The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay, so before I became mostly-vegan I had this bom-diggidy cookie recipe!

Everyone is out to find the 'best' chocolate chip cookie recipe in the world... well kids, the search is over! 

Everyone loves them.  There isn't a sole who is disappointed while popping one of these suckers in their mouth.  They're so unbelievably soft and chewy on the inside, yet hard on the outside!  The secret ingredient.... Pudding.  

Though I doubt anyone is disappointed while eating a cookie… unless it’s this cookie (below)- The recipe I got for this pictured cookie was labeled as “the best chocolate chip cookie recipe in the universe”… FAIL! What a hoax the internet is…

these are NOT the best cookies in the universe.  
Whoever thought so needs to move. 

But I promise THIS recipe is not a hoax!  Trust me?

I digress… So I’m visiting my mom and some of my vegan-ness has gone out the window (and I’m reaping the consequences too. Feeling like garbage).   So while at her house we whipped these up in no time! 

These aren’t vegan—though I DO have a bangin vegan cookie recipe that I promise to share soon! 

Here we go.  What You Need: 

*This recipe makes 45 cookies, unless you eat the batter, like I love to do- then it will make like 24. 

¾ c butter (1 and a half sticks)

¾ cup brown sugar

¾ cup white sugar

1 small package of vanilla pudding

1 tea vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 ¼ cup flour

1 tea baking soda

1 ½ cup chocolate chips

The Fun Part:

-Cream butter and sugars together.

-Add the pudding powder- mix until incorporated.

- Add in the eggs and vanilla extract

- Stir in the flour and baking soda until incorporated.

- Stir in chocolate chips – more than a cup and a half if you want, heck you can even spring for some nuts if you’re up for it!

Drop by rounded tablespoons on greased cookie sheet.

Cook in 350 degree oven for 10-13 minutes until golden brown – they may be a little soft to the touch, but let them cool – They will harden a bit and be DElish. Honest!

Nutella Cookies

Nutella Cookies

There are very few recipes that I made that involve Nutella.  Actually there is one recipe.  This one. 

For those of you who know me, you know that I love nutella.  Even –this- awesome vegan nutella.  Anyway my favorite way to eat it is on a spoon.. any other way is a waste of nutella for me!  This exclusive recipe that makes that rule obsolete! 

I know. It isn’t healthy- but sometimes {all the time} you just have to indulge.  The only thing to change to make it vegan is to make the butter- vegan butter.  Easy enough! 

So here we go.  What You Need:


1 cup (2 sticks) vegan butter- room temp.
1/4 cup powder sugar-- plus some for dusting
1 tea. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 cup vegan nutella

The Fun Part

--Mix together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
--Add vanilla extract.
--Incorporate flour.
--Stir in nutella.

--Try not to eat a spoonful.  --OH go ahead!  You totally can, no eggs!! :)

Drop rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheet.
Cook at 350 for 10-12 minutes.
Cool and roll into powder sugar (or not, your choice!)

Eat and enjoy the yummy goodness!!

Spaetzle and Goulash

Since I have added two vegan-modified recipes that my father taught me, it’s only fair that I share a recipe from my mother’s side of the family.  Ergo tonight’s meal –

Spaetzle and goulash. 

Now I know goulash is an often referred to term used by Americans as an ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ recipe. It actually has a different recipe for different parts of the world. This recipe was, like nutella, a staple in my home growing up all thanks to my oma.  This is the Hungarian style.

Every time I make it, it reminds me of a lazy Sunday afternoon with nothing else to do but feel the wind blow through the open windows.  Gotta love those comfort meals. 

I have also made this Hungarian staple meal vegan.  It was simple- I just omitted the meat and replaced it with some fancy mushrooms – the perfect meat substitute!  Although, if you’re not vegan/vegetarian, by all means, cut up some bloody top round.  It’s your body!

