coffee crunch bar cookies

Sometimes all it takes is just a bit of peer pressure and I'm done in. No turning back. When I spotted these tempting baked goods in my Flickr stream and I had to find out more. I was warned by the baker and by the comments on Bon Appetit about the screwy bake times, but I didn't let that deter me. I mean, c'mon, these bars have nuts, coffee and chocolate which are pretty much the holy trinity as far as I'm concerned. Plus, they are egg-free which was perfect since I was out of eggs (which makes them easily vegan).

Of course, I switched things up a bit. Added in walnuts since that is what I had on-hand and subbed in vanilla for the almond extract. I even did without the extra 2 tablespoons of butter, because, really, there's already a cup in there and that should be enough (it was). As for all those dire warnings about baking times, please do take caution! I used a 13x9 pan instead of a 12x12 pan which resulted in thicker bars so I was able to bake mine for about 35 minutes or so. If you do decide to go with a 12x12 pan, see how the bars are at 25 minutes in. If they need a bit longer, let 'em go, but keep a careful eye on them. Also, it's important to cut the bars right out of the oven, so if they do harden up considerably, you can still get at 'em.

Warnings aside, my bars were perfect. They were chewy and crisp all at once. And not only were they delicious warm out of the oven, they got better the longer they were around. And trust me, in the grand scheme of things, they weren't around too long. The espresso flavour just intensified which made these cookies extra amazing. Perfection had been attained!

coffee crunch bar cookies
(adapted from Molly Wizenberg)
2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 c unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 c (firmly packed) brown sugar
2 T instant espresso powder
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 c semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325F. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt together. In another bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, espresso and vanilla extract together. Add in the flour in 2 additions until well mixed. Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips.

Press dough into an ungreased 9x13 inch pan. Use a fork to poke holes in the dough every inch or so. Bake for 35 minutes or so, but check after 25 minutes just to be sure it doesn't over-bake. Remove from oven and slice into bars right away. When they cool, they will crisp up.

stewed peppers, tomatoes & onions

There's a lot of good writing out there in the food blog world. I've laughed and I've even cried over someone's personal story telling. But this morning I went to my feed reader and read this post by Tea & Cookies. It touched me deeply. Beautifully written and ringing of truth, I had to comment. So please head over to Tea's blog, read her words and let me know if it stirred similar feelings.

While I feel so many of the same things that Tea has mentioned in her post, I don't have an answer. While I know the life I am living right now is based on my choices, I should feel 100% satisfied and lucky. And most days I am. I love where I live, I love my friends, I'm proud of the work that I accomplish. And my husband? I couldn't imagine a life without him holding my hand, laughing at my tasteless jokes and loving me for who I am. But then there are other days when doing the simplest things seems too overwhelming.

This blog is a comforting place. It started off as a creative outlet, as a way to get back to writing, like in the days when I used to self-publish my own photocopied and stapled zine. It provides relief from my day to day, but sometimes because of life, it gets placed on the back burner. I'm not writing as much (or as well) as I used to, I'm feeling distracted and sometimes writing a post is like checking of an item on my to-do list. It's not a great feeling. All I know is that it's a busy time right now and soon enough I'll find my way back here with a full heart and a full belly. But on with the food, it's why you came here after all!

I made this meal yesterday for dinner and it was the perfect thing. Just fresh peppers from a Chinatown market, a plain old yellow onion, a couple of eggs, and a can of tomatoes from the cupboard. Elements that don't seem like much, but when put together and heated gently for about an hour, turns into something almost magical. Not bam-pop-wow magic, but the kind you feel from inside. It is warmth and comfort and it just feels right. Like a cardigan and knee socks and crisp leaves underfoot. Like hand-holding. And so I hope this blog will continue to feel as comforting and tasty as this meal. Just please forgive my table manners once and a while.

stewed peppers, tomatoes & onions
1 T olive oil
1 large onion or 2 small ones, sliced thinly
4 large cloves garlic, sliced
4 large peppers (any colour), sliced
1-2 red dried chilis, crumbled
1/2 t salt
1 can of 28oz tomatoes, diced
4 eggs, optional

In a large dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat and saute dried chili peppers, garlic and onion until soft, translucent and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add in peppers and salt and stir occasionally until they soften up a bit. Throw in the tomatoes and combine. Cover for 45 minutes until everything gets soft and melty, stirring up everything when you remember.

