Apple Mug Muffin ~ ready in 2 minutes


This evening, I was looking around on Pinterest and saw a pin for this recipe, that came from the blog ~ Civilized Caveman.  It was for an ~ Apple Mug Muffin ~ a quick microwave recipe that's ready in 2 minutes.  The photo looked good, it was for a single serving, the recipe was gluten-free, there was no added refined sugar, it said it was good for breakfast or dessert, I was hungry and I had most of the ingredients...so, off to the kitchen I went.

I did make a couple of substitutions ~ replacing 1/2 the coconut oil (I actually used melted Olivio Coconut Oil Spread) with unsweetened applesauce (to make it a little lower in fat); honey for the maple syrup (all outta maple syrup); chopped walnuts/cinnamon for the 'streusel topping' (couldn't be bothered to chop that little bit of apple); and I nuked it in a custard cup instead of a mug (just 'cause I felt like it...shoulda used the mug :) .  The resulting 'muffin' was surprisingly good, with a subtle sweetness and flavor.  To me, it had more of a substantial cooked 'egg custard' feel to it.  I'm a fan of that 'egg-y custard' flavor, so it was right up my alley.  Since it uses almond meal instead of flour, it has a denseness that you wouldn't get from a regular microwave-in-a-cup muffin.  I think it would make a quick and tasty breakfast...but for tonight, it was my dessert.  Yup, real-time cooking in my kitchen!  Now, I need to eat dinner ~ tonight was one of those eat-dessert-first kinda evenings.  teehee

 

Albacore Tuna Salad ~ making a lunchtime classic using broiled albacore tuna steaks


I recently bought some frozen albacore tuna steaks from Trader Joe's.  I love their frozen fish ~ it's reasonably priced, has great flavor/texture and they have a good selection.  The first time I cooked with it, I was paying attention to what I was doing and the fish turned out great.  The next time I made it, I got distracted and let it cook too long...not a good thing when you're cooking tuna!  Those tuna steaks turned out too well done and were a tad (OK, more than a tad) on the dry side.  We ate some of it, but about half of the tuna steaks went into the fridge. I'm too cheap to toss out anything, so I let it sit in the fridge until I could figure out what to do with it.



The next day, I decided to taste it again and...it was still too dry.  Drats!!   But, as I was chewing it, it now reminded me a lot of canned albacore tuna.  OK, I can work with that!  I chunked/shredded the remaining tuna, added some low fat Hellmann's Mayonnaise, a few spices, gave it all a good stir and we were in business!  I truly enjoyed my 'non-canned, fresh cooked'  Albacore Tuna Salad.  I think I may have just stumbled upon my new way of making tuna salad!  When prepared this way, it's so much 'meater', it's less salty and it's not soggy like canned tuna can sometimes be.  I love it when I can salvage a cooking faux pas and turn it into a success! 


Braised Radish Greens with Chickpeas & Tomatoes ~ Meatless Monday


I had some radish leaves left over from the bunch that our 'gentleman farmer' neighbor brought over the other day, ((see the post that I wrote about the homegrown radishes HERE))  and I'm still amazed to find out that you really can eat radish greens.  It really shouldn't have surprised me, but it did.  If I had to describe them, I'd say they are a bit tough and a tad bitter, sort of like turnip or mustard greens.  I'm glad I gave cooking/braising them a try, and was happy with how my meal turned out.  It was pretty simple to make...



I trimmed off the tougher ends of the leaves (saving them for the juicer) and gave the radish leaves a rough chop.  I braised the leaves with about a half cup of canned diced tomatoes/ juice, a cup of chickpeas and some EVOO.  As you can see, they cooked down a lot.  When they were done, I gave the whole thing a drizzle of maple syrup, a shot of Bragg's Amino Acids, and some crushed red pepper/salt.   I think this works for either a light lunch/dinner or as a side dish.  Next time you find yourself with some homegrown or some organic radishes, consider cooking the leaves ~ I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, too.  Happy Meatless Monday!



Mocha-Chocolate Chip Brownie Cupcakes ~ quick, easy and egg-free


The other day I was in the mood for some cupcakes, and since my favorite cupcake shop was already closed for the day, I decided to make a quick batch at home.  They aren't fancy like SugarBean's, but we enjoyed them all the same.  I tried to 'healthy' them up a bit, so I replaced 1/2 the flour with whole wheat pastry flour; replaced 1/2 the oil with applesauce; and cut back on the salt.   J thought they tasted like a brownie, so I'm calling them ~ Mocha-Chocolate Chip Brownie Cupcakes.  I modified this chocolate cake recipe that I posted about last year, giving it more of a mocha spin in the batter as well as the icing. I decided to add some chocolate chips to the batter, for an extra little hit of chocolate.  (look at me, getting all fancy!)

