Cookies, Granola and Vegan Mac and Cheese

Rainy Sunday afternoons are great for playing in the kitchen!

The fun started after a quick and easy Arugula and Pesto frozen pizza for lunch.

I slept in until 11:00 so skipped breakfast all together.

As I’ve mentioned before, I keep a recipe wish list on word. Every time I see   something on a blog that looks good, I copy the name, link, and a photo into the document for future reference. Today, I was able to try three of the recipes from my wish list.

First up, Angela’s Banana Apricot Spelt Oatmeal Cookies

Vegan, Healthy, Delicious

I adapted Angela’s recipe based on the ingredients I had on hand.

Banana Apricot Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 Flax ‘egg’ (2 tsp. ground flaxseed mixed with 2 tablespoons water)
• 1 cup regular oats
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup chopped dried organic apricots
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 banana, mashed, but chunky
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• Cacao nibs (You can also use regular chocolate chips)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Mix flax and water in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Mix dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
3. Mix wet ingredients in a small bowl and then add flax egg.
4. Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients. Stir well and shape 12 cookies onto a pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

The dry guys

meet the wet

While the cookies were baking, Sebastian and I cleaned the apartment. Our reward was a cookie at the end. I know it’s hard to believe, but Sebastian does not like oatmeal. He ate the cookie and said that he liked it, but it was then that he taught me the German equivalent to “call a spade a spade,” “call a child by its name.” I guess he thought it was more oatmeal than cookie. Nevertheless, he ate another one before heading to work today. I thought they were absolutely delicious! Please go and make these!

Sebastian took off to work and I went over to the Aussie’s to pick up some flower pots they collected for me. I gave them each a big, warm, delicious vegan cookie and they gave me three large pots. For now, the pots are serving as a kitty jungle gym.

After cleaning, it was back to baking. Another recipe I’ve been drooling over since its recent appearance is Lele’s Carrot Cake Granola. She adapted the recipe from another blogger, but unfortunately, the link didn’t work. Luckily, Lele’s recipe was divine. The only change I made was to add chia seeds.

Carrot Cake Granola

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/3 cup flax meal
• ½ cup shredded carrot
• 2 Tbsp. wheat germ
• ¼ cup chopped almonds
• ¼ cup chopped pecans
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds

Directions

1. Mix all dry ingredients.
2. Stir in the wet ingredients.
3. Spread over lightly sprayed parchment paper and bake at 300 F for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. You’ll know it’s done once it gets a bit crispy.
4. Let cool completely then break into small chunks. Store in a tightly sealed container.

Carrots, wheat germ, flax and oatmeal

Add in the almonds, pecans, cinnamon, chia seeds, vanilla and maple syrup

Chia seeds are a very rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and a variety of amino acids

Open Wide!

Since making healthy carrot cupcakes for her birthday, my friend Kate has complimented me on them about 5,000 times more. While mixing up the granola, I decided to set aside half for Kate.

The kitchen concoctions fun continued with another recipe from Angela, Vegan Mac and Cheese

Since I still had about 1 cup of shredded carrot left over from the jumbo carrot I grated for the granola, I decided to toss it in to the cheese mixture as well. Angela adapted her recipe from here. Below is my adaptation of Angela’s version.

Vegan Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pasta (I used up the last of my solar world Karneval parade stash)
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 cup plain soy milk
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 3/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic puree
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoons tahini (I accidently forgot)
• black pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen peas

Directions:

1. Cook your preferred pasta according to the directions on the bag or box.
2. While the pasta is cooking, throw ALL ingredients into the food processor or blender and blend for 30-60 seconds.
3. Once pasta is cooked and drained, add sauce into sauce pan with frozen peas and pasta and simmer over low-medium heat stirring frequently. Cook until thickened, about 5-7 minutes.

The sauce really was so creamy and cheese-like. When I make this in the future, I’ll continue to use the carrots for color and extra vitamins but will probably cut out the tumeric. Serves 8. I’ll be eating this for lunch tomorrow too! Yummy!

Now that the kitchen is a mess with dishes, it’s time to say farewell! I hope you had a wonderful weekend, full of both fun and relaxation. Have a great week!

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