Food: Hazelnut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

The holidays are steadily approaching, carrying with them the weight of end of term exams, summatives, crazy family get togethers, and of course - Christmas shopping. As we grow older, Christmas loses some of it's mystic, it's magic - but it still holds that inexorable pull over us. It says forget all these grey days that came before and all those grey days that will come after; savour this brief and imperfect respite. Savour it even though you don't know how you feel about such an extravagant example of consumerism, about the fact that Christmas - a religious event singular to one religion - takes prevalence over all other religious holidays, about the size of your budget, about all this goddamn wrapping paper going straight to the landfill. Avoid those stupid-ass gift guides like they're the plague - you don't need a glossy magazine to characterize your family and friends into 'sporty' and 'glam'. Just love. Give gifts because you want to, not because you have to. Give openly and freely things that may not seem all that special but truly are - your complete attention, for example, or pancakes (recipe coming next week!) on a blurry weekday morning, a spontaneous dance party, a hug and a kiss and a push-hair-off-the-face and a wide smile and a big, genuine I LOVE YOU.

Don't let your Christmas, or whatever holiday you celebrate, be reduced to wrapping paper and cries of 'next one!'. Take this chance to breathe, to love, and to give fully of yourself. Admittedly, this post does come a little early, but I wanted to get this off my chest. This season my goal is to be open - arms wide spread, face uplifted, spine like an oak tree, to take care of myself and those whom I love and know, and those I don't.

I don't mean to put down Christmas or the hype that surrounds it. I love Christmas movies, gingerbread men, the whole schtick. But I do not love the want-want-want vibe it gives off from time to time and the pressure it lays across our backs. Ya feel?

Now lets make some motherfucking cookies.

Let's discuss cookies for a bit, shall we? These ones are pretty good. Nutty and chocolaty and if you're lucky (or if you eat enough!) you get a bite of chocolate and a bite of hazelnut together and ahhh it's like Nutella. But it's kinda better for you.

They take a little longer than your average joe of a cookie (but that average joe is boooooring compared to these fellas) and the ingredients, admittedly, run a little costly and sound like an SNL spoof of a yogi's grocery list, but you know what, it is most certainly that time of year so go ahead and treat yo'self!! This cookies are too delish not to be tried. Share them with your neighbours, your kids, your friends, or just keep 'em for yourself. Considering the fact that I just had three for lunch, I am in no position to judge!

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats
2 cups whole spelt flour (or whole wheat, or white)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)
1/4 cup olive or canola oil
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (yeah b, a whole tablespoon!)
1/2 cup chocolate chippers
3/4 cup toasted hazelnuts

Instructions:

1.  Combine dry ingredients in one bowl, wet in the other. (leave out chocolate chips and nuts)
2. Whisk together wet ingredients until fully incorporated, then pour into dry ingredients. Stir well and don't be alarmed - dough will appear super wet. DO NOT ADD MORE FLOUR. DON'T DO IT.
3. Stick your bowl in the fridge and let it chillax for 15 - 20 minutes.
4. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350.
5. Then toast your nut buddies and chop 'em up into bite sized like pieces.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat and set aside.
7. Remove dough from fridge (should be nice and thickened) and stir in chippers and nuts.
8. Grab about two tablespoons worth of dough and roll it into balls. Press it down slightly.
9. Bake 15 minutes, careful to avoid burning the bottoms. If they look a little under done in the middle, don't freak out. They'll firm up when cooled.
10. Eat! Enjoy!

Love,
Kate

Food: Vegan Date Squares

As this late fall weather becomes steadily unfriendlier, I find myself spending much more time indoors, swaddled in my Dad's old sweaters and thick socks. I make oatmeal with whole rolled oats, relishing the warmth off a bubbling pot of cinnamon scented breakfast. There's a meditative aspect to taking time for yourself in the morning, to waking up slowly and carefully. To chilly extremities and fog rising over your backyard garden; over the rivers and trees. This is the time of year I love, not too hot, not too cold. Crisp. Clean. A time for fresh starts and fresh faces. New Years Eve has never held the same significance to me as these cool few days between fall and winter, this seasonal shift. Change is, quite literally, in the air. For once, I welcome it.

