Recipe: Homemade Oat Milk

Happy Monday!

How was everyone’s weekend? Ours was quiet, which was nice. I was VERY productive — I cleaned out the garage and have started on on the upstairs. So far, the trash count is at two cans and about 6 bags and the donation bag count is at 5! Woohoo!

I’m also excited because it’s a possibility that the biggest organizational dilemma I’ve had since we moved into the townhouse MIGHT be solved. #firstworldproblems #fingerscrossed.

Hopefully, next week, I’m sharing a monumental victory on the blog!

Now….on to today’s post!

I’ve enjoyed making almond milk at home, but I just have struggled with the consistency of lattes and milk in my coffee since trying to go dairy-light. After seeing on SnapChat that Jillian Harris liked the consistency of oat milk in her coffee, I decided to give it a shot. Jury is still out, as I haven’t made a latte yet, but after a horrible night of sleep, I may be giving it a go this afternoon.

I started with this recipe from Oh, She Glows (the cookbook is on my list to get from the library!).

Homemade oat milk

Ingredients:

1 cup steel-cut oats

3 cups filtered water (thank you, Bobble!)

4 dates (remove the pits)

2 teaspoons of vanilla

A pinch of salt

 

Directions:

1-Put one cup of steel-cut oats in a bowl and cover with water. Let soak for 20 minutes (minimum)

2-Drain the oats and rinse well (they will feel a little slimey!).

3-Place the oats and 3 cups of water in your blender. Blend well, but, like Oh, She Glows instructs, only blend on the highest setting for 10 seconds maximum.

4-Place your strainer over a bowl and strain the blended mixture (I did this three times to get the milk as smooth as possible).

5-After rinsing your blender, put the strained milk in and add dates, salt and vanilla.

6-Blend the mixture until it’s foamy and creamy.

7-Pour and enjoy! (May want to put it in the fridge for a few minutes to cool it down; my blender made it a little warm.)

LOOK AT HOW CREAMY IT IS!!  [please ignore the basketball games in the background!]

 

Can’t wait to try it in coffee– the taste test was delish!

Have a great day & thanks for reading!

-Lindsey

Recipe: Brussels Sprout & Kale Salad with Pomegranate, Hazelnuts & Creamy Avocado Dressing

Well, after another weekend of being pretty much bed-bound and resting, I’m happy to report that I’m feeling a little better. On Friday, I VERY relieved that the chest x-rays came back normal, but the doctor did warn me that since this is a viral infection, there isn’t a whole lot I can do except rest and take the dose of steroids he provided. So, here’s hoping the meds work because we have a busy week ahead work-wise!

Now, on to today’s post. I was inspired by one of the blogs I read, Carrie Bradshaw Lied, as, since beginning the Whole 30 diet, she’s been posting great recipes and insight about the diet. I first saw a salad on her Snapchat and found a recipe I adpated to re-create what looked SO yummy!

Brussels Sprout Kale Salad with Pomegranate, Hazelnuts & Creamy Avocado Dressing

Adapted from Tastebook

Ingredients:

-1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, washed, dried and leaves separated

-4-5 kale leaves (I used lacinato kale)

-1 celery stalk

-seeds from half a pomegranate *how to remove tip below

-large handful of hazelnuts (about 1/3 cup), roasted

-juice and zest from one small lemon, about 2-3 tablespoons juice

-1 avocado

-pinch of sea salt

-1 package stevia

-1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1-Remove the kale leaves from the center stalk and cut into bite sized pieces. Massage the kale.

2-Roughly chop the brussels sprout leaves the same size, place in a large bowl.

3–Scoop out 1/2 the avocado and place in a small food proccesor with the lemon juice, zest, stevia, extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Blend until creamy and set aside.

4-Cube the rest of the avocado, thinly slice the celery and roughly chop the roasted hazelnuts. De-seed the pomegranate – this is how I do it — makes it so easy! Add those ingredients to your bowl.

5-Add dressing, toss and serve!

I absolutely LOVED this salad — so delicious! The original recipe did not include the stevia and EEVO, but I had to add it because my avocado wasn’t QUITE ripe yet. I may try and go without it next time and follow the recipe more exactly. I may have to keep the stevia though — the lemon gave the dressing a very tart taste!

Hope you enjoy and have a great Monday – thanks for reading!

-Lindsey

Recipe: Overnight Oats with Blackberries

One thing I have always been really bad about is eating breakfast. In elementary and middle school, my dad would literally cut up a banana and put peanut butter on each little piece to try and get me to eat SOMETHING (Thanks, Dad!) — I think my parents even resorted to Carnation Instant Breakfasts (AKA chocolate milk) at one point so I’d have something in my system.

