A Nice Hot Soup….and Some Great Cookies!
Today we are having another little snowstorm here in Motown. After my flute lesson and flute choir rehearsal this morning (before the snow started), I came home to homemade soup for lunch, courtesy of J.
Potato Vegetable Soup
1 medium onion (diced)
4-5 medium potatoes (he used red, diced into big chunks)
2 carrots (chopped)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
2 tsp dried basil
Dash of red pepper flakes
5 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp olive oil
Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil. Add carrots and spices and sauté a few minutes more. Add water, bouillon, and potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are tender. Use a hand blender to partially blend the soup. Add chopped zucchini and let cook five minutes more. We ate it with some hummus I made yesterday rolled up in warmed pitas with baby spinach leaves.
After lunch I made the super-wonderful and delicious Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from Sarah Kramer’s The Garden of Vegan. I mentioned these cookies in previous posts but I’ve never posted the recipe. I’ve taken these to share at family potlucks as well as to share with my co-workers and they’re always a big hit. Here it is; I think it’s easier & better-tasting than the chocolate chip cookies.
3/4 C flour
1/2 C dry sweetener (sugar)
2 C rolled oat flakes (I use quick-cook oats)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 C soft tofu or 1/2 a banana (I’ve only ever used banana as I never seem to have soft tofu when I need it on the spur of the moment)
1/3 C oil
1/2 C pure maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla extract (yes, that’s right!)
1 C vegan chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sweetener, rolled oats, baking soda, baking powder, & salt. In a blender, blend together the tofu (or banana), oil, maple syrup, & vanilla. Pour liquid mixture into flour mixture & stir. Add the chocolate chips & stir until well incorporated. Drop spoonfuls on a cookie sheet (I line mine with parchment paper) & press lightly with a spoon. Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let rest on cookie sheet about 1 minute before transferring to a cooling rack.