Vegan Big Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

I was ill-equipped for the countless (health nut) vegan chocolate chip cookie recipes I found online yesterday. Honestly, I had already been to the grocery store and Natural Food Store for ingredients for some Vegan Lemon Bars I had made for my daughter's Birthday party and was NOT about to head to either again.

I chose to use a regular Big Cookie recipe I found and adjusted the recipe to 'veganize' it myself. It turned out perfect, so, I thought I'd share. This is for the time when you are like, "I need to make a huge cookie, ah CRAP! I have no eggs!" I mean that happens all the time right? so, here it is my friends:

Vegan Big Chocolate Chip Cookie

• 1 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 12 oz bag Enjoy Life brand vegan Chocolate Chips
• cooking spray
• icing optional (I use Pillsbury classics they are vegan/allergen free)

• preheat oven 350 degrees. Spray 14" pizza pan with cooking spray
• in large bowl  mix sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and buttery sticks until fluffy. Add apple sauce 1/4 cup at a time beat well.
• in seperate bowl mix flours, salt and baking soda with a fork
• gradually add flour mixture to wet mixture until smooth. stir in chips.
• spread dough into pizza pan evenly. bake 20-25 min. cut away uneven edges. Cool. Decorate as desired.

Update: this should be enough dough for TWO 14" pizza pans...if you squeeze it into one it'll drip out over and make a big mess in your oven. Not sure why this didn't make a mess the time I made this cookie but since it's caused a smoky stinky kitchen so, now we know it's enough for two. (Thanks to my sister for trying that out btw)

Two EASY Curry Dish Recipes

I have shared these two recipes with a number of friends and they all love them. They are both vegan recipes.
The first is an Indian inspired Yellow Curry dish I have adapted from a Pampered Chef cookbook

Curried Tofu with Rice (or Cous Cous)

• two 14 oz packages (like pictured) Extra Firm Tofu, drained and squeezed gently in paper towels til most of liquid out. Slice horizontally half way through block for nice sized pieces. then cut criss cross til you have pieces about 1" by 1/2"

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 4 Medium Carrots, I stopped peeling them, just scrub them and slice them on an angle, so they are oval shaped.
• 1 medium onion-peeled and cut into thin wedges, basically slice in half and then longwise about 1/4" thick
• vegetable oil to cover the bottom of your largest two skillets
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 can light coconut milk. If you live in the Lancaster area, at Giant the ORGANIC coconut milk in the natural food section is cheaper than the non organic?!

• White Rice cooked (3 cups dry) DO NOT USE MINUTE RICE that stuff is SO naaaaasty. Cous Cous can be substituted for rice. follow package directions to cook.

Heat oil in two skillets med high heat. place tofu into skillet in as close as you can get to a single layer. You may want to use a splash guard, this can get kinda messy. Fry tofu until it is lightly browned, flip and once each side is lightly browned remove from pans and set aside.

In your largest skillet add oil if most has been cooked out, heat on med high, add onion and carrot. saute til crisp tender. reduce heat to medium. shake your can of coconut milk WELL, dump it into the carrot/onion mixture. Add tofu, pepper, curry powder and raisins. Warm til hot turn heat down if it begins to boil.

Serve over rice or cous cous.

* most kids like this recipe the sweetness of the raisins is such a bonus for them:)

Thai Red Curry Tofu

• two 14 oz packages (like pictured) Extra Firm Tofu, drained and squeezed gently in paper towels til most of liquid out. Slice horizontally half way through block for nice sized pieces. then cut criss cross til you have pieces about 1" by 1/2"
• vegetable oil to cover the bottom of your largest two skillets
•  1 medium onion-peeled and cut into thin wedges, basically slice in half and then longwise about 1/4" thick
• 1 can light coconut milk. If you live in the Lancaster area, at Giant the ORGANIC coconut milk in the natural food section is cheaper than the non organic?! (see image above)
• 1 tsp red curry paste. This can prove to be a slight pain in the butt to find. Look in the asian section of your grocery store. For Giant Shoppers, some stores sell this in a jar I buy it in a paper packet, then refrigerate the leftover for a couple months.
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 tsp fish sauce (we get at the asian market, but they may sell at the grocery store.) *FOR a vegan alternative use soy sauce.
• 7 oz jar roasted red pepper drained, and chopped.
• about 1/2 a bag of frozen sugar snap peas (12 oz bag)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 
• White Rice cooked (3 cups dry) DO NOT USE MINUTE RICE that stuff is SO naaaaasty.

Heat oil in two skillets med high heat. place tofu into skillet in as close as you can get to a single layer. You may want to use a splash guard, this can get kinda messy. Fry tofu until it is lightly browned, flip and once each side is lightly browned remove from pans and set aside.

In your largest skillet add oil if most has been cooked out, heat on med high, add onion, saute til crisp tender. reduce heat to medium. shake can of coconut milk, dump it into the onions . Add curry paste, pepper, tofu, red pepper, fish sauce (soy sauce) and sugar snaps. Cover and cook on medium heat til peas are warmed through. Turn heat down if it begins to boil.

*in place of tofu shrimp or chicken would be excellent.

Serve over rice.