Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bars

Remember this picture from the last post?

I turned these brown guys into healthy granola bars!

I am invariably looking and making granola bars.  I can't help it.  I want to the the kind of lady who churns out the hearty, nutty variety but also the soft, fruity kind.  And I want to make them all so much that I have the recipes memorized and I can rotate them out like clockwork..never tiring of them.  

Today's recipe is one I will make time and time again.  It tastes like banana bread, only it's not.  And unlike most banana breads you will be getting many benefits (high fiber, naturally sweetened, minimally processed, real ingredients, easy on the budget…) 

In this recipe I used mini chips because my friend Kimmy who has come up a lot lately on here (Hey Kimmy!) uses them in baking and thinks they are the bomb.com.. and I have to agree. They are the perfect size helping to compliment the flavors, while not being bossy and overtaking the bar. 

So go forth and make these.  Add them to your lunch or have them for a snack. You won't be sorry :) 

**Customizations: substitute the honey for maple syrup and the chocolate chips and your bars will be vegan.  Omit the nuts if you or any loved ones have a nut allergy.  If you would like these bars to be gluten free look for gluten free oats.

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bars

slightly adapted from momables.com

• 3 ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3-2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup whole wheat chex crushed (or whatever rice cereal you prefer)
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla
• cinnamon (ad lib people)

1.  Toast oats in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.

2.  While cooling, mash bananas in a large bowl.  Mix in the rest of the ingredients, including the oats once they are all cooled.

3.  Spray an 8x8 inch pan and place the mixture in the pan making sure it is evenly distributed. 

4.  Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes.

5.  Once bars have cooled, cut and eat! Makes about 12 bars. 

Life Lately

// Sidewalk A r t \\

-- My other half --

// An attempt to capture a 'selfie' with my Nala //

A great surprise to a great day :-)

First time making Linzer's! Not bad!! 

This recipe

//Working at a bakery currently\\

<> Those trays are for wedding cake tastings <>

Yumz. 

 Found this gem of a restaurant.. authentic Indian food & real cheap $

Also, first time eating a dosa (huge triangle thing)  

Have you ever tried one? 

</> Miniature anything is awesome </> 

Recipe coming soon using these bad boys…

xo Kicking off my first official weekend in Austin with this lovely lady xo

Impromptu bike ride! Best decision we made. 

{ Next time I am totally paddle boarding in that water }

Snapped this on an evening walk in the neighborhood 

Hope everyone is having a fantastic week and that you see the extraordinary in the ordinary.  

My favorite go-to sandwich

It's back to school time and you know what that means.. time to get back into packing a lunch! In honor of the start of the school year I thought I'd share my favorite sandwich.  I have been making it on and off for the past year.  It's been quite some time since I have made it, but all this week this is what I have been bringing to work.

As I mentioned in my English Muffin throw down post, I am not a fan of mass produced bread anymore.  I prefer to buy bread from a local bakery or attempt to make my own (it's a work in progress but I'm motivated to nail it!)  In the pictures above  I am using a whole wheat kaiser roll and a "rustic roll" {that really is the name on the package ha}.  Also pictured: Sharp cheddar cheese, tzatziki sauce, and a medley of spinach, arugula, and fresh herbs (think parsley and cilantro) that I bought from my supermarket already pre-washed in a container to make things super duper quick.

I'm not  going to type this out in recipe format because it's very straightforward.
Grab a roll  and cut in half.  Spread  tzatziki sauce on one side {as much as your little heart desires}. On the other side top with cheddar cheese.  Finish with some greens and that's it!

** I find if you use nice bread, the sauce doesn't get soggy and it holds up nicely if you aren't eating it until  a few hours later.

Bagging it up for worky work. 

Healthy Nachos

Bar food is the best.  It's greasy, it's cheesy, and just plain wonderful.  Nachos, wings (well, now it's more like fried tofu or something), burgers, french fries, fried pickles.. You name I love it.  But I do have one complaint when it comes to nachos.  It's also the reason I am usually hesitant to order them out.  Ready for it?  Okay.  WHY the heck do they only cover the top layer of nachos with delicious toppings and leave the underneath chips naked and forgotten?  Such a scam for the price and such a shame for the tastebuds.

Sooo most of the time I don't order them except if I am sharing them as an appetizer.  Then I am happy to munch away on the naked and not so great chips because I know my entree is coming (which hopefully is way better).

Also, nachos aren't exactly the healthiest food.  And this blog is primarily a healthy blog/sometimes not blog because we all gotta live right?  I'm not uptight about food but I also like taking care of my body and treating it well.  Plus I am a Dietitian so I guess it's just a part of my personality/interest.  Anyways.. One day I decided nachos would be tasty but then I thought about potato skins.. and then I decided to combine the two sort of but using a sweet potato instead (holla beta carotene).