Overnight oats have been all the rage on Pinterest of the last year or so and, since I have a ton of oats from making homemade dog treats, I thought I’d give it a whirl. To be honest, after searching for recipes, I was little overwhelmed and I feel like a lot of the articles/posts I read were like, “just throw whatever you want in there.” I needed a little more direction and found a recipe on Skinnytaste that I settled on. I changed it a little bit and ended up really enjoying it this morning!

Overnight Oats with Blackberries (adapted from Skinnytaste)

Ingredients:

-1/4 cup quick oats

-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

-1/2 small banana, sliced

-1/2 tbsp chia seeds

-1/2 a container of blackberries (package was 6 oz.)

-2 packets Pure Via stevia

-pinch cinnamon
Directions:

1-Place all the ingredient in a sealable container (I used a mason jar; functional and pretty!)

  

2-Shake, cover and refrigerate overnight.

3-Remove from the refrigerator about an hour before eating (this is optional; I wanted it to be close to room temperature).

4-Enjoy!

If I can keep my life together, I’m hoping I can continue to do this, at least during the week.

What do you eat for breakfast? Do you have any overnight oats recipes to share?

Have a great day!

-Lindsey

Recipe: Black Bean & Spinach Enchiladas

Today I’m sharing a great vegetarian recipe – black bean and spinach enchiladas. One of my girlfriends, Jenn, LOVES this recipe, so it always reminds me of her. I first saw it on The Garden Grazer and was intimidated by making enchilada sauce, but it’s super easy. Enjoy this delicious recipe (and please excuse the terrible picture)– I pair it with this Cilantro Lime Basmati Rice recipe.

Ingredients
{For the sauce}
3 cups organic low sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup all purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. chili powder
Salt/pepper

{For the enchiladas}
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups corn (I used frozen, thawed)
6 oz. fresh baby spinach
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tsp. cumin
2 1/2 cups shredded 3 cheese blend (or pepper jack, etc.)
8 large flour tortillas

Directions

{For the sauce}

1- In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.

2- Add tomato paste, flour, 2 tsp. cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder. Cook 1 minute, whisking.

3- Whisk in broth, bring to a boil.

4- Reduce to simmer, and cook until slightly thickened about 8 minutes.

5- Salt/pepper to taste, and set aside.
{For the enchiladas}

1- Saute the spinach in olive oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until slightly wilted.

2- In a large bowl, combine beans, 2 cups cheese, spinach, corn, green onions, 2 tsp. cumin, and cilantro.

3- Preheat oven to 375. Lightly spray a 9×13 inch baking dish, and pour a small amount of the sauce to coat the bottom.

4- Generously fill tortillas with mixture, roll up tightly with ends tucked in, and place seam side down in dish.

5- Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas, coating evenly. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese on top.

6- Bake about 20 minutes, and garnish with cilantro and/or green onions.

Hope you enjoy this recipe! Have a great day!

-Lindsey

Recipe: Cumin-spiced Chickpeas and Carrots

Today I’m sharing one of my favorite vegetarian recipes ever. I found it a few years ago when I was trying to eat less meat. Hope you like it!

Cumin-spiced Chickpeas and Carrots

Adapted from MyRecipes.com. Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup organic vegetable broth

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 cup julienne-cut carrots

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

6 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups warm cooked couscous (you can use any grain!)

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Instructions:

1-Prep all ingredients in prep bowls; combine the first 4 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.

2-Dry chickpeas thoroughly in a single layer on paper towels; this is when I usually put my couscous on so it’s done around the same time.

3-Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat, and swirl to coat. Add chickpeas to pan, and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove chickpeas from pan with a slotted spoon; wipe pan clean with a paper towel.

4-Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add bell pepper and carrots to pan, and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until vegetables are slightly tender.

5-Add cumin and the next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to pan, and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

6-Add reserved broth mixture and chickpeas. Bring to a boil, and remove from heat.

7-Serve over couscous, and top with cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

A few notes:

-It’s got a little bit of spiciness to it if you follow the recipe exactly, so if you want to tone it down, use less cumin and cayenne pepper.

-I used my spiralizer instead of julienning the carrots. SO. EASY.

-Whenever I buy a new container of vegetable brother, I freeze it in ice cube trays for future use. Saves a ton of money — rarely do I use a full container of broth for a recipe.

I made this recipe on Monday and it’s been my dinner for the last three nights. For the servings that I refrigerated, I didn’t add the cilantro until after it was reheated and I was about to eat.

What are your go-to meatless recipes?

Have a great week — it’s almost the weekend!

-Lindsey