Leftovers have always been my nemesis. The kids cry about having to eat leftovers, and it's usually tough to "fix" leftovers for dinner because either a) there's not quite enough of everything to go around or b) if I can convince the kids to eat leftovers, they want the same thing and don't know how to share. Leftovers are good for lunch the next day, but beyond that, I've had a hard time with them. On top of all this, I have a hard time eating exactly the same thing beyond dinner and lunch the next day.
I think my boyfriend put it best, though: "How can anyone hate leftovers, are you kidding me? Precooked food and all I have to do is heat it up? That's the best kind of food there is!" His enthusiasm for leftovers and hatred of throwing perfectly good food away because it sits in the refrigerator and goes bad reshaped my thinking.
Here's a few ideas for leftovers to get the creative juices flowing. First, don't feel bad about letting the leftovers build up for a few days. Cook a variety of foods, and then in a couple of days, you'll have a variety of leftover choices, which will widen your options. Second, mix things up. For example, my son wanted mini pizzas last night for dinner, which I can't eat, so I just heated up some leftover Spicy Honey Brushed Chicken because it was late and I didn't care. That meant there were no "new" leftovers for lunch today. So I took some spaghetti squash left over from a week or so ago, topped it with some cut up Spicy Honey Brushed Chicken and roasted broccoli. This was a brand new take on how I'd originally prepared these recipes, and it was a quick and easy lunch I could just toss in the microwave at work.
Another really good option is to recreate components from the recipes. For example, when I made my sweet potato quiche, I cut up a piece of chicken left over from a night or two before rather than cooking a new meat to put in it. You could also add leftover vegetables to a casserole (such as the hash brown casserole), or wrap them up in a whole wheat tortilla with some meat and grill it, turning it in to a panini of sorts. Left over fruit topping for pancakes can be drizzled over yogurt with granola to make a parfait. So many options. For me, the most important thing is reinventing the recipe so I don't have to eat the same food over and over.
What are your favorite leftover tricks?
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Monday, December 30, 2013
Roasted Potato Bites
When I was a kid, I absolutely loved tater tots. Not to go all Napoleon Dynamite on you (I absolutely hate everything about that movie), but those were my tots! There was just something about those little potato morsels that were irresistible.
Now, I don't claim that these are anywhere near tater tots, because they're not. But they are little potato bites, and they're pretty darn tasty. My son let them go swimming in a pool of fry sauce (if you're not from Utah, that's a mixture of mayo and ketchup), but they were just fine by themselves. Even better, perhaps. I like fry sauce just as much as the next chick, but you really don't need fry sauce here. This is basically the ingredients for my baked french fries, the difference being the shape of the cut potato. They're a bit easier to cut this way.
I used six Russet potatoes from a 10lb bag and it worked out to be enough for one mom and three hungry males.
Ingredients:
6 Russet potatoes
2 T. olive oil
Chili powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, sea salt & ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
Scrub potatoes really well. We're keeping the skins on, and unless you like eating dirt, scrub the crap out of them.
Cut potatoes in thirds lengthwise, then cut the thirds in half lengthwise. Cut the slices into cubes about the same size long as they are wide. Put into a large mixing bowl.
Drizzle olive oil over potatoes and use tongs to toss, coating all the potato cubes. Sprinkle seasonings as desired. I didn't measure this time, but it was probably about a tablespoon each of the chili powder and paprika, and probably in the neighborhood of a teaspoon each of the onion powder, salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes until well coated with the seasonings. Add a little more if necessary. My mom used to say, "You can always add more, but it's really hard to take it out." Keep this in mind as you're adding the seasonings to the potatoes.
Arrange potato pieces in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Put in the oven and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, or until fork tender and brown. Serve immediately, with or without fry sauce.
Now, I don't claim that these are anywhere near tater tots, because they're not. But they are little potato bites, and they're pretty darn tasty. My son let them go swimming in a pool of fry sauce (if you're not from Utah, that's a mixture of mayo and ketchup), but they were just fine by themselves. Even better, perhaps. I like fry sauce just as much as the next chick, but you really don't need fry sauce here. This is basically the ingredients for my baked french fries, the difference being the shape of the cut potato. They're a bit easier to cut this way.
I used six Russet potatoes from a 10lb bag and it worked out to be enough for one mom and three hungry males.
Ingredients:
6 Russet potatoes
2 T. olive oil
Chili powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, sea salt & ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
Scrub potatoes really well. We're keeping the skins on, and unless you like eating dirt, scrub the crap out of them.
Cut potatoes in thirds lengthwise, then cut the thirds in half lengthwise. Cut the slices into cubes about the same size long as they are wide. Put into a large mixing bowl.
Drizzle olive oil over potatoes and use tongs to toss, coating all the potato cubes. Sprinkle seasonings as desired. I didn't measure this time, but it was probably about a tablespoon each of the chili powder and paprika, and probably in the neighborhood of a teaspoon each of the onion powder, salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes until well coated with the seasonings. Add a little more if necessary. My mom used to say, "You can always add more, but it's really hard to take it out." Keep this in mind as you're adding the seasonings to the potatoes.
