Bridging with Burgers

I love grilling "burgers" of all kinds because it is an easy way to bridge everyone's eating styles. I've made regular burgers for my two meat eaters and then portabello mushroom burgers for Will and I who are eating vegan. And easy--I've been marinating the mushrooms in balsamic salad dressing. I've posted the recipe for the dressing before. But when fixing it for marinade, I don't pay so much attention to proportions. I just mix a dollop of dijon, a teaspoon or so of brown sugar, then pour in roughly 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil and 3-6 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Choose portabellos roughly the same size as your burger buns. let them marinate 30 minutes-1 hour then toss on the grill. They are great. Ross has been having a double burger--meat and portabello. Easy and not much to clean up when you are grilling. My idea of great weekend cooking.

Back to school cookies!

We had about three coolish days (93 degrees--seemed so fall like!) and I thought about how I hadn't baked anything since the Fourth of July so I pulled out a new cookbook, La Dolce Vegan! Not only is it a pretty entertaining cookbook, it has a healthy (no not healthy as in low fat good for you; healthy as in chunky) section on desserts and decided to try these chocolate chip cookies. They are a little less sweet than regular chocolate chip cookies and have a cakier texture and little less fat than regular chocolate chip cookies. But very good with a glass of soy milk and I have to say, the uncooked dough was excellent!

Rachel's Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 c. vegan margarine
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 c. silken tofu
3/4 c. Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a food processor, blend together the sugar, margarine, vanilla, and tofu until smooth. Add the tofu mixture and chocolate chips to the flour/soda/salt, and stir well. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of cookie dough on cookie sheat; press down with fingers. Bake 8-10 minutes. Let cool before removing from baking sheet. Makes 24 cookies.