Gluten Free/Dairy Free Apple Oat Bars

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Apple Oat Bars

1 1/3 cups unsweetened applesauce

6 TBS Maple syrup

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup grated apple (this is equal to 1 sm/m apple)*

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup oat flour*

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 scoops collagen peptides (totally optional)

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper or grease the pan instead.

In large bowl combine applesauce, maple syrup, coconut oil, egg, vanilla and grated apple. Whisk until combined. 

In a separate bowl combine oats, oat flour, cinnamon, baking powder collagen and salt - whisk together. Then add to the wet ingredients. Add in raisins and coconut and mix to combine.  Pour into pan and smooth out.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until slightly golden and toothpick comes out clean.  Cool and cut into bars.  I store mine in the refrigerator for up to a week.

*I leave the skin on my apple, but you can also peel it if you like.  I usually don't measure out the apple, I just grate one apple on my box grater and call it a day.

*You can buy oat flour, or just put old fashioned oats into a high speed blender or food processor and blend until it looks like flour.

If you don't like raisins or coconut you can leave it out, or use any nut, dried fruit or even chocolate chips.

Easy Breakfast Bake (dairy free)

 

This is a new recipe I came up with a few weeks ago.  I had a ton on zucchinis to use up and wanted to make a frittata of sorts for my husband to bring to work.  This is a super versatile recipe...if you don't have an ingredient it can probably easily be swapped.  It also reheats really well so it makes a great make ahead dish to eat throughout the week for breakfasts or lunches.  With the holiday season fast approaching we really try to cram as many veggies into our meals to help balance out the extra treats we eat during these 2 months.  My 2 boys loved this and I plan on making it often!

Easy Breakfast Bake

1 pound breakfast sausage or bacon

1 tsp. garlic, diced small

1 onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

2 large zucchini, shredded on a box grater and squeeze out extra liquid

12-14 large eggs

1/2 cup canned coconut milk or heavy cream

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp. Italian seasoning (optional)

Crumble and brown breakfast sausage in skillet over medium high heat until cooked through.  If using bacon - cut into pieces and cook through.  Remove meat from pan and drain on paper towels.  

Remove all but 1 TBS of the grease from the pan and add onions and peppers.  Cook 5-7 minutes over medium heat. Add garlic and cook another minute. 

While veggies are cooking shred zucchini on box grater.  Place into clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly until some liquid is removed  it usually isn't a ton but this helps the eggs from being too spongey.

In large bowl whisk the eggs, milk or cream, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning together until combined well.  

Place shredded zucchini, cooked meat and cooked veggies into a 9x13 pan and stir to combine.  Add in the egg mixture and swirl around with fork to mix everything together.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes until it is set and middle doesn't jiggle anymore.

Grain Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet

I'm trying to loose the extra baby weight so naturally I've been baking more then I should.  Baking is my happy place and during this time of social distancing I seem to be needing to go to my happy place more then usual...mostly because what the heck else am I going to do?  My 2 year old son loves to cook with me.  If I am in the kitchen making something it usually takes about 5 seconds before you can hear him dragging his kitchen helper stool out of the pantry to come help his Momma.  He helped me make this recipe - his favorite part to measure was the chocolate chips of course.

We bought a delicious chocolate chip cookie dough cupcake after lunch on Sunday and after dinner I wanted more - so we made this instead.  A little less bad for you, but still so tasty!  I took one bite and then realized it was so good I was going to have to share the recipe...so that explains the big bite missing in all my pictures.

Grain Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet

4 TBS unsalted butter (can use coconut oil if you want it to be dairy free)
1/4 cup + 2 TBS coconut sugar or brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup almond flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat butter in an 8" skillet over medium heat.  Cook until the butter is browned but not burnt.  Remove from heat and stir in sugar, salt and vanilla - stir until smooth.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Whisk in the egg until smooth.  Add flours and baking soda - stir until smooth.  Add in chocolate chips and stir to combine.  Smooth out dough.  Bake 10-12 minutes until set around edges but still gooey in the middle.  Cool slightly before eating.  Serves 1 or many - your call 😉  Can also be doubled and made in a larger skillet.

