three things | fall comfort food edition

three recipes that i am wanting to whip up

one | three cheese macaroni a la martha stewart

two | oatmeal chewies via dessert for two

three | pumpkin spice cake with cinnamon bourbon buttercream frosting from m loves m blog

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and before you say it…i am completely aware that none of these are health foods. not this time of year. nope. give me all the cheesy pasta and baked goods. but, at least i am getting my calcium in. oooh, and oats. oats are good for you. and ’tis the season for pumpkin. that festive gourd is a veggie. plus i am thinking about making a healthified version of the cake…but i won’t be messing with that frosting. buttercream just needs to be buttercream, you know?

here’s to balancing out the green juices and chia seeds with some good stuff from the dark side. hashtag, balance.

raw! raw! raw! {recipes}

we are one week in and so far, so good.  we have eaten some yummy stuff.  different, yes.  but yummy, nonetheless.  i have been posting some meals on instagram and have received quite a few oohs and aahs in the process.  raw food is awfully colorful and pretty to look at… so, i wanted to share a few dishes that have received a thumbs up around this house.  i perused the web for some inspiration and then got creative with flavor and texture combos…feel free to do the same!  the key is to combine flavors and foods that you enjoy.  mix it up.  and have fun!

{oatmeal}

for the oats

1.5 cups of sprouted oats

juice from 4 oranges

vanilla bean

cinnamon

topping

sprinkling of hemp seeds and chia seeds

sprouted pumpkin seeds

raspberries

figs

*feel free to add whatever seeds, nuts, and fruits that you enjoy.  or, even some raw chocolate

method

combine oats, vanilla, and cinnamon in a bowl.  juice the oranges and pour over oats.  cover and refrigerate for 8 hours.  remove from fridge and top with your goodies!

{taco salad}

ingredients

1 cup walnuts

1/4 cup combo of sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.

1/2 cup drained sundried tomatoes

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp chili

celtic sea salt and pepper

1/2 cup cashews, soaked in water overnight

1/2 cup water

juice from one lemon

lettuce/cabbage of your choice

avocado

method

add spices, salt, pepper, seeds, walnuts, and tomatoes to food processor and mix to desired consistency.  set aside.  blend cashews, water, and lemon in blender until smooth.  shred cabbage/lettuce and place in a serving bowl.  crumble the “meat” mixture on top.  drizzle with lemon cashew cream.  sprinkle chopped avocados on top {you could add tomatoes and cilantro too if that tickles your fancy}

{cashew cream and fruit parfait}

ingredients

1 cup cashews, soaked overnight in coconut milk

vanilla bean

cinnamon

2 cups coconut milk (plus extra for soaking)

chia and hemp seeds

bee pollen

walnuts

raw chocolate

dried fruit: goji berries, goldenberries, mulberries, currants

method

combine cashews, vanilla, cinnamon, and milk in a blender and puree until smooth.  add the cream to a bowl and top with all of your favorites.

{lettuce wraps}

ingredients

1 head lettuce

1 cup or more of mushrooms

1 zucchini

3 carrots

1/2 jicama

1/2 cauliflower

 fresh ginger, to taste

raw tahini for drizzling

celtic sea salt

chia seeds for sprinkling

sesame seeds for sprinkling

cashews for sprinkling

method

combine the mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, jicama, cauliflower, ginger, and salt in a food processor.  wazz it up to desired texture.  break apart the lettuce into cups.  spoon the veggies mixture into cups and top with tahini, chia, sesame, and cashews.

OatMeals

as you might have noticed, we like our food.  and my hubby is always finding new places for us to dine.  this time, he stumbled upon a real gem.

OatMeals

splendid concoctions from the sweet to the savory…all using oatmeal as a base.  seriously.  check out this menu.

  the only problem?  it is in nyc.

so…the next time we visit the big apple, we are going to this place.

until then, perhaps i will try to recreate some of this magic in my own kitchen.  this has definitely inspired me to think outside of the box of rolled oats.

earthy-crunchy-granola

i am not exactly what you would call an earthy-crunchy gal.  but i do love me some granola.  i can eat it by the fist-full.  okay, closer to giant bowl-full.  it is the perfect little snack on the go.  i like it dry, right out of a baggie, mixed with yogurt, sprinkled on oatmeal, baked into cookies, formed into bars, or covered in coconut milk.  yum.  i am especially in the mood for granola this week since we are doing a lot of outdoor activities and i need to keep healthy and tasty snacks handy.  this preggo lady needs to eat.

my favorite store-bought brands are kind healthy grains vanilla blueberry clusters with flaxseed and bakery on main apple raisin walnut granola.  really, you can’t go wrong with any of the varieties from either of these brands.  so good and flavorful and healthy and crunchy and yummy.  and, gluten-free.  these are my go-to bags of granola.  but sometimes, a girl just wants it homemade.  when the mood strikes, i will whip up a batch of some crunchy granola at home.  here is how i like to create crunchy granola using some of my favorite ingredients that i can easily swap out depending on my mood.  throw in whatever you like!

…

ingredients

6 cups rolled oats [amaranth, millet, quinoa are nice additions too]

2 cups mixed nuts and seeds: sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds or cashews

1/4 cup flax seeds

1/4 cup finely diced crystallized ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (i like a lot more)

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 tablespoons melted butter

celtic sea salt

1/2 to 1 cup honey, maple syrup, or molasses

1 cup  dried unsweetened shredded coconut, optional

1 cup of dried fruit, i like a mix of cherries and blueberries

method

preheat oven to 350 degrees. in a bowl, combine oats, nuts and seeds, coconut, cinnamon, vanilla, butter, and sweetener. place on a sheet pan and put in oven. bake for 30 minutes or a little longer, stirring occasionally. mixture should brown evenly; the browner it gets without burning, the crunchier the granola will be.  remove pan from oven and stir in dried fruit and ginger. sprinkle with salt to taste.  cool on a rack, stirring once in a while until granola reaches room temperature. transfer to a sealed container and store in refrigerator.

munch and crunch away!