My Breakfast

April 22, 2015April 22, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Breakfast is awesome. Sometimes as I am going to sleep at night I get a little excited to wake up because I get to eat breakfast. Brunch is a thing of beauty and a breakfast buffet? Heaven on earth my friends. I am definitely in camp eat breakfast every morning no matter what, even if it’s something small and on the go.

I thought I would share the breakfast I have been enjoying for a while now and maybe give you some breakfast inspiration. I tend to get stuck on one breakfast for like 6 months and then decide to change things up. What can I say? I really am a creature of habit. This breakfast is in month 3, so sometime mid-summer expect something new.

Oat grains are made up of three different parts, the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. Usually the outer husk or bran is removed and most people enjoy the steel cut or rolled form of oatmeal. Oat bran is mostly used for baking and adding to breads and muffins to boost the fiber content. I have been using oat bran to make my morning oatmeal. I like that it cooks super fast (less than five minutes), it has a nice creamy texture, and it is a great base for the most important part of oatmeal. The toppings.

Oat bran also boasts a pretty decent nutrition profile. 1 ounce or about 28 grams has 69 calories, 4 grams of dietary fiber, and 5 grams of protein. It’s also high in calcium, magnesium, and potassium. All good things. You can check out some more of its benefits here and here.

My oatmeal never looks this fancy. This is just for you!

But let’s get to those toppings! This is one of the big reasons I love oatmeal in any form. You can mix in any thing and customize it to your tastes. I have been cooking my oat bran in about a cup of coconut milk for an extra creamy texture and then my toppings of choice lately have been:

dried prunes
goji berries
chopped hazelnuts
flax meal
chia seeds
pureed pumpkin
toasted buckwheat groats
hemp seeds
cinnamon
peanut butter

As you can see I like to shove in as many toppings as possible. The sky is really the limit to what you can put into your oatmeal bowl. Try things like:

any nut (almonds/walnuts/pecans)
any seed (sunflower/pumpkin)
cocoa powder
homemade granola
any dried fruit, no sugar added (cranberries/raisins/figs/apricots)
fresh fruit, especially berries
maple syrup
nut or seed butter

Homemade almond milk. Easy to make and delicious to add to oats!

These are just a few toppings. If it fits in your bowl and you enjoy it, go for it! Oatmeal and breakfast in general doesn’t have to be boring or tasteless just to be healthy. Go make a custom and delicious bowl of your own and see just how awesome a healthy breakfast can be!

How to make Oat Bran

1/4 cup oat bran
1 cup water or non-dairy milk like almond or coconut

Add oat bran and water or milk to a small saucepan. Bring oats to a boil and then lower the heat to low and cover.
Cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove lid and pour into a bowl and add all the toppings!

Chickpea Pizza Bites

April 17, 2015April 17, 2015 / ktbuchs87

I don’t know about where you live, but today we are enjoying some GORGEOUS weather! The sun is shining, it’s warm, there is a light breeze, and I am one happy camper. I am going to try and soak in as much as possible because living in Chicago on the lakefront you never know when the weather will turn.

Today’s recipe was kind of a spur of the moment idea. I was trying to think of something different to do with my chickpea tofu and somehow pizza popped into my head. It was easy to put together and makes a really great snack or appetizer. I made some with regular cheese for Adam and used nutritional yeast for mine. We devoured these as we watched the season premier of Game of Thrones. Because I was still housesitting at that point, we were able to watch on a big screen with surround sound and it was amazing. It was also the first time that we were able to watch the season premier on the actual day that it premiered. It was quite the night and these little bites made it even better.

So put some of these for your next get together or make some for your next movie/netflix binge. You won’t be sorry!

Chickpea Pizza Bites

1 batch of chickpea tofu, poured into a bread loaf pan instead of a casserole dish or brownie pan.
1 8 oz can of plain tomato sauce
2-3 tsp pizza seasoning OR
1 tsp each of basil, oregano, garlic powder, and marjoram
1/2 tsp salt
handful of shredded cheese (cheddar or mozzarella) OR nutritional yeast to keep it vegan

1. Preheat oven to 375. Make the chickpea tofu and pour it into a bread loaf pan to set.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Once the tofu has completely cooled, remove from pan and cut into bite size pieces. Place on the baking sheet and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

3. In a small bowl mix together the tomato sauce, pizza seasonings, and salt. Taste to see if you need to adjust the flavor.

