PB-Banana Oatmeal

I've become a bit of a convert to the famous PB-banana mixture. And you know what? I  l-o-v-e  it. If you haven't tried it, don't bash it just yet! I thought it sounded kinda gross too, but I was wrong. PB-banana foods have become a staple in my diet (PB-banana wraps, PB-Banana Protein Bars, and PB-banana oatmeal, to name a few). Quite recently, I've been making oatmeal to warm myself up on these chilly Mexico City mornings! What, you thought all of Mexico was hot? NOPE. Because of our elevation, Mexico City mornings are just as cool as Iowa October mornings. So here is my quick, simple, little warmer-upper:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oats

1 ripe, mashed banana

Almond milk (I didn't measure, but I guess I used no more than 1/3 cup)

1 tbsp creamy natural peanut butter

Honey, to taste (or agave, for strict vegans)

Cinnamon, to taste

Directions:

The method itself is just as sinfully simple as the ingredients. Toss everything into your breakfast bowl, minus the cinnamon, and mix it together as well as you can (the sticky peanut butter won't want to mix perfectly). Pop it in the microwave for 1 minute to 90 seconds, depending on microwave power. Remove from the microwave and mix it again (now it should mix much better). Sprinkle cinnamon on top and enjoy!

UPDATE + Mexican Rice

WHOA. And I'm back. After a 7-month hiatus from food-blogging, it may be something I want to start doing again! (Time permitting).

Essentially, the short explanation for my disappearance from this blog is that 1) I live in Mexico City now; 2) I keep really busy with work and travelling (as can be seen at my other blog, Aventuras en D.F. ); 3) I have a tiny kitchen and the stove doesn't even have temperature labels; and 4) I have fallen off the vegan train. Oops! You see, living in Mexico, being vegan is much more difficult than it is in the states, for numerous reasons. However, the big reason for me was that pretty much all Mexican food includes cheese, sour cream, and/or milk. Aaand, vegan substitutions are non-existent around here. If I lived in Mexico, and never ate Mexican food, I would feel like I'm missing out on a big part of the culture here! So, I've added dairy back in to my diet. (Organic and family-farm raised, whenever possible, of course). To tell you my really dirty secret, I've even added shrimp back in to my diet. Forgive me, die-hard vegans.

SO...What does this mean for the blog? Really, nothing. If I have cheese in a recipe, it can just as easily be substituted with vegan cheese. Same thing goes for milk / almond milk, cream / coconut cream, sour cream / tofu sour cream, etc.. So, without further ado, let me give you a fully-vegan recipe that I made for lunch today: Mexican Rice. (How fitting).

Ingredients:

1 cup rice

2 cups veggie broth

1/3 cup tomato paste

1 tsp-tbsp (depending on how much you want) garlic powder

1/2 tsp cumin

~1/3 medium onion (you can use more if you wish, but I don't recommend using the whole thing)

1 cup peas (I used frozen)

Olive oil

Directions:

Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high flame, and generously coat the pan with olive oil. Toss in the rice, and mix with a spatula until all the rice is coated in oil. Sprinkle the cumin and garlic salt over the rice, and mix again. Allow the rice to toast until golden (being careful not to burn!). In the meantime, roughly chop your 1/3 onion, and mix that in as well. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes.

Now, mix the veggie broth and tomato paste into the pan as well. Crank the flame up to high heat and allow to boil out. For me, this couldn't have taken more than 15 minutes, just be sure to stir/fluff the rice every couple minutes. When the soupy-ness goes away, you'll be left with a reddish-orange rice. Reduce the heat back to medium-low and toss in the cup of green peas. Stir-fry for another 3-5 minutes, or until the peas are soft. (Or in my case, unfrozen). Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Enjoy!!

PB-Banana Protein Bars

I'm in love with granola bars. Head-over-heels. They are so yummy! Luna bars, Clif Bars, and Larabars are all super-delicious, but can be expensive. Homemade granola bars, on the other hand, are quite inexpensive, and you know exactly what goes into them and what they come in contact with before you eat them. (Particularly useful for strict vegans and those who are gluten-intolerant). The homemade granola bars I made the other day are vegan (of course), gluten-free, about 160 calories each while packing in 12 whole grams of protein per bar! Guaranteed delicious and healthy. I added a vegan protein powder supplement to these bars, which I highly recommend. The brand I use is called MLO Vegetable Protein Powder, to buy it online, click here. Otherwise you can probably find it in the health-food section of your grocery store. Really good stuff to have around to mix into smoothies, granola bars, etc. But enough of raving about my protein powder (you're welcome for the free advertising, MLO), now it's time for the actual recipe!

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup vegan protein powder

1/2 cup chopped almonds

1 ripe banana

6 whole dates

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 tablespoons agave nectar

1/4 cup almond milk

Directions

Chop the banana and dates in to very small pieces.

In a saucepan on the stovetop over medium-low heat, melt the peanut butter, and stir in the agave nectar, and almond milk.

