Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Chocolate and cherry has always been a favorite combo of mine and these cookies did not disappoint. The addition of the espresso powder really deepens the richness of the chocolate flavor - so if you have some, try it! If not, they will still taste great. 

I made my cookies with all vegan ingredients. I have not made them the other way, but I am assuming they will also turn out great. I listed both vegan and regular ingredients for you. You're welcome. Enjoy! 

• 1 cup butter OR vegan butter (for vegan butter I like Country Crock with Avocado Oil or Earth Balance)
• 1 1/2 cups of white sugar
• 2 eggs OR 2 flax "eggs" (2 Tbl ground flax + 5 Tbl water, wait 10 min to firm up)
• 1/4 cup milk OR plant milk (I used oat milk, but almond, rice or soy would be fine)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp espresso powder (optional, but this gives a really rich flavor to the cookies)
• 3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (or you can use GF flour, if you like. I prefer King Arthur GF flour)
• 1 cup dried cherries (not craisins)
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (for vegan I like Enjoy Life or Trader Joe's makes a great vegan chocolate chip)

Preheat oven to 350F 

*If you are making flax "eggs" make them now so they have time to set. In a small bowl combine 2 Tbl ground flaxseed with 5 Tbl water. Let that sit for about 10 minutes to firm. 

In a large mixing bowl combine softened butter (or vegan butter) and sugar. Add eggs (or flax "eggs") and mix. Next add the milk (or plant milk) and vanilla extract. If using espresso powder, add now. Carefully add the unsweetened cocoa powder - stir slowly to incorporate - it can get messy! Add baking soda, salt and flour. Mix well. Finally fold in the dried cherries and chocolate chips. 

If you have time chill the dough in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes. Trust me on this. Chilling the dough enhances the flavor, creates a better texture and keeps the cookies from spreading too much. 

When ready, scoop cookies onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 9 - 11 minutes. I usually bake my cookies on the lower end of the suggested time. Also check around 8 minutes  - everyone's oven is different and cookies continue to firm up on the hot baking sheet even after they have been out of the oven.

Enjoy! 

Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (Vegan!)

I love zucchini bread ALMOST as much as I love banana bread. And since I am still getting zucchinis from my crop share I decided I would make zucchini cake. What's the difference between zucchini bread and cake? Nothing really. But instead of baking it in a loaf pan, I put it in an 8X8 square pan, added some vegan cream cheese frosting and called it "cake" - WHY not!? It was delicious and very moist - anyone who knows me knows I abhor a dry cake/muffin/bread. If you make any dessert from my blog you can be certain it won't be dry....I don't do dry baked goods- total buzz kill. 

I am always a bit nervous when I label something as "vegan" because I am afraid it turns people off, like it won't taste as good as the OG. I am telling you all, I share my baked goods with friends, co-workers, kids' friends, etc, all the time and no one can ever tell that my sweets don't have eggs or dairy. If you are nervous about it, you can always use the real thing. For instance, I use vegan cream cheese and vegan butter in the frosting - if that's not your jam, then use dairy cream cheese and real butter. 

*Also, I never buy buttermilk, vegan or otherwise... I always just make it at home. Did you know you can make buttermilk using only two ingredients? Any type of milk or plant milk, and a bit of vinegar. That's it! I used to buy buttermilk for recipes - I hated having to buy a whole carton of it when I only needed 1/2 cup. So I figured out if you put 1 Tbl of vinegar into 1 cup of milk/plant milk and let it sit for 10 minutes, you have buttermilk! Boom! 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (150 g) shredded zucchini, patted dry
• 1/2 cup (120 mL) vegan buttermilk* (1/2 cup plant milk + 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1 cup spelt flour (you can just sub another cup of all purpose flour if you don't have spelt)
• 1 Tbl cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger 
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 1/3 cup (80 g) avocado oil or canola oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

5 oz vegan cream cheese (I like Oatly, Violife or Trader Joe's vegan cream cheese) room temperature

4 Tbl vegan butter (I like Country Crock with Avocado Oil, Earth Balance or Violife brands for baking), room temperature

1 1/2  cups sifted powdered sugar 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbl plant milk (I like full fat Oatly for baking, but any plant milk will do)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Grease an 8X8 inch pan and line it with parchment paper - so that the edges are hanging over a bit. This makes it super easy to remove the cake from the pan. 

