Savory {Bacon and Kale} Oatmeal

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Savory Oatmeal

Nothing is better than a warm bowl of oatmeal on a cold winter morning! Kick it up a notch with kale chips and bacon! Add a touch of maple syrup to oats for the perfect sweet and savory bowl of goodness.

2 cups of organic quick oats (divided into ½ cup per bowl)

2 cups hot water (1/2 cup per bowl)

2 tsp. organic maple syrup (1/2 tsp. per bowl)

8 strips of bacon (Look for nitrite free, natural bacon – I love Applegate Farms brand or Trader Joes)

4 kale leaves, stems removed and torn into bite size pieces

Pinch salt and pepper

Grapeseed spray oil

 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Line baking sheet with foil then place wire rack onto baking pan.

3. Lay strips of bacon onto rack with baking pan underneath.

4. Bake bacon for 17-20 minutes until crisp.

5. Remove bacon from baking pan and set aside.

6. Wash kale leaves and tear into bite size pieces, shake off excess water.

7. Place kale onto baking sheet on top of rack, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spray with grapeseed oil.

8. Bake 7-8 minutes until crisp, careful not to burn kale.

9. To make oats: bring water to a boil in a kettle or in a pot on stovetop.

10. Pour ½ cup quick oats into each of 4 bowls. Stir ½ cup of hot water with each bowl of oats and ½ tsp maple syrup. Let sit 5 minutes then top with a handful of kale and 2 strips of chopped bacon.

11. Enjoy!

 

Yield: 4 servings

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Pumpkin is very seasonal and you see pumpkin in everything from the Fall all the way through winter. We are in the middle of winter so I wanted to share my pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe with you. These are a new twist on the pumpkin bars that my husband loves!

Ingredients:

1+1/2 cups Vitacost garbanzo flour

½ tsp. pink salt

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. baking powder

½ cup pumpkin puree

¼ cup coconut oil

¾ cup organic turbinado sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 T. water

1 T. raw apple cider vinegar

½ cup chocolate chips or chunks

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Combine dry ingredients flour, salt, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder in a medium size bowl.

3. Mix together wet ingredients: pumpkin puree, coconut oil, sugar, vanilla, water, and vinegar.

4. Pour wet ingredients into bowl of dry ingredients. Stir to combine.

5. Stir in chocolate chips or chunks.

6. Scoop out 2 Tablespoons of batter per each cookie (use a medium ice cream scoop).

7. Bake cookies at 375 for 18-20 minutes until done and brown on the edges.

8. Enjoy!

Yield: 1 dozen cookies

No Mayo Potato Salad

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Classic potato salad is loaded down with heavy mayonnaise. Avocado is the perfect substitute for mayo(!!) – it’s loaded with healthy fats that are good for you and won’t weigh you down. A perfect side to go along with your favorite grilled eats. To learn more about avocado, check out 13 health benefits of avocado here!

 

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Ingredients:

10-12 organic red or gold potatoes (small in size)

½ tsp salt for boiling potatoes

1 whole avocado

½ small lemon, juiced

2 T. fresh chives, minced

¼ tsp each pink salt and ground black pepper

 

Method:

1. Rinse potatoes and add to cooking pot with cold water and ½ teaspoon of salt.

2. Bring water to a boil then cook for 10-12 minutes until fork tender.

3. Drain potatoes and rinse with cold water and allow to cool.

4. Once potatoes are cool, cut in half then cut each half into quarters (so you get 8 bite size pieces per potato).

5. Mash avocado and combine with lemon juice, chives, salt, and pepper.

6. Mix avocado mixture with potatoes and stir until potatoes are coated.

7. Serve immediately or chill then serve.

 

Yield: 8 servings

Double Chocolate Lactation Support Cookies

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If you’re a new mom and breastfeeding like me, you want to make sure your milk supply keeps up with your baby’s needs and something to keep up with your wild appetite due to increased caloric needs while breastfeeding. Enter lactation support cookies, of course! There is a classic recipe on the web, however it contains loads of white flour and white sugar, and those don’t support good health one bit.

Here is a no-bake version with tons of healthy ingredients plus the beneficial ingredients of oats, flax, and brewer’s yeast all noted to support good milk production. Plus no baking means more time for you to bond with your baby!!

Ingredients:

1 + ½ cup rolled oats

2 T. ground flax

1 T. brewer’s yeast

1/3 cup honey

2 T. coconut oil

pinch pink salt

2 T. organic cacao powder

¼ cup hemp seeds

½ cup dairy free chocolate chunks

2 T. water

Optional Topping: ¼ cup unsweet coconut flakes

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor except water and chocolate chunks. Pulse until well combined.

2. Add in the water if batter needs it then pulse in the chocolate chunks.

3. Scoop out cookie batter by the tablespoon with a mini ice cream scoop and roll in coconut flakes.

4. Serve immediately or store in a glass container in the fridge.

Yield: 16 Cookies

 

I get all of my ingredients from Vitacost.com. Use my referral code to save $10 off your first $30 purchase!

Referral code: https://goo.gl/sQVF0r

Kabocha Squash with Sorghum Stuffing

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Comfort food in the form of something that is actually good for you. Enter winter squash! Abundant this time of year, warm and filling. Add a delicious stuffing and you’ve got a satisfying meal.

 

Ingredients:

1 kabocha squash (or acorn squash if not available)

For stuffing:

1 cup sorghum cooked according to package

1 T. avocado oil

1 shallot, chopped

3-4 carrots, sliced

1 bunch dinosaur/lacinato kale, chopped

¼ tsp. each turmeric and herbamare

Salt and pepper, to taste

 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Rinse squash and bake whole for 50-60 minutes until cooked completely. Set aside to cool before cutting in half and removing the seeds.

2. Meanwhile, rinse sorghum and cook with 3 cups water 50-60 minutes until done.

3. In a medium skillet, heat avocado oil and cook veggies with turmeric and herbamare. Cook until veggies are softened to your preference. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Toss cooked veggies with 1 cup of cooked sorghum.

5. Fill each half of kabocha squash with stuffing.

6. Serve warm.

Yield: 2 servings