Vanilla Cinnamon Granola

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Baking, Breakfast, Sauces and Frostings and tagged with Almond, Cinnamon, Oatmeal, Sugar-free, Vegetarian, Walnut 5 May 2016

Ah, spring. Sunny skies and reading books in the yard are definitely in my near future. Although, given Montana’s weather snow could possibly (probably) be in my near future as well, but I like to focus on the positive.

In the warmer months I often start my days with yogurt and granola instead of hot oatmeal. High protein and filling, with fresh fruit for color and flavor, it’s always makes for a pleasant morning. However, given the high sugar content of most yogurt and granola, it can easily turn into more of a dessert than a healthy breakfast. I’ve solved the yogurt problem by buying the plain kind and adding a small dollop of homemade jam, which takes those sugar grams down to a much more reasonable level without sacrificing flavor, since I don’t particularly care for the taste of unflavored yogurt.

However, after trying and failing (and trying and failing, and trying and failing) to find a granola with more grams of protein than sugar in each serving, I decided I should probably just make my own. Unfortunately, even most of the online recipes add a bunch of sugar!

Vanilla Cinnamon Granola {{Baking Bytes}}

(By the way, does it annoy anyone else when a recipe is touted as being sugar-free and then adds honey? This drives me insane. Honey is still sugar, people.)

I eventually found a recipe that legitimately doesn’t add any sugar, modified it slightly to fit my preferences (not a fan of cashews), and made a batch to try. It turned out pretty close to what I was looking for on the first attempt, which is always extra fantastic when trying new recipes. I later used inspiration from a very delicious but much more sugary recipe and took the best of both worlds to meet my needs.

Crunchy, nutty, and full of great cinnamon flavor, this recipe is easy to tailor to suit your tastes and needs, or just to mix it up a little with every batch. I used almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and quinoa but you can certainly use any nuts or seeds of your choice, just try to keep it between 1.5 and 2 cups total. I think macadamia nuts would be fantastic, as well as pumpkin seeds. If you like dried fruits or chocolate in your granola, definitely add some (after it’s completely cooled!), just bear in mind this can quickly increase the sugar content. Additionally, if you’re not sold on the no-sugar-added idea, throw some honey or brown sugar in there too.

Vanilla Cinnamon Granola

Inspired by Super Healthy Kids and Pastry Affair
Makes 4+ cups

Ingredients

4 egg whites
1 Tablespoon vanilla
up to 1/2 cup packed brown sugar or honey (optional)¹

2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped raw almonds
1/2 cup chopped raw walnuts
1/4 cup hulled sunflower seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 Tablespoon cinnamon²

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an edged baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Add egg whites to a large bowl and whip with an electric mixer until fluffy and opaque.
Stir in vanilla and sugar (if using).
Add oatmeal, nuts, seeds, quinoa, and cinnamon and stir until mixture is completely combined and moistened.
Spread evenly on prepared baking sheet, ideally not more than 1/4″ thick.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until granola is golden and crisp. If you like a loose granola, stir it every 10 minutes or so.
Let cool completely on the counter, then break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Notes

¹I used no sugar since that’s what I was looking for. As a topping on yogurt or fruit, I don’t miss it a bit, but it does results in a somewhat less chunky granola in the end. If you like it to stay in larger pieces, add 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar; if you eat it more as a cereal and/or are looking for a traditional flavor, I would add about 1/4 cup packed. If you are adding 1/4 cup or more of sugar, you can probably omit half the egg white, or all of it to maintain a looser granola.

²If this seems like an absurd amount of cinnamon, feel free to cut it in half. It’s way easier to add more than it is to take it away.

[Slow-Cooker] Enchilada Quinoa

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Baking, Entrée, Side dishes, Slow Cooker 20 April 2016

On the off chance you were intending to stow your slow cooker for the summer, I am here to stop you. Plenty of fantastic summer meals can be made in your handy-dandy crock pot, starting with this one.

A few weeks ago I was at Costco, my favorite store, and bought a rather large bag of quinoa on somewhat of a whim. Quinoa is trendy and healthy and I’ve seen many delightful looking recipes on the internet I thought looked worth a try. Of course I promptly left the bag unopened for nearly a month, like I do, but I broke the ice with this enchilada quinoa concoction.

I came across this recipe on Pinterest (of course) and thought it looked delicious, healthy, easy, and versatile. I was right on all accounts. Other than browning some meat and chopping some veggies, it requires little effort and not much hands-on time. As you may have observed, I am all about the easy meals. Even better, this makes a bunch so you have lots of leftovers or enough to feed a crowd.

