Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

It’s that time of year! Not only are potlucks a plenty, but so is what fills up our jeans. How to balance out trying new recipes but to make sure we don’t need to buy new clothes to fit? I look around to see what are the tried and true recipes so that hopefully I don’t have to tweak (taste) too much.

I haven’t had a vegan chocolate chip cookie since my birthday and it was premade. It wasn’t quite like the cookie I was raised on — Toll House. I found about five different chocolate chip recipes but ended up going with this one because it read very similar to that Toll House recipe found on the bag of chips.

Chocolate Chip Cookies-Like They Should Be

by tinymuffinflower
Serves: 3 dozen, Preparation time: 10 minutes

• 3/4 cup raw sugar (Sugar in the Raw Turbinado)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (Trader Joe’s Organic)
• 1 cup vegan margarine (Earth Balance Original)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/3 cup and 1 teaspoon applesauce (Walmart brand unsweetened)
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt (Kosher)
• 1 (12 ounce) bag vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips (Trader Joe’s)

Heat oven to 370 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat sugars, margarine, vanilla, and applesauce together in a large bowl.

Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt.  (Dough will be somewhat stiff). Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet.  Used 2 spoons to help keep the dough from touching my fingers and to keep it easy to plop. Bake for 10-15 minutes (Check at 10… they firm up with cooling.), or until light brown. Cool.

The verdict?

Excellent! Very rich! I couldn’t tell it was veganized. I’ll test it out on my mom this weekend.

I cooked them on parchment paper and moved the parchment paper and cookies to a cooling rack after taking from the oven.

Remember that Toll House cookie recipe I was raised on? Well, Mom would substitute Butter flavored Crisco for the butter so really keep the softness of the cookie. When I would use butter, it would spread and be crispier. I prefer the soft type. This was that even when taken fresh from the fridge.

I followed exactly as written and took them out at 10 minutes. They hardened a little with cooling. The color is darker than the usual non-vegan version but that’s probably because the raw sugar is dark. And there’s a gritty sugary texture because of the turbinado. But the second batch weren’t as gritty — because the dough sat in the fridge? Also, it’s crispier on the edges. I’m guessing the crispier on the edges because of Earth Balance. I’d like to try with a finer vegan white sugar but it seems turbinado is good for holding moisture so I’ll probably stick to what worked. I’ve seen so many crumbly vegan cookies, y’know.

Served with almond milk, the only non-dairy milk that I’ve found I can drink straight.

Cookbook Challenge: BBQ Black-eyed Pea-Collard Rolls

2009 Cookbook Challenge: Cook a new recipe at least once a month from one of my currently owned cookbooks. Each new recipe I cook and post from a cookbook in my collection “earns” me $5.

Recipe 5: BBQ Black-eyed Pea-Collard Rolls from Veganomicon (Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero)

2009 Cookbook Challenge Total: $25

It was like this:

So I made this:

Yep, our first snow of the year! I got to see some snow a month ago when I went up to Chincoteague, though. Since we had a snow day, I used the time to use up the random collards and mushrooms that I had in the fridge. I guess I knew in advance that I would have a random snow day and that I would want to spend a lot of time getting the stove messy.

The recipe is available here on Google books. These were a lot of work, I think, considering. It tasted good and there are plenty rolls and barbecue sauce in the fridge for later. If they heat up well, then I could see doing this again to make them ahead. They make a lovely presentation, at least.

I made the black-eyed peas from a bag in the pantry. I figure I’ll freeze the extra. Or maybe grab another bunch of collard greens and have just the innards of this as a delicious side!

Other Cookbook Challenge entries »

Cookbook Challenge: Tofu Scramble

2009 Cookbook Challenge: Cook a new recipe at least once a month from one of my currently owned cookbooks. Each new recipe I cook and post from a cookbook in my collection “earns” me $5.

