Sunflower Bites

Another pair of bananas going dead, so I had no choice. I was forced to make breakfast cookies once more. Now, there's just no point in repeating a recipe when I'm always trying to think of new, interesting recipes to share with you, so I decided to go a little off script for this. 

Sunflower Bites

2 bananas

2 heaping spoonfuls of crunchy sunbutter (This is sunflower butter. Delicious!)

1/8 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup rolled oats

1/8 cup almond meal

1/8 cup flaxseed meal

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup golden raisins (alternatives: diced apricots, dried cranberries, dried cherries)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Paper two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mash two bananas. Stir in sunbutter, honey, and vanilla until well combined. Add pumpkin pie spice. Stir. Add almond and flaxseed meal. Stir. Add in raisins (or alt of your choice) and rolled oats.

Using a large spoon, scoop one large spoonful at a time on to the cookie sheets, leaving the scoops a couple inches apart. Flatten the cookie scoops with a fork.

Bake for about 16 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Awesome Granola Goodness

I was in the mood for some healthy snacking options, so I went looking for all the things I loved and tried to figure out how to combine them into one nutritious dish. These granola bars are what I came up with. The toasted flax seed meal gives the granola a slightly smokey, warm taste, the fruits make it chewy and sweet, the nuts give it a delicious crunch. I made these not too sweet, because my lack of exposure to processed sugar has made my tongue and body more sensitive to such things - did I tell you all about Valentine's Day? Someone brought over this amazing smelling strawberry layer cake. I had a small slice and felt dizzy and jittery the rest of the night, like I'd drunk six cups of caffeinated coffee. Yikes!  All that said, if you're sweet tooth is unstoppable, you can add more honey, agave, or even maple syrup. If you're sweet tooth rules you, add cacao nibs to the top of the bars after they've baked and put them back in the oven for another 1-2 minutes so they melt over the top.


Awesome Granola Goodness
(makes about 21 pieces)

2 large bananas

2 tbsp spoonfuls of sunbutter (could use peanut butter)

2 tbsp earth balance spread

~¼ cup honey

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup rolled oats

½ cup steel cut oats

2 tsp cinnamon

½ cup flax seed meal

¼ cup raisins

¼ cup dried apricots, cut into small pieces

~¼ cup agave nectar

½ cup sliced almonds, unsalted (can be toasted)

½ cup walnut pieces, unsalted

½ tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Parchment paper a square casserole dish, grease the sides.

In a bowl, toss the oats and nuts together. Transfer to the casserole dish and toast for 10 minutes.

Over low heat, toast the flax seed meal in a dry pan for about 1 minute. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the apricots and raisins to that mix.

In a soup pan, heat earth balance, sunbutter, honey, agave nectar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon over high heat, until it has all melted together become bubbly. Turn heat back to low.

Take out the toasted oat/nut mix and transfer to the flax seed/fruit bowl. Pour the butter/sugar liquid into the mixing bowl.

Set the oven to 300 F.

Stir until the mixture is well combined. Mash two bananas and stir until the whole mixture is thick and firm.

Pour the mix into the lined casserole dish. 

Put the casserole dish back into the oven for about 35 minutes.

Allow to cool for 30-60 minutes before slicing into bars. Then store in fridge for another 20-30 minutes. The cold of the fridge will help the granola jell into delicious, chewy pieces. 

Nom Nom Breakfast Cookies

My last batch of flour-free oatmeal cookies were delicious, but crumbly. This time, I decided to work on the crumbliness, while still not adding anything processed or guilt-inducing.

Nom Nom Breakfast Cookies

2 large bananas, mashed
3 heaping spoonfuls Better n' Peanut Butter (can use normal peanut butter or sun butter - if you choose to use peanut butter, avoid brands that add sugar and chemicals)
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup rolled oats, processed to a fine powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds (or sunflower seeds)
1/2 cup raisins (alternatives: cranberries, cacao nibs, dried cherries)

 Preheat the oven to 350 F. Paper two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mash two bananas. Stir in peanut butter (or alt of your choice), honey, and vanilla until well combined. Pour 1/2 cup oats into a food processor and grind into a fine powder. Add that powder, plus half a cup of rolled oats to the wet mixture. Add cinnamon and baking soda. Stir. Add in raisins (or alt of your choice) and remaining rolled oats.

Using a large spoon, scoop one large spoonful at a time on to the cookie sheets, leaving the scoops a couple inches apart. Flatten the cookie scoops with a fork.

Bake for about 16 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

These come out yummy and filling, with a delightful combination of textures - both soft and crunchy. Enjoy. :)

Kick-Ass Cookies

Most oatmeal cookies involve flour - which basically makes them normal cookies with oats mixed in. Here, I made up an oatmeal cookie recipe that is delicious, flaky, crumbly, naturally sweetened, and totally flour-free.

Oatmeal-Raisin-Pumpkin Seed Cookies, or Kick-Ass Cookies
(Makes 24)

1.5 cups rolled oats, for processing
1.75 cups rolled oats (I used Bob's RedMill Old Fashioned)
1 tsp baking soda
3 heaping tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
3 tbsp liquid egg whites
1 tsp pure vanilla
1/2 cup roasted, salted pumpkin seeds
1 cup seedless raisins

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Pour 1.5 cups rolled oats into your food processor and process into a consistent powder. Pour that "oat flour" into a mixing bowl and add baking soda and cinnamon. Stir with a fork until well combined.

In another bowl (preferably slightly larger than the first), beat together coconut oil, agave nectar, egg whites, and vanilla until well combined with a hand mixer. Slowly add the oat flour into the oil/nectar mixture until suitably blended.

Now, fold in the oats using a spatula. Once those are well blended in, add the seeds and raisins. Fold again until all are well combined. Stick the bowl of batter into the fridge for about 20 minutes so it can sort of solidify. Now take the bowl back out and, using a spoon, form 2-inch balls of the mixture and place them onto the parchment paper about 2 inches apart from each other. You should end up with 4 rows of 3 (or 3 rows of 4). :) Use your fork from earlier to flatted each ball slightly.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about a minute, then transfer to racks to cool completely. (But first, steal one to taste test for yourself!)

Yummy, healthy, oatey cookies ready for guilt-free munching! Enjoy. :)

Cinnamon-Chicken Bake, or "Looks Like Dessert, Tastes Like Dinner"

I've long been wanting to do a simple, healthy chicken dish. One of my favorite meals growing up was going to Luby's - a buffet restaurant in North Carolina - and getting fried chicken and applesauce. Well, I don't fry chicken, but that warm, wholesome taste of chicken and applesauce together.

Cinnamon-Chicken Bake
(Serves 2)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tbsp liquid egg whites
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
sprinkle of rolled oats, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Pour 1 tbsp olive oil into a skillet over medium-low heat.

Slice raw chicken into small strips (about 4x1.5 inches). When the oil is hot, add the chicken slices to the skillet. Heat, turning, until the outside is totally cooked - about 3-5 minutes.

Remove the cooked chicken to a small mixing bowl. Add 1 tbsp egg whites to the bowl, along with 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir all together, making sure to coat the chicken well. Pour the chicken into a small baking dish (I used my little La Creuset). Put the baking dish into the oven for about 11 minutes.

Take the baking dish out and add in 1/2 cup of the applesauce; mix well. Sprinkle with cinnamon and oats. Return to the oven for another 6 minutes.

Serve quickly. Makes a quick, easy comfort meal for two. Or one, with a lunch leftover. :)

Enjoy!