Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares

Jeff and Leah

1 1/2 c. Gluten Free Oats

1/4 c. Packed brown sugar (I used maple syrup)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. Milk (I used almond)

1 large egg, lightly beaten 

1 large mashed banana

1/4 c. Creamy peanut butter (I used crunchy)

Mix together the quick oats, light brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

Add in the vanilla, milk and egg. Mix together.

Then add in the mashed banana and peanut butter. Combine all of the ingredients. Pour into a lightly greased 8X8 baking pan. Bake at 350 F for 20 min. 

I got this from another persons blog (and changed it) and I can't find out who! If you recognize this let me know so I can give you credit!

Yay, I'm contributing to the blog! I've finally started dabbling in making things from scratch I know it's just a sandwich but bare with me.

Marbled Rye bread 

Tomato

Lettuce

Bacon

Mozzarella cheese 

and the part and made the sandwich amazing  the Sauce:

                         1/2 cup  Mayo

                         2 tbl.      Plain Greek yougurt

                         2 tbl.      Lime juice

                         pinch      Kosher salt

                         3 tbl.      Fresh minced Parsley

                         2 tsp.     Oregano 

I found a recipe to make your own Mozzarella http://itssoverycheri.com/2012/07/02/homemade-mozzarella-cheese/, Yes on pintrest. But I'll have you know that I made the sauce up myself!

I assembled the sandwich with everything but the lettuce and threw it in the george foreman grill for a few seconds and it was ready to go! Doesn't it look beautiful :)

Banana Orange Smoothie

This is the recipe Leah is talking about. We literally eat this every morning. SOOOO GOOD!!!

Desired amount of bananas
Desired amount of Oranges
Bit of Vanilla (optional)
Ice
Blend!!

Raw Vegan Sushi

This recipe is SOOOOO YUMMY!!


Prep time: 15-30 min, depending on how long it takes you to slice the veggies. This whole recipe only takes us about 15 min. 


"RICE": Grate/shred Jicama or Cauliflower, mix in some fresh or dried Dill (optional). If you are using Jicama, you need to strain it because it is too watery and will make your sushi fall apart. Place shredded Jicama in a cheese cloth, or some other straining device, then ring it out till it is as dry as possible. 
FILLING: Any veggies of your choice. We used sliced cucumbers, carrots, red pepper, cilantro and sprouts.
SAUCE: Fresh coconut water (you can use plain water if you don't have coconut), Dried apricots, fresh ginger. 

Sauce: Put coconut water in blender (you want the sauce to be creamy so we don't add a ton of coconut water but you can put in as much as you would like and add more as you go). Then place desired amount of dried apricots in water and allow to soak for how long it takes you to prep the veggies and sushi. Then grate in some fresh ginger(to taste). You don't need a ton of ginger, just put a small amount in at first and then keep adding to your liking. Blend to desired consistency, adding more coconut water, apricots or ginger as you want. 

Instructions: Place Sushi Nori sheet on a piece of saran wrap on top of your cutting board. Spread your "rice" on the nori sheet then top with your veggies. Roll the sheet into a long tube, then slice into small rounds. Dip in sauce and ENJOY!!!

Mom's White Sauce

Jeff and Leah
Serves 3

This is so yummy and SO EASY!

Mom used to make this a lot when we were little.

1/2 cube of butter (you can use 4 T olive oil)
1 diced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
Whole Grain Flour till butter becomes a thick paste
Milk to desired consistency (can use water, I used half Water half Raw Milk)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt butter in heated in pan. 
Add onion and simmer till butter browns, and onions are translucent. 
Add garlic simmer for 30 seconds or so.
Add your whole grain flour in, 1/4 a cup at a time, until your melted butter becomes a thick paste. 
Let simmer for a minute or so, stir so it won't burn.
Add Milk until you get a gravy consistency. It is much more liquid then you anticipate. It will also thicken as it sits, so you might have to keep adding liquid.
 Add Salt and Pepper to taste.


At this point you can add whatever herbs and spices you desire. Last night, I added Fresh Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme.  We served it over Quinoa and added Peas. Jeff loved it!
You can also add cooked meats, you could serve it over Rice, Noodles, cooked Spaghetti Squash.  It's so versatile and delicious!