Great enchilada flavor, with more-than-meat texture afforded by the quinoa, this is a fantastic way to get your Mexican fix without making tacos again. (I love tacos, but even they can get repetitive.) Black beans and bell peppers add some extra flair, and jalopeños would blend nicely if you’re into that sort of thing. If you want to kick up the flavor, feel free to stir in some salsa at any time. It is a great meal on its own, especially garnished with your favorite taco toppings like cheese and lettuce (or avocado, I guess), and a pretty well-rounded one at that.

But just in case you get bored of the bowl situation, it also makes a fantastic filling. Add a tortilla and you have a new twist on tacos. Bake or fry them and you have some great burritos. Rolled thinner and baked and you have delightful taquitos. Pour some extra sauce over them before baking and turn those taquitos into enchiladas. So many options! I’m sure you’ll have no trouble putting this recipe to good use.

[Slow-Cooker] Enchilada Quinoa

Adapted from Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
Makes about 3 quarts

Ingredients

olive oil
1-1.5 lbs lean ground meat (I used deer)
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups uncooked quinoa, rinsed
2 cups frozen corn
1-2 jalopeños, diced (optional, I didn’t add any)
1 (15-oz) can black beans, rinsed
1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes (I used a variety with chili peppers)
1 (10-oz) can enchilada sauce
1 cup water
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp coriander

2 bell peppers, diced

optional toppings: shredded cheese, diced lettuce, sour cream, salsa, etc

Directions

In a large pan, heat a splash of oil until pan is warm. Add meat and sauté until it is about halfway browned. Add onion and garlic, and continue to sauté until meat is completely browned. Drain (if necessary) and add to slow cooker.
Add all remaining ingredients¹ and stir until well combined. Cook on high for about 3 hours, or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
Stir everything again, adding additional seasoning if necessary.
Serve hot, with your favorite toppings. Also great as a taco or burrito filling, or baked into taquitos.

Notes

¹If you’re around, you can wait until the last 30 minutes to add the bell pepper so it retains a little crunch, but it’s not necessary.

Smoked Salmon and Spinach Scrambled Eggs

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Breakfast, Entrée and tagged with Easy 6 April 2016

I recently went back to Alaska for a long weekend to see my family and celebrate my aunt’s birthday with a race and a camping trip. Since I needed 15 miles for my marathon training, I “warmed up” with 8.8 miles before running the 10k, which was a lot of fun. It didn’t even rain the whole time. The camping trip followed the next day (we camped in a cabin, in case you were appalled at the idea of camping in winter in Alaska) and she celebrated properly by having the adventure catered, which was awesome. Unfortunately for her, the caterer assumed she was feeding 7-10 Dwayne Johnsons instead of 7-10 normal-sized women, and gave her a rather mind-blowingly massive amount of food. Luckily for me, that means I came back to Bozeman with some of the extra smoked salmon – yum!

The following weekend I needed to run 17 miles for my marathon training – my longest run to date. I wasn’t really concerned about this until I actually started running. Oh boy. It was one of those runs where the first mile was hard and every mile after that just got harder. Hopefully it was just an off day and this week’s 20-mile goes much more smoothly. In any case, I eventually made it through those 17 miles and back home, but I was pretty freaking exhausted.

Fortunately I was able to reward myself with smoked salmon and scrambled eggs! Packed with protein and smokey salmon flavor, this was a great way to recuperate after an arduous adventure. The spinach adds some extra nutrients and great flavor, as well as some color for presentation. (Remember, you do eat prettiness.) Superbly filling, slightly decadent, and requiring minimal brainpower, this is possibly the perfect recovery meal. I definitely encourage all you distance runners out there to try it! (Or if salmon isn’t your thing, you can always give my veggie scramble a try instead.)

This is a super easy meal and is equally fantastic by itself, served with toast, rolled up in a tortilla, or as the inside of a bagel sandwich. Tons of options depending on your mood and how hungry you are. Feel free to add a few tablespoons of shredded cheese for extra flair, although it’s certainly not necessary.

With salmon season coming along soon I hope you’ll be able to give this a try. Or maybe you need to clear out last year’s frozen supply to make room for new stuff. Either way, this is an awesome way to have smoked salmon for breakfast (or lunch, in my case.)

And either way, I highly recommend following this meal with reading a book outside in the sunshine.

Smoked Salmon and Spinach Scrambled Eggs
Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

olive oil
1/2 cup fresh chopped spinach
1/4 – 1/3 cup diced smoked salmon
seasoning, to taste (optional, I use 1/4 tsp steak seasoning)

2 eggs
2 Tbsp milk (optional)

Directions

Heat a splash of oil in a small frying pan over medium heat until it thins and is easy to swirl in the pan.
Add salmon and spinach and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until salmon is heated through and spinach is wilted.
Meanwhile, beat eggs and milk in a small bowl until combined.
Add eggs to frying pan and use a spatula to gently stir them until cooked through.
Serve immediately, solo or with a side of toast and coffee. Also great wrapped up in a tortilla or as a bagel breakfast sandwich.

