Cookie is the New Zoloft

I tried to make chocolate strawberry filled dumplings this morning but experienced numerous failed attempts. I either over stuffed it, which tore the skin or under stuffed it, which gave the dumpling a sad, deflated appearance.  It was one extreme to the other. Bah!

Fail!!

 After 5 failed attempts, I gave up and decided to cheer myself up with breakfast, which was overnight oats in a jar. 

Hello fig butter!  Btw, if you haven’t tried TJ’s fig butter before, go to the store right now and buy some asap. It is seriously one of the best jams out there. 

I also cheered myself with this oatmeal raisin cookie that my awesome blossom of a sister bought for me from my new favorite place – Urth Caffe.

I was a bit scared because the cookie is wheat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. I have never had a 100% vegan cookie before, so I was very curious to see if this fat-free cookie would be just as tasty as a regular full-fat cookie. I broke off a small piece and surprisingly it was pretty good. I honestly could not tell that it was free of so many ingredients. Since it’s an oatmeal raisin cookie, I decided that it would work well as a topping for my overnight oats in a jar.=)

 

Topping my oatmeal with this cookie was the best decision ever. The cookie definitely helped me get over my failed dumpling recipe. I am now a firm believer that cookies are new the zoloft.

PB&J French Toast Waffles

I’m not going to lie. I made a pretty orgasmic dish today – PB & J French toast waffles.  It was definitely the strangest but most delicious French toast I’ve ever had and kind of reminded me of food that is served at county fairs. Prior to putting all the ingredients together, I debated on what to use for the toast. I kept on going back and forth on waffles, bread, and Hawaiian bread. In the end, I decided on waffles. Regular bread seemed a bit boring for such a unique meal and I have had French toast made with Hawaiian bread before. So, long story short, the waffles won.

PB & J French Toast Waffles

2 waffle slices

1 tbsp peanut butter, crunchy or smooth

1 tbsp jelly, any flavor

1 egg

1/4 C milk

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Optional:

Butter

Generously spread peanut butter on one slice and jelly on the other slice. Make sure to completely cover the entire side of the waffle.  Smush the waffles together, sandwich style. Beat the egg, milk, vanilla bean paste, and ground cinnamon. Place the waffle into the egg mixture and soak for one minute per side. While the waffle is bathing in the egg mixture, turn on the stove to medium heat. Add a tablespoon of butter if you are not using a nonstick pan. When the pan is hot, cook each side for 4 minutes or until golden brown. When the French toast waffles is done, cut into strips, in half, or skip the cutting altogether and chow down.

I also had some leftover egg mixture and didn't want to waste it. So, while the French toast waffles was cooking, I sliced up half a large banana, sopped it in the remaining egg mixture, and grilled it as well for a few minutes per side

This was sooo goood! MMMMMM! As I was eating this, I couldn't help but think that this would make for some good eats when you're hungover. But in case, it's pretty amazing whether you're sober or hungover.

M.I.A.

Sorry for being MIA on Friday. I was given the day off in honor of Good Friday so I decided to take advantage of a rare day off by playing tourist in downtown Los Angeles. I managed to accomplish most of what I wanted to do, see, and eat, including a wonderful moment where I got lost in the ghetto.  I don't know what the highlight of that moment was. Watching a homeless man pull out a blue dog bag and start chewing on it or watching a man start a fight with a complete stranger for no good reason and then run away on his bicycle after getting punched in the face. Anyway, here are some pictures of my day trip.

First up was Bottega Louie, which is a really cute and pretty affordable Italian restaurant. I've eaten here twice and love their food, especially their desserts.

I wanted to buy all of these delectable treats but in the end I settled on these two glorious chocolate bars.

 

Next up was the Rooftop Bar at the Standard. I have always wanted to check out the rooftop lounge bar because it has an amazing view of downtown L.A. and supposedly offers really good drinks. Not sure why the sign is upside down but apparently it's their signature thing?

 I really wanted to check out the Biergarten but it was close to lunch time and I already had lunch plans with my sister. Didn't want to spoil my appetite with beer.

So, I settled on an awesome gin and tonic. My first drink at the Rooftop. Not too shabby =)

Last stop was Urth Cafe, which has been on my list of places to visit for quite some time. They are known for serving up really good coffee, tea, and sandwiches. I was already pretty full from lunch but I couldn't pass up this opportunity to try their coffee and desserts. So, I ordered a Spanish latte, which was one of the best coffees I have ever had and this crazy good chocolate hazelnut cake.

 

I also came across this beer flavored chips that I had to buy. I haven't tried it yet but can't wait to. I like beer and I like chips. Sounds like a possibly good marriage to me =)

 And that pretty much sums up my wonderful day in downtown L.A.

Pancakes!

From last night to this morning, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted for breakfast. Oatmeal? Waffles? Cereal? Frittata? Quiche? I was having one of those mornings where everything sounded good but not at the same time. Does that make sense? I was quickly running out of time before I needed to leave for work so I knew I had to make something that has a short prep/cook time. In the end I decided to make pancakes. It’s easy to prepare and cooks super quickly.

All the Fixins' Pancakes

1/4 C whole wheat flour

1/8 C milk

1 egg

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 banana, sliced

2 strawberries, sliced

1 tbsp chocolate chips

(Optional) Toppings:

Sprinkle of unsweetened shredded coconut

Roughly chopped walnuts

Maple syrup

Peanut butter

Whisk together the first 6 ingredients until just combined.  Place pan over medium heat and pour 1 tbsp of oil. When the pan gets hot, either pour the entire batter onto the pan or cook in batches. Let the batter cook for 20 seconds or so and then top with fruit and chocolate chips. When the batter starts to bubble, flip over and continue to cook until the bottom of the pancake reaches a brown color. Add desired toppings. Serve immediately.

