Vanishing Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

If you read my blog you probably know I'm not much of a baker.  When it comes to baking desserts I have a few issues; 1) I can't get myself to use white flour, sugar or butter so I inevitably try to "healthify" the recipe and it comes out crappy and 2) If it is in the house I will eat it.  I could bring it in to work but frankly there is so much junk food there I don't want to add to the madness.

Take Friday for instance.  End of month.  Breakfast was provided by one of the team leads and was a gigantic mound of McDonalds sausage McMuffins etc.  Additionally Krispy Kreme donuts and Dunkin' Donuts were brought in.  Someone generously brought in a cake of some sort from Sams Club.  There were also cookies, brownies and an apple pie.  To round out the day we had pizza brought in for us for dinner while we all sat in our chairs until after 9PM. 

What a day!  Interestingly (and thankfully) with this new diet I've adopted of eating plants only, I didn't have ANY cravings! It was as if I didn't even have to have willpower which is very unusual for me.  It does take pre-planning though (as any diet does).  I had breakfast at home, brought in a salad with tabbouli and hummus for lunch, veggies and cherries as snack and some veggie sushi with avocado for dinner.  Every bite was delicious!  To break up the day of sitting I hit the gym for a yoga class.  It is amazing how much more energized and focused I am when I get back to work after a workout.

Just because I'm currently not eating any animal products doesn't mean I don't like a good cookie though.  In one of my favorite cookbooks by  Terry Walters, Clean Food, there is a chocolate chip cookie recipe sweetened with maple syrup and bananas and uses oats and brown rice flour as the base.  Perfect!  This is my kind of baking.  Delicious and nutritious. As an added bonus I had all the ingredients on hand.  I threw in some cinnamon and decided to use raisins and increased the baking time a bit.  This was the second time I have made these, the first I used dark chocolate chips and it was just as tasty.

Vanishing Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Altered from Terry Walters, Clean Food pp. 89

Vegan, Gluten free, Sugar free

Makes 18 cookies

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup brown rice flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup shredded unsweet dried coconut

1 tbsp ground flax seed (optional)

Dash of sea salt

Wet Ingredients

2 bananas, mashed

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2.  Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.  In a separate medium bowl whisk the wet ingredients together.  Pour the wet into the try and stir until just combined.  Fold in the raisins.

3. Drop by tablespoon on baking sheets covered in parchment paper.  Bake 15 minutes or until bottom begins to brown.  Cool on a wire rack.

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Nutrition Information
18 Cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories	133.5
Total Fat	7.7 g
Saturated Fat	3.9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	1.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat	2.0 g
Cholesterol	0.0 mg
Sodium	72.1 mg
Potassium	101.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate	15.7 g
Dietary Fiber	2.3 g
Sugars	5.6 g
Protein	1.8 g
Vitamin A	4.9 %
Vitamin B-12	0.0 %
Vitamin B-6	11.3 %
Vitamin C	1.8 %
Vitamin D	0.0 %
Vitamin E	3.7 %
Calcium	3.2 %
Copper	2.4 %
Folate	4.6 %
Iron	7.0 %
Magnesium	4.3 %
Manganese	27.4 %
Niacin	6.4 %
Pantothenic Acid	1.7 %
Phosphorus	4.3 %
Riboflavin	3.7 %
Selenium	3.4 %
Thiamin	7.7 %
Zinc	3.2 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Happy Friday

I don't have a recipe to share right now but I DO have some interesting article links that were sent to me from my Slow Food chapter.

Happy reading!

Interesting Articles

Goat is the new Cow
Sarah Britton, My New Roots

Bad food? Tax it, and Subsidize Vegetables
Mark Bittman, The New York Times

Is Commercially-Prepared Food Responsible for Childhood Weight Gain?
Meredith Melnick, Time Magazine

Inside Polyface Farm, Mecca of Sustainable Agriculture
Andrea Gabor, The Atlantic

Got Enhanced Meat? USDA Rule May Make It Easier To Tell
April Fulton, NPR

Farming Bubble Could Be Brewing As Farmland Values Boom
Christine Stebbins, Reuters

Roasted Vegetable Panini with Sweet Mustard Vinaigrette

When I got back from camping and unpacked on Sunday I made two things for the week; a big pot o' soup and I chopped up a bunch of veggies and roasted them for random recipes. Those roasted veggies are where the idea for this Panini sprang from.

