No-Knead Oatmeal Bread (non-Paleo bread for Ron)

Hey all,

I did it. I made gluten-filled bread. You’re probably thinking, “Colleen, why feature non-gf bread on a Gluten-free/Paleo blog?” Well, simply put, my adorable partner Ron is most definitely still a bread and gluten lover. In fact, it’s better for him to eat lots of fiber and less meat because of his blood pressure. His health seems perfect now that he has lowered his meat intake, and he isn’t a Paleo follower–so why deny him his Oatmeal bread? Different strokes for different folks, right? I’m certainly not forcing him to eat or not eat anything! And while I’m not eating bread or pasta, really, that doesn’t mean that I don’t think a taste now and then is okay! (Because I do… unless you have a serious allergy.) I also made this bread because I’ve never made true bread (made with yeast) before, and I’ve been so curious as to the results. Could a girl with no bread maker make a decent loaf of bread at home?! I’ve tried my hand at a no-yeast Quick Bread–Honey Oat Quick Bread– and while I liked it, I didn’t LOVE it. You can tell it’s missing something—that something being yeast. There’s a certain tang or taste that just wasn’t there for me.

So, when I saw the Alexandra’s Kitchen recipe for No-Knead Oatmeal Bread, I knew I had to try it out. A bread made with yeast but no kneading? I’m a girl on a budget and cannot afford a bread-maker or standing mixer. This recipe is perfect for me! Because I am a novice bread-maker with little to no experience, I decided to follow her recipe exactly. Yeast is a whole new ball game, and I’m not sure what the rules of the game are for that sensitive of an ingredient!

Anyway, folks, I’m not the spiritual type, but hallelujah, Alexandra. This bread is DELICIOUS!

Okay, I have to admit something: I may or may not have forgotten to let the bread do a full second rise. (Really, BB?) So, even with a slightly more dense loaf, the results of this recipe are GREAT. This bread tastes just like regular, sweet homemade white-wheat bread!, and it’s made up of oats, white flour and wheat flour. Ron went back for thirds and kept saying, “I could eat this every day!” Honestly, I am now considering making this every week for him instead of buying bread. Why buy bread if you can make a homemade loaf that’s a cinch to bake?! I’ve copied her recipe verbatim, and I am again linking you to the recipe! To my non-Paleo followers…try this! You won’t be disappointed.

Apple Fritter Rings (a non-Paleo treat!)

Hey all,

To celebrate losing my first few pounds, I decided to treat myself with a light, fun, and seasonal snack: Apple Fritter Rings. Ron and I made these Sunday afternoon for a snack after shopping, and wooo, these Fritter Rings are so yummy! You get all the delicious flavors of a fritter (sweet, cinnamon, and spice) in the healthy ring of an apple.

I have to admit, the Rings shown are not gluten-free (I ran out of gluten-free flour!) and they are fried. But I am sure this fun snack or dessert could be made with any standard gluten-free all purpose flour, and the rings themselves are so light that even a little coconut or vegetable oil will keep these treats within a healthy range. They taste wonderful drizzled with a little maple syrup or sprinkled with powdered sugar. Happy Fall, everyone!

Artisan Garlic & Herb Loaf (Paleo)

Hey all,

During my Saturday off, I decided to try my hand at gluten-free bread. Not surprisingly, I’ve been missing bread in my (almost) gluten-free diet lately. There’s something so delicious about a fresh slice of bread with butter, right? It doesn’t help that I had bread for the first time in a awhile yesterday….and it was so delicious. Loved every bite. After that, I knew I had to get down to business and get some bread in this household!

Baker bread ad

Inspired by a divine olive oil artisan bread yesterday, I searched for a Paleo herb bread recipe. I found Multiply Delicious’ Paleo Herb Bread recipe, and decided to use their delicious recipe as my inspiration for an Artisan Garlic & Herb Loaf. First, I made a half loaf in a 20 ounce, round ceramic manikin to test the recipe. In my savory mix, I changed the flour ratio a bit, used less egg, and mixed in a combination of garlic-infused olive oil and coconut oil. I also added a mix of dried herbs (rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, all-purpose seasoning, cracked black pepper) and Parmesan cheese in the mix and on top.

Wow, I really should have made a full loaf, everyone. This is IT. So easy and simple. And SO full of flavor. I cannot recommend this enough. Of course, it’s more crumbly and dry than “real” fluffy, chewy loaf bread. But gosh darn’t, if this isn’t a good, oh-so-flavorful alternative, I don’t know what is! Ron and I polished off half of this baby with grass-fed butter in no time.

 

Pumpkin Applesauce (slow cooker!)

