Sweet Morning Potato with Yogurt

It's been a while since I've last blogged, (maybe a year or two) so I figured it was about time for a post or so;-)  I wanted to share one of my new favorites I saw on the kitchn today. 
The Kitchn.com is one of my very favorite cooking sites to frequent...I absolutely love their unique, healthy recipes! Sweet potatoes are one of those foods I can never quite get enough of...Whether you're throwing them in soup, making sweet potato fries, cooking up a baked sweet potato, making sweet potato hash, or baking sweet potato muffins, I'm convinced you can never have enough sweet potatoes:-)
I had to laugh as I ran across this recipe because it's an exact replica of one of my staples.  I love using a lowfat plain or vanilla yogurt in the place of butter and sour cream on my sweet potatoes.  Yogurt is a great way to cut back on added fats and calories (that butter and sour cream contain) and increase your intake of calcium and gut-friendly probiotics.  Adding a few nuts of choice for crunch, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a drizzle of honey or agave tops off this delicious meal:-) Like this recipe, I've started eating sweet potatoes for breakfast (as weird as it may sound) for a filling, fiber-ful start to the day:-)  Hope you enjoy!

Sweet Morning Potato with Yogurt, Maple Syrup, & Nuts

Click here for recipe

Picture from thekitchn.com

Dark Chocolate Banana No-Bakes!

Below is a healthier no-bake recipe that is great for using up overripe bananas and cutting the butter completely out of standard recipes.  The banana takes the place of the unhealthy added fat and makes for an extra dark chocolate treat that is quite tasty to pair with a cup of french press:-)

Dark Chocolate Banana No-Bakes

INGREDIENTS:

1 ripe banana, mashed well

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup cocoa

Pinch of Salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 Cups gluten free oats

DIRECTIONS:

Place all ingredients minus the oat and vanilla in a medium saucepan.  Stirring continually, over medium heat, bring to a boil for 1 minute.  Remove from heat, add vanilla and oats.  Mix well and drop by tablespoons onto waxed paper. 

Let cool and Enjoy!

Picture from lifesambrosia.com

Butternut Squash Fries

We have TONS of Butternut Squash from our garden this summer...I’ve used it for fall decorations, made soup, risotto, served it as a side dish, etc and found another favorite squash recipe this week.  This recipe is probably the tastiest and quickest of them all.  If you like sweet potato fries, these sweet squash fries won’t disappoint! Below is a Tangy Peanut Dipping sauce to pair with the squash.  Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Fries

INGREDIENTS:

1 Medium or large butternut squash

Olive oil to coat

1-2 tsp. sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

Cut both end off squash.

Peel the squash and reomve the seeds.

Cut squash into long thin slices (about 1/4 inch thick by 2 inches long)

Place squash in a large bowl and generously coat with olive oil.

Sprinkle with salt and toss.

Lay squash fries onto 2 or 3 large baking sheets.

Broil one tray at a time in oven unil the tops brown.  Flip squash and broil the other side until browned.

Serve with Asian Dipping Sauce if desired.

Recipe adapted from elanaspantry.com

Asian Dipping Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

1 t + 1 tsp chunky peanut butter

1/2 cup light coconut milk

2 tsp chili paste

2 tsp lime juice

1 T low soium soy sauce (tamari for GF)

1 tsp cilantro

Salt and Pepper

Corn Starch to thicken

DIRECTIONS: 

Whisk all ingredients in bowl.  Heat on stovetop until simmering, adding corn starch if needed to thicken.

Enjoy!

Moo Shu Pork!

This is a popular Chinese pork entree that I've seen pop up in different recipe books, and also on PF Chang's Menu...It always sounds good, but I have never got around to trying it at restaurants.  Instead, I decided to give it a whirl, and make it myself.  Most all Moo Shu Pork recipes call for hoisin sauce to dip the wraps in.  I went to a few different stores to look for a gluten free option, but was never able to find a GF hoisin sauce-they all contain wheat!  So-I found a homemade hoisin sauce recipe online, which turned out to be better than I ever imagined. The other modification I made to the recipe is that they usually use a regular, thin pancake recipe and wrap the pork filling in that.  Instead, I used my favorite savory crepe recipe.  The last part is the pork filling.  The recipe calls for a pork tenderloin-I used a pork loin roast, (since that's what was on sale this week) and it worked great!  After tweaking a few other ingredients in the recipe, (from Everyday Food cookbook) I came up with this! (I failed to get any pictures of the finished, assembled crepe-and-all product because we ended up eating it too fast and forgot:-( Next time!)