Slowly mix in the protein powder, almonds, oats, chopped banana and dates. Mix together very well--the mixture will be very thick, but keep at it until it's all mixed evenly.

Transfer the mixture to an ungreased 8 x 8 pan, and press it down into the pan using your (clean) hands. You may need to wait for a minute or two for the mixture to be cool enough to touch. Once everything is even in the pan, set the pan in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours for the bars to set.

Cut the bars in to 10 pieces, and serve cold. The only "downside" is that the bars need to be kept in the fridge, but they pop out of the pan really easily and make a great snack or pre/post workout fuel. Enjoy!

Tofu Tagine Pasta (Can be Gluten-Free!)

Another grey day in Iowa, another perfect excuse to spend a lot of time in the kitchen making new recipes :) These grey days aren't bothering me so much anymore! Bad weather = excuse to stay in and bake/cook = happiness. Ah, the simple things in life. Today's lunch was inspired by a recipe I saw in Cosmo a few months back: Chicken Tagine. It looked really good for a lunch or dinner, except that little problem of chicken not being quite vegan. Buuuut, a little bit of tofu solves that problem! After subbing the tofu for the chicken and making a few not-exactly-minor tweaks to the recipe, I came out with a tofu recipe that is great on its own, and awesome in a pasta dish. The tofu needs to marinate for a long time, so it can absorb a nice flavor--so it's best to begin preparing this dish 8-24 hours ahead of time. Here's the recipe for a fancy-schmancy lunch or dinner, serves 4 people.

Ingredients for the Tofu Tagine:

1 block extra-firm tofu

2 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon spanish paprika

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions for the Tofu Tagine

Drain the tofu and pat it dry with a napkin. Cut it into strips, about 1 inch wide, 1/2 inch thick, and 4 inches tall. Set aside on a paper towel.

Pour the vegetable broth into a bread loaf pan, and stir in all of the remaining ingredients listed above except the olive oil.

Place the tofu strips into the vegetable broth marinade, and refrigerate 8 to 24 hours. (I let it sit for about 15 hours)

After the tofu has been marinating for 8+ hours, preheat the oven to 350. Bake the tofu for 25 minutes; this really locks in the flavor.

When the tofu comes out of the oven, drain the marinade liquid and, using tongs, gently place the tofu strips on paper towels.

Now, heat up a large frying pan over medium heat, and coat it with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Fry the tofu strips for a couple minutes on each side, until they reach a golden color.

Remove from the heat and set aside. Your tofu is done! Now for the remainder of the pasta dish ingredients...

Pasta Dish Ingredients

1 package (8 oz) fettuccine (I used DeBoles brand gluten-free rice fettuccine)

1/2 zucchini

4 large baby portabella mushrooms

1 lemon

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Pasta Dish Directions

Cook the fettuccine according to package directions, in salted water.

While the pasta is cooking, slice the zucchini and mushrooms into small, bite-sized pieces.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat, lightly coat it with a little bit of olive oil, and stir-fry the zucchini and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Then, remove from heat and set aside.

Drain the pasta and portion it onto 4 plates or bowls.

Squeeze a little bit of lemon juice over the pasta, to taste.

Distribute the tofu, mushrooms, and zucchini into each bowl on top of the pasta. Add salt and pepper to each bowl, to taste. Garnish with a bit of lemon zest, if desired.

Serve warm, and enjoy!!

Roasted Asparagus

Sometimes, veggies can be comfort food. I know some people would initially disagree--comfort foods include chocolate things, ice cream, and hot and calorie-rich meals laden with not-the-healthiest-but-delicious ingredients. Right? Okay, right, those are some comfort foods. But, when veggies are prepared a certain way, they can have a comforting, yummy, just-like-mom-used-to-make appeal. Instant cure for homesickness. Or a really bad cold. (Seriously, self, of all the times to get miserably sick...) Cue roasted asparagus. As a kid, I really didn't like the taste of it, but now, I can't get enough of it! Maybe it's this recipe. Even if asparagus isn't your favorite, just try one spear prepared this way: it might change your mind about this veggie :) Because, there are so many wonderful things in asparagus--Vitamins A, C, E, K, chromium, folate, glutahione, lots of antioxidants, and fiber. Helps prevent cancer, has anti-aging properties (who doesn't want to look young longer?), and helps prevent cognitive decline. Read more about why asparagus is so good for you here. So, at least give it a try! Here's a recipe to make a delicious roasted asparagus lunch or snack:

Ingredients:

Asparagus spears, washed and dried, with the tough bottoms broken off

Olive oil

Juice from half a lemon

Garlic salt

Black pepper

Optional: shredded veg-mozzarella cheese (Daiya brand is awesome), or regular mozzarella, if you're a non-veg

Directions:

Preheat the oven to a little more than 400 fahrenheit. (Maybe 415-425ish? The ovens here are in Celsius, and I turned that up to a little past 200)

Lay asparagus spears side-by-side in a shallow dish (I used a pizza pan)

Lightly drizzle olive oil over the spears, just enough to cover them in a very very thin layer. Roll the spears back and forth with your hands to coat all sides.

