Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin Tops

Ok, here is another Kodiak cooking mix recipe. I call them muffin tops because they are low fat, but your kids just might call them cookies.

1 cup Kodiak Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix*
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/3 cup soy milk (or other nut milk)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
More chocolate chips if you want (my husband's suggestion)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all the ingredients until blended.  Spray muffin top pan with cooking spray (or you can use a cookie sheet with parchment paper on it.). Spoon mixture by heaping tablespoons onto the pan. Bake for 12 minutes.

*I want to try making this with the regular Kodiak mix to see if it works.  I will post a comment when I do.

If you are not vegan, just vegetarian add an egg

If you are not as concerned about fat, add 2 T vegetable or olive oil.

P.S.  The regular kodiak mix works just fine.  My hubsand prefers the milk chocolate chips, but semi-sweet work as well.

Lowfat Vegan Ice Milk

My husband insists I shouldn't call this ice cream.  It doesn't have any cream in it.  But it does have soy milk, so I feel okay calling it ice milk.

2 cups vanilla soy milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup water
An ice cream maker

Put the water into a small microwave safe bowl.  Heat in the microwave until it boils.  Remove carefully, and stir in the gelatin. Keep stirring until it is fully dissolved. Cool slightly

Put the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Mix in the slightly cooled gelatin mixture.  Pour into the ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.  I use a table top electric ice cream maker and it takes about 20 minutes for the ingredients to thicken.  Once the ingredients are fairly thick, transfer from the mixer to a freezer safe container, and freeze until solid, about another hour.  Scoop and enjoy.

Broccoli Rice Soup

This is a recipe I got years ago from a Cooking Light magazine.  The original recipe called for chicken broth, so it was super easy to make it vegan by changing the chicken broth to veggie broth.  I also added the monosodium glutimate to add back some of the umami flavor of the broth.

1 cup chopped onion
5 cups veggie broth
1 can diced tomatoes
4 cups fresh broccoli flowerets
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon monosodium glutimate (optional)
dash of red pepper (more if you like it spicier)
1/2 cup instant brown rice (or if you have left over brown rice, you can use that)*

Coat a large pan with cooking spray.  Add the onion and saute until slightly soft.  Add the rest of the ingredients except rice.  Bring to a boil, and then turn down the heat to simmer for 15 minutes.  Add the rice and simmer another 15 minutes or until broccoli and rice are tender.  Serve with your favorite whole grain bread.

*If you are using regular white rice or converted rice, add it in at the beginning with the other ingredients and cook for the full 1/2 hour.  If you are using uncooked brown rice, add it in at the beginning, but don't add the broccoli yet.  Cook it for 1/2 hour, add the broccoli, and then cook it all for another 1/2 hour.)