After a head scratcher of a day, using my hands to clear my overstimulated nervous system is non-negotiable.

Cooking is one of the ways I bring my mind back to baseline. Plus, I eat well. It’s a win-win.

This little creation came to life on a day where cheese was the only thing capable of silencing my relentless “what the fuck” thoughts.

They were silenced & it was delicious.

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini (sliced into rounds or strips)
1 egg
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, minced - (garlic powder if you prefer)
1–2 tomatoes, chopped
Olive oil
Red pepper flakes
Fresh grated parmesan - (don’t cheap out on this - so much better fresh)
Mozzarella (sliced or shredded)
Salt

Zucchini prep instructions:

Slice zucchini thickish ribbon style and lightly salt
Let it sit for 10–15 minutes (this pulls the water out - no soggy sticks)
Pat dry with a paper towel - don’t skip this unless you’re fine with soggy…. I am not

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Garlic tomato instructions:

Mince garlic and mix with olive oil - one clove
Cut the tops off the tomatoes
Coat the tomatoes with the garlic olive oil mixture
Top with a little salt and red pepper flakes

Pop in the oven at 425°F for about 10 minutes (start cooking tomato before adding the zucchini)

Assembly instructions:

Take two pieces of zucchini and add mozzarella in between.
Top with another piece to make a sandwich.

The breading instructions:

Beat one egg in a separate bowl
In another bowl, mix panko, minced garlic, and parmesan

Dip the zucchini sandwich into the egg, then coat in the panko-garlic-parm mixture until fully covered
Press it in so it actually sticks

The baking instructions:

Place on the baking sheet with the tomato and drizzle with olive oil.
Bake at 425°F for ~20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
You’re looking for golden, crisp, and melted in the middle.

Take all of it out, have the tomato on the side or break it down and add it to the top of the zucchini grilled cheese - either way, the flavors compliment each other extremely well.

This is one of those eat now, not later situations - it’s a cooking while hungry kinda deal.

Hope it quiets your mind as much as it did mine.

This recipe is phenomenal.

The bell pepper adds a sweetness to the tangy tomato, and the feta gives a creamy, sharp undertone.

One lazy evening, when I didn’t have energy for a full cook sesh, pre-made tomato soup happened - the difference in flavor profile was unavoidable! I couldn’t even fake enjoyment.

I will NEVER eat store bought, pre-made tomato soup again.

Once you have better than ordinary, basic is blasé.

I use a food processor - a standard blender or immersion blender work just as well.

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Ingredients

6–7 ripe tomatoes (Roma or vine)

2 large red bell peppers

1 medium red onion

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1 fresh red chili - (I use red pepper flakes)

4 oz (about ½ block) feta cheese (I prefer feta in brine. Seems to have a sharper flavor)

3 tbsp olive oil

Fresh basil - ladies small handful (I don’t use basil - I have had so many overpower dishes with basil and rosemary - I can’t)

Salt & black pepper to taste

Optional: pinch of smoked paprika

Roasting Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

Slice tomatoes in halves/quarters, bell peppers into strips, onion into quarters.

Put it all on a large baking sheet with garlic cloves and chili (or the red pepper flakes - gives it a smoky taste)

Drizzle with olive oil

Season with salt & pepper

Roast for 25 minutes

Add the feta to the baking sheet at the 15-minute mark - it only needs the last 10 min to soften and brown (slightly).

Blending Instructions:

Take the sheet out of the oven and let everything cool for 5 -10 minutes -or until its not pipping hot.

If you’re using a food processor - insert the S blade.

Load about half the roasted mix into the bowl. Overfilling makes it hard to blend the ingredients evenly.

Pulse 5 - 6 times to break it down.

Then switch to Puree/High for 1–2 minutes until smooth.

Repeat with the rest of the baked ingredients.

If you like creamer soup - more feta.

If you’re spicy - more red pepper flakes.

The soup may have cooled a bit, throw it in a pot and warm her up!

I’m not huge on homemade meals being microwaved - do you though.

Finish with feta crumble and a drizzle of olive oil.

Eat & enjoy with your tangy tomato soup with grilled cheese on sourdough!

You are officially an adult!

I like big cookies. Not too soft, not too burnt. A nice chew and a little crunch.

Trial and error taught me this little chem lesson: mix wet and dry ingredients separately.

When it’s time to combine, mix the dough well, but not aggressively well.

Throw it in the fridge for 30 min before baking.

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter - soft

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt (I don’t add since I use salted butter - you do you)

1 1/2–2 cups chocolate chips (70% cocoa chunks and semi sweet chocolate chips)

The dry ingredient instructions:**\n

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and (if you are not using salted butter OR if you just like adding more) salt.

The wet ingredient Instructions:

Mix SOFT, not melted, soft - think room temp but softer - butter with the brown sugar and cane sugar. Should look like a smooth, buttery brown situation.

Once buttery brown, add vanilla extract and room temp eggs.

Mix until fully combined.

Combine wet and dry ingredients

Slowly mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Mix together well, not aggressively, just enough that the dough comes together.

Fold the chocolate chips and chunks into the dough.

After dough is mixed instructions:

Throw the dough in the fridge for 30 min before baking - I like to roll the dough into balls (~ 2.5 tablespoons each) before putting in the fridge - totally up to you how you want to do it.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F)

The baking Instructions:

Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper

Bake 6-8 cookies at a time for 9-11 minutes (I always check at 9 and usually leave in for another min)

Let cookies cool and ENJOY!

Hopefully now - “homemade dough or nothing at all” - makes a little more sense.

I blended the oats so the crust is more of a solid - it tends to stick together better.

I am not a huge oat fan - after the first no-blend, full oat go-around, fine oat is where it’s at for me.

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats

½ cup peanut butter or almond butter

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp honey -**Sub agave for vegan option*

2 tbsp cacao powder

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp chia seeds

⅓ cup chopped dark chocolate

½ tsp vanilla

Make the Oat Crust First:

1 cup rolled oats

2 tbsp coconut oil (melted)

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp peanut butter or almond butter

½ tsp vanilla

Instructions:

Mix all crust ingredients until slightly sticky.

Press firmly into a parchment-lined loaf pan - I used the bottom of a glass, but any flat, non-stick surface will work.

Put in freezer 10-15 minutes to firm up - this ensures separation of the filling and crust so it’s actually a bar, not a oat nugget.

Chocolate Protein Filling:

⅓ cup peanut butter OR almond butter - I used almond but peanut has to be just as tasty. Preference thing.

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp cacao powder

1 tbsp chia seeds

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

¼ cup chopped dark chocolate

optional: chopped dried cherries

Instructions:

Warm nut butter + coconut oil + honey until smooth.

Stir in cacao powder and vanilla. (I didn’t use vanilla in the filling and it was fine)

Add seeds + chocolate

Spread over chilled crust.

Refrigerate 1–2 hours, then cut into squares.

LEAVE IT IN THE FRIDGE AFTER YOU CUT INTO SQUARES -

The bars melt quickly. Make sure to store them in the fridge or a cool place. Otherwise you’ll have a mess to clean up.