Vegan Recipe Taste Test : Cauliflower Tacos

I have no idea what to call these posts--calling this a "vegan recipe experiment" didn't seem right last week. I'm not declaring myself vegan, but I am eating a vegan diet right now (and have been for the last five weeks), so I wanted to try out some new-to-me vegan recipes.

I'd prefer to make recipes that use everyday ingredients that I'm used to (if I have to google what it is, then I'm probably never going to buy it). So far, I've been using the same recipes I always use (like the ones I have on my Recipes page) but I alter a couple of ingredients to make it vegan. It's been really easy so far! And doing it this way makes it easy to cook for my family at the same time--I take out my portion before adding meat/dairy/etc for them.

I have literally never eaten so healthy in my life; and I didn't even intend for it to be that way! I have found that I don't really crave anything at all anymore, especially sweets. Out of the few times I did have a craving, it was gone within a few minutes. I think the only sweets-type thing I've had in the at least the last couple of weeks is a few Sour Patch Kids--I ate them and they weren't as good as I  remembered, so I didn't even eat a whole portion.

Anyway, Bronwyn (a blog reader) sent me a link to a vegan recipe she really likes: Cauliflower Tacos from Brand New Vegan. I LOVE cauliflower, so this interested me right away. I also liked that there weren't any "weird" ingredients.

I chose to top mine with homemade pico de gallo in lieu of cheese and sour cream (what I normally would have used). I LOVE this pico de gallo.

Here is how I make it:

1/2 cup chopped red onion
1-1/2 cups diced roma tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
1 jalapeño, minced
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

Just mix it all up in a bowl just before serving (if you do it too far in advance, it gets very wilted-looking and liquidy). Roma tomatoes work best because it's easy to get rid of the seeds; I had some small sweet tomatoes at home already, so I just used those this time.

For the cauliflower tacos, you basically use very finely chopped cauliflower, mushrooms, and walnuts for the texture; then add the spices for taco flavor. (You can find the whole recipe on Brand New Vegan.)

I put the cauliflower, mushrooms, and walnuts in the food processor separately, although I probably could have put them all together. I prepped this in the morning to make it easier when I was cooking taco meat for the family, so I didn't combine the ingredients until later.

I love taco seasoning and I always make my own--here is the recipe for that--but I wanted to try this recipe with the spices as-listed. So I followed the recipe as it's written. I stirred all of the ingredients together until everything was coated with the spices. 

Then spread it all out on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet and put it in the oven. I set the timer and when it was time to pull it out, I immediately thought that I'd burned it. It looked really dark and and basically liked I'd cooked it until it was hard and crusty. Here is the before oven/after oven comparison:

When I moved it with a spoon, though, I was really surprised to find that it was soft and not at all burned. It was perfect! After stirring it together and putting it in a bowl, this is what it looked like:

(It wasn't nearly as dry as it looks!)

When I tasted it, I really liked it. The texture was great and the seasoning would have been great if there wasn't quite so much of it. I was a little overwhelmed with the amount of chili powder (and like I said, I love taco seasoning). I couldn't taste the individual ingredients, though--and I certainly wouldn't have guessed that it was cauliflower, mushrooms, and walnuts. It tasted like taco filling!

Jerry tried a spoonful of the filling and liked it (he agreed that the chili powder was a bit overwhelming, though). He said it wouldn't make any difference to him if I made that instead of meat (I'm not pushing him or the kids to eat vegan along with me; I just wanted them to taste it so they could see that vegan food doesn't have to be really "out there" weird food.

I made three hard tacos which used about half of the filling. For my tacos, I kept them simple: shell, filling, lettuce, and pico de gallo.

I know I'm probably the only person on the planet to say this, but I am NOT a fan of tacos. *gasp* By this, I just mean that I love the taste and texture of them, but they're impossible to eat without getting stuff everywhere. I prefer to make nachos or tostadas (or a taco bowl using rice instead of a shell) because you can get a bite of everything together without it falling in pieces. These were the first actual "tacos" I've had in probably a decade.

Before I announced that dinner was ready, I took two pieces of broken taco shells about the size of nachos and topped them with the cauliflower filling and then the ingredients that my kids like: lettuce, sour cream, cheese, and salsa. I gave one to each of the kids to try and tell me what they think (I didn't tell them the ingredients). Eli asked what it was, and I said it was a vegan taco filling. He made a face, but tried it anyway. His face relaxed as he chewed and he said, "Oh, it's actually not bad!" Noah said that he liked it, too.

