Tag: vegetarian

Pumpkin Spiced Waffles

Melissa King 28 Comments

I know it’s not exactly fall anymore, but I didn’t have my waffle iron back in the fall so I am making pumpkin spiced waffles now. 🙂  Since we got the waffle iron, waffles have become a weekend tradition.  My daughter Meadow seems to just love them.  I have made Blueberry Oatmeal Waffles and Strawberry Banana Waffles in the past.  This week I made these pumpkin spiced waffles and they were a hit!

pumpkin spiced waffles

Recently, in my quest to learn all about flours, I learned that there is such a thing as white whole wheat and that it is actually a whole grain.  So I bought a bag and made these with it.  I think they turned out much fluffier than waffles made with whole wheat.  I can’t wait to experiment more with it.  I find it works well to mix all the dry ingredients the night before so these can be made quickly in the morning for my hungry three year old.

Pumpkin Spiced Waffles

Pumpkin Spiced Waffles

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Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 10 min Serves 5-6 large waffles     adjust servings

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 can pumpkin or 2 cups fresh cooked
  • 2 cups almond milk
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp cloves
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 T coconut sugar
  • 1 T coconut oil (melted)
  • 1 flax egg

Instructions

  1. Turn on the waffle iron and let it heat up. 
  2. In one bowl, mix the dry ingredients. 
  3. In another bowl mix wet. 
  4. Add wet to dry being careful not to over-mix. 
  5. Scoop out about 1/2 cup size batter and spread onto a greased waffle iron. I greased my waffle iron with walnut oil, but coconut oil will work well too.

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Recipe Notes

I got about 5-6 big waffles out of this recipe. You can freeze the extras if you have any. Just place a sheet of parchment paper in between each one. Easy peasy.

Copycat Banana Bread Larabar Bites

Melissa King 85 Comments

Copycat Banana Bread Larabar Bites.  I just love making larabars!  So easy and they take minutes to make.

My favorite is still my coconut cream, but I think these banana bread larabar bites are my daughter Meadow’s favorite.  This is also a reader fave!  It’s easy to see why, they are delicious!

 

Copycat Banana Bread Larabar Bites

 

I think my husband’s favorite is the Chocolate Brownie.  This banana bread recipe took me two tries to get right.

I wanted to change it up, so this time I rolled them into bite sized balls instead of bars.  I got about 20-25 bites out of this batch.

Looking for more larabar recipes?

Copycat Banana Bread Larabar Bites

Copycat Banana Bread Larabar Bites

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Prep Time 10 min

Ingredients

  • 2 cups raw almonds
  • 1 ripe banana sliced
  • 10-12 pitted medjool dates

Instructions

  1. In the food processor, grind the almonds into a fine consistency.
  2. Next at the banana and the dates and pulse until a dough starts to form. You may have to stop every couple of pulses to scrape down the sides to insure that everything gets well combined.
  3. Roll dough into little balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  4. Place in the fridge to set.

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Recipe Notes

Keep them stored in the fridge and they should last a couple of weeks. Mine have never lasted more than a handful of days though!

Homemade Vegetable Broth

Melissa King 85 Comments

I have recently started making my own homemade vegetable broth for a few reasons.  First, most commercial vegetable broths are laden with MSG and other scary additives.  The only decent brand I have found was Pacific Organic.  You can read more about my comparisons of soup broth here.  Making your own homemade vegetable broth is easier than you would think.   The best part?  Homemade vegetable broth costs nothing because you use all the veggie odds and ends that you would normally throw away.

broth 1

This is the bag I keep in the freezer.  I just throw all kinds of veggie scraps in there and wait until I get a decent amount.  The tomatoes I had in my fridge, but they were almost on their way out, so I threw them in as well.

broth 2

 Homemade Vegetable Broth

Homemade Vegetable Broth

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Cook Time 6 hr

Ingredients

  • There really isn't a recipe, per say. Just a method. You can throw in any combination of vegetables and it will work.

Instructions

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    Recipe Notes

    In this case, I had cabbage, tomatoes, celery, green onions, garlic and broccoli.  I also threw in some sea salt and a bay leaf for extra flavor.  I threw everything in a pot and filled with water.  On the stove, I brought it to a boil and then turned down to low, covered it and let it simmer for 6 hours.  Most of the veggies break down in the long cooking process.  When it’s done, strain it into a bowl.  If you like a chunky broth, you can puree what is left of the veggies and throw them back in.  I strained mine and this is what I had at the end.

