The Most Decadent Oatmeal Cookie

In honor of a beautiful French period play I initiated at my theater company, I decided - for once - to step off the path a bit and design a cookie with a little je ne sais quoi and a lot of decadence. And so, I present, the most decadent oatmeal cookie that I have ever tasted. This is not for the faint of heart, nor is it recommended for massive consumption. What it is is a treat - a delectable one - to tingle your taste buds and make your guests quiver with joy. And yes, this time there's butter.

The Most Decadent Oatmeal Cookie
(makes 32)

1 3/4 tbsp unsalted butter, separated
3/4 cup unsalted melted butter
2 cups slivered almonds (toasted)
1/2 tsp salt, separated
1.1 cups whole wheat baking flour
1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, separated
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp white pepper
1.5 tsp fresh lemon zest
3 tsp honey
2.5 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup applesauce
2 egg whites (+ 1/8 cup egg whites)
2 cups dried fruit of your choice (I used a combination of dried apples, peaches, pears, and raisins)
1 3/4 cup rolled oats (toasted)
45 oz crystallized ginger, chopped finely

Place slivered almonds on a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil with 1 tbsp butter and broil for about 5 minutes, checking regularly, until the almonds have toasted. Take out, mix up the almonds, shake the pan a couple times, and then put it back in for another minute.
Place old fashioned rolled oats on a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil with 3/4 tbsp butter and broil for about 5 minutes, checking regularly, until the rolled oats have toasted. Take out, mix up the oats, shake the pan a few times, then put back in for another minute.
Set the oven to 385 F.
Combine flour and 1 cup brown sugar in one bowl, plus all the dry ingredients.
Soften butter in a medium sized bowl. Add wet ingredients.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir well.
Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place tablespoon sized droplets of dough. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until browned.
Allow to cool for two minutes on the cookie sheet, before removing to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

1940's Snickerdoodles

Here's a little recipe I rescued from 1941 in honor of the current show I'm doing - Noel Coward's Peace In Our Time. It's not exactly my usual offering - not remotely vegan or low calorie, to be sure - nor is it my own invention (as I wasn't alive in 1940), but it is delicious and makes a great offering to potlucks and friends. To be enjoyed in moderation, with a cup of Earl Grey or Irish Breakfast (for dipping and sipping). The italics are my notations.

1940's Snickerdoodles
(makes ~50)

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup baker's sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
a sprinkle of ginger (1 tsp)
a scrape of nutmeg (take a whole nutmeg, then scritch off about a tsp of it with a small grater or zester)
additional sugar and cinnamon to taste (~tbsp each, for the outside of the cookies)

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Melt the butter in a saucepan (or microwave). Cream together butter, eggs, and sugar until you have a smooth texture.

(In a separate bowl) Sift the dry ingredients together and stir into the sugar mixture (making sure each addition of the flour mixture is combined before adding the next). Chill the dough for two hours.

Roll chilled dough into balls the size of uncracked walnuts. (Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on a flat surface.) Roll each in the cinnamon sugar (covering the outside). Place three fingers apart on a (parchment paper covered) cookie sheet. Bake for twelve minutes.


So there you go. I don't generally go in for so much butter - or any at all (I actually choked a little bit as I added it), but I will say that these are excellent dipping cookies. They cool to a hard, crispy cookie that softens in tea instantly. As with all things good and bad, use discretion when enjoying these. I've been making them to sell at the concessions booth for my play, which is a good way to keep them away from myself. When my schedule loosens up a bit, I will play with making a more guilt-free version of these.

Go on, have a peace! Enjoy!

Scratch Apple Pie

As promised, here is my dad's wonderful apple pie recipe - the how-to guide to a from-scratch pie that is delectable to the last crumb. This is not an easy or a quick recipe, like most of mine. But it is something that everyone can do with the right amount of patience and the end result is entirely worth the time you put into it. A message from my father: "This recipe as all about exceptionally flaky flavorful crust that explodes in your mouth with each bite, and toasted brûlée-like apple filling throughout with a firm, filling texture. You will probably never get this in a restaurant, as it is a little more involved than commercially practical. It does not always look pretty since the dough breaks easily. This is something special you can only get at home."