Recipe 4: Tofu Scramble from Yellow Rose Recipes (Joanna Vaught)

2009 Cookbook Challenge Total: $20

I made a tofu scramble for the first time last week and, to my surprise, really enjoyed it. I think most of the vegan cookbooks have a recipe for a tofu scramble and I don’t mind giving them a try — now.

I made this in my cast iron pan and thought it went well. Yes, learning still how to cook in cast iron but cleanup was easy with a little salt. I think, though, that I prefer the texture of the other tofu scramble that was crumbled into the pan. Vaught’s (photo above) version called for cubing the tofu, sauteing it for a few minutes, and adding a spice mixture later. There’s not a nutritional yeast flake in sight.

Also, I learned something with the seeding of the tomato before putting it in. Great idea!

I like the options she has listed like Pesto, Savory Mustard,  Greek, and Mexican. Now that I have this jar of this spice mixture, I guess I will have to make more tofu scramble. OK! Fine by me!

I served this with a couple slices of toasted wheat bread (no honey in ingredients… checked) and Earth Balance spread on top. Not necessarily a diet meal, but I was surprised when I learned that this was fewer calories than the 2 scrambled eggs in butter I was eating on weekends.

Not vegan yet, but at least I think I have finally found a replacement for scrambled eggs! Didn’t miss them either time I did a tofu scramble like I thought I would.

Other Cookbook Challenge entries »

Roti

I had this aloo gobi, right? So I thought, “What about some Indian bread to go with it?” I saw this and thought I could make that with what I have on hand! And, Manjula made it look so easy. I can’t wait to try more of her recipes!

I used the new cast iron skillet and used a little canola oil on it. The oil smoked at that high heat (medium-high). The first one was puffing some and I did the turn around thing she did. It didn’t puff as much as hers though but I think it was because I was scared to push on the bubbles. I’ll push on them next time like she says to. I didn’t use ghee. Oh, and I used plain white flour because the whole wheat decided to expire on me.

Now, I wasn’t sure how to “serve” it so kinda used it like a tortilla a little bit. I pushed some aloo gobi on it, folded the sides a little and ate the end of the taco. Oh man, was that good! I didn’t miss the ghee at all.

Aloo Gobi

Aloo Gobi (home version)

Aloo Gobi (work version)

At work, they served Aloo Gobi. It wasn’t what I thought it would be, so I decided to make it at home. I don’t think I’ve had it before, otherwise. I liked the home version better.

Now, since I hadn’t had it before in an Indian restaurant, I wasn’t sure what I thought it would be like. I did know I expected something spicier. Not necessarily hotter but spicier. You know? So, I turned to trusty ol’ recipezaar and sorted by rating and found this recipe: Aloo Gobi. It said it was from Bend It Like Beckham. I saw the movie so maybe that’s why the cafeteria version was off to me.

And then there were the tweaks/substitutions….

I didn’t have cumin seed, so I used ground cumin. I wasn’t sure of the ginger or garlic measurements, so I used 1″ of ginger and 5 cloves of garlic. I wasn’t sure of can size, so I used 1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes that was on sale. I didn’t have chili powder — thought I did — so used ground red cayenne pepper. I wasn’t sure about the stem/leaf thing on the cilantro and got tired of ripping off the leaves so think I ended up using just 1/2 a bunch. Was tasty still. Also, didn’t use 1/4 cup oil. Used more like 1.5 T canola oil. The potatoes cooked up in 20 minutes because I chopped them bite-sized. I also cut the cauliflower bite sized and it kinda went fall-aparty at the end. Still good though. I didn’t wait as long as possible — ok, maybe I did. The length of time was as soon as the beeper went off that it was done. Very tasty! Spicy but not hot, until I dumped more cayenne in it.

I need a bigger saucepan. I need that in between larger than the saucepan size I have but smaller than the small stockpot. It was pretty full but cooked OK. Stirring was a challenge. I liked that it was one pot meal though! Lots of compost/stock waste generated too.

