Anyone who has children, knows that Cheerios are a staple food in the house. This recipe uses this staple food, and combines them with a little almond butter for added protein. These are seriously addictive even for adults. Plus, they take no time to make!
1/2 cup almond butter, or any other nut butter
1/2 cup agave syrup
4 1/2 cups Cheerios
In a small pot, heat up almond butter and agave syrup on medium heat until it is smooth, just a couple of minutes. While that is heating up, place Cheerios in a large bowl. Once the almond butter and agave syrup are smooth, pour over Cheerios. Stir until evenly coated. Press Cheerios into a Pyrex dish, use a smaller one for thicker bars, and a larger one for thiner bars. Let cool in the fridge for a couple of hours before cutting.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Cheesy Spinach Casserole
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this recipe, but this was amazingly good! Seriously, it was delicious. My one year old daughter even loved it. This is for sure going to be a regular in this household. Plus, it is super easy, so how can you go wrong?
1 Package Frozen Chopped Spinach (10 oz.)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup cottage cheese
1/3 cup shredded Havarti cheese
2 whole eggs, lightly beaten
4 egg whites
1 red pepper, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Squeeze out excess water from spinach in a paper towel over the sink. This is extremely important, otherwise it will be too watery and won’t cook properly.
In an 8 inch Corningware dish, combine all ingredients. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the casserole is no longer jiggly. Broil for a couple of minutes until the cheese is golden brown.
1 Package Frozen Chopped Spinach (10 oz.)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup cottage cheese
1/3 cup shredded Havarti cheese
2 whole eggs, lightly beaten
4 egg whites
1 red pepper, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Squeeze out excess water from spinach in a paper towel over the sink. This is extremely important, otherwise it will be too watery and won’t cook properly.
In an 8 inch Corningware dish, combine all ingredients. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the casserole is no longer jiggly. Broil for a couple of minutes until the cheese is golden brown.
Pumpkin Bars
These are super moist because of the pumpkin, and so delicious! I originally made these for my daughter to have for her afternoon snack, but I ended up eating lots myself. And, the next day when I gave them to her again for her snack, she gobbled it up, and ate seconds (me too)!
2/3 cup organic sugar cane
4 tbsp butter, softened
1 14oz can pureed pumpkin
3 egg whites
1/3 cup skim milk
1 1/4 cup spelt flour
1 1/2 cup oats
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each nutmeg and ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup dried berries (dried cranberries or raisins will also work)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly spray a 9x 13 inch pan.
Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg white, pumpkin and milk in a medium bowl.
In another bowl mix flour, oats, spices, baking soda and salt. Stir into pumpkin mixture until just blended. Fold in dried berries.
Spread in pan, bake for about 30 minutes.
2/3 cup organic sugar cane
4 tbsp butter, softened
1 14oz can pureed pumpkin
3 egg whites
1/3 cup skim milk
1 1/4 cup spelt flour
1 1/2 cup oats
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each nutmeg and ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup dried berries (dried cranberries or raisins will also work)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly spray a 9x 13 inch pan.
Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg white, pumpkin and milk in a medium bowl.
In another bowl mix flour, oats, spices, baking soda and salt. Stir into pumpkin mixture until just blended. Fold in dried berries.
Spread in pan, bake for about 30 minutes.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
I made these cookies one afternoon when I had a craving for chocolate.What can I say? It was raining, I was reading a book, my daughter was napping – it just felt like a cookie baking sort of afternoon.
You can really taste the molasses in these cookies, so if you don’t like that flavour, I would add maple syrup in its place. I also only cooked them for 8 minutes because I like a chewier cookie. If you like a more crispy cookie, leave them in the oven for an extra couple of minutes.
Also, if you want to make these vegan, use carob chips rather than chocolate chips, and almond milk or rice milk in place of the dairy milk.
Wet Ingredients
¼ cup oil or butter
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp molasses
1 tsp vanilla
Dry Ingredients
2/3 cup spelt flour
1/3 cup organic sugar cane
2 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. In a small bowl, combine wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
Form into 12 equal balls, and flatten with a fork on a sheet pan lined with parchement paper.
Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool before eating (I know, sometimes this is the hardest part).
You can really taste the molasses in these cookies, so if you don’t like that flavour, I would add maple syrup in its place. I also only cooked them for 8 minutes because I like a chewier cookie. If you like a more crispy cookie, leave them in the oven for an extra couple of minutes.
