Peanut Butter Banana Pops

Easy nutritious summer treat!  Thanks again to Catherine McCord from weelicous.com for posting this idea! These were so easy to make, full of protein and taste like peanut butter ice cream...YUM.

 
Peanut Butter Banana Pops
Recipe adapted by www.weelicious.com

Ingredients
1/2 cup peanut butter (or any nut butter will do).
1 cup almond milk (or any milk you drink).
2 Tb. honey
1/2 banana chopped

Directions
Whisk together  peanut butter, almond milk, and honey.  Mix in chopped bananas.  Divide mixture into Popsicle molds or Dixie cups with Popsicle sticks. Freeze and enjoy!!

Vegan Hazelnut Muffins

If you have seen my post on nut milk, you will now know what to do with the left over pulp.   Don't let the word "vegan" scare you off please, these are just as good if not better than the conventional muffin.  These muffins are so incredibly moist, not to dense and packed with protein and fiber. There are plenty of variations with them too. I used hazelnuts as I had made hazelnut milk. However, any nut should work just fine I am sure. Try it and let me know how it is!

Hazelnut Muffins
Recipe adapted by www.onegreenplanet.org

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups hazelnut milk pulp
• 1 cup hazelnut milk (or any milk will do)
• 1/4 cup  walnut oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup Sucanat or light brown sugar, not packed
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup  semisweet chocolate chips or raisins (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups  whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tablespoon  baking powder

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Combine pulp, milk, oil, vanilla, Sucanat or sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a blender. Blend until smooth.
3. Combine raisins or chips, flour, and baking powder in a large bowl.
4. Fold wet ingredients into dry, being careful not to over mix.
5. Divide batter into prepared muffin tin.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
7. Let cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before transferring muffins directly onto rack.
8. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 3 days.

Nut Milk

I haven't had a glass of cows milk in at least 10 years. I have no problem eating cheese, yogurt or ice cream, but milk on it's own just grosses me out for some reason. I have a million reasons actually, but I won't share them all with you, I will just tell you that there is a better milk you should be pouring over your cereal in the morning and washing down your cookies with : ) NUT MILK!

I started off with soy milk before I knew better. It tasted fine, but the more I learn about soy, the more I steered away. I then found almond, rice and coconut milk. I made the change. Rice milk has a lot of sugar (not as much as cows milk (13 grams) believe it or not) and doesn't seem to have many nutrients. Coconut milk is so good in many things, but drinking on it's own, it's a little too thick and calorie dense for me, so I made the switch to almond milk. This was a good choice, but most of the store bought brands contain too many ingredients, oils and sugar included. I was a little turned off, so I started to make my own a couple years ago. It's easy, delicious and nutritious!
Here's the recipe:

Nut Milk

2 cups soaked raw almonds (or hazelnuts, peanuts, any nut you want (organic preferred))
5-6 cups water
1 Tb. agave nectar or honey (optional)
1 Tb. vanilla extract (optional, or use almond extract in it's place)
1 Tb. molasses (optional, but it's good for extra iron)
pinch of salt

You can make this without soaking the nuts first, but by soaking you are taking the nut out of it's dormant stage and increase the nutrient benefits and absorption to your body. I feel like you get more milk out it by soaking it as well.

Soak almonds overnight in enough water to fully cover them by an inch or so. Place nuts in blender and add 5-6 cups of water, agave, vanilla, molasses and salt. Blend on high for 2 minutes. Strain through cheese cloth or a nut milk bag and squeeze as much liquid out as possible. Refrigerate and enjoy!

Save the nut pulp as well! I am posting an amazing moist vegan muffin recipe you can use it for! You can also add it to your oatmeal or smoothies, or pie crust, pancakes, etc... So many uses! If you can't use it right away, it's freezable and ready for you when you are ready to use it!

Banana Nutella Bran Muffins

OK, these are the BEST bran muffins you will ever have. Ever. I first discovered Nutella in Ireland while visiting one of my best friends, Suzanne, who was going to grad school in Dublin. Once I had my first bite of Nutella on toast, I died and went to heaven. I don't buy it often because I could sit down and eat a whole jar in a sitting. I haven't actually done this...but I know I could, and that would NOT be good for the waist line. So, when I do buy it, I savor it.