Scratch Apple Pie
(serves 7-10, depending on slice size)

Ingredients:
apples (6-8 large or 14-16 small - should reduce to ~8 cups after baking): Fuji, Granny Smith, Gala, and/or Braeburn - Granny for tartness, Braeburn for sweetness, Gala and Fuji for sugar (most of the 'apple flavor' comes from the Braeburn and Gala)
fruit fresh
white pepper
ground cinnamon
arrowroot
vanilla extract
whole nutmeg
zest of one lime
zest of one orange or tangelo
unsalted butter (frozen) [butter-flavor all-vegetable Crisco shortening can be used instead of butter for vegans and other non-dairy folk, in the same proportions]
shortening
superfine sugar
applejack (chilled in freezer)
brown sugar Splenda mix
pie crust mix (this is the cheatin' way. ask if you'd like the actual how-to on crust making)

Tools you'll need:
wax paper
aluminum foil
rolling pin
pie rim, optional (this is a circle of metal to protect the rim of your pie crust and keep it from burning while baking)
medium sized grater for shredding frozen butter
small-points grater for zesting and grating nutmeg
ceramic pie pan (12")

How to do it:
Preset oven to 440 F.
Cover a baking sheet with foil.
Spread out wax paper on the counter. Sprinkle a light powdering of fruit fresh on the wax paper. Core and peel the apples, slice into 8-10 slices per apple. Lay out the apple slices on the fruit fresh sprinkled wax paper. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon, superfine sugar, and a little more fruit fresh.
Spread shortening on aluminum-covered pan.
Transfer the slices and seasoned apples to the baking pan, laying them out so they all face the same direction and snugly cover the whole tray. Bake apples until browned.
Meanwhile, make the pie crust mix to direction, grate 1 stick of frozen butter, and replace the water with applejack (slowly add this into the mix until you get the right texture, it should be ~1/4 cup). Remember - butter before applejack; this is part of what makes this crust super flakey and delicious.
Knead that together, adding whole wheat pastry flour until you get a nice solid ball. Place the ball in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
In another bowl, 1/4 cup applejack, 1/2 cup Splenda brown sugar, zest of lime, zest of orange or tangelo (makes the pie taste fruity, not citrusy), 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg (a little bit of shell and a little bit of the inside), 3 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp arrowroot, and 1/4 tsp white pepper; this makes your slurry for the apple filling. When the apples slices have baked and browned, let them cool for a little while and then add them to the slurry. You want to coat the slices thoroughly and the best way to do this is by hand. It's messy, but it's fun. Cover with a bit of plastic wrap and let the apples soak up the slurry flavors for a bit.
Take the pie crust out of the fridge. Coat a large piece of wax paper with flour. Place 2/3s of the pie crust roll on top of it, sprinkle a little more flour on top, place another sheet of wax paper on top of that and roll out the crust. Now this part, you may have to redo a couple times. The trick is to make the pie crust all the same thickness - not too thin, not too thick. Crust flakiness is enhanced by a) alcohol, b) grated and folded in frozen butter, c) pre-baking the bottom crust part-way, and d) shortening between the folds. Quickly roll out and fold the dough 4 times, smearing just a trace of room temperature shortening between the layers of each fold before rolling again.
Place your pie pan over top the rolled out dough and flip the whole deal. The pie crust should fall to the pie pan. This is going to be a very flakey crust, so it's likely your crust will fall apart as you make the transfer. This is okay. You'll want to patch it together, Frankenstein-style, so there are no gaps and the crust covers the lip of the pie pan.
When the crust is suitably saddled in the pie tin, take your thumbs and press them around the edge to get that nice crimped-edge look. Bake the crust in the oven for about 20 minutes and remove to cool.
Next you layer in the slurry-soaked baked apples, by hand, forming a densely packed coil from the bottom up. Your goal is to make sure there is as little air as possible between the apples in the pie and that they fill the crust all the way up.
Now, take the remaining 1/3 of pie crust dough you set aside, roll it out, and cut it into slices about two thumbs' width wide. Criss-cross these slices of dough over the top of the apples, leaving gaps, and pressing the ends of the slices into the pre-baked crust.
Protect the edges of the pie crust with aluminum foil or a pie rim to protect the crust during baking so you can bake the pie to dark-golden brown without burning the edges.

