3 ingredient cookies

Lets face it... sometimes you've just gotta have something sweet!! I've found something that's not only sweet but also delicious, healthy and super simple (and cheap!!)!! I almost always have these ingredients on hand so these have become a staple cookie in our house, and we don't fill too guilty when we gobble up a whole batch in just a couple days! :)

Makes about 15-18 cookies

2 ripe bananas

2 cups dry quick oats

Handful chocolate chips (ghiradelli semi sweet chips are vegan) , raisins, coconut    or any other cookie mix-ins

Preheat oven to 350

Mash bananas in a medium bowl, add oats and mix-ins

Place small scoops of mixture on lightly greased cookie sheet

Bake for 15 minutes, allow to cool before removing from baking sheet

These smell and taste so good!!!

Deviled potatoes

I have to admit I miss a good deviled egg now and then... but that's not what inspired this idea. I was actually making a vegan potato salad a couple weeks ago and I pointed out to my co-chef (and 12 year old daughter) that the mixture resembled the one I used to use in deviled eggs. She then said "you should use tiny potatoes and scoop out the centers so they look like eggs". Brilliant (she gets that from me)!! My whole family is now hooked on these... they're simple and make a great side dish or snack. Also, since they contain no egg or real mayo they can safely be taken to a picnic, BBQ or potluck without the need to refrigerate... I bet even your non-vegan friends will love this little bite sized burst of flavor!!

12-14 fingerling or petite potatoes (small red potatoes will work too)

3/4 cup vegan mayo

1/3 cup mustard

2-3 tbs Dijon mustard (optional)

1 dill pickle, diced

2 tbs dill pickle juice

1 tbsp red onion, diced

1 tbsp garlic powder

1/3 tsp dry dill

Paprika to too

Was and bake whole potatoes on a cookie sheet at 350 for about 30 minutes or until soft, turning once.

Combine all other ingredients in a medium bowl 

After potatoes have cooled slightly, slice them in half lengthwise. Using a teaspoon or Mellon baller, scoop a circular section of each potato out and add to filling mixture. Once all potatoes have been scooped, set them aside and mix the filling until smooth. Using your teaspoon or a pastry bag, scoop a spoonful of the mixture back into each potato. Sprinkle paprika on top. Serve warm or refrigerate overnight. These are excellent warm or cold!! 

Taco toast

Some days you just want to be lazy!! Laziness and hunger tend to inspire creativeness... the search for a (very) simply and tasty way to fill your belly. Well, today I was lazy... and hungry... thus inspiring "taco toast". Trust me, this actually tastes great!!

1 can vegetarian refried beans

1 2 tbsp taco seasoning

1-2 tbs non dairy milk

Toast

Topping suggestions: sliced avocado, tomato, vegan cheese, vegan sour cream, cilantro, salsa

Heat beans in small saucepan over medium heat. Mix in seasoning and milk to thin out.

Toast bread (1-2 per person should be plenty)

Add optional toppings

Enjoy!!

Jackfruit BBQ

I recently came across a vegan recipe that used canned jackfruit as a meat replacement. Seeing that I had never cooked with (or even heard of) jackfruit... I was a bit leery about trying this. After overcoming the obstacle of actually obtaining canned jackfruit, (which I did find at a local asian market for just over $1 a can) I set out to use this interesting new ingredient for the first time.... and boy was I pleasantly surprised!! I decided to start out simple... a little jackfruit BBQ! This recipe will make about 6-8 BBQ sandwiches, which my family gobbled up in no time!

2 cans jackfruit in brine, drained and slightly broken up with fingers

1/2 onion diced

1/2 bell pepper diced

1 cup any favorite BBQ sauce

Garlic powder to taste

Combine all ingredients into pan or Dutch over and cook over low-medium heat for 2 hours stirring occasionally. The jackfruit will shred apart and become the consistency of shredded chicken or pork. 

I served this on buns with a little cabbage slaw and a homemade pickle. I also made some "deviled potatoes" to serve on the side (will post recipe soon)... so yummy!! 

