Quinoa Tabbouleh ~ Meatless Monday

I was craving tabbouleh, but was all out of cracked bulgur wheat. Dang it! I did have some leftover cooked quinoa in the fridge...good enough.  Into the bowl of quinoa went ~ chopped tomatoes, diced red bell pepper, lots of chopped parsley, a little chopped cilantro, a big squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a dash of balsamic vinegar, a sprinkling of sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and a bit of hot red pepper flakes.  I gave it all a good toss, chilled it for a bit, and then served it.  This quick and easy to make salad satisfied my craving, was full of the superfood quinoa...and it helped me use up some leftovers.  I call that a win-win!  Toss in some cooked beans, tofu or tempeh, and you've got a quick, protein packed  meal.

Chocolate Carob Chip Cookies

I was playing around in the kitchen, trying to make a healthier version of chocolate chip cookies for my son's lunchbox.   Both my hubby and I really liked them...my son, not so much.  I think he was hoping for a crunchy, Chips Ahoy!, type of cookie.  My cookies are softer, denser and more of a 'natural style' cookie including ~ whole wheat pastry flour, almond meal,  flax and honey.  Yeah, not even in the same cookie ballpark...  :)

Ya win some, and ya lose some, when you're playing around in the kitchen.  Two out of three of us really like them, so I still consider this a win.  :)   No worries, it's just more for the adults!  Here is the experimental cookie recipe I came up with...

Chocolate Carob Chip Cookies
makes approx. 20 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 cup almond meal (or almond flour)
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 Tbsp water
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup carob chips (or chocolate chips)

Directions 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix first 5 ingredients (flour-salt) in a bowl until thoroughly combined.  In another bowl, combine next 4 ingredients (honey-vanilla) until thoroughly blended.

Combine almond mixture with wet mixture, when thoroughly combined then fold in carob chips. (or chocolate chips if you're using those instead)

Drop heaping teaspoons of dough, 1 inch apart, on parchment paper covered cookie sheet.  Flatten cookies into circles about 1/3" to 1/2" inch thick. (the cookies don't spread)

Bake 11-13 minutes, or until set.  Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then move to cooling rack.  They will firm up as they cool.  Store in covered container.

Clean Eating No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Bites

The behind the scenes stats for the blog have been showing me that a lot of people are arriving to my blog looking for a no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookie.  I didn't have a recipe for one and I felt bad. (keyword searches will do that sometimes)  So, I surfed around the web looking for one to try.  All the recipes I saw were chock-full of sugar and butter ~ way too much for me to even consider.  I started to think about what I could replace the butter/sugar with & decided to try pureed prunes and honey.  I thought I might as well throw in some cocoa powder in place of the chocolate while I was at it, too.  I know it might sound strange, but pureed prunes and cocoa powder are a fantastic combo...

So, here is my little 'no-bake' cookie experiment.  Since I'm a self proclaimed challenged baker, I figured this was right up my alley.  I think this is a healthier, lower fat, clean eating version of a traditional no-bake oatmeal cookie.  This cookie won't be for everybody ~ it will probably be too dark chocolate tasting for the kids and others might prefer their cookies with more sweetness and made with butter.  Since I was going for a more natural spin on this cookie (I'm still feeling a bit Crunchy today), I really tried to rein in the use of sweeteners (honey & prunes), so the cocoa powder's dark chocolate flavor could be front and center.  It sorta has a raw food truffle-ish cookie feeling to me.  I know this will be a nice little treat to have with my afternoon cuppa tea later today.  I like 'em, hope you do too. Enjoy!    

No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Bites

makes 24 cookie bites

Ingredients

• 6 Sunsweet pitted prunes/dried plums
• 1/3 cup water (plus 1 Tbsp or  more, if needed)
• 1/4 cup soy butter (or your favorite nut butter)
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 1 1/2 cups quick oatmeal

• optional add-ins ~ shredded coconut, chopped walnuts, carob chips, cocoa powder for dusting

Directions
In mini food processor combine first 8 ingredients (prunes - salt) until smooth and creamy.  Microwave on high for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds.  Allow to cool one minute then pour over quick oats (add any add-ins now, if using) and combine until cocoa mixture is completely absorbed.  Adding an additional tablespoon or more of water if needed.  (mixture will be on the dry/stiff side)  Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball, then flatten a bit and place on a wax paper covered plate or cookie sheet. (dust with cocoa powder now, if using)  Wet hands if necessary to keep dough from sticking when rolling into balls.  Let cookies firm up in fridge for an hour.  Serve cookies chilled or room temp & store in a covered container in the fridge.

Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies ~ feeling the 'Boulder Crunchy Vibe'!

Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies ~ Dairy-free, flour-free, refined white sugar-free, egg-free and they're sweetened naturally with fruit & carob chips!  ((if wheat is not an issue for you, then you could toss in some wheat germ/wheat bran ~ if you choose to include the optional add-in's.  W/G & W/B always make me think of old-fashioned, health food hippie-goodies :))  I'm loving the 'feel good' 'Granola Hippie/Crunchy Vibe' of these breakfast cookies!  How about you?  :)

I've been wishing for spring to get here,  I'm so tired of the cold and all the gray skies!  I'm ready for wildflowers and warm sunny days.  I want to get outside more, I want to ride my bike and wander around some of the nature trails that are in our area.  Since the weather just doesn't seem to want to cooperate, I've decided to hit the trail anyway...but, in my kitchen...and in the form of a new breakfast cookie.  I'm calling it my ~ Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie.

Chautauqua Park ~ Boulder, Colorado ~ The Flatirons (in the distance)

To get in the outdoorsy mood, I started throwing all my favorite trail mix goodies into my basic Banana Oat Breakfast Cookie dough.  I was going for a little Crunchy/Granola Hippe vibe. (click on the link to learn what being 'crunchy' is all about.  (Can you tell that I'm missing Colorado?  Especially one of my all-time favorite towns, Boulder?  What I wouldn't give to be hiking in Chautauqua Park right now!)  This is a happy, tasty cookie that could be different every time you make it, depending on your mood or what's available in your pantry.  Sweet!  Happy Trails!

Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
makes 20-24 cookies or 10-12 bars or a varied amount of mixed shapes :)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed with fork until creamy 
  
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup mixture of your favorite dried fruit, like ~  raisins, dried cranberries, shredded coconut, chopped apricots or dates
• 1/4 cup mixture of your favorite nuts, like ~ sunflower seeds, toasted slivered almonds, chopped walnuts, peanuts or pecans
• 1/4 cup carob chips (or chocolate chips, if you aren't Crunchy :)
• 1 Tbsp+ mixture of optional add-ins, like ~ ground flax, hulled hemp seeds, chia seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds or oat bran
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or maybe coconut or almond, for a change)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon  

Directions
Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees. Get out a medium bowl and...
Mash bananas until creamy, and then...  
Combine all remaining ingredients together & let sit for 10 minutes.
Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, shape & flatten cookies into circles or into bars.
Bake approx. 20-25 minutes, or until golden & done to your liking.
Remove from oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack. 
Store in a covered container when completely cool.  They will last longer if kept in the fridge.  Serve room temp or chilled, as you wish.
Enjoy as is...  Or maybe get a little creative ~ how about swapping the carob or chocolate chips for some M&M's; or maybe just use a 1/2 cup of real trail mix instead of the 1/4 cups of fruits/nuts I've listed above; or maybe even try the breakfast cookies like this...

** I recently tried a new Coconut Spread that is really good, it's by Olivio.  I don't really use coconut oil due to its high saturated fat content...but, I just love its light coconut flavor, so I splurged and bought a tub.  I spread it on as a special treat for a few of these Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies.  It added a nice, 'buttery' feel with just a hint of coconut flavor.  It's still less s/f than butter, so I might just keep a tub of it around for special occasions.  :)

Pumpkin-Oatmeal Spice Cookies ~ great for any time of day!

Pumpkin-Oatmeal Spice Cookies ~ a rich and flavor packed cookie that is full of the goodness of oatmeal, honey, almond meal and walnuts.  Wheat, refined white sugar & dairy free!  We've eaten them with breakfast, lunch & for dessert.  They have a wonderful soft cookie texture that we all really enjoy.