Gluten Free Zucchini Bread Pancakes

Has it really been almost a year since I shared a recipe?  I spent most of 2019 being pregnant and wasn't coming up with new recipes as much as I usually do.  I'm back at it now that my baby is in my arms and not my belly!  If you have been following my blog you know by now that I have an unhealthy obsession with real maple syrup...really, it is out of control.  If I can find something to be a vehicle for maple syrup you better believe I'm going to make it!  I started following a food blog called "The Natural Nurturer" this past year, I have loved most of the recipes I have tried from her.  She tries to cram veggies into as many things as she possibly can.  She has a really great apple and carrot pancake recipe that we love and I decided to try and find a good recipe for zucchini pancakes as well.  This is a recipe I have played around with a few times and I think I finally got it right!  Let me know if you try it out.

The base is ground oats and almond flour which results in a wonderfully textured pancake.  There is a hefty amount of shredded zucchini in them as well!  My 2 boys love them...and I'm a huge fan as well!!  I have made these as waffles as well and they are equally as delicious!

Also mad props to food stylists.  Haha placing a zucchini next to the pancakes was the best I could do.  #momlife

Gluten Free Zucchini Bread Pancakes
Adapted from the Roasted Root

1 cup almond flour
1 cup ground oats or oat flour (just grind oats in a blender or food processor)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 TBS ground chia or ground flax seeds
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 scoops collagen peptides (optional)
2 eggs
1 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond, but you can use milk of choice)
2 tsp vanilla
2 TBS maple syrup
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (place in towel and squeeze out extra moisture after shredding)

Whisk together almond flour, oats, cinnamon, seeds, baking powder, salt and collagen.  Add in remaining ingredients except zucchini and stir to combine.  Add in zucchini and stir until well combined.  Cook on well oiled pancake griddle or frying pan.  Can also be made as waffles.  Serve with maple syrup and lots of grass fed butter.  Store leftovers in refrigerator - reheat in toaster oven.

Green Waffles (GF, DF, PALEO)

I am currently sick.  Yeck.  Having a cold in the summer just seems so wrong.  My house is a disaster zone since I am not up to cleaning, and my boys are out having a grand adventure at a park without me.  Boo.  When I have the house to myself I usually tackle some kind of project...but today I share this recipe with you.

My boys eat all day...and that is not an exaggeration...at all times at least one of them is eating...or me!  I am constantly looking for new ideas for nutrient dense snacks that are not junk.  I have made this recipe a few times now, and they inhale it every time!  They eat it for breakfast/lunch/dinner or cold as a snack.  Next time I make them I plan on doubling the recipe and freezing some of them.

My sister introduced me to another food blogger's site and I have slowly been trying out a bunch of her recipes.  Her main goal is to "veggie load" as many of her recipes as possible.  The other day I made some chicken burger patties from her blog that had zucchini, broccoli and spinach in them - and my boys loved them!  So go check The Natural Nurturer when you get the chance!  I tried her recipe for these waffles and and liked the flavor but thought they were too dense and too thick, so second time around I added some milk and increased the pumpkin amount.  This yielded a much thinner batter and waffle which is what I was looking for.

Green Waffles
Adapted from the Natural Nurturer

1 cup single ingredient nut or seed butter (I use 1/2 almond butter and 1/2 sesame seed-tahini, not sugar added)
1 ripe banana
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk or milk alternative (I use almond milk)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1-2 large handfuls of spinach
1/2 cup mashed sweet potato or pumpkin (I use canned pumpkin)
2 TBS ground chia or flax seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.  Pour onto hot waffle griddle that is clean and has been greased.  If your waffle iron isn't clean the waffle will fall apart and get stuck to the griddle.  Cook until done.  Store uneaten waffles in the refrigerator.