    I made about 10-12 cups of broth.  About enough for 3 large soups.  I just store it in the freezer in serving size containers so I just pull out what I need.  That’s it.  Super easy.

    Apple Cinnamon Bread (Vegan)

    Melissa King 48 Comments

    Apple Cinnamon Bread.  Today it is rainy and dreary out so I spent the morning in the kitchen.  When you have young kiddos like I do, you have no choice but to get up at the crack.  I love them, but man I wish they would sleep in once and a while.  So I set out to make some apple cinnamon bread.

    I love apples and have made many dishes with them.  I have Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal and also my Healthy Apple Cobbler.  I used store bought organic applesauce for this recipe, but it would be even better made with my Crock Pot Applesauce.  My house smells fantastic right now.  Who needs air freshener filled with chemicals when you can bake something that smells fabulous!

    Apple Cinnamon Bread

    Apple Cinnamon Bread

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    Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 17 min

    Ingredients

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350.
    2. Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl.
    3. Mix wet in another.
    4. Add wet to dry.
    5. Spoon batter into mini loaf or muffin pans . I used mini loaf pans and ended up baking these for about 17 minutes.
    6. If you are doing muffins, you may want to check on them after about 12 minutes to see if your toothpick comes out dry.

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    Homemade Pecan Pie Larabars

    Melissa King 98 Comments

    Yes!  Homemade Pecan Pie Larabars is what today’s post is about.   I just can’t seem to get enough of them.  The Coconut Cream is still my fave larabar recipe, but these pecan larabars are very tasty as well.

    They are also no bake and take a few minutes to throw together.  This is my kind of recipe. Vegan, gluten free and paleo too!

    homemade pecan pie larabars

    They taste just like pecan pie with none of the guilt!  Feel free to have two, or three.  No added sugars in here.  They get their sweetness from dates.

    Nature’s candy.  Yum!  Warning….these are addictive.  These larabars are also gluten free and grain free!  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

    Homemade Pecan Pie Larabars

    Pecan Pie Larabars

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    Prep Time 10 min

    Ingredients

    Instructions

    1. Blend the pecans and the almonds in a food processor until they are fine.
    2. Then mix in the dates.
    3. The nuts will release their natural oils so there is no need for water. If yours looks a bit dry, you can add a tiny amount, but I didn’t have to.
    4. Line an 8X8 pan with parchment ,
    5. leaving enough room for some paper to stick out the sides.
    6. Press the dough evenly into the pan.
    7. Once it’s spread out, use the extra paper to press the dough down with your palms so it’s packed well.
    8. Stick in the fridge to firm up. About 2 hours should be good. 
    9. Once it’s chilled, cut into squares with a pizza cutter .

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    What are some of your favorite flavors?

    Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal

    Melissa King 169 Comments

    Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal.  I made you some baked oatmeal!  I just love oats.  They are much more satisfying than a bowl of cold cereal.

    Since this healthy baked oatmeal recipe is very high in fiber, it will keep you full for a long time afterward.  Lately, I have been doing a few baked oatmeal dishes which have become my new favorite way to eat oats.

    First, I did the Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal.  Then the Strawberry Banana Baked Oatmeal.  Now this latest recipe.

     

    Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal

     

    This is my new favorite, because, let’s face it, almond butter makes everything better!  Throw in some chocolate chips and you have yourself a pretty heavenly little breakfast.

    High protein too.  These would be especially decadent if you topped them with my Sweet Peanut Butter Spread.

    Looking for more baked oatmeal recipes?

    Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal

    Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal

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    Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 15 min Serves 6 muffins     adjust servings

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups gluten free rolled oats
    • 1/3 cup almond butter
    • 2 ripe bananas smashed (you can also use 1/2 cup applesauce or plain yogurt)
    • 3 T maple syrup
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 2-3 T almond milk
    • 1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350F
    2. Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl.
    3. Mix wet into another.
    4. Add wet to dry and mix well.
    5. Grease a muffin tin and spoon batter into each cup until it is about 3/4 full.
    6. Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes.

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    Recipe Notes

    I used a jumbo muffin pan and got three of them out of this batch. If you use regular size muffin cups, you will probably get about 6.