Granola Bar Cookies

I'm a big fan of baking with whatever random items I happen to have in my kitchen. That's how this cookie recipe turned into this one! It's yummy AND full of protein and fiber.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup sugar (I used 1/8 cup white and 1/8 cup brown this time)
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 2 tbsp raisins
• 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a cookie sheet. Combine all ingredients well. Place "dough" on cookie sheet (make whatever size cookies you want). Bake for about 12 minutes. Cool and enjoy!

Low FODMAP Quinoa Chili

Recipe heavily adapted from MyRecipes
Ingredients:

• 4 tsp grapeseed oil (or olive oil)
• 1/2 a red or orange pepper, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic salt (if garlic is not tolerated use 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup vegetable juice
• 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 can whole kernel corn, drained (not the sweet or creamed kind)
• 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (4 ounces) fire roasted diced green chilis

In a large pot, sautee zucchini and pepper in grapeseed oil. Once veggies are tender (about 4 mins) add in chili powder, cumin, paprika, and garlic salt and mix well. Add in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil, then simmer until quinoa is cooked. It's that easy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

My husband had a sweet tooth tonight, so I decided to make some quick and easy gluten free peanut butter cookies. I tried out this recipe from Delicious As It Looks. I didn't have any kisses, so I just used chocolate chips. They turned out really good and pretty dense. Tip: they get crispier on the edges as they cool. Wait to eat them if you can!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine peanut butter, sugar, egg, and chocolate chips. Roll into little balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Hearty Granola

I just spent my afternoon running 8 miles (half marathon is in only 5 more weeks!), and now I'm in the mood to make some healthy food! About to start some quinoa chili while my granola is in the oven. Will post that recipe next, but here is a FODMAP free twist on my favorite granola recipe, which can be found here.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup chopped raw pecans
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 4 tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease baking sheet. In a large bowl mix together peanut butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla. Once well combined add in all dry ingredients and coat well. Spread across baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Toss granola and bake for another 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Granola will continue to harden as it cools.

Blueberry Almond Meal Muffins

Well, it's Saturday night and I'm at home with 4 dogs, making muffins, and watching a tv show about cute animals eating. Seriously, it's just cute animals eating. Is this what happens when you get old?

So back to muffins. My dietician gave me a list of foods to add to my diet and almond meal was one of them. I found this great recipe on damyhealth.com and decided to give it a shot. I'm almost Paleo now- my meals are always supposed to consist of a protein and healthy fat, and I can basically eat as much fat as I want as long as it's mostly from things like oils, nuts, seeds, and avocado. Apparently fat actually helps you lose weight! A quick explanation of the types of fats can be found here. This is a really healthy muffin option too because there are no grains in the recipe at all, just almond meal aka almond flour, which is just ground up almonds (helloooo protein!). It even tastes just like a muffin made with grain and has a fluffy consistency too. This muffin will definitely be a regular in my kitchen. I've already eaten 2...

 

Recipe copied from damyhealth, thank you Amy for creating this delicious recipe!
Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Almond Flour
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Egg Whites
• 1/4 Cup Agave (Honey, Maple Syrup or Stevia)
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• Dash of Salt
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil (or Other Healthy Oil)
• 1 Cup Blueberries

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
2. Place all ingredients excluding blueberries into your food processor and blend until smooth.
3. Once completely mixed fold in blueberries.
4. Spray muffin tin or mini muffin tin with a healthy, non-stick cooking spray.
5. Evenly scoop batter into muffin tin.
6. Bake for 25 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.
8. Enjoy!

 

Recipe is FODMAP friendly too if you use maple syrup or stevia as a sweetener!

Detoxing and Donuts

Yes I know, these two things are completely contradictory. But how could I resist these babies?! Donuts may be one of my favorite things in the world.

 

Don't tell my dietician. I'm not supposed to be eating gluten or anything that will promote yeast. Double oops.



Low FODMAP Meatball Marinara

 Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp parsley flakes
• 1 tsp garlic salt (substitute regular salt and pepper if garlic is not well tolerated)
• 1/2 tsp crushed red chili peppers
• Feel free to add 1/4 cup breadcrumbs. I kept burning my bread. :(

First, turn on some Frank Sinatra. Then start heating your favorite marinara on the stove top and boil water for the pasta. Mix together all meatball ingredients in a large bowl and form into golf ball size balls. Add pasta to boiling water and cook till tender. I used Ancient Harvest's quinoa/corn elbows. Nom. While pasta is cooking, heat meatballs on stove top with a little olive oil until cooked all the way through, flipping half way. Once finished top pasta with meatballs and marinara and enjoy!

Fresh Feast

I had a delicious and healthy dinner last night- shrimp sauteed in coconut oil with fresh cucumber and pineapple... and a little chips and salsa on the side. Sometimes the simplest things are the best things.