Peanut Butter Flourless Cookies (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Oh my.

How could a recipe this simple taste. so. darn. good?

Watch out--if you make these cookies, they'll be hard to keep on hand.  But don't feel totally guilty about indulging, since whole grain oats and peanut butter are the two prime ingredients, you'll be eating a cookie with a good amount of goodness, too.

If you're feeling extra indulgent, add a few chocolate chips to each cookie.  Pure Bliss!

Peanut Butter Flourless Cookies (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

1/2 cup gluten-free whole oats
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup natural peanut butter (no-stir type, can use almond or other nut butters too)
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
(chocolate chips--optional--use dairy-free chips if you want the cookies to be dairy-free)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a food processor, blender or coffee grinder, grind the oats, brown sugar and baking soda until they resemble coarse sand.

 

 Add the peanut butter, vanilla extract and egg:

And process until the ingredients are fully incorporated, making sure to scrape the sides at least once between processing:

Form into tablespoon size balls:

 

And press gently with a fork:

Or, gently press in several chocolate chips on top of each cookie:

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cookies brown slightly and look either like this:

Or this:

**This is important:  let cool fully before serving.  Like all cookies, while they are warm they are crumbly, but these are especially crumbly while still warm.**

But did I mention they are delicious??

 

Makes 18 delicious cookies!

Life is sweet,

SPC

Black Bean and Corn Quinoa

I think this is either the 8th or 9th quinoa recipe I have posted on this website over the last couple of years (use the google search bar on the right side of this page and type "quinoa" to find them all).  

There's a reason I love quinoa (KEEN-wah) so much, actually several:

*a complete plant-based protein (with 8 grams of protein per serving)

*high in fiber

*gluten-free

*while it is whole grain, it is actually related to beets and spinach

So much to love, not the least of which is the flavor.

So last week a group of wonderful women and I celebrated finishing Kelly Minter's study of Nehemiah with a potluck lunch.  I chose to bring a dish based on a recipe from Kelly's book, which is a wonderful study in and of itself, but also included some yummy recipes too.

The girls at my table requested the recipe, so I thought I'd share it with you all too.  Bonus:  G loved this recipe too!

Black Bean and Corn Quinoa

2 cups water

1 cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed and drained well)

1 small red onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup frozen organic corn

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

2 - 15oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or use 3 1/2 cups cooked black beans)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

juice of one lime

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (or use white wine, apple cider or white balsamic vinegar)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Bring the water to a boil and add the quinoa.  Cover and reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove the lid and remove from the heat.  Allow the remaining water to absorb, about 5 minutes.

While the quinoa is cooking, mince the onion and garlic and combine with the frozen corn in a large bowl:

Add the cumin, salt and pepper.

Once the quinoa is done cooking, add the cooked quinoa to the bowl (the residual heat from the quinoa will thaw the corn and lightly "cook" the onion and garlic):

Stir well:

Add the remaining ingredients (black beans, cilantro, lime juice, vinegar and oil) and stir well:

Serve and enjoy!

Makes 8 servings for a lunch of light dinner, serves 12-16 as a side dish.

Life is sweet,
SPC

Meal Plan Friday: Dav Pilkey!

Yesterday R, G and I went to a local bookstore where we had books signed by one of their favorite authors, Dav Pilkey.  Of course, the highlight was seeing these:

No, no, wait, it was meeting Dav (who was just about the nicest, most approachable person you can imagine):

A special thanks to the special person who shared a ticket with us!

Have a great weekend, here's Next Week's Healthy Meal Plan:

Meatless Monday:  Slow Cooker Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup, Cornbread, Orange Segments





Roasted Vegetable Lasagna, Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries





Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream Sauce and Lime, Refried Beans, Mango



Chana Masala, Quinoa, Naan, Fresh Pineapple




Chicken Parmesan, Steamed Broccoli, Bread, Pear Slices

Life is sweet,
SPC

Cilantro-Lime Honey Salad Dressing

Do you love cilantro?  Then this salad dressing is for you!

We're huge cilantro fans over here at the Sweet Pea home, and recently I found out that a very special person in G's life is a cilantro-lover too...his Kindergarten teacher. So in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, I share this recipe created for G's teacher.

You will love this cilantro dressing on your salad, but we had it with dinner the other night and all of us started dipping our grilled chicken and other things in it too.  Enjoy!

Cilantro-Lime Honey Salad Dressing
(makes about 1/2 cup dressing, but can easily be doubled)

1/2 cup (packed) fresh cilantro (feel free to use the stems, just cut off the very bottoms)
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice (about 1 medium lime)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup canola or olive oil

In a food processor or blender, add the cilantro, garlic, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, pepper and ground cumin.

