Finals Week Foods!

Today marks my last day in college. I can't believe it! Now I am officially a grown-up...ok, maybe that's not entirely true. BUT, I am a dietitian now and I am not under the authority of the University of Missouri any longer! I can live with that. Here's some things I made and/or ate during this last crazy busy week of finals, and a few things from last weekend that I haven't had time to post!

From a potluck last weekend:

Steamed Red Seitan, a tester from Terry's Vegan Latina CookbookEmpanadas, which were filled with the above seitan and lots of other goodies, also a tester for Terry! These were freakin' amazing!! Everyone at the potluck adored them, of course.

Right outta the oven:Getting ready to go party:From Mothers' Day Brunch last Sunday, at the lovely Eden Alley:

I had the Vegan Breakfast, which consisted of crusted and pan-seared local tofu, potatoes with caramelized onion, a coconut whole wheat biscuit, and a healthy smothering of local mushroom-hemp gravy! I was in brunch heaven!!!

My mom had the Falafel and Tofu, which was a bed of organic brown rice topped with a homemade falafel patty, crusted and pan-seared tofu, and a topping of roasted red pepper coulis! She let me try it, of course, and it was divine!

My grandmother had the Raw Stuffed Avocado Salad, a huge bed of organic greens and other veggies, with an entire avocado on top, stuffed with a raw hummus and cucumber mixture, and topped with flaxseeds, drizzled with their homemade mustard seed dressing. This was so refreshing and summery!

My new peanut butter obsession: Vanilla Cranberry Peanut Butter! This creamy, sweet concoction is only sold at Target stores, as it is from their Archer Farms line. This is so perfect in the morning on toast with a big glass of soymilk! It reminds me a lot of the PB&Co White Chocolate Wonderful, as it has the same sweetness and vanilla flavors, but the cranberries just add that little something extra. Also, this PB is not quite as thick, which makes it perfect for spreading on bagels, toast, fingers, etc.Check out the little bits o' cranberries!!

And, my new pride and joy cookie recipe: Oatmeal Macadamia Nut Butterscotch Chip Cookies!! I made these for our big LOST season finale (super awesome, but super sad it's over for so long) watching party. I love how sweet and buttery these babies are! I used the butterscotch chips the lovely Bianca of Vegan Crunk sent me...they are too addictive!Oatmeal-Macadamia Nut-Butterscotch Chip Cookies (makes about 20-2 inch cookies)

1/2 cup vegan margarine, such as EB

1/2 cup organic sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Ener-G egg replacer for 2 egg-equivalents

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 Tbs baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup butterscotch chips

1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped roughly

2 Tbs soymilk

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract and egg replacer, until creamy and well-combined. Sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir just until mixed, making sure to not over-stir. Add the soymilk to make the dough more flexible, then fold in the oats, nuts, and chips. Stir until fully incorporated, but not over-mixing, as this will create a tough cookie. Scoop out approximately 2 Tbs of dough at a time to make the cookies. Roll the dough into a ball in your hands to make a smooth sphere, then place on the sheet pan. Press down the cookie to flatten out to about a 2 inch diameter, as these will not spread much at all. Repeat until dough is gone, which will produce about 20 cookies ( if you don't eat any dough!). Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until cookies are golden brown on the edges and still a tad soft in the middle. After removing from oven, let sit on sheet pan for about 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to prevent too much after-baking. Serve warm with a big glass of soymilk and don't forget to share with friends!

I still can't believe I am done with school!! I ordered Isa's Vegan Brunch on Amazon for my graduation present to myself...it should arrive in the next few days!! I am so pumped!!