No-bake Cookie Bars made with all Natural Ingredients (GLuten-FRee + Dairy-Free)

These no-bake cookie bars started as my go-to when I needed to bring a dessert where there were going to be a variety of diet restrictions. The recipe is dairy-free and gluten-free which makes it easy for those with restrictions to enjoy without worry. However, they are so dang delicious that they quickly evolved into a dessert that I bring everywhere — regardless of dietary restrictions. It is without a doubt the recipe I’ve been asked to share the most. So it feels right to share it with all of you.

These no-bake cookie bars are a nod to the deliciously, chocolatey and peanut-buttery goodness that I grew up making, but using all natural ingredients. Using just coconut oil, peanut butter, maple syrup, cocoa powder, and oats I feel transported back to those one-pot treats, but get to enjoy ingredients that I feel good about treating myself to on the regular.

I am certain you’re going to enjoy this recipe and it will find itself in a consistent rotation in your home.

No-Bake Cookie Bars

Bottom Layer:

• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of coconut oil

• 1/4 cup peanut butter, the drippy natural kind with only salt and peanuts as the ingredients

• 1/2 cup maple syrup

• 1/2 cup cocoa powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 2 1/4 cup rolled oats, these are my favorite

Top Layer:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

• 1/2 cup peanut butter

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper.

Bottom Layer: First, you’re going to make the bottom layer so follow the ingredient measurements listed under “bottom layer’. Grab a medium saucepan and add in the coconut oil, peanut butter, and maple syrup. Heat the saucepan over medium-low heat until the ingredients have melted. Whisk to combine the ingredients. Whisk in the cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla. Stir in the oats. Press the cookie mixture into the 9x9 pan and place in the freezer while you make the top layer. It will need to be in there about 15-20 minutes or until they have set up enough to put the top layer.

Top Layer: Now you’re going to make the top layer. Combine all the ingredients listed under '“top layer” into a small saucepan and heat until melted. Whisk to combine.

Remove the bottom layer from the freezer and if you can touch it without getting chocolate on your finger then it is ready to be topped. Spread the top layer onto the bottom layer. Place back in the freezer until the top layer is fully set. Cut into squares and serve.

Because of the coconut oil these will melt quickly at room temperature so I recommend keeping them in the freezer or fridge.

Mom’s Chicken Tortilla Soup + My New Must-Have Ingredient

Confession, I’ve stopped buying chicken stock. It used to be a staple I’d pick up when we were at costco to be able to whip together soups in a pinch. BUT I’ve discovered something even better and you can still find it at Costco. I started using Better Than Bouillon which is essentially a concentrated chicken stock. It comes in a jar and you just scoop out a little bit, mix it into a little water to dissolve it, and BAM you have instant chicken stock that is far more flavorful than the boxed stuff. Bonus, it takes up way less space than cartons of chicken stock do (which is a major win for someone who lives in a very tiny space.) I promise, once you buy it you’re never going to go back to buying the cartons. Moving on to the reason you really came over here —the soup.

When we were visiting my family three years ago my mom made this Chicken Tortilla Soup and it transported me back to coming home from school and smelling something yummy simmering on the stove. I have many fond memories of my mom making this soup, but until we had it again three years ago I hadn’t used it in my own recipe rotations — maybe it’s because certain things just taste better when your momma makes them. Here nor there, for the times I can’t have my mom make this soup I asked for the recipe so that I could attempt to recreate a little bit of that comfort in my own kitchen and it’s been on repeat since then. And I know you all love a good soup that is simple, hearty, and super cozy I figured I’d share it with you all too.  The recipe can easily be adapted to swap zucchini for another type of squash, the red pepper for any other colored pepper, and so on and so forth.

Mom’s Chicken Tortilla Soup

• 4 tablespoons olive oil 

• 12 ounces of frozen corn

• 1 small zucchini, diced 

• 1 medium onion, diced 

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 red pepper, diced

• 1 lb chicken breast (cut into cubes) 

• 2 teaspoons cumin 

• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning 

• 8 ounce can of tomato sauce 

• 28 ounces stewed tomatoes

• 3 cups chicken stock or bone broth, I’ve started using this instead of chicken stock and it’s heavenly

• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce 

• Salt and pepper to taste 
  
  Take a large pot and place it over medium-high heat. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and allow the olive oil to heat. Then add in the zucchini, onion, garlic, and pepper and sauté them for about 5-7 minutes. Drizzle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then add in the chicken, cumin, and poultry seasoning. Allow to cook for about 7 minutes longer. Then add in the tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, chicken stock, corn, and adobo sauce. Allow to simmer for several hours, but if you don’t have the time just allow the soup to heat and serve as is. We’ve eaten both ways and it’s delicious no matter what, but if you have the time the extra simmer time really brings out the flavors.
  
  Serve with cilantro, sour cream, tortilla chips, cauliflower rice, regular rice, or whatever floats your boat! Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Toast for when you’re feeling fancy, but don’t have time to be fancy (Fig Jam + Blue Cheese Toast)

In our house we eat a lot of toast. Sometimes it’s just toast with a smear of butter. Sometimes it’s with a lot of peanut butter.

But sometimes, we are feeling fancy and want to elevate our toast. In these times where we desire to be fancy, it’s also highly likely that we don’t have the time to be fancy. Enter, this fig jam and blue cheese toast.

