Addicting Vegan Thumbprint Cookie Recipe

My mom is famous for making one of the best non-vegan oatmeal cookies I've ever had (hang with me, I promise this is relevant).  When she recently came to visit, we made a batch together, but I messed up the dry ingredients by adding the wrong textured brown sugar.  Catastrophic.  Upon realizing my mistake, my mom scoured the pantry and found the type she needed.  She quickly went to throw the dry mix away, but I stopped her.  Instead, I put it in a ziplock bag and took it home. 

From this leftover mix of flour, brown sugar and oats came these insanely addicting thumbprint cookies.  I've tried to make vegan desserts before, with utter failure, so I was a apprehensive.  This was definitely a risk, but one I was willing to take.  After looking at a few recipes online, I built my own.

These cookies are a great alternative to the original.  Actually, I prefer them.  They offer a nutty taste and a kick of the salty/sweet combo that we all love.  Feel free to use any preserves you want or make your own.  This cookie is highly customizable.  And the best thing about them is that they are so so easy to make.

Vegan Thumbnail Cookies with Apricot-Raspberry Preserves

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 cups quick-oats

3/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup grated almonds (I took sliced almonds and grated them in a food processor)

2 tbsp. melted vegan butter substitute (try Earth Balance)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. cinnamon
Fruit Preserves

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Add coconut oil, vegan butter and vanilla extract in a bowl and mix slightly.  In another bowl, mix all of the the dry ingredients and slowly blend in the liquid ingredients until a uniform dough is formed.  With a tablespoon, scoop the mixture and create a ball with the palms of your hands.  Although the mixture may appear crumbly, you should be able to create a smooth and even ball. 

Place the ball on an un-greased cookie sheet.  Place the balls, one by one in the sheet.  With your finger, lightly press the center, creating a dent.  The cookie should break apart a little but try to keep the cookie as uniform as possible. Use a spoon to drop a dollop of the preserve into the indentation.  Don't be conservative! 

Bake for about 10 minutes or until slightly golden.  Allow to cool on the baking sheet for another 10 minutes.  If you eat them very warm they will break apart, so make sure you give them time to cool.

Place in your cookie jar and eat whenever you want.  You will be addicted.

Healthy Pear and Carrot Muffins//LEFTOVER GOURMET

I had bought a pint of low-fat vanilla yogurt the other day and, although I've practically made smoothies almost every morning, I was still not going to finish the tub before the expiration date hit.  After looking through my pantry and ideating on what I could create with my almost-spoiled yogurt,  I realized I had the pseudo-traditional ingredients to make carrot and pear muffins.

Since I'm on a pretty big health kick, I stuck to low-fat ingredients that were high in fiber and low in sugar.  But don't be fooled.  These muffins were REALLY yummy.  They just happen to be good for you too.

Pear and Carrot Breakfast Muffins

- 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I didn't have whole wheat so I mixed a cup of all-purpose flour and 1/2 of buckwheat flour to give it that nutty bite and extra fiber)

- 1 teaspoon baking soda

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (or more if you love it, like me)

- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

- 1/3 cup brown sugar

- 1/2 cup yogurt (you can do vanilla, like I did, plain or greek for extra protein)

- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 1 cup grated carrots

- 1 bosc ripe pear, cut into small squares

- 1/2 cup apple sauce

- pinch of salt

- 1 egg

- sliced almonds for sprinkling on top of the batter (walnuts work wonderfully as well)

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Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients: the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Then, in second larger bowl, mix together the egg, yogurt, applesauce, sugar, vanilla extract, carrots and pears.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients in a bowl and mix together until you get a sticky batter that smells like heaven (a.k.a anything with cinnamon and brown sugar).

Divide the batter on a 12- muffin pan and sprinkle almonds on top.  Pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes (make sure you keep and eye on them) or until a knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. 

Take them out of the oven and wait for them to cool off slightly.  Then, voila! A hearty, delicious breakfast muffin with enough substance to carry you through the morning.

I would suggest eating them warm and spreading a bit of butter on them.  A little bit of fat won't kill you, especially since this recipe does not call for any oil.  The applesauce and natural fat from the yogurt is enough to make these really moist.  Just make sure you don't over-bake them. 

I would love to hear about any alterations you would do to my recipe to make this vegan or dairy free.  Any recommendations are welcomed!

Quick Bite: Quick Dijon Chicken Recipe

I love hearty healthy meals that only require some cutting and a baking dish.  

All you need for this is 6 small red potatoes, 3 smashed garlics, a bag of organic chicken drumsticks, a dollop of dijon mustard, a tbsp of honey, dried provencal herbs, 3 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, 1/3 white wine, salt and pepper to taste. 

Plop everything onto a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, mix everything in and place in a 350F oven for about an hour.  Done and done.

