Peachy Seedbuttery Oat Bites

These are a fun and healthy little snack (or breakfast...cookies for breakfast!?).  They are melt-in-your-mouth nutty with a touch of fruitiness.

1 cup oatmeal
1 cup pureed peaches
1/4 cup pumpkin seed butter
1/4 cup sunflower seed butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup raisins
Pinch salt
2 packages of stevia (I use Sweet Leaf brand)

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix all.

Place on a sheet pan using a 1/8th scoop.  Bake for 14 minutes.

Makes about 15 cookie bites.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pillows

I made a ton of these at Christmastime last year, and to say they were a huge hit would be an understatement.  So I figured they'd do well at the intermission bake sale at my daughter's play this weekend.  The original recipe comes from the PPK, but I made a few changes to make them even more rockstar.

The Cookie
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 Tbsp almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup AP flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp cocoa
1 Tbsp instant coffee
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Mix wet ingredients.  Then add dry ingredients.  Mix well.  Transfer to a container (I prefer a square shallow one, so I can score the dough into 24 pieces when it's firm).  Put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

The Filling
3/4 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup confectioner's sugar
2 Tbsp almond milk
1/4 tsp vanilla

Whisk all ingredients.  Transfer to a container (a square shallow one also), and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 

As mentioned above, cut each container of dough into 24 pieces after it comes out of the fridge. 

Preheat oven to 350. 

Roll each cookie dough piece into a ball and flatten in the palm of your hand.  Put a ball of the filling in the center of this, and then enrobe the cookie dough around it.  Don't worry if it cracks - it's uber forgiving. 

Roll between your palm a bit so that it's in ball form and place on a lined sheet pan.   Put 12 cookies on one pan at a time. 

Bake for 10 minutes. 

Remove from oven and let rest on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Thriving on Pizza

As an omni, pizza was my favorite food.  As a vegan, it's hard to come by a pie that really makes me go "ooooh."  So I went into this recipe from the Thrive book  (Brendan Brazier) with only hopes of a nutrition-packed dinner, rather than one that would be particularly palate pleasing.  But I was stupefied to discover that it was both!  Super yummy, multilayered, and with a bit of kick from the red pepper.  By far the tastiest pizza I've had in some time - and uber healthy too.  I'm anxious to try his other crust and topping variations.

Brendan makes his own tomato sauce, but I just used some organic marina from a jar.  I was going to make his nooch sauce but then realized I had some Daiya mozzerella that needed to be used up, so I just speckled the top of the pizza with it, not wanting to mask the flavor of the other ingredients.  As I move along in my food journey, I become less and less a fan of faux cheese.

As usual, I made a few adjustments to the original recipe, for both crust and toppings.

The Crust:
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup cooked anasazi beans
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder

The Toppings:
Marinara sauce
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1/2 onion, diced thin
1/2 medium sweet potato, shaved with a peeler
2 large button mushrooms, shaved with a peeler
Pinch of salt and red pepper flakes
Daiya mozzarella-style shreds

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Blend all the crust ingredients in a food processor til a ball starts to form. 

Spread on an oiled baking sheet or stone, to about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thickness. 

Top with marinara, then the veggies, salt and pepper flakes, and shreds.

Bake for 45 minutes.

On day 2 the crust is a bit crumbly, but I'm not offended by having to use a fork.  Enjoy!

Leprechaun in a Glass

I had already used berries in my oatmeal this morning, so I was tapping my forehead trying to come up with something new to put in my lunch smoothie today.  I've also been bemoaning the fact that I'm not going to have time in our play-rehearsal/basketball practice/birthday-sleepover weekend  to make a St. Patty's day meal, unless I stay up real late and eat it at midnight tonight (watch, I just might). 

I grabbed a can of pumpkin (leprechaun hair)  from the pantry, a banana (his pale gingery skin) from the freezer, some spices (freckles) and molasses (his little black belt) from the cupboard, and  an avo and a spring mix of lettuce and greens from the fridge (green green green)... and it just turned into a pot of gold from there.  This leprechaun turned out really yummy, and I'll be repeating him all year long.

1 frozen banana
1/4 of an avocado
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
Dashes of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg
1 tsp blackstrap molasses
1 cup baby spring greens
1 cup almond-coconut milk

Whip all thoroughly in your blender, and pour into a leprechaun-worthy glass. 