Arrange potato pieces in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Put in the oven and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, or until fork tender and brown. Serve immediately, with or without fry sauce.
Spicy Honey Brushed Chicken
For some reason I thought I already posted this recipe. Remember a while back when I lost all my recipes from my ChefTap app? So I get a craving for this, and think it will be great because it comes together pretty quickly, and I realize I don't have the recipe re-imported into the app. I start searching the internet tirelessly, looking for the original recipe. Alas, I can't remember where I found it or exactly what was in it.
I wasn't giving up, though. I was making these suckers for dinner, end of story. So, while I can say that the concept wasn't mine (there were actually a ton of variations of this recipe online), I can say that this version came entirely out of my own head, albeit borrowed from some mystery recipe writer somewhere. I think the original recipe called for chicken thighs, so feel free to use thighs if you like. I love chicken thighs. Dark meat is so tasty. But breasts are just that much better. Because they're pounded flat and cooked quickly, all the yummy juices are locked in and they're really tender. Not a bit dry. Just be careful not to overcook them.
You'll need a meat cleaver (or rolling pin, but a meat cleaver works much faster and evenly) and some plastic wrap to make this work. My meat cleaver is double sided - a flat side and a side with spikes - and I like to use the side with spikes. It tenderizes the meat while flattening it.
Ingredients:
4 large chicken breasts
2 T. chili powder
1 T. smoked paprika
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more if you want it spicy)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Directions:
Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
Cut each chicken breast in half cross-wise. Put chicken pieces, two at a time, on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. Be sure the plastic wrap extends well over the ends of the chicken, because it will widen as it flattens.
Take all the day's frustrations out on the chicken with the meat cleaver. Beat the crap out of that stuff. Be careful to keep it even, though, and don't pound it paper thin. You want it to be about 1/4 inch thick when it's done. However thick or thin you get it, just be sure it's uniform. You're covering it with the plastic wrap to prevent any chicken goo from flying around your kitchen. Repeat until all breasts are pounded flat.
Arrange 2-3 chicken pieces in the bottom of a large mixing bowl so they're not overlapping. In a small bowl, mix together the chili powder, paprika, onion powder, sea salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Sprinkle a little of the seasoning over the breasts, arrange two more in the bowl, sprinkle with seasonings, and continue until all chicken and seasonings are used. Use tongs to toss the chicken around, coating all pieces as evenly as possible with the spice mix.
Arrange chicken on prepared baking sheet in a single layer, not overlapping. Put under hot broiler (I put mine on the second-to-highest rack) and broil for 4 minutes. Flip chicken over and broil an additional 4 minutes. Be sure chicken is cooked all the way through and no longer pink.
While chicken is broiling (or before if you don't work all that quickly) combine vinegar and honey, whisking well to combine. The honey has a tendency to stick to the bottom of the bowl, so whisk it good. When chicken is fully cooked, flip it over again, and use a pastry brush to cover the chicken with the honey mixture. Broil for one minute, flip, coat the other side with honey mixture, and broil one more minute. Serve hot.
Note: You probably won't use all of the vinegar and honey mixture. You have two choices. One, you can reduce the amount of vinegar and honey you're using, or two, you can put it in the refrigerator and use it in another recipe. Because the chicken is fully cooked when you brush it on, there's no danger of cross contamination. You will likely end up with a few seasoning chunks in it, though. So, it's up to you. :)
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Roasted Broccoli
I've been trying really hard to prepare more vegetables, particularly for dinner. It seems like I've got squash and potatoes fairly regularly in the rotation, but it's challenging for me to get the green veggies in. Part of the problem is that vegetables are so expensive this time of year, whereas squash and potatoes are on the cheaper side. The other part of the problem is that I never know what to do with the vegetables once they're in the house. Steaming them is totally bland and boring.
I've been hearing a lot of buzz lately about how good roasted vegetables are. Since it's winter, it's the perfect time to roast them because I don't have to worry about over heating the house. As it turns out, all the buzz was right. This was really tasty. I doubt I'll ever steam broccoli again.
Broccoli is one of those vegetables that's really tricky to wash. The very best method, even though it takes some time, is to soak it in water with an edible acid (lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, etc), and then rinse it. The vinegar gets inside those little pieces and breaks out any dirt or grime. If you like eating dirt, feel free to just rinse it. ;)
Ingredients:
3 bunches broccoli
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2-3 T. olive oil
2-3 T. lemon juice
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried cumin
Sea salt & ground black pepper
Directions:
Cut broccoli florets from stems and put in a large mixing bowl. Cover with vinegar and enough cold water to cover all florets. Let sit for about 30 minutes. Rinse well, and shake in a strainer to remove as much water as possible.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, toss broccoli with olive oil, lemon juice, onion powder, cumin, salt and pepper. The broccoli should be completely covered with the oil and lemon juice, so add a little more if needed.
