Blackberry Oat Flour Bake

So.... I think I've discovered a new breakfast to add to my repertoire.

Oat bakes.

If you don't remember last Saturday's post, here's a quick refresher... I had seriously been craving a big, fluffy, bad-for-you kind of cinnamon roll. But of course, dietary restrictions stopped that dream and I instead came across this recipe for a, shall we say, stand in cinnamon roll? I made it, it was delicious, pure Cinnamon Raisin Oat Bake Goodness.

Okay. Now that you're refreshed... back to the amazing addition to my weekly breakfast rotation ;-)

After the successful outcome of last Saturday - perfect breakfast, fueled with energy and a happy 6 mile run... I began to think.. Saturdays might just be the new oat bake day. Doesn't sound so bad, right?

Hence... my newest creation... a Blackberry Oat Flour Bake.

So simple, so healthy, so... yummmmmm.

I love showing you the final product before giving the ingredients and cooking instructions... just a little teaser to get you sucked in ;-)

Here is what you'll need...

1/3 c oat flour (or grind your own from gluten free oats - just not the instant kind)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 banana very mashed
3 tbsp vanilla hemp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla

4-6 fresh blackberries cut in half + some for topping (~1/2 c total)

 

Preheat your oven to 350. Combine the dry ingredients and mix well. Combine the wet ingredients, really mash your banana - you want it almost liquid like. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until fully mixed. Fold in your blackberries. Grease a mini bread loaf pan or a small oven-safe dish (4-5 inches wide), scoop the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 16-18 minutes. (I checked mine at 16 and the toothpick was almost clean but I still ended up cooking the full 18 minutes.) If eating immediately let cool slightly before adding your toppings (you don't want to burn your taste buds and ruin the enjoyment of this amazing breakfast!) If eating the next morning, let fully cool and wrap in plastic wrap, store in the refrigerator over night. Heat for 45 seconds in the microwave, add the toppings you wish and enjoy.

Now, let's talk toppings..

I was planning on using the other half of my banana as a topping but when I realized how dense this bake was, I didn't think my stomach could handle it. I chose instead to top my bake with a drizzle of honey, a few more blackberries (halved), a few broken-up banana chips and a sprinkling of dairy free chocolate chips. Oh yes. If you're drooling right now it's okay... I am too and I already enjoyed this masterpiece.

I know you are ready to make this... perhaps you will have an Oat Bake Sunday. But just in case you need a little more of a push.. here is a rough estimate of the nutrition facts (I know you love them.)

Per One Blackberry Oat Flour Bake 

400 calories  

65g carbohydrates  

13g fiber

12g protein

 

Don't forget your morning paper and your smooth breakfast blend coffee... 

and please... 

enjoy responsibly.

Cinnamon Raisin Oat Bake Goodness

Let me set this up properly--

I am a senior at the University of Colorado, majoring in Marketing in the Business School.

I am graduating on May 10th, exactly 47 days from today.

Today is the first day of the last Spring Break I will ever have.

WHAT?!?!? This is unreal.

So... what better way to start this day than with a mouth-watering, stick-to-your-gut breakfast, paired with coffee of course ;-)

I've had a massive craving for cinnamon rolls lately. You know the kind they sell at Cinnabon? The larger-than-life, should-be-split-between-four-people, loaded-with-fat cinnamon roll? Oh yes. Now you know what I'm talking about. While there are plenty of gluten and dairy free recipes out there for cinnamon rolls, they all still contain yeast. Bummer. I'm determined to somehow create a gluten/dairy/yeast free cinnabon copy-cat, but until I find the time (most likely after graduation) I've been searching for a stand-in. I found this recipe for Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal from Chocolate-Covered Katie and thought... this just might do it!

I've made buckwheat bakes several times and have never been disappointed so I was more than willing to give an oatmeal bake a try.

The outcome??

Delight. Smile on my face. Was literally scraping the chocolate off of my plate. Yes.

As you've noticed the last few of my recipes have not been my own creations. Why? Because there are so many talented people out there making the most amazing looking foods... how can I not make their recipes?!

That being said, I followed this recipe [almost] to the tee. I strongly encourage you to visit Chocolate-Covered Katie, she has incredible recipes! But, here my dear is the recipe with my minor tweaks.

