Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blondies

Jesus said, "Let there be calories" and these blondies descended from the Heavens and straight into my mouth. Chewy, gooey, cookie doughey goodness. Recipe modified from Party Vegan by Robin Robertson.

1/2 C margarine

1 C firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 C soymilk

1 1/2 t vanilla extract

1/4 t almond extract

1 1/2 C plus 2 T all-purpose flour

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1/2 C chocolate chips

1/2 C chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a square 8X8 inch baking pan.

Melt margarine in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add sugar, soymilk, and extracts and stir together. Pour into a mixing bowl to cool to room temp.

In a separate mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips and walnuts. Stir in wet ingredients and mix until just combined. DO NOT OVERMIX OR THE BAKING GODS WILL SMITE YOU.

Pour batter into baking pan and spread evenly. Pop those suckers in the oven for 30-35 minutes (if you use a dark pan, cook for 2 minutes LESS) until outsides are golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean as a whistle.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Feed the ones you love.

Soyrizo & Black Bean Stuffed Red Peppers

 

Peppers were on sale 2 for $1 at Smiths and even though I didn't have a plan for them, I knew I couldn't pass them up. I'd been wanting to try making stuffed peppers for awhile and after a quick inventory of my fridge, this is what I came up with. Official taste tester Esther agrees that it was a delicious success.

3-4 red peppers

1 (15 oz) can black beans

1 C cooked brown rice

1/2 - 1 full pkg Soyrizo (I had a little over half a pkg left, but I think a full pkg would be fine)

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 Thai chilis, minced

1 small can tomato sauce

1 lime, juiced

1 T cumin

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut tops off peppers and scrape out the guts. If the peppers don't sit flat, cut a small piece off the bottom. Coat outsides of peppers with olive oil (I have a handy dandy spray bottle. I suggest you also have one).

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and chilis for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add soyrizo and cook until heated through.

Drain black beans and add to skillet. Add rice, tomato sauce, lime juice and cumin. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I added some hot sauce because I have a demon tongue.

Fill a casserole dish with about an inch of water. Place peppers in water and spoon in filling.

Place in oven and cook about 45 minutes.

That's it! It took about 20 minutes for me to throw this all together and I even did yoga while they were in the oven. There are about a million different variations of this I want to try now. Viva la peppers.