Category Archives: Quick and Easy

Whole Wheat Oat Pancakes

21 Monday Dec 2015

Posted by in Breakfast, Healthy, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian

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Whole Wheat Oat Pancakes

When I was little, my dad used to make us pancakes for special occasions.  Since he firmly believed that breakfast was the most important meal of the day, he refused to feed us junk in the morning (or ever, for that matter…but especially in the morning!)  His version of a pancake usually included flax or chia seeds, buckwheat, oat flour, and sometimes millet if we were really unlucky.  As a child, I’d always wished that he would just make us the fluffy buttermilk pancakes that I ate at friends houses after sleepovers, but now as an adult I am grateful that my dad made pancakes the way that he did.  Not only did it sneak some extra fiber into my growing body, but it also gave me an appreciation for whole, natural, and healthy ingredients.  This recipe is the perfect bridge between my dad’s über-healthy pancakes and those delicious fluffy pancakes I used to dream of.  The batter really does come out light and airy and the pancakes actually are healthy considering they contain whole wheat flour and whole oats, while leaving out the butter altogether.  It’s the best of both worlds!

The first time I made this recipe my husband asked me why I ever made the “unhealthy kind” because not only were these Whole Wheat Oat Pancakes healthier than normal recipes, they also tasted better.  This is now my go-to pancake recipe, and I hope it becomes yours too!

 

Whole Wheat Oat Pancakes
Yield:  12 pancakes
Time:  20 minutes total

1 cup whole wheat flour
½ cup Old Fashioned oats
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
1 cup skim milk
2 tbsp. brown sugar
¼ cup yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flour, oats, baking powder and cinnamon.  Set aside.
  2. In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, brown sugar, yogurt, and vanilla.  Whisk until no lumps remain.
  3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, being careful not to overmix.  (You’ll get lighter, fluffier pancakes if you don’t overbeat the batter!  Nobody likes a tough, dense pancake!)  Allow the batter to sit for 5 minutes before cooking.
  4. Heat a pancake griddle or frying pan.  Lightly coat with non-stick spray and cook the pancakes over medium heat for about 2 minutes per side.  The best way to know when the pancake is ready to be flipped over is to look for the little bubbles that rise to the surface and pop.  Once you see a handful of these bubbles appear, it’s time to flip!
  5. Enjoy with your favorite toppings:  maple syrup, butter, fresh berries, sliced bananas,…

PDF to Print Recipe for Whole Wheat Oat Pancakes

 

 

Baked Tomatoes

30 Monday Nov 2015

Posted by in Healthy, Quick and Easy, Side Dishes

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Baked Tomatoes

These Baked Tomatoes make for a healthy side dish when you’re pressed for time.  An extra bonus?–they’re made mostly from ingredients you probably already have in your pantry!

Baked Tomatoes
Yield:  2 servings
Time:  20 minutes

2 large beefsteak tomatoes
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (for filling)
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
¼ cup Panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs)
¼ cup freshly grated Asiago cheese
2 tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh parsley
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. onion powder
4 slices of deli ham, diced

  1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.  Lightly grease a baking dish and set aside.
  2. Carve out the stem of the tomato, partially hollowing out the inside of the tomato.  Drizzle ½ tbsp. of olive oil inside the cavity of each tomato.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine the following ingredients: 1 tbsp. olive oil, breadcrumbs, Panko, Asiago, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and ham.
  4. Fill the tomatoes with the breadcrumb/cheese mixture and place in the prepared baking dish.
  5. Bake at 425ºF for 10-15 minutes, until heated through and golden brown.

