Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Squares (SRC)

Oh me, oh my. These squares are quite heavenly. I made a double batch – one for myself and one for a fellow gluten-free employee for her birthday. I blame it on my sweet tooth but I couldn’t bear only having one test square for myself

These indulgent bars were a result of an adaptation from this month’s Secret Recipe Club assignment! I was given Flying on Jess Fuel for the month of October and had a blast getting acquainted with this spunky newlywed (best wishes!) and all her delicious food and adventures.

With so many recipes for me to choose from, I turned to an employee for a little assistance on what to make this month. I asked what her favorite dessert was and she said cheesecake. I then looked up to see if miss Jess had anything cheesecake related on her blog and look what I found…M&M Cheesecake Squares!

As usual, I changed a few things and lightened things up a bit, I can’t help it While I know a “birthday treat” is a once a year occasion, I was also trying to show said employee how I adapt non-gluten free recipes to fit my dietary needs so here goes.

For the crust/crumble, I substituted my own gluten-free flour blend for the regular flour, erythritol for the brown sugar, added a bit of stevia, used real butter for the margarine and used almonds for the walnuts. Jess mentioned that she loved the filling and recommended doubling it so that’s what I did! I doubled the cream cheese filling using the 1/3 less fat version and used sucanat and stevia for the sweetener. Instead of M&M’s, I substituted dark chocolate chips…while I could’ve purchased Sunspire Dark Chocolate SunDrops for a healthier M&M, I already had chocolate chips on hand so I used those in it’s place!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Squares (adapted from Flying on Jess Fuel)

For Crust and Crumble
1/3 cup butter, ghee (or Earth Balance or coconut oil for dairy free) room temperature
1/4 cup erythritol (or 1/3 cup granulated sweetener of choice and omit stevia)
1/16 tsp pure stevia powder (or to taste)
1/2 cup almonds, pulsed in a food processor (any nut will do)
1 cup gluten free flour blend (I used 1/3 cup tapioca, 1/3 cup almond meal, 1/3 cup gluten-free oat flour)

For Filling
2 (8 oz) packages 1/3 less fat cream cheese, room temperature (use dairy-free if needed)
1/3 cup sucanat or other granulated sweetener
1/8th tsp pure stevia (or to taste or add a few more Tbsp of sweetener)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 loaf pans OR one 8×8 pan with parchment paper or grease well and set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, beat the butter/ghee/Earth Balance and erythritol until light and fluffy. Add the stevia, almonds, and flour and mix until crumbly.
3. Reserve 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture and set aside. Divide the remaining crust mixture and press into the bottom of the prepared loaf pans OR into the bottom of the one 8″ square pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, combine the cream cheese, sugar, stevia and vanilla, and using an electric mixer again, mix at medium speed until well blended. (I didn’t even bother cleaning the mixer in between the two steps).
5. Add the eggs and continue mixing until combined.
6. Layer 1/2 of the chocolate chips over the crust. Top with the cream cheese mixture and spread evenly.
7. Top with remaining chocolate chips and sprinkle with reserved crust/crumble.
8. Bake for an additional 25-27 minutes until set. Let cool completely before cutting and serving.

High Protein Oatmeal Pancakes with Mixed Berry Chia Jam

Sunday mornings and big breakfasts go hand-in-hand in my world. Pancakes and waffles remind me of lazy weekend mornings…and because I slept in this morning, pancakes were on my to-do list when I woke up

I also had a bag of mixed berries in the freezer so I made some berry chia jam to top off this stack of my favorite pancakes. Not only do these pancakes have fiber from the gluten free oats and (optional) flax, they are protein-packed from the cottage cheese for extra staying power! I’ve made them before with my Peach Poppyseed variety but this time I went a more basic route since I was adding a bunch of berry goodness on top!

