Gourmet Oatmeal

I don’t eat oatmeal very often… but whenever I do I think, I should eat this more! It’s so tasty and there are SO many different things you can do with it! These are two of my favourites! Peanut butter, banana fudge and apple pie! It doesn’t take long either, so when you are in a rush and need some quick carbs this is your jam!

Peanut butter banana fudge oatmeal

ingredients

1/2 c oats

1 overripe banana, mashed

1- 2 tbsp peanut butter

1 c cashew milk (or water)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp cocoa powder

pinch of salt

directions

1. bring milk to a boil, add oats and reduce to medium heat.
2. mash up banana, add to oats and stir.
3. add cocoa powder, sea salt and vanilla. stir and let it cook for a couple more minutes. At the end stir in peanut butter.
4. top with peanut butter, chocolate chips, chopped nuts or what ever other toppings you would like!

 

Apple pie oatmeal

ingredients

1/2 c oats

1 apple, cut into cubes

1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch of sea salt

1.5 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp honey (or maple syrup for vegan option)

1 cup of water or dairy free milk

directions

1. bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add oats, stir and reduce to medium heat. Add 3/4 of the apple, 1 tsp cinnamon and sea salt and cook until apple are tender (about 10-15 minutes.) You may need to add a bit more water while it is cooking.
2. While oatmeal is cooking, put the rest of the apples, honey and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon into a small sauce pan and cook until apples are tender.
3. When oatmeal is done top with cooked apples and any other toppings you desire! We added a tbsp of slivered almonds and raisins.

 

 

Paleo Deep Dish Salted Carmel Chocolate Chip Blondies

 

I missed baking clean treats while I was on my mission! It was too hard to carry around the ingredients, and expensive to try new fun recipes on a super tight budget…so one of the first things I wanted to do when I was home was bake something with my sister!

I was craving cookie dough…. my sister had eaten a lot of cookie dough in the last couple of days, so we compromised with this delicious deep dish!

Recipe from With Salt and Whit

Have fun and enjoy!

ingredients:

caramel:

• • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1/3 cup almond butter
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup

blondie:

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup enjoy life chocolate chips (Dairy free)

instructions:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees f.
2. in a blender, combine the coconut oil, almond butter and maple syrup. blend until mixed well and smooth. pour into a 8 inch cast iron skillet (or glass baking dish if you do not have a cast iron skillet).
3. in a small bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. add the coconut oil, maple, egg and vanilla extract. stir until just combined. fold in chocolate chips.
4. add to the skillet, smoothing out on top of the caramel.
5. place in the oven and bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until the blondie is cooked through.

yields 8*

 

xo

Cherry Ice cream

It might be tricky to make this now because cherries aren’t in season….. but if you are able to get your hands on some:) Or you might just have to wait till next season!

Using this dairy free vanilla ice cream as your base, cut up cherries into halves or quarters and mix them into your churned ice cream before placing it in the freezer to harden.

** Note: the ice cream doesn’t harden completely!

xo erin

Back to the Grind

I shared this blog post on The Dote Blog I wish I could say I came up with this BRILLIANT idea of salads in a jar….but I can share with you some awesome recipes! I woke up this morning (Monday) thinking to myself WHY didn’t I make my salads in a jar yesterday so I wouldn’t have to make lunches all week?! They are seriously a dream!  These make my life so much more convenient- not to mention ensures I have a healthy balanced lunch! Let’s all start the school year off in a healthy way!

Salad in a Jar 101

Rule #1: Dressing at the bottom, greens at the top. Make sure they are as FAR away from each other as possible so they stay crisp and fresh!

First things first (I’m the realest)

Add the dressing, vinaigrette or olive oil to your 1 pint mason jar. I use 1-3 tablespoons, depending on the dressing { If it’s oil-based, 1 tablespoon is enough } You’ll be keeping your jar upright and this will keep the dressing from touching the veggies and making them soggy.

 Chop chop!

