Oatmeal, Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Cookies.

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Okay no cookie is perfectly healthy, right?  Well these are pretty close.  Protein-packed with some added fiber.  You can’t go wrong!

Ingredients:

1 c of peanut butter (I used organic crunchy)
1 c of light brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 c of whole wheat flour
1/2 old fashioned oats
1 tsp of baking soda
2 tsp of golden flax seed meal
1/3 c of dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In your stand mixer, combine the peanut butter (or whatever nut butter you wish to use) and brown sugar.  Mix well for about 2 minutes or so. Then add the eggs, one at a time.  Once blended, add the flour, oats, baking soda,  and flax seed meal.  Avoid over mixing.  Then add the chocolate chips and blend by hand.

With a mini scoop, drop the dough balls onto your cookie sheet leaving enough room in between for the cookies to spread out.  Bake for 14 minutes or so or until golden brown.  I started checking them around the 12 minute mark.

Enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef over brown rice.

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We don’t eat a lot of red meat but wow this is such a great recipe.  I found it in my old archives of recipes & so glad I did.  Super easy, economical dinner that turns into fabulousness via the slow cooker.  Perfect for a busy family.

Ingredients:

2 lb flank steak
1/4 c of cornstarch
1/2 c of low sodium soy sauce
1/4 of good drinking quality white wine
1/2 tbl white wine vinegar
1 tsp of sesame oil
1 tsp of molasses
2 tsp of grated ginger
1/4 c of onion, diced
1/4 tsp of freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes
3 heaping tbl of brown sugar
1 tsp of nut butter (I used organic almond butter)
5 cloves garlic, minced
5 spring onions, chopped
Sesame seeds, toasted, for topping
Dried parsley, topping

Directions:

Slice the meat (with the grain) into thin strips and then coat with the cornstarch.  Add the ingredients from soy sauce through spring onions.  Mix well.  Turn the slow cooker on low and add the meat.  Toss and cover.  Cook for 6-8 hours on low.

I served this over brown rice.  Then topped the meat with toasted sesame seeds and some dried parsley.

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Lemon Ginger Tea Muffins (with Chobani yogurt).

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This recipe is a culmination of many favorite ingredients.  It makes the perfect breakfast or snack.  With the wonderful addition of Chobani yogurt, these little muffins are not only moist but super protein-packed.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c of all purpose, unbleached flour
1/2 c of light brown sugar
1 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of baking soda
1/4 tsp of salt
2 tea bags of lemon ginger tea (or whatever flavor tea you wish to use or have on hand), opened
1 c of Chobani plain, non fat yogurt
1/4 c of melted butter, at room temperature
2 tsp of vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice from 1 lemon
1 egg, room temperature
Cooking spray (with flour)
1/3 c of pistachios, shelled and chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray your mini muffin or muffin pan with a non stick baking spray with flour and set aside.

In your mixing bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, baking soda/powder and salt.  Whisk to combine.  Then add the contents of the tea packets.  Then in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the Chobani, butter, vanilla, lemon zest & juice, and egg.  Add the dry ingredients in thirds to the wet mixture.  Combine until blended only.  AVOID over mixing.  Spoon the mixture into your prepared muffin pan.  Then top each muffin with the chopped pistachios.  Bake for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

OPTIONAL:  You can top these with icing, I didn’t this time.  Here is a wonderful universal icing recipe that works well with these:

1/2 c of confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbl water

Mix to combine and then drizzle on cooled muffins.

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Homemade chicken broth in the slow cooker.

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Last evening my husband make a lovely roasted Rosemary chicken.  I knew today’s weather was going to be quite chilly & knowing how much my family loves chicken noodle soup… I decided to make some homemade broth in my slow cooker overnight.  Homemade broth is incredibly tasty and you control the spices/salt etc.

Ingredients:

1 carcass of a chicken roaster
5 carrots, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of fresh Rosemary (or 2 tsp of dried)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of whole peppercorns
2 cloves of garlic (cut in half)
Water

Directions:

Turn your slow cooker on low and place the carcass in the cooking vessel.  Cover with cold water.  Then add the remaining ingredients.  Cook overnight and in the morning strain the broth (into a tupperware container) discarding the bones, seasonings and vegetables.  Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours.  I then skim off any fat that has congealed at the top and then I either freeze or use immediately – like I’m doing today for chicken noodle soup.

 

 

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Pumpkin almond baked oatmeal.

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I love baked oatmeal and with our chilly morning today – it was perfect!  Super easy to make and you can top it with honey, agave, maple syrup or almond milk.  Customize it and make it your very own :)

Ingredients:

14 oz of canned pumpkin
2 c of water
2 c of almond milk (vanilla flavored but regular low fat milk will work)
1 tsp of vanilla extract
2 tsp of ground cinnamon
1.5 tsp baking powder
2 tbl of brown sugar (you can add an additional 1 tbl if you like it sweeter)
1/4 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice
1/4 c of slivered toasted almonds (you can substitute for your favorite nuts)
4 c of old fashioned oats

Optional:  add cut up apples, dried fruit, grated ginger.  Whatever your family enjoys.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spray non stick spray in a 13×9 glass pan or 8×8 glass pan (this will yield a thicker piece of baked oatmeal, which is what I did).  Blend the pumpkin, water, milk and vanilla together then add the remaining ingredients. Whisk until completely blended.  It should have a thicker oatmeal texture.  Pour into the pan and bake for 45 minutes or until it feels spongy when you press your finger on the top.