Quick Bite: Pasta all'Amatriciana (as told by an Italian)

When I went to Thailand this past summer, 9 out of the 14 people in my group were Italian.  That meant a lot of Cruciani bracelets, the word "Allora", cigarettes and references to Milan.  One night, Maria Giulia and Carlo decided to cook pasta for the group and I was ecstatic. Pasta cooked by an Italian!  A serious treat, especially after the questionable amounts of Pad Thai we had been eating.

They made a very simple yet delicious dish I had never had before call Pasta all'Amatriciana.  Five main ingredients was all that was needed for a seriously memorable meal.

After dinner, I asked MG to write down the recipe for me because I wanted to make it at home.  Below is the recipe she gave me, in her exact words.  Because, grammar errors and all, it sounds much more eloquent than whatever I would have written.

Pasta all'Amatriciana Recipe

Start with Soffritto (let the chopped onion go in the pan with olive oil).

After onion are getting 'colored' add bacon.
When bacon is done add tomato souce. A tea spoon of sugar helps getting rid of the acid aftertaste of tomato.

Add chilly pepper and or salt when needed.

Finally dress the pasta with the sauce and add parmesan cheese.

I was seriously lacking the ingredients when I made it, so I took the only pasta I had, which were lasagna sheets, and broke them into smaller pieces. This is not the first time I've done this.

Make sure you cook the bacon enough that some pieces are a bit crispy, that is all.

When MG said tomato sauce, she didn't mean a pre-made pasta sauce, like Prego.  She literally meant tomato sauce.  A great one is Pomi.  I didn't have any but remembered I had frozen two ziplock bags with some homemade leftover sauce.  The finished product was absolutely delicious.  Grazie MG!

Quick "Bite": Tutti-Frutti Sangria

1 bottle sauvignon blanc

1 liter ginger ale

1/4 c. passoa

1/2c. triple sec

1/4c. cherry brandy

2 c. pineapple juice

Mix all ingredients in a pitcher.  Top with sliced fruit (apple, watermelon, strawberries, oranges and pineapple).

Ropa Vieja Recipe for a Snowy Night

Yesterday it snowed in NYC. A lot.  Temperatures plummeted and they will stay that way until Sunday.  

For days like these, all I want to do is eat hearty and stay warm.  Ropa Vieja is the perfect dish for a cold night.  Brought to you by my sister island of Cuba, the stew is filled with spices that will transport you to the Caribbean. So what if there are 8 inches of snow outside?

I used the Goya recipe and every recipe I've made from there has turned out delicious.  The key to this is to cook it SLOW.  Very slow.  Naturally, this is also a great dish for your slow cooker too.  Stay warm.

Season meat, generously.  Warm up the pot with olive oil at medium-high. When the olive oil is hot, sauté, flipping once, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate. 

Lower heat to medium. Stir in onions and peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft. Add garlic to pot and cook for about 1 minute.

Stir in water, tomato sauce, sazón packet and 1/2 cube. Bring mixture to a boil. Return beef to pot. Lower heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Stir in olives, olive juice, and capers. Cover pot; simmer until meat shreds easily with fork, 1 – 1½ hours.

Transfer meat to work surface and shred meat with two forks. Bring remaining stew to a boil. Mix meat into sauce. 

Drink Your Breakfast: Green Protein Smoothie

Thank you to my friend Nicole for this delicious and filling smoothie.  Perfect for breakfast or a post-workout meal substitute. All you have to do is blend the ingredients below.  No ice.  Just make sure the almond milk is cold.

The holy grail. Seriously.  Almond butter addict.

Gracias.

Source: mini pumpkin pies recipe here

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I leave you with one thing I am grateful for: being able to go back and see pieces of my life through this blog, like this chilly November day in 2009.

Enjoy the day with loved ones.

Fall Health: Cold Pressed Red Juice Recipe

This nutrition-packed juice happened by mistake.  My boss, being the boss that she is, got a huge fruit basket from a media vendor (the perks of the job!) and decided she only wanted one apple.  She left all of the other fruits for us to pick and I took everything that was left behind because, well, I don't turn away free food.  

I had bought beets and carrots since I blend them quite regularly, and decided to just give it a go and create something new.  The ultimate outcome was delicious.  It tasted sweet and tangy and jam packed with health benefits.  

The process is quite simple.  Press all of fruits and veggies, except the lemon, in whichever order you want. At the end squeeze the lemon on top.  This juice yields enough for two big glasses.

This juice is great for fall, when the immune system needs a boost. Potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron; vitamins A, B & C; beta-carotene, beta-cyanine and folic acid are just a few of what these fruits contain. Beets also cleanse the liver. Any 20-something New Yorker needs that.  Do I have to explain why?

Cheers to a healthy fall.