A few tricks & shortcuts to save time while making this recipe:
 #1-If you don't require gluten free, buy a jar of hoisin sauce. (near the Asian food section in grocery stores)
 #2-Warm up GF or regular flour tortillas instead of making homemade crepes.

Moo Shu Pork

 Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:
4 tsp canola oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb), trimmed of excess fat, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
2 T cornstarch
Coarse salt and pepper
1 lb mushrooms of choice, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 head purple cabbage, shredded
5 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar (or 1/8 cup plain vinegar + 1/8 cup red wine vinegar)


Crepes
Hoisin Sauce


DIRECTIONS:
1.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tsp oil over medium.  Add egss; cook, without stirring, until just set 1-2 minutes.   Transfer to a cutting board.  When cool enough to handle, roll into a log, and slice crosswise into 1/4 inch-wide strips.
2. Place pork in a medium bowl, and sprinkle with cornstarch.  Season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.  Wipe skillet clean with paper towels, and heat remaining 3 tsp oil over medium-high.  Add pork, and cook until browned on one side, 4-5 minutes. (pork will finish cooking later) transfer pork to a plate.
3.  Add mushrooms and ginger to a skillet; season with salt and pepper.  Cook until mushrooms are lightly browned, 3-5 minutes.  Add cabbage, scallions, soy sauce, vinegar, egg strips, and pork; cook, tossing occasionally, until cabbage is wilted and pork is cooked through, 2-3 minutes.

(Picture from recipe.com)
Savory Crepes

***1 cup all purpose flour can be substituted to make non-GF crepes
INGREDIENTS
1 c GF all purpose flour mixture (I used 1/2 c white rice flour, 1/4 c potato starch, 1/4 c tapioca starch)
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk (I used rice milk)
4 large eggs
4 T unsalted butter, melted


DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat skillet over medium heat.
2.  Combine all ingredients, whisk, and mix well.
3. Spray skillet with non-stick cooking spray.  Pour batter onto heated skilled with one hand; with the other hand, tilt the skillet so the batter completely coats the bottom.  Cook about 1 minute, until the underside is very light golden brown.  Loosen the edges of the crepe with a spatula and turn it over in the skillet.  Cook the other side about 30 seconds, until it is a spotty light golden brown.  Slide crepe onto a plate and cover with foil. 
4.  Repeat step 3 with remaining batter.

Hoisin Sauce

I made my sauce ahead of time, and set in the refrigerator until we were ready to eat!

This recipe comes from Epicurian.com

INGREDIENTS

4 T low sodium tamari (gluten free soy sauce)

2 T peanut butter (Chunky for an added crunch is great!)

1 T molasses

2 tsp red wine vinegar

1/8 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp olive oil

5-10 drops siracha (or any hot sauce)

1/8 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Simply mix all ingredients together by hand with a whisk.

 Note: The savory crepes are great as a sweet, breakfast crepe as well...I like to fill them with  sliced bananas, toasted walnuts, and a dollop of plain yogurt-Yum!

Crunchy Gingerbread Granola

After I posted my Cranberry Nut Granola recipe a few months ago, I decided to experiment around & make a chunky, gingerbread-like recipe.

I know it's not quite gingerbread season, but in my mind, any time is good for gingerbread, pumpkin, sweet potato, etc! You can use any variety of nut or dried fruit you prefer. Enjoy!

Crunchy Gingerbread Granola

INGREDIENTS
1 T honey
1 T blackstrap molasses
1 T canola oil
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 pinch sea salt
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats (GF oats for GF)
2 T halved pecans
1/4 cup dried, pitted dates, cut in 1/4ths


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350
Mix honey, molasses, oil, spices and salt in a large bowl, using a whisk.
Add the oats and pecans and stir until thoroughly coated with the molasses mixture.
Coat a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray, and spread the oat mixture evenly onto the baking sheet.
Bake for ~12 minutes until lightly browned, stirring every 5 minutes to cook evenly.  To make chunky granola, simply stir and form small chunks throughout cooking.  
Remove from oven, stir in dates, and cool completely.


This recipe is gluten free if GF oats are used.  

