Shaped Pizza

Valentine's is usually a time when people go all out with dinner. Some people who never cook are suddenly inspired and attempt a 5 course meal or at the very least a fancy dessert. The other option is the over crowded restaurant. Seeing as I make dinner every single night of the week, from scratch, I thought Valentine's was the perfect day to make something a little different and get into the spirit of things.

This recipe is really more of a guide. Just like ordering a pizza you can put what ever toppings you enjoy on the pizza. A store bought crust is the perfect base for this dinner along with some salad and a dessert. Any shape pizza could be cut out of the crust but the large heart wastes the least crust and the mini ones maximize the crust as well.

Shaped Pizza

• 1 store bought crust, cut into a large heart or into mini ones using a cookie cutter
• tomato sauce, usually provided with crust
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• veggies of your choice
• olives (optional)
• meat choice (optional)
• 1 tsp butter
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove garlic
• oregano to taste

*  Spread sauce in a thin even layer on the crust, we only use half the package
* Finely chop all vegetables and put in microwave safe bowl with butter and garlic, cook for 1-2 minutes, veggies should be slightly softened and dried (this prevents the crust from getting soggy, since when fresh veggies cook the release water)
* Put veggies on crust, with olives or any other toppings you choose, top with cheese. Alternatively you could put the veggies on top of the cheese, I just find the cheese on top prevents anyone from picking any veggies off and I think it tastes better
* Sprinkle with oregano 
* Bake in oven as package directs, usually 425 for 12 minutes

Granola Bars #2

If you tried the recipe we made here, you probably found them to be a cake like texture and quite moist. They were a hit with children and adults a like, but I wanted to created something a little more granola-bar like but with some nutritional value.

The best part about this recipe is instead of flour or any pre-bought flour substitute I ground oatmeal in the Magic Bullet. This is such a wallet friendly way of being able to use wheat free flour, if you are Gluten intolerant make sure your oatmeal says 'Gluten Free' right on the packaging. (If it doesn't, quite often it has been made in a facility that also makes wheat products.) You can use regular flour or one of your choosing as well.

You can put any dried fruit you desire in. We added diced dates and apricots, for extra fiber.

Yummy Granola Bars

• 2 c. regular oatmeal
• 1 c.  oatmeal, ground into flour
• 1 pkg grits (or 1/4c. wheat germ + 1/4c. ground flax)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 c. diced apricots
• 1/4 c. diced dates
• 1/2 c. sweetened coconut
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 c. honey
• 1 egg, beaten (use egg replacement if you are vegan or allergic)
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 individual apple sauce (if you don't have this on hand use 1/2 c. oil)

* Preheat oven to 350
* Grease 9 x 13 pan
* Mix together oatmeal(s), grits, cinnamon, salt, stir well then add coconut, apricots and dates, stir well
* Add in honey, egg, oil and apple sauce, stir till all moist and press into pan, packing them down
* Cook for 30 minutes until slightly browned, remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes then cut. Don't let over cool or they may crumble when cutting

Protein Granola Squares

The following recipe was an attempt to find something similar to a granola bar, but a little bit more filling and healthier than the fructose ones that the stores sell. I find that by adding a little protein powder it makes the squares more filling and that much more healthy. It can be omitted though and the recipe would be equally as good. I used the vanilla one sold by Arbonne. 

I used Teff flour instead of all purpose flour to make it Gluten Free, but you could use regular flour if consuming wheat is not a concern. These were a hit so next time I will double the below recipe, as shown it made about 16 squares.

I made these thick so they are like squares

Protein Granola Squares

• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup grits (or 1/4c wheatgerm + 1/4c ground flax)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup Teff flour (or all purpose, whole wheat flour, etc.)
• 1/3c raisins
• 8 apricots, cut into raisin size pieces
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 1/4 c honey or maple syrup
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp oil (I used olive oil, but any type would work)
• 1/3 c apple sauce unsweetened (or one individual one)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 scoops Arbonne vanilla mineral powder (optional)

* Preheat oven to 350
* Grease 9x13 pan if you want thin, slightly crisper bars or a 9x9 if you want them with a more cake-like consistency
* Mix everything together adding liquids last (honey, vanilla, egg, apple sauce)
* Pat evenly into pan
* Bake for approx. 25 minutes until golden brown and cooked but still slightly soft. They will firm up when after cooling so you don't want them to be over cooked or they will become crispy
* Cool for 5 minutes then cut, make sure to cut them before they completely cool for greater ease

MMMM

Gluten Free Banana Muffins - NO Special Flour Needed!!!

Anyone who has a wheat or gluten allergy or is just trying to cut back on eating wheat knows how complicated some of the ingredients are, let alone searching for them. Maize flour, Arrowroot flour, Chia flour, etc. Even when you find these flours they are expensive and you may be stuck with a bag of flour that you dislike the taste of.

The following recipe is one that I made muffins with using oatmeal, yes regular plain oatmeal!!! Some stores do have oatmeal flour available for purchase but I just placed regular oatmeal in the Magic Bullet/food processor and grinded the oatmeal into flour myself.

The result was ultra moist, tasty and easy muffins! They are pretty healthy to boot! You can use a greased pan or as I recommend lined muffin tins. I used egg replacement to make these dairy free. There is margarine but we use soy margarine that doesn't have dairy. A regular egg and margarine will yield the same results. This recipe yielded me 24 mini muffins and 6 large ones. I placed a chocolate chip on each one purely for decoration and to entice the boys...it worked, but wasn't necessary...they inhaled these!

 

Banana Muffins

• 3 or 4 bananas, mushed (I used 4 for extra moisture)
• 1/4 c honey
• 1/4c brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 c margarine or butter
• 1 egg (or egg replacement as per directions) 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2c oatmeal, grinded (I measured it prior to grinding and grind until it is almost flour like in texture)

* Preheat oven to 350
* Mix mashed bananas, honey, sugar, margarine and egg together
* Add in all ingredients but oatmeal and combine until completely mixed
* Add in oatmeal and stir until totally incorporated
* Scoop into greased or lined muffin tins, top with chocolate chip (optional)
* Mini muffins took 15 minutes to cook, large ones took 20 minutes

MMMMuffins!!!