Arrange broccoli in a single layer on the baking sheet (touching is okay, just not overlapping). Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until broccoli is tender and just starting to brown.
I've been hearing a lot of buzz lately about how good roasted vegetables are. Since it's winter, it's the perfect time to roast them because I don't have to worry about over heating the house. As it turns out, all the buzz was right. This was really tasty. I doubt I'll ever steam broccoli again.
Broccoli is one of those vegetables that's really tricky to wash. The very best method, even though it takes some time, is to soak it in water with an edible acid (lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, etc), and then rinse it. The vinegar gets inside those little pieces and breaks out any dirt or grime. If you like eating dirt, feel free to just rinse it. ;)
Ingredients:
3 bunches broccoli
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2-3 T. olive oil
2-3 T. lemon juice
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried cumin
Sea salt & ground black pepper
Directions:
Cut broccoli florets from stems and put in a large mixing bowl. Cover with vinegar and enough cold water to cover all florets. Let sit for about 30 minutes. Rinse well, and shake in a strainer to remove as much water as possible.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, toss broccoli with olive oil, lemon juice, onion powder, cumin, salt and pepper. The broccoli should be completely covered with the oil and lemon juice, so add a little more if needed.
Arrange broccoli in a single layer on the baking sheet (touching is okay, just not overlapping). Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until broccoli is tender and just starting to brown.
Zucchini Fritters
Zucchini is one of those vegetables that you can just do so much with. Boiled it's not so tasty, but when you do something fun with it, it can be a super tasty treat!
When I think of fritters, I think of donuts - apple fritters, raspberry fritters, that kind of thing - so when I saw a recipe for zucchini fritters, it didn't really sound all that appetizing. The reviews were mixed, but it seemed like the people who didn't like the recipe simply did it wrong. Follow instructions, people! If your recipe doesn't work and you didn't do what the recipe instructed, don't go all hating on the recipe. That's all I'm saying.
My disclaimer here is that these are fairly high in fat. They're fried in coconut oil, and because they're made with coconut flour, baking them is not an option, trust me on this one. But, if you have one fritter that is paired with a lean protein, it makes for a pretty tasty meal. Coconut oil is a heckuva lot better for your than vegetable oil, but it's still fat. Everything in moderation. So, this being said, don't eat a whole batch yourself in one sitting and then get mad at me when you see how much fat is in them. :)
Ingredients:
3-5 zucchini, shredded
Sea salt
Cheesecloth
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Ground black pepper
Coconut oil
Directions:
Shred the zucchini with the large holes in a cheese grater. You can use a food processor for this if you like, but zucchini is so fragile that I prefer to do it by hand. There is a pretty big range in the number of zucchini needed - you need about 4 cups shredded, so the number of squash will vary depending on their size.
Put zucchini in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle generously with sea salt, toss with a spoon and let sit for at least ten minutes. The salt is drawing the moisture out of the squash, so don't cut corners here.
Put the squash into a piece of cheesecloth and squeeze all the water out. Get in there and really muscle it. When you think it's as dry as it can get, open the cheesecloth, move the squash around, and squeeze it some more. Do this a couple of times until absolutely no water is coming out of the squash. If you don't do this, your fritters will fall apart.
Put the dry zucchini back into the mixing bowl (be sure to wipe out any residual water first). Add the coconut flour, egg, baking soda, cumin and black pepper to the bowl, stirring to combine. Do this quickly, as the coconut flour will start absorbing the moisture from the egg, so you'll end up with a mess if you take too long.
Once your mixture is done, preheat a large skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Add some coconut oil. Once oil gets hot, make the fritters. Do one fritter at a time, placing it directly in the hot oil. Press mixture firmly into a 1/4 cup measuring cup. Wiggle it out, press it a little flat with your hands, and set in hot oil. Use a spatula to flatten even more. Repeat with each fritter, doing 3 to 4 in a pan (or however many you can fit). Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side or until brown and crispy, flip, and cook on the other side. Be sure to add more coconut oil to the pan for each new batch.
Let cooked fritters sit on a cooling rack while making the others to avoid them getting mushy. My batch made 7 fritters.
When I think of fritters, I think of donuts - apple fritters, raspberry fritters, that kind of thing - so when I saw a recipe for zucchini fritters, it didn't really sound all that appetizing. The reviews were mixed, but it seemed like the people who didn't like the recipe simply did it wrong. Follow instructions, people! If your recipe doesn't work and you didn't do what the recipe instructed, don't go all hating on the recipe. That's all I'm saying.
