Easiest Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I am basically in the constant state of wanting a freshly baked dessert but in the quickest and easiest way possible. Typically that would mean cookies, but even cookie recipes require a bit of extra time or effort that I’m just not willing or able to give. And so, I finally whipped up a recipe that checks all of my easy boxes:

• no waiting for butter to soften

• everything mixed in one bowl

• only uses pantry staples

• only one kind of sugar

• no chilling the dough

• no forming the dough into balls

• no stand or hand mixer needed

• takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish

They are sweet but not too sweet, moist but chewy, and loaded with dark chocolate. It doesn’t get any easier and they are guaranteed to satisfy that fresh-baked dessert craving at a moment’s notice.

Notes on recipe

Dark chocolate chunks are my preferred chocolate for this recipe, but you can certainly mix it up. A mix of dark and milk would be delicious. Adding butterscotch chips would be amazing too.

Do not overcook the bars. When you take them out of the oven they may appear undercooked on the top/center. That’s okay! They will cook more as they cool. And they are definitely better slightly undercooked than overcooked.

Store the bars at room temperature in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out.

This recipe can be doubled and cooked in a 9x13 pan. Cook time may adjust slightly.

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Easiest Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Bars

Total time: 25 minutes
Makes 16 square bars

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chunks, plus more for topping

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray and line and 8x8 square pan with parchment paper. Melt butter in the microwave until fully melted, about 1 minute, stirring at the 30-second mark. Remove and let cool while you prep the other ingredients.

In a mixing bowl, add the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder and salt, and stir until well-mixed. To the same bowl, add the brown sugar and stir again to ensure it is evenly distributed. Next, add the melted butter, egg and vanilla, stirring until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks.

Transfer the mixture to the lined pan, pressing it out to evenly fill in the bottom of the pan. Top the bars with more of the chocolate chunks. Transfer to oven and cook for 13-16 minutes, until the edges are slightly browning and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not over cook, as the bars will cook more as they cool. Let cool about ten minutes, or until you can use the parchment paper to pull them out of the pan. Cut into 16 squares and enjoy while still warm. :)

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Vegan Jalapeño Poppers with Gluten-Free Crunchy Coating

Scrolling through instagram last month, I saw a food blogger (and now TV personality!) that I have followed for a long time, Molly Yeh, post about “veggie sprinkles” and was immediately intrigued. I decided to order some on a whim just to see what cool things they could be used for.

The veggie crumbles from Vegify are made of various vegetables and potatoes, and that’s pretty much it. They look slightly like bread crumbs, though are very light and airy. The version I used for these is their Carrot Turmeric crumbles, which has just three ingredients in them: carrot, potato and turmeric.

When I cam across these beautiful black jalapeños at Whole Foods, I knew I wanted to make them into poppers, and thought this would be the perfect experiment for my new veggie crumbles. And I gotta say, I was AMAZED at how well they worked. The crumbles got so nice and brown and crunchy in the oven, they were the perfect replacement for bread crumbs. The ones that get really browned even remind me of the flavor of potato chips, which is unsurprising considering there are potatoes in them.

I don’t normally buy or suggest to others such niche ingredients. But how well these crumbles worked as a brown and crispy toppings make them completely worth it. And I’m excited to see what other cool ways I can use them.

Notes on recipe

This is a small recipe, good for a snack for 2 people. It can be easily doubled, and in the future I will most likely do so.

I used Kite Hill’s dairy-free cream cheese and thought it was great. It would also probably be delicious with their chive-flavored version, though you may not need much onion powder if you do that.

Nutritional yeast can be purchased at most grocery stores and is commonly used in vegan cooking to mimic the flavor of cheese. I LOVE it. I use it often for cashew cheese spread, vegan mac n cheese, and even just sprinkling it on bowls or avocado toast. It’s a great pantry item and definitely worth a purchase if you don’t already have it and are interested in cooking dairy-free sometimes.

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Vegan Jalapeño Poppers with Gluten-Free Crunchy Coating

~6 medium-small jalapeño peppers (makes 12 poppers, a snack size for 2 people)
Spray oil, like avocado oil
1/2 cup dairy-free cream cheese, or 4 oz aka half of one kite hill cream cheese container
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Vegify Carrot Turmeric Crumbles—found here or here

Preheat oven to 400F. Cut the jalapeño peppers in half lengthwise, and de-seed using a spoon. Be careful handling the peppers—do not touch your eyes during or after. Spray a baking sheet with avocado oil (or another spray oil), as well as the skin side of the peppers.

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Taste the mixture and adjust seasoning if desired. Spoon the mixture into each of the jalapeño halves. Do not worry about overfilling as the dairy-free cream cheese will not spill out during cooking. Generously sprinkle the carrot turmeric crumbles over the jalapeños, gently pressing the crumbles into the filling. Transfer jalapeños to baking sheet and spray the crumble coating with the spray oil.

