Sometimes baking is the only solution. Spoon, measure, stir, pour, the motions happen almost automatically, ingrained in my mussels it seems. But as my hands move on their own they in turn leave my mind free to spin and swirl. It's a dangerous situation at best. And so it was, as rain spattered the window and clouds darkened the sky in waves, my swirling mind swirled -- then paused briefly, not on our (now distant memory it seems) brunching and sunsetting all over the place, but on the … [Read more...]
Chocolate Tahini Spread (aka Nut-free Not-tella)
Do you know what today is? It's World Nutella Day! Let's all cheer and get hopped up on sugar and palm oil! Wait, that isn't right... is it? Please indulge me for a moment as we hop into the time-machine -- help yourself to a cup of tea or a shot of bourbon and remember to buckle your seatbelt as we flash-back to my original anti-Nutella post three years ago: ... On the World Nutella Day site the founders claim: Nutella is more than just a “chocolaty hazelnut spread,” it is a way of … [Read more...]
Oatmeal Cookie Dough Bites {Raw, Vegan, Nut-Free, Gluten-Free}
Oatmeal cookies were one of my favourite things growing up. Our go-to recipe was the one on the top of the rolled oat canister -- not the current one or the one before that but the one that existed back in the 80s and to this day still lives on a cardboard cut-out in my mom's recipe box. We always made them with raisins. Those soft, chewy cookies were a special treat, but the best part of baking them was eating the raw dough straight from the bowl. It's been ages since I've made … [Read more...]
In My Kitchen: July 2014
It’s once again time for In My Kitchen and as per usual this is a collection of things from the past month — as seen over on Instagram — in loosely interpreted categories and no particular order. As always I’m linking up with Celia for IMK. ------ Kitchen shenanigans I styled a photo simply to rant, this should not surprise you too much. If you want the full story it's here on the original IG post, the important take out points are as follows: a cup of f-off weighs about 7 ounces and oh … [Read more...]
Sweet Potato Stout Quick Bread
If this is your first time here you may be better served heading over to look at popsicles or brownies and coming back another day... It's been an, interesting, few weeks on a few different fronts and I'm feeling a bit ranty. Still around? Well you've been warned, and as always there is cake at the end so make yourself a cup of tea and take cover. It's not just that I'm ranty, I'm relatively pissed off and generally annoyed -- at people who blame others for their mistakes or don't take … [Read more...]
Chargrilled Broad Beans
I'm kind of stuck right now. Pulled this way and that, feeling as if very few things are actually moving in a forward direction while others zoom right past. I haven't been posting much lately as I can't seem to find anything to write. The recipes come, as do the photos, but then I simply draw a blank. I thought taking a bit of time out would help, reignite the words perhaps, but it hasn't. So instead of waiting or writing rubbish just to fill in spaces I'm going to stick with what works … [Read more...]
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Of the things I miss most from America-land, proper Mexican food is pretty close to the top of the list. I crave the staff lunches made by the Mexican woman who was a prep chef in a Denver restaurant where I waited tables. The dark, 20+ ingredient mole poblano, the spicy rice, the salsas, the fresh vegetables, the hot tortillas. It was fresh and clean and filling. My eyes glaze over when I think about the road-side shops in Mexico where a $1.50 fish taco comes out of the kitchen as a … [Read more...]