Monday, January 14, 2013

Quick Healthy Lunch Idea: black bean tortilla roll-up


I don't know about you but I find it extremely difficult to find quick fast lunches on the go that are healthy and vegetarian. It's pretty much impossible. McDonald's is out, let's face it the salads there are crap. And most other fast food options are equally terrible. I am constantly annoying my husband when we are out and about around lunchtime and everyone is hungry and just wants to stop where ever and picky ol' me refuses to eat a burger and fries for lunch. Sorry guys, but I just know myself and I know if I eat poorly I'll feel sluggish and grumpy for the rest of the day. 

So here is one lunch option I decided to make at home today and I think it could easily be packed up for a work lunch. I got the idea from the latest GOOP e-mail on Superfoods. Thanks Gwyneth!

Here is what I put in my wrap. I just know I'm going to feel great for the rest of the day after eating this for lunch.

Black Bean Tortilla Roll-up
adapted slightly from GOOP

1 whole wheat tortilla (I toasted mine on the pan but not necessary if taking it to go)
hot sauce
black beans
spinach 
feta 
avocado
1 smear of plain yoghurt




Friday, January 11, 2013

Aggression Cookies: a classic oldy


One of my very favourite cookies to bake when I was a child was called aggression cookies. They are the perfect oatmeal cookie in my opinion. Sweet and simple with a lovely oaty crunch. The recipe that my sisters and I would use was from a children's cookbook of which I cannot recall the name but I'm quite sure it is still somewhere collecting dust at my parents house. Anyway, I suddenly had an urge to bake these cookies this afternoon and so I did a quick google search and there were countless agression cookie recipes that popped up. All the recipes were pretty much the same with the same 2:1:1:1 proportions of oats to brown sugar, flour and butter. I also added a touch of vanilla in the end. It now makes perfect sense to me that these cookies were in a children's cookbook due to the simplicity of the ingredients.

I never gave the name aggression cookies much thought but according to the many recipes posted online the name comes from the fact that one can get their aggressions and stress out while making these cookies, the longer you knead the better! Put some serious elbow grease into it. I remember it was fun as a child to get my hands all messy with the cookie dough and knead away.


Aggression Cookies

1 cup butter (unsalted and softened)
1 cup white flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 sugar old fashioned oats (don't use quick cook oats)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mash with your hands until mixed very well. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Press the cookies flat with the back of a glass. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly golden in colour. Remove from heat and let cool COMPLETELY before removing from cookie sheet or else the cookies will crumble. This recipe makes anywhere from 20 - 60 cookies depending on how large you make your cookies.