~Sonoma Chicken Salad~

The other day I had a super tasty chicken salad from Whole Food's buffet/prepared foods-I LOVE more than anything curried chicken or turkey salads, but this time I decided to try something different.  The poppyseeds caught my eye on this particular one...It was their Sonoma Chicken Salad, and it was sooo tasty.  This salad is great if you want a mild chicken salad to top spinach leaves or roll up in a wrap.  I tweaked the full-fat mayo recipe to a much lighter alternative that uses plain yogurt...I also added fresh garden lavender for a fun twist.  If you prefer a creamier, mayo-like salad, use 1/2 c plain yogurt & 1/2 c  low fat mayo.
*To save time, simply buy a cooked rotisserie chicken, remove skin, and chunk.

Sonoma Chicken Salad

INGREDIENTS

1 c plain yogurt

4 tsp apple cider vinegar

5 tsp honey

2 tsp poppy seeds

salt and pepper

2 lbs chicken breast, cooked and chunked

3/4 cup pecan pices, toasted

1 c chopped red apple

2 c red grapes

3 stalks celery, chopped

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, combine first 5 ingredients and mix well.  In a separate bowl, combine the last 5 ingredients and stir together.  Slowly pour yogurt mixture on top of chicken mixture and stir until just mixed. 

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This chicken salad is great on top of a bed of spinach, rolled in a gluten free wrap, or made into a sandwich.  Enjoy!!

De-lish Banana "Ice Cream"

I don't know about you, but I have absolutely NO patience when it comes to waiting on ice cream to freeze, food to cook or bake, water to boil, etc.  If you have this problem as well, you're in luck! I was so eager to try this recipe when I saw it, although a bit apprehensive.  No worries-it turned out better than I expected, and has become a de-lish go-to for a cool snack & dessert on these hot summer days!  This recipe can be tweaked to make a variety of flavors-Peanut butter, nutella, banana nut, chocolate peanut butter, chocolate, chocolate chip, cinnamon, cappuccino crunch & coconut...the list never ends!   The more ripe the bananas, the better.   This is a great way to use up overripe bananas...keep your freezer stocked with baggies of bananas so they'll be ready to go when you're craving some ice cream;-) 
Below is my favorite version with walnuts, coffee and cinnamon.   For added sweetness, drizzle honey over walnuts before toasting-Enjoy!

Banana Walnut

"Ice Cream"

INGREDIENTS

2 bananas, frozen and cut in slices

2-4 T walnuts, toasted and chopped

Dash of cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

*Prior to making ice cream: Slice bananas in small circles & place in a baggie. Freeze.

Using a food processor, (or blender-if using blender, you may need to add a splash of milk to help it blend better) add bananas and cinnamon.  Pulse until a smooth cream is formed.  Fold in nuts, and whatever other toppings desired.  Enjoy!!!

(If wanting a CHOCOLATE version, add 1 T cocoa powder and pulse in with processor!)

The most important part is to eat this ice cream right after making it...OR freeze, and when ready to indulge, heat in microwave for ~30 seconds to slightly soften. 

Variations: Simply add...
-Peanut butter- 1 T
-Nutella - 1 T
-Chocolate peanut butter- 2 tsp cocoa powder, 1-2 tsp peanut butter
-Chocolate- 2 T cocoa powder
-Chocolate chunk- 1-2 T chocolate chunks
-Cinnamon-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-Cappuccino crunch-1 tsp instant coffee
-Coconut- 1 T toasted coconut
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This recipe has less than a gram of fat (with just bananas), and has no added sugar (crazy when comparing to full-fat ice cream!).  The natural sugars in the bananas sweeten this treat nicely without having to add loads of extra sugar. 

*Gluten and Dairy Free
inspired by thekitchn.com

A variety of Parsnip & Sweet Potato Fries!

Yes...another sweet potato recipe! You can do so much with sweet potatoes in baking and cooking, but I would definitely say this is the simplest recipe (and my favorite side) of them all.  Adults and kids love this healthier, baked (not fried!) version, which can be made sweet or savory.  Experiment with different spices such as garlic, thyme, or simply salt and pepper fries!  If you accidentally bake these fries a bit longer, you'll simply end up with sweet potato chips!
Note: Slice in whatever shape desired...medallions are the quickest method...feel free to cut into fry-like shapes as well!

