Grain-Free Banana Nut Granola

I have yogurt and granola every day for breakfast. And sometimes I eat it for lunch. And dinner. And before bed (but not all in one day), that would be weird. 

But am I addicted to granola? Well, it sure is habit-forming. Check. Will its "cessation cause severe trauma"? 

Let's not run that risk. 

This granola is packed with nutty goodness, so it jumpstarts my brain for a long day of classes.

So go ahead, get addicted.

Banana Nut Granola:

1 ripe banana
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 teaspoon raw honey

1 cup banana chips
1/3 cup raisins (or dried dates)
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pecans

Mash the banana and stir in vanilla, honey, and peanut butter, until smooth. Coarsely chop the nuts and toss together in a separate bowl. Break or crush the banana chips; it doesn't work very well to chop them. They should end up about half-a-bite-size. Add banana chips and raisins to the nut mixture.

Combine the nut mixture to the mashed banana mixture to coat the dry ingredients. Spread it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees F, stirring after 15 minutes.

Let the granola cool and harden before eating. It is fabulous with yogurt, coconut milk, almond milk, ice cream...use your imagination.

Store in an airtight container.

This recipe was inspired by The Urban Poser.

Grain-Free Chocolate Avocado Cupcakes

There's something special going on between avocado and chocolate. When these two are together sparks fly, birds sing...cupcakes are born. I think it's safe to say that avocado and chocolate are the power couple of the food community. Unlikely, but boy, they sure know how to bring out the best in each other.

These little baby cakes are packed with chocolate-y goodness, are supremely moist, and majorly rich. Can they be vegan? No need for eggs, butter, or milk. That avocado, he really does do it all.

Chocolate Avocado Cupcakes:
(makes 18)

1 avocado

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup raw honey

1/2 cup coconut milk

2/3 cup cocoa powder

2 cups almond flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Peel, pit, and mash the avocado. In a blender, puree the avocado, vanilla, warm coconut oil, vinegar, honey, and coconut milk. The result looks like one of those green super-food smoothies. But we're making cupcakes which, obviously belong in the health foods category, too.

In a large bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, almond flour, baking soda and salt. Fold in the avocado puree.

Grease cupcake tins, if not using cupcake papers, and fill with batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18 minutes. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean and angels sing.

Frost and gobble down a few. They're pretty hard to resist...

Coconut Almond Treats

Here is an easy recipe for a quick and delicious little treat! They are so sweet, one would never guess there is no sugar in them!

Coconut Almond Treats:
(makes 12 candies)

1 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, plus extra for decorating

1/8 cup coconut oil, warmed

1 tablespoon raw honey

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

slivered almonds for decorating

In a food processor, pulse everything together. The coconut should be very fine. Sprinkle the additional coconut in the bottom of mini cupcake tins or candy molds. Place one or two slivered almonds on top of the shredded coconut. Measure out one tablespoon of the coconut mixture into each of the tins. Gently, yet firmly, pack down the mixture into the tins. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Carefully remove the candies from the tins and flip over to serve. These little guys are best stored in the fridge, but let them reach room temperature before serving.

Enjoy!

This recipe is adapted from here.

Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup

 I've always loved creamy squash soup, but I never thought of putting it in soup cubed. Thank goodness for Pinterest. 

This soup has more ingredients than I usually use, but the results are worth it. It has so many different flavors and is quite hearty.

This recipe serves about 6 people.

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cupss chopped leeks
1 1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

4 cloves minced garlic

8 cups water

2 cubes vegetable bouillon

1 1/2 cups prepared lentils (according to package)

1 small butternut squash, cut into bite size pieces

1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin
23 oz frozen spinach

Saute the leeks in the olive oil for 4 minutes. Add the carrots, salt, and garlic, and saute until the carrots and leeks are softened.

In a large pot, heat the water and add the bouillon. Stir until it dissolves. Add the leeks and carrots, lentils, squash, and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Lastly, add the spinach and simmer for 10 more minutes.

This soup is yummy, full of good things, and as Sue Gregg would say, "guaranteed to fill the heartiest of appetites."