My disclaimer here is that these are fairly high in fat. They're fried in coconut oil, and because they're made with coconut flour, baking them is not an option, trust me on this one. But, if you have one fritter that is paired with a lean protein, it makes for a pretty tasty meal. Coconut oil is a heckuva lot better for your than vegetable oil, but it's still fat. Everything in moderation. So, this being said, don't eat a whole batch yourself in one sitting and then get mad at me when you see how much fat is in them. :)
Ingredients:
3-5 zucchini, shredded
Sea salt
Cheesecloth
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Ground black pepper
Coconut oil
Directions:
Shred the zucchini with the large holes in a cheese grater. You can use a food processor for this if you like, but zucchini is so fragile that I prefer to do it by hand. There is a pretty big range in the number of zucchini needed - you need about 4 cups shredded, so the number of squash will vary depending on their size.
Put zucchini in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle generously with sea salt, toss with a spoon and let sit for at least ten minutes. The salt is drawing the moisture out of the squash, so don't cut corners here.
Put the squash into a piece of cheesecloth and squeeze all the water out. Get in there and really muscle it. When you think it's as dry as it can get, open the cheesecloth, move the squash around, and squeeze it some more. Do this a couple of times until absolutely no water is coming out of the squash. If you don't do this, your fritters will fall apart.
Put the dry zucchini back into the mixing bowl (be sure to wipe out any residual water first). Add the coconut flour, egg, baking soda, cumin and black pepper to the bowl, stirring to combine. Do this quickly, as the coconut flour will start absorbing the moisture from the egg, so you'll end up with a mess if you take too long.
Once your mixture is done, preheat a large skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Add some coconut oil. Once oil gets hot, make the fritters. Do one fritter at a time, placing it directly in the hot oil. Press mixture firmly into a 1/4 cup measuring cup. Wiggle it out, press it a little flat with your hands, and set in hot oil. Use a spatula to flatten even more. Repeat with each fritter, doing 3 to 4 in a pan (or however many you can fit). Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side or until brown and crispy, flip, and cook on the other side. Be sure to add more coconut oil to the pan for each new batch.
Let cooked fritters sit on a cooling rack while making the others to avoid them getting mushy. My batch made 7 fritters.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Sweet Potato Quiche
Quiche has always been one of my favorite breakfast treats. I largely avoided it because it was so unhealthy. Do you have any idea how much butter is in quiche? Not to mention the heavy cream. A while back I was looking for a recipe for gluten free quiche and found one Paula Dean had posted that used hash browns for the crust. Obviously since it was Paula Dean it wasn't healthy, but it sure tasted good!
I've been reading all sorts of recipes lately that use sweet potatoes (yams, because they're orange) with eggs and vegetables in breakfast casseroles, mini quiches, etc. I sort of took a hybrid approach between these recipes and Paula's recipe. Good gravy, it sure turned out tasty!
As with my sweet potato hash browns, it's much easier and less time consuming if you grate the potatoes with a food processor instead of a cheese grater. The cheese grater works, though. I started making the quiche before I realized I didn't have any meat to put in it. Then I remembered a piece of chicken I had left over from last night's dinner. I made Orange Maple Chicken, and it was absolutely perfect in the quiche. I don't expect you to make the recipe just to have some left over for the quiche, any cooked chicken will work. But I think the orange maple flavor from the chicken added a layer of depth to the dish. Yum!
Feel free to use bacon instead of chicken if you like. If you do this, eliminate the liquid smoke. I use liquid smoke in many of my recipes because it has a bacon-y taste without all the fat in bacon. Not to mention, pork is out of the question.
Ingredients:
1 medium yam
2 T. coconut oil, plus more for sauteing
1/2 sweet or yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 zucchini, finely diced
1 cooked chicken breast, finely diced
3/4 cup full fat canned coconut milk
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried coriander powder
1/4 tsp dried cumin
10 drops liquid smoke
Sea salt & ground black pepper
Mrs. Dash
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a pie plate with cooking spray and set aside.
Peel yam and shred, either with a food processor or the large holes in a cheese grater. Spread yams in a thin layer between paper towels, and press as much moisture out of the yams as you can. Muscle those puppies.
Put yam shreds into pie plate. Melt 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a very small pan, then drizzle over the yams. Use your hands to toss the oil evenly. Press yams into the pie plate evenly across the bottom and up the sides. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes total, or until starting to brown. The yams will shrink slightly as they cook, so remove from oven every 10 minutes or so, and push down the bottoms and sides to keep the "crust" intact.
While crust is baking, prepare the base. Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl. Whisk well. Add a little coconut oil to a medium skillet. Saute onions and peppers until very tender and starting to caramelize. Add zucchini during the last few minutes and cook until soft. Remove from heat and let cool.
Stir chicken breast, coconut milk, onion powder, coriander, cumin, salt, pepper, liquid smoke and vegetables into the quiche. Stir well to make sure seasonings are well combined.
When yams are finished baking, pour egg mixture directly into hot crust. Sprinkle a little Mrs. Dash on top. I did this as an afterthought, a little worried there wouldn't be enough flavor without bacon or cheese, but I really think it's optional. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees. Return quiche to the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until eggs are set. Let cool slightly before slicing.
Makes 4 large slices or 6 smaller slices. It will reheat well, too.
