Year: 2013

Apple Pie Larabars (Vegan and Gluten Free)

Melissa King 57 Comments

Apple Pie Larabars.  It’s been a while since I have posted a larabar recipe.  I had several people request the apple pie larabar flavor, so here you go.  I hope you enjoy these homemade apple larabars.

For more larabar recipes you can check out this post.

 

apple pie larabars

 

My husband really enjoyed these.  I was not a huge fan myself.  Mostly because I am obsessed with the Coconut Cream Larabars.

That just means there will be more for him and my daughter to share. 🙂  These are just as easy to make as all the others.  I cut  mine in squares, but you can do bars or roll them into balls as well.

These homemade larabars travel great too.  Perfect for on the go.  I always have some in my purse just in case.

Apple Pie Larabars

Apple Pie Larabars

print shopping list

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. In a food processor, mix the nuts into a fine powder.
  2. Add in the dates, cinnamon and the applesauce and pulse until a dough starts to form. 
  3. Line an 8X8 pan with parchment paper, leaving some paper sticking out the sides. 
  4. Spoon mixture into the pan and use the extra parchment to press the dough down. 
  5. Stick in the fridge to firm up. 
  6. Then, remove the whole thing with the parchment and slice into squares or bars with a pizza cutter.  Store them in the fridge.  Enjoy!

by

Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies

Melissa King 97 Comments

I love cookies.  I love chocolate chip cookies. I mean, what’s not to love?  Cookies have always been my go to food for something sweet and chocolate chip cookies have always been one of my faves. It was about time I created a healthier chocolate chip cookie recipe to satisfy my cravings. I already have my Healthy Oatmeal Cookies and my Healthier Peanut Butter Cookies on the blog, so this was a natural fit.

cookies

I think one of the things that makes these taste so good is the ground vanilla bean.  It adds a nice sweetness.  I had my doubts that this recipe would work and was pleasantly surprised when I tasted the batter.  These are so amazingly good! I did use a little more sweetener than I normally do, because I didn’t know how it would turn out.   Next time I may attempt them with less.  I also might try sweetening them with dates.  They are still far healthier than traditional cookies, which usually contain 1 1/2 cups of sugar.

Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies

Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies

print shopping list
Prep Time 15 min Cook Time 13 min Serves 18 Cookies     adjust servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. In a food processor, grind the rolled oat into a fine consistency.
  3. Add them to a bowl with the rest of the dried ingredients.
  4. Mix all the wet ingredients in another bowl.
  5. Add the dry to wet and stir just until everything is combined.
  6. Fold in the chocolate chips. The batter will be on the wet side.
  7. Drop cookies onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 10-13 minutes.

by

Recipe Notes

Enjoy!

Roasted Pesto Portobellos

Melissa King 29 Comments

If you were to ask me what some of my favorite veggies are, spinach, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes top the list.  So, I thought I would combine them together to make this super easy meal.  This meal is so easy to put together.  I made the whole thing within just a few minutes after we got home from my daughter’s soccer game.

Musroom Portobello watermark2

This meal comes together in minutes.  It really is no trouble at all.  For the pesto, I used almonds instead of pine nuts because pine nuts can be so expensive.  The almonds worked out great.  I also use nutritional yeast in place of cheese.  Nutritional yeast is super healthy and actually is a great source of B12.  B12 is one of the few vitamins that is hard to find in a plant based diet.  It also has a cheesy and nutty flavor and that is why it’s used in place of cheese.  This was the first meal I made using some ingredients from our garden.  The basil is flourishing so I plucked a whole bunch off.  It grows back so fast.

Roasted Pesto Portobellos

Roasted Pesto Portobellos

print shopping list
Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 20 min

Ingredients

  • 1 cup almonds
  • 10 basil leaves
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 2 T nutritional yeast
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 T parsley
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 8 cherry tomatoes halved
  • 3 portobello mushrooms stems removed

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400.
  2. In a food processor grind up all the ingredients except the mushrooms and tomatoes until a pesto forms.
  3. If the mixture seems a bit dry, you can add a bit more oil or even a little water.
  4. Grease a baking sheet and lay the mushrooms on it.
  5. Fill each cup with pesto and top with the cherry tomatoes.
  6. Put in the oven for about 20 minutes.

by

Recipe Notes

We were actually going to make 4 mushrooms, but my husband butchered one in the process of removing the stems. That is why in the picture, the caps are filled to the brim with pesto. They were still delicious, and I wish we had leftovers, but they were all gone quickly. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Dairy Free Potato Salad

Melissa King 9 Comments

Now that Spring is finally here, it’s time to think about outdoor parties and BBQs.  We have a pool so I am sure we are going to do some entertaining.  It’s my favorite time of year.  I have been trying to think of some good BBQ dishes.  First thing I came up with was the Pineapple Mango Salsa.  Now I am giving you potato salad.

potato salad

This potato salad is dairy free as well as vegan.  I know there are lots of kids these days with dairy allergies, mine included.  This recipe is for them.  It is pretty darn tasty too.  For the mayo base, I used my Dairy Free Ranch Dressing.

Dairy Free Potato Salad

Dairy Free Potato Salad

print shopping list
Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 15 min

Ingredients

  • 2 red potatoes cubed
  • 2 golden russet potatoes cubed
  • 1/2 cup zucchini chopped
  • 1 large carrot diced
  • 3 green onions chopped
  • 1 celery stock chopped
  • 1 cup dairy free ranch dressing
  • 1 T dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a pan, boil the potatoes to soften them.  About 10-15 minutes. 
  2. Drain and let cool. 
  3. Mix all the ingredients in one bowl. Makes about 3-4 servings. Enjoy!

by

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal (Vegan and Gluten Free)

Melissa King 70 Comments

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal.  Have you tried baked oatmeal yet?  If you love oats like I do, you have got to try this blueberry baked oatmeal.

One of my most popular recipes on the blog is my Strawberry Banana Baked Oatmeal.  They are just so easy and a great way to eat oats on the go.  This Blueberry Baked Oatmeal is also gluten free.

 

blueberry baked oatmeal

 

We have held out on buying blueberries lately.  They are one of the top foods on the dirty list, so I try to buy mine organic.

Now that we are coming into berry season, the prices have come down quite a bit.  So I stocked up.  These baked oatmeal recipes also freeze well and taste great at room temp or even cold.

My husband told me that this was his fave recipe so far.  Needless to say, our batch is already completely gone!  Guess I need to make another soon.

Read More

Spring Rolls

Melissa King 34 Comments

I have always loved spring rolls.  So light and so many possibilities.

spring rolls watermark

Asian food is my favorite style of cooking.  If you have read my recipe index, you probably would have guessed that.   Probably because most of the meals are quick and easy.  I always thought that spring rolls were hard to make.  The truth is, they are actually pretty easy.  It took about 2 rolls and I had it down.  One thing to know is, these are best eaten immediately.  So we only made what we planned on eating.  The rice paper should keep for quite some time in the packaging. You can really add whatever you want to them. Here is what we added.

Spring Rolls

Spring Rolls

print shopping list

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg rice paper rolls
  • 1 cup carrots sliced in thin strips
  • 1 cup cabbage sliced in thin strips
  • 2 green onions sliced in thin strips
  • 1 cup cucumber sliced in thin strips
  • 1 cup firm tofu sliced in thin strips (please make sure it is non GMO verified)
  • 1/4 cup daikon sliced in thin strips
  • optional: mint leaves, basil, dill

Dipping Sauce

  • 1/3 cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce or bragg's aminos
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 tsp fresh minced ginger

Instructions

by