Groovy Granola Bars

I love packing lunches for my kids. Ok. That's a lie. But I do love sneaking healthy snacks into their lunches. I could say that they prefer nutritious salads and lots of veggies in their lunch, but that would be a lie as well. Come on, they're kids... and this is what I usually pack them:

* A sandwich, either peanut butter & honey, jelly, or banana OR a tasty muffin.
* Sliced apples or grapes.
* Something salty, like stick pretzels & peanuts or Sun Chips.
* And... something in the "goodie" category. This usually consists of some homemade "healthy" cookie or bar- which at times is not so healthy - because it contains a considerable amount of Earth Balance.
Side note: If I put carrot sticks in their lunch they don't eat them - so I feed them their veggies at home where I can make sure they don't wind up in the bottom of the trash can. (Which at times they do anyways!)

A friend of mine gave me this fun lunch box granola bar recipe. It originally called for 1 egg, 1/4 cup oil and 3/4 cup brown sugar. I adapted it by using 1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer, 1/4 cup natural peanut butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar.

The result? Mmmm... you decide!!

This is a fun recipe to tweak and find your favorite variation. You can use coconut, different dried fruits and nuts, the combinations are endless. Substituting the peanut butter for the oil creates the perfect "glue" for all the little extras you add.

Groovy Granola Bars

• ¼ cup natural peanut butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ½ teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups rolled oats
• 2 cups crispy rice cereal
• ½ cup golden raisins, or equivalent

In large bowl, combine peanut butter, brown sugar, honey, vanilla and egg replacer. Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Stir in oats, cereal, and raisins. Spray 9 X 13 inch pan with oil spray. Press mixture into pan. For chewy bars, bake 20 min -for crunchier bars bake 30 min, both at 350 degrees. Let cool and then slice into 16 bars.

You can reduce the sugar to your liking as well. Experiment to find your families favorite. My kids love them with chocolate chips, of course!

Spinach, Black Bean, & Rice Enchiladas with Authentic Red Sauce

I really wanted to enter Susan V's Vegetable Love contest this year. But with family staying with us from out of town, I forgot and now might be too late! 11 hours to be exact. I'm going to enter anyways but I don't think she'll put it in...we'll see. (Please, oh, please!) There. I thought a little begging might help.

Update: She did add my recipe to the bottom of the post. I'm not in the contest, but my recipe is there for all to see! (Thanks Susan!!)

This enchilada sauce recipe comes from my friend, G. Valdez' great grandmother. It is authentic baby!! So if you love enchilada sauce (which I do), then you will love this recipe. It is incredibly easy! This is what the chiles look like that you need to purchase. One bag makes one recipe.

Spinach, Black Bean & Rice Enchiladas with Authentic Red Sauce


Authentic Red Enchilada Sauce

1 bag of dried California Chiles (about 10 in bag)
cooking liquid from chiles (enough to equal 5 cups when all ingredients are added)
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cocoa
5 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon sugar (not in the original recipe, but added for good measure)

1. Break off the stems of the chiles and remove all seeds.
2. Place chiles in pot and fill the pot with water.
3. Bring water to boil and cook for 20 minutes, until chilies are tender.
4. Strain out chilies, but reserve the water.
5. Place chilies in blender (or Vitamix : )) along with the rest of the ingredients, then add enough cooking liquid to equal 5 cups total sauce.

Assembling Enchiladas:

1. Dip corn, low-fat flour or low-fat whole wheat tortillas in sauce -
2. Lay fresh spinach leaves down first. Followed by your favorite Mexican Rice (or use my recipe), then top with a spoonful of canned black beans (liquid drained)
3. Roll up and place in a 9 X 13 pan. You can cover and refrigerate at this point. Saving the last step until right before you eat.
4. Ladle additional sauce over enchiladas and bake at 350 degrees for 20 min.

Added Tip: Because you don't fry the tortillas in oil, they tend to soak up a lot of sauce when you bake them. Next time, I will bake them with very little sauce, reserving the rest. Then before I serve them, ladle the warm sauce over the enchiladas resulting in a moister enchilada with more sauce on top instead of baked in. They were still delicious, however - I just like it more saucy!

Jenn's Mexican Rice

1 yellow onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 red bell pepper, chopped fine
2 cups short grain brown rice (or your favorite rice)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup salsa (fresh is fine)

1. Saute onion and garlic in a few teaspoons of water or a quick shot of non-stick spray - until golden.
2. Add the red bell pepper and saute till soft.
3. Add the rice and stir until rice begins to brown.
4. Add liquid, cumin, sugar, and salsa.
5. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cook for 25 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.
6. Add corn and cilantro. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Instant Breakfast Rice

Lately, I'm a big fan of quick and easy. The spring cleaning bug is hitting me early this year (probably because of the summer-like weather we've been having - ugh!) and I just don't have the time or energy to be trying lots of new dishes when I'm trying to clean up the effects of a busy winter season. So...I've been eating lots of short grain brown rice (my absolute favorite grain - below) various different ways.