I've been reading all sorts of recipes lately that use sweet potatoes (yams, because they're orange) with eggs and vegetables in breakfast casseroles, mini quiches, etc. I sort of took a hybrid approach between these recipes and Paula's recipe. Good gravy, it sure turned out tasty!
As with my sweet potato hash browns, it's much easier and less time consuming if you grate the potatoes with a food processor instead of a cheese grater. The cheese grater works, though. I started making the quiche before I realized I didn't have any meat to put in it. Then I remembered a piece of chicken I had left over from last night's dinner. I made Orange Maple Chicken, and it was absolutely perfect in the quiche. I don't expect you to make the recipe just to have some left over for the quiche, any cooked chicken will work. But I think the orange maple flavor from the chicken added a layer of depth to the dish. Yum!
Feel free to use bacon instead of chicken if you like. If you do this, eliminate the liquid smoke. I use liquid smoke in many of my recipes because it has a bacon-y taste without all the fat in bacon. Not to mention, pork is out of the question.
Ingredients:
1 medium yam
2 T. coconut oil, plus more for sauteing
1/2 sweet or yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 zucchini, finely diced
1 cooked chicken breast, finely diced
3/4 cup full fat canned coconut milk
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried coriander powder
1/4 tsp dried cumin
10 drops liquid smoke
Sea salt & ground black pepper
Mrs. Dash
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a pie plate with cooking spray and set aside.
Peel yam and shred, either with a food processor or the large holes in a cheese grater. Spread yams in a thin layer between paper towels, and press as much moisture out of the yams as you can. Muscle those puppies.
Put yam shreds into pie plate. Melt 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a very small pan, then drizzle over the yams. Use your hands to toss the oil evenly. Press yams into the pie plate evenly across the bottom and up the sides. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes total, or until starting to brown. The yams will shrink slightly as they cook, so remove from oven every 10 minutes or so, and push down the bottoms and sides to keep the "crust" intact.
While crust is baking, prepare the base. Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl. Whisk well. Add a little coconut oil to a medium skillet. Saute onions and peppers until very tender and starting to caramelize. Add zucchini during the last few minutes and cook until soft. Remove from heat and let cool.
Stir chicken breast, coconut milk, onion powder, coriander, cumin, salt, pepper, liquid smoke and vegetables into the quiche. Stir well to make sure seasonings are well combined.
When yams are finished baking, pour egg mixture directly into hot crust. Sprinkle a little Mrs. Dash on top. I did this as an afterthought, a little worried there wouldn't be enough flavor without bacon or cheese, but I really think it's optional. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees. Return quiche to the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until eggs are set. Let cool slightly before slicing.
Makes 4 large slices or 6 smaller slices. It will reheat well, too.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
White Chocolate Cranberry Bars
My dad was in town this week and I decided to have him over for dinner. He's an incredible cook, so needless to say I was more than a little intimidated cooking for him. I made the Honey Mustard Chicken & Plantains with some zucchini shreds sauteed in coconut oil. He said he liked it, and we spent the rest of the meal - and after - talking about different things we could do to recipes. You know, the kinds of flavors you could add to different recipes, things like that. I wish he lived here. He had some incredible ideas.
Anyway, I made these for dessert. The original recipe had two versions - one using leavening and the other without - and I've made them both ways. The version that used leavening agents turned out more like a cake, but these had a texture that was far more dense. I know it sounds a little odd to bake without leavening, but trust me, the unleavened version is the better of the two. Naturally I still made a few substitutions from the original. I highly recommend trying these.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup oat flour (grind up oats in the blender)
1/2 cup cashew flour (same thing - grind up cashews in the blender until they resemble a powder)
2 T. liquid egg whites
1 large egg
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 T. melted butter (or coconut oil)
1/4 tsp sea salt
3 T. dried cranberries
3 T. coarsely chopped white chocolate
For the topping:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
Soy milk
Dried cranberries and chopped white chocolate
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 baking dish with foil and coat with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oat flour, cashew flour and salt, whisking together. Add the egg whites, egg, honey, applesauce and butter, stirring well to combine. Let sit for a few minutes to allow the nuts and oats to absorb a little of the moisture.
Pour half of the batter into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons each of the white chocolate and cranberries over top of the batter. Drizzle remaining batter on top. If necessary, use a spoon or tip of a butter knife to ensure the cranberries and white chocolate are completely covered by the batter. Use this method rather than mixing them in to the batter to ensure they don't sink to the bottom.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until edges are golden and it starts separating from the sides of the pan.
Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Let cool completely.
For the icing, combine the powdered sugar and about a teaspoon of soy milk at a time, whisking well, until icing is combined and still slightly thick. Pull the sides of the foil away from the bars and press flat, but keep the bars on the foil. Spread icing over the top. Immediately sprinkle additional cranberries and white chocolate over top. Cut into squares or triangles and serve.
