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.

Pumpkin Spice Scones and Vegan Clotted Cream

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

I recently hosted a tea party to celebrate the birthday of a dear friend. We both love tea and sweets and opportunities to speak in fake British accents so we had a jolly good time!

On the menu:

Pumpkin spice scones

Crumpets

Clotted cream and strawberry jam

Cucumber sandwiches

Gingersnaps

Fresh strawberries

Assorted teas

The gingersnaps, crumpets and jam were store-bought to save on time. The gingersnaps are Nyakers brand and they were thin and crispy, just right for dunking in tea. They were also perfect as the base for pumpkin pie crust instead of graham crackers that I made the next day. I can’t recall the brand of the vegan crumpets but found them at FreshCo.

The sandwiches were filled with Tofutti Garlic and Herb Better Than Cream Cheese, baby spinach and cucumbers. The scones were an adaptation of the sweet potato biscuits that I’ve been making for years (see below). Being October, I thought pumpkin would be a nice variation.

So, what is the difference between a scone and a biscuit anyway? It seems there is a fine line between the terms but biscuits are more of a savoury dinner food (often accompanied by gravy) and scones are a bit sweeter and more of an accompaniment for tea or breakfast. In the UK, biscuits are more what we think of as cookies in North America, and as we were having as proper an Enligh tea party as we could, scones they were. I used 2 tbsp of sugar for a not-too-sweet scone since I knew I’d be slathering them in jam, but you may want to increase to 3 tbsp to have them taste more like dessert.

Pumpkin Spice Scones

1/3 cup soy milk
1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2-3 tbsp dry sweetener
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
6 tbsp chilled vegan margarine
3/4 cup pumpkin puree

Pour the lemon juice or vinegar into the soy milk and let sit for a few minutes to make a buttermilk. Meanwhile, add all dry ingredients in a food processor and mix well. Add the chilled margarine until it resembles coarse meal. Add the pumpkin purée to the buttermilk and mix well. Stir the wet mixture into the flour mixture, careful not to over-mix. Drop large spoonfuls onto a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Makes 6-8 scones.

Variation: Sweet Potato Dinner Biscuits: Substitute sweet potato purée for the pumpkin purée (you can use a small jar of baby food to save time) and use 2 tbsp of dry sweetener and omit the cinnamon and nutmeg.

I was enchanted with the idea of making my own vegan clotted cream. The inspiration came from Steph’s Cup of Tea blog though I’ve changed the measurements to be have more a cream cheese taste.

Clotted Cream
6 tbsp Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
4 tbsp vegan margarine
2 tsp agave or maple syrup

Blend in a food processor, taste and add more sweetener if desired. Use as a spread on scones or muffins.

Happy birthday, Melanie!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

Whether you’re Canadian or not, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend full of family, friends, good food, and more blessings than you can count! I am grateful that I did!
I had grand plans to make a seitan roast from scratch for Thanksgiving Sunday dinner, but in the end, convenience won, and I bought a Tofurky roast. For those who are unfamiliar with them, Tofurky roasts are a blend of tofu, wheat and spices complete with a centre of wild rice and breadcrumb stuffing. Completely vegan and absolutely delicious! I especially appreciate that the company Turtle Foods uses soy that is organic and non-GMO, and all their products are vegan and free of preservatives and artificial ingredients. In addition to their roasts, I love Tofurky’s deli slices, frozne pizza (with Daiya), Smoky Maple Bacon Marinated Tempeh and Kielbasa Sausages. Yum yum yum!

I surrounded the roast with parsnips and potatoes then drizzled all with a marinade of equal parts olive oil and soy sauce mixed with poultry seasoning, then sprinkled with sea salt, black pepper and fresh sprigs of rosemary and cooked it at 350 degrees for 90 minutes.
Rounding out Thanksgiving dinner: carrots, beans and quinoa tabouleh. For dessert, I made my stuffed dates, one of the tastiest desserts you can put together in five minutes. This weekend’s medjool dates were stuffed with hazelnut butter and chocolate chips.

Stuffed Dates

medjool dates
your favourite nut butter
chocolate chips, nuts or dried fruit

Slice each date lengthwise, just far enough to remove the pit. Fill with the nut butter and top with chocolate. For a completely raw option, use raw nut butters, raw nuts and dehydrator-dried fruit. Chill until you’re ready to serve.