Serve piping hot and top with fruit, maple syrup, agave, honey, my daughter threw some mini chocolate chips on her’s this morning.  Skies the limit!

 

 

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Chobani Guacamole.

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We love taco night in our house.  Plus, it’s my go-to quick dinner that I know everyone will gobble up.  Tonight my kids had swim practice & my father & I have been tirelessly working on our backyard construction project/re-do.  Finally today, it’s taking shape!  Can’t wait for it to be done & for our parties to start!

This recipe is super easy, adjustable to your taste and protein-packed.  Plus with the crazy price of avocados, it extends them a bit by adding the Chobani.

Ingredients:

3 cloves of garlic
1 jalapeño, seeded (if you don’t like it spicy, leave the seeds in if you do)
3 avocados, pitted and the inside scooped out
2 tbl of lime juice
1/4 c of Chobani non fat plain yogurt
1 handful of cilantro leaves, washed
1 tbl ground cumin
1/2 – 1 tsp of cayenne pepper depending on how spicy you like it.  (omit if you don’t like it spicy)
1 tsp of salt (adjust this per taste)

Directions:  In your food processor blend the garlic and jalapeño until finely minced.  Then add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.  Adjust the spices to your liking.  Serve immediately.

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Lemon Chobani Poppy Seed Muffins.

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I needed a pick-me-up today and I knew these would do the trick!  Light and lemony and my favorite thing of all time — Chobani!  These are delectable!

Ingredients:

2 c of unbleached, all purpose flour
1/2 c + 1 tbl of sugar
2 tbl of poppy seeds
2 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of baking soda
3/4 tsp of salt
3 tbl of grated lemon zest
2 eggs
6 oz of lemon Chobani (single serving cup)
8 tbl of melted, cooled butter
1/2 c of fresh lemon juice
2 tsp of vanilla extract (or 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp lemon extract)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, blend all of your dry ingredients with a spoon (flour through zest).  Then in your stand mixer, paddle attachment on, blend all of your wet ingredients.  Once incorporated, slowly add the dry ingredients 1/3rd at a time.  Avoid over mixing.

I did these in a mini muffin pan for 15 minutes.  A regular sized muffin pan would take about 18 minutes or so.  Remove when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

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Sweet & spicy dry rub pork tenderloin.

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Get your grills fired up!  It’s officially bar-b-quing season, especially with these balmy temperatures.  This sweet & spicy pork is great for a weeknight dinner option or for a party.

Dry Rub Ingredients:

1 tbl kosher salt
2 tbl of brown sugar
1 tbl chili powder
1 tbl of smoked paprika
3/4 tbl of garlic powder
1 tsp of dried tarragon
1/2 tsp of onion powder
1 tsp of rosemary
1 tsp of dried thyme
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a ziploc baggie or bowl.  Then add the meat of your choice.  I used it on two pork tenderloins.  I then refrigerated the rubbed meat for 4 hours and then grilled on a gas grill until it reached 145 degrees for an internal temperature. Remove from the heat and tent with foil for 10 minutes.  The temperature will continue to rise a bit.  Slice and serve.

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Veggie & black bean salad. Vegetarian.

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My vegetarian friend Brooke, made me a salad similar to this years ago and over the years I’ve revamped it and made it my own.  I can honestly down this entire, very large, container in one sitting if I needed to.  I did help myself to 3, yes 3, helpings at dinner.  Consider I only ate watermelon for lunch, that would explain my voracious appetite :)

Ingredients:

1 – 15 oz can of organic black or adzuki beans
2 c of fresh corn or frozen
2 c of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red pepper, chopped
1 orange pepper, chopped (color of the pepper may vary)
1/2 c of a red onion, diced
2 jalapeño, chopped finely
1/3 c of fresh lime juice
1/4 c of olive oil
1/4 c cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tsp of salt
3/4 tsp of ground cumin (if you don’t like cumin as much as I do, use 1/4 or 1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp of ground black pepper

Directions:

Combine in a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours to let the flavors mingle.  You can serve this as a side dish, with tortilla chips at a party or just with a big spoon!  YUM!

The aftermath.

 

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Sun tea.

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Today was an undeniable taste of summer… 89 degrees and very sunny.  This to me meant brewing some yummy sun tea on my patio table.  This recipe is very versatile and works well with whatever tea (in bags) that you prefer.

Ingredients:

1 gallon of fresh purified water
8 -10 tea bags (I used Tazo Refresh – which is a mint tea that is caffeine-free.)
12 mint leaves (fresh from my garden)
1/4 c of sugar
1/4 c of water

Directions:

Fill your glass vessel with the water, tea bags and mint leaves, if using them.  Place it in a sunny spot for 6+ hours.

On the stove top, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil.  Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved into the water and remove from the heat.  Let cool.

Once you bring the tea in, remove the tea bags.  Then add the simple syrup (sugar/water mixture) it. Give it a good stir and serve it in a tall glass with ice.  Refrigerate afterwards.

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