No-Bake Peanut Butter Oat Bars

This recipe is from 100 days of real food.  It is not the tastiest, but it tastes pretty good.  It is healthy and has lots of peanut butter, though, so one square of this keeps me full for a long time, which has been great since I'm trying to lose weight.  I eat one square for breakfast along with two slices of bacon, and that's all I need.  I also eat them as a bedtime snack to keep me full for the night.  I tank up before bed, because lately Anya's been nursing twice a night.  Oh, and I didn't get around to taking a picture of it, but I'll make it again one of these days and post a pic.

 

 http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2015/10/02/no-bake-peanut-butter-oat-bars/

 

No-Bake Peanut Butter Oat Bars

Serves: Makes 16 - 20 bars

 

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups peanut butter (could sub sunflower seed or almond butter for those with allergies)
• 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 cup oats (purchase "gluten-free" oats for those with allergies)
• 1 cup crunchy flax cereal (I used Enjoy Life brand. You could also sub with other whole-grain cereal or nuts, but I do really recommend this flax cereal in the recipe because it is so good with just the right crunch!)

Instructions

1. Line an 8 x 8 inch square baking dish with wax or parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter and maple syrup until it's mixed together thoroughly.
3. Pour in the oats and cereal and stir with a rubber spatula until well combined.
4. Spread the bar mixture into one even layer in the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Cut and serve or store in the fridge.

Curried Vegetable and Chickpea Stew

http://www.thekitchn.com/slow-cooker-recipe-curried-vegetable-and-chickpea-stew-67520

Curried Vegetable and Chickpea Stew

Serves 8 to 10

Adapted from Cooking Light
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 medium red or yellow potatoes, diced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 tablespoon)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
2 cups vegetable broth
2 (15.5-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juices
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (10-ounce) bag baby spinach
1 cup coconut milk
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion with one teaspoon of salt until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and another teaspoon of salt, and sauté until just translucent around the edges.
Stir in the curry, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in 1/4 cup of broth and scrape up any toasty bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer this onion-potato mixture into the bowl of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. (Halve this recipe for a smaller slow cooker.)
To the slow cooker, add the rest of the broth, chickpeas, bell pepper, cauliflower, tomatoes with their juices, pepper, and final teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the bowl; add more broth as necessary. Cover and cook for 4 hours on HIGH.
Stir in the spinach and coconut milk. Cover with lid for a few more minutes to allow the spinach to wilt. Taste and correct the salt and other seasonings as needed.
Serve on its own or over couscous, Israeli couscous, or orzo pasta.

Recipe Notes:

• Smaller slow cookers: Cut this recipe in half for a smaller slow cooker.
• Dutch-oven version: Instead of cooking in a slow cooker, simmer the stew in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over low heat on the stovetop or in a 350°F oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add the spinach and coconut milk and stir until the spinach has wilted. Taste and add more seasonings if needed.

My mom found this recipe and passed it along to us, and it was delicious.  I used the stove top method instead of the slower cooker but am going to try the slower cooker method next time.  It's such a healthy, yummy recipe, and it's vegetarian!

Cheater's Porchetta

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/cheaters-porchetta-53069651

Ingredients

1. • SERVINGS: 4
   • 4 garlic cloves finely chopped; plus 2 heads, halved crosswise
   • 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary, plus 4 sprigs
   • 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, coarsely chopped
   • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
   • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
   • Freshly ground black pepper
   • 1 1½-lb. pork tenderloin
   • 4 slices bacon

Preparation

1. 1. Preparation ACTIVE: 10 MIN TOTAL: 1 HRS Preheat oven to 425°. Toss chopped garlic, chopped rosemary, fennel seeds, salt, and 1 Tbsp. oil in a small bowl; season with pepper. Rub garlic mixture all over tenderloin (if you have time to do this in the morning, great; refrigerate pork until dinner). Scatter rosemary sprigs in a large baking dish and set tenderloin on top. Wrap bacon slices around tenderloin, tucking ends underneath so bacon stays put. Nestle halved heads of garlic around tenderloin and drizzle everything with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of tenderloin registers 145° for medium, 40-45 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.