Process until roughly chopped.  Scrape the sides

With the food processor or blender running, add the oil.  Scrape the sides again and process until nearly smooth.

Serve with greens or however you choose to enjoy it!

Life is sweet,
SPC

Mexican Barbecue Grilled Chicken

My boys have many food loves, but they each have their own personal favorites.  If I want to hit a dinner home run that I know they'll both enjoy, I have a short list of tried-and-true winners.  In the protein category, near the top of the list would be:

1.  Anything Barbecue
2.  Anything Mexican

Why did it take me so long to develop a recipe that combines both?

I've taken our Eastern North Carolina BBQ sauce recipe and combined it with classic Mexican flavors, and voila!  An easy dinner home run.

We grilled our chicken, but by all means, bake or broil away too.

Mexican Barbecue Grilled Chicken

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
2 tablespoons canola oil
2-3 pounds bone-in chicken

Combine all ingredients in a large dish or plastic bag, wherever you are going to marinate your chicken (why use an extra bowl to mix the marinade--that's just more dish washing!):

Give the ingredients a good stir:

Add the chicken and marinate for at least 1 hour, or up until overnight:

Grill over medium-high heat.  The time depends on whether you chicken is boneless or not; bone-in chicken will take longer, but grill until the meat is no longer pink inside (these chicken legs took about 15 minutes).

Stock photo--we ate our outside and I blame the gorgeous day for distracting me from taking a picture.  Or the wine.

Serves 4.

Life is sweet,
SPC

Healthy Meal Plan: May!

I love May...Kentucky Derby (tomorrow!), Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, and at the end of this month, Memorial Day and the unofficial start of summer.

Have a great first weekend of May and happy meal planning...

Here's Next Week's Healthy Meal Plan:

Our Dinners:
Caramelized Onion Calzones, Fresh Mango, Steamed Broccoli

 
Sweet Potato Enchiladas, Brown Rice with Lime and Cilantro, Fresh Pineapple

Citrus Glazed Chicken, Couscous, Cucumbers, Summer Marinated, Red Grapes

Macaroni and Cheese (with Broccoli, Cauliflower and Bacon), Kiwi Slices

Pizza Soup, Tossed Salad, Raspberries

Thai Vegetarian Wrap, Sweet Potato Fries, Peaches

After-School Snack Special:
Apple Nachos
 

Lunch Special:
Quinoa and Curried Chickpea Salad 

Life is sweet,
SPC

Homemade Compost Bin (for less than $20)

We have a lot of kitchen scraps...lots of carrot peels, apple cores, clementine rinds, kale stalks, strawberry tops...I could go on...

Before we moved to our current home, there was a compost pile behind our garage, and we used it all.  the.  time.

Since our new garage has no "behind" where we could build a compost pile, I've been looking for a good compost bin for awhile now.

Then a friend mentioned that she made one out of a garbage bin.  Brilliant!  Sure, this is not a large-capacity compost pile, but for our suburban backyard, it is perfect.

Here are the simple steps to turn a garbage bin into a compost bin (with less than $20 and 20 minutes):

1.  You will need:

**1 garbage bin with a locking or hinged lid (to keep out critters) and wheels for easy transport and so the bottom receives air from holes (or you can prop your bin up on bricks--you just need air to be able to get in from as many sides as possible)
**1 drill with a 3/8 or 1/2 inch bit
**somewhere outdoors to store the bin
that's it!

 

2.  Begin drilling holes in regular intervals on the lid, sides and bottom:

3.  Make about 40-50 holes, to allow for adequate air circulation:

 

4.  Make sure you have enough holes (G helped).

 5.  Stand back and marvel at your new compost bin.

6.  Begin collection brown (old leaves and such) and green (fruit/vegetables scraps, garden waste) in about a 2:1 ratio.

7.  Keep mixture moist (we chose a rainy day to do this, so the garden scraps were all wet, or you can sprinkle with water) and close the lid.

8.  Now the fun part:  about once a week, roll the bin to encourage decomposing.  G loves this part the best!

If you want detailed instructions on what to put in your bin and how long it takes for items to decompose, click here.

Less kitchen waste, rich compost for our garden, so we can produce more herbs and vegetables to use in the kitchen:  a triple win in my book!

Life is sweet,
SPC

Mini Corn Dog Bites (Gluten Free)

Carnival food…not exactly how I would describe how my family eats, but a fun way to jazz up a meal. Plus, I love the challenge of making really unhealthy foods a wee bit more healthful.