So here we go.  What You Need

For the Goulash
8 oz portabella mushrooms diced (or sliced) (or meat, or not ya know, whatever, your choice)

1 onion (or ½ large) chopped

2 bell peppers (whatever color you love)

3 cups of water
2 packets brown gravy mix (some have a milk protein in them, check the label)
¼ cup paprika

     *you can also use the goulash mix by knorr instead of gravy mix & paprika*

For the Spaetzle

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup water
1 flax egg (1 tbl ground flax seed + 3 tbl water)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp nutmeg

The Fun Part:

- in large pot add mushrooms, onions, and peppers – let cook until softened – about 5 minutes

- add the water, gravy mix, and paprika.  Bring to boil and let simmer for 5 minutes. And you’re done.

-          Meanwhile in a bowl add flax egg, water, salt, and nutmeg.  Let rest for 15 minutes.

-          While it’s resting, boil a big pot of water.  Use a spaetzle maker or a colander to push the dough through and into the water.  Let boil for 5 minutes or until pasta starts to float.  – do this in a couple of batches so the water isn’t too crowded and the spaetzle doesn't stick to itself.  

Whoopie Pies - Vegan Style

Whoopie Pies

Whoopieeeeee 

Ever since I took a vaca to Pennsylvania to visit my family last summer I have fallen DEEPLY in love with all of the amish goodies – Their breads, their jams, their auctions, and most importantly- their oh so famous whoopee pies! 

I literally gained 5 lbs that summer and I can attribute every pound to those darn delicious whoopee pies. 

I even got a whoopee pie maker!  How cool is that?  If you’re interested in getting one I got mine at Kohls  and it is called babycakes whoopee pie maker – and it’s fantastical.
I will add that you do not need this special maker for this recipe, these cakes will cook just as easily in the oven on a regular cookie sheet .. you’re welcome!

Whoopies.  What You Need:

1 box Duncan heins yellow cake mix (accidentally vegan)

1 can pumpkin puree

*I promise they don’t taste ANYTHING like pumpkin… do you trust me?

That’s it!  I told you it was easy.  

The Fun Part: 

Mix.

Cook in whoopee pie maker for 2:30

Or

Scoop onto cookie sheet- Cook in the oven at 350 for 15ish minutes or until golden

I use a small cookie scoop to get even rounds.

 – makes 24 whoopie pies – 48 single rounds. 

   Filling

4 c powdered sugar

3 tbl shortening

3Tbl earth balance butter

Ps. If you DO want pumpkin tasting whoopee pies use spice cake mix and add spices like cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves, nutmeg, and allspice – just a tad of each—or pumpkin pie spice—whatever) 

Before their trip to the oven. 

left side = whoopie pie maker
right side = oven

Vegan Gnocchi

Vegan no-ricotta Gnocchi 

Let me start by saying that I could have gone the easy route making these vegan and just used potatoes, but as my dad always said, “when they’re made with ricotta they’re lighter and I can eat more.”

A wise man my dad is. 

The first time I made vegan ricotta gnocchi I made a couple of mistakes.  1. I used eggs and 2. I used two $4.00 tubs of vegan ricotta.  Now, I love gnocchi, but I don’t love them eight+ dollars worth!  I’m a frugal woman. 

So here is a modified recipe that uses tofu and it’s quite delicious, have a taste!

Let me add quickly that I use the tofu that you can buy on the shelf.  It comes in a cardboard box and it is probably half the price of refrigerated tofu. 

So here we go.  What You Need:

14 oz firm tofu (drained) crumbled

2 tbl lemon juice

3 tbl vegan parm

2 tea garlic powder

1 tea nutmeg

4 oz tofutti cream cheese

2 cups white flour + ½ cup to kneed in if needed.  (I usually need this.)  (and ps you can use wheat if that’s what you prefer, but I swear using white makes them taste almost the same as regular gnocchi)

The Fun Part:

-          Combine all ingredients (I don’t even dirty a bowl- just use the counter top- the old fashioned way)

-          Kneed dough until no longer super sticky

-          Roll out into snakes (or logs -if you’re an adult)

-          Cut into bite size pieces

-          Make a thumb print into each one (gives the sauce somewhere to go – you can also do this the fancy-schmancy way and use a fork to roll them, but I just see that as wasted time, my belly doesn't have the time to wait for me to use this method!)

