Category Archives: Cooking & Recipes

Baked Donuts

Notes: Makes 12 donuts

Ingredients:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup soy, almond, or rice milk
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup white or apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Vanilla or Chocolate Glaze (recipe to follow)
Optional toppings: Rainbow or chocolate sprinkles, chopped toasted almonds, shredded coconut, mini chocolate chips.

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease two donut pans.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk nondairy milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk together quickly until just combined. Do not over mix.

Using a pastry bag or plastic bag with the tip cut, pipe batter into the prepared donut pans and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let sit 5 minutes before unmolding.

Chocolate Glaze
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips (dairy-free)
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy, almond, or rice milk
½ cup powdered sugar

In a double boiler or microwave, melt the chocolate chips and nondairy milk together. Whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before glazing so that the glaze thickens and any powdered sugar clumps dissolve.

Old-Fashioned Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons soy, almond, or rice milk

In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar and nondairy milk until smooth.

To assemble donuts: Dip each donut into the glaze, covering the top. Twist the donut as you remove it from the glaze to give it a nice finish and prevent dripping. Immediately sprinkle the topping onto the glaze and let set.

Damn Good Cookies


Notes: Made from an Engine 2 recipe. I don’t know about “Damn Good” as they are named but we thought they were pretty good considering what they were.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup raw almonds or cashews
1/2 Cup raw walnuts
6 large dates pitted (we bought in bag)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water (if needed for texture)
3 tablespoons non-dairy dark chocolate chips
3 tablespoons old fashioned oats

Directions:
In a food processor or blender, blend the nuts until crumbled uniformly. Transfer the nut mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Add the dates, vanilla and water to the food processor and blend until mixture is paste-like. Scrape down the sides of the food processor a few times and blend again.

Add the nut mixture to the date mixture and blend together. Add chocolate chips and oats and pulse the mixture until blended to your liking or mix in the chips and oats by hand.

Press balls of the mixture firmly into a teaspoon. Free the dough from the spoon’s shape and place on serving plate. Refrigerate if not eating right away.

Ratatouille

Notes: We both thought this was so-so. A little bland.

Ingredients:
2 zucchini
2 yellow squash
1 red bell pepper, seeded
1 green bell pepper, seeded
2 tomatoes
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
3 oz sun-dried tomatoes
15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Directions:
Cut vegetables (except tomatoes and garlic) into bite-sized pieces. Dice tomatoes and mince
garlic. Line a large pot with a thin layer of water or broth. Saute garlic until golden and fragrant.
Add more liquid and vegetables, and cook over high heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally,
while the tomatoes break down. Once the juices from the tomatoes have been released, add the
herbs, beans, and vegetable stock. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook with the lid off until the
liquid is evaporated,

Source: Happy Herbivore.

Spicy Basil Noodles

Notes: Slightly adapted from a Happy Herbivore recipe. We both really like d this.

Ingredients:
8 ounce package dry wide rice noodles
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh Thai chile, to taste
1 small red bell pepper thinly sliced
1 small white or yellow onion thinly sliced
1 small can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 to 1/2 a cup chopped fresh Thai basil, to taste

Directions:
If you’re using dry noodles, put them in a bowl and pour boiling hot water over them to submerge completely. Let soak for about 30 minutes, or until softened.

Mix water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, lime juice.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chiles; saute 30 seconds. Add bell pepper and onion; saute for a couple of minutes until they start to soften. Add water chestnuts, drained noodles or fresh ones, and soy sauce mixture. Saute, stirring and tossing until everything is evenly coated and heated through, and all the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off heat and stir in chopped basil.

Wild Rice Tacos

Notes: We both really like these. Pictured above topped with chopped fresh spinach.

Ingredients:
1 cup (uncooked)wild rice blend
Corn tortilla shells
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Chili powder to taste
Romaine lettuce or some other green chopped

Instructions:
Oven baked corn taco shells:
Pre-heat oven to 375
Wrap corn tortillas in a slightly damp paper towel
Microwave (to steam) for 25 seconds.
Then, place corn tortillas on your oven racks, so that they drape over the sides.
Bake for 7-10 minutes or until crispy.

Filling:
Cook rice per directions
In a pan, heat up the black beans using a couple tbs of vegetable broth.
Add in the rice and Chili powder and stir until mixture is hot all the way through.
Fill Taco shells with filling. Top with greens, jalapenos and salsa.