Adventures in the Kitchen with Michelle

The Boys here love having ‘cereal bar’ style things to snack on. Problem is most of them are fattening AND expensive. ‘Expensive’ mostly because if they’re healthy, then they’re small and then the Boys just eat two of them! I found this recipe in my Food and Wine Mag submitted by a pastry chef who found herself allergic to gluten – what a cruel irony! The boys like it better than regular Rice Krispie Treats…and so do I.

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats:

3 Tbl Coconut Oil

1 – 10oz bag of marshmallows (about 40)

3/4 Cup Peanut Butter

7 oz (6 Cups) Rice Krispies Gluten-Free with Brown Rice

1/2 Cup Peanuts*

1/2 Cup Pumpkin Seeds*

(* optional)

9 x 13 pan/dish, a silicon spatula, and a BIG pot.

Step 1: Get your stuff together. Oops, the coconut oil didn’t make the photo op.

Step 2: Count out 40 or so marshmallows (about 3/4 of a standard bag). Better get a sample, those might be stale….No? Better check again. The ones at the bottom of the bag may be different.

Get your huge pot on low, and put in the oil, and the 40 marshmallows. OK, maybe a couple more, if you’re adding nuts and seeds. While they’re melting, give ’em a stir, measure out the cereal and peanut butter. Better test those marshmallow again….and check my email….

Step 3: Sniff-sniff “Who’s making s’mores?” OMG – I AM! Ooooo, that’s right, sugar burns quick. That’s ok, keep stirring and forget about photos!

Step 4: I use a silicon spatula to stir until melted, and add in the peanut butter, stir some more. At this point you’re wondering ‘Why not just use marshmallow cream?’. Because it’s different and doesn’t work right – I don’t know why, maybe it’s the powder on the outside, less corn syrup ? Who knows.

Step 5: Turn off the heat and dump in the cereal…and fold in.

Step 6: Don’t you love the way I say F O L D like it’s no big deal, right? Oh, no…if you were planning a big upper body workout later, forget it. When you’re done folding and pulling the stickiness off the bottom of that pan your arms will be toast! Get your glass dish and grease with coconut oil (I use what’s left on the Tablespoon) and dump.

Step 7: Dump out of the pot and press into the pan/dish. I use wax paper, or plastic wrap and another smaller Pyrex dish for this. See how the corners of the pans fit – kinda like they came from the same mold. Yeah. Careful it’s Hot and Sticky…and not in a ‘Fifty Shades…’ kinda way. Ooooo, they look yummy, no….they have to cool first. The kids will come running ’cause by now the place smells like Willie Wonka’s closet! When they do, cut them into 24 and serve. Need another idea for these? Crumble some into partially thawed vanilla frozen yogurt and re-freeze…mmmmmmm or over your morning greek yogurt.

Finale: There you go – a perfect after-school, after-workout, coffee-break snack ! Not too bad at 165 cal/8 fat with the nuts, and only 132 cal/6g fat without. And like celery that burns more calories chewing it than it packs on…this’ll give you a work-out too.

 

I think we probably all get magazines, yes? And invariably there’s a section of a couple of recipes. Some look pretty tempting, some not so much. One of my favorite mags is ‘Health’, yep that’s it, just ‘Health’. It runs somewhere between the ‘Shape’ magazine, minus the 17 year old spandex clad models, and ‘Whole Living’, that’s filled with recipes for detoxing your entire existence.

Late this summer I tried out an energy bar recipe in ‘Health’ and couldn’t believe how good it tasted for the calories and fat spent! Yummy! And when baked looked exactly like their photo! I’ve been making them for after-school snacks and post workout boosts off and on for months now, and my guys love them. And as you know I just can’t leave it alone, so this time I lightened it up a tad. I took them along on a recent day out with the K & K show (that would be Kathy & Kathryn) to Renningers Antique Extravaganza. A huge day long romp in junk land! Who-hoo! After a 2 hour ride and 2 cups of coffee, we were a bit peckish at about 10am so I pulled these jems from my little bag-o-tricks to fuel my friends shopping adventures. I was sure Kathy would like them, there is chocolate involved. But, was really pleased when I got the thumbs up from Kathryn, our resident health food connoisseur. Happy and healthy – what’s not to love about that! Wanna know how I did it? I thought you’d never ask!

Step 1: Gather those goodies.

Step 2: Mix the Flour, soda, and cinnamon. I another bigger bowl combine the peanut butter, Whey-Lo, molasses, and coconut oil. Then add in the eggs and vanilla. Then add the flour mixture into the wet and give it a stir. Then add in the oats, cranberries, peanuts, and chocolate chips. The original called for dividing the chips, melting half and drizzling it over the completed bars – but I’m just too lazy for that these days!