Cumin Sweet Potato Medallions

INGREDIENTS

2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed

1 T olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

Coarse salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Slice sweet potatoes into thin circles. Place potatoes, oil, cumin, salt and pepper in a large Ziploc baggie. Shake until potatoes are coated well. Lay circles on pan (1 layer). Roast, turning potatoes halfway through with a metal spatulas, until fork-tender and browned, about 20-30 minutes.

Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries

INGREDIENTS

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 tsp honey

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 T olive oil

1/2 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Slice sweet potatoes into thin wedges. Place potatoes, honey, salt, oil and cinnamon in a large Ziploc baggie. Shake until potatoes are coated well. Lay wedges on pan (1 layer). Roast, turning potatoes halfway through with a metal spatulas, until fork-tender and browned, about 20-30 minutes.

Spicy Fries

INGREDIENTS

2 medium sweet potatoes, sliced like french fries

1 T olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp curry

1/2 tsp hot sauce of choice

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425. Spray large baking sheet. Combine all ingredients besides potatoes in large Ziploc baggies. Mix ingredients well. Add potatoes, shake until coated. Spread on baking sheet. Bake for ~20 minutes, or until tender.

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This weekend, I experimented with new baked fries-One of my favorite outings in the summer is to hit up various farmer's markets throughout the week! This week the markets had loads of root veggies such as turnips, parsnips and beets.  I picked up a variety and decided to create this new spin on sweet potato fries!  

Parsnip & Turnip Fries

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs parsnips or turnips (or both)

2 T olive oil

Coarse salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450.  Trip tops and bottoms of the veggies.  Slice in half crosswise to separate thick and narrow parts. Halve or quarter thick parts lengthwise to make uniform pieces.

In a large baggie, toss veggies with oil, salt and pepper.  Spread in a single layer on pan.  Roast, flipping veggies half way through, until tender and golden brown, 25-30 minutes.

Recipe from Everyday Food.

Pictures taken from foodfit.com and simplyrecipes.com

Pepper Steak

 Below is a pretty standard pepper steak recipe...I'm not a huge fan of steak, but this recipe is always so good, and a quick meal to put together at the last minute...and I just realized I have no steak recipes posted!  Round or loin steak are great cuts to implement into recipes to cut down on the fat content.  I doubled the sauce from the original recipe, which ended with a nice ratio of meat to sauce to rice.   Enjoy!!!

Pepper Steak

INGREDIENTS

1 lb beef tip round steak, cut into thin strips

2 T cornstarch

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 cup low-sodium gluten free soy sauce (tamari)

2 T canola oil

3 medium green & red bell peppers, cut into thin strips

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup water

1 can stewed tomatoes

4 c cooked brown rice

DIRECTIONS

Slice beef into thin slices.  In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and ginger; add soy sauce and stir. Pour soy sauce mixture over beef and stir. Heat oil in pan over medium high heat.  Add beef to pan and stir fry until brown; remove from pan.  Reduce heat and add peppers, onion, garlic, and water to pan.  Cook 4-5 mins.  Stir in meat and tomatoes, heat thoroughly.  Serve over rice.

(Picture taken from pinterest)

Yields: 4 servings

Cooking Time: 10 mins



Cake Mix Banana Cake!

Have overripe bananas? Any baked good involving bananas is sure to please!  I tried this extra moist banana cake recipe last week when I needed a dessert for a dinner party.  I had overripe bananas, and a random gluten free cake mix...Cakemixdoctor.com helped me out with this amazing, super-addicting recipe.  This cake is great for a quick bar to take to a picnic, bbq, dessert party, etc.  If you want to dress it up a bit, you can add a cream cheese frosting. (Although I was impressed with no frosting, as it is very sweet and full of banana flavor!) Enjoy this quick treat!

Note: I simply substituted a gluten free cake mix for a regular mix in this recipe to make it GF; therefore, it can be made with any regular or gluten free cake mix.  The mix I used (and loved) for this recipe was by the company Namaste.  
Be sure to note how many ounces are in your cake mix.  For ex, if using Namaste mix, removed 1 cup of the dry mix before using as there are 26 ounces in the mix. (Any cake mix brand should work great!)

