Jumping on the Almost-Empty-Jar Bandwagon

Yes, if everyone jumped off a bridge I would too. 

Browsing around the food blogging world you will see variations of this repeated over and over.  I'm not who sure who originally thought of it but they are brilliant and should be awarded some kind of prize and I copied the idea.

I see a few advantages here.

1. Less waste of whatever used to reside in that jar.
2. Ease of cleaning before recycling.
3. The delicious flavor seepage into the oats.
4. Actually being excited about the jar being almost empty. (It's the small things...) 

Almost-Empty-Nutella-Jar Oats

Ingredients

1 almost empty Nutella jar

1 cooked serving of your favorite oat recipe, slightly cooled so you don't melt the jar

Directions

1. Put the slightly cooled oats in the jar. 

2. Eat.  :)

From the Pantry. Organic Garlic Basil Polenta with Grilled Chicken and Goat Cheese

My next recipe from the pantry is using some Garlic Basil Polenta and some canned fire roasted tomatoes that have been staring at me for a while and I could never think of anything to do with it.

Grilled Chicken with Broiled Garlic Basil Polenta, Tomatoes, Spinach and Goat Cheese

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

3 Organic free range chicken breast
Olive oil spray
Garlic salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 tube Organic Garlic Basil Polenta, sliced into 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces
1 onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
10 oz fresh baby spinach
1 cup fire roasted diced tomatoes
Goat cheese

Directions

1. Grill – Season, spray and grill chicken breast until cooked through, let rest at least 5 minutes and slice.

Meanwhile preheat broiler.

2. Broil – Place slices of Polenta on cookie sheet or baking pan sprayed with olive oil. Spray olive oil on top of each slice as well. Place under broiler until top starts to brown. You may want to brown both sides.

3. Saute - Sauté onion until browned. Lower heat, add garlic and sauté. Add spinach. Sauté. Add fire roasted tomatoes. Sauté.

All kinds of sautéing going on here.

4. Combine – Top with Polenta slices with goat cheese, broil until cheese is bubbly.  Then place desired rounds on top of spinach/tomato mixture.

Celebrate the Warmer Weather with Grilled Veggies

We had a bit of left over chicken the other day and I decided to go with a quesadilla.  I used a 100 calorie whole wheat tortilla with 12 grams of fiber.  (And this time I didn't use a rye wrap).  Hubby and I looove goat cheese and with the weather starting to warm up I had the urge to grill some veggies. 

Look how gorgeous.  Doesn't it make you think of summer cookouts?

Here is the quesadilla.  This recipe is super simple!

To make this vegetarian simply leave the chicken out.

I love the color in this grilled veggie salad I threw together with some fresh spinach from last weekends farmers market and a bit of home made lemon mustard vinaigrette.

Grilled Veggie, Goat Cheese and Chicken Quesadilla

Printable Recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients 

On the Grill:

Portobello mushrooms

Asparagus

Grape Tomatoes

Zucchini, sliced lengthwise

Squash, sliced lengthwise

Red Bell Pepper, seeded and halved

Green Bell Pepper, seeded and halved

Onion, cut into rings

Garlic Salt and fresh ground pepper

Canola cooking spray

In the Quesadilla:

2 whole wheat tortilla wraps

Grilled veggies (from above)

2 ounces goat cheese

2 ounces of chicken

On the Salad:

4 cups fresh baby spinach

Grilled veggies (from above)

Lemon Vinaigrette, Whisk the following:

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp coarse ground mustard

1 Tbsp honey

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Kosher salt, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the grill.  As the grill heats place all the veggies in a large bowl and coat with cooking spray, garlic salt and pepper.

2. Grill veggies to desired doneness.  Set aside to cool then slice.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and spray with canola cooking spray.  Layer desired amount of veggies, 1 ounce cheese, 1 ounce chicken and fold in half.  Grill until tortilla is toasted.  Flip and grill until the second side is toasted.  Cool and slice.

