Coconut Drop Cookies (Vegan)

1-1/2 cups coconut flakes
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup light agave or maple syrup
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, melted (butter is perfectly fine here if you don't mind using animal products)

Oven at 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large, dry skillet over medium heat, add coconut and stir constantly until flakes are golden brown. Immediately place in a large bowl, and allow to cool completely. Once coconut has cooled, whisk in flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, syrup, and margarine or butter. Stir well, then add wet mixture into the dry mixture. Mix until just combined, being careful not to over-beat. Use a 3-ounce ice cream scoop to portion out cookies, and place at least 1-1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet, fitting about nine cookies on one sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until barely browned around the edges and no longer shiny on top. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

**Note-I was pretty nervous these wouldn't turn out but they turned out just great! They are quite tasty and easily the easiest cookies I've ever made. It took me about 5 minutes max to make these and the best part is it only makes 9-10 large cookies so you are done baking one time in the oven. Try them out!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (Vegan)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup natural crunchy peanut butter [I used smooth peanut butter because I just can't stand the chunky kind!)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk (Or vanilla almond milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Oven at 350°F. Lightly grease two cookie sheets.

Toss together the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oil, peanut butter, sugars, soy milk, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix. The dough should be very difficult and moist. Using about a 2 tablespoon cookie dough/ice cream scoop, scoop dough onto sheet, flatten some with your hand. You should have about 9 cookies to a sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until cookies have puffed a bit and are lightly browned. Allow to cool for ten minutes (Or until firm enough to transfer) before moving off the cookie sheet.
This recipe make about 2 dozen huge cookies!

**Note-Although this is a vegan recipe, these cookies are amazing! They are very tasty and stayed chewy for the week it took our little family to eat them all. I even felt good giving them to my kids as a snack since they had natural peanut butter and oats in them!

Italian Marinated Vegetable Salad

1/2 lb. fresh green beans, cut in half
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed
8oz block cheese, cubed
1/2 cup Italian Dressing of your choice

Add beans and cauliflower to boiling water in saucepan; cook until crisp-tender. Drain. If desired, rinse under cold water; drain again. Place in bowl.
ADD remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Cover. Refrigerate 3 hours or until chilled.

Tuscan Squash and Beans over Rice

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3 large tomatoes, diced (or one can of diced tomoatoes)
3 cups zucchini, chopped
½ t dried oregano
½ t thyme
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can cannellini beans, drained
1 cup brown rice, cooked

In a sauce pan, heat oil. Add onions and pepper and saute until tender. Mix in tomatoes and zucchini and seasonings. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir beans into veggie mixture; cook about 5 minutes more to warm everything through. Serve over rice.

Zesty Rice

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice (or brown rice)
2 1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon chili seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 (14.5-ounce) can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro leaves

Heat oil over medium heat in a medium sauce pot. Add garlic, and rice and saute for 2 minutes until rice is toasted. Add 2 1/4 cups water, chili seasoning and season with a pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer as directed on packaging.

In a large bowl combine onion, yellow pepper, cooled rice, beans, vinegar and cilantro. Mix well.

Grilled Vegetable Salad

1 red bell pepper cored and cut into 4 pieces
1 eggplant (about 1 pound), cut across into 1/4-inch rounds
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces each), cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
Olive oil cooking spray
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on a tray or work surface. Lightly spray both sides with olive oil cooking spray. Preheat a grill or grill pan over a medium-high heat. Grill the vegetables in batches until both sides are nicely charred and the vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes for the pepper, about 8 minutes for the eggplant and onion, and about 6 minutes for the zucchini. When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and transfer to a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and oregano. Pour over the vegetables and toss. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Gently stir in the tomatoes. Divide the salad between 4 plates and sprinkle with the feta.

**Note-This salad is particularly tasty with pita-either chips or put into the bread and served as a light lunch.

"Refried" Beans

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder, or other chili powder
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chili powder and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the beans and chicken broth and cook until the beans are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Mash the beans coarsely with the back of a wooden spoon, adding more chicken broth to moisten, if needed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

**Note-These definitely do not taste like canned refried beans, however they are healthier than refried beans in a can (because you are controlling the ingredients) and they also work in a pinch. You can substitute black beans for pinto beans if that's all you have.

