My Favorite Pie Crust

Since being gluten free I've tried my hand at making a few pies, and I have finally settled on my favorite version! This pie crust isn't the buttery and flaky crust that looks like phyllo dough., this crust is more...cakey, I suppose. It has a soft texture with a crumb. It might make for a less-than presentable slice, but after tasting it, no-one will be complaining about it's presentation.

Pro Tip: Occasionally I will be making a pie, and while I have all the ingredients out, I will make a few to freeze for later. I individually wrap them up in saran wrap and just pile them in the freezer to chill for whatever or whenever I need it.

What I really like about this crust recipe is how versatile it can be. You can use your favorite flours and feel free to make it as sweet or even savory as you want! The crust can even be made vegan with a vegan replacement for the butter and eggs. I have definitely done this in the past, and am happy to report that flax eggs do work well!

1 flax egg =  1 T flax + 3 T hot water

I will often cut out some of the sugar if I am going to freeze the dough,  just because I don't know what it will be made for at a later date, and I may not want it that sweet if it is being used for a savory quiche or something. If the dough will be used for pie, after letting it thaw and I'm rolling it out, I will just add a bit more sugar or syrup on it.

Suzy's Favorite Pie Crust

Yield: 1 crust (double for pie that requires a top and bottom crust)

1 1/2 cup finely ground oatmeal flour

1/2 cup butter or 1/4 cup coconut oil

2 eggs, or equivalent egg replacement (flax eggs do work!)*

2 t baking powder

3-4 T honey/agave/rice syrup
splash of vanilla extract

salt
cinnamon or other spices, if you desire

*Flax eggs do work, combine 2 T flax seed meal + 6 T hot water (allow to sit before combining to other ingredients. I actually prefer the taste and texture of the flax egg to the normal eggs, there's a subtle nuttiness:)
Combine all ingredients in a food process or a large bowl and combine until a dough forms. 

You can freeze the dough now to use later, if you like. Or fill it with your favorite pie fillings and bake!

You need to do a bit of patch-work to lay this crust out, I don't bother rolling it out into the pie dish, I just plop the whole dough ball down and flatten it out using floured (sorghum or a starch) hands.

Fill with favorite filling

Bake at 350° F for 35-40 minutes until the crust is lightly browned. If you pre-bake the crust before adding a filling, the crust won't need to bake as long, maybe 15 to 20 minutes.

Cheers,     Suzy

The Banana Cake Challenge

My Mom's makes an excellent Banana Cake, that I and everyone else, LOVES. But I recently decided to try my hand at making one and see how it measured up. Could I make a banana cake equally as tasty, or dare I even imagine better?!?
So the only logical way to figure out how my cake compared to Mom's is to have a Banana Cake Challenge. Yah-huh.


And what a delicious challenge it was (I mean, how bad can bananas, sugar, and butter be?).

Mom's Best Banana Cake

My Banana Cake
Yeild: 8x8-inch cake

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt (I used non fat), or sour cream
1 1/2 t vanilla extract 
2 tablespoons butter, softened*
2 large bananas, mashed
1 egg (I used a flax egg substitute)
1 cup favorite GF flour mix (This time I used 1/2 cup sorghum and 1/2 cup arrowroot, but next time I'm going to use a mix of 2/3 cup ground oatmeal and 1/3 cup sorghum, just because I like the chewier texture of oats)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Butter and sugar the sides of and 8x8 inch baking dish.
Combine the sugar, yogurt, vanilla and butter (*coconut oil would *probably* work just fine for a vegan version, of course you could use a vegan butter substitute). Mash the banana and combine with the egg. Combine the banana and yogurt mixture.
Combine the flours, baking soda, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown (If you are using a glass dish, the baking time might be closer to 25-30 minutes). Allow to cool before frosting.

Pre-frosting of my banana cake

Remember how in the last post that I mentioned no pictures were taken of my Mom's Banana Cake, well...there was this one, and only this one. After this picture was taken, both slices were promptly eaten.

I topped mine of with an atrocious amount of the Fluffiest Frosting (You should only make a half batch of this for an 8x8 cake... otherwise you WILL have A LOT of fluffy frosting on your hands that you must do something with...like continue to put on a cake in absurd quantities. Refer to pictures, oye.)

The Verdict:

Drumroll Please!
Mom's Best Banana Cake stands on the first place cake stand! Kuddos Mom, you deserve it!
Did I really think I could out bake THE Best Banana Cake? It's not called the Best Banana Cake for nothing.