Canning beans

Ok... I'm a bit if a canning junky. Jams, jellies, salsa, marinara... yes, yes and yes!! There's nothing better than opening up a jar of your own product and knowing every ingredient that went into it... plus jars of jam and jelly make awesome gifts!! Last Christmas my mother in law got me a pressure canner, opening up a whole new world of canning possibilities. First order of business... beans!! I honestly had no idea how simple and inexpensive canning my own beans would be. After a little research I attempted my first batch... success!! If you have a pressure canner you can whip up a dozen jars of any of your favorite beans for just a few dollars and a couple hours of time!! I went to a local whole foods store and bought a few varieties... I used pinto beans, black beans and chickpeas but this would work with any dry beans.

1-2 pounds any variety dry beans

Canning salt

Water

Canning jars (pint size) with lids and rings 

Soak beans for a couple hours in warm water, drain and rinse 

Sterilize jars and lids in dishwasher or boiling water

To each sterilized jar add 1/2 cup beans and 1/2 tsp canning salt. Fill remainder of the jars with water to the neck. 

Place lids and rings on the filled jars.

Follow manufactures instructions on your pressure canner and cook beans at 10 pounds pressure for 40 minutes. The dry beans cook right in the jars and will come out perfectly cooked and ready to use!! Voila, that's it!!

Next time I'm going to play around with adding some other seasonings to the jars prior to canning to make my own chili beans, baked beans... etc. 

I've already used a jar of the black beans for some vegan enchiladas and they were perfect!! You can do as many or as few jars as you prefer... I ended up with about 20 jars of beans. Enjoy!!

Baked falafel

One of our favorite places to eat is a  Mediterranean restaurant with a great vegan menu selection. On the menu they have a felafel, which I admit I had never heard of prior to having theirs. Somehow chickpea croquettes don't sound like the most amazing of dishes but boy is it ever good!! Now I know falafel is traditionally fried but I absolutely hate frying food... not necessarily because of the added fat but because to me frying is a huge, wasteful mess. I looked up a few recipes and tweaked them just a bit to come up with my own version. I fork mashed the chickpeas but next time I'll definitely use the food processor just to break up the pieces a bit more... these were great!!

Preheat oven to 350

In a food processor combine:

2 15 oz cans garbanzo beans                                          

   (chickpeas) drained and rinsed 

1 onion

5 or 6 cloves of garlic peeled 

3 tbs fresh cilantro

3 tbs fresh parsley

3 tbs lemon juice

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp olive oil

2 tsp cumin

3 tbsp flour

Salt and pepper to taste

Pitas or flatbread

Toppings such as hummus (I made a cilantro jalapeño hummus... I'll post the recipe for that eventually), cucumber, tomato, pickle, tzatziki, avocado or any others you desire.

Pulse until coarsely chopped (leave some texture). Form into 1-2 inch patties. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, flipping half way through. Serve on warm pitas with desired toppings... delicious!

Cream cheese avocado sandwich

With summer fast approaching I try to limit the use of the stove or oven during the day. I came up with an amazing summertime sandwich that's both creamy and crunchy and definitely hits the spot on a warm day like today.

2 slices any vegan bread (I used nut grain bread)

1/2 sliced avocado

1/2 sliced tomato

Handful clover sprouts

Vegan cream cheese

Simply spread cream cheese on both pieced of bread, pile on the veggies and enjoy!! How easy is that!! 

Breakfast Enchaladas

Morning... not my favorite time of day. I can honestly say I've never been much of a morning person. Breakfast on the other hand, I love (as long as it's at a reasonable hour... say... 10ish). I prefer a nice savory breakfast over anything sweet so this morning I decided to whip up a quick batch of breakfast enchiladas (vegan, of course). These are super easy to make, even for the non-morning people (you know who you are!!).

I used the ingredients listed, but any combination of veggies would be great in this dish... feel free to experiment. 

Filling:

1/4 package extra firm tofu

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 red bell pepper diced

1/4 onion diced

5 or 6 mushrooms diced

1 tomato diced

handful cilantro chopped

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp turmeric  

Salsa, avocado or vegan sour cream to top

6 flour tortillas

1 15 oz can red enchilada sauce

Sauté veggies until soft. Add tofu and black beans and seasonings and stir until heated, breaking up tofu. Divide filling among the 6 tortillas and roll closed. Top with enchilada sauce and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!! If you have some vegan cheese on hand that would also be wonderful melted on top but if not, they still taste great without it!!