Eatmore Energy Bars

These bars really are great for an energy boost, I have had many customers over the years who have sworn by them. One of these was a marathon runner who always stocked up on a supply of energy bars which he found sustained him much better than any of the protein bars that he tried.
I hope he finds our blog so he can get the recipe. I hope he and everyone else who has asked for this recipe will find it on our blog. Eatmore Energy Bars will be in the next book which will be Cookies, and other treats.

Eatmore Energy Bars

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup honey
1 cup carob powder
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup fine unsweetened coconut
1 cup coarsely chopped peanuts
Melt honey and peanut butter together in a large saucepan over very low heat. Stir together and remove from heat when it is soft and mixed well. It doesn't need to be hot. Stir in the carob powder. It will make it very thick. Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix very well. Empty into an 8 x 11 pan or a 9 x 9 inch pan. Using the back of a clean sturdy spoon, press it into the pan. Work it into the pan very well so that there are no loose seeds left underneath. The top should be smooth and shiny. Refrigerate to set.
This doesn't have to be kept in the fridge, but it will keep a long time if it is stored well wrapped in a fridge.

Baked Tomato Halves

John Brett, with all those lovely tomatoes from your garden, we are now going to have one of our favorite tomato dishes... and you may want to double this, everyone will want more than one

Baked Tomato Halves

2 medium size tomatoes
2 T. butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 T. prepared mustard
1/2 tsp worchestershire sauce
2 slices bread
2 (more) T. butter
2 tsp chopped parsley, optional
Preheat oven to 350. Cut tomatoes in half. Place cut side up in baking dish. Saute onions in 2 T. butter. Once they are lightly browned, stir in the mustard and worchestershire. Spread this on top of the tomato halves. Cut bread into cubes. Melt butter. Mix well into the bread cubes. Add the parsley. Pile on top of each tomato half. Bake for 20 min. Adjust baking time for the tomato size. Tomatoes should be cooked and croutons browned.

A Simple Egg Salad Sandwich

Why is it so hard to find a good egg salad sandwich. I had one recently in Toronto with no flavor at all to it. It tasted like it was just mashed egg. Other times I have had them with so much mayo that it was dripping out of the sandwich. So, here is how I make it.

Egg Salad Sandwich Filling
This is for two eggs, multiply it out to the amount you want.

2 hard boiled eggs
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
1 finely chopped sweet pickle
salt and pepper to taste
Mayo, just enough to stick it all together.
Boil the eggs for 10 minutes. Cool and remove shells. Cut eggs finely, rather than mashing. A pastry blender works very well, especially if you are doing a lot. Mix in onion, celery and sweet pickle. Season with a little salt and pepper. Stir in a tablespoon of mayo type salad dressing. Add more if needed.

Curry Chick Pea and Basmati Soup

If you haven't seen our Seriously Cooking Soups book, I am posting this very good vegetarian soup that has been extremely popular with our cafe customers. I hope you enjoy it too. This recipe is especially simple and quick if you have some cooked frozen rice to use.

Curry Chick Pea and Basmati Soup

1 onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 inch piece fresh ginger
1 T. curry powder
1 can diced tomatoes, 14 oz
1 chicken-like broth cube
2 cups basmati rice, cooked
1 can chick peas
1 can coconut milk
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp sea salt
hot sauce to taste

Saute onion briefly with celery. Add chopped pepper. Chop ginger finely. Add ginger and crushed garlic to the saute. Stir in the curry powder. Slowly stir in 2 cups water. Stir in the crumbled broth cube and the can of tomatoes. Heat. Add the remaining ingredients. If you need more liquid, add a bit more water.
To make it a little thicker and creamier, mix 1 T. cornstarch into 1/4 cup cold water, and stir into the soup. Cook a few more minutes to thicken the soup.