Creamy cucumber salad with chili crisp isn’t just a side dish — it’s the star of the table. Cool, crunchy cucumbers layered over a bed of creamy basil-and-chive sauce, drizzled with spicy vinaigrette, and topped with a generous spoonful of chili crisp. It’s bright, fresh, and the perfect balance of creamy and fiery.

I created this salad one night on a whim, and now my family asks for it at least once a week. We’ve been eating it one or two times per week ever since — it’s that craveable.

Here’s how it comes together: a swoosh of creamy, herby sauce goes down first, creating a silky bed for the cucumbers. Then come the cool, crunchy slices — piled high and topped with just a little more sauce. A generous drizzle of spicy vinaigrette follows, seeping into every crevice, and finally a bold spoonful of chili crisp scattered over the top.

Part of what makes this salad so special is the balance of textures and flavours. The creamy sauce cools things down while the vinaigrette wakes everything up with acidity, and the chili crisp brings that addictive

The result? A salad that absolutely explodes with flavour — bright, cooling, creamy, fiery — all at once. It’s refreshing enough for the hottest July afternoon, but thanks to greenhouse cucumbers, we happily eat it year-round. And if you can find Persian cucumbers, do it — their thin skins and extra crunch make this dish next-level.

This creamy cucumber salad with chili crisp is endlessly versatile. Serve it alongside smoky grilled meats or fish, tuck it into a rice bowl, pair it with noodles, or just eat it straight off the serving platter. This is the kind of dish that ends with someone fighting for the last cucumber slice and someone else unapologetically swiping the sauce with their finger. No judgment — it’s that irresistible.

Pro tip: Double the recipe if you want leftovers — it tastes even better after a few hours in the fridge.

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Cool & Spicy Creamy Cucumber Salad

Cool, crunchy cucumbers layered over a creamy basil-and-chive sauce, topped with a spicy vinaigrette and chili crisp. A fresh, flavour-packed salad perfect for summer — or any time of year.

Course Side Dish

Keyword Cucumber

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 6 Persian cucumbers or 2 English cucumbers
• ½ pint grape or cherry tomatoes optional

Creamy Herb Sauce (Base)

• ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
• juice of ½ a lemon
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• ¼ cup basil, minced
• 2 Tbsp minced chives
• fresh ground pepper
• flaky sea salt

Gochujang Vinaigrette

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp Gochujang
• 1 tsp tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tsp honey

Crunchy Topping

• 2-4 tsp chili crisp
• toasted sesame seeds optional

Instructions

For the Salad

• Cut your cucumbers into the oblique cut or thick quarter rounds if unfamiliar.
• Slice tomatoes (if using) into halves.
• Toss both in a bowl together and set aside.

For the Creamy Sauce

• Whisk the yogurt, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and garlic together.
• Stir in the basil, chives and pepper and set aside.

For the Vinaigrette

• In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together and set aside.

To Assemble

• In individual bowls or on a large platter, spoon a base of the creamy sauce.
• Pile on the cucumbers (and tomatoes, if using).
• Drizzle over some extra creamy sauce, followed by as much vinaigrette as you like.
• Top with chili crisp and serve immediately.
• Store causes separately for up to a week.

…

I’m back!

After a lengthy (ahem, almost four year) absence, I’ve decided that my creative outlet needed to make a comeback. How thrilled were my friends and family to learn that I would be picking back up where I left off? I guess a bunch of free, delicious food being tested on them isn’t such a chore…

After a bunch of hmming and hawing over the last bunch of months, I decided that I really missed writing, photographing and creating all my recipes for this labour of love I call Guilty Kitchen. I really wanted to get back to it.

What better time of year than harvest season was there for me to start this baby back up again. I mean, all the fruits are ready, the familiar starchy vegetables of fall harvest are starting to appear and the weather is just the best. Loads of time with friends and family, cooking outdoors and sharing it all, summer really is the best time of year.