I wanted to try my hand at another pumpkin cookie, so I started playing around with an oatmeal cookie recipe that I'd tinkered with and shared on the blog, last winter.  These new ~ Pumpkin-Oatmeal Spice Cookies ~ are wheat, refined white sugar and dairy free.  Since they have an egg in them, they come out more like a regular soft cookie, but still have the goodness of oatmeal, just like I use in all my Breakfast Cookie recipes.  Both of my guys enjoyed them and asked for seconds... and thirds.  I just love cooking and baking with pumpkin ~ how about you? 


Pumpkin-Oatmeal Spice Cookies
makes approx. 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely ground almond meal (aka ~ almond flour)
• 1/2 cup oat flour (make it yourself by grinding 1/2 cup quick oats in a food processor until the oats become flour-like in texture)
• 1/3 cup quick cooking oatmeal, raw  
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

• 2/3 cup canned pureed pumpkin
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup raisins (or more, if you like)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix first 11 ingredients in bowl until thoroughly combined (almond meal - ginger).  In another large bowl, mix remaining ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Combine almond/oat mixture with wet mixture, gradually, until dough forms (if dough is too dry, add extra water ~ a tsp at a time).

Drop heaping teaspoons of dough, 1 inch apart, on parchment paper covered cookie sheet.  Slightly flatten dough into circles.

Bake 11-12 minutes, or until set.  Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then move to cooling rack.

Store cookies in a container, between sheets of wax paper, with the lid slightly ajar.

Oat Bran Muffins ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Basic Muffins

Basic Oat Bran Muffins ~ Recipe from the book ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure

I've been looking for ways to increase the oat bran that I eat.  I've been making a lot of hot oat bran cereal, but, I wanted more ways beyond that old breakfast standby.  I recently came across this recipe for a Basic Oat Bran Muffin and decided to give it a try.  I must say, it's a bit on the dry side, but, then again, most 'healthy' oat bran muffins are.  I also must confess, that by the time I finished them all, I had become a convert.  They really do become addictive after you've eaten them for a few days and I began to look forward to having them with breakfast or as a snack.  The actual book ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure ~ by Robert E. Kowalski, has many more spins on this Basic (oat bran) Muffin recipe.  I'll be trying out those other muffin flavors and will be tinkering with them in the months ahead.

Try eating your Oat Bran Muffin with a little skim milk poured on top for a delicious spin.

The oat bran muffin is only slightly sweet, so it can go either way it terms of what you serve it with.  It's just as at home being served with dinner as it is with being eaten at breakfast.  When I finally got to the last few, they were a bit too dry for my liking.   I decided to try eating them just like my Great Grandmother Ninny would have done.  She came from the hills of West Virginia, and from a time when you never let any food go to waste.  So, if you had stale cornbread, you ate it in a bowl with a little milk poured on top.  I'm a firm believer in ~ Waste Not, Want Not ~ too.  So, eating them this way appealed to me.  Happy to report that it works like a charm for these oat bran muffins, too.  I actually think I prefer them this way and they fit perfectly in my little Pyrex custard cups.  A match made in heaven! 

So, if you're looking for another way to eat your oat bran, give these healthy muffins a try.  Check out the online recipe ~ here.   Enjoy!

Apple Spice Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Apple Spice Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies ~ for those who would rather not bake with bananas, this might be the breakfast cookie recipe for you!

Christine T, a reader of the blog, wondered about using all applesauce in one of the breakfast cookie recipes ~ just forgetting the banana altogether.  She also mentioned adding chopped apples & some extra spice.  Sounded interesting, so I made a batch using her thoughts as my inspiration.

Skipping the banana and using only applesauce seems to work just fine.  The texture is a bit different from the other breakfast cookies that include banana, they don't seem quite as chewy to me.  I still prefer them when made with bananas, but, it's a nice option if you don't like bananas or don't happen to have any bananas around when you want to make a batch of breakfast cookies.   I did include a little honey to make up for the loss of the sweetness that the bananas would have provided.  Next time, I might up-the-spices for an even bolder flavor.  You could even add a bit more honey, just depends on how sweet you like your cookies; maybe throw in some chopped walnuts, too.  If anyone tinkers with the recipe even more, please leave a comment and share what you did ~  I'm sure those who don't like bananas will be thrilled.