While I was out on my deck taking pictures of my masterpiece, some geese flew over.  Welcome home, guys.

This smoothie turns out almost like a light pudding consistency, so I'm devouring mine with a big spoon. 

Enjoy on this cold, drizzly day...in Ireland, or in Vermont.

Guilty Pleasure Skillet

I have a general aversion to fake meat.  For several reasons:  1) I don't miss the texture/consistency of meat; 2) the long and scary ingredients list can't be any healthier (and may be even worse) than chewing on a charcoal-covered chicken thigh; and 3) for all the effort of that long list of ingredients, most just don't taste good flavorwise.

Pass the beans, please. 

There are, however, a couple exceptions to my rules.  Once or twice a month, when I'm in a hurry or the fridge and pantry are bare, you might find me breaking out a Field Roast sausage or a bag of Gardein "Mandarin Chick'n."  I believe the ingredients are generally wholesome...containing words such as "potato...apple...pepper...ancient grains...fruit puree..." rather than nothing but  "-oids...-ates...-ides..." The Gardein is what I worked with last night.  It's actually kind of addictive, in its crispy sweet and savory glory; but I think just knowing it's in my freezer keeps me satiated the other 28 or 29 days of the month when I'm not in need of a quicky meal. 

I make this dish different every time, but I always add a citrus and greens.

1-2 Tbsp peanut oil
1 pkg Gardein Mandarin Chick'n
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
1 blood orange, peeled, sectioned, and diced
Handful of fresh baby spinach

Heat the oil in a hot skillet, and saute the chick'n and edamame until browned and heated through. 

Add the package of sauce that comes in the Gardein package, along with the blood orange dices. 

Finally add in the spinach.  Fold all together. 

Serve over brown rice or noodles. 

The hardest part about this dish is getting the leftovers from the pan to a container to the fridge without gobbling them up. 

Seedy Herby Sweet-Tator Oven Fries

The inspiration for these came from Brendan Brazier's "Thrive" book.  I popped them in the oven after an hour of stretching/yoga (I'll spare you the picture of my butt that my youngest daughter took while doing so), and they were ready for a late lunch by the time I was showered and dressed.  Perfect!  I want to try his homemade ketchup recipe soon too, but today I just whisked together some mustard and maple syrup for a quick dipping sauce.  Again, perfect.

2 sweet potatoes, cut into fries/wedges
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1-1/2 Tbsp grapeseed/olive oil
1/2 Tbsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 300.

Drizzle the oil in the middle of a baking sheet, and pile the garlic, seeds, herbs, and salt on top.  Then mix with your fingers. 

Toss the sweet potato in the mixture, to coat. 

Spread out evenly, and bake for 45 minutes.

Mud Season Rice Bowl

I've been busy.  Spare time and creativity are at a low, what with the kids' basketball games, play rehearsals, and sugaring going on all once.  Plus I've been squeezing in some extra workouts and have the spring cleaning bug as well....so really the fact that the family is getting fed at all is a miracle in and of itself.

But I wanted to share with you a bowl I've been eating the past three nights.  It's so tasty and comforting.  And, well, super quick and easy.

You'll need:
*Brown rice (I TRY to have a pot in the fridge at all times)
*Baby spinach (another staple)
*Broccoli sprouts (a new find, and a new favorite)
*BBQ tempeh (the first two nights I used a pre-marinated, locally made BBQ tempeh...I can't recall the brand right now, but it's delicious...they make a teryaki one too...but tonight I just used some flax tempeh w/a splash of bottled BBQ sauce and sauteed it together with a little olive oil)
*Annie's brand Shitake Sesame dressing (yet another fridge staple)

I can't help think of the freckle-faced chunky kid in the movie "The Sandlot" telling the newbie how to build a s'more up in their treehouse...."First you take the graham..."  In this case, first you take the rice...

Reheat rice in a nice big bowl.

Top with the fresh baby spinach.

Top with the sauteed BBQ tempeh.

Top with a generous pile of broccoli sprouts

Drizzle with the Shitake Sesame dressing.

Grab a fork, mosey down to the sugarhouse, find yourself a seat, and savor yourself fifteen minutes of downtime.