PDF to Print Recipe for Baked Tomatoes

Grape Rosemary Flatbreads

10 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by in Appetizers, Fruit, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian

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Grape Rosemary Flatbread

These flatbreads are one of my go-to appetizers for dinner parties because:
1)  you can prep everything ahead of time (grate the cheese, chop the rosemary, slice the grapes), then quickly assemble and pop them in the oven right before your guests arrive
2)  they’re a great filling vegetarian option in case you may be expecting guests who don’t eat meat
3)  they’re perfect for any time of the year–the rosemary works well in the fall and winter, and the freshness of the grapes makes them appropriate in the spring and summer
4)  they’re delicious and always a crowd pleaser!

While I typically make them as an appetizer, they could absolutely work as a main dish if you served them alongside a salad or bowl of soup.

Grape Rosemary Flatbreads
Yield:  12 pieces
Time:  17 minutes total

2 flatbreads (I use Damascus Bakeries Roll Up Wraps, available at Costco)
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
20 red seedless grapes, each sliced in half

  1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
  2. Place the flatbreads on a lightly greased baking sheet.
  3. Evenly distribute the grated cheese across the flatbreads, covering all the way to the edges.
  4. Sprinkle with fresh rosemary and grape halves.
  5. Heat at 425ºF for roughly 12 minutes, until cheese begins to turn golden brown.
  6. Cut into six pieces.  Serve warm.

PDF to Print Recipe for Grape Rosemary Flatbread

Apple Pumpkin Oatmeal

30 Friday Oct 2015

Posted by in Breakfast, Fruit, Healthy, Holiday, Quick and Easy, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Apple Pumpkin Oatmeal

It’s rare that I create a recipe and post it within a few hours  That sort of VIP treatment is reserved exclusively for recipes that I absolutely love and want to share with you immediately.  That’s exactly what we have in this Apple Pumpkin Oatmeal!  Inspired by my favorite candle of the moment, Yankee’s Apple Pumpkin, this recipe would make the perfect breakfast tomorrow for all those amped up kiddos out there getting super excited to go trick or treating!  It’s a breakfast you can feel good about feeding your kids on a day otherwise overloaded with sugar.  Not only does it just taste like autumn, this oatmeal is also healthy and will fill them up so they don’t overindulge on Kit Kats, Skittles, M&Ms, candy corn and all their other favorite Halloween treats!  …Heck, who are we kidding?  They’re going to stuff themselves silly on candy anyhow!  But that’s what being a kid is all about.

Apple Pumpkin Oatmeal
Yield:  4 servings
Time:  15 minutes

1 cup apple cider (or apple juice)
1¼ cups water
1½ cups oats (I always use Old Fashioned instead of Quick Oats)
1 apple, cored and diced
¼ cup pumpkin puree
¼ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. brown sugar
¾ tsp. vanilla extract

Optional:
maple syrup
milk

  1. Combine the apple cider and water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Once boiling, stir in the oats and turn the heat down to medium-low.
  2. Stir in the diced apple, pumpkin puree, ginger, cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla.  Continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for five minutes.

I like to drizzle my oatmeal with maple syrup and skim milk before serving.  You could also try apple cider instead of milk (which would keep it vegan).  Enjoy!

PDF to Print Recipe for Apple Pumpkin Oatmeal

 

 

Savory Roasted Acorn Squash

16 Friday Oct 2015

Posted by in Dinner, Healthy, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian

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Savory Roasted Acorn Squash

This combo of sweet-and-salty acorn squash with warm, tangy goat cheese promises to bring a smile to your face!

Savory Roasted Acorn Squash
Yield:  6-8 side-dish servings
Time:  40 minutes total

2 acorn squash
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
salt and pepper
3 oz. goat cheese

  1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.
  2. Cut each acorn squash in half, from stem to base.  Scoop out the seeds and discard.  Place each half face down so that it doesn’t rock.  Cut each half into 6-8 slices.
  3. Place the squash slices on the prepared baking sheet.  Drizzle with the EVOO and maple syrup.  Sprinkle with thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Roast at 400ºF for 24-28 minutes, until fork-tender and slightly golden.
  4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with goat cheese.

Savory Roasted Acorn Squash

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