Soon will be the low hanging sun that’s always in your eyes (perfect time for new sunglasses) and early darkness…

So to welcome myself back into the old habit, I whipped up this Peach and Blueberry Cobbler. The dough is thick and fluffy with a crunchy top, somewhat like a cookie/biscuit hybrid. The fruit is juicy, bursting with flavour and just the right consistency to hold it all together. This whole batch was gone in less than 24 hours. I guess I still remember a few things…

It sure is nice to be back.

Changes, a new look and hopefully much more is coming soon!)

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Peach and Blueberry Cobbler

Quick and easy summer dessert

Course Dessert

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Ingredients

Filling

• 4 fresh ripe peaches, sliced
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• Juice from 1/2 a lemon (approximately 1 tbsp)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ cup + 1 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
• ½ cup + 2 Tbsp cold butter, cubed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup  (remove 1 tbsp from measurement for brushing dough) cashew milk (cream, milk, buttermilk, oat milk…whatever)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• In large bowl, mix fruit, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into 9×13 inch baking dish.
• In a separate, medium size mixing bowl, blend flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar.
• Using a pastry cutter, cut cold butter into dry ingredients until crumbly.
• Pour milk of choice over dry ingredients (reserving 1 tbsp) and stir to combine. Your dough should resemble a wet cookie dough or biscuit dough.
• Using your fingers, drop small blobs of dough over fruit or make flattened balls and lay over fruit. Brush the dough with the remaining milk and sprinkle with the reserved 1 tbsp of sugar.
• Bake in in center of oven for 55 minutes. Remove and cool 15-20 minutes before serving.
• Delicious with ice cream, whipped cream or solo!

Where do I even start?

This past year has been one of the hardest, most exciting, most transformational years of my life. Things happened over the past year that I never thought would happen to me, that I never saw coming, that I didn’t know how to deal with or react to. The emotional roller coaster that I’ve been riding this year made me sometimes happy, sometimes deeply depressed, often euphoric and full of love but also left me sometimes emptier than I’ve ever felt before. My inner monologue has truly never had so much to say to me and this time I took many long moments to really listen to it.

People came into my life that changed me in the most wonderful ways, they made me grow exponentially to form a new layer of myself that wasn’t there before. Although every day of my life, I see opportunity to grow and change and meet new people, this past year was something different. I learned so much about myself, about the ways in which I have reacted to people my whole life and the ways in which I actually want to act now. I’ve always preached a “be true to you” attitude, but sometimes my overt niceness supersedes that feeling of having “no more fucks to give”. The more amazing people that come into my life, the happier I am. I am truly a social person and spending days just being with friends, making food for people I love and just listening to others talk has made for interesting fodder for my thoughts.

I hate to hurt people, but in so doing for so many years, have only allowed myself to be hurt. As selfish as it seems, being number one in my own mind has truly been a freeing feeling. Choices made in my life now need to be the best for me, because I am me and when I am happy, my kids are happy. Nothing feels so inescapable as being in a pit of despair and having to deal with two small, emotionally undeveloped minds. They don’t understand the sadness, the depressed moods, they only want to see you happy and having fun.

Being the best version of myself, being happy in my relationships and being true to myself can only show my children that pushing on in the face of adversity requires work. You cannot continue to live a life that causes misery, bitterness and despair in the hopes that everything will turn out okay and expect your kids to not see you suffering. I want to teach my kids that they deserve the best in everything, and if something is not working, change it, don’t just pretend it’s not there and definitely do not suffer in silence. Change is often hard and no one wants to make decisions that hurt others, but sometimes you have no choice.

It would take more time and effort than I have in me at the moment to describe the feelings I have for the growth I have done these past nine months but I can summarize in short, so you can just get to the delicious recipe below.

