My Favorite Granola

I absolutely love this granola! It is gluten free and sugar free, yet it has nothing but flavor! It only has four ingredients (optional five) and all you need is a food processor. It was inspired to copycat a granola served at one of my favorite local organic restaurants. I love having this granola on hand to sprinkle on yogurt parfaits.

When you are making it be sure to ONLY pulse it - do not hit "on" on your food processor and let it ride.....it'll turn into paste and that is not the consistency you are looking for. It should be crumbly. It takes about a minute or two of hitting the pulse button on and off before getting the desired texture. Using cold dates helps them to keep the texture better when pulsing.

This granola is full of fiber, healthy fats like Omega 3s, protein, antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, iron and vitamins E. And honestly, it just tastes delicious!
 
Ingredients:
1 cup raw organic walnuts
1/2 cup raw organic almonds
1/2 cup raw organic pistachios (shelled)
about 8 organic Medjool dates, pitted and cut in half, these should be cold from the refrigerator
pinch of salt, optional

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse on and off until granola is desired consistency - which is little, even sized "crumbles".  Store in the fridge for up to two weeks.

This makes about 1 1/2 cups of granola.

Candy Cane Christmas Cookies

These cookies were a BIG hit with everyone today! I used a little bit less sugar than I normally would when making cookies because the candy kisses and candy canes add quite a bit of sweetness. I'm really happy with how they turned out and all three kids said, "You need to blog these, Mom!" So, here ya go!  These are perfect cookies for the holidays!!

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup of flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 10 Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped and chopped
• 5 regular size candy canes, crushed into small pieces
• 1/4 mini semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Stir softened butter and sugar together; add egg and stir. Add vanilla and stir. Add salt, 1/2 cup flour and baking soda; stir together. Add remaining 1/2 cup of flour. 

Chop the ten Candy Cane Kisses into little pieces like this:

Add the chopped Candy Cane Kisses, crushed candy canes and 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips to the dough and fold in. Place dough in the refrigerator for at least two hours (up to overnight) before baking (I promise you there is an actual science to the why chilled cookies bake/taste better - go ahead and google it!). 

Lightly grease a cookie sheet with butter - I don't usually do this but the melted candy canes have a tendency to stick to the cookie sheet - greasing it makes them come of the pan more easily. Trust me!

Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a plate. Enjoy!

Udon Noodle Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

LOVE the way this Udon Noodle Bowl turned out!  It was scrumptious! My kids were mad I didn't give them bigger portions. Next time I'll make more! I would saw this makes enough for three large size portions, so if you have a big family, you may want to double it.  I added baked tofu to my family's meal (I offered chicken to my husband and he opted for the tofu), but I think shredded chicken or even thinly sliced flank steak would be amazing on this Asian inspired salad! Enjoy!
 
Ingredients:

Cilantro Dressing:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
2 Tbl Balsamic
1 Tbl honey, or a bit more if you like the sweetness
1/4 cup packed cilantro
juice of one lime
1 inch nub of fresh ginger, peeled
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of crushed chilies, or more if you like it spicy!

Salad:
8 oz Udon noodles, cooked
1 tsp to 1 Tbl sesame oil
8 - 10 white or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 cup of thinly sliced curly kale
2 cups of thinly sliced Napa cabbage (about half a head)
1/2 cucumber, julienne
1 large carrot, julienne
1 red bell pepper, julienne
4 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup peanuts OR cashews, roughly chopped
5-10 mint leaves, julienne, optional (but yummy!)
1 Tbl hemp seeds, optional

Optional Cooked Protein: 
1 block of extra firm tofu, cubed and baked OR 1 cup of shredded chicken OR thinly sliced flank steak OR grilled shrimp

Directions:

Cook the Udon noodles according to the directions on the package. After draining, rinse them well with cold water, use your hands to "fluff" the noodles as you rinse - this helps them from sticking together. After they are rinsed and all the excess water has been shaken off, drizzle with 1 tsp to 1 Tbl of sesame oil - this is for flavor and to prevent sticking.  Set the noodles aside until you are ready to assemble the salad.