Add your harder veggies and beans; like carrots, radishes, onions and chickpeas, jicama. Then layer your other veggies; like zucchini, cherry tomatoes, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and cucumber.

On to the Next one…

Greens! This should take up about 1/2 of your jar. Make sure your greens are dry & pack them down tight so you can fit more in. Mix up your green choices for some variety {romaine, kale, arugula and spinach.}

Pack it up pack it in

Pack in the protein, now. Top the greens with your choice of protein. Some of my go to’s are: grilled or ground chicken or turkey, sauteed tofu, canned tuna, diced boiled egg, quinoa. You will also add your fats with the protein- these healthy fats will keep you satisfied throughout the day! Add some nuts, seeds, hummus & avocado. I like to take my avocado separate so it stays fresher and doesn’t brown. If you decide to add the avocado to your jar, top with a lime slice or some lemon juice.

Shake it ‘up’ Shake it ‘up’

When you’re ready to eat, shake it up! Eat your salad straight out of the jar or pour it into a big bowl. I pack things pretty tight with tons of veggies in my jar, but when I shake it up, the dressing is still able to coat all of the veggies. I prefer eating it out of a bowl so I can mix everything up rather than eating it in layers.

TIPS

• Add your nuts & cheese last so they don’t get soggy
• If I’m adding onions, I like to add them first. Soaking them in the dressing helps dilute the strong onion taste ( prevents onion breath at work…)
• Another option is to add items that will soak up the dressing as your second layer- Cooked grains, tofu, meats, mushrooms—anything that is spongy and will soak up the dressing as the jar sits in the fridge.
• The salads can last up to 10 days in the fridge!
• Really jam-pack the jars to help keep things from shifting and moving around. It should almost pop out in your face when you open that jar!  BONUS: the less air in the jar- the longer it will stay fresh!
• If the salad isn’t enough- bring another pint size jar of soup
• Try to keep the ratio of each jar about half-and-half—half toppings, dressing, grains, proteins and half greens.
• If I am worried my salad will have too much dressing- I bring a little bag of extra greens with me to soak it up.
• If you are adding fruit, add it just before the greens

Asian Chicken Salad

Use 2 tbsp. Carrot Ginger Dressing {from Costco}

Carrots, chopped or shredded (if shredded add in with the greens)

Cucumbers

Bean Sprouts

Red & green cabbage

Chicken with Chinese 5 Spice

Mandarin oranges

Slivered almonds

Cobb Salad with Peach Infused Vinaigrette

Use 1 tbsp. Dressing {Peach infused white wine vinegar, avocado oil, sea salt}

Red, orange & yellow peppers

Zucchini

Red onions

Spinach

Boiled egg

Sunflower seeds

Avocado

Blueberries (optional)

Fall Salad

Use 1.5 tbsp. Maple Dijon Vinaigrette {maple syrup, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, sea salt, }

Yellow & orange peppers

Cherry tomatoes

Kale

Baked Cubed Sweet potatoes

Quinoa

Roasted red peppers

Pesto Besto

Use 1.5 tbsp. Pesto dressing { pesto, olive oil, }

Cherry tomatoes

Cucumbers

Spinach

Quinoa

Cabbage Salad

Use 3 tbsp. Vinaigrette { 1/2 c olive oil, 1/4 c white vinegar, 1 tsp honey, 1 tbsp chicken stock, pepper to taste}

Green & red cabbage

Toasted sunflower seeds & almond slices

*if you aren’t gluten free you can add toasted ichiban noodles

xo erin

Iced Vanilla Bean Criobru Latte

Ingredients:

1 cup warm strong criobru

¼ cup coconut milk

1½ teaspoons maple syrup

¼ teaspoon fresh vanilla beans

⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

ice
*Vanilla extract may be substituted, but fresh vanilla beans are always best and provide the best flavor

Directions:

1. Mix the criobru, coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla beans, and cinnamon together in a cup. Let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
2. Fill a large glass with ice. Pour coffee over ice and stir a few times to chill.Enjoy!

xo erin