There are few things better in a busy woman's life than the aroma of a cooked dinner wafting through the house when she finally makes it home at the end of a long day.
One of my favorite ways to cook during the week is with my slow cooker. The food is always moist, delicious, and (usually) easy to prepare.
Since it is the middle of the week, I thought you could all use a fresh and easy spin on dinner tonight.
Slow Cooker Fajitas
Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 jalapeno
1 sweet onion
1 jar of salsa
taco seasoning
Add all ingredients to slow cooker with chicken on the bottom. Sprinkle taco seasoning on top. I usually add about half a cup of water as well to ensure nothing burns or dries out. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-6. It really all depends on your crockpot. Shred chicken and serve with your favorite Mexican toppings.
Let me know how it turns out!
<3 K.E.
P.S. I really need to share a disclaimer here...this is a delicious recipe- no doubt. However, I have an even better fajita recipe that takes much, much more work. I will share it with you eventually. Just today. Carry on. ;)
Showing posts with label dairy-free. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dairy-free. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 02, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Vegan Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Happy Saturday Morning, Friends!
We did a great job of using up all of our groceries this week. Almost too good of a job- I ran out of eggs- which left me in a pickle this morning. What do I make for breakfast?!
I don't know about you, but I love to have a slightly more lavish breakfast on the weekends. Something that the weekday rush to get out the door doesn't leave time for. So after thinking about what we had in the pantry and a wonderful suggestion from my husband, I managed to throw together this vegan baked oatmeal. It is fantastic and super easy to make! Obviously, it was vegan by default- all my favorite baked oatmeal recipes call for eggs which I didn't have. But needless to say, I don't think they are missed at all. This recipe is also free of any added sugar- I've been on a crazy sugar binge lately with all the valleys of life and I am committing to one week free of sugar (honey, agave, coconut sugar, etc.) starting today. I wanted to do two weeks, but there is no way I have the willpower to stay away from the goodies on Easter Sunday! ;)
And without further ado, I present my Vegan Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal.
Ingredients.
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbs ground flax seed
1 Tbs chia seeds
1 flax egg (1 Tbs ground flax seed + 3 Tbs hot water)
1 cup applesauce
1.5 cups Silk unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins
1 large apple peeled, diced
Directions.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make the flax egg by combining the flax seed and hot water; set aside to gel. Mix first seven ingredients in large bowl. Mix wet ingredients in medium bowl. Pour wet ingredients into dry. Once combined, stir in flax egg. Add raisins and apple. Pour into baking dish (I used 7x11 Pyrex dish) and bake for 30 minutes, until top is golden brown and middle is set.
Notes: I like to use a teaspoon to pour my vanilla extract, but let it spill over a bit into the bowl which is why I said 1-1.5 tsp. Love me some vanilla! Make sure both your vanilla extract and applesauce have no added sugar. Surprisingly enough, my current vanilla extract is from Target. This recipe makes about 4-6 servings depending on your appetite. This recipe could be gluten-free if you use certified, gluten-free oats.
And last, but not least- I apologize for the sad lack of photos in this post! I honestly didn't think about blogging this recipe until I tasted it, but then I had to share. I couldn't believe I hadn't added any sugar! Enjoy friends!
<3 K.E.
We did a great job of using up all of our groceries this week. Almost too good of a job- I ran out of eggs- which left me in a pickle this morning. What do I make for breakfast?!
I don't know about you, but I love to have a slightly more lavish breakfast on the weekends. Something that the weekday rush to get out the door doesn't leave time for. So after thinking about what we had in the pantry and a wonderful suggestion from my husband, I managed to throw together this vegan baked oatmeal. It is fantastic and super easy to make! Obviously, it was vegan by default- all my favorite baked oatmeal recipes call for eggs which I didn't have. But needless to say, I don't think they are missed at all. This recipe is also free of any added sugar- I've been on a crazy sugar binge lately with all the valleys of life and I am committing to one week free of sugar (honey, agave, coconut sugar, etc.) starting today. I wanted to do two weeks, but there is no way I have the willpower to stay away from the goodies on Easter Sunday! ;)
And without further ado, I present my Vegan Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal.
Ingredients.
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbs ground flax seed
1 Tbs chia seeds
1 flax egg (1 Tbs ground flax seed + 3 Tbs hot water)
1 cup applesauce
1.5 cups Silk unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins
1 large apple peeled, diced
Directions.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make the flax egg by combining the flax seed and hot water; set aside to gel. Mix first seven ingredients in large bowl. Mix wet ingredients in medium bowl. Pour wet ingredients into dry. Once combined, stir in flax egg. Add raisins and apple. Pour into baking dish (I used 7x11 Pyrex dish) and bake for 30 minutes, until top is golden brown and middle is set.