Bake again, for about 40 minutes and hang out during this, checking in on the progress every once in a while and enjoying the amazing smells that are going to emerge from your oven. When it's finished, remove from the oven and let cool for about 20 minutes or longer.

Go on. Have a peace. Tell me this isn't incredible. Enjoy!

Notes:
1. Dark rum can be used as a substitute for the applejack - it's also tasty, but changes the flavor. The goal of using applejack is to add flavor to the crust and get a much more flakey texture than would have been obtained by using water. You avoid the polymer-like gluten goo with the applejack's 40% ethanol and water proportions instead of 100% water. The alcohol is all gone after baking. Using alcohol instead of water makes the dough more difficult to work with, but enhances the flakiness of the crust in an unbelievably tasty way... and the crust retains this airy texture for up to 2-3 days after baking (assuming it survives that long).
2. Put the dough in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to get it cold again after handling. It is best to start with all major dough components having been in the refrigerator long enough to get cold (flour, applejack, sugar). The dough needs to cool after picking up warmth from your hands and the room before rolling. *Even freezing the rolling pin ahead can make rolling this unique, extra-flakey dough go more smoothly.

Options:
*All butter-flavor shortening instead of butter
*Add sharp grated cheese in the filling (extra sharp cheddar or parmesan)
*Glaze by brushing the top crust with a fine grain sugar, beaten egg, and milk mix (1/3 - 1/3 - 1/3)
*Use a full-cover top crust with a pie bird to let steam escape

Moroccan Bison Tagine

If you haven't had Moroccan food, you've just got to try it. They do an amazing job of bringing sweet and spicy to mingle on the tongue. Pair this dish with hot mint tea for a more authentic experience. For all my world travel, I first discovered Moroccan cuisine at - wait for it - Epcot in Orlando. There, I had a dish called Chicken Bastilla, which forever gave me a hankering for sweet and spicy dessert flavored main dishes. Since then, I've made Chicken Bastilla twice - it's a complicated process. This tagine, however, only takes about an hour - and most of that is just letting it cook on its own without being bothered.

Now, a tagine (or tajine or tajin), for those who are curious, is named so for the special earthenware pot that this North African dish is typically cooked in. I do not have such a dish, so I used a large pot. However, the tajine pot is made entirely of clay and consists of two parts - a base unit that is flat  and circular with low sides and a large cone shaped cover that rests inside the base while the dish is cooking. The cover is designed that way to promote the return of all the steam condensation back into the bottom.

Moroccan Bison Tagine
(makes 4 servings)

3 lbs bison steak, cut into bite size cubes
4 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, diced
1/2 tsp Spanish saffron threads
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups dates, pitted
low sodium chicken stock
3/4 unsweetened coconut milk
~ 1/2 tbsp sea salt and fresh ground pepper, (more or less to taste)

Heat a large pot over medium heat and brown the bison meat in 3 tbsp of olive oil. When the meat is ready, use a slotted spoon to remove it to a plate for a little bit. Now, add the onions to the juices that have seeped out of the meat and cook for about 5 - 10 minutes. Until they're softened and a little brown. Now, add the bison back to the pot. Add the saffron, cinnamon stick, and ginger (the ginger is what makes this dish 'spicy', so if you like more of a kick, add some more here). Stir. Add the salt and pepper. Stir. Next, pour in your chicken stock until the contents of the pot are covered, stir the contents of the bowl so everything is all mixed up together, and let the mix simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Add 3/4 cup of coconut milk to thicken the broth and then let simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ground cinnamon, test the broth and adjust the seasoning to your taste. You may need more salt or ginger to balance the cinnamon. Continue to simmer, uncovered, for another 10-15 minutes. Add the dates and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Irish Fruit Brack