Chocolate Peppermint Bark

The Holidays are upon us!

I take the start of this season as a cue to eat a lot of chocolate. Here's a recipe for a delicious chocolate treat! 

Chocolate Peppermint Bark

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/8 cup raw honey

1/8 cup unsweetened pure cocoa powder

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut 

Mix everything together, saving the shredded coconut for last. It is helpful to warm the coconut oil before mixing it in.

Line a baking sheet or pan with foil or parchment paper and pour in the chocolate mixture. Pop in the fridge for 10 minutes and break into small pieces. Store in the freezer.

This bark absolutely melts in your mouth and is dangerously addicting.

This recipe comes from this fellow grain-free blog. 

Roasted Potatoes and Carrots with Rosemary

We're embarking on a family trip in a few days, and I am determined to use up as much stuff in the fridge as possible before leaving. Just got to get a little creative, that's all!

It's an opportunity to eat simply. Well, that's what I tell myself. More like, just necessary to eat really strange combinations. Here's one dish I made that turned out to be pretty darn tasty. And this is basically what I had to work with...

Brussels Sprouts with Cinnamon

I will never forget the first time I ate brussels sprouts. I absolutely loved the little green vegetables my Dutch host mom had made, but I had no idea what they were. When I asked, my host dad began translating "spruitjes" to English. After some confusion and much laughter, we landed on "brussels sprouts". I was so surprised that I was eating brussels sprouts- and enjoying them! 

Now, brussels sprouts are one of my favorite winter vegetables. To me, they are a comfort food and bring back so many memories of my Dutch family! Plus, they are exceptionally nutritious and are a perfect side dish for so many meals.

 I've tried to make them just the way my host mom always did: simply steamed and sprinkled with cinnamon! 

To make, steam the brussels sprouts over boiling water for 10 minutes, or until they are tender in the middle. Add a dash of cinnamon on top and serve. Although cinnamon and brussels sprouts seem to be an odd combination,  it is quite tasty. The cinnamon brings out the flavor of the sprouts and gives them a little sweetness. 

Eet smakelijk!

Beet Chips

No, that’s not bacon in my salad, but it’s way better, trust me.

This summer, I became semi-obsessed with beets. There is so much to do with them! My obsession lead to a lot of experimenting and my favorite discovery was beet chips. Somehow potatoes chips are now just less exciting and flavorful.

Allow me to change your life.   

To start making the chips, scrub and peel the beets, then chop off the ends. I absolutely love the bright red color! Warning: it will get all over your hands and stains fabric like nobody’s business.

Continue peeling the beets with a serrated peeler. Try to make the chips as similarly sized as possible so that they will bake evenly.

Coat the chips in olive oil and season with black pepper and sea salt. Transfer to a baking sheet and space out the chips so that they don’t stick together. Bake at 400 degrees F for roughly twenty minutes, flipping the chips after ten minutes. Baking time will vary depending on the size of the chips, so watch them closely! They are done when they bubble up and have turned orange- in short, when they look like bacon!

These guys can be enjoyed in a salad or you can just munch on them plain. 

'Cause they're THAT good. 

scb

Arrabbiata Sauce and Chickpeas with Zucchini Noodles

Vegetables are amazing. With a little creativity and courage, you can do just about anything with them! Take zucchinis, for example, besides practically becoming their own food group in my diet, they can be used as a noodle replacement. And zucchini noodles are super easy to make. 

I like super easy.

To make the Arrabbiata Sauce, saute a small onion and one tablespoon of minced garlic in olive oil. Throw in a chopped red bell pepper and let it sizzle until soft, about three minutes. 

Add two tomatoes and a couple dashes of black pepper. Let the sauce simmer for about twenty minutes. When it looks saucy, add in a twenty-eight ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed. 

Meanwhile, thinly slice strips of zucchini and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and dust with salt and black pepper. Bake in the oven preheated to 400 degrees for about 8 minutes. 

Layer the zucchini noodles in a dish and top with the sauce.

Enjoy your vegetables!

scb

P.S. This recipe was adapted from this amazing blog.