Also, if you want to make these vegan, use carob chips rather than chocolate chips, and almond milk or rice milk in place of the dairy milk.
Wet Ingredients
¼ cup oil or butter
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp molasses
1 tsp vanilla
Dry Ingredients
2/3 cup spelt flour
1/3 cup organic sugar cane
2 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. In a small bowl, combine wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
Form into 12 equal balls, and flatten with a fork on a sheet pan lined with parchement paper.
Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool before eating (I know, sometimes this is the hardest part).
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Stuffed Peppers
I have always wanted to make stuffed peppers, but I have never reallly gotten around to it. I bought a big bag of quinoa a while back and have been trying to find suitable recipes for it, but nothing really caught my eye.
I went to my friends a couple of weeks ago, and she made stuffed peppers with quinoa, and figured I would try them out for myself. Traditionally, rice is used in stuffed peppers, but I actually really like the quinoa flavour in this recipe. If you are used to the rice and meat stuffed peppers, this is quite a bit different, but not being a meat eater, I found these quite tasty. However, this recipe may be a little “strange” if you eat meat on a regular basis. But, try it out, you might actually be surprised by these.
1 cup quinoa
½ cup red lentils
1 24oz can diced tomatoes, juice included
1 ½ cups vegetable stock
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup Asiago cheese
Salt to taste
4 bell peppers, any colour works
In a medium pot, bring to boil the vegetable stock. Add tomatoes, lentils and quinoa. Let simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the quinoa “opens” to form little curls. Remove from heat and add ¾ cup of cheese, chopped basil and salt.
While quinoa is cooking, cut the tops off of the bell peppers, and remove seeds and membranes. Cut a small slice off of the bottom of the pepper as well, so that it will stand straight in the dish. Place in an oven safe dish, standing up. Place about a cup of water (depending on the size of your dish) so that there is about ¼ inch of water on the bottom. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of peppers.
Place in a 425 degree oven for about 40 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool for a couple of minutes before eating.
I went to my friends a couple of weeks ago, and she made stuffed peppers with quinoa, and figured I would try them out for myself. Traditionally, rice is used in stuffed peppers, but I actually really like the quinoa flavour in this recipe. If you are used to the rice and meat stuffed peppers, this is quite a bit different, but not being a meat eater, I found these quite tasty. However, this recipe may be a little “strange” if you eat meat on a regular basis. But, try it out, you might actually be surprised by these.
1 cup quinoa
½ cup red lentils
1 24oz can diced tomatoes, juice included
1 ½ cups vegetable stock
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup Asiago cheese
Salt to taste
4 bell peppers, any colour works
In a medium pot, bring to boil the vegetable stock. Add tomatoes, lentils and quinoa. Let simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the quinoa “opens” to form little curls. Remove from heat and add ¾ cup of cheese, chopped basil and salt.
While quinoa is cooking, cut the tops off of the bell peppers, and remove seeds and membranes. Cut a small slice off of the bottom of the pepper as well, so that it will stand straight in the dish. Place in an oven safe dish, standing up. Place about a cup of water (depending on the size of your dish) so that there is about ¼ inch of water on the bottom. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of peppers.
Place in a 425 degree oven for about 40 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool for a couple of minutes before eating.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
No Bake Fruit Crumble
It was hot here yesterday, and I didn’t want to turn the oven on. So, I made this dessert instead of the traditional fruit crisp that I would make. The maple syrup and dates added the right sweetness. Although it was very different than my normal fruit crisp, it was light and perfect for the hot summer evening. Not only was it quick and easy, but delicious!
1 cup pitted dates
½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup unsweetend coconut
1 tbsp maple syrup
6 cups berries (I used blueberries, strawberries and raspberries)
In a blender, blend dates, almonds, coconut and maple syrup. It will be crumbly, so don't expect it to stick together a whole lot.
Place washed and chopped berries in a large bowl. Top with blended date mixture. Serve with frozen yogurt if desired.
1 cup pitted dates
½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup unsweetend coconut
1 tbsp maple syrup
6 cups berries (I used blueberries, strawberries and raspberries)
In a blender, blend dates, almonds, coconut and maple syrup. It will be crumbly, so don't expect it to stick together a whole lot.
Place washed and chopped berries in a large bowl. Top with blended date mixture. Serve with frozen yogurt if desired.