Not-So-Beany Bean Brownies

I'll admit it.  Will you?  Black bean brownies just aren't good.  I mean, I'll eat them...cuz they're on my counter...but they aren't crave worthy, nor brownie-craving quenching.  They make neither good brownies, nor good beans!  I'm done trying to pretend!

Nevertheless, earlier this week I was having a craving and also needed a tasty but somewhat healthy after-school snack for the kids.  We'd all been living on leftover (bready) stuffing from a dinner over the weekend, so we didn't need any more empty carbs.  I remembered I had some fava bean flour in the pantry a friend had passed on to me, and that got my wheels turning.  I've mentioned before I'm far from an expert on the science of gluten-free baking; so, kids, I winged (wung?) it.  There was a recipe for banana bread on the back of the fava bean flour bag, so I gauged the amount of accompanying GF-friendly ingredients I thought would meet my brownie needs and was pretty happy with the outcome!  I daresay these are even better than some of the other vegan brownies I've made with white/wheat flours. 

1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup potato flour
3/4 cup fava bean flour
2 Tbsp tapioca starch
1/4 tsp xantham gum
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup chocolate nondairy milk *
1/3 cup sunflower oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

*I had a single-serve box of EdenSoy brand chocolate milk in the fridge I had bought for a field trip and needed to use up before the expiration date.  This brand is sweetened with maple syrup and has other nice features, but is NOT gluten free - if you're making these for billy goats with GF needs.

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.  Add the wet ingredients, and mix.  Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour into a sprayed 8 x 8-inch baking pan...

...and bake for 30 minutes. 

The billy goats and girls gobbled a couple of these down with some organic strawberries, and then chased each other around the house with chocolate on their faces.  If they only knew they were eating beans...sort of.

Seitan & Broccoli in Spicy Peanut Sauce

Recently I bought some "Asian-inspired" peanut butter from a local vendor (www.peanutprinciple.com) at an art & craft show (I also got some pumpkin seed butter which is mucho delish).  The ingredients in the Asian one included organic peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut, chiles, ginger, garlic, and other spices.  I was instantly sold, but how was I going to use this product exactly?  Hmph.  I searched online for spicy peanuty dishes, did some tweaking, and ended up with this recipe.  In all likelihood, you don't have any Asian-inspired peanut butter in your fridge, so you could add a couple tablespoons of red chile sauce or maybe just increase the chili flakes and other spices...add some sesame seeds...play with it.

1 lb broccoli florets
1 Tbsp peanut oil
16 oz seitan, chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
2/3 cup spicy peanut butter
1/3 cup tamari
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 cup very hot water
4 small-med carrots, matchsticked
1 small onion, finely diced


Steam the broccoli until fork tender.

In a saute pan, brown the seitan in the peanut oil.
 

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk the ginger, PB, tamari, garlic, maple syrup, pepper flakes, salt, and hot water together.

Add the PB mixture to the seitan along with the carrots and onion, and simmer until the carrots are just tender. 

Mix in the broccoli and heat everything through. 

Serve over quinoa (or rice or pasta).

Smoothie for Upper Body Woes

I was in a dressing room the other day, trying on running clothes for summer (as I explained to my husband, they were 30% off).  I loved the new skorts I picked out.  My legs, even in the pale misery of the first days of March under fluorescent lighting, didn't look half bad - yay for running!  But the tops, as expected, fell short of my hopes.  So, I decided enough procrastinating and lamenting the fact that I should just be running running running...it was time to incorporate some regular upper body workouts. 

And so it commenced this morning, and my two daughters joined me, sweating, groaning, and giggling it up in our living room to Tony Horton's charmingly annoying personality.  I used my dumbbells for weights, and the girls used cans of beans for theirs.  And after a shower and the jello feeling left my arms, I was able to reach up into the cupboard for my blender and make a smoothie for lunch.  The ingredients are kind of random but it came out pretty smooth and benign-tasting for what is in it (Swiss chard is one of those foods I'm trying to love because I don't love it, and so far so good).

1 heaping cup of rainbow Swiss chard
1 orange, peeled
1 cup frozen strawberries
1-1/2 Tbsp each hemp seeds and chia seeds
2 prunes
1 cup soy milk
Ice cubes

Blend a couple minutes til good and smooth.  The color seemed kind of drab, so I put it in a pretty bowl instead of my usual clear glass and slurped it with a spoon instead of a straw.

I'm looking forward to my run tomorrow...