Peanut Butter-Banana Green Smoothie

This smoothie is so incredibly easy and so delicious. The peanut butter flavor over powers all of the veggie flavor, and it's super creamy and sweet from the bananas and dates. I love to have this smoothie for breakfast, or even as a post-workout meal. It holds you over for hours.



I use an organic, non-GMO powered peanut butter because it's lower in fat and calories spoonful for spoonful than regular peanut butter, but you can use any type of nut butter you like. The great thing about this smoothie is that it's super versatile, you can throw in pretty much any veggies you like, given that the flavor is not too over-powering. Some great add-in's are kale, spinach, avocado, zucchini, or any mild tasting vegetable or fruit. However, using banana is key in this recipe as it allows for the smoothie to be creamy.




Ingredients: 1 serving

1 chopped frozen banana
1 date (optional)
1 cup almond milk
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1 tablespoon peanut butter powder (or regular peanut butter)
sweetener to taste (stevia, honey, maple syrup, agave, etc)

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy.

Gluten Free Blueberry Scones

I saw a picture of someone eating scones the other day, and I could not get them out of my head.



But when I think of scones, I think of butter and cream. And sugar. And deliciously crumbly little morsels of sugary crust with a soft and fluffy center.




Then I decided I should make them. But the thought of all that cream and butter going straight to my thighs was a little off-putting. So I came up with this recipe that would make me feel a little less guilty about stuffing my face with one, or five, of these babies.





The result was amazing. Slightly sweet, crusty outside, and soft pillowy goodness on the inside. I made half the batch and put the others in the freezer for later consumption…which means tomorrow. But due to the gluten-free nature and the lack of starches/weird gluten free ingredients, they can tend to be a little crumbly. So handle with care.

The best part about these is that they have only 215 calories, 3 grams of fiber and 4.5 grams of protein per serving.  AND there is only four tablespoons of butter in the entire recipe. That means there's about half a tablespoon of butter in each scone, so eat up!









Ingredients: (makes 8-10 round scones)

2 cups gf oat flour
1/2 cup almond flour/meal
1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons psyllium seed husks
3 packets of stevia (or you can just do three more tablespoons of coconut sugar)
4 tablespoons extra cold butter
3/4 cup almond milk
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
3/4 cup blueberries


Begin by adding 1/2 tsp vinegar to the almond milk and set aside for 5 minutes. This is to make a dairy free 'buttermilk'.

Whisk almond 'buttermilk' with the egg and vanilla.

In a bowl mix together oat flour and almond meal with baking soda, salt, stevia, psyllium seed husks, and sugar.  Cut in cold butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Pour liquid ingredients into bowl of flour  and gently mix until there are no more flour streaks. Be very careful not to over mix! Fold in blueberries and place bowl in fridge for 15-20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Scoop batter with a large ice cream scooper (or roll into 2 inch balls, but batter will be a bit wet) onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. You can brush them with a bit of almond milk and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if you'd like. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until scones begin to brown.

You can also scoop out batter into scone shape and freeze for later baking. Simply bake at 375 and extend the baking time to 20-25 minutes.

Guilt Free Banana Muffins (GF)

I needed to use up an avocado one day before it went bad, and came across a banana bread recipe that uses avocado in place of butter! Yes, avocado. Sounds disgusting you might say, but honestly you cannot even taste the avocado. In fact, when combined with coconut palm sugar, it tastes like butter.

These muffins are absolutely delicious and taste like they are chalk-full of butter, when really, they're guilt free! I also used a technique I came across to help the muffins get more of a 'rise', which is often hard to find in gluten free baked goods. The trick is to bake the muffins at 400 degrees, which allows them to have more of a dome look.


These muffins are absolutely delicious and taste like they are chalk-full of butter, when really, they're guilt free!




I apologize for the horribly lit images, I made these one evening and my wonderful daylight was gone. On top of that, these muffins were practically gone by morning and I didn't have a chance to re-shoot.




Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup mashed/pureed avocado
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 eggs (room temp)
1 cup coconut palm sugar
6 tablespoons room temp almond milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, mash/mix together bananas, honey, vanilla, avocado, and coconut oil until mixed well. Whisk in eggs, coconut palm sugar, and almond milk and set aside.

In a separate bowl combine brown rice flour, almond meal, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.

Pour wet ingredients over dry and mix until just combined, do not over mix.