Of course, they wanted to know what was in it. They were SHOCKED when I told them cauliflower, mushrooms, and walnuts. One food that my kids hate--and I mean absolutely *despise*--is mushrooms. They also don't like cauliflower. And I think the only time I've seen them eat walnuts is in cookies my dad makes. So I was very interested in their thoughts on this!

The looks on their faces were priceless when I told them the ingredients. They couldn't believe they just ate mushrooms, haha. I would never lie about what's in it in order to get them to eat it (it bothers me when people do that)--but I asked them to trust me. I told them that it's not meant to be a vegan "taco meat" but rather a taco filling.

I think that when meat eaters try something that is supposed to be a meat replica, they'll be disappointed. It's not meat, so it's not going to look, feel, or taste exactly like meat. It shouldn't be a direct comparison. If you think of it as a filling, it's just a different type of taco. There are beef tacos, chicken tacos, fish tacos... and this is just a vegan taco (or cauliflower taco, but you can't taste the cauliflower).

That said, I do think this is a good recipe for meat eaters to try. It doesn't have anything unusual in it and it tastes really good--like a taco! Even my mushroom- and cauliflower-hating boys liked it ;)

The only thing I'd do differently next time is to use less seasoning. I'll use my homemade seasoning and probably start with 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons. I'll also use nachos or tostadas instead of taco shells, but the main thing I was looking to try here was the filling. I'm really glad I made this!

Continue Reading...

Friday Night Photos

As promised, we got snow yesterday and through this morning. It wasn't a ton of snow but it was really icy and Jerry said the roads were bad on his way home from work. I got a call from the school at 5:30 saying that there was a two-hour delay, so I planned to drive Eli there late. Then at 8:00, I got another call that school was canceled due to road conditions. So, the kids had a snow day today--after having Monday and Tuesday off, they only had class twice this week!

I don't have a ton of pictures this week, despite it feeling like the longest week ever...

I had a horrible "PMS headache" for two and a half days straight--the whole area behind my eyes and into my temples was throbbing with the occasional stabbing pain. At times, I could barely lift my head; but it was only mild at other times because I was still able to get in my runs. (I've finally noticed that my headaches have a pattern, and there is such a thing as a PMS headache/migraine. I've been getting them for a couple of years now--really bad headaches--but I never realized the pattern until recently.)

Anyway, I had to go babysit Luke and Riley and I didn't want to cancel because Brian and Becky had an appointment. I laid on the couch for a little while before going over there. I was lying on my stomach when I felt a cat (Estelle) climb on me and settle down to sleep on my thighs. I carefully reached for my phone and then managed to get this picture--it was hard to position my phone so you could see where she was, but she was so content I felt bad to move her when it was time to go.

I headed over to Brian and Becky's and despite the headache, I really did have fun with the kids. Luke loves that I love his bedroom--when I was over there before, I laid on his bed to read him a book and his mattress was SO comfy. Combined with the stars (lights) on his ceiling and his essential oils diffuser, I could've stayed there all night. (I actually bought the same stars and a diffuser after babysitting that day! Here is the post.)

Now, whenever I see him, Luke likes to ask me "Do you love my bedroom? Do you think my bed is so comfortable? Did you get the stars on your ceiling because you love mine so much?" So cute!

The kids were jumping around way too fast for me to get a good picture...

Riley hates having her hair brushed (it's really long) but Becky always manages to make it look super cute with French braids or cute pigtails. Riley let me wash it (after much convincing I would be very gentle), but she didn't want me to brush it after her bath. It was tangled and it would have been a knotted mess if I didn't brush it. I didn't even want to attempt a French braid, so I VERY carefully pulled it back into a regular braid down her back--she didn't protest even once. It didn't look exceptionally cute, but it was comfortable for her.

The part that I thought was so funny, though, was when she saw it in the mirror. Her face lit up and she said it looks like she got a haircut and her has looks so short and she LOVES it! When I pulled her pajamas on over her head, she was really worried it messed up her "short hair". She wanted me to take a picture of the back to show her what it looked like.

My head was still throbbing when I left. I just wanted to get home and lie down and relax. Jerry had left for work shortly before I got home, and when I walked in, the house was super clean (thanks to him). I went in the bedroom to change clothes and I saw this on the little table next to the couch...

