No-Bake Red, White and Blue “Flag” Cookies

Serves 16

Ingredients

• 2 cans coconut milk
• ½ cup plus 1 teaspoon honey (or brown rice syrup for vegan), divided
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups rolled oats, divided
• ¾ cup sunflower seed butter
• 6 medjool dates, chopped
• ¼ cup blueberries
• 1 cup strawberries

Instructions

1. Place two cans of coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Scrape the cream out of each can. Stir in a bowl with ½ cup honey and vanilla extract. Place the bowl back in the refrigerator (or even the freezer to make it easier to spread.)
3. Grind 1 cup rolled oats in a food processor for two minutes. Add remaining rolled oats, sunflower seed butter, 1 teaspoon honey and dates. Run the food processor until cookie dough forms.
4. Cover the bottom of a rectangular pan with waxed paper.
5. Press cookie dough into the pan, spreading evenly.
6. Spread coconut cream on top of the cookie bars.
7. Create a flag design by making a square of blueberries in the top left corner and red stripes with the strawberries.
8. Cut into 16 bars and serve cold right out of the fridge. (Lift wax paper with bars and then cut and serve!)

Recipe Notes

Feel free to substitute almond butter or peanut butter for sunflower seed butter. You could omit the coconut cream and do frosting instead, but these bars are pretty sweet as it is so beware that if you add frosting, it will be super sweet. In the bars, do not substitute maple syrup or another sweetener for honey/brown rice syrup. These two sweeteners have a hardening property when cold that will bind the bars and give them shape. Stick with brown rice syrup for vegan or honey for not.

I love adding grated vegetables to salads, baked goods and practically anything else. And, of course, I love freshly grated cheese. It is so lovely to grate a block cheese rather than buy pre-shredded cheese, which often has potato starch preservative. Additives in pre-shredded cheese usually affect how well it melts, but freshly grated cheese melts like a dream and tastes so fresh!

The Microplane Mixing Bowl Grater lies flat on top of a mixing bowl or can be placed horizontally inside or at an angle for larger bowls. It has standard-sized holes that work well for vegetables, cheese or other foods you want to grate. Positioning this grater over or inside a mixing bowl allows you to grate food directly into the bowl.

I typically use a box grater at home, so I wasn’t sure how I would like this version. After a few tries to find a bowl that perfectly fit the grater, I was ready to give it a whirl. The grater stayed in place atop the bowl and made grating fast and easy. I also tried it on a slant with a larger bowl, and it worked well. When I laid the grater across a smaller bowl, it worked fine but I had to hold it in place.

I sometimes use a food processor for grating, but it always seems like too much work to clean the whole food processor just for this simple task. Compared to a box grater or food processor, the Microplane Mixing Bowl Grater is so much easier to clean!

A grater is a simple tool, but one that everyone needs in their kitchen. This one was no hassle, does its job perfectly and is easy to clean. I love the sleek design and how easy it is to store anywhere. There are no bells and whistles, but I’d recommend it just the same to anyone who needs a high-quality grater.

Cinnamon Apple Quinoa Bars

Recipe developed by Kelli Shallal

Ingredients

• 4 ounces unsweetened natural applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 large egg
• ⅓ cup peanut butter
• ¼ cup honey
• ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or any milk)
• 1 cup grated apples (about 1 apple grated, squeezed to remove excess moisture)
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ cup walnuts

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Combine applesauce, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, egg, peanut butter, honey and almond milk in a small bowl and mix well.
• Next, add in the grated apples, quinoa, oats, baking soda and walnuts. Mix until just combined and consistent.
• Spoon into a greased 8-by-8-inch pan and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes.
• Let cool completely (at least 30 minutes), then cut into 6 to 8 bars.
• Store in refrigerator for up to a week.

It’s made with a lot of pantry staples and shelf-stable ingredients you may have in your cabinet right now!

The basic formula is: 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa, 1 to 1 ½ cups diced mix-ins/veggies, 2 eggs, 1 cup mozzarella and seasonings.  Customize with whatever favorite pizza toppings you have on hand!

