Italian Cherry Almond Cookies

This recipe comes from the blog Ambitious Kitchen. These cookies are naturally gluten free (yay almond flour!) and dairy free (no butter).  I decided to make them fully vegan by omitting the egg whites and replacing them with aquafaba. **Do you know what aquafaba is? It is the liquid inside a can of chickpeas. It is a great egg replacer and I often use it when baking vegan sweets.  If you aren't vegan, then use the egg whites! 

These cookies were easy to make and had a delicious almondy, lemony flavor that complimented the maraschino cherry perfectly. The almond flour also gave them a nice, chewy texture that I really enjoyed. 

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups almond flour

3/4 cup white sugar 

zest of one small lemon

2 egg whites OR if making vegan, 1/4 cup aquafaba **

3/4 tsp almond extract

3/4 cup powdered sugar

18-ish maraschino cherries, drained & stems removed

Directions:

Oven to 350F

In a large bowl mix almond flour, sugar, and lemon zest. 

Add in eggs whites (or if making vegan, 1/4 cup of aquafaba) and almond extract. With a wooden spoon or fork mix until the dough comes together. I eventually used my hands and it all came together nicely. The dough is quite sticky though (at least it was when using aquafaba). Roll dough into approximately 18 balls. 

Drain the maraschino cherries, remove the stems and pat them dry. 

Place powdered sugar in a separate bowl. Roll each ball of dough into the powdered sugar and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Leave 2" between each ball of dough. Use your thumb to gently indent each cookie. Place one cherry in the indent of each cookie. 

Bake for 14-18 min, depending on your oven. I baked mine for 16 minutes. 

Allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a plate or storage container. Enjoy! 

The ULTIMATE Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These have become my go-to vegan cookies - I bring them to gatherings and parties and I make them for myself when I want a really good chocolate chip cookie.  They are really that good and my family tells me they can't tell that they are egg and dairy free - WIN! 

I do want to emphasize this - it is important to use one of these two types of vegan butters (I have tried all of them and they are not all the same when it comes to baking). My number one pick for baking is Country Crock with Avocado Oil (sometimes it is hard to find, so stock up when you do because it is the best). My runner up pick for vegan butter to bake with is Earth Balance (in stick form). This is a much easier butter to find and it'll substitute it in a pinch for Country Crock. If you use a different type of butter, this cookie might not turn out as ULTIMATE as mine! Just sayin'......

On another note, I make these cookies with gluten free flour all the time. I ONLY use King Arthur GF Measure for Measure. You can try another brand (I have tried them all), but again, they might not turn out as ULTIMATE as mine if you aren't using the brands I bake with. 

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 sticks vegan butter, softened (Country Crock with Avocado Oil OR Earth Balance)

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 flax egg (1 TBL ground flaxseed + 2 1/2 TBL water)

1 Tbl molasses

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups oats (use GF oats for Gluten Free- I use Bob's Red Mill)

1 + 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (for GF use King Arthur Measure for Measure GF baking flour)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves OR ground nutmeg (I use cloves)

1 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips (I use 1/2 cup of the mini chips and 1/2 cup of the mega chunks)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F

Prepare the flax egg. Combine ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl. Stir together, then set aside for 5 min for it to thicken.

Add the softened vegan butter, brown sugar, and sugar to a large bowl. Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy using a handheld mixer. Add the flax egg, molasses, and vanilla extract. Blend until combined. 

Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder,  salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Mix together until just combined. Add the oats and stir again. Fold in the chocolate chips. 

Scoop the dough into round balls and transfer to the baking sheet- I used a 2 Tbl cookie scoop. Gently press the dough with your hands to flatten them a little bit. Bake for 8 - 12 minutes until lightly golden. I know this is a large window of time - but everyone's oven bakes differently. Watch the first batch to get an idea of how long they need to bake. Generally, I bake the cookies in my convection oven for 9 to 10 minutes. I like to slightly underbake my cookies so they stay soft. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool and firm up on the sheet for about 20 minutes. 

These cookies freeze really nicely! Often I will bake a batch, serve half and then freeze the other half. When ready to eat just let them sit out of the freezer for about 10 minutes and enjoy. 

The BEST Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Oh boy is this cake delicious! It is extremely moist, full of flavor and I don't think anyone would believe it is egg and dairy free. The key is using the right vegan butter (that helps the frosting set so well).  I love Country Crock Plant Butter with Avocado Oil for my vegan baking - I have tried EVERY vegan butter while baking and this one mimics real butter the best, in my opinion. I also think the type of plant milk you use in really important. I like to bake with a creamy oat milk because it is thick like dairy whole milk. It also has a pretty neutral flavor. You can try any plant milk you like, but I do not recommend using a different plant butter. 