Christine T ~   Thanks so much for the idea to create a new breakfast cookie flavor using only apples!  Hope you like them.  :)


Apple Spice Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
12 ~ 16 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2/3 cup diced apple ~ your favorite kind
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice

Directions

Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together & let cookie dough sit for 10 minutes, so the oats can absorb some of the moisture.

Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet & flatten cookies into circles.

Bake approx. 20 - 25 minutes, or until golden & done.

Remove from oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.
 
Store in a covered container when completely cool.

Super Easy Overnight Refrigerator Oatmeal ~ a no-cook option that makes breakfast a breeze!

Super Easy Overnight Refrigerator Oatmeal ~ Mixing this up the night before is such a simple way to make breakfast.

When I was pregnant, I often used to make up a container of ~ Super Easy Overnight Refrigerator Oatmeal ~ for my morning breakfast.  Back then, some mornings it was hard to think about eating, so this took all the guess work out of what to make for breakfast.  It was also convenient to take to work & eat on my morning break.  When I want breakfast ready first thing in the morning, with as little effort as possible, I just make this up the night before.  It's a lot like the Dr. Bircher's Muesli I wrote about awhile back, except simpler.  I like simpler first thing morning ~ How about you?  

Super Easy Overnight Refrigerator Oatmeal
serves 1~2
( just depends on how much you like your oats in the morning.  Me, I don't share my morning oats, so I eat it ALL.  teehee :)

You can view the nutritional info based on 2 servings over on CalorieCount ~ click here.

Ingredients

• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 3/4 cup vanilla soy milk (or your favorite kind of dairy/nut milk)
• 1 Tbsp ground flax
• 1 Tbsp chopped walnuts 
• 1 Tbsp cranberries
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• sweetener of choice ~ optional

Directions

Mix all ingredients together, in a bowl with a lid & let the oats sit in the fridge overnight.  In the morning, give it a good stir & enjoy as is, or add some sweetener.  

For a little different spin, consider these mix & match ideas.  Get creative, to your heart's content...

Overnight Refrigerator Oatmeal with Pumpkin & Chia Seeds

• use your favorite fruit juice in place of the dairy/nut milk   (V8-Fusion is a fruit/veggie blend that tastes just like fruit juice, so you can sneak a bit of veggies in your breakfast)
• 2 Tbsp canned pumpkin puree
• 1 Tbsp Chia seeds
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 1 Tbsp dried fruit, like ~ raisins, chopped apricots, chopped dates
• a little honey, maple syrup, molasses, etc. 

Microwave Pumpkin Oatmeal Pie ~ single serving & Oh, so good for Meatless Monday!

Microwave Pumpkin Oatmeal Pie ~ Make this single-serving version of pumpkin pie for a great mid-morning snack, light breakfast, dessert or afternoon snack.  It's super low fat and at just a bit over 100 calories,  it's a fun & tasty way to start your Meatless Monday morning!

I came across this recipe for a really interesting sounding version of microwaved pumpkin pie/cake.  It was suggested as being very nice with your morning cup of coffee ~ sounded good to me!  I shared the link with friends on Facebook & mentioned it as a potential breakfast item.  After looking at the recipe, my friend, Sarah, thought it sounded more like a dessert.  After looking at the ingredients again, I agreed with her.  Only problem was, I wanted to eat it in the a.m., not the p.m.!  So, using the original recipe as inspiration, I came up with my own version & I'm calling it my ~ Microwave Pumpkin Oatmeal Pie.  I replaced the wheat flour with ground oatmeal (turning it into 'oat flour'); replaced the sugar with a lesser amount of honey/water; and replaced the oil with banana.  All the swapping out of ingredients brought the original calorie count of 199, down to about 111 AND the fat grams from almost 8 grams to 1 gram.  Sweet!!     
 

This single-serving cup of goodness, is now full of breakfast-y things and tastes like a pumpkin pie ~ only thing missing is the crust.  Booyah!   Now I can indulge in the comforting flavors of Pumpkin Pie anytime I want. 

Sarah, thanks so much for inspiring me to make the recipe more breakfast worthy!

