My Wednesday Pantry-Vegan and Not

      If you are a peanut butter or chocolate fiend like me, run, don't walk to your kitchen and whip up this cookie, a mix of several recipes in my old 1987 church cookbook and a couple vegan substitutes. This recipe made, or will make by the time all get baked, 42 decent sized hearty cookies.

Vegan Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 cup vegan butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (I used chunky and that added more texture and nuttiness)
• 2 Flax seed eggs (make ahead and let sit for at least 20 minutes to a slimyish texture, 1 tablespoon to 3 tablespoons water=1 egg)
• 1 cup granular sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 cups quick cook oatmeal
• 1- 2 cups chocolate chips, to your preferred taste. 

     Cream softened butter with  sugars and peanut butter. Add flax seed eggs and combine fully. In separate bowl,  blend the salt and soda in with the flour ( tend to just put it in my sifter with the flour), then add four to the wet ingredients. Add the oatmeal one cup at a time to fully combine. Add in  chocolate chips  about 1-1 1/2 cups chocolate chips. I used  Trader Joe's, 1/2 a 12 oz bag and as these are very dark, it was more than plenty for a rich cookie. Bake at 350 degree oven for 12 minutes. Resist over baking so they stay soft and gooey. I only baked 12 and yes, I ate three within 15 minutes of being out of the oven. I brought three over to my daughters and left the remainder for DH to enjoy when he got home and Sunday. 30 frozen balls are in the freezer ready for a future indulgence. 

     Here's the not part of Vegan and Not. Juicy hamburgers. I think I have perfected stove top hamburgers. The trick is preparing ahead and what they are topped with. My hamburger was just a portion of the large chub bought back the end of January, the last of it, and about 3/4's of a pound, plenty to make three burgers, one for me and two for DH. It was a 70-30 hamburger, so the end burgers were not huge, but plenty and I think the higher fat makes a better tasting burger. To the ground beef I added a healthy tsp of garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and a few shakes of table salt. I chopped up  1/2 a small yellow onion, mixed it all well and made three large meat balls, put back in the refrigerator to get good and cold after having worked the meat. Spray a frying pan of choice with  cooking spray, which will help greatly later when cleaning up, and get the pan fairly hot. Cook the meat balls on one side, then flip over and do the other, and back again. At this point, you will have two seared sides, and the rest, still raw. Take your spatula now and smash down the burger. Cook on both sides to your desired doneness, but don't press anymore to retain all the flavor and juiciness. Toast your buns  either in a wide toaster or under the broiler, butter the bun when done, and you have a perfect smash burger. 

     Use more toppings or condiments of your choice, or eat without anything. On Monday because I had cream cheese and olives, I new I wanted a version of  either a Rook Burger, or a Grandma's favorite, two olive and cream cheese burgers at local pubs, one of which changed hands about 5 years ago and the  new owners no longer have on the  menu-it was stuffed burger. I've made that once, but it is very messy to keep together, and using the fillings as toppings taste's almost as good. I devoured before taking a picture, but found this version online. 

Green olive and cream cheese burger

     That's my pantry recap for the week. I have some veggie burgers in the freezer, buns, olives, and cream cheese left and think I might try a vegetarian version of the green olive and cream cheese burger for my lunch. If I do, I'll be sure to share the results.  Are you a cookie lover, but only when they are freshly baked like me? how about burgers? These may be two of my  favorite kitchen joys.