Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Attempt #1: Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies


I've been working hard to find delicious replacements for my daughter, who is allergic to dairy and eggs we've just found out. My current mission is to find a good cookie minus the butter and egg that still tastes good...and without using soy products. I bought some Earth's Balance Vegan Buttery Spread...but haven't been able to bring myself to use it...so I probably just wasted $5!
So this is cookie attempt #1...which is okay but not quite what I'm looking for. I attempted to replace the fat with mashed banana...but it seems to be giving the final cookie an altered after taste that is just not characteristic of a good chocolate chip cookie. So I'm going to try a few more adjustments and I'll keep you posted. The cookies were very good...the kids loved them...just not quite on the cookie-exchange level good.
Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 bananas, mashed
1 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons rice milk
2 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place bananas in a large bowl and mash into a soupy consistency. Add peanut butter, vanilla, and rice milk and stir until thoroughly combined. Add oatmeal, flour, sugars, baking soda and chocolate and stir again until combined.
Using a 1 tablespoon cookies scoop, place a scoop of cookie dough in palm of hand and roll into balls. Then roll in sugar and place on a non-stick baking sheet. Smash down slightly with a cup or make Criss-crosses with a fork.
Bake for 11-13 minutes until cookie is slightly brown on edges.
Enjoy!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Turtle Cupcakes



Warning: This cupcake may contain extreme amounts of all around goodness that will cause the corners of your mouth to point upward in a huge smile all day long! This cupcake is so stinkin' sweet it is hard not to love it...

Turtle Cupcakes

1 recipe chocolate cupcakes with chocolate cream cheese frosting
1 1/2 cup crushed pretzels
1/2 chopped pecans
11 tablespoons melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
Caramel Apple Dip


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 30-36 cupcake tins with cupcake wrappers.

Place pecans in a food processor and pulse them for about 3 seconds just to get a rough chop started. Then add pretzels and continue to pulse. You want the pretzels to be a little chunky...definitely do not turn them into a powder!

Pour pretzel and pecans into a bowl. Add melted butter and sugar and stir until combined. Scoop a rounded tablespoon of mixture into each cupcake wrapper and lightly press to bottom to form the crust.

Prepare chocolate cake as directed. Scoop cake batter on top of pretzel crust so your cupcake liners are about 3/4 full. Bake cupcakes for 20-25 minutes...until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.

Completely cook cupcakes. Using a handheld apple corer, cut a hole in the middle of the cupcake. Place Caramel Apple Dip in a piping bag with a large round tip. Fill hole in the cupcake with caramel.

Prepare frosting as directed by recipe. Place in a piping bag with a 1M star tip and pipe frosting on cupcakes making sure to cover the caramel. Sprinkle with chopped pecans if desired.

ENJOY!!

Monday, July 19, 2010

Buttered Rosemary Dinner Rolls



This is me baking. Days I block off just to bake usually involve yoga pants, oversized t-shirts and make-shift aprons (dish towels tied around my waist of course.) My hair is usually tied up in some sorts of bun and I'm always covered in flour and sugar. I love full baking days and the kitchen is usually completely destroyed and it takes me half the next day to clean it. But when you pull those fresh fragrant buns out of the oven it is so worth the 1" of flour I have to sweep up off my floor!





Buttered Rosemary Rolls


1 1/2 cups water, between 105-115 degrees
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoon white sugar
2 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

In a warmed glass bowl, add water, yeast and sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes until the foams forms a foam covering the water.

Add oil, salt and 2 cups of flour. Stir to combine and add rest of flour, 1/2 cup at a time and stir. When dough comes together, turn onto a floured surface an knead for 8 to 10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.

Place in a lightly greased bowl and turn dough so top side is greased. Cover and allow to raise in a warm, draft free place. I usually turn the oven on 400 degrees for two minutes, then turn oven off and place the bowl in the oven. When dough has doubled in sized, punch down and remove from bowl.

Divide dough into 20 balls. Form buns by shaping your index and thumb into a circle. Place dough ball in circle and push opposite thumb through dough and circle...folding the dough into itself several time until a tight ball is formed. Place 2" apart on a lightly greased baking sheet and allow to double in size, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil tops of buns and sprinkle chopped fresh rosemary (or your favorite herb) on top of each bun and bake for 12-15 minutes or until buns are golden brown. Immediately put a pat of butter on top of each roll and enjoy fresh out of the oven!!!