Notes: I like to use a teaspoon to pour my vanilla extract, but let it spill over a bit into the bowl which is why I said 1-1.5 tsp. Love me some vanilla! Make sure both your vanilla extract and applesauce have no added sugar. Surprisingly enough, my current vanilla extract is from Target. This recipe makes about 4-6 servings depending on your appetite. This recipe could be gluten-free if you use certified, gluten-free oats.
And last, but not least- I apologize for the sad lack of photos in this post! I honestly didn't think about blogging this recipe until I tasted it, but then I had to share. I couldn't believe I hadn't added any sugar! Enjoy friends!
<3 K.E.
Friday, August 24, 2012
A Yummy Summer Dessert
It is still summer. For at least another month! It might start cooling down in September in other parts of the country, but here in the south it will be hot as hades for at least another month. At least.
So there is still time to make and enjoy this yummy summer dessert full of juicy, ripe goodness. Do it. You won't be sorry!
As soon as I smelled the sweet aroma of this cobbler baking in the oven, I knew- just knew- that it would be divine. It most definitely was. We devoured this baby in no time and I'm seriously considering making it again this weekend. So wholesome; so delicious. Mhmmm...
The recipe can be found here at Fitness Magazine's website. Because I used healthier options for every ingredient, I'm just going to share my substitutes with you. If you prefer white sugars and flours in general or are craving them today in particular, feel free to use the original. It is still very low in calories and I'm sure it would still taste fabulous!
Here is a list of the original ingredients that I subbed, paired up with my healthier ingredients:
unsalted butter----> Earth Balance soy-free
canola oil ----> coconut oil
reduced-fat milk ----> unsweetened vanilla almond milk
sugar ----> coconut sugar
I think substituting spelt for the whole wheat flour would work out well. Unfortunately, I only have whole wheat in the house right now, so whole wheat is what I used!
Serve up a generous portion with your favorite non-dairy ice cream and savor the last days of summer!
<3 K.E.
So there is still time to make and enjoy this yummy summer dessert full of juicy, ripe goodness. Do it. You won't be sorry!
As soon as I smelled the sweet aroma of this cobbler baking in the oven, I knew- just knew- that it would be divine. It most definitely was. We devoured this baby in no time and I'm seriously considering making it again this weekend. So wholesome; so delicious. Mhmmm...
 |
| Peach & Blueberry Cobbler |
Here is a list of the original ingredients that I subbed, paired up with my healthier ingredients:
unsalted butter----> Earth Balance soy-free
canola oil ----> coconut oil
reduced-fat milk ----> unsweetened vanilla almond milk
sugar ----> coconut sugar
I think substituting spelt for the whole wheat flour would work out well. Unfortunately, I only have whole wheat in the house right now, so whole wheat is what I used!
 |
| The perfect summer dessert! |
Serve up a generous portion with your favorite non-dairy ice cream and savor the last days of summer!
<3 K.E.
Thursday, May 03, 2012
Overnight Oats in a Jar
Good morning!
I am obsessed with breakfast. Nothing sounds as good to me as breakfast from a bowl of Oh's to eggs to oatmeal. YUM!
All across the blogs you can find recipes or mentions of "overnight oats in a jar." Basically, you mix up oats and milk and a few other ingredients and leave it in the fridge overnight. I was beyond skeptical of this- who wants to eat soggy, cold oats for breakfast?! But I eventually had an almost empty jar of peanut butter (WF brand=YUM!) and thought I would give it a try.
Holy yum, Batman! It was incredible. And oh so easy. Its also kinda addicting...I can see why overnight oats in a jar are taking over the blog world one post at a time.
You've probably noticed that I share links to other bloggers' recipes much more often than I share my own. That is because I don't really have time to experiment in the kitchen. I love to bake, cook, and whip up scrumptious goodies. Right now life is just too busy to create recipes though. And when I do come up with something original, I forget to document for the blog! I'm working on this oversight! AHHH!!!!
Today is a new day. Without further ado, here is my recipe for overnight oats in a jar. I love it and after a few tweeks am satisfied enough with it to share with all of you. It is naturally sweet from the banana, chewy from the oats, and all around ah-mazing. A peanut butter jar is not required- a bowl or container will work just fine. ;)
Overnight Oats in a Jar
Ingredients:
1/3 cup old fashioned oatmeal
2/3 unsweetened almond milk
1/2 mashed banana
4 strawberries sliced in quarters
1 heaping Tbsp of ground flax seeds
Directions:
Mix all ingredients into jar/container. Cover and leave in refrigerator overnight. In the morning add yummy toppings and enjoy!
