Quickie: Peanut Butter & Cinnamon Greek Yogurt Dip (veg, gf)

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Pretty simple entry- this is a healthy and delicious dip for apples, bananas, and probably anything else you can slather it on. It’s a quick and easy snack you can make a large batch of and keep in the fridge for a fast and filling and high-protein accompaniment to fruit. Here it is!

does a body good

does a body good

PEANUT BUTTER & CINNAMON GREEK YOGURT DIP

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cups fat free Greek yogurt
  • 3 tbsp natural peanut or almond butter
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp- 1 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon (two large dashes)

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DIY Chocolate Brownie Protein Bars (veg, v, gf)

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Hey, all! Disclaimer: I’m pretty much stealing the credit for this, as it was Dave’s project. Couldn’t resist, though, it’s a great recipe!! Dave’s an active guy and puts back a lot of protein, often supplementing and snacking during the day on packaged protein bars. I can’t stand eating those, and I don’t like the idea of the preservatives and binders, etc. that must go into making them.

eat chocolate, get lean

eat chocolate, get lean

I recently started making DIY energy bars, or what I call “bird seed bars,” using a recipe from the Wassner twin’s blog (I’ll post a Quickie on those the next time I make a batch- they’re divine). Anyway, we thought trying a recipe for at-home protein bars would be cost-effective and more nutritious, and our confidence was bolstered coming off of the successful energy bar project. And speaking of being on a bar-making kick, find the paleo lemon bars we made here. Here are the fudgy, tasty protein bars we made! There are about 15 grams of protein per bar, and they can be made vegan with two simple twists.

DIY CHOCOLATE BROWNIE PROTEIN BARS

Adapted from the Fit Bottomed Eats formula 

Ingredients:

  • 1 can low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup almond butter (you can use PB)
  • 1/4 cup pourable honey (brown rice syrup or agave for vegan bars)
  • 1/2 cup natural applesauce
  • 1/4 cup water
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (or use instant coffee)
  • 1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats (gluten-free) or regular oats
  • 2 cups chocolate whey protein powder- use Vega or vegan protein source for vegan bars
  • 1 cup total mixed stir-in options: we used shredded unsweetened coconut, chia seeds, chopped walnuts, and dried cranberries. you could add flax, other chopped nuts, other dried fruits, etc.- use whatever you have hanging around in your cabinets. But not more than a cup total.

Directions:

Easy-peasy throw-in-your-blender recipes… gotta love them. This is one! Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 9×13 pan. Coconut oil on a paper towel worked well for this. In your blender or food processor, puree the black beans, almond butter, honey, applesauce, vanilla or coffee, salt, and water. Scrape down the sides,  if necessary, pureeing until smooth.

the goods

the goods

Add the oats and protein powder and pulse until combined (you may need to stir again). Add your mix-ins and pulse again until combined, stirring if you need to. Spread the batter into the baking dish and bake for 16-20 minutes, until the center is set and firm. Let cool completely and cut into bars (we cut into 12 bars). Keep on the counter for a couple of days, then freeze the leftovers… if there are any. Enjoy! Get your protein on! Look at those muscles…. they’re growing as you read this recipe! Daaang! 

Quickie: Broccoli Slaw, Grilled Bok Choy, and Rice Noodle Salad with Salmon and Avocado (pes, gf)

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We had about an hour to buy and make dinner last night, before my beloved and long-lost husband was shipped out again ahead of a winter storm for work. I felt obligated to fill him with omega-3s and veggies before he left, really laying down HARD the enticing groundwork to get him to come back. I like the guy! Hang out with me and eat delicious dinner salads!  Come back! Here’s what my feminine wiles and I came up with:

salad

BROCCOLI SLAW, GRILLED BOK CHOY, AND RICE NOODLE SALAD WITH SALMON AND AVOCADO

Ingredients:

Lemon-sesame vinaigrette recipe below.