Friday, July 16, 2010

S'mores Bars


These things go like hot cakes! If you need to bring a bar to a pot luck or something this is your recipe. It comes together in a matter of minutes with no dishes besides the pan you bake it in and a plastic bag, what else could you ask for??

S'mores Bars

12 graham crackers, crushed
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
about 1 bag marshmallows
about 1 bag milk chocolate chips

Place graham crackers in a gallon size plastic bag and crush with a can or rolling pin until you have fine crumbs. Place in a 9x13 baking dish. Melt butter in microwave. Pour melted butter over graham cracker crumbs and add brown sugar and stir with a fork until the butter is combined with the crumbs. Then using your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup, press firmly to the bottom of the pan. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes until the edges of the crust start to brown. Remove from oven. Turn off your oven and turn broiler on high. Pour marshmallows and chocolate chips on top of crust and place pan about 6" under your broiler. Leave the door open so you can watch your bars closely. It only takes about 1 1/2 minutes for your marshmallow to brown and get puffy. Remove from oven when marshmallows are nice and brown. Let bars cool completely before cutting and enjoy!

Herbed Potatoes on the Grill


I love summer simply because I can make an entire meal on the grill and not dirty a single pan! That is the best gift I can give myself.
Herbed Potatoes on the Grill
4-5 medium potatoes
1/2 large onion
handful of you favorite herbs (I used chives, parsley and dill)
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and cracked pepper, to flavor
Place two pieces of tinfoil on the counter on top of each other and spray the top sheet with Pam. Using a mandolin, slice potatoes 1/8" thick on top of tinfoil. Then grab the onion and slice 1/8" thick. Give your herbs a rough chop and toss on top of your stack of potatoes and onion. Drizzle the potatoes, onions and herbs with olive oil and season with the salt and pepper to taste. Give everything a quick toss with your hands to coat all the potatoes with the oil.
Place another two pieces of tinfoil on the counter and spray the top sheet with Pam. Place the oiled side down on top of the potatoes and fold all four edges together to make a tight packet around potatoes.
Place directly over coals on your grill and grill for about 30 minutes...flipping half way through.
Enjoy! If your household is not dairy free...go ahead and toss a handful of shredded cheddar cheese after you pull them off the grill just to kick it up another notch!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Vegan Blueberry Banana Pancakes


I just found out my Peanut is allergic to eggs AND dairy! I suspected eggs for a while because if she ate an over easy fried egg and got any on her skin she always got a red rash right where the egg was. But the dairy blew me out of the water! So, we've been going through a bit of an adjustment here. Rice milk and almond milk have taken over the refrigerator...cheesy corn puffs have been replaced with regular corn puffs. Ingredient labels have been scoured for even the smallest bit of egg or dairy.

Lucky for me there is a plethora of vegan recipes out there! A huge challenge I've come across though...is that I am not willing to serve my children soy products and the majority of "replacement" products are made of soy. I'm okay with it as an extremely minor ingredient...but butter made out of smashed soy beans is just not going to fly. So, we are experimenting with mashed bananas and peanut butter for baking with instead. I'll keep you posted on my progress to finding good recipes for those with allergies to dairy and eggs and please, if you have some tasty recipes please feel free to share in the comment section or post a link to your food blog!

Vegan Blueberry Banana Pancakes
makes 10-12 4" pancakes

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup rice milk
1 teaspoon Ener-G egg replacer
1 tablespoon hot water
1 tablespoon oil
1 small banana, mashed
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1-2 cups blueberries...depending on how many you like in your pancakes
raw sugar

In a large bowl, add all ingredients except blueberries and raw sugar. Whisk together until combined. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add about 2-3 tablespoon canola oil. When a drop of water added to the pan sizzles, the oil is ready for pancakes!

Drop about 1/4 cup batter onto pan and sprinkle tops with desired amounts of blueberries and then about a teaspoon of raw sugar to add a nice crunch to your pancakes. When bubbles appear on tops of cakes, flip with a spatula and continue to cook until pancake feels firm.

Enjoy!! Please note these pancakes take a bit longer to cook I think because of the mashed banana, so make sure the check pancakes before you pull them off the heat.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Vanilla Cupcakes with Mascarpone Whipped Frosting


I have a question...what is so darn scary about a big pink frilly dress? It is the essence of being a girl...to love all things pink...and all things frilly right? Is there something about this particular dress that screams "I'M GOING TO EAT YOU!" Because when I put this dress on my daughter for an afternoon of fun and pretend at home...this is what happened...