This cake is my vegan take on the recipe on the back of the Hershey Cocoa Powder box. I just substituted plant-based where needed. And I ALWAYS use coffee instead of water when making any chocolate cake. That's a great baking tip for you! 

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake:

• ▢ 2 cups organic white sugar
• ▢ 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted if necessary
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 cup plant milk (I like Planet Oat milk, barista style, because it's so creamy)
• ▢ ½ cup canola oil
• ▢ 2 flax eggs (4 Tbl ground flax + 5 Tbl water)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 cup hot, freshly brewed coffee

Chocolate Frosting:

• ▢ 4 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
• ▢ 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ cup plant milk (again, I like Planet Oat milk)
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ¾ cup plant butter, at room temperature (I strongly suggest using Country Crock Plant Butter with Avocado Oil - please use this if you can find it- I have used many other vegan butters and this one sets so nicely and holds it's shape) 

Directions:

Prep your pans by generously spraying two 8" rounds. I also like to line the bottom with a cut out piece of parchment paper. 

Set oven to 350F 

Make flax eggs by mixing the ground flax seed and water together in a small bowl. Set aside for 10 min to thicken (this will mimic the texture of eggs). 

In a medium bowl whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

In another large bowl whisk together plant milk, canola oil, prepped flax eggs, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, a little at a time. Mix after each addition. Once wet and dry are combined, add the coffee and stir. Mix until smooth. 

Evenly divide the cake batter to prepared pans. Bake for about 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. I baked mine for 52 min and they were perfectly moist. 

Let the cakes cool completely before turning them out. Turn them out onto a surface/cutting board lined with parchment paper; they might stick to the board, otherwise. I let mine cool for a couple of hours. 

To make the chocolate frosting combine all frosting ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a hand mixer until completely combined and frosting is firm enough to stand on its own. If you use any other butter than what I have suggested, I cannot guarantee that your frosting will set and hold its shape as beautifully as mine did. 

When ready to frost the cakes, line the edges of a cake plate with parchment strips (this makes for easy clean up after you cake has been iced - it will catch all the crumbs and frosting drips). 

Here is a quick video demonstrating how to....click here

Place one of the cakes on the parchment strips and add a large dollop of frosting. Smooth evenly. Place the second cake on top of the frosting. Add the rest of the frosting to the top and sides of the cake and smooth out evenly. Carefully remove the parchment strips. 

Decorate this cake however you like! Fresh berries, sprinkles, or keep it plain and simple like I did! The star of this cake is the taste, so I didn't feel like I needed to get fancy. 

Enjoy! 

Open Face Tomato Sandwich with Miso Butter

It is officially tomato season and we can't get enough of them around here. I have been making gazpacho like it's my job (it's just so easy and delicious).  I have also been eating lots of tomato sandwiches because again, easy and delicious! I took this simple sandwich to another level by spreading the fresh sourdough with a little homemade miso butter....it brought a nice umami flavor to the dish. I drizzled a little balsamic glaze on top to finish it off and chef's kiss! Perfect summer lunch! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 to 2 ripe, juicy tomatoes, sliced

Crusty sourdough bread, sliced

A few fresh basil leaves

Salt & Pepper

Balsamic glaze, optional

A spread of miso butter, recipe below

Directions:

Slice the tomatoes and lay them out on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and let them sit and drain for a few minutes. Toast the bread to your liking. 

To assemble, spread some of the miso butter on the sourdough slice. Top with tomatoes, fresh basil, cracked fresh pepper and a little drizzle of balsamic glaze, if using. Enjoy! 

Miso Butter (you can easily half this or double it, depending on how much you need or if you want any leftovers)

4 Tbl butter, I use Miyokos vegan butter (it is the best!), room temp

2 Tbl white miso paste, room temp

Whisk the butter and miso paste together using a hand held whisk or put into a small food processor and blend until smooth. Store any leftovers covered in the fridge. 

Kale & Cherry Salad with Crispy Brown Rice

I just whipped this little salad up with some fresh ingredients I had in the fridge and some left over brown rice. Lately I have been toasting cold, cooked rice with a little olive oil, salt & pepper. The rice gets crispy and it gives an amazing texture to whatever I add it to, especially salads. Please give it a try as it will add a lot of depth to this simple, summer salad! 

