Double Chocolate Ginger Biscotti

These crisp and crunchy cookies are zesty, and lightly sweet. They have received the coveted two thumbs up, one mouth full award from my very palate-clever roommate.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!

Double Chocolate Ginger Biscotti

6 tablespoons vegan margarine, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1.5 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp flaxseed meal

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger

4 tbsp green tea
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2.25 cups whole wheat baking flour

1 tsp almond meal

75 g 72% dark baking chocolate, melted

80 g semisweet chocolate baking chunks, melted

80 g semisweet chocolate chips (mini ones preferred)

40 g dried edamame

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat together the margarine, sugars, and soy sauce. Add in the vinegar, flaxseed, tea, ground and minced ginger, baking soda, and baking powder. Sift in the flour and almond meal, and beat until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and edamame. Drop the dough, in tablespoon drops (shaping slightly into squares if you like, onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for ~14 minutes, remove and let cool on the cookie sheet for about three minutes before moving to a drying rack. Enjoy warm. Go on, have a peace!

TBP Stir-Fry

Here's another lovely large batch meal that you can make and serve yourself from for a few days. Tofu for protein. Portobello mushrooms for texture, protein, selenium, copper, potassium, and phosphorus. Broccoli for vitamin C, A, folic acid, calcium, and fiber. Broccoli and portobello mushrooms are also both  carriers of super-useful phytochemicals that serve to help fight cancer and provide helpful antioxidants. Yum, yum, yum. I like it by itself, but you could serve it with rice if you're looking for something more filling than it already is. And if you're looking for extra protein and fiber, serve this with quinoa.

TBP (Tofu-Broccoli-Portobello) Stir-Fry

1 tbsp sunflower oil
8 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 inches fresh ginger, minced
4 portobello mushroom caps, chopped
1.25 cups low sodium vegetable broth
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 14-oz package extra firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 cups broccoli, steamed and chopped
sliced almonds, for garnish
3 tbsp Gokutan Shiro Dashi (This is a Japanese seasoning sauce I use that is excellent. It is a combination of soy sauce, bonito extract, mushroom extract, seaweed extract, sugar, salt, and sweet sake. You can find it at a Japanese grocer pretty easily. If you choose not to go with this, I recommend the following: in a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tsp agave nectar, 1/4 tsp salt. Mix well and allow to sit for a couple minutes.)

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring them, until they are fragrant. Add the vinegar, stir, then add the chopped mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms have withered and the liquid has evaporated (takes about 5 minutes). Add the broth, shiro dashi, brown sugar, tofu, and broccoli, bring contents of the sauce pan to a simmer and lower the heat to about medium low. Continue to simmer contents, stirring occasionally until the liquid has evaporated (this takes about 15 minutes).

Serve warm. Enjoy!

St. Patrick's Green Beer Cookies

Show up your friends' pitiful excuse for holiday spirit and their green beer with something more. Green Beer Cookies. Yes! Bite-sized, sweet green morsels made with your favorite ale.

St. Patrick's Green Beer Cookies


3 tbsp nonfat plain greek yogurt
3/4 cup soft dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp agave nectar
1 tbsp flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp spirulina
3 tbsp Guinness or other ale
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp almond meal
1 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Blend the greek yogurt, sugars, and vanilla extract together until smooth.
Add the vinegar, flaxseed, spirulina, ale, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix until all are smoothly combined.
Sift the flour in, while mixing. Add the almond meal. Continue to mix until consistent.
Fold in the sliced almonds.

Drop 2 heaping tsp of the batter onto the cookie sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool for about five minutes, then move to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm or room temperature! Go on, have a peace! I dare you.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Hello, friends!

So it was that I received a wee request for Irish stories and recipes in honor of the coming of St. Patrick's Day. In the spirit of the coming holiday, I offer these recipes for savories, sweets, and bloody good drinks. Go on, have a peace! (And look after your heads, will ya?)

Background on St. Patrick's Day

Irish Fruit Brack

Black Velvet (drink recipe) and Colcannon (delicious pub grub)

1940s Snickerdoodles - Goes great with your afternoon tea!

Steak and Guinness Casserole 

This guy...

 

or this guy...  

 

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Don't forget to wear your green tomorrow! And keep an eye on this page. I'll be posting a delicious green cookie recipe later on today!

Cheers, 

Irenicineri