Jerry had stacked my computer, my Kindle Paperwhite, a tumbler of chewing ice, a little bowl of Sour Patch Kids, the TV remote and a little bowl of paper balls for Duck. I could lie down and not have to move all evening. It was super thoughtful! 

(I love that he included the balls for Duck. Duck always plays fetch in the mornings and the evenings--but he'll only fetch a balled up piece of paper. Occasionally, the balls will go under the couch or the stove or other places he can't get to, so I go through several of them each time we play.)

Speaking of Duck and his paper balls, my bed sometimes looks like this in the morning:

He goes around and finds them where he can and then brings them all up on my bed, haha. (The weird lighting is because of the "stars" on my ceiling.)

Jerry knows I love memes and occasionally he'll send me one that reminds him of me...

This one is so true and I hate that my kids don't love the things that I did! I get so excited to show them a movie that I used to love and I'm so sure they will love it, too. Nope! Haha. 

And this one... "What's for dinner?" is a question I get asked probably 17 times a day. My kids have even learned to try to rephrase it because they know how much I hate those three words. They'll ask, "Do you know what we're doing for dinner?" or "Do we have dinner plans?" Even when I tell them what's for dinner, it's like they don't actually hear what I tell them because they'll ask me again an hour later. And again when I'm actually cooking.

I have been forgetting to post the random fact of the day all week. None of them were super interesting to me, though, so that's probably why. But here are the last couple of days' random facts...

I was totally confused by this at first, because I couldn't imagine how you would turn on the heater and the A/C at the same time. I actually had to google it and then I learned what that A/C button in my car is for. I always wondered why it would be on sometimes, even in the winter. I had to scrape ice off my car this morning because I always forget to start my car early and let it defrost. It might be interesting to try doing this next time.

I actually found yesterday's Someecard pretty funny, because I can never find my phone. I miss a lot of my calls and texts because my phone is usually on silent and I never know where it is!

Have a great weekend! xo

Continue Reading...

Return to Running : Week 39

Like I said last week, I'm going to TRY to keep these posts relatively short. Since I'm following my 10K Training Plan for Beginners, which is extremely low-key, there is no reason to get into details analyzing all the numbers stuff I usually nerd out on.

WEEK 1, RUN 3 : Run 2 miles at an easy pace

I chose the treadmill (for all of my recent runs); maybe I'll start running outside soon, but for now I'm going through a treadmill phase. I like reading my book while running.

I switched to a new book and gave up on the previous; having a new (MUCH more interesting) book made the time go by a lot faster. (It was 'The Woman in Cabin 10', which I finished yesterday. Last night, I started Final Girls by Riley Sager.) I felt a lot better than the previous run. After taking a shower, I felt SO good--just happy to be running again.

Summary: 2.0 miles at a 12:00/mi average pace. Average heart rate: 147 bpm.

WEEK 1, RUN 4 : Long run (2.5 miles).

While 2.5 miles isn't exactly "long", these Sunday runs will be the ones that gradually increase in distance until I'm running 6 miles. I chose to run at 5.0 mph on the treadmill (my "easy pace") so this was just 30 minutes total. I feel good--nothing really to note, which is usually a good thing ;)

Summary: 2.5 miles at 12:00/mi average pace. Average heart rate: 147 bpm.

WEEK 2, RUN 1 : Tempo (10 min easy, 7 min at tempo, 10 min easy)

I was kind of nervous about this one for some reason. I had planned to run at 6.0 for the tempo portion, and it just seemed kind of miserable. Jerry said he was planning to run at 5.5 mph for that part because it's supposed to be "comfortably" hard. Not miserable. I realized he was right and I decided to do the 5.5 mph.

It didn't end up mattering. I felt AWFUL and I really should have just done an easy run instead, and saving the tempo for later. My anxiety has been terrible lately and on this particular day, my throat felt like it was closed and it was hard to breathe; my heart rate was at 130 bpm (this was before I even got on the treadmill!). My usual resting heart rate is about 60 bpm.

I knew right away I wasn't going to be able to do 6.0 and I wasn't even sure if I could manage 5.5. I pushed along, but the time was moving so slowly. It was a miserable run, and I know it's because of the anxiety.

(Interestingly--or probably not--the date was 2/22/22 and the amount of time I spent in heart rate zone 4 was 22:22. I haven't really been paying attention to heart rate zones recently, but that number caught my eye!)