Microwave Pumpkin Oatmeal Pie
makes a single serving 

**use a 6 oz. custard cup/ramekin (like the clear Pyrex ones) so it cooks properly

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp ground quick oatmeal, uncooked (grind 2 Tbsp quick oats in a mini food processor until 'flour-like')
• 2 Tbsp pure pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp milk
• 1Tbsp mashed banana
• 1/2 Tbsp honey
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/16 tsp baking powder

• cinnamon sugar for sprinkling on top after cooking (optional)
• Pam cooking spray

Directions

Spray a 6oz custard cup/ramekin with Pam nonstick spray, set aside.

Grind 2 Tbsp quick oats in a mini food processor until oats are turned into 'flour'.

Add all remaining ingredients to the food processor & blend until smooth, wiping down sides as needed.  Spoon into the prepared custard cup/ramekin and smooth top.  Let sit for 5 minutes so the oats can start to soak up the moisture.

(while it's sitting, now is the perfect time to make your tea or coffee, get the morning paper, feed the cat, etc.)

Microwave 1 minute, 15 seconds on high.  (that's what worked in my microwave.  Keep in mind that the way microwave ovens cook can vary greatly, so you’ll have to experiment a bit to find the perfect timing for your own microwave oven.  Just keep an eye on it & if it looks like it will overflow, just end the cooking time a little bit early)

Let the 'pumpkin pie' cool a few minutes, then sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top ~ if desired.  Enjoy!

Find out more...

PB2 Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Breakfast Cookies

PB2 Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Breakfast Cookies ~ Using PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter makes these cookies lower in fat since it has 85% less fat calories than traditional peanut butter.

I've been craving chocolate & peanut butter lately, must be because of the bag of Halloween candy we still have hanging around the house.  So, I decided to channel that craving into making a new batch of breakfast cookies.  Using ~ PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter ~ instead of traditional peanut butter makes these cookies lower in fat, but with all the flavor.  These breakfast cookies are flour, egg & dairy free.  Hope you enjoy this new flavor spin. 


PB2 Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Breakfast Cookies
makes 18~24 cookies, depending on size

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter (regular or chocolate flavored)
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 bananas, mashed until creamy
• 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp dark cocoa powder
• 2 cups quick oatmeal, uncooked
• 2 Tbsp raisins
• 2 Tbsp carob chips (or chocolate chips)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix, in a small cup ~ PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter with water and stir until completely blended.  Set aside.

Combine the mashed bananas, applesauce, vanilla extract and cocoa powder in a large bowl.  Stir thoroughly, add the PB2 mixture and stir again until well combined. Stir in the remaining ingredients and let sit for 10 minutes. 

Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet & flatten cookies into circles.

Bake approx. 20-25 minutes, or until done to your liking.

Remove from oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.
 
Store in a covered container when completely cool.

Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal

Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal ~ Super easy, super simple & super tasty.  A big bowl of this oatmeal is a perfect way to start your day on these cold autumn mornings.

I was craving big bowls of hot oatmeal this weekend.  Luckily, I still had some canned pumpkin in the fridge, left over from making the Cranberry-Pumpkin Oat Breakfast Cookies, so I decided to try using some in my morning cooked oatmeal.  Good idea!  I really enjoyed the extra flavor the pumpkin & other goodies added to the oatmeal. Breakfast was ready in under 5 minutes, start to finish.  Great for when I'm in a hurry or just really, really hungry.  I'll be making this often while I'm in the pumpkin mood.  Hope you like this flavor combo too.  Enjoy!  

Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal

serves one

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 Tbsp dried cranberries (or more, to taste)
• 1 Tbsp chopped walnuts
• 1 Tbsp ground flax
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

sweetener of choice ~ honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, etc.
milk of choice ~ diary or nut

Directions 

Mix first seven ingredients together in a covered microwave safe bowl.  Cook for one minute, stir and then cook for one additional minute. (or follow the cooking directions on your box of oatmeal)

Serve with milk & sweetener of choice.  Enjoy!

Cranberry-Pumpkin Oat Breakfast Cookies

Cranberry-Pumpkin Oat Breakfast Cookies ~ The ruby red cranberries are a perfect match for the pumpkin.  If you want a real treat, add some white chocolate chips & make this breakfast cookie really special!

