Oatmeal Pancakes

Ingredients

• ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ cup quick rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk*
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

*To make pancakes vegan, replace buttermilk with almond milk and add 1 tablespoon EnerG Egg Replacer powder to dry ingredients. 

Directions

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir together with a wire whisk until well mixed. Stir in remaining (wet) ingredients. Set aside for 10 minutes. Heat oiled griddle or skillet to medium hot. Test by sprinkling lightly with water. When pan is hot, stir batter briefly and drop ¼ cup of batter for each pancake onto oiled griddle. Cook until underside is lightly browned, then flip over with a spatula and cook the other side. If necessary, add additional flour or milk to batter to achieve preferred thickness and texture. Serve pancakes hot with butter or margarine and syrup.

Makes 10-12 pancakes.

Tip: Try with my Homemade Apple Syrup :-)

- Acooba

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Quick & Easy Fudge

Ingredients

• 18oz Belgian chocolate (or 3 cups chocolate chips)
• 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
• Pinch salt
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

Line an 8 or 9 inch pan (preferably square) with parchment paper or foil.

Stovetop

In medium size saucepan combine chocolate, condensed milk and salt  Melt together on medium-low heat, stirring continuously. Continue until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract; stir in nuts if desired. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Refrigerate until firm (about 2 hours). Remove from pan; loosen paper. Cut fudge into squares.

Microwave

Combine chocolate, condensed milk and salt in large microwave safe container. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir. Continue to microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each interval, until melted and smooth. Stir in vanilla extract; stir in nuts if desired. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Refrigerate until firm (about 2 hours). Remove from pan; loosen paper. Cut fudge into squares.

Makes about 60 pieces.

Tip: Try substituting ½ tsp of the vanilla for other extracts like almond, orange, or peppermint for more exotic flavors!

- Acooba

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White Cream Chili

Ingredients

• 2 15oz cans cannellini beans
• ½ cup bell peppers, chopped
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup mock ground “beef”
• ½ cup dried onion flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp celery salt

Directions

Drain beans. Combine all ingredients sans ground “beef”. Bring to a low simmer. Stir in “beef” and heat through. Serve over rice or with corn bread.

- Acooba

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Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

• 1 frozen pie shell (made without animal fat—lard)
• 1 ½ tbsp EnerG Egg Replacer
• 6 tbsp water
• 2 cups pureed pumpkin
• 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp powdered ginger
• ½ tsp salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Set pie crust on cookie sheet. In a large mixing bowl, combine egg replacer and water. Blend on low speed, or whisk by hand until well combined. Add pumpkin puree, condensed milk, spices, and salt. Mix until well blended. Pour into crust. (Tip! At this time you can cover pie crust edges with foil to prevent over-browning) Bake 15 minutes then reduce temperature to 350° F. and bake for 30 minutes more, or until a knife inserted 1-inch from the edge comes out clean. (If desired, remove foil during last 10 minutes of baking to achieve a deeper brown on the crust.) Cool in pan on wire rack. Serve warm or cold.

Butternut Squash Pie

Make pie as directed, substituting the pumpkin puree with butternut squash puree.

- Acooba

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Shortbread Turtle Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups unbleached flour
• 3 tbsp sugar
• ½ cup butter (1 stick)
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 16-18 unwrapped turtle candies
• 2oz white chocolate, melted (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cream sugar, butter and vanilla together. Add in flour and with fork and/or fingers knead until smooth. Shape dough into an 8-inch log. On cookie sheet cut dough into rounds ½ inch thick. Spread rounds out on cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until edges are very lightly browned. Immediately after removing shortbread from oven place turtles onto hot rounds. Place pan on wire rack to cool. Optional: drizzle melted white chocolate over cookies.

- Acooba

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Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients

• 8oz finely shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Pour coconut into a mixing bowl. Add the condensed milk to make a stiff dough. (Note: condensed milk becomes denser as it ages, so you may need less than the whole can for this step.) Add vanilla and almond extracts. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool in pan on wire rack. Carefully peel cookies off parchment paper (they tend to be a little sticky!).

- Acooba

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Spinach and Artichoke Tartlets

Ingredients

• 1 pound puff pastry sheets, thawed

• 1 ½ cups Spinach Artichoke Dip (homemade or store-bought)

• 2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut puff pastry sheets into 2.5 inch squares. Cut ¼ to ⅓ inch along the inside of each square, leaving two opposite corners uncut. Fold outer sides across each other and down over to the opposite corners to form a shell.

Place each pastry shell on the lined baking sheet, and fill with a teaspoon of the dip. Space the pastries apart to allow room for “puffing.” Sprinkle each pastry with parmesan cheese and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a deep golden brown. Enjoy!

- Acooba

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Dressed up Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 - 2 cups assorted baked, steamed or roasted vegetables, diced

• 1  32oz carton Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup

• 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh or frozen basil

• ½ cup creme fraiche

• assorted garnishes (fresh basil, diced avocado, freshly ground pepper, parmesan cheese, etc.)

Directions

Combine vegetables and soup in a medium sized pot. Heat gently over medium flame until heated through. Stir in basil. Add a dollop of creme fraiche to each serving, and garnish as desired.

- Acooba

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Chunkies

Ingredients

• 7 Tablespoons butter, softened (1 stick, minus 1 tablespoon)
• 1 Tablespoon creamy unsalted peanut butter
• 6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon coconut sugar*
• 2 teaspoons EnerG Egg Replacer Powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips

*May be substituted with dark brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine all ingredients except water, flour, and chips, and stir together until well blended. Add water and blend until absorbed. Stir in flour, then chocolate and peanut butter chips. Drop spoonfuls onto the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned. Cool for a few minutes on baking sheet, then remove to a wire rack (if available) to cool completely.

- Acooba

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Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

• 1 pound frozen, chopped spinach

• 4 oz. cream cheese

• 1 clove crushed garlic

• ½ teaspoon dried mustard powder

• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

• pinch of nutmeg

• I cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

• ¼ cup parmesan cheese, plus 2 Tablespoons for garnish

• salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Cook spinach according to package directions until just tender. Drain off any excess water. While spinach is still hot, stir in cream cheese, garlic and spices, until well blended. Stir in artichoke hearts and ¼ cup parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese. Serve as is, or if desired, warm in the microwave (in a microwave safe dish) or bake in a 350° F. oven until heated through.

- Acooba

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