3 Bean Vegetarian Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced (1 cup)
1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
2 carrots, diced (1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups water (or broth)
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles (or a 4oz can of diced chilis)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, water, chipotle and adobo sauce, oregano and salt and pepper. Cook, partially covered, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes. Stir in the beans and continue cooking, partially covered, 20 minutes longer. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Chick Pea Salad

2 (19-ounce) cans chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 carrot, grated
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Let sit about an hour to let flavors meld.

**Note-if you have leftovers of this, combine it with some cumin, a bit of flour if it's too dry and about 1/2 teaspoon baking soda per cup of leftovers. Pulse everything in food processor, form into balls, and bake 15-20 minutes at 400 for easy, quick baked falafel!

Pantry Soup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 small zucchini, sliced
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomato
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can small white beans or cannellini beans
1 (10 ounces) box, cut frozen green beans
Salt and pepper
1 cup fresh basil, torn or shredded
Grated Parmigiano or Romano, to pass at table

Sautee garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, onions, carrots, celery and zucchini in oil. Cook 10 minutes, then add in the stock, tomatoes and beans. Bring soup up to a bubble and season with salt and pepper, to your taste. Simmer 15-30 minutes, until veggies are softened and the taste is where you want it. Turn off the heat and wilt the basil into the soup. Ladle up the soup and serve with grated cheese and bread.

**Note-Feel free to take away what you don't have on hand and add what you do. It's a great clean out your pantry soup!

Chili Garlic Roasted Broccoli

2 tablespoons olive oil
5 to 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend
1-2 large head broccoli, cut into thin, long spears

Oven at 425 degrees F.

Place extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, chili powder and grill seasoning in the bottom of a large bowl and add the broccoli spears. Toss to coat broccoli evenly then transfer to a large nonstick baking sheet. Roast the broccoli until ends are crisp and brown and stalks are tender, 17 to 20 minutes.

**Note-this is another one of my all time favorite recipes! Yummy!

Baked Felafel

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 scallions, cut in half
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup parsley leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil

Oven at 425 degrees F. Combine all felafel ingredients except 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 10 seconds. Stop motor and scrape down sides of bowl, then pulse for another 10 seconds, until all ingredients are well incorporated but mixture is still slightly coarse and grainy. Form mixture into 16 felafel balls and brush with remaining tablespoon olive oil. Bake on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes, flip felafel balls and bake an additional 20 minutes, until felafel balls are crisp and browned.

**Note-I have tried at least half a dozen felafel recipes and this is the only one I have found that actually works. An added bonus is it's very healthy as the felafel are baked instead of fried!

**Note-Don't worry if you don't have every ingredient listed here-feel free to substitute what you do have or like-it won't change the flavor too much as long as you included cumin and garlic!

Green Pea Soup

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large onion, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (10-oz) bag frozen peas
4 teaspoons plain nonfat yogurt, optional

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over moderately-low heat. Add the onion, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, tarragon, salt and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cook just until defrosted.

In a blender, puree the soup in 2 batches until very smooth. Return the soup to the pot and bring just to a simmer, to warm back up. Ladle into bowls. Stir the yogurt so that it is smooth and top each serving with a swirl of yogurt.

**Note-this is a great soup to make if you have a young child/baby-just add some baby cereal to it to thicken it up and everyone in the family can enjoy the same meal!

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 carrots, chopped
1-2 celery stalks, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons brown sugar, packed
1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin
1 (12-ounce) can Evaporated Milk
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic and sugar; cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until softened. Add broth, water, salt and pepper; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Stir in pumpkin, evaporated milk and cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Transfer mixture to food processor or blender (in batches, if necessary); process until smooth. Return to saucepan. Serve warm.

Italian-Style Pasta and Beans

8-12 ounces uncooked dried pasta twists (thin corkscrew, fusilli or elbow macaroni)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large (1 cup) onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 (15-ounce) can low salt garbanzo beans, rinsed, drained (or any other can of white beans)
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained**
2 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch
Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Cook pasta twists according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile while pasta cooks, heat oil in 3-quart saucepan until sizzling; add onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened (4 to 5 minutes).
Add all remaining ingredients. Stir in cooked pasta. Cover; continue cooking for 10 minutes. Sprinkle individual bowls with cheese.