4. Lay 2 cups of spinach per plate.  Layer grilled veggies evenly on top.  Top with 1 to 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette.

Get to Mowing! Goddess Tuna Wraps.

I had planned to make broiled polenta but when Chris said he had to mow the grass I knew dinner had to be quick.  With a little one running around and no one to distract her it's really hard to cook anything exotic.  I thought of my new recipe series I'm working on with ingredients direct from the pantry...."Hmmm, what could I make that would require no cooking?" 

Of course, tuna fish!  And it would be perfect with the Annie's Naturals Goddess dressing.  Oh my gosh foodies, this dressing is SO good.  It has tahini, soy and garlic that pair perfectly with tuna or just about anything.  Right now it's the only bottled dressing I will eat as normally I make my own. 

This wrap is so easy the only chopping is a bit of fresh cilantro, veggies (or tomato) and ginger which I had on hand from my Indian dinner disaster.

Goddess Tuna Wraps

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 pouch StarKist Tuna
4 Tbsp Annie's Naturals Goddess Dressing
1 tsp minced fresh Ginger
1 cup left over grilled veggies, chopped**
1 handful sugar snap peas
Fresh cilantro, to taste
2 whole wheat wraps, I used La Tortilla Factory Multi Grain Wrap

**I had grilled onions, mushrooms and tomatoes but you can replace the grilled veggies with fresh chopped tomato and it would be just as delicious.  They key is really the dressing.

Directions

1. Mix the tuna, dressing and ginger in a small bowl.  Spread evenly over two wraps and top with veggies and cilantro.

2. I served with Palm Salad.

Baingan Bharta

After the excursion to Flavors Indian restaurant I decided I could no longer go without the mashed eggplant-y goodness of Baingan Bharta and felt so inclined to make my own. 

According to Wikepedia "Baingan Bartha or Baingan ka Bartha is a predominantly Pakistani and North Indian Punjabi vegetarian dish made from eggplant, which is grilled over charcoal or direct fire to impart a smoky flavour to the flesh of the eggplant and then cooked with spices and vegetables."

I set out on my adventure of making my recipe and since I didn't have the green chilli I substituted with an entire can of Rotel with habanero because that's all I had on hand. 

Now mind you, I love super hot and spicy food, but this was at the nuclear level.  I could have sold it to the Department of Defense for a hefty profit to use in warfare.  

I got some of it down but it about killed me so obviously almost a can if habanero is a bad substitute in this dish. In addition, I surmise that in the restaurant they must use a lot of ghee, which is an Indian clarified butter, because mine did not taste as buttery. 
 
(It was still pretty though so I had to still take a photo)

From the Pantry. Hearts of Palm Salad.

A few weeks ago we had two couples staying at the house for about a week as they have a business that hosts large corporate conferences and this one happened to be here in Jacksonville.  They were actually lovely house guests and once they left the house seemed empty. 

While they were at the house there was a comment about how much food we have in the pantry. And that if we go to war everyone will come to my house because we could eat for a year.  It made me think about other people's pantries that I have seen.  They are strangely empty. 

Something I just couldn't imagine. 

What if I want to whip something up and I don't have all the ingredients? I would have to make a special trip to the store? Yuck! This led to a whole new line of thought.  Wait, what if I'm the weird one?  Or do I just have a really stocked pantry because I cook so much at home and I'm a foodie?  My daughter does have her own shelf due to all her allergies. 

Help a girl out here fellow food bloggers....what does your pantry look like?  Please tell me I'm not a crazy food hoarder.  I mean it's not like I'm stuffing canned goods under my mattress or anything.  Those would be too bulky. I only keep tortillas under there.  Kidding!

In the interest of trying to pare back a little bit I thought what if I center a series of recipes around what I have in my pantry. 

Before I start, a quick note of gratitude before going forward.  How fortunate am I to have a surplus of food in my pantry?  The first order of business will be to go through and donate a portion of it to the local homeless shelter.

Second order of business.  What is on the menu.  At first glance....canned hearts of palm.

