Oatmeal!!!!

I was cooking oatmeal one day and I am sure that my kids were commenting about how much we ate oatmeal. At that point it occurred to me that we didn't have so eat the SAME kind of oatmeal!!! I thought about muffins and how many kinds there were. So I thought I would share this week the different combinations that we now love in our home. :)

Blueberry Almond

1 1/2 Cup Water

Pinch of Salt

1 Cup Old Fashion Oats

Stevia to taste

2/3 Cup Fresh or Frozen Blueberries

2 tsp. Almond Extract

Place everything in a pot and boil till done.

Serve and

Top it off with Slivered Almonds

Orange Cranberry

1 1/2 Cup Water

Pinch of Salt

1 Cup Old Fashion Oats

Stevia to taste

1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries

3 Drops Doterra Wild Orange oil or

1 Orange juiced and Zest

Banana Nut

1 1/2 Cup Water

Pinch of Salt

1 Cup Old Fashion Oats

Coconut Sugar to taste

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1 Large Smashed up Banana or Sliced

1/4 C Chopped Pecan or Walnuts

Apple Cinnamon

1 1/2 Cup Water

Pinch of Salt

1 Cup Old Fashion Oats

Coconut Sugar to taste

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg and Mace (Optional)

As much Apple as you like chopped I like to use Granny and Gala or Fuji

Top it off with  Chopped Pecan or Walnuts

Peaches and Cream

1 1/2 Cup Water

Pinch of Salt

1 Cup Old Fashion Oats

Stevia to taste

Slice up peaches

Add some Coconut Cream Mix and enjoy

You can also do this with Strawberries

Lemon Poppy Seed

1 1/2 Cup Water

Pinch of Salt

1 Cup Old Fashion Oats

Stevia to taste

1 tsp Lemon Extract

1 Tbsp Poppy Seeds

Orange Chocolate

1 1/2 Cup Water

Pinch of Salt

1 Cup Old Fashion Oats

4 Tbsp Stevia

2 Tbsp Chocolate Powder

4 Drops Wild Orange Doterra oil or 1 tsp Orange Extract

Nut of your choice (Optional)

Top with Orange Zest (Optional)

I hope that you have fun with your oatmeal from now on. Also, I love to replace the old fashion oats for Stone ground oats. They have a wonderful texture they take a little longer to cook unless you remember to soak them over night first. They also take more water as it is kind of like cooking rice or Ground Wheat.

I have tried to make these measurements close to what I use. I  kind of dump when I cook instead of actually measure. Please feel free to eyeball your ingredients to your liking. I hope that you take your oatmeal to the next level and play with the flavors and textures.

Other great things to add to your oatmeal are Flax Seed, Chia Seed. These have your important Omegas as well as Protein.

 Here is to a healthy vegan breakfast!!!

Much love, Emily Bryar

Quick tip for starch based dishes!!!

Just because I had this picture already up on a post waiting for me to blog about it I will blog my quick tip for fast lunches or dinners.

I love cooking a bunch of brown rice all at once then freezing it into portion sizes. When you need or want something really fast it is so easy just take it out of your freezer empty the rice into a strainer and run hot water over it. It will thaw it as well as heat it up for you. YAY half of your work is done in like a minute. Add some Soy Sauce to your rice and add veggies. Done!!!
 Sometimes I add just Mushrooms with Smoked Paprika and Nutritional Yeast, and Salt, with just a little bit of Cumin. Today for lunch with my husband I made Mushrooms with the above seasonings and veggie broth and when the Mushrooms were done I added a bunch of Kale and let them wilt. Still a little stiff as I do not like soggy veggies. added a little bit of salt and pepper  and in the Rice I added a little bit of chili sauce as I like things just a little spicy sometimes. It was quick and easy and not to bad is I do say so myself. :)

Cheers, here is to our health!!!  Much love, Emily Bryar

Vegan Cheese!!!!

  I know that it has been a while sense I have posted but I really wanted to share this. There are two versions actually one uses nuts and the other oatmeal, both are pretty darn amazing!!!

                                             Here is the nut cheese sauce over chili fries!!!

Does that not look like cheese sauce!?! It is so good my picky, picky, picky, children even eat this cheese!!!  I will also post the chili recipe as it is pretty darn good as well.

 Nut cheese sauce:

  In a pot of water boil

3-4 Large Potatoes (Boil more if you want to make a chunky cheesy potato soup)

2-3 Large Carrots

1 Large Onion

Keep your water

   Boil these until the potatoes are soft and break apart with a fork

In your high speed blender add

1 1/2 Cup of Cashews (I use raw so not sure how the cooked would taste.)