I did decided however, that the cake I constructed would be good for those days when you are by yourself and in need of banana cake, because it takes less effort and fewer ingredients to throw together. And it makes an 8x8 cake instead of a 9x13, so that just makes it more of an individual size, right? ;)

What is one irreplaceable recipe that you have?

Cheers,     Suzy

Protein-Packed Oatmeal

I love oatmeal...period. It's a simple sentence, but it says all it needs to say. I'll eat it at any time of day, any way. This probably isn't a new concept, because oatmeal is such a staple in many people's diet. It is healthy, filling, and above all else...easy. It's quick to make and quite affordable.
I've become quite creative with my oatmeal add-ins throughout my college career. Eating in the same caf, with the same food evokes one to get creative with what is available. A few concoctions have elicited brows to be raised by my friends (maybe we'll get into that later), so when I was surprised by one of my roommate's favorite ways to eat oatmeal, I was truly shocked I had never thought of it.
She added a scoop of protein powder to her warm bowl of oats! Genius! Not only will this bowl of oats fill you up, it will keep you full! And as an added bonus, you can switch up the flavors and be okay with having a bowl of chocolate for breakfast!
Of course, after learning of this I have made quite a few variations, but my absolute favorite is the tried and true chocolate!
This isn't really a recipe so much as it is a guideline...add protein powder to oatmeal...BUT I'm going to write a recipe out anyway. Feel free to change quantities and ingredients how you see fit!

I like it so much, it's not just a dorm-room staple. Now that it's summer and I'm not in the dorms, I still make this frequently. It's great after  a work out too.

Protein-Packed Oatmeal

1/2 Cup oatmeal (GF)

1 cup water or almond/soy/milk, extra as needed

1 scoop favorite protein powder

add ins: chocolate chips (because you can never have enough chocolate), cocoa nibs (seen in photos), cocoa powder, berries (of course!), unsweetened coconut, walnuts/almonds and the like, ohhh....any nut-butter of choice. <- This would just taste like a favorite chocolate-covered peanut butter cup of mine.

1. Combine oatmeal and liquid and cook using method of choice, in a microwave or over the stove. Heat until the liquid is absorbed and the oats are cooked through.

2. Transfer cooked oats to a bowl (only if you used the stove), and stir in your protein powder until thoroughly combined.

3. Add additional water if the consistency is too thick.

4. Sprinkle with optional toppings and enjoy!

Do you use protein powder? What do you put it in?
Cheers,      Suzy

Banana Almond Breakfast Smoothie

I wanted to make myself think I was drinking almond nut butter. Sometimes you just need an absurd amount of nut butter for all to be right with the world. Luckily for me this smoothie did the trick and I didn't have to resort to the spoon in the jar, before reaching for another spoon because the second scoop always tastes better ;)

Yeild: 1 Satisfying Smoothie
1 Cup Milk of choice (I used almond)
2 Tablespoons nut butter (almond)
handful of ice
1/2 (preferably frozen) banana
1 teaspoon flaxseed meal
splash of vanilla extract

Dump all ingredients in a blender and whirl away!

Tip and Trick: Sometimes I like to add a little chia seed, or a pinch of ground oatmeal flour for not only a fiber boost, but to help thicken the smoothie. If this is the case, then I will let the seeds or oatmeal to sit in the milk for a minute before blending to let it get a head start on absorbing the liquid and thickening the smoothie!

What do you crave by the spoonful?

Cheers,     Suzy

Blueberry Strawberry Banana Baked Oatmeal!

Another lovely combination of Oats and Berries!
It just never gets old.

I found a a really good looking recipe for baked oatmeal from Annie Eats, and changed the procedure quite a bit to match more of that found on Deliciously Ella. I really like the idea of soaking the oats before cooking them, so that they have time to absorb some of the liquid. I also added some strawberries and mashed one of the bananas before stirring it into the mixture.
This has such a pretty presentation, and was lovely to have for breakfast with family.
I served it with Greek yogurt and extra cut-up fruit. Yummm!

Blueberry, Strawberry, Banana Baked Oatmeal

1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
½ tsp. baking powder
2 T. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
¼ cup maple syrup or honey
1/2  cup skim milk or almond milk
1/2 cup water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, one mashed, the other thinly sliced
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen), divided
1 cup strawberries, halved
handful of walnut pieces, optional
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish. 
In a bowl, combine the rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Stir to combine. Combine the maple syrup, milk, water, egg, vanilla, and the single mashed banana. Mix the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients and let sit for a few minutes while you gather the remaining toppings and add-ins. Mix in half of the blueberries, and pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the nuts, strawberries, remaining sliced banana and blueberries over the top.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the berries on top have cooked, the oats are golden and set. 
I served this immediately, nice and steamy! The Greek yogurt helped to cool it down quicker.
It was like eating an inverted fruit crisp, lovely.

