Oatmeal Coconut Bars

WARNING: Highly Addictive

I'm proud of these suckers because even a coconut hater LOVED them. They are the perfect thing to satisfy a sweet and boom baby gluten free as well! You gotta try these. You will not regret it. 

Thin + Chewy Chocolate Drenched Coconut Oatmeal Squares

makes one 9×9 pan (about 16 squares)

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats (gluten free)

1 1/2 cups shredded, sweetened coconut

1/4 cup brown sugar, loosely packed

pinch of salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup coconut oil (measured solid)

1/4 cup honey

Spray a 9×9 pan with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, combine oats, coconut, and salt. Heat a small saucepan over low heat and add butter, brown sugar, honey and coconut oil, stirring until melted. Add the butter mixture to the oat mixture and stir very thoroughly until the entire mix is moistened. Press it into the pan and stick in the fridge for 15 minutes.

chocolate layer

8 ounces good-quality chocolate, chocolate (I used half milk/half semi-sweet choc. chips I had lying around)

2 tablespoons coconut oil (measured solid)

Using the same saucepan that you melted the butter and oil in, add the chocolate and oil and stir over low heat until melted. Remove the pan from the fridge and pour the chocolate evenly over top, spreading with a spatula or spoon. Place back in the fridge for about 30 minutes. When ready to eat, either cut the squares in the pan, or gently lift the square out and place on a cutting board to cut. It helps if the bars somewhat come to room temp before cutting, as they will slightly crumble a bit if super cold!

Cut into squares and enjoy!

I'm going to double the recipe next time and put it in a 9x13. They were that good!

Recipe and photos courtesy of: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/06/thin-chewy-chocolate-drenched-coconut-oatmeal-squares/

Mango Avocado Salsa

One of our favorite meals at the Carr residence is either grilled chicken or fish with mango avocado salsa on top. It's so fresh, so flavorful and one of those meals that you just feel good after eating. This week I had a burrito bowl (spinach, brown rice, chicken) with mango salsa on top. It makes any kind of mexican dish so flavorful.

Mango Salsa Ingredients:

1 large mango

2 avocados

2 cups chopped tomatoes

1/3 c. cilantro (more or less depending on your taste)

1/3 c. chopped red onion

2 Tbs lime juice

1 tsp honey (if your mango isn't very sweet)

salt and pepper to taste

Shepherd's Pie

Wondering what to do with your leftover mashed potatoes??

Make some good ol comfort food!

Don't hate on the Shepherd's Pie. When done right it will bring comfort to every nook and cranny in the body. It may be poor man's food but I will always love it.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey or beef

1 packets gluten free gravy mix

salt and pepper

3 C. mashed potatoes 

1 can of corn and green beans (whatever you like)

grated cheddar cheese

Optional for extra gravy:

1/2 c milk

2 tsp cornstarch

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350. Brown your meat in a skillet and season generously with salt and pepper.

2. Add your gravy mix with the water amount it says on package. If you want extra sauce add 1/2 c milk with 2 tsp of cornstarch and mix in with the gravy and meat (I did this and was glad I did!).

3. Pour meat/gravy mixture into a pie pan.

4. Top with vegetables of your choice. I had corn and green beans on hand.

5. Spread warm mashed potatoes over the top and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until bubbly.

Bon appetit!

Chicken Bryan

If you've ever been to Carraba's then hopefully you have tried one of their best dishes: Chicken Bryan. It is grilled chicken topped with goat cheese and a lemon basil cream sauce. My husband looooooves this dish so I was set on trying to duplicate it with my own flair. I found a copycat recipe online then just went with what I had and improvised for my tastebuds.

Picture doesn't do it justice.

It was sooooo delicious. I'll definitely be making this on a more regular basis.

