Macaroons (Vegan and Gluten Free)

Macaroons

3/4 cup Coconut Flour
1 1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla
pinch salt


1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Combine all ingredients well. Scoop  tablespoon-fulls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 50 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Remove from the baking sheet to a cookie rack to cool.

Peanut Butter Cutout Cookies (Vegan and Gluten Free)

Peanut Butter Cutout Cookies

1 cup gluten free flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
2 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in your mixer and mix on low until all ingredients are incorporated.

2. Turn the dough out onto  a large sheet of parchment. Cover with another sheet of parchment and roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick.

3. Remove the top layer of parchment and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter.

4. Place cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until the edges are beginning to brown. Remove from the baking sheet to a cookie rack to cool.

Vegan Fast Food: a.k.a. Dinner in 10 min (Tofu Stir-Fry with Peanut sauce)

Somedays you just run out of time. Yesterday I was working and it ran very late. I am ususally proactive and make something I can just pop in the oven or have secured earlier in the crock pot. Last night we got home at 6:30 and EVERYONE was hangry. (hagry: also known as emotional diabetes. hungry to the point of being very unpleasant to others) I was  on the spot. What to do? Thanks to Trader Joes and some of their incredible products I nailed it...10 minutes folks. Happy tummies and pleasant conversation all around.

Tofu Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce (serves 5-6)

1/2 bag frozen broccoli
1 bag of Trader Joes Harvest Hodgepodge frozen veggies
2 tsp sesame oil
1 block of firm tofu
2-3 tbs soy sauce
1 package of Trader Joes fresh rice noodles
1/2 cup Trader Joes light coconut milk
1 cup organic peanut butter
1/3 cup Trader Joes Soyaki sauce
peanuts and scallions to garnish

1. Start the water for the noodles. Cut and drain the tofu.

2. Heat a large frying pan and a wok. Drizzle one tsp sesame oil in each. Arrange the tofu in the heated frying pan and cook until brown on one side, tuning to brown on each side. While cooking sprinkle soy sauce on the tofu to season it. At the same time add the frozen veggie to the wok. Toss a few time for the first three minutes, then cover for 5 min.

3. When the veggies are almost cooked remove them to the tofu frying pan. Add 1 cup of pasta water, peanut butter, coconut milk and soyaki sauce to the wok. Whisk the sauce ingredients together until the peanut butter melts. Right before you start the sauce add the noodles to the boiling water. (they take 2-3 min) Allow sauce to come to a boil and thicken. If it gets too thick add some more pasta water.

4. Add the veggies and tofu back into the wok and toss with the sauce. Add the noodles directly from the water into the wok. Toss together. Top with peanuts and scallions and serve.

Spicy Bread and Butter Pickles

When life gives you a box of cucumbers...MAKE PICKLES!!!

These are really fun and pretty easy if you are comfortable canning. This recipe made enough brine for 14 pints of pickles. It was probably 30-40 little pickles. If you are pickling less cut the recipe in half, and you can keep the extra brine in the fridge in a sealed container indefinitely. If you save it for canning another time make sure you heat the brine to boiling before you add it to your cucumbers.

In preparing your cucumbers you can cut them to any thickness you like. I like my pickles thick. make sure you cut off any soft or bad spots. Sterilize and prepare your jars, fill your water bath canner and then make your brine.

Spicy Bread and Butter Pickle Brine

2/3 cup salt
6 cups vinegar
6 cups water
2 cups brown sugar
1 tbsp turmeric
6 tbsp pickling spice (dill seed, mustard seed, coriander seed, allspice, bay leaves, cinnamon)
2 tbsp dried dill
1/3 cup dried diced onion
1 tbsp red chili flakes

1. Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive pot and bring to a boil.

2. When brine is boiling, stuff your sterilized, hot jars with cucumbers then fill with brine.

3. Secure sterilized lids tightly. Process in a water-bath for 10 minutes.

4. Let pickles sit for 3-4 weeks then enjoy.

**note: you can make pickles without canning. Simply cut your cucumbers, place them in a container with a lid, add brine and keep in the fridge**

Vegan Spicy Ranch Dressing

I discovered this recipe on a whim. I really wanted some dressing on my salad, and I really don't often use dressing at all. I was making pickles and had a huge container of vinegar out on my counter and thought, what the heck, let's try this. I combined some of my favorite things, and it is blow-your-mind fabulous!! I was surprised by the bold flavors and creaminess. Hit the spot! I am excited about the possibilities of this dressing. I think it would work really well in coleslaw too.

Vegan Spicy Ranch Dressing

1/3 cup hummus
1 tbp siracha hot sauce
3 tbsp vinegar
2 tsp nutritional yeast

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk together. If you desire for your dressing to be thinner add more vinegar.