Coconut Quinoa Granola

I happen to love quinoa. I love it's flexibility in recipes, it's healthy, grainy taste that makes you feel almost instantly healthy. It feels good to nourish your body, doesn't it? When I recently found this recipe on Running to the Kitchen, I knew quinoa would work as a snack too. We're definitely a granola group in my home, sprinkling it on yogurt, bringing it to work as a snack, and as a pre-workout snack. Homemade granola is so simple and will last you through the week. I recommend you try it!

Ingredients
adapted from Running to the Kitchen

3/4 c. uncooked quinoa
1/2 c. unsweetened coconut flakes
2 c. old fashioned oats
1 c. finely chopped medjool dates
1 c. finely chopped nuts (I used almonds)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 tbsp. honey
3 tbsp. melted coconut oil

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the dry ingredients (quinoa, oats, nuts, cinnamon, salt) in a large bowl, then add coconut oil and honey, tossing until combined. After spreading onto a large baking sheet in a thin layer, bake for 12-15 minutes. Check on granola and flip lightly with a spatula, clusters are okay. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes then store in airtight containers. This granola is especially tasty with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sliced banana.

There you are, another way to use quinoa! Don't be deceived by the bird food-esque appearance, this stuff keeps a full grown husband energized!

Clean Eating: Mom's Apple Pie

For years now I've enjoyed my Mom's Apple Pie. The crust: flaky, thick, and warm. The apples: spicy and naturally sweet. Last night I had a strong hankering for this pie and decided to whip it up in my own kitchen.

I have so many memories of slicing the apples, sprinkling them with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice, and then being unable to resist eating them straight out of the mixing bowl. The nice thing about this pie is that it contains no butter, no sugar, and nothing artificial. That's right, no sugar. The sweetness of your apples should do the trick. 

And while it's no Martha Stewart apple pie, it certainly is better for your waistline. I am happy to say that with the Clean Eating rage, it's nice to know that my mother had been feeding us "clean" apple pie for our whole lives! Way ahead of our time. 

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cups  flour

3/4 cup vegetable oil or 3/4 cup canola oil

4 tablespoons cold water

4-5 medium sized Pink Lady or Gala apples; or 3-4 large apples; sliced thinly

1 tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. ground ginger

Method: adapted from Mom's crust recipe and Food.com

Measure flour and salt into bowl. Add oil; mix with a fork, until particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until flour is moistened and dough almost cleans the sides of the bowl. 

Depending on whether your dough seems to dry or wet, add either a tbsp. of oil or flour. Pick dough up and ball it together into one pressed ball.  Work the dough in your hands to make it a bit less crumbly.

Break dough in half and similar to rolling pizza dough, press it flat between two sheets of wax paper. Roll out into the general circumference and shape of your pie pan. Gently peel off one sheet of wax paper and turn dough upside down. Peel off remaining sheet of wax paper after placing bottom crust into pan leaving a 1/2 inch overlap around pan edge. Follow the above steps with top crust rolling out same as bottom crust leaving 1 inch overhang around pan edge). Fold and roll top edge over pie pan and press edges together with a fork.

Once your apples are sliced, throw them in a large mixing bowl. Add spices and stir well. Allow apples to sit at room temperature for about 3 hours, to macerate in their own juices.  Pour  apples into crust, then fold the pie dough for the top over pie pan, roll top edge over pie pan and press edges together with a fork. 

Slice about 6 slits in the middle of the pie and place in the oven for about 45-55 minutes. Check at 45 minutes and take pie out when edges are golden brown. 

Allow to cool for about 15 minutes, then serve! It's yummy with a scoop of frozen yogurt, or my unconventional favorite- Coconut Bliss. Now, off to decorate for Christmas!

Autumn Cake

I'm back!

And I have news! We've moved! From Eastern WA, back to Seattle. Things are cheery, and autumnal, and our new little home is so cozy! My apologies for not blogging in days and days, but for those of you that may have moved across the state in less than two weeks, you can relate. But we're here, and to celebrate, my first baked treat was an entirely self-developed new recipe. I'm sure there are variations out there, and the concept of a Pumpkin-Apple Spice Cake is not new. But I thought I'd mix things up with a cranberry compote. It put me in the mood for Thanksgiving and all the foodie wonderfulness that is to come. 