Anyway, I made these for dessert. The original recipe had two versions - one using leavening and the other without - and I've made them both ways. The version that used leavening agents turned out more like a cake, but these had a texture that was far more dense. I know it sounds a little odd to bake without leavening, but trust me, the unleavened version is the better of the two. Naturally I still made a few substitutions from the original. I highly recommend trying these.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup oat flour (grind up oats in the blender)
1/2 cup cashew flour (same thing - grind up cashews in the blender until they resemble a powder)
2 T. liquid egg whites
1 large egg
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 T. melted butter (or coconut oil)
1/4 tsp sea salt
3 T. dried cranberries
3 T. coarsely chopped white chocolate
For the topping:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
Soy milk
Dried cranberries and chopped white chocolate
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 baking dish with foil and coat with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oat flour, cashew flour and salt, whisking together. Add the egg whites, egg, honey, applesauce and butter, stirring well to combine. Let sit for a few minutes to allow the nuts and oats to absorb a little of the moisture.
Pour half of the batter into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons each of the white chocolate and cranberries over top of the batter. Drizzle remaining batter on top. If necessary, use a spoon or tip of a butter knife to ensure the cranberries and white chocolate are completely covered by the batter. Use this method rather than mixing them in to the batter to ensure they don't sink to the bottom.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until edges are golden and it starts separating from the sides of the pan.
Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Let cool completely.
For the icing, combine the powdered sugar and about a teaspoon of soy milk at a time, whisking well, until icing is combined and still slightly thick. Pull the sides of the foil away from the bars and press flat, but keep the bars on the foil. Spread icing over the top. Immediately sprinkle additional cranberries and white chocolate over top. Cut into squares or triangles and serve.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Blueberry Coconut Oat Muffins
The original recipe I found for these used a lot of protein powder and they were called "Protein Cookies." I've tried several different recipes with two types of protein powder (Syntha-6 and Iso-100, which are both high quality protein powders) and neither of them worked. The recipe turned out tasting delicious, but they had an ammonia type smell to them. Since we eat with our eyes and our nose before our mouth, it simply didn't work for me.
I learned that oat flour could be substituted for protein powder. Granted, the recipe will be much lower in protein, but you really only need super high quantities of protein in your diet if you're doing heavy weight lifting on a regular basis. When I was doing boot camp, I needed massive quantities of protein every day. The same would be true of Cross Fit (which I still want to try someday). But now I'm doing yoga and other cardio exercises (Jillian Michaels is my hero), so I don't need quite as much protein as I did before.
Anyway, these muffins are really dense and probably are more of a soft cookie consistency than they are a muffin. I ate two and that was probably a little much - I could have been satisfied with one and a piece of fruit. Because they have blueberries on top, store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Since I can't use peanut or almond butter in my recipes (two of my favorites), I tried some soy nut butter when I made Monster Cookies at Halloween. I don't really care for it, so I started using cashew butter instead. Cashew butter will work in most recipes, but it isn't solid enough for the no-bake recipes (like no-bake cookies or no-bake granola bars). Cashew butter worked really well here. Unfortunately I didn't have enough so I used half cashew and half soy. I could still taste the soy, so I highly recommend going with all cashew, or use peanut or almond.
Ingredients:
2 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup oat flour (grind up oats in the blender or food processor)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup agave or honey
1/2 cup cashew butter (or nut butter of choice)
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup frozen (or fresh) blueberries
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners, then spray with cooking spray (you'll need 12). Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, oat flour and cinnamon, whisking to combine. Stir in agave, cashew butter and water using a sturdy wooden spoon. The mixture should be sticky. If it's too dry, add a little more water, a few teaspoons at a time.
Divide batter between muffin cups. Using a spoon or wet hands, press batter down into the cups. Top with blueberries (1 tablespoon each) and coconut (1 teaspoon each). Unsweetened coconut is better because it browns without burning, but if all you can find is sweetened it'll work in a pinch. I have to go to health food stores to get the unsweetened.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until coconut is toasted.
I learned that oat flour could be substituted for protein powder. Granted, the recipe will be much lower in protein, but you really only need super high quantities of protein in your diet if you're doing heavy weight lifting on a regular basis. When I was doing boot camp, I needed massive quantities of protein every day. The same would be true of Cross Fit (which I still want to try someday). But now I'm doing yoga and other cardio exercises (Jillian Michaels is my hero), so I don't need quite as much protein as I did before.
Anyway, these muffins are really dense and probably are more of a soft cookie consistency than they are a muffin. I ate two and that was probably a little much - I could have been satisfied with one and a piece of fruit. Because they have blueberries on top, store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Since I can't use peanut or almond butter in my recipes (two of my favorites), I tried some soy nut butter when I made Monster Cookies at Halloween. I don't really care for it, so I started using cashew butter instead. Cashew butter will work in most recipes, but it isn't solid enough for the no-bake recipes (like no-bake cookies or no-bake granola bars). Cashew butter worked really well here. Unfortunately I didn't have enough so I used half cashew and half soy. I could still taste the soy, so I highly recommend going with all cashew, or use peanut or almond.