Frances (a reader of the blog) left me a comment, sharing some of the changes she made to her batch of the Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies.  She substituted some pumpkin for part the applesauce, omitted the nuts & upped the raisins.  It sounded really good, so I decided I wanted to try the pumpkin swap too, but I had another spin in mind... I also cut the nuts (heehee, that just made me giggle), but wanted to use all cranberries this time around, instead of raisins.  I also included some honey, since the pumpkin just doesn't have the same sweetness as the applesauce.  I topped a few of the cookies with white chocolate chips, just because it sounded it good. (it was)  I'm guess I'm still on the pumpkin kick ~ hope you are too.  Enjoy!

Cranberry-Pumpkin Oat Breakfast Cookies

makes approx. 18 cookies, depending on size

To see the nutritional info, go over to the CalorieCount site ~ click here.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas ~ mashed with fork until smooth & creamy
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal ~ uncooked
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries (or more, to taste)
• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix mashed bananas, pumpkin, applesauce, honey, vanilla extract & cinnamon in a large bowl until well combined.

Stir in the oatmeal & cranberries.  Let 'dough' sit for 10 minutes.

Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet & flatten cookies into circles.  (press a few white chocolate chips into the cookies, if using)

Bake approx. 20-25 minutes, or until golden & done.

Remove from oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.
 
Store in a covered container when completely cool.

 

Pumpkin Flax Breakfast Cookies ~ Melissa's Version

Pumpkin Flax Breakfast Cookies ~ This autumn breakfast cookie is perfect for the crisp days of fall.  They're full of the spicy tastes of your favorite pumpkin pie and the goodness of whole oats & ground flax - add the Spiced Pumpkin Spread for an extra special treat!

Melissa F., who is a reader of the blog, shared her Pumpkin Flax Breakfast Cookie recipe in the comments of my Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies post awhile back.  I've patiently been waiting for fall to arrive before making her cookies, there's something about baking with pumpkins that just seems so right this time of the year.

I've tweaked Melissa's recipe, just a bit ~ by adding some ginger, honey & extra oats.  I think this Pumpkin Flax Breakfast Cookie is perfect for the cooler weather of autumn and topping the cookie off with some of the Spiced Pumpkin Spread (from my Spiced Pumpkin Dip recipe/post - excluding the optional Greek yogurt) makes the cookies extra special. 

Now, all I need is a Pumpkin Latte and I'm good for the afternoon.  :)  Thanks so much for sharing your recipe with us, Melissa!!


Pumpkin Flax Breakfast Cookies ~ with optional Spiced Pumpkin Spread
makes 24-30 cookies, depending on size

Ingredients 

• 3/4 c applesauce
• 3Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 2/3 c pumpkin puree
• 1 medium banana, mashed until smooth
• 1 3/4 cup old fashioned/rolled oats
• 1/4 c ground flax seed
• 1/4 cup raisins, or to taste (or cranberries or a mix of the two)
• 3Tbsp chopped walnuts

~ OPTIONAL ~ Spiced Pumpkin Spread  aka Spiced Pumpkin Dip ~ (see my Spiced Pumpkin Dip post for the recipe) ~ Here, I've used the dip as a sweet & tasty spread/icing, applied just before eating the cookies.  I just love it when a recipe can be used in different ways!

Directions

Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix vanilla extract, honey & spices into the applesauce.

Blend applesauce mixture with all other ingredients & let sit for 10 minutes

Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet & flatten cookies into circles about 1/2" thick.

Bake approx. 25-30 minutes, or until golden & done.

Remove from oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.

Eat the breakfast cookies plain or spread with a generous coating of the optional Spiced Pumpkin Spread (Dip).
 
Store plain cookies in a covered container when completely cool. 

Enjoy for breakfast, for an afternoon snack with tea/coffee or just about anytime!

