Vegan Chunky Monkey Cookies

Did you know that bananas make an excellent egg replacer! This was my first experience in using bananas as a substitute for eggs. I usually use an egg replacer powder. They aren't quite as powerful as egg replacer powder or flaxseed, but they worked great in this cookie recipe. Try using bananas instead of eggs in your next favorite baking recipe!

  

(Adapted from Namely Marley)

• ¼ cup vegan buttermilk, (soy milk with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar)
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup margarine, softened
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 bags vegan chocolate chips
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions

1. Heat your oven to 375°.
2. Combine soy milk with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and set aside. Next, combine dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt) in small bowl. Beat margarine, peanut butter sugars, and vanilla in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add bananas and beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture and then soy buttermilk mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake for 11 to 15 minutes (depending on your oven) or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Place in an airtight container to keep fresh or bring them to work to share with your co-workers like I did!

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Anthony's Vegan Pizza

I must admit that my boyfriend is an AMAZING cook, and I love featuring some of his creations on my blog! Check out this yummy pizza he made!

 

 

Everything for this recipe can be purchased at Whole Foods (aka Whole Paycheck)! And lots of ingredients are measured "to taste," because Anthony cooks most things by taste!

Ingredients

• Vicolo Organic Corn Meal Crust (Package contains 2 personal sized pizza crusts)
• Whole Foods San Marsano Pizza Sauce (found near the pizza crusts) or your pizza sauce of choice
• 1 frozen package of Nate's Savory Mushroom Meatballs
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 a bunch of organic broccolini, chopped
• 2 cups kale, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 peeled and boiled, sweet potato
• Bragg's Liquid Aminos, to taste
• 1 tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil

Quick and Easy Pesto

• 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup of basil
• 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil
• garlic powder, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste

 

Directions

1. Sauté garlic, chopped onion, kale, and brocollini in a pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add in Bragg's Liquid Aminos (to taste/your liking), pepper, and white balsamic vinegar. Cook for about 7 minutes. Put mixture aside to cool.
2. Boil water in a seperate pan. Peel sweet potato. Once water is boiling, add in sweet potato. Cook until you are able to pierce the potato with little resistance. Once the potato is done, remove from pot, and let cool. Once cooled thinly slice the potato.
3. In another non-stick skillet. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add in the meatballs and cook for appoximately 5 minutes. Add a little pizza sauce to coat the meatballs. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. In a food processor blend olive oil, basil, nutritional, garlic powder, pepper, and salt.
5. Assembling the pizza: Place all the items on the pizza in this order...Pizza sauce, sliced sweet potato, green mixture, sliced bell pepper, meatballs. Pour a little pizza sauce on top of the meatballs. Drizzle some of the pesto on top of the pizza.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
7. Let cool, slice, and top with some vegan ranch! Yum!!!

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Beyond Meat Fajitias

 

So I had to try cooking with some of the new Beyond Meat chicken-free strips after reading Vegan Crunk's blog review on it, and trying it in a delicious savory crepe at LA Vegan Crepe this past weekend! Bianca of Vegan Crunk said, "This is the most realistic-tasting vegan meat on the market." Beyond Meat advertises their plant protein as "the first plant protein that looks, feels, tastes, and acts like meat." I must say I'd have to agree with Vegan Crunk and Beyond Meat's advertising statement. It is quite incredible plant-based protein. Not only does it taste incredible, but it's vegan, gluten free, and has 20 grams of cholesterol-free protein/per serving (4 per package)! I tried Beyond Meat out in some fajitas tonight, and I can't wait to use it in many more dishes!

Recipe adapted and inspired from Vegan Crunk...an awesome Southern vegan chick from Memphis!

Beyond Meat Fajitas

Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons, vegetable oil or coconut oil 
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock  
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, sliced into strips
• 1 orange pepper, sliced into strips 
• 1 yellow pepper, sliced into strips
• 1 12-ounce package of Beyond Meat Chicken-Free Strips, Southwest Style
• 2 tsp. Mexican chili powder
• 1 package of Simply Organic fajita seasoning (Whole Foods carries it) or taco seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 tortillas 
• Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream
• Tapitio
• cilantro, to garnish 

Method

1. Heat the oil on medium heat in a non-stick skillet. Add the onion, salt, pepper, and Mexican chili powder sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the peppers and sauté for about 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften.
3. Add the Beyond Meat strips and spices. Stir to coat. Add in small amounts of vegetable stock, adding in more as it's absorbed. Saute 7 to 10 minutes, until Beyond Meat is browned and veggies are tender. 
4. Serve in tortillas with vegan sour cream, Tapitio, and garnish with cilantro.

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How I Spent My... Weekend

Dined in and got take out at Veggie Grill with our free entree cards we got from Tour de Pier. I love their new menu items like the Baja "Fish" Tacos (top right) and The Grilled Cookie with frozen yogurt (bottom left).

Made a trip up to LA just to go to for a late lunch at LA Vegan Crepe! And OMG it was totally worth the drive just to go eat there! The food, service, and hospitality was spectacular. I love that it's owned by a French husband and wife! Maybe that will be Anthony and I one day. We'd love to own our own restaurant. The highlight by far was the Mushroom Pate (top right) and the crepes were amazing too!

Relaxing Saturday night with wine and magazines out on our patio. 

Painted my nails with Wet n Wild Fastdry - The Gold & The Beautiful

Failed at making homemade kale chips. Next time I'll get it!

I hope you had a spectacular weekend, and didn't eat as much food as I did! 

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Southwestern Breakfast Hash

My favorite thing about the weekend is my Saturday mornings. I love sleeping in (although this morning my body decided to wake up at 6:30), making a yummy breakfast with coffee, and relaxing on the couch with my love. It's the BEST part of my weekend! This southwestern breakfast hash turned out spectacular, and I have plenty left for breakfast tomorrow morning!

I found this recipe on Pinterest...well where I find most of my recipe inspirations. I've created quite a recipe collection on there! Check out all my pinned vegan recipes on my Pinterest here. This recipe was orginally featured on WholeLiving.com (Martha Stewart's food magazine). You can find the orginal recipe here. I modified the recipe a little bit to add a little more flavor and extra veggies! Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 8-9 small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 zucchinis, diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• 3 scallions, cut into 1/4-inch slices (reserve 1 for garnish)
• 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast seasoning
• 1 package (8 ounces) plain, organic tofu, diced into squares
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 medium avocado
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• garlic powder

Directions

1. Bring potatoes to a boil in a pot of salted water. Cook until knife-tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a separate pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter on medium-high heat. Lightly dust the tofu in a flour mixture (flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder) and add into pan. Cook until both sides of the tofu are browned, 7 to 8 minutes.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cumin and minced garlic, cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.
4. Heat remaining oil over medium heat. Cook zucchinis, jalapeno, scallions, tomatoes, beans, and nutritional yeast, stirring, until tomatoes begin to break down, 5 to 7 minutes. Add potatoes and tofu, cook until heated through. Remove pan from heat. Top with avocado and Tapatio.

*Remember to always season and taste as you go. And always try and use organic ingredients whenever possible!

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Recent Vegan Product Favs

 

[clockwise from left]

1. GT's Kombuca ~ Green Chia 2. Pacific Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk 3.  Lundberg Pico de Gallo Bean & Rice Chips  4. Tofutti Yours Truly Cones

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