Quick and easy, as well as egg-free ~ Booyah!  If you use a vegan 'butter' in place of the regular butter, than it will be dairy-free as well.  I think they are best enjoyed cold and (to me) they taste better after the first day, that way the flavors and texture really set-up nicely.  Enjoy!


Mocha-Chocolate Chip Brownie Cupcakes ~ egg free 
makes 12 cupcakes




Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour* *(or skip the whole wheat pastry flour & use all regular flour, if you like)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 3 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
  • 3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp instant coffee, dissolved in 1 Tbsp warm water 
  • 1 Tbsp white or cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips or carob chips  
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin tin with paper cupcake/muffin liners.  In a large bowl sift the first 7 dry ingredients (flours - salt) together.  Add all the liquid ingredients and stir until blended.  Fold in the chocolate/carob chips. Divide the batter between the 12 cupcakes liners and bake for approx. 15-20 minutes, or until they're done. (timing really depends on how full they are, mine were quite full & closer to 20 minutes)  Remove cupcakes to cooling rack.  Let cool completely, then frost.


Mocha Frosting
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 Tbsp instant coffee, dissolved in 2 Tbsp water
Directions
In a medium bowl sift the dry ingredients together.  Add butter and mix until well blended. (it will be very dry)  Add the coffee and mix well. (now it looks right!)  Spread over the the cooled cupcakes.  These taste best when completely cooled or chilled.  Store in fridge.  I think they get even better the next day(s).



Homegrown Radishes & Radish Greens ~ simple, clean-eating at its best!


Our neighbor, (the same 'gentleman farmer' that I wrote this post about last year) was kind enough to bring over some of his first of the season's produce yesterday.  It was a robust bunch of radishes ~ I love homegrown radishes!  For some reason I have not had any luck growing them here, luckily for us, we now know someone who does.  :)

I decided to enjoy the radishes simply, with just a sprinkle of some of the ~ Spanish rosemary infused gourmet sea salt ~ that my friend, Anne, sent me for Christmas.  If you've never tried flavored sea salt, I HIGHLY recommend it! I absolutely adore my cherry wood smoked flavor, it smells and tastes divine.

After I had my fill of radishes, I kept thinking the radish greens just looked too healthy and vibrant to let them go to waste.  So, I searched the web and discovered you can eat radish leaves!  I never knew that...but thinking of how sorry looking the radish greens are in the market, it's not surprising that I'd never thought to eat them before.  Now I know ~ homegrown and fresh is the only way to go with radish greens! 

   
I threw in a few of the baby radish leaves into my dinner salad ~ it was outstanding!  The radish leaves have a little, sharp/spicy kick and were a nice compliment  to the romaine and Parmesan cheese.  Simple, clean-eating at its best!  Thanks so much for sharing the radishes with us, Brett!


Superfood Veggie Scramble with Chickpeas ~ Meatless Monday


I had one last 'Little Bessie' egg in my fridge, and I was all set to make a pretty meal.  I planned to saute superfood veggies (kale, spinach and 3 colors of bell peppers), getting them ready so I could crack my huge, double-yolk egg on top of their healthy goodness and then poach those two beautiful, mounded yolks (that came out of that one egg) and enjoy my breakfast...  

What really happened was that one of the yolks burst when I cracked the egg ~ WAH!!  Total bummer!  Since I couldn't make what I wanted, I got cranky and just scrambled it all together.  Since I was on a roll, I added some chickpeas that were in the fridge for good measure and topped it all with some salsa.  It had became a glorious, tasty mess.  Not pretty, but it was ~ low fat, low carb, low cal and yummy ~ all the same.    Some days chickens, some days feathers...some days cracked yolks.  Ya gotta roll with the punches and not let it ruffle your feathers.  (tee-hee ~ every pun intended! :)  Happy Meatless Monday!


No-Bake Maple-Nut Granola Topping


I saw this recipe link for a clean eating granola bar (from the site ~ Reboot with Joe) on my Facebook feed  and was intrigued.   So much so, that I went right into my kitchen at midnight (what can I say, I'm a night owl!) and made a batch.  I didn't have all the ingredients that were called for, so I used what I had on hand. (sound familiar?)  

