baked goods... with recipes this time!

In my attempts to expand my cooking repertoire I've mostly succeeded in the baking aspect, but what can I say... who doesn't have a sweet tooth? :) This last week I attempted at two new vegan recipes. They're better than you'd expect vegan baked goods, it's been argued by a panel of my peers that these two goodies have more flavor than your traditional recipe provides. This week I made another type of chocolate chip cookies, which were softer and sweeter than the last ones I made; I also made Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins.

Lex's Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie-Pancakes

I call these cookie-pancakes because they had a slight pancake-like texture, which is bad when they're sitting on the table when you wake up, because it makes them an even more delicious breakfast treat.

Recipe:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup (I used maple agave syrup - if you use agave syrup I would advise you to use a little less because it makes it even sweeter, but the syrup is necessary for the binding process)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup soy milk
chocolate chips (as many as your little heart desires)

Mix this all together in a large bowl. Place batter a few inches apart on a SPRAYED cookie sheet. And then bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 mins.
Note: when you put the batter on the pan it is extremely watery & thin, don't worry the cookies raise a lot. Also, if you don't spray the pan it will take forever to remove the cookies from the cookie sheet.

Zombie Cook's Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Recipe:
2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp poppy seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup soy milk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 fresh squeezed lemons (or 2 tsp lemon extract)
2 tsp vanilla or almond extract

Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, poppy seeds & salt in a large mixing bowl. (Feel free to add more poppy seeds if you'd like). Next add the wet ingredients & stir until it's all mixed together. Pour into a muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 mins.

This makes about a dozen regular sized muffins. To get the lemon flavor just right be sure to taste the batter before you bake them - Personally I would have added more, but my roommates thought these muffins had the perfect amount of flavor.

***The best thing about vegan goodies... you can eat all the batter you like without worrying about getting sick (you might get a sugar rush tho).

Life Lessons from Books.

Eat. Pray. Love. by Elizabeth Gilbert is a great book that I can only give positive reviews. However, I would advise anyone who picks it up not to rush it. It took me about a year to finish this book, not because it was a hard read, but instead of blazing through the book like usual, I savored it; letting it help me understand life. I personally believe that sometimes we stumble across books, songs, or people who are in our lives to help us find truth, clarity, acceptance or appreciation. Sometimes the most random things will teach us important life lessons. This is exactly what Eat. Pray. Love. did for me; rather than forcing myself to finish the book in one sitting I took my time and read each section with ease. By the time I finished I realized there was a direct correlation between the struggles I was facing at that time and Gilbert's struggle at that specific point in Gilbert's journey. This book is split into 3 sections - Gilbert describes it as eating her way through Italy, praying in India, and finding a balance and understanding of love in Indonesia. A wonderfully written testimony of one woman's journey to find understanding and balance in life.

Look ma... I can cook!

Back in April I couldn't even properly make mac 'n cheese without melting the spatula. But now, all that has changed; I can COOK (and bake). This summer I've taken the time to actually make full meals and put some effort into cooking rather than make a grilled cheese. I'll let you in on a little secret, most of this is vegan food - but I don't usually tell people because it freaks them out. Many people assume vegans can only eat grass and dirt, but you'd be surprised how normal a vegan diet is... pile on the fries, burgers, nuggets, shakes, cookies, cupcakes - just substitute a few ingredients.

Here are some of my creations:

Vegan burger w/ avocado and potato fries...

This was a perfect meal to celebrate the 4th of July, especially after a long day participating in a horseshoes tourney on the beach... A burger and potatoes are always a safe bet for a meal because they're so dang delicious - and it barely takes any effort or time. :)

Quinoa & Veggies
(squash & potatoes)

Quinoa is a gluten-free grain, extremely similar to couscous... It barely takes any time at all to make. And rather than using water to make the quinoa, I used vegetable broth which gave it a little more flavor. As for the vegetables, I did not have a steamer, so I put them in a frying pan with a mix of oil and water and let them cook...

Wheat Pasta and Summer Squash

It's exactly what it sounds like, make some pasta, steam some squash, add some sauce... and Ta-da! You have a wonderful hearty vegetarian/vegan meal. (I made this meal in memory of the greatest vegetable pasta dish I've ever tasted while traveling last summer in Peru... random place to have such delicious pasta, but the world is full of surprises).

Caitlyn's ALMOST Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

This was my first attempt at vegan baking... and I ALMOST succeeded. Surprisingly enough, there are a variety of substitutes that you can use instead of eggs. The one I decided to use for these cookies was soy yogurt, however I accidentally used regular yogurt, so they weren't quite vegan. Then instead of regular butter or margarine you can use the dairy-free kind. And on accident I added a little extra flavor by using Sea Salt instead of regular salt. It was a good addition, but if you do use sea salt instead or regular salt, be sure to put half the amount that is required because Sea Salt has a stronger taste. One critic described these cookies as a "food orgasm." (I'm not making this up)

Banana-Banana Bread Muffins

This is just the boxed banana bread mix from Trader Joe's, except I modified it some, even tho you only need to add 3 ingredients. Instead of eggs I used a banana as the binding force for the bread. Which makes sense because you want a banana taste anyways. And I couldn't find a bread pan, so I just used a mUffin tin and made a dozen personal size banana breads. :)

For a full list of egg substitutes you can check it out at the Post Punk Kitchen:
Egg Substitutes... Check it out!

**For the record, I am only a vegetarian, NOT a vegan. But vegan cooking is a lot easier than you'd guess**