• I became separated from my husband for four months
• We moved back in together in June and began what has been the hardest transition our marriage has ever seen
• I stopped writing and blogging
• I began a personal meal delivery service that took over my weekends
• I got a “real” job at a butcher shop
• I tore out my whole backyard and made it into a huge garden which took up most of my free time over the spring/early summer
• I met someone with the same ideals and passion for food that I have and we started planning a restaurant together. We are set to open in April 2016 if all goes well…
• We started a Farm to Table dinner series in the meantime.

If I know you personally, I’ve talked about this insane ride over the last nine months in so much detail you are probably very sick of hearing about it, but I thank all my friends and family who have been there for me during this brutally hard time if my life. I have never felt so loved.

Now, on to the serious part of this post…

Nanaimo Bars have always, always been one of my all-time favourite desserts. Being from the island where they were invented has probably given me a greater appreciation for their creation, but they will always have a place in my heart…and stomach. Some of the most important people in my life love them almost as much as I do and I have made them as gifts for many of them over the years. Nothing says love and generosity like giving away your most beloved of desserts…

One Year Ago: Apple Fritter Doughnuts
Two Years Ago: Strawberry Muffins
Three Years Ago: Coconut Pancakes
Four Years Ago: Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Five Years Ago: Cauliflower and Potato Salad
Six Years Ago: Brown Butter Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

Recipe Adapted from the City of Nanaimo Website and provided by Joyce Hardcastle

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Nanaimo Bars

The classic Nanaimo Bar, in all it's luscious glory.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12 large squares

Ingredients

Base Layer

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup sugar
• 5 tbsp. cocoa
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 ¼ cups graham wafer crumbs
• ½ cup finely chopped almonds
• 1 cup shredded coconut

Middle Layer

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp plus 2 tsp cream
• 2 tbsp Birds custard powder
• 2 cups icing sugar

Top Layer

• 4 squares 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

Instructions

Base Layer:

• Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler or small bowl placed over a pot of simmering water, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the boil.
• Add beaten egg and stir until thickened.
• Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut, and nuts.
• Press firmly into an ungreased 8" x 8" pan.

Middle Layer:

• Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together.
• Beat until light and fluffy (Using an electric mixer with whisk attachments is optional but works well here).
• Spread evenly over bottom layer.

Top Layer:

• Melt chocolate and butter in top of double boiler or small bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer and chill in refrigerator.
• To cut without crushing the squares, heat your knife in boiled water. Wipe clean and reheat every time you slice through, especially the top layer.

So it seems I’ve been preoccupied lately with things that revolve around real world scenarios and less to do with the hubbub of the online world. For the past six years, I could say I was truly drawn into that world of instant gratification…of status updates, likes, follows and so on. But in the past few months, I’ve truly embraced the idea of unplugging myself from that dystopia. True enough, I’ll never truly let go, as I’m always one to keep up with politics, real world international news, my friends in faraway lands and music (which is much more easily accessible via the web as opposed to in real life)…but I’m much happier visiting with friends for coffee in the flesh, gabbing on the phone (who knew these things had phones?!) instead of texting and so on.

But what I really want to share with you is what I’ve been spending all my time doing, besides hiking the nearby mountainscapes (as I’ve already told you about in my previous posts).

Anyone who has followed my blog for a few years knows my obsession with organic gardening, urban agriculture and supporting local food. I’ve lived in rented or purchased houses for the past seven years, having escaped the clutches of the apartment/condo part of my life for good. Although the low maintenance attraction of condos and apartments was good when I was young, I now crave the ability to be able to wander through a yard whenever the whim strikes me. When I am the owner, I usually make it a priority to remove as much grass as possible, as I’m not a big fan of mowing…but sometimes even that can be therapeutic. I plug in some tunes, pull that cord and away I go…