Topping suggestions:
sprinkle of granola
more berries
nut butter
<3 K.E.
I am obsessed with breakfast. Nothing sounds as good to me as breakfast from a bowl of Oh's to eggs to oatmeal. YUM!
All across the blogs you can find recipes or mentions of "overnight oats in a jar." Basically, you mix up oats and milk and a few other ingredients and leave it in the fridge overnight. I was beyond skeptical of this- who wants to eat soggy, cold oats for breakfast?! But I eventually had an almost empty jar of peanut butter (WF brand=YUM!) and thought I would give it a try.
 |
| Delicious! |
Holy yum, Batman! It was incredible. And oh so easy. Its also kinda addicting...I can see why overnight oats in a jar are taking over the blog world one post at a time.
 |
| The inside of my first batch of overnight oats |
You've probably noticed that I share links to other bloggers' recipes much more often than I share my own. That is because I don't really have time to experiment in the kitchen. I love to bake, cook, and whip up scrumptious goodies. Right now life is just too busy to create recipes though. And when I do come up with something original, I forget to document for the blog! I'm working on this oversight! AHHH!!!!
Today is a new day. Without further ado, here is my recipe for overnight oats in a jar. I love it and after a few tweeks am satisfied enough with it to share with all of you. It is naturally sweet from the banana, chewy from the oats, and all around ah-mazing. A peanut butter jar is not required- a bowl or container will work just fine. ;)
Overnight Oats in a Jar
Ingredients:
1/3 cup old fashioned oatmeal
2/3 unsweetened almond milk
1/2 mashed banana
4 strawberries sliced in quarters
1 heaping Tbsp of ground flax seeds
Directions:
Mix all ingredients into jar/container. Cover and leave in refrigerator overnight. In the morning add yummy toppings and enjoy!
Topping suggestions:
sprinkle of granola
more berries
nut butter
<3 K.E.
Friday, April 27, 2012
"Moo"ve over Dairy!
I have another fabulous recipe to share with you today! Having been dairy-free since I was a twelve-years-old, I've miss traditional milk, ice cream, and yogurt for years. I ate cheese for a while until I developed an allergy and now haven't had cheese (not a piece) for about 6 years. Crazy, right? I honestly don't miss it at all. At first it was very difficult because I was a cheese fanatic. The girl who would eat grapes, apple slices, and cheese hunks as a snack. Eventually, I adjusted and now the smell of cheese is repulsive to me. I can smell it a mile away. I do still keep our fridge stocked with cheese options because I am a good wife like that. ;)
Over the years, companies have realized that people with dairy and soy allergies still want and crave the foods they had to give up. First, the dairy-free milks became increasingly easy to find. I've tried most of them by this point: soy, rice, almond, coconut (in that order). Hemp, flax, and sunflower milks are still unknown to me, but maybe someday I'll give them a shot. I want to give you a really quick run down of my experiences with non-dairy milk and the variety of options available.
I was pro-soy when I first became dairy-free and I now have an entirely different opinion which would require at least an entire post on the subject. For now, let's just say I'm not a fan of soy for many reasons. The taste of soy milk is pretty similar to cow's milk from what I remember.
Rice milk is incredibly runny and doesn't taste a thing like milk. It is like drinking water with a splash of milk. Yuck! Also, right now rice products are under scrutiny for containing high levels of arsenic so do your research prior to purchasing rice milk to make sure your brand of choice isn't implicated in the scandal.
Almond milk quickly became my dairy-free milk of choice. It is thicker and creamier than rice milk, but not quite as thick as coconut or cow's milk, however. The flavor is slightly nutty, but not strong, and I have found that it compliments everything from cereal to smoothies. When I went cane sugar-free six years ago, I was pleased to discover that most brands offer unsweetened almond milk varieties as well. Unsweetened vanilla almond milk is amazing too! I recommend the Whole Foods' 365 brand unsweetened and unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I've found it has the best flavor of all the brands I've tried and is organic.
Coconut milk is a close second to almond milk with a creamy, fresh taste. There is something about the flavor or texture though that always seems a little funky to me. I haven't figured out what exactly that is, but it isn't a big enough deal to ban the beverage altogether.
I would never trade my almond milk...(here comes the dreaded but), but lately my sensitive tummy has been just that- sensitive. So I've switched over to coconut milk for the time being. Hopefully not forever, because nothing beats the flavor of good almond milk, but for now, coconut will do. <UPDATE: I wrote this post prior to meal planning, ended up skipping Whole Foods this week, and Publix only carries Almond Milk...so I'm giving it another try. Fingers crossed. I'm really excited!>
There is are two great brands of coconut milk ice cream that are also cane sugar-free, So Delicious and Luna and Larry's Coconut Bliss. Whole Foods has also started carrying a cashew ice cream that comes in several flavors, including pistachio!