I was thoroughly impressed with the taste, but was unable to get it to set-up properly, it just would not hold a bar shape. :(  So, instead of a bar I turned it into ~ No-Bake Maple-Nut Granola Topping.  It makes a perfect, crumbled crunch that is excellent over yogurt or ice cream.  What a tasty, clean-eating snack treat!  There are so many flavor/ingredient variations that you could do, the possibilities are endless.  I'm sorry that the recipe didn't work out as planned, but so happy that I've got a new superfood creation to top my morning yogurt with. :)  Enjoy! 

 

No-Bake Maple-Nut Granola Topping
adapted from this recipe 

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oats 
  • 1/2 cup oat bran 
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds 
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 
  • 1/4 cup carob chips (or raisins, or cacao nibs, or chocolate chips ~ or a mix ~ I used a 1/4 cup mix of carob chips, raisins & cacao nibs)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup 
  • 3 Tbsp chia seeds 
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp peanut butter
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon (or a 1/2 tsp mix of spices like I did ~ cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice & cardamom) 
  • a dash of salt 

Directions
Line an 8x8 square baking pan with parchment paper or plastic wrap.  Add all ingredients to bowl and mix well.  Spread mixture into pan and press down firmly, using the back of a spoon.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to set-up for at least an hour in the fridge.  When firm, crumble and store in an air tight container in the fridge. Best when eaten while still chilled.
 

Green Cake Batter Smoothie

Green Cake Batter Smoothie


Cowabunga!!  This stuff is amazingly good!  It tastes just like cake batter ~ no fooling!!  This smoothie gets it delightful green color from spinach, but just because you make this with spinach, don't let it turn you off.  You can't taste the spinach, at all.  Indulge your inner kid & have this green concoction for breakfast or a treat.  Ya gotta love a green smoothie when it tastes like cake batter.  

The following recipe was adapted from one by Mama Pea, over at ~ Peas & Thank You.  If you haven't been to her site, go check it out, it's awesome!!  She makes the most amazing vegan food & smoothies.  Plus, she is funny as all get out.  After reading one of her posts, I was inspired to rush right into my kitchen to make her Cake Batter Green Smoothie, but I was missing a bunch of the ingredients she called for.  I just used what I had on hand that sounded like it would create a similar taste.  Not having the exact ingredients for a recipe will NEVER stop me.  As Monty Python once said: Adopt, adapt & improve!

I must say, the shocking green smoothie turned out fantastic!  Of course, Roy wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole, because of the vibrant green color.  Sucker!  His loss was my gain ~ all the more for meeee!  J tried it & liked it.  He won't pass up anything that tastes like cake batter...and you shouldn't either.  Thanks for the bit of green inspiration, Mama Pea! 


Green Cake Batter Smoothie 
makes 1 smoothie

Ingredients

  • 2 cups  prewashed/bagged baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup fat free milk
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
  • 1/4 cup quick oats
  • 1 tsp almond butter
  • 1/2 cup silken tofu
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 slices frozen banana (cut into approx 1/2 inch slices)
  • 6 ice cubes
  • 2 packets Equal, or to taste (or sweetener of choice)

Directions
Throw all ingredients in blender & blend until smooth.

What an easy way to eat your greens ~ enjoy!


Waldorf Chicken Salad ~ from America's Test Kitchen


When I was on the treadmill at the gym the other day,  I watched this episode clip from America's Test Kitchen (it's available for viewing for a limited time, so check it out soon).  They shared a recipe for a spin on a classic chicken salad.  They called their version ~ Waldorf Chicken Salad.  It looked so good, I came home and made it for my dinner.  The recipe was easy to follow and made for a great tasting chicken salad.  The thing that really caught my attention, was them cooking the chicken breasts in a homemade version of sous-vide cooker.  Interesting concept...  I'm not fully convinced that it was worth the extra effort, but I was glad that I tried preparing it that way. 

I made a simple, throw-it-all-in-the-pot ~ Chicken & Vegetable Miso Soup ~ using the leftover water/broth.  What a great way to use up leftover veggies in the fridge.  There's no waste is this kitchen!!

