Keep a supply of both of these on hand in the freezer to use for snacks or in recipes in place of nuts and seeds.

Chickpea Snack Submitted by: Shelley G. Chickpeas are such a great food. I like to mix canned chickpeas with lime juice, fresh cilantro, garlic, and cumin (or chili powder). It’s a great snack and makes a refreshing salad if you chill it and serve it with romaine lettuce and tomato wedges.

There are probably a dozen or more variations of baked oatmeal floating around the Internet and in various cookbooks. This is the variation I used.

My four year old daughter LOVED these. So did I, for that matter

I don’t like pumpkin pie made with tofu-no one ever suspects this one doesn’t have eggs. One caution-MAKE THIS THE DAY BEFORE SERVING. It’s needs a day to set really well, I find. This is a spicy filling.

Here’s a recipe I’ve used for pie crust. I have to warn you, though, that it will never fool anyone into thinking it’s “real” pie crust. It’s fairly simple:

I made the Gingerbread cookie recipe that I posted last week, and it was a qualified success. My husband, my daughter, and her five-year-old (non-vegetarian) friend all loved them; I thought they were okay. They had a somewhat chewy texture that most fatfree cookies seem to have, but I think they would have been better if I’d used pastry flour instead of regular whole wheat. The second batch came out better than the first because I overcooked the first ones a little. I made a couple of changes (like decreased the molasses and used agave nectar for part of it because I don’t like a really strong molasses taste) and I cut the recipe in half. Here’s my revised and tested version:

Combine dried fruit, water, sweetener in a large heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool.

Blend all till creamy. Pour into molds and freeze.

Let cool to 110 F on thermometer. Beat thoroughly until mixture loses its glossiness. Working quickly, spread into a 8″ or 9″ pan. Let cool. Cut into squares.

This recipe is the best effort to date of trying to find a workable low fat alternative to high fat pastry type cookie dough. Corn syrup will work in place of the maple syrup. Increasing the baking soda lightens the cookie, while decreasing it produces a chewier cookie. Sugar can be adjusted up or down as desired.

I originally used about 2 cups of basil and the final product didn’t seem quite basil flavored enough for me and tossed another cup in at the end. Then it was perfect. (Makes about 1 1/2- 2 cups)

there’s the basic recipe. but for those of you who know me, could this possibly have been good enough!? of course not! hehe. to this, i added a tablespoon or so of nutritional yeast, and two teaspoons or so of chicken flavored veggie broth powder. then a bunch of dried parsley and basil. (these additions made it creamy instead of watery). it tastes delicious! and trust me with the crushed garlic a little will go a long way.

Traditional Caesar dressings are primarily oil, but why drench a fat-free green salad in oil? This delicious dressing makes enough for two BIG salads, and also makes a good dip for raw veggies.

If it’s too thick, add a little more water. Place in a covered jar and refrigerate.