Irish Fruit Brack
(serves 4-8)

2 lb mixed dried fruit (I use dried Bartlett pears, blueberries, dark cherries, and golden raisins)
6 oz brown sugar
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 cup hot strong tea (I use English breakfast, but any black tea will do)
4 tbsp Irish whiskey
4 eggs worth of egg whites
3 large spoonfuls whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Place fruit, sugar, lemon juice and zest, tea, and whiskey in a large mixing bowl and let it soak for about four hours.
Preheat oven to 300 F.
Spray an 8x8 cake pan with butter Pam or brush it with melted margarine.
Pour eggs and vanilla extract over the soaked fruit and mix thoroughly.
Sift flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon together. Add to fruit mixture until dry ingredients and mixed in and moistened.
Pour bowl's contents into greased cake pan and bake for two hours.

Serve and enjoy. :)

Pumpkin Mookies

I love autumn. The moment that first swell of cold hits me in the street in September, I get a thrill of anticipation that sends me to the store in search of pumpkins and squash. I lived in New York for a while and I remember how excited I got as I drove to school and saw the first leaves turning from green to red. Now, in California, I don't get to watch the leaves turn, but I can still get my pumpkin fix!

Here's a tasty little treat I came up with today which is simply and awesomely autumn-y. :) They were supposed to be cookies, but they came out with more of a muffin consistency than I had anticipated. So, for your munching pleasure: mookies!

Pumpkin Mookies

(makes 18-24)

2/3 cup IC's EZ Homemade Pumpkin Butter (recipe at the bottom)

2 tbsp almond milk

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup Grade B maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 tbsp flax seed meal

~1 cup all purpose flour

~1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Set oven to 325 F. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together your liquid ingredients until they are smoothly combined. Sift in the powder ingredients, then stir until the batter is consistent and lumpless. 

Spoon out 1-2 spoonfuls batter onto the cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 15 minutes. 

Enjoy!

IreniCineri's EZ Homemade Pumpkin Butter

(makes 2 claussen pickle jars full)

1 can canned pumpkin

3/4 cup apple cider

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1.5 cups brown sugar

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low heat. Simmer there for 30 minutes, stirring regularly. 

Let stand on the stovetop for about 15 minutes, then scoop into your prepared jars.

This pumpkin butter makes an excellent autumnal addition to baked goods and pastries, but can also be enjoyed simply spread on a piece of toast or (if you're feeling decadent) sucked off a spoon. 

Note: You can buy mason jars at Costco or Michaels. Personally, I just save all my jars from everything, clean them, and store them until I find a use for them. (You will see one of the many uses I have found for them when I get around to talking about my fun halloween decor...)

Go on! Have a peace!

Tasty in my Tummy OSM Crumble Cookies

Tasty in my Tummy OSM Crumble Cookies
(About 50 cookies)

1/2 tbsp agave nectar

3/4 cup organic brown sugar

1 tbsp flaxseed meal

4/3 cup chopped prunes

1/2 cup canola oil

1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 1/3 cup sorghum flour

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 cups OSM hot cereal mix (you could also use plain rolled oats)

water for shaping (I used about 2/4 cups, but you'll want to add it bit by bit)

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

Combine all the ingredients. Wet first. Dry second. Mix until well-combined and "doughy". 

Add water a little bit at a time if the dough is too dry. 

Roll the dough into golf-ball sized drops between your palms and place them on the tray. 

These will not expand as they cook. They'll be the same size when they come out as when they went in.

Bake for 12 minutes, then move to cool on a drying rack. 