Ingredients (this makes two lunch size salads): 

1 bunch of kale, stems removed and sliced thin

fresh summer cherries, pitted and sliced

about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of cooked brown rice

about 1/3 cup of roasted sunflower seeds

a little bit of crumbled feta (I used vegan VioLife feta)

your favorite lemon vinaigrette (or make your own - I did!)

olive oil, salt & pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450

Spread the cooked rice on a lined baking sheet and drizzle with about 1 tsp of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 15 min, checking every 5 minutes to stir and make sure it doesn't burn at the end. Bake it for as long as you like - if you like it really crispy leave it in there longer...it's your salad!

Clean, stem and slice the kale. Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil, maybe 1/2 tsp, and a pinch of salt. Massage the kale with your hands for a minute or two. Massaging kale helps to make it tender, which make it easier to chew and digest (I also prefer the texture). 

Add the kale, pitted & sliced cherries, and sunflower seeds to a salad bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and stir to combine. 

Once the rice is cooked to your preferred crispiness, place on the bottom of a salad plate. Top with the kale mixture. Add the crumbled feta, if using. Serve with a piece of crusty bread. Enjoy!

Easy Vinaigrette:

I NEVER measure when making salad dressing, it's so hard to mess up!  A mixture of these ingredients, always turns out great. I don't use a lot of oil anymore when making salad dressings, so you can just omit it if you like. Because this salad is on the small size, if I were to measure I would be using tablespoons and teaspoons - you don't need much more than that! 

Olive oil

Vinegar (I would use apple cider or champagne in this recipe)

Dijon

Lemon juice

Maple syrup or honey

Mix that all together and see how it turns out :) 

Immunity Beet Juice

When I post a juice I like to think of it as more of a guide rather than a recipe. It is hard to "mess up" a fresh juice.....it's all about your personal taste and mostly the wealth of health that you are putting into your body. I happen to have a lot of beets right now from my CSA. I was thinking of making a beet hummus (I still might so look out for that recipe) but then I decided to juice them instead. Beets are very earthy tasting and not everyone enjoys their strong flavor. I try to cut it by adding sweetness from an apple & carrots and the acidic taste from the lemon juice brings in a bite. The ginger gives this juice a little bit of spice and the cucumber is very hydrating and neutral tasting. If you love beets add two....I used just one, but also added some more earthy flavor with the kale. This is your juice....just use this as a guide! Enjoy! 

Ingredients:

1 to 2 beets, scrubbed clean

1 apple

1/2 to 1 whole large cucumber

a few celery stalks

1 to 3 carrots

1/2 lemon, peeled before running through the juicer

1 inch nub of ginger

3-5 kale leaves (optional)

Directions:

Put all ingredients through your juicer. Drink immediately or store in a mason jar with a tight fitting lid for no more than a day. Juice retains all its nutrients when consumed within an hour. After that it is still hydrating and tastes great, it just loses it potency. Enjoy! 

Plant You's Common Ground Granola

I have been a big fan of Carleigh Bodrug, author of Plant You Scrappy Cooking, for awhile now. I recently bought her new vegan cookbook and it is wonderful; delicious & easy recipes with beautiful, eye catching photos! The first recipe I made from her book is this super simple granola that has coffee grounds in it! The ingredients were so unusual that of course I had to make it (and I don't even drink coffee). This granola doesn't disappoint - it is so good. It is also diary and oil-free! 

I served mine over coconut yogurt with berries. It would be yummy on vegan ice cream, on top of an açaí bowl or just simply a bowl of granola with plant milk. 

Here is Carleigh's recipe word for word from her cookbook: 

Ingredients:

3 cups gluten-free rolled oats

1 cup chopped walnuts, pecans or pumkin seeds

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup pure maple syrup or liquid sweetener

1/2 cup brewed coffee or tea

3 Tbl spent coffee grounds or tea leaves

2 Tbl tahini or nut butter of choice

1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs

1/3 cup dried cherries <this was my own addition>

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F

Line a baking sheet with reusable baking mat or parchment paper.

In a bowl, combine the oats, nuts ground flaxseed, cocoa powder, and salt. 

In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup, brewed coffee, coffee grounds and tahini. 

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until fully combined. Spread the mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet. 

Bake for 30 minutes, tossing it every 10 minutes to ensure the mixture is baked evenly. Remove for the oven an allow to cool completely before stirring in the chocolate chips <and adding the dried cherries, if using>. 

Enjoy with plant-based milk or vegan yogurt, or as a topping on morning cereal.