My favourite chocolate chip cookie with a surprising healthy ingredient

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

These are one of my most favourite recipes, and certainly my favourite cookie. Better than a basic chocolate chip cookie, these have the lovely texture of flaked coconut and something that tastes almost like a soft macadamia nut. It’s not a nut at all, it’s super-healthy chickpeas, low if fat and packed with protein, fiber, zinc and folate. Baked into a chocolate chip cookie, the chickpea flavour is undetectable. I love that I can put these into my kid’s school lunch as a nut-free treat.

I can’t take credit for the idea of adding chickpeas to cookies, that came from the Deceptively Delicious cookbook by Jessica Seinfeld (Jerry Seinfeld’s wife). Her book isn’t vegetarian but it does have some great idea for hiding healthy ingredients into treat foods. Beyond veganizing Mrs. Seinfeld’s recipe, I’ve decreased the sugar and added whole grain flours, flax, molasses, cinnamon and coconut. You can’t get healthier cookies that taste this decadent!

Coconut & Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup sugar (I use turbinado)
3/4 cup Earth Balance Organic Coconut Flavoured Spread or other vegan margarine
2 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp flax in 3 tbsp water, mixed and set aside
2 tsp alcohol-free vanilla extract
2 cup flour (I used half whole wheat or whole spelt and half all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup mini vegan chocolate chips (I use Camino Semi-Sweet chips which are also organic and fair trade)

Start by pinching the skins off the chickpeas. It doesn’t take that long (I enlist my oldest child for this task) and you’ll get a much nicer texture if you remove and discard the skins. Cream the sugar and margarine, then add the molasses, flax mixture and vanilla. In a bowl, combine the flours, oats, coconut, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add to the wet mixture and combine. Add in the chickpeas and chocolate chips and stir gently.

Form into cookies about 2 tbsp each (I use a 2″ spring-loaded ice cream scoop) and drop onto cookie sheet topped with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. Yield = about 18 cookies. I am submitting this recipe to Healthy Vegan Fridays.

5 recipes I’m loving lately

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

Hi friends,

As much as I love developing recipes, I’ve been short on time these days, and haven’t been branching out beyond my repertoire of tried, tested and true recipes. In addition to full-time work, I started grad school this month! I am equally excited and freaking out. A master’s degree has been on my to-do list for a while, and this year felt like the right time to dive in. The extra activity on my plate is why you haven’t heard much from me these past few weeks, and while I may be posting less often than previously. (Though, I can be a terrible procrastinator when I’m under deadline, so perhaps when the school work gets intense, I’ll be blogging plentifully. During my last round of school I took up hand-stitching baby quilts and my house was always very clean).

I can’t take credit for any of the following wonderful recipes, but I’ve linked to the original blog post or book’s website. Here’s what I’ve been whipping up lately…..

Apple Pie Oatmeal from Oh She Glows. Recipe here. When I give my kids this oatmeal for breakfast, they think they are getting a treat. It tastes like the sweet cinnamon filling of apple pie, but with plenty of protein thanks to the oats and nuts. Filling and delicious! If you want to change it up, Angela has plenty more oatmeal recipes to choose from on her blog, like the Sweet Potato Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole.

Pasta with Easy Breezy Cheesy Sauce from Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, and posted here on her blog The Post Punk Kitchen. I reduce the amount of water to make it thicker and creamier. For the fastest mac ‘n cheese ever, I keep a container of the dry mix in the pantry, then mix with hot water and a smidge of mustard, blend, and add to cooked pasta and veggies. To keep it really simple, I reserve the pasta cooking water for the sauce. Use it any place you’d use a creamy cheese sauce: over steamed broccoli, poured on baked potatoes or nachos (thanks, Mary, for that idea!). In the photo above I’ve used the cheesy sauce over perogies with fresh herbs and coconut bacon.
Cinnamon Bun Granola from Tiny Treats by Lisa Pitman and Nicole Axworthy. This granola is so good we have it for breakfast, for snacks and as an ice cream topping for dessert! I never would have thought to add buckwheat to my granola, but what a great texture it adds! You can buy the e-cookbook through the authors’ blogs A Dash of Compassion or Vegan Culinary Crusade. A lovely bonus is a third of the proceeds are donated to the Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary in Northern Thailand, if you need one more reason to support this awesome project!