Secret Veggie Spaghetti Sauce & Italian Meatballs (and Roasted Spaghetti Squash)

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Entrée, Sauces and Frostings and tagged with Meat, Vegan, Vegetarian 23 March 2016

Shortly after I got my snazzy immersion blender I came across a recipe for veggie-packed spaghetti sauce. It was made in the crock pot, which sounded awesome, but as someone who doesn’t like crazy chunky sauce I wasn’t super psyched about the amount of diced vegetables packed into it, mainly for textural reasons. Immersion blender to the rescue!

I tweaked the recipe to use vegetables I actually like (not a fan of mushrooms or eggplant, sorry) and made it on the stove so I could puree some of it before adding the things I wanted to stay whole. You can easily add or remove items to suit your preferences, next time I will definitely add sliced olives. M has such a strong hatred of them I forget I can add them when he’s not around. I think a couple handfuls of spinach added to the pureed mixture would be great also.

With veggies secretly packed into what a appears to be a normal spaghetti sauce, this is a great way to trick your kids (or yourself) into eating some extras at dinner time. I will perhaps use a slightly smaller head of cauliflower in the future (mine was more medium than small) but overall it turned out fantastic. Tomatoes and spices galore, with some diced red bell peppers for variety. If you leave the sauce meatless it’s a great vegan option, but if you’re of a more carnivorous persuasion, read on.

Because I was feeling particularly ambitious that weekend, I also made Italian meatballs. Extra juicy and perfectly spiced, they were wonderful with ground elk but I’m sure ground beef would be delicious also. This was a super easy recipe that would pair well with any sauce, even a jarred version, just make sure they have time to simmer in the sauce for about 15 minutes to ensure they are cooked through. Or if you are making them to freeze, turn the heat down on your frying pan, add a lid, and steam them for several minutes. For an easier meat option, skip the meatballs and add a pound or two (it makes a lot of sauce) of your favorite ground meat, already browned, during the final simmering step. You should have enough to feed the whole family and probably still put some in the freeze for later.

While pureeing it can be quite thick so have patience during this step; other than that it’s just a matter of chopping vegetables and opening some cans – super easy. Make a batch for dinner, put half in the freezer, and you’ll have homemade sauce ready to go on a day you don’t feel much like cooking. Serve with roasted spaghetti squash (directions below) or your favorite pasta, with freshly grated Parmesan and pepper, for a delicious and healthy meal.

Secret Veggie Spaghetti Sauce

Inspired by Smile Sandwich
Makes a lot

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 small head cauliflower, finely diced
1 large zucchini, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced

29 oz can + 15 oz can tomato sauce
14.5 oz can Italian stewed tomatoes
2, 6oz cans tomato paste

2 bell peppers, diced
14.5 oz can Italian diced tomatoes
2-3 Tbsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Pour oil into a large pot (8 quarts or more) and heat over medium heat until hot.
Add onion, cauliflower, zucchini, and garlic, and saute until onion is softened and translucent.
(If you’re serving this with spaghetti squash, start it roasting now.)
Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, and stewed tomatoes. Increase heat slightly, and simmer until vegetables are softened.
Optional but recommended: puree sauce using an immersion blender until reasonably smooth.
Add diced tomatoes, bell pepper, spices, (and browned meat or meatballs, if using) and simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes. Do a taste test after about 5 minutes, and add more spices if necessary. I added around 3 tablespoons of seasoning but depending on your veggies and your taste preferences, more or less might be appropriate.
Serve with your favorite pasta or spaghetti squash.

Italian Meatballs

Adapted from Recipe Tin Eats
Makes about 2 dozen

Ingredients

2 slices white bread, crusts removed
1 medium onion, grated

1.5 lbs ground elk (or beef)
1 egg
1 Tbsp Italian seasonings
1/4 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions

Tear bread into small pieces and place in a large bowl. Add onion and stir until well mixed and bread is completely wet.
Add remaining ingredients and mix by hand until completely combined.
Scoop 2 tablespoons at a time on to a plate or cutting board, then roll each dollop into a ball.
Heat olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
Gently add meatballs and fry, turning gently, until nicely browned on all sides (pro tip: this is easier in two batches).
Add meatballs (and drippings, if desired) to your spaghetti sauce and simmer gently for about 15 minutes, until meatballs are heated through.
Serve with sauce atop your favorite pasta or spaghetti squash, with extra freshly grated pepper and Parmesan.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients

Spaghetti squash
Olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Halve squash and remove seeds. Coat flesh lightly with olive oil.
Bake for about 40 minutes, or until squash can be easily pierced with a fork.
Let cool for a few minutes, then scoop from skins, fluff with a fork, and serve hot.
Top with additional olive oil, butter, or your favorite pasta sauce.

