Baked Oatmeal (Toddler Approved!)

This recipe is fantastic for hiding healthy ingredients into something that tastes like it should be dessert.  My toddler approves wholeheartedly (at least she has for the last few weeks....check again tomorrow, that could change...).

Preheat oven to 375

Butter 8" square baking dish

2 c oats
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/3 c sugar
1 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
dash salt
2 c whole milk
1 egg, beaten

1 t vanilla
1 or 2 bananas, sliced lengthwise
1 carrot, finely shredded

3 T butter, melted 

Place bananas on bottom of baking dish to cover the entire bottom.  Combine all dry ingredients and pour into baking dish on top of bananas.  In a separate bowl combine wet ingredients thoroughly (except butter), then pour over top of dry ingredients in baking dish.  Blend slightly with a fork, then shake the dish to smooth out all cracks & crevices around bananas.  Bake in preheated oven 35-40 minutes.  Test center for doneness before removing from oven - will be moist & dense when done.  Drizzle  the melted butter over top after baked.

Note:  banana can be omitted; carrot can be increased; can use lighter milk instead of whole.

Lactation Cookies

When my daughter was just a few weeks old, I found this recipe somewhere on the interwebs for "lactation cookies", that promised to boost milk supply for nursing mamas.  Boy, did these things work.  The only drawback is that they are so delicious, I couldn't stop eating them!  Considering the individual ingredients, they can't possibly be "light" in calories - but nursing mamas need extra calories, right?  Right??

Anyhoo, no need to be a nursing mama to enjoy these amazing cookies.  My husband stole plenty of them as a matter of fact.  If you are nursing, I can't promise they'll boost supply, but they'll certainly boost mood!  Cookies are happiness.

Preheat oven to 350

3/4 c flour (I used 1/2 c almond flour & 1/4 c coconut flour)
2 c oats
1 t baking soda
3/4 t salt (original recipe called for 1 t, but they turned out a bit salty so I reduced it)
3 T brewer's yeast
1 c ground flaxseed (3/4 c also works well)
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar

3/4 c almond butter
1/2 c butter
1/3 c water
2 eggs
2 t vanilla

Handful each - chocolate chips & chopped nuts (optional)

Blend dry ingredients together (top section); beat wet ingredients together in separate bowl (bottom section).  Mix both dry & wet together, then stir in choco chips & nuts.  Drop by big ol' spoonfuls onto greased sheet or parchment-lined sheet, bake at 350 for 12-14 mins or until lightly tanned.  Enjoy :-)

Kale/Carrot Salad (Paleo)

The dressing for this salad really is the star.  It could be used for any number of variations on the salad, but this one is the best in my opinion.

1 bunch kale, washed/chopped
2-3 carrots, shredded

Dressing:
1 T honey (use fruit juice for Whole30 - or just omit)
1 T tahini paste
3 T olive oil
3 T lemon juice
1" section ginger, minced
lemon zest
dash salt

Wisk dressing ingredients or shake in a jar to combine thoroughly; pour over salad.  Can also add sesame seeds.

Rustic No-Knead Bread

This bread is all over the interwebs, and for good reason:  it's damn delicious.  And damn easy!  They all source back to one guy, Jim Lahey of New York's Sullivan Street Bakery.  His recipe is very basic and utilizes a Dutch oven to bake the bread.

This variation is my favorite though, because it makes extra dough, which you "ferment" in the refrigerator for up to a week.  Who doesn't love freshly baked bread on a moment's notice??

No Knead Crusty White Bread (from King Arthur Flour)

• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour*
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast

Use 32 ounces of flour by weight - 6 1/2 if scooping flour out of container.
Mix everything together in a giant bowl and let rise for 2 hours at room temp, covered.  Dough will be sticky & messy.   After 2 hours, put dough in fridge for up to a week.
When you're ready to make bread, preheat oven to 450 with a lidded Dutch oven inside.  While preheating, place a hunk of dough on a sheet of parchment paper and let rise for a while.  Once oven is preheated, remove Dutch oven, place bread (on parchment) inside of Dutch oven, cover, and bake for 15-20 minutes.  After 15-20 minutes, remove lid, and bake uncovered another 15-20 minutes (or until browned slightly).

That's it!  So stinking easy.

Asian Salad #483

Yes, we love Asian-inspired salads around these parts, especially in the summer because there is very little or no cooking involved.  Here is another variation, probably #483 out of the millions I've made in the last 10 years, that needs no introduction. It's almost like another deconstructed sushi salad:

2 cans olive oil packed tuna, drained & crumbled
1/2 small bunch cilantro, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1.5  avocado, chopped
Lettuce (iceburg is great with this one)

Dressing:
1/3 c mayo
1-2 T lime or lemon juice
1 t  ginger, finely minced
1 clove minced garlic
2 T rice wine vinegar
Chili powder
Salt & pep
Chili flakes

Vigorously shake dressing ingredients together in lidded jar.  Combine veggies & tuna, pour dressing and toss to coat.  Can leave the lettuce out of the initial combination and serve the salad on a bed of the lettuce.  Chopped peanuts or cashews are also a great addition sprinkled on top.