I developed this recipe because I needed something I could quickly grab to help fuel my work days. I'll often pair a couple of these with a quick fruit and protein powder smoothie and call it breakfast. I love how soft and chewy they are, almost like a dense muffin top. They are gluten free, vegan, and come together in 10 minutes, and in 1 bowl. 

I use dark chocolate chips in my breakfast cookies, and top them with vegan marshmallows. This clearly turns them into a bit of a treat, which I am ok with. (3 tiny marshmallows per cookie seems pretty reasonable to me.) The cookies themselves aren't very sweet, and I also think they look kinda cute squished on top. You could easily swap out the chocolate and marshmallow for dried fruit, or chopped nuts, if you wish.

What is in these cookies? Answer: mostly simple whole food ingredients

• whole rolled oats
• natural peanut butter
• unsweetened apple sauce
• gluten free flour
• baking powder
• ground flax seeds (mixed with water for to make a "flax egg")
• maple syrup
• ​vanilla
• sea salt
• add ins : chocolate chips & mini marshmallows 

I haven't tried other variations, but here are some suggestions if you're trying to make the recipe work.

• Swap natural peanut butter for almond butter, cashew butter or tahini. 
• Instead of chocolate chips, try dried fruit. I like the idea of dehydrated strawberries, figs, dried apple or dates.
• If you don't have Gluten Free Baking Flour, I have used rice flour in the past. I am sure any kind of gluten free flour would work. Oat, almond etc.
• I can see myself adding warm spices like cinnamon, ground ginger, and or cardamom.
• You could try using mashed over ripe bananas instead of apple sauce. I love banana, but I didn't want these to be "banana-y" this time. 

• ​I recommend storing these in the freezer. They can keep at room temperature for awhile, but there's a low sugar content so they will go moldy if left out too long. (I made that mistake) You could definitely keep them in the fridge too, but my preference is the freezer so I don't have to worry about how long they will stay good. 
• You can pull them out of the freezer for something on the go and just let it thaw, or if you want to eat it immediately just toss it in the microwave for 15 seconds. 

1. Simply stir together all ingredients in a large bowl. (except for marshmallows) 

2. Scoop dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet for a total of 12 cookies. It will be thick and sticky. Use your fingers or a spoon to flatten them into round cookie shapes.

3. Press 3-4 mini marshmallows into the tops of each cookie.

4. Bake at 370 F for 15 minutes. Cool and Enjoy!

Cheesy Baked Rigatoni with Roasted Vegetables Recipe Notes

This baked pasta dish is adapted from the Rebar Modern Food Cookbook, one of my favourite cookbooks that I have coveted for more than 20 years. The original recipe is vegetarian, and I wanted to veganize it! I love the combination of roasted vegetables, capers, herbs, and plant-based cheeses tossed with rigatoni, then topped with a cheesy crumb topping. There is something so satisfying about digging into a simple pasta bake, especially one made with rigatoni. Those big, giant tubes feel both playful and unfussy, making this the kind of dish that is just as fun to eat as it is comforting.

What is in this Cheesy Pasta Bake?

• Roasted Vegetables: ​ Zucchini, red pepper, eggplant, red onion. 

• Vegan Cheese: Mozza & Feta. I use store bought Vegan Mozza, any brand, and Violife vegan feta. This was less feta than the original recipe called for. (1.5 cups) I can definitely see myself buying two and adding another 1/2 a block. Though I do like it as is, and this all gets a bit expensive, which is why I tend to make a dish like this when vegan cheese goes on sale, which seems to happen fairly often, actually. 

• Fresh Herbs: I used a combination of fresh Basil and Mint. The original recipe calls for some flat leaf parsley, definitely add some if you have it. 

• Capers. Capers might not be your thing, but I personally wouldn't leave them out. The briny bright pop they add is really good, and in my opinion, essential to the dish. I increase the amount significantly compared to the original recipe. The plant based feta I use is more creamy and rich, and doesn't have the same tang as regular feta, the extra capers do a good job of filling that void. 

• Pasta. The recipe does call for rigatoni, and I must say I love it in this dish. There's something really satisfying about those big, playful tubes.

• Olive Oil. The recipe calls for olive oil for roasting the veg, and for making the crumb topping. I don't measure I just drizzle as needed.

• Bread Crumb Topping. Fresh bread crumbs (I wouldn't use dried here) mixed with one cup of the vegan mozza, 2 tbsp of fresh herbs, olive oil and salt and pepper. It definitely wants a generous amount of olive oil. You can give it a taste to make sure it is seasoned properly, but I just add a pinch of each.