What served as your main dish for Thanksgiving? I’m looking forward to perusing all the Vegan MoFo thanksgiving posts!

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.

Vegan Brunch: Savory Scrambles and Sweet Parfaits

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

Shortly after I became vegan, I learned a little tidbit I’ll share with you: Brunch is a big deal to vegans. Waffles, pancakes, scrambles, muffins, lattes, even bacon and omelets….. we can do it all vegan, deliciously!
My primary brunch staple for about a year was Oh She Glows’ Sweet Potato Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole. It’s excellent, like everything Angela creates. Then Tofu Scramble with Coconut Bacon took over as my main go-to. Click the link for the recipe.

When I hosted a brunch a few weekends ago, I wanted to create a special dish for a friend with severe allergies. Not only is she vegan, she also needs to avoid soy and gluten. Before cutting out soy, she adored tofu scramble. I wondered if I could possibly make a tofu scramble without tofu and still be delicious and full of protein? I decided to try swapping the tofu in my scramble with white beans and potatoes and I think it turned out wonderfully! All the flavours of my Tofu Scramble with potato and white beans substituting the tofu. Perfect for anyone wanting to change up their scramble or just wanting to reduce their soy intake.

White Bean and Potato Breakfast Scramble
1 cup onion, chopped
coconut or olive oil
2 medium potatoes, chopped into bite sized chunks
14 oz cooked white beans, drained and rinsed if using a can
1 heaping tbsp of spice mix (below)
3 tbsp Bragg’s all-purpose seasoning, nama shoyu or soy sauce
2 1/2 cups chopped veggies (we like red pepper, massaged kale, mushrooms and spinach)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 tomato, chopped
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced

Scramble Spice Mix
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp Herbamare seasoning or sea salt
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp sage

Mix the spices together and keep in a glass jar. Makes enough for 6 servings of the scramble.

Sautée the onion in a bit of oil over medium heat in a large pan and cook for about five minutes. Add the potatoes and white beans to the pan with the onion and continue cooking, stirring frequently. Add 1 tbsp of the spice mix to 3 tbsp of water, stir, then add to pan and stir well. Add the Bragg’s, veggies and nutritional yeast to the pan and cook for another several minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender and veggies are soft. Use a metal spatula to scrape the bottom if the beans start to stick. Taste and add more Bragg’s, spice mixture or nutritional yeast if desired. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm topped with chopped tomatoes and cilantro.
The scramble also makes a great entrée.

I also served my traditional Tofu Scramble with avocado, fresh fruit, raw almonds (brought by a friend from California where nuts are unpasteurized and truly raw), and cherry coconut parfaits! The parfaits can be nearly sugar free if you choose no-sugar added jam and granola, making it a not-too-decadent treat for breakfast, brunch or dessert.
Cherry Coconut Parfaits

cultured coconut milk (also called coconut yogurt. I used So Delicious brand)
your favourite jam (I used homemade chia-berry jam)
granola (I used homemade raw coconut granola, recipe coming soon)
one cherry per parfait to top

Spoon about a two tablespoons of cultured coconut into the bottom of a glass cup or wine glass. Top with two tablespoons of jam followed by enough granola to cover the jam. Repeat the layers of coconut, jam and granola, then top with a cherry. Serve immediately.

I am submitting my White Bean and Potato Breakfast Scramble to the Allergy Friendly Fridays, Gluten Free Fridays, Healthy Vegan Fridays, Foodtastic Fridays, Wellness Weekends and Meatless Mondays blog hops. I’m sharing the Parfaits with the Slightly Indulgent blog hop.
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What does a vegan eat anyway? (Inaugural WIAW post)

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

What I Ate Wednesdays is a weekly blog party hosted by Peas and Crayons that celebrates food. The entries mostly focus on healthy plant-based eating, but not exclusively. Every Wednesday, bloggers are invited to share what they ate one day that week. Since I’m often asked by omnivores “what the heck does a vegan eat anyway?”, participating in WIAW seemed a fun way to answer that question.

So here’s what I ate last Sunday….

Breakfast: Chocolate banana smoothie (frozen banana, Vega chocolate protein powder and coconut milk), fresh organic fruit and walnuts for breakfast.

