Natty's Pumpkin Banana Bread with a Gluten-free twist

Preheat oven to 350.

In blender, mix:

3 eggs

3/4 cup olive oil

1 15 oz. can (1 3/4 cup) pumpkin

1.5-2 bananas

1 cup agave nectar

5 T. orange juice

1 t. vanilla

Mix together, then add:

2 3/4 cups rice flour

1 1/2 t. salt

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. nutmeg

1 heaping t. cinnamon

Optional, fold in:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pour into 2-3 oiled bread pans. Bake for 55 minutes or until done.

Pumpkin & Pecan Granola Bars

*Another granola bar recipe I like.

Adapted from: "Two Peas and Their Pod" and "Brown Eyed Baker"

Yield: 10-12 granola bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Bake Time: 40 minutes

3¼ cups traditional rolled oats
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ cup light brown sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin)
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup cinnamon chips or chocolate chips
½ cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8×8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

2. In a large bowl whisk together the oats, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. In a medium bowl whisk together the brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, honey and vanilla extract until combined and smooth. Pour the mixture over the oats and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to mix until all of the oats are moistened. Stir in the cinnamon chips and pecans.

3. Evenly press the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Make sure not to underbake! Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars and serve. Leftover bars can be individually wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container and kept at room temperature.

*This one has a softer, more baked (because it is) texture than the other one.  The oats absorb some of the moisture when baking so they are softer.  You could probably play with the recipe and omit the sugar if so desired.

Healthy No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Healthy, no-bake granola bars with a sweet, crunchy texture.  No refined sugar.

Prep time (including toasting of oats and nuts): 20 minutes
Source: Minimalist Baker

Makes 8-10 bars in a 8X8 pan.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup packed dates, pitted
• 1/4 cup honey (can use maple syrup or agave)
• 1/4 cup peanut butter (recipe recommends creamy, also gave almond butter as variation)
• 1 cup almonds (roasted, unsalted, and loosely chopped)  *Could really use any kind of nuts you wanted
• 1 1/2 cups oatmeal   

*Optional additions: vanilla, dried fruit (such as raisins or banana chips), chocolate chips, coconut, or nuts

Directions:

1. Optional step: toast oatmeal in oven at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes (I toasted my almonds the same time) or until slightly golden brown.  I prefer the toasted, more nutty flavor, but you can leave them raw if desired. (If you choose to add coconut, I would toast it too.)
2. Put dates in food processor until soft bits remain (about 1 minute). Should be a dough-like consistency (mine formed a ball).
3. Place oats, almonds, dates, and any additional add-ins in bowl and set aside.
4. Warm honey and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat until melted and combined (add vanilla if desired (I didn't when I tried recipe)).  Pour mixture over oat mixture and stir well, breaking up dates to disperse throughout.
5. Once thoroughly mixed, pour into a greased 8X8 pan and lightly press down until uniformly flattened.  Set in fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden.  Cut into 10 bars (fairly small so I'd probably do 8).  Store in airtight container.

Nutritional Information per bar (without additional add-ins and cut into 10 bars):

Calories: 220   Fat: 8 g   Saturated fat: 1 g   Carbohydrates: 31 g   Sugars: 19 g   Fiber: 4 g   Protein: 6 g

*As you can see, these bars are "healthy" but are in no way low calorie.  Since I LOVE peanut butter and anything granola-ish, I could easily eat this whole pan myself :)  These are tasty, little energy bars.

    

Apple, Grape, and Lettuce Salad with Honey Crushed Red Pepper Vinaigrette

This is a favorite salad at our house. It has a great combination of sweet and spicy (but not too spicy, just a hint). I do not remember the source of the recipe. We have been using it for many years and when I have tried to find it on the food blogs we frequent I have been unable to locate the recipe so I guess it is a good thing I had it in my email.

Honey Crushed Red Pepper Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons honey

1 ½  tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Salad:

1 head lettuce (chopped romaine or spring greens)

1 diced apple or peach

1 cup red grapes, cut in half

feta cheese (omit for dairy free)

lightly toasted slivered almonds or pine nuts

1. Combine all dressing ingredients and whisk. Set aside. (Make it first so the red pepper has time to infuse its flavor into the dressing.)

2. Chop salad ingredients.

3. Toss the lettuce and fruit together.

4. Serve. (Let each person add their own nuts, cheese, and dressing)

Grilled Chicken Pasta in a Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients:  
-     1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-     Montreal Chicken seasoning
-     1/2 pound penne pasta
-     2 tablespoons butter
-     2 tablespoons olive oil
-     2 cloves garlic, minced
-     1/2 cup chicken broth
-     1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
-     1 cup heavy cream
-     1/2 to 1 tsp salt & pepper to taste)
-     1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
-     6-8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded

Rinse chicken breasts in cold water. Layer between sheets of wax paper and pound to even thickness. Season both sides with Montreal Chicken seasoning. Preheat grill for medium high heat, lightly oil grate, and grill chicken breasts on medium high heat for 6-8 mins each side. OR heat 2 tbsp butter & 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter and olive oil is nice and hot, add chicken breasts and cook 5 mins each side. Set chicken aside to cool. In a large pot, boil water with 1 tbsp salt. Add 1/2 lb penne pasta noodles and boil according to package directions. Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is tender, but do not let the garlic turn brown about 3-5 mins. Add the chicken broth to the pan and allow to reduce by half. Meanwhile, slice chicken. Once the broth has reduced, stir in tomato sauce. Add the heavy cream and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low. Chop the parsley and basil, add to sauce and mix well. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Stir well to coat. Serve pasta on plates, top with sliced chicken.

