Katie's Cookies (vegan cashew shortbread cookies)

sometimes you just feel like baking cookies.
sometimes you know someone so well, you make up a recipe just for them.
this is a variation on shortbread cookies i made especially for my roommate, katie.
after living together for 2 years, i know just what she likes.



reasons katie deserves these cookies:
 - she's a brilliant dog trainer and helped make sweet eleanor the best dog in the world. check her out.
 - she's deals with me when i'm cranky.
 - she's washed eleanor because she walked in poop.
 - she works 2 jobs plus volunteers all of her free time to dogs in need of her help.
 - it's her birthday....february 11th
 - i think she's cute!

katie.......this one's for you.

Katie's Cookies

1/3 - 1/2  cup sugar

1/2 cup earth balance

1/2 cup cashew butter

1/4 cup vanilla soy milk

2 1/4 cup flour

optional

1 tablespoons lemon zest

1 -3 tablespoons lemon juice

cream together sugar, earth balance, cashew butter, and soy milk.  sift in flour and mix.  add optional lemon ingredients. pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  let dough rest in the refrigerator for 30 min.  roll dough to 1/2 inch thick and cut out with cookie cutter.  transfer to a cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.  cool and serve.

Día de la Independencia

delicious.

vegan enchilada bake recipe:

6 corn tortillas

2 cans black or pinto beans, drained - buy seasoned or season yourself with ancho peppers, salt and pepper

1 cup corn - fresh or frozen

1 medium to large zucchini

1 cup enchilada sauce (recipe follows)

1 cup daiya cheese 

preheat oven to 350 degrees.  slice zucchini lengthwise into thin flat pieces (should resemble lasagna noodles).  arrange zucchini on a clean dish towel and sprinkle with salt.  allow to sit for about 15 minutes while the water is released from the zucchini.  in a small baking dish (i used a 7.5" square) begin to layer the ingredients.  2 tortillas, 1/2 of the beans, 1/2 of the corn, 1/3 of the enchilada sauce, 1/3 of the cheese, and 1/2 of the zucchini.  then begin the next layer. start with 2 more tortillas, the rest of the beans and corn, 1/3 of the enchilada sauce, 1/3 of the cheese, and the remaining zucchini.  finish with a final layer of 2 tortillas, the remaining sauce and the remaining cheese.  bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  if the top begins to brown too quickly, cover the dish to prevent the top from burning.  after 45 minutes remove from the oven and allow to sit about 5 minutes before cutting and serving.  garnish with avocado slices, tomatoes, cilantro, and a wedge of lime.  serves 4-6. 

enchilada sauce recipe:

1 bell pepper

2 large tomatoes

2-3 hot peppers (use what you like…..if you don't like spicy thing replace with an additional bell pepper)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion - diced

3 cloves garlic - minced

1 cup vegetable broth

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon chili powder

salt to taste

roast the tomatoes under the broiler until the skin turns black.  this should take about 5 minutes on each side.  roast all of the peppers on your stove top fire until all of the skin is black.  allow the roasted vegetable to cool.  remove the skin, core and seeds from the tomatoes and peppers.  dice them and set aside.   in a small sauce pot combine the olive oil and onion and cook about 5 minutes over medium heat.  add in the garlic, tomato, and pepper.  cook about 5 more minutes.  add in the remaining ingredients.  cook for 10 minutes.  remove from heat.  puree in a blender until smooth.  return to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes to incorporate the flavors.  

vegan roasted garden tomato soup with (faux) cheesy croutons

a delicious lunch, and a great way to use up some of the last garden tomatoes on a chilly fall day.

 vegan roasted tomato soup recipe:

13 - 15 medium to large tomatoes
1 small onion - diced
2 cloves garlic - minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon vegetable soup base (bouillon)
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

line up tomatoes on a cookie sheet and place under the broiler until the skin blackens (about 5 minutes). flip the tomatoes and repeat on the opposite side.  allow the tomatoes to cool.  peel, core, and dice.  reserve all the liquid.

