Carrot Apple Oatmeal Flax Cookies

Carrot Apple Oatmeal Flax Cookies
Vegan; Makes 1 lb Dog cookies

For those who know me, I can't stand Made In China (See prior postings for reasons). Currently, most big dog food companies (and if you read the label) you'll find the Made In China printed on the package. These are perfect since the carrots can be found at the farmers markets and if the season is right, so can the apples. I use organic, let's face it... Why are you going to feed your family members something that you're not willing to eat yourself.

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
2 Tablespoons flax seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped and cored apple
2 Tablespoons blackstrap molasses
2 Tablespoons canola oil
egg replacer equal to 1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, flax seeds and cinnamon. In a food processor, combine water, carrot, apple, molasses, oil, egg replacer, and vanilla. Puree until smooth. Add to dry ingredients and mix well.

3. In the bowl and using hands, knead until dough holds together. Transfer to a floured surface and using a rolling pin, roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. With a fork poke holes in the dough (this keeps it from becoming a puffy soft cookie and keeps it crunchy). I use cookie cutters (puppy shapes), but you can use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter and cut into bite size squares. Place about 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets.

4. Bake, in batches if necessary, for 20 minutes or until firm. Place cookies on cooling racks and lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes more (again, this helps make a crunchy cookie to help prevent tarter build-up). Transfer cookies to a rack and cool completely. Store in a air tight container for up to 30 days. If you live in a humid climate, store in the fridge.

Found and adapted: Better Food for Dogs

Blueberry Frozen Puppy Pops

Blueberry Frozen Puppy Pops

There are certain things that I love about San Antonio. The fact that it's almost Thanksgiving and yesterday it 86 degrees and today will be 74 degrees is one of them. This allows me to go to a farmers market year round. I missed this while living in Colorado. However, Fortune and Choxie are not enjoying the heat so much. That being said, I made these yesterday for them. SO tasty, one can turn these into a smoothie for a quick morning breakfast ;)

Ingredients
1 cup of blueberries (I used frozen organic)
1 extra ripe banana
3/4 cup plain coconut yogurt
1 tsp of ground flax seeds

1. Mix all the ingredients in a blender, until smooth. (I had to add a little water to not over heat my blender.)

2. Pour into an ice cube tray or mold. Freeze it for about 2 hours

Flax Meringue

Flax Meringue

Light, fluffy, airy, and wonderful for lightening up tofu-based puddings. The only shortfall is that it doesn't hold up to heat, so you can't bake it.

1/3 cup flax seeds
3 cups water

Combine the water and flax seeds in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn down heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes until it is thick and gloppy looking. Strain through a sieve. You should have about ½ cup.
Allow to cool completely. This can be stored in the refrigerator for one week.

When you are ready to whip it, place the mixture in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip on high for about 7 – 8 minutes until it resembles meringue. Fold gently into puddings, mousses, or purees to lighten and add an airy texture. If desired, you can sweeten it with a little maple syrup or powdered sugar to taste.

Some Tricks of the Trade....

Some Tricks of the Trade....

Alright, over the weekend I spent close to 36 hours in the kitchen. Getting ready for the holiday season, my family always gets baked goods. Turning the family favorites vegan, is not that difficult if you know what you're doing. So, I'm going to share these tips in hopes that it makes a holiday special and animal friendly....

Eggs: This is a fairly easy one. There are a lot of good egg replacers on the market. I like Bob's Red Mill. Most vegan recipes will call for Ener-G egg replacer. Sometimes, depending on what you're making, you can use bananas or applesauce.

Egg Whites: What I do is soak over high heat, 1/4 cup to 3/4 cup (if making a meringue go with 3/4 cup) of flax seeds over medium-high heat for 20 minutes. You'll get a thick egg white like texture and using a fine strainer, over a bowl you'll be able to dip/whip/or dunk the "egg white". When making a meringue, whisk on high until fluffy. Add some powdered sugar and/or maple syrup to sweeten.

Egg Yolk: There is a wonderful product call The Vegg. It can be used just like eggs in recipes, from baked goods to breakfast and dinner. A teaspoon with 1/4 cup water will act as the egg yolk. I used this in my cookies over the weekend, and it was perfect! I had no problems with binding and it smells just like a cracked egg. I will use this the next time I make latkes, since the potato starch didn't hold them together....

No-Bake Energy Bites

No-Bake Energy Bites
Vegan; Raw; Gluten Free

I made these for Bruce, since he left out of town this morning. These are great snacks for on the go, and really easy to make. Since it has been crazy in the house lately! Between work, cleaning, hockey practice, football practice, and my own extra curricular activities-it has been CRAZY!!!!

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup cashew butter
1/2 cup ground flaxseed or ground almonds
1/2 cup carob chips (optional)
2/3 cup date paste
1 tsp. vanilla

Method:

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Makes about 20-25 balls.

Oatmeal Banana Energy Bars

Oatmeal Banana Energy Bars
(Makes a 9 inch square pan)

2 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup flax seeds (ground or crushed)
4 Tbs Rice Protein Powder
1 cup vanilla rice milk (Pacific)
6 Tbs egg replacer (like Ener-G or Flax Seed jel)
2 bananas- ripe and pureed (or sub fruit/pumpkin puree, equal to 1 cup)
1/2 cup applesauce- unsweetened
1/4 cup agave or maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon (omit if adding chocolate)

Add-ins if desired
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips or carob chips
1/2 cup nuts of choice, crushed
1/2 cup dried fruit (cranberries are a good choice)
Replace 1/2 fruit puree with peanut, almond butter or cashew butter

1. Preheat oven to 350

1. Mix all ingredients together (well), and place in prepared 9 inch square pan. Bake for approx 40-45 minutes. Cool and slice into desired size bars. Store loosely covered in the refrigerator. For travel, we simply remove bars and wrap them in a cloth napkin secured with a safety pin, string or band.
**Note: Make fruit purees (pumpkin, zucchini, apple, banana, prune, fig, etc.) and store in the freezer in 1 cup portions, then the desired flavor can be pulled out and used in baking and cooking.