This toast only requires a few ingredients, but feels like I should be in a fancy cafe in Europe wearing a really cute outfit flipping through the manuscript for my next novel. I’m tellin’ ya, fancy. Or maybe that’s more romantic..? Either way, you get the picture.

The best part about this toast is that it can be served anytime of day. I’ve had plenty of evenings when I unintentionally got home from work late and the last thing I wanted was to cook a complicated meal, but I was also starving. This toast fits the bill.

I’ve also had times where I wanted an unfussy breakfast, but also wanted it to be pretty. This toast does it again.

Now let’s talk about the blue cheese. Blue cheese is one of those things that I know can be very, very polarize. Like, you either love it or you hate it and I for one LOVE it. It’s sharp and tangy and is so lovely paired with something sweet. I chose fig jam for this because something about fig jam felt fancy to me, but feel free to use whatever jam you’ve got on hand. I topped the toast with sprouts to give it a little dimension, but microgreens would be equally as delicious and if you don’t have them, just leave them out.

So the next time you want to feel fancy, throw this toast together and move on with your day, because being fancy shouldn’t have to take all day.

Fig Jam + Blue Cheese Toast

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 1 egg

• A sprinkle of salt and pepper

• 1/4 cup blue cheese

• 1 slice sourdough bread, If you’re local to Omaha I think Lola’s has the best

• 1/2 tablespoon butter

• 1 tablespoon fig jam

• A handful of sprouts or microgreens

1. Begin by preheating a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Drizzle the olive oil into the skillet and wait a minute or two until the olive oil has heated up. To test if it’s hot enough you can splash a tiny bit of water onto it to see if it sizzles. If it sizzles then you’re ready to crack your egg. Crack your egg into the pan and then sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper. Then sprinkle the 1/4 cup of blue cheese onto the egg. Allow the egg to cook until the whites have set. If you prefer a less runny yolk than you can continue to cook until they have achieved your preference.

2. While the egg is cooking, place the sourdough bread into a toaster and toast until lightly brown.

3. Then smear the bread with the 1/2 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of the fig jam. Remove the egg from the skillet and place on top of the toast. Sprinkle with microgreens or sprouts and serve.

Honey Cinnamon Apple Galette

When it comes to desserts my heart will always gravitate towards chocolate. Like, someone is saying, “Should we get dessert” and I am very vividly imaging a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting or chocolate ice cream with chocolate sauce. Chocolate is dessert. Dessert is chocolate. You get the picture.

In this season, the fall season, I’ve allowed my perception to shift. Maybe it’s the copious amount of apples filling my fridge or the crisp air that’s got me turning from my usual chocolate dessert to an apple filled pastry. Whatever it is, this honey cinnamon apple galette with a scoop of vanilla ice cream has me rethinking my chocolate narrow-minded-ness.

This galette has a caramely flavor from the honey supported further with the brown sugar. The crust is flaky. It’s saucy and juicy and flavorful and just so dang yummy.

If you’ve got a lot of apples to work through, this is for you. And if you have to hunt down a bunch of apples to make this galette happen i guarentee your labors ill be worth it.

Enjoy, friends.

Honey CInnamoN Apple Galette

Recipe adapted from Alison Roman

For the Crust:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1 ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• ⅓ cup ice water

For the filling:

• 5 cups firm, tart baking apples, cored and thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Assembly:

• 1 large egg

• 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (optional, but I highly recommend)

Directions

1. Make the crust: Combine flour, sugar and kosher salt in a large bowl, and use your hands to mix well.

2. Add the butter to the bowl, and use your palms and fingertips to smash the pieces into the flour until you’ve got large, flat butter pieces that are evenly distributed among the flour. Pop the bowl into the freezer for 5 or so minutes.

3. Combine vinegar and 1/3 cup water, and drizzle over the flour-butter mixture. Like you’re running your hands through sand, deliberately yet delicately mix the water into the flour/butter mixture. Resist the urge to add more water until you see that it’s absolutely necessary, and even then, use only an additional tablespoon or two.

4. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, and use your palms to knead it lightly until the shaggy ball transforms into a slightly-less shaggy ball of dough. (It should still be relatively shaggy.) Pat the dough into a disc about 1 inch thick, rotating it to create a nice circle. Wrap in plastic or place in a resealable plastic bag and chill until firm, at least 2 hours. The dough will hydrate a bit as it sets in the fridge so do not be alarmed at the shagginess of the dough.

5. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator, and let it soften slightly at room temperature, about 10 minutes or so.

6. As dough rests, make the filling: Combine apples, honey, brown sugar, 2 TBS flour, vinegar and the cinnamon in a large bowl. Toss the ingredients so every slice of apple is evenly coated.

7. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a 9 x 13 inches square-ish shape or until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer dough to a large, lightly greased baking sheet.

8. Transfer the apples to the dough leaving behind any of the juices for now. Drape the excess dough over the filling covering the apples by 1 1/2 to 2 inches on all sides and tuck the corners together nicely. Now you can pour the juices remaining from the bottom of the apple mixture bowl onto the apples that are on the dough (now that everything is sealed and you risk losing less juices out the side of the pastry.)

9. Whisk the egg with a teaspoon of water and use it to brush the exposed crust. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

10. Place galette and bake until the crust is deeply golden brown the apples are tender, and the juices are bubbling and thickened, 45 minutes

11. Remove galette from the oven and let cool completely before slicing and eating.