Creamy Vegan Mushroom & Garlic Alfredo

For this Vegan recipe I was going for the texture of Alfredo pasta which is made with cheese and butter, so I decided to use a creamy tofu paste as a substitute. The olive oil and mushrooms already add a lot of texture to the dish, so the tofu just gave it that extra special touch. You have to get creative when you’re Veganizing recipes and most of the time tofu and almond milk do the trick!

Ingredients

• 8 oz spaghetti
• 4 cloves of garlic chopped
• Handful of mushrooms chopped
• Olive oil
• 85 g tofu (I used organic extra firm)
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

1. Cook your pasta according to the package directions. Drain.
2. In the mean time, using a blender or food processor, make a paste by adding about 1/3 cup of water, salt, and pepper to your tofu. Set aside.
3. In a large saucepan over medium heat pour enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Add your mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Once your mushrooms have cooked for a few minutes, turn heat to low and add in chopped garlic and season with more salt and pepper.  Adding the garlic at the end will prevent it from burning. After about a minute you can start to add your tofu paste. I did not want the dish to have a strong tofu taste so I added little by little and tasted it as I went along. I probably used 3/4 of the paste. Also taste for salt and pepper along the way.
4. Add pasta to mushroom mixture and toss, making sure everything is coated.
5. Plate and serve!

Cappuccino Cookies

These delectable little cookies are the perfect addition to your afternoon cup of coffee! I call them Cappuccino Cookies because they have a slight coffee taste from the coffee extract but a milky taste from the white chocolate chips. You can even forget the cup of coffee and have these with a tall cold glass of milk as your evening dessert. These cookies are so perfect, the flavors mesh together so well! I have a couple of secret ingredients in there that are not so secret anymore, but they make these cookies extra special. If you’re looking for coffee extract I bought mine at Sur La Table. Please, please make these! They’re like nothing you’ve ever tried before!

Yields 16 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 & 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coffee extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Once butter is melted, turn heat to medium and let the butter continue to cook for about 5 minutes, until foamy and color turns to a rich deep golden brown. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Let cool for about 15 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl sift flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl mix your brown sugar and white sugar. Once butter is cooled add to sugar and mix with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Add egg, vanilla extract, and coffee extract and continue to mix.
5. Slowly add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and mix until it comes together. Add in your white and chocolate chips and fold in gently.
6. Sift your powdered sugar into a bowl.
7. Make 16 balls out of your dough. Take each ball and roll it into the powdered sugar. Place on parchment lined baking sheet (8 per tray). Place in oven and bake for 13 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and let cool down on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool.
9. Store in airtight container.

Note: I baked mine in two stages because two trays didn’t fit in my oven. If you have rimless baking sheets those will fit!

Vegan Strawberry Banana Protein Breakfast Smoothie

I’ve been making breakfast smoothies for so many years, the only thing that’s changed is that I was making them with whey protein in the past. I have nothing against whey protein and I know a lot of people love it for the extra protein in their diet, but most of the time it just didn’t sit well with my stomach and I would get the worst tummy rumbles! Having been a personal trainer for over 7 years, I for one know that there are SO many views out there on how much protein women need in their diet. We definitely need protein but I do believe that it is sometimes eaten in excess so the 9 g of protein that this breakfast smoothie adds to my diet is plenty for me because I get protein from other sources as well. Since I’ve been trying to cut back on my dairy intake I decided to use organic tofu. What’s great about tofu is that it not only adds protein but also structure and creaminess to the smoothie. It’s so easy to whip up and a great breakfast if you’re feeling rushed in the morning!

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• 7 or 8 frozen strawberries
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 85 g tofu (I used organic extra firm)
• 4 ice cubes

Directions

1. Place all your ingredients in blender and blend until smooth!

White Chocolate Brown Butter Blondies

If you haven’t browned butter before…do it…do it now! The smell it gives off is so rich and nutty, you’ll want to cook with it all the time. I love brownies but I don’t know what it is about Blondies that is so appealing to me. Actually, it’s probably the caramel like flavor they have. For this recipe I decided to add white chocolate because it compliments the nutty flavor and I added cinnamon because I LOVE cinnamon! Give these a try and I promise you won’t be disappointed. Really, the only thing missing is a big scoop of ice cream on top!

Yields 16 pieces

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup (5 oz) unsalted butter
• 1.5 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 100 g white chocolate (I used a bar of Milka White Chocolate)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8 in square pan.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Once butter is melted, turn heat to medium and let the butter continue to cook for about 5 minutes, until foamy and color turns to a rich deep golden brown. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Let cool for about 15 minutes.
4. In the meantime, chop your white chocolate into small pieces.
5. Once butter is cool, transfer to a large bowl and add brown sugar. Mix until incorporated. Add in eggs and vanilla and continue to mix.
6. Add your dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Gently fold in white chocolate.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan and use a spatula to spread evenly.
8. Bake for about 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven and place on rack. Let cool down completely before cutting.

