Friendly Food Snobs

breakfast

squash pecan muffins for fall

 

squash muffinsFall’s arrived. Sweaters are being yanked out of storage and scarves are back. All I want is cozy.

Muffins made with squash, oats, nuts and coconut oil are perfect for chilly morning with a mug of something hot. Texture is crispy on the top and moist inside. They smell beautiful as they bake and to me, make the house feel warm and cozy. 

You can easily swap out the squash for canned pumpkin puree, or baked sweet potato. You can’t even tell they’re squash, promise. Makes 12.

squash pecan muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup mashed oven roasted acorn squash
3/4 cup all purpose flour or gluten-free flour (I love Bob’s Red Mill)
1 cup oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (use 2 tsp if using gluten-free flour)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
3/4 cup brown sugar (1/2 cup is delicious too and slightly less sweet)
2 tablespoon canola oil or coconut oil
1 egg

*optional toppings: pepita seeds or more chopped pecans

Squash can be roasted in advance. Slice in half, remove seeds and bake at 375 degrees skin side down with a little water in a casserole dish for 1 hour. (Or use canned pumpkin puree if you want quick and easy!) Once squash cooked and cooled scoop it out and mash it in bowl you’re using for the wet ingredients. You only need one cup. I freeze the rest in a ziploc bag to add to a soup.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the muffin’s wet ingredients with brown sugar. Combine remaining dry ingredients. Mix together. Spoon into lined or greased muffin tins. Sprinkle with extra nuts or seeds if using. Bake for 22-25 minutes. (This is long, I know, but it needs it.)

Great with almond butter or regular butter for breakfast. Or drizzled with honey for dessert. 

nut + date bars

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141These little bars have no gluten, no baking time, require minimal effort and then they reward you with how loaded with protein and delicious they are. Love these recipes where the healthier version tastes so much better than store bought granola bars. Perfect for travel, lunches or general snacking needs. Use your food processor or a good quality blender. I use my blender on the same setting that crushes ice. Makes 12 bars. Let’s get started.

nut + date bars

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted almonds
½ cup unsalted pepita seeds
½ unsalted cashews
pinch salt
1 cup unsweetened cranberries
8 medjool dates pits removed
1 heaping tablespoon of room temperature coconut oil

Line an 8 by 8 or 9 by 9 pan with plastic wrap. The edges at the sides will help you lift out the bars. Pulse the almonds first. Add the pepita seeds, cashews and salt to pulse. Lastly blend in the remaining dates, cranberries and coconut oil. Tumble the mixture into the lined pan. Press down. Wrap it up and store in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight. When set, lift out and slice. Store in the fridge for 10 days or freeze for longer.

Experiment with what you have on hand. Raisins, orange zest, chocolate or crystallized ginger chunks would all be lovely additions. I make these as bars. But if there are little (or big) hands at home that want to help, they could easily be rolled into small balls, and then set in the fridge the same way. Thanks to my own mom and sees for this recipe inspiration!

frittata with greens

041 057This recipe reminds me of my Polish grandmother. I find so many people in love with food attribute it to a grandparent who got them hooked. Lucky I say. I make the frittata using beet greens but you can easily use baby spinach, which is quicker and easier. 

frittata with beet greens

Serves four to six
Ingredients:
2 cups peeled potatoes sliced 1/2 inch thick 
greens of one bunch beets washed and chopped (or boxed baby spinach)
1 onion chopped 
1/3 cup olive oil
half of a zucchini sliced (red pepper/mushrooms also work well)
6 eggs beaten with a dash of milk
salt and pepper to taste
mozzarella cheese torn onto chunks (or feta) to taste

Boil the potatoes in salted water for five minutes. Drain well.  In a frying pan waute onion on low-medium heat in half of the measured olive oil, with salt and pepper for 15 minutes until caramelized. Use a pan that is oven safe.

Add zucchini to pan when the onion is almost done. Cook for an additional two minutes and then remove veg and onion from pan.

Add remaining olive oil back to the now empty pan and fry potatoes, adding salt and pepper for 5 minutes until starting to brown. Preheat your oven’s broiler to high. Fold in the greens to the pan with the potatoes to wilt. Add the onion and vegetable back in.

Pour the egg over top, allowing it to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Let egg “set” on stove for 2 minutes. Place the cheese on top, then transfer to oven to broil for 5 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the frittata poofs up a bit and cheese begins to melt. Remove from oven and slide a spatula around edge of pan to loosen. Shimmy onto a waiting large plate.

Wonderful served with a light green salad. Slice into four large or six smaller servings.  Leftovers often fought over enjoyed in our house the next day for lunch with a little hot sauce.

wild blueberry chia pudding

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Rise and shine. This recipe is proof to the theory that planning is half the battle for delicious nourishing food.

I make this most mornings I work out. Truth, I sometimes even think about it while I am working out. If I’m going to get up early to get my sweat on, breakfast is my reward. A hybrid of the now famous chia pudding and overnight refrigerator oatmeal, it’s easy to assemble the night before and full of protein from the yogurt, oats and chia seeds, and anti-oxidants from the blueberries, but I really eat it because it tastes so good.

Swap out the blueberries for mango if you like this one. I’d say it’s a good start to the day. Serves two.

wild blueberry chia pudding

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons chia seeds
½ cup oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup or honey
½ cup of frozen wild blueberries
½ cup plain full fat or greek yogurt
½ cup almond milk

The night before, combine everything in the bowl you want to eat it in. Stir and cover. In the morning give it a quick stir. The chia seeds will have absorbed most of the liquid, so add in almond milk and stir to get the consistency you want. Refrigerate for up to two days.

Peach smoothie

IMG_2565Late summer and the peaches are ripe. This smoothie tastes like peach pie and lazy afternoons. I made this with super ripe peaches from the end of a bushel on a hot Saturday morning. Serves two. 

peach smoothie

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped and unpeeled fresh or frozen peaches
2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup almond milk
2 dates
1 scoop sprouted brown rice protein power (optional)
2 ice cubes (reduce to 1 if using frozen peaches)
1 tablespoon almond butter
generous dash cinnamon
Combine all ingredients in blender and off you go.

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