4. Remove the tofu from the oven and top each slice with tomato sauce and either a sprinkle of cheese or nutritional yeast. Put the pan back in the oven and bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

If you have any extra tomato sauce you can use that to dunk your bites into! I’m working on making some more snack/appetizer type foods that are simple to put together, taste delicious, and are of course healthy! Are there any of your favorite appetizers or snacks that you would like to see made healthier?

Oh and quick sidenote I have started a Facebook page, Life Healthfully Lived. You can find all my posts, pictures that I take, and other articles/recipes that I find and think you would enjoy. If you haven’t seen it, go check it out and click like. If I get to 100 likes by the end of the month, two of my followers will win a $10 gift card of their choice!

Have a great Friday and enjoy your weekend everyone!

Spring Casserole

April 10, 2015April 10, 2015 / ktbuchs87

It’s been a struggle, but I think spring is almost here. Every time I say that we slip back into 30 degree temperatures with a chance of flurries in the forecast. But I’m going to be optimistic and say the worst is passed and sunshine and warmth is right on the horizon.

One of the ways I’m able to stay so optimistic is that spring produce is starting to hit the shelves. Things like asparagus, peas, leeks, and mushrooms are all emerging and signaling the end of a long winter. When new fruits and vegetables come to the grocery store I always get excited to try new recipes and come up with some delicious meals.

I can’t take all the credit for this dish though. It was largely influenced by Keepin’ It Kind’s Pumpkin Seed Pesto Rice Casserole. I really liked the idea of using a pesto as the sauce in a casserole. I changed a few things up and loaded it with a lot of yummy spring vegetables. I brought it along with me to my families Easter brunch and they seemed to enjoy it. It’s great to feed a crowd and really simple to put together, plus the leftovers are delicious!

Spring Casserole

Slightly adapted from Keepin’ It Kind’s Pumpkin Seed Pesto Rice Casserole

Pesto Sauce

1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup spinach (I used frozen but if you use fresh add another cup)
3 large cloves garlic
1 tsp dried basil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Spring Casserole

1 cup chopped asparagus
1 package mushrooms, sliced (any variety, I used baby bella)
1 cup peas
2 leeks, white parts only, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cooked brown rice or quinoa
2 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
lemon juice to taste

Bread crumb topping

This topping is totally optional but adds a nice crunch. If you’re gluten-free use your favorite gluten free bread.

2-3 slices bread, dried out
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt

1. Start by making your bread crumbs. Place everything in a food processor or blender and pulse a few times until you have a crumb consistency. Set aside.

Bread Crumb Topping

2. Make your pesto next. Combine all pesto ingredients in a food processor or blender until you reach desired consistency.

Spinach Pesto

3. Next, heat a large pan over medium high heat. Saute the onion and leeks until soft, about 5 minutes. Then add in the mushrooms and cook until their size reduces by half. Then add in the peas, asparagus, rice, beans, and seasonings and heat through for another 5 to 8 minutes. Place this mixture into a large bowl.

4. Preheat oven to 375. Scoop the pesto into the large bowl and combine everything really well. You don’t want any large chunks of pesto hanging out in the mix. Then pour the mixture into a lightly oiled casserole dish and sprinkle the bread crumbs across the top. Place in the oven and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until the bread crumbs are golden brown.

And that’s it! A simple spring casserole that is easy to make and tasty to eat!

What are some of your favorite spring vegetables and how do you like to eat them?

Happy Friday everyone and have a great weekend!

Honey Roasted Almond Butter

April 3, 2015April 3, 2015 / ktbuchs87

You guys. This almond butter. When I found out that I would have access to a Vitamix for a few days the first thing I knew that I wanted to make was some kind of nut butter. I am a nut/seed butter junkie and I have some form of it everyday. The down side to this addiction is that it can get a little pricey. For some reason people seem to think that you need to add a bunch of ingredients to nut butter when in reality all you need is nuts and a little salt. You would think that the versions with less ingredients would in turn cost less but alas they are more expensive. Now I can still find peanut butter and almond butter for a decent price, but I can’t indulge in all the other awesome nut and seed butters out there unless there is a big sale.

