GRANOLA made easy

Yummy Fruit & Nut Granola

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa flakes (optional)
• 3 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup puffed Kashi cereal
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries
• 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup dried chopped fruit (pineapple, apricots, blueberries, cranberries)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/3 cup puffed millet cereal (
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2- 1 tsp extract of your choice- vanilla, almond, or anise.

Variations: (optional) orange zest (I like this one the best)

powdered or candied ginger 

unsweetened chocolate shavings

Directions

1. Put the oats, quinoa flakes (if using these) and coconut on cookie sheet and spread out.  Toast at 350 for a few minutes to lightly brown.  Watch! They burn fast!
2. Put the sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds and nuts on a separate cookie sheet and do the same.
3. Dump the quinoa flakes, rice cereal, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, cranberries, coconut, pumpkin seeds, and millet cereal into a large bowl.
4. In a separate smaller bowl, add the honey, coconut oil, salt and extract. Heat over low heat so that it melts and mixes together (I just micro-waved it for about a minute or so).
5. Pour the mixture over the seeds and cereal, and mix until everything is covered. May take a few minutes.
6. Spread the mix over 2 cookie sheets and roast in the oven for about 10 min at 350 (keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn).
7. Done! Serve with berries and rice milk, or munch on by the handful as a tasty snack :)

Butternut Squash Soup

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/10/butternut-squash-soup/

I just modify using coconut oil instead of butter and homemade vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.  But both would work and this soup is so yummy! The kids even like it too! YUM!

Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe by Our Best Bites
serves 6-8

1/2 T olive oil
1 T butter
1/2 C sliced carrots (abt 1 med carrot or 12 baby ones)
2 stalks celery, diced
1 C diced onion
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 medium butternut squash, (abt 4 cups peeled and diced)
1 medium potato, diced (about 2 C diced)
32 oz chicken broth (that’s one box/carton)
1 T brown sugar
1 1/2 t kosher salt
3/4 t dried sage
1 pinch cayenne pepper or a douse of hot sauce

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil and butter. When butter is melted add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic

Saute for 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add the squash.

Then add potato, sage, salt, red pepper, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer with the lid on for 30-40 minutes or until everything is tender. Check a piece of squash and also a piece of celery and potato to make sure they area fork tender. Stir in 1 T brown sugar.

Use an immersion blender, or transfer soup to a regular blender and puree until smooth.

I topped mine with a little parsley so it didn’t look so plain! A small drizzle of heavy cream or sour cream is also tasty.

Another Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce! YUM!

Here is the one we made when you were here Jessica! :) Taken from detoxinista.com
http://detoxinista.com/2013/05/creamy-cauliflower-alfredo-dairy-free-nut-free/

Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo 
makes 2 cups

Adapted from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon coconut oil, or butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces cauliflower florets
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon fine Himalayan salt, or more to taste
black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Saute the minced garlic in the coconut oil or butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Allow to cook for a few minutes, until the garlic is tender and fragrant, but not browned. Add the 1 cup of water to the saucepan, along with the cauliflower, and bring the water to a boil. (The water will not cover the cauliflower, and that’s okay.) Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot for 8-10 minutes, until the cauliflower is fork-tender and very soft.

Transfer the entire contents of the saucepan into a blender or food processor, and season with salt and pepper. Process until very smooth and creamy, with a texture similar to traditional cream sauce. (Always be careful when blending hot liquids– the steam pressure can blow the lid off your blender!) Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and serve hot.

Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

Cauli-power Fettuccine "Alfredo" from ohsheglows.com

http://ohsheglows.com/2014/01/20/cauli-power-fettuccine-alfredo-vegan/

Vegan, refined sugar-free, soy-free

A decadent-tasting, but super light and energizing vegan alfredo pasta sauce made with a base of cooked cauliflower! You have to taste this to believe it. The nutritional yeast gives this sauce a lovely "cheesy" flavour while the blended cauliflower creates a luxurious (but light) creamy base. If you don't want to serve it over pasta, try serving it over your favourite roasted vegetables or stirred into cooked rice. Thanks to Pinch of Yum for inspiring this tasty recipe!