Make the vegan buttermilk in a small bowl by mixing the plant milk and the apple cider vinegar together. Give a little stir and set aside for 10 minutes. 

Shred the zucchini and pat it dry with some paper towels. This will take up any excess moisture. 

In a large mixing bowl add the flours, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, brown sugar, white sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together.  Add the shredded zucchini and stir to incorporate. 

In a separate smaller bowl combine the applesauce, avocado oil, vanilla and vegan buttermilk you made earlier. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir. 

Put zucchini cake mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 42-45 minutes (mine came out perfectly at 44 minutes). Remove from the oven and let sit for a good hour before icing. 

 

To make the icing use a handheld mixer to whisk the room temperature vegan cream cheese and room temperature vegan butter together. Add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla and plant milk. Whisk until smooth and creamy. Once the cake is thoroughly cooled down frost it in the pan. I like to put the whole frosted cake into the refrigerator for an hour to let the icing set. You don't have to do this but I find it is much easier to cut when everything has chilled. Removed the cake from the pan using the parchment hangover. Place on a cutting board and cut cake into squares and enjoy! 

Strawberry Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

I totally have a thing for Rice Krispie Treats. I just love the combination of crunchy cereal with gooey marshmallows. Even though I adore marshmallows, I stopped eating them years ago because they aren't vegetarian (insert sad face). When I discovered Dandies Marshmallows (which are vegetarian/vegan) my sweets/baking world became full again. I can enjoy s'mores and Rice Krispies now (and I won't lie, I indulge often). Dandies are a little slower to melt than regular marshmallows, but they get there eventually....and I would bet that most people cannot even tell the difference in texture and flavor. So if you are vegan or vegetarian check Dandies out! You can easily find them at Whole Foods and other health food stores. Enjoy this fun take on a Rice Krispie treat! 

Ingredients:

1 stick of vegan butter OR regular butter

2 - 10oz packages of Dandie's Vegan Marshmallows (you can use regular marshmallows if you eat animal products)

1/2 cup sweetened condensed coconut OR sweetened condensed oat milk (you can use regular milk if not vegan)

1 tsp vanilla extract

9 cups of Rice Krispies or puffed brown rice cereal of your choice

1.2 oz package of freeze dried strawberries (I find these easily at Trader Joe's. It is roughly 1 1/3 cup - you don't have to be precise on these), slightly crushed 

3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips, melted 

Directions: 

Line a 9×13-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.  Leave some of the paper hanging over the edges. 

In a large pot, melt the butter over low heat. Add marshmallows, then stir together just until the marshmallows are melted through. Vegan marshmallows melt more slowly than regular marshmallows, so be patient and take your time....it seems at first like they won't melt and come together, but they will, I promise.

Once the marshmallows are melted and smooth, remove from heat.  Stir in the sweetened condensed coconut milk, and vanilla extract. Add rice krispie cereal to the pot - just add a couple cups at a time. Gently fold together, making sure the cereal is evenly coated.  Add 1 cup lightly crushed freeze-dried strawberries and stir together until combined.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.  I like to take a square of parchment and use it to smooth the Krispies down so they are flat and even. Give this a try - it works really well for me. 

In a small bowl, add chocolate chips. Microwave for one minute. Remove from microwave and stir. If the chips are melted, go for another 30 seconds. Again, remove and stir. You want the chips to be totally smooth. If they still are not at this point, try another 15 seconds. Drizzle the melted chocolate on top of the rice krispie treats. Sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup freeze-dried strawberries on top.