This is a recipe inspired from the "South Beach Diet Super Charged". 

Palm Salad

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 heaping tsp coarse ground mustard
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 (14 ounce) cans hearts of palm, drained and chopped
3 cherry tomatoes, chopped
Fresh ground pepper
Kosher salt
1 packet sweetener of choice (optional.  I used Stevia after tasting it and thinking it needed a little sweetness)

Directions

1. Whisk the first four ingredients together and then pour over the hearts of palm and tomatoes and season with salad and pepper.

Baked oats go a little fruity!

I can't seem to get enough of these baked oats!  First was the Peanut Butter Banana and then the Cocoa, PB and Banana and then the Nutella.  This time I went with one of my favorites...blueberries.

Here they are a little closer.

Topped with organic French vanilla yogurt.

Blueberry Vanilla Baked Steel Cut Oats

***Gluten, egg and dairy free

Serves 1

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Organic canola cooking spray

1/4 cup steel cut oats, I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Steel Cut Oats

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup vanilla unsweet almond milk, I used Almond Breeze

1-2 Tbsp Organic French Vanilla Yogurt

Directions

1. Spray a small baking ramekin with cooking spray. Place the blueberries in the bottom.

2. In a small dish mix the oats through the almond milk and pour on top of the blueberries.

3. Bake in a preheated oven or toaster oven at 400F, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes.

4. Top with dollop of yogurt.

***Please note that when I state “allergy free” this is my attempt at gluten, egg, dairy, soy, peanut and cod fish free which are the allergies my daughter has. I am not a doctor or registered dietitian.

Burning calories at your desk

At the dawn of time dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Later came humans who learned to hunt, gather and farm.

And then came….the cubicle. And man and woman were told “you will sit in this cubicle all day long and not move and do work. We will give you telephones with which you will call other humans rather than walking to them and chairs that roll so you never have to get out of them. And you will like it.”

I think we all know humans were not meant to sit all day in cubicles but when it comes down to it sometimes the bills have to be paid my friends and that’s how it gets done. For those of us lucky enough to have a job and are also concerned about fitness and caloric burn here are some of the ideas I’ve compiled.  

Here are the ones you may already know but hopefully this can be a reminder.

• Give yourself a few extra minutes so you can park farther away and walk.
• Take the stairs if you can.
• Work out on your lunch break if a gym is near by or even just take a walk. Walking may not burn 700 calories in an hour but it burns a few and you aren't sitting at your desk eating.
• Instead of calling, get out of your chair and go talk to the person. This not only builds relationships but burns a few more calories.
• If you need to use the rest room use it on another floor and take the stairs back to your desk.
• Wear a pedometer. Just being aware might help you take a few more steps and burn a few more calories.
• Don’t lean back in your chair. Sit up straight and tall. You’d be surprised how something so simple is harder than it sounds.


Stressed out? Take a minute to go to the restroom. Just sit in a stall and breathe. It can be for even a minute. Try and focus on positive things or just your inhale and exhale. (I tend to only do this if the bathroom is empty or if I know when someone walks in they won’t recognize my shoes and think I’m weird doing all this heavy breathing.)

If you are feeling adventurous and can brave the looks from coworkers here are a few that I have read about and would love to try.

• Try a mini pedal exerciser for under your desk. Don’t laugh, but I just won one of these for $17 bucks on ebay. If I can just figure out how to stop my rolly chair from rolling without being too conspicuous.

• Have an at-desk exercise routine you do each day at your desk. You can even wear ankle weights under your pants to increase resistance.

   o Elevate each leg 30 seconds. 5 reps per side.
   o Seated calf raises.
   o Sit up straight and pull your abs in.
   o Bicycles. Sit up straight in your chair, contract abs and lift your legs in the air. Pedal them slowly like you are riding a bike.
   o Heel touches. There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home. Sit up straight in your chair, contract abs and lift your legs in the air and touch your heels together.
   o Flutter kicks with your legs. Sit up straight in your chair, contract abs and lift your legs in the air and flutter them like you are swimming.
   o Butt squeeze. (I’m sure you can figure this one out.) Sit up straight, contract your abs and squeeze your butt. Hold for as long as you can. Release and repeat.