As much as I want to delve deeply into my personal life with all of my readers (I know a lot of you are wondering what has been going on in my world), I’ve come to the realization over the years that giving everything away in a blog post is not the most ideal way of dealing with what life has to give us. Sometimes it is best served privately. I get the most amazing emails from people who care deeply about what happens in my life and I strive to keep in touch with those select few. If you feel like you ever need someone to talk to about life, I am always (ALWAYS) open to answering emails. I am here for you my friends, even if you think there is no one who would listen to you. I am here, ears always turned to those who need it. Although I’m no professional therapist or counsellor, I feel like even knowing there is a kind ear to listen to what you have to say is a small help to those who need it. I am always here for you…with fitness, health and food questions for sure, but also with those other niggling things people tend to not want to talk about with those around them. Sometimes it’s easier to talk to someone who is somewhat removed from whatever situation you are in…an unbiased opinion, if you will.

In the past four or five years, I’ve been increasingly interested in the psychological aspects of happiness and what it is that we all strive for. The act of removing negative, critical thinking from our lives and replacing it with only positivity. This is something I continually strive to teach my kids, who can fall easily into a web of negativity for some reason. Kids have so many emotions tangled up in their tiny little minds, it can be overwhelming for them sometimes. Each day I have been making time to spend some moments in the outdoors, whether in my garden or hiking, as well as having a moment of gratitude during my late night wind down time. Taking even one minute to think of the things or people in our life that we are grateful for makes a big difference in your mindset. If you in a rut in your life or feel negativity take over from those positive vibes, just think about the people in your life who love you, the things that make you smile, even tiny simple things can make you smile in the darkest moments.

Okay, back to the gardens! This has been a major source of therapy for me over the past few months. Having something to keep me busy, that needs constant attention, has made for a very interesting source of inspiration. Being someone who is deeply emotional and tends to over think any and every situation life has to deal you, having something to concentrate that energy on is a life saver. If you find yourself thinking about negative things, my advice is to immediately plug in some headphones with good tunes and head out into nature. Music + outdoor living = bliss.

So let’s go over the things I have accomplished in the last year, shall we? The following four photos are from the real estate agent that sold us this house, approximately two years ago. This is the back yard: filled with awkwardly sized gravel that the dogs hated to walk on, looked unattractive and was a pain in the ass to remove.

As you can see in the photos, there was also a large cedar tree in the right corner of the property and several large, deep raised gardening beds filled mostly with weeds, but some strawberries as well. These all came out last fall.

Looking from the far west corner of the back yard into the solarium/greenhouse.

Unfortunately, the photo of the front yard doesn’t show the disaster of a garden that was in the front corner of the property. It was filled with a gigantic, overgrown and very dead evergreen bush of some kind. After removing all of the shrubbery and underlying detritus, I discovered a beautiful large, white granite rock, which I eventually turned into a native grass garden (drought resistant) with some driftwood accents.

I also filled it with the gravel I removed from the backyard, and then covered that in wood chips I acquired for free from a local tree service company. If you are looking for wood chips that aren’t all that spectacular looking but cost absolutely nothing, contact a local tree service, they will most likely be more than willing to have you take their debris.

These free chips have been dispersed into every garden on the property (yes, although I don’t love them, I do have some flower gardens), all of which are left over from the previous owners.

This is the very front of the house, as you can see the palm tree has nearly doubled in height in the last two years as well. Although I love the look of it, whoever planted it put it right next to the house so it has grown into the gutters, completely cutting them off and also sits over a corner of the roof, which has to be closely watched for build up.

This is my Meyer lemon tree that I bought about four years ago. I have seen a few lemons from it, but over the past two years it had quite a few diseases. I have been nursing it back to health over the winter, carefully scraping away the scale it had and the leaf rust. I have not pruned it, mostly because I was too worried I would kill off all my hard work. But this year it has numerous flower buds and new growth, so I’m crossing my fingers for lemons next year.