Squeeze the juice from the lemon half over the spears, as evenly as possible.

Sprinkle garlic salt and black pepper over the spears. A little goes a long way--these aren't so good if they're too salty!

I highly recommend adding a small handful of mozzarella cheese (vegan or non, whatever your preference). Works really well if you are trying to get kids to eat their greens! Again, not much is needed to give a huge flavor boost, so a small handfull sprinkled sparingly will to the trick.

Place in the oven and allow to roast for 15 minutes. Remove, and allow to cool for a minute or two. Serve hot, and enjoy!

Couscous and Veggies (With gluten-free option!)

Finally! A new post! It's been a month, but I'm finally feeling settled here in Mexico, can navigate the grocery store somewhat well, and am becoming familiar with what is where in the kitchen. Today for lunch, I made something really yummy, and I have to share it with you. It's not a Mexican dish for sure, but I hope to get around to posting those soon, when I have a little more expertise in the area. Today was hot, healthy comfort food for lunch. And maybe dinner. Mmmmm, couscous with sauteed veggies. Super-easy to make, and the most time-consuming thing is chopping the veggies. The recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup dry couscous (I used tomato-basil flavored couscous, highly recommended!)
*For gluten-free substitutions, see notes

10 baby carrots

1/2 medium yellow onion

1 red bell pepper

1/2-3/4 cup sliced cremini mushrooms (or any type you prefer)

3 garlic cloves

Olive oil

Garlic salt

Directions:

Prepare couscous according to package directions in a medium bowl, and set aside.

Boil the baby carrots over high heat for 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, begin dicing the garlic very finely, and chopping the onion and red pepper into small bits. (I find I have an easier time chopping up the bell pepper if I use scissors to cut it). When the carrots have finished boiling, run some cold water over them, and then chop those into small bits also.

Coat a frying pan with some olive oil (don't be shy with it) and sautee all the veggies except the carrots--onion, garlic, red bell pepper, sliced mushrooms--for about 6 minutes. Then add in the carrots, and sautee for another 2-3 minutes.

Transfer the hot veggies to the bowl with the couscous, and mix together. Add in an extra tablespoon of olive oil, if the couscous seems a little hard or dry. (Or just to make the flavor a little richer!). Sprinkle garlic salt over it to taste, serve hot, and enjoy!! Heats up very nicely for leftovers, so this is a good dish for making a double batch and having quick, healthy, easy meals during the week.

Notes:

For a gluten-free option, a good sub to mimic the couscous texture would be quinoa. I haven't made it this way yet, but feel free to experiment, and please report back and let me know how it went! :) Another sub for the quinoa could definitely be rice. I've made a lot of rice and sauteed veggie dishes, and they all turn out very well--and a dash of soy sauce is good, but unfortunately most have gluten, so check labels.

Sweet Potato Bowl

So, I wasn't entirely sure what to call this dish. It seems like the word "casserole" might have been a good fit, but this isn't the sweet potato casserole that most people are familiar with, and I didn't want to have anyone expecting a dish laden with sugar and butter. This is somewhat sweet, but not sweet like the side dish/dessert that is often present at your Thanksgiving dinners. It's savory, a rich flavor that isn't overwhelming--so it makes the perfect autumn dinner entree! This recipe makes a serving for one, hitting at right about 300 calories.

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato

1/2 cup almond milk

1/4 cup oats

1/3 cup Splenda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon maple extract

1/4 teaspoon butter extract (it's vegan)

Dash of salt

Toppings: 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts, 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425.

Fill a medium sauce pan about 2/3 of the way full with water, and bring to a boil over the stovetop. Meanwhile, slice the sweet potato very thinly. I used a chip-maker-slicer that I have, and I can't reccommend these enough!

Once the water is boiling, add sweet potato chips and allow to boil for 6-8 minutes.

While the sweet potato chips are boiling: In a mixing bowl, stir together the oats, splenda, almond milk, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla/maple/butter extracts.

Remove the sweet potatoes from the heat and drain. Pour these into the mixing bowl with the other ingredients, and immediately beat with an electric mixer to mash up as best you can.

Lightly grease a small dish (I used a glass cereal bowl), and pour the mixture into it. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove, sprinkle chopped walnuts over the top, and place back in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Finally, remove from the oven, and drizzle the tablespoon of maple syrup over the top. Allow to cool for a few minutes, as it's really REALLY hot. A sprinkle of extra cinnamon never hurts either :) Enjoy as a hot, healthy, and savory dinner!!