1/2 Cup of Nutritional Yeast ( My kids do not like the way that this tastes so we only use a little)

1Tbsp Smoked Paprika (Optional but SOOOOO yummy!!!)

1tsp Season All

and 1-2 Cups of the potato water add more if it is too thick. Start out with the one cup and add as needed. It should be thick like cheese sauce.

If you want to make it nacho sauce add salsa or add pepper tomatoes or add some jalapeños.

 Oatmeal Cheese Sauce:

Same as above. Boil water with potatoes, carrots, onions,

In blender add

1 Cup of Oats

3/4Cup of Nutritional Yeast

1 TBSP Smoked Paprika (Mmmmm)

1/8 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Season All
 If it is not salty enough add a little bit of Sea Salt. Taste to season. 

(if it is not salty enough add sea salt until desired saltiness

4 Bottles Sweet Tomato Peppers

You can also use bottled smoked peppers about the equivalent of 1/4 a pepper. I would omit the paprika if you do this.

Blend with about 1 Cup of the Potato water and if it needs thickening just cook it over medium heat until thick. The starch from the potatoes and the oats will thicken it up. We added this mixture to out noodles tonight and it didn't need to be thickened but we did reheat over the noodles and served it hot. It is really very good. I think both ways are amazing and should be tested and tasted.
 I will post the chili recipe soon!!!
 Much love,
Emily

 

More posts!!!! and Enchilada Soup

    Now that school is back in session and this year I am not home schooling, I am going to try and post once a week. We will see how I do. :0) I have been taking a lot of pictures of my food and so I just need to play catch up. For now I will post what we are having tonight. This recipe comes from my dear sister who is following my lead and leaning the vegan way of life. We are going to call this Enchilada Soup it is really good and not spicy for those of you who have little kids who don't like spice. :0)

                                               This really is very good so get excited!!!

Enchilada Soup

Boil 2 Sweet Potatoes
Boil 1 Cup of Black Forbidden Rice.
    (This adds color and texture. If you cant get it just use brown rice.)
Chop and saute Onion and Bell Peppers.
    (Use other Peppers if you want it spicy)
Open 2- 15oz cans of  Black Beans and 1-15oz can of Pinto Drain and rinse
Open 1-28oz can Medium Green Chili Enchilada Sauce

I was cooking all of these on medium to medium high so that I could multi task without burning. ;0)
  When Potatoes are done place them in the blender with its water and blend till smooth
Place that in a LARGE cooking pot and add your Onions, Peppers, Beans, Enchilada Sauce. Mix in
Rinse your Forbidden rice well so that the soup doesn't turn an unpleasant color. Add that also to your soup.
  I added blended Avocado to add creaminess, and I also added chopped Cilantro Add these at the end of it all so that the flavors are fresh. :0)
 
 I hope that you make this it is really very good and healthy. :0)
Much Love, Emily

  

Oatmeal Cake

 


   I made oatmeal and thought I'd use the leftovers to make a sweet treat. I also had heard that avocado is natures butter. I wanted to try and use the avocado instead of Crisco or butter. The outcome was great! My picky eaters even had seconds. I would like to think it was because it was something other then the sugar. LOL.
  I know that some people like to say a lot about their recipes. I however just want to share my recipes to help others like me who are starting on this path and need some ideas on this path.  So without further ado  here is the recipe!!!

Oatmeal Cake
Preheat oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit
3 Cups leftover oatmeal
It can have spices in it already.
3/4 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
1 ripe Avocado
Blend till smooth
1 tsp each Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Cinnamon, Salt
1 Cup Natural Sugar
1 Cup Coconut Sugar
Mix together until it is all incorporated
1/3 Cup Tapioca Flour
1 1/3 cup Wheat Flour
Mix well
Spray and flour a 9x13 pan  and poor the batter into your pan and place it in the oven for 40-45 minutes.
It is done when you poke it with a kitchen knife or toothpick and it comes out clean.

Frosting.
In a pan on the stove place
1 Cup water
1/2 Cup Nut or Coconut Milk
1 tsp Arrowroot Powder or corn starch
2/3 Cup Coconut Sugar
2 Tinctures of Caramel flavored Liquid Stevia
1/2 Cup of your Favorite Nuts chopped well.
(Optional)

Raw Apple Pie for Breakfast!!!

I made raw apple pie with dried figs for breakfast. It was SOOOOO GOOD!!!!! So I wanted to share with you what I did.