Cake Mix Banana Cake!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package (18 1/4 ounces) plain white or yellow cake mix (Gluten free or regular)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 ripe medium-size bananas, mashed (About 1 cup)
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup toasted, chopped walnuts, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13 in baking pan.
2. Place cake mix, brown sugar and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add mashed bananas, 1 cup water, oil, & eggs. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed 1 minute. Stop mixer and scrape down side of bowl with rubber spatula. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed until well blended, scraping side again if needed.  Gently stir in walnuts if desired. Pour into prepared pan, and place on center rack of oven.
3. Bake until top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40-50 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool on a wire rack. (cake will seem very moist...I ended up baking mine about 46 minutes at altitude) Sprinkle top with powdered sugar, if desired.

This cake is gluten free and dairy free (if using Namaste mix)!

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A little "pinteresting" in the crafts category aside of baking & cooking...A table runner I made with inspiration from a burlap runner I came across on the one and only, Pinterest;-)  Someday I hope to actually read patterns and share them with readers-for now, no patterns and solely pictures + experimentation!

Mustard Lime Grilled Chicken

This marinade recipe comes from elanaspantry.com and makes chicken so flavorful and tender! The original recipe calls to be baked... Instead, I grilled the chicken (grilled for me is George Foreman for now;-) and it turned out great with a crispy coating.  I marinated my chicken for 1.5 days so it would be sure to soak up all the flavor.

 Mustard Lime Grilled Chicken

INGREDIENTS

1 lb skinless boneless chicken breast

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (or 1-2 tsp dried)

1/4 cup dijon mustard

1 T olive oil

1 T chili powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a food processor, combine lime juice, cilantro, mustard, olive oil, chili, salt and pepper. Pulse until all ingredients are pureed together.

2.  Place chicken breasts in a 9x13 baking dish. 

3.  Pour marinade over chicken, cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours, up to 1.5 days.

4.  Place on grill or George Foreman until chicken temps out at 165 degrees.

Enjoy!!!

Sweet and Sour!

***Note: See Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookie Recipe for updated version!
This recipe comes from a high school, yes high school cooking class...  I think I enrolled in every foods class they offered to get my fix of cooking each day!  I still have a few recipes on hand, and this one is so easy, healthier than most sweet and sour recipes, and a quick dinner to prep. 
 This recipe is great for using leftover rice and chicken from previous meals prepared during the week.  I tend to get tired of leftovers (the other downfall=leftovers means you don't get to cook!) and try to implement them into new recipes (and not waste at the same time).  Use whatever veggies you prefer & have on hand.  I used kale, carrots, and green & red peppers.  Use leftover pork loin strips or chicken for the protein.  Serve over the top of brown rice & enjoy a Chinese night!

(So excited instagram is available for Droids now-what a great cover-up for my miserable photography skills!)

Sweet & Sour Chicken or Pork!

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb chicken or pork, cooked and cut in strips

1 1/4 c. pineapple chunks

reserved pineapple juice from can (1/3 cup)

2 T brown sugar

1 T cornstarch

2 T apple cider vinegar

1.5 T gluten free soy sauce (also called Tamari)

1 green pepper, julienned

1 red pepper, julienned

2 large carrots, coined

1 bunch kale, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

In a frying pan, saute veggies in 1 T canola oil until tender.  Add 1/2 cup water, pineapple and meat chunks.  Combine sugar and cornstarch; add pineapple juice, vinegar, and soy sauce.

Add cornstarch mixture to meat and veggies.  Cook and stir until sauce thickens.

Let simmer for ~5-10 minutes.  Serve over brown rice.  Enjoy!

Blueberry Breakfast Smoothie

Below is my smoothie recipe that I always turn to...Smoothies are a great way to pack a few fruit servings all in one drink!  Most smoothie recipes are packed with sugar-added juice, sweeteners, etc on top of the already sweet fruit.  I love this recipe because there is no added sugar, besides the natural sugar in the fruit-which makes this a great way to start your morning!

................................................................................................

Blueberry Breakfast Smoothie

Serves: 1

INGREDIENTS

1 banana

1 cup frozen blueberries

3/4-1 cup water

1 T flaxseed meal (ground flaxseed)

2 heaping tablespoons plain yogurt (of choice)

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients in blender until smooth.

Enjoy!!!

Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies!