Cheers,
     Suzy

Blueberry Muffin Protein Bar

Yup, one bar, two favorite eats. Yum!
These really do taste like the fluffy, buttery, fresh blueberry studded muffins that one drools over at any coffee shop. Though the taste is spot on, the texture couldn't be more different. These are dense and chewy, with an added bite from the freeze-dried blueberries...the consistency that I want in a protein bar.

Blueberry Muffin Protein Bar

1 C finely ground oat flour
6 scoops (132g) vanilla protein powder
1 t vanilla extract
1 t Princess Cake and Cookie Flavor by LorAnn Oils
2 t flax seeds

1/3 C almond nut butter
*1/2 t lemon juice (optional)

1 C nonfat dry milk
1/2-3/4 C water, depending on consistency
1 C freeze dried blueberries

Prepare an 8x8 inch dish with cooking spray or parchment.
Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl. Lightly mix together and make a well in the middle of the mix. Add the wet ingredients into the well and lightly stir to break apart the nut butter before incorporating into the rest of the batter. Gently fold freeze dried blueberries into the batter. Press the dough into the prepared baking dish. Cover and let rest in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight before cutting into 9 squares. Store in the fridge, or in the freezer for longer term.
You can individually wrap these in wax paper and pull them out from the fridge for snacks on the go, or you can leave them in the dish like I do and cut chunks away at your leisure.

Happy Breakfast to me! ...and after exercise snack, ...and lunch. Because they're that good. I also really enjoyed them with this Cashew Cream 'Cheese' smudged on top, for more protein goodness. Now they just taste pretty much like a blueberry cupcake with cream cheese frosting. Oh yes, I went there. And I probably will again tomorrow.
But I can share! So here is my new favorite recipe! :)

Yum, a modified cupcake ;)

A note about the Princess Cake and Cookie Flavor:

This is one of those fun buys that I got at a store once, the flavor itself I can only describe as that of a sweet treat and helps give a decadence to these bars. You of course could add any additional flavor you have or would like, from lemon juice to a bit of coconut. These variations I have not *yet* tried, but writing about them is making me think I'm going to be making another batch of these really soon.

If you try another variation, let me know!

What flavor mash-up would you like to see in a protein bar?

Cheers,

     Suzy

Fan-FREAKING-tastic Bars

Oh yes they are!
It was declared on more than one occasion... by more than one person...
I'll try to convey the greatness of these bars with pictures and as many adjectives as possible; but just so you know, pictures and words can only say so much and you should just make them and let them speak for themselves.

They are chewy and crunchy, yet soft because they are no bake; they are fruity, nutty, sweet, a tad salty, and a little chocolaty. 
They are healthy. They have healthy fats, provide plenty of fiber, and only use wholesome ingredients. 
You can customize them to your heart's delight, they are Gluten Free (of course), Vegan, and incredibly easy to put together.
Did I mention they have chocolate? 
And they are FILLING! So worth it.

I had saved the original recipe quite a while ago, but it took a close friend of mine to make them first and get met to dig the recipe out and make them myself! Oh, what I've been missing out on!

The recipe is from 86 Lemons and I haven't changed it too much because quite honestly, they are perfect.

Someone was being sneaky and taking one from my background

Peanut Butter Chocolate Breakfast Bars
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (use gluten-free if desired)
1/2 cup flax seed meal1/4 cup chia seeds1/4 cup sunflower seeds1/3 cup pumpkin seeds1 cup cashews, almonds, walnuts1/2 cup honey/pure maple syrup/agave1 cup natural nut butter
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips or coco nibs
1/2 cup dried cherries/blueberries/cranberries

Line and 8x8 inch dish with parchment paper. Combine oats, seeds, and nuts in a large bowl. Add in agave, etc. and nut butter of choice, and gently fold until all ingredients are incorporated (you may need a bit more honey/maple/agave depending on humidity and other ingredients used). Finally, fold in chocolaty and fruity add-ins until thoroughly mixed in. Dump the dough into the lined baking dish and spread evenly using a spatula. 
Let the bars chill out and firm up in the fridge for a couple hours or overnight (or in the freezer, for like, an hour; As 86 Lemons suggests, for those of us who just cannot wait until tomorrow). 
Cut into (12/16) squares.
Enjoy! 
Devour!
Make more!!