Yield
4 servings (or 3 cups sauce)

Prep Time
20 Minutes

Cook time
30 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 heaping cups cauliflower florets (1 small/medium cauliflower)
• 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (from 2 med/lg cloves)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened and unflavoured almond milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon pepper, to taste
• Fettuccine pasta of choice (I used one (8-oz) box of Eden Organic Spelt Ribbons)
• Fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions:

1. Add cauliflower florets in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a low boil. Once boiling, cook for another 3-7 minutes until fork tender. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, add the oil into a skillet and saute the minced garlic over low heat for 4-5 minutes until softened and fragrant, but not browned.
3. In a high speed blender, add the cooked and drained cauliflower, sauteed garlic, milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Blend until a super smooth sauce forms. If using a Vitamix use the tamper stick as needed. The key here is to get a really smooth sauce so don't be afraid to let it run for a minute or so. Set aside.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add your desired amount of pasta and boil for the time instructed on the package. Drain pasta.
5. Add cauliflower sauce into the pot (you can use the same pot!) and add the drained pasta. Heat over low-medium until heated enough to your liking. Salt again to taste (the pasta dilutes the flavour).
6. Serve with fresh minced parsley and black pepper. Feel free to add in your favourite sauteed or roasted vegetables. I think peas, spinach, or broccoli would work very nicely! I added mushrooms, but I wasn't overly crazy about them in this dish.

Read more: http://ohsheglows.com/2014/01/20/cauli-power-fettuccine-alfredo-vegan/#ixzz37lB1I2WI

Amber's Granola Bars
-super yummy and nutritious! We bake these in bulk and they are great homemade "Nature Valley Honey Oat" type bars! yum!

4 c. oats
1 c. raw sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. shredded coconut (I substituted sunflower seeds and sesame seeds)
1 c. chopped nuts
3/4 c. melted coconut oil
1/2 c. raw honey
2/3 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. wheat germ

Combine all ingredients.  Mix well, pack into well greased 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 baking sheet.  Bake 9 minutes at 450* convection.

Snickerdoodles 

Recipe taken from ohsheglows.com, at this link http://ohsheglows.com/2010/11/24/my-favourite-snickerdoodles/.  These vegan Snickerdoodles have a crisp edge with a soft centre and they are a breeze to throw together. Instead of all-purpose flour, I amped up the nutrition in these cookies by using whole wheat pastry flour. I also reduced the sugar substantially while still creating a delicious tasting cookie. If you prefer, you can use 1 cup of all-purpose flour for a more classic Snickerdoodle. This recipe makes about 10 cookies, but it can easily be doubled if you’d like a bigger batch. Inspired by Joy of Baking.
Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I doubled the recipe and used 1 cup ground oats and 1 cup ground millet instead b/c we are currently out of wheat, plus the gluten free probably does the body good every now and then)
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp raw or turbinado or coconut sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar* (see note)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 flax egg (1/2 tbsp ground flax + 1.5 tbsp warm water)
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance (or coconut oil)
• Cinnamon sugar: 1 tbsp sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon, mixed together

Directions: In a small bowl, mix the 1/2 flax egg. Set aside. In a medium sized bowl cream the sugar, Earth Balance (or butter), and vanilla until incorporated. Add in the flax egg and beat for about 60 seconds. In another bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together (cream of tartar, baking soda, flour, and pinch of cinnamon). Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir well. Use your hands to knead together the dough. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, preheat the oven to 375F and take about 1.5 tbsp of dough and shape into a ball. Roll in cinnamon sugar and then press the ball with a fork to flatten slightly. Repeat 9 more times to make 10 cookies.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. (If you want chewy cookies bake for 10 minutes and if you want crispy cookies bake for 12 minutes.) Cool for about 10 minutes. Makes 10 cookies.
Note: I have heard that you might be able to get away with substituting the cream of tartar and baking soda with baking powder. However, I have not tested this out myself. If you try this leave a comment and let me know how it worked out.


Read more: http://ohsheglows.com/2010/11/24/my-favourite-snickerdoodles/#ixzz32mjAduHh

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

I used seasome milk instead of almond milk. 

• 3 mashed bananas (the more ripe the better!)
• 1 cup vanilla Almond milk (you could use skim but you may want to add a little sweetener)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp Baking powder
• 3 cups (240g) Old Fashion or Rolled Oats
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp (42g) mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Mix all ingredients except the chocolate chips together, and let sit while you prepare the muffin pans. 
Spray a muffin pan and/or liners with with non-stick spray.
Stir the chocolate chips into the oatmeal batter.
Divide batter into 15 muffin cups. They should be just about filled.
Bake 20-30 minutes, you’ll see the edges just starting to brown and they will be firm to the touch. 
The muffins may stick when hot but are removed easily when cooled for a bit.