Apple-Date Cakes

What is happening to the Autumn in Iowa?!? Last week it was absolutely beautiful, not too cold, and all sorts of reds, oranges, and golds in the trees. And this week? So far, it's cold, windy and grey. The leaves are almost gone, and I have a feeling that the snow might come too early...In order to take my mind off of the impending winter (it's only October, Iowa, please don't do this), I've been baking some more Autumn-themed goodies! Today's creation, is, I've gotta say, to-die-for. OMG, these apple-date cakes. They're slightly chewy, and somewhere between cake and bread in the texture. I love the texture, but can't seem to find the best way to describe it! Guess you'll have to try making them and report back your opinions, darn ;) The flavor is rich, mildly spicy, and sweet (but not overly-sweet). These have to be the perfect fall dessert. They have everything going for them: they're healthy, low-cal, oil-free, gluten-free, super easy to make, and absolutely decadent. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup chopped dates

1 finely diced green apple, peeled before dicing

1 cup water

1.5 cups quick oats

1 cup Splenda (or sugar)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375.

Peel and dice the green apple very finely.

In a small saucepan over the stovetop, bring the water to a boil. In the meantime, collect the diced apple and chopped dates and place them in a small glass or metal (just not plastic!) bowl. Something that will hold 2 cups of water will be large enough. Pour the boiling water over the apple and dates and stir a couple times. Now, set that bowl aside and let it cool off a little.

Pulse the quick oats a few times in a blender or food processor, until they form a flour. Transfer this flour to a mixing bowl and add in the Splenda (or sugar), cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Pour the wet mixture over the dry and stir together very well.

Lightly grease an 8x8 pan, and pour the entire contents of the mixing bowl in to it. Sprinkle the top with extra cinnamon, if you like.

Place in the oven and bake for 24 minutes, remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes before trying to cut. Then, cut into 9 pieces, serve, and enjoy!! (Yummm!)

Notes:

Makes 9 servings at right about 100 calories each.

Autumn Spice Granola

Hi again! Sorry it's been so long since my last post: this has been a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type week for me, and 24 hours doesn't seem to be enough in the day anymore! (Can I get an "Amen"?) When I had some extra time, I did a little food preparation so that I could easily have a quick meal even when I'm in a rush. My favorite result of this haphazard food prep session was a warm, lightly spicy (think cinnamon kind of spicy), and sweet granola. It's by far been my favorite breakfast this week. Also, it's pretty simple to throw together, and likely that you already have several, if not all, the ingredients lurking in your pantry! The recipe:

Ingredients:

2.5 cups quick-cooking oats

1/3 cup chopped walnuts (can also sub with pecans, almonds, etc.)

2/3 cup Splenda (or sugar)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ginger

2 tablespoons coconut oil (can probably sub with vegetable oil or similar)

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/8 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/4 cup chopped dates

1/8 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a medium saucepan over low heat on the stovetop, whisk together applesauce, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, and coconut oil until blended together very well. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, sift together oats, Splenda, walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

Pour the wet mixture over the dry, and mix together as evenly as possible. The granola will start to form clumps.

Lightly grease a baking sheet with raised edges (or a large brownie pan would work, 13x9). Spread the granola over the sheet, covering most of it.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes, remove and flip/stir the granola a couple times, bake for another 15 minutes, again remove and flip/stir, then place in the oven for 10 more minutes. Finally, remove and transfer the granola to a lidded container.

Toss the dates and raisins into the lidded container along with the granola, place the lid on, and turn the container over a few times in your hands to mix everything together.

Enjoy!! Makes 4 large breakfast servings, easily keeps for at room temperature for at least 5 days.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Good afternoon! Hope everybody's having a lovely Sunday :) It's certainly beautiful here in central Iowa, a perfect day to get a little sunshine, exercise, eat some good food...Mhm, a great Sunday indeed! After making some scrambled tofu for breakfast, I had some leftover peppers that I wanted to eat today. I also had some baby bella mushrooms and tofutti sitting in the fridge--which gave me the idea to make some stuffed mushrooms! I haven't had those in ages and ages, and decided it was high time to make a vegan version. Tofutti is super yummy and swaps out perfectly for dairy cream cheese, though I noticed it does take a couple minutes longer to cook. The recipe:

Ingredients:

8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, stems removed

1/2 cup finely diced bell peppers, red/orange/yellow/green--any of these work

1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon finely diced onion

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2-3 tablespoons Tofutti brand "cream cheese" (I used French Onion flavored Tofutti)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

Rinse and dry the mushrooms, and set aside.

In a cup or small mixing bowl, mix together the peppers, onion, parsley, and garlic powder.

Scoop that mix into the mushroom caps, filling them about 3/4 of the way full.

Spread a generous amount of tofutti over the tops of the mushrooms, covering them completely.

Place in the preheated oven and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until the tofutti starts to crack a little on the top. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving, and really enjoy!!