I was cooking for one so let it cool then put most of it in a large freezer bag. Laid it flat, got the extra air out, cooled more in the fridge — just to be sure — then put it in the freezer flat.

Flog it good!

I got on the scale this morning. It was disappointed in me again. 4 pounds up since Thanksgiving.

It’s possible to gain weight as a vegan or vegetarian. I’ve proven to my mother that just cause something’s vegan doesn’t mean it’s automatically healthier.

I can pile on Earth Balance — which is amazingly butter-like — on my vegetables and be 100% vegan. I can eat a triple cheese pizza and be lacto-ovo vegetarian. With all the recipe testing and “Oh this looks good” type of cooking, maybe it’s time to step back — counts as exercise, right? — and start food blogging again. I love reading others’ “what I ate today” posts cause I can get some ideas — or feel better about that huge bowl of vegan bread pudding. I am interested in the new program at Weight Watchers but have no time in a few weeks since school starts back up.

There are lots of words of wisdom out there in the interwebs:

• Weight Loss Tips for Vegetarians
• Vegan Weight Loss which talks about Weight Watchers, McDougall, and Low-Carb
• High-Carb, Vegan Diet Causes Weight Loss
• GoVeg.com’s Success Stories makes it look so easy

We’ll see. I don’t like those 4 pounds. I have more to lose but was taking a break by maintaining for a bit. Meh.

Inspired by Clara: Pasta with peas

Inspired by Clara’s Pasta with peas and her “Depression Era Cooking” videos, I reached into my 10 pound bag of potatoes and got to work. As I played with potatoes and onions, I thought back to what I remember growing up. What dish was my Grandma “famous” for? And what do I remember most from my mother’s cooking? After Mom grabbed her bowl, we talked about it.

Me: Know what I remember most about Grandma’s cooking? Delmonico steak with salt, pepper and garlic powder. (Grandma and I both are garlic fiends.)
Mom: That’s all?
Me: Yeah. Weird, huh? I know she could cook anything and remember all the family holiday gatherings where she would cook. But that was just ham and turkey and collards and whatnot.

We then talked about how amazing of a cook my Grandma was. But Mom said she didn’t think Grandma loved to cook. Maybe that’s why I can’t remember much? Near the end, Grandma and I would talk about cooking and it was mostly about sneaking ground turkey breast into Grandpa’s food or how versatile egg white omelets were. I’m going to try and get some clippings that my aunt got when we — well, you know… went through the stuff left behind. Most everyone was in Grandma’s head but maybe I can get an idea from what she clipped out and that will help.

Me: Mom, know what I think of when I think back to your cooking?
Mom: No, what? (I could hear the ‘uh oh’ in her voice.)
Me: Hamburger soup, tuna surprise*, succotash, hamburger helper, tuna helper, chicken helper — yeah, one pot meals.

* Tuna surprise is kind of like a tuna casserole cooked in a saucepan on the stove.

Now, back to Clara. I loved how she said she would ask what’s for dinner and get as an answer: “Pasta with garlic.” “Pasta with peas.” Etc. I had pasta, including a box that had a “use by” date of 2007 — oops, yes, that was tossed, sigh — and some potatoes. Like I said, I bought this 10 pound bag of potatoes cause I was crazy being frugal.

I wanted to get the consistency of a “hamburger helper” type meal because I want something that could hold its own on a plate with some sides. I got something more soupy, but I measured so maybe I can get closer next time.

Pasta with Peas ++
The ++ means I added more stuff… of course.

• Olive oil
• 6 cups water
• 2 cups macaroni, uncooked
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 cups frozen peas (keep frozen)
• 2 baking potatoes, peeled, diced
• salt, pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Saute onions and potatoes in olive oil on medium heat till potatoes are softened. I think this took me about 15 minutes and I used a small stock pot. Add salt, pepper, water, peas. Bring to a boil. Add pasta. Boil for 10 minutes. Toss in parsley. Cook for 1 minute. This is where I added the carrots cause the pasta with peas was slightly soupy. Considering I ladled off about 1.5 cups, I’ll reduce the water amount next time. Maybe. The “stock” this all made was very good. I was heavy handed with the salt like Clara but Mom still added salt to her bowl. Ha.