And ta da.. healthy nachos were born.  No chips necessary, when you have round saucers of sweet potato.  And if you want to make them more chip like, crisp them up in the oven longer.  It's your call.

This isn't really a "recipe" because you can add whatever you want, in whatever quantities you desire.  It all just depends on how many servings you'd like. 

Sweet Potato Nachos

• 1 large sweet potato 
• 1 can of black beans (or meat if that's your thang)
• Shredded cheese (mexican, cheddar, cojita)
• Salsa/fresh tomatoes
• Sour cream/plain greek yogurt
• Lettuce/kale/spinach 
• Avocado
• Lime
• Cilantro

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 375/400 F.  Slice sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch rounds and lay flat onto a sprayed (ie. Pam) baking sheet.  

2.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping half way.  If you would like them more crispy, leave in longer.

3.  Once done, sprinkle cheese on top and place back in the oven until cheese is melted.

4.  Place sweet potato rounds onto a plate and top with whatever toppings you desire. 

5.  Squeeze a lime on top for some zest. 

Two for One

Hello! Sorry I have been missing in action lately.. I am in the process of moving to Austin with my boyfriend.  We FINALLY got an apartment.  No small feat let me tell you.  Since Chris (my boyfriend) is still in Maine, it was my responsibility to choose where we live… so  I hope he likes it.  I'm pretty sure he will though. The neighborhood it is in is too cute.  I am excited to walk and explore our new surroundings.  I've already spotted some places including coffee, bakeries, and a juice bar with a record store either next to it or a part of it? Not sure, but the explorer in me is intrigued.  And our apartment is pretty big too.  Well bigger than my studio apartment last year was (yay for a living room!), so friends and family come visit pretty please.

Even though I haven't been posting much, I definitely have still be cooking. Today to share I have a citrus kale salad (not really surprising) and Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea tacos. I'm a taco gal but I usually make black bean, corn, and red pepper veggie tacos so I was intrigued by this recipe.  In my opinion, these recipes scream Summer.  Speaking of summer it is going by soooo fast. On one hand it's going to feel like summer foreverrrrrr here ha, but still.  When the school year starts it is the end of summer even if you still have pool days and iced coffee.

For the tacos, the only real work required is chopping up the cauliflower into bite sized florets and preparing the chili powder mixture.  Once that's all taken care of, toss the cauliflower and chickpeas in the mixture and roast for about 30 minutes.

While that was roasting, I made the salad as shown in the pictures below. The oil in the dressing rises to the top fairly quickly so if you're letting it sit for a few minutes, just remember to give it a good stir/shake before using.  In this recipe, I used a tangelo which is a citrus hybrid of a mandarin orange and a grapefruit.  Dying.  So darn tasty.  Anything will work though including clementines, oranges, tangerines, etc. I did not keep my orange slices in pretty segments rather I cut them into chunks just because they are easier to eat that way. But if you're fancy, by all means.. 

A word on the tacos: Don't skip the lime crema! It's fresh and it gives the dish three dimensional flavor. You have the smokey, chili roasted chickpeas and cauliflower layered with the tangy, creamy sauce which is all balanced out by the corn tortilla. Know what I mean? Did that make sense? Just say yes. 

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Tacos
Adapted from twopeasandtheirpod.com

 Tacos:

2 tsp. Chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. water

1 (15 ox.) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 small head cauliflower, washed and cut into bite size florets

Corn tortillas

1 large avocado

Chopped cilantro 

Lime crema:

1 cup plain greek yogurt

1/8 cup lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 

Salt and pepper

Hot sauce! Personally I like valentina 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the chili powder, cumin, garlic salt, onion powder, lime juice, olive oil, and water in a large bowl. Stir in the chickpeas and cauliflower.  Spread the mixture out onto a greased baking sheet.  Roast for 30-35 minutes. 

2.  To make the lime crema place all ingredients into a bowl and stir. 

3.  Take a warmed corn tortilla and place a spoonful of the cauliflower/chickpea mixture, followed by the lime crema, hot sauce, and avocado.  

Kale Citrus Salad

Adapted from thepioneerwoman.com

Salad:

1 bunch of kale, leaves separated from the stem

1-2 medium oranges, tangerines, tangelos (or 3 clementines)

Crumbled goat cheese ( 4 oz)

Dressing:

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 clove garlic, grated

1 tsp. sugar ( I did a little less than that)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp. greek yogurt

Directions:

1.  Once kale leaves are separated from the stems, thinly slice leaves.  Place in a large bowl.

2.  For the dressing, combine all the ingredients above.  This dressing makes just enough to coat the salad.  I ended up making another batch, but only used 1/4 of it as I thought that was plenty.  Plus it kind of just sinks to the bottom of the bowl, so really you don't need much! 