Cinnamon Raisin Oat Bake Goodness
1/4 cup steel cut gluten free oats + 1/4 cup oat flour (you can grind your own)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup vanilla hemp milk (using a flavored milk eliminates the need for added sweeteners)
a dash of salt (careful not to overdo it! I really mean "a dash"!)
1 tsp melted butter
a handful of raisins
small handful (or more) dairy free chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Use a coffee grinder, grind 1/4 cup oats into a flour. Add to bowl along with the remaining whole oats, cinnamon and [dash] of salt. Mix hemp milk, applesauce, vanilla and butter and add to dry ingredients. Stir until fully mixed. Add raisins and chocolate chips, stir again until fully mixed. Lightly grease a 4-inch oven-safe dish or 2 ramekins and add oat mixture. Place in oven for 15ish minutes (you just don't want it to still feel mushy). If eating immediately turn broiler on high and let your oat bake get a nice crunchy top for about 5 minutes. If eating the next morning, let your bake cool, wrap in plastic wrap or foil and store in the fridge overnight. When ready to eat microwave bake for 30 seconds and then place under broiler for 5-7 minutes.

I topped my oat bake with a small mixture of cashew butter, melted butter (oh come on.. it's supposed to replicate a cinnabon, remember?!) and a dash more of cinnamon. I smothered this over my bake along with half of a banana (sliced) and oh my.... breakfast heaven.

While I do still have a yearning for that soft yet crunchy, completely sinful cinnabon-like cinnamon roll, I will say that this oatmeal bake did quite the job at suppressing that craving for now. Not to mention, as I was eating it ideas were overflowing in my head of other oat bake variations I could make!

This is a great breakfast to enjoy on the weekend when you have all the time in the world to drink your coffee and read the morning paper, however, it stays together extremely well and I'm sure could be taken for an on-the-go breakfast (if you must).

Thank you Katie for this great recipe! 

Now go on.... get baking ;-)

Quinoa Hazelnut Granola

Oh goodness. This granola is fabulous. Phenomenal. Crunchy. Semi-sweet. Packed with nutrients. It is everything you could ever want in a granola and guess what... it's oat free!

For many who are gluten free oats are not a problem and can be a go-to source for protein and complex carbs. Unfortunately, there are also many, gluten free or not, in which oats do not agree with them. I had to cut oats out of my diet for a while and when I went back to eating them things seemed okay... but whenever this happens with foods I've been cutting out, I get a little too excited that things "seem to be okay" and I begin eating the food like it is my only option. This tends to backfire.. requiring me to cut out the food once again to cleanse my body and get my stomach back on track.

Hence... the search for an oat-free granola began. I have always been a fan of quinoa for its nutritional content (it is a complete protein after all!) and have known that quinoa flakes can be substituted for oats in many recipes. Perfect! So why not make a granola out of it?!

Traditionally.. I make my own granola from scratch.. no recipe... I just go with my gut and the outcome is always delish. For this first attempt.. I reached out to my fellow foodie bloggers and stumbled upon this recipe from the Comfy Belly. If you haven't heard of this blog well... now you have so you have no reason not to visit it just as soon as you finish this post ;-) Erica has amazing photography and such a wide variety of delicious and healthful recipes, including this (as mentioned before) phenomenal quinoa granola.

I'm not going to post the recipe here because I really do feel that you should take advantage of her wonderful blog yourself. I will however explain a little about my modifications...

• I halved the recipe and ended up with about 3 cups of delish granola
• I used only hazelnuts, simply doubling the amount called for (for my halved recipe I used just over 1/2 cup of whole hazelnuts - I then gave them a slight chop before adding to the granola mix)
• I also halved the amount of maple syrup - I prefer my granola on the less sweet side.. I know, crazy right?

That's it! Her recipe is so delightful that the changes I made were strictly based on my dietary restrictions.

Oh yes... I almost forgot... here are the nutrition facts because I know you love them oh so much.

Per one 1/2 cup serving:

368 calories

37g carbs

10g protein

5g fiber

*Don't let the calories scare you, every single one of them are as healthy as can be and I promise this will hold you over and leave you oh so satisfied.