Transfer to oven and bake for 13-15 minutes, until the jalapeños are soft and browned on the bottom. Switch the oven to broil for 1-2 minutes to let the crumb coating brown. Watch carefully as it will brown quickly. Remove from oven to let cool slightly. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

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Buffalo Cauliflower Dip with Greek Yogurt

Growing up, I wanted buffalo chicken everything. Buffalo wings, buffalo chicken sandwiches, buffalo chicken salads, etc. As I’ve gotten older my love of buffalo flavor has persisted, but I’ve realized it’s about the sauce itself, rather than the actual chicken.

Which I think is often the case when it comes to meat consumption in the United States. There are plenty of meat-based meals where the flavor doesn’t really come from the meat itself, but from the seasoning or sauce. Obviously I’m not talking about ribeye or slow-cooked pork. But when it comes to buffalo chicken, for me, it’s the buffalo flavor I love, while the chicken is mostly just a vessel.

Enter this buffalo cauliflower dip with Greek yogurt. It’s a super simple but delicious way to eat a little less meat and a little more vegetables, something all of us could do a bit more of. The mild flavor of cauliflower carries the buffalo sauce wonderfully, and the texture is perfect. I doubt you’ll miss the chicken at all.

This dip would be great for a game day, pool day or even just drinks in the backyard. If you try it, let me know here or tag me on Instagram. :)

Notes on ingredients

I think full-fat Greek yogurt is pretty key to making this dish rich and creamy. You can certainly use yogurt with a lower fat content, but expect a slightly less indulgent result. (Plus, full-fat yogurt is good for you!)

Frank’s RedHot original cayenne pepper sauce has the classic buffalo sauce taste and only four ingredients (peppers, vinegar, water, salt, garlic powder). It’s my go-to.

I added blue cheese crumbles because, well, is buffalo and blue cheese not a perfect combination? If blue cheese really isn’t your thing, you can simply leave it out.

Green onion is a nice garnish, but chives would be lovely as well.

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Buffalo Cauliflower Dip with Greek Yogurt

1 head of cauliflower
3/4-1 cup full-fat greek yogurt
1/3 cup hot/buffalo sauce (I use Frank’s RedHot original cayenne pepper sauce)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup blue cheese, crumbled (optional)
1/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
green onion (optional)

Preheat oven to 425F. Cut or break cauliflower into large florets. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast until soft and browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, then chop the cauliflower into tiny pieces (about pea-sized). Just put it in a pile and roughly chop until desired size. Alternatively, you can pulse it in the food processor, but make sure it remains chunky rather than smooth.

Next, lower oven temp to 375F. Combine the cauliflower with the remaining ingredients, except for the cheddar cheese, in a mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Season to taste, adding more or less of any ingredient as desired. Transfer mixture to a baking dish (size is flexible, 9x5 is best, 8x8 works) and spread in an even layer. Top with cheddar cheese, again more or less as desired. Bake until cheese has melted and mixture is warm throughout, about 15-20 minutes.

Garnish with chopped green onion. Serve with carrots, celery, crusty toasted bread and crackers.

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Hemp Seeds: Why they’re healthy and four ways to use them

One of the biggest problems with “diets” is that they are often too difficult to keep up or too restrictive to help you develop lasting habits. Which is why instead of a “diet,” it’s better to take small steps that can be incorporated into your diet one at a time, with the intention that it can eventually become a sustainable, healthy habit.

“Eating healthy” doesn’t happen overnight. My healthy diet came from years of slow exposure to new foods and ideas, until one day I looked back and realized my diet had changed so much that it was hardly recognizable from how I used to eat. It happened so gradually it was painless, almost effortless (and actually really fun!), which is why it worked.

One small step you can take towards eating healthier?

Buy hemp seeds!

Shelled hemp seeds, also called hemp hearts, are a simple way to add some crunch and nutrients to your diet. They’re the seeds of the hemp plant, which is also the plant that marijuana comes from, but they don’t contain any THC, the active ingredient that makes you “high.”

You can find them at most grocery stores, online and in some bulk departments. They can be found on Amazon, at this link. I buy them in bulk and store some in an easily accessible jar that I refill as I go through it. I recommend storing them in a very visible place, at least at first, so you remember to start using them (mine are stored right next to my flaky sea salt). There are two main reasons why hemp seeds are so useful in a healthy diet: protein and practicality.

A blueberry almond smoothie, made with hemp seeds and topped with hemp seeds (all the way on the right).

Protein

One tablespoon of hemp seeds contains about 10 g of protein (an egg only has 6 g!). Not only that, they’re a complete protein—meaning, they contain all the essential amino acids your body requires—something many people erroneously think is exclusive to animal sources. I only loosely monitor my protein intake, but as a mostly plant-based eater, I know my consumption of hemp seeds plays an important role. If you are trying to consume less meat, the addition of hemp seeds can definitely help.

Practicality

Hemp seeds are easily one of the most used ingredients in my kitchen. I sprinkle them on almost everything I eat, sweet or savory. They add a little crunch, but also just a nice boost of protein, in addition to other nutrients. More useful even, is the fact that as long as I have hemp seeds, which keep for a long time, I can make a quick nut milk in minutes. Don’t have nut milk on hand but want a smoothie? A “cream" sauce? A latte? Start with hemp seeds!

