Better Than Granola Bars

It was over a year ago when a friend (Sarah) made a delectable dessert for me during one of our bi-weekly potluck dinners. I asked for the recipe and Sarah almost immediately emailed me the link to the blog where she found the recipe...365+ days later I finally visited the site and made the recipe. The original recipe is actually a "baked oatmeal snack bar", which Sarah turned into a dessert by adding chocolate chips and a bit of sugar. The original bars are not quite a bowl of oatmeal and not quite a granola bar. But OH.MY.GOODNESS are they fantastic! 

Screw the insanely expensive granola bars you buy at the store, which are made with all sorts of "-ose" ending ingredients (fructose, dextrose, sucralose, glucose...all synonyms for sugar) and sometimes partially hydrogenated oils (recall: Quaker Oats Chewy Bars).  These "Baked Oatmeal Snack Bars" are simple, sweet, and super easy to make, without all the additives. 

I wish I could take credit for these brilliant bars. But alas, the author of the blog "Kath Eats Real Food" is the true genius. Her original post is a base recipe--flexible and easily adapted to whatever is in your home pantry. Below is the ingredient combo that I chose to make. Admittedly I did add a teeny bit of sugar to sweeten things up (even though the original recipe does not call for sugar); but 2 tablespoons for 9 bars is hardly a crime.

My ingredient combo for Kath's Baked Oatmeal Snack Bars : 

Dry

-1 1/2 cups old-fashion rolled oats

-1/2 cup chopped walnuts

-1/2 cup dried cranberries

-1/4 pumpkin seeds

-1 teaspoon cinnamon

-1 teaspoon salt

Wet

-1 1/4 cups skim milk

-1 egg

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-2 tablespoons agave nectar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Mix dry ingredients
3. Mix wet ingredients
4. Combine wet into dry ingredients
5. Pour mix into an oiled 8x8 or 9x9 pan
6. Bake for 40 minutes
7. Cut into 9 squares
8. ENJOY!

Individually wrap the bars for a grab-n-go snack!

Warning: You may become addicted to making these bars, just as I have. Since making the first batch (on Monday) I have made two additional batches of oatmeal bars. The second was like Sarah's--a dessert bar--with chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, shredded coconut, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds. The third batch was a regular snack bar, with golden raisins, almonds, sunflower seeds, shredded coconut, and no additional sugar. Trust me, these are WAY better than granola bars. 

Movin' Right Along

As a college student I had the time and resources to hit the gym daily (in addition to weekly dance classes and rehearsals). Maintaining an active lifestyle was a no brainer. As a post-college adult, in the real world of maintaing a work/life balance, I have found that fitting exercise into my daily life can sometimes be quite difficult. In an ideal world I would have the time, energy, and motivation to:

• Get up at 5am and go to the gym for an hour--done with exercise before the day even begins
• Take an actual lunch break (instead of eating while I work) and go for a 30 minute walk
• Attend yoga class twice a week
• Go to dance class a few times per month

Sadly I do not live in an ideal world--I barely have the energy to get my butt out of bed after hitting the snooze button 3 times. And I have a sneaky suspicion that a lot of you do not live in an ideal world either.  Laziness, work, and life just get in the way. 

Sure, I have a handful of friends who are exercise fiends: cross-fit competitors, yoga-instructors-in-training, spin class enthusiasts, and hot yoga gurus. Hats off to you all for making exercise a non-negotiable part of your day. Seriously. And I know that my city friends pride themselves in the amount of time they spend walking every day. I am earnestly jealous that you all have jobs to which you can walk, rather than spending 45 minutes commuting (one way) to work (not that I'm complaining or anything...). However, I know that there are at least a few readers out there who struggle with the same exercise commitment issues that I face. It is for those people that I write this post.

I can think of 50 excuses as to why I cannot fit exercising into my daily routine, but I know that these excuses are null and void since exercise is such a key component to living a healthy lifestyle. So, over the course of the past few months I have made small adjustments to the way I go about my day, in order to be a bit more active and stay in-tune with my body. Here are some recommendations:  

