No Bake Chocolate Cookies - Oh Yes!



Da Kine No Bake Chocolate Cookies

 Valentines Day was the official end of my no-sugar challenge.  I never thought in a million years I could go six weeks without indulging in a daily hit of sugar but I actually did it with the support of my good friend Merry.  I must say there was a noticable improvement in my energy levels.  That awful, mid-day, sluggish, slump disappeared and after about 3 weeks the cravings lessened.  Tonight I made my first real treat, a recipe for no bake chocolate cookies from Vegan Fusion World Cuisine.  These were very simple to prepare, just melt the chocolate or carob chips and mix in the remaining ingredients which included raisins, pecans, coconut flakes, almond or peanut butter, a bit of maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon.  The mixture cooled and firmed up quickly making it easy to shape the cookies.  We popped them in the fridge and after about 15 minutes, the upper limit of my daughter's waiting tolerance, she tried one.  Total success!  She loved them except for the raisins which were spit out, no surprise there.  Then, it was my turn.  I made a cup of tea, sat down and bit into chocolatey goodness.   Mmmm, they almost taste like very firm fudge with chunks of pecans and raisins.  I was only going to eat one because they are so rich but could not resist attempting a second.

Indonesian Style Rice with Tempeh

Indonesian Style Rice with Tempeh

I love a little sweetness in my savoury dishes and this hearty tempeh and rice meal fits the bill.  I used an entire package of tempeh instead of just one cup because once it was poached and crumbled, I didn't want to waste the remainder.  Next time I will add more than 2 cups of napa cabbage to increase the veggie content and make this a more balanced one pot meal.  I left out the hot chili to make it child friendly and instead used part of a bell pepper to blend up with the shallots.  I enjoyed the nutty flavour and chewiness of the tempeh and rice mixture.  While I was eating it felt very satisfying and filling.  Leftovers the following morning were just as good.  This is another winner from Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet, she is fast becoming my favourite cookbook author.

Aloo Gobi - Vegan Cooking Challenge

When I announced early this afternoon that I had to devote some time to browsing through my cookbooks in order to find a recipe for my weekly cooking challenge, there was a sudden flurry of activity in our little kitchen.   My four year old daughter suddenly decided that she would also be participating and proceeded to order her dad to remove certain items from the fridge and assist her with her creation.  I was amazed at the speed with which she put together her dish.  A beautiful sweet red pepper stuffed with leftover, cooked quinoa and topped with broccoli and cauliflower flowerets.  It's so cute, take a look!  I'm very impressed with her creativity and this is the first time she's ever attempted to make anything. 

My entry this week is Aloo Gobi, a curried cauliflower and potato dish using a recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.   My husband keeps buying cauliflowers and this morning I found two mouldering away in the produce drawer that sticks shut, so I decided something needed to be done with at least one of them.   I sauteed ginger and cumin seeds in canlola oil then added the potatoes, cauliflower and tomato along with water, turmeric, coriander, a bit of brown sugar and salt.   Pop the lid on and let the vegetables cook.   I left it simmer longer than recipe called for because I wanted the flavours to really meld.  We didn't mind that the cauliflower sort of disintegrated because the sauce was great. 

Aloo Gobi before it cooks down.

Aloo Gobi

This week my friend Kathryn will be joining us for the first time.  Kathryn is transitioning to veganism and has prepared Auntie Bonnie's Curried Apple Soup from the book How it all Vegan! by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer.   You will find her challenge post here on her newly christened blog The Hedgehog in the Kitchen.  Isn't that the most adorable name for a blog?  I love it!  

And last but not least, it looks like Jeannette has delved into the fabulous Veganomicon for her cooking adventure this week.  She also made a soup and one that I have been curious about so I'm happy to hear the results.  Jeannette says:  

This was a busy weekend for me, but I had lots of veggies in the fridge, so I had to cook! I chose to prepare Spicy Peanut and Eggplant Soup from Veganomicon.  It was a bit of work, chopping and coordinating, but it was worth it! This is a yummy soup! The mild spiciness is a good counterpoint to the peanut butter. The eggplant was soft, and did not dominate the soup. (I did not brine the eggplant as instructed in the recipe. I skipped that step.) My peanut butter was nice and chunky, and the beans were still a bit crisp, so the soup's texture was enjoyable,too. I left out the cilantro (no surprise). I will definitely make this again!