Yesterday afternoon, after a busy day, I found myself in our new kitchen, that I painted a bright, Martha Stewart "cardamom" upon moving in, and wanted something warm, cream cheese-y, and pumpkin-y for dessert. While we've been enjoying fall produce, such as squash, kale, and swiss chard, there is nothing like some pumpkin flavored dessert to make you want to curl up and listen to the rain (which we have a lot of!)

So, here it is. Since I was so totally engrossed in cake development, I did not write down as I went, but I promise, it's accurate. Hugs, and Happy Fall!

Ingredients:

Cake:

8 oz. organic pumpkin, either cooked and blended yourself, but not pumpkin pie filling (Gross!)
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp. cinnamon 
3 tbsp. softened butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs

1.5 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. white flour

Frosting:

5 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
3 tbsp. butter, room temp.
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. cinnamon/brown sugar mixture
1/3 c. powdered sugar

Compote: 

1.5 c. fresh or frozen cranberries (for frozen, let sit in a bowl of warm water for ten minutes to soften)
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. water

Method:

Cake:  

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add butter and sugar in a bowl, and using your stand or hand mixer, beat on medium for one minute. Add spices and mix for thirty seconds, following with baking powder, vanilla, and flour. Mix until well blended. Butter and flour 9x9 square cake pan and place in oven for about 30-35 minutes, until sides turn a little darker than center.

Frosting:

While the cake is baking, start your frosting. Put all ingredients in your bowl and mix gently for about 2 minutes. Place in refrigerator to chill.

Compote:

If you want your compote to be a warm topping after you've frosted your cake, wait until your cake has cooled and has been frosted to begin making it. Otherwise, if you don't care, and just want to eat your cake as soon as possible, warm compote or room temperature compote, make it any old time you want to. To start, cook up some simple syrup; combine sugar and water in a shallow pan over medium-high heat, and allow it to come to a simmer. Add cranberries and bring to a slow boil. When cranberries begin to soften, crush them gently with a spoon, allowing the juice to release. Bring heat down, and allow to simmer for about 5-7 minutes. 

When it cools, it will become a jelly, and is equally delicious on toast, or alone. 

Assemble this dessert by removing cooled cake from the pan, and placing it on a cake tray. Frost evenly and allow to set for a bit. Then, slice, and pour your warm, cranberry goodness all over it. And then, enter a food coma, and fall asleep. 

Pumpkin Apple Harvest Bars

   I'll warn you: this recipe is entirely my own creation. They are done in a traditional Kathleen fashion, by stuffing as many healthy ingredients into a creation, hoping it will taste good at the same time!

   So, here we go! Feel free to include any type of protein source you'd like, or to change the toppings around. I personally love these combinations because it gives me a taste of autumn, which I am very much looking forward to. Fortunately, these are full of goodies, such as protein, fiber, and Omega 3 fatty acids from the flaxseed. I ate a Harvest Bar for breakfast, but they were also scrumptious right out of the oven with a scoop of natural frozen yogurt. 

Ingredients:

for the bars

3 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. clover honey

1 c. whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 can (about 12 oz.) of a 15 oz. Libby's Pumpkin Filling

1/3 c. soy protein powder

1/3 c. flax seed

1 large apple, diced

1 tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1 tbsp. nutmeg

pinch of salt

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. vanilla flavoring

for the topping

1/2 c. oats
2 tbsp. butter

1/2 c. walnut pieces

1 c. crushed or sliced almonds

1 tbsp. soy milk

1/2 c. dried cranberries

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. 

Combine the first four ingredients and whisk or mix with a stand or hand mixer. Add the rest of the ingredients, mixing on medium speed until they are well combined. 

Next, spread in a 9 x 13 pan or cookie sheet. I used a cookie sheet and luckily remembered to wipe it down with a little butter first.

Mix up the topping ingredients and spread all over the bars.