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Chocolate Oat Snack Bites

I have a confession to make.
I am a snacker.  A hardcore snacker.  I didn't realize how much my family snacked until I got married and was shocked at how little my husband's family snacked...as in not at all!  I have turned my boys into snackers as well and they eat all day long.  Seriously, we are like cows and graze all dang day!  I go through phases of what snacks we like to eat, and right now these are one of our favorites.  I try to have paleo muffins or pancakes stashed in my fridge at all times, and then one kind of energy bite like these.  They are easy to make and keep in your fridge for a few weeks.  Also make great on the go or road trip snacks.

Kid approved

Chocolate Oat Snack Bites

1 cup oats (old fashioned and quick cooking both work well)
1/4 cup nut butter (I use almond or peanut butter-no added ingredients just the nuts)
1/4 cup + 1 TBS honey
2 TBS cocoa powder
2 TBS hemp hearts or ground flax or chia seeds
2 TBS unsweetened shredded coconut

1 scoop vital proteins collagen (totally optional)

Pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together in standing mixer until well combined.  Roll into balls and store in fridge.  The batter should stick together when rolled into a ball.  If it doesn't stick together for you add more honey or nut butter until it holds its shape.  You can also make these in a food processor.  It makes for a smoother end product.  This is how we prefer them, in the food processor. 

Thai Veggie Soup

How's your Lent going?  The last 3 Lent seasons I have either had a newborn, or been struggling with health issues.  This Lent is looking to continue with that pattern for me.  I finally have time for another recipe post because I am sitting on my sofa all day recovering from gallbladder surgery.

All the extra estrogen in my body from past pregnancy led to some painful gallbladder attacks.  We worked hard for a few months to heal it, and we did heal it to some extent, but all those attacks had wore down on my gallbladder and there was no coming back from the damage they did.  So - I had my first surgery ever and am now living one organ down.  Day 3 into recovery and it is getting better every day.  We are super grateful for all the help from our families - especially my in laws and my mom.  To get ready for surgery I made a few freezer meals and this Lent Veggie soup was one of them.

A facebook friend posted this recipe a few weeks ago and it looked delicious!  Figured I would give it a try.  It was super easy and sooooo good!  My husband even liked it, and he is not a fan of Thai food.  I have tried to make Thai red curry dishes before and they have never worked out too good.  This one did though!  It is super flexible and quick to pull together!  If you don't want it to be vegetarian you can use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth and add some cooked chicken in at the end.  You could also add in some cooked shrimp at the end as well.  The broth is a really delicious soup base that you can play around with.  The second time I made it I added some cooked snap peas and finely shredded purple cabbage to it.  Another time I added some steamed zucchini to it.  Most steamed veggies would be delicious in it.


Thai Veggie Soup
Adapted from the Budget Bytes recipe

2 TBSP oil (I used olive oil or coconut oil)
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 TBSP finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 TBSP Thai red curry paste
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into dice sized pieces

1 large bok choy or 3 baby bok choy*

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 can coconut milk

1/2 TBSP coconut aminos, soy sauce or fish sauce

1/2 TBSP - 2 TBSP brown sugar, honey or coconut sugar*

Garnish options

red onion finally sliced

green onions

freshly squeezed lime

chopped fresh cilantro

Sriracha

Prepare the vegetables.  Peel and Mince the garlic and peel and chop the ginger. Peel and dice the sweet potato into one-inch cubes. Wash the bok choy well, then chop into one-inch strips, separating the stalks from the delicate green ends.

Add the oil to a large soup pot along with the minced garlic, grated ginger, and Thai red curry paste. Sauté the garlic, ginger, and curry paste over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.

Add the diced sweet potato and chopped bok choy stalks to the pot (save the leafy green ends for later) along with the chicken or vegetable broth. Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.

Once the sweet potatoes are tender, add the coconut milk, fish sauce/coconut aminos or soy sauce, and sweetener of choice to the soup. Stir, taste, and adjust the fish sauce or brown sugar if needed. Finally, add the bok choy greens and let them wilt in the hot soup.

Serve plain or over cooked rice vermicelli noodles or rice. Top with red onion, cilantro, a wedge or two of lime, and a drizzle of sriracha.

*you could probably swap in another green here as well, like spinach, chard, or beet greens maybe

*I used all three sweeteners at different times and liked them all.  Sweeten to your liking.