Choco-Slims (Vegan Brownies)

 

Anna Lisa and Kingi

8x8 pan 350 Degrees - 20 min

1 eggs worth of Egg Replacer

1 c Dates (soaked)

1/2 c Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar

1 c  Applesauce

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla

3/4 c Spelt/Brown Rice Flour

1/2 c Cocoa

1/4 c Cocoa Samoa-Grated

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

 

Optional: Flaked Unsweetened Coconut, Walnuts, Chopped Almonds ect.

Soak dates in just enough water to reach the top for about an hour. Pour dates and soaking water into a blender, then add the applesauce and vanilla. Blend till smooth. Transfer into a bowl, then add the egg replacer, maple syrup, and cocoa samoa. Add the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir till combined and poor into a greased 8x8 pan. Bake for about twenty minutes.  Do not over bake, you will know it's done when a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out with moist crumbs still attached.  No really, DO NOT OVER BAKE, it gets dry easily and then you will be disappointed!

Notes: If you don't have cocoa samoa, you are missing out on a super yummy experience!  It can be made without it. If you are looking to buy cocoa somoa the Polynesian markets usually carry it. If you aren't vegan, you can use a regular egg and it turns out great too.

Kingi's Freezies

 

Anna Lisa and Kingi

Everyone will enjoy this with different ratios of banana/coconut milk/sweetener ect. This recipe is approximations so good luck!

2 T Cocoa or Carob powder

2-3 Ripe (not over ripe) Fresh Bananas

1 T Agave Nectar (you can also soak and blend 4 dates here to replace the agave)

2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk

 2-3 Cups of Plain Almond Milk

Then put a lot of ice in there and blend it up!

Frozen Grapes

by Ashley and Caleb

Best summertime snack tip ever. Wash and dry a bunch of grapes, remove them from the vine, stick them in a freezer bag, wait a few hours and...you have a healthy replacement for Otter Pops or popsicles. This is not messy AT ALL and kids love them. (So do we!) If you are worried about them being a choking hazard for your little ones, they are easy to cut in half. So, do yourself (and your kids' clothes) a favor and try them.

Aunt Andrea's Whole Wheat Tortillas

Jeff and Leah

4 c Whole Grain Flour (wheat, spelt, kamut)
3/4 - 1 tsp Salt
3/4 - 1 tsp Baking Powder
1/3 c. Oil
1 3/4 c Warm Water

Stir dry ingredients together
Make whole in middle and add oil and water.
Stir well.
Knead till smooth.
Pinch off one inch ball.
Roll into thin circle on a floured board.
Cook in hot, dry frying pan till bubbly then turn over and cook on other side.

Breakfast Fruit Smoothie

Jefferson and Emily (via Leah)

Jefferson and Emily taught me this one and I eat it every other morning, maybe twice a day...

So easy, so good, so eat it!

Take 2 peeled oranges, throw them in a blender, add 2 ice cubes.
Blend till smooth
Add  2 bananas blend till smooth.

Drink it. love it. Awesome!

Feel free to add in other fruits as you want.

The thing that makes this drink so amazing is using fresh not frozen fruit.  Also make sure your bananas are pretty ripe, somewhat bordering on over ripe.

So do it, and love it!

Balsamic Apple Salad

by Ashley and Caleb

The same fated night that Dan and Lorraine changed our lives with the delicious bacon/bok choy combo, they rocked our world with this salad:

Apples
Lemon juice
Balsamic vinegar
Blue cheese
Walnuts or pecans

Slice the apples and sprinkle with lemon juice. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the apples just before serving and throw some blue cheese and chopped nuts in there and get down with your bad self. (Lorraine claims that she overdid it with the vinegar the night we had it, but it ROCKED. I don't think there's any way you can go wrong here, do you?)

Dan and Lorriane- can you come over and cook for us some more?

Bacon Bok Choy

by Ashley and Caleb

We recently had dinner with our friends Dan and Lorraine, and this is what they cooked. It was SO good and takes under 30 minutes to make. Caleb and I have cooked it about once a week since then and Adelaide keeps saying "I LOVE bok choy!"