I went through a long phase growing up where I preferred jelly/jam on my pancakes over maple syrup. When I look back, I pinpointed the issue: soggy pancakes! I never ate my pancakes fast enough because I was a chatty kid at the breakfast table. No more soggy cakes for me though! To this day, my remedy is to serve my syrup on the side

Feel free to add more sweetener if this jam is a little too tart for your taste. You can use this jam on toast, in your PB &J sandwiches, stirred into oatmeal, or smeared onto anything your little heart desires

High Protein Oatmeal Pancakes (adapted from my Peach Poppyseed Cottage Cheese Pancakes)

Ingredients

1/2 cup gluten free oats
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
2 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk (or other milk works fine too)
1 tsp honey, agave or maple syrup (or stevia to taste)
1/2 tbsp flaxseed meal (optional for added nutrition)
1/2 tsp gluten free vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract (optional but I love the flavor)
1 1/2 tsp coconut oil, butter, ghee or other oil for pan (or cooking spray if preferred)

Optional add-ins:  1-2 tablespoons fruit of choice, chopped nuts, seeds, chocolate chips

For serving
Mixed Berry Chia Jam (recipe below)
Fresh blueberries or other berry
Coconut butter

Directions

1.  Heat griddle or large frying pan over medium-low heat.
2. In a blender (I use the individual serving Cuisinart here) or small food processor, add oats and pulse until resembles a flour. Add ingredients (cottage cheese through extract) and blend until well combined. Stir in add-ins if using at this time.
3. Add oil or butter to pan until melted. A couple tablespoons at a time, add batter to the pan and cook golden brown on the bottom and there are a few bubbles on the surface. Flip and cook another 2 minutes or so until golden brown.
4. Garnish with berry chia jam, coconut butter and/or your favorite pancake topping (more butter, maple syrup, honey, applesauce, fruit compote, coconut butter etc) and serve!!!

Makes 6-8 small/medium pancakes, serves one hungry person (me after my workout) or 2 small portions
Recipe can be doubled or tripled if needed

Mixed Berry Chia Jam (adapted from Oh-she-glows)

3 cups mixed berries, frozen or fresh (I used the assorted frozen from Costco)
2 Tbsp honey, agave or maple syrup (or more to taste, do not use honey if strict vegan)
1 Tbsp coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)
1 1/2 Tbsp chia meal/flour (ground chia seeds OR use 2 Tbsp chia seeds)
4-5 drops of liquid stevia (or to taste)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a medium-sized non-stick pot, bring the berries, liquid sweetener and coconut milk to a low boil.  Stir frequently, and reduce heat to low-medium to simmer for about 5 minutes.  Mash the berries with a potato masher or fork, leaving some for texture if desired.

2. Stir in the chia until thoroughly combined and cook the mixture down until it thickens to your desired consistency, or about 15 minutes.  Stir frequently so it doesn’t stick to the pot.

3. Once the jam is thick, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and stevia.  Add more sweetener to taste if desired.  The jam should keep for at least a week in an air-tight container in the fridge.

*If you want a smoother texture, you can puree the jam in a food processor liked I did. Next time I will leave it more chunky for added texture…plus it’s one less thing I have to clean up!

Kitchen Sink Veggie Burgers + Grain-Free Flax Bun

This recipe is way, WAY overdue. I made these veggies burgers back in December and completely forgot about them…better late then never I guess! It’s one of those that slipped through the cracks but I couldn’t help but share.

Also, I want apologize to the fabulous Cara for making her wait so long for this one. She mentioned veggie burgers were one of her favorite things and I’ve since deprived her for 5 months…shame on me! I hope it was worth the wait

This recipe was born out of desperation. I was without a car for a week after first moving to Montana and I was too much of a baby to walk to the store in the middle of a winter storm.  Instead of being lazy and snacking on brownies + chips and salsa, I decided to be creative on a healthier approach while using up a few leftover veggies and canned beans. Thank goodness I did, these were delicious!

I had just made my orange-scented cranberry sauce the day before and this was the perfect topping for these veggie burgers. Along with a generous smear of Vegenaise, fresh spinach leaves and sprouts, this burger was a hearty and satisfying meal. These patties are actually on my to-cook list this week…it’s about time I whipped up another batch!

