Oatmeal-walnut-prune cookies

Last night we had Adam's parents over for dinner to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary which was 9/17. Adam has become the head chef our house and I'm mostly in charge of appetizers and dessert. This is what I decided to make for the sweet treat of the night :)

Dry ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup spelt flour (or whole wheat flour, barley flour, brown rice flour, unbleached all-purpose flour)
1/4 cup date sugar (or maple sugar or any sugar of your liking)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Wet ingredients

1/2 cup safflower oil*

1/3 cup maple syrup 

1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp molasses

about 1/4 cup walnuts chopped
about 1/4 cup prunes chopped
I didn't measure the walnuts or plums so do what you think is the right amount...

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and mix.
3. Combine the wet ingredients in another bowl and mix.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix. Then add the chopped walnuts and prunes.
5. Form into cookies and bake for 10-12 minutes.

*I found the dough to be a bit oily but the cookies turned out perfectly. I do recommend using parchment paper because it makes for an easy clean up!

Juicing

I often get asked the question: 'which is better, juicing or blending?' My answer is I like them both, I think variety is the key, and long as you don't think of juicing as a replacement for veggies and fruit then you are golden! I mean tell me a better way to use your wilted kale?! My new favorite juice is kale + lime + celery + apple.

Pumpkin muffins

I'm currently on day four of a dairy-free diet because of some recent test results. So, I pulled out a good ol' cookbook, The Kind Diet, and made pumpkin muffins-- tis the season! The author of the book, Alicia Silverstone, is vegan and I've really been enjoying re-reading her book. I changed the recipe slightly so here it is:

Makes 12 muffins

Dry ingredients
2 cups spelt flour
1.5 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (no coco butter is not dairy)

Wet ingredients
2.5 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup date sugar (or sugar of your choice)
1 'egg' (1TBSP flax mill + 3 TBSP boiling water)
1/2 cup flax milk (or milk of your choice)
1/3 cup safflower oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tins with coconut oil (or oil of your choice). I recommend spraying your tins instead of using muffin liners.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and mix.
3. Combine the wet ingredients in another bowl and mix.
4. Combine wet & dry ingredients & mix.
5. Fill muffins and bake for 25 minutes.
6. Taste the batter just to be sure :)
7. Set a timer and see how fast you can clean up.
8. No really do it-- Ready.Set.Go.

Vegetarian Chili Rellenos

This is a spin off the recipe from last October! Adam made these last week before we went to Santa Fe-- a little something to get us in the New Mexican spirit apparently. I thought it looked so pretty and he deserved a shout out! 

Eating our way through Santa Fe

Last weekend Adam and I went to Santa Fe for a belated birthday celebration with my parents. We enjoyed a lot of yummy food from Geronimos, Bouche, Vinaigrette (pictured) as well as Counter Culture and Café Pasquals. Mom made me my favorite chocolate chip coffee cake... are you drooping like I am looking back at these pictures? Can't wait to return in two months and have my siblings and nephews there too! 

Crab cakes

Well it's taken some time but we have finally found our crab cakes recipe. Not a lot of filler, just a heart crab patty-- seasoned and cooked to perfection.

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon mayo

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 large egg                               

Click to see savings

1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

2 cans fancy lump crab                               

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

 

-To prepare crab cakes, combine first 8 ingredients. Add panko and crab, tossing gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
-Form 3 cakes
- Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil (preferably grapeseed or canola) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. -Add crab cakes to pan, cook 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden.

Granola bars

These are the real deal. Both kids and adults love them, they're good for breakfast, a snack, or a desert, and most of all they are preservative free and made with LOVE!

Makes one 8″ square pan of granola bars – how many bars depends on how you cut them up!

Ingredients:

Oat mixture:
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 c shredded coconut 
1 cup dried fruit
optional: up to 1 cup seeds (sesame, flax, sunflower – any that strike your fancy, or all)

Binder:
1/2 c honey 
1/2 c brown sugar 
1/2 stick butter 
1/2 t salt

First start the granola – it will take a while to get really toasty.  Heat the oven to 350F. Toast the oats on their own for about 15 minutes, then add the nuts and coconut, and the seeds if you are using them, and toast for another 15 minutes or so.  Set the timer to remind you to stir/check the mixture every 5 minutes.  It tastes best if you get it really golden brown and toasty, but the coconut and nuts can burn if you forget and leave it for even a few minutes.  Add the fruit after you finish toasting the oat mixture. When the toasting is complete, put all into a large heatproof bowl.  Metal would be the safest, as we will be adding hot sugar syrup to the mixture.

