Cowboy Cookies (Vegan)

I never tire of trying out new cookie recipes, and after a few trials this one has become a favorite of mine.  It's easy, quick, and tastes great.  Particularly straight from the mixing bowl.  Seriously, I could just sit down with a bowl of this and be perfectly content.

You might have noticed that I reference quite a few cookbooks from this same author - Isa Chandra Moskowitz.  I love her stuff.  It seems to just get better and better with each new cookbook.  And you certainly do not have to be vegan to enjoy her recipes! 

Who's got two thumbs and is psyched for Isa's new book coming out in a few weeks?  THIS GIRL.  Anyway, it's not really relevant to this post, but I thought I'd share the good news.  Now back to your regularly scheduled, drool-worthy cookies...

This recipe originally was one of those I thought to whip up on a Friday right before work.  And it's so easy that it was no problem.  I fiddled with the original recipe a bit - swapping out half the oil for unsweetened applesauce, and also swapping out part of the flour for whole wheat flour.  It wasn't because the recipe needed tweaking, but mostly so I felt less guilty about eating a spoonful....or five.

These are husband and coworker approved!

Cowboy Cookies (Vegan)
(Slightly adapted from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar)
Makes 2-3 dozen, depending how large you make them

2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup nondairy milk
1 Tbsp ground flax seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup (heaping) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (heaping) dark chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I used walnuts)
1/4 cup (or more to your taste) cocoa nibs
***You may change the additions, of course!  Other nuts, shredded coconut, raisins, craisins, etc are other popular additions.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium-size bowl, stir together oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together oil, applesauce, both sugars, nondairy milk, flax seeds, and vanilla.  Fold in half of the flour mixture to moisten, then fold in the remaining half.  Just before the mixture is completely combined, fold in the chocolate chips, nuts, and cocoa nibs.

For each cookie, drop 2-3 Tbsp size ball of dough (slightly smaller than a golf ball) onto the paper lined cookie sheets.  The dough will be sticky and thick, and you won't be able to roll it in your hands.  (Or if you do, it'll be a mess, and you'll just have to lick all of it off your hands.  Oops.)  Leave about 2 inches of space between each cookie.  Flatten slightly with moistened fingers.

Bake for 14-16 minutes until edges start to brown, then remove from oven.  Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to complete cooling.  Store in a loosely covered container.

Enjoy!

Mixed Greens and Bulgur Salad (Vegan)

Happy New Year!  Everyone all cookie-d out?  Feeling the richness of the holidays?  Yeah, me too.  Have no fear, I've got a healthy and tasty dish for you!

This weekend I was doing some meal planning (to avoid the inevitable "oh, we'll just make spaghetti" reaction at the end of the day), and combing through loads of healthy cookbooks and blogs.  I knew I wanted to make my Sweet Potato and Rosemary Soup, but was craving some greens-filled side dish to round out the meal in a healthy way.

I came across two recipes and decided to modify it a bit for my tastes.  They included bulgur wheat as the grain, and I was excited to try something new.  I usually use quinoa in this situation, but the husband was looking for something different.

Look at those greens, don't you feel better already?  I used a mix of baby kale, spinach, mizuna, chard, and arugula.  You could also used mustard greens, collard greens, or turnip greens as well.  Whichever of these (solo or a combo) strikes your fancy would work just fine.

And toasting up some walnuts for a topping - heart healthy and yummy.

This recipe called for white wine vinegar, but I didn't have any on hand, so red wine vinegar was my substitute.  Vinegar can quickly overpower, but in this application it's the perfect amount of acid to add flavor to this dish.

Also, one recipe called for dates, and the other for raisins.  I thought I'd give craisins a whirl, and they worked perfectly in it.

I was going for healthy, but I'll be honest, I was a tad worried it would taste a bit like bird food.  The husband shared my trepidation, but we were pleasantly surprised at the wonderful flavor!  Nutty, chewy, with the vinegar adding a complex aspect to it - yum.  A perfect side dish or even a light main dish.

Mixed Greens and Bulgur Salad
(adapted from Eating Well and Eat Well With Janel)
Makes about 6 servings

1 cup bulgur, dry
2 Tbsp chopped walnuts
5 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
10-12 oz your greens of choice, chopped or thinly sliced, tough stems removed
1/3 c craisins
2-3 tablespoons water
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste

Wash greens (if necessary), remove tough stems, and chop or thinly slice.  Set aside.

Prepare bulgur according to package directions. Transfer to a sieve and rinse under cool water; drain. Toast walnuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.

Place 5 teaspoons oil and shallots in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook until the shallots start to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add greens, craisins and 2 tablespoons water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender and the water evaporates (add another tablespoon of water if the pan is dry before the greens are tender), about 4 minutes. Stir in vinegar, salt and pepper, and the prepared bulgur; cook until heated through, about 1 minute.  Sprinkle with the walnuts before serving.

Enjoy!