Cheesy Quinoa Pizza Bites

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups quinoa, cooked
• 1 tsp avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
• ½ yellow onion, diced
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup mozzarella
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• ½ cup sliced black olives
• ½ cup diced canned tomatoes rinsed and chopped again to make smaller pieces
• ½ cup marinara

Instructions

Cook quinoa according to package directions.

Saute onions and garlic in 1 teaspoon oil until translucent and tender, about 3 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).

Mix together all ingredients except pizza sauce.

Grease a mini muffin tin with cooking spray or your preferred oil. Then spoon one heaping tablespoon of mixture into each cup. Push down with the back of a spoon so that the top of each muffin is flat.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then use a butter knife to run the knife around the edges and pop out the bites.

Heat the marinara sauce for dipping and enjoy!

Servings: 9
Serving size: 1 cup (230 grams)
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 small russet potatoes
• 6 leeks, white and light green parts only
• 4 cups (950 milliliters) unsalted chicken stock
• 1 dried whole bay leaf
• 2½ tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) half-and-half
• ¼ teaspoon ground sage
• ½ teaspoon fine salt

Instructions

1. Wash and peel potatoes.
2. Make 2 cross-sectional cuts lengthwise down the leeks, then wash them.
3. Dice leeks into 1-inch pieces and add them with potatoes, chicken stock and bay leaf to a large pot.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cover. Let simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, until potatoes are very tender.
5. Remove pot from heat and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Working in batches, use a high-powered blender or immersion blender to blend ingredients.
7. Return blended ingredients to pot, add cheese, half-and-half, sage and salt.
8. Stir to combine and serve warm.

Nutrition per serving: CALORIES 202; TOTAL FAT 4g; SAT. FAT 2g; CHOL. 11mg; SODIUM 227mg; CARB. 37g; FIBER 3g; SUGARS 5g; PROTEIN 7g; POTASSIUM 649mg; PHOSPHORUS 140mg

Servings: 6
Serving size: 1 rollup (100 grams)
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 to 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) lemon juice
• 6 chicken cutlets (about 130 grams each)

Instructions

1. Preheat grill to 400°F (204°C). Combine parsley, basil, oregano, sage, garlic, Parmesan, pine nuts and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse until it becomes a paste, about 1 minute. Set aside.
2. Cover a cutting board with plastic wrap, place one or two chicken cutlets on the plastic and then cover cutlets with a second piece of plastic wrap. Using a meat tenderizer, pound chicken from center outward. Flip chicken and both layers of plastic and pound the underside, achieving long pieces of meat. Once cutlets reach ¼-inch thickness, repeat the process with remaining cutlets.
3. Remove chicken from plastic wrap and spread 1 to 2 tablespoons pesto over each piece in an even, thin layer. Begin rolling chicken from the widest end as tightly as possible. Fully coat all rollups with cooking spray and place on preheated grill. Use tongs to turn chicken rolls over every 3 to 5 minutes until they are cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and desired crispiness is achieved. If rolls begin to unravel, poke them all the way through with a toothpick or skewer. Remove from grill and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition per serving:
CALORIES 222; TOTAL FAT 10g; SAT. FAT 3g; CHOL. 80mg; SODIUM 230mg; CARB. 3g; FIBER 0g; SUGARS 0g; PROTEIN 30g; POTASSIUM 297mg; PHOSPHORUS 289mg

Product Reviewed:
Yonanas

It was a Saturday, my husband and I had just finished some yard work and ice cream sounded like it would absolutely hit the spot. However, my husband doesn’t do that well with dairy. Time to break out the Yonanas machine!

The machine itself was easy to put together. It took about 20 minutes to assemble everything the first time, the directions were very clear and it even included an extensive recipe book (with ice creams, sorbets and even full-fledged ice cream cakes!).

With the Yonanas machine, all you have to do is let pre-frozen bananas sit out for about 15 minutes or so and throw them down the chute. As always, we had some dark chocolate on hand so we decided to go with a chocolate-banana version. I was surprised that the dark chocolate went right down the chute with the bananas, too.