It a lot more cost-effective to make your own nut butter, but I sadly do not have the proper equipment to do this. I tried once to do it with my food processor and I’m pretty sure I almost blew it up. That wasn’t the case with the Vitamix. In less than five minutes I had wonderfully creamy almond butter. It was magical.

I didn’t want to just do a regular nut butter for you today, I wanted to make it a little special. Celebrate high-powered blenders, ya know? So with just a few easy steps you can have this tasty honey (or maple) roasted almond butter to put on everything. And if you’re like me, you WILL put it on everything. Toast, oatmeal, celery, spoons, fingers…. Anywho, onto the recipe!

Honey Roasted Almond Butter

2 cups raw almonds
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup to make vegan
sea salt

1. Pre-heat oven to 375. Place almonds in a large bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the honey or maple syrup for a few minutes. Constantly stir and make sure that you don’t let it boil. You just want to heat it up to a nice pourable consistency.

2. Pour honey/maple syrup over your almonds and stir to coat. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spread out the almonds into an even layer. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and place into the oven.

3. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and shake the almonds a little to move around and place back in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Make sure you watch the almonds carefully so they don’t burn. You want them to be a nice golden brown not black.

4. Once done remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Once cooled, place all the almonds into your blender or food processor. Depending on the kind of blender you have this could take a few minutes and you might have to stop and scrape down the sides a few times. Just be patient and soon you’ll have a smooth and creamy nut butter.

That’s it! A few simple ingredients, a few easy steps, and you have yourself a nice treat! Make sure you store it in an airtight container and it should last you a week if kept in the fridge. Now go find things to eat with your almond butter. Remember fingers work just as well!

Fusilli N’ Cheeze

March 20, 2015March 20, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Part of my palate is still a small child and one of my favorite comfort foods is mac and cheese. I used to love eating that wonderful blue box delicacy, just like most kids in America. I can’t remember the last time that I had “regular” mac and cheese and given the recent recall on top of the fact that there isn’t any real cheese in there, I don’t think I will be indulging any time soon.

There are plenty of dairy free versions of mac and cheese out there, I actually have two of my own versions on the blog. I like those versions, but I was missing the smooth and creamy texture of the boxed variety. Many versions use cashews in the sauce and because I don’t have a fancy schmancy high powered blender, I usually end up with a slightly grainy texture. It tastes like mac and cheese but it doesn’t feel like mac and cheese. So I set out to make a “cheese” sauce that didn’t use cashews for those of us who have to suffer without a Vitamix or Blendtec.

While this does have a cheesy taste to me, don’t expect it to be an exact replica of Kraft or any other regular boxed version. It will have that nice and creamy texture though and that is enough for me!

Fusilli N’ Cheeze

1 package of brown rice fusilli (I get mine from Trader Joes. It’s awesome!)
1 cup non-dairy milk (I have used coconut and almond milk with great results)
1 1/4 cup water
3/4 cup nutritional yeast (this is your cheese flavor so if you want a cheesier taste, use up to 1 cup)
3 tbsp tapioca starch (you can also use corn starch)
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp tahini (you can also use sunflower seed butter)
1 tsp miso (I used red but you can use white or whatever you have on hand. if you don’t have miso, use extra salt)
1 tsp brown mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp turmeric

1. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. While that is cooking, prepare the sauce.

2. Ready for this? Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until everything is combined. It will seem really watery but don’t worry, it’s going to thicken.

3. Put the pasta back into the pot you used to cook it in and pour the sauce over the noodles. Stir everything to coat the pasta and turn the heat on to medium high heat. Keep stirring and as the sauce heats up it will begin to thicken. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes.

The other awesome thing about this? It takes less than 30 minutes to make. So when you have the urge for some good old comfort food you can whip it up just as fast as the box kind. This version though won’t have fake chemicals or pieces of metal in it.

Happy first day of Spring (even if it doesn’t feel like it) and have a great Friday!