Oatmeal Banana Cookies

It's getting close to the best time of the year, and in my house that means it's time for cookies! I have created a really great Oatmeal Banana Cookie recipe, here's what you'll need to prepare:

1 mashed banana
1/2 cup of applesauce (canola or vegetable oil works too)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
                                   1 teaspoon cinnamon
                                   1 dash nutmeg
                                   1 dash salt
                                   3/4 cup of rolled oats

To make these cookies, first preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the banana, applesauce (or oil), vanilla and brown sugar, then add the remaining dry ingredients to create a dough. Drop onto cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Your whole house will smell like the holidays~enjoy!

"Dont forget the Dog! Treats"

I made these vegan dog treats for my dog's birthday and he's been following me around the house ever since. Even the cat likes them! Here's what you'll need:

• 1 mashed banana
• 2 carrots, finely grated
• 7 ounces of flour
• 1 1/2 ounces of olive oil
• 3 1/2 ounces of rolled oats

To create these dog treats, simply mix all ingredients and roll into a dough. If you're feeling super crafty you can roll out the dough and use a cookie cutter to create shapes; otherwise you can just roll into small portions and place on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool, then it's treat time for Fido!

Spinach & Mushroom Stuffed Zucchini

What you'll need to prepare:

* 2 zucchini
* 1 package mushrooms
* 2 onions
* 1 clove of garlic
* frozen spinach
* EVOO

To begin, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash your zucchini and slice in half lengthwise. Brush each side with EVOO, spray a baking sheet with non stick oil, and place the zucchini open side down on the baking sheet. Bake for about ten to fifteen minutes.

In a separate pan, begin sauteeing chopped onion, mushrooms, garlic and spinach. Once the zucchini is cooked, remove from the oven and carefully scoop out the insides, and add to the pan. Cook the filling until all ingredients are soft.

Bake the stuffed zucchini in the oven at 350 degrees for about ten more minutes and that's it!

Baked Tofu Bites

These Baked Tofu Bites are super easy to make and serve as a healthy and cruelty free version of good old fashioned chicken nuggets. Here' what you'll need to prepare:

• 1 block extra firm tofu
• Marinade -- this can be whatever you choose --I used EVOO, Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce, Bragg's, low sodium terriyaki sauce, and a dash of garlic and onion powder
• Panko bread crumbs
• Flour and water

First, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Prepare the tofu block by wrapping in a tea towel and placing under something heavy to remove the excess water. Once the tofu is ready, slice in half lengthwise so you have two pieces, then cut into cubes.

Mix together your marinade into a tupperware container with a lid. Use enough of each liquid ingredient so that each cube of tofu can be immersed, and allow it to sit in the marinade for about ten minutes for maximum taste.

Next, mix a small amount of flour and water together on a plate to create the glue for the breadcrumbs. On a separate plate, pour out a generous amount of Panko breadcrumbs. I like to add salt and pepper, parsley, garlic and onion powder, and poutlry seasoning to the breadcrumb mix for added flavor. One by one remove the tofu cubes from the marinade, dip into the flour and water mixture, dredge into the breadcrumb mixture, and place on a baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

'Ricotta' & 'Mozzarella' Baked Ziti

 What you'll need to prepare:

* 1 box ziti noodles

* 1 jar marinara sauce

* 1 block extra-firm tofu

* 2 tsp lemon juice

* 1 tsp garlic salt

* 1 tsp black pepper

* 2 tsp basil leaves

* 2 tsp olive oil

* 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast

                                                           * 1 block Galaxy Vegan Mozzarella cheese

 

Begin by boiling water for the ziti noodles and preheat oven to 375 degrees.

 

To make the 'ricotta': Unwrap tofu, wrap in a kitchen towel and place under heavy weight to remove excess water, about 5 to 10 minutes. Once the tofu is ready, unwrap and place in a separate bowl to make the 'ricotta.' Mash the tofu block in the bowl with a fork until it is crumbled. Add the lemon juice, garlic salt, black pepper and basil leaves and stir together. Add the olive oil and Nutritional Yeast, stir together and continue mashing until it is the consistency of ricotta cheese.

 

In a casserole dish stir together cooked ziti noodles, marinara sauce and 'ricotta' cheese mixture. Shred desired amount of vegan 'mozzarella' cheese over top the ziti, cover and cook for about 30 minutes in preheated oven, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

 

 

Sausage, 'Shroom & Kale Medley

What you'll need to prepare:

* 1 package of mushrooms (I like crimini or baby portabellas)

* 1 onion

* 1 large bunch of kale

* 2 packages of brown rice

* 1 clove garlic

* 1 tube of vegan sausage (I like 'Gimme Lean')

To get started, boil some water for your rice. In the meantime, sautee chopped mushrooms and chopped onion in EVOO over medium heat in a large pan until soft. Add kale in small amounts until wilted. Once all the kale is in, add the chopped garlic, turn the heat down to low, and cover the pan. Place rice packets in the boiling water and cook for ten minutes.

Now we begin preparing the sausage. Pour a small amount of EVOO into a separate pan and cook the sausage over medium heat, chopping it up with a wooden spoon, and turning it frequently until browned. Once the rice is cooked, drain the rice and fold in to the mixture. Fold the browned sausage bits into the mixture and serve.

Easy. Delicious. And so good for you!

Cheese-less Chorizo & Mushroom Lasagne

What you'll need to prepare:

* 1 package lasagne noodles

* 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce

* 1 tube soy chorizo sausage (I like Soyrizo)

* 1 onion

* 1 package mushrooms

* EVOO

To begin, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil water for the lasagne noodles and cook ten to twelve minutes, stirring every so often to prevent sticking. Pour a small amount of EVOO into a pan and sautee chopped onions and mushrooms until soft. Add desired amount of soy chorizo to the mixture and sautee over medium heat, stirring frequently until cooked through.

Once the lasange noodles are cooked and oven is preheated, it's time to build your lasagne. Spread a small amount of marinara sauce to cover the bottom of the pan and cover with a layer of noodles. Spread the chorizo, mushroom and onion mixture overtop of the noodles, covered with a layer of marinara sauce. Repeat until all the noodles and mixture are used, and bake in preheated oven for about ten to fifteen minutes, until sauce is bubbly.