-          *If you are going to freeze them, nows the time to do that.*

Cook in a pot of boiling water for 6 minutes – until they’re all floating toward the top of the pot.  You'll have to do a few batches, it will be worth it.  

Serve with pasta sauce and munch J

Little hands love to help :)

Pop's Pancakes Made Vegan

Two Friends Favorite Pancakes

This could be my most celebrated recipe.  From a young age my friends had certain expectations from me.  1. To be awesome 2. To borrow clothes from and 3. To make amazing pancakes.

Pancakes might be my favorite food ever; and when they’re topped with nutella??  Ohhh forgetaboutit.  Might as well shoot me dead and happy! 

I don’t particularly understand pancakes – it’s unacceptable to eat cake in the early morning, yet pancakes make the cut?  Nonetheless, I’m pleased with this verdict and openly accept the option to make pancakes as often as possible!

It’s probably a heaven sent that my husband doesn’t like pancakes {I know, gasp!}.  But if he did, there is no doubt I would make them every.single.morning. 

Here is the time-tested recipe that got me branded as the friend who cooked…all thanks to my dad, since it is his recipe after all.

When I was little my father would let me help and sprinkle in the cinnamon, when I would finish he would pleasantly whisper “I like cinnamon, lets add a little more” and continue to sprinkle.  Needless to say this family recipe didn't really use certain measurements; more like '4 scoops of this' and 'a spoonfull of that.'  But isn't that how all awesome family recipes truly are?

At any rate, I got the measurements down for you- and Hey! I've even made it vegan!  You're welcome.  Don't worry it wasn't difficult.  

So here we go- What You Need:

1 cup flour (3/4 c white ¼ c wheat) or all white, whatever.

1 cup almond milk (or regular milk if you must.)

1/8 cup sugar

1/8 cup mashed banana – or you can use oil

1 flax egg (1tbl flax 3 tbl water) or you can use a regular egg if you like the suckers)

1 tea baking powder

½ tea baking soda

1 tbl cinnamon

The Fun Part:

-Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl

-Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until just incorporated

-cook on a pan over med-low heat until bubbles immerge – flip let cook a half –minute to a minute longer – all done! J

Enjoy your short stack (or double stack if that’s how you roll)! 

Meatless Loaf - Tofu/Vegan

Meatless Loaf

There isn’t much I can say about meatless meat loaf.  It is what it is, ya know?  I don’t think I had meatloaf until I was about 15.  I was at my tante’s (if you don’t know what that is, google it.) house and she served it up- I fell in love. 

Why does meatloaf have such a bad stigma behind it?!?  Beats me.  It quickly became one of my favorite meals.  That is, until I became vegan.  Bye bye meat. 

Hello Meatless Loaf!

Little hands love to help! 

ps. I added celery to mine, but I wasn't impressed so I omitted it from my recipe :)
(that's the green stuff you see in the loaf)

So here we go.  What You Need:

1 sweet potato

1 can white beans – drained- (I use butter beans, what else?)

1 pkg. (14 oz) tofu

2 carrots – grated

½ onion – grated

2 cloves garlic- grated or chopped

2 tbl soy sauce

2 tbl worcestershire sauce (I had to google how to spell that crap.)

2 tbl ketchup

1 tbl mustard

1 packet meatloaf seasonings (McCormick is what I use)

¾ cup breadcrumbs (or oats, or ground crackers- whatever you usually use for meatloaf)

The Fun Part

- Cook the sweet potato (I nuke in microwave for 5 minutes then peal skins off & mash)

- In pan cook grated onion carrots and onion, just for a few minutes to soften.  --Optional.