Since you have to sign-up over at America's Test Kitchen before they will let you see the actual recipe, and some might not want to do that, here is another great sounding Waldof Chicken Salad recipe that has similar flavors. ((this recipe has no Let-us-send-you-a-Cooks-Illustrated-magazine-to-review-&-then-write-'cancel'-on-the-invoice-we-send-to-you-,-even-if-you-don't-want-to-pay-$24.99-a-year-for-a-subscription catch to it.))    :)  teehee  

Cranberry Greek Yogurt Smoothie


Here is another tasty way that I've found to use fresh or frozen cranberries in a smoothie.  I took a little different spin on this High Protein Berry Smoothie recipe that I shared the other day.  I gotta say, I'm really enjoying adding those shiny, ruby berries to my smoothies.  I've been a bit lax lately in adding greens to my smoothies, so I decided to include some this time.  The fresh baby spinach just disappears into this drink ~ can't see it, nor taste it ~ but you still get the benefit of its green goodness, just the same.  Greek yogurt, flax seed/oil and strawberries/blueberries are just more of the superfood goodies in this smoothie ~ and it works for the Fat Flush Plan, too.  Booyah! 

Cranberry Greek Yogurt Smoothie
serves one

Ingredients
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 1 oz. unsweetened cranberry juice
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 3/4 cup fresh or frozen mix of strawberries and/or blueberries
  • 2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
  • 1 Tbsp flax seed oil
  • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 6 ice cubes
  • 2 packets of Equal or sweetener of choice 
Directions
Throw all ingredients into the blender and whirl away until it's smooth and frosty!



Poached Eggs with Fire Roasted Tomatoes & Spinach ~ Meatless Monday


For a super easy, really tasty and very low carb breakfast, I like to turn to eggs poached right in the skillet with some juicy, sauteed veggies.  I'm a huge fan of canned, Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes.  When you add them to lightly sauteed spinach and then crack an egg or two on top of the mixture, you can't go wrong.  I'm heavy handed with the tomatoes, I just can't get enough of the lightly smokey flavor!  I'll sprinkle on some herbs, spices and maybe some chipotle Tabasco sauce, too.  I let it all simmer/poach until the egg is almost set, then I cover the skillet with the lid for an extra minute or two, just until the egg white 'sets' on top of the egg ~ then breakfast is served.  I think this would also make a great brunch or light lunch/dinner, too.   Who says eating low carb has to be boring?  Certainly not me!  Poached Eggs with Fire Roasted Tomatoes & Spinach ~ what a great way to start your Meatless Monday!


Mrs. Patmore's London Particular ~ Yellow Split Pea Soup ~ from The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook


For my birthday, my hubby gave me a copy of ~ The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook.  I love this cookbook!  It's a fun read and the recipes all sound so tempting.  Even though it's almost the middle of May, it's still rather cold, gray and dreary around here much of the time, so I decided to try making a warming soup to make our day a little more comforting.  (besides, soon enough it will be 100+ degrees outside, so might as well make some soup while I can :)  Mrs. Patmore's London Particular (Yellow Split Pea Soup) recipe caught my eye ~ and I already had all the ingredients to make it...so I did.
 
These are some of the tweaks I made to the original recipe...  I used some leftover ham that was in the freezer instead of boiling a ham hock; I just used a little olive oil to saute the onions in (instead of the 1/2 cup of butter the recipe calls for); I added chopped celery to the soup while cooking; I didn't puree the soup, just smashed it with the potato masher ~ because we like our split pea soup more on the 'rustic side' (and pureeing makes it look too much like baby food for our liking); AND I used yellow split peas instead of the green split peas called for.  "Why?" you might ask...



Well, calling for green split peas as the main ingredient had me scratching my head, because later in the book, when they give the recipe for a traditional green split  pea soup, they mention using yellow split peas if you want to make a version called ~ London Particular (yellow ~ that's what makes it L.P.)  I have no idea why they don't call for yellow split peas in this recipe of Mrs. Patmore's...I'm blaming the cookbook's copy editors.  It's a sloppy (or should I say soupy :) error.  Those copy editors must not be real foodies (or Downton Abbey fans) who actually read the witty banter before and after the recipes in this cookbok.  It's those little details that can really make or break a recipe.  In this case not taste wise ~ but color wise.  Read the little story before this recipe and you'll see why Matthew would probably be fond of it.  (I think I'd be good at a cookbook copy editing job...  Where do I sign up?  teehee)   

Give the soup a try and you'll see why everyone at Downton Abbey thinks Mrs. Patmore is such an excellent cook!  ;)


High Protein Berry Smoothie ~ Fat Flush Plan


I was looking through my Fat Flush Plan Cookbook and came across a recipe for a high protein smoothie that incorporates the diet's cranberry/flax seed daily 'cocktail', along with fresh cranberries, to make a great tasting breakfast smoothie.  I happened to have some frozen cranberries in the freezer, as well as a few blueberries and strawberries ~ so, this is my adapted version.  I'm really digging adding 'fresh' cranberries to smoothies, they add a great 'punch' and they aren't too tart for me ~ Enjoy!