Don't feel intimidated by the ingredient list.  Just do this....next time you have the grill or oven on, throw some extra veggies in the pan and then let them cool.  When you are ready for a quick lunch just whip them out with some crusty bread, whip up some dressing, press it and you've got yourself a Panini.

I made this on Sunday and Monday night and then for lunches the next few days. I just brought the cold veggies to work with the tomato and lettuce on top in a container, the bread in a baggie and the dressing in a sauce cup.  At lunch I toasted the bread and assembled the sandwich.  I swear it was even better cold.  The veggies all caramel-y from the oven and the dressing is sweet and light and the crunch of the bread....don't even get me started!  Each bite was better than the next and with the jealous stares and comments I got I felt like I had won Top Chef or something.

**Thank you to a question from Nicole F. who stated the veggies were burned after 30 minutes, could they have been sliced too thinly?

My response is; yes, it depends on several things; the type of baking sheet, a dark, non-stick will take a lot longer to bake than a shiny metal, any hot spots in your oven (the top left part of my oven often is done before the other spots) and how thinly the veggies are sliced.  I typically slice them about 1/3 inch thick (not exact as I quickly hand slice them, but this is my best guess.)

Roasted Vegetable Panini with Sweet Mustard Vinaigrette

Serves 5

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Sweet Mustard Vinaigrette **

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp agave nectar

2 Tbsp champagne vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

Dash of sea salt

Vegetables (Amounts Estimated)

2 zucchini, sliced

2 summer squash, sliced

2 sweet onion, sliced

Handful grape tomatoes

5 Portobello mushrooms

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Garlic powder

Olive oil spray

10 slices Italian multigrain bread

2 large fresh tomatoes

Baby lettuce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray three baking sheets with olive oil spray, lay vegetables evenly over trays; season with salt, pepper and garlic powder; bake for one hour, turning halfway through, or until vegetables begin to brown. 

2. Meanwhile, mix vinaigrette ingredients and set aside.

3. Heat Panini press or George Foreman Grill.  On each of five slices of bread place one of the roasted Portobellos and evenly divide the remaining vegetables.  Top with the second five slices of bread.  Spray with olive oil spray, press each sandwich until browned.  Lift top slice of bread off, top with 2 slices of tomato and handful of baby lettuce, pour 1 tbsp of vinaigrette, replace top and serve immediately.

**You will have a bit of dressing left over.

Estimated Nutrition Information
5 Servings
Amount Per Serving


Calories 250.9
Total Fat 5.2 g
Saturated Fat 0.9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.9 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.8 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 442.0 mg
Potassium 834.5 mg
Total Carbohydrate 45.7 g
Dietary Fiber 7.2 g
Sugars 15.9 g
Protein 8.5 g


Vitamin A 43.1 %
Vitamin B-12 0.8 %
Vitamin B-6 24.0 %
Vitamin C 53.2 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 6.2 %
Calcium 9.0 %
Copper 20.5 %
Folate 38.6 %
Iron 18.0 %
Magnesium 17.0 %
Manganese 68.5 %
Niacin 23.1 %
Pantothenic Acid 10.7 %
Phosphorus 21.9 %
Riboflavin 28.0 %
Selenium 27.8 %
Thiamin 24.5 %
Zinc 8.9 %


*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Massaged Kale and Red Onion Salad with Fig Chutney, Raisins and Walnuts

I'm back from camping at Little Talbot Island and, aside from the extreme heat (thank God my little camper has air conditioning), we had a great time.

This was my daughter's 10th campout and she isn't even 3 years old yet!  What a trooper.

My dad drove his camper out onto the beach the first day so we would have a place for shade, lunch and naps which was so nice.

 

The next day we drove into Fernandina and, of course, had to hit the farmers market.  The array of flowers was stunning and I loved that they mainly had fresh produce, flowers and other food items but it wasn't inundated with crafts.  (Sorry craft folks...I like my choice of veggies.)

