Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 10 large cookies, soft and chewy.

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
⅓ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup canola oil
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, mix flour through salt. In a separate bowl, mix syrup, vanilla, and oil.  Add the syrup mixture to the dry mix and mix with a spatula until combined.  Add chocolate chips, and mix until combined.  Scoop onto baking sheet covered with parchment.

Bake on preheated oven for 9-10 minutes, until the edges feel firm to the touch.  At this point, the centers will still be very soft.  Remove from oven, and let cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Remove from pan and place on cooling rack, to cool completely (or eat immediately with ice cream).

Vegan Alfredo Sauce

Makes 2 cups

1.5 cups cauliflower, chopped
1 cup slivered almonds, soaked for at least 30 minutes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup vegan milk (I used refrigerated coconut milk)
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Steam cauliflower until tender.  In medium sauce pan, heat oil.  Add onion and garlic and saute until soft.

Combine cauliflower, onion, garlic and the rest of the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.  Return to pan and heat.

Homemade Cake Mix

Mix in a zip-lock bag and store in pantry for up to 3 months.   Use as you would use store-bought cake mix.


Vanilla cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon potato flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Chocolate cake:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pickled Eggplant

I didn't use to care for eggplant, but now I love it. This is one of my favorite ways to prepare it. I love these pickled slices in sandwiches, especially falafel ones, along with pickled red cabagge (same pickle recipe, just sub the eggplant with thinly sliced red cabagge).

1 medium eggplant, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence

Divide the eggplant between two medium mason jars (I use the 1-pint size ones).

Place the rest of the ingredients in a large microwaveable dish. Microwave on high for 4 minutes, or until the mixture boils and the sugar dissolves. Pour over the eggplant until it completely submerges the eggplant slices. Put on the lids and park the jars in the fridge. The eggplant will be ready in 2 days. Keeps in the fridge for 2 months.

Vegan Waffles

I used to make these for Gabi to take on waffle days at daycare (at least once a week), back when he couldn't eat any egg at all. His teachers always commented how good they looked and smelled. I guess he wasn't scarred from not eating the class waffles with the rest of his buddies.

Vegan Waffles

1/3 cup quick cooking oatmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup vegan milk (I prefer coconut)
1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Mix all the dry ingredients and all the wet ingredients in separate bowls, and then combine and whisk until just moistened. Pour onto waffle iron. Mine takes 6 oz of batter at a time and makes 2 7" squares. I got about 5 squares out of this batch, so I am guessing this makes about 2 cups of batter.  This batter can be made ahead of time, and it benefits from refrigerating overnight.

Variations:

Lemon-Blueberry waffles: Add to the dry ingredients the zest of 1 large lemon; use lemon juice, not the vinegar; add 1/4 cup dried blueberries; let the batter stand for at least 1 hour (preferably overnight) to give the blueberries time to reconstitute.

Fruit Pie waffles:  Cut the amount of milk to 1/4 cup, and add a large can of pie filling to the batter.  After pouring the batter onto the waffle iron, top batter with crushed graham crackers before closing.