If you want to poach the eggs in the sauce, I recommend it. Make 4 indentations with your wooden spoon and crack open an egg into each slight divet. Cover and cook until the whites firm up but the yolks are still runny. Gently ladle into big bowls. Serve with crusty bread.

If you skip the eggs, serve this with crusty bread or with over polenta, on top of pizza or use as a lasagna sauce. I've eaten this every which way and it's always good.

bold green beans

When I get green beans, I usually end up making my usual snacking lemon-garlic beans. I LOVE them so much that I'm starting to see green beans in a one-track kind of light. When I got some beautiful, crazy long (but not Asian long) green beans in my CSA share, I tried something new. I still wanted that zing and that bite that my dream beans give me, but I wanted some new flavours. Let me introduce you to these bold babies. They are perfect. Crunchy from a quick steam and a toss of sauteed walnuts and they also have power, thanks to garlic and ginger. For the recipe, you'll have to head over to Poppytalk and get it there.

Want more green bean recipes from my archives?
Green Bean Bundles
Green Beans & Tofu in a Thai Coconut Sauce
Green Bean Quinoa Salad
Colourful Chopped Vegetable Salad
Pasta Primavera

mexican black bean & roasted pineapple bowl

My vacation should be wrapping up pretty soon. I could be sitting at a sidewalk cafe in Quebec City and sipping on some red wine or trying some french fries cooked in duck fat in Montreal. This meal isn't as exciting as whatever it is I could be doing, but then again, I could be stuck in traffic, which would make this meal glamorous and exciting in comparison. That's not saying that this meal was a let-down. In fact, it was quite the opposite. I like to think of this as a deconstructed burrito inspired by my favorite burrito at a local vegan Mexican restaurant. With roasted pineapple, fresh salsa and black beans, you can't go wrong. It's delicious, filling and I can see this meal becoming a habit. It may look like there are a lot of steps involved here, but it's quite simple to put together. Then again, I love chopping and general prep work, so turn on your favorite summer jams and get this meal started.

mexican black bean & roasted pineapple bowl
1 c rice (white or brown - above I used both)

1 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 t red chili flakes
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1 can of black beans, rinsed & drained

1/2 fresh pineapple, sliced in rounds

3 small tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 lime zested & juiced
2 T fresh cilantro
1/4 t cayenne pepper or hot sauce
salt & pepper

1/4 c grated cheese
sour cream
additional hot sauce

1. Prepare rice as usual. Everyone has their tricks for making great rice, so make it your way.

2. Create a quick salsa, by combining the tomatoes, onion, lime juice & zest, cilantro and spices. Set aside.

3. Roast pineapple over a grill or under the broiler in your oven until in gets charred in places. Flip, roast and dice. Set aside.

4. In a large pan, heat oil and add in garlic, onion, and red pepper. Saute until it gets soft, add in spices and black beans. Heat through.

5. Layer all ingredients into a bowl. Rice on the bottom, then black beans, pineapple, salsa and then top with a sprinkle of cheese, a spoonful of sour cream and a sprinkle or more of your favorite hot sauce.

mexican nacho pizza

My pizza dough recipe was wack. You made it and you liked it. Phew! I've made some pretty interesting pizzas in my past. Remember when I made a pizza with goat cheese, spinach and figs? Or that time when I threw apples on there and called it awesome? Right now I could be in Halifax dipping my pizza crusts into donair sauce. I'm not sure what donair sauce is, but I'm sure I'll find out. Maybe I'm eating potato pizzas in PEI while laying on a red sand beach. But for the sake of this post, I'm going to take a trip down Mexico way or at least dip into Tex-Mex territory and talk about a pizza topped with refried beans, sour cream and cilantro. Don't be afraid, it's a good combo. I made this vegetarian, but feel free to add some sauteed ground beef or some chorizo sausage to top up this baby. This is a weighty pizza...those refried beans aren't lightweight, so it's filling and there will be extras for the following day. And that's okay, because this pizza tastes great the second day.