Hey all,

Goblins, ghosts, and ghouls–oh my! Halloween is near! I am so excited! Have any of you bought Fall decorations yet? I just bought a  few things for the apartment: pumpkins and a tres chic decorative lantern I bought at Target for $2.50, woooo!

The cutest part of decorating though was when Ron asked, “So when are we going to get our Christmas stockings?!” I hadn’t even thought about getting stockings for our little apartment, but why not? How fun.

And things are good on the health front! I’ve made some small changes to my overall lifestyle. I bought  Lavender-scented Tom’s of Maine natural deodorant that doesn’t contain all the metals that are bad for the thyroid (love it, by the way!), and I now have hypoallergenic makeup and organic shampoo. I also bought a Brita to filter all the water I drink, I try to not eat as much grains and sugar, and I stick to one cup of coffee a day. I’ve tried to workout a couple times this week, and I plan on working out more in future weeks. We are even thinking about purchasing a bike trainer, so we can cycle in the house during the winter. (You can find them relatively cheap, actually!) Anyway, this is all to say that I’ve lost a little weight, rather than gaining (I swear I’d wake up and be a pound heavier for no reason!) and I overall feel better.

Speaking of feeling better, I decided to make one of my favorite fall foods this week:  Slow Cooker Pumpkin Applesauce. Of course, I have a deep love affair with my slow cooker. Who doesn’t like a one pot tool? And Pumpkin Applesauce is a major comfort food for me. There’s something about this healthy, smooth & spicy sweet treat that I just love. You can spoon Pumpkin Applesauce on yogurt or ice cream, put it into a smoothie, or even add a bit to a squash soup. And it is much better than the store bought– it has a more tart, silky smooth consistency. What’s not to love? I make this applesauce with almost no added sugar (just a touch of  maple syrup and dried cranberries), a squeeze of orange juice, and a healthy amount of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice (who doesn’t love cinnamon and pumpkin pie?). Say hello to your new favorite fall food!

Pumpkin Applesauce

• 3 lb bag of apples, washed and roughly quartered (I prefer organic Gala apples)
• 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/3 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tbsp dried cranberries
• 1 tsp orange juice (or lemon juice)

Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 hours (lid on), stirring frequently. When the apples are soft and becoming sauce-like, take off the heat and let cool. Remove the cinnamon stick, and use an immersion blender or standing blender to blend and pulverize the apples and pumpkin into a smooth sauce. Store in a jar for up to 2 weeks.

Peppermint Cocoa Energy Bars (adapted from Oh She Glows)

Hey all,

Yes, Ron and I are STILL on the east coast and eagerly awaiting our return to the Best Coast. (Are we there yet? No offense, New Englanders.) We also just finished our summer jobs and have been celebrating by going on a major tv and movie binge: Vampire Diaries! Bones! The Lucky One! In between dissertation work and jobs, we haven’t had much time to break in our new tv and sofa that we bought to outfit our new apartment. As you can see, we now have been firmly planted on our couch for days, and it’s been….glorious. Of course, the lack of exercise isn’t so glorious, and I’ve been trying to eat a little bit healthier after all this sitting (and after a major food fest at a great Italian restaurant for my friend’s birthday!).

This morning I saw that the lovely vegan blogger Angela from Oh She Glows recently posted a No-bake Peppermint Patty Energy Bar made with dates. Considering I had an entire bag of dates to eat before we leave, I became excited! Chocolate mint bars made from healthy, light ingredients? Of course I’m intrigued! Could they be good? Well, in the immortal words of Ron (who snuck a bar when I wasn’t looking), “Mmmmm, these taste like a chewier Mint Chocolate Clif bar!”

I adapted Angela’s Bars by adding a ton more cocoa, peppermint, and almond milk (double the amounts!), using less nuts with a combination of cashew and almond butter instead of walnuts and almonds, implementing plastic wrap instead of parchment paper, and blending vanilla protein powder with fiber powder instead of unflavored protein powder. Considering this recipe has no added sugar, these bars are delicious and guilt-free, friends! They are chewy, chocolatey, and minty–perfect for an after-dinner treat or post workout snack. I love the chocolate chips, too. They make these bars very rich and decadent. To store, wrap each bar with a little plastic wrap, and place all bars into a zip-lock bag into the freezer. (That way, they’re even more cool and minty fresh!) Thank you, Angela, for another delicious treat!