Ingredients:
2 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup oat flour (grind up oats in the blender or food processor)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup agave or honey
1/2 cup cashew butter (or nut butter of choice)
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup frozen (or fresh) blueberries
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners, then spray with cooking spray (you'll need 12). Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, oat flour and cinnamon, whisking to combine. Stir in agave, cashew butter and water using a sturdy wooden spoon. The mixture should be sticky. If it's too dry, add a little more water, a few teaspoons at a time.
Divide batter between muffin cups. Using a spoon or wet hands, press batter down into the cups. Top with blueberries (1 tablespoon each) and coconut (1 teaspoon each). Unsweetened coconut is better because it browns without burning, but if all you can find is sweetened it'll work in a pinch. I have to go to health food stores to get the unsweetened.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until coconut is toasted.
Eggs & Sweet Potato Hash Browns
Since Thanksgiving, I've had a hard time stomaching the thought of sweet potatoes. It seems like we do sweet potatoes for everything around the holidays, and I burn out on them pretty quickly. I had two large sweet potatoes left (and when I say sweet potatoes, I actually mean yams - the orange fleshed kind) and they were going to go bad pretty quickly if I didn't use them.
Sad face - one of them actually did go bad! I was hoping to salvage at least half of it, because I wasn't planning on making a lot, but it was time to call the vegetable coroner.
Fortunately I still had one whole good one left. I'd seen several posts on different paleo websites about using sweet potatoes (which according to their pictures are actually yams) for hash browns. I'd been putting this off for two reasons: one, I already mentioned how sick I was of yams, and two, my food processor passed away during the tragic accidents when I made the Pumpkin Scones. Grating the potatoes by hand with a cheese grater was the only way it was going to happen. To be frank, I just didn't want to do it.
In an effort to save the remaining sweet potato, I decided it was time. I cut off about a third of the potato, peeled it and went to work grating it. It wasn't as difficult as I expected, but I sure hope Santa puts a food processor in my stocking this year. If I didn't have to grate them by hand, I would most definitely make them all the time. Happy face! I love sweet potatoes because of how low in calories they are compared to their Russet counterpart. Plus they just pack so much flavor.
I have never, and I mean never, been able to cook an egg over easy. Without fail, I break the yolk. So, when I make "over easy" eggs, I combine the traditional method with a poaching method. I add water to the pan, cover with a tight fitting lid and let the steam cook the top of the eggs. It works perfectly every time. I use a glass lid so I can keep an eye on them and not overcook the yolks. As soon as the tops are white, they're done. You can go a little longer if you like them over medium but for me, there's something about a cooked egg yolk that just grosses me out.
Ingredients (for 2 servings):
1/3 to 1/2 sweet potato (yam)
1 T. coconut oil
Cooking spray
4 large eggs
Sea salt & ground black pepper
Directions:
Peel and wash sweet potato. If you have a food processor (lucky you!) grate it up with the grating attachment. If you don't, grate it with the large holes in a cheese grater and then go buy yourself a food processor. Or ask Santa.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Melt coconut oil, turning the pan to coat the entire bottom. Add sweet potato shreds, then cook untouched for a few minutes or until they start to brown on the bottom. Coat the top of the potatoes with cooking spray. Flip, and continue cooking until desired tenderness. You don't want them mushy, but an undercooked potato is no fun either. If you don't like to use cooking spray that's fine, you could use a little more coconut oil. Keep in mind, though, that coconut oil is very high in fat and calories, so I use it sparingly. If you don't have coconut oil, olive oil would work as well. I just like the flavor of coconut oil.
When hash browns are almost finished, heat a skillet over medium heat. Spray pan with cooking spray (or coconut oil), and when pan is hot, crack eggs directly into the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a few tablespoons of hot water to the outside edges of the pan, cover with a tightly fitting lid, and cook until eggs reach desired doneness. Watch closely, and if all the water evaporates, you may need to add a few more tablespoons of water.
Serve eggs on top of hash browns.
Sad face - one of them actually did go bad! I was hoping to salvage at least half of it, because I wasn't planning on making a lot, but it was time to call the vegetable coroner.
Fortunately I still had one whole good one left. I'd seen several posts on different paleo websites about using sweet potatoes (which according to their pictures are actually yams) for hash browns. I'd been putting this off for two reasons: one, I already mentioned how sick I was of yams, and two, my food processor passed away during the tragic accidents when I made the Pumpkin Scones. Grating the potatoes by hand with a cheese grater was the only way it was going to happen. To be frank, I just didn't want to do it.
In an effort to save the remaining sweet potato, I decided it was time. I cut off about a third of the potato, peeled it and went to work grating it. It wasn't as difficult as I expected, but I sure hope Santa puts a food processor in my stocking this year. If I didn't have to grate them by hand, I would most definitely make them all the time. Happy face! I love sweet potatoes because of how low in calories they are compared to their Russet counterpart. Plus they just pack so much flavor.