Black Bean Brownies

Please don't get turned off by the title and run away! Phew, okay, you stayed :) I know what you're thinking: "Another dessert recipe?" Mmmmhmmm.....No, I'm not letting myself go, but when I walked in to the kitchen and saw half a bag of chocolate chips peeking out of the cupboard, inspiration struck. And by inspiration, I mean one helluva chocolate craving! You all can sympathize, right? Well, as a result of this massive craving, my own recipe for Black Bean Brownies was born. These are super rich and chocolatey, have a slightly cake-like texture, you can't taste the black beans at all, and they're gluten-free! Oh, and did I mention that these may be the most delicious brownies I've ever made? I couldn't keep out of these. So, I'm sharing my brand-new recipe, of course:

Ingredients:

1 heaping cup black beans

1/3 cup almond milk

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats, processed into a flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 tablespoon agave nectar

3/4 cup Splenda, or sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon vinegar

1 teaspoon Torani brand Sugar Free Caramel Syrup (probably optional, extra agave might substitute)

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (Ghirardelli brand are vegan)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

Process the oats in a blender or food processor until they form a flour. Transfer this flour to a medium mixing bowl, and set aside.

Drain the black beans and rinse under very hot water for about a minute.

Blend the black beans, almond millk, pumpkin puree, agave nectar, vanilla, vinegar, and caramel syrup all together in a blender or food processor.

Sift the dry ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl, keeping out the chocolate chips for now.

Pour the wet mixture over the dry and stir together very well.

Mix in the chocolate chips last.

Transfer the batter to a greased 8x8 pan, and place in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until slightly firm to the touch.

Let cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving, as the chocolate chips are lava right out of the oven.

Cut into 9-12 pieces and enjoy!! Awesome on their own, or they're also really tasty over a couple scoops of coconut milk ice-cream :)

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

The trick to turning an uncomfortably chilly morning into a warm, "I-love-Fall" feeling morning? Dessert for breakfast, of course! And pumpkin pie oatmeal has been happening a lot for me recently :) Perfect thing to help wake up and warm up as the weather starts getting cold once again. This recipe makes one large serving of steaming, spiced, and slightly sweet oatmeal that's packed with fiber and protein. The toasted almonds are optional, but highly recommended! They add in extra protein, give a nice little crunch to the dish, and are just plain tasty. As a side note, I found this is an optimal breakfast 2-3 hours before a workout, great energy from it! The recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1-2 tablespoons Splenda or sugar, depending on taste

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Dash of ginger

Dash of nutmeg

Dash of salt

1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) slivered almonds, or chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted

Directions

If adding in almonds (or pecans or walnuts, etc), preheat oven to 350, spread almonds over a baking sheet, and toast in the oven for about 6-8 minutes, just being careful not to burn.

Whisk almond milk and pumpkin puree together in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat.

Pour the quick oats into the saucepan, and mix constantly for a couple minutes, or until it starts steaming.

Stir in the brown sugar, Splenda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt, and immediately transfer to your bowl.

Top with the toasted almonds, and enjoy!

Gingerbread Cookies

Happy Wednesday, everybody! The work/school week is officially more than halfway over, and most certainly you are planning on having an "it's-the-second-weekend-of-the-fall-season" party, right? Hehe, okay, stretching it, I know. But, I must create these little holidays so I can continue with my baking addiction guilt-free :) In the proper spirit of  the Autumn season, I made something I've never even attempted before: Gingerbread Cookies. And by some blessing from the baking gods, I discovered a winning recipe on the first attempt! Seriously, (at the risk of sounding like I'm tooting my own horn) they're awesome. They're gone. Between four of us. In less than four hours. Yes, these are certainly something people will gobble down at your next get-together! They're soft and pillowy, melt-in-your-mouth cookies. Making vegan and gluten-free look sexy since September 2012. The recipe:

Ingredients:

2.5 cups quick-cooking oats, blended into a flour in a food processor or blender

1/2 cup (1 stick) vegan butter/margarine

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup Splenda, or sugar

1 teaspoon vinegar

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

On the stovetop in a saucepan over medium heat, melt the vegan butter and stir in the pumpkin puree and vinegar. Allow to come very close to a boil, and then whisk in the brown sugar. Stir constantly for 2 minutes, then remove mixture from the heat and set aside.

While the hot mix cools for a few, make a flour out of the oats by pulsing several times in a blender or food processor. Sift all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

Pour the pumpkin-butter mixture over the dry ingredients, and stir everything together very well.

Grease a cookie sheet, and shape 12 large cookies onto the sheet. These puff up in the oven, so feel free to squash the dough down a little bit on the cookie sheet before baking.

Place cookies in the oven and set the timer for 15-17 minutes, until the tops have browned slightly and are firm to the touch.

Remove from oven, let cool for at least 5 minutes, and enjoy! If you share, everybody will want to be your friend :) Hehe...the power of baking...