I had a hard time deciding what toppings I wanted because I was craving so many things. I think it’s because I rarely eat pancakes? I usually eat pancakes with maple syrup but I heard it’s also good with peanut butter. In the end, I decided that I would let loose and add all the toppings I wanted instead of limiting myself. So, I divided the pancake in half and poured maple syrup on one side and peanut butter on the other side. I also topped it off with some chopped walnuts and shredded coconut.Halfway through, I wished I added more chocolate chips but either way my breakfast was mighty tasty. I made it with all the fixins' and it definitely hit the spot.

Maple Syrup

Peanut Butter

Last bite! <tears>

Chocolate Apple Crisp

I had another round of insomnia last night. I had a hard time falling asleep and then tossed and turned in my bed from 2:30 – 5:00 am. I’m not sure what exactly caused my insomnia. Maybe it was from working out at the gym? I heard somewhere that if you exercise at night it will prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep? Oh well. Anyway, around 5 am I finally gave up hope on getting any more sleep at that point so I decided to try out a recipe I had come up with the other day.

Chocolate Apple Crisp

Filling

1 apple, cored & chopped

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped walnuts 

Topping

1/4 C oats

1/4 C chopped walnuts

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, cold

1 tbsp cocoa nibs or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease an oven-safe bowl. Core and chop the apple. I used Braeburn but any apple will do. I also left the skin on but feel free to peel it. Roughly chop the walnuts or use pecans if you wish. In the oven-safe bowl, combine all the ingredients for the filling. In a separate bowl, combine the ingredients for the topping.  Make sure that the butter cold and crumbled into small bits with the other ingredients. Spread the topping completely over the filling. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Before

After

 Eat it for dessert or be like me and eat it for breakfast. Diet of champions!

Chomp! Chomp!

Return of Overnight Oats

Nothing exciting happening in the kitchen today but I did make one of my favorite breakfast meals – overnight oatmeal in a jar. I love eating overnight oatmeal in a jar because it’s fun and super quick and easy to prepare. All of the work is done the night before, requires no cooking, and makes for a perfect on-the-run breakfast when you are in a rush to get to work or school.  The common ingredients featured in overnight oatmeal include milk, yogurt, oats, sliced bananas, and chia seeds. The oats absorb the milk and yogurt, which act as the “cooking” agents. The sliced bananas act as natural sweeteners and the chia seeds provide the oats with a chewy texture and help thicken the oatmeal.  For me, the best part of eating overnight oatmeal is in an almost empty peanut butter jar because I absolutely love peanut butter or any nut butter for that matter. I also like eating my oatmeal this way because I usually scarf my food down and this helps me slow down and really enjoy what I’m eating.

As a huge nut butter lover, there is nothing more fun than scooping nut butter from the bottom and sides of the jar. MMMM! 

 Here is a breakdown of today’s overnight oatmeal mix:

1/3 C rolled oats

1/3 C milk

1/3 nonfat greek yogurt

1/2 banana, sliced

1/2 tbsp chia seeds

1 tbsp TJ’s fig butter

1 almost empty nut butter jar

Morning toppings:

A few chocolate chips (yummy!)

A sprinkle of Heath English toffee bits

A sprinkle of unsweetened shredded coconut

A handful of walnuts

Served along with a cup of chocolate raspberry coffee.

 

 

 

Super yummy breakfast. I think it took me 15 minutes to devour this deliciousness? If you haven't had overnight oatmeal before, you should definitely try it. If you don't like cold oatmeal, give it a shot anyway or nuke it in the microwave for 15-30 seconds. It's definitely a fun spin on oatmeal. =)

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookie Bars

My all-time favorite sandwich is pb&j. It’s simple and delicious and it’s the one sandwich that you just can’t screw up. I remember as a kid, I used to eat it for lunch all the time. Whenever my parents asked me what I would like to bring for lunch at school, 90% of the time I would request pb&j, extra gooey. I just love the combination of the two ingredients. The saltiness of the pb and sweetness from the jelly is heaven in my mouth. Although I don’t eat as many pb& j sandwiches as I used to, I still get pretty excited whenever I eat one. It brings back fond memories of being a youngin’ before all the responsibilities of being an adult kicked in. So, when I found out that today is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day I knew that I had to make something special. 

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookie Bars

2 C All Purpose Flour

1/2 C Crushed Graham Crackers

2 Sticks Butter, room temperature

2 eggs, room temperature

1/2 C Sugar

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 1/2 C Peanut Butter

1/2 C Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp Salt

1 1/2 C Jelly

Optional: 1/4 C Salted & Roasted Peanuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9X13 pan. Whisk flour, crushed graham crackers, salt and baking powder. In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until it’s fluffy and light brown.  Beat in the eggs, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and vanilla extract. Continue mixing until the ingredients are combined. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients in 3-4 batches and mix until just combined. Pour about 2/3 of the mixture into the greased pan. Carefully spread the jelly on top. Dollop the remaining 1/3 mixture by the spoonsful over the jelly. Sprinkle the peanuts on top if you wish. (I skipped this step because I prefer creamy peanut butter over crunchy.) Bake for 40-45 minutes or when it reaches a golden brown color. Cut into squares when thoroughly cooled.

Ready for the oven

In the morning after a nice, cool down.

Chomp!

 I baked this last night and let it cool overnight. I knew that if I baked it during the day then I would cut it too soon because I am very impatient. It was definitely worth the wait because these were delicious! 

Happy National PB & J Day!