Roasted Vegetable Wraps
I went to a friends house for a bbq, and she made bbq’d eggplant, and my husband and I loved it! This is also the same friend who inspired me to make eggplant parmesan. I never used to like eggplant, but now can’t seem to get enough of it. So, I bought one this weekend, and was actually going to bbq it like she did, but decided to roast it instead and put it into a wrap. However, plain roasted eggplant in a wrap is a little boring, so I added a few other ingredients to make it a little bit different. This was a fantastic and easy meal. I made two extra wraps, for our lunch the next day and they were delicious!
If you don’t have a panini press, a sandwich maker or a quesadilla maker can also work. Or, you can even put it in the oven, but they don’t turn out quite as well in the oven as they would using one of the above appliances.
Makes 4 wraps
1 red pepper, diced
1 medium eggplant, diced
1 medium zuccini, diced
Half red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
2 cups cherry tomatoes
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
¼ cup goats cheese
½ cup havarti cheese, grated
4 large whole grain wraps
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a greased pan, mix red pepper, eggplant, zuccini, onion, garlic and tomatoes with vinegar and oil. Place in oven for about 45 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Remove from oven. Add goats cheese.
Take a wrap and lay it flat. Place ¼ of the havarti cheese on the bottom of the wrap, followed by ¼ of the vegetables. Wrap like this - http://mexicanfood.about.com/od/techniques/ht/burritofolding.htm. Place into a panini press for a few minutes, until the cheese has melted, and the wrap is golden brown.
If you don’t have a panini press, just wrap the cheese in the tortilla and place in the oven for a couple of minutes. Don’t over-cook it in the oven, otherwise it will dry out. However, use a panini press, or a sandwich maker/quesadilla maker for best results.
If you don’t have a panini press, a sandwich maker or a quesadilla maker can also work. Or, you can even put it in the oven, but they don’t turn out quite as well in the oven as they would using one of the above appliances.
Makes 4 wraps
1 red pepper, diced
1 medium eggplant, diced
1 medium zuccini, diced
Half red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
2 cups cherry tomatoes
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
¼ cup goats cheese
½ cup havarti cheese, grated
4 large whole grain wraps
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a greased pan, mix red pepper, eggplant, zuccini, onion, garlic and tomatoes with vinegar and oil. Place in oven for about 45 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Remove from oven. Add goats cheese.
Take a wrap and lay it flat. Place ¼ of the havarti cheese on the bottom of the wrap, followed by ¼ of the vegetables. Wrap like this - http://mexicanfood.about.com/od/techniques/ht/burritofolding.htm. Place into a panini press for a few minutes, until the cheese has melted, and the wrap is golden brown.
If you don’t have a panini press, just wrap the cheese in the tortilla and place in the oven for a couple of minutes. Don’t over-cook it in the oven, otherwise it will dry out. However, use a panini press, or a sandwich maker/quesadilla maker for best results.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Puffed Kamut Squares
When I was a kid, I remember my mom always making puffed wheat squares. They were such a great treat! I am not sure what it is that reminded me of these this week, but something made me remember this oh-so delicious childhood treat of mine, and I couldn’t shake the craving. So, I looked up a recipe for it, and was shocked at what they are made out of! Corn syrup, sugar, fat and some recipes also call for extra candy and marshmallows added. I couldn’t bring myself to make them the traditional way, and had almost decided to not make them at all…except the craving wouldn’t go away!
So, I made up my own recipe made with whole grain Kamut puffs, which I just bought at the regular grocery store down the Natural/Organic aisle, used my trusty agave syrup, added some high quailty cocoa powder and voila! I satisfied my craving without the guilt!
½ cup agave syrup
¼ cup butter
3 tbsp cocoa powder
8 cups Kamut puffs (I used Nature’s Path)
Place Kamut puffs in a large bowl.
In a pot on medium heat, add agave, butter and cocoa until butter is melted.
Pour agave mixture onto puffs, mix until all puffs are evenly coated.
Press into a pyrex dish, and let cool in the fridge before cutting.
So, I made up my own recipe made with whole grain Kamut puffs, which I just bought at the regular grocery store down the Natural/Organic aisle, used my trusty agave syrup, added some high quailty cocoa powder and voila! I satisfied my craving without the guilt!
½ cup agave syrup
¼ cup butter
3 tbsp cocoa powder
8 cups Kamut puffs (I used Nature’s Path)
Place Kamut puffs in a large bowl.
In a pot on medium heat, add agave, butter and cocoa until butter is melted.
Pour agave mixture onto puffs, mix until all puffs are evenly coated.
Press into a pyrex dish, and let cool in the fridge before cutting.
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