Summary: 2.31 miles in 27:00 minutes. (10 min at 12:00/mi, 7 min at 11:00/mi, and 10 min at 12:00/mi. Average heart rate: 154 bpm.

WEEK 2, RUN 2 : Run 2 miles at an easy pace

Thankfully, this run was MUCH better! I started at 5.0 mph and I wondered if I accidentally pressed the 4.0 because it felt really easy. But no, it was at 5.0. Time never really passes quickly on the treadmill--there is only "slow" and "slower" and "total torture". But I am enjoying the 'Final Girls' book, so I was able to focus on that which helps to keep my heart rate down. (If I start thinking about my heart rate being high it usually climbs, so I try not to think about it.)

Summary: 2.0 miles at average pace of 12:00/mi. Average heart rate: 145 bpm.

---

So that was my week of running; three out of four good runs isn't bad! I did all of them in the morning, too, which is great. Usually I procrastinate until evening, and then I regret putting it off all day. The low-key, not-too-hard training plan is helpful in keeping me from procrastinating!

Continue Reading...

Wednesday Weigh-In : Week 39

What a week! (If you wonder why I always look like I'm laughing in my Wednesday Weigh-In photo, it's because the cats are all over the place trying to get my attention.)

After the "two steps forward, one step back" dance on the scale I've been doing for months now, I was hoping for a good weigh-in this week. Last week, I gained a couple of pounds. I've been starting to think a little bit about maintenance, since I'm getting fairly close to my goal weight. I never go into maintenance with a good plan, and this time I want to be prepared.

I'd like to get down to 133 pounds (my goal weight) but I'd be happy with under 144. The number 144 is the top of my BMI range; I know that the BMI chart is becoming obsolete because it doesn't factor in body fat, muscle mass, bone structure, etc., but I think the high of 144 is pretty accurate for my body. I think I look and feel my best in the low-130s, but when I get to the mid-140s is when I start to get uncomfortable in my own skin.

Anyway, I've been so close to the 140s milestone for weeks, but it's been very slow going. This week, I was thrilled when I stepped on the scale...

I was at 148.6! Last week, I was at 153.8; so I'm down 5 pounds this week (for a total of 48.4 in 39 weeks). Today's weight is the lowest I've seen since early 2018.

Once I saw my weight, I started thinking about clothes that I used to wear at that size, and I really couldn't remember. I saved a handful of my favorite jeans and shirts, but a couple of years ago I got rid of almost all of my "thin" clothes because I was just convinced I'd never be able to wear them again. (Including a lot of my running clothes and now I'm bummed about that!)

Since I've basically been living in nothing but black stretchy pants and hoodies ever since COVID came along, I haven't noticed much of a difference in my clothing as I've lost weight. When I was wearing jeans and more fitted tops every day, I noticed when I gained or lost weight.

Anyway, the last time I tried on the jeans I saved (probably about six pairs) was probably about 7-8 pounds ago, and I couldn't wear them. I said I would take them back out when I was in the 140s and try them on again. So, I took them out today and tried them on; I was shocked (in a good way) that I can fit into (and actually wear in public, haha) all but one pair.

In the "Wednesday Weigh-In" photo above, I was wearing one of my favorite pairs of jeans (that I haven't worn probably since we went to Boston in spring of 2018). Same with the shirt; I really liked that shirt for some reason, so I held onto it.

Remember these jeans that I "transformed" in November 2017? I couldn't bear to get rid of them; not only because I made them, but because they are super comfy. I was so excited when I could button and zip them easily today. (They aren't speckled with white--I just need to clean the mirror! Haha)

So, today was exciting for me on the weight loss front :)  Hoping for another good week!

Continue Reading...

Transformation Tuesday #60

Happy Transformation Tuesday! I've had a very long weekend--the kids were on "winter break" starting midday on Friday and they go back tomorrow. The weather was in the 50s today! Unfortunately, we're supposed to get snow again this week. That's Michigan for you!

Anyway, I have a couple of fun transformations from readers to share today... 

---

I've been making doll clothes for American Girl dolls for my granddaughters. I started out by buying fabric, but then realized I could get more fabric for my money by buying clothes at thrift stores. I'm really enjoying this because I had two boys and never got to have dolls around. Here are a few examples...

