Elvis Overnight Oats


My all time favorite combo is Peanut Butter and Banana. Honestly I could eat this combo for every meal and snack. I usually enjoy a peanut butter and banana sandwich for lunch but ran across this concoction since I had an overripe banana lingering in the kitchen. 

Ingredients: 

1 small banana ripe

1TB PB2, chocolate 

1 1/2 teaspoon chia seeds

1 truvia packet

3/8 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 1/2 cup Water (I like mine watery, if you prefer yours thick omit)

Directions:

1. Place the peeled banana in an 18 oz mason jar. Mash the banana with a fork. 

2. Add the next 4 ingredients into the jar, mix well. 

3. Finally add the liquid ingredients (almond milk and water) into the banana purée. Place the lid and seal on the jar and give it a good shake. Place the jar in the refrigerator overnight to allow the ingredients to marry.

4. When ready for breakfast, give the jar another good shake and remove seal and lid to enjoy. If you are in a hurry, you can drink it through a straw in the way to work. 

Breakfast Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Stromboli

We traveled back to Pennsylivanna recently, and I was rummaging through the kitchen trying to find a dish to prepare for breakfast. Low and behold, I found a frozen homemade pizza dough in the deep freezer at the house. I always try and make a double or triple batch to keep on hand in case of an emergency. 

As we continue down the journey of relocating, I press on at trying to be resourceful with staple pantry items. I have been utizling several of my stowed away items from one of our three freezers for it seems like months. Now if we were in the middle of blizzard we would be safe and never hungry! However, since we are moving I have found it a challenge but the good news is we just cleared an entree refrigerator/freezer combo out completely and it is up for grabs.

Nevertheless, I sure felt lucky to be back in my kitchen, and bake breakfast for my hubby. As far as I am concerned apartment baking leaves little to be desired.  I am looking forward to a spacious kitchen. 
Recipe yields: 4 Servings 

Ingredients:  

1 pound of homemade pizza dough, if frozen allow to completely thaw

1/2 pound fully cooked breakfast sausage

3 eggs, scrambled seasoned with kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon of salt free garden blend seasoning

1 tablespoon dried Parsley

1/2 cup shredder 2 % cheese monterey jack

Scant olive oil, optional 
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper down on a half sheet baking pan. Set aside. 

2. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface into a rectanglar shape. Scatter the sausage evenly on the dough. 

3. Layer the scrambled eggs on top of the sausage. Next, add the cheese evenly on the top of the eggs and generously sprinkle the dried parsley & salt free seasoning on top of    

    the cheese. 

4. Take the longer side of the rectangle, start to roll up the dough (like a cinnamon roll). Continue to roll and tuck the seal on the bottom side. 

5. Seal the ends of the Stromboli, and fold them under the dough. Lastly at an angle cut with a sharp knife a few steam slots to allow for thorough baking. Place the dough 

    (seal down) on parchment paper lined sheet pan. Brush with olive oil. 

6. Place the Stromboli in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool slightly before slicing into. 

 

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.

Golden Apple and Raisin Pork Roast with Sweet Potatoes & Carrots

I love my slow cooker! We were out and about yesterday since it was my sister’s last day in town, and my husband was coming back to NC, I wanted to make sure we all came home to a hot homemade meal. 

It only took me a few minutes to brown the meat and throw all the ingredients into the slow cooker. Before you knew it, we were out the door to enjoy the beautiful Eastern North Carolina 80 degree weather. 

The house sure smelled good once we got home. 

This recipe Yields: 6- 8 servings 

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon of olive oil

(1) 2-3 pound boneless pork loin

8 ounces unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon chicken base (I prefer penzeys)

8 ounces of boiling water
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 

1/2 teaspoon ground dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon dried parsley 

1/2 teaspoon kosher Salt

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 medium- large sweet potato, quartered  

1 (1 # bag ) of baby carrots

1 small yellow onion, quartered 

1/2 cup raisins 

Directions:

1. In a large nonstick skillet on medium high heat brown all 4 sides of the pork loin in the olive oil.

2. While the meat is searing, go ahead and mix the next nine ingredients in the slow cooker vessel (applesauce-garlic). Turn the slow cooker on the low heat setting. 

3. Once the meat is finished browning cut in half and rotate the meat in the applesauce mix. Place the pork sides next to one another on top the applesauce mixture. Now arrange the carrots, sweet potatoes, onions, & raisins on top of the meat. Cover the dish with the slow cooker lid and allow to cook for 8 hours on low. 

Enjoy! 

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! 

Thanksgiving Cranberry Turkey Salad

My work graciously gave us vouchers for either turkeys or hams this year at Christmas. Since we are in the process of moving, I waited until the very last minute to pick up my turkey breast at the Piggly Wiggly. We only had until the last day of February to purchase them which really worked out in our favor since we did not have our own refrigerator until mid January. 

My husband and I waited until Saturday to roast the turkey breast in the slow cooker while we house shopped. The turkey pretty much took that long to thaw out in the refrigerator. It sure was nice to have dinner done when we returned home from an exhausting day of decision making. What location to buy the house? Which neighborhood ? What house? 

What I love most about roasting poultry is there are unless outcomes with the end result. First of course sliced and served with a heeping amount of garlic mashed potatoes than served in pot pies, soups, salads, pastas,  Ect. 

Yields: 5 Servings 

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons of roasted sunflower seeds

4 Tablespoons of dried cranberries 

2 teaspoons malt vinegar 

2 teaspoons whole grain Dijon mustard

4 Tablespoons of light miracle whip

4 Tablespoons plain fat free Greek yogurt

2 cups of cooled roasted turkey breast, chopped 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions: 

1. Mix the first 6 ingredients together in a sealable container (should hold at least 3 cups). 

2. Fold in the turkey to the salad dressing blend. Lastly salt and pepper to taste. 

3. Enjoy with some whole grain crackers or whole wheat bread with spinach!