Fakin' Bacon

Long overdue, this recipe is for everyone who never met a piece of bacon they didn't like. Guiltless, meatless bacon.  My favorite kind.  To ward off any confusion, let's just refer to these delectable taste treats as coconut bacon from this point forward.  Or, #crackcoconutbacon, thank you Molly of www.cleanfooddirtygirl.com. WARNING: Once made, you won't be able to stop nibbling.  I made my first recipe, ate most of it in a couple of days and then made it again.  And again.  I had to put myself on the 'coconut bacon wagon.'    Everything tastes better with bacon, right?  This recipe is perfectly crispy with just the right amount of sweet and smoke.

Super simple to make, let's get started.  Here's what you'll need:  Begin by preheating oven to 350 degrees.

3 cups coconut flakes

2 Tablespoons soy sauce (I used Tamari, reduced sodium)

2 Tablespoons liquid smoke

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Measure coconut flakes into medium bowl. Whisk together soy sauce, liquid smoke, and maple syrup in a small bowl and then pour over coconut and gently massage until most of the liquid is absorbed into coconut.

Spread coconut on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 6 minutes.  Remove pan from oven, flip bacon as best you can (a little like herding cats) and bake for additional 6-7 minutes.  Do not TURN your back on these while the pan is in the oven. They will get over crisp if you cook any longer than the recommended time.  Remove from oven and your coconut bacon bits are ready to use in any number of ways.  

Store in an airtight container.  I dare you to have some left by the end of the week.  

Check out some of the ways I like my #crackcoconutbacon!

Could be my favorite way to use these bacon bits....with peanut butter on Honey Crisp apple slices. 

Sprinkled on Pumpkin oatmeal.

No-brainer salad topping!

BLT with avocado sandwich (pictured here with Molly's Paprika Garlic Burger Sauce)

Just the right finishing touch on this Brussels Sprouts and Rice dish.

Oatmeal On-The-Go

If you are any kind of foodie at all, you've probably seen this idea for 'no-cook' oatmeal breakfast before. Once I saw it and tried it, I began seeing recipes everywhere.  BALL canning jars are very trendy right now. Who knows, maybe that was the initial appeal.  Since I love oatmeal and eat it several times a week, I thought it would be a nice change.  It's turned out to be a  great 'grab and go' meal; I love that it's prepared ahead of time.  Additionally, it's another way to get added chia seeds and flaxseed in my diet.

Basic Recipe:

1/2 c. old fashioned oats
1 tsp. chia seeds
1 tsp. ground flaxseed
1/2 c. almond milk
sweetener (I like a few drops of Stevia)
or a few shakes of Erythritol

Personalize your oatmeal by adding one of these variations:

2 T. pure pumpkin,  1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, 1 T. raisins, 1 T. chopped walnuts, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 very ripe banana (mashed), 1 T. chopped pecans, 1-2 chopped dates, 1 T. dried blueberries, 1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/2 c. applesauce (or chopped apple), 1 T. dried cranberries, 1 T. pecans, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix all ingredients well, spoon into your favorite air-tight container and refrigerate overnight.  Oatmeal will be ready to grab and go in the morning.  Or, make in the morning and eat for a light supper meal with fresh fruit.

I prepare several servings at one time and have a week's worth of breakfasts at the ready.  YUMMERS!

Quick Banana Breakfast To Go

Have been getting back to some streamlined nutritarian recipes and this one is taken right from the pages of Eat To Live, by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

Quick Banana Breakfast To Go

Serves 1

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I used 1/2 cup)

1 banana sliced

1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup pomegranate juice (I used cranberry)

1 Tablespoon chopped Walnuts

1/2 Tablespoon raw sunflower seeds

1 Tablespoon dried currants (optional - I used raisins)

Combine all ingredients in microwave -proof bowl.  Heat in microwave for 3 minutes.

Can be eaten hot or cold.

YUMMERS!