Jambalaya from Peas and Thank You by Sarah Matheny. A hearty and filling meal that’s fast and easy, if rice is already cooked. In the photo above, I’ve used a mix of brown rice and millet instead of just rice, to change it up. I use Field Roast Apple Sage sausages which add just a bit of sweetness to the Jambalaya. If you can handle spicy foods, try the Field Roast Mexican Chipotle sausages — they would compliment the jambalaya perfectly but are too spicy for me!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Almond Cookies, another winner from Nicole of A Dash of Compassion. Recipe here. Just eight ingredients mean you can whip these babies up in five minutes. These not-so-sweet cookies are flour-less, high in protein, and their texture is like a melt-in-your-mouth shortbread! Try adding the ingredients into the pot of melted coconut oil and the heat will melt the chips into a chocolate swirl.
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In other news, I’ve organized a vegan potluck in Waterloo next Saturday, February 2nd at noon. I love potlucks and hope it will be a nice opportunity for vegans and vegan-friendly people in the Waterloo area to connect. All are welcome: vegans, non-vegans, adults, kids. If you’re able to join us, please see the event page on facebook here. Join us if you can!
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Ginger Molasses Cookies

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

Soft and chewy and topped with cinnamon and sugar, they are a favourite in our house when we’re in a mood for break from our “healthy” desserts and just want to indulge. I created these cookies to copy the ones my children love at Starbucks, just smaller versions. Enjoy them with a big glass of almond milk or cup or tea.
Ginger Molasses Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp powdered egg replacer (like Ener-G brand)
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 cups canola oil
topping: 1/4 cup sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon

Combine the egg replacer with 2 tbsp water, mix and set aside for a few minutes. Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. In a food processor, add the oil and molasses to the egg replacer and water and mix well. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in the food processor and combine. If the dough is dry, add a small amount of water (a few teaspoons at a time) while the food processor is running, until the dough forms a ball.

Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Roll the dough into balls then dip one side into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place cinnamon-sugar side up on grease cookie sheets, spacing them a few inches apart.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes before removing from pans.

I am submitting this recipe to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays blog hop.

August’s Vegan Food Swap

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

It’s the end of the month, time to recap another great food swap experience!

I was so pleased to be able to connect with two bloggers and fellow Ontarians I’ve admired for months: Jess from Cupcakes and Kale sent a package to me and MeShell from MeShell In Your City received my package. Cupcakes and Kale has a large collection of creative recipes to peruse –check out the chocolate kale chips or the high protein cauliflower alfredo pasta!

Jess sent me a very thoughtful food swap package. As I went through the box, I kept thinking I had seen everything then would find one more delightful treat under the tissues! Thank you, Jess, very much!

Here is what I received:

The Tea Room dark chocolate– I have never tried a chocolate bar infused with yerba mate tea before and I really liked it. And if you need more reason to eat this bar, think of all the antioxidants in dark chocolate plus tea!

Garlic roasted Ontario peanuts — These were delicious!

2 Oskri sesame bars– You’ll have to take my son’s word that these were good. He got to them before I did.

Nana’s sweet popcorn– I usually don’t indulge in something this sugary, but it was worth it for this treat.

Johnston’s Cranberry Apple Herbal Tea — My kids and I loved enjoying this one together. This tea and the popcorn are local to Jess and not something I can find near me, and I liked getting to try new things.

Homemade chocolate Brownie Bites with goji berries–Oh my, so good! They were soft, chewy and fudgy! These were my favourite gift in the swap this month and they were devoured first. I make similar treats that I call cookie dough balls (click here for recipe).

Panda Blueberry licorice–This is the only brand of licorice I care for and I love blueberry the best!

Thanks again, Jess!

Want fun treats in the snail mail too? Sign up for the next food swap! MeShell is the organizer of the Canadian chapter of the Vegan Food Swap and our fearless leader does a super job; check out her blog here. To sign up for the next month, go to http://meshell.ca/blog/veganfoodswap/.

Peaches, tomatoes and my favourite sandwich

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

Is there anything better than a lazy summer Sunday afternoon to do nothing but hang with your favourite people and eat good food? I had one of those lovely days this weekend which makes it the perfect day for a “What I Ate Wednesdays” submission to Peas and Crayons, the weekly blog link-up.

Two weeks ago, a friend gave me an organic tree-ripened Ontario peach and I couldn’t believe the taste difference between it and grocery store peaches. Not only that, Ontario peaches are hard to find right now due to the insane spring weather we had –summer temperatures in March brought out fruit flowers, then an April frost damaged most of them, leaving no fruit to ripen. A heartbreak to the tune of $100 million for Ontario fruit farmers. My friend shared the source of her stash: The Petters, a family business that organizes and disperses orders of organic produce from Palatine, a farm in Niagara known for its commitment to ethical farming and amazing tree-ripened fruit. They reportedly were immensely lucky that their trees survived when neighbouring farms were ruined. I understand that they are not certified organic but don’t use traditional pesticides. We also ordered a basket of heirloom tomatoes and they are just as spectacularly fresh and delicious as the peaches.
Above: Zabu inspects our produce order

There are 8 locations in southern Ontario where you can pick up Palatine produce, thanks to the Petters. I’ve been eating fresh peaches and tomatoes daily and will be sorry when summer is over and these wonderful local gems are gone for another year.