These are tasty, crumbly, and awesome. They have a consistency sort of like soft shortbread. Go on. Have a peace. :)

Note: OSM Hot Cereal is a warm tasty treat made of oats, cracked-wheat, oat bran, millet, and sunflower seeds. That's it. It makes for a great oatmeal substitute in the mornings and it also makes these cookies very, very tasty. OSM products are available from The Bunnery in Jackson Hole. They are also soon becoming available in certain independent grocery stores in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, and Nevada. 

Frosty Banana "Cream"

My favorite part of eating ice cream when I was younger was waiting for the ice cream to melt through the cone and then eating that mushy sweetness. I love melted ice cream. I've been craving a little sweetness lately and missing those sweet summer days. Here's a raw treat to beat the heat. 

Frosty Banana "Cream"

(3-4 servings)

2 organic bananas, frozen and cut into small slices

handful of raw almonds

1 spoonful organic raw honey

dash cinnamon

1/2 cup almond milk

Blend in your food processor. You can either eat the dribbly, chilled goodness or pour it into a container and stick it in the freezer for a little while. :)

Enjoy!

Finger-lickin' Nana Puddin'

My grandmother makes the best banana pudding ever. I mean, EVER. A single bite of it is lasting ambrosia. It is a happy time whenever I get to visit her, period, but the icing on the cake is a delicious batch of banana pudding waiting for me. Now. The trouble is her recipe involves cool whip, which is full of hydrogenated oils and less than ideal not to mention the excess sugars in the pudding and sweetened condensed milk.

So, here's what I did. I made up a new "healthified" banana pudding recipe, which is very tasty in its own right. You may decide for yourself which route you take. Maybe you'll make both and have a tasting party for your tongue. Who knows?

Finger-lickin' Nana Puddin'
(Makes 6-8 servings)

3 super ripe bananas
2 ripe bananas (can be mushy or just ripened), thinly sliced
7.5 oz extra firm tofu
18 oz soft tofu
2 shakes cinnamon
1 heaping tbsp raw honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 box vegan vanilla wafers (or non-vegan, if you like - just check the box and make sure you know what everything in it is)

Take the overripe bananas, tofu, cinnamon, honey, almond milk, and vanilla and put all into a food processor or blender. Mix until all creamy and smooth.

Next take a bowl (tupperware or glass) and set a layer of wafers in the bottom.

Spoon in some of the blended mixture over top then layer in more wafers and banana slices.

Repeat until you have used up all the banana slices and the blended mixture.

Add one last layer of wafers on top and put into the fridge to set. Should be ready to eat in about an hour.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon and Honey Shake

Here is a recipe a friend of mine made me. It is a delicious, healthy pick-me-up energizer and gives you the same warm zing of L-Glutamine. :) He requests that I post a link to the blog, so here it is.


Cinnamon and Honey Shake
3-4 pints


Put into a big ole blender the following items:

1 Young Coconut, Meat and Water (the kind in the white husk - visit www.rawfoodmedia.com for instructions to open)

2 Big Handfuls Raw Cashews

At least one BIG GLOOP Raw Cold-Packed Honey, AT LEAST! (Piick one with a robust flavor too!)

2 Pinches Celtic Sea Salt (or other quality grey, unrefined salt)

Several Vigorous Shakes Organic Powdered Cinnamon

...and blend until it's super nice and creamy. If you want to make it creamier, add more cashews and honey. Then season to taste!

Once that's done, add ice cold filtered water or ice, and blend out the mixture until it's appropriate for drinking. Bottle it up, and you've got a delicious healthy shake that will keep your eyes bright and your tummy full! This recipe makes 3-4 pints, depending on how thick you make it and how meaty your coconut turns out to be.


This is super easy to make, very tasty, and - oh, shucks, just try it. :)

Delicious Morning Banana Milk

So I was looking for a way to jumpstart my morning energy levels and kept experimenting until this delectable AM treat swirled into my brain.

Delicious Morning Banana Milk

1 small banana
1/2 spoonful raw honey
sprinkle cinnamon
1/4 cup almond milk
optional, add a scoop of protein powder and a little more almond milk.