• Trade your desk chair for a exercise ball. Caution: this is not for everyone! Though sitting on an exercise ball helps improve your posture and strengthen your core, you may find it uncomfortable to sit on a ball all day, while simultaneously trying to maintain your balance and work. Try keeping both a ball and chair by your desk. Sit on the ball for 30 minutes, then switch to a chair for an hour. Repeat. It took some time to get used to the feeling of always sitting with my back straight (and abs activated), but eventually I got used to it. Test it out and find an exercise ball routine that fits your body. 
• Stand while you work. At first it seemed odd to have my laptop on such a tall desk, but I immediately found that I am much more attentive and energetic when I stand and work on my computer. I wiggle around, sometimes stand in "tree pose", and even do a little dance as I type (my office mate finds this quite amusing). But beware: if you normally eat at your desk, you may find yourself eating while you stand (guilty). My next goal is to actually take a lunch break and sit while I eat. Baby steps...
• Take a 15 minute walk outside. Now that the weather is getting warmer I find myself frequently gazing into the sunshine and longing to be outside. My skin needs vitamin D! I've started taking a 10-15 minute break at least once a day, to get outside and be active. And I can walk about one mile during that time...not too shabby. Next step is to get into the habit of taking two daily breaks.
• Sign up for an event. There are organized walks and runs all over the country, especially in major cities. I'm not encouraging you to sign up for the Boston Marathon--an unrealistic goal yields poor results. You'll shortly flake out from doing the event at all. But signing up for something like a 5k (walk or run!) may be just the motivation you need to do a little bit of training. Bonus points if the event is for a charitable cause! This year my mom and I are going to walk in the Susan G. Komen 3Day walk--3 days, 20 miles per day, 60 miles total. You can be certain that I found some motivation to start training for that!
• Set a weekly goal. Training schedules are tough to stick to. With such a capricious work schedule, I cannot do the exact type of exercise on the specific day listed in a training schedule. Instead, I have weekly goals. In training for the 3Day Walk, I have a set number of miles walked and cross trainings completed for the week. I can work on the goals whenever my schedule permits. 
• Buy a yoga mat. Having a yoga mat means that even on cold, rainy days you have no excuse for sitting on your bum at home. Follow an online instructional yoga video (this is my favorite site). Do some self-taught yoga on your own. Spend 10-15 minutes stretching right when you wake up or right before you go to bed. Tone your abs.  A yoga mat makes exercise an easy at-home activity.
• Take a weekend bike ride. Okay, so I haven't actually done this yet. In truth I am scared sh!tless about riding in a city. However, there are some very nice bike trails nearby and Boston's Hubway program means I don't have to buy my own bike.  My goal for the summer is to find my inner child and go for an aimless bike ride with Brendan.
• Have a dance party at home. Who needs a club or a dance studio? Whether you're doing laundry, making dinner, or need to let off some steam from a bad day at work, turn on your 'party' playlist and shake it! Brendan and I have had numerous spontaneous dance parties while waiting for something to finish cooking in the oven. It may not be a typical "exercise", but dancing certainly gets your blood pumping and body moving.
  

Obviously if you are trying to lose weight or train for something like a marathon, then you'll need to hit the gym more regularly. But if you are looking for a way to add a bit more activity to your life, in addition to or as a supplement for the gym, then these few tips will keep you movin' right along!

Do you have any tips for adding some wiggle and jiggle to your life?

The Best Soup EVER

I am not a soup connoisseur...I haven't been cooking long enough to be one. But this past Monday I made a soup that, thus far in my life, is the best soup EVER. And I'm not being biased because I made it. Brendan's reaction was just as amazed as mine. He took a bite of soup and said, "Gina, this is one of the best soups you've ever made. No joke". Though I cannot take credit for the recipe, I will take credit for doing a terrific job of following instructions! Seriously, if you have time to make this soup over the weekend or sometime in the near future, DO IT. It is so frickin' easy to make and will blow away your taste buds when you try it. You will not regret the decision to make this amazing recipe. 

Sweet Potato, Apple, and Chipotle Soup (from Moosewood Restaurant: Cooking for Health)
Serves 10 (1 cup servings) or 5 (2 cup servings)

Ingredients:
-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
-1 large onion, chopped
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-3 celery stalks, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
-2 large sweet potatoes, peeled & thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
-1 large apple, chopped
-1 tablespoon canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (add extra for more heat!)
-4 cups vegetable broth
-1 cup water
-1 1/2 teaspoons salt
-1/2 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
-1 cup unsweetened apple juice

Directions:
1. In a medium soup pot, warm the oil. Add the onions & garlic and cook for 5 minutes. 
2. Add all remaining ingredients, except for the apple juice. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. 
3. Turn the heat off. Add the apple juice to the pot. Using an immersion blender, or working in batches in a blender, puree the soup until it is smooth. 
4. Enjoy! 

*Note: depending on how much chipotle pepper you use, this soup will be pretty darn spicy. Be sure to have some good bread, cheese, or a glass of milk on the side!

Use the Whole Head

Last week's adventure: using a whole head of red cabbage in three different dishes. Success? You bet. I was inspired by the most recent Bon Appetit and Vegetarian Times magazines, each of which listed a recipe that not only sounded delish, but also called for red cabbage. Turns out one head of cabbage (even a small one) yields a lot more than I thought, so I quickly found a third recipe to utilize the leftovers. Don't let your cabbage go to waste...use the whole head in different recipes!

