Chewy Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Serves:  14-16 cookies, freezes well.

Prep Time: 8-10 min.

Cooking Time: 10 min.

Total: 20 min.

Ingredients

2/3 cup flour (whole wheat)

2 heaped tbsp.  ground flax

1/2 cup oats

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 tbsp. oil

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg, scrambled

1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon or orange zest

1/2 cup dried cranberries (or more)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, apple sauce, egg and vanilla.
3. Add flour, flax, oats, sugar and baking soda and mix until combined.
4. Add cranberries and chocolate chips.
5. Form heaped spoonful and drop onto prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. Cool for 4-5 minutes.

Adapted from eatgood4life.blogspot.com

Creamy Rice or Barley Pudding

Creamy rice pudding with a hint of lemon and scattered with raisins. A delicious breakfast or dessert!

Serves:  6

Prep Time: 35-40 min, includes time to make rice or barley

Cooking Time: 20 min

Barley pudding with fresh berries.

Total: 45-60 min

Ingredients

1 cup Arborio rice (short grain) or pearled barley
1 1/2 cups milk or soy milk
1 egg, whisked
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
2-3 tbsp. honey, maple syrup or sugar (or more)
zest of a lemon
1/2 cup raisins (or more)
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

Directions

1. Cook rice or barley according to instructions on package.
2. In a bowl, whisk together egg and milk.
3. Once rice or barley is fully cooked, add milk and egg mixture, honey or maple syrup, lemon zest and spices.  Whisk and heat on medium.
4. As mixture heats, it will become thicker.  Make sure to keep mixing so that it doesn't stick to the pot.  Cook for about 15-20 minutes.
5. In the last 5-6 minutes, add raisins to the pudding.  Mix well.
6. Once mixture has become thick, remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes.  
7. Stir in sour cream or yogurt to make it more creamy, and sweeten if necessary.
8. Serve warm or cold, and garnished with fresh fruit.

Adapted from Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook and  lesliebeck.com

Spiced Roasted Cauliflower

Serves:  4-5

Prep Time: 8 min.

Cooking Time: 20 min.

Total: 25-30 min.

Ingredients

1 cauliflower, cut into small florets
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. tumeric
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix olive oil, ginger, and spices. Add cauliflower and toss until florets are evenly coated. Season with salt and black pepper.
3. Place cauliflower in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. 
4. Roast until brown at edges and tender, about 20 minutes.

Adapted from tastespotting.com

Caramelized Chicken Salad

Serves:  2

Prep Time: 7-8 min.

Cooking Time: 7-8 min.

Total: 15 min.

Ingredients

1 chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1 tsp. sunflower oil
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 avocado, sliced and scooped from shell
1 tin mandarin oranges, drained
1 tomato or cherry tomatoes, sliced
1/2 red or yellow pepper, sliced into strips
baby spinach or mixed greens
2 lemon wedges
salt and pepper
balsamic vinegar (optional)

Directions

1. In a sauce pan heat oil on high.  Add chicken pieces and saute for 5 minutes.  Drain any liquid that had formed in the pan and add brown sugar. Stir to coat pieces.
2. Let sugar caramelize for an additional 2 minutes.  When it has browned, remove from heat.
3. Prepare a bed of green salad, with mandarin oranges, tomatoes, peppers and avocado. Drizzle with lemon juice and balsamic vinegar if desired.
4. Serve chicken on top of greens and season with salt and pepper.

Adapted from gourmantineblog.com

Vegan Chocolate Cake

A moist, vegan chocolate cake to serve for dessert.

Serves: 12 squares

Thanks Nan for this recipe! 

Prep Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 30-35 min

Total:  40-45 min

Ingredients
1 cups of flour (whole wheat or white)

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cups white sugar

1 container (150 g) soy dessert (original flavour) or soft plain tofu

1 banana, mashed

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup pecan or walnut pieces (optional)
1/4 tsp. vegtable oil or margarine, to grease dish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9"x13" baking dish. 
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and and salt.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine the applesauce, soy dessert, vanilla and mashed bananas. Mix until smooth.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix well.  Add chocolate chips and stir until combined.
5. Pour the batter into the dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
6. Cool and slice.

French Toast

Pita French toast with fresh fruit.

Serves:  1

Prep Time: 5-6 min

Cooking Time: 8-10 min

Total: 15 min

Ingredients

2 pieces of bread or 1 pocketless pita (cut in half)
1 egg, scrambled
1/4 cup milk or soy milk
1 tsp. butter or margarine
fresh fruit and maple syrup to garnish

Directions

1. In a large flat dish, whisk together scrambled egg and milk.
2. Soak a piece of bread or a pita in the egg mixture, flip and soak the other side.
3. Heat some butter in a frying pan on medium. When melted, add a soaked piece of bread.  Let cook for about 3-5 minutes.  Flip and cook the other side for 3-5 min.
4. Once both sides are browned, garnish with maple syrup and fresh fruit.
5. Continue until all pieces of bread and egg mixture is finished.

Grilled Asparagus Spears

Serves: 4-5  

Prep Time: 2 min

Cooking Time: 15-20 min

Total: 20  min

Ingredients

1 bunch of fresh asparagus spears (choose thin ones)

1 tbsp. olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions

1. Wash asparagus and snap off the woody ends of each stalk with your fingers.
2. Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Spread asparagus spears on baking sheet, brush with oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until asparagus spears are tender.  Be careful to not over cook.
5. Serve warm or cold as a side dish, in a sandwich or in a salad.

Beyond Mixed Greens: Salad Ideas

Make your standard mixed green salad more exciting by simply adding some of the following:
These additions tend to work best with a vinaigrette salad dressing.

Nuts and Seeds (toasted)

• sunflower seeds
• pumpkin seeds
• sesame seeds
• slivered almonds
• pistashios
• flax seeds
• cumin seeds
• pine nuts
• shredded coconut
• crushed peanuts
• cashews
• pecans

Fruits

• dried cranberries
• dried blueberries
• raisins
• mandarin orange slices (fresh or tinned)
• fresh pear slices
• caramelized pears
• fresh apple slices
• grated apple
• pomegranate seeds
• pineapple (fresh or tinned)
• fresh mango slices
• fresh strawberry halves

Cheeses

• crumbled feta
• crumbled goats cheese
• brie cheese
• cottage cheese
• cheddar cheese cubes
• blue cheese

Veggies

• grilled veggies (zucchini, asparagus, butternut, eggplant, onion, sweet potato)
• alfalfa sprouts
• balsamic cherry tomatoes
• avocado
• sun dried tomatoes
• olives
• capers
• pickles
• baby spinach
• arugula
• red onion
• celery
• corn
• tomato
• cucumber slices
• bell peppers (red, orange, yellow and green)
• broccoli and cauliflower florets
• kale
• baby carrots
• grated carrots
• caramelized onions

Other

• baked tofu bites
• chickpeas
• black beans
• kidney beans
• caramelized chicken
• lemon grilled chicken
• pepper steak
• tuna
• chow mein noodles
• tortilla chips
• shimp
• smoked salmon