While the granola is toasting in the oven, you can start cooking the honey butter to bind the bars together. In a medium sauce pan, stir together the ingredients for the binder (honey, brown sugar, butter, salt). Bring to a boil over low-medium heat, and allow to cook at a low boil, gently, for 5 minutes or so.  If it doesn’t boil long enough, the bars will still be delicious, but may fall apart a bit.
Take the honey mix off the heat and let it cool a little, 5 minutes or so. Pour the syrup onto the granola and turn and stir until it is well covered. Pour mixture into an 8 inch square greased pan.
Put a sheet of plastic wrap over the top, then press down firmly until the stuff is flat and packed into the pan. Pay special attention to pressing around the edges – it will be crumbly there when you cut them up if it is not pressed down well. Let the mixture cool for several hours or overnight.
Lift the whole slab out of the pan onto a cutting surface and cut the bars with a big heavy knife in whatever shapes you like!

Gazpacho

I'm sorry to be giving you this recipe at the end of summer but it's really a good one by Ina Garten who is known for her cookbooks, Barefoot Contessa.

Ingredients

• 1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
• 2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not over process! After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.

Serves 4-6

Cauliflower pizza

Your life just got a whole lot better!!! I promise you this tastes like pizza. Dare you to try it...

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 egg beaten

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp crushed garlic

1/2 tsp garlic salt

pizza sauce, shredded cheese, & precooked toppings

 

To “Rice” the Cauliflower:
Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes (some microwaves are more powerful than others, so you may need to reduce this cooking time). There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself. One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To Make the Pizza Crust:
-Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
-In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9″ round. -Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.
-Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
-Remove from oven. To the crust, add sauce, toppings and cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).
 

Serves 2-3

 

 

Banana protein muffins

So easy, so tasty, and 100% guilt-free

Blend 2 bananas, 1 cup oats, 3/4 cup egg whites, 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 2 tbsp raw sugar, 1 tsps baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon

Bake for 18-20 minutes at 375. Makes 12 muffins (spray tins with coconut oil or oil/butter of your choice).

Let's just say I've made these twice in 4 days!

Good eats in ATX

My apologies for going MIA... between my computer crashing twice, my computer cord getting lost along with my duffel bag, a ton of travel, and my nephew being born three weeks ago there really has been one reason or another as to why I haven't been posting. Be assured, I have lots to share and plan to post a lot this week :)

Let's start with the food scene in Austin, TX. Adam and I absolutely love it there and thanks to this app called diptic I can now share many more pictures with you. Hope your mouth waters like mine does looking back at these culinary delights!!

Everything is bigger in Texas

.... enough said :)

...then comes a baby in a baby carriage

Last week Adam and I left the spring weather we having in Texarkana to go to 117 degree weather in Las Vegas. Despite the 30 degree difference, we couldn't be happier to head back to my hometown to celebrate with Melissa, Dave, their soon to be BBB (baby boy Barth), and the rest of the family. While the guys played golf, went shooting, BBQed/smoked all kinds of meat that is not pictured, and yes made this adorable fruit baby to the right-- the gals wined and dined on smoked salmon tea sandwiches, whipped feta tomato crostinis, beet salad with caramelized pecans, gazpacho, spicy tuna, coleslaw, shrimp skewers with peanut sauce, mimosas, Aunt Lynn's famous chocolate chip bundt cake, Michelle's baby in a carriage cookies and more! It was such a lovely afternoon (rain is lucky) and we are all super excited for Baby B's arrival. Melissa is glowing and will no doubt be the best mom! Love you sis!

3 square meals a day

A day at the lake goes like this...

Wake up early and walk 9 holes of golf with your husband (great way to compromise-- I 'play' golf with him & he walks with me :) Then comes breakfast... poached eggs, smoked salmon, avocado, tomatoes, goat cheese, chives, and toast. Back outside for some more fun in the sun... paddle boarding with the pups! They loved it!! Back to the house for lunch... spicy tuna (1 can tuna + 1 tsp mayo + Franks red hot + chopped carrot, celery or cucumber) with salt and vinegar pop chips and a few stuffed mini peppers. Then comes the lounging... reading, watching movies and golf. Dinner time rolls around and Adam makes his best ever miso cod (recipe can be found back in the September archive but the truth is it's always evolving), vegetable soup, and salad.  These are summer days. My favorite.

Coleslaw

Last month we were in Denver for my brother-in-law's law school graduation. When we arrived he was BBQing, of course, and I discovered his famous coleslaw. Now that I've gotten the recipe from him and made it myself, I wanted to share.... thanks Ben!