• If you can, stand at your desk rather than sit. This isn’t an option for me but it sure would be nice once and a while.• Sit on an exercise ball instead of a chair.

Eat your veggies!

As I was browsing my blog for my good old standard broiled pork chops recipe so I wouldn't have to retype it for this one I realized it's not here! How could I have overlooked the old standby?  I made it along with some cauliflower I found at the grocery store that was the most gorgeous buttery yellow color and some fresh organic greens and sweet potato from my favorite vendor at the St. Augustine farmers market last weekend.   

Broiled Pork Chop

Serves 3

Ingredients

3 organic, humanely raised pork chops

1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumb

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 Tbsp skim milk

Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning (or garlic salt and pepper), to taste

Organic canola baking spray

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler to high then set your breading station up.

Dish 1: Pork chops, rinsed and patted dry then sprinkled with Cajun seasoning

Dish 2: beat the egg and milk together

Dish 3: pour your bread crumb

Baking Pan (covered in foil and sprayed with cooking spray)

2. Dip first pork chop in dish 1, turn to coat, dish 2, turn to coat, shake excess, place on baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining two.

3. Spray tops with canola spray and broil 5 to 7 minutes depending on the size of the pork chop.  They should be just beginning to brown.  Turn once and broil and additional 5 to 7 minutes.

Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients

1 large head of yellow (or white) cauliflower, chopped and steamed 20 minutes

4 Tbsp light cream cheese

Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning (or garlic salt and pepper), to taste

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup organic, free range chicken broth (enough to get the consistency you want)

Directions

1. Blend everything together in a food processor.

Collard Greens

From this post.

Sweet Potato Chips

Ingredients

1 organic sweet potato

Organic canola cooking spray

Garlic salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat broiler to high. 

2. Slice potato as thinly as possible. 

3. Lay each piece in a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with canola oil.  Sprinkle potatoes with garlic salt and pepper, then spray canola cooking spray.

4. Broil (along with pork chops) 5 to 7 minutes or until beginning to brown.  Turn once and broil an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until crisp. 

(I didn't get many of these because my hubby and daughter stole them all.  At least I got two for the photo!)

Carrot Cake Cup Cakes

Happy Monday everyone!  Saturday here in Florida was gorgeous and I spent the day doing power yoga, shopping and attending a birthday dinner for my mom at Nineteen at TPC.  How was it where you were?

Sunday I did some cooking and baking.  Along with a gigantic pot of soup I made some sweet potato hummus and I baked. 

If you know me, I'll admit I'm not a baker, however, last week carrot cake popped into my head when there was a work birthday and talk of cream cheese frosting.  (If it has cream cheese frosting I have a tough time passing it up). Since I have trouble with portion sizes I thought what about cupcakes! 

I found the perfect recipe on Cooking Light.  Now foodies out there.....don't judge on the frosting.  It called for a cup and half of sugar so in the interest of saving a lot of calories I used Jell-O sugar free, fat free vanilla pudding mix and Cool Whip (gasp!) and it came out great.  I don't eat this stuff every day people, it was a splurge, and I know it contains ingredients I can't read.

I do wish I had left the mixer out to make the frosting a little smoother but I had already cleaned it up so I whisked it by hand hence the semi-lumpy look below.  I'm not thinking I'll win any awards on the texture of the frosting but over all these are really tasty. 

Carrot Cupcakes adapted from Cooking Light

Yield: 1 dozen (serving size: 1 cupcake)

Ingredients


Cupcakes:


2/3 cup Turbinado sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup finely shredded carrot
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, well-drained
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup golden raisins
 
Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.  Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add carrot and pineapple; beat well.

2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through nutmeg) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat well. Stir in raisins.


3. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups lined with paper liners. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Frosting: (This makes a lot so you will have extra.  I used it as a fruit dip)
 
3 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup 1% milk
1 (4 serving) package of sugar free, fat free vanilla pudding mix
1 8 ounce tub Cool Whip Light

Directions:

1. Mix the cream cheese, milk and pudding mixture on medium speed until blended. 

2. Gently fold in the Cool Whip.

Baked Oat Porn

This may not be an odd thing for you, Nutella for breakfast; however, I tend to think of it as a dessert food.  Let me just tell you about this one.  Oh. My. Gosh. I think I'll be making this one tomorrow.  I savored every bite.  See all those drippy bits going down the side of the ramekin?  I could have photoshopped those out but I like how rustic it looks.  It makes you realize how gooey and delicious your breakfast will be.

First you get the crunch of the almond and then the chewy oats and then the sweetness of the banana.  If you get a little Nutella in that bite, well, you know, it's Nutella-licious.

In fact I didn't get enough Nutella at breakfast so I had some on a Chocolate Mint Vitatop (if you like Girl Scout Thin Mints you will love these) for dessert.  I went a bit over my calorie allotment for the day, however, it was so worth it.

Do you have a certain method for eating food?  Save the best for last?  Eat the best first?  I tend to eat a bit of each item on my plate.

Nutella Baked Oats

Serves 1

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

1/4 banana (I used a really ripe one that I froze)

1/4 cup steel-cut oats, I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Steel Cut Oats

1 Tbsp PB2 Chocolate

Pinch of salt

Pinch of cinnamon

1/2 cup unsweet chocolate almond milk, I used Blue Diamond Almond Breeze

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 Tbsp Nutella

1/2 Tbsp Peanut Butter, I used Naturally More

6 Almonds, chopped, I used Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds

Directions:

1. Spray a small baking ramekin with cooking spray. Place the banana in the bottom.

2. In a small dish mix the oats through the almond milk and pour on top of the banana.

3. Bake in a preheated oven or toaster oven at 400F, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes.

4. Top with dollop of Nutella, Peanut Butter, Naturally More or a mixture of all three and some chopped almonds.

I ate around the edges to save the yumminess in the middle for last.

Nutrition Facts

1 Serving
***10 WW Pts Plus
Amount Per Serving


Calories 372.9
Total Fat 15.7 g
Saturated Fat 2.8 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 4.3 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 236.7 mg
Potassium 355.5 mg
Total Carbohydrate 49.3 g
Dietary Fiber 8.5 g
Sugars 11.7 g
Protein 13.6 g


Vitamin E 38.8 %
Calcium 23.7 %

Original Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks

Another food find.

This product is from Vegan Essentials that is sort of like Cheetos but gluten and dairy free. They have a great crunch and a light texture.   Now mind you, once again, this is a food to be enjoyed in moderation.  Always choose fresh fruits and veggies first and then enjoy a minimum of snack foods.

Ingredients: Corn meal, rice and/or sunflower oil, nutritional yeast, salt.

***Please note that when I state “allergy free” this is my attempt at gluten, egg, dairy, soy, peanut and cod fish free which are the allergies my daughter has. I am not a doctor or registered dietitian.

Southwestern Salad with Tempeh

While on the treadmill at the gym I love to watch Paula Deen.  You know, the Southern Belle with the sunny personality and Southern twang?  "You just need to add a stick of butter, y'all."   I know the treadmill and Paula don't really go together, but I get a certain enjoyment burning calories while watching butter laden mac and cheese be wrapped in bacon and then breaded and fried.  This episode, however, was a surprise.  She had her son Jamie on and he made a dishes that looked amazing and healthy.  The first was this Southwestern Avocado and Black Bean Salad.  He also made Paula's Balsamic London broil which will try next. 

To Jamie's salad I added a few things I had on hand.  Some bell peppers, jalapeno and I rounded out the whole meal with tempeh straight from the freezer, quickly seasoned and right to the grill. 

