12 Days of Christmas Cookies: Snickerdoodles

So, this is the first cookie of what I hope will be a recurring tradition of holiday cooking baking. I wanted to start off a little easy, since I’ve never baked any of the cookies I have on my list before this year. These snickerdoodles are definitely going to become a household favorite. 

Snickerdoodles

 These cookies are soft, chewy, and irresistible. (I had to physically restrain J to keep him from eating the entire batch!) Bake for exactly 8 minutes, and make sure your cream of tartar and baking soda are fresh!

My Snickerdoodle Cookies - Don't they look delicious!?

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening like Spectrum Natural’s Organic Vegetable Shortening

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar.

3. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla

4. Sift in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt.

5. Place the remaining sugar in a small bowl. Place the cinnamon in a small bowl.

6. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.

7. Roll balls of dough in the sugar. Then roll the dolls in the cinnamon.

8. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

9. Bake 8 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets.

P-P-Pizza - What better way to warm up?

I have been remiss. Nichole is COMPLETELY carrying the blog lately. But, I'm back! And, very excited to share my current cooking obsession: pizza.

While it's nowhere near as cold in California as it is in the 'burgh, I have had to break out the winter coats for those 38 degree beach mornings.

Nichole, you and J are total geniuses. Your pizza recipes have revolutionized my pizza making and made me, if not Italian, at least an honorary Italian. It turns out that the trick really is in the dough. You have to put in the work to make really kick-ass dough in order to have a great final product.

green peppers, red onions, gouda, and tomato garlic sauce

I've experimented a couple of different ways. I'm not as ambitious as Nichole, so I don't make my own pizza sauce. There's a great generic brand called Safeway that makes some amazing sauces. I really hate sauces that are labeled as "pizza" sauces, so I tend to stick to the regular pasta sauces. My favorite? Safeway's artichoke pesto, which is a red sauce with a delicious artichokey bite.

before the oven

Next step: the cheese. Nichole is right that fresh mozzarella is delicious. But, I am completely in love with gouda cheese. On a pizza, it is totally to die for. The trick is to put it on the pizza in the beginning and not wait until halfway through the baking process like you would with mozzarella. It gets bubbly and slightly burnt, which is perfect. Once, I also added some Jarlsberg. Jarlsberg melts really well in grilled cheese and melts just as well on a pizza.

red onions, basil, gouda, Jarlsberg, and artichoke pesto sauce

My can't-live-without-it topping is red onions. Onions are sort of a miracle food. They can make your eyes water but can also become perfectly sweet when baked or carmelized on the stovetop. They are incredibly amazing on pizza. Same goes for green peppers, which become a bit sweet. And basil gets crispy and delicious. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Bon appetit!

Holiday Cook Book

Posted by Nichole Leigh

Izzy's Ready for the Holidays!

Readers, prepare yourselves. Veggie Horizons is about to get FESTIVE!!! Below you'll find the Veggie Horizons Holiday Agenda.

December 10th-21st: The Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies! 

This year marks the first year of a new tradition in Nichole's house: Christmas Cookies! They're not just for Grandma anymore.

December 22rd: Preparing a Vegetarian Christmas Part 1: Appetizers and Dinner

What types of sides and entrees can you offer to your vegetarian guests during the holidays? Well... let's just say I have some ideas. 

December 23th: Preparing a Vegetarian Christmas Part 2: Desserts and Cocktails

And to finish off your holiday menus, a little dessert (as if the cookies weren't enough) and some delectable cocktails.

December 24th-25th: Christmas Holidays

Holiday wishes and perhaps a surprise or two! 

December 26th-29th: Home Away From Home 

Hopefully Joey's mom (my culinary inspiration) will share some of her special recipes with us! 

December 30th-31st: New Recipes for a New Year

Tips and recipes for a happy New Year's Celebration - veggie style!

  

Easy Tomato Paneer Curry

Posted by Nichole Leigh

When I make curry, it usually goes one of two ways: the preparation either takes me three hours, or it doesn't. The velocity of my curry preparation tends to depend on just how smooth and "restaurant-like" I want the sauce to be (without the cream). 

The following is a quick version of an everyday curry sauce that I prepare regularly. It is rather simple if you have a stockpile of diverse spices. (See Yogurt Curry with Onion Pakora for some tips on stocking up on Indian ingredients.) This curry features paneer cheese, which is something like an Indian farmer's cheese. You can purchase it in Indian markets, or if you're feeling really adventurous, you can make your own by following this recipe. 