Caramelized Banana & Belgian Pearl Sugar Pancakes

During my middle school years I attended the American International School of Bucharest and there was a little Belgian waffle shop down the street that I used to walk to with my friends after school. They had the most delicious Belgian Pearl Sugar Waffles I’ve ever tasted! The waffles were slightly crunchy on the outside and super soft and chewy on the inside. And when you were lucky to have a bite with the caramelized pearl sugar, it just melted in your mouth. Every time I think of those waffles my mouth waters so I wanted to create something with similar flavors but quick! Belgian waffles are yeast based so they take some patience. Pearl sugar can be found at specialty stores, I got mine from Sur La Table. If you don’t find pearl sugar, these pancakes will still turn out just as fantastic because of the caramelized bananas on top! I actually didn’t have any milk on hand so I used soda water instead and I’m happy I did because it cut some calories and added a light and airy texture to the pancakes.

If you want a dessert style pancake for breakfast I definitely recommend these! Perfect for a weekend splurge!

If you’d like to make these Vegan, simply take out the egg and add 1/4 cup of applesauce and instead of using butter for the caramelized bananas, use coconut oil!

Yields 12 pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 cup soda water
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg (separated) or 1/4 cup applesauce for Vegan recipe
• 2 tablespoons vegetable or coconut oil (melted and cooled)
• 2 overripe bananas mashed
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
• Pearl sugar

For the Caramelized Bananas

• 1 sliced banana
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter (or coconut oil for Vegan recipe)

Directions

1. Heat griddle to 350 degrees F.
2. To make your caramelized banana topping melt 1 tablespoon of butter (coconut oil for Vegan recipe), add your sliced bananas and coat them with the brown sugar. Cook until bananas are a golden brown color and have caramelized. Flip each piece gently during cooking so you don’t get a big mush.
3. In a small bowl whip your egg white until stiff peaks form (skip this step for Vegan recipe).
4. In a large bowl sift flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
5. In another bowl mix your egg yolk, oil, soda water, vanilla extract, almond extract, and banana. For Vegan recipe, substitute the egg yolk with applesauce.
6. Add your wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporate. Fold in your whipped egg white (skip this step for Vegan recipe).
7. Add about 5 pieces of pearl sugar in one spot on griddle. Let heat up for about 15 seconds. Add 1/4 of batter on top of the pearl sugar. Add 5 or so more pieces of pearl sugar on top of batter so that when you flip you’ll have pearl sugar on both sides. Flip once bubbles start to form. Cook another minute.
8. Plate and serve with caramelized bananas and maple syrup on top.

Chiftele (Romanian Meatballs)

Chiftele are the Romanian version of a meatball and can be flat or round. They’re normally made with ground pork, which is high in fat, but this recipe is made with lean ground turkey. After the patties are formed you roll them in flour and fry them up! Oh yes, they’re fried, so you know they’ll be delicious! Parsley gives them a traditional Romanian taste but you can also substitute in dill and still get a wonderful flavor. These are best eaten with a Dijon style mustard as an appetizer or as the star of your meal. Normal side dishes include mashed potatoes or rice and cabbage salad has always been a favorite in my family.

Yield about 30

Ingredients

• 1 – 20 oz package lean ground turkey
• 1 shredded potato
• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 egg
• Salt
• Pepper
• Flour
• Vegetable oil

Directions

1. In a large bowl mix your ground turkey, shredded potato, onion, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add your egg and continue to mix. The best way to do this is to get a little dirty and use your hands! Once everything is mixed well you can start to form little balls.
2. Heat up about 1/2 inch oil at the bottom of a large pan on medium heat.
3. Once your balls are formed, roll them in flour and flatten them out but keep them round. Place in heated oil. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side or until they are browned.
4. Your pan won’t be big enough to cook all of them at once, so continue the same procedure until you are finished.
5. Serve warm with Dijon mustard or with mashed potatoes and a salad!

Romanian Chec Spiced with Cinnamon

Chec has always been a favorite of mine because of its light and airy texture. There’s no butter or oil in this recipe and it’s made with whipped egg whites, so you get more of the texture of a genoise cake rather than a pound cake, which is made with lots of butter. This is the perfect treat with a cup of coffee or tea or as a midnight snack with a glass of milk!

Yields 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 4 eggs (separated)
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Zest of one lemon
• Powdered sugar for topping

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whip your egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl cream the egg yolks and the sugar. Add lemon zest, almond extract, and vanilla extract.
5. Slowly add your flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture, alternating with your two tablespoons of warm water. Mix until incorporated.
6. Add a little bit of your egg whites and mix to lighten the batter. Continue to fold the rest of your egg whites into the batter.
7. Pour the batter into greased pan and bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes before removing from pan onto rack.
9. Sprinkle with powdered sugar once cool.

