Category Archives: Vegetarian

Roasted Cashew Oat Bars with Dark Chocolate Drizzle

My hubby loves cashews, last night we made ginger cashew chicken and we had some leftover cashews. I have been wanting to try cashews in a bar for a while now. He will be heading back to the burgh in a few a days so I thought I make these for him to snack on during his commute. Hopefully they will hold him over so he doesn’t have to make too many stops at Sheetz. 🙈

This recipe yields 12 bars
Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups raw whole cashews, unsalted (divided); chop roughly 

2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

2 Tablespoons hemp seeds

3 Tablespoons canola oil

2 Tablespoons milled flaxseed

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup raw sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground Vietnamese Cinnamon 

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup dried cranberries, low sugar

1/3 cup Dark Chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli), optional 

Predirections: 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
  • Take a glass 8 by 8 baking dish and line with parchment paper. Set aside.

Directions:

1. Place 1/2 cup of the cashews and all the oats and hemp seeds on a parchment paper lined 1/2 sheet baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes and toss with wooden spoon and bake for 5-10 more minutes (until oats and cashews turn golden brown). 

2. In the meantime place remaining cashews, canola oil and flaxseed in food processor and purée until nut butter consistency. Set mixture aside. 

3. While the oats continue to bake, place a 2 quart sauce pan on medium heat, add honey, raw sugar, cinnamon and salt. Allow contents to heat for 4-5 minutes, remove from heat and add cashew butter mixture. Stir to combined. 

4. Once the oats have baked to desired golden hue, using parchment paper siphon the baked contents into large glass bowl, add the dried cranberries. Pour warm liquid cashew mixture over oat mixture. Fold all the ingredients together with spatula. Make sure to incorporate all ingredients together until there are no signs of dry residue. 

5. Take mixture and press into prepared baking dish. Press flat & even using another piece of parchment paper. 

6. Place the dish in the center rack of the oven and bake 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set on wire rack and allow to cool & harden (about an hour). Using the sides of the excess parchment pull out of the pan and set on cutting board and cut into 12 bars. Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds and stir and continue to heat in 30 second intervals, stirs after each interval until smooth.

7.  Place the chocolate in a snack size ziplock bag and clip the end of the bag with food sissors and drizzle away. 

Blueberry Almond Fresh Toasttins

These are very easy to prepare. They are perfect for a quick grab and go breakfast item. Bonus they also freeze well. This is a spin off my original post French Toasttins. 

Yields: 10 Toasttins 

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 TB pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground Vietnamese Cinnamon 

1 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk

2 Tablespoon pure maple syrup 

2 Tablespoons dried blueberries 

2 Tablespoons sliced almonds

1/2 teaspoon vanilla sugar

10 slices of light whole grain bread heels (35-45 calories a slice), cubed 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously cooking spray 10 muffin vessels in muffin tin. Set aside. 

2. In a large bowl whisk together the first 5 ingredients. 

3. Toss in the cubed bread. Fold with rubber spatula. Make sure the bread soaks up all the liquid. 
4. Take an 1/3 cup measuring device and portion out a heaping amount of the bread batter into prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle with blueberries, almonds, and vanilla sugar. Place the pan in center rack in oven. 

5. Bake for 25 minutes. Enjoy as is or add additional maple syrup or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Bars

I’ve been so lucky this week my sister, and nephew have been keeping me company down in North Carolina. Today, I was able to take off from work to spend the entire day with them. I prepared them these bars for breakfast. These banana bars are a spin off of your traditional banana bread or muffins.

I enjoy this recipe because it is super easy to prepare and clean up! Not mention another great way to use up ripe or frozen bananas.

This recipe was adapted from TOH Banana Squares. 

Prep time: 10 minutes 

Bake time: 35 minutes

This recipe yields: 12-15 bars

Ingredients:
2 eggs, separate whites and yolks

1/3 canola oil

1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup mashed bananas; about 3 medium  (I used frozen)

1/4 cup low fat buttermilk

1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Pre-directions:

  • Line 9 by 13 inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees


Directions:

1. In a stand mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; pour into small bowl and set aside. In same stand mixer bowl cream peanut butter, canola oil, and sugar. Beat in egg yolks; mix to combind. Add the bananas and mix well.

2. Combine flour and baking soda; add to creamed banana batter alternate the flour with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Fold in egg whites. Lastly, fold in chocolate chips.

2. Pour the batter into a prepared 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. I did use a dark metal pan, which does effect the bake time. Cool pan on wire rack before cutting into bars.

3. After the bars have cooled completely store the bars in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Fiesta Black Bean Salad


We had a Fiesta theme Birthday Bash for my Mother-in-law’s 60 th Surprise Birthday Party. I know this type of salad is one of her favorites. 

The salad is also vegan which I find enjoyable to always take a vegetarian entree wherever I go for meals. This way I can always count on at least one meal to eat at a potluck.  I prepare variations of this bean salad all the time; however, this go around I did make a few twists by incorporating an avocado, and green chilis to add some flare. 

