Veggie Stew

The Ingredients

1 can of garbanzo beans

5 Japanese (small) eggplants

6 small green peppers

3 large tomatoes (heirloom or beefsteak)

4 cloves of garlic

1 small onion

2 cups veggie broth

cumin

coriander

crowberry chili salt

1 tbsp avocado oil

I love my Dutch oven. So much that I try to use it as much as possible. It creates amazing sauces and broths!

Coat the Dutch oven with enough avocado oil to fully coat the bottom. Dice the small onion and add to the oil. Cook at medium heat for several minutes, until it caramelizes. Then, mince the garlic and add it to the mixture. This should also brown. 

Then, add the veggie broth. I had some frozen that I had made a few months ago that is a go-to for any type of stew or soup recipe. Let simmer on medium heat for a few minutes. In the meantime...

Chop eggplants, peppers and tomatoes. Add to the broth mixture. Add spices and salt to taste. Then, cook for 45 minutes at 350 degrees, until the liquid has reduced by about half. This is the magic of a Dutch oven- sauces and soups are so flavorful when prepared this way because they reduce in amount and not in flavor. Add chickpeas (drained) and enjoy! 

After some stewing 

The final product! 

Chocolate Licorice Meringue

The Ingredients

4 egg whites 

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tbsp licorice powder

I was super excited to use my kitchenaid stand-up mixer. I also love meringue and have only made it once in my life because I never had a proper mixer to get those stiff peaks in egg whites that meringues are famous for. There are few ingredients in meringues, but the whole process is a labor of love. 

First, egg the egg whites into the bowl of a mixer and beat on medium-high for several minutes. Stiff peaks should form. Then, mix in the sugar, a little bit at a time. Same goes for the cocoa and licorice powders. It should take a few minutes for the mixture to be fully blended.

It should look like this:

Scoop out the mixture with a spoon and put on a baking sheet. Cook the meringues at 200 degrees for two hours. 

Boom! Crunchy, yet chewy, with a lot of flavor. The chocolate-licorice combination is delicious! 

pre-baking

Ready to eat- and dusted with some licorice powder to make them look a little fancier. 

Hemp + Chia Cocoa Cookies

The Ingredients

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1/4 cup flax seed meal

1/2 cup rice/lentil flour (can be found at Patel Brothers)

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp licorice powder

2 eggs

4 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp baking powder

1 pinch of salt

2 tbsp chia seeds

2 tbsp hemp seeds

2 tbsp flax seeds

I had just purchased some licorice powder in Iceland that I wanted to experiment with. I also had several types of seeds in the fridge that I knew would be expiring soon, so they had to be used!

Mix all ingredients but the eggs into a bowl. Add eggs last and make sure they are mixed well into the concoction. The consistency should be like a thick cookie dough. I flattened mine into thinner patties to help with cook time. Because of the coconut oil and because I love my silicone baking sheets, there is no need to grease the baking pan- the cookies will cook without sticking to it. Cook them at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. 

The licorice powder helps to enhance the chocolate flavor and evens out the sweetness with the slight bitterness. Enjoy these cookies- they are pretty healthy but don't taste like it!

before cooking

Ready to eat! Serious nom noms.

Basil Cilantro Chutney

The Ingredients

10 basil leaves

bunch of cilantro

2 cloves of garlic

2 jalapeños

1 cup water

2 tsp crowberry chili salt

1/2 cup sugar

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp crushed coriander

pinch of sumac

I was inspired by some crowberry chili salt that I got in Iceland while on my honeymoon. Thanks to my wonderful mother in law, I also had some fresh peppers and basil that I refused to let go to waste. So, I created this recipe as a little dressing/chutney!

First, I used a mortar and pestle to grind the coriander and crowberry chili salt together. Since the salt was flaky, I knew it would release some great favor along with the spice. Set aside. 

Mince the garlic and jalapeño. I used a mezzaluna to break down the cilantro and basil- my new favorite kitchen tool. It makes me feel fancy! 

Add the salt, coriander, garlic, jalapeños, basil, and cilantro into a bowl. Then, mix in the sugar, water, lemon juice, and vinegar. Top off with the sumac. Let the mixture mix together for a few hours. I used this is a dressing (with added olive oil) on a cucumber and tomato salad and also used this again for a kohlrabi slaw. So tasty! Tangy, sweet, and a little spicy! 

Purple crowberry chili salt

Chutney is ready to marinate

cucumber and tomato salad with basil cilantro chutney

kohlrabi slaw- my fav!