Bake for 20 minutes, until edges are golden brown.

Enjoy!

-k

Upside Down Peach Rhubarb Pie

It was somebody special's Half Birthday last week! (Hint: somebody very special to me) After a tasty meal of chicken sliders, I whipped up my very own recipe for an upside down pie. Now, I have only made one other upside down peach pie, about a year ago. They're delicious.

Believe me, there's something very special about eating your fruit from the top, instead of being forced to eat it from the bottom, or worst of all, stirring it, a la yogurt with that icky syrupy fruit. Anyways, I had seen a quick recipe for sour cream muffins some time ago, and I knew I had some of that in the fridge. Just add some butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla, and I've got a crust! So here we go, let's recreate this tasty Half Birthday Pie.

Ingredients

for the crust:

1.5 c. white flour, preferably sifted

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 c. sour cream

1 egg

1/3 c. granulated sugar

1/3 c. butter, room temperature

for the fruit:

1 tsp. butter, melted for the pan

2 sliced peaches, skin removed

2 long stalks rhubarb, sliced very thinly

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1 tbsp. honey

Heat your medium sized skillet to medium-low heat and throw the fruit, sugar, and honey all in with the melted butter. Let the fruit sit, bringing to a boil. Lower the heat to low, and allow fruit to simmer while you mix up the topping/crust, about 15-20 minutes.

*Note, because your skillet will be going in the oven, make sure it is able to bake in the oven. Most brands are capable of this, especially Cuisinart and All Clad.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With a stand or hand mixer, whip the sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and eggs until creamy. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, taking breaks to mix. Be sure to include the remaining dough that sneaks up the side of the bowl!

Once the dough is finished, bring the bowl over to your stove top and carefully spoon the dough over the fruit in dollops. Smooth the topping over the fruit and when you're satisfied pop it in the oven for about 45 minutes.

Continue to keep and eye on your upside down pie, and when it looks like it is turning golden brown on the edges, check with a toothpick or fork. Once it seems done, remove from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes.

Now, here comes the tricky part. However, the good news is that it's really not all that tricky. You may need to grab an idle body to come help, but believe me, you can do it yourself too. So what you'll need to do is place a large circular platter on top of the skillet, but make sure you have enough room to hold both the platter or plate and your skillet with both hands. Next, run a knife around the inside of the skillet, loosening up the crust. Now, flip the whole thing upside down and lift up your skillet (which should now be empty).

Voila! A glorious, beautiful, fruit-on-top treat for you and your loved one. Enjoy with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Banana Berry Medley Bread

Yesterday I whipped up some very tasty & healthy breakfast bread for us. It really was entirely my own creation, but has the same obvious ingredients found in all recipes. I find that it is easy to mix and match your own recipe, especially with baking breads and cookies, because you just need the same basic ingredients. These would be a flour base, a liquid, sweetener, and something to make the whole thing rise a little bit.

Put all those ingredients together in one bowl (it’s a Tuesday, I don’t believe in dishes), and you have a scrumptious and healthful treat for the morning.

Ingredients:
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. oats
1 c. yogurt, I prefer greek or non-fat
2 large bananas, mashed
2 tbsp. acai syrup or honey
2 tbsp.  canola oil
1 c. frozen (de-frosted) or fresh berries, I used strawberries and blueberries

Method:
Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then add wet ingredients and stir. Be careful not to over-stir as it will make the dough rubbery.  It’s quicker and easier to mix the ingredients by hand. The nice thing about this recipe is that you don’t use processed white sugar to sweeten. The combination of berries and acai syrup or honey really do the trick!

As you can see, I really really enjoyed it with some strawberry jam!
Ciao,
k

Strawberry Rhubarb Parfaits

Are you sick of hearing about rhubarb yet? I’m not, so get out your granola, yogurt, honey, and lemon. To be honest, the previous ingredients are pretty much my staple breakfast, perhaps I should broaden my breakfast horizons. But for now…

This is pretty simple, but so yummy, especially with a warm cup of coffee and your newspaper.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. non-fat Greek yogurt
1 c. strawberry rhubarb sauce
1 1/2 c. granola (either store bought or home made)
1/8 c. honey
2 tbsp. lemon juice for drizzling

Layer the ingredients however you like, just be sure to do at least 2 layers, then you’ll fully experience the flavors of your parfait!