- Kim

Kim, these are AMAZING. At first glance, it looks like you bought doll clothes and dressed the dolls in them, but when you look at the size of the print on the clothes, you can see they are tiny little replicas. This is such a cute idea! I learned a long time ago how useful thrift stores can be for things like fabric (using clothes or bed sheets or even curtains) and zippers, buttons, buckles, etc. Your granddaughters are so lucky to have one-of-a-kind clothes for their dolls!  - Katie

---

I sent in my office transformation in August, so I wanted to send an update with the last piece of the "puzzle". I love jigsaw puzzles and though I’d combine that hobby with the need to decorate this office wall, so here it is! I’ve got a couple of spaces for new ones, and these just make me smile. It’s cheap, easy to hang and change, and makes me smile every time I walk in the office.

- Traci, Texas

Traci, what a fun idea! I LOVE jigsaw puzzles and I miss putting them together (my chronic pain issue makes it very difficult). I hope I'll be able to get back at it one day. I love the Texas puzzle! Using your puzzles to decorate was a great idea to liven up the wall.  - Katie

---

Thank you, Traci and Kim, for sending in your transformations! As always, I love seeing the transformation pics--there are so many different ways to transform all sorts of things. If you have a transformation to share, please do! Send a before photo and an after photo to me at: katie (at) runsforcookies (dot) com. Make sure you include your name and a description of the transformation to share!

Continue Reading...

Teens Say the Darndest Things

This was a very fun post to put together! I didn't plan on turning this into a blog post, but it was so fun that I just had to share it. For those of you that are around my age or maybe a little older (I was born in 1982), you will find this nostalgic and probably hilarious.

Do you remember that show "Kids Say the Darndest Things" with Art Linkletter? Well, this is kind of like a version for today's teens. (Now I REALLY want to watch that show--I'm going to see if I can find it on YouTube when I'm done with this post!)

I saw these questions posted on Facebook and then I found myself asking my kids the questions and then I decided I had to write it all down. 

This is a list of questions that people who grew up in my generation would know the answers to right away. However, the fun in this is asking today's teenagers these questions! I asked Noah, Eli, and Eli's girlfriend "M". Noah was born in 2004, Eli in 2006, and I believe M was born in 2005.

I asked them each these questions and gave no hints or anything; I just wrote down exactly what they said. I told them they can't say, "I don't know"--they had to take a guess. And they did not hear each others' answers; I questioned them one at a time. So, I'll write out the questions and each of their answers afterward...

1. What is a Rolodex?
-Something like a watch
-A watch
-A watch

2. What is a Walkman?
-An MP3 player
-A thing to listen to music on; a portable music player
-A walkie-talkie

3. What are the yellow pages?
-Collections of phone numbers and businesses
-A phone book
-A phone book

4. What is a phone jack?
-Somewhere you plug a landline into
-The mount to a phone that you put on a wall?
-A phone on the wall

5. What’s a Trapper Keeper?
-Somewhere you can store notebooks and folders
-A binder for paper
-A binder

6. What is a crimper?
-Something for your hair
-To keep things together; like clamps.
-Something for your hair

7. What is a Hacky Sack?
-A sack that you kick around; a toy.
-A hobby kick-around thing; a round yarn ball
-A bean bag thing. Or is it one of those little tiny stuffed animals?

8. What is a boom box?
-An old school speaker
-A radio
-A radio thing that you take with you

9. What is an Atari?
-A game console
-A game device
-A video game thing

10. What is Tang?
-Either a shortened version of WuTang; or a sense of taste. Like tangy.
-A game
-Some type of make-up

11. What is a TV Guide?
-A scheduling for TV programs
-A TV manual for different channels
-A screen that shows you all the channels

12. What is a View Master?
-Something for TV
-You hold it to your face and click and it shows a picture
-A movie player

13. What is The Oregon Trail?
-A video game
-A video game
-A trade route

14. What was the minimum wage in 1980?
-$4.00
-$7.00
-$0.02

(I had to Google the answer to this, because I had no idea--it was $3.10)

15. What is a BonBon?
-A snack or treat
-Things that cheerleaders use in their hands
-Food; a pastry

16. What is a card catalog?
-A magazine
-A catalog for playing cards
-A card box

17. What is a Lite Brite?
-It sounds like a TV product
-You snap your fingers and turn on a light
-A night light

18. What is Teddy Ruxpin?
-A child's toy--a bear
-A person
-A famous person

19. What is Aqua Net?
-A net that goes in water
-A movie
-A net that goes in water

Isn't this so fun? I think my favorite answer was Eli's regarding BonBons: "Things that cheerleaders use in their hands" (obviously thinking of pom poms). Or the fact that none of them knew what Tang was.