Ingredients: 

1 large can black beans ( 822 g); rinsed and drained well

4 oz can of green chilis; drained 

1 large green pepper, diced 

1 large orange pepper, diced 

1 cup frozen corn kernels 

1 pint of grape tomatoes, cut in half

I small lime, juiced

2 Tablespoons jalapeño lime vinegar 

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

2 tablespoon of fresh cilantro, minced

1/4 cup red onion, diced

1 small ripe avocado, diced

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients in a large sealable bowl with the exception of the avocado. Use a rubber spatula to fold ingredients together. Let the salad rest overnight. 

2. Prior to serving fold in diced avocado. 

Mother Nature’s Protein Bars

Today I presented to 6-7 th graders interested in becoming future Nutrition Professionals. I was the first speaker to present in their career series for the day. 

I thought I’d better feed these students a nutritious snack if I am going to be talking about food.  As a general consensus, I make people hungry when I talk nutrition. I put together this recipe with keeping in mind they could possibly make these at home without any supervision. Which I think their moms will thank me for. 

I do believe, I might of nailed it, I didn’t have any bars left. Good thing I made a double batch since they are also my hubby’s favorite. 
This recipe yields 32 bars

Ingredients:

 1 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup milled flaxseed

1/2 cup sesame seeds

6 tablespoons of chia seeds

3 cup of old fashioned oats (not quick oats)

1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

1 cup creamy natural peanut butter

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 cup honey

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

Pre-directions: Take two 8 x 8 baking dish and line them both with parchment paper make sure to allow for some of the paper to overlay on the sides. This step will help you pull out the bars for easy cutting. Set aside.
Directions:

  1. Take the first seven ingredients and mix them in a large bowl. Set aside.
  2. Place both peanut butters and honey in a large microwavable safe glass bowl. Place in microwave in 30 second intervals. Stir between each intervals until soft and creamy. Add in the vanilla and stir to incorporate.
  3. Take the dry ingredients and add them to the peanut butter mixture. Fold to incorporate all the ingredients together.
  4. Take the granola bar batter and divide it evenly in half and add both batters into the prepared 8 x 8 baking dishes. Take an extra piece of parchment paper and press it into the top to evenly distribute the batter this will allow for a nice even distribution of your batter for your protein bars.
  5. Cover the bars with saran wrap in the baking dishes. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. This step will allow them to firm.
  6. Remove the bars utilizing the parchment paper access from the sides. Place on a cutting board and cut into 32 bars. Now you can either individually wrap or freeze to pack them lunches or take to your next meeting. Keep these granola bars chilled or frozen for best results and optimal taste.

Maple Cinnamon Toasted Granola


March is National Nutrition Month & tomorrow is Registered Dietitian Day! I like to celebrate with a bold nutritious dense cinnamon delicious treat. I made this blend to honor my Clinical Team. RD day is a way to celebrate the wonderful profession of nutrition and dietetics and to honor hard working dietetic professionals. 

Granola is very versatile!  You can put just about anything in it. You can make it sweet or savory. You can eat granola dry, or add a splash of milk, or top off your yogurt with it. I like to incorporate it into Ina Garten’s Banana Muffins. They are my most requested muffin recipe. 

Yields: 4 cups 

Servings: 8 (1/4 cups)

Ingredients:

2 cups 100% rolled oats (not quick or instant)

1 cup puffed brown rice 

1/2 teaspoon Vietnamese ground cinnamon 

3 Tablespoons brown sugar (not packed)

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup 100 % pure maple syrup 

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2/3 cup dried cranberries, low sugar

1/4 cup lightly salted roasted sunflower seeds

1/8 cup pepita seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a 1/2 sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl mix together the first 4 ingredients. Set aside. 

3. In a small bowl mix together canola oil, maple syrup,& vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry oat mix. Give the mixture a good stir. Make sure all the dry ingredients are coated with liquid goodness.

4. Pour the oat mixture on the prepared baking sheet. Place the pan in the preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes. 

5. After 15 minutes elapsed use spatula to toss the granola on the pan. Allow to bake for another 5 minutes and continue to repeat until you reach desired golden brown hue. It took about 20 additional minutes. Add the seeds and craisins. All to cool on pan entirely. Enjoy! 

Valentine’s Day Trail Mix

I broke down, and had to purchase personalized M&M’s for my husband for Valentine’s Day. The process of ordering the M&M’s was too much fun with selecting any color, adding cute little sayings, and pictures. I was able to order them with Groupon one of my favorite apps which decreased the overall cost. My whole intent of ordering the M&M’s was to make him trail mix with these “melt in your mouth” American staples. 

I added all his favorite fixings into the mix.  Trail mix is one of his favorite snacks, and is great in between meals as a satisfying sweet and salty treat. 