1 green cabbage
1 purple cabbage
carrots to your liking (grated)
green onions to your liking (finely chopped)

Dressing
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 TBS sugar
1 TBS salt
1 tsp pepper
6 dashes tabasco

Mix the dressing in a separate bowl with a whisk, then pour over slaw. I highly recommend chopping your own cabbage instead of buying the packaged kind but I understand if you are in a hurry :) Such a delicious lake or summer side dish!

Veggie time

We are now producing lots veggies!!! Very exciting to have homegrown tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, onions, peas, and corn. Bet you wish you lived in Texarkana now, ey? If you do live here and want some, please let me know as we're happy to share!

Mr. & Mrs. Bund

Adam and I were fortunate to go to Shanghai for a work trip and it just so happens we also ate at the 7th best restaurant in Asia thanks to my cousin Andrew who recommended it! Mr. and Mrs. Bund was one of those WOW meals and if you're in the area, we highly recommend it :) Amazing flavors, unique presentation, and a breathtaking view of the city to boot.

Spring rolls

Build my own spring rolls is definitely my new favorite dinner! It's relatively simple as long as you don't mind a lot of chopping, prepping, and a couple of re-dos :) The rice paper can be found in the Asian section of your grocery store and Adam and I watched a U-tube video on how to roll them. As for the peanut sauce we went with a Whole Foods recipe. Here is where the magic bullet is really handy. Just blend the following...

• 2 1/2 tablespoons tamari
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 3 teaspoons German mustard
• 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes

Looks like a pretty canvas to me!

Gone bananas

Ready for a guilty pleasure without the guilt? Try my banana/almond milk smoothie. This is one of those things I wish everyone knew about because those that don't are truly missing out. I make this daily and it really tastes like banana fro-yo. So here is all you have to do:

1. Buy a bunch of bananas and wait until they get ripe, preferably a few freckles.
2. Peel them and cut them into fourths.
3. Freeze them.
4. Combine one banana with 3/4 cup plain almond milk or a milk of your choice.
5. Blend! The magic bullet is okay but the consistency is much better when using a real blender.

Sometimes I will add a smidge of honey or a bit of cinnamon, as shown, but it is really good with just two ingredients-- I promise! Usually this serves as a dessert for me but it also makes a great breakfast or snack paired with some type of nut.

Deviled eggs

I've discovered deviled eggs at the age of 26 and I am now making up for lost time! It all started on a cold snowy day at the lake house (seriously) with my mother-in-law Barbara and sister-in-law Haley back in December. They were in the kitchen making them together and everyone was saying how good they were. Finally I tried one and I'm oh so in love now.

Hard boil eggs then take the 2 yokes and add 1tsp mayo and some chopped sweet pickles-- I have never eaten pickles until now and this really adds a lot to the recipe. (So if you are not a pickle lover, just try it once). Then re-stuff the eggs. Sprinkle paprika and kosher salt on top. These are a perfect breakfast, lunch, or snack-- an especially good one in time for Passover or Easter :)

Presentation

Starbucks calls their oatmeal the perfect oatmeal but I think mine is the most perfect oatmeal! We don't have a microwave in our house so I make mine on the stove and it's so much better that way. Toasted almonds, fresh raspberries, and brown sugar are my condiments of choice.

We laugh at my mom because she sits down to eat a luna bar with a plate, knife, placemat, and napkin. Now I have to say that this oatmeal was that much better because I presented it well. I have rarely seen my mom eat standing up and I am so grateful she passed down those good habits to me. So my tip of the day is it doesn't matter what you're eating- just sit down, enjoy it, and make it count!

P.S. Sorry no napkin or spoon pictured mom :P

Butterfly

I came across this creative picture and wanted to share it...

Spring garden

I couldn't be happier that spring is finally here! We have planted our tomatoes, peppers, onions, and strawberries. Much more to come and I'll be sure to update along the way. Adam says our soil is awesome so I'm hoping for a terrific season. Check out the gorgeous tree in our backyard :)

Rice cake ideas

Rice cakes are a great gluten free alternative. I like putting jelly on them and swirling almond butter on top. Or sometimes I'll do peanut butter on the bottom and sliced banana over it. Here are a couple more suggestions for guacamole/avo lovers! The 1st pic is 1/2 cup mashed garbanzo beans + 1 wholly guacamole 100 calorie pack + lemon juice with cucumber. The 2nd pic is 1 wholly guacamole 100 calorie pack with 2 hard boiled eggs. These make delicious snacks or light lunches!