I can also eat yogurt, thanks to Armande yogurt made with almond milk and fruit-juice sweetened. I wish my local Whole Foods had the large containers, but no such luck. Anyway, as you can see, there really is no reason for dairy-free individuals to not enjoy delicious alternatives (which I now think taste a million times better than the originals).
And thanks to the amazing people at Nourishing Meals, I was also able to eat a gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free "cheesecake" for Easter! It was amazing, rich, creamy, decadent. Even my dairy-eating mother loved it! The ingredient list was simple, it was a relatively uncomplicated recipe. I guess a little disclaimer is in order though, because it didn't really taste like cheesecake. It was its own thing with its own flavor. I highly recommend it. These cheesecake bites are easily one of my favorite desserts to make. Any dessert that is healthy, full of whole foods, and has great texture and flavor is a winner in my book. Head on over to Nourishing Meals and check it out!
 |
| SOURCE |
Over the years, companies have realized that people with dairy and soy allergies still want and crave the foods they had to give up. First, the dairy-free milks became increasingly easy to find. I've tried most of them by this point: soy, rice, almond, coconut (in that order). Hemp, flax, and sunflower milks are still unknown to me, but maybe someday I'll give them a shot. I want to give you a really quick run down of my experiences with non-dairy milk and the variety of options available.
I was pro-soy when I first became dairy-free and I now have an entirely different opinion which would require at least an entire post on the subject. For now, let's just say I'm not a fan of soy for many reasons. The taste of soy milk is pretty similar to cow's milk from what I remember.
Rice milk is incredibly runny and doesn't taste a thing like milk. It is like drinking water with a splash of milk. Yuck! Also, right now rice products are under scrutiny for containing high levels of arsenic so do your research prior to purchasing rice milk to make sure your brand of choice isn't implicated in the scandal.
Almond milk quickly became my dairy-free milk of choice. It is thicker and creamier than rice milk, but not quite as thick as coconut or cow's milk, however. The flavor is slightly nutty, but not strong, and I have found that it compliments everything from cereal to smoothies. When I went cane sugar-free six years ago, I was pleased to discover that most brands offer unsweetened almond milk varieties as well. Unsweetened vanilla almond milk is amazing too! I recommend the Whole Foods' 365 brand unsweetened and unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I've found it has the best flavor of all the brands I've tried and is organic.
Coconut milk is a close second to almond milk with a creamy, fresh taste. There is something about the flavor or texture though that always seems a little funky to me. I haven't figured out what exactly that is, but it isn't a big enough deal to ban the beverage altogether.
I would never trade my almond milk...(here comes the dreaded but), but lately my sensitive tummy has been just that- sensitive. So I've switched over to coconut milk for the time being. Hopefully not forever, because nothing beats the flavor of good almond milk, but for now, coconut will do. <UPDATE: I wrote this post prior to meal planning, ended up skipping Whole Foods this week, and Publix only carries Almond Milk...so I'm giving it another try. Fingers crossed. I'm really excited!>
There is are two great brands of coconut milk ice cream that are also cane sugar-free, So Delicious and Luna and Larry's Coconut Bliss. Whole Foods has also started carrying a cashew ice cream that comes in several flavors, including pistachio!
I can also eat yogurt, thanks to Armande yogurt made with almond milk and fruit-juice sweetened. I wish my local Whole Foods had the large containers, but no such luck. Anyway, as you can see, there really is no reason for dairy-free individuals to not enjoy delicious alternatives (which I now think taste a million times better than the originals).
And thanks to the amazing people at Nourishing Meals, I was also able to eat a gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free "cheesecake" for Easter! It was amazing, rich, creamy, decadent. Even my dairy-eating mother loved it! The ingredient list was simple, it was a relatively uncomplicated recipe. I guess a little disclaimer is in order though, because it didn't really taste like cheesecake. It was its own thing with its own flavor. I highly recommend it. These cheesecake bites are easily one of my favorite desserts to make. Any dessert that is healthy, full of whole foods, and has great texture and flavor is a winner in my book. Head on over to Nourishing Meals and check it out!
 |
| The crazy photo I snapped after taking a bite and realizing this was the last one...oops! |
Monday, April 23, 2012
And the weekend continues!