**Note-if you are not using Italian style tomatoes, add to your veggie mixture: 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper
**Note-I like my pasta (and other dishes) very saucy. If you are like me, you may want to add an additional can of tomatoes or an 8oz can of tomato sauce. If you do this, you may need to increase the seasoning to taste.

Spinach, Veggie and Cheese Strata

1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 box (9 oz) frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain
2 medium red bell peppers, cut into strips (or any color besides green pepper)
1 cup sliced leeks
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 loaf (9 oz) ciabatta or French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)**
7 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add spinach, bell peppers and leeks; cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender. Remove from heat. In baking dish, spinach mixture, 1 cup of the Cheddar cheese and the bread. In large bowl, beat eggs, milk, mustard and pepper with wire whisk until blended; pour over bread. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar cheese. Cover with foil; refrigerate at least 4 hours but no longer than 24 hours.

Oven at 325°F. Bake loosely covered 40 minutes. Uncover; bake about 30 minutes longer or until top is golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean.

**Note-In my family we save the bread ends in the freezer to use later for french toast. They also make a great substitution for the french bread loaf in this recipe.
**Note-You may also add several cups of chopped ham to the spinach mixture for a yummy addition.

Easy Cheesy Bean Tostadas

Premade Tostadas shells
1 teaspoon chili powder, divided
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained, rinsed
1 onion, diced
1 pepper, chopped
1/2 cup Salsa
3/4 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup shredded romaine lettuce
1 large tomato, chopped
1/4 cup sour cream

Saute onions and peppers in a skillet until softened, about 5-7 minutes. As they cook, sprinkled with chili powder and salt and pepper to taste. Add beans and salsa; cook 4 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in half of the cheese.
Spread mixture evenly on tostados; top with remaining cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream.

Sweet and Sour Veggies

1 medium onion, sliced
4 medium carrot, peeled, sliced
2 medium celery stalk, sliced
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup French dressing
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp. grated ginger root
1/2-1 cup water**
1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained, liquid reserved
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 medium green pepper, sliced
1 medium red pepper, sliced
4-1/2 cups hot cooked rice

Place onions, carrots and celery in slow cooker. Add combined brown sugar, dressing, soy sauce, ginger and water. Cover with lid. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours (or on high for 3-1/2 to 4 hours). During last 30 min. of cooking time, increase to high. Stir cornstarch into reserved pineapple liquid; add to slow cooker along with the pineapple and peppers. Cook 30 min. or until peppers are crisp-tender and sauce is thickened. Serve over the rice.

**Note-add the additional water to the consistency you like. I like a more saucy dish so I use the full cup of water. If you like thicker sauce, use less water. You can always add more water or more cornstarch to adjust the thickness of the sauce.

Vegetarian Biscuit Casserole

1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed soup (your choice of flavors)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups (one 15 oz can) white beans
1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup shredded cheese (your choice)
1 cup all-purpose baking mix

Oven at 375. Mix soup and sour cream in a large bowl. Stir in beans, vegetables and cheese. Transfer to an 8-inch square baking dish. Mix baking mix according to packaged directions. Spoon into 6 mounds over bean and veggie mixture. Bake 35 min. or until biscuits are golden brown and bean and veggies are hot and bubbly.

Mexican Casserole with Cornbread Topping

1 cup onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons dry taco seasoning mix**
1 (15-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
4 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
1 package of cornbread mix, prepared as directed on box.

Saute pepper and onion in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Open can of tomatoes and discard 2 tablespoons of the liquid. Add taco seasoning mix (and salt if using), tomatoes with remaining liquid, and beans. Mix lightly. Let simmer about 5 minutes. If too watery, mix 1 tablespoon of corn starch with one tablespoon of water. Add to mixture and let bubble 1-2 minutes to thicken. Spoon mixture into 9x12-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Pour prepared cornbread mix over the top. Spread to cover. Bake at 375ºF for 18-25 minutes or until cornbread is done.
Serves 4 to 6.

**Note-if using homemade taco seasoning, add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt along with the seasoning.
**Note-this can be made ahead and frozen, except for the cornbread mixture. Thaw completely in the fridge overnight and then cook as directed.