For easy prep, slice all the cabbage at once and keep it in a bowl with saran wrap, or in an air-tight container. That way, the prep work of chopping the cabbage for each recipe is already done! If you are trying to figure out what to make for dinner or lunch for this coming week, try one, two, or all three of these: 

Beer-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Red Cabbage (from Bon Appetit)

I used 1.12 pounds of pork tenderloin and therefore only made half the amount of marinade.

Chickpea and Red Cabbage Pita Pizza (modified from Vegetarian Times)

I made enough cabbage for 2 pizzas, so below is my modified ingredient list for the cabbage mix. I made the full amount of chickpea mix, since the leftovers taste great on a sandwich or with some raw veggies. Also, I did not toast my own cumin seeds and then grind them; I just used regular ground cumin (no need to do that extra work!). Click on the link for directions on how to make the recipe, but omit step #3 (toasting & grinding cumin seeds).

Cabbage mix for 2
Ingredients:
-2 cups red cabbage, sliced
-4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
-2 teaspoons honey

Our Favorite Raw Slaw (adapted from Moosewood Restaurant: Cooking for Health) 
Serving size: 1 heaping cup
Ingredients:
-3 cups kale (about 1/2 of a large bunch), finely chopped 
-1 cup red cabbage, minced
-2 carrots, grated
-1 apple, grated
-3 tablespoons olive oil
-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
-2 teaspoons dried thyme
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-fresh ground black pepper
Optional
-1/4 cup dried cranberries
-1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Directions
1. Make the dressing: whisk together the oil, vinegar, thyme, salt, and pepper
2. In a large bowl combine the kale, cabbage, carrots, and apple in a large bowl
3. Pour the dressing over the 'slaw and mix well.
4. Top with dried cranberries and sunflower seeds, if desired
*The longer the 'slaw sits, the better it will taste!

An Evening Alone

Most days now I am cooking for two--my boyfriend and myself--but there are still occasions when I eat alone, and therefore must revert back to my days of cooking for one. After two years of experience, I've gotten pretty good at preparing a meal just for myself. And now, because the occasions are rare, it is actually quite fun creating a meal just for me. When I recently had an evening alone, I decided to try out a recipe I had been eager to make: Tofu Saag with Brown Rice, from the Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook. It may not sound exciting...in fact, it probably sounds odd to many of you...but the description in the book caught my eye and I'd been wanting to make the dish for some time now. The book's recipe makes four servings, so I made a few adjustments to create a meal suitable for one. That is not the only alteration I made... 

I used frozen spinach instead of fresh (because it's winter time and fresh spinach is way more expensive than the frozen stuff). I significantly increased the amount of coconut milk, because I wanted a strong coconut flavor. And when I went to put in a 'dash' of cinnamon, the bottle cap flung open and I ended up with WAY more cinnamon than necessary...an unintentional WOW factor was added to the dish. The extra cinnamon was amazing. I finished the dish off with some sriracha, for a little spice. Obviously an optional addition for those of you with more sensitive palates. 

So here is my solo and slightly altered version of the recipe. Obviously you can double, triple, or quadruple it to make a meal for more people. But sometimes an evening alone is fun. Enjoy!

Tofu Saag with Brown Rice 
Serves 1
Ingredients
-1/4 onion, chopped
-1 teaspoon olive oil
-1 cup frozen spinach
-1/4 cup coconut milk
-1/2 teaspoon cumin
-1-2 teaspoons cinnamon (depending on how crazy you want to get!)
-pinch of salt
-pinch of ground black pepper
-1/5 block of firm tofu, cubed (about 3/4 cup)
-1/2 cup cooked brown rice
-sriracha!

Directions
1. Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 1-2 minutes, until onion starts to brown
2. Add frozen spinach and sauté until spinach starts to thaw (about 2 minutes)
3. Once thawed, add coconut milk, cumin, cinnamon, and salt. Stir well and let simmer for 2 minutes. 
4. Add tofu and pepper, and cook until tofu is heated through (about 2 minutes)
5. Serve over brown rice and top with sriracha!

PS--some suggestions for using the leftover coconut milk: 

1. My new favorite snack: 1 cup frozen spinach, 1/4 cup coconut milk, dash of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon raisins or dried currants. Microwave the spinach and milk for about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Add the cinnamon and raisins. Perfect for your post-lunch munchies!

2. Pina-Colada Oatmeal: 1/2 cup dry quick-cooking oats, 1 cup water, 1/4 cup coconut milk, 1/2 cup frozen pineapple bits, 1 tablespoon shredded coconut. Combine oats, water, and pineapple. Microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Add coconut milk and shredded coconut. Delish! 

In Need of a Quickie?