One of my favorite ways is in this recipe that I got from a friend (thanks KJ : ) and then "McDougallized" it. Using rice as a breakfast grain may sound strange to you , but actually it has been around for ages. We just aren't used to seeing rice on the breakfast table here on the west coast.


Instant Breakfast Rice
Try replacing your daily bowl of oatmeal with this warm and cozy comfort food. And if you get a sweet tooth after dinner - why not have another?

1/2 - 1 cup leftover short grain brown rice
sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon
add a dash of vanilla (or not)
Top with your favorite non-dairy milk (use a little; or more for creamier rice)

Optional:
fresh grated apples
dried raisins, cranberries, or cherries

Heat in microwave for 2 minutes.
Enjoy!



This is fast becoming my go to, even over cold cereal - which I love! Today I made some even without the milk; Just heated up some rice, added freshly grated apples, cinnamon & brown sugar...viola! It was simple, tasty and virtually mess free. Let me know what combinations you some up with!

Homemade Gnocchi

Have you ever tried to make Gnocchi?



I guess I'm into international cuisine this month, well, always. I love dishes from other countries, and in this case Italy. But actually, gnocchi are quite popular in our neck of the woods. Even Olive Garden now makes a Chicken Gnocchi soup.

We have always enjoyed these in our family. I loved them as a child (my grandmother is full Italian.) Also, my husband lived in Argentina for 2 years and fell in love with them while there. But I had never made them homemade, only store bought off the shelf or frozen. What took me so long?

Homemade gnocchis are tender, melt in your mouth, potato dumplings - sturdy enough to handle a red sauce or delicate enough for an addition to a brothy soup. I even attempted to make some for my husband on our first date. I bought the already prepared kind- all I had to do was boil water people! And I burned them to the bottom of the pan!!

I found this recipe online and adapted them to make them vegan. (All I had to do was omit the egg.) I happened to have some dehydrated potatoes, so I figured, why not? The result was so amazing that I will NEVER buy them from the store again. The whole family agreed.

Gnocchi are easy and fun to make with your kids or family. They freeze super well. (Just layer them between paper towels or wax paper) And they are very versatile! Don't let the little rolling out work scare you. Put on some music and go to work. I found the process very methodical and relaxing.

Homemade Gnocchi

1 1/2 cups dehydrated potato flakes (or 2 cups mashed potatoes, cold, leftover is perfect)
1 1/2 cups hot water (omit the water if using leftover mashed potatoes)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit the salt if mashed potatoes were already seasoned)

Mix together the potato flakes and the hot water in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the salt. Add the flour and kneed until combined. It will be crumbly at first, but will form a nice dough after about 1 minute of kneading. Roll into thin ropes (using a bit at a time) and cut each rope into one inch segments. Roll a fork over each one to make prong marks on the gnocchi.

note: I am planning to try using fresh mashed potatoes soon, and will report if it's worth the extra work!



To cook:
Boil a pot of water in a medium sized pot. When the water comes to a boil, add the gnocchi. Stir every few minutes. When gnocchi floats to the top, they are done. Strain and serve with favorite pasta sauce, or add to soups in place of noodles. Yummy!!

I made a batch of homemade marinara sauce for the kids & hubby
and just added some sauted mushrooms and olives to my own dish.

UPDATE: I just made them again tonight with leftover mashed potatoes (not dehydrated). I used 2 cups potatoes to 2 cups flour. I didn't think they could be better, but they were even MORE tender than before. If you have leftover mashed potatoes to use up, there is no time difference. Make these!

Ebelskivers

Have you ever had an Ebelskiver?

Some friends of ours introduced these to us a while back and as I was thinking of something yummy and special to make for New Year's Day Brunch, these popped into my mind. After a little research on the world wide web, I realized that I could just use my standard pancake batter recipe. I'm sure the Danish would cringe at my rendition - but really, I don't need anything better than this, it was an all around crowd pleaser!!

Vegan Ebelskivers
You'll need an Ebleskiver pan to make these. They taste like mini donuts!

1. Follow the recipe for The Best Fatfree Pancakes or Waffles Ever
2. Heat Ebelskiver pan over medium heat.
3. Spray with non-stick spray (may need to add a bit more oil if pan is new and unseasoned.)
4. Pour batter into "holes" filling to top, but not over flowing.
5. Cook until golden on one side, then flip over using a wooden skewer to continue cooking.
6. Serve with powdered sugar and/or a variety of jams.

These ones were made using only non-stick spray

These ones, I poured a bit of oil in each "hole" - ya know, for the non-McDougallers

What a fun, special treat - we will definitely be making these again!!