And now for what I’ve down with that hideous backyard. These are the two 10 x 10 organic layered garden beds on the northwestern corner of the property. I used the process of lasagna gardening, and began with cardboard I more or less dumpster dived for. Who knew it would be so hard to find large amounts of cardboard? My suggestion: don’t go looking the day after recycling day. On top of the cardboard varies from garden to garden as I ran out of materials as I went but mostly goes like this: half composted leaves, compost, composted horse manure, composted wood chips, dirt, leaves, dirt, peat moss, topped off with premium blend gardening soil. All the layers are about 3-4″ thick.

This is a third bed I added almost as an afterthought, but am glad I did, as I have many many seeds to plant and need all the garden space I can manage. The gravel was completely removed and replaced with many inches of wood chips. I probably laid down about 8″ here.

This funky little garden came at the suggestion of a friend when I was trying to figure out where to put my climbing plants. I attached the netting, left over from our chickens, to the gutters with twine and staked them down. Then I created a meandering wood chip path with small patches of soil and manure to use for shade loving plants such as lettuce.  This part of the yard gets much less light than the rest.

So what have a got in mind for plants? Well…a lot. I actually have so many seed starts and so little room in the garden that my thought is to start a small garden stand in the front of the house where I can sell the excess seedlings to my lovely neighbours. Here you can see my very spindly cauliflower which I am going to restart as they go too little light in the crucial first week. Behind them, you can just see the curling leaves of Florence fennel.

I’ve also planted leeks, walla walla onions and shallots.

The last thing I planted was Chocolate Beauty Peppers, which are a beautiful brownish purple sweet pepper. I have these on heat mats in the living room.

The rest of what I plan on planting (All my seeds are from West Coast Seeds, Saltspring Seeds, Eagleridge Seeds and Hawthorn Farm):

Wild Pacific Strawberries
Green Sprouting Broccoli
Amazing Cauliflower
Snowball Cauliflower
Red Opal Basil
Rainbow Chard
Purslane
Sugar Ann Snap Peas
Olympia Spinach
Old German Tomatoes
Black Krim Tomatoes
Lednicky Lettuce Blend
Burgess Buttercup Squash
Cilantro
Gladiator Parsnip
Jalapeno Peppers
Early Butternut Squash
Starburst Radish
Bulb Scallions
Rainbow Carrots
Marion Rutabaga
Super Gourmet Lettuce Blend
Purple Peacock Pole Beans
Scarlet Emperor Beans
Gnadenfeld Melon
Peaches and Cream Corn
Zucchini
Ching Chang Bok Choy

There are ENDLESS varieties of mushrooms out there, and even though the grocery stores usually only stock crimini, white and portobello, other varieties of mushrooms are just waiting for you to try them out. They don’t all taste the same, and they definitely do not all have the same consistency or mouth feel, so why hate them? My personal take on not liking foods is to question the reason, if they are adults, that is. Kids have weird reasons for not liking foods, like textures or colours, but they they also have difficulties explaining to you why they don’t like something. So when you ask them why, and they can’t tell you, it all breaks down and no one is happy, but when an adult says they don’t like a food (barring allergies) I always ask, “but why?!”.

To me mushrooms are kind of a background bit of kind of spongy goodness that soaks up flavours like butter, salt and garlic (always a good mushroom combo right there) and that serve as little dishes to bring me other wonderful eats, such as crab and cream cheese or escargot. So let’s talk about that one right there, escargot. Another weird kind of food that only a select few awesome people eat. I get it, they’re snails…which are like bugs and are all slimy and gross and have antennas. The world is headed toward more bug eating though, as we find that the foods we do eat are harder to sustain. So why stick to the same old pork, beef, chicken and fish? Branch out! Eat some snails!

This flatbread is a great way to introduce escargot to anyone that has never tried it as they are chopped up quite fine and blend in with the mushrooms. My kids don’t usually eat onions, mushrooms and especially not snails, but they gobbled this “pizza” up like any other. Head on over to the Mushrooms Canada Blog to find the recipe and let me know what you think!