And now.. on to the pictures...

prior to the oven

after baking... the colors become even more beautiful

What Ate Wednesday ~ 4.0

Disclaimer: Before I begin this lovely and sunny edition of WIAW... I have to admit that today is actually... Tuesday. I know many WIAW participants do in fact log their Tuesday meals and post it on Wednesday but until now I have stayed true to the name and taken pictures throughout the day, publishing my post at about 9:00pm Wednesday night. 


Now that my conscience is clean... let's begin!

Breakfast

While I absolutely love posting my entire day of eats, I've quickly realized that I seem to have a rotation of breakfasts. Okay, okay.... I didn't just realize this, I've known it for quite some time but hey, I'm a create of habit and I like it that way! Today's bfast was another amazing Divine Chia Breakfast Pudding. I topped it with raspberries, banana chips, my all-time favorite spice cinnamon and then after taking this picture I added a few golden raisins (I couldn't resist!)

Lunch

This was a fabulous meal to eat while sitting in the front row of a 150-student class. Let me share with you a little background... ya know that person you had classes with who always brought snacks or full on meals to class every single day? Yea well... I'm that girl, and I'm definitely not apologizing for it ;-) Back to lunch... I made these bagels over the weekend. SO delicious and moist  [grain and yeast free!], with a hint of sweetness and perfect when smeared with avocado and accompanied with a crunchy red apple.

Snack

Last night, I made Hazelnut Quinoa granola with a few variations from the original recipe (look for my version posted soon!) This was the most perfect snack to enjoy outside in the most perfect 65 degree weather in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. [side note: Tuesday = 65 degrees, sunny, blue skies, wonderful; Wednesday = 30 degrees, cloudy, gloomy, yuck. Yup... that's Colorado!]

Dinner

Ahhhh.... How I love it when a good pasta of [mostly] leftovers comes together! I had some veggies already cooked and ready to eat in the fridge, the only work required was to cook the [corn-quinoa] pasta along with some bacon #yum#, top it all with a few spices, one or two drips of olive oil and HOLY VEGGIES you have some damn good pasta.

Dessert/Snack

I was originally thinking... chocolate... fruit... some sort of creative combination. Then I realized I was very satisfied from my delightfully yummy eats throughout the day, so I settled on a hot cup of sleepy time tea. Perfect ending to a most wonderful day. 

Happy Wednesday!

What I Ate Wednesday ~ 3.0

Another Wednesday.... another round of pictures and stories, and I have a wonderful way to start this off...

One thing you should know about me is that my favorite flowers are tulips. They are seasonal which makes them that much more beautiful. Another thing you should know is that I have the best boyfriend in the world, who just so happened to bring home tulips for me this last Friday when I was sick with a horrible bronchitis cough... *this is love*

Now that you are [I'm sure] smiling, let's move on to my delightful morning...

Breakfast

I began my day with an always yummy and fresh version of my Divine Chia Breakfast Pudding, complete with only the best toppings - the other half of the banana (used for the pudding), fresh raspberries and a touch of cinnamon. Delightful. 

(mid) Morning Coffee

I had a meeting with my mentor this morning in which we went to a previously mentioned favorite coffee shop.. The Brewing Market. Remember last Wednesday when I told you about this place? The uh-may-zing gluten-freechocolate zucchini bread and the option to have soy, almond OR hemp milk? Yes, now you remember. Well, I took full advantage of that and ordered a Cafe o Lait with hemp milk and the dark roast coffee. So wonderful!

My mentor's latte... beautiful artwork from the barista!

Lunch

I had a small lunch but it was the perfect thing to follow my hemp milk Cafe o Lait. A previously [pan] grilled turkey wrap with guacamole, on a gluten free teff tortilla. Oh and don't forget those plump and juicy grapes in the background ;-) 

Snack

My afternoon snack (which I ate part of after lunch..oops) was a homemade trail-mix of cashews, banana chips, raisins and pumpkin seeds. A perfect post-workout snack but definitely could have been a little bigger seeing as how I ended up not eating dinner until 8:20 this evening [bummer].

Dinner

Now this is a story for you... I had been planning to have this dinner of a leftover burrito bowl from chipotle since our dinner on Saturday night (and no it isn't gross that I saved it). The problem was... the first bite I took tasted extremely sour... I took off the black beans thinking that's what it was.. tried a bite or two more and quickly decided... the trash would enjoy this much more than I would. This all happened at about 6:00pm. This meant I had to go at least 2 hours until I would be home to create a not-so-sour dinner. UGH.