Take above ingredients, blend, and enjoy. This is also a great, healthy pick-me-up for later in the day. :)

Bad Ass Yamekins

My mom calls me a "sweet potato kid". Apparently, when I was in the womb, sweet potatoes always made me rumble around in her tummy like a happy kitten. You can take the girl out of the womb, but sweet potatoes still make me grin like a loon.

So, I had a satchel of small sweet potatoes from TJ's and was in a savory snack mood. Plus, I have friends who don't like bananas or raisins.... What to do, what to do... Oh! Right! Invent cookies!

These are easy, healthy, and delicious. They require no tools more complicated than a fork. You're welcome. :)

Bad Ass Yamekins
(makes ~35 cookies)

4-5 small sweet potatoes, baked (makes about 1.5 cups sweet potatoes, mashed with a fork)
1 cup almond meal
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup honey
1/8 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup egg whites
1/8 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup sliced almonds (toasted, unsalted)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Paper a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scrub the sweet potatoes well, lightly brush the outsides with olive oil and lay them on the cookie sheet. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

When the potatoes are cooled, remove the skins. [Sweet potato skins are a yummy snack. You can munch them as you cook or set them in a bowl in the fridge for later. Nom nom.]

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Place the peeled potatoes in a large mixing bowl, mash with fork. Add the cinnamon. Stir. Add the honey. Stir. (Make sure each time you stir that you're combining the elements well and leaving no lumps.) Add the almond meal and flax seed meal. Mix well. Add the coconut oil and egg whites. Stir. Add the baking powder. Mix until well combined. Add the agave nectar. Stir. *If you want, you can use a hand mixer, but I simply used a fork and whisked it through the mixture firmly and that turned out fantastic.

Once you've got your "batter" all mushy and blended, add the sliced almonds and mix with your fork until they're all through the mixture.

Paper two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using the same mixing fork, drop one scoopful of the mixture, separated by about an inch. They won't expand outward.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven; let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets for about 10 minutes. Then remove to a drying rack to finish cooling the rest of the way. Enjoy! 

I was so excited about how these turned out, I dragged Janet out and made her try one. They have been approved by taste buds other than my own. These are simply awesome. Soft, moist, not too sweet. And best of all: there's no flour, no butter, and you get the protein from the eggs and the antioxidants, vitamin A, and vitamin C from the sweet potatoes. Crazy, right?

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!

Raw Cinnamon-Sunflower Truffles (now with almonds)

A coupled days ago, I made the Cinnamon-Sunflower Truffles posted by The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen with a couple small changes and brought them to a party at a friend's house with excellent results. All credit goes to them. For their blog and their exact recipe, click here. And go check out the rest of their recipes - I've tried several of them and they are all supremely superb.

Raw Cinnamon-Sunflower Truffles

[Note: You'll need a food processor to make these.]

2 cups raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup raw unsalted, sliced almonds

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

~1 cup pitted medjool dates (I used a few more than called for)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup (Can also use dark agave syrup)

~ 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut powder (The recipe calls for shredded coconut, but I was unable to find any shredded that was unsweetened, so I used the powdered kind. The texture, I thought, was better than it would have been with shredded, but it's up to your taste.)

Directions:

Place the sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and sea salt into a food processor fitted with the "s" blade. Process until seeds are very finely ground (~2-3 min). 


Then add the pitted dates and olive oil. Process again until combined and sticky. The recipe said only to add the agave maple syrup if need be - but the dates I had were not squishy enough to moisten the mix. The best way to gaugue whether you need the extra sweetener is to check to see if you can form a ball by rolling a spoonful of the mixture in your hands. If it falls apart then add more sweetener and process again.


Scoop out the sunflower mixture by the large spoonful and roll into balls. Then roll in coconut powder. Store in the fridge for up to 10 days. We ate them on the second day and they were delicious. 