'Tis the Season for Strawberries!

I have had a blast this summer cruising local farmer's markets! Everyone is so friendly and enthusiastic about the bountiful produce and other specialty goods like honey and soaps! I have really enjoyed learning about new ingredients that are grown locally and how to incorporate them in recipes. The strawberries have been lovely these past couple of weeks, and naturally I have used them in everything from simple oatmeal to a pie that I have a feeling will be made again very soon!
This time I pureed the strawberries with rhubarb and baked up some oatmeal breakfast bars (or rather slices because I used a pie plate), but I'm looking forward to blending different combinations of seasonal fruit, like peaches and blueberries! 

Look at the brilliant pink color!

Strawberry Rhubarb Oatmeal Bars

Yields 1 8x8-inch pan (or 1 pie plate...just in case you run out of 8x8" dishes, like me)

1/3 cup applesauce

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T flax meal + 3 T warm water
1/4 cup honey/ maple syrup 
1 t Vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup oat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 cup strawberry rhubarb puree*

*3/4 cup strawberries + 1/2 cup chopped rhubarb + 1 T honey/maple syrup, pureed in food processor

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x8-inch pan.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together applesauce and sugar. Add the flax and water, honey, and vanilla extract. Stir in the oats, flours, baking soda, and salt. Spread 3/4 of the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan. Pour the strawberry rhubarb puree evenly over the top. Crumble the remaining 1/4 of the batter on top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly in pan before serving.

Adapted from here.

What do you like to find at the farmer's market?

Cheers,
Suzy

Skillet Veggie {GF} Pasta

The first time I cooked gluten free noodles they disintegrated.
One of my first lessons in Gluten free cooking was that the noodles tend to cook quicker than their wheat-filled counterparts.
This particular kind only needed to be boiled for 4 minutes!
The shorter cooking time is great though because they can be an afterthought when you are preparing a  dish. It makes for a very quick and tasty lunch.
Here I prepared all the veggies and the 'cream sauce' before beginning to boil the noodles!

I wanted this pasta to be light and healthy, and that is exactly what it turned out to be! It is full of colorful vegetables! Leeks and onions always pair so well together, and the sweet potato lends such a great flavor.
Even the 'cream sauce' is light and healthy, made from cashews and oatmeal. Yes, oatmeal!

1 sweet potato, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
2 leeks, thinly sliced, washed, and separated.

1/3 Sweet white onion, diced into small pieces

2 handfuls of greens, roughly chopped. (I used a spring mix, but kale, spinach, or arugula would be lovely)

1 box uncooked {GF} pasta (I used a rice brand, but I really like noodles made with quinoa)

water to cook the noodles

1/2 cup cashews

1/4 cup dry oatmeal

salt and pepper

oregano, Italian seasoning, thyme

Prepare all veggies and set them aside.

Spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray and heat on high heat.

Toss the sweet potato in the warmed skillet and turn the heat down to medium, cover and let cook until browned on the outside and tender, ~ 10 min.

Start to boil a pot of water for the noodles. I like to season the water with a pinch of salt and sometimes even a bit of the other seasonings that I'm using, like the oregano.

Meanwhile, put the oats, and cashews in a food processor and process on high until the mixture starts to stick together in the bottom of the food processor. Before I took it out, I added about 2 T of the (mostly) cooked sweet potato pieces and a pinch of salt, pepper, and oregano. The mix should be very thick, like chunky peanut butter. 

Add the leeks and onions to the skillet with sweet potato, season to taste.

Add the noodles to the boiling water. Now, watch them closely! You want them to be al dente, so read the box for cooking directions.

Continue to watch and stir the veggies while the noodles are cooking.

When the noodles are done, scoop them out of the water and into the skillet, you will want to (be like Rachel Ray and) reserve the pasta water, this is for the 'cream sauce' that we will attend to in a minute.

Stir the veggie and noodle mix.

Add pasta water into the 'cream' mixture until it takes on the consistency of...well, cream. You can always add more water, so start with just a bit and add more. Pour this mixture over the noodles and vegetables and toss together. 

At the last minute add in the spinach and stir, allowing it to wilt.

Serve warm!

Notes:

I ate mine atop a bed of more greens, and it was satisfying.

There is nothing that needs to be kept cold, making this a really great lunch-box meal!