So! To wrap this up... over the next two hours I carefully thought out what I could quickly make when I did in fact get home. Here is what came out of all that brainstorming - half of a sweet potato (already cooked and in my fridge) with sauteed kale (again, more leftovers) and topped with a chopped up maple chicken breakfast sausage (in the freezer). All of this took about 3 minutes to prepare and was exactly what my body was looking for.. a happy ending to the night after all.

Happy Wednesday!

Savory Crayon Muffins

"Crayon Muffins"? Really?

Yes. Really. Let me explain.

While cooling on the wire rack, my boyfriend stopped to take a look. His reaction? "It looks like you melted crayons in your muffins." HA! Priceless. I love you honey.

Now that the ever-so-enticing name is given a reason, let's move on to this wonderful recipe that worked out (for the most part) on the very first try. (p.s. I love it when this happens!)

The inspiration for these muffins came from my Basic Buckwheat Bake all spruced up! Well, no. I can't take the credit. The credit should be given to The Healthful Pursuit and The Edible Perspective - both of which inspired the buckwheat bake. You see, after having the bake a few times for breakfast and absolutely loving how satisfied and full it left me (not to mention how people in my class were gawking at the rest of this delicious breakfast that I took to my 9:30am class), I was inspired to create a savory version that I could take along for lunch.

I found some gluten free, nitrate free chopped prosciutto at King Soopers and thought it would be a perfect addition to my not-yet-created savory muffins, complete with protein and flavor. Great - 1 addition purchased.

A few days later I was at Sunflower Market and while strolling through the aisles I found the on-sale baby food. Yes. Baby food. What a great way to substitute the banana from the buckwheat bake... pureed veggies that are already pureed! Also on this shopping trip I bought a large jar of on-sale roasted red peppers (yum!). Score - 2 more additions.

After several days of thinking and conjuring up how I would make these muffins work... and also after carefully trying to [somewhat] replicate the buckwheat bake recipe in order to avoid a complete failure, I came up with these bad boys...Savory Crayon Muffins.

Dry Ingredients
1/4 c amaranth flour
1/4 c sorghum flour
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp pine nuts
2 tbsp sunflower seeds

Wet Ingredients
Egg Replacer*
1/4 c carrot baby food**
2 tbsp water

Add-Ins
2 tbsp roasted red peppers (diced)
1.5 oz chopped prosciutto

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Make egg replacer, whisking until frothy and add to dry ingredients. Add baby food and water, mix until combined. Add in prosciutto and roasted red pepper, stir again until combined - the batter will be thick. Spray (or grease) 3 ramekins, making sure to coat the bottom and sides. Divide batter among the ramekins and use the back of a wet spoon to smooth out the tops. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.***


Notes
*I used Ener-G Egg Replacer. You can also use 1 egg - this will probably cause the muffins to rise more. You can also use a flax or chia egg.

**I used carrot baby food, it gave a beautiful orange-golden color to my muffins but feel free to use any vegetable flavor combo you like!

***I continually opened the oven to check these which is probably why my muffins came out to be a little mushy in the middle. I suggest keeping your oven closed the full 30 minutes and then checking with a toothpick. The tops will be cracked and have a crusty feel but if the toothpick isn't clean, continue cooking for a few more minutes.


Although I have only sampled a few bites, I am instantly a fan and will be sure to create many versions of these muffins, using different add-ins and flavor combinations. I am thinking these will be better warm than cold. My suggestion for lunch - heat your muffin in the microwave for 30 seconds (or pop into a toaster oven) and enjoy with a crunchy apple, a small salad or perhaps... soup?

Lastly, let me share with you the nutrition facts because, well, I am just that considerate ;-)

Per 1 Savory Crayon Muffin

178 calories

21g carbohydrates

3g fiber

5g protein

PLEASE leave any comments or feedback for flavor suggestions [and] when you make these yourself be sure to come back and let me know how they turned out!

It's GIVEAWAY time!

You may remember a few weeks ago my post about an upcoming giveaway for Sandwich Petals.

Well... 