One year ago: Blackberry Apple Pie
Two years ago: Paleo Chocolate Caramel Brownie Cups
Three years ago: Citrus Curd
Four years ago: Whole Wheat Bread
Five years ago: Crab and Shrimp Cakes with Lemon Aioli

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Speculaas Cookie Butter

The unicorn of spreads, cookie butter, is easily made at home with the help of a Blendtec and the amazing Twister Jar.

Prep Time 1 minute minute

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 6 minutes minutes

Servings 1 .5 cups

Ingredients

• 450 g speculaas cookies ginger or spiced cookies will also work
• 1/2 tsp vanilla seeds
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 4-5 tbsp avocado or macadamia nut oil

Instructions

• Place cookies in Blendtec Twister jar and pulse until nothing but crumbs are left.
• Turn blender to medium low speed and continue to blend until a nut butter consistency is achieved, twisting against the motion of the blender to keep it moving.
• Add remaining ingredients and blend until combined, continuing to twist as you go.
• Remove to jar or other vessel and keep covered at room temperature. You can store it in the refrigerator to extend the shelf life, but the consistency will be thicker and less spreadable.

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Strawberry Cream Scones with Brown Butter Glaze

Perfect brunch scones for a special occasion

Course Dessert

Keyword Scone

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients

For the Scones

• ⅔ cup rozen strawberries (defrosted)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp half and half
• 1 cup pastry flour
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 2 Tbsp baking powder
• 6 Tbsp butter, cold and cut into cubes
• 1 egg , large
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Brown Butter Vanilla Glaze

• 2 oz unsalted butter
• 1 cup icing sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla seeds, paste, etc
• 2 Tbsp half and half or whole milk

Instructions

For the Scones:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
• Place strawberries, sugar and cream into jar of blender and pulse until slightly chunky.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, salt and baking powder until combined.
• Using a pastry blender, blend in the cold butter until you have a crumbly mixture.
• Whisk egg, vanilla extract and vanilla seeds (if using)  into the strawberry mixture.
• Stir together the wet and dry ingredients until you have a sticky dough. Spoon dough onto parchment.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes. While baking, make the glaze.

For the Glaze:

• In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, swirling occasionally. Keeping an eye on the butter, continue to cook until it becomes a golden brown colour and remove from heat immediately.
• Pour butter into large bowl and whisk in the sugar and vanilla seeds. Add cream or milk 1 tbsp at a time until desired consistency is achieved.

Assemble:

• Remove scones from oven and allow to cool on baking tray for 5 minutes. Glaze while still warm.
• Store in airtight container at room temperature, or better yet, eat them all immediately…with your friends and family, of course.

]]> https://guiltykitchen.com/no-bake-spiced-cheesecake-bars/ https://guiltykitchen.com/no-bake-spiced-cheesecake-bars/#comments Thu, 04 Dec 2014 19:10:57 +0000 http://guiltykitchen.com/?p=7441

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No-Bake Spiced Cheesecake Bars

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 22 minutes minutes

Servings 24 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups Nature’s Path Chia Plus™ Coconut Chia Granola
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 2 pkg 250 g brick style plain cream cheese
• 3/4 cup plain Stonyfield Organic Low Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
• 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tsp finely grated orange zest approx.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper; set aside.
• Add granola to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add brown sugar and butter; pulse until combined.
• Press crumb mixture into prepared pan.
• Bake until firm about 12 minutes. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, with electric beaters, beat cream cheese with yogurt, sweetened condensed milk and orange zest until smooth. Spread mixture over crust; smooth top.
• Refrigerate for 6 or up to 24 hours or until firm. Garnish with extra orange zest, if desired. Cut into bars and serve.