Lunch: Cherry chocolate chip banana muffins and raspberries and strawberries from my garden. The muffins were fresh from the oven and delicious. I think I had three, plus I couldn’t help eating some muffin batter (no raw eggs!) The recipe for the muffins is coming soon!

Snack of hummus and crackers.

Dinner at my parents’ house: I made gardein (wheat and soy protein) marinated in garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce and stir fried. I also ate potato salad, spinach and pine nut salad and corn on the cob with Earth Balance butter. Yum!

Look at the fruit salad in a watermelon my mother made for dessert! Creative and beautiful, just like my mom.

I intentionally ate fairly healthy through the day because I had made a decadent dessert to share and was looking forward to indulging….

Almond fudge rice crispy bars! Click for the recipe for this addictive dessert. I had two pieces. Okay, maybe three. I have no willpower when it comes to these chocolatey squares.

Thanks, Jenn at Peas and Crayons, for creating and hosting WIAW! I look forward to reading everyone’s posts.

Banana Zucchini Bread with Cranberries

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

Last week’s heat wave diminished and it put me in the mood to do some baking. Our organic food delivery service dropped off a ton of zucchini this week (ours aren’t ready to harvest yet) so I made banana zucchini bread. My version has cranberries and a little bit of fresh ginger which I think go great in the moist bread. We ended up snacking on it morning, noon and night.

Banana Zucchini Bread with Cranberries
2/3 cup nondairy milk (note: rice milk not recommended; soy or almond work better)
1 tsp vinegar (I used coconut vinegar)
2 bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup canola oil
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup grated zucchini (about 2 zucchini)
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp fresh ginger (add more if you like a gingerbread taste)
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Add the vinegar to the nondairy milk and let sit for ten minutes to create a buttermilk that will help the bread rise. Combine the banana, vanilla, oil and sugar in a food processor. Once mixed, add the zucchini and gently combine. In a large bowl, mix the flours, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, salt and spices. Pour the cranberries (and nuts if using) into a bowl. Scoop out about two tablespoons of the flour mixture and add to the cranberries and nuts, stirring to coat. This will help the cranberries and nuts to not get stuck together and clump to the bottom of the bread. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir gently until just combined. Add the cranberries and nuts and stir gently again, careful not to over-mix. Pour into a greased 8 x 8 inch square pan. Smooth out and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the pan for about ten minutes before slicing into squares and serving.

Almond Fudge Rice Crispy Bars

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

These delicious bars are perfect for a cool treat on a hot day like today. Or any day you’re craving both chocolate and a rice crispy square.

I used a combination of carob and chocolate instead of just chocolate for a few reasons. Carob doesn’t have the caffeine that chocolate has, which makes it a better choice for those with that sensitivity (like me). It also contains plenty of vitamins and minerals including three times as much calcium as chocolate. Also, carob is naturally sweet so you don’t have to use as much sweetener in recipes. I like combining the flavours of both carob and chocolate in these bars but you can use all chocolate if you like. This recipe was inspired by the No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Crispies with PB Fudge from Oh She Glows, one of my favourite blogs.

Almond Fudge Rice Crispy Bars
Crispy rice layer
1/3 cup almond butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup chocolate almond milk
1/4 cup carob powder
2 cups rice cereal (I used Nature’s Path GF Organic Crispy Rice)
1/3 cup chopped almonds or other nuts
1/3 cup carob chips

Fudge layer
1 cup chocolate or carob chips (I used a mix of both)
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Chopped nuts or dried fruit for topping

Over medium heat, combine the almond butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, chocolate almond milk and carob powder in a medium-sized pan and stir. When well combined, remove from heat and stir in the rice cereal, nuts and carob chips.

Pour mixture into a greased 6-cup (1.5 L) pan and press down so the layer is even. When cool, place in the freezer to firm up while you make the fudge topping.

In the same stove-top pan, melt over low heat the chips, coconut oil, maple syrup and cinnamon, stirring well. When combined, pour over the rice crispy layer and smooth out using a spatula. Top with chopped nuts or dried fruit (I used walnuts and bananas). Return to the freezer until firm. Slice into squares and serve.

I made these bars the night before, keeping them in the freezer the next day, then moving the pan to the fridge at the start of dinner so the bars wouldn’t be too frozen to cut. They were a big hit!