High Protein Berry Smoothie
 ~ inspired by the Fat Flush Plan Super Smoothie recipe
serves one

Ingredients
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 1 oz. unsweetened cranberry juice
  • 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 1/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1/4 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
  • 1 Tbsp flax seed oil
  • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 5 ice cubes
  • sweetener of choice (optional ~ I didn't use any, I liked it as is)


Directions
Throw all ingredients into the blender and whirl away until it's smooth and frosty!


 

Eating on The Overnight Diet ~ my one week diet update

Grilled Tuna with Edamame & Oriental Veggies ~ Using my George Foreman Grill made this meal extra easy to make.

Egg Beater Omelet w/Veggie Chorizo
Well, it's been one week since I said I was going to try The Overnight Diet ~ here is my post from last week where I talked about trying it.  This is my verdict on The Overnight Diet ~ I think the variety of the food is fine, lots to choose from, no sense of deprivation and having a 200 calorie 'treat' once a day was nice.  Here are some of the meals I've enjoyed last week, making them up using the food guidelines.  The meals were easy to make and there is enough variety to keep you interested...

Sautéed Spinach with Walnuts

Steak & Spinach Salad
But, I've got to say, I only lost 2 pounds. Completely respectable as far as dieting goes and if I were to keep up with it over a few weeks, assuming I continue to have the same results, I'll arrive at my goal.  But I must say, The Overnight Diet (at least for me) did not have the 'lose it quick' potential that was mentioned in the Woman's World article that I was hoping for.  

When I did the Fat Flush Plan diet in the past, I lost 8 pounds in 10 days, so that diet does (at least for me) give me the ~ Wow! ~ factor I was looking for.  All that being said, the Fat Flush Plan diet does have much stricter diet/food guidelines, but for me, that works better for my body type and I get the fast results I'm looking for.  So, now I'm back to my old stand-by, the Fat Flush Plan way of eating for the next few weeks, gotta get ready for that beach vacation!  Hope you enjoyed my little diet experiment, I had fun doing it and reporting back on the blog.  :)

Chicken Tenders with Sweet Potato & Steamed Spinach


Watermelon Green Tea Agua Fresca


I recently saw a recipe for agua fresca in our weekly flyer from Aldi Market.  This is a light and refreshing Mexican fruit beverage and I thought it would be a perfect drink to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with! I just knew I had to try it...but, with a little different spin.  

I had some frozen watermelon chunks in the freezer that needed using up, a batch of iced green tea in the fridge and a little lime juice hanging around, so I adapted their recipe for what I had on hand.  I think I've found my new summer drink!  The fruit drink, when blended on 'whip', developed a creamy, frothy and delicious 'head' when poured into our glasses.  What a lovely color!  I have just one word for this drink ~ YUMMY!!!



Watermelon Green Tea Agua Fresca
serves 4-6
adapted from this recipe



Ingredients
  • 4 cups green tea, chilled
  • 2 cups frozen seedless watermelon chunks
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 1/4 cup honey, dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water (or sweetener of choice ~ skip the warm water if you want, I just think it makes it easier to disperse the honey when blending)
Directions
Place all ingredients in the blender and whirl away until smooth and frosty.  Serve in a pretty glass.  Enjoy!

  

Super Simple Black Bean Soup ~ and super quick, too!!



The ladies of The Kiva~ February 1993
 Me, Chef Rene & my server, Lucinda
Long, long ago, (20+ years) I used to work for Club Med as a speciality restaurant manager.   When I was at my assignment in Colorado, (at the now closed) Copper Mountain ski village, my restaurant was called ~ The Kiva.  Our specialty was having individual hot cooking stones/slabs brought right out to the table and the diners would cook the various sliced meats/seafood themselves.  It was a lively restaurant ~ wine, music and conversation flowed every evening and a great time was had by all.

