A couple of months ago, I was wandering through the Thomas Dux (for my Minneapolis friends, think Kowalski’s) across the street and came across a jar of Loving Earth Coconut Nectar.  I’ve not seen or heard of this before, so I bought it and decided that I’d figure out what to do with it later.

And then it sat in my cabinet until yesterday morning, when I had a craving for a berry loaded muffin.  I wanted my muffin to be healthy and amazing, not one of those weigh you down but enjoy every bite muffins that you purchase at the coffee shop.  So I set to work creating a muffin, using my coconut nectar and the frozen mixed berries in my freezer, attempting to use the healthiest ingredients in my pantry only.  I think I pretty much nailed it.

Mixed Berry Muffins

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract (because I love vanilla!)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup coconut nectar
• 1/2 cup skim milk (Normally, I’d use coconut milk, but I’m out)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries

Heat oven to 350F (200C).  (As I do not own a microwave, I melted my coconut oil by placing it in a small dish and letting it melt in the oven as it preheated.)

Whisk/Sift together all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.  Add mashed banana.

Beat the egg, and then add remaining liquids and whisk together.  Slowly add liquids to dry ingredients, stirring as you go.

If you mind, chop your frozen berries to a consistent size; if you don’t mind, then don’t.  Stir into your batter.  Divide amongst 12 silicon baking cups, and bake for 22 – 26 minutes, until tops are golden brown and firm when tapped.  Toothpick inserted should come out clean, but it’s sometimes hard to tell because of all the berry goodness inside.

These are amazing fresh from the oven, or the next morning.  We’ve had them for breakfast today and yesterday.  Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

YUM! ENJOY!

So I started googling different ways to eat quinoa and was intrigued by porridge made of quinoa.  Bonus: The fiancé and I don’t eat the same things for breakfast anyway!

Quinoa Porridge

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp ground flax
• 1/2 tsp double strength vanilla
• 1/4 tsp cardamom
• 1/2 tbsp raw honey
• 1 cup frozen cherries
• unsweetened shredded coconut for sprinkling

Add quinoa, coconut milk, water, flax, vanilla, cardamom and honey to medium sauce pan.  Bring to boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium.  Boil for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.  Add frozen cherries and boil for 5 additional minutes.  Serve topped with shredded coconut – yum!

makes 4 servings

I put my remaining 3 servings in jars in the refrigerator and intend to eat them cold in the coming mornings.

As a side note, I made the fiancé try this – he still hates quinoa.  Bummer.

I always enjoy a variety of vegetables with my alfredo, so I dug through my refrigerator and found some for roasting and some for steaming.

• 1/2 head cauliflower
• 1 cup broccoli
• 1 cup pea pods
• 8 mushrooms
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• 8 oz whole wheat fettucine
• parmesan cheese

Begin by preheating the broiler and covering a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Cut the pepper in half and place face down on the baking sheet; slice the onion and mushrooms and place on baking sheet.  Roast under the broiler until the skin of the pepper blackens.

While the pepper, mushrooms and onions are roasting, cut and clean 1/2 head of cauliflower.  Just cover with water; bring to a rapid boil for 15 minutes.  I intentionally overcooked the cauliflower a bit, to make sure it was very soft.

Meanwhile, cut broccoli and pea pods to desired size.  Place in steamer basket and steam for 8 – 10 minutes, until tender.

Prepare fettuccine per package directions.  Drain cauliflower, saving 1 cup of starchy water.  Place cauliflower in blender or food processor, I used my ninja.  Add butter and milk; blend until smooth and creamy, adding starchy cauliflower water until desired texture is achieved.  I used approximately 2/3 cup of the water.

Mix pasta and alfredo sauce.  Serve with parmesan cheese, steamed and roasted vegetables.

I was surprised by how similar to alfredo sauce this cauliflower sauce truly was!  The texture was spot on and we could hardly taste the cauliflower.  We will definitely be making this again.

I’m pretty sure “Let’s get crazy with cauliflower!” is about to become a theme in this household.

• 1/2 butternut squash
• 1/2 cup wild rice
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp tarragon
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 laughing cow cheese light wedges

Preheat oven to 400.  Peel and remove seeds from 1/2 of a butternut squash; cut into 1 inch cubes.  Spread squash in a single layer on baking sheet and roast for 40-ish minutes, until it begins to brown.  I recommend covering the pan in aluminum foil and a small amount of cooking spray to prevent it from sticking.

