet and were a cross between gingerbread and sugar cookie. 

Nori Gato Cookies

Nori is a sweet little calico cat who lives in an apartment on the upper (upper) west side. She used to be an alley cat, begging passersby for scraps, until my sister scooped her up and gave her a forever home.

Little Nori became fat and cantankerous and had to be put on an eating regimen and diet. Now slim and sleek, her new new look has brought out a sweet side and more gentle temperament.

These calico cookies are named for Nori.


Nori Gato Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
250 g flour
1 tsp baking soda
225 g granulated sugar
200 g brown sugar
225 g oats, ground in a blender
3oz of each: semi-sweet chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, & white chocolate chips
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter. Add sugars and blend until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add to butter mixture and blend. Add vanilla and blend until all ingredients are well incorporated. Fold in chips. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.

Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins

Using up the remains of my sister's kitchen before the move, we made a whole army of cookies and a delicious raspberry pound cake. All good stuff, but nothing that seemed like breakfast this morning.

Plus, I just read an article on BBC about how sugar ages your skin. Oh mon dieu, if they're right, I'm going to look ninety soon!

Soaking the oats in buttermilk turns it to oatmeal pre-baking and helps incorporate them into the muffin batter. A great little technique. I'm wondering what else I can use it in. These muffins are not too sweet, making them perfect for a little honey or fruit preserves.

Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins
1 cup oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/3 packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground flax seed
2/3 cup raspberry, fresh or frozen

Mix the oats and buttermilk and let set 15 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add egg, sugar and oil to oat mixture and blend. Blend in dry ingredients, then gently fold in raspberries. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-17 minutes.

Wondrous Small Cakes

This week I'm in New York City helping my sister pack up and move. In the process, we realized there were four sticks of butter in the frig that simply couldn't be wasted. So we dug this recipe out of one of the boxes and whipped up a batch of small cakes. They are an awful lot like shortbread cookies and would make an excellent crust for fruit pies or put in mini muffin pans as cups for fruit preserves or berry compote. They are highly addictive with tea. I found some delicious roasted green tea at a store in Korea town and it's the perfect pairing.

Small Cakes
adapted from The Gift of Southern Cooking by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock
Makes 12 cakes

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground ginger
demearara sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 12 muffin tins or muffin pan.
Put butter, flour, sugar, salt, and ginger in a bowl. Mix on low until blended. (I do this with my fingers.)
Spoon equal amounts of  batter into muffin tins and press gently to flatten. Top with demearara sugar. 
Bake 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Cool for five minutes before turning onto a cooling rack.

Eagle Brand Magic Lemon Pie

My family often escapes to North Georgia for the Fourth of July. It's a little cooler up in the mountains where my grandmother lives and let's face it, any degree below the 100+ temps and killer humidity we've been having in Atlanta is welcome. Plus, the small towns around here throw the best birthday parties for America. I'm not sure how they do it, but the fireworks are always amazing. The little downtown areas come alive and every four-way stop is a traffic jam, especially this year since they just discontinued the only two red lights in town. If I listed all the food we consumed, one would easily think we were providing for a small army camped out in the hills. But no, just three petite women with healthy holiday appetites. By the second day we had run through all the planned desserts so my Granny whipped up an Eagle Brand Lemon Pie. This is a recipe from "The Dessert Lovers'Handbook" printed in 1969. In the introduction, it explains that "Eagle Brand is the 'magic' milk product...And what a wonderfully easy way of getting extra milk in your family's diet!" I just might be gullible enough to believe this, or let it make me feel a little better eating something magical!

Filling
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice (we used 2.5 large lemons)
2 egg yolks
Combine the milk and juice. Blend in the yolks.
The original recipe calls for a pastry shell or crumb crust. We use ground Nilla Wafers in the center surrounded by whole wafers standing up for the crust. Starting in the middle, pour in the filling. Meringue
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 cup sugar

Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Spread on top of the filling. Bake at 325 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. I like this best chilled.

Southwest quinoa salad

Southwest Quinoa Salad

1 1/2 cups quinoa
1 1/2 cups black beans
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups cooked corn
3/4 green pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 tsp coriander
juice of one lime
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
2 tsp cumin
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients. Season to taste. Can be served cold or heated.

I also enjoyed it as part of a spinach salad.

Sweet potatoes + collard greens

When I get lazy or busy, one of the first things that gets left behind are fresh foods. Forget going to the grocery store or planning a menu with everything before it starts to turn to the dark side and smell.

Actually, make that several meals. As a single girl cooking for one or two at a time, my trips to the farmer's market leave me with a lot of food. Those big bunches of parsley and cilantro and basil that smell so good end up sagging and turning brown in my refrigerator. I swear I put parsley on everything I ate for a week and still had a bundle sadly going to ruin.

Enter this delicious meal. It's rather quick, super easy and healthy, and perfect for lunches and freezing.

Sweet potatoes & collard greens

4 medium sweet potatoes, each cut into 6-8 pieces
1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil
5 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp sea salt
2 tsp pepper
3 medium apples
6 cups loosely packed collard greens
1/4 cup loosely packed parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss potatoes with vegetable oil, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Bake until potatoes are cooked and caramelized (about 20 minutes).

In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add apples and saute about 15 minutes or until soft.

Put 2 Tbsp butter and 3 Tbsp water into a large pot. Add greens and saute (about 5 minutes). Decrease the heat and add potatoes and apples. Cook for a few minutes and stir in parsley and remaining salt and pepper.

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

At the end of September, it was my turn to be on the committee to host our monthy staff meeting at work. We decided to do an outdoor meeting with a 'last blast of summer' theme.

And what better to go with that theme than homemade ice cream sandwiches?

I have to admit that I cheated a little bit. I didn't have a lot of time so I used a mix for the chocolate chip cookies and then smashed a scoopful of vanilla ice cream in the middle. Then I rolled the sides in sprinkles and immediately stuck them in the freezer.

These were a huge hit! Even my boss was licking away at the sides and chomping into the cookie!

twd ~ chocolate spice quickies

Whenever I have someone over for dinner, I spend as much time thinking about the dessert as the main course. I see it as the big finale. I planned an intimate dinner for two last week, and took Dorie's suggestion to pair the chocolate spice quickies with ice cream. It was delicious. The cookies are great solo, and are subtle enough in flavor to be addictive. These aren't rich, despite the spices and chocolate, which is one reason why they paired so wonderfully with Dorie's chocolate ganache ice cream.
The ice cream overshadowed the cookies a bit. I added a little expresso powder and salt to the ganache to bring out the intense chocolate.
Thanks to Jessica of My Baking Heart for this week's pick! Check out her blog for the recipe and some beautiful food pics.