Quinoa and Hummus Salad

As the end of September rolls in, I find myself desperately trying to fit in those last few "summer-y" things before the cold sets in. For me, that means lots of hiking, bonfires, boat rides, and super-fresh foods. Foods like this Quinoa and Hummus Salad. It's kind of similar to a pasta salad, only subtract the pasta and add the quinoa :) Plus, the sauteed veggies give a great boost to the immunity system, which we can all use as the cold weather starts to set in! This is a salad that is good the first day, but GREAT the second and third days, when the flavors absorb a little better. (Think back, think waaaay back to your first school dance. 8pm, starts off awkward, no one's talking, boys on one side of the room, girls on the other. But, as time goes on, people get chatting, enjoying the music a little more, people start dancing--eventually everything works out and everybody has a great time.) Okay, maybe a bad comparison, I know, but that's what I envision happens when I store this salad in the fridge overnight. The quinoa, hummus, and veggies all get very friendly and cozy, and this salad is magically twice as delicious the next day! But enough with bad junior-high-dance comparisons and such, here is the recipe for your Quinoa and Hummus Salad:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1/2 cup hummus (I used garlic hummus--yum!)

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 yellow or orange bell pepper

1 medium yellow onion

1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms

1 tbsp minced garlic

Spices, depending on your taste, but I used the following:

• Salt
• Pepper
• Fresh German Thyme
• Garlic Powder
• Parsley Flakes
• Spike Brand Gourmet Natural Seasoning

Spices are absolutely essential, they take it from a somewhat bland dish to something entirely amazing :) So, definitely add in as many of the above that you can, and feel free to experiment and add in some new flavors as well!

Directions:

Start to cook the quinoa over the stovetop according to box directions (usually it's one part quinoa to two parts water).

Dice your peppers and onion, and chop the mushrooms into smaller pieces. Sautee these all in a medium pan that has been lightly coated with cooking spray, over medium heat for about 8 minutes, stirring/flipping often so as not to burn. In the last minute or two, add in the minced garlic.

Remove sauteed veggies from the heat and set aside.

Transfer the quinoa to a serving bowl, and stir/mix in the hummus. Now mix in about 3/4 - 1 cup of your sauteed veggies, and lastly add the spices.

Mix everything together very well, and store in the fridge until cool, or preferably overnight.

Enjoy as a side, snack, or entree! (Also great fuel for pre/post-workout)

Notes:

You'll have leftover sauteed veggies, but not to worry! There's lots of ways to use them, one of my favorite being adding them into a Southwestern Style Scrambled Tofu. Or, if you're like me, you may just gobble them up just as they are :) They'll keep for at least 3 days in the fridge, possibly longer, but they've never lasted that long in my house!

This dish serves 2 as an entree, or 3-4 as a side or snack. The entire thing will have maximum 500 calories, so 250 for one serving as an entree, I'd call that a pretty healthy low-cal meal :) Happy munching!

Cappuccino Chocolate Chip Muffins

Happy Friday!!! I made something for you guys this morning, and just in time for the weekend :) How would you like to wake up to some cappuccino-chocolate-chip muffins? I tried these for the first time last weekend, and I knew my life was changed--OMG, I just had to make my own, vegan version. And wouldn't you know it, I made a gluten-free version as well! You can make these either way, the only substitution for the gluten-free version is, of course, the flour. Here's a nice surprise: they're oil-free too! The recipe for your dangerously delicious (and addicting!) CCC muffins is:

Ingredients:

2 cups flour (If going gluten-free, make 2 cups of oat flour by pulsing quick-cooking oats in a blender or food processor until a fine flour forms)

1/2 cup Splenda (or sugar, if you prefer)

1.5 tablespoons of instant coffee crystals

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 teaspoon vinegar

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (Ghirardelli brand is vegan)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 and grease a muffin tin.

If doing the gluten-free version, make your oat flour in the blender or food processor.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together, keeping the chocolate chips out for now.

Pour all wet ingredients into a blender or food processor, and blend thoroughly.

Then, pour the wet ingredient mixture from the blender into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir together very well.

Now stir in your chocolate chips.

Distribute the batter evenly in the muffin tin, and place in the oven for 20 minutes. (24 minutes for the gluten-free). The muffins are done when you can insert a toothpick into the center and remove it clean--no sticky batter.

Let cool for a few minutes, as those chocolate chips are now like lava! Delicious lava, but still...Enjoy!!

Notes:

If you're a toppings person, these are really good with some strawberry jam (A lot of flavor mixing, I know, but I'm addicted to strawberry jam. Even if some people make fun of the way I say "straw'bry"...), tofutti cream chese, or Chocolate Covered Katie's "Coffee Fudge Frosting" [link: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/09/19/creamy-coffee-fudge-frosting/.] I made Katie's frosting, but with almonds instead of cashews, so the texture was more chunky, dip-like and less frosting-like, but nonetheless delicious!

However, these muffins have no need for toppings, yum-yum-yummy without, too :)

I'm sure you're all wondering about calories...No? Well, I'm telling you anyways! Making 12 muffins, the gluten free version will have about 85 teeny-tiny calories each (WOW!), and the regular will have just 110 calories each. Holy moly, at that rate, you can eat these muffins all day! Hahaha, or maybe that's just my way of thinking...

The gluten-free muffins probably won't win a beauty contest anytime soon. When I pulled them out of the oven, I was a little worried I'd made some cardboard. BUT, looks certainly are deceiving!! I actually prefered the GF version to the regular ones! So, give them a whirl--these cappuccino-chocolate-chip muffins and I may have a bit of a love affair this winter...hehe...