Pour into greased muffin tins and bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick once inserted comes out clean.

Blueberry Crisp Bars (GF)

I apologize for the severe lack of postings lately. I've been a combination of lazy and busy. But here's a delicious recipe for blueberry pie bars, which are surprisingly gluten free and almost guilt free! A slightly gooey and creamy interior sandwiched in between crispy cinnamon-y crumble. It tastes exactly like blueberry crisp…but in bar form!





These bars are great for breakfast, or even dessert with a healthy scoop of vanilla ice-cream on top. There is very little sugar in them, because I sweetened them with stevia as well.



My husband loved them. They're best in the first day or two, but my husband ate them for breakfast all week. I'd recommend storing them in an airtight container in the fridge and reheating prior to eating. But to be honest, they're best straight out of the oven, still warm, and crispy on top.

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup gluten free oat flour
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar (you can use regular sugar if you do not have coconut)
2 packets of stevia
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon psyllium seed husks
8 tablespoons cold butter, cubed

 Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons honey
1 packet of stevia
juice of half a lime
5 tablespoons oat flour
1 cup fresh blueberries

 Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together dry ingredients and cut in cold butter, until it forms into small balls and set in the fridge. In a separate bowl mix together yogurt, egg white, vanilla, honey, stevia, lime juice, and oat flour until well combined. Fold in blueberries and set aside.

Remove crumble mixture from fridge. Using an 8 x 8 pan, line the bottom with wax paper, leaving enough wax paper showing on the sides to help you take out the crumble once it's baked. Take half of the crumble mixture and evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Press down the crumble to form a thin layer on the bottom of the pan. You want to make it as uniform as possible.

Then add the wet ingredients and spread into a thin layer. Top off with remaining crumble, scattering on top of batter as evenly as possible. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until top is crispy and batter is set. (My oven is broken and is way too hot, which is why the cook time in this recipe is so broad).

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Vanilla Bean Donut Muffins with Peanut Butter Glaze

Sometimes you just crave things that are really bad for you. For instance, donuts. I've tried to make baked donuts at home, they're just not that great. I mean, compared to fluffy, fried donuts.




There are just some things that aren't okay baked.



Which brings me to this post. I wanted donuts. My husband needed breakfast for the week. So I made donut muffins.

When these muffins came out of the oven, I decided I needed a glaze for them. I quickly threw together some powdered sugar, vanilla, and almond milk...but it just wasn't great, so I threw it out. I opened the fridge and looked around, trying to decide what I could put on top of these muffins. Maple syrup? Meh. Butter and honey? Maybe, but no.




Then it hit me; peanut butter and honey. I mixed together a small bowl, drizzled it on top of a warm muffin and took a bite.

HOLY CRAP. These were good.

They're best straight out of the oven, though my husband ate them all week.

They're borderline cupcakes, that's how delicious and sweet they are. That's why I consider them a mix between a donut and a muffin.




Slightly crisp on the outside, warm and fluffy on the inside, like an old fashioned donut. They really have little to no nutritional value, but nothing wrong with that! I did use spelt flour and coconut sugar instead of white flour and white sugar, so that helps.

I sprinkled them with extra coconut sugar before baking, to enhance the crispy, sweet outer layer.

Ingredients: Makes 6-8 muffins

1 1/2 cups spelt flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut sugar
6 tablespoons butter, room temp
1 egg, room temp
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup soy or almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Peanut Butter Glaze:

1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1-2 teaspoons milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together and set aside. In a standard mixer, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy, then add egg and cream for another 30 seconds or so. Add in yogurt, milk, and vanilla bean paste and mix until incorporated.

Gradually fold in the flour mixture, about a half cup at a time. Divide the batter into six paper lined muffin tins and bake 12-15 minutes, making sure not to over bake.

Remove muffins from sheet and allow to cool for 5 minutes. While muffins are cooling, mix together glaze ingredients. With a spoon, carefully scoop a small spoonful of glaze on top of each muffin, spreading it around the tops so the entire muffin is covered. Serve warm!

Zucchini Bread Donut Waffles

Zucchini Bread Donut Waffles. That's a mouthful.



But that's exactly what they are. The flavors of zucchini bread, but with a dense, donut-cake texture, cooked in a waffle iron instead of fried. It's the best of all worlds! Actually, if I'm being honest, they would be even better fried...but I'm trying to be healthier.