While squash is roasting, cook wild rice.  You can cook according to package instructions, but I prefer to boil like pasta for 50-ish minutes and then drain off excess water.  This creates a fluffier rice.

Meanwhile, heat vegetable broth in large skillet to boiling; add chopped onion, garlic, salt, pepper and tarragon.  Boil rapidly for 10 minutes until onion is tender.  Add squash and rice; continue to cook until broth is roughly 50% absorbed/boiled off.

Lastly, add the 4 laughing cow cheese light wedges and cook until melted and well blended.

This made 4 delicious servings at only 5 Weight Watchers Plus per serving.  This recipe is fiancé approved!

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion. chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 14 oz bag of frozen peas

Sauté onions & garlic in olive oil, salt & pepper over medium-high heat until golden.  Add vegetable broth, bring to a soft boil.  Add frozen peas and boil until warm.  Blend until smooth and voila lunch is prepared while you dry your hair.

Peanut Butter

• 1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts
• 1 tbsp raw honey
• 1 tsp salt

Straight off, this has got to be better than store bought peanut butter, because there is no added oil.  Anyhow, I started by putting these ingredients in my food processor.  Actually, I started by trying to use the food processor attachment to my immersion blender.  When that started to overheat, I moved it to my Ninja.  When that started to overheat, I tossed what I was working on and went to bed.  That was about 3AM this morning.  When I woke up, I was obsessed with peanut butter, so I put everything in my Kitchen Aid Food Processor and nailed it.

The peanut butter goes through several states as it is processing. First, a thick, crumbly paste:

As it becomes smoother, it balls up:

Finally, it smoothes out and and becomes a thick tasty peanut butter.

I had the fiancé try it – he approved.  I could eat it by the spoonful.  This made about a cup of peanut butter.

Next, I wanted to figure out how to make a “better for me” peanut butter.  Years ago, a friend of mine went on one of those health retreats.  When she came back, she said that the peanut butter they served at breakfast had carrots in it and she couldn’t even tell.  I started digging around online for a recipe.  I could not find one, so I made up my own.

Carrot Peanut Butter

• 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup steamed carrots
• 1 tbsp raw honey
• 1 tsp salt

Again, put everything in the food processor and let her rip.

This recipe processed much more quickly.  First, we had the crumbly pasty phase.

It skipped the ball phase and went straight to the perfect creamy peanut butter phase.

I had the fiancé try this one too.  He asked if I spiced it differently, but would never have guessed that I added carrots.  Had I told him prior to his tasting, he would have been prejudice against it, but since I did not he enjoyed it.

This made about 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter.

To me the primary difference is in color.  The carrot version is a bit on the orange side, but that is really the only evidence of carrot.

For my Weight Watchers friends: Store Bought Creamy Peanut Butter is 3 points plus per tablespoon, my regular peanut butter above is 2 points plus per tablespoon and my carrot peanut butter is 1 point plus per tablespoon.

BOOM!  Better for me peanut butter!

I was so fascinated by this simple recipe, that I decided to give up vegan and go for gluten free only.  I replaced the egg with a fat free egg substitute to make it a bit healthier.  As these were baking I was pretty sure it was working, but when I took them out of the oven and tried to remove them from the pan I realized that they had not worked.  They pretty much had the same texture as the flaxseed version pictured above: slimy and uncooked.

Fail #2.  I may have thrown a little temper tantrum in my kitchen.

Then I decided to go back to vegan and call it quits on gluten free because it was obviously not working for me.

I have a bag of whole wheat flour in my cabinet, so I googled “vegan whole wheat pancakes.”  I was still mad at the flaxseed meal and hung up on bananas, so I modified this Whole Wheat Pancake recipe to fit the ingredients in my pantry.

Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes

• 1 banana
• 1 and 1/4 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Mash the banana to a puree.  Add coconut milk and honey; mix well.  Add flour, baking powder and salt; mix until smooth.  Heat electric skillet or nonstick pan to medium high heat.  Pour batter onto hot pan; cook until bubbly before flipping.  Cook until golden brown.  Makes 6 standard sized pancakes and two dog sized pancakes. (6 Weight Watchers Points Plus for 2 Pancakes)  I served with Strawberry Puree.

