peanut butter Archives - Joie De Vivre

Chocolate, Cookies, Brownies & Bars, Pies & Puddings, Sweet

Cocoa Almond Cookies

I’ve never followed a paleo or keto diet – but these keto and paleo friendly cocoa almond cookies were too tempting not to try, and they made the perfect Sohfit treat, as well as a treat for my 10-month old! It was hard to determine how long these cookies stay well, because despite making almost a dozen batches in the last 3 months, there were days when a batch of cookies was completely wiped out in a day! But if by some magical chance you are able to store the cookies, I would suggest a steel box or a cookie tin, at room temperature in a cool spot, not in the direct heat of the Indian summer.

DISCLAIMER: these cookies may not look insanely fantastic, but OMG, they taste incredible! Read more…

May 29, 2020 | 0 comment

Appetisers and Hors D'oeuvres, Cuisines, Entree, Salads, Savoury, Vegetables & Sides

Rainbow Bowl

It’s not possible, or agreeable, to delve into any interaction, virtual or (ah, if only) physical, without inquiring about the mental health of the other person. These times are trying for all, albeit in different ways, but trying nonetheless. I am extremely grateful for all the luxuries that we have, that all our loved ones are in good health, and that we have access to nature’s bounty. With that in mind, making simple cold summer food with what’s in the kitchen is a no-brainer. The key is having a dynamite dressing to tie in the vegetables, and add a carb or card replacement (like I did, with my black bean noodles)

Eating plant based and eating fresh are something that will always be a sustainable and sensible option for your body, to boost your immunity and to provide you with the nutrition and strength you need, to fight against these trying times, medically and emotionally. Read more…

April 29, 2020 | 0 comment

Cuisines, Entree, Savoury

Pimped up Noodles

Wanting something noodly (yes, it is a word. Yes, I coined it myself) and quick resulted in this bowl of black pepper noodles being amped up with some vegetables, some nut butter and a few but aromatic garnishes. I always end up buying more ready to eat noodles than I can make, which worked out great on a day like today! I started with Koka’s Black Pepper noodles, followed the instructions, added my twist and voila! A hearty 5 minute meal for one (and a half).

Birthday Tikkis

I made these (birthday) tikkis a last week from the Indian Accent cookbook, which now dominates my kitchen counter (not only because it is gorgeous, but its also HUGE!). Not a day has gone when I haven’t opened the book and perused the recipes, salivated at the pictures, and read chef Manish Mehrotra’s stories that prelude each and every recipe. Some of the recipes are complicated, requiring a team of sous chefs to help you – while the others, like our tikkis here, may look difficult to make, but in fact aren’t as cumbersome as I thought – and taste fantastic. A real Indian Accent dish, from my kitchen and my heart to yours, marking the occasion of Joie De Vivre’s 6th year – this really is a treat worthy of the celebration!

Granola Bar Goodness

I am actually a little surprised at myself for not putting up a post using my OCD ingredient of strawberries. Firstly, because despite not posting about it or taking pictures and spamming my instagram feed, I actually did already use strawberries a few times already. The first was in a boozy strawberry jalepeno margarita, followed by this gorgeous Valrhona Bundt cake with the centre piled high with fresh fresh strawberries. After that, there was the baby spinach and roquette salad with fresh strawberries, blushing tomatoes, crumbled goats cheese in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

Instead of any of those – we have these super amazing energy filled tasty granola bars.

Now truth be told, I’ve made granola bars before, and absolutely loved them. It is strangely comforting having control over what actually goes into your health bars, instead of the processed and sugar loaded store-bought varieties available out there. The other option is to purchase granola clusters or bars from home bakers at the various pop-ups, farmers markets and food events around town, but I definitely feel that those versions are unregulated and there is actually no real way to verify the ‘healthy’ sticker they come with.

Peanut Butter Blondie Bars

At the beginning of the year, I undertook a personal challenge – to promote happiness in my life, everyday. And more importantly, to notice what it is that makes me happy. The basic idea is to share a photo of whatever it is that makes you happy, for 100 consecutive days. Sharing can be as public […] Read more…

April 1, 2014 | 4 Comments