Super Yum Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan!)

These little honeys will knock your socks off!  Well maybe not literally but I bet you find yourself saying, "holy moly this is a good cookie!" after your first bite.  The best part is they're health- and animal-friendly (a.k.a. vegan)

use vegan versions

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup vanilla coconut milk (found in dairy section next to refrigerated soy milk)
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 4 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups all purpose flour 
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Whisk together applesauce, oil, coconut milk and vanilla extract.  Fork together dry ingredients then mix with wet.  Fold in chocolate chips.  On an airbake cookie sheet drop dough in mounded tablespoon scoops 3" apart.  Bake 15-20 minutes for soft cookies.

Cool on pan 2-3 minutes then move to rack to cool completely.  I like them best with coffee for breakfast.

Happy eating!

The Best Banana Muffins Ever! P.S. they're vegan

These muffins are amazing! Moist, banana-ey, healthyish, and totally vegan (don't worry, your devout meat-eater friends and family won't be able to tell the difference)!  I try to double or triple this recipe whenever possible and freeze some of these delicious darlin's for a later time; how many I make is usually dictated by the number of ripe bananas I can get my hands on. 




Use vegan versions 

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 RIPE bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (essential)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees C).  Line 12 muffin cups with foil cups or grease cups with shortening (my preferred method).  Mash bananas in a large mixing bowl with a potato masher.  Add to them brown sugar, apple sauce, and oil.  Mix well.  Dump flours, oatmeal, salt, soda and powder to the bowl on top of your wet stuff.  Fork dry ingredients together to disperse soda, powder and salt then mix everything together with a spatula until just combined (you could use an extra bowl to combine dry stuff but who wants to have to do more dishes).  Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.  Add 1/3 cup portions of batter to muffin cups.  Bake 15ish minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted to center of a muffin. 

Note: be sure you're testing the actual muffin with the toothpick and not a chunk of banana or it will never come out clean and you'll end up with a sad, hard, burned hockey puck.  Cool in pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto cooling rack and cool completely.  Display artfully on raised cake plate if consumption will take less than 4 days or store in a freezer bag in fridge for 1-1 1/2 weeks or in freezer for many weeks (not sure how many exactly because mine don't usually last more than 2)

Happy eating! 

Indonesian S'more

I am making Indonesian S'more tonight for dinner in honor of my father who passed away two weeks ago yesterday.  This dish is from my father's birthplace of Indonesia and was the first (or maybe the only) dish he taught me how to make.  It is a food that is reminiscent of the meals made in the homes of my Indonesian-Dutch relatives. In fact it reminds me of my Opa's house almost as much as green shag carpet does.  Serve S'more over sticky white rice for a meal that is so quick and easy to make.  If you like your food spicy, add Sambal.  Sambal is a traditional hot sauce that is available in Asian specialty stores or larger supermarkets.  And/or I will post a recipe for Sambal soon.   Just remember; a little Sambal goes a long way.  Or as my Opa would say, "Meisje, niet teveel."  He calls my sister and me "Meisje" and I think "niet teveel" means "not too much" in Dutch.

Ingredients:

• 6-8 chicken thighs, bone-in but skin removed
• 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup Kecap Manis ABC sweet sauce (sweet soy sauce found at specialty Asian groceries) you could substitute with teriyaki sauce but it's not quite the same.
• 1 cup water
• red pepper flake and salt to taste

In a big skillet or wok heat butter on medium-high until melted.  Brown chicken thighs on all sides then add onions and mushrooms.  Heat onion and mushrooms until onions start to caramelize but stir frequently to prevent burning.  Add garlic then water and deglaze the bottom of the pan (scrape the yummy bits off the bottom.)  Turn heat to medium-low and add ABC Sauce.  Stir well and simmer covered until chicken reached 160 degrees.  Uncover and simmer until sauce thickens to your preference and chicken temp reaches 165 degrees.  If sauce ends up too thick just add a little more water. Simmer time will really depend on how big your chicken thighs are; should take between 15 and 20 minutes but I would start checking the temp around 10 minutes.  Serve over sticky rice*. 