[Original source: www.nourishingmeals.com]

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

Cold + family + a season full of wanting to provide for those you love = lots of food. We all know this, we luxuriate in the the holiday season as an excuse to toss our diets out the window and enjoy all the splendors we usually deny our taste buds. Which is great, in small doses. But being surrounded by piles of delectable, high sugar/fat/cholesterol treats can also be very dangerous. I like to try to make sure that everything I offer to my friends and family on these festive occasions is something that I won't feel guilty about giving to them. If it's not something I would eat, I don't think I should be offering it to someone I care about. Here is a delicious recipe for muffins that are utterly sin-free for this celebratory season. They are vegan, fat-free, and have just enough cinnamon to let your taste buds snuggle together with holiday feeling on your tongue.

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar* (You can also use Splenda baking sugar or another sugar substitute. Just follow the instructions on the package. I've made this recipe with three different white sugar substitutes and it always turns out yummy.)
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt, or less to taste
1 tsp cinnamon, or more to taste (I like more, but use your personal discretion)
1.25 cups water
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (I like the chunky kind, but again, its up to you)
1 large apple or 2 small apples*, chopped** (*I adore granny smith apples in general, but especially for this muffin recipe. The tartness really jives very nicely with the cinnamon. If you like things sweeter, use red apples.) (**Again, personal discretion time. The apples are going to get nice and soft when baked. I like to chop them rather fine, but you can leave them in bigger chunks if you want to.)

Directions:
Set oven to 425F.

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, sugar (or substitute), and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add in chopped apples and mix to coat the apples thoroughly. Combine water and applesauce and stir them together before adding to the dry ingredients bowl. Fold together until thoroughly combined. The batter will be sort of thick and goopy when it's good and ready.

Spray muffin tray with something so the muffins don't stick (I use Baker's Joy, but you can use Pam, Pam with Butter Flavoring, vegetable oil spray...whatever you want.) Bake for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool and enjoy.

Makes 12 delectable muffins for breakfasting or snacking.

Options:
If you want them to be a little more "cupcakey," you can sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar or brown sugar on them when they first come out of the oven. The sugar will melt a bit and give them an extra sweetness and a little crunch.
I've also mashed up walnuts and tossed them on to the tops of the batter before baking, which turned out delectable as well.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Bread

Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks for all the love in your life by feeding the people you love with delicious food. This year, I brought a zucchini bread of my own machinations to make up for a rather embarrassing incident with a rice crispy treat attempt. Don’t ask. 

Healthy Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:
6 egg whites
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup Splenda baking sugar* (You can use 1/2 cup sugar if you want, but this tastes just as good.)
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups shredded zucchini (~3 zucchini, depending on size)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins (thompsons seedless are great, or the big goldens)
1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly coat two 9x5 loaf pans with cooking spray (Baker’s Joy is what I use). 

In a large bowl, add the egg whites, oil, applesauce, sugar sub, and vanilla.  Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture on low speed until thick and foamy.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. 

For the zucchini, I used the thick holed end of a wide cheese grater. When you get down to the end, use a corn cob sticker or a fork to hold the zucchini to avoid chopping your fingers along with the mix. This is not a meaty bread.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg white mixture and turn the electric mixer onto medium speed until all is well blended. Turn off the mixer. The rest is by hand.

Fold in the shredded zucchini, then the walnuts, then the raisins and cranberries. Stir with a spoon or spatula until well combined.

The batter should be thick and not runny. If you need to thicken it, add whole wheat flour 1 tbsp at a time until satisfied.

Pour half of the batter into each prepared loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick stuck into the center of each loaf comes out clean, about 50 minutes.

Let the bread cool in the pans on a wire rack. I used those predone loaf pans from the store this round because I was travelling with the bread and I wanted something with a cover. The ones at Ralphs come in three packs and are very handy. Just let the bread cool in those, stick the plastic top on, and you’re done.

If you’re using a normal loaf pan, let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the loaves out of the pans onto the rack to let them cool completely.

Each loaf should make 9 1-inch slices. Delicious.