***Revised version below! (Flaxseed was added to help bind the cookies better, & the sugar was tweaked a bit)
Need a sweet treat? These cookies will fix your craving rather quickly!  It's cold and rainy in CO today...and I couldn't possibly let a dreary day pass by without baking something:-)
I have adapted these cookies from an oatmeal raisin cookie recipe on chocolatecoveredkatie.com.
This recipe only makes about 6 cookies, so make sure to double or triple the recipe to your preference!
Most healthy gluten free cookie recipes I have not been too impressed with-It's hard to make a healthy cookie recipe taste good, let alone make it gluten free.  This recipe is the first one that passed the bloggable test;-) Not only are they gluten free, but they are also dairy, soy and egg free.  If you don't require gluten free, use regular oats instead.  Enjoy!

Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup gluten free oats

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp sea salt

3 T brown sugar
1/2 T flaxseed meal (ground flaxseed)
1 T warm rice milk (or milk of choice)

1 T canola oil

2 T craisins

3 T chopped & toasted walnuts

 DIRECTIONS

  Preheat oven to 375.

Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, mix together milk and flaxseed.  Set aside. (Will make an egg-like consistency)

Blend first 4 ingredients together in a blender or food processor until there are just a few pieces of whole oats left.  (Will make a flour-like consistency with bits of whole oats throughout)

In a separate small bowl, mix together canola oil and flax/milk mixture.  

Combine the wet ingredients with the dry, mixing until a dough forms. 

Fold in craisins and walnuts.

Shape dough into round balls, placing on sheet.

Bake for 6 minutes, take out of oven, & ENJOY!!!

Garden Fresh Muffins & More!

Garden season is coming...Many times this means way too many zucchini and other veggies that can't be eaten fast enough!  While I continue to dream about having a garden, (and yard for that matter)  here is my indoor garden thus far...Yes, I'm growing buttercup squash indoors-yikes! I may just need a WAY big planter real soon.  It's getting out of control.

I came up with this recipe for Garden Fresh Muffins when I was needing to use up zucchini and overripe bananas. (Look in the overripe section of your grocery store for discounted baking bananas=a great excuse to make banana bread!) 
Here you have it-super moist, healthy garden muffins that are secretly filled with loads of fruits & veggies!!!

Zucchini Banana Muffins

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup agave nectar

2 T canola oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 large egg

1 cup grated zucchini, squeezed and packed

1 cup ripe bananas, mashed

1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

3/4 cup sorghum flour

1/4 cup potato starch

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 cup pineapple tidbits, drained (optional)

Sugar, for sprinkling on top

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray nonstick cooking spray to a 6 cup muffin tin.

Whisk together the agave, oil, salt, & egg.  Add zucchini, banana, pineapple and walnuts.

Stir together the remaining ingredients (minus the sugar for the top) in a separate bowl, then add to the batter.  Stir until just combined.  Don't over mix!  Divide the batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.  Lightly sprinkle with sugar of choice on top.  Let the muffins rest for 5 mins before placing in oven.

Bake the muffins~ 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Don't over bake, as these muffins are to be super moist.  Cool muffins, and enjoy!

*To make non-gluten free...substitute 1 cup all purpose flour for the sorghum and potato starch.  Omit the xanthan gum.

These guac dressings are gluten free and dairy free, and were adapted from elanaspantry.com.  I usually make all of my dressings, as it is hard to find a dressing that doesn't contain both dairy & gluten-Along with that, it is much cheaper to make your own.  These recipes are great for those who can't tolerate dairy, but still want a creamy ranch-like dressing (and get tired of vinaigrette's-like me!)  These are great for using ripe avocados...The first dressing turned out quite thick, so I ended up adding a little more water to thin it out and make it stretch-Avocados are high in healthy fats, so keep in mind that these are calorie-dense dressings, and a little goes a long way;-)  Enjoy!

Creamy Guac Dressing

INGREDIENTS

1 avocado
3 T olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½-3/4 cup water

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Pinch of red chili powder or cayenne (optional)

DIRECTIONS

• Place avocado, olive oil, lemon juice and water in blender.
• Puree until smooth then blend in salt and pepper
• Serve over green or chopped salad

OR...

Green Goddess Dressing

INGREDIENTS

1 avocado

2 T olive oil

1 T apple cider vinegar

1 T lemon juice

1/2 tsp herbes de provence

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp agave nectar

1 cup water

DIRECTIONS

• Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor.
• Process on high speed until smooth and creamy
• Pour over your favorite salad greens
• Store remaining dressing in glass jar in fridge.



Above recipes are gluten and dairy free! 

Pictures from girlevolving.com, koraorganics.com & loftybites.com