To make the dressing place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and add more honey for sweetness, chilies for spice, salt for flavor, lime for tangy-ness.....always taste and add until it is to your liking. Cooking is not a science - it's all about taste. Set aside. 

Add a bit of olive oil to a pan and heat over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and saute for 6 minutes without touching them - let them caramelize in the pan. Then go ahead and stir them and cook for a bit longer until they are to your desired done-ness.

Thinly slice all the veggies - kale, Napa cabbage (definitely use Napa cabbage in this recipe - amazing!!), cucumbers, carrot, and red bell pepper. If you want to assemble the salad in a pretty way like the picture above, just layer the ingredients. Put the noodles down first, then the kale and cabbage. Add the other sliced veggies and mushrooms in a pretty pattern - alternating colors. Place chopped nuts in the middle, along with mint and your protein, if using. Sprinkle green onions on top. Sprinkle hemp seed if using (sesame seeds would be nice, too).  Drizzle the salad with dressing. Enjoy!

Chai Spice Banana Bread

Here I go again - ANOTHER banana bread recipe. I can't stop! I make a batch every week so the kids have a quick breakfast in the morning. I get bored making the same recipes over and over again - so I thought I would try something new - and with a little more spice! This one is inspired by chai tea. It has cardamon, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in it. I usually add yogurt in my bread to keep it moist, but this time I thought I would try canned coconut milk. The whole thing came together very nicely!! I had to share!

This recipe gets its sweetness from the very ripe bananas and organic coconut sugar. The chocolate chips are optional if you want to really cut back on the sugar (my kids love the chocolate chips, but if I were making this for myself I would use chopped walnuts instead).

4 very ripe medium bananas (about 2 cups of mashed bananas)
3/4 cup organic coconut sugar (also called coconut crystals)
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup of full-fat canned coconut milk, I use Organic Native Forest brand
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed*
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped walnuts, optional

Topping:
1 tsp cinnamon, optional
2 tsp coconut sugar, optional

Preheat Oven to 350F

In a large bowl, mash the bananas using a potato masher. Stir in the coconut sugar and melted coconut oil.  Add the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the coconut milk (when you open the can there will be separation - since you are only using 1/2 cup in this recipe and there are approx 2 cups in the can, you'll need to make sure you get a little of the sold cream and the watery liquid- I did about half and half). Add in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl combine all the spices, whole wheat pastry flour, flaxseed, soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Combine. Fold in the chocolate chips or walnuts, if using.

I use a glass 8X8 square dish to bake. I grease it with a thin layer of coconut oil to prevent sticking. Please take note, if you are using a metal 8X8 dish you will need to bake your bread for a longer length of time.

Transfer the batter to a greased glass baking dish, use the back of your spoon to spread the batter evenly. Stir the optional 1 tsp cinnamon and optional 2 tsp coconut sugar together. Evenly sprinkle this mixture on top of the bread.

Bake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and let sit for about 30 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!!

*If you do not have ground flaxseed, sub in another 1/4 cup of whole wheat pastry flour yielding 2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour in total. (I absolutely love adding ground flaxseed to my baked goods, though. Flaxseeds are wonderful plant source of Omega-3s, as well as a number of other health benefits!)

Caesar Salad with Roasted Broccoli & Pomegranate Seeds

Oh my gosh this salad was SOOO delicious! I think it'll be a new go-to for me! I had a similar salad last week at a favorite cafe of mine - it inspired me to try to replicate it at home.  I also made the dressing from scratch - I did a Caesar, but instead of mayo based, I used plain Greek yogurt.  Healthy, delicious, filling, fresh, flavorful - I think this salad has it all! This is great as a side salad or add sliced chicken or a piece of salmon and eat it as a meal.  I served ours alongside a plate of gnocchi.

Hope you enjoy! 

