Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 Cup White Flour
1 Cup Almond Flour
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Coconut Sugar
1/4 Cup White Sugar
1/3 Bag Dark Chocolate Chips
4 Tbsp Coconut Milk (+ more if needed - you will need)
4 Tbsp Coconut Oil - Liquid state, not solid (it actually makes a difference)
2 Tsp Vanilla
Pinch of sea salt for topping

Directions:
Place all the dry ingredients in a stand mixer (or bowl if using a hand mixer). Mix the dry ingredients together to combine. In a small bowl combine the coconut milk, coconut oil and vanilla.  With mixer on low, add in the wet ingredients scraping down the sides as needed.  You might have to add in more coconut milk, 1 tbsp at a time until it all forms a dough.

Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out the cookies and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  I use a flat cookie sheet w/o sides. Sprinkle with a little sea salt.

Put the cookie sheet with the dough balls on it in the freezer for about 1 hour to firm up. Also they store great if you want to make a batch and then bake off as needed.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake for about 13-15 minutes. The time varies due to everyone's freezer and oven temps being different.  Mine took towards the 14 minutes of the time.

Cookies will look a little bit underdone when you take them out, and they don't really spread much. Don't worry, just leave them on the cookie sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Makes about 36 cookies.  Crispy outside, chewy center, sweet, salty and oh so delicious.

Enjoy
#Cheftainment

EDIT:  This can be made with basically any combo of flours and sugars.  I also add in about 1/2 cup instant oats and then up the coconut milk until the dough comes together.

Roasted Carrot & Ginger Soup

Ingredients:

8 Tbsp - Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
1/2 Large Onion - Diced
1 Cup Mushrooms - Chopped
8 Carrots - Diced
1/2 Head Cauliflower - Chopped
3 Cloves Garlic - Smashed
1/2 Cup White Wine (or water)
2 Tbsp - Grated Ginger
1 Tsp - Cumin
1 Tsp - Salt
1 Tsp - Black Pepper
1 Tsp - Corriander
1/2 Tsp - Cayenne
5 Cups Vegetable Stock (4 cups + 1 cup)

In a large post, over med / high heat, add the EVOO. Once heated, add the onion and cook about 2 minutes. Next add the mushrooms and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the carrots, garlic and cauliflower and cook 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the veggies are starting to brown and break down, add the wine to deglaze and cook about 1-2 minutes.  Add the spices & ginger and cook about 1 minute. Add in 4 cups of stock. Place on a lid (cracked) and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender and breaking down.

Using an emersion blender (or regular blender), puree the soup and put back on the stove to simmer.  If the soup is too thick, add the remaining cup of stock to thin it out.  Adjust the seasoning at this point and simmer another 5-10 minutes and then serve. *I added grilled cheese croutons.

Enjoy.  #cheftainment

Braised Vegetables (vegetarian)

12 New Potatoes - Peeled

2 Carrots - Peeled & carved into a ball (carving optional)

1/2 Onion

12 Brussels Sprouts - Bottom cut off and then cut an X in the bottom

12 Grape Tomatoes

6 Scallions - Roots cut off

3 Cloves Garlic - Peeled, Sliced thick

1 Beet

3 Cups Vegetable Stock

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

1/4 Pesto

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

1 tbsp Celery or Parsley Leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  

In a baking dish add potatoes, carrots, onion, sprouts, tomatoes, scallions & garlic.  Sprinkle w/ cumin, salt, pepper.  Add the vegetable stock.  Should cover about 3/4 of the vegetables.  Depending on your baking dish you might need to add more.

Cover w/ aluminum foil.  

Place beet on aluminum foil and drizzle w/ EVOO.  Wrap foil around beet and put on a cookie sheet or baking dish (to catch juice).

Put veggies and beet in oven for 45 minutes.  Take veggies out and raise oven temp to 400 and let the beets continue to cook for 15 minutes.

Let beet cool and peel the skin.  Cut into slices or chunks.

