Best Ever! Breakfast Bars

Mornings can be tough. When I've got a few minutes I love to start my day with a dill and Gruyere omelet. Furthermore, I like to eat early, within minutes of getting up. Yummy! But, if I'm being totally honest here, living with a 3 month old sometimes means it's 10:30 before I even think about breakfast these days. I really like the idea of a grab and go breakfast, even if I'm only going 10 feet away to the playmat. I definitely don't do the store-bought granola type breakfast bars, I find they are too high in sugar (and mystery ingredients!) and really have very little nutrients. I came across this recipe on one of my favorite blogs www.healthytippingpoint.com, the original comes from www.fannetasticfood.com.

I followed the basic recipe here and made a few changes based on what I had on hand. I think this would work with almost any combination of ingredients. If you have allergies or food sensitivities, this can easily be adapted. Same goes for the peanut butter*, use another nut or seed butter as you wish.

*A note about peanut butter: Avoid the name brand peanut butters that contain hydrogenated vegetable oil if you can. You'll find it listed on the ingredients near the top. That stuff is terrible for you. Try a natural variety in this recipe. I used a natural organic no stir peanut butter that is sweetened with touch of cane sugar. Find it with the other peanut butters at the grocery store.

Dry ingredients
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup mixed cereal (I used Quinoa Puffs and Chex)
1/4 each (TOTAL of 1 cups) of 4 types of nuts or seeds (I used pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, ground flax seeds, sliced almonds)
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients
1/2 to 3/4 cups of brown rice syrup (health section of grocery store)
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Microwave wet ingredients for about 30 second and stir well. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix well. Press into an 8 x 11 dish. Refrigerate or wrap individual bars and refrigerate.

Spaghetti al limone

I first posted this recipe way back over 2 years ago. Since then, it's become a staple at our dinner table. I thought it deserved a little attention once again...

I'm always amazed when I try a new amazing group of flavors. I always think "why didn't I think of that before?" This is one of those combinations. It's not really a recipe at all, just throwing together some ingrediants and ending up with an incredible dinner. It only takes about 5 min (plus the time it takes to boil a pot of pasta)and it's light and fresh tasting. I love it.


Spaghetti Al Limone (from Oprah's Cookbook)


1 Pound Spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
zest of 2 lemons
cup or so of fresh grated parmesan cheese
handful of fresh basil, torn in to pieces
salt and pepper



Cook spaghetti and drain, but keep about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid aside.


Whisk together the lemon juice and cheese. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Stir in zest and salt and pepper.


Pour lemon cheese mixture over hot spaghetti. Add as much of the hot cooking liquid as needed to make the sauce creamy. Toss in the fresh basil.


Enjoy!

Pasta Celebrating Summer Tomatoes

It's the season of amazing tomatoes and they are super yummy cut up with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. But if you're looking for something a little more substantial, try this minimal ingredient 15 min fresh summer pasta.

1 box spaghetti or any other pasta
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 tbs Olive oil
handful of fresh grated Parmesan cheese
handful fresh Basil, chopped
Salt and Pepper

1. Cook pasta according to directions until al dente in heavily salted water. Be sure to save about 1 cup of pasta water in a measuring cup before draining the pasta.

2. While pasta is cooking, place tomatoes, garlic and a drizzle of olive oil on an oven sheet. Roast at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes until softened.

3. In a large skillet pour in 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water. Add 2 tbsp olive oil. bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 min.

4. Toss the drained pasta into the skillet followed by the pan of roasted tomatoes and garlic.

5. Grate in some fresh Parmesan cheese and give it a good stir. Add more pasta water if needed to create more sauce.

6. Remove from heat and toss in basil.

Thai Chicken Wraps!

In another attempt to get through dinner without turning on the oven in this heat, I made this delightful Thai Chicken Salad Wrap last night. I roasted a couple chicken breasts earlier in the week (on a cooler day!) but you could definitly use a store bought rotisseri chicken. This would be amazing for a picnic too, makes enough for 4 pretty big wraps.