Vegan Cooking Challenge - Week 3

Wow, we are already on week three of our cooking challenge and I'm happy to report that this week's dish was a success.  My first attempt from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's The Vegan Table was a winner.  In a traditional Pad Thai there's more of a tangy, tomato base but in Colleen's version, the sauce is a sweet and slightly spicy, peanut sauce.  Some of my favourite foods - rice noodles, broccoli, garlic and crispy, seasoned tofu were smothered in a lime, tamari, peanut butter combination.   It pulled together fairly quickly even with a few separate steps.  While the noodles soak in boiling water, the tofu is sauteed, set it aside and then the veggies are cooked.  Everything is thrown together along with the sauce and quickly heated.  I was surprised at how fast I had dinner on the table.  After my last two or three disappointments I'm ecstatic to have discovered a meal I'd be happy to make again.  I didn't get a great photo of the plated food so you'll have to make due with two cooking shots.  

Pad Thai before the sauce hits.

And now it's Jeannette's turn with two submissions!

This week’s meal was a bit of a challenge. We had extensive flooding and the city had to restrict water usage due to a break in the water main. Along with the restriction, the water from the tap had to be boiled. I had way too many veggies in the fridge that had to be used up. The first dish I prepared was Tofu Aloo Gobi from the book Vegan Express by Nava Atlas. For this recipe I only omitted the cilantro, which I don’t care for, and I added an extra ½ cup of green peas.

The resulting dish was very tasty and very low fat. A lot of Indian food can be rather heavy, with lots of cream and butter. This dish had all the great taste without the heaviness. I did miss the creamy texture, so I may add a bit of coconut milk next time. , as there wasn’t much sauce in the pan. We ate this dish as is, the potatoes providing the starch. I added raisins to my bowl, because I love raisins!

Tofu Aloo Gobi

My second dish is my own creation for using up zucchini. So, I’ll call it Summer Veggie Skillet. This week’s version is as follows:

3 leeks, sliced

3 large tomatoes, chopped

1 large bell pepper, chopped

3 medium zucchini, sliced

1 jalapeno pepper, diced

I tried to get everything about the same size. I cooked the leek in a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Then I added the tomatoes and bell pepper and cooked them while prepping the zucchini. Then I added the zucchini, and then the hot pepper. I just cover and let this simmer, stirring occasionally, adding back the liquid from the lid. (You may need to add a splash of water if it dries out). I seasoned with a teaspoon of Italian herbs (dried in a jar mix). I cook this until everything is tender. I serve this over couscous. My husband loves it.

I usually make this dish with eggplant, more bell peppers, and no tomatoes, using water in their place. I have also added Italian dressing as the “sauce” on a whim. It is easy to make, uses up all the extra veggies and it freezes well. I will put this in my husband’s lunch in January!

Summer Veggie Skillet

Hurry Up Alfredo Sauce - We can eat it anytime!

Pasta and kale with Hurry Up Alfredo Sauce

This pasta sauce has become a family favourite, so much so that we sometimes make it for breakfast like this plate from yesterday morning.  I often cook up a batch of pasta, throw in some kale and broccoli a few minutes before it's done and then pour the sauce over.  This creamy, cashew based sauce is made in the blender and requires no cooking so its perfect for busy families.  My daughter wouldn't go near it the first five or six times we prepared it but she gradually became curious about the rapturous faces and sounds we were making while eating.   She has since been won over but to my chagrin has renamed it "pasta with hot-dog sauce".  I'm secretly horrified at the name but it seems to have stuck.  I think the dijon mustard or the combination of seasonings makes it smell like hotdogs to her.  You can find the recipe here, on Lauren Ulm's blog.  She is the author of Vegan YumYum, a beautifully photographed cookbook.  This is my favourite pasta sauce and it's also scrumptious poured over vegetables. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

If these decadant treats are any indication of a typical dessert recipe in Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet, I think I'll have to add a few more to my queue.  The steps were quick and painless, just two pots on the stove to melt a few ingredients, some layering in cupcake liners, sprinkle a few chopped nuts on top and then pop them in the fridge for a couple of hours.   Of course I had to sneak out of bed at 2 a.m. to test one after they had set!  

Be warned, the peanut butter base is very rich. I don't think I could eat more than one at a time.  There wasn't quite enough chocolate to cover all of the cups so next time I make these, and there will be a next time, I'll increase the amount of chocolate chips.

Alicia has kindly included the recipe on her website so if you don't have her book you can still enjoy these delicious treats!   Recipe here.

chocolate peanut butter cup