And have a happy weekend!

Southwestern Style Scrambled Tofu

One of the things I missed the most when I first went vegan was scrambled eggs. Although, my heart definitely isn't missing the cholesterol! But they were a good flavor...luckily, tofu came to the rescue :) I never used to like tofu, but that was just because I didn't know how to make it right. Cooking with tofu gets easier and easier, and now I love cooking with tofu since it can serve as a base for a breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert--how versatile! Replacing the eggs with tofu works really well as long as you add in some other flavors and make a scrambled omelette, so to speak. You may know very well that tofu is quite bland on it's own, but does an amazing job of absorbing other flavors, which is the key in its versatility. (In all fairness, plain eggs aren't bursting in flavor either, it's the add-ins that make them tasty). Anyhow, here's a tasty tofu breakfast recipe for two!

Ingredients:

1 block Mori-nu extra firm silken style tofu

Scant 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Salsa of your choosing, mild or hot as you would like

Veggies from below that you want to taste--make it YOUR meal :) But, I'd definitely add at least 3 veggies.

     Chopped yellow onion
     Chopped celery
     Chopped red, green, yellow, and orange bell peppers
     Chopped spinach
     Chopped mushrooms
     Sliced olives
     Minced garlic
     Chopped green chiles
     Chopped chives

Spices and herbs from below that you want--again, it's your own taste, but I strongly recommend not skipping out on the salt and pepper.

     Black pepper
     Dash of crushed red pepper
     Salt
     Garlic powder
     Onion powder
     Dash of chili powder
     Cilantro

Directions:

First, sautee your veggies (except spinach, if you're using it) in a medium-sized pan lightly coated with a cooking spray. Cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, flipping a the veggies a couple times.

Drain the tofu and pat dry with a paper towel. Crumble tofu slightly with a fork, being careful not to over-mash. Add crumbled tofu to the pan with the veggies. Lightly sprinkle the turmeric as evenly as possible over all the tofu.

Continue to cook over medium heat for another 8-10 minutes, flipping occasionally with a spatula, adding in the spices during the last couple of minutes.

Divide evenly into two bowls, top with your salsa, and enjoy your Southwestern-style breakfast for two!

Notes:

This will also keep in the fridge if you want to save the second bowl for lunch, just be sure to cover it when you go to reheat it in the microwave--tofu tends to explode a little bit in the micro!

The entire thing has about 320 calories, so 160 per serving: wowza! :)

    

Snickerdoodle Cookies

My name is Haley and I'm a bake-a-holic. It's quite the habit, and I just can't seem to find the desire to quit :) Thankfully, there's always a reason for baking: birthdays, holidays, fundraisers, visiting friends, good weather, bad weather, mom's having happy hour tonight (stay off the roads!!)...Well, you get my point. I'll always find an excuse. Today's excuse was that last reason--happy hour night. Tell me, have you ever had an unhappy hour when there were cookies present? I don't think so. In this world, cookies just tend to make people happy. So, what better addition to the night than some tasty snickerdoodle cookies?? Just don't tell anyone they're gluten-free and vegan, or else they might be scared off...And trust me, they would be REALLY missing out if they didn't try one of these delicious snickerdoodles:

Ingredients:

1.75 cups quick cooking oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup Splenda or sugar (I'm big on the sugar-free right now, if you can't tell from previous posts...)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup coconut oil or vegan butter (if you're counting calories definitely opt for the vegan butter, it's about 300 calories less)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons almond milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

Pour the oats into a blender and blend until a fine flour forms.

Transfer the oats (now an oat flour) to a mixing bowl, and add in remaining dry ingredients.

Melt the vegan butter or coconut oil in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Once the butter/oil is melted, add in the vanilla and almond milk, then immediately pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and mix it all up very well.

Grease a baking sheet, split the dough in 12, shape your cookies on the sheet, and place in the oven.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, remove from oven, and enjoy!

Also, enjoy how good your kitchen will be smelling for the next several hours :)

Notes:

This recipe makes 12 cookies, at just under 100 calories each (if you're using the vegan butter instead of the oil). How awesome is that?

My Favorite Fruit Smoothie

You know one of my favorite things about the vegan diet? The boost in Vitamin C: I hardly ever get sick anymore, it makes my skin glow, and I notice that little nicks and scrapes heal faster. Not to mention, the sources of Vitamin C are super yummy! My favorite smoothie has just four ingredients, is really simple to make, and it packs in the good nutrients. Also, it's a meal for under 200 calories :) Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk

2/3 - 3/4 cup sliced strawberries

1/2 cup raspberries

1 frozen banana


Directions:

Well, you all know how to make a smoothie: into the blender it all goes! If you're really having a sweet-tooth, you can add a little sweetener (like Splenda or Stevia) to taste, but the fruit is makes it nice and sweet to begin with.

