Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix
1 box vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 cup oil
1/4 cup water
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Combine cake mix, pudding mix, and brown sugar. Stir in the sour cream, oil, and water. Mix well; stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Pour into a greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake at 350F for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Bust Your Diet Cake

I wanted to come up with a more clever name for this cake, but I just couldn't. The original title was too good! :)

Ingredients: 1 butter flavor yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter, softened to room temp

Topping:
2 eggs
1 box powdered sugar (1 lb size) - about 4 cups unsifted
1 package (8 oz size) cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix first 3 ingredients in bowl, blending well. Press into a 9 x 13 greased pan. Mix next 4 topping ingredients together, then spread on top of cake in the pan. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cup Bars

Ingredients:

1 package graham crackers (about 9 crackers), crushed into small crumbs
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
1 teaspoon oil

Directions:
1) In a bowl, thoroughly mix together graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, peanut butter, and margarine.

2) Spread the mixture onto the bottom of a 9" x13" pan.

3) In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and oil, and microwave for 30 seconds. Mix the chocolate and continue to microwave at 10 second intervals until the chocolate is creamy and spreadable.

4) Spread the chocolate over the peanut butter mixture and place the pan into the refrigerator until the chocolate has hardened.

Hint: You can make graham cracker crumbs by putting them in a large Ziploc bag and then using a roller to smash them.

Makes: 18 bars, Preparation time: 15 minutes

Oriental Coleslaw

So easy and simple.

Ingredients:

Slaw:
1 - 1 lb. bag of broccoli coleslaw mix (or just coleslaw mix with added broccoli pieces)
1 package Oriental flavored Ramen noodles, broken up
4 oz. package slivered almonds
1/4 - 1/2 cup sesame seeds

Dressing:
1 package Oriental Ramen noodles seasoning
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar (more or less to taste)
1/2 cup oil (I recommend vegetable oil)

Directions:
Combine salad ingredients and dressing ingredients separately.
Toss salad with dressing right before serving (or the salad will get soggy).

Brown Sugar Toffee Cake

Serves 12

This cake turns out best when all ingredients have come to room temperature. Serve with vanilla ice cream.



1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
6 Tbs. butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup cold strong coffee
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup fat-free plain yogurt, at room temperature
3 milk chocolate-toffee bars, such as Heath

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray.
2. Whisk together four, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat butter, brown sugar, and sugar with electric mixer until smooth in separate bowl. Beat in eggs one at a time, and then beat in coffee and vanilla extract. Add 1/4 cup yogurt, and beat until smooth. Add half of flour mixture, and beat until smooth. Beat in remaining 1/4 cup yogurt, then remaining flour mixture. Beat 2-3 minutes, or until batter is smooth and creamy.
4. Spread batter in prepared cake pan, and bake 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, chop the milk chocolate-toffee bars into crushed bits (food processor or knife works just fine). Unmold cake from pan, and set on wire rack. Sprinkle chocolate-toffee bits on top of the cake while it is still hot. Cool completely before serving.

Recipe from Vegetarian Times magazine, May/June 2010 issue

Cooking on the Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail is a 2175 mile hiking trail that run along the Appalachian Mountains through 14 states from Georgia to Maine. It begins at Springer Mountain in Georgia and ends with a 5-mile uphill climb of Mount Katahdin in Maine. My grandfather has hiked the entire trail, and following his example, my dad and I decided to spend 4 days hiking 30 miles of the trail in Georgia. We started at Springer Mountain and ended at a little place called Neel's Gap, 30 miles later.

Being the cook I am, I found it interesting as we prepared meals along the way. Most of the time, while we would hike, we were eating granola bars and trail mix. But once we made camp for the night, we'd usually have a hot meal. The picture you see below is of our stove. It's very lightweight (on the trail you have to carry everything on your back, so the lighter you pack the better) and cooks via gas. It would heat up very quickly and cook the food very fast.
Our meals had to be lightweight, easy to cook, but also filling and nutritious. I found these pasta dishes that you can heat up over the stove, but their are also ones that are in little baggies that you just add water to, plus we saw other hikers with freeze-dried food (like vegetables). We also went with the quick and easy favorite of Ramen noodles. Boy were those good after a long day of hiking, especially when the night was a little chilly.

And finally, what meal would be complete without dessert. Oh, we brought mini Snickers bars, Almond Joys, and Baby Ruth's, but those only go so far. So, I brought pudding! Now, you need milk for pudding and obviously there is none on the trail. So the next best thing is powdered milk. Boy did we love the pudding. Chocolate and sugar free (me being the health nut had to get the sugar free kind). Delish! Now, you need to cool it. Well, our campsite was right by the stream, so we just stuck the bowl in the water! My dad called it "God's refrigerator."

So, that's my cooking installment from the AT. I couldn't even go a week without cooking something and then blogging about it!

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs. flaxseed meal
• 1 cup oat flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbs. vegan margarine, softened
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup applesauce or prune purée
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries

Icing

• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice

Directions

To make Cookies:

1. Stir together flaxseed meal and 3 Tbs. water in small bowl. Set aside. Whisk together oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in large bowl. Set aside.

2. Beat margarine, brown sugar, and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer 1 to 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add flaxseed mixture, applesauce, and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Stir in oat flour mixture with spatula or wooden spoon. Add oats and raisins, and stir to combine. Cover, and chill 2 hours, or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray. Roll cookie dough into golf ball–sized rounds, and place dough balls 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten each cookie to 1/4-inch thickness with bottom of drinking glass dipped in water. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies look dry on top and are just beginning to brown.

Meanwhile, to make Icing:

4. Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice in small bowl until smooth; Icing should be thick, but spreadable. Gently brush Icing on hot cookies with pastry brush. Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in airtight container.

Recipe from www.vegetariantimes.com

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