Sauteed Carrots
I ended up dumping this into the Pasta with Peas at the end

• 3 carrots, chopped
• Olive oil
• Salt, pepper

I cooked the carrots in a skillet while I cooked the pasta with peas. The carrots kept browning too quickly on medium heat so I would ‘cool’ them off with a ladle of water from the pasta. I think it added a lovely flavor. I’m not a fan of carrots but these turned out nicely. I think they cooked for about 20 minutes sometimes covered and sometimes not. I tossed them into the pot of pasta right before serving and after the parsley. It added a nice color but since the carrots didn’t cook with the pasta, it had its own flavor but was somewhat familiarized with the ladles of water from the pasta.

Pasta with Peas (and carrots) Nutrition Facts (via recipezaar)
Serving Size 1 (506g) Recipe makes 5 servings
Points		7
Calories 328
Calories from Fat 80		(24%)
Amount Per Serving		%DV
	Total Fat 9.0g	13%
	Saturated Fat 1.3g	6%
	Monounsaturated Fat 6.0g
	Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2g
	Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg		0%
Sodium 42mg		1%
Potassium 640mg		18%
Total Carbohydrate 54.6g		18%
	Dietary Fiber 5.1g	20%
	Sugars 5.0g
Protein 8.1g		16%

Some others that tried her recipe:

• Vigilant20’s Pasta with Peas
• The Good Old Days’ Pasta with Peas

Laptop Lunch #7

Yes. It’s been a while, but the leftovers inspired me to pull down the laptop lunch container. Clockwise, starting from top left: chopped up organic carrot, chickpea cutlets, sautéed collards, and spring salad greens. All items are vegan. I microwaved the cutlets and collards for about 1 1/2 minutes without a cover — just wanted it warmed.

I am sure that there is an etiquette book for cubicle dwellers that says something about the acceptable amount of aroma particles for food. I probably came close to the maximum. But, hey, I haven’t cooked popcorn at work so I can bring in some collards! Right! Right?

Cookbook Challenge: Chickpea Cutlets and Sauteed Collards

2009 Cookbook Challenge: Cook a new recipe at least once a month from one of my currently owned cookbooks. Each new recipe I cook and post from a cookbook in my collection “earns” me $5.

Recipe 1: Chickpea Cutlets and Recipe 2: Sautéed Collards from Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook (Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero)

2009 Cookbook Challenge Total: $10

Two recipes means $10 for the reward jar!

It’s amazing how many of my cookbooks I had to flip through to find some simple collard green recipes. I tweaked the collard recipe by adding 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the oil and garlic. I also cooked this in a small stock pot since the large skillet was going to be used for the cutlets. The potatoes are leftover pommes anna from Urban Vegan’s not-yet-published cookbook so doesn’t count for my resolution. Chickpea cutlets were good and I would make this again. The only tweak I did was to leave out the lemon zest.

Recipes can be found online, but I recommend buying the book or at least getting it on loan from your library. Chickpea Cutlets and Sautéed Collards.

I will be making more from this cookbook!

Some Urban Vegan testers

Here’s some food porn from some recipe testers I did this weekend. They’re recipes from Urban Vegan’s upcoming cookbook The Urban Vegan: 250 Street-Smart, Animal-Free Recipes (publish date: late 2009).

Pommes Anna.

Béchamel Sauce.

Béchamel Sauce over Pommes Anna.

I was curious what the two would be like together and did a combination. Omni-mom really liked the sauce. I wasn’t feeling it.

I used a cake pan I found in the cabinet and later found it that it was my Grandmother’s. That really tugged at my heart. Miss you, Grandma. You were so accomodating of my vegetarianism. Thank you.