Orzo with Mushrooms, Asparagus, and Cherry Tomatoes

I’ve always wanted to cook with orzo and finally picked some up while I was at Sprouts the other day. Basically, orzo is pasta in the shape of rice. I love rice and I love pasta so I knew this wouldn’t disappoint, and sure enough, it didn’t. The first time I cooked it I noticed that if you cook it for too long it will stick together really really bad! In other words, it becomes one big mush after you drain it. So make sure that if you do decide to cook orzo, do not over cook it! Al dente is the way to go, just slightly under-cooked. I wanted this recipe to be light and have a fresh taste while also having a creaminess to it so I made asparagus and mushrooms the stars and garnished with a medley of sweet cherry tomatoes and chives. And for added flavor I used some cipollini onions, they were just to cute to pass up at the grocery store! Yields 4 servings Ingredients

• 8 oz orzo
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 10-15 mushrooms
• 2 cipollini onions
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cherry tomatoes
• Chives

Directions

1. Cook your orzo according to package directions. (Remember not to overcook).
2. In the mean time, chop your onion, asparagus and mushrooms into small pieces. Heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a medium sized pan. Once oil is heated, add your onion and sprinkle with salt. Turn your heat down to low so you don’t burn the onion. Once onion is translucent, add your asparagus and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and bump the heat up to medium for about 10 minutes. Stir vegetables every couple of minutes. Test to see if the texture of the asparagus is to your liking. If you prefer a softer vegetable, cook longer. Taste for salt and pepper as well.
3. Drain the orzo, place back in saucepan and add about a tablespoon of olive oil, this will help with the sticking. Spoon orzo into the vegetable saucepan and stir.
4. Plate and garnish with cherry tomatoes and chives.

Flaky Puff Pastry Stuffed with Feta & Dill

My mom has been making these puff pastry perfections for years, and let me tell you…they are addicting! I’ve made them for company and there is NEVER one leftover. I mean you can’t go wrong with flaky puff pastry stuffed with salty creamy feta cheese. Right? Right! This particular recipe has dill in it but it’s definitely not necessary, just adds a little more complexity to the flavor. If you don’t shop at your local European market (which I highly recommend) you can find puff pastry at the regular grocery store. You may have to cut it into squares of about 5 inches because it normally comes in two large pieces. Please make these! You will thank me everyday of your life!

Yields 18 pieces

Ingredients

• 6.5 oz feta cheese
• 1 package puff pastry squares (I buy mine at the local European market)
• 2 eggs (one for egg wash)
• Chopped dill (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Mash your feta cheese with a fork and add one egg. Mix together until creamy. Add dill.
3. Cut your puff pastry squares in half. On one side fill each piece with a heaping teaspoon of the feta mixture. Lift the opposite side and fold over. Seal using a fork by pressing down on the edges and making indentations into the pastry. Do this for the remainder of your pieces.
4. Make your egg wash by whisking an egg with about a tablespoon of water.
5. Lay your puff pastries on the aluminum foil lined baking sheet and brush each one with the egg wash.
6. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Let cool down for a few minutes (unless you like not feeling the roof of your mouth for a few days).
8. If you do happen to have leftovers, reheat them in the oven for a few minutes and they will taste just the same as when they came out of the oven.

Jasmine Rice with Red Pepper and Zucchini

For the last six months I’ve cut meat out of my diet almost completely, so that really forced me to get creative with my meals. Rice has always been a favorite of mine and over the years I’ve experimented with new kinds such as Basmati and Jasmine. In this recipe I used Jasmine rice. It’s so fragrant and flavorful, you can even it plain and it won’t disappoint. I sauteed red bell peppers with zucchini in olive oil and jazzed them up with Hungarian Paprika! This dish is so simple. You’ll have it ready in under 30 minutes. I love to add shrimp or tofu for protein.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup Jasmine rice
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 zucchini
• Olive oil
• Paprika
• Salt
• Pepper
• Chives for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. Chop bell pepper into thin strips and zucchini into half moon shaped pieces. Add olive oil to a medium skillet (enough to cover the bottom of the pan) and let it heat up. Once oil is heated, add vegetables and sprinkle paprika, salt, and pepper. I normally use a lot of paprika because I love the flavor. I recommend tasting the vegetables as they are cooking and deciding whether you need more.
3. Cook the vegetables on low to medium heat with the cover on for about 20 minutes. If you like your vegetables crunchier cook less time. I like mine fairly tender.
4. Plate your rice and spoon vegetables on top. Garnish with chives.