Note:

If you use frozen berries, the taste is a little more tangy, but still delish! In my opinion, it's even a little better :)

Also, you can add more good stuff into the smoothie! Need your dark greens, but don't like the taste? Try blending a handful of spinach in along with everything else. I promise, you can't taste it at all, though the color might be a little off-putting if you let it sit for a few minutes...

Power Protein Bowl

Here is another relatively new favorite of mine: the Power Protein Bowl. Perfect as a meal on its own, also great for pre/post-workout.

A long time ago, I tried cooking with quinoa. I really tried. I did just like the box said, 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water, cover and put it in the microwave and cook for....NO. For me, trying to cook quinoa in the microwave results in spending the next half-hour scraping baked quinoa off of the microwave plate. Quinoa and I didn't get along very well. That is, until a couple weeks ago, when I broke down and decided to try it again. You see, quinoa is such a good source of protein, a complete protein, that I just couldn't give up on it quite yet. And I'm so glad I didn't.

I learned something: quinoa boils over to hell in the microwave, but it cooks up quite nicely on the stovetop :) It only takes a little more patience (I know, not my strong suit either when I'm hungry, but worth the wait). So, that's my recommendation--go stovetop. The rest of this recipe is super simple and easy to cook. Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup dry quinoa (fluffs up to about 1 cup when cooked)

1 can of black beans (15oz can)

1 package extra firm cubed tofu (or just extra firm and cube it yourself)


Now what's tofu without a marinade? Well, it's cardboard. For the marinade:

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Scant 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1.5 teaspoons black pepper

If you have some finely chopped herbs lying around, you can totally should add some in, a little cilantro went very nicely with mine.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350.

Get the quinoa started first, as it takes the longest--just follow the directions on the box, but go stovetop!

Next, you'll want to grab an 8 x 8 pan and whip up the marinade for the tofu, just pour all the ingredients into the pan and mix them evenly with a fork or spoon, making sure the whole bottom of the pan is covered.

Drain your tofu and pat it dry with a paper towel, then pour the cubed tofu (or slice it up if it isn't already, in little half-inch chunks) over the marinade. Flip the tofu a couple times with a spatula, try to get a coating of the marinade on all the sides if you can. Set the pan in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, then take it out and flip the tofu, and cook for 5-7 more minutes.

Drain the black beans and rinse very well with hot water, drain again and pour into a sealable container. Add in your quinoa and tofu, stir to combine, and enjoy!

Notes:

Makes 4 servings at 200 calories each, this recipe REALLY packs in the protein and fiber. It's awesome fuel for the body--this is a godsend on those long and exhausting days we all run into now and then. Stores in the fridge for 3 days, but it never lasts that long at my house!


Question of the day: What's your favorite non-animal-based protein source?

Chocolate-Almond-Strawberry Soft Granola Bars

Two completely new, completely delicious recipes created in the same day? What a great first day for EVE! Tonight's recipe was born of the necessity (okay, okay, the want) for granola bars during a long weekend trip. Store-bought granola bars can be really tasty, but sometimes expensive, and tend to have a higher sugar and oil profile than I would like. So, I decided to recreate the granola bar in my own kitchen! Tonight something chocolatey and almondy sounded good. (Does it ever not??) Right before I tossed the batch in the oven, I thought it needed something...something more. Aha! I needed some strawberry in these. Hence, the first batch of C-A-S Soft Granola Bars was made. The recipe:

**UPDATE** Tried adding in 2/3 cup of raspberries, and holy moly...I would never make them without again! Definitely go for it, if you have the raspberries on hand--just add 5 minutes more cooking time, total time of 20 minutes in the oven.

Ingredients:

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1/3 cup sliced almonds

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon almond butter

2 tablespoons strawberry jam (I used sugar free)

Scant 3/4 cup almond milk (sweet or unsweet, depending on your taste)

3 Stevia/Splenda packets, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2/3 cup raspberries (optional, but trust me--do it!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Combine first 3 ingredients in a blender or food processor, blend until a flour forms.

Pour mixture from the blender into a mixing bowl, and mix in remaining ingredients with a fork. This can be difficult to mash all together, the mixture should be quite thick. If making the recipe with the raspberries, it's a little softer and easier.

Grease a loaf pan (sizing about 8 x 4, if using 8 x 8 pan you'll need to double the recipe or the bars will be way too thin)

Pat the mixture down into the pan. It will be sticky and a little difficult to spread, but it's worth the effort to get it nice and even.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, be sure the top is firm when you take it out. Let cool at least 20 minutes before cutting, top with some strawberry jam just before serving (not necessary if you used the raspberries), and enjoy!

Notes:

The recipe above totals to about 500 calories, and makes 6 good-sized granola bars. If you top each with a tablespoon of sugar-free jam, each bar is still less than 100 calories. Nice way to squash a craving :)

If you're not going to top them with strawberry jam, I would recommend subbing a little more into the recipe, maybe taking out a little almond milk to keep the consistency thick. I don't like my granola bars overly sweet, so definitely add in sweetener to taste if you have a strong sweet-tooth.