Here’s what I ate Sunday:

Breafkast: Spinach-banana smoothie, a cup of chocolate hazelnut tea and a fresh peach

Snack: Mary’s organic crackers and Daiya wedges with garlic-stuffed olives.

I have been eagerly anticipating the launch of Daiya wedges for months. I finally found them a week ago and the verdict is: good but not quite the texture I was hoping for. The cheddar one tastes too artificial for my liking, bringing me memories of Cheez Whiz, something I haven’t eaten since I was about 10. The jack style one and havarti were tastier.

Lunch: Tomato and hummus sandwich with fresh greens, another peach and two chocolate banana cookies (currently my most popular recipe, click the link for the recipe).

I’m slightly obsessed with fresh tomato and hummus sandwiches these days. Definitely my favourite sandwich and a summer staple. I make my own hummus with a secret ingredient! I’ll reveal when I post the recipe soon. Also on the sandwich: baby spinach, onion, cucumber and black pepper. Delish!

Dinner: Delicious and a bit indulgent creamy avocado chickpea pasta (click the link for the recipe) and carrot sticks. We ate on the deck, enjoying the wonderful weather.

Dessert: Frozen chocolate banana bites (click the link for the recipe). Bananas dipped in chocolate, coconut and sprinkles and frozen until they taste like chunks of ice cream. Heavenly on a summer day!

Thanks to Jenn for hosting another What I Ate Wednesdays.

Anniversary celebration in Toronto Part Two: Snakes and Lattes and The Hogtown Vegan

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

My husband and I went to Toronto last week to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We had lunch at Prime and The Windsor Arms and ice cream at Hibiscus. Click here for the recap of Part One.

After Hibiscus, we meandered through Kensington Market and back to Bloor Street for a few hours, and came upon Snakes & Lattes, a board game cafe! Instead of offering WiFi like other cafes, Snakes & Lattes has 2,400 board games ($5 per adult, stay as long as you like and play as many games as you like) as well as a vegan-friendly menu. In addition to the Tofurky sandwich and smoothies, the cookies, muffins and donuts were all vegan. I was so excited to find vegan donuts that I almost forgot to check whether they were made with alcohol and I would not be able to partake. And they were! Stupid, stupid allergy. So no donut for me, but I did enjoy a chocolate chip pumpkin seed cookie and a strawberry mango smoothie. Delicious! But how do you choose what board game to play when you have over 2,000 to choose from? Luckily, the friendly staff at Snakes & Lattes were there to make suggestions and even teach us some new games. Hubby and I enjoyed an hour and a half of snacking and board games at Snakes & Lattes before heading to dinner at The Hogtown Vegan. Our friends Mary and Paul had eaten there a few months ago and raved about it, so we couldn’t wait to try the food for ourselves.

The problem was… it was 5 pm and I was nowhere near hungry. I filled up on ice cream, smoothie and cookie before the eating Olympics I had planned for the dinner-of-all-dinners at The Hogtown Vegan! It was a rookie move and I should have known better! Meanwhile, Hubby had cleverly paced himself all day and was ready to chow down on all the vegan comfort food he could. We compromised by taking another half hour walk through nearby Christie Pits park before heading into Hogtown.

I’ll cut to the chase and tell you that our meal was one of the best we’ve ever had. Here’s what we ordered: Chili “Cheese” Fries (French fries smothered in black beans, guacamole, sunflower sour cream and a cheesy sauce), Unchicken and Waffles (breaded and deep-fried soy chicken with the best waffles I’ve ever had, collard greens and mashed sweet potatoes), and Mac ‘n “Cheese” (baked with breadcrumbs). They were all beyond delicious. The Unchicken and Waffles was my personal favourite. Mind = Blown! I have missed fluffy Belgian waffles so much! Hubby also ordered the Hogtown wings in a buffalo sauce; I couldn’t partake because they were marinated in an alcohol-based sauce, but he said they were “fantastic; they nailed it”! Our server was friendly and attentive, the food came quickly despite plenty of other patrons there too, and the prices were very reasonable (note: it’s a cash-only establishment). Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable dinner.

As you can imagine from the photos above, our Hogtown delights were not exactly health food. If one wanted nutrient-dense, calorie-conscious food, one could eat instead at The Naked Sprout or Live Organic Food Bar for example; I’ve had delicious meals at both. But every once in a while, you just need something ridiculously indulgent. I don’t want to know how many calories I ate there, but I can’t wait to go back and do it again.

Snakes and Lattes is located at 600 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON.

The Hogtown Vegan is located at 834 Bloor Street West Toronto, ON.