Ingredients: 

1 cup dried cranberries 

1 1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds, lightly salted

1 cup whole cashews, lightly salted 

2 cup peanuts, lightly salted

1 cup M&M’s 

1 cup Ghirardelli 60% cacao chips

1/4 cup pepita seeds

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients into a sealable container. Lock the lid on the container & give the container a few gentle shakes to distribute all the ingredients throughout. 

2. Store the trail mix in the sealed container or portion out into small sealable snack baggies for travel. 

French Toasttins 


Since we are renting until our home sells. We don’t have our usual refrigerator & freezer space (which is killing me softly but I have to remind myself it is short term). I was organizing the freezer and came across my stock pile of leftover bread heels. I have a hard time throwing food away in general, which has leads me to be even more resourceful than usual with only one refrigerator. For years I have been up-recycling bread heels to make either my own bread crumbs, casseroles, or croutons. 

You can save money by throwing the heels into a large freezer bag every time you finish a loaf. Once I get a good amount, I figure out a way to incorporate them into a dish to free up freezer space. Today I thought what better way to start off the day with French toast… well French Toasttins :)

Yields: 9 French Toasttins

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 TB pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground Vietnamese Cinnamon 

1 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk

2 tablespoon pure maple syrup 

1/2 teaspoon raw sugar

10 slices of light whole grain bread heels (35-45 calories a slice), cubed 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cooking spray 9 muffin vessels in muffin tin. Set aside. 

2. In a large bowl whisk together the first 5 ingredients. 

3. Toss in the cubed bread. Fold with rubber spatula. Make sure the bread soaks up all the liquid. 

4. Take an 1/3 cup measuring device and portion out a heaping amount of the bread batter into prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle with raw sugar. Place in center rack in oven. 

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy as is or additional maple syrup or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Cinnaliscous Apple & Cranberry Pull-Apart Loaf


My mom bought me some adorable tea towels for my birthday! I could not wait to display them. They are from the Loveless Cafe in Nashville, TN. The towels have sweet southern sayings on them which I love especially since we finally ventured to North Carolina.

This recipe was adapted from the Apple Pie  Pull-Apart Pillsbury recipe. I wanted to add some additional color, texture, and reduce the calories from the original recipe. 

Yields: 6 servings


Ingredients:

1 teaspoon of orange zest

1 medium oranges, juiced

1/2 cup brown sugar (not packed)

1/4 cup melted unsalted butter

1 teaspoon ground Vietnamese cinnamon 

1/4 cup pepita seeds 

1/4 cup dried cranberries 

1 medium apple, cored & cut into thin slices

1 can of large reduced fat canned biscuits (8 biscuits to a can)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously  with cooking spray a non stick loaf pan, set aside. 

2. Place in a medium bowl & wisk together the melted butter, zest, orange juice, cinnamon, &  brown sugar. Add the apple slices, seeds, and cranberries to the batter, and fold into the batter to incorporate. Set aside. 

3. Open the biscuit can and place the 8 biscuits on a cutting board and slice each biscuit in half   longways. 

4. Take one of the biscuit segments and add a slice or two of apple slices and some cranberries and seeds. Make almost like a sandwich. Layer 4 biscuit segments to a stack with apple slices between each segment. You will end up having 4 stacks. There should be no apple slices remaining. 

5. Take each stack separately and line them into the prepared bread loaf pan. Once you have all four stacks in the pan. Pour the remaining liquid, cranberries, & seeds over the segments. 

6. Bake the loaf in the center of the oven for 40 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees. Check the loaf at 40 minutes. You want the crust golden brown. Mine did go for 50 minutes. Allow the loaf to cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes. Caution how long you leave the final product in the pan, the liquid goodness will caramelize and harden. 

Peanutty Pancakes 


We are in the process of moving and I was rummaging through the pantry of food items we brought from Pennsylvania. Trying to figure out what I could make for breakfast this morning. 

I planned on preparing pancakes; however, we did not bring the maple syrup. No syrup did not stop me. Sometimes you just have to think outside the box, and work with what you have. 

One pantry stable I never forgot or leave home without daily is peanut butter. For the love of this creamy delicious goodness, I share with you this pancake batter. 

Yields: 6 Pancakes using 1/3 cup measuring device 

Ingredients: 

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

3 Tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon baking  soda 

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 egg, lightly beaten 

1/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter

Cooking spray (I prefer canola oil spray)

Directions:

1. Preheat a large nonstick skillet to medium heat. 

2. In a large bowl whisk together the first 5 ingredients. 

3. Add the milk, &  egg and whisk into the batter. Set aside

4. In a small glass bowl microwave the peanut butter for 30 seconds. Take the warm peanut butter and whisk into the batter. Be cautious not to over mix. 

5. By now your pan should be ready. Generously spray the pan with the cooking spray. Using a 1/3 cup vessel pour the batter into the hot pan. Allow the pancake to bubble before flipping with nonstick spatula. Flip the pancake and allow the cake to cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. 

6. Serve with warmer peanut butter or a light dusting of powdered sugar.