Set aside to cool for one hour or so. I like to put mine in the refrigerator to set the chocolate more quickly. Also, when they are slightly cold it makes them easier to cut into squares. Enjoy!! YUM! 

Coconut Macaroons

I saw this vegan and gluten free coconut macaroon recipe on Meghan Markle's Netflix series called With Love, Meghan. I was surprised at how easy they are to make and yet they seem really fancy and taste very decadent. I have made them a handful of times in the last month with great reception from all whom have tried them. I feel like going into the holidays I will be making them many more times to come. 

Do you have a little milk frother for making lattes? I got one years ago on Amazon for $10. And even though I don't drink coffee or lattes, I find myself using that little frother all the time when baking. It makes whipping aquafaba a complete breeze (life changing if you want to make vegan merengues). It almost feels like magic watching the chickpea liquid quickly transform into fluffy white clouds in a matter of seconds with the frother! I highly suggest getting one if you don't have one already. If you have a frother to whip the aquafaba I would rate this recipe a 0 out of 10 for skill level!  

Ingredients:

1/4 cup aquafaba, whisked until foamy (I used a little handheld milk frother)

7oz can of sweetened condensed coconut milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

3 cups of unsweetened desiccated coconut

1 cup dark chocolate (I use Enjoy Life vegan/GF/nut-free chips)

1 tsp coconut oil

Preheat over to 350F

Whisk 1/4 cup of aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas) until foamy. You can whisk them by hand, but I find it as simple as can be to use a little handheld milk frother. Once your aquafaba has double in size, add the sweetened condensed coconut milk (you can find this at most health food stores like Whole Foods) and vanilla. Stir. Add the salt and unsweetened desiccated coconut. Stir to combine. Use a cookie scoop to form little mounds of the coconut mixture and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. I use my hands to make each scoop neat and tidy. Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden brown (these burn easily so keep an eye on them at around 15 minutes). 

Remove from oven and let them cool completely. 

Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe dish for 1 minute. Give it a good stir. Place back in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. If it isn't quite smooth you can do another 15 seconds. Give it another good stir until smooth. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cooled macaroons. You can place them in the fridge to let the chocolate harden a little. Enjoy!  

Seeds & Sprouts Open Sandwich

I have been making this VERY quick and tasty sandwich for months now. It is so easy (and healthy and filling) I really had to share it. Sometimes I debate on whether or not a recipe is interesting or complex or special enough to blog.....and maybe this is too simple, but who doesn't want some simple in their lives? So here it is. If you ever wonder what I eat on repeat for lunch - it's a version of this sandwich.  Enjoy! 

Ingredients:

Good bread of your choosing - I love the homemade sourdough I get weekly from our local farmer's market. But I also like this with Ezekiel bread

Your favorite hummus- I like Perfect Pita, Little Sesame, Cava or Ithaca

Pumpkin seeds

Sunflower Seeds

Alphalfa sprouts or micro greens (I get the BEST micro greens at our local farmer's market)

Mini cucumber, sliced thin

Watermelon radish, sliced thin (totally optional!)

Balsamic Glaze for a drizzle on top

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Toast your bread to your desired crip level. Spread with hummus. Layer sliced cucumbers (and radishes, if using) on top of hummus. Sprinkle with seeds and sprouts. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and a grind or two of salt and pepper. That's it! 

Weeknight Taco Soup

I made this the other night for dinner and it was a huge hit! My daughter just loved it and asked me to make again soon. Win! I made ours with Impossible Meat (just as a side note, we prefer Impossible GROUND Beef over all other vegan ground beef brands we have tried).....but I have no doubt this would be incredible with real beef if your family eats meat. 

I was going to serve this soup without blending, but my daughter asked me to blend it for just her....when I tried I was like, oh, this is really yummy blended - the beans made it creamy and thick....so I decided to blend the entire pot before adding the toppings. You can do as you wish. I think it is good both ways. 

Also, please cook the meat/Impossible meat in a separate pan and add it to the soup just before serving as a topping - it really gives a good texture this way! 