  • 1 bag broccoili slaw (we bought our ingredients at Whole Foods; their version is julienned broccoli, carrots, and red cabbage)
  • 1-lb salmon plank
  • 1 1/2 tsp jerk seasoning or other all-purpose seasoning or 1 tsp soy sauce mixed with 1 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp honey (no need to add this if you used soy sauce)
  • 1 bunch green onions, sliced and a few inches of green tops discarded
  • 3 oz cooked or uncooked vermicelli rice noodles (you could instead use 1.5 cups of cooked brown rice)
  • handful shredded carrot, optional
  • 1 head bok choy, washed and root cut off
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • sesame oil  

Directions:

Disclaimers: This is mostly a quickie entry because I was cooking like the wind and neglected to take any step-by-step photos. So this is where your spectacular imagination comes in!! Really. Right now. Another note- I labeled this a vegetarian entry because the salmon could easily be left out or replaced with tofu or edamame.  Here’s what we’re doing: MAKE NOODLES, MAKE SALMON, TOSS VEGGIES, DRESS AND SERVE. Let’s get started.

Boil water and cook rice noodles according to package directions. Rinse and pat salmon dry. Top salmon with 1 tsp honey and sprinkle with jerk seasoning; set aside. Drizzle or brush the bok choy leaves with a small amount of sesame oil. Heat a well-oiled grill pan or saute pan over medium-high. Once hot, grill or wilt the bok choy leaves about two minutes per side. Remove to a cutting board and cut into pieces. Alternately, you could cut and saute in a saute pan for 3-4 minutes.

Turn the heat in the grill pan down to medium. When it has cooled a bit, place salmon in pan skin-side down and cook for 5-6 before flipping. Since you have a few minutes now, you can whip up and dress the salad base. Toss the broccoli slaw, green onions, carrots if you’re using them, cooked noodles or rice, and bok choy in a large bowl. Drizzle with your dressing of choice and toss. Set aside.

When the salmon is done, serve dressed salad in bowls and top with the lovely fish. Garnish with a few slices of avocado. This would be great with: cilantro, other salad greens, chicken, well-marinated flank steak, bean sprouts, more red cabbage or green cabbage… the list goes on and on. Just use what you have in the fridge. It will all work. This is man-hooking salad!

LEMON SESAME VINAIGRETTE: 2 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp sesame seeds, juice of 1 lemon, pinch of kosher salt, 1 tsp honey. Whisk together. Drizzle in olive oil as desired until emulsified. De. Lish.

Phototastic Travel Post: Mangú (Dominican Mashed Plantains) (v, gf)

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In October of last year, Dave and I traveled to Santo Domingo for a few days to see my amazing cousin Michelle marry the love of her life, Arturo. Stick with me here- I’ll get to food, I promise. The wedding was beautiful and we were treated like royalty by my beloved aunt, who I call Tata. Staying with Tata is unlike staying in a hotel- not only are the food and surroundings better, everything she touches is filled with unconditional love, in the way only Tata can do.

Tata's impeccable mangú

Tata’s impeccable mangú breakfast

Dominican hospitality is like nothing I’ve experienced anywhere else- friends and family members greet their company with freshly squeezed tropical fruit juices, presented on silver coasters and handmade lace doilies. There is no pointing to the cabinet of glasses, no “help yourself,” the way there is in the Cruse household (sorry, Tata). The details Dominican hostesses remember about their guests are uncanny and never forgotten- my husband, who loves desserts, was bombarded with cake and ice cream the last time we were down after only being rumored [online and a thousand miles away] to be a dessert fiend. Which is a spot-on assessment. Tata remembered from years ago that I like brown sugar more than white, and lovingly made me strong, Dominican coffee each morning with a beautiful little bowl of brown sugar next to it. Dave likes tea more than coffee, and Tata graciously made it for him each morning, served on a small silver, doily-covered tray next to my coffee. If I am someday as effortlessly gracious a hostess as Tata is, I’ll be forever happy:

coffee

One of my favorite Dominican breakfast dishes, mangú, is part of the classic, hearty, Dominican farmer’s breakfast that also includes fried cheese or salami, avocado,  and sunny-side up eggs. It’s heavy, but man… it’s GOOD.

