Healthier Taco Dip that is just as delicous as the real thing- I promise!

I love taco dip, but let's face it- it is normally loaded with fat.  Regular taco dip calls for one 8 oz brick of cream cheese creamed with 8 oz sour cream.  This new recipe replaces the cream cheese with Neufchâtel cheese (American Neufchâtel to be specific) and the sour cream with plain 0% greek yogurt.  Greek yogurt is one of my favorite foods and a definite road block on the quest to veganhood.  It is a strained yogurt with more protein than normal yogurt and a better texture.  Like sour cream, it is tangy.  However, it has way less fat and calories.  Yes, it is expensive, but I'd argue that it's more versatile than sour cream and less likely to go bad in the fridge as it has many uses!  Eat it with honey, fruit, or use in place of sour cream in pretty much any recipe (maybe not baking...I haven't tried it yet). 

I made this for my first cook-out with the neighbors.  Most of my kitchen gear is back home in WI, along with my hubby :(
*Notice I said "first" because I'm lonely and would definitely like to have many future dinners with the neighbors!*
Anyway, I wanted something I could make with my limited resources.  This is the first recipe I've made with my Kitchen Aid mixer.  Obviously I wouldn't leave her back home.  

Just 3 ingredients.  It doesn't get easier than that!

Creaming together the cheese and yogurt.

The finished dip.  Eat like this or spread thin and top with cheese, lettuce, and tomato.

Healthier Taco Dip
Source: Me!
Yield: about 2 cups

Ingredients:
8 oz Neufchâtel cheese, room temperature
8 oz plain 0% or 2% greek yogurt
1 package taco seasoning mix

Directions:
1. Cream together the cheese and yogurt.  I recommend using a mixer or food processor to avoid lumps.
2. Add taco seasoning and combine.
Serving suggestion: You can eat the dip plain or spread it in a thin layer on a platter and top with any combination of cheese, onion, tomatoes, and lettuce.  I recommend leaving the tomatoes off until you are ready to eat it to avoid a watery mess.  If you make this and invite me over, please skip the iceberg lettuce and olives :)

Notes:
- Sometimes Neufchâtel is sold as "reduced fat cream cheese."
- Use more yogurt and less cheese for a thinner dip.  This will save your chips from breaking in a big bowl of dip.
- I highly recommend looking for taco seasoning in the natural foods aisle, or just looking for and avoiding MSG or anything that sounds like it.  Also, I prefer spicy taco seasoning.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies- Take one and two

First attempt on top, second and more successful attempt on bottom.

These are all second attempt.  Yummy.

I found this recipe awhile ago and was smitten but unable to make it until strawberries were back and season.  I don't know what those orange and white, giant as fists and hard as apples things that they sell as strawberries during Wisconsin winters are, but they aren't strawberries.  (Maybe they are made out of the same thing as off season "tomatoes.")

My plan was to make a batch the regular way, then try my hand at a vegan version.  Alas, my first batch turned out all wrong.  They tasted great, but they had the consistency of muffin tops and not shortcake.  So, I found myself following the same recipe again to right my wrongs.  Some of the recipe comments were about the dough being too dry and not coming together.... My dough was eerily similar to cake batter.  I think the use of seasonal berries led to too much juiciness when I added them to the rest of the ingredients.  On take two, I skipped adding lemon juice and went with lemon zest.  I also used a slotted spoon to scoop up the berries to add them, leaving the juice behind.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies
Adapted from: MarthaStewart.com
Yield: about 3 dozen

Ingredients:
12 ounces strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 cups) - I recommend using slightly less
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream
Sanding sugar, for sprinkling- Oops, forgot about this part!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine strawberries, lemon zest , and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 7 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or rub in with your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture.
   
2. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing evenly apart. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, and bake until golden brown, 24 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Cookies are best served immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.
   

Sorry the posts have been not so frequent.  I've been traveling a lot, dealing with apartment issues, and trying to get ready for graduate school!