I served this soup with some vegan tamales we got at the farmer's market this weekend, but I think a side salad would also be a great way to round out the meal. Enjoy! 

This recipe makes enough for 3 dinner sized portions. Double if needed. 

Ingredients:

1 Tbl olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small jalapeno, minced & seeded (keep seeds if you want more spice)

1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 cup canned tomato sauce

1/3 cup smooth salsa

2 cup beef broth *I used "Better Than Bouillon" No Beef Base

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

15oz can black beans, drained

14 oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

1 Tbl pure maple syrup, optional 

1 lb ground beef OR 12 oz ground IMPOSSIBLE meat *I made this soup with IMPOSSIBLE meat

Topping Ideas:

Cheese or Vegan Cheese

Sour cream or Vegan Sour Cream

Tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips

Ripe avocado, cubed

Fresh red onion or pickled onions

Fresh or pickled jalapeños

Roasted corn 

Directions:

Add oil to a large soup pot over low heat. Add the chopped onions and cook for 10 minutes to soften. Stir the onions frequently. If the onions start sticking to the pan you can deglaze them with a little bit of water or broth. I usually add a tablespoon of water every couple of minutes to prevent over browning.  Next add the chopped bell peppers and jalapeños. Again, add water as needed and cook them for about five minutes. Add the chopped garlic along with some water and saute for a minute or two - do NOT let the garlic burn. 

Add the broth, 1 cup of tomato sauce and salsa, stir. Add the spices and salt; stir.  Add the drained black beans, fire roasted tomatoes and maple syrup, if using. Bring soup to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes over low heat to let all the flavors come together. 

While the soup is cooking grab a skillet and cook the ground beef or IMPOSSIBLE meat. Add a little salt if you like. Set aside when finished. 

For my tortilla strips I cut a large tortilla into thin strips and cook them in a separate skillet for about one minute on each side - just to crisp them up. You can skip this step if you're using tortilla chips, but I really like the texture of the homemade strips and it takes about 3 minutes!

Okay, back to the soup. When the soup has simmered for about 20 minutes, turn off the heat and give it a try. If you like the chunky texture, you're good to go. If you would like a more creamy soup, then you can blend it up in a high powered blender or use an immersion blender. You might like the texture a little in between - it's up to you! 

Now it is time to assemble your taco soup. Ladle the soup into bowls and then add the cooked ground beef, cheese, avocado slices, sour cream, tortilla strips, etc. Everyone can make their bowl just how they enjoy it best.

Chocolate Cherry Granola

If you have followed my blog for a time you already know cherries and chocolate are one of my favorite flavor combinations - they are just SO good together. I wanted to make a nut-free/oil-free granola that still felt decadent....and here it is. Lightly sweet, full of crunch, no oil.....delicious on its own or with yogurt and fruit. Enjoy! 

**When I make granola from scratch I do not like to bake the dried fruit with the oat mixture because I think it makes the fruit hard. So I just add it after everything has been baked and cooled. If you do this the cherries will stay soft and chewy. 

Ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats (GF certified if gluten free)

1 cup pepitas 

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup sunbutter (you can also use peanut or almond butter if you prefer)

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup dried cherries

1 cup mini chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life bc they are dairy free)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F

Mix rolled oats, pepitas, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a bowl. 

In a separate bowl combine sunbutter, maple syrup and vanilla extract; mix well. 

Pour the sunbutter mixture on top of the oat mix and stir well to combine. 

Pour the granola mixture onto a large parchment lined cookie sheet. Spread evenly. 

Bake for 20 minutes; check and stir after 15 minute to prevent over browning. 

Remove granola from oven and let sit until completely cool, around 30 minutes. 

Add the dried cherries and chocolate chips, stir to combine. 

Store granola in a large mason jar with a tight fitting lid or a ziplock gallon sized bag. 

Enjoy with yogurt and fruit, on top of smoothie bowls, with plant milk or just by the handful!