When someone hears the phrase “home cooked vegetarian/vegan meal,” more often than not, he or she will turn up their nose up at the idea. I was one of those people at one point in my life, truth be told, and I thought, “How can you have a complete meal without meat? Or dairy-products?” In reality, enjoying a vegan meal once in a while is pretty rad. You feel a lot better about yourself when you eat a meal that is not all about meat. You don’t feel nearly as bloated or lethargic, waiting to just crawl into your bed and slip into a food coma. You also don’t feel as weighed down. Now, on the other hand, when you eat a vegan/vegetarian style meal (one with lots of fresh veggies and/or fruits, whole grains and no animal byproduct) you feel a lot more energized and pretty much a lot more awesome than before. I know I feel like I can take on the world (or at least that project that I’ve been putting off for weeks) after I eat a super healthy meal.
I get it, though; it is super crazy (and even a little scary) to try something that is out of your realm of comfort, especially when it comes to food. Food, for many, is a comforting thing, and sometimes it’s hard to change something that may put a smile on your face when you’re feeling down and out. But sometimes it can be really exciting to try something new, too. And if you mix it up every so often, you won’t get nearly as bored with your food options. That’s why I found this awesome and super easy vegan recipe to try and tempt you to dip your toes in the water of vegan/vegetarian meals. More specifically, this recipe is a vegan dessert. It’s called “Vegan Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls.” I’ve made them before, and they are quite delicious, if I do say so myself. Consider it baby steps into the world of vegan/vegetarian meals that you may want to try in the future. And because it’s eggless, you could eat the “raw” cookie dough as is. As an added bonus, the main ingredient is peanut butter. Who doesn’t love peanut butter?
Here is what you’re going to need:
• 1/2 cup non-dairy margarine (i.e. Earth Balance)
• 3/4 cup natural peanut butter (you can find this at either Ralph’s or at Kroger)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
• 1/2 cup non-dairy chocolate chips (optional)
• 3 tablespoons soy milk
Here’s what you’re going to do:
• Beat margarine, peanut butter, sugars and vanilla until fully incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, combine baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour.
• Add dry mixture to the mixing bowl a little at a time and mix until dough forms. Add the soy milk if your dough is crumbly.
• Add the chips.
• Chill in fridge for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Scoop dough into balls on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Eat them anytime of the day. I love to eat them in the morning as a kind of “power breakfast ball of goodness.” Peanut butter is a great source of protein, it has the good kinds of fat that your body needs and it gives you energy all throughout the day.
http://greatist.com/team/vegan-peanut-butter-cookie-dough-balls/