Notes

Calories per serving: 152
Fat 11g
Cholesterol 31mg
Sodium 79mg
Carbohydrates 12g
Fibre 0.5g
Sugar 9.5g
Protein 3.5g

]]> https://guiltykitchen.com/no-bake-spiced-cheesecake-bars/feed/ 22 https://guiltykitchen.com/whole-wheat-chocolate-chip-muffins/ https://guiltykitchen.com/whole-wheat-chocolate-chip-muffins/#comments Tue, 02 Dec 2014 00:16:09 +0000 http://guiltykitchen.com/?p=7427 This week was a whirlwind of craziness and I loved every minute of it! I had photoshoots all week for my “other” job at EAT Magazine, here in Victoria BC. Check out my work, if you feel so inclined. My Dad turned an amazing 60 years old and being a child of the internet age, I plastered his Facebook News Feed in hilarious memes. It’s a great way to show you are thinking about someone who is far away, on a beach, with no postal address.

I also attended Canada’s version of the SuperBowl, the Grey Cup which was held in Vancouver and was also fantastic. One of the teams who was playing, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, just so happens to be the very same team my grandfather, Alex Passmore, played Offensive Tackle for way back in 1940, so it was very special for me to see them play, even if they did lose in the final seconds of the game.

In any case, it was a great week and now here we are in frigid December. Every house in my neighbourhood is well decked in holiday cheer already and we’re still digging out the decorations. I’m usually the first to have the carols going while I work and most definitely the first to have a tree and lights all set up. I feel so behind! Instead, I baked muffins, but not just any muffins. Muffins you can feel good about putting in your kids lunch box. These whole wheat chocolate chip muffins are whole wheat and low fat, but still moist and delicious. If you are looking for a lower sugar alternative, do not try to take out the sugar in this recipe, as it is what is making the muffins retain a moist crumb while also being low fat. Baking = Science! If you want to go for a more natural sugar content though, you could sub out the applesauce for mashed overripe bananas, and then you could safely take the sugar down to 1/2 a cup.

The best part about these muffins is the mix-ins are endless. I put dried wild blueberries in addition to the mini chocolate chips I had on hand. You could use any number of mix-ins in this recipe though, dried fruit (chopped, if needed), chocolate chunks or chips, nuts, seeds, etc. Happy baking!

One year ago: Blackberry Apple Pie
Two years ago: Paleo Chocolate Caramel Brownie Cups
Three years ago: Roasted  Vegetable Lasagna
Four years ago: Edamame Cilantro Dip
Five years ago: Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Tart

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Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Muffins

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12 large muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats not instant
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup pastry flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon optional
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp avocado oil melted butter or coconut oil would also work great
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup plain kefir or buttermilk
• 1 egg beaten
• 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips or dried/frozen fruit like blueberries or a mix of both

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin.
• In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together (oats, flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and sugar).
• In a smaller, separate bowl, beat together the remaining ingredients (except the chocolate chips and/or fruit).
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until half mixed. Stir in the chocolate chips until just blended.
• Divide the batter equally between the cups until full to the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Cool on wire rack in tin for 5-10 minutes, then remove from tin to finish cooling on wire rack.
• Store in an airtight container for up to three days or frozen for up to three months.

]]> https://guiltykitchen.com/whole-wheat-chocolate-chip-muffins/feed/ 1 https://guiltykitchen.com/pumpkin-muffins/ https://guiltykitchen.com/pumpkin-muffins/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2014 17:59:34 +0000 http://guiltykitchen.com/?p=7348 Are we officially in fall? Hard to say. Here in Canada, the season never just slips in quietly—it kicks the door open. One day you’re drinking your morning coffee on the porch in a t-shirt, and the next morning you’re scraping frost off the windshield wearing two pairs of pants and muttering about why you still live here. The switch always feels personal, doesn’t it?

I’ve never been one for “real pants” anyway, but this is the time of year when the stretchy ones really earn their keep. Soon I’ll be bundled into the biggest, fluffiest sweaters I can find, looking like a sentient duvet, my curls the only clue that there’s a person under there at all.

Fall, for me, is all about that turn inward. Lighting candles, listening to the furnace kick on for the first time (yes, even the smell of burning dust is a little comforting), and rediscovering all the scarves, boots, and cozy layers I stashed away last spring. I love tossing a throw blanket over the couch, grabbing one at night, and curling up with my partner to watch our shows while the wind does its thing outside.