Baileys Chocolate Mousse

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Celebration/Holiday, Dessert, Sauces and Frostings and tagged with Bailey, Baileys, Chocolate, Vegetarian 9 March 2016

Welcome to March! I personally do not get excited for St. Patrick’s Day, but I do get excited for the Run to the Pub half marathon that precedes it. (And also my birthday.) This year the local race is not only giving us complimentary beer at the finish, which I don’t drink, but also a complimentary cupcake, which I am substantially more excited about.

In any case, if you are not running a race that gives you “free” dessert afterwards, maybe whip up one of your own. This Baileys chocolate mousse, emphasis on the Baileys, is an easy recipe and sure to please anyone that likes Baileys. And if you don’t like Baileys, I’m not totally sure why you’d be reading this post to begin with.

Baileys and chocolate is one of my favorite combinations and most of the times I have dinner at Anthony’s in SeaTac airport I get the same thing: the salmon burger, no tomato, followed by a serving of their Baileys chocolate mousse. I have often thought I should learn how to make my own, despite how dangerous that might be for my health, since I don’t travel through SeaTac at nighttime much anymore. Luckily I will be at the end of the this month, and you can be certain I’ll be having my usual. My aunt and traveling running buddy also gets pretty psyched about the mousse situation at Anthony’s, and she’ll be coming to Montana for the Pub run this weekend. I’m guessing she might request I have a batch of this prepared.

Light and creamy, like eating a Baileys cloud with some chocolate thrown in. I made the recipe twice so I could figure out my own personal preference as to the Baileys and chocolate ratio. The recipe can be made more kapow with the liqueur flavor than the chocolate, or altered slightly to make it more subtle. I’ll leave it up to you to decide. It is absolutely delicious both ways, just depends on what sort of experience you’re looking for this go around. I personally preferred the lower end of the range, but it was delicious with the more in-your-face flavor as well.

This is a great recipe to bring to a potluck, because you can easily adjust the serving size down to “finger-food” portions, or keep it larger for a sit-down dinner where yours is the only dessert. It would be super cute piped into shot glasses (bonus points if you make them out of chocolate) but works just as well for a more decadent serving size. Top with homemade whipped cream and chocolate shavings for extra points.

I can’t say this will become a regular in the recipe rotation, mainly because I’m trying to eat healthier, but as far as desserts go it’ll definitely be a top contender.

Baileys Chocolate Mousse

Adapted from Lemon Tree Dwelling
Makes 10-12 half-cup servings

Ingredients

Mousse
1 pouch (2 tsp) unflavored gelatin
2 Tbsp cold water
1/4 cup boiling water

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I prefer dark)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled

1/4-1/2 cup Baileys cream liqueur, chilled
1 tsp vanilla

Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2-3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Chocolate Curls/Shavings
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Place the bowl for a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl) and its whisk attachment (or beaters for a hand-held) in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Place your serving containers in the fridge to chill while you prepare the mousse.
(Measure the Baileys and put it in the freezer to chill if it’s not already cold.)
Sprinkle powdered gelatin over the cold water, let stand one minute, then add boiling water.
Meanwhile, retrieve the chilled mixer bowl and add cocoa powder, sugar, and whipping cream. Whip on high until stiff peaks form.
Reduce mixer speed to “stir” (or stop it entirely) and add the Baileys and vanilla, then gently stir the gelatin mixture to make sure it’s completely dissolved and slowly pour it into the whipped cream.
Whip on low until the liquid is mostly mixed in, then increase to high until medium peaks form.
Spoon or pipe into your serving dishes, then return to the fridge to chill for one hour, or until ready to serve (it keeps in the fridge a few days, but the sooner the better).
Optionally, make some chocolate curls or shavings: melt chocolate chips over a double boiler (or very carefully in the microwave), and then spread thinly onto parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Allow to cool until no longer shiny, and then use a thin plastic utensil to gently scrape it into curls. If the chocolate just mushes together, it’s not cool enough yet, but you can put it in the fridge to speed the process. If it just breaks up a lot without curling at all, it’s too cold. It’s a fine line, especially if your house is as chilly as mine, but personally I find chocolate shavings to be visually pleasing as well, so don’t worry about it too much. When you’ve curled or scraped all your chocolate, put it all into an airtight container and freeze for at least 15 minutes before handling.
Shortly before serving, whip together remaining whipped cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla, until medium-stiff peaks form. Pipe or spoon onto your mousse.
Optionally, top with your chocolate curls or other sprinkles.
Serve immediately or return to the fridge for up to a couple of hours (the stiffer your whipped cream started, the longer it will keep).