Southwestern Salad with Tempeh

Printable Recipe 

Serves at least four (but more like six for me)

Ingredients

 1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2 or 3 dashes hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
1 bag chopped romaine
1 large ripe avocado, peeled and diced
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered, I used Campari
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tempeh burgers, I used Artie's
Cooking spray
Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning, to taste


Directions


1. In a small bowl, whisk together the cilantro, oil, lime juice and hot sauce.

2. In a large serving bowl, add the romaine through salt and pepper, to taste.

3. On a preheated grill or George Foreman, spray both sides of tempeh with cooking spray and season with Cajun seasoning.  Grill for 5 minutes or until cooked through.  Slice and top your portion of salad with about four slices.

4. Pour about two tablespoons of dressing over the top.

The Slow Creep and a Litte Dessert Tea

I will let you guys in on a little tidbit.  Being thin and weight loss does not come naturally for me.  I have to work so hard at it and I'm always tweaking what I'm doing to see if I can get the last few pounds off and avoid the slow creep of pounds as I get older.  

"The Slow Creep" is my biggest fear when it comes to weight.  That I will wake up ten years from now and suddenly realize I've gained twenty pounds and I am now considered unhealthy (gasp!). 

I was never able to say when I was younger that I could eat whatever I wanted but when I hit XX (insert number here) my weight suddenly ballooned up.  I actually consider myself lucky that I never had to start from scratch and I've always had the tools to be healthy.  Good parenting examples, good work(out) ethic, healthy eating habits, love of learning about nutrition and fitness.  

To combat my fears I am always tweaking trying to lose the last bit.  I did weight watchers for many years and it started literally making me crazy to the point that everything I looked at wasn't food it was a point value.  Portion sizes and not what I eat is the biggest struggle for me.

My latest tweaks?

• 
  
  Adding the Workout page inspired by Cara's Burn Box.
• 
  
  Increasing the weight in body pump. (Paying for that today.)
• 
  
  Taking the dogs for walks and possibly adding a little running back. The most I have done is a half marathon and haven't been into running in quite a while.  My friend Justine just completed the Gate River Run and has inspired me to start running.  Okay maybe not running but at least jogging.
• 
  
  Going back to the fiber supplement I was taking called PGX, however, instead of taking it right before meals I take it in between to keep my blood sugar even and help me stop snacking so much.  I could literally have two snacks in between breakfast and lunch and then again between lunch and dinner and a dessert.  I continue to be told "You eat so healthy I could never eat that way and stick to it", however, like I said in the aforementioned paragraph, what I eat isn't the issue, it's how much".

To go along with cutting down on snacking I have been drinking more non-caffeinated herbal tea and I just found the most amazing one I want to share with you.  It is Pumpkin Spice Tea from Stash. 

I swear it's like pumpkin pie in a tea and it reminds me of Thanksgiving, one of my most favorite times of year. 

So here you go!  I hope you try it and enjoy!   (You can get it super cheap on Amazon).

The baked oat saga continues.

As a variation of my baked steel cut oatmeal I tried adding some cocoa.  The result was almost dessert like but still healthy and light for breakfast.  The great thing is it will keep you full until lunch.

Baked Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Steel Cut Oats


***Gluten and dairy free (contains eggs (in the Naturally More), peanuts and tree nuts. To make egg free, sub natural peanut butter for the Naturally More.)
Serves 1
Printable Recipe
 Ingredients


Organic canola cooking spray
1/4 banana, sliced thinly
1/4 cup steel cut oats, I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Steel Cut Oats
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/2 Tbsp PB2 (optional)
1/4 Tbsp Cocoa Powder, I used Hershey Special Dark Cocoa Powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup vanilla unsweet almond milk, I used Almond Breeze
1 Tbsp peanut butter, I used Naturally More


Directions

1. Spray a small baking ramekin with cooking spray. Layer the bananas on the bottom.


2. In a small dish mix the oats through the almond milk and pour on top of the bananas.


3. Bake in a preheated oven or toaster oven at 400F, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes.


4. Top with dollop of peanut butter.