OK, enough about the best stuff that has ever come out of a jar...on to the recipe. As soon as I saw this recipe on line I knew I had to make it.

Banana Nutella Bran Muffins
Recipe by www.bakingbites.com
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup oat bran or quick-cooking oatmeal
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mashed banana (about 2 med.)
6 tbsp Nutella
1 cup buttermilk
additional Nutella for topping

Preheat oven to 375F. Line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, bran (or oatmeal), cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, brown sugar, eggs, mashed banana, Nutella and buttermilk until very smooth, making sure all egg has been well-incorporated. Pour into flour mixture and stir just until no streaks of flour remain.
Divide batter evenly into prepared muffin tin, filling each just about up to the top. If desired, add 1-2 tsp Nutella to each muffin cup and swirl in with a toothpick.
Bake for 13-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed.
Remove muffins from tin and cool on a wire rack before serving. Store in an airtight container when cool.
Serve with additional Nutella.

Toasted Almond Ice Cream

The weather has been pretty hot here for January this year. I happened to have a half pint of organic heavy cream in my fridge that needed a recipe before it expired, so, ice cream was the obvious solution. I get a little creeped out by eggs in my ice cream, so I went Philadelphia style with no eggs. Results: YUM. It would be even better and more decadent with caramel sauce and or chocolate fudge swirl....next time. :)

PS I have to apologize for the lousy pictures. I was holding a baby in my arms who was trying to grab the camera, while it was night time, so the lighting wasn't good AND it was the last of the ice cream that was melting fast....anyway, just know that it tasted WAY better than it looks!

Toasted Almond Ice Cream

1 tsp. unsalted butter
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup 2% milk, chilled
3/4 cup granulated sugar (Iused rapadura)
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Toast almonds in the skillet stirring constantly until toasted brown. Add the salt. Take off the heat and put on a plate to cool.

Heat the milk and sugar over medium low, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool briefly and add the chilled cream, vanilla and almond extract. Combine the ingredients and pour in ice cream maker according to the manufacturers directions. Mine churned for about 30 minutes before it was ready to put into bowls.

PB & J Muffins

I saw this in a new cookbook that Adam got for me this Christmas, and I had to make them for Owen (and myself of course!). They were easy and fun for Owen to help. They have a healthy amount of protein and whole wheat so I don't feel as bad giving them to him to start his day. I am certain these will be a favorite of his while growing up

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light's Way to Cook Vegetarian

1 Cup AP flour

3/4 Cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup rapadura sugar (or any granulated sugar would work)

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 Tb. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/4 Cup milk

1/3 Cup creamy peanut butter (I used chunky, but either is fine)

1 egg

2 Tb butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup fruit preserves (or banana slices would be pretty yummy too, since bananas and PB is one of our favorite household snacks).

Preheat oven to 400

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir with a whisk. Make a well in the center of mixture. Combine the wet ingredients and pour into the well and stir just until moist.

Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each cup half way full. Spoon one teaspoon of jam into each cup. Spoon remaining batter on top to cover jam. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when lightly touched in center. Let cool in pan 5 mins. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

makes 1 dozen

Portobello "Philly Cheese Steaks"

I have had this recipe staring at me for quite a while now. I saw it pop up on my computer today and I thought that it was about time I finally made these. So glad I did! My boys loved them and so did I. I didn't have large portobellos on hand, so I used baby portobellos instead. I am sure any mushroom would work here. I served it with home made spicy oven fries and a side salad. I am stuffed thinking about it all.

Portobello Philly Cheese Steaks
Recipe slightly adapted by Eating Well Magazine

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
4 large portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed, sliced
3-4 cups fresh spinach
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano, or 2 teaspoons dried
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 ounces thinly sliced reduced-fat provolone cheese
4 whole-wheat buns, split and toasted

Preparation
1.Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, spinach, bell pepper, oregano and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are wilted and soft, about 7 minutes.

2.Reduce heat to low; sprinkle the vegetables with flour and stir to coat. Stir in broth and soy sauce; bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, lay cheese slices on top of the vegetables, cover and let stand until melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

3.Divide the mixture into 4 portions with a spatula, leaving the melted cheese layer on top. Scoop a portion onto each toasted bun and serve immediately.