Strawberry Puree

• 1 and 1/2 cups frozen strawberries (unsweetened)
• 1 tbsp Truvia Baking Blend
• 1/4 cup water

Thaw strawberries.  Place in food processor and puree – I used my Ninja!  Move from food processor to small sauce pan; add Truvia and water.  Bring to soft boil and then remove from heat.  It will be a think sauce, so if you prefer a more syrupy consistency add more water.  Makes 2 healthy servings. (2 Weight Watchers Points Plus for half of the puree)

Despite the earlier failures, we ended up thoroughly enjoying our pancakes.  So did our furry friends:)

Rice Noodle Noodle Stir Fry (serves 2 generously)

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 3 cherry bombs, minced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 yellow squash, diced
• 1 crown broccoli
• 1 cup kale, stems removed
• 4 oz brown rice noodles
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 3 oz tofu, in half inch cubes

I am quite particular about fried tofu.  I think it should be a beautiful golden brown color, perfectly crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside.  Because of this, I pan fried the tofu before beginning the stir fry.  To do this, heat the olive oil in the wok on high heat.  Add the tofu and toss periodically until golden brown.  This will take about 5 – 7 minutes.  I separated my tofu into 3 batches to alleviate overcrowding in the pan.  

Next, I prepared the brown rice noodles.  The package said to use water, but I was looking for flavor in my noodles, so I warmed 1 quart of vegetable broth to a soft boil and then added the noodles.  I did not boil the noodles because I was also planning to stir fry them.  Instead I turned the burner off and let them soak in the warm broth for 10 minutes.

I did not throw out the oil I used for pan frying the tofu, instead I kept it warm to use in my stir fry.  First, add the soy sauce, red pepper flakes and black pepper and bring to medium high heat.  Add the cherry bombs, onion and garlic; cook until fragrant.  Then add the yellow squash and broccoli and cook until crisp tender.  Add the kale and cook until wilted.  Finally, add the pan fried tofu and the rice noodles.  Toss together until evenly mixed and coated in stir fry sauce.  You could add a bit of the vegetable broth if the noodle stir fry is too dry or too spicy for your liking.

This recipe was a bit milder than I was expecting; on a scale of 1 -4 (4 being the spiciest), I’d call this one a 2.  For a spicier version, add more red pepper flakes or cherry bombs.  Overall, I’d call it a success!

PS – we had leftovers, but weren’t particularly hungry because I brought Sweet Martha’s Cookies home from the State Fair….

• 2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh pineapple juice
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 4 cherry bombs, halved and deseeded
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 cup green peppers
• 6 brussels sprouts
• 1/2 small yellow squash
• 1 small bunch of bok choy
• 4 oz diced pineapple

Heat vinegar, oil, juice, soy sauce and sugar in wok over medium high heat.  Add garlic, onion and cherry bombs; cook until fragrant. Add peppers and brussels sprouts; cook 5 minutes.  Add squash; cook several minutes until nearly tender.  Add bok choy and pineapple; cook until bok choy leaves wilt.  Serve over brown rice.

This recipe is much milder than the Spicy Stir Fry; if you are looking for more heat, add a few more cherry bombs or some red pepper flakes to the sauce.

While we were out shopping for a new dog kennel, I remembered that on a recent trip to the new downtown Lund’s, I came across and purchased Barilla Veggie Penne.  With this, I rushed home to dig through my refrigerator and form the dinner plan.  After much contemplation and a glass of Chateau St. Michelle Pinot Gris, I settled on Pear Tomatoes, Kale, Chickpeas and Cherry Bombs.  Yes, I am still fixated on the Cherry Bombs.

Penne with Kale, Chickpeas and Pear Tomatoes (serves 2 generously)

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp garlic, diced
• 2 cherry bombs, diced
• 4 cups kale, stems removed
• 2 cups pear tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/2 cup chickpeas, prepared if dried, drained if canned
• 4 oz Barilla Veggie Penne

Prepare Penne according to package directions.  Heat olive oil over medium-high heat; add salt, pepper, garlic and cherry bombs; cook roughly 2 minutes, until garlic is fragrant.  Add kale; cook 5 minutes, until kale is bright green and wilted.  Add chickpeas and tomatoes, cook just until warm.  Toss in penne.

I served this dish with Rosemary Olive Oil Ciabatta that I picked up at the Take-n-Bake bread counter at Kowalski’s.

Don’t even act like you’re not impressed.