Well, one day, my chef was out skiing, she forgot the time and got back late to the restaurant...she also forgot to make the soup starter.  Oops!  We didn't discover it until just before the restaurant opened for the evening.  She made a frantic assessment of the kitchen and came up with this incredibly easy and wonderfully simple Black Bean Soup recipe.  She gave it an elegant, yet simple garnish and out to the guests her on-the-fly soup went.

It was the hit of the week!!  We had guests requesting we serve it every night.  When asked for the recipe, I had to tell them it was the chef's secret.  Little did they know... teehee  Since Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner, I decided to finally let the cat out of the bag.  Try it for a quick meal or as a soup starter, I think you're really gonna like it.  I'm sure you'll like how easy it is to prepare, I know I do.  :) Enjoy!

Super Simple Black Bean Soup
serves 2-4 depending on how big your can of beans & bowls are



Ingredients
  • 1 can of your favorite black beans (choose whatever flavor you like or size can that works for your needs)
  • water or broth ~ add by the 1/4 cup until you get the soup consistency you like
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • Garnishes to consider... ~ fresh cilantro, sour cream, Greek yogurt, avocado slices, chopped tomatoes, sliced green onion, cheese, hot sauce for drizzling, etc.
Directions
Dump the can of beans, along with the juice, into a sauce pan and reheat until hot.  Carefully use an immersion blender to blend the beans until pretty smooth.  Add 1/4 cup water/broth at a time, until you get the soup to the thickness you like.  Add salt/pepper, to taste.  Garnish with cilantro, sour cream/yogurt, shredded cheese or whatever you like...

See, told you it was SUPER easy!  :)


Judy's Ultimate ~ Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies ~


I received a comment/recipe from Judy (a reader of the blog) a few weeks ago, it was regarding her spin on my Peanut Butter Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies. I just made her version this afternoon and they blew me away!!  So, I just had to formally share her wonderful recipe with everyone.   I think her version bridges the gap between my breakfast cookies and more traditional cookies.  Since her cookie recipe uses quick oats, a touch of milk and different proportions of the same ingredients as most of my breakfast cookies, it comes out similar, yet with a different texture ~ both for the cookie 'dough' and for the finished breakfast cookie.  There are still no added eggs or wheat, it's still sweetened with fruit and the only bit of refined sugar comes from the dried cranberries. (you could replace the dried cranberries with raisins, if you really want to avoid any white sugar ~ but, it doesn't bother me :)   Judy's cookie has a more classic, soft peanut butter cookie texture and I'm soooooooo enjoying it!!!! 



It really makes my day to know that people are trying some of my recipes, and/or are inspired to take them in a new direction, and then come back to share the recipes with me. It gives me the warm fuzzies!  :)  I bet you're gonna love her cookies as much as I do! I've decided to call her cookies ~ Judy's Ultimate ~ Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies.

Here is Judy's comment that she left on my original recipe post for ~ Peanut Butter Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies...

4/12/13 ~ I made these today at my senior complex and everybody loved them!!!--My recipe called for 3 ripe bananas, 1/2 cup applesauce, 1/4 cup milk, 2 cups quick oats, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup peanut butter. Cook for 18 minutes at 350.
Thanks for sharing and we love your recipes!!
Judy from Vancouver, Washington

 
Judy's Ultimate Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies
makes 16-32 cookies depending on how big you like your cookies
(This recipe can easily be cut in half, that's what I did. When I made half a recipe, I came up with 16 regular size cookies.  Just divide all measurements by half)

Ingredients
  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed until creamy
  • 2 cups quick oats
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Combine all wet ingredients together in a large bowl, then add all dry ingredients.  Stir until well combined.  Allow mixture to rest for 10 minutes.  Place spoonfuls of the cookie 'dough' on the prepared cookie sheet and flatten them into 'thin-ish' circles. (or to the thickness of your choice, the cookies will not spread by themselves)

Bake for 18 minutes, or until done to your liking.  Allow to sit on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.  Enjoy warm, room temperature or chilled ~ as you wish.  Keep in a covered container, in the fridge, so they will last longer.  Enjoy!


Judy, I'd like to thank you so much for sharing your version of the Peanut Butter Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies with me!  I'm so happy that everybody at your senior complex loved them.  Thanks so much for letting me know and for making my day!! You are all awesome!  Wishing you all the very best ~ Cheers!  :)

 
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