Step 3: You did pre-heat that oven to 350 right? No, well go do it and get out your 11×13 dish and spray with a little non-stick. Now spread the goodness in the pan/dish and and push it down nicely. Get all the edges too. Bake them about 20-25 min.

Step 4: Yummy! Make sure they’re very cool before cutting.

Step 5: See, soooo easy. Cut into 24 squares and there you go.

 Finale: Here they are all wrapped up for my day away – have coffee, will travel.

These really do have a between-meal holding power, and with chocolate. Must I say more!? Oh, how healthy are they? Well, the recipe analyzer says each one is a mere 124 cal/7.4g fat … but useable fat. With all the traditionally fattening things in this bar it should be way worse! Eggs, Peanut Butter AND Peanuts….really? No, really – try it, you’ll thank me.

We’ve been a little under the weather here this week and few things warm and lift the spirits like chocolate. OK, and a steak – which is now the ‘so-happy-I’m-almost-done-with-this-sickness’ meal at Chez Beal ! “Steak ‘n Cake!!” It just happens to be Valentines Day this week too. (Like I need a reason to work up a chocolate froth!) So we had our NY Strips on the grill, some yummy veggies and now the last patient is back in bed with the remote in hand – time for some Cake.

However, this is the Healthy Eating Blog so I can’t go all out on the cakeness. I found a cupcake recipe from WholeFoods and thought I’d give it a whirl. Sometimes when people make something vegan and dairy-free, and sugar-free, etc. the results can be well, less than appealing to those of us who enjoy knowing something isn’t contributing to our delinquency, but still puts a smile on our face. I did take the opportunity to change some of the Vegan aspects to suit my carnivorous lifestyle. I don’t even know what ‘powdered egg-replacer’ is much less have it on hand. (good Lord, what kind of chemical could THAT be?!) So, if you don’t have it, don’t sweat it… let’s get bakin’.

Valentines Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes:

Step 1

Gather the staff, and light the fire to 375 deg please.

3/4 Cup AP Flour (unbleached is always best)

1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 Egg

1/3 Cup Butter, melted (or canola oil)

2/3 Cup Agave (or maple syrup)

1 tsp Vanilla

1/4 Cup FF Milk (or soy milk)

1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 cup Raspberry Jam (or other fruit – cherry? Yum)

Step 2:

Combine the dry ingredients and set aside. Did you heat that oven? …and get the little muffin tins ready. Line them and give each a spritz of baking spray. OK, where was I – oh yeah, toss the wet ingredients, except the vinegar and milk, into the mixer bowl and beat for a minute. Slowly add 1/2 the dry. Careful with that cocoa powder, or you’ll look like you got a bad bronzer job! Then the milk, then the rest of the dry – now you can add the vinegar.

Step 3:

Yes, it’s a shaky photo – it ain’t easy spooning that out and hitting the clicker! Yes, that’s an ice cream scoop. But here it’s called portion control! Fill the tins about 1/3 full.

Step 4:

Now top each with a dab of jam filling. Not too much – keep it in the center.

Step 5:

Now cover the jam with the remaining batter. Just a spoon each should do. Make sure to cover the sides or the jam will melt and run out in baking. No surprise there – it’s all over the place – and burnt. Not yummy.

Step 6:

Get ’em baking for 20 – 25 min. There they are. Beautiful!!! Cool on a wire rack.

Step 7:

Now, you could stop there and be all healthy, but it’s Valentines Day and my sweetie’s not feeling well. More C H O C O L A T E !!!

Make up some icing with: 1/2 stick butter, melted, 1/3 cup Cocoa, 1 tsp Vanilla, 1-1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar, 3 Tbl Milk. Whip it up and once the cupcakes are cool, spread with the back of a big spoon. Now, you can do this with Whey-Low Powdered sugar, and bring down the butter too to save on calories – but not tonight.

Step 8:

Break one open – Surprise! Jam filling. Although, if there are seeds you’ll want to warn people. Nobody really wants mystery crunchy bits in a baked good.

Finale:

Aren’t they pretty – good enough to eat! And don’t forget they’re not bad for you – without the icing, of course. There’s no processed sugar sweeteners in these cakes. The recipe analyzer says : 152 cal, 5.8g fat (now, add the non-diet icing and it’s 252 cal, 10 g fat)

Taste Tester is smiling. Another thing I like about this one is that this recipe only makes 12, so they’ll be gone before they’re stale – or sunrise.

Happy Valentines Day

Michelle