3.  Pour dressing and toss the salad.  Add oranges and toss again.  

4.  Serve with goat cheese on top*

* Do not add the goat cheese to the whole salad.  If you have leftovers, the goat cheese will break down and it's not very desirable (I've done it before).. so keep it fresh! 

Kale Fried Rice

This dish was inspired by leftover rice in the fridge.  It was my first time making fried rice and I'm going to keep this recipe in my main rotation because it is very adaptable.

  Exact recipes are great, but I also like to wing it and know that it's going to come out delicious every single time.  For this variation I chose kale, carrots, and red bell pepper. But you can choose whatever ingredients you want to use.  Make it your own. 

Right now kale is my go to girl.  I am completely infatuated and obsessed.  I find myself only wanting to look up kale recipes, but I am trying to exercise will power.  Now is not the time to churn out kale salad after kale salad (Note- if I wasn't concerned with boring people to death on this blog, I totally would).  Now is the time to expand my horizons.  Soo I present to you a non-salad kale dish.  #compromise

Also I have shared a few dessert recipes as of late so I feel I owe you guys something savory and healthy.

Adios for now! 

Kale Fried Rice
Slightly adapated from cookieandkate.com

• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 eggs beaten 
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 bell pepper thinly sliced
• 2-3 carrots finely sliced
• 1-2 bunches of lacinato kale*
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 2- 2 1/2 cups cooked and chilled rice
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. chili garlic sauce
• 1 lime cut into wedges 
• Optional: Fresh cilantro for garnish 

*Lacinato kale is smooth as opposed to it's curly sister.  It's my personal favorite, but both will work fine in this recipe.  Against my better judgment I used only 1 bunch of kale. Use two if you're like me and you like a sea of green when you look at your plate. 

Directions

1.  Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium heat with 1 tsp. of oil. Pour in the eggs and stir continuously until you have scrambled eggs.  Remove from pan and store in a bowl off to the side.  Wipe out the pan to clean it and then place one tbsp. of oil into the pan.  Add the garlic, carrots, and bell peppers (or whatever veggies you choose: onions, mushrooms, zucchini etc).  Cook until the veggies are tender.  Add the kale and 1/4 tsp. of salt.  Once kale has wilted, add the veggies to your bowl with the eggs.

2.  Add 2 tsp. of oil to the pan once again and pour in the rice.  Stir until rice is evenly reheated and hot.  Add 1 tbsp. soy sauce and 2 tsp. chili garlic sauce and stir.  Add veggies and eggs, stirring until everything is evenly incorporated. Serve with fresh lime on the side and cilantro on the top. 

Maine Molasses Blueberry Cake!

I LOVE THIS CAKE!!

It is a very special recipe from Chris' (my boyfriend) family; it's his grandmother's recipe to be exact. The first time I had it was last summer when I was visiting with his family and I was instantly hooked. And when I found out it was a family recipe? I died.  There is something about recipes passed down from generation to generation that is so sweet and comforting to me.  When I made this cake a few days ago I was instantly brought back to all the good times I have had visiting his family last summer.  I know people say baking is a stress reliever or they bake when they're homesick and it's no wonder why.  Food has such a strong tie to memories and places.  It made me happy to make this cake as a tribute to the good times I had visiting and getting to know Chris' family. And then to be able to share that with my family?  Well, that was the icing on the cake.

{//     Not that this cake has icing!!! (see corny joke below)  //}

This cake is perfect because it can be eaten at anytime. What constitutes as a cake that can be eaten whenever, you ask?  No frosting.  No frosting on cake= free pass! Kiddinggg but behind every joke is a little bit of truth, right?

What is so great about this cake?  Well missy or mister.. it has a pronounced gingerbread flavor with sweet blueberries that keep it light and summery. And that's all you need to know.  It is simple and delicious. It is made in a 9 x 13 pan so invite some friends over for coffee and share the love.  {truthfully I can imagine this cake eaten in a variety of scenarios but that is my #1 all time, hands down favorite suggestion and way to dream up serving... Coffee +Friends}

Little squares of love in my mouth

Chris said he could tell I liked it a lot because I kept going back for little slivers at a time.  Oops.  It's true.. I'm a picker.  Especially if I think its really really goood.


Lastly, I'm not going to type out this recipe because I have a picture of the original recipe Chris' mom uses from a community cookbook that Chris' grandmother submitted this recipe to.  I love how worn it is and I think you guys will appreciate this more than me typing it out.

Nom nom nom.