I have never, and I mean never, been able to cook an egg over easy. Without fail, I break the yolk. So, when I make "over easy" eggs, I combine the traditional method with a poaching method. I add water to the pan, cover with a tight fitting lid and let the steam cook the top of the eggs. It works perfectly every time. I use a glass lid so I can keep an eye on them and not overcook the yolks. As soon as the tops are white, they're done. You can go a little longer if you like them over medium but for me, there's something about a cooked egg yolk that just grosses me out.
Ingredients (for 2 servings):
1/3 to 1/2 sweet potato (yam)
1 T. coconut oil
Cooking spray
4 large eggs
Sea salt & ground black pepper
Directions:
Peel and wash sweet potato. If you have a food processor (lucky you!) grate it up with the grating attachment. If you don't, grate it with the large holes in a cheese grater and then go buy yourself a food processor. Or ask Santa.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Melt coconut oil, turning the pan to coat the entire bottom. Add sweet potato shreds, then cook untouched for a few minutes or until they start to brown on the bottom. Coat the top of the potatoes with cooking spray. Flip, and continue cooking until desired tenderness. You don't want them mushy, but an undercooked potato is no fun either. If you don't like to use cooking spray that's fine, you could use a little more coconut oil. Keep in mind, though, that coconut oil is very high in fat and calories, so I use it sparingly. If you don't have coconut oil, olive oil would work as well. I just like the flavor of coconut oil.
When hash browns are almost finished, heat a skillet over medium heat. Spray pan with cooking spray (or coconut oil), and when pan is hot, crack eggs directly into the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a few tablespoons of hot water to the outside edges of the pan, cover with a tightly fitting lid, and cook until eggs reach desired doneness. Watch closely, and if all the water evaporates, you may need to add a few more tablespoons of water.
Serve eggs on top of hash browns.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Roasted Butternut Squash
I've had a butternut squash sitting on my counter for about a week. Squash keeps longer than other vegetables, but I knew it was time to use it. I originally bought it to make Butternut Squash Lasagna, but that's a fairly time consuming recipe so I just hadn't gotten around to it. I started Google-ing recipes for butternut squash, and it seemed like roasting it was going to be the simplest way to go.
There were lots of recipes, but I wanted something simple. I also came across the coolest little trick I'm going to share with you. If you've ever tried to peel and cut a butternut squash, especially a big one, you know what a tricky task it can be. I canned some squash a few months back and ended up with blisters on my hands by the time I got done cutting up 4 large squash. Here's the trick: bake the squash whole for 25-30 minutes before attempting to cut it.
I will never try to cut a raw squash again. :)
My only regret when I made this recipe was that the squash was small. I had two helpings - and so did everyone else - and we all wished there was more. It's so simple, but soooo tasty!
Ingredients:
1 butternut sqush (pick a big one!)
1 T. olive oil
Sea salt & ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash the outside of the squash and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place whole squash on prepared baking sheet and cook for 25-30 minutes. You don't want it overly soft, so check it at the 25 minute point to make sure it doesn't "give" anywhere.
Remove from oven and let squash sit until just cool enough to handle. Leave the oven on. Trim ends from squash and cut in half lengthwise and crosswise. Remove seeds and membranes with a spoon. Set squash on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to remove the skins.
Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. Put chunks in a large mixing bowl, add olive oil, and toss to coat. Arrange squash in a single layer on a foil covered baking sheet (you can use the same one you cooked the whole squash on if it didn't leak, if it did, change the foil). Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
Return squash to the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until squash is soft and just starting to brown. Don't overdo it, you don't want mushy squash.
There were lots of recipes, but I wanted something simple. I also came across the coolest little trick I'm going to share with you. If you've ever tried to peel and cut a butternut squash, especially a big one, you know what a tricky task it can be. I canned some squash a few months back and ended up with blisters on my hands by the time I got done cutting up 4 large squash. Here's the trick: bake the squash whole for 25-30 minutes before attempting to cut it.
I will never try to cut a raw squash again. :)
My only regret when I made this recipe was that the squash was small. I had two helpings - and so did everyone else - and we all wished there was more. It's so simple, but soooo tasty!
Ingredients:
1 butternut sqush (pick a big one!)
1 T. olive oil
Sea salt & ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash the outside of the squash and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place whole squash on prepared baking sheet and cook for 25-30 minutes. You don't want it overly soft, so check it at the 25 minute point to make sure it doesn't "give" anywhere.
Remove from oven and let squash sit until just cool enough to handle. Leave the oven on. Trim ends from squash and cut in half lengthwise and crosswise. Remove seeds and membranes with a spoon. Set squash on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to remove the skins.
Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. Put chunks in a large mixing bowl, add olive oil, and toss to coat. Arrange squash in a single layer on a foil covered baking sheet (you can use the same one you cooked the whole squash on if it didn't leak, if it did, change the foil). Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
Return squash to the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until squash is soft and just starting to brown. Don't overdo it, you don't want mushy squash.
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