1 head bok choy- the leafier the better
6 pieces of uncooked bacon
garlic powder (Caleb wants to try fresh next) to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Rinse and chop bok choy down to where it is mostly the white stem. Discard stem and set aside chopped bok choy. Cut bacon into bite-sized pieces and cook in a wok or high-sided pan until browned and just crispy. Drain fat and return to pan. Add the bok choy, salt, pepper and garlic powder and toss until bok choy is wilted and soft. Serve over rice.

SO GOOD!

*Notes: I put down about 6 pieces of bacon, but you can add as much or as little as you like, depending on your definition of "healthy". But let's not get into that here...my point is that the bacon flavor is really what makes this dish. We use a bacon that has no added nitrites/nitrates and crisps up nicely. Great for a busy weeknight.

Leftover Oatmeal Muffins

by Ashley and Caleb

OK! I know that all I post are breakfast recipes, but when you're trying to minimize your wheat intake, eggs or smoothies in the morning get old really fast.

Remember how you made that awesome oatmeal and then saved the leftovers? Here's what you do:

1 ¼ cup almond flour (or 1 cup flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup coconut oil (or melted butter)
1/3 cup maple syrup 
3 eggs, lightly beaten (reduce to 2 eggs if using wheat flour)
1 cup leftover oatmeal 
1 cup raisins (optional) 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and baking soda and cinnamon. In another bowl, combine coconut oil, eggs, oatmeal, syrup, raisins and vanilla; add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Divide between lined muffin cups. Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.

*Notes: These are very moist muffins so I keep reducing and reducing the amount of coconut oil. A little less than a 1/4 cup will usually do. Because they are so moist, these muffins freeze really well.

Overnight Oatmeal

by Ashley and Caleb

This is a method that I got from the Nourishing Traditions Cookbook. This book is really thick, with all sorts of science and history along with recipes, which makes it a very interesting read. We have found some real gems.

Here is why we started preparing oatmeal this way: Grains contain phytic acid which can combine in the intestines with calcium, iron, zinc, etc. and actually block the absorption of these essential minerals and other nutrients. Soaking the oatmeal allows enzymes to break down and neutralize the acid. Also, it tastes good.

Long explanation over. Here is the recipe.

1 C rolled or cracked oats
1 C warm water PLUS 2 tbs. plain yogurt, keifer, whey, or buttermilk
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 C filtered water

Combine oats with warm water and yogurt mixture, cover and place in a warm place overnight or for at least 7 hours. The next morning, bring an additional 1 C water to a boil with the sea salt. Add the soaked oats, stir, remove from heat and let stand a few minutes. Serve with butter and honey.


*A few notes: This DOES taste different than the oatmeal you're used to, but give it a few times, and you won't want to go back. It cooks up very smoothly and quickly (unlike untreated oatmeal, which takes FOREVER to cook) and I prefer it now. It took me some time to get used to thinking about breakfast before I went to bed, but it's nice to have a hot breakfast ready in five minutes in the morning. We like to put raisins and Grade B maple syrup in place of the honey. DELICIOUS. Make extra and stick it in the fridge and I'll show you what to do with it in another post.

Mango Sauce Lettuce Wraps

Filling:

Collard or any kind of lettuce Leaf
Sliced Tomato
Sliced Bell Pepper, any color
Chopped Lettuce or cabbage or filler of your choice

Sliced Cucumber

Any other veggies of your choice

Mango Sauce:

1 Cup Chopped Mango (if using frozen then add an extra date)

1 Tbsp. Tahini (raw, or roasted)
1 Pitted Medjool Date

1 Teaspoon (approx) chopped scallions/chives

1 Leaf Sage, or you can use 1 teaspoon of dry.

2 Leaves Basil, or you can use 2 teaspoons of dry. 

Blend all ingredients in a blender till smooth.

Spread sauce on lettuce leaf, add veggies, roll into a wrap and dip it in the extra sauce. Devour!

This is soooo Yummy! 

We also use this sauce as a salad dressing. You can use it for practically anything you want, even a fruit dip. It's THAT good!

Mexican Lettuce Wraps

Base:
Shredded Carrot
Shredded Zucchini
Shredded Cucumber

You can use any one of these vegetables or a combination. Put shredded veggie in a strainer and drain the juice if you don't want it so watery.