• Chili Flakes. There is no discernable "heat" factor in this recipe, so I simply sprinkled a few chili flakes on top before serving. It's something I always have on my table. I don't like things to be extremely spicy, but adding a bit of warmth enhances the dish in my opinion. 

1. Roast the veggies. Toss with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Roast at 425F until softened and golden.

2. Toss together roasted veg, cooked pasta, cheeses, herbs, capers, lemon zest and juice in a large bowl.

3. Transfer mixture to one large deep pan ( 9 x 13 ) or several smaller ones. (I prefer deep casserole pans, as the top gets a bit crisp and chewy, and the ingredients beneath stay moist. The more that stays moist below the surface the better.)

4. Top the pasta mixture with your breadcrumb topping. A mixture of fresh breadcrumbs, mozzarella cheese, herbs, and extra virgin olive oil. Bake covered at 350 F for 40 minutes, removing the lid or tinfoil for the last ten minutes. 

5. Serve topped with more fresh herbs, a sprinkle of chilli flakes and a spinach or arugula salad along side. 

Recipe Difficulty: Easy - Medium (Read post for tips for success)

I get a strong craving for this salad every so often, and it doesn't go away until I make it.
As one of the more indulgent salads in my repertoire, it's not the type of thing I want to eat everyday (although I do eat it daily for about a week until I run out!)

I like lots of dressing, an obscene amount of coconut bacon, and a good amount of vegan cheese.  While classic Caesar salad uses romaine lettuce for it's base, I always prefer a combination of greens. To my romaine I will add kale and or mixed greens--then, I can't resist adding crunchy vegetables. Broccoli, celery, cauliflower are all good additions in my mind.

To make it a meal I often add chickpeas, cooked pasta, and or crispy vegan chick'n tenders sliced over top.

This Caesar dressing could perhaps be called a "creamy, garlicky caper dressing." It's more Caesar-inspired than an attempt to perfectly replicate a traditional Caesar dressing, but it's what I've come to crave when I want a Caesar salad. It's made by blending vegan mayo (I use Hellmann's vegan mayo), capers, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, and pepper. So simple. It's super garlicky, which is exactly how I like it, with a bright, punchy flavour from the capers and red wine vinegar. For me, it's perfect.

The dressing will be very thick, but don't worry. Just toss your salad really well to distribute it evenly. It will keep in a container in the fridge for quite a while, and I always double the recipe.

I love this recipe for coconut bacon. It's smoky, sweet and adds great texture. It's fair to say that it's the most challenging part of the entire recipe. The steps are simple, but it takes patience and your undivided attention. I've made this recipe dozens of times, and have outlined everything I can think of. **The coconut bacon recipe is adapted from Avant Garde Vegan. 

Shredded Coconut
This recipe calls for unsweetened shredded coconut. Where I live, I have only ever seen the large flaked variety at Sobeys. You want large flaked shredded coconut. I haven't tried this recipe with the finer types but I suspect they would burn more easily. My go to source is the Bulk Barn, I buy it in bulk specifically for this recipe.

Prep
The coconut bacon is sweet, smoky, salty. I don't hold back while adding it to my salad. I like lots, the salad wants lots. If you think you think you have added enough, you probably didn't. To prep the coconut bacon, you just toss all of the ingredients together in a bowl, spread it onto a lined baking sheet, and then bake. When it cools the bacon will crisp up. 

Cooking Tips 
To bake the coconut bacon, you need to keep it in an even thin layer but also keep the shape tight together if that makes sense. No straggly bits of coconut hanging out by their lonesome along the edges. The edges burn easily so compacting it as much as possible without being a thick layer is the idea. When I toss it a few times while it's cooking, I form it back into this shape. Again, this is to prevent the pieces from burning along the edges, although the edges will darken first.

Taste
I want to mention that when I taste the coconut bacon right off the pan I don't love it. Not much of an endorsement, I realize, but my final judgement of this coconut bacon isn't from just eating it alone. I love it when it is mixed into this salad. I also often make a double batch for sprinkling in other random salads, too. The recipe calls for a ridiculous amount of liquid smoke, I am aware. It is potent, but again, mixed into the salad it just works for me. 

1. Combine unsweetened flaked coconut, liquid smoke, soy sauce, maple syrup, and extra virgin olive oil in a bowl until evenly mixed.

2. Add to a parchment lined baking sheet. Spread in an even layer, making sure it's in a compact shape, you don't want bits of coconut bacon hanging out on their own along the edges as they will burn.

3. Bake in a 375 F oven for about 20 minutes. Stirring at 10 minutes, then 2 - 3 times as needed throughout the last 10 minutes keeping a watchful eye. 

