GUTSy Performance Nutrition

Cranberry-Cherry Chocolate Bird Cookies

January 2, 2011January 24, 2015by RebeccaLeave a Comment

Are you ready for New Years, 2011, a new resolution, and some positive change? Do you want to clean up your health in the coming year (finally), but aren’t ready to cut yourself off from everything good and wonderful? Or do you simply want try a new take on an old tradition?

If so, I have a wonderful little recipe for you. It’s actually a combination of two of my favorite cookie recipes. And really, it’s amazing. This is a classic chocolate chip cookie with a twist (or several), and you can customize it any way you like. Personally, mine has an addition of millet and brown rice syrup. The latter is what keeps these cookies moist for days and days and days, if you’re in the mood to limit yourself, and adds a bit of a unique taste that everyone adores.

I added dried cranberries and cherries, and only a teeny bit of chocolate chips, a combination with a great festive flavor, but certainly feel free to omit and add whatever you like. To get oat flour without searching at a specialty shop, simply put oatmeal (any kind) in the food processor for a quick whiz. You’ll find the oat flour adds a bit of earthy- flavor and texture. In a pinch, you can substitute part molasses for the brown rice syrup, but it will really change the taste!

Cranberry-Cherry Chocolate Bird Cookies, adapted from Whole Living & Culinate

To make gluten-free, swap in 2 cups of Gluten Free Flour Mix instead of the wheat flours.

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup oat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup brown-rice syrup

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 Tbs. water

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup millet

3/4 cup dried cranberries and cherries

a handful chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, rice syrup, sugar, egg, water, and vanilla until completely blended. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients; fold in the millet, fruit, and chocolate. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or as long as overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Scoop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake until light golden brown, 10 to 13 minutes.
Cool cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Autumn

Cranberry-Pear-Peanut Butter Sandwich

December 5, 2010by RebeccaLeave a Comment

I haven’t always been an adventurous eater. Somewhere along the line, during late childhood or early adolescence, however, when my activities in the kitchen became a bit more experimental, I discovered the combination of sweet, savory, and to some–just plain odd.

This is one such combination. A bit of whole-grain mustard really adds texture, and a hint of flavor. If you’re not feeling adventurous, or don’t have any, feel free to forego using it. This recipe is perfect for a quick lunch this time of year, with all the holiday festivities and baking going on, and no real time to make yourself something truly good to squelch the midday hunger.

Cranberry-Pear-Peanut Butter Sandwich

2 slices bread of choice

2 tbs. creamy honey-nut peanut butter

2 tbs. cranberry sauce

1 tsp. whole-grain mustard

1/2 pear, thinly sliced

Handful salad greens of choice

Mix peanut butter, mustard, and cranberry sauce together. Spread on both slices of bread. Lay thin slices pear over cranberry mix. Top with salad greens and remaining slice of bread.

Enjoy!

Autumn

Pumpkin & Berry Muffins

November 9, 2010by RebeccaLeave a Comment

A few years back, I lived in a college house with three other girlfriends. We cooked together often, had friends over for elaborate dinner parties, and pooled all the grocery shopping expenditures together into a collective house fund. Needless to say, this way of sharing food taught me a lot about different eating habits. One that was pointed out to me endlessly was my adventurous way of combining dissimilar ingredients, combined with an innate resourcesfulness.

You see, I enjoy trying new things. I rarely make the same recipe twice, unless I feel it’s got that special something to really warrant eating again. And second, I hate wasting. I’m not a packrat. I just don’t like spending money for no reason. Or wasting something that hours of labor, and resources, and perhaps a farmer’s heart went into.

My dear friends were privy to multiple new creations, some of which they still bring up with fondness or exasperation at my food-pairing ability. And I’d like to think I haven’t changed much—I still employ a lot of creativity in the kitchen.

So here we have Pumpkin & Berry Muffins. Or perhaps, in my case, roasted butternut squash.

It really was the best fall muffin recipe I’ve tried in a while— berry delicious,flavorful, moist, and just healthy enough to satifsy my dislike of sticky-sweet breakfasty things. And the plus side—throw extra in the freezers and defrost as needed, for a quick grab-and-go for busy mornings!

Pumpkin & Berry Muffins Recipe (adapted from Cooking Light)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 T. wheat germ

1 t. baking soda

1/8 t. salt

1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt

1/2 cup pumpkin or squash puree

1 large egg

3/4 cup fresh or frozen blackberries

1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1 1/2 T. ground flaxseed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 10 regular muffin liners or 5 jumbo liners in muffin cups. I chose to make jumbo muffins.

Combine flours and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in the center of mixture. Combine yogurt, pumpkin, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in berries. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle evenly with flaxseed. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Note: I used leftover roasted squash, pureed in a food processor instead of pumpkin puree.