In a blender add some soaked dates with water about 1 Cup of Dates and about 1 Cup Water
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Nutmeg and Mace (Both are ground)
Blend till smooth
Take about 7-10 apples and chop them into slices
10 Dried figs or use raisins I just didn't have any so I used figs.
mix your date in with your apples and figs

Topping
 2 Cups Raw old fashion oats
 In your blender add 1/8 Cup Coconut Sugar
about 3 TBSP water or coconut water
5 Dates
Add Cinnamon to your liking or leave it out. You choose.
Mix the Coconut sugar and oats and mix with your hands it should be like a crumble crust type of a mixture.

Plate up your apples and top with your crumble. If you are staying away from oats and other grains it is still really good without the crumble. :0)

This is a good recipe for the children to help in the kitchen. It is good for them to learn to use a knife and it will give them skills for harder things. My Beeps knows how to use a knife and she is 6 years old. I started teaching her when she was about 4. With supervision and learning that it is not a toy but a sharp and dangerous item and to be used with caution they can learn really fast to be ok using a knife. And if they get thick apples it wont ruin the pie. :0)

Also, if you are having an attack of I NEED SOMETHING sweet good and cooked try this it will feel like you sinned. LOL But then you don't have to tell yourself that you will start over tomorrow. You might feel like you need to say that but NO WAY you are GOOD TO GO!!!! Try it and let me know what you think. :0)
Spice said that it tasted like it should be really unhealthy. LOL It was really very good!!!


Hugs, Emily

Pasta With Low Fat Pesto

  My family LOVES pesto!!! I don't make it that often but when I do it almost always gets devoured. I like it because it has veggies and lots of them. :0)

Here it is!!!

 

Start with your favorite noodles. My kids like bow tie noodles for this one.

 Make sure that you pick Vegan ones. Also, if you want this to be gluten free get some gluten free noodles. Or better yet if you have never tried Zucchini Noodles you should give those a go. They are really good especially when it is hot and you don't feel like cooking.

In a food processor add

2-3 Zucchini cut them 4-5 times into large chunks

3-4 Cloves Garlic

1/2 Cup of Pine Nuts

1.5-2 Cups Fresh Basil

2 Green Onions Green parts only

Process together till mostly smooth.

 

 

 If going raw for this meal forgo any cooking and just add the tomatoes uncooked of course.

In a pot with about 1/8 Cup of Veggie Broth add

 1/8 tsp Onion Powder

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Extra Large handfuls of Spinach or Spring

Wilt but don't over cook. Strain before adding into your pasta

Take a fork and separate your wilted greens and mix in.

 

Cut up some Tomato and put them in a pan (only use a spray oil if you don't have a nonstick pan)

season them with Smoked Paprika and lightly scorch them. Just until the flavors come out in the tomatoes. This only takes a minute or two on high heat. After the pan is hot.

 

Mix into the pasta and salt and pepper to taste.

Add Pune Nuts to garnish.

I hope that you try this and let me know if you like it!!!

Home made Granola!!! Gluten Free, Fat Free, Vegan

Here is a picture of my granola. It is in its container so its not the best picture but none the less here it is.

     

Dry Ingredients

       10 cups oldfasioned rolled oats
        4 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
        4-5 Cups of a mixture of your Favorite seeds, nuts, grains.
 Some that I like are sunflower, pumpkin seeds, cashews, chopped almonds, Pecans, quinoa, millit seeds, flax seeds, and oat or wheat flax and/or germ.
                                     Place all of this in a HUGE bowl and mix well.


Sugar mixture

                   2 cups of honey, or real maple syrup
                   1 cup of coconut sugar or you can use brown sugar.
           Coconut sugar has health properties where there is almost none in brown sugar
                   1/2cup water.

Boil this in microwave for 5 minutes you will need to put it in a bigger bowl so it doesn't boil all over your microwave and you don't need to stop it to mix just let it cook for the full 5 min. or on stove ( we don't have a microwave) mixing so it doesn't burn for about 3-5 minutes just enough where it starts to thicken slightly.
 
When done put in 1-2 tsp vanilla and 1/8 tsp (pinch) of salt mix and poor over your oat mixture.
Work it in until all of your oat mixture is covered. If you need a little more just add a little more honey or syrup and mix in well. It will have a few crumbly peaces but most of the oats will not stick together but you can see that they are covered slightly with the sugars.
    Bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes stir and switch pans. So the pan that was on the bottom rack will now be on the top and vice versa. Bake for 10 minutes and mix again switch and bake for 5-7 minutes. Do this until you get desired color. It will burn if you don't watch it after the first two times.