2 heads of romaine lettuce, chopped
1 large head of broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
1 Tbl olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup almonds

Dressing:
2 or 3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 Tbl olive oil
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice, fresh
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt,
1 to 2 Tbl milk
salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400F

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Lay broccoli florets on baking sheet and drizzle with 1 Tbl olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use your hands to toss and then spread broccoli evenly on baking sheet. Roast for about 18 minutes, or to your liking.  Let cool slightly.

While the broccoli is roasting make the salad dressing.

Pour 1 (or 2) tablespoons of olive oil into a skillet on medium low.  Place to the cloves of garlic into the skillet and let slightly sizzle in the oil for about three minutes on each side. The garlic should be slightly browned on the outside and soft on the inside. I always saute my garlic like this before adding it to dressings. Cooking it just a bit really brings out a mild, delicious flavor - and it cuts down that sharp raw garlic spicy-ness. Remove the garlic from olive and chop.  Save the infused olive oil for the dressing.

Place the garlic, garlic infused olive oil, Dijon, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Greek yogurt and milk into a container. Use a fork to combine completely. If it's too thick add a splash more milk or lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Combine chopped romaine, roasted broccoli, Parmesan, pomegranate seeds and almonds. Drizzle with salad dressing. Toss. Enjoy!!!

Healthy Pumpkin Banana Bread

This pumpkin banana bread is delicious! I'm really excited that it doesn't contain any butter - I promise you will not notice! The applesauce, pumpkin and mashed banana make the bread really moist. I used coconut sugar and pure maple syrup instead of refined white sugar.  The whole wheat pastry flour replaces all purpose flour. I made sure to add lots of yummy spices that make this bread smell and taste amazing.  I hope you enjoy!

• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 or 3 very ripe bananas
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life vegan mini chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350F

Add applesauce and bananas to a large bowl. Mash bananas into the applesauce. I prefer the texture to be quite smooth. Add the pumpkin, stir. Then add the coconut sugar and maple syrup and stir. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring after each addition. Add vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour batter into a well greased (I use coconut oil to grease my pan)  8 X 8 Pyrex (glass) pan. Cooking times can vary, so if you are using a metal pan you will need to cook longer (so adjust accordingly). I baked my bread in a Pyrex pan for 35 minutes and it was perfect.  Check to make sure a toothpick comes out clean before removing from the oven.

Let bread cool completely on the counter before cutting. Enjoy!

Split Pea & Cauliflower Bisque

I am so excited about this new cookbook I ordered off Amazon last week. It is called Back to the Cutting Board by Christina Pirello. I cooked four recipes from the book last week and each one was better than the last! I'm cooking exclusively from it again this coming week and I especially cannot wait to try more of her delicious soups.

If you read my blog you will already know how much my family and I love soup. I cook it often, even during the summer. But now that fall is on the horizon and the temperatures are starting to cool, my desire to make more soups is at an all time high.

This split pea and cauliflower bisque was absolutely wonderful.  There are very few ingredients, which made it easy to throw together. It was rich and flavorful, yet there is no cream or butter - just healthy yumminess!! I served it with grilled cheese sandwiches made on thicky, whole grain brain.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family did!
Here it is word for word from the cookbook Back to the Cutting Board:

1 to 2 Tbl avocado oil <I used olive oil>
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
sea salt
1 tsp curry powder
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup yellow or green split peas, rinsed well
4 cups filtered water <I used a quart of vegetable broth, plus another cup of water to thin the soup>
2 tsp white miso paste
2 to 3 sprigs fresh parley, minced, for serving

Stir together the oil, onion, and garlic in a soup pot over medium heat. When the onion begins to sizzle, add a small pinch of salt and the curry powder and saute until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the cauliflower and saute until shiny with oil. Add the split peas and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the peas are quite soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove a small amount of broth from the pot and use it to dissolve the miso. Return the miso mixture to the pot; using a handheld blender or food processor <I used my Vitamix blender>, puree the soup until smooth <if the soup is hot make sure you have the vent on the blender lid open and covered with a dry, clean cloth so the steam can safely escape>. Return to the stove to warm through and serve garnished with fresh parsley.