Fudgy Brownies

These brownies are so good, so healthy, and a delicious mix of flavors.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
1/2 cup canola oil
2 small ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup sugar
1 cup plain soymilk
2 Tbs. flaxseed meal
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a glass, 9 1/2-by- 11 inch rectangular baking pan with cooking spray. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl.
2. Melt chocolate chips with canola oil in double boiler, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, and whisk in banana and sugar. Combine soymilk, flaxseed meal, and vanilla in measuring cup, then fold into chocolate mixture. Stir chocolate mixture into flour mixture until just combined, then spread in prepared baking pan.
3. Bake 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out dry, but middle is still soft. Cool in pan on wire rack, then cut into 16 pieces.

Fried Rice with Eggs, Peas, and Carrots

Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon ginger
4 cloves garlic
1 small onion
2 cups cooked rice
1 package (10-12 ounces) frozen green peas and carrots
soy sauce, to taste

1. Scramble eggs in a nonstick skillet with a few drops of oil. Add pepper if desired and/or cayenne pepper if you like a little spice. Pour in a bowl and set aside.
2. Cook ginger, garlic and onion in skillet until they are translucent or just starting to brown. Add the cooked rice. Break up any lumps and cook until very hot and some rice begins to form crunchy bits, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the peas and carrots. Cook until hot, then stir in the eggs. Serve with soy sauce. (I also added some garlic powder and rosemary.)

Recipe idea from The Everything Vegetarian Cookbook, page 129. I added my own little touch with some added spices.

The New and Improved Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here's a little spin on a classic favorite cookie!

Makes 30 cookies

3 Tbs. canola oil
2 cups walnuts
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups oat flour
t tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (12 oz.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
2. Blend walnuts in food processor 30 seconds, or until ground into a find meal. Add canola oil, and blend 2-3 more minutes, or until mixture has the consistency of natural peanut butter, scraping down sides of food processor occasionally. Transfer to bowl.
3. Whisk together brown sugar and 1/2 cup water in small saucepan, and bring mixture to a boil. Pour brown sugar mixture over ground walnut butter, add vanilla extract, and stir until no lumps remain.
4. Whisk together oat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in separate bowl. Stir oat flour mixture into walnut mixture. Cool 10 minutes. Fold in oats, then chocolate chips.
5. Shape cookie dough into 2-inch balls, and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten cookies with bottom of drinking glass dipped in water. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until cookies begin to brown and tops look dry. Cool 3 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Notes: To make oat flour, simply blend rolled oats in a food processor or a blender to make the amount you need. Also, if you'd like a little more texture to the cookie or if you really like to taste the nuts, you can leave the walnut butter a little chunky.

Recipe from VegetarianTimes.com