The past few weeks were a haze of cold weather, a blizzard, more snow, and harsh winds. After coming home from work the last thing I ever wanted to do was cook. And the only thing I wanted was something warm and comforting to cheer me up. I know, you're thinking the same thing that I did: soup. Clearly the answer. However, many soups take a long time to cook or they have lengthy ingredient lists. I needed a quickie ..a  tasty and satisfying soup that does not take long to make. So, after perusing my shelf of cookbooks and cooking magazines, I found what I was looking for. I know many of you are likewise rushed for time (and patience), but I promise that these two soups are perfect for nights when you just need a quickie...recipe, that is. 

Fennel & Tomato Soup (adapted from Vegetarian Times)

Serves 4

Ingredients

-1 fennel bulb, diced 

-3 chicken or vegetarian sausages, thickly sliced

-1 teaspoon fennel seeds

-2 tablespoons dry vermouth or white wine

-3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

-1 x 28oz can of crushed tomatoes, no salt added

-handful of fresh parsley

-2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat. 

2. Add diced fennel and sauté until starting to brown (about 5 minutes)

3. Add sausage and fennel seeds. Cook another 5 minutes, until sausage starts to brown.

4. Add the vermouth or wine, to deglaze the pan (about 30 seconds), then add the remaining ingredients.

5. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. 

6. Serve hot with some good bread and/or a side salad. 

Curried Carrot Soup (adapted from Vegetarian Times)

Serves 4

Ingredients

-12 medium carrots, grated (6 cups, grated)

-1 red onion, diced

-1 onion, diced

-1 teaspoon curry powder

-2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add carrots and onions.

2. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Vegetables should be tender and start to brown.

3. Stir in curry powder and cook another 30 seconds. 

4. Add 3 1/2 cups of water, bring soup to a simmer, then remove from heat. 

5. Working in batches in a blender, or using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth. 

6. Return soup to pot and season with salt, if desired. 

 

Pastelon!

Last year for the Super Bowl I ended up testing out a recipe for work: Pastelon (Sweet Plantain "Lasagna"). The kids in a class that I was teaching wanted to make this traditional Puerto Rican dish and so, it was my job to find a way to make the recipe a bit healthier. My healthy Pastelon was an absolute hit at the Super Bowl party I attended (especially for the gluten-free party goers) and the kids in my class ended up enjoying my healthy modifications. Sure, as we began making the dish, their initial reaction was "this is NOT Pastelon"...but they were very pleasantly surprised by the end result. 

As I contemplated what to make for this evening's Super Bowl game, I decided to abandon creativity and instead remake last year's glorious Pastelon. Brendan had never tried the dish, so it would be a new experience for at least one of us. But despite a quick grocery store run to "get the ingredients", I ended up forgetting a few key components of the dish--this is what happens when you don't bring a shopping list to the store! I forgot the cilantro, green bell pepper, and corn. 

Having committed to making the dish, I succumbed to making even more modifications to the already altered 'healthy' Pastelon. It ended up being a new dish for me as well. And much to my surprise, the end result was even more delicious than last year's version. So here is my take on Pastelon (which proves that what is available in your cupboard is sometimes all that you need to make a good meal!): 

Pastelon (Plantain "Lasagna")
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
-4 ripe plantains, sliced lengthwise (plantains should be yellow with lots of black spots, or completely black--if you want a sweeter taste)
-1 onion, chopped (in lieu of the bell pepper/corn)
-3 cloves of garlic, minced
-1 15oz can of hearts of palm, diced (the original recipe calls for 1 green bell pepper, diced, so if you remember to get the pepper then use it!)
-2 carrots, grated (a simple addition that gave the dish more color and flavor)
-1 pound ground turkey
-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
-2 teaspoons dried oregano
-2 teaspoons coriander (or if you remember to buy fresh cilantro, use 1/2 cup chopped)
-1 8oz can tomato sauce
-1/3 cup raisins
-10 green olives, sliced
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-cooking spray
-salt
-pepper
-1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and evenly line sliced plantains on the sheet (do not overlap). Spray tops of plantains with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes (until crispy and golden brown)
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add onions & garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, until onion starts to soften. 
4. Add hearts of palm and shredded carrots. Cook for another 5 minutes
5. Add ground turkey, mix well, and cook until browned (about 10 minutes). Add vinegar, oregano, and coriander, and cook for another 2 minutes.
6. Add the raisins, olives, and tomato sauce. Mix well and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. 

7. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Line half of the plantains on the bottom of the dish. Pour all the ground turkey & veggie mixture on top. Layer the remaining plantains on top of turkey mix. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.
8. Bake for 15 minutes (until cheese is melted and bubbly). 
9. Serve hot!

*Tastes great with a side of hot peppers and a crisp salad (try radicchio, endive, chicory, sliced pear, salt, & pepper)