Kitchen Sink Veggie Burgers 

Patty Ingredients

1 egg or flax egg for vegan (1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 3 tbsp water, let sit for a few minutes)
1 cup cooked black beans
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
1/2 cup small diced onion
1/3 cup green or red bell pepper, small diced
1/4 cup celery, small diced (can omit or increase the bell pepper if desired)
2 – 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp coconut oil, butter, ghee, or Earth Balance, melted
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (I used roasted for extra flavor but raw is ok too)
1 Tbsp gluten free soy sauce, Bragg’s liquid aminos or tamari

Spice-Binding Mixture
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 to 1 tsp paprika
3/4 to 1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp celery salt
sea salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats, ground into a flour
1 Tbsp flaxseed meal

coconut oil/butter/ghee/Earth Balance/olive oil for pan-sauteing

For Serving
Flax bun below OR your favorite gluten free bun or sandwich bread
Vegenaise or mayo
Alfalfa sprouts
Orange-Scented Cranberry Sauce  (this completed the meal! or use a sweet and tart chutney)
Fresh spinach leaves or leaf lettuce

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the spice mixture.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine egg/flax egg and beans. Mash beans with a fork until chunky (I left some whole beans but this helps keep the patty together).
3. Add in remaining patty ingredients and stir to incorporate well.
4. Sprinkle in the spice-binding mixture and stir again to combine and evenly distribute until the batter comes together.
5. Divide into 6 balls and flatten into patties about 2/3 inch thick and lay on the baking sheet. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, preheat large skillet (preferred) over medium heat or oven to 350F.
For Skillet Method: heat a small amount of oil/butter in pan and saute for 5-6 minutes on each side until slightly crispy and lightly browned
For Oven Method: Bake patties at 350F for 14-16 minutes on each side until lightly browned (this method results in a slightly drier patty but is lower fat)
7. Assemble the burger by spreading Vegenaise or mayo on bun/sandwich bread. Top with spinach leaves, patty, sprouts, cranberry sauce and enjoy!

As for the flax bun, this was an experiment that needs a little tweaking. This bun is a little crumbly…ok, a lot crumbly due to the lack of eggs or gums. While very yummy, this one is a work in progress if you are looking for a “typical” bread that holds up well. I wound up eating this burger with a fork and knife but I enjoyed every last bit!

Vegan, Grain-Free Flax Bun 

Ingredients

1/3 cup + 2 tsp flaxseed meal
dash of sea salt
1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp seasoning to taste (italian, cajun, southwest, etc)
1 Tbsp chia seed meal (I ground white chia seeds)
1 rounded Tbsp chickpea flour (could sub oat flour)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp + 3-4 Tbsp water
1 1/2 tsp olive oil/coconut oil/ grapeseed or Earth Balance melted

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Stir in wet ingredients until incorporated.
3. Spread mixture into a circle onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes, cut in half horizontally carefully, top/fill and enjoy!

Makes 1 bun

Blueberry Hemp Snack Bars

I am learning a lot about myself, not to mention how to “deal with” and manage people from running our yogurt store and starting a new business. While managing (mostly) high school kids has proven to be a big challenge, it also brings about growth….and who couldn’t use a little stretching?

Thank goodness for the weekend though! It’s been a week of emotional ups and downs at work and I am ready a rest day to recharge.

Experimenting in the kitchen, particularly with baking, is a stress relief for me so you know where I was headed after a long week! These blueberry bars are made with oat flour, along with a bit of protein powder, juicy blueberries and earthy hemp seeds. While I planned on making buckwheat bars, I’ve been eating buckwheat like crazy and ran out so oat flour was next in line

These bars are a great snack, breakfast or a light dessert. Feel free to substitute the blueberries for your favorite berry or fruit. If hemp seeds aren’t your thing, add in chopped nuts, seeds or even chocolate chips!

Blueberry Hemp Snack Bars

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup oat flour (I grind my own using gluten free oats – buckwheat would probably work)
2 scoops of vanilla protein powder (about 65 grams)
2 Tbsp flaxseed meal
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup coconut palm sugar or date sugar (or other granulated sweetener)
1/8 tsp sea salt
2 eggs, whisked
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 Tbsp hemp seeds (if you don’t like the earthy taste of hemp, feel free to substutite 1/3  cup your favorite seeds or chopped nuts)
3/4 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh- blackberries, cherries, raspberries or a combo can be substituted)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 8×8 pan or large loaf pan with parchment paper (or grease well). Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients (flour through salt).
3. Stir in the eggs and applesauce just until combined them fold in the hemp seeds and berries.
4. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 14-16 minutes or until just firm on top and a toothpick comes clean.

*Due to the protein powder, be careful not to over bake or it will cause the bars to be dry! Depending on the size pan used, you may have to adjust the baking time. Mine were done right at 15 minutes in my little toaster oven.

Here’s to a restful rest of the weekend and a fresh start to the week!