In a bowl or a plate, assemble the veggies and beet.  Pour a little of the veggie stock over them and garnish w/ the celery leaves and pesto.

Maybe serve w/ a chunk of crusty bread to sop up the juices. Should make about 4 portions.

Enjoy.

#Cheftainment #foodie #vegan #vegetarian 

Spicy Asian Soup w/ Spinach, Tofu, Radishes & Sprouts.

Broth:

1/2 Onion - Chopped

3 Cloves Garlic - Smashed

Handfull of Parsley

1" Ginger - Small dice

1 Fresno Chili - Sliced in 1/2

1 Cup Sliced Crimini Mushrooms

2 Tbsp Miso Paste

2 Tbsp Gochujang paste

2 Cups Chicken Stock

2 Cups Water

In a pot over med/high heat bring to a boil and let simmer for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Strain the broth and put back on the heat.  Add in:

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tsp Rice Wine Vinegar

Simmer for 5 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 Handful of Spinach

1/4 Cup Sprouts

1 Radish - Thinly Sliced

Tofu - Browned & seasoned

In a bowl, add in the broth, spinach, sprouts, radish & tofu. Enjoy  #cheftainment 

Chinese Chicken Salad Egg Rolls

2 Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (EVOO, salt, pepper) – small dice

2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

2 Grilled Zucchini – Sliced in ½ w/ EVOO to grill then small dice

6 Radishes – Tails/Tips removed – small dice

½ Red Pepper – cut into thin strips then small dice

5 oz. Crimini Mushrooms – small dice

1 tbsp EVOO

2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar

1 Jalapeno – finely diced

1 cup Bean Sprouts

1 cup Carrots – shredded

3 Scallions- cut on angle about ¼ inch thick – reserve 3^rd scallion to the side for garnish

½ head Napa Cabbage – shredded

1 tsp Salt

½ tsp Pepper

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Onion Powder

½ tsp Celery Salt

1 tsp Mustard Powder

1 Package Egg Roll Wraps

2 cups Vegetable Oil

Drizzle the chicken breasts with EVOO, salt & pepper and grill.  Set aside to cool about 10-15 minutes.  Cut the chicken into a small dice, place in bowl w/ 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar and stir to coat/marinate.

Cut zucchini in ½ and drizzle with EVOO.  Grill just a few minutes, just to develop grill marks but still crunchy.  Usually about 4-5 minutes.  Then cut into strips and dice.

In a sautee pan over med/high heat, add 1 tbsp EVOO.  When oil is hot add mushrooms.  Sautee about 7 minutes or until browned.  Add 2 tsp red wine vinegar and stir.  Turn off heat but leave on burner and let liquid cook out.

In a large bowl combine chicken, zucchini, radishes, red pepper, mushrooms, jalapeno, bean sprouts, carrots, scallions, cabbage, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, mustard powder.  Stir well to combine all the spices.  Taste a bite or 2 and adjust seasonings accordingly.

Take the egg roll wraps and blot all edges w/ water about 1 inch deep.  Place about 2 or 3 tbsp (1/4 cup) of the mixture in the lower 1/3 of the wrap.  Roll forward to cover, flip the sides in and continue to roll to the end (like a burrito).  Place on a tray seam side down.  When finished rolling egg rolls cover w/ plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about ½ hour.

In a pan w/ high sides, heat 2 cups vegetable oil over high heat but don’t let boil or burn.  Carefully drop a small piece of a diced vegetable into the oil and if it bubbles and starts to fry the oil is ready (sorry don’t know the temp).  Gently place the egg rolls in the oil, seam side down and fry on each side until golden brown.  Do not crowd the pan.  Once golden brown on each side, remove and set on a try lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.

This recipe made about 21 egg rolls.  If you’d like to serve with a dipping sauce, mix 1 cup low sodium soy sauce, 2 tbsp Dijon mustard and 1 tsp grated ginger.  Garnish with reserved scallions.

* Picture shown is a variation of  this recipe.