She wanted it off...now. There was no negotiation. The dress was coming off or she would pass out from screaming. I made beautiful girly cupcakes inspired by her dress and we were going to have a tea party in our dresses. Instead we are wearing pajamas...but it is just as fun!



Vanilla Cupcakes with Mascarpone Whipped Frosting


2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
1 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Over a piece of wax paper, sift together flour and salt and set aside.
In your electric mixer bowl, beat butter until soft and light in color (1-2 minutes). Add sugar and beat til fluffy (3 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time scraping down bowl after each addition. Add vanilla extract and continue to beat until combined.


With your mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour and buttermilk in three additions, starting and ending with the flour.


In a small cup, combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mix to fizz and then quickly fold into the batter using a spatula.


Working quickly using an ice cream scoop, fill muffin tins half full of batter and bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, rotating pans 3/4 way through baking. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.


Mascarpone Whipped Frosting


4 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces mascarpone cheese
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream


In your electric mixing bowl, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Transfer to another bowl carefully.


Then add cream cheese and mascarpone cheese and beat until smoother. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until smooth.


With a large spatula, gently but quickly fold a bit of the whipped cream into the cheese mix to lighten it. Then fold in the remaining whipped cream in two stages. If it is not thick enough right away for piping (which it should be, I've never had a problem) refrigerate for one hour. Use a 1M star tip in a pastry bag to frost cup cakes and top with sprinkles!


Enjoy!

Orange Chicken and Rice

Look at this little man. He rides his bike without training wheels. He sleeps all night in his own bed. He gets himself dressed in the morning. He is going to be starting preschool in two months and riding the school bus.

How does five years go by so fast? Its like I blinked and all the sudden he was a toddler. Then I turned around and hes now a full grown boy! Can someone please teach me how to freeze time? Please? Otherwise if I blink again my Peanut will be 5...then Walnut will be 8! Lord help me!





Orange Chicken and Rice


1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups cooked brown rice
3 green onions, diced

Sauce:
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup honey
zest from 1 orange
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon corn starch, mixed with 3 tablespoons water

Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium high. If tenders are too thick, slice in the middle lengthwise. Brown chicken in skillet until cooked through all the way and nice brown coloring on each side. Dice chicken into bite size chunks.

In a medium sauce pan, combine all the sauce ingredients and cook over medium-high heat until sauce thickens...about 10 minutes. Be sure to stir often.

To serve, spoon a large scoop of rice onto a plate and top with chicken and sauce and chopped green onions. Add sliced almonds if desired.

Enjoy!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad


Two weeks before my best friends 25th birthday, she found a lump in her breast. She went to the doctor and they said it was just a cyst, and not to worry but keep up with her self exams. One week before her 25th birthday, she found another lump...and immediately called the doctor. She was diagnosed with Stage 3 Grade C breast cancer two days before turning 25. My best friend since we were 10 years old. The girl I shared secrets with, crushes with, stories about boyfriends. I shared my first under age alcoholic drink with her, my first under age cigarette. We worked together...we dated best friends together...we went to school together...we played basketball together...

And suddenly she was in a battle for her life. She is the strongest woman I think I've ever met. While raising a 3 and 1 year old, she underwent a double mastectomy and endured 8 horrifying rounds of chemo. She shaved her head and wore it proudly.

Every since then, we run the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure in Brainerd, MN to raise money to help find a cure. A cure in our life time...or my daughters life time...to this devastating disease that affects so many women (and men).

So, as a reminder...it is the 1st of the month and please don't forget to do your self breast exam.

Last Saturday we ran the 5k. I did my best time yet at 27 minutes 12 seconds. My best friend did it in 29 minutes and 8 seconds...and she has only been running for 4 months. That is one strong lady!

I made this salad and brought it up to the cabin with me for lunch after the big race. I hope you enjoy!

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

12 ounces small pasta (I use bowties)
1 1/2 cup mayo or miracle whip
2 tablespoon Ranch Dressing Powder (such as Hidden Valley)
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
10 strips bacon

Boil noodles until al dente (cook 1-2 minutes short of package directions). Rinse noodles in cold water when done.

Cut bacon into 1/2" pieces and fry until brown and crisp. Remove from grease and place on a paper towel to drain grease.

In a large bowl, add mayo and ranch powder and stir to combine. Then add cold noodles, carrots, onion, peas, cheddar cheese and bacon and stir to combine. Refrigerate one hour before serving.