This did make a lot, and I was glad because I knew there would be left overs. I get excited when I make something and there are left overs. Mostly because I tend to have a problem with putting something away if there are only a few bites left. I'll just eat it :)

'Cream Sauce' adapted from Aromatic Cooking
Oh, one more suggestion: We discovered this was complimented really well with freshly grated Parmesan on top. Of course, if you are vegan, you could substitute nutritional yeast, or I also really like the 'veggie cheese' that is available at most supermarkets.

Yummy leftovers!

What leftovers do you look forward to finding in your fridge?

Basic No-Bake Protein Bar

I've been making and slowly modifying this bar for years. The original recipe is by Stella Juarez and it has served me very well! 
This recipe is a no-bake, which makes it wonderful for making at night to have in the morning as a quick breakfast or makes for a fantastic snack post-workout. They are also really easy to travel with, making them a smart choice for packed lunches or snacks.

I love eating these with a smudge of almond butter next to a tall glass of water.

I suggest really taking your time to find a good protein powder for these. The flavor of the protein powder really does come through, so you have to be okay with it's taste.

Yield: 9 square bars

1/3 C nut butter of your choosing

1 C Oatmeal, uncooked (GF)

132 g chocolate protein powder (this is a bit less than 1 1/2 Cups worth, or 6 scoops, depending on the size of your scoop)

1 t vanilla extract

2 T flax meal

1 C non-fat dry milk

1/2 C water, extra if necessary

Add the oatmeal, protein powder, flax meal, and dry milk powder to a bowl. Stir to combine. Add in the nut butter and mix lightly. Now, add in the water. The water will dissolve the dry milk powder, making the mixing process much easier. You will definitely have to work a little to incorporate all of the dry ingredients, only adding extra water if necessary.

Spray, or prepare and 8 x 8 inch baking dish with non-stick spray or with parchment. 

Press the 'dough' mixture into the baking dish, and smooth it out evenly.

Refrigerate the mixture for a few hours or overnight.

Cut into 9 squares.

I like to keep these in a Ziploc bag the fridge, stacked with parchment in between each layer. They store well for up to a week. 

Mmmm, oat-y, chocolaty goodness.

What is a recipe that you have been making for years?

Notes: 

• If you do not like the chewy texture of the oats, the whole cup of oatmeal can be ground to a flour using a blender, for a softer consistency. 
• Sella's original recipe calls for half of the oatmeal ground into a flour. Play with the recipe and tailor to how your liking!
• These are a fantastic source of protein. Depending on the protein powder, they can contain around 20 grams of protein! 

Cheers,
     Suzy

The Oats And Berries

Not much beats a good ol' fashion bowl of oats, steaming, and topped with ripe berries that burst in your mouth. I love when you mix them together and get swirls of colors through the oats. A great filling breakfast full of fiber and antioxidants. It is after all, the inspiration of this blog...Well, that and the fact that if you were to flip through my recipe card book the majority include oats and berries, in one form or another.

Keeping it simple.

1/2 C Rolled Oats (GF)

3/4 C water

1/4 C (almond) milk

1 C freshly washed and cut berries (strawberries and blueberries)

*Sprinkle of cinnamon sugar (optional)

Prepare berries.
Put 1/4 cup berries in the bottom of your bowl.
Combine oats, water, and almond milk in a medium saucepan. Heat on high heat until begins to boil, and reduce to medium heat, cooking another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat. I like to let it sit and thicken for a few minutes, before scooping on top of the berries.
Top the oatmeal off with the remaining berries and *a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.
Enjoy!

Microwave Version:

Combine oats, water, and almond milk in a large microwave-safe dish. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, making sure the oats don't spill over the edges of the bowl. Let sit in microwave 2 more minutes, letting any extra liquid to be soaked up. 

Remove from microwave. Stir oats, adding extra water or milk if needed.

Top the oatmeal off with berries and *a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar if desired.

Enjoy!

This is my recipe book, my holy grail of favorite recipes and ideas that I have collected while at school, so that I can make them when I come home.

It reminds me of "The Book" from The Devil Wears Prada, the one that Miranda Priestly insists having delivered to her house by one of her "Emilies", placed on the table with the flowers. It holds everything in it for the next issue of "Runway Magazine", much like my book that holds the inspiration for the creation of many of my recipes.

Where do you get inspiration for recipes?

A little added sweetness never hurt, I like to finish my bowl of oats and berries off with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.

Cheers,
     Suzy