As promised and just in time for Fat Tuesday, it is time for the first ever It Really Works giveaway!

Exciting right!?! I know :-)

Let's first talk about the prize, shall we?

The lucky winner of this giveaway will receive a free sample box of Sandwich Petals, including all three of their delicious flavors - Spinach Garlic Pesto, Chimayo Red Chile and Agave Grain. 

If you have never had these wraps take a look at my review and I think I'll have you convinced that you will LOVE them!

Now that you are oh so very intrigued, here is how it works... 

Simply tell 3 of your friends about this blog, have them follow the blog itself and like our Facebook page (just as you have, right?!?), then leave a comment on this post letting me know and that's it - YOU'RE ENTERED! With such a fun and effortless way to be the potential winner of free and delicious food, what's stopping you?! 

The giveaway will begin bright and early Monday morning, February 20th and will end on Friday evening, February 24th at 5:00pm (just in time for Happy Hour ;-) )

I will select the winner on Saturday and you're gift will be on it's way to your doorstep! That's right, you don't have to pick it up anywhere... just open the door when that handsome UPS man rings the bell.

OH MY GOODNESS, THIS SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE! But guess what... it isn't! So what are you waiting for?! Go ahead and send your daily emails and be sure to mention my blog and this giveaway!

Have fun - I know I will!!!

What I Ate Wednesday ~ 2.0

First off - I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day yesterday! I'd like to share a picture of these beautiful flowers that are sitting on my kitchen table...

He's perfect :)

Truthfully, my boyfriend and I are both on the same page about Valentine's Day - you don't need a special day to show how much you love someone. But hey... I'm definitely not one to complain if the man I love buys me flowers :)

Anyway... on to Wednesday!

Oh what a day. Here's a little breakdown...

Work from home until 11:00am. Edit resume/print business cards for the business school career fair. 30 minute interval workout. Shower. Get dressed/dry hair/make-up - get all professional looking ;-). Eat lunch. Prepare dinner to bring to school (yup, another 7 o'clock meeting tonight!). Drive to school. Go to career fair. Go to coffee shop and have a serious school-work session. Drive back to the b-school. Eat dinner. Meeting. Drive home. Enjoy the rest of my fabulous gluten/dairy/nut free zucchini chocolate bread - which I will tell you about in....

5

4

3

2

1

What time is it?!?!

Unfortunately... I don't think I met the par for the [veggies] portion of this WIAW post... but here are some fun meal ideas and pictures to catch your attention!
BreakfastOne of my favorite breakfasts with a slight modification because of the season - (a.k.a strawberries are cheaper than raspberries right now!) - Flax cereal, freshly cut strawberries, diced dried mango and my go-to vanilla hemp milk. Don't forget your large cup of green tea ;-)

LunchA lunch I used to make ALL THE TIME (before going gluten/dairy/yeast..etc. free), again with a few modifications - a grilled cashew butter & banana sandwich complete with cinnamon, honey and a side of celery. Simple. Delicious. 

SnackI did NOT want to spend the 3 hours I had until my meeting at school so I visited the local Brewing Market coffee shop in Boulder and couldn't resist when I saw the shelf of gluten free items. I settled on this baby... gluten/dairy/nut free chocolate zucchini bread with jasmine green tea. OMG. THIS IS SO GOOD! *Quick side note... not only does this coffee shop have gluten & dairy free baked goods, but you can also trade up your cows milk for soy, almond, OR hemp milk! AH! I love Boulder :)

DinnerA lovely salad with my leftover California Chicken Sandwich from Red Robin (I know, I know... it's not guaranteed gluten free but by ordering wrapped in lettuce rather than the traditional bun - it left my stomach feeling just fine - yeaahhh!). I topped my salad with grapes (if you've never done this you must give it a try) oh and some crushed blue corn tortilla chips (guilty#). It was a perfect light dinner knowing my dessert would be...

Snack [dessert]You didn't think I ate that whole piece of chocolate zucchini bread all at once did you? Oh no... I had a plan from the very beginning. Eat half as a snack and enjoy the rest as a luscious, delightfully sinful dessert. I know you're jealous... which is why I am now determined to recreate this bread, perhaps as a muffin. Stay tuned ;-)

Happy Wednesday everyone!