Skinny Banana Crisp with Coconut Cream

Hey all,

Ron and I are going back to California to visit our families and take a break from our busy schedules for an entire month! It’s going to be great food, fun times, and lots of hugs. Of course, that means here in our New England apartment we are trying to eat EVERYTHING in the kitchen, including fruit: clementines, apples, and bananas, to be exact. I saw that my bananas were actually going brown, and I didn’t want to make Banana Bread or Banana “Soft Serve” (you know, frozen bananas that are processed til smooth and look like melted ice cream?). Hmmmm. How about I make a healthy Banana Crisp that includes dried fruit and all the other fruit we have lying around the kitchen? Could a banana crisp be as delicious as an apple crisp? I think the half-empty glass baking pan says it all.

I made this eclectic crisp with some of my favorite ingredients. I used cinnamon, honey, oats, oat flour, coconut oil, stevia, and light butter for the skinny crisp topping……(Mmmmm). For the fruit on the bottom, I used mostly bananas with one small cut up apple, 2 clementines, and dried cranberries. I served the crisp sprinkled with flaked coconut and finished with a dollop of (melted) coconut cream. (Coconut cream is the cream of coconut milk whipped with a little white sugar.) So delicious! Ron and I loved this crisp! And the Coconut cream tastes so decadent. I might like this better than whipped cream made with cow’s milk. I am definitely going to try Whipped Coconut Cream at my next dinner party! Cheers!

Banana Crisp

Fruit on the bottom ingredients:

2 bananas, sliced

1 large apple, washed and chopped

2 clementines, peeled and sectioned

1/8 cup dried cranberries

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp honey

optional: 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice

the Topping:

1/4 cup almond flour

1/3 oat flour

1/2 cup oats

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 cup stevia and brown sugar (mixed)

3 tbsp coconut oil

3 tbsp light butter

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8×8 cooking dish with coconut oil or Pam. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine fruit, cinnamon, and honey. Spoon into baking pan.

In a second medium bowl, cream the oat flour, oats, almond flour, stevia, salt, and cinnamon with the butter and coconut oil. Sprinkle the oat crumble over the fruit in the baking pan, and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. While the crisp bakes, make your  coconut cream. I suggest the coconut cream recipe from the lovely vegan blogger Oh She Glows. Let cool and serve with Coconut Cream! Yum!

Baked Apple Smores (my new favorite!)

Hey all,

I am so excited for fall that I’ve begun dreaming of fall foods (as well as fall-themed pinups, of course!)

In the midst of my day-dreaming, I created my new favorite (healthy) everyday fall dessert: Baked Apple Smores. (Okay, I know it’s not fall yet, but I love apples and Smores! Who doesn’t??) And last week I made the mistake of not having any of my usual “healthy” desserts on hand, and after having a vodka soda… or two… with friends, I was a little less careful about my eating when I came home. So less disciplined, in fact, that I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies and ate three! Bah!

How about making Smores with apples and adding cinnamon and coconut on top? That’s right–Baked Apple Smores with cinnamon, spice, and everything nice!

I baked open face, cored apples with dark chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, tiny smidgeons of butter and coconut, and cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice for some added sweet and spiciness. These are so fun for the fall! I also love that they’re kid-friendly, healthy, nutritious, and indulgent (without all the guilt!). I am making multiple Baked Apple Smores and storing them in tupperware for dessert at night during the week. Yum!

Hot Banana-Almond Flour Cereal (gluten-free, no added sugar, high protein)

Hey Burlesquers,

It’s been a busy but great week! First, Ron and I had three dinner/dessert guests for three nights in a row! It all started when we had one person over for dinner. Then, the word got out we were beginning to host friends….And suddenly, everyone wanted to drop on by! Totally cute. Loved it. Two of the people only had two days left in town, and they chose to spend some of their time with us. Yay! On the menu for our entertaining? We made Japanese curry one night, and Spicy Honey Chicken another night. Delicious! I will post the chicken recipe soon!

I also went to drinks with some friends last night. I haven’t been going out much because of my two jobs and dissertation work, so relaxing at an outdoor bar on the deck with a vodka soda in hand was totally fabulous! We talked about everything from food blogs and tv to politics and what’s going on in our lives. I love these kind of moments, you know?

Now, I’m up on a rainy Saturday morning and just aching to bake! I knew immediately one recipe I’ve been dying to share: my Hot Banana-Almond Cereal (HBAC)!! I’m giving this cereal a shortened name because I know I will be eating this forever. I’m not joking. I am not the girl who craves cereal like oatmeal or corn flakes, but now I wake up every morning with a craving for HBAC. And guess what its made of? Almond flour, of course!!