And then there’s the coffee. I will always be a coffee person. As a kid, it was hot chocolate after finishing my paper route—real cocoa on the stove, the kind that leaves your hands sticky and warm. Now it’s coffee, always coffee. I like mine simple: hot, dark, with cream and a bit of stevia or monk fruit. No eggnog lattés or elaborate whipped concoctions for me—just the deep, honest comfort of coffee and water brewed together.

And what is coffee without something baked to keep it company? This is muffin weather. Pumpkin muffins, obviously, spiced within an inch of their lives. Bonus points if you crown them with cream cheese frosting and casually “forget” to tell anyone until you’ve eaten two. Trust me—you’ll be everyone’s favourite person, whether at the school gate or the office break room.

One year ago: Paleo Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Two years ago: Paleo Chocolate Caramel Brownie Cups
Three years ago: Toor Lentil Curry
Four years ago: Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Black Eyed Peas
Five years ago: Broccoli Cheddar Soup

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Pumpkin Muffins

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup (145g) pastry flour
• 1/2 cup (85g) whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 7 tbsp butter
• 2/3 cup organic cane sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/3 cup pumpkin purée not pumpkin pie filling
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper cups or grease well.
• In a large bowl, stir flours, baking powder, salt and spices together.
• In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs, pumpkin, almond milk and vanilla and whisk together until thoroughly blended.
• Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and gently stir together until just blended.
• Spoon batter evenly into cups and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Remove from tin and cool completely.
• Can be stored at room temperature in a sealed container for up to three days or frozen for up to three months.

]]> https://guiltykitchen.com/pumpkin-muffins/feed/ 2 https://guiltykitchen.com/chocolate-chia-pudding/ Tue, 04 Nov 2014 19:54:48 +0000 http://guiltykitchen.com/?p=7346 I’ve had a bag of chia seeds hiding out in my freezer for over a year, waiting for inspiration to strike. It’s not that I dislike them—though I’ll admit that when they’re suspended in liquid, they have the disconcerting texture of tiny fish eggs. But there’s something oddly appealing about that pop, that slippery little shimmer on the tongue. They taste like almost nothing—if pressed, I’d say vaguely poppy-seedish—but that’s exactly what makes them so fun to play with.

The trouble was, I couldn’t quite figure out how to use them. Sprinkle them on toast? Bake them into bread? Grind them down and sneak them into cookies? I’d made chia pudding before, but never one I really loved—until yesterday. This one is silky, lush, and just sweet enough, the kind of pudding you’d happily eat standing at the fridge with a spoon at midnight.

And the beauty of it is, chia does all the work. No stovetop custard, no endless whisking—just stir, chill, and let the seeds work their magic while you sleep. By morning, you’ve got a bowl of chocolatey comfort that feels almost too indulgent for breakfast. (Almost.)

This is the kind of thing that makes you feel smug about being “healthy” while also satisfying the part of you that secretly wants dessert before 9 a.m. It’s also brilliant post-workout food: a nice hit of carbs and protein in a form that tastes like you’re getting away with something.

One year ago: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Two years ago: Chocolate Caramel Brownie Cups
Three years ago: Healthified Banana Bread
Four years ago: Pumpkin Carrot Bread
Five years ago: Greek Lamb Burgers

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Chocolate Chia Pudding

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 minutes minutes

Servings 1 serving

Calories 241kcal

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup SILK Creamy Cashew Original
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp plain 0% Greek yogurt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 15 grams chocolate protein powder
• pinch of sea salt

Instructions

• Place all ingredients in blender and blend on low speed until combined.
• Pour into bowl or glass and refrigerate for four hours or overnight.

Notes

Nutritional Stats:

Calories: 241
Fat: 7.9g
Carbohydrates: 18g
Protein: 25g

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