mexican nacho pizza
1 pizza dough, half baked
1 can of refried beans
1 T cumin
1 T chili powder
1 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t salt
1 c grated cheddar cheese
1 c fresh salsa
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 c cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 425. Half-bake your pizza dough for 10 minutes, remove from oven and set aside. In a bowl, mash together the refried beans and spices. Spread bean mixture over pizza dough. Sprinkle cheese evenly over top. Spread cheese layer with fresh salsa and bake until the pizza is heated through and cheese starts to bubble, about 10 - 15 minutes. Spread sour cream over pizza and sprinkle with cilantro. Cut and serve.

dill, red onion & cheese drop biscuits

There are a few dishes that I make over and over again. The ones requiring a recipe are taped to the side of my fridge. The list includes bannock, Molly's scones, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and now there's this biscuit. I originally spotted the recipe on Bread & Honey and since then, I've made it countless times, always varying ingredients and so far, I've never been led astray. And it's versatile....it was a vegan recipe from the book How It All Vegan!that can be easily tweaked for dairy (like I have done below). They're good, easy and perfect as a side with soup or delicious spit open and topped with a poached egg.

dill, red onion & cheese drop biscuits
(adapted from Bread & Honey)
2 cs flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 c red onions, finely diced
1 T dried dill
a hearty grind of black pepper
a large handful of old cheddar cheese
2 T vegetable oil
1 c buttermilk or milk with 1 T vinegar or yogurt with a bit of milk mixed in

Preheat oven to 450F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, red onions, dill, black pepper and cheese. Stir in the milk and oil and mix lightly until combined. Using a tablespoon, drop blobs of dough on a parchment covered or silpat lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes or until lightly golden. Makes about 6 - 9 biscuits.

the no-bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal "cookie"

To me, no-bake cookies come right out of old cookbooks with worn canvas covers. I've seen plenty of no-bake recipes while browsing through my vintage cookbook collection, but never thought to try them myself. Then I spied these no-bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies on Ezra Poundcake and something told me....Go! Now! No-bake these immediately! Well, that was last fall and I only made them a few days ago. Obviously, I'm tardy when it comes to following my gut. But no more. These are seriously the easiest cookies anyone could ever make, so what are you waiting for?

I'm actually hesitant to call this a cookie. They remind me of a chocolate haystack candy that my mom made when I was little. They were amazing and this no-bake recipe is the closest thing I've had since I was nine. It's like a sweet bite of memory overload. I followed the original recipe and used tablespoons to drop the mixture onto waxed paper, but in hindsight I'd use just a teaspoon. Smaller lumps would make for better bites. Plus, these babies are sweeeeeeeeeet! Next time I'd cut the sugar and increase the peanut butter, but I'm not sure if that would screw up the recipe. Thoughts? Oh and another bonus? Easy to make vegan by switching in soy milk and soy margarine!

These cookies/candies make use of the stove top, so they are perfect for summer sweets when turning on the oven would be criminal. Plus they are delicious served cold, which makes them a refreshing bite of chocolatey goodness. I tried a keeping a batch in the freezer and a batch in the fridge for testing sake. The ones in the freezer were stickier and gooey and the ones in the fridge were almost sandy in comparison. I liked the sandier fridge chilled cookies best, but do whatchya like! Either way, they'll go quickly.

no-bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies
(adapted from Ezra Poundcake)
1/2 c butter
2 c sugar (I used a scant 2 cups)
1 t salt
1/2 c milk
4 T cocoa
1/2 c natural peanut butter
3 to 3 1/2 c old-fashioned oats
2 T vanilla

In a medium sized saucepan, mix together the first five ingredients and bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute and then remove from heat. Add in remaining ingredients and then use a teaspoon to drop the mixture onto cookie sheets lined with waxed paper. Chill until set. Keep in refrigerator.

black bean tostadas with sprouted beans & peanuts

Before I get on with the recipe, let me first talk a little bit about Seattle. I've always been a bit non-pulsed about the Emerald City, but this time I've changed my mind. It's not just a city with horrible gridlock or flannel shirts, it's actually interesting, vibrant and full of character. I blame my new mindset on the food. We browsed the Ballard Farmer's Market with Molly & Brandon and I was jealous. No offense Vancouver, but your farmer's markets kind of suck in comparison. The largeness of it, the variety available, the quality! I was smitten. And the ginger biscuits & almond croissants that we had at Cafe Besalu before hand? Divine! I guess I was also pretty taken with some of Seattle's residents, Molly & Brandon, who I had met a couple of years ago when they were in Vancouver for their honeymoon, and this time I got to meet the very lovely Tara of Tea & Cookies. If there was an arm-wrestle between Vancouver and Seattle it would be tough to pick a winner. But this time, Seattle, you won me over. Want a quick run-down of where we ate, what we drank and where we laid our pretty heads? Head over to my other blog for all the gory details.