After watching Tata make mangú a few times and finding an international grocery store in Saint Louis that sells green plantains, I started making it at home. Plantains are a nutrient-dense, starchy food that look like bananas but aren’t sweet (though they can be, if ripe, and when prepared other ways). They’re comparable to a very tasty potato, so don’t be misled by their banana-like shape. When not paired with salami or cheese, this is a very healthy breakfast dish.

MANGU

Ingredients:

  •  2-3 green plantains, unripe, peeled and cut into chunks
  • salt
  • olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, halved
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • a few rings of red onion, sliced
  • boiling, salted water, 1 cup reserved
  • avocado, sliced (optional)

Directions:

The easiest way to peel and chop the plantains, I find, is to cut slits down the sides of the peel lengthwise, and remove the peel from the ends. You may want to wet your hands while peeling if you don’t like starchy digits. Cut the plantains into chunks and toss them, along with the garlic clove, into the boiling, salted water. Boil until very tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the vinegar in a small saucepan and add the red onion, cooking until fragrant and tender. These are a traditional mangú topping, but are optional. But, come on, you’ve already purchased unripe plantains from your local international grocery store, you may as well go whole-hog…

cooking, cooking away

cooking, cooking away

When they’re very tender, remove  the plantains and garlic to a large mixing bowl and add 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid, 2 tbsp olive oil, and the teaspoon of kosher salt. Mash!! You can do this with a potato masher or a fork- I prefer a fork. If you’d like, you could also toss the mixture into your food processor in lieu of mashing. Now, here’s where your chef’s intuition comes in- depending on the size of the plantains you used and the consistency you like, add more cooking liquid by the 1/4 cup and olive oil by the tablespoon. I add a few more tablespoons of water and 1-2 more of olive oil. Taste as you go. You’ll notice that Tata’s mangu was thicker than mine- it’s all about preference.

And your taste-testing abilities will now be rewarded…. YOU MAY EAT!! Put the mangú in a serving bowl, top with onions (strained from vinegar) and serve! I really enjoy this dish with sliced avocado and a fried egg on top. Makes a great and complete breakfast or lunch. Just don’t take it personally when you get the side-eyes from your coworkers as they eat their canned soup.

this earned me a few confused lunchtime stares

this earned me more than a few confused lunchtime stares

If you’re reading this on a wintry, January day, which is the kind of day I’m writing on, enjoy these photos of Tata’s kitchen and amazing tropical produce and some shots of the city… ah, the comforts of home-away-from home:

view of Zona Colonial as you leave the city

view of Zona Colonial as you leave the city

DADS HOUSE

the row home where my Dad grew up

cocina dominicana 1 cocina dominicana 2

Paleo Lemon Bars… sugar & gluten-free lemony goodness! (gf)

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Hey, all! We’ve been cooking a TON over the past few months, and I have been horrible and terrible and not posted ANY of it! So, so bad and so selfishly full of good food, I am. I managed to snap a few pics of these amazing paleo lemon bars we made this weekend (actually, Dave did the work on these, I was just the happy chow hound), so here we go…

looks like a lemon bar... tastes like a lemon bar...

looks like a lemon bar… tastes like a lemon bar…

We don’t follow a paleo diet but we do enjoy sweets and I try to avoid gluten. These lemon bars seemed like a good compromise, and they turned out really well! I was surprised at how well they set up in the oven, and how tasty the crust was. The recipe also calls for 11 (eleven!?!*) eggs, so if you need another rationalizing point before you make a pan, they’re high-protein. A bit of honey replaces the traditional white sugar in the filling and crust, and coconut flour, almond meal, and coconut oil replace the flour.

