Vegan Coconut Brownies

I found a vegan recipe for mint brownies a few weeks back and it talked about how awesome it is to safely take tastes of the batter (oh the joy of brownie batter).  I thought I'd switch out the mint and make a coconut version this last weekend.  I think I might try adding in some almonds next time and then these can kind of be like almond joy brownies.  Regardless they smell and taste amazing!

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup canola oil
1 and 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup carob chips
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease a 13X9 baking pan.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Add the oil, coconut extract, ad vanilla extract and mix until smooth.  Add carob chips and shredded coconut.

Pour batter into the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.  Cool and then cut into squares to serve.

Shut the Front Door Vegan Chocolate Mousse

I've become a little bit of a public library fanatic this summer.  Initially it was all to keep myself entertained cheaply while I'm on a budget, but now I love the library so much I don't know why I'd ever stop using it.  From books to movies to cookbooks to tv series my library has provided me with a lot of time filler this summer.

Last time I was there I happened to pick up Sheryl Crow and her chef's cookbook (I know how ridiculous this sounds - a rock star cookbook?).  Anyways it is Shut the Front Door good.  Tons of healthy ideas - vegan, vegetarian, meaty - and all done by the season.

The first recipe I tried out was for a chocolate mousse made with avocado (hello breast cancer fighting superstar).  This mousse is so chocolate-y I might have to cut back on the cocoa powder a little next time.  It also uses agave nectar which amps up the healthy since it is a low GI sweetener.

Serves 3-4

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla

Put all ingredients in food processor.

 Blend until smooth and add more agave if not sweet enough.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour before eating.

I think this is perfect with some raspberries on top to help mesh with the extreme chocolate fix you get here.

Talbot's Banana Cream Pie

Don't be fooled by the abnormal coloring of this pie - it is full blown banana.  I have many guilty pleasures, but True Blood is one of my favorite to indulge in.  I get together with my ex-work/half-marathon training/book sharing buddy during the summer on sundays and we watch the new episodes while munching on something tasty.

Last week for the premiere of season 4 I actually decided to theme the dish (dorky I know...but hey its my guilty pleasure, if you can't be a dork for that then what is the point?).  So I dyed my healthier version of banana cream pie red and named it after the fabulous vampire foodie in season 3.

• Cooking Spray
• 12 graham cracker squares (or 6 full sheets)
• 2 Tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 3 Tablespoons boiling water
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 egg whites
• 1 and 1/2 cups lowfat milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups banana sliced
• Copious amounts of red food dye (if going talbot-y)

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray.

In a food processor, blend the graham crackers until finely ground.  Add butter and 1 tablespoon of water, and blend until the mixture begins to clump together.  Press the crumb mixture into the pie pan and up the walls of the pan about 1/2 inch.  Bake for 10 minutes and set aside to cool.

While baking the crust, in a small bowl dissolve the gelatin in 3 Tablespoons of water.  Combine the milk and eggs in a medium sized bowl.

Add the flour, sugar, milk, and egg mixture to a medium sized sauce pan, over medium heat.  Whisk the mixture so the flour and sugar dissolve, continue stirring about 10 minutes or until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened slightly.  Add food coloring here if desired.

Lay sliced bananas in pie crust and then pour the pudding mixture over the bananas.  Let set in the fridge for about 3 hours.

You may serve with whip cream, but I think its quite good on its own :)

Grand Nelson's Fudge Squares

When I was a kiddo I had the luck to spend some time with some of my great grandparents before they passed.  My Grand Nelson was born on the 4th of July in 1899.  I remember growing up being extremely jealous of such a cool birthdate.

Grand Nelson lived through two world wars and whipped up some pretty fantastic recipes that bent to the culinary constraints of rationing (he's in the top right corner of the above picture, 19 years old).  My favorite recipe of his are his "fudge squares" which are a hybrid brownie/fudge/cookie.  The pictures I took cannot adequately convey their amazing uniqueness.

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening (crisco)
• 3 eggs
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 and 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream sugar and shortening using a whisk.  Whisk in eggs and vanilla

Sift together dry ingredients and add to bowl.  Add in chopped walnuts.

Spread mixture in a greased 13X11 or 12X12 pan.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the edges pull away from the pan.  Cool slightly before cutting.

Side Note: Nelson was Grand Nelson's first name, and yet I spent my entire childhood calling my great grandmother Mormor Nelson.  The mini-feminist in me wishes someone had let me know that wasn't her name at all, but then again who wants to be called "mormor myrtle".

Peanut Butter Smoothie

While I enjoy green smoothies, my ultimate favorite are smoothies made out of peanut butter.  This probably has to do with my peanut butter obsession - I'm the peanut butter equivalent of a choco-holic.  

This smoothie is great for the summer because, similar to the green smoothies, you can eat it fresh or freeze it as a cold treat for a hot day.

• 1 frozen banana
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk or soymilk or rice milk or almond milk 
• 1/4 cup of yogurt (plain or vanilla depending on how sweet you like it)
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter (I like using chunky for the texture it gives the smoothie, but smooth works fine too)

Blend. Pour. Drink. Smile.

Also a note about frozen bananas.  I started freezing bananas during my undergraduate years because I could never eat them fast enough before they turned.  Freezing them turned them into a delicious creamy treat and now thats how I prefer them.  Plus it saves me money to use for other produce :)  To freeze, I peel them and wrap them in foil (which I attempt to reuse).

Vegan Peanut Butter, Oatmeal, and Banana Treats

A few months ago I thought I'd try to make my own vegan cookies.  I found this recipe and gave it a shot.  I enjoyed them, but I wouldn't exactly call them cookies.  They remind me more of soft chewy granola bars mixed with banana bread.  They are still good and pretty light (under 100 calories each).

• 1/3 Cup peanut butter
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons soy milk
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 2 and 1/2 cups quick cooking or rolled oatmeal
• 1/4 cup flour
• dash of cinnamon

In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork until smooth.  Add peanut butter, soy milk, flour, vanilla, and honey and mix well.  Add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.

Drop spoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 13-16 minutes at 350 degrees or until done.

If you want a more chocolate-y version, instead of a 1/4 flour I substitute 1.5 Tablespoons of cocoa powder and 1.5 Tablespoons flour.  You can also throw in some chocolate chips or raisins to amp up the deliciousness :)