 

The highlight was an AWESOME restaurant find called Cafe Karibo.  I got the veggie burger with a Mediterranean salad with couscous and a lemon vinaigrette.  Everything was so fresh and the burger was moist but firm on the inside and lightly crisped on the outside with great flavor.  It has inspired me to try my hand at making a bean burger myself soon!

Now for this kale salad.  I came up with this salad as a unique use for the fig chutney I recently made up and I figured I would either knock it out of the park or it would be a complete strike.  Luckily it was the former.  I kept it pretty simple with raisins, walnuts and onions and because the chutney is so complex I didn't add anything to it.  Don't be afraid of using the raw kale.  Once it is massaged it will really wilt down.  In fact, I took the leftovers camping and my remaining four cup servings ended up fitting into a sandwich size Ziplock baggie so it will continue to wilt.

Massaged Kale and Red Onion Salad with Fig Chutney, Raisins and Walnuts

Serves about 5 1-cup Servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 bunch curly, organic kale, destemmed and torn

1/4 red onion, sliced very thinly

1/4 cup fig chutney, (I used mine but store bought chutney works as well)

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup raisins

Dash of salt

Directions

1. Massage the chutney and dash of salt into the kale and onion in a large bowl; about 2 minutes.  Add walnuts and raisins.  Toss well.

 

Estimated Nutrition Info
5 1-cup servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories	118.3
Total Fat	1.5 g
Saturated Fat	0.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	0.9 g
Monounsaturated Fat	0.2 g
Cholesterol	0.0 mg
Sodium	167.0 mg
Potassium	368.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate	25.1 g
Dietary Fiber	3.1 g
Sugars	13.2 g
Protein	3.0 g
Vitamin A	354.2 %
Vitamin B-12	0.0 %
Vitamin B-6	10.7 %
Vitamin C	90.1 %
Vitamin D	0.0 %
Vitamin E	6.0 %
Calcium	10.0 %
Copper	12.6 %
Folate	5.0 %
Iron	7.7 %
Magnesium	7.2 %
Manganese	31.1 %
Niacin	3.7 %
Pantothenic Acid	0.8 %
Phosphorus	5.1 %
Riboflavin	5.9 %
Selenium	1.9 %
Thiamin	5.9 %
Zinc	2.6 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Florida Coastal Fresh Fig Chutney

Before I am off to go camping once again I have resolution for those of you trying to figure out what to do with all those fresh figs off your fig tree.  Make fig chutney! 

This chutney has some really nice layers I think you will like. Sweetness from the figs, raisins, agave and sweet caramelized onion, savory mustard, tangy balsamic and the clean finish of the hint of lemon.  This is perfect for toast or as dressing for a soon-to-be posted kale salad that came out so well I totally forgot I'm supposed to be missing meat and cheese right now.  I'm sure it's going to hit soon though.

Florida Coastal Fresh Fig Chutney

Inspired by Emeril

Vegan, Naturally Sugar Free

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 lb fresh figs, chopped
1 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup water
2/3 cup agave
1/3 tsp sea salt
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup raisins and 1/4 mixed chopped dried fruit such as dates and apricots (or 1/2 cup raisins)
Zest of 1/2 lemon 

Directions

1. Spray a medium sauce pan with olive oil spray and heat over medium high heat.  Sauté onion about five minutes or just until translucent;  add figs, balsamic vinegar, water, agave, salt, mustard, raisins and dried fruit; reduce heat and simmer about 3 hours, stirring every now and then. 

2. Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture to smooth the consistency (or for a chunkier consistency simply skip this step).

3. Stir in lemon zest.  Let cool and store in refrigerator.

Festive Mexican Adzuki and Quinoa Bowl with Fresh Salsa

I’m going on week three of “almost vegan”.  I’m calling it “almost” because I did have some honey and I did have a bite of goat milk yogurt that my daughter didn’t finish (and I’m sure a few other things I’m not thinking of right now), but over all, I have been staying away from animal products since I started reading the China Study.  I still haven’t really made any final decisions yet on what the heck to do in regards to diet.

There are so many reasons why going veggie appeals to me.