This breakfast is so simple and quick. It’s made of 5 ingredients: almond flour, cinnamon, banana, egg whites, and unsweetened vanilla almond milk. It’s also so healthy! No added sugar, gluten-free, low-carb, and you get filling protein and fats from the almond flour, yum! (FYI, 1/4 cup almond flour provides 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein, wooo!) This hot cereal tastes like a mash between Cream of Wheat and Banana Pudding. The almond flour is smoother than cream of wheat or grits, the banana gives it a natural sweetness, and the egg whites thicken the cereal.  Ron tasted it and (as someone who doesn’t like cereal at all) he said, “Wow, I would actually have this in the morning!” Try it, burlesquers. You won’t be disappointed! Now, we’re off to the gym!

DIY Strawberry-Dark Chocolate Syrup (lots of fruit!)

Hey all,

Remember how I said I’m lowering my sugar intake? Well, I decided to start by making over my recent Homemade Dark Chocolate Syrup. MMMMM, remember how rich and dark it is?

I love this stuff, but I could definitely make it a little healthier–how about blending the syrup with equal parts strawberries to make a Dark Chocolate-Strawberry Syrup?

Image from Alloveralbany.com

I blended the strawberries with the syrup one day just to see how it would taste. The results? Wonderful! I may like this syrup better than the Dark Chocolate Syrup! (It’s actually dinner guest approved, too–I poured some of the syrup on top of a brownie and my guest immediately asked where I got the delicious cocoa berry syrup!) The strawberries cut through the dark chocolate and make it an even sweeter berry chocolate sauce. They also thin the syrup a bit, which makes it more squeezeable and spreadable. In fact, I bought a squeeze bottle just for this syrup! I knew this would be a staple in my house. (A low sugar chocolate syrup that’s half fruit? Yes, please!)

Homemade Dark Chocolate-Strawberry Syrup

1 cup of my Dark Chocolate Syrup

1 tsp cocoa powder

3/4 cup frozen strawberries

Directions:

Blend together. That’s it! Eat with ice cream, greek yogurt, and more!

Homemade Mocha Fudge Brownies (with black beans)

Hey all,

Things have been turning around for me this summer. I don’t know if I told you, but Ron and I have had some not-so-great summer adventures.  First, when we came back from that national conference a few weeks ago, Ron woke up with 15-20 bug bites. We were convinced we had bed bugs in our hotel room and might have brought them home! We had multiple days of cleaning, steaming, and fumigating our entire apartment ourselves. Things came to a close when we realized that the previous tenants had a carpet beetle infestation–bugs that look like bed bugs but are much less invasive. Sigh of relief.

Then, literally a few days later, Ron’s computer stopped working. After trying EVERYTHING (re-formatting, resetting his computer PRAM), he reluctantly had to give his expensive Mac up to the genius bar.

I also ended up having Chronic Hives all summer. (Yes, I have had hives this whole time! 3 months of summer.) In fact, I still have them! I can’t wear fragrance, I can only use sensitive skin everything, and I have to take 3 antihistamines a day. I’m actually going in for blood-testing this week to make sure everything is okay.

After all that, my point is that Ron and I have had a strange summer. But, things weren’t all bad, and we’re actually having a great time! We moved in together, which feels SO much better than having to constantly pack our stuff and move one place to the next. One of my jobs ended, too, and everything feels just a little less stressful. Life is good! Life’s a beach!

Anyway, now that things have slowed down, we had two dinners this week (two nights in a row!) to show our friends our new place! We created two dinner menus and desserts. The first night we made dressed-up brownies from a box–I added a cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk swirl. But when Ron and I both woke up feeling blah from too many brownies and red wine, I decided to try and make things a little healthier. How about Extra Fudgey Mocha Brownies? Made with-gasp–black beans!

These fudge brownies are SO good. I cannot stress that enough. (Ron is obsessed with them!) And at 100 calories per square, you can’t beat ‘em. They have an interesting texture–too smooth and dense (not cake-like) to be a brownie, but not quite oily enough to be a fudge. It’s something in between! A guest who tried them said, “You’d never know these had black beans in them! They taste like a dense mousse!”

I adapted Melissa d’Arabian’s Black Bean Brownie recipe to make these squares of heaven. I replaced the necessary oil with applesauce (using only a tsp of coconut oil), used Oat flour instead of regular flour, used dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet or milk chocolate, used all Stevia in the recipe (no sugar), added extra vanilla and instant coffee, and added 3-4 dates to the recipe. I also used Trader Joe’s Cocoa powder, which has more cocoa solids and is a darker chocolate than Hershey’s Cocoa powder. These brownies pack quite a punch of protein with black beans, oat flour, and eggs. (And don’t forget the fiber from the beans, dates, and oats!) I think I’m going to freeze these and see how they taste cold. Definitely try these! You won’t be disappointed. And enjoy!