This dish was fantastic!  It was like eating in a fancy, Italian restaurant, only better and cheaper.  It was easy to prepare and bursting with flavor.  Definitely a dish to make for guests.  For the bacon, we used Trader Joe's applewood-smoked bacon.

Chicken Fettucine Alfredo

I saw this recipe one night on a Martha Stewart episode on PBS.  I'm trying to remember exactly how the recipe went, but I think it was one stick of butter mixed with one pound of Parmesan cheese mixed with some hot water leftover from cooking pasta, and then after mixing that together, you add cooked chicken.  It was yummy but was full of calories and not really healthy.

Bean Burritos

http://www.marthastewart.com/312932/bean-burritos

I thought these would be a yummy, filling, healthy meal, but although healthy, they turned out to not be very flavorful or filling, so I wouldn't make them again.

Beef and Vegetable Spaghetti

This is a simple recipe that I threw together because I was tired of taking the time to make homemade meatballs but still wanted spaghetti and meat and wanted to add more veggies to our diet.  I diced various veggies like carrots, zucchini, and red bell pepper, sauteed them in oil, then added ground beef or turkey and browned it.  Finally, I dumped a jar of marinara sauce from Trader Joe's in the pan with the meat and veggies along with some Penzey's Fox Point seasoning to give a little more flavor and cooked some whole wheat spaghetti noodles, and I had a meal.  Nothing fancy or new and innovative, but a healthy, filling meal.

Spicy Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/spicy-ethiopian-red-lentil-stew/print

I had raved to my brother about the Ethiopian-spiced chicken stew, but being vegetarian, he couldn't try it.  Therefore, I looked on the web and found a vegetarian recipe very similar to the Ethiopian chicken one.  This recipe was delicious, too, and easier and quicker to make, although it didn't make as much food as the other stew.

Ethiopian-Spiced Chicken Stew

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/ethiopian_chicken_stew.html

 This recipe was amazing!!  It is very spicy and delicious.  The key ingredient in this recipe is Berbere spice, which we found at Penzeys Spices.  We paired the dish with some flat bread from the Artesia Market.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups red lentils
• 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cups chopped red onions
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 5 tablespoons berbere spice blend (see Tip)
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

Preparation

1. Wash lentils in cold water in a medium bowl until the water runs clear; drain and spread in an even layer in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Place chicken on top of the lentils.
2. Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, add onions and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add berbere and cook, stirring, until very fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping the onion mixture from the bottom of the pan, then stir in tomatoes with their juice.
3. Add the onion mixture to the slow cooker on top of the chicken, then pour in broth.
4. Cover and cook until the chicken is falling-apart tender, 5 hours on High or 7 to 8 hours on Low. Stir the stew to combine.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Trim chicken, prep onions, garlic and ginger. Refrigerate separately. Equipment: 5- to 6-quart slow cooker

• Tip: The secret to the irresistible flavor of this chicken stew is berbere spice blend (find it in well-stocked supermarkets or at teenytinyspice.com). This staple in Ethiopian cooking is a heady mix that usually includes garlic, fenugreek, allspice, red pepper, ginger, chiles, coriander, cinnamon and black pepper. If you can’t find it, use a mixture of 4 tablespoons garam masala, 1 tablespoon hot paprika, 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek and 1 teaspoon salt in this recipe.

• For easy cleanup, try a slow-cooker liner. These heat-resistant, disposable liners fit neatly inside the insert and help prevent food from sticking to the bottom and sides of your slow cooker.

Nutrition

Per serving: 406 calories; 13 g fat (4 g sat, 5 g mono); 89 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 36 g protein; 7 g fiber; 672 mg sodium; 672 mg potassium.

Spicy Stir-Fried Broccoli and Peanuts

 I unfortunately forgot to take a picture of this recipe, but it was really good.  I will definitely make it again!

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/broccoli_stir_fry_peanut_sauce.html

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup water, divided
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 1/2 pounds broccoli crowns, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large red bell pepper, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts

Preparation

1. Whisk peanut butter, 1/4 cup water, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and vinegar in a medium bowl until smooth. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add broccoli and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to soften and brown in spots, about 6 minutes.
3. Add the remaining 1/4 cup water and 1 tablespoon soy sauce to the pan along with bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pepper has softened and the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the reserved peanut sauce and season with crushed red pepper. Garnish with peanuts.