Salted Oatmeal Chocolate Chip & Cherry Cookies

Yesterday, after work, Todd spent a few hours visiting with his cousin that just came back into the big city. Todd also happens to have his lunch taken care of today. Do you know what this means? This means that I didn't have to make dinner yesterday! Which means, ultimately, that I was blessed with the freedom to make whateeeeeeever I wanted to stuff my face with for dinner. Oh yes.  Welcome to a glimpse of what my life would be like if I weren't married. It's cookies. Just cookies. Cookies. All. The. Time. Cookies for breakfast, for lunch, and for dinner, obviously. At least I went quasi-healthy with these cookies and packed them full of oats, cherries, and nuts.

This recipe is based off a recipe my mom used to make. I don't know what recipe it is or where she got it from, but she used to make them all the time. Everyone loved these cookies and I haven't had them in many, many years. So, knowing that her's weren't remotely vegan, I thought I would try to recreate them for myself, and for you!

Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, speckled with tart cherries and nuts. They're sprinkled with a little flake salt for good measure. Crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, these are delectable!

Salted Oatmeal Chocolate Chip & Cherry Cookies 

Makes 20 cookies

Notes: I like unrefined coconut oil for that coconutty taste, but refined will work too. If you don't have dried cherries, cranberries will work as well. Feel free to use your favorite nuts or omit completely! The dough will be a bit crumbly, but if it seems too dry add milk or water 1 Tbsp. at a time. 

• Flax Egg:
• 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• 3 Tbsp. water
• Wet:
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. unrefined coconut oil, solid
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Dry:
• 3/4 cup whole wheat white flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• Add-Ins:
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, dry
• 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dried tart cherries, chopped
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
• Topping:
• flake salt (or kosher salt)

In a small bowl, mix together the ground flax seed and the water. Place in the fridge to cool until ready to use. 

In a large mixing bowl, beat the wet ingredients together until smooth and all the solid oil clumps are gone. Now, add the flax egg and beat again until combined.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients slowly to the wet ingredients and beat until almost combined. 

Slowly incorporate the add-ins to the dough, until just combined. 

Cover the dough and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 350 F and coat a baking sheet with a nonstick cooking spray. 

Form about 1 1/2 Tbsp. dough balls with your hands and flatten just a bit. The dough won't spread out much at all in the oven, so how they are shaped is pretty much how they'll look when they're done. Sprinkle with flake salt and continue with the remaining dough. 

(No, that baking sheet IS NOT a prop. I won't apologize for the shameful state of it. I know I'm a monster and I'm okay with it.)

Bake at 350 F for 13 minutes or until the edges of the cookies turn golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes to firm up before transferring to a wire cooling rack. 

Once cool, store in an airtight container. 

Don't look ay my veiny hands or my chipping nail polish, 'k? I guess I'm a bit insecure today or something...Be sure no little doggy snouts get too close. "Please, Mom. I just want one!" Aw, look at that pleading face you guys!

PSA: You don't need eggs in cookies. Surprise! Stop using eggs in cookies. Use flax seed instead. That is all.  

Listening to: Big Fox – Shadows

"There’s a time for the shadows There’s a time for the fight But I’ve learned that truth’s gonna find you no matter how you hide Cause the words are there Yeah they fill the room long before you know Cause the words are there, just a silent tune but it’s gonna grow" 

German Word of The Day: Cookies --> Gebäck (pronounced: geh-beck). I also found Keks for cookie and Kekse for cookies. I think Gebäck might refer more towards pastries and Kekse more towards biscuity type of cookies. Can any German speakers shed light on Gebäck versus Kekse? I know I have a few German speaking readers! 

Good Deed of The Day: Feeling better about yourself today only takes 5 seconds. Help The Center for Biological Diversity by signing this petition to stop coyote-killing contests in Washington. Belch! This made me wrinkle my nose in disgust. A contest for killing? I know I shouldn't be surprised but somehow I am. Just disgraceful. 

[yumprint-recipe id='93']

Savory Sweet Potato and Kale Hash

NEWS - Produce On Parade has reached 1,000 Facebook likes! I'm overwhelmed with...confusion. No just kidding, happiness and gratitude! You, my readers, are amazing people and I am so thankful you indulge me. If you haven't liked us on Facebook, make sure to do so or else you'll miss out on some sweet Alaska pics, behind the scenes sneak peeks, and let's be real...mostly, more photos of Bob. A big thank you, from me to you!

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming...

This is a lovely, hassle-free dish. It's one pot, there's minimal chopping and a fairly short list of ingredients. Sure, the sweet potato takes half an hour to roast, but you know what I did during that time? I took a freaking nap sesh. Okay, that's not true. I washed a bunch of dirty dishes. But my point is that I could have taken a nap! Yes, you can literally make this dinner in your sleep...kinda. 

People around the clinic (people besides patients) are all sick with The Crud. You know what I'm talkin' about. I've been fighting it myself. Fighting and WINNING! I haven't been sick for seriously the entire year since Todd and I went vegan. I'm not exaggerating. Dont' get me wrong, fighting off the crud takes it's toll. I'm pretty exhausted, but at least I'm not sick. Not a cough and not a sniffle. Just tired. This is the second bout of yuckiness I've fought off within one year. All the more reason to go vegan. Maybe you'll be sick less. And I'd like to remind you that I work in a hospital...and I've not been sick in over a year. 