I have survived an entire month alone- except for the cat and he doesn't count! The hubby had to attend a month-long class across the country for his job. I was very anti as you can imagine. I haven't blogged very often during that time because, well, I didn't have much to say that didn't consist of whining about him being gone. And I didn't want to publicize the fact that I was home alone. So I went a little MIA. But that means I have loads of posts that I now feel like sharing. YAY! ;)
We took a couple days off this week to recoup from the trip (OK, OK, he needed time to recoup- I just wanted time with him!) and so our lovely, lazy weekend continues. Love days off!
First up, an amazingly delicious recipe from Daily Garnish, one of my daily reads. I'm not sure if you've figured this out yet or not, but I love food. I love to cook, bake, find and create new dishes. Since my hubby was gone for Easter, I was spending it breakfast-dinner with my family. That meant a very early morning drive for me and not much time to prepare breakfast as the kiddos wake up super early to find Easter baskets and hunt for eggs the Easter bunny left us. Knowing my mom has probably missed my kitchen creations since the wedding, I thought I would make up a loaf of banana nut bread for Easter morning. Can you imagine how excited I was to find a recipe on Daily Garnish for Blueberry Banana Walnut Bread? ECSTATIC! I love baking with blueberries. They are loaded with antioxidants and I always buy a giant bag of frozen organic wild blueberries at Costco. In my opinion, wild blueberries are the most tasty in everything from pancakes to muffins to bread. Not only do they have more flavor, but they also have more antioxidants than regular blueberries. Win!
To give credit where credit is due, I won't be posting the recipe. Instead, I'll link to it on Daily Garnish. Trust me: it is worth clicking through to make this beauty. The only changes I made to my first batch consisted of replacing the whole wheat flour with spelt flour for the sensitive tummies in my family and using 1.5-2 cups of blueberries instead of 1 cup. I think my oven temperature is off (my next project) because I baked this baby for almost double the time on the recipe and it was still a little doughy.
I made this bread a second time to welcome home the husband Saturday and used whole wheat flour. It tastes just as good, but took even longer to bake. This time, I used 3 bananas instead of the recommended 4 and it was still uber moist and delicious. I also used more berries than the recipe called for, I always add more berries to every blueberry recipe- I just can't get enough! Honestly, I liked the spelt loaf the best, because I think the straight-up whole wheat irritated my tummy, but the taste was definitely still there with the whole wheat loaf. Use whatever flour you prefer, but definitely make this bread! You'll be glad you did. Oh, and smear it with homemade Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter. A to-die-for combination!
<3 K.E.
We took a couple days off this week to recoup from the trip (OK, OK, he needed time to recoup- I just wanted time with him!) and so our lovely, lazy weekend continues. Love days off!
First up, an amazingly delicious recipe from Daily Garnish, one of my daily reads. I'm not sure if you've figured this out yet or not, but I love food. I love to cook, bake, find and create new dishes. Since my hubby was gone for Easter, I was spending it breakfast-dinner with my family. That meant a very early morning drive for me and not much time to prepare breakfast as the kiddos wake up super early to find Easter baskets and hunt for eggs the Easter bunny left us. Knowing my mom has probably missed my kitchen creations since the wedding, I thought I would make up a loaf of banana nut bread for Easter morning. Can you imagine how excited I was to find a recipe on Daily Garnish for Blueberry Banana Walnut Bread? ECSTATIC! I love baking with blueberries. They are loaded with antioxidants and I always buy a giant bag of frozen organic wild blueberries at Costco. In my opinion, wild blueberries are the most tasty in everything from pancakes to muffins to bread. Not only do they have more flavor, but they also have more antioxidants than regular blueberries. Win!
 |
| The final product. This is the whole wheat loaf. Check out that gorgeous color! |
To give credit where credit is due, I won't be posting the recipe. Instead, I'll link to it on Daily Garnish. Trust me: it is worth clicking through to make this beauty. The only changes I made to my first batch consisted of replacing the whole wheat flour with spelt flour for the sensitive tummies in my family and using 1.5-2 cups of blueberries instead of 1 cup. I think my oven temperature is off (my next project) because I baked this baby for almost double the time on the recipe and it was still a little doughy.
I made this bread a second time to welcome home the husband Saturday and used whole wheat flour. It tastes just as good, but took even longer to bake. This time, I used 3 bananas instead of the recommended 4 and it was still uber moist and delicious. I also used more berries than the recipe called for, I always add more berries to every blueberry recipe- I just can't get enough! Honestly, I liked the spelt loaf the best, because I think the straight-up whole wheat irritated my tummy, but the taste was definitely still there with the whole wheat loaf. Use whatever flour you prefer, but definitely make this bread! You'll be glad you did. Oh, and smear it with homemade Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter. A to-die-for combination!
<3 K.E.
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