Photo by M. Kelly

These, friends, are not your classic vegan date square. They don't have those wacky chunks of orange rind floating around in there, nor do they call for half a jar of coconut oil (gosh dang expensive, pals), or agonizing hours cutting solid fats into oats. Well, maybe that's an overstatement, but when if you're anything like us, if you want a date square (or food in general), you wanted it five minutes ago. Whatever the weather may be in your corner of the world, I hope you give these a go.

Photo by M.Kelly

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 cup medjool dates
Zest of 1 small lemon
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Crust:

2.5 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup of applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 tablespoon coconut oil
pinch of salt

Crumble Topping:

1 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup walnuts (or nut/see of your choice)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons flour
pinch of salt

Directions!

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Toss 2 cups worth of oats into your food processor and blend until powdery. Then add applesauce, vanilla, maple syrup, and salt. Pulse until combined.
3. Remove from motor base, take out blade, and stir in remaining 1/2 cup oats to blended mixture. The dough should be pretty firm.
4. Place the dough into a greased brownie pan (mine was 8"x8") and press firmly down. Using slightly damp fingers works well here. You want it to be as compact as possible, so as to minimize crumbly bases (ugh).
5. Now, without bothering to clean your processor, pulse all filling ingredients together until a chunky paste forms. If dates ball up into a giant clump, add a tablespoon or two of warm water, until they become more of a malleable paste. Spread this paste over your base with a spatula, as evenly as possible.
6. Then, again don't even clean it, dump your crumble topping ingredients into your processor. Pulse into they've broken down into pinky-fingernail size ish chunks, though some variety is always great.
7. Scatter over top of your date paste! If there are any leftover topping bits left (I had a small handful), make a yourself a lil cookie! Shape it into a wee ball, flatten slightly with your palm, and bake for 10 - 12 mins.
8. Now slide your completed crumble bars into the oven. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until top is lightly golden and aromatic.
9. Enjoy!

**This recipe was inspired by Sarah Britton at www.mynewroots.org! Her site is absolutely lovely. Check it out!**

Food: The Ultimate Vegan Banana Bread

Hey! My name is Kate, fellow vegan and best friend of Cami. I've gotten super into cooking and baking since switching up my diet and have started developing my own recipes. Here we'd love to share some of them and hope you give them a go!

By M. Kelly

This recipe here is something in heavy rotation around our group of friends and my house. It even got the stamp of approval from our ultimately picky friend! I like to eat this bread warm, with almond butter or tahini or just plain. With winter approaching, this kind of treat is perfect to have around. It's in the colder weather that I find myself reaching for sweeter, stickier snacks, and this fits the bill perfectly. We hope you'll enjoy it as much as we do!

By M. Kelly

The Ultimate Vegan Banana Bread

Wet Ingredients:

• 3 overripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup of unsweetened, unflavoured non-dairy milk

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, 1 cup spelt (alternatively, use white or gluten free)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/3 cup chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup chopped pumpkin seeds (plus a tbsp for topping)
• 2/3 cup chopped and pitted dates
  
  
  Clues: 
  
  
  
  

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Dig out a loaf pan and grease it with any vegan butter you have on hand. Alternatively, feel free to use coconut oil or even regular butter, if you aren’t avoiding animal products.

  2. Chop dates, almonds and pumpkin seeds roughly but thoroughly. 

  3. Mash bananas until they turn into a lovely gooey paste and place into a large bowl. Whisk in milk.

  4. Stir in baking powder and baking soda.

  5. Stir in flour, baking soda, and baking powder. 

  6. Finally, add dates, almonds, and seeds. Stir once or twice to combine, but don’t overdo it!

  7. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and slide it into the oven.

  8. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is a gorgeous golden brown and springy 
  
  
  TIPS!
   - if you only have two bananas, feel free to replace one with 1/3 cup of olive oil
   - flours are pretty variable here, just be careful not to use all regular whole wheat (it'll be hella dense) - though all whole wheat pastry flour is okay, as it's lighter
   - these could also be slipped into a muffin tin and turned into lil muffins! Or mini muffins!
   - the add-ins are totally up for interpretation; add hazelnuts and chocolate chips for something a little more decadent, sunflower seeds to replace almonds for a nut-free bread, etc, etc.