Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

A nice alternative to muffins, these tasty treats make a healthy snack; vegan & gluten free. Plus they're kid friendly - tried, tested & approved by Levi Dylan Kent 2.25 yrs old

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

 

Author: Monique of AmbitiousKitchen.com 

Recipe type: Vegan, Gluten Free, Breakfast, Healthy Snack

Serves: 16

Note: I used regular oats & baking powder, and chose coconut oil over olive oil (I always try to avoid baking with olive oil as I find the taste overpowering)

 

 

Ingredients

• 3 cups gluten free oats
• 2 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• pinch of ground cloves
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
• 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8×11 or 9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Make oat flour: Place oatmeal into blender or food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes until oatmeal resembles flour. You may need to stop blender and stir oats a couple of times to ensure that all oats have been blended.
3. Measure out just 2 1/2 cups of the oat flour and place in a medium bowl. Whisk in baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices; set aside.
4. In a separate large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, brown sugar, vanilla extract, oil, and applesauce for 1-2 minutes until the consistency is smooth and creamy. Slowly add in oat flour mixture and mix until just combined.
5. Gently fold in 1/3 cup of chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips on top. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Timing will depend on what size pan you use, but definitely check around 15 minutes. Once finished baking, cool 10 minutes on wire rack. Cut into 16 slices.

Notes

Bars can be frozen. Simply bake, cool, cut; store in ziploc bag. Reheat individually for 30 seconds in microwave. Make sure you read all ingredients and nutrition info to ensure recipe is gluten free/vegan, if that is what you desire.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 bar Calories: 128 Fat: 4.3g Carbohydrates: 21.6g Sugar: 9.2g Fiber: 2.5g Protein: 2.6g

Quick Miso Soup

Miso is great for boosting your immune system. What better way to eat it than in a warm bowl of soup! This recipe is taken from the "Everyday Happy Herbivore" by Lindsay S. Nixon, recipes designed to be on the table in 30 minutes or less. It calls for Shiitake mushrooms, but I rarely have them in the house, so I substitute with regular white mushrooms, and I'll add in some carrots and tofu if I'm not pressed for time.

Recipe serves 1 person. Double, triple or quadruple it for more.

Quick Miso Soup
3 green onions
2 cups water
1 cup shiitake mushrooms
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tbsp miso
low-sodium soy sauce (optional)
kelp (optional)

Line a medium pot with a thin layer of water. Add mushrooms, saute until mushrooms start to soften. Add red pepper flakes and miso, stirring to prevent clumps. Add onions and remaining water, bring to a near-boil. Reduce heat, add more miso or soy sauce if desired and any other extra ingredients. Simmer until everything is cooked and warm.

Yoga Isn't for Sissies

In Honour of Movember
Every once in a while I am approached by a woman after class asking me how she can get her boyfriend/husband to do yoga? How good it would be for his back/stress/insomnia. I don't have the answer, my husband started because I had just begun teaching yoga and the classes were very small, so he was there as a filler, to make the other people feel more comfortable. From there, I guess it grew on him, and he works at the studio, so the classes are conveniently located.

When the women do drag their husbands in, they often arrive with an air of arrogance. They extend their arm for a quick handshake and in their eyes seem to say "Lets get this lame class over with". Although I'm not a very competitive person, I'm always up for this challenge. My favourite part is mid way through class when I look over to see him sweating profusely with a deer-in-headlights look on his face while his wife/girlfriend flows seamlessly through the sequence. I know it's a little evil on my side, but it's satisfying to burst another bubble of misconception that yoga is for sissies.

After class the men are always humble and grateful, and most of them come back. I'm always proud of them for getting through it and stepping far out of their comfort zones. I know it's difficult to walk into a yoga studio, especially if you think you're not flexible, and especially if you are a man coming into a female dominated space, but times are changing and we have one of the highest percentage rates of men at our studio. My husband often boasts to his musician friends about the benefits of flexibility and focus, and to the single guys about it being a great place to meet woman. What's sexier than a guy who does yoga?

I'm not saying this is the case for every guy, we have lots of men who come to the studio, and several who have dragged their wives to class, but the reaction I get from most men is that yoga is lame, and not enough of a physical challenge for them. There are many different styles of yoga and some are lame, but you have to at least try before bashing it.