DISCLAIMER: eat and store this dessert at room temperature. I refrigerated a single portion to bring with me to work today, and the texture was mushy. Eat. And store. At room temp. That is all.

Happy baking, and let me know what you think!

PALEO LEMON BARS

Adapted from The Primal Home

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup almond meal: just grind up a cup of almonds in a blender until they form a flour
  • 1 cup coconut flour (we used Bob’s Red Mill, available at most grocery stores- check the gluten-free and baking sections)
  • 1/2  tsp freshly grated nutmeg or 1 tsp dried
  • 1 tbsp honey + 1/2 cup honey– try raw honey. In addition to the health benefits raw honey provides, it’s easy to find; Archer Farms has a wildflower version that’s easy to pour and available at Target, and Whole Foods offers at least 3 kinds.
  • 3 eggs + 8 eggs
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1/3 cup coconut milk
  • juice from 6 lemons, strained for seeds
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup or more unsweetened shredded coconut to top

Directions:

This is a mix and dump recipe- first, the crust ingredients, then the filling. So simple. Preheat your oven to 350 and grease an 11×7 inch cake or baking pan with coconut oil. We used a slightly smaller Corningware dish and the recipe turned out just fine.

CRUST: In a large bowl, mix the almond meal, coconut flour, nutmeg, 1 tbsp honey, 3 eggs, coconut oil, and coconut milk. Combine completely and press into the bottom of the pan:

follow the fork marks

follow the fork marks

FILLING: then, in another large bowl (or the same one, cleaned out, if you’re dish-saving freaks like we are), combine the lemon juice, remaining 8 eggs, vanilla, and 1/2 cup honey. Whisk of this together well and pour over the crust, like so:

filling poured over the crust

filling poured over the crust

Then toss into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bars comes out clean, and the topping is firm and fully cooked. Top with the shredded coconut, let cool, and serve, relatively guilt-free!

all done, cooling and topped with coconut!

all done, cooling and topped with coconut!

 

*

All Hail the Sweet Potato!

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With all of the Thanksgiving-themed lists of pie recipes, variations of green bean casserole, and turkey tips/methods/instructions/hotlines(!) we’re bombarded with this time of year, I was thrilled to see Mark Bittman, with his front-and-center positioning in the world of food blogging, writing about the humble, beloved, and often overlooked: sweet potato! And published the day before Thanksgiving, no less!

I will sing the praises of the sweet potato every chance I get. You’d be hard-pressed to find a vegetable bursting with more nutrients, that can be prepared in so many different ways, from breakfast to dinner to dessert, and from sweet to savory to spicy. And for CHEAP.  Take a look at what Mark has to say about them here– and try a departure from their traditional baked or casserole preparations.

Since I’m not technically posting a recipe, I’ll link back to a few from the a!g archives:

I’ll also type the word LOVE. Love, love, love. I love them, and they love me back.

From the Mark Bittman piece- simple, glorious sweet potatoes:

All hail!

Spicy Peanut Noodles with Shrimp (pes, gf)

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I am so excited to share this recipe!! The photos I took are few, due to my hurry to get on with the process and eat already! This was nutritious, unbelievably tasty, and reheated really well. The sauce is a no-cook sauce that’s whipped up in a food processor and poured over hot noodles before serving. Simply put, this recipe is a stellar example of the so many dishes I like. Let’s do some math, shall we?

whole grain + lean protein + veggies + spicy, exotic sauce+ cilantro and/or scallions = yumyumlove&happiness.

Everything you need in a meal in one pot, great for leftovers. Can it be topped with Sriracha? Yes. And avocado? Yes. FANTASTIC. Leave the shrimp out for a vegetarian or side dish; leave the crushed red pepper out for a mild one. Here you go:

a familiar sight in the Cruse household

SPICY PEANUT NOODLES WITH SHRIMP

Sauce adapted from Food & Wine 

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)
  • 1 box brown rice or whole wheat linguine
  • 1 onion, sliced into thin half-moons 
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • 3/4 cup natural peanut butter, chunky or smooth
  • 6 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar (available in the Asian foods section of most grocery stores)
  • 6 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1/4 cup pasta cooking water, reserved
  • 2 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 2-3 inch piece of ginger, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped, or 1 tsp garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1/2 bunch scallions, sliced
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
  • Sriracha and sliced avocado, for serving (optional, but why not?)