4. The coconut bacon is finished when it is deeply golden brown. It may burn a very tiny bit around the edges, and it crisps up as it cools. I am including a photo of bacon I burnt compared to a good batch. It can go from perfect to overcooked in a blink. 

I don't typically bother with croutons, but if this salad just doesn't feel right to you without them, go for it! I like using sourdough bread when I make croutons. Tear the bread into roughly equal-sized, bite-sized pieces, then toss with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake at 350°F, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy.

If your croutons taste more like toast than croutons, you probably didn't add enough oil. It happened to me once. I just drizzled a little more oil over my toast-like croutons when they came out of the oven, and they seemed to absorb the oil and tasted great in the end. Not exactly a tried-and-true method, but I'd do it again.

Of course, you can always buy croutons at the store. I have yet to find vegan ones at the grocery store near me, though.

I find that not all vegan cheeses are created equal, and some work much better in this salad than others. A vegan parmesan is an obvious choice, but I've also used certain brands of shredded vegan mozzarella that, to me, are actually more reminiscent of parmesan than mozzarella. That's what I'm looking for here. Some vegan mozzarella is convincingly mozzarella-like, and that's not what I want in this salad.

A few brands that work well are Emborg, Violife, and President's Choice. Parmela Creamery's shredded mozzarella, for example, is delicious, but it's too convincingly mozzarella-like for this recipe. I love it on pizza and in other applications, just not here.
​
The bottom line? Look for a firm, thin vegan shred with a more parmesan-like flavour and texture. I'd also love to try making my own vegan parmesan topping sometime, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

You can use straight up chopped romaine for classic Caesar salad vibes, but I personally really do like to add in other veggies. Shredded kale, finely chopped broccoli, celery, even tomatoes. 

Beyond veggies, I often add chickpeas or tofu for protein, and if I want the salad  to be really hearty,  fusilli pasta tossed into the mix is delicious. 

Piling a bunch of squidgy, olive oil-coated ingredients onto toasted sourdough is one of my favourite things. This recipe feels elevated, but it's actually very simple to prepare.

Leeks and sun-dried tomatoes give the dish real oomph. The white beans are a creamy, neutral base that carries all of those delicious flavours, while the kale adds colour along with slightly earthy, pleasantly bitter notes. Everything gets tossed with more olive oil than you might instinctively use. Think of the olive oil less as a garnish and more as a sauce that coats every ingredient and seeps into the toast.

I finish the mélange with a splash of balsamic vinegar and, if needed, a little maple syrup for balance. Whether I add maple depends on the balsamic. Pricier bottles tend to be naturally sweeter, while more affordable ones are often sharper and more acidic. The last time I made this, I skipped the maple altogether and used a little balsamic from a really nice bottle for sweetness, then added a splash of my cheaper balsamic for acidity.

Leeks:  Leeks make it special. There's something addictively good about a toast that includes them in the mix. They get buttery soft and have a sweet onion flavour that's to die for. If you want to add a splash of white wine while the leeks are cooking, it's a nice option too. I don't drink so it's not something I keep on hand, but it's definitely good and the alcohol will cook off in case that's a concern. 

Sundried Tomatoes: In the right context, sundried tomatoes are an incredibly flavourful ingredient that you might not even realize you enjoy. I can eat them right out of the jar, but to understand them properly--try them in a dish like this. The flavour complements instead of taking over. Briny, rich and bright. A decent substitute would be olives. If you want to try it with fresh tomato I think it would still be good!

​Bread: Choose a good quality sourdough loaf for this recipe. I often buy Ace Bakery Sourdough loaf. It comes pre sliced. The slices are large and oblong and I can get about four toasts out of this recipe, but it just depends how large the slices are that you are piling the filling onto. 

Cilantro: This is something I've started garnishing these toasts with whenever I have it on hand, even though I haven't listed it as an ingredient in the recipe. It isn't the first herb I would think to use here, but one day I tried it, and it just works. I love the fresh, citrusy lift it brings to the rich marinated ingredients.  

1. Start by slicing and sweating leeks in a generous swirl of extra virgin olive oil over medium - medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add chopped garlic and cook out a couple more minutes.

2. Add chopped kale, another good drizzle of olive oil. Stir and cook until it begins to wilt and soften. 3-5 minutes. 

3. Add white beans, sundried tomatoes, and another generous swirl of olive oil. Cook and stir until heated through. Add another pinch of salt and pepper.

4. Season with a splash of balsamic vinegar. Taste. Everything should be well coated in olive oil with brightness and sweetness from the balsamic. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary. (a splash of maple to balance if you think it needs it)

5. Spoon mixture onto slices of grilled sourdough bread. Garnish with cilantro, or whatever fresh herbs you like best. Enjoy!