Anyway, I thought some of you may want to ask your own kids the questions, so I typed out an easy copy + paste word document here. It never occurred to me that kids today might not know what a Rolodex is, or a phone jack, or even a card catalog!

Continue Reading...

Pets and Eye Contact

This is a very random post (quite literally) but it's had me thinking all weekend. The "random fact" of the day for Sat/Sun (there is only one for each weekend in my desk calendar--not separate ones for each day) really surprised me. And kind of bummed me out! I just had such a hard time believing it.

I already know that dogs seek eye contact--Joey is the master of it!--but I have such a hard time believing that cats don't look their owners in the eyes. I feel like Duck stares into my eyes all the time.

Jerry was making me laugh the other day because he kept pointing at something he wanted the cats to look at. He was getting frustrated that they were watching his finger the whole time and not looking at what he was pointing at. "No, don't look at me! Look where I'm pointing!" I was laughing and telling him that they don't understand what he's doing--they just watch the thing that moves, which was his hand.

And that made me think about how Duck probably stares at my mouth when I talk to him instead of into my eyes. Cats' pupils dilate huge and constrict to a tiny little line (and everything in between), so you can't tell for sure exactly where they are looking. This is a funny picture of Duck yawning, but check out his pupils!

It's funny how Duck really likes when I talk to him, though--as long as I'm talking, he's watching me (probably my mouth). If I stop talking, he'll meow at me until I talk again. It's adorable 99% of the time, but sometimes when I'm busy he drives me crazy! ;) 

All this time, I felt like he was looking into my eyes, but now I know he's likely just watching my mouth. I know a lot about cats and their body language, but I never really thought about human eye contact before.

Remember the book my mom gave me as a gift when Duck was sick and I was super sad? It's full of interesting random facts about cats, and here is what it says about eye contact:

"Cats find direct eye contact alarming, whether it's from a human or another animal. On the other hand, we humans tend to look directly at things that interest us and, well, ignore things that don't. So to a cat, people who don't stare make the best company."

Sometimes my cats will battle it out with a staring contest as a sort of duel. The first one to look away is the loser. One time, Duck and Estelle were staring at each other for SO long that I finally took a video because I wanted to see what would happen when one of them finally looked away. It was probably about 3-4 minutes that they were as still as statues, just staring each other down. The end was totally anticlimactic (and I don't remember who looked away first). Estelle is extremely stubborn, so it was probably Duck.

As far as the other part of the "random fact"--that dogs run toward humans when scared, while other domesticated pets don't--is totally accurate in my experience! When something scares the cats (if they're all sleeping and someone was to drop a heavy book on the floor for example) they jump up and are under a bed in about one second flat. Then they come out, looking embarrassed, and grooming themselves like they meant to do that all along ;)

Joey, on the other hand, definitely comes to us when he's scared. He wants to be near someone--it doesn't even matter who.

Like I said, totally random post. I just found the eye contact thing interesting, that dogs are the only non-primates to look people in the eyes!

Continue Reading...

RECIPE: Cookie Dough Dip

In other words: Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip. *YUM*

Since I wrote last week that I won't likely being doing many heritage recipes anymore now that I'm eating a vegan diet (to hopefully help with my chronic pain!), I had the idea to try out some vegan recipes and write about those--yes, even the "eww, weird!" ones, haha.

I'm still unsure how to structure these posts; I can't post someone else's copyrighted recipe, but I'd like to try the recipe exactly as written, which is how I was doing the heritage recipes.

So, I was thinking that in the case of copyrighted recipes, I could just list the ingredients here, and then link to the original page with the instructions; that way, people would still have to visit their site to prepare the recipe. If anyone else can think of a better way of doing it, please let me know! (Or if you have your own recipes that you don't mind me posting here--giving you credit, of course--please email them to me and I may try them and post about them.)

This first recipe in this new series was sent to me by a reader (she sent me the link) and interestingly, I already had an almost identical recipe on my blog already--from 2011! The only difference to it is the  addition of oats.