As a personal challenge this month, I will go out of my comfort zone into the male dominated world of cross-fit and take a class with friend & coworker Tom. The last time I was in a gym was high school 532 gym class! I invite you to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself this month. Don't wait for your body to break down before you take care of it.

My Mom's Red Lentil Soup

This has become one of my regular go-to soups. It's fast and easy, and doesn't require a lot of ingredients + it tastes great. It comes from a handwritten recipe I got from one of my Mom's cookbooks. 

Nutritional fact: lentils are a great source of protein

Red Lentil Soup
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
optional: chili powder/cayenne if you like it a little spicy
1 litre veg stock
2 cups water
1 cup red lentils
1 large carrot
juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp cilantro

Fry onion, add garlic. Stir in spices, add broth & water, lentils & carrots. Simmer 30 mins. Puree half. Stir in lemon juice.

Quick Kale & Soba Noodles

Here's a delicious, healthy meal that can be made in less than 30 minutes. Perfect for the weeknight supper! I put this together with fresh veggies from the market and garden. Mix it up with seasonal vegetables. Our 2 year old loved this dish (although he did pick out the kale).

Quick Kale & Soba Noodles

Soba noodles

1 bunch Kale

1 Yellow Pepper

1 Tomato

3 tbsp tamari

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 clove garlic

Sesame seeds

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add noodles, after 4 minutes add chopped kale. Continue boiling until noodles & kale are ready. Drain and rinse.
In a small bowl mix together tamari, oils & garlic.
Pour mixture over noodles and kale. Mix in fresh, chopped tomato and pepper. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Enjoy!

a couple cheap vegan options

People often think being vegan is difficult and expensive, but there's lots of great options within non-vegan restaurants. Here's a couple of my favorite cheap vegan finds in Montreal...

Vietnamese veggie sandwiches in China Town

tofu dogs & fries at Lafleur

vendantanator sandwich (you can get it with no cheese) at Depanneur Le Pick Up

Grilled Portobello & Peach Burgers

Every year we spend a weekend at our friends Pat & Marissa's camper. This year we were spoiled with a full menu of vegetarian delights! The Portobello & Peach Burgers were definitely a highlight. The combination of sweet peaches with salty mushrooms was perfection! I highly recommend these.

Grilled Portobello & Peach Burgers

Makes 6 burgers

Ingredients

6 portobello mushrooms
6 peaches6 sweet potatoes
6 burger buns of your choice (If you don’t eat gluten, we have a quick gluten-free bun recipe on the blog.)
100 g fresh pea sprouts
5 small roman tomatoes, sliced
5 small spring onions, sliced
fresh thyme
olive oil
salt & pepper

Marinade Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 tbsp fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves
1/2 lemon
salt & pepper

Guacamole Ingredients

4 avocados
5 small Roma tomatoes
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup parsley
1/2 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil

Preparation: Clean the portobello mushrooms by carefully removing dirt from the caps with a kitchen towel or cloth; you can use a little water if needed. Pat dry. Cut the peaches in halves and remove the pits.

Making the sweet potato fries: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the sweet potatoes in 1-inch thick, 5-inch long sticks. Put them on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil, salt and thyme over them and put in the oven. The fries need around 30 minutes before they are ready, but you need to stir after 15 minutes.

Making the marinade: Pour olive oil in a small bowl. Add one chopped rosemary sprig, chopped thyme, mashed garlic, freshly squeezed lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Stir around. Use the other rosemary sprig to brush the mushrooms and peaches with the marinade. When the grill is ready, grill the portobello and peaches for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, while you use the rosemary stick to brush the marinade over them one more time.

Making the guacamole: Chop avocados, tomatoes and parsley roughly. Add them to a small bowl with mashed garlic. Squeeze lemon juice over it, and mash everything with a fork. It’s okay if it stays a little chunky.

Assembling the burger: Slice the buns in halves. Let them get some color on the grill. When done, place a big dollop of guacamole on the bottom bun, and add pea sprouts, tomatoes, spring onion, one portobello mushroom and two peach halves. Add the top of the bun, and insert a stick to hold it all together. Enjoy!

Recipe from http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/