Mini Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

What You Need

2 cups of whole wheat flour

3/4 cups white granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup plain soy milk or almond milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2 cups (4 lg) very ripe bananas, mashed

1/4 canola or extra light olive oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2-1 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

What You Do

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly oil a 5x9 loaf pan and set aside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugars, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the soy milk and cider vinegar. Let stand for 2 minutes.

4. Add the mashed banana, canola oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract, whisking until well combined.

5. Add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips if using and pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.

6. Bake for about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.

7. Allow the bread to cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before serving.

Gluten-Free Vegan Raspberry Lemonade Cake

I was asked by a co-worker to make a cake for his wife's birthday and the following recipe is my "test" version. I have to be honest (as you're about to read), I didn't make it from scratch due to a time crunch but it still turned out pretty well. Please note that if you plan to make this, it is a slightly heavier cake.

Lemon Cake

What You Need:

2 boxes of Cherrybrook Kitchen gluten-free yellow cake mix http://www.cherrybrookkitchen.com/products/gf_yellowcake.php

2 boxes of Jello sugar free, fat free lemon pudding (only use one box for a lighter cake)

Pure lemon extract or lemon juice for additional flavor (your preference) 

What You Do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix cake mix according to directions on box, adding lemon pudding and lemon extract/juice until desired flavor is reached.

Raspberry Frosting

What You Need:

Confectioners (powdered) sugar

Butter-flavor Crisco vegetable shortening

Fresh Raspberries

Soy milk

Raspberry Extract for additional flavoring (optional)

What You Do:

There are no specific measurements. I just start with a little bit of each ingredient and mix until I reach my desired texture and flavor (you want the frosting to be a little stiff).

Non-Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas

By now everyone recognizes this recipe from a Pinterest post. Mine is obviously a little different because it's vegan and it's not made in the crockpot. As soon as I saw the pin for this, I wanted to try to veganize it but I'm not one to plan meals in advance and remember to put them in the crockpot (even though I now own 2 of them). So, the other night my husband and I stopped at the grocery store for the ingredients we didn't have at home and I made up my own (though slightly similar) version.

What You Need

2 pkgs Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chik'n Strips

2-4 tbs olive oil

3-4 tbs taco seasoning

1 can of corn (not sweet), drained

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can of Rotel tomatoes and green chiles

1 (8 oz) pkg of vegan cream cheese

Serve with any (or all) of the following:

white rice

salsa

tortillas

What You Do

~ Place chik'n, olive oil and 1-2 tbs taco seasoning in a large frying pan and saute until slightly browned.


~ Meanwhile, combine remaining taco seasoning, corn, black beans, rotel and cream cheese in a medium-large pot or saucepan.


~ Cover and cook on medium-low until cream cheese is melted and it resembles a thick soup (about 10-15 minutes), stirring 2-3 times.


~ Stir in chik'n, replace lid and continue to cook for another 15-20 
minutes.


~ Stir one final time and serve over rice and/or in tortillas and top with salsa.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

What You Need

1/3 cup canola oil (I use vegetable oil)
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest (because this is a pain in the butt, I use lemon juice or lemon extract)
1/4 cup soy milk
1 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon poppy seeds


What You Do

~ Preheat oven to 350°F.
~ Stir together the oil and sugar until combined. Add the lemon zest/juice/extract and soy milk and beat until smooth and consistent.
~ Add the flour, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds and mix until well-combined. The dough should be spoonable, not stiff.
~ Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (about 2 inches apart), and flatten slightly.
~ Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Let sit on the baking sheet for about a minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.



Recipe by The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

What You Need

1/2 cup quick oats 
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 shortening 
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup flour1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

What You Do

~ Preheat oven to 350°F.


~ In a food processor, pulse the oats until they're well ground but not quite powdered.


~ In a large bowl, cream together margarine, shortening, peanut butter and sugars until smooth. Add soy milk and vanilla and continue to beat until well-combined.

~ Sift in the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and beat beat until combined.


~ Using a spatula or large spoon, stir in the oats.


~ Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Dip a fork in sugar and make the crosshatches.


~ Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until the cookies are dark golden brown and feel relatively firm to the touch. Let sit on baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to a cooling rack.


Recipe by The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur

Mocha Cappuccino Cookies

What You Need
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup canola oil (I use vegetable oil)
1/4 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons ground coffee
1/2 cup chocolate chips

What You Do
~ Preheat oven to 350°F.
~ In a large bowl, mix together the sugars, oil, soy milk and vanilla.
~ Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and coffee. Stir in the chocolate chips. Add a bit more flour if the dough feels wet or a splash of soy milk it it won't hold together.
~ Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, several inches apart.
~ Bake for 12 minutes, then let cool on a wire rack.


Recipe by The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur

Snickerdoodle Cookies

What You Need

Cookie Dough
1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1 stick (4 oz) vegan margarine or butter-flavor Crisco, softened
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup vanilla soymilk or creamer
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbs ground cinnamon


What You Do

~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray

~ Whisk together flour, cornstarch and baking powder in a medium bowl.

~ In a mixer, beat margarine until soft. Add sugar and beat until fluffy.

~ Beat in soy milk/creamer and vanilla extract  for 30 seconds or until smooth.

~ Add dry mixture and beat another 30 seconds or until smooth.

~ Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in the topping mixture.

~ Bake 10-12 minutes or until cookies look slightly dry on top. Cool on wire rack.