Breakfast Strawberry Shortcake with Greek Yogurt & Oats

Breakfast Strawberry Shortcake with Greek Yogurt & Oats ~ Eating dessert for breakfast?  Absolutely!  Greek yogurt, oats, mashed strawberries & a bit of sweetener become a sweet treat for breakfast that only tastes indulgent.  :)

I'm loving using fat free Greek yogurt!  It really turns whatever I use it in into something special!  The other morning I came up with a very satisfying breakfast spin on a dessert favorite of mine, Strawberry Shortcake.  This recipe only has a few ingredients, but it really packs in the flavor.  I'm calling it my ~ Breakfast Strawberry Shortcake Greek Yogurt & Oats. 

I think it would be just as good for an actual dessert, too ~ if you're so inclined.  I bet blueberries & peaches would also be a good combo for this breakfast/dessert.  Hope you like it as much as I do!

Breakfast Strawberry Shortcake with Greek Yogurt & Oats
serves one

Ingredients

• 8 oz. of fat free Greek yogurt (or your favorite kind)
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats ~ uncooked
• 1/3 cup mashed strawberries (fresh or frozen/thawed)
• 3 packets of Equal (or sweetener of choice)

Directions

Mash fresh/thawed strawberries with 2 packets of Equal, until nice & mushy.

Stir Greek yogurt, oats & remaining Equal packet together until fully combined.

Fold in the mashed strawberries.  

Serve in a pretty bowl.  Enjoy!

((if you don't want to bother with mashing the strawberries, you could probably use a couple of tablespoons of fruit juice sweetened strawberry jam, for a similar taste))

Kale, Quinoa and Heirloom Tomato Salad ~ Meatless Monday

I'm a huge fan of raw kale salads & when you add some extra superfoods, the salad gets even better.  Full of flavor & lots of different goodies, this salad makes for a perfect Meatless Monday meal.


Kale, Quinoa & Heirloom Tomato Salad
serves 1~2

Ingredients

• 2 cups kale, packed ~ torn into bite sized pieces 
• 1 cup chopped heirloom tomatoes (a variety of regular & cherry)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa ~ fresh cooked/cooled or leftovers
• 1/4 cup sliced purple onion
• 2 Tbsp cranberries
• 2 Tbsp walnuts

 Cilantro & Lime Vinaigrette

• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp water
• 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Heirloom Yellow Pear Tomatoes

Toss first six salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.

Place all vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar & shake-up until combined.

Pour vinaigrette over salad & toss again.  Plate up & enjoy!

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Quinoa, Kale & Strawberry Salad ~ Celebrating Superfoods on Meatless Monday!

Quinoa, Kale & Strawberry Salad ~ This warm, sweet-yet-savory salad is full of Superfoods & tastes great!  It's such a lovely color combo, it would be perfect to serve during the Christmas holidays or for Valentine's Day.  The deep red of the strawberries & the jewel green of the kale make for a visually pleasing presentation ~ not to mention, it tastes great!  :)

I was wandering around the new blog ~ Kitchen Adventures-Someone Elses Genius ~ and saw that Robin has started an ongoing ~ Superfoods Series.  Way cool!  One of the recipes she shares is a warm salad recipe for ~ Quinoa, Kale & Strawberry Salad with Honey Garlic Dressing.  It sounded like something right-up-my-alley, so I decided to give it a go for Meatless Monday.

Robin's salad features many of the Superfoods ~ kale (I'm a sucker for kale), strawberries (I love my strawberries), quinoa (got a big ol' bag in the pantry), honey (jar of local, sittin' on the counter), almonds (lots in the nut stash), garlic (plenty, no vampires around here), ground flax (yup, Bob's Red Mill), lemon (love 'em, pucker up!), olive oil (my fav) ~ I was in business.  The recipe is easy to make, quick to get on the table, pretty to look at & is really tasty.  Yeah!

This Superfood salad would make a nice light supper, excellent side dish, or a great lunch to take to work.  Next time I make this, I'll try it with raw kale, I've got a feeling this would be a good cold salad, too. (I love raw kale salads)  Another nice thing about this salad is that it can be changed up to suit your mood/fridge.  You could easily swap the strawberry/almond combo for a new Superfood taste treat.  In the future I'm going to try these combos... oranges, dried cranberries & walnuts; blueberries & cashews; peaches & almonds; apples & pumpkin seeds and any other Superfood fruit/nut combo, from this big list, that strikes my fancy.  You could even swap out the kale for spinach, if you're so inclined.  So, if you're looking for a way to include more ~ Superfoods ~ into your diet, give this Super simple & Super delicious salad a try ~ it's a Super easy way to get started.  Meatless Monday never had it so good & healthy!   :)  Enjoy! 