How to Use

1. As a topping

Sprinkle hemp seeds generously on bowls, salads, soups, toast, smoothies, yogurt bowls, scrambled eggs… literally anything!

2. Nut milk

Blend 1 cup of water with 2-4 tbsp hemp seeds, adding more or less depending on desired thickness. That’s it, no straining required! There will be a small amount of sediment but I find it negligible. But, you may strain it through a mesh strainer or cheesecloth if desired. You could also add some sweetener (like honey, maple syrup or a date) and extract (vanilla or almond), depending on intended use. You can use the hemp milk in anyway that you would use another milk: smoothies, granola, baking, cooking, etc. I often use it to make creamy pasta sauce or mac ‘n’ cheese - options are endless.

3. Smoothies

Blend 1/2 cup of water with 1-2 tbsp of hemp seeds (more/less as desired). This is your “milk” base, to help make the smoothie creamy. Add the rest of your ingredients and blend! I like frozen banana, frozen blueberries, frozen cauliflower, almond butter and almond extract.

4. Cream for coffee or tea

Add hot drink of choice (coffee, matcha, other tea) to blender with 1-3 tbsp hemp seeds (more/less as desired), plus anything else you’d like (sweetener, cinnamon, etc.) and blend! Depending on your blender, there might be a small amount of sediment, but I find it negligible. You may strain if desired.

As always, feel free to ask me any questions, either here or via instagram. And if you have an idea or something you’re curious about as a healthy “small step,” let me know!

Meal Prep Pizza: Roasted Radish, Shiitakes, Vegan Dill Pesto & Cashew Cream

For many, one of the biggest deterrents to meal prepping is the idea that of eating the same thing for every meal. And while this can certainly be true--and doesn't bother me personally--its not necessarily the case. Meal prepping can simply mean having ingredients on hand that are just more ready to be cooked up into something delicious. A perfect example: this pizza.

Which, let me start by saying, is so absurdly tasty it's hard to believe it was *mostly* the result of standard meal prepped food. And the best part is that regardless of what you've prepped for the week, throwing it all onto a pizza is almost always a guaranteed way to create something delicious.

First, let's start with what I had meal prepped for the week on Sunday that ended up in the pizza:

1. Roasted broccoli - two bunches tossed in ghee, garlic powder, onion powder, s & p, and roasted at 425 for about 30-40 minutes.
2. Shredded broccoli stalks - instead of discarding the large broccoli stalks, I shredded them with a cheese grater and stored them in the fridge, without any plan for them. They were going to end up in a salad or bowl, veggie pancakes, or this pizza crust.
3. Roasted radishes - one bunch sliced into disks and roasted at 425 until browned and soft.
4. Sautéed shiitakes - sautéed in ghee for eating throughout the week in bowls, with eggs, in "stir frys", etc.
5. Vegan dill pesto - I love pesto but it's pretty expensive to make, so I decided to use dill instead of basil, almonds instead of pine nuts, and nutritional yeast instead of parmesan and OMG.

So, with all that in the fridge, along with other things like rice and sweet potatoes, I could have easily just thrown a tasty, nourishing bowl together. But I was feeling inspired to create and craving a freshly cooked meal, so pizza it was.

My crust recipe was modified from this one, but skipped the microwaving step and consisted only of broccoli stalks, eggs, and parmesan - it was great tasting and easily picked up and folded, like New York-style pizza, but wasn't as crispy as I'd like, so feel free to try this one or use your favorite pizza crust recipe if you have one.

After cooking the crust, I spread on a layer of the pesto and topped it with roasted radishes, sautéed shiitakes, and roasted broccoli. I popped it back into the oven at 400 degrees F for about 6 minutes, just until everything was nice and warm and the edges were crispy. While it cooked, I whipped up the quick cashew cream sauce which literally takes minutes to make. I drizzled the pizza with the sauce and finished with some fresh cracked pepper. The whole thing took under 30 minutes and was truly delicious.

Whatever you have meal prepped, a quick pizza is a really effective way to switch things up. And these two sauces--dill pesto and cashew cream--guarantee it will come out tasting amazing. Enjoy!

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Vegan Dill Pesto
makes about 1 cup

2 cups fresh dill
1/2 cup almonds, blanched + skinned if desired
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
3-4 cloves garlic
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt
few turns of fresh cracked pepper

Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until desired consistency. Should be spreadable but still chunky.

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Cashew Cream Sauce
makes about 1 cup

1 cup cashews, soaked and drained*
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
~1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth, adding more or less water depending on desired texture. Will keep in fridge for up to 4 days. It will thicken in fridge, so if you want it to be pourable right out of the fridge, I would make it on the thinner side.

*Cashews can be soaked for 2-8 hours, or you can quick soak them by pouring boiling water over them and letting it sit for a few minutes before draining.

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