I have to tell you, this sounds like such a WEIRD combination of ingredients and I wouldn't blame you for skipping past this post. However, you will be missing out. Vegan or not, this recipe is amazing! Even Eli loves it, and he likes pretty much nothing but junk food.

As far as junk food goes, this is actually the healthiest "junk food" I've ever made. While it's technically considered a dip (for apples, graham crackers, or whatnot), I prefer to eat it as is--straight from a little bowl. It's like eating raw cookie dough--peanut butter, oatmeal, and chocolate chip cookie dough. 

For this recipe, I'm going to combine the two--the one on my blog from 2011 (I redirected that link here to update it) and this one that a reader sent me the link to. That way, I can share the whole recipe (since we prepare the surprise ingredient in different ways). The one that I write out here will be the one that I made yesterday (pictured above) and definitely the one you should try ;)

Since I've started eating a lot of fiber, and now that I'm eating vegan, I've not been eating many sweets at ALL. My options are so limited and it's inconvenient; also, the fiber keeps me full and satisfied. However, I had a mad craving yesterday for something sweet and I decided to take the time to make this Cookie Dough Dip (or, as I called it back in 2011, Cookie Dough Hummus).

The "secret ingredient" in this cookie dough dip is actually chick peas! (Garbanzo beans)

I swear on my life you cannot taste them. 

A note on prepping the chick peas... in the recipe from Tidbits (the one that was linked above, with the oats), she uses a pressure cooker to prepare her chick peas from dried ones. I've never done that, so I can't attest to whether it's worth it; however, the reader who sent me the link to the recipe said it's absolutely worth cooking your own rather than using canned.

I don't have a pressure cooker, so I just used canned chick peas. The Tidbits recipe skips this next step, but I do it because it really does make a difference in the final texture of the dip: I peel the chick peas.

WAIT! Before you click away, it's really not that hard. Just hold a chick pea with your finger tips and then use the fingertips from your other hand to grab the chick pea and give it a gentle squeeze--the skin will come right off. It took me about 10 minutes (where I just sat and watched a TV show while peeling) to peel the whole can.

So, drain and peel the chick peas. Then, here is the recipe for the (vegan) Cookie Dough Dip:

Ingredients

1 can of chick peas, drained, peeled, and rinsed
1/4 cup of natural peanut butter (I LOVE Smucker's natural, but any kind will do)
6 Tbsp. pure maple syrup (you can try using less of this, but I used 6 Tbsp. and it was perfect)
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
a pinch of salt (roughly 1/8 of a tsp.)
1/4 cup vegan mini chocolate chips (I have the "Enjoy Life" brand and they are great!)
1/3 cup of quick-cooking oats (NOT instant oats, like the flavored packets--but the plain, quick-cooking ones)

Directions

Drain, peel, and rinse your chick peas. This is the most tedious part, I promise.

In a food processor, add the chick peas, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Purée until very smooth--you'll have to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times to make sure you don't have chunks of chick peas in it.

Once it's puréed very smooth (it will have a thin consistency), move it to a bowl and put it in the fridge for about 10 minutes. Lick the spoon so you can see how tasty it is! Then remove it from the fridge and add the oats and chocolate chips. Fold those in well until it's all mixed together. Place it back in the fridge to thicken up. (If it's too thick, just add a little almond milk or soy milk or other non-dairy milk and stir well.)

From here, you can use this as a dip for fruit, graham crackers, pretzels, or even spread on toast; however, I really like to just eat it out of a small bowl. It's like eating raw cookie dough! It tastes like peanut butter-oatmeal-chocolate chip cookie dough.

You can divide it up how you like, but here is the nutritional info for the entire recipe:

Calories: 1294
Protein: 33 g.
Carbs: 177 g.
Fat: 57 g.
Fiber: 19 g.
Iron: 9 g. 

(I was especially interested in the fiber and iron--that's a lot of fiber for a "cookie dough" treat!) If using this as a dip, I would guess it would make 6-8 servings. If you're just eating it as a treat from a bowl, I would say 4 servings. The total recipe made 455 grams--which makes it easy for you to divide accordingly.)

Here is a printer-friendly version of the recipe!

Overall thoughts: This vegan treat is a BIG winner! I hadn't made it in probably 10 years, so I'm really glad that a reader shared a similar recipe with me to remind me of it. I love the addition of the oats--they give it great texture.

The only problem with it is not eating the entire recipe in one sitting ;)

Continue Reading...