*for sticky  rice:

• add one quarter-again the amount of water called for on the package directions (example: 1 cup of rice usually calls for 2 cups of water; you would use 2 1/2 cups of water)
• soak rice in the water used to boil it for 20 minutes before starting to cook it
• stir rice once half way through cooking it. 

Happy Eating!

Basic Roasted Chicken

Here is my recipe for basic roasted chicken.  I make at least one of these every week and keep it on hand for sandwiches, salads, tacos, casseroles, soup, pretty much any dish that might need a quick and easy protein source.

1 whole chicken
olive  oil
1/2 yellow onion, chunked (big pieces but don't worry about the shape)
2 ribs celery, chunked
kosher salt
celery seed
dried marjoram

preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a roasting pan large enough for the bird to not touch the sides, lay down onion and celery.  Remove any extra parts from your chicken's cavity and place on onions and celery.  drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, celery seed and marjoram.  cover with lid and roast.  After 30 min begin checking temp by sticking meat thermometer into thigh avoiding the bone.  chicken is ready to be brought out when temp reads 160 degrees.  Also, at about 30-45 minutes, slice through the skin that is holding the leg/thigh to the body all the way down to the thigh bone.  This is the last area to finish cooking, exposing it will allow it to cook thoroughly without drying out the breast.  Once the temp reached 160, remove the chicken and leave it covered on the stovetop for a full 10 minutes.  This is very important as it allows the carry-over heat to finish cooking the bird (again without drying it out) and the juices to redistribute.  If eating as a meal, carve and serve.  If saving for other meals, wait another 20 minutes then remove from bones and refrigerate.

Happy eating!

White Chicken (or Vegetarian) Chili

This dish is way good, wonderful on a rainy or cold day and really easy to make into a large batch.  It takes minimal dishes to prepare and serve which means very little clean up.  Also, it can be made in the crock pot so it's wonderful on busy days.  It is also easily converted to a vegetarian dish,  I dare you to make the vegetarian version for your meat-eating family, I bet they won't even be able to tell the difference.


Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 yellow pepper, diced
• 2 Anaheim peppers, diced with seeds (or turn up the heat by using 2 jalapeno peppers instead)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 4-16oz cans white beans, drained but not rinsed (if you're not picky about color use any combo of white, black and kidney beans)
• 3 cups pre-cooked chicken (I used roasted whole chicken that I keep on hand [I'll post recipe]  You could use a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket [skin and bones removed] or if making this in crockpot use raw chicken breast cubed to 1 1/2 inches)*
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• cayenne pepper and salt to taste

*For vegetarian version, substitute chicken with 2 packages or Morning Star Meal Starter (Found in the freezer isle)


To make on stovetop:
 In medium stock pot heat olive oil over med-high heat.  Saute onion until translucent, add yellow pepper and Anaheim peppers and stir until they just begin to soften.  Add garlic and stir until garlic just begins to heat (it will start to smell really good)  Add vegetable broth and deglaze the bottom of the pot (scrape the yummy onion bits off the bottom).  Turn heat down to low and add the rest of the ingredients and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until the chicken breaks down and you can't see the onions and peppers any more.  If chili gets too thick in the process add more vegetable broth.  This can be eaten after about 20 minutes of simmering but I like to let it go a couple of hours.


To make in crockpot:


Dump all the ingredients into your crockpot, stir then cook on low for 4-6 hours.  If using raw chicken breast or the Morning star, add it at the beginning.  If using pre-cooked chicken add it to the pot at the last hour and stir well.


serves four people if some of them are REALLY hungry or 6 normal people.  I serve this with corn bread.  I won't bother posting the recipe for that because I usually just use the recipe on the back of the corn meal bag.


Happy Eating!