Please, Sir, I want some more...

In my humble opinion, this is one of the most nutritious and filling breakfasts ever! Hot oatmeal cereal, sweetened or not, with milk or not, some dried fruit and nuts or with fruit on the side.

Old Fashioned oats is good enough for this granola girl but you may prefer steel cut oats.  I've even picked up the 'quick cook' oats since learning that they are nutritionally identical to the 'old fashioned' and I can make my own "instant oatmeal" packet-like servings with the 'quick cook' variety.

I prefer my hot cereal with a bit of almond milk and a few pumps of the Parkay spray, a dusting of cinnamon and dry Stevia sweetener and a few raisins tossed into the oatmeal and water before cooking.

Two methods of cooking I have success with:

1)  For old fashioned oats, I use a large 4-cup, glass measuring bowl.  Mix together 1/2 cup oats and 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of raisins.  Cook for 5-6 minutes on power level 6. 

2)  For "quick cook" oats, I place 1/2 cup oats and 3/4 c. water with a few raisins in a regular microwavable cereal bowl.  Add your sweetener and any other spices, too.   Microwave for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes on high.  This will make your oatmeal a bit stickier than method number one but I love making my own "instant oatmeal" to my own taste and liking. 

Just like those 'flavored instant oatmeal' packets you buy at the store, you can  DIY (Do It Yourself)) at home; this is so much healthier because you know what has been added.  Add some of these to your cereal after it's finished cooking

*half a banana with 1 tsp of cocoa powder

*sugar and cinnamon (I use stevia and cinnamon) with pureed pumpkin or leftover sweet potato
*grated apple with a tablespoon of raw almonds, walnuts or pecans, chopped
*blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries and drizzle of 100% maple syrup
 

 

 

Lunchbox Chocolate Chip Cookies

I found this recipe in "Forks Over Knives:  The Cookbook."  So glad I did.  My prior attempts at a healthier cookie always left me wanting.  The secret ingredient in these beauties is almond butter and it makes all the difference in the taste!   Now my 'go to' cookie recipe and really hits the spot when I have a cookie craving.  A note of caution:  It's hard to eat just one.  So, I don't even try.  When the cookies are baking in the oven, I brew up a fresh cup of coffee or tea.  When my tea is steeped to perfection, the cookies are ready to come out of the oven and I serve up THREE of these taste treats and Enjoy every bite.  The rest I store in the freezer and remove a few at a time for that next cookie craving.

Makes 24 Cookies

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup almond butter

1/2 cup dry sweetener (I use Stevia)

1 T. ground flaxseeds

2 t. pure vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups rolled oats (I use closer to 1 1/2 cups since dough is very sticky)

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/4 cup sorghum flour or whole-wheat pastry flour (I use the latter)

1/2 cup grain-sweetened chocolate chips (Easy to use less.  I can get away with using only 2 T. and prefer regular semi-sweet mini chocolate chips.)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat baking mats.

2. In a mixing bowl, use a strong fork or wooden spoon to beat together applesauce, almond butter, sweetener, and flaxseeds.  One relatively smooth, mix in the vanilla extract.

3.  Add in the oats, baking soda, and salt and mix well.  Add the sorghum flour and chocolate chips and mix well.

4.  Drop by small spoonfuls of batter onto the prepared baking sheet in about 1-1/2 T. scoops, about 2" apart.  Flatten the cookies a bit, so that they resemble thick discs (they won't spread much at all during baking.)  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  The longer you bake them, the crispier they will be.  

5.  Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Final Notes:  After making these cookies several times, I've found that my smallest melon scoop works very well for a uniform size cookie and makes closer to 30 cookies rather than the 24 the original recipe states.  Also, I squeeze all the cookies onto one large cookie sheet, leaving less space between each cookie, no problem. 

Enjoy!  And special thanks to Isa Chandra Moskowitz for her contributions to this cookbook!