I love the Thai flavors in this, really bright and fresh. It has the signature sweet, sour and spicy that sets it apart. Definitly not your typical chicken salad! (Don't freak if you hate cilantro, just leave it out and add some italian parsley instead...)

Thai Chicken Salad Wrap
(adapted from kitchenconfidante.com)

4 large wraps
2 chicken breasts, roasted and shredded
1/4 cup mint, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/3 cup shallots, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tbsp mayo
2 tbsp sriracha sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp soya sauce
1 carrot, sliced lengthwise into thin strips
1/2 cucumber, seeded, sliced lenthwise into thin strips

1. In a medium bowl, mix together shredded chicken, mint, cilantro, green onions and shallots.

2. In another bowl, whisk together lime juice, mayo, sriracha, sugar and soya sauce. Pour over chicken mixture.

3. Scoop a generous amount of mixture into the middle of a wrap. Add a few lengths of cucumber and carrot. Wrap up, tucking in the ends. Cut on the diagnal.

Enjoy!

Overnight Oats!

I was thinking about "Overnight Oats" the other day when talking to some girlfriends about using oatmeal to help boost milk supply when breastfeeding. Obviously oats are good for everyone, but who wants to cook up oatmeal on the stove when it's 40 degrees outside!?! This is also a great idea for those people (ie my husband) who are too rushed in the morning to eat a proper breakfast or for momma's with little ones who suddenly remember breakfast at 10:30am when the babes go down for a nap. Super fast breakfast with staying power.
Anyway, this is a base recipe for overnight oats. You can literally add anything you like. Look it up online for some more variations (overnight oats, oats in a jar, refrigerator oats etc.)

Mix together equal parts (1/3cup each) uncooked oats, milk (regular, soy, almond, anykind!) and yogurt in a mug or jar or a cup. Add a pinch of salt. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. In the morning add in whatever else you like and stir it up! You can also do this omitting the yogurt, just double up on the milk of your choice.

Fresh or dried fruit, nuts (and nut butters,) and seeds all work well for overnight oats, you can experiment with textures by adding the extras to the mix the night before or just stirring them in right before you eat.

Add in ideas:
Peanut butter, honey and banana
Chia seeds, walnuts and dried cranberries
Cinnamon, apples and raisins
Maple syrup and pecans

Perfect for Summer: Curried Spelt Salad

With the heat of summer in full swing we've been trying to do as little oven and stove top cooking as possible. That being said, we are having a serious lack of curry at our house lately. Here is another great grain salad that is perfect because it makes a very good size batch and you can eat it all week.
This time the grain is Spelt, which is a type of wheat berry. You should be able to find this in the health food section of your grocery store or any specialty grocer. (I used the 'Bob's Red Mill' variety.) If you can't find spelt, you could use farro or quinoa or even barley. It's crazy good and, like I said, lasts a week in the fridge. This recipe makes a TON, perfect for a bunch of lunches for bringing to a potluck or BBQ.


Curried Spelt Salad
(adapted from Bon Appetit)

2 cups Spelt (Bob's Red Mill), rinsed
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp veg oil
3 tsp yellow curry powder
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp mustard
6 small carrots, diced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 lemon cut lengthwise, finely chopped with peel
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cups cilantro leaves, picked and chopped
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 apple, diced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Place spelt and salt in a medium pot. Add water so that it covers and goes over the spelt by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and let simmer for about 1 hr until the spelt is tender. Drain and place in a large bowl.

2. Heat veg oil in a pan. Add curry powder, mustard, cardamom and corinader. Cook 2 min.

3. Stir in carrots, lemon and onions. Cook for 5 min.

4. Add vinegar and stir until evaporated. Remove from heat. Pour into bowl with spelt.

5. Stir in chicken, apple, cilantro, pecans and olive oil. Taste and add salt and pepper if nessesary.

Enjoy room tempertature or cold.

Muffins in honor of my little muffin

Graham Cracker Chocoate Chip Muffins

Isla had her 2 month shots today. It was rough. If she was big enough, I imagine I would make these tasty treats for her, to make her feel better. Since she's mini, I decided that I desearved a little treat instead.

These are a basic muffin with big taste. Something totally different. And delicious!