Vegan Carrot Cake

I had been planning on making goodies for Brent's family's Easter but we ended up not going.  Luckily, I responded quickly to an Easter invite for my family and declared myself in charge of dessert before my sister got to it...(I don't have any kids and also have lots of bakers in my family and friend circle so I never get to make cakes!) 
I have a vegan carrot cake recipe that I LOVE despite the fact that it is borderline pudding by the time it gets to the table. Or, that's why I like it.  I haven't decided.
For Easter I topped it with beloved real cream cheese frosting, but I also have included a vegan cream cheese frosting below that is equally tasty (and has been known to fool people).
I had some leftover batter and made bunny cupcakes with it.  I have to make them every year because otherwise I have to get rid of the pan, which I refuse to do because I scored it super cheap at Goodwill.  They are impossible to decorate precisely, so this year I gave up and dumped them in coconut flakes.

I was very excited to decorate the cake, but it didn't go so hot.  For one thing, I exhausted myself making the frosting without an electric mixer and was shaking as a result.  Also, I don't have the right equipment.  (Don't get me wrong, I did use it as an opportunity to get an offset spatula and frosting sculptor.)  I saw Alton Brown use one on TV.  However, I need a spinning cake plate to perfect the technique and that's not something I'm going to buy right before moving!  Let's get one more thing that doesn't fit in a box and is awkward to carry!  Right?
The cake was delicious and it made it to Easter despite riding on my lap in the car since my wonderful carrier is MIA.

Here's the recipe:
Healthy Vegan Carrot Cake
Yield= one 9x13 pan or two 8 inch round cakes or 22-24 cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 c. grated carrots
1 c. nondairy milk (I used almond)
1 1/2 c. applesauce
1 c. maple syrup,
1/2 c. crushed walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl: flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. 3. Grate the carrots and add along with the rest of the ingredients except for the walnuts to the flour mixture. Gently fold until just combined.  Mix in the walnuts.
Transfer to a greased 13x9x2 pan. Bake for 40-50 min at 350F until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.  8 inch pans = 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

Cool for 30 min and then frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream cheese frosting:


Ingredients:
16 oz. cream cheese (2 packages), softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:
1. Blend butter and cream cheese until combined and fluffy.  Make sure both are at room temp. or they will get lumpy.
2. Blend in powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.  If refrigerated, the frosting will need to be brought to room temperature before using (after frosting softens up, beat with mixer until smooth).

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
1/4 c (58 g) Earth Balance vegan spread, softened
1/4 c (58 g) vegan cream cheese, softened (I used Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese Non-Hydrogenated Spread)
2 c (312 g) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4-1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice to taste

Directions:
1. Cream together the margarine and cream cheese just until combined.
2. Sift in the powdered sugar in half-cup batches, whipping thoroughly combined after each addition.
3. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and whip until fluffy.

We had a very nice Easter with family and a beautiful day after a week of rain.  Here's the sunset from our living room:

Valentines Day! Part Deux (Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies)

Happy Valentine's Day!


A couple of weeks ago, Val passed on to me a vintage Mirro Cookie Press.  Even though press cookies are traditionally made for the holidays, I didn't want to wait another 10 months.  Plus, I could use some practice before next Christmas!

Vintage cookie press- still in (what's left of) the original box!

Speaking of Christmas, Karen sent us some delicious spritz cookies this year and I decided to use her recipe.

Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies from Fine Cooking Holiday Baking Winter 2004

See Karen's post here.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened at room temperature

3 oz cream cheese softened at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 lg egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla extract

11.25 oz (2 1/2 cups) flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Beat butter, cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
3. Add egg yolk and vanilla and beat again until blended. Add flour and mix on low until well blended.
4. Follow directions of cookie press and press cookies onto ungreased baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
5. Bake until just golden around the edges...10 - 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring.
Store at room temperature or freeze in an airtight container, separating the cookie layers with wax paper.

Notes:
- Since my mixer died (twice) a couple of weeks ago, I have been making everything without it.  Hopefully this will result in some nice arm muscles AND it is definitely doable.  A pastry blender/ cutter works wonders when a whisk won't do the trick.  I have wanted a Kitchen Aid stand mixer forever, but since I'm getting by without one I'll probably keep putting it off.
- If you are a new cookie press user like me, I suggest starting with a few test batches to get the hang of things.  Press a couple of cookies onto the sheet and bake them off just to see how they turn out... make sure to eat your mistakes so nobody knows.  At least that is my rule.  Hehe.
-I recommend a light colored and/or insulated cookie sheet.

The plate above actually results in heart shaped cookies with lovely scalloped edges.  The booklet that came with the press is full of little ditties like "Party time is Pastry time."