I didn't do any measuring but here's what the recipe was pretty close to:


2 Chicken breasts
salt and pepper

Feta cheese (I bought sundried tomato/basil flavored)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 TbspLemon juice
1 tsp dried herbs or 1 tbsp of fresh - Basil would be best but I used Herbs de provence
1/2 onion diced
1/4 C sundried tomatoes chopped
1/2 C milk mixed with 1 tbs of cornstarch
2 tbs Sour cream or plain yogurt
2 Tbs parmesan
1 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil

Instructions: Pat chicken breasts dry then cut a pocket in the middle and stuff with feta cheese. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Bring  a pan to medium-high heat and melt 1 Tbsp of butter. Sear both sides of chicken breasts but do not cook all the way through. Once chicken is done take them out of the pan and make the sauce in the same pan.
Add your olive oil and onions. Saute onions until translucent. Add seasonings, garlic, sundried tomatoes and lemon juice. Cook for one minute then add your milk/cornstarch mixture and the plain yogurt. I added the parmesan at this point and if the sauce gets too thick add a little bit more water or milk. Top chicken with a bit more feta then pour sauce over top! Bon appetit

Serve with vegetables and mashed potatoes. Yum.

Recipe adapted from: http://www.food.com/recipe/original-carrabbas-chicken-bryan-not-copycat-361631

GF Granola Bars | A Treat!

Adapted from All Recipes

"This recipe yields a chewy granola bar versatile enough to be adapted to your personal tastes or dietary need."

Ingredients:

3/4 to 1 cup corn syrup 3/4 cup natural peanut butter 1 cup gluten-free chocolate chips, divided 1/2 cup chopped almonds

1/2 cup chopped cashews 2 cups gluten-free oatmeal 2 cups crispy rice cereal (I used Chex) 1/3 cup flax seed meal

Directions:

1.	Mix syrup and peanut butter in a saucepan over low heat until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.
2.	Remove saucepan from heat. Stir about half the chocolate chips into the syrup mixture.
3.	Mix remaining chocolate chips, almonds, cashews, oatmeal, crispy rice cereal, and flax seed meal in a bowl.
4.	Pour the mixture from the saucepan over the mixture in the bowl; stir to evenly coat.
5.	Transfer mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish and press into an even layer; allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Feel free to add/substitute additional ingredients like dried fruit, other nuts, different GF cereal, etc.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I was pretty excited when these came out of the oven and I gave them my first bite...which turned into eating two of them. These are very delicious, pretty healthy and the chocolate chips are just enough to sweeten them up and cure your chocolate craving.

Ingredients:
2.5 cups old fashioned oats (pulse in food processor or blender until smooth)

1 cup plain low fat greek yogurt

2 eggs

1/2 cup honey

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 C flax meal

2 ripe bananas (mash with a fork before adding to bowl)

1/4 C. almond or regular milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbs cinnamon

1/2 C chocolate chips 

Other add ins:  blueberries or nuts

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray tin with non-stick cooking spray or line 12 muffin tins with silicone or foil liners.
2. Place the oats in the food processor and pulse for about 10 seconds.  
3. Add oat flour and remaining ingredients (except chocolate chips) to a mixer bowl. 
4. Mix everything until it is all well incorporated. Add chocolate chips.
4. Divide batter among cupcake liners, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. (Mine took 19 minutes)

Recipe adapted from: http://fitandhealthywithdebbie.blogspot.com/2012/10/banana-oatmeal-breakfast-muffins.html

They even got the approval from a gluten-free hater, manly man:

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

A family favorite that does NOT have to be a thing of the past now. You can easily change this recipe to make gluten free and friendly (and just as delicious).

Ingredients:

Shredded Chicken (about 5 breasts or 1/2 of a Costco rotisserie chicken)

3 broccoli bunches

Gluten free crackers or chips

Sauce

1 C grated sharp cheddar cheese (sharp will give you extra flavor)

1 C mayonnaise

1 C sour cream & 1 Tbs of cornstarch (to replace cream of mushroom)

1/3 C milk

1 generous Tbs of curry powder

plenty of salt and pepper

1 Tbs lemon juice (added at the end)

Stir and combine over medium heat until cheese is melted. Take off of heat then stir in lemon juice.

Place shredded chicken on the bottom of your 9x13 pan. Top with cooked broccoli then pour sauce over top and spread the sauce to get most of the broccoli covered. Crush some gluten free chips or crackers to sprinkle on top and then I sprayed the crumble with olive oil to try give it a nice crispy finish. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with quinoa or brown rice!

Enjoy!

PS: these are the chips I crushed to use on top. They are the BOMB.