Easy Tomato Paneer Curry

This curry is "easy" because I don't blend together the vegetables (wet masalas) before cooking them. Additionally, the familiar tomato flavor is generally palatable to newcomers to Indian food. The sauce is a little bit chunky, and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 hot peppers, like Serrano Peppers, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1/2 teaspoon whole cloves

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon tumeric powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plain yogurt

12 oz. paneer cheese

Directions

1. In a medium saute pan, heat olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, peppers, ginger, and cloves. Cook until the onions become translucent and begin to caramelize, about 7 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes and cilantro. Allow to cook until the oil rises to the top of the sauce, about 10 minutes. 

Mix in the spices. Add the yogurt one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly to avoid curdling. Allow to cook for another 12-15 minutes.

3. Mix in the paneer cheese, and stir gently. Allow to cook for another 5-7 minutes so that the paneer cheese absorbs the flavors. 

4. Serve with basmati rice or chipati.

Finishing Strong: Vegetarian December

Posted by Nichole Leigh

Recipe and Image Courtesy of Hersheys.com. Original recipe here.

I have a strong desire to make December 2011 count. It's been about six months since I graduated college, and I really want to accomplish something. Not something huge, but something that is meaningful to me. So here are a couple of Veggie Horizons goals for December:

Goal 1: Post to Veggie Horizons every day in the month of December

Goal 2: Experiment with different food photography techniques and learn to take better pictures of the food in Veggie Horizons recipes

Goal 3: Post enough holiday-inspired vegetarian recipes to comprise a vegetarian Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years (etc.) Feast

If you have any advice or recipes you'd like to share with me to help me on my way, I would greatly appreciate it! For now, let's just drool over the candy cane blossom recipe from Hersheys.com. It's not vegan, but it sure looks festive, doesn't it?

Ingredients

48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Candy Cane Mint Candies
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk Red or green sugar crystals, granulated sugar or powdered sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Remove wrappers from candies.
2. Beat butter, granulated sugar, egg and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternately with milk to butter mixture, beating until well blended.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in red sugar, granulated sugar, powdered sugar or a combination of any of the sugars. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cookie is set. Remove from oven; cool 2 to 3 minutes. Press a candy piece into center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

PS. I'll update this post with more pictures when I try out this recipe for myself!

Everything Oatmeal Cookies

Posted by Nichole Leigh

Listen readers.... I know that I need to get a better camera and/or learn how to take better pictures. These cookies don't look nearly as delicious and amazing as they actually are. I developed this recipe accidentally, and I will never look at oatmeal cookies the same way. These cookies are actually Oatmeal Raisin-Cranberry-Cashew-Chocolate Chip Cookies. Quite a mouthful.  

Try and say it 5 times fast and you'll know why I choose to call them Everything Oatmeal Cookies instead. They are, as usual, vegan. However, they're crispier and healthier than the Ultimate Whole Wheat Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Ready for the recipe? Here goes!

Everything Oatmeal Cookies

There's a good chance that other add-ins will work well in this cookie recipe. As it stands, the Everything Oatmeal Cookie is fruity, chocolaty, nutty, and crunchy. They are absolutely delicious, and will disappear faster than any other treat on your holiday table.This recipe makes two dozen Everything Oatmeal Cookies. 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal 

3 tablespoons hot water

1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons vegan non-hydrogenated margarine

1/2 + 2 tablespoons cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla + 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups oatmeal

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup vegan or regular chocolate chips

1/4 cup raw unsalted cashews

Directions
1. Heat oven to 300F.
2. In a small bowl, mix the ground flaxseed meal and hot water. Allow to rest for a few minutes.
3. In the meantime, beat the butter and sugars until creamy in a large bowl.

4. Add the vanilla, almond extract if using, and flaxseed mixture.

5. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Beat until fully incorporated.
6. Add the oatmeal and mix thoroughly into batter.

.
7. Mix in  raisins, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, and cashews.

8. Drop the dough by spoonful onto cookie sheets.

9. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until light golden brown.
10. Cool completely and eat up!

Christmas Comes Early: Let the Holiday Cooking Begin

Sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am. Thanks grandma!!!! 

So with what dish should I christen this glorious example of cookware? I'm thinking curry!