Now, personally, I love bananas; I eat them every day. Quite honestly, sometimes I eat multiple bananas a day. On the other hand, my husband could take them or leave them, so he was worried the banana flavor would overpower the dessert. After trying the finished product, he said consistency and flavor were perfect — the banana was not over powering at all!

Each banana seemed to make about ⅓ cup ice cream. I found that a serving made from a pair of bananas was the perfect portion for me. One thing to note: since the Yonanas machine uses fruit as its main ingredient, anyone following a low-sugar diet or lower carbohydrate diet may want to limit their portions.

Egg Labels about What Chickens Eat

“Omega-3 Eggs”
What it means: The hens’ feed is supplemented with omega-3-rich oils such as fish oil, krill oil, flaxseed oil and algae oil. Each egg may have up to 250 milligrams of omega-3s per egg.

“Vegetarian Feed”
What it means: The hens’ feed is entirely vegetarian, meaning it is free of animal byproducts (defined as not suitable for humans) and usually composed of grains, soy and seeds. This diet ensures that chickens aren’t eating poultry byproducts, which they wouldn’t normally consume. However, keep in mind that chickens are not naturally vegetarians. If allowed to forage naturally, they eat a mixture of seeds, grains, bugs and worms.

Eggs Labels about Chickens’ Living Conditions

“Cage-Free”
What it means: The chickens are not kept in cages. Instead, they might be kept in a barn-like environment without access to the outdoors.

“Free-Range”
What it means: Chickens are not kept in cages and, generally, have some outdoor access. This outdoor access is not for any guaranteed amount of time, however.

“Pasture Raised”
What it means: Thought to be the gold standard, this label indicates hens had unlimited access to the outdoors, usually within in a confined area (however, there is no standard definition of a “confined area”). Some “pasture raised” chickens are kept in movable, floorless cages that allow access to the outdoors and pasture, but keep the chickens from roaming freely. Some “pasture raised” eggs have been found to have higher amounts of omega-3s, even though the hens were not given omega-3-supplemented feed.

Additional Egg Labels

“Fertile”
What it means: Instead of being segregated by sex, hens are allowed to mate with roosters. This means the eggs may contain both male and female genetic material, which begins the first step of embryonic development. However, the eggs do not develop further without continued incubation.

“Organic”
What it means: According to the USDA: “Eggs marked with the USDA’s National Organic Program label come from uncaged hens that are free to roam in their houses and have access to the outdoors. The hens are fed an organic diet of feed produced without conventional pesticides or fertilizers.”

Brown Eggs
What it means: There is no nutritional difference between brown and white — or any other color — eggs. The difference in color is determined by the breed of hen.

Grades: AA, A, B or Inedible
What it means: Defined by the USDA, these standards of quality are determined by the depth of the air cell, the firmness of the white, the definition of the yolk and the presence of impurities.

Size
What it means: This is defined by the weight of one dozen eggs:

• Small: 18 ounces
• Medium 21 ounces
• Large: 24 ounces
• X-large: 27 ounces
• Jumbo: 30 ounces

Which Egg Should You Chose?

Eggs deliver many nutrients, including protein, B vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K, and important minerals such as zinc, iron and copper. No matter what the carton says, the general nutrition profile doesn’t change drastically between eggs (with the exception of the slight increase in omega-3s you find in omega-3 eggs and pasture-raised eggs).

So, instead of a choice based on nutrition, decide how you prioritize other factors such as cost, environmental concerns and animal welfare. Then, it’s up to you read the labels.

* This blog was adapted from an original post on on Kelli Shallal’s Hungry Hobby blog.

Luckily, you can avoid all that with a finger-food lunch (also known as an “adult Lunchable”)! The great thing about this type of meal is that the ingredients require little-to-no prep and can be thrown together in the morning in under five minutes. While I’m not an advocate of eating at your desk (I think everyone deserves a break), a finger-food lunch easily can be eaten while you keep cranking away on your busiest days.

To build a healthy, balanced, finger-food lunch, pick one item from each category below.