 **We had this for dinner tonight.  I used dried parsley and basil.  I also doubled the recipe, but did not actually double the butter and oil and it was still great!  If you want to try and make it gluten free, just use rice noodles. 

For those wanting to cut carbs, this might be a nice meal to make for the family and the kids can eat the pasta and chicken, while those who want to can just each chicken and salad. 

Overnight Steel Cut Oats

Source: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-steelcut-oats-for-134185

This is a go to breakfast for us. It is healthy, delicious, and fast! We all prefer these to regular oatmeal and like the texture best when prepared using this method. It is a breakfast that I can count on Ben eating well.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon butter, olive oil, or coconut oil
1 cup steel cut oats
3 cups water
3-fingered pinch salt
1 cup milk (I use almond milk)

Instructions
1. Start this the night before you want to have steel cut oatmeal. Measure out your oats. This quantity will make about 4 servings. I usually double or triple the recipe in a large pot.

2. Heat about 1 teaspoon butter or olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan (make sure to use a saucepan that you have a lid for because you will need the lid later) set over medium heat. Add the oats and fry them for about 3 minutes, or until they start smelling toasty.

3. Pour in the water and add the salt. Stir.

4. Bring to a rolling boil.

5. Turn off the heat and cover the pan. Leave it on the stove, and go to bed!

6. The next morning, uncover the pan, stir in the milk, and bring the oatmeal back up to a simmer. 

7. When the oatmeal is warm, scoop out and enjoy! We like ours with honey, lightly toasted walnuts or slivered almonds, flaxseed/meal, and raisins, craisins, or other dried berries.  Other great toppings include toasted coconut, roasted pecans, and blueberries. Get creative with your toppings!

Additional Notes:

• Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. They reheat great which is one reason they are a go to breakfast around here. 
• Re-heat leftovers in just the same way: warm up on the stove, or in a bowl in the microwave.

• I keep toasted walnuts and slivered almonds ready for salad and steel cut oats. The lightly toasted nuts add a great flavor. Just toast for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
*I just saw a tip on Mel's Kitchen Cafe to replace 1/2 the steel cut oats with quinoa for a variation. Her version is slightly different. It uses more water and doesn't add milk in the morning. Here is a link to that version: 
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2013/10/overnight-steel-cut-oats-favorite-way-to-eat-oatmeal.html

Black Bean and Butternut Enchilada Skillet

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Make a note that this recipe calls for cooked chicken so plan ahead. You could easily leave out the chicken for a meatless meal if you prefer.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil (olive, coconut, canola, etc.)  *I also used some chicken broth
• 1/2 cup chopped red or yellow onion
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (optional) *We like a little kick, so I didn't thoroughly deseed ours. If you don't have a jalapeno you can add 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes.
• 4 cups diced butternut squash (from a small to medium butternut squash that has been peeled and seeded)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 8 yellow or white corn tortillas, cut into large squares (I cut each tortilla in thirds and then chopped the strips in half) *I only used 6 tortillas
• 2 cups green enchilada sauce *I used 1-10 oz can and it was saucy enough.  I've never used more than 1 1/2 cups. Red enchilada sauce is also good.
• 2-3 cups cooked, cubed chicken *I cooked mine in a separate skillet while the vegetables were cooking.  You can also cook it part way then add the vegetables.
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro *I used 1/2 cup.  We like cilantro.
• 6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) shredded Monterey Jack cheese *I used sharp cheddar because that's what I had.  Pepperjack would also be good.
• Can serve with sour cream, olives, avocado, or any other toppings you'd like.  It is good without any additional toppings.

Directions

1. In a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, garlic and jalapeno, if using. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften. Stir in the butternut squash, salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder.  *I also used some chicken broth to cook the veggies.
2. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the squash is tender. If you want a smoother consistency to the squash, continue cooking until it breaks down to a creamy consistency, otherwise you can cook it just until it becomes tender.
3. Stir in the beans, tortillas and enchilada sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for a couple of minutes so the tortillas can soak up some of the sauce and start to cook down just a little bit.
4. Add the chicken, cilantro and 1 cup of the cheese. Stir to combine and heat through. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and let the mixture sit for 1-2 minutes over medium-low or medium heat until the cheese melts.  *I only put cheese on top (did not stir any into it).

**This recipe can easily be adapted to what you want.  You could add or leave stuff out.  We really like it's flavor.