Directions:

Cook the noodles according to package directions, drain, and set aside, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. In the same pot (yessss!), heat the canola oil over medium-high. Add the onion and carrots, stirring to cook for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and stir frequently until it’s no longer pink. If you used previously frozen shrimp, the mixture may need to be drained.

Guess what? You’re almost done!! Toss all of the sauce ingredients into a blender: peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, water, crushed red pepper, garlic, and ginger pieces. Blend until smooth, about one minute.

blended

Add the pasta back into the large pot with the veggies and shrimp and pour the sauce on top. Add the sesame seeds (you may toast if you like, I was lazy and trying to eat) and gentlytoss to combine and fully coat the noodles and toppings. Top with cilantro and scallions, serve with Sriracha, and enjoy!

This is how I feel when I eat noodle bowls:

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes with Chopped Almond Syrup (Best. Weekend. EVER., pt. deux) (v)

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The morning before I made the  delicious migas, we worked up big appetites with a nice long swim at the Y, which consisted a slow and steady swim for me, with glimpses out of the corner of my goggles of Dave passing me back and forth for a solid hour, like something out of shark week. He was going so fast, I thought he was going to swim up and body slam me or thrown me in the air like an orca with a baby seal. Didn’t happen (WHEW… chalk one up for team seal).

ermahgerd

Anyway, we swam a lot and were hongray when we got back. What to make? Uh, how about every breakfast item we could name? There was a “you bought healthy bacon?” debacle recently (grounds, so the menu definitely included full-fat, old-school bacon, scrambled eggs, and biscuits along with the pumpkin pancakes (which are pretty healthy). Here’s what I came up with, and this recipe includes a basic homemade pancake mix you can keep on hand*:

WHOLE WHEAT PUMPKIN PANCAKES WITH CHOPPED ALMOND SYRUP

Ingredients:

  • 1 recipe whole wheat oatmeal pancake mix: 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup ground oatmeal, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 can Libby’s pumpkin
  • 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 cup soy or skim milk
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar-free syrup
  • 1/2 cup chopped almonds
  • canola oil

Directions:

Mix everything in a bowl. Woo hoo! Easy peasy. Everything except canola oil, of course, but you didn’t do that, did you? You knew better. I knew you would! Add milk in third-cup increments, blending well each time.

first side…

Heat a nonstick skillet just under medium heat and add 1 tbsp canola oil per batch of pancakes. These do best when the batter’s a bit thin and the skillet is hot- the pumpkin is so dense it impedes the cooking process with a lower heat or thicker batter. Using a 1/3 c measuring cup as your guide, scoop three servings of batter into the hot pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes on the first side, or until bubbles form in the batter and the edges appear set. Flip and cook the other side another 2 minutes, then remove to a paper-towel lined plate.

flipped!

Pour the syrup of your choice and the chopped almonds into a microwave-safe creamer or small pitcher for serving. Microwave for 45 seconds and serve with the pancakes. These are mm-mm good, especially with real bacon.

*First, a note on the pancake mix. I keep this pre-mixed in a canister at home, about 4 batches worth. It’s really great to have on the weekends. To make pancakes from the dry mix recipe above (which was inspired by this FitSugar recipe), scoop 1-2 cups mix into a bowl, add an egg, 1 tablespoon of something sweet (honey’s a good option), and a cup of milk or more, depending on your taste. Some variations we’ve enjoyed: replace part of the mix with a scoop of vanilla protein powder, add berries, peanut butter, nuts, strawberries, or bananas. Good stuff!