Try it tomorrow before work, to sweeten your Monday morning; I know I will.

Sweet Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce

 

This week was all about summer fruits. I made a  lemon yogurt olive oil cake, adapted from a recipe by Molly Wizenberg.  For the cake I used my kitchenaid spring form pan my sweet friend Sarah gave us for our wedding. I’ve recently learned that you truly can’t beat quality pots and pans, especially when baking. It sounds so simple, but they are essential.  For the topping, a strawberry rhubarb compote made with lemon juice and honey… Say it with me … yummmmmm. The fantastic thing about compotes is that you can put them on pretty much anything.  

I layered the compote with greek yogurt and granola for a delicious breakfast parfait.

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote:

2 long stalks of rhubarb, sliced thinly in small pieces
10 frozen or fresh strawberries
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. honey
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 c. lemonade

Combine all the ingredients in a small pot on medium high heat. Allow to boil for about 4-5 minutes, then bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes on medium to low heat, stirring occasionally. Compote will be done when strawberries are completely soft and broken down, and the rhubarb is mostly broken down and slightly transparent. There should be plenty of red juice but the chunks of fruit is what gives it some delicious texture. 

 

 Serve warm over yogurt, pancakes, waffles, cereal, it would be delicious as a syrup in your favorite cocktail, a la my Raspberry Cocktail. It’s also tasty just by itself, just sayin’.

 

Happy Saturday!

Love,

Kathleen

Slow Cooker Banana Oatmeal

Two posts in one night! I must have done something right with the strength of my coffee this morning! This is honestly, in 25 years of living, one of the best breakfasts I have ever made. Emphasis on “I”, because nothing beats my mom’s cream of wheat with butter and brown sugar. Nothing.
I came across this recipe on the back side of the oat container I picked up at the grocery store the other day. On a whim, I threw the ingredients in the slow cooker, and Voila!, deliciousness. It has been husband approved, and Molly, our dog, sniffed with interest.
Ingredients:
3 cups of milk, I used non-fat
2 cups of oats, not quick/instant oats or minute oats, just regular oats
1/8 tsp. of salt
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 ripe bananas, chopped into bite size pieces
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup plain yogurt
*Feel free to add any type of fruit and spices you’d like, my next hankering is for apple/cinnamon…yummm.

Put all the ingredients in the slow cooker, on the low heat setting, for about 1.5 hours. Top with yogurt and be ready for an extremely productive day!

Vegan Pancakes with Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

Ever since I made red velvet pancakes from the lovely blog How Sweet Eats, I have been hankering to try a non-chocolate (I know, totally bizarre) version. Turns out it was the perfect first recipe for my dear blog; easy, pretty, and pleasant for your taste buds. The recipe took me about 45 minutes start to finish, not bad considering how deliciously it blends together (And I’m no Rachel Ray, anyhow)!
First, the ingredients.
slightly adapted from here

1½ cups minus 1½ tablespoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar (I used unprocessed cane sugar)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
Whisk together vinegar and milk and set aside to curdle.

In a large bowl, add wheat flour, all purpose flour, sugar,  baking powder and baking soda. Make a well in the center, and pour in milk mixture and food coloring. Mix until combined.

Preheat skillet or griddle on medium heat. Add 1/4 cup batter. Once bubbles form, gently flip and cook for a few more minutes.

                              Strawberry-Blueberry Compote
Ingredients:
1 pint blueberries
1/2 lb strawberries
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c orange juice
1/4 c water

Bring to a boil, and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until it is just a deep purple-y syrupy goodness on the bottom, and the fruit is fragile and soft.

Spoon equal parts of syrup and fruit over the pancakes and serve immediately! Vanilla yogurt tops it all off nicely.
Enjoy, and thanks for reading! Let me know any different variations you cooks come up with!
Ciao,
Kathleen