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Peanut Butter Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies ~ Kimberly's Version

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies ~ This breakfast cookie is sweetened with bananas, applesauce & raisins.  It's gets its high protein from ~ peanut butter, vanilla protein powder & egg.

Kimberly, (one of the readers of the blog) shared her tweaks to the original Peanut Butter Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies ~ recipe.   In her version she added an egg, raisins, cinnamon & baking powder ~ & she left out the extra nuts, butter extract & carob/chocolate chips.  Cool!  It sounded like such a neat spin, I just had to give it a try ~ so I made them today.  She turned the recipe into what I'm calling the ~ Peanut Butter Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies.  Her version is very good & just as easy to make as the original version.  We treated ourselves & 'frosted' some of the cookies with a few spreads that we like.  (I've got a picture down below showing all the different ones we tried out) 

Kimberly, thanks so much for sharing your version of the peanut butter breakfast cookie!  You ROCK!  :)

Updated 9/6/2012 ~ I worked up the nutritional info over at Calorie Count.com  ~~ CLICK HERE ~~ for the breakdown.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies ~ Kimberly's Version

makes 16 - 24 cookies, depending on the size you like your cookies

• 2 ripe bananas, mashed until smooth & creamy
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1 egg, well beaten  
• 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or more, to taste)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups quick oatmeal  ~ uncooked  
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup raisins

Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix, in a large bowl ~ mashed banana & peanut butter until completely combined.  Then add in the applesauce, beaten egg, vanilla protein powder, cinnamon & vanilla extract ~ mix again until all are completely combined.

Add in the oatmeal, raisins & baking powder to the banana mixture & combine.

Let dough rest for 10 minutes.  Dough will be 'thinner' than my other breakfast cookies ~ more like a really thick batter.

Drop cookie dough/really thick cookie batter ~ by spoonfuls ~ onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Shape the cookies into circles, the batter should stay where you put it, if it's just a tad too thin, add an extra tablespoon or two of oats.  The cookies should not spread when baking.

Bake cookies approx. 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown & done. (cooking time really depends on how big you make your cookies & if you like them a bit more soft in the middle)  Remove from oven when done & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.  

 
Cool cookies completely, then store in a covered container. 

 **  For a special treat ~ check out some of the optional cookie 'frostings' below  :)  **

Enjoy! 

 ~ OPTIONAL ~ 

Today, as a special treat, we've been enjoying adding some flavored spreads to the tops of these breakfast cookies.  So far, we have 'frosted' the breakfast cookies with:

• Speculoos Cookie Butter from Trader Joe's (it tastes like gingerbread ~ J really likes it)
• peanut butter mixed with honey
• plain peanut butter
• Nutella

We all love having a 'special treat', every now & then.  Especially when it's eating a 'frosted' cookie!  

P.S. ~ I had some extra cookie dough/batter that wouldn't fit on the cookie sheet, so I cooked it like a pancake. One word ~ A W E S O M E !!!  I just topped it with some butter & skipped the syrup. I really enjoyed it.  I'll have to explore that avenue in the future.  :)    If you have some cookie dough/batter left over, why not give it a try, too ~ you might find you like it as much as I did.

 

~ Other NUT BUTTER / SEED BUTTER variations to consider for this breakfast cookie ~

For a different spin on these breakfast cookies, you could change up the Nut Butter or Seed Butter that you use.  You can purchase different kinds of nut/seed butters...  Or, you could make your own nut/seed butter, if you're so inclined.  (making my own homemade nut/seed butters recipes sounds intriguing,  I might be trying that out soon) ~ Some different kinds of butters that might be interesting to try in these cookies:

Almond Butter

Hazelnut Butter

Soybean Butter

Sunflower Butter

Cashew Butter

Hemp Seed Butter

Sesame Seed Butter ( aka ~ Tahini )

Pumpkin Seed Butter

Walnut Butter

Pistachio Butter

Pecan Butter

Macadamia Nut Butter