Nonetheless, these little breakfast treats were delicious. I served them with powdered sugar on top, and a side of maple-vanilla bean-cinnamon glaze.



They're best straight out of the waffle iron, they lost their crispiness and texture the next day. I also allowed the batter to sit in the fridge for 12 hours (after making a first batch immediately). Both batches were delicious, however the batch that rested for 12 hours was more dense, so it's up to you!

These treats are a great way to sneak in some veggies without sacrificing flavor. I mean, who doesn't like zucchini bread??? They're also filling and gluten-free!



Ingredients: (makes 10-12 small 'waffles')

1 cup all-purpose gf flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup finely grated zucchini, with juices squeezed out
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or just vanilla extract)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup greek yogurt mixed with 1 tablespoon water
3 tablespoons melted butter

Maple-Cinnamon Glaze:

1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

In a bowl mix together flours, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk zucchini, egg, vanilla, maple syrup, brown sugar, greek yogurt, and melted butter.

Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, whisking until there are no more lumps. If you like a more dense, cake-like donut, allow batter to sit in fridge for several hours. If not, prepare waffle iron on medium-high setting. Spray with non-stick spray and add batter 1 hefty tablespoon at a time.

Serve with powdered sugar or maple-cinnamon glaze.

Chewy Granola Bars with Peanut Butter, Nuts, and Cranberries

Last week (as soon as we had a working stove and proper ingredients) I made home made granola bars. I was inspired by the some that my boss had made before we moved from San Diego. They were delicious, and chewy, yet just a bit crunchy; the best combination.



My boss had told me she followed the Smitten Kitchen recipe and I decided I wanted to try it out.

However, when I looked at the ingredients, I decided I wanted to tweak it a bit - go figure. It seems that I never want to follow a recipe completely.

These granola bars are a bit healthier than the Smitten Kitchen Granola Bars. I used gluten free oats, and didn't use any flour. I also opted out of the corn syrup and added coconut sugar, which I find has a very caramelized flavor. I used egg whites to bind the ingredients together and it turned out great.



You can really add which ever ingredients you want to make these your own; chocolate chips, raisins, hazelnuts.




These granola bars are a great snack to have on the go. I even had one for breakfast this morning, topped off with extra peanut butter and I was full for hours.




Ingredients:

2 cups gluten free oats
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons flax seeds
3/4 cup dried cranberries
2 egg whites
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
3 tablespoons grape seed oil

Preheat oven to 325 and line an 8 x 8 baking pan with parchment paper, then lightly grease parchment paper however you wish.

In a bowl, mix together oats, sugar, salt, cinnamon, almonds, sunflower seeds, flax, and cranberries. In a separate bowl, mix egg whites, vanilla, honey, and oil until blended. Mix dry ingredients into wet until everything is evenly coated.

Transfer mixture to 8 x 8 baking dish and flatten out as evenly in the pan as possible, pushing down a bit to make sure it all sticks together while baking. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the bars have browned around the edges. Allow to completely cool before cutting.

 

The Best Brown Butter Banana Bread

Last week I decided to treat my husband to a special breakfast loaf, instead of my usual low-sguar, low-fat, gluten-free loaf. He loves banana bread, so I thought I'd kick it up a notch and use brown butter in the loaf.

 

This bread was so delicious, I honestly felt kind of guilty eating it for breakfast. My sweet-toothed husband absolutely loved it. It was moist, sweet, and had this decadent nutty flavor from the brown butter. It tasted like a cupcake almost. I just love banana bread.



You can easily swap out the whole wheat flour for an all-purpose gluten free flour if you want it to be gluten free. I just felt like spoiling my husband with a deliciously fluffy gluten-filled loaf of banana bread.



Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 ripe, mashed bananas (about 1 cup)
3 eggs (room temp)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat flour (or gf all-purpose flour)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a heat-proof glass add brown sugar and maple syrup, and set aside. In a small pot, heat the butter on medium-low heat, swirling every once in a while, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the butter starts to brown and turn an amber color. Carefully transfer butter into heat-proof glass with sugar, mix, and allow to cool.

Once butter and sugar has cooled, add eggs, vanilla, and mashed bananas. In a seperate bowl add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Incorporate wet ingredients into dry until just mixed. Pour into a 9 x 5 loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes (watch closely, as mine went from not quite done to almost overcooked in a matter of minutes).