Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

This recipe has been made countless times over the past couple of years.  Not only is it super delicious, it has no flour, eggs, butter and is high in fiber!  I can almost guarantee that whoever you serve this to will have no idea what the main ingredient is.  Can you guess?

CHICKPEAS!  This bean is incredibly versatile.  You can roast them, toss them in a salad, blend them into hummus and now into a chocolate chip cookie pie!  I don't think you'll ever go back to regular chocolate chip cookies after this recipe.  Trust me :)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie (serves ~24, depending on how you slice it ;)

1 can chickpeas
1 cup oats
2 cups pitted dates
8 drops liquid stevia
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup applesauce
2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (or water)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Blend all of the ingredients (except chocolate chips) in a food processor, starting with the chickpeas, until smooth.  Transfer into a bowl and mix in the chocolate chips.  Pour into a baking pan (preferably 9 x 13, or a circular pan around 10" wide) and bake for ~35 minutes or until browned.

Gluten-Free Carob Chip Cookies

Can you tell I have a lot of free time when I'm at home alone? Just thinking about food?

I have tasted a gluten free cookie similar to these before and was impressed with how good it was.  I always knew chickpeas were good, but I didn't know they could be THAT good.  Needless to say, I'm sure they will not last long in this household.

Gluten Free Carob Chip Cookies (yields ~36 cookies)

2 cups chickpea flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 cup carob chips

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well (try to minimize big lumps).  Combine all wet ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well mixed.  Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and combine.  Add in the carob chips and mix until well distributed.

Lightly grease a cookie pan (or 3) and drop about tablespoon amounts of the dough along the pan (I could fit 12 cookies per pan).

Bake at 350F for 10 - 12 minutes.

Garlic Roasted Cauliflower

I have made it to week 3!  I have to be honest and confess that I did eat some of my parents food, not because I was starving, but because it was staring me in the face.  That is in the past now as I move into the home stretch of my experiment!

I am enjoying making and buying my own food since it gives me a lot, actually ALL possible flexibility.  I'm sure people who have moved out by now are laughing at me, but I envy you in that department!  There are definitely pros and cons to each situation, but at the end of the day (and for the majority of my life), I will be the one in control of my food.

This week I went chocolate crazy and decided to satisfy my sweet tooth.  It was well worth it and so far I've been adding cocoa to almost everything! 

Food Haul: Week 3

Produce

Apples (x4)
Bananas
Frozen peaches
Frozen mangos
Green Peppers (x4 they were on sale for $1.50!)
Asparagus
Cauliflower (again!)
Spinach
Frozen green beans
Pineapple (x1)

Grains. Fats. Protein
White kidney beans canned (low sodium)
Lara bars (x2)
Kind bars (x3)
Canned salmon (x1 low sodium)
Almond milk - original unsweetened (x1)
NF Greek yogurt (x2)
85% dark chocolate bar (x1)
Cocoa powder
Eggs (1 carton)

Garlic Roasted Cauliflower Recipe

1 head of cauliflower
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp roasted garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven anywhere from 380F to 400F (depending on how crispy you like your cauliflower!) and bake for 30 minutes.

Cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces and then add all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl.

Once you have mixed all of the ingredients and the cauliflower is well coated, bake for 30 minutes - turning once if you feel so inclined. 

The finished product is AMAZING! I served with steamed asparagus and quinoa! YUM :)

I ALSO did some baking that night to make cookies for a bake sale the Engineering Student Society was holding to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society.  This outrageous chocolate chip cookie recipe was one we had printed from a while ago (not something I would make regularly!) that looked oh-so decadent!