Category 1: Proteins

• Lunch meat such as free-range/grass-fed/organic/uncured chicken, turkey, bison, beef or ham
• Smoked salmon
• Shrimp cocktail (it sounds weird, I know, but it works!)
• Uncured, nitrate-free bacon or turkey bacon
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Edamame or tofu
• Cottage cheese (you’ll need to bring a spoon or use a whole-grain cracker or chip to scoop it up)

Category 2: Healthy Fats

• Avocado cubes
• A scoop of guacamole
• Cheese
• Hummus
• Nut-and-seed mix
• Nut butter or seed butter

Category 3: Vegetables

Any veggies you can eat with your hands will work. Some of my favorites are:

• Baby carrots
• Snap peas
• Snow peas
• Cherry tomatoes
• Mushrooms
• Zucchini slices
• Cucumber slices or mini cucumbers
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Celery sticks

Category 4: “Goodies”

In my mind, no lunch is complete without a goody.

• Piece of fruit
• Low-sugar yogurt (look for one with a nutrition label that says it has more grams of protein than sugar)
• Dark chocolate
• Whole-grain crackers or chip

Try One of These Combinations

1. Grass-fed bison cold cuts + avocado slices + cherry tomatoes + an apple
2. Turkey cold cuts + goat-milk cheddar cheese + snap peas + yogurt
3. Turkey bacon + carrots + guacamole + dark chocolate
4. Shrimp cocktail and cocktail sauce + turkey bacon + avocado + cherry tomatoes
5. Chicken cold cuts + peanut butter + celery + an apple

You get the idea! A healthy lunch does not need to be elaborate, cost a lot, or take a long time to make.

* This blog was adapted from an original post on on Kelli Shallal’s Hungry Hobby blog.

There are three potato categories:

Starchy

Starchy potatoes have a high starch and low moisture content. Also called “floury” because after cooking they yield a light and creamy texture. They tend to lose their shape quickly after cooking so they are ideal for mashing or frying.

Waxy

These potatoes have a low starch content lending a firmer texture to their flesh. After boiling, steaming or roasting, they tend to hold their shape, making them the ideal choice for ingredients in larger dishes.

All Purpose

Due to their medium starch content, these are the true multitaskers of the kitchen. They are versatile and turn out well using almost any cooking method.

Here are the potato types commonly found in the United States:

Russet (starchy)

Russet potatoes are one of the most common and popular types of potatoes in the U.S. A high starch content yields a pillowy-but-creamy texture, making them destined for beloved dishes like wedge cut French fries, baked potatoes or old-fashioned mashed potatoes.

Red (all purpose)

With their beautiful red skins they are firm and creamy with a slightly sweeter taste and medium starch content. They are exceptionally versatile and can be cooked using any cooking method — as an ingredient in larger dishes or served on their own.

New (waxy)

New potatoes or baby potatoes actually refer to the age when the potato is picked. When they are harvested at a young age, there is less time for the sugar in them to convert to starch, therefore they are sweeter and waxier than other potatoes. They hold their shape well and are often used in potato salads.

Yellow (all purpose)

Known for a buttery and rich taste, these potatoes are loved for their decadent flavor. They are all-purpose so they are rather versatile, but watch how long you cook them. Prolonged cooking can lead to a mushy, falling-apart potato instead of a nice firm one.

Fingerlings (all purpose)

Grown in a variety of colors, these fun potatoes resemble the shape of fingers. Similar to new potatoes, they are lower in starch and waxier than other varieties. They should be used within three days of purchase to avoid rotting.

Blue/Purple (all purpose)

These potatoes are eye-catching and a fun conversation starter. There are a variety of colors available, both skins and flesh color may vary from light yellow to deep purple, and are usually available in the late fall. They get their blue color from anthocyanins, an antioxidant that helps fight free radicals and boosts the immune system. They are an all-purpose potato, so they can be substituted for many types of dishes without a problem for an striking effect and antioxidant punch!

Sweet Potato (all purpose)

Often confused with yams (which come from Southeast Asia and Africa), these really range in colors that include pale white, purple, magenta and orange. Orange varieties get their color from beta-carotene, another immune-boosting antioxidant. They are most known for their sweet flavor and versatility.

Colorful or classic, get excited to celebrate National Potato Month this September!