Now, let's get back on track here. Whenever we cross the border into Bellingham, we always make a stop at Casa Que Pasa (okay, I lied. This time, we ate elsewhere, but no matter.) The meals are cheap, the margaritas are strong and despite never ordering quesadillas at most Mexican restaurants, I always make an exception for the Green Magma. This beast of a quesadilla is filled with black beans, sprouted beans, lettuce and peanuts and I love every crunchy bite. It seems like a strange combo with the sprouts and the peanuts, but it's probably one of the healthier things on the menu and it works really well.

When I noticed that I had corn tortillas in the fridge and peanuts in the cupboard, I knew that I would try my hand at a modified green magma. Instead of a quesadilla I went for a tostada format and I liked the results. It's trickier to eat (and by tricky I mean messier), but its' all part of the fun. It's also really easy to veganify by just subbing in soy cheese or getting rid of it altogether. It's not the cheese that makes this dish, it's the crunch!

Oh and if I can bother you for one more thing, if you are in Vancouver this weekend please come on by my table at Got Craft and say hello! I'll be there selling my handmade & illustrated greeting cards & birthday calendars along with a ton of other crafty peeps. If you are one of the first 30 people in line, Got Craft is handing out super cool bags filled with crafty swag! So swing by The Royal Canadian Legion on Commercial Drive at East 6th Ave. from 11am - 5pm. I hope to see you all there!

black bean tostadas with sprouted beans & peanuts
6 corn tortillas
1 T vegetable oil

1 t vegetable oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 t cumin
1 t red chili flakes
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

grated cheese
avocado, diced
fresh salsa
chopped romaine lettuce
sprouted beans
chopped peanuts

1. Brush tortillas on both sides lightly with oil and place on cookie sheet. Bake at a 300 degree oven for 10 minutes until crisp.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil and add in onion and spices. Saute until onions are soft and add in black beans. Mash with a potato masher and stir around until heated through.

3. Add a tablespoon or so of beans to each tortilla and top with cheese, avocado, salsa, lettuce, sprouts and peanuts.

irish soda bread with fennel & cinnamon

Heavy, dense, tasteless, dry. Often these are words used to describe the brick-of-a-loaf also known as Irish soda bread. Its bad rap had me wary but I overcame it when I saw Buff Chickpea's lovely looking loaf. The fact that it looked like a perfect vehicle for butter had me sold.

This bread is a quick bread, meaning there's no yeast to bother with. It's a snap to put together...if you can make a biscuit or a scone, this is no different. Plus, there are no eggs, so if you sub in the required non-dairies, you've got a great vegan bread. Normally, Irish soda bread is made with caraway seeds, but I didn't have any on hand and decided to try fennel seeds instead. Definitely, a great choice. Along with the cinnamon, it made the bread super flavourful and definitely not bland or boring.

It is a dense bread, but I didn't mind that one bit, and I definitely did not find this bread too dry. It was great smeared with cold butter the same day and it was even more wonderful toasted the following day. A dab of blackberry jam and a strong cup of coffee, this bread made for a filling breakfast. I don't think I'll have to wait for next St. Patrick's day to make this again.

irish soda bread with fennel & cinnamon

(adapted from Buff Chickpea)
1 c vanilla yogurt
1/3 c skim milk
1/3 c apple-cider vinegar
1 t vanilla
3 1/2 c all-purpose flour, plus more for surface and dusting
2 1/2 t kosher salt
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
4 T cold butter, cut into bits
1 c wheat bran
2 T fennel seeds, lightly crushed
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 c raisins

1/2 c dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, milk, vanilla and apple cider and set aside to thicken. In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add cold butter into the flour and use your hands to break it up until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With a wooden spoon, stir in wheat bran, fennel, cinnamon, and dried fruit.

Pour in milk/yogurt mixture and stir until the mixture starts to hold together into a ball. Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead a few times. Pat into a dome-shaped lump and place onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or silpat. Sprinkle some flour on top and cut a cross into the loaf. Bake for about 1 hour or so, or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean. This is best eaten the same day...or toasted the next day.