I used to get sick all the time. Like, scary sick. I would get a cold which would evolve into a sinus infection, which would transmogrify into walking pneumonia for a month and a half. That's what used to happen when I'd get a cold. Most people just get over a cold in a week or so. Not me. My doctor even recommended that I acquire a humidifier to hopefully help me from getting sick constantly. I bet she misses me...

Regardless, I was pretty tired yesterday and this meal was just the ticket. It's savory and completely satisfying. The fresh edamame and sauteed kale will give you an extra dose of energizing iron and vitamin C with a punch of protein from the browned seitan and a boost of vitamin A and potassium thanks to the roasted sweet potato. Did you know that per gram, sweet potatoes have about the same potassium load as a banana. True story. 

Make this and do yourself a favor by fighting off the dreaded crud!

Savory Sweet Potato and Kale Hash

Serves 4

• Sustenance:
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 8 oz. cubed seitan
• 1 cup edamame (frozen, fresh or cooked)
• Aromatics:
• 1 Tbsp. liquid aminos or soy sauce
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 tsp. ground paprika
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• Conclusion:
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and chopped

Notes: I used frozen edamame that I added without steaming. It gave a nice crunch, but feel free to pre-cook the edamame if you'd like it a bit tender. 

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Scrub the sweet potato and poke several times with a knife. Roast whole on a baking sheet at 400 F for about 30 minutes until just tender. Remove  from oven when done and set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes.

When there's about 10 minutes left for the sweet potato to cook, heat the oil in a large frying pan over low. Add the onion and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, until the onions begin to brown. 

Add the seitan and edamame and continue to saute another 5 minutes over medium heat, until the seitan begins to brown. 

Dice the sweet potato and add it to the frying pan along with the aromatics. Stir well to coat, then deglaze the pan with the vegetable broth. Add the chopped kale.

Cook another 5 minutes or so, until the kale has wilted. 

Serve hot. 

This man is a genius. Best song ever. Come listen with me. Hans Zimmer – 503

German Word of The Day: Hash --> Hackfleisch (pronounced: hock-flehsh)

Good Deed of The Day: Sign this petition to stop Philip Morris from conducting cruel animal testing for tobacco products. We all know tobacco is bad for us, okay. Tell Philip Morris to stop torturing animals. They don't smoke! Also, if you smoke...what are you doing smoking?? For real. It's not cool anymore! Knock that shit off, it's gross. 

[yumprint-recipe id='92']

Cheesy Polenta with Roasted Vegetables

I never had polenta until a few years ago. My mom hated the yellow stuff so we never had it. After tasting it for the first time, I remember being in complete shock at the notion that there are people in this world who are going around not liking polenta. It's craziness! Who doesn't like polenta? If you don't like it, I must know why. It's confounding, so please tell me. I'm dying to know. 

If you, for some obscure reason have had an aversion to poletna in the past but want to try it again (I do this with root beer floats every six years or so...still hate 'em), this is the perfect dish. This poletna is rich with vegan cheese and topped with absolutely scrumptious, roasted vegetables. I don't know if the polenta or the vegetables star here. I couldn't quit snatching up the roasted veggies while waiting for the poletna to do it's thing. They're sweet, somewhat caramelized, and pair perfectly with the cheesy polenta. 

This is one of my ultimate polenta dishes! It's so good, it's going to be one of the vegan/vegetarian options at Todd's sister's wedding! Feelin' pretty darn fancy pants about it...in case you hadn't noticed. 

Cheesy Polenta with Roasted Vegetables

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

This poletna is rich with vegan cheese and topped with absolutely scrumptious, roasted vegetables. I don't know if the polenta or the vegetables star here. They're sweet, somewhat caramelized, and pair perfectly with the cheesy polenta.

Ingredients

• 2 small zucchini, diced
• 3 small yellow summer squash, diced
• 1 orange bell pepper, de-seeded and diced
• 1/2 sweet potato, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• drizzle of olive oil
• sprinkle of kosher salt
• sprinkle of ground black pepper
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup stone-ground polenta, dry
• 2 cups vegan cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup large flake nutritional yeast
• sprinkle of kosher salt
• sprinkle of ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450° F. Dice the vegetables and scatter them on large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Give them a good shake and a stir. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. When done, remove and set aside. Reduce oven to 350° F.
2. Bring a large pot with the 4 cups of water to a boil. Give it a sprinkle of salt. Once boiling, slowly add the polenta while stirring continuously for 5 minutes. Then, turn to low heat and stir frequently for about 25 minutes to thicken. Stir in the cheese and nutritional yeast until melted and well combined. Remove from heat.
3. Coat a 9x9 inch baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray. Pour in the polenta and smooth over the top and bake for 15 minutes. Then, add the roasted vegetables on top and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.
4. Remove from oven, season with salt and pepper, and allow to rest for 5 minutes being serving. Serve hot.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 00:45
Total time: 00:50
Yield: 6 servings

Scrumptious!

My little Bobbledore is now seven years and two days old. Time flies when you have such a great companion! 

German Word of The Day: Polenta --> Maisbrei (pronounced: mice-brye) *EDIT* A German reader informed me that they pretty much use the word Polenta as well! So happy to know the real word usage...it's just polenta peeps. Don't be going around saying maisbrei, okay? 

Good Deed of The Day: Take 5 seconds to sign this petition to outlaw animal crush videos. This is absolutely horrific, monstrous, and one of the cruelest things imaginable. Please sign it.