When done add in your berries. We like raisins, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, dried apricots, dates, etc. Granola is done!!! Enjoy with whatever kind of milk you like.


 

Simple and Fast Vegan, Gluten Free, Noodle Soup

  Lets face it. We have days that we just need a "pizza night." I know that there are days that I have just been to busy, or too tired to even think about cooking. There are also days that I am rushing out the door and it was time for me to leave 10 minutes ago and I still have to brush my teeth and put on a little lip stick and out the door I go just to remember that I didn't have any dinner for the family!!!! Oh boy I don't want them to eat junk for dinner.  If they have to then I want to know what kind of "junk" goes into their bodies.  :0) So I have a few simple dinners that I will blog about. I put under that label for easy finding. Tonight I want to share what I did tonight for dinner.

 

Simple and delicious soup.

 

If you have just been to busy or are just tired or are having "one of those days" here is your dinner!!!

This makes a big pot to feed my crew of 7 so cut it in half or invite neighbors or friends etc over.

 

2- 32oz boxes of Organic Vegetable Broth Low Sodium

1- 12oz package Gluten Free Spaghetti Noodles

                                   ( I really love the texture of Heartland Noodles)

2-4 Cups of Frozen Veggies

1 tsp Dry Crushed Oregano

1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (Optional but yummy)

Salt and Pepper to taste.

 

Heat broth with the frozen veggies in a pot. Once it is softly boiling or about to boil add your noodles and cook until the noodles are soft about 11 minutes or whatever the package says. Test noodles to make sure that they are Al dente. And there you go!!! Ready to eat and so yummy.

If you have a little more time it would be great with some onions that have been sautéed in broth first. Then add your broth, and veggies etc.

 

If you are in a SUPER big rush then just through it all in a big pot and tell whoever is in charge to check it in 15 minutes.  :0)

 

*This would be a great soup to test flavors on. Add Chili powder, dried Cilantro, Salsa, and a small can peppers and beans. Garnish with Guacamole. Yummy!!!

 

 I hope that you will try this soup my kids really loved it.

Best of my love, Emily Bryar

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies. Vegan, Gluten Free.

  Today as we were coming home from the park and my three younger children wanted to stop and get a treat. I told them that when we got home that we would try our hand at making some chocolate chip cookies.
  I had not tried to make them before but had wanted to my hand at making some. They turned out really good!!! They are not gooey in the middle which is my all time favorite. I had perfected my non-vegan chocolate chip cookies to be crunchy on the outside and gooey in the middle. However, these cookies were really good!!! They have the same texture as pumpkin cookies.
  Without further adieu here you go!!!

Heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
In a mixing bowl combine
  1 1/2 Cup Vegan or Unprocessed Raw Sugar
  1/2 Cup Powdered Stevia
  1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  1- 15oz Can of Beans (Pinto or light Kidney work well, Drained, Rinsed and blended well!!!)
  3/4 Cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce
  1/2 Cup Coconut oil (Solid or Melted)
  1 full tincture liquid Stevia Carmel flavor (Optional) but delicious
  1 TBSP Vanilla
 Blend to combine
  Then add
  4 tsp Baking Powder
  1 tsp Salt
  1/8 tsp Xanthan Gum
   You can pick this up at your health food store and a lot of your regular grocery stores now carry this and a LITTLE goes a LONG ways!!! Learned that the hard way :0)
  1 bag of Chocolate Chips. If you like a lot of chocolate chips in your cookies then add 1 1/2- 2 bags. Make sure they are vegan.
   Add nuts if you like about 1 cup should do it or you can eyeball it.
Mix again
  4 Cups of Flour
         Any kind will do I used a mixture of Tapioca Flour, Brown Rice Flour, and Corn Starch. To make them Gluten free. About 1 cup tapioca, and corn starch, then 2 cups rice. I did have to add about half a cup extra of the rice flour because Tapioca flour is not very thickening. If you use White flour or Wheat flour start with the four cups and add if needed.
   Mix well and scoop onto a lightly sprayed cookie sheet. Bake for 13 minutes pull out and let cool on a cooling rack or eat the whole bowl raw. :0) Nothing better then raw dough and you cant get sick because there are no raw eggs.
 

                     Here is the consistency and yes I did eat it off of my spoon. Mmmmm Yummy.
I hope that you enjoy these as much as we do.

 Much Love, Emily Bryar