Hummus, Tabbouleh, and Phyllo

New Year's Eve turned out to be a yummy spread of Middle Eastern cuisine, none of which I had planned to make until about 2 hours before. We were just going to order pizza for the kids and another family that joined us. But after making a trip to our local Middle Eastern market and purchasing some fresh pita bread, I got the bug. The cooking bug.

I started out making some home made hummus and slicing up some veggies. I added smoked paprika, fresh garlic and lemon to the hummus. I add only 1 tablespoon of tahini per can of garbanzos to keep the hummus low-fat.

Then I made some Tabbouleh from a package (I've tried from scratch before and it was blah). The Tabbouleh was very tasty topping a pita triangle spread with hummus.

When I was at the market picking up the pita and veggies, I saw they had a big package of blackberries for $3.29! I got them thinking that at the very least I would use them to top a bowl of oatmeal.

After making the hummus and Tabbouleh, I remembered I had some phyllo dough in the freezer that I had always been afraid of using. Today was the day. I had seen a recipe on FatfreeVegan.com for Blackberry-Lime Tartletts which fit into my theme merely because they used phyllo dough and I had purchased the berries at the Middle Eastern market! The tartletts were divine!! Light, fruity-sweet, with a touch of tart - a perfect nibble (which I nibbled on all night) - never feeling that uncomfortable fullness of a rich holiday meal. Susan, you are a genius!! How can I ever thank you for all your yummy recipes?

Lastly, I had some left over phyllo dough from the tarletts that I wanted to use up, so my daughter helped me find a yummy filling. Again, on Susan's website. We used the Spinach and Artichoke Pie recipe and instead tucked them inside squares of phyllo we folded over to make into triangles. My daughter and I thought they needed a dipping sauce and after trying a few, settled on a honey-mustard (yellow mustard & brown sugar) sauce which went over very well.

Overall I loved working with phyllo dough! I don't know what I was so scared of. It is flakey and tender, but naturally super low in fat. Making it a perfect choice for subbing out rich pastry-type doughs in desserts, appetizers or more. A few tips on working with phyllo that I learned.
1. Keep it moist. If you have it out on the counter cover with a damp paper towel or cloth.
2. Use about 5 layers to make good "crust"
3. Spray lightly between layers with canola oil - every layer, or just the top and bottom. Have fun Experimenting.

I don't have pics of the Spinach and Artichoke Triangles, it was too dark when I made them, and they were gone that night.

Writing this post reminds me of the children's book entitled, "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie" Of which my book should be called, "If You Give A Gal A Garbanzo"

Chili Sin Carne

If you haven't noticed, up until now I haven't had a classic chili recipe in my collection. I just hadn't found one that I liked yet. I've tried tons out on my crew, but they (and I) were left dissatisfied. I challenged my Bro to find a good recipe - since he lives near Kansas City, the capital of BBQ, maybe there is some great recipe that minus the meat would surely satisfy. He out did my expectations. And for this I will ever be grateful. He brought the excitement back into vegan chili for me.

There are a few key "secret ingredients" that I'm sure you will find interesting, including my latest obsession: wheat berries. In my previous post I wrote about pilaf and it's many uses - well, wheat berries by themselves, have a variety of uses as well. I cook them in a rice cooker the same way as the pilaf. You can freeze them as well (infact, they separate easily when frozen, so you can pull out a cup at a time) The addition of wheat berries to this chili gives a chewy texture that resembles meat - and quite frankly has fooled some meat-eaters already. That's the fun part for me!


Chili Sin Carne

2 onions chopped (1 1/4 Cup cooked in at beginning. ¾ cup added for crunch at end)

4 cloves garlic minced

2 cans pinto or chili beans, drained

2 cans black beans, drained

2 small cans tomato paste

1 can diced tomatoes (I pulsed mine in processor, you decide)

¾ cup fresh cilantro

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 tsp cumin

1 Tablespoon cocoa

1 teaspoon cayenne (I had to omit this, too spicy for me)

1 teaspoon coriander

1 cup strong decaf coffee (I used Postum or Pero - just add 1 Tablespoon per cup of water)

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups cooked wheat berries

Saute the onion in a medium pan until lightly browned. Then add the garlic for a few minutes. Add all other ingredients and bring to a simmer. Serve and Enjoy!

This chili is so rich in flavor, you will not notice anything missing.

I left the cilantro out because I didn't have any on hand. My bro told me not to leave it out, as cilantro is a main player, and should always be invited to the party. Next time I will put it in.


I just have to end by telling you how I ate my chili. I made a batch of fries using my favorite method from Susan Voisin. Then I put this chili over the fries and garnished with some homemade lower fat hummus. It was so yummy!! I got the idea from eating out at the Native Foods restaurant, this is how they serve their chili fries. (But theirs are way higher in fat with actual fried potatoes!) This was a close second and very satisfying. What's your favorite way to enjoy your chili?