As many of you know, I bring a lot of my treats and baked good to work to share with my co-workers. There is a girl that I work with that has a severe egg allergy and doesn’t do well with lots of gluten, so she isn’t able to eat a lot of what I make. While we were working a concert last week I told her I was going to find a recipe that she can eat, free of eggs and gluten, and so I give you this recipe!

This recipe does use almond butter to help combine the cookies so if someone has a nut allergy, unfortunately they can’t eat these cookies. Sowwy! I have made them with almond butter and peanut butter; I think the almond butter taste more neutral in the cookies, which I like.

These cookies are soft and chewy and oh so delicious! It is hard to believe that there is no butter or eggs in this recipe! I really hope that Kailey likes these cookies because they are awesome! I brought them to school to share and help us get over finals, and my cohorts loved them!

Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Revised from The Wannabe Chef)

Makes 20-24 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup gluten-free whole wheat all purpose flour or brown rice flour*
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda**
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt***
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (optional)
• 1/2 cup mashed banana, 2 medium naners
• 1/2 cup creamy almond butter
• 2 tablespoons agave syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I found dairy free chocolate chips at Target!)

*Bob’s Red Mill has several different type of grains and flours that are great for healthier and allergy option for baking. Many of the grocery stores I have been to have a large selection available.

**Baking soda does have gluten in it. If you are making this for someone who has a severe allergy, you might want to invest in gluten free baking soda. And make sure your baking soda isn’t old, or the cookies won’t rise correctly.

***Leave out the salt if your almond butter is already salted

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a medium bowl, mix together the mashed bananas, almond butter, agave and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together.

Fold in the mini chocolate chips.

Place a tablespoon of the cookie dough on a lightly greased baking sheet. Leave 2 inches between the cookies.

Bake for 15-18 minutes until the sides are browning and the center has puffed.

Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before removing them.

I challenge you to give these to the skeptics of vegan/good-for-you food without telling them what they are. Watch them gobble up these cookies and then tell them they are gluten free and vegan. What is wrong with eating food that is good for you?

Happy Baking!

It has official been two years since my first blog post! I have had a lot of good recipe postings, a few great and successful posts or recipes and pictures, many recipe fails that will never see the light of day, and so many memories that have come along with everything I have made for my blog. There are so many foods and flavors that I have started to love. My tastes and craves are much different than when I started.

Thank you VERY much to all of your who have come across my blog and found a little interest in it.

Here are some of my favorite recipes:

• Fish Tacos
• Sweet Potato Gnocchi
• Decadent Brownies
• French Dip
• Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake
• Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Happy Cooking!

This recipe was found by my roommate Jacki. To be honest, I don’t think I have ever even had meatloaf in my life. This seemed like a great first recipe to make and taste. It is loaded with veggies, made with lean ground turkey. Jacki loves balsamic vinegar so I’m sure this was the winning factor of recipe choice.

Veggie Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze

(Slightly revised from Bobby Flay)

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small zucchini, grated and drained
• 2 bell peppers, finely diced
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 5 cloves garlic, smashed into a paste
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, separated
• salt and pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 cup parsley, freshly chopped
• 1.25 pounds extra lean ground turkey
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup ketchup, separated
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add zucchini, bell peppers, onions, garlic paste and 1/4 teaspoons red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are almost soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Whisk the egg and herb in a large bowl. Add the turkey, panko, grated cheese, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and the cooled veggies; mix until just combined.

Gently press the mixture into a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes in a small bowl; brush the mixture over the entire loaf.

Bake for 1 to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

I thought this had really good flavor! The texture was a little different I think due to the turkey meat. It was loaded with vegetables and the balsamic/ketchup glaze was fabulous!

Cheesecake is best when it is dense and creamy, with a perfect crust. This simple recipe is exactly the way I love my cheesecake!

Turtle Cheesecake Bars

Makes 12 bars

(Revised from Dashing Dish)

Ingredients:

• 1 pre-made Oreo pie crust
• 1 (8 oz.) package reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 3/4 cup agave nectar
• 3/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt
• 1 whole egg & 2 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 cup caramel ice cream topping
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 8x8 baking dish with foil to help with removing the bars, and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Remove Oreo crust from pan and press down into your foil-lined pan. Bake pie crust for 8 minutes, remove from oven and let cool.

Cream together the cream cheese, agave, yogurt, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Pour the filling over the baked crust and smooth out with a spatula. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cheesecake is almost set in the center. Let cool, and chill in the refrigerator for a 4 hours or overnight.

After chilling, use the foil to pull the cheesecake out of the pan. Cut the bars into 12 even bars. Before serving, drizzle with caramel.

Chocolate, caramel, nuts, sweet, rich, nutty, decadent.

Quinoa is a SUPER healthy grain that is packed with protein and dietary fiber to keep you fuller longer. And trust me, it really does! I added black beans to this recipe to make this a meal instead of a side dish. It tastes almost like spanish rice (which I love), but it is better for you. This dish has great flavor and a little kick from the cayenne pepper.

Spanish Style Quinoa

(Revised from allrecipes.com)

Makes 4 Cups

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 cups water
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 4-5 green onions, thinly sliced

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve. In the pot stir in the quinoa, onion, garlic and green pepper. Cook and stir for 5 minutes.

Add in the salt, chili powder, cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper, and cook for 2 more minutes.

Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes.

Stir the quinoa occasionally as it cooks. In the last 5 minutes add in the black beans.

Garnish with green onions and enjoy!

Happy Cooking!