White Bean Soup

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 medium onions, chopped (1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 cups vegetable broth

2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp lime juice

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp oregano leaves

1/4 tsp red pepper sauce

1/4 tsp salt

1 can (11 oz) white shoepeg corn or whole kernel corn, drained

1 can (15-16 oz) great northern beans, drained

1 can (15-16 0z) butter beans, drained

In 4 quart dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic in oil 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes.

Homestyle, Vegan-style Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yes, this is a vegan recipe... but don't let that deter you! These cookies are so good. So good that I actually prefer them to the traditional chocolate chip cookie. And, you can eat the cookie dough :)

These are so, so easy to make. The recipe and variations come from popular vegan author Dreena Burton.

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (see note below for wheat-free version)
1 tsp baking powder
1⁄2 tsp baking soda
1⁄4 cup unrefined sugar
1⁄4 tsp sea salt
1⁄3 cup pure maple syrup
1⁄4 tsp blackstrap molasses
1 - 1 1⁄2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1⁄4 cup organic canola oil (a little generous 1/4 cup)
1⁄3 cup non-dairy chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). In a bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the sugar and salt, and stir until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup with the molasses and vanilla, then stir in the oil until well combined. Add the wet mixture to the dry, along with the chocolate chips, and stir through until just well combined (do not overmix). Place large spoonfuls of the batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flatten a little. Bake for 11 minutes, until just golden (if you bake for much longer, they will dry out). Let cool on the sheet for no more than 1 minute (again, to prevent drying), then transfer to a cooling rack. Makes 8-10 large cookies.

Note: Unbleached all-purpose flour produces a cookie with a very classic taste and texture, but you can use whole-wheat pastry flour and still have delicious cookies! For a wheat-free version, use barley or spelt flour. With spelt flour, you may need to add an extra 2-4 TB of flour, if it is a refined spelt flour. Also, if using all-purpose flour, if the batter is heavy and dense when mixing in the wet ingredients, add another 1-2 tsp each of maple syrup and canola oil and work through.