- Drain beans, rinse, and mash

- Crumble tofu in bowl

- Add in grated onion, garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mustard, meatloaf seasonings, and breadcrumbs. 

- form into mini loafs (or put in loaf pan) - I make mini loafs- takes less time to cook and easy serving sizes.  This recipe makes 13 Kim-hand size loafs.  

- top w/ bread crumbs

Cook in 350 for 25 minutes – or if using loaf pan cook for 1 hr.

Enjoy the meatless-ness J

Coconut Banana Breafast (or dessert) Cake - Vegan

Coconut Banana Breakfast (or dessert) Cake - Vegan

In my venture to make a dent in the pile of bananas in my freezer, I have taken an interest in all things banana- my least favorite fruit. 

That being said, I do LOVE me some banana bread- added to the list of banana-loves is this coconut banana cake!  I also love how it is a ‘breakfast’ cake.  Kind of in the same crowd as pancakes – Why exactly are they suitable for breakfast?  Wait. Don’t answer that.  I don’t care.  It all works for me and my taste buds!

So here we go.  Here’s What You Need:  

1 c white flour

½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 flax eggs (2 Tbl flax seed +6 Tbl water) (or you can use eggs if you’re not vegan)

1/3 cup sugar (white or brown- whatever you have on hand- I usually use white)

2 tea vanilla extract – or coconut extract if you have it!

1 cup mashed banana (two small bananas)

½ cup coconut milk

The Fun Part:

-          Combine all dry ingredients

-          Combine all wet ingredients

-          Grease/four an 8x8 pan (or you can use a loaf pan, I’m just kind of obsessed with 8x8- but a loaf pan would make this thicker)

-          Pour batter into pan

-          Cook at 350 for 25 minutes (or if using loaf pan do 35)

For the topping I used

-          2 cups powdered sugar

-          2 tbl coconut milk

-          ½ cup shreaded coconut

Mix ingredients together, pour over cake once it’s out of the oven!

Yumm! Enjoy your yummies J

Vegan Nutella

Vegan Nutella

I’m going to be honest with you for a moment here- oh who am I kidding, I’m always blunt.  I am addicted to Nutella.  I am. And If you’re reading this, chances are- so are you, and if you’re not yet, you will be. Mark my words! 

In Venice found this AMAZING jar of nutella.  Yes I had to have it. 

Nutella was ALWAYS a staple in my house growing up- so imagine my shock and dismay when I grew up only to find out that this is not the case in everyone’s home!  I felt so horrible for not exposing as many people I could to it as possible!

I actually had to stop myself from buying some the other day, it was on sale and I found a coupon in the paper- that never happens once in a lifetime year.  (Did you get as confused reading that as I did typing it? Welcome to my brain.)

Like my jar?  I got it when I lived in Italy.  *brag*

It is heaven. 

I’m not kidding.  HEAVEN! 

I was devastated for my husband because he could no longer eat it, since he was allergic to milk.  As luck would have it- I have a vegan nutella recipe that is just as tasty!   Whew. Bullet dodged!

Vegan 'chocolate' chips

This ‘nutella’ taste exactly like nutella!!  I asked my husband what he thought and he said it just taste fresher – that doesn’t seem like much of a problem to me at all!

Straight out of the oven - Mmm I can smell them. 

After rubbing the skins off 

So here we go What You Need:

1 cup hazelnuts

10 oz vegan chocolate

3 tbl powdered sugar

2 tbl coconut oil

1 tbl cocoa powder

The Fun Part:

-Toast the hazelnuts.  I did this in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes.  You can do it on your stovetop as well – low heat and stirring frequently. 

- once toasted, rub skins off with a kitchen towel.

- place in food processor and ground the hazelnuts. 

- melt the chocolate in a double boiler (a pot w/ a bit of water and a glass bowl on top)
- Once melted add the rest of ingredients – powder sugar, oil, and cocoa.

- add everything to the food processer for one more go, and you’re done!

Enjoy the deliciousness! 

Makes enough to fill a 13 oz jar