Put shreds into a bowl and Mix in desired amount of the following:
Salsa
Chopped Cilantro
Lime Juice
Diced Avocado
Optional: A little bit of guacamole or taco seasoning.

Spoon Mixture into a Lettuce Leaf and Enjoy!
You can also use this as a salad topping or however you want. We like to make them into lettuce wraps but they are definitely messy :)

Bananas with Date Caramel Sauce

Rich delicious dessert, a healthy alternative to puddings and trifles

Slice banana rounds in to a bowl, make sure they are ripe bananas for best flavor.

Blend (or Magic Bullet) 4-5 dates with just enough water for it to blend, should be a thick creamy sauce, or continue to add water to desired consistency.   You can add a dash of vanilla for a more caramel flavor.

Add none or whatever fruit on top for more tastebud excitement.

Pour sauce over bananas.  Devour!!

Swimming Mangoes

Swimming Mangoes is a refreshing breakfast/dessert/anytime snack!

2 cups of chopped mango (we used Champagne mangoes but any kind will work)
1 YOUNG thai coconut, just use the water and not the jelly/meat ( here's how to open, its a lot easier than you think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THEdI_gSNQ4 )


Put the chopped mango into a bowl and pour coconut water over them.
Devour!!

**Use the meat in our zuchinni pad thai recipe.

Orange Honey Glaze for Squash

Jeff and Leah
 
I love this recipe because you can prep everything ahead of time!  Then it will only take a few minutes to cook the squash and heat the glaze.  WALLAH!  Serve with a cool salad.  So good!

 Credit Food Blogga

Serves 4

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking pan with tinfoil (for easy clean up).  Cut the squash in half, seed and slice into 1 inch thick slices.  Brush the flesh of the squash with olive oil, and roast flesh side down for 30-35 minutes , or until tender.

Glaze:

2 tsp Olive Oil
1 Shallot, diced (or half a small onion)
3 T Honey
2 T Water
2 tsp Lime/Lemon Juice
1/4 tsp Rice Vinegar
2 T Orange Juice
2 tsp Orange  Zest
2 tsp Fresh Minced Ginger
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
Salt to Taste
1/4 Roasted Sunflower Seeds ( I did Roasted Sesame Seeds)

* In a small skillet over medium heat, add 2 tsp Olive Oil.  Add Shallots/Onions  and saute until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

* In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients EXCEPT sunflower seeds.  Whisk until smooth.

* Just before  you're ready to serve the squash, add the sauce to the pan of sauteed shallots.  Heat on medium until the sauce begins to bubble and becomes lightly syrupy, about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and drizzle over the cooked squash, sprinkle with seeds, serve immediately. 

Decadent Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake
Jeff and Leah

This was really important for me to find, I was really wanting chocolate cake, but I didn't want the white flour and sugar that always comes with it.  Thankfully I found a pretty good recipe at Whole Grain Gourmet and tweaked it a little.

First of all, it's important to use cake flour.  If you don't have cake flour, don't worry! I found this awesome way to make your own.  Go here, and do this! Make your own cake flour.  Also I  have used two sweeteners, honey and maple syrup.  Maple syrup was awesome and honey was gross.

Here is what I did for the cake.


Ingredients:

2 ounces Unsweetened Chocolate
1 1/2 cups sifted Organic Whole Wheat/Spelt Cake Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 Salt
1/4 cup Butter, softened at room temperature OR Coconut Oil
1 1/4 cup Grade B Maple Syrup
2 Eggs (room temperature)
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 cup Sour Cream OR Coconut Milk (use the fat not the liquid)
1/2 Boiling Water

Preparation:

* Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9" cake pan.  <----THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!
* Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.
* Melt the chocolate and then allow it to cool slightly.  Be careful not to allow it to harden.
* Beat the butter and sweetener together for two minutes.  Add the eggs and beat for an additional two minutes.  Beat in the vanilla and cooled chocolate.
* Gradually stir in the sifted flour mixture in approximate thirds, alternating each time with 1/4 cup of the sour cream.
* Stir in the boiling water.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
* Bake for 23 minutes. DO NOT over bake this cake!!! Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

I have made this with whipping cream and on it's own and both were amazing!  I don't need anything on this to make it great, but the whipping cream with strawberries or raspberries!