Corn dogs are not at the top of any “healthy foods” list, but I have a theory that kids like to eat things on a stick. Popsicles, lollipops, and yes, corn dogs. There is an inherent thrill in eating off of a stick.

Throwing potential eye hazards aside, I came up with a fun way to make miniature “corn dogs” for lunch or dinner for your family. Basically you use a thickened corn bread batter and dip little pieces of sausage or hot dog in the batter and bake them in a mini-muffin tin. It was fun to make and even more fun to eat.

A tip if you do try this recipe: pop the corn bread mixture into the fridge for 10-15 minutes before you intend to dip your sausage in it, as it helps firm up the mixture and makes it easier to stay on the “dog.” 

Another tip:  preheat the oven with the mini-muffin tin in the oven, so that it is hot when you put the mini-corn dogs in the pan. This makes them brown nicely on the bottom.

Mini Corn Dog Bites (Gluten-Free)

2/3 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup gluten-free flour (whole wheat or all-purpose is fine if you don't need it to be gluten-free)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1/3 cup milk (can use soy, rice or almond if you need it to be dairy-free)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2-3 pre-cooked sausages or hot dogs, preferably nitrate-free
Cooking spray
24 toothpicks

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the mini-muffin tin in the oven to warm.

Prepare the batter: In a medium bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, onion powder and ground pepper. In a small bowl mix the milk, eggs and oil. Pour the milk mixture into the cornmeal mixture and mix until just combined. Pop the bowl in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut each sausage or hot dog into 8-12 slices, or about ½ inch slices. Place a toothpick in each piece.

Remove the mini-muffin tin from the oven and dip each sausage in the batter, using a spoon to coat each piece, if necessary.

Place immediately into the pan. Repeat until the pan is full.


Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the corn dog bites are slightly browned.

Makes 24 bites.

Life is sweet,
SPC

Healthy Meal Plan: R's soccer game

Last week I shared a picture of my sweet G in soccer mode, so this week, here's one of R, tracking the ball during his game last weekend...

May your weekend be bright and happy...and full of some fun times outdoors!

Here's Next Week's Healthy Meal Plan:

Meatless Monday:  Best Barbecue Veggie Burgers, Sliced Avocado, Mango

 



Seared Flounder with Blood Orange Drizzle, Green Beans, Parmesan Grits, Cantaloupe
 
Honey Mustard "Fried" Chicken, Coleslaw,Caramelized Onion Quinoa, Raspberries 


Homemade Pizza (Topped with Grilled Vegetables and Feta), Kiwi

Sesame Lime Noodles or Quinoa, Fresh Pineapple

Life is sweet,
SPC

Super Spinach Salad with Warm Maple Dijon Dressing

I'd forgotten about this salad. 

A long, long time ago when SPH and I still lived in Virginia, our good friends Dan and Lee served a version of this salad at one of our Supper Club dinners.  Oh, was it good...

Last night I was driving home from picking R up from piano lessons.  I'd already planned a spinach salad for dinner when , into my head popped this recipe.  I found it in my old recipe binder and altered our dinner plans a wee bit.

It was so good, the boys loved it (my theory?  the maple syrup in the dressing) and since I am excited to share it with you, I did an impromptu photo shoot as I made it for my lunch earlier today.

You can alter this recipe and omit the bacon so it will be vegetarian/vegan, or add a cheese if that floats your boat.  You can certainly use other greens, and since the dressing is warm, it would work great with firmer greens like kale or swiss chard, as they will wilt a wee bit. 

Don't worry so much about using the exact vegetables in the salad, as you can alter them to your heart's content, but do, do, do try this dressing!

Super Spinach Salad with Warm Maple Dijon Dressing

10-12 ounces baby spinach, chopped
1 small red onion, sliced
1 red pepper, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 - 15 ounce can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
6 slices cooked bacon, chopped
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Chop the spinach and vegetables. 

Cook the bacon and slice or crumble.  Place the drained beans in a microwave safe dish and heat on high for 1 minute to warm. 

Arrange the spinach in each bowl, topping with bacon and beans.

In a microwave safe container, such as a glass pyrex, combine the maple syrup, dijon mustard, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Stir well.  Cook on high for 1 minute and stir again.

Add the remaining vegetables.  Pour approximately 1-2 tablespoons of dressing over each salad.

Enjoy!

Serves 6 as a main-dish salad, 8-10 as a side salad.

Life is sweet,
SPC