(from Tasty Kitchen Blog www.tastykitchen.com)

FOR THE MUFFINS:
2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs (Just crush them up in a bag)
1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup veg oil
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup chocolate chips

FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING:
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
3 tbsp butter, Melted

Preheat oven to 4oo degrees

1. In a med bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and Graham Cracker crumbs.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the milk, oil, egg and vanilla.

3. Add dry ingrediants to wet ingrediants and mix just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Fill greased muffin tin with batter.

5. Mix together all topping ingrediants until crumbly. Put 1 tbsp or so or mixture on top of each muffin.

6. Bake 16-19 min until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.

Tabbouleh!

Grain salads are my absolute favorite thing to eat in the summer! They are so versitile, last for days in the fridge (and get better as they sit!) and they are so healthy. These salads literally come together in less than 10 minutes and they are the perfect dish to use up the extra veggies and herbs in your fridge. I use couscous, quinoa, millet, barley, spelt berries....the list goes on. Pair the cooked grains with whatever veggies and herbs you have in the fridge and top with a vinegrette (lemon or vinegar based.) It's seriously easy and deliscous.

Yesterday I made a classic grain salad, Tabbouleh. This salad is a tradition Arab staple. I'm pretty the one I made is not exactly traditional, but it's great none the less.

Tabbouleh Salad

1 cup cooked couscous
1 bunch fresh italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
handful fresh mint, chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped (leave the skin on, good color)
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
2 green onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
handful of crumbled feta cheese
1 cup cooked chickpeas (optional)
salt

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Stir well to combine. Refridgerate at least 1 hr or until ready to eat.

Fresh Summer Salad

This is such a great fresh summer salad. I love salads full of grains and this one is new favorite. Comes together in 10 min and gets better the longer it sits in the fridge.


Asparagus & Tomato Lemon Couscous Salad

2 cups Israeli Couscous (find it in the greek section at the grocery store)
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed off and cut into 1 1/2" pieces
2 tbsp Olive Oil
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
pint of cherry tomatos, sliced in half
3 tbso fresh parsley, chopped
salt & pepper
parmesean

1. Bring to a boil 2.5 cups of water in a pot. Add couscous. Cover and Cook 10 min, stirring occasionally.

2. In the last 2 minutes of cooking add the chopped asparagus spears to the pot and put the cover back on.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper.

4. Toss cooked couscous, asparagus, chopped tomatos and chopped parsley in a large bowl. Top with vinegrette and toss.

5. Top with parsley and parm.

6. Serve room temperature or cold.

My kind of grillin'!

When it comes to grilling, I'm a bit of an amateur. It's no secret that I'm not really a fan of huge chunks of meat, no matter how they are cooked. But fear not, there are some amazing grilled dishes that manage to have meat as a component, rather then the main star. This is a simple dinner that everyone will love. Interesting combination that totally, totally works.

Grilled Peach, Sweet Potato, Red Onion and Chicken Skewers with Pecans

4 Peaches, sliced into chunks (ripe, but not too ripe or they will fall apart on the grill)
2 Sweet Potatoes, cut into chunks
1 Red Onion, cut into chunks
3 Chicken Breasts, cut into chunks
1 cup Pecans

Sauce
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
1 cup balsamic or sherry vinegar
salt
pepper

Pecan Spice1 tbsp honey
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice



15-18 Wooden Skewers (soaked in water so they don't burn)


1. Chop chicken, peaches, sweet potato and onion. Place chopped sweet potato in microwave safe bowl and microwave for 3 minutes to start the cooking process.

2. Pour sauce ingredients into a pot, bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer. Let simmer 12-15 min to reduce.

3. Toss all chopped ingredients into a bowl. Pout over HALF of reduced sauce. Stir well.

4. Skewer all chopped ingredients.

5. Place foil on grill. Preheat. Place skewers on grill. Cook, turning often and bast with more sauce. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12 min.

6. Place pecans on a square of foil. Top with pecan spices above. Toast on grill for 5 min. (Watch carefully so they don't burn.

Serve skewers on a large platter. Drizzle with any remaining sauce. Top with pecans.

Enjoy!