1.      The horrifying treatment of the animals. 

2.      The energy it takes to raise an animal as opposed to the energy it takes to raise plants can not be compared.  The amount of money that is spent on the animal breed chosen, the feed and water, the cost of waste removal, the cost to house it, the cost to slaughter it, to ship it, process it; it’s mind blowing.

3.      I do feel pretty good eating vegetarian. One thing I learned from my 21 day detox with Michelle at Find Your Balance is that my digestion is so much better, especially at night, and now that I’m not so focused on protein it seems a bit easier. 

4.      According to the China Study animal protein is the main cause of cancer, heart disease and obesity issues.  This book wasn’t written by some shmoe down the street.  The author has a masters and Ph. D from Cornell, worked at MIT and had research grants funded by the American Cancer Society, the National Institutes of Health and the American Institute for Cancer Research and on and on.  Why isn’t this accepted in society and embraced?  Because there is a lot of money and big business behind the commercial meat, fast food, dairy and processed food industry?  Well yes, we all know that is true. 

 Then again I’ve heard arguments for the other side too.  Haven’t we been eating meat from cave man times?  As long as it is organic, we should be fine eating meat, right?  SIGH.  What to do…what to do….I mean I have a three year old to worry about and these are heavy topics.  What I don’t get is why don’t very many people seem very concerned at all about what they put into their kids bodies, never mind their own?

In the mean time I think I'll make some quinoa and aszuki beans with lots of fresh salsa.

Festive Mexican Adzuki and Quinoa Bowl with Fresh Salsa

Altered from Closet Cooking

Serves 6 dinner portions (1 cup quinoa mix and 1 cup salsa)

Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free

Printable recipe

Ingredients


2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper
1 large sweet onion
8 sweet peppers (they look like very small red, orange and yellow bell peppers)
1 cup white quinoa
1 large tomato
1 1/2 cups water or broth
1 14.5oz can no salt added adzuki beans, I used Eden Organic


Seasoning mix
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
3/4 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano


Salsa Mix (Alternatively, to save time you can buy some fresh salsa or pico de gallo from the refrigerated produce section at your grocery).
1/3 cup chopped sweet onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 large tomatoes, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 handful cilantro, chopped finely
1 cup corn, (I used previously grilled and frozen corn)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt


Directions


1. Spray a medium pot with olive oil spray and heat over medium high heat. Chop the green bell pepper, onion and sweet peppers.  Add to heated pot and sauté about five minutes.  Lower heat, add minced garlic and seasoning mix and sauté an additional 30 minutes, stirring periodically and adding a bit of water to prevent sticking. (I added up to 1/4 cup).


2. As onion mixture cooks, rinse the quinoa and set aside, chop the tomato and set aside, drain and rinse beans and set aside.  Meanwhile, assemble the salsa ingredients.


3. Add quinoa, tomato and water or broth to onion mixture sautéing on the stove.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove lid, stir in beans and simmer an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  Serve 1 cup quinoa and bean mixture with 1 cup salsa mixture.


Dinner portion
Nutrition Facts
6 Servings
Amount Per Serving


Calories 268.4
Total Fat 3.0 g
Saturated Fat 0.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.2 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 120.1 mg
Potassium 834.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 53.4 g
Dietary Fiber 10.1 g
Sugars 3.9 g
Protein 11.0 g


Vitamin A 78.4 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 19.6 %
Vitamin C 219.6 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 5.6 %
Calcium 3.7 %
Copper 9.9 %
Folate 14.2 %
Iron 22.5 %
Magnesium 9.5 %
Manganese 19.4 %
Niacin 8.8 %
Pantothenic Acid 6.3 %
Phosphorus 34.6 %
Riboflavin 63.6 %
Selenium 2.1 %
Thiamin 13.3 %
Zinc 3.2 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.


Lunch Portion (1/2 cup each)
Nutrition Facts

12 Servings
Amount Per Serving


Calories 134.2
Total Fat 1.5 g
Saturated Fat 0.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.1 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 60.1 mg
Potassium 417.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 26.7 g
Dietary Fiber 5.1 g
Sugars 1.9 g
Protein 5.5 g