Chocolate Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies

13 October 2010 By Stephanie @ The Coexist Cafe Leave a Comment

I honestly didn’t think there was a way to stuff any more (yummy, delectable, amazing) ingredients into a cookie, either. But you can! And not only that, these cookies are incredible: a touch of sweet, a bit of protein, and a lot of deliciousness.

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 egg
* 1/2 cup peanut butter
* 1 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 tbsp cocoa powder
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1/8 tsp salt
* 1/2 cup flaked coconut

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the peanut butter.

3. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; blend in the wet ingredients to form a soft dough. Mix in coconut. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls (about 1″ rounds) onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie using the tines of a fork.

4. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool on wire racks.

Homemade Hummus

31 January 2011 By Stephanie @ The Coexist Cafe Leave a Comment

It can be a dip, a spread, a filling, and anything else you can imagine. I’m talking, of course, about hummus! If you’ve never had it before, I highly recommend it; it’s fantastic on pita wedges, wraps, raw veggies, sandwiches, and pretty much anything else you can think of. Versatile, healthy, and delicious, hummus is a great snack or appetizer!

Best of all, it’s incredibly easy to make. With a few staple ingredients, you can have fresh hummus any day, anytime.

Ingredients

* 1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
* 1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
* 4 tbsp lemon juice (add more to taste, if desired)
* 1 1/2 tbsp tahini
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed (I love to add more, but I’m also a garlic fiend, so…)
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 2 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

2. Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.

3. Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well.

4. Serve immediately with pita bread, veggies, or anything else, or cover and refrigerate. Hummus will stay good in the fridge for around three days and in the freezer for up to a month. If it becomes dry, add some olive oil and mix.


You can also personalize your hummus! Looking for something more summery? More international? More creative? Try some of these variations, or use these ideas to create your own:

Artichoke Hummus: add 1/2 to 1 cup of steamed artichoke hearts

Bean Hummus: instead of chick peas, try using another kind of beans, like black beans or fava beans

Curried Hummus: add 1 tbsp curry powder (in increments — to taste!)

Garlic Hummus: double or even triple the amount of garlic (my favorite, obviously)

Green Onion Hummus: add 3-4 green onions

Mexican Hummus: add 3/4 cup fresh cilantro; or 2 jalapeños, seeded; and/or replace lemon juice with lime juice

Olive Hummus: add 1/2 cup black or green olives (especially cool if you make a well in the middle of the hummus and add chopped olives)

Pesto Hummus: add 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves (in increments)

Red Pepper Hummus: add two peeled roasted red peppers

Roasted Garlic Hummus: sauté the minced garlic in a bit of oil before adding to hummus (another one of my favorites)

Spinach Hummus: add 1 cup fresh spinach

Spinach & Feta Hummus: add 1/2 cup fresh spinach, then 2-3 ounces feta cheese

Squash Hummus: steam or roast 2 cups squash, then purée and use in place of chickpeas (great for an autumn hummus)

Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus: add 2-3 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

Red, White, and Blue-berry Dairy-Free Ice Cream Pops

Ingredients

* vanilla soy ice cream, left out a bit so REALLY soft
* 1 pint fresh strawberries
* 1 pint fresh blueberries
* vanilla Joe-Joe’s (or equivalent)
* agave nectar
* Dixie cups and popsicle sticks, for assembly

Method

1.Place the Joe-Joe’s in a Ziploc baggie. With a rolling pin (or a fist!), pound the cookies until they are pretty crumbly. Add the cookie crumbles to the ice cream and stir to incorporate.

2. In the Dixie cups, add a small layer of vanilla ice cream with cookies to the bottom. Stick in the freezer to freeze for about 30 minutes.

3. In that time, puree the strawberries, adding a touch of agave (if needed, for additional sweetness) and a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make it a bit creamier. Remove the cups from the freezer and add a layer of strawberry puree. Allow to freeze for about 30 minutes.

4. Remove the cups from the freezer and add a layer of vanilla ice cream/cookies. The strawberries will likely be frozen at this point, so you can stick a popsicle stick through that layer. Allow to freeze for 30 minutes. (See a pattern here?)

5. In that time, puree the blueberries, adding a touch of agave (if needed, for additional sweetness) and a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make it a bit creamier. Remove the cups from the freezer and add a layer of blueberry puree. Allow to freeze for about 30 minutes.

6. Finally, remove the cups from the freezer and add a final layer of vanilla ice cream/cookies. These can finally freeze until guests arrive and their mouths are watering.

7. To remove the pops from the cups, warm the cups a bit with your hands, and pop ‘em right out!

Grilled Pineapple with Coconut

Ingredients

* 4-5 slices fresh pineapple (we ended up using a whole pineapple!)
* 2 tbsp. dark rum
* 2 tbsp. agave nectar
* 1 tsp lemon juice

Method

1. In a bowl, whisk together rum, agave, and lemon juice until well blended. Toss pineapple in until well coated, and allow to marinate for about an hour in the refrigerator.

2. Fire up the grill on medium heat and place down some aluminum foil.

3. Coat the pineapple with coconut on both sides, then place them on the grill, flipping once. Each side should be grilled about 8 minutes or until coconut is well toasted.

Cucumber Dill Salad

Ingredients

* 4 cucumbers, cut into 1/2″ cubes
* red onion, julienned
* dill (fresh is best, but dried will work, too)
* 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice

Method

1. Place cucumbers and red onion in a large bowl, stirring to incorporate. Add dill to your liking (a fine dusting will typically do), then the lemon juice, and stir again to incorporate.

2. Allow to marinate in the fridge about 30-60 minutes. Stir before serving.

Tofu Stir Fry

Ingredients:

about 1 tbsp. and 1 tsp. olive oil
extra firm tofu, pressed for about 30 minutes beforehand and sliced into 1/2″ cubes
1 carton sliced mushrooms
1 white onion, cut fajita-style
1 head broccoli, cut into florets (no stems)
1 can bamboo shoots, drained
1 can water chestnuts, drained
1/2 cup bean sprouts
crushed peanuts (optional)
Soy Vay teriyaki sauce

Method:

Prepare one small nonstick pan with 1 tsp. olive oil and either a wok or large pan with 1 tbsp. olive oil for the tofu and vegetables, respectively.

In the small pan over medium heat, throw in the tofu and allow to cook a bit.
Turn until lightly browned on all sides.
While preparing the tofu, toss the mushrooms and onion in the wok over medium-high heat.
Allow to simmer.
If any excess liquid collects, strain vegetables in a colander and return to pan.
When mushrooms and onions are almost soft, toss in the broccoli and desired amount of Soy Vay teriyaki.
Add about 1 tbsp. Soy Vay teriyaki to the tofu pan as well, and toss until evenly coated.
Continue to cook over medium heat until the outsides become crispy.
Add the bamboo shoots and water chestnuts to the wok; allow the vegetables to continue simmering.
About five minutes prior to serving, toss the bean sprouts in with the vegetables.
Toss until all veggies are evenly coated in teriyaki.
Just before serving, add tofu to veggie wok and toss to incorporate.
Serve hot with rice and a sprinkling of crushed peanuts, as desired.