heat the olive oil in a large sauce pot.  add the onion and cook until tender.  add the garlic, tomato, soup base and cook for about 20 minutes at medium heat, stirring occasionally.  the soup should thicken.  add the herbs, salt and pepper and cook another 10 minutes.  Adjust seasoning to taste.  serves 2-4.

vegan (faux) cheesy croutons recipe:

3 cups of day old bread - cubed

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic - minced

2 teaspoons dried rosemary

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 daiya mozzarella style shreds 

heat oven to 375 degrees.  cube the day old bread.  in a small bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients.  toss the mixture with the bread.  spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet.  bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.  flip the cubes halfway through baking process.  the cheese may make them stick together, but it wasn't really a concern for me.  allow them to cool completely before storing in an air tight container.

puppy + kitten

found a kitten while walking the dogs........who knew it would be love?

ps......the kitten is available for adoption to a loving home.

vegan beet burgers

last night i grilled some homemade vegan beet burgers.  they actually stayed together on the grill, unlike most vegan burgers i've made.  i topped them with a vegan aioli (veganaise, garlic, lemon, olive oil, and sea salt), and garden tomatoes.   

vegan beet burgers

1 cup sushi rice

2 tablespoons of cooking oil

4 large beets

1 medium onion

6 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried sage

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

2 tablespoons of Braggs (or soy sauce)

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 can black eyed peas (or other beans)

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

salt and pepper to taste

cook sushi rice.  1 cup of rice, 2 cups of water, simmer covered until water is absorbed.  peel and dice beets into small cubes.  heat oil in a large skillet. add beets.  dice and add onions and garlic.  season with salt, pepper, thyme, sage, parsley, Braggs and cayenne.  cook on medium/high heat until beets are cooked.  blend half of the beet mixture, half of the rice, and half of the beans in a blender.  use the vegetable broth to help the mixture blend.  stir together the blended mixture with the remaining beets, rice and beans.  add flour and additional salt and pepper to taste.  using a 1/2 cup measuring cup scoop onto 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment.  form into burgers about 1 inch thick.  the recipe should make 10 burgers.  bake the burgers at 350 for 25-30 minutes.  burgers can be served immediately, or frozen and grilled later.  

vegan zucchini bread

this past spring was a busy time with lots of traveling.  i could not find the time to plant a well planned garden.  after i planted the tomato and pepper plants (my favorite things to grow), i grabbed a packet of mixed heirloom summer squash seeds from the grocery store and threw them in the remaining half of the garden.  i knew they would take over, and i would have an unmanageable bounty.  now it is the end of july, and i'm about to be flooded with summer squash.  i've decided it is the perfect time to figure out a great zucchini bread recipe.  i have the inability to cook or bake anything directly from a recipe.  in order to create this recipe, i read about 15 recipes on the internet, took a look at what was in my pantry, and started mixing. recording my recipes on this blog should help me remember what i cooked, and hopefully i'll be able to recreate and update recipes more easily in the future.

(oliver really wants some)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 cups white flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger

1 teaspoon lime zest

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup sugar

1cup almond milk + 2 tablespoons lime juice

1 cup canola oil

2 cups grated zucchini

1 cup chopped walnuts

preheat oven to 350 degrees.  oil and flour 2 standard loaf pans.

add lime juice to almond milk and set aside. mix dry ingredients in a bowl.  whisk wet ingredients, including almond milk, in a bowl.  add the dry to the wet and mix until just incorporated.  gently fold in the zucchini and nuts.  place half the mixture in each loaf pan.  bake about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden.  

koehler beer - edited

today, i reworked the koehler beer logo. the like work is now more refined, and the barley and hops have been redrawn to help the image feel more cohesive.

(color inspired by original can)

now, a bit more about the design. koehler beer was one brewed in erie, pa. i have the same last name as the old brewery, and i'm from the same part of the country.  even with all that in common, i cannot link my family to the brewery. today, my brother collects some koehler beer relics. below is an example of the original koehler beer can. my logo is inspired by the original. i maintained the imperial german eagle, but i added some barley and hops to his claws. i also kept the font serifed with all capital letters.