Cranberry Quiona Cookies

So we all have the mornings when there's not even time for a bowl of cereal so you walk out the door and hope that the cup of coffee will keep you tided over till lunch.  By the time you hit traffic, you think to yourself that the morning decision of skipping breakfast might have been a mistake.  Well these little nuggets might be just what you were looking for.  They are super simple, especially if you have some leftover quinoa from last night's dinner.

I've mentioned it a couple times on my facebook page that I have ventured in the realm of quinoa cookies.  I first saw my inspiration at Once A Month Mom's page for their veggie menu selections.  They has a chocolate quinoa muffin and I was blown away.  Could it be?  A quinoa muffin that was delicious enough for breakfast and yet easy, quick and an on-the-go snack?  This is one that almost anyone can enjoy - it's a nut free, dairy free and gluten free bite sized nugget of goodness.  After three attempts, I think I might have the recipe to share with you guys.  Finally.  This is yet again one of those adaptable recipes and would be great made a little bigger and frozen for those mornings when there just isn't enough time in the day.  Also, let me preface that this is not my best photography in the world.  : )

Cranberry Quinoa Breakfast Cookies
2 c. gluten-free oats (quick-cooking rolled)
1 1/2 c. cooked quinoa
1/2 c. shredded coconut
1/2 c. cranberries
2 ripe bananas - mashed
1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c. maple syrup/agave/honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl except cranberries and quinoa. 

Mash up the bananas and mix all the other wet ingredients together in a smaller bowl.  Combine bowls and mix well.  Add in quinoa and mix again.  Toss in the cranberries and mix one last time.

This is where you can choose to do a couple things.  Roll into balls and place on parchment lined baking sheet making sure to smoosh just a little bit.  Or you could spray a tablespoon with cooking spray and scoop it batter, tap onto parchment paper and repeat.

Or you could press the mixture in a parchment lined glass baking dish.  The choice is up to you!  However, I would advise that you do individual cookies rather than bars to get the texture that I enjoy.  Slightly crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.




Bake for about 20 minutes at 350.  The tops should just be starting to brown.  If you've chosen the bar method than the edges should be pretty golden.  If you went with the cookie, the bottoms should look like this:

Store out in the open in the fridge or in an airtight container.  That is of course if they last that long.  Enjoy!

Lemon Zucchini Pesto Sauce - Freezer Friendly!

Yes, yes...I know!  It's been almost 4 months and only 1 post?!?!   Don't know what to say other than kiddos and life simply get the best of me.  I have a ton of new tweaks on recipes that I'm very eager to share. 

Recently I began to subscribing to Onceamonthmom.com and have fell in love!  Though you might have to have to use a wee-bit of intuition with some of their recipes, all in all, it's a fabulous time saver and incredibly budget friendly site.  I spent a little over $150 on average food.  By average, I mean a mix of conventional and organic, and of course we opted for the vegetarian menu but there are 6 - that's right SIX to choose from!  I prepared all but one of their selections over the course of 3 days.  I know this sounds like a ton of work and I'm not going to lie...it was! 

 This was before the cooking marathon began.  I was feeling so confident that it would stay this way.

But having had a late start and my 7 mth old around all day, I think I did ok.  However, with this 3 days, I have saved myself not only time during the weeknights but also cut down on stress and the grocery bill. To any mamas out there that are struggling with finding inspiration for dinner or just can't seem to find the time to make dinner on a daily basis, I would HIGHLY suggest you check out this amazing site and the wonderful ladies that have put it together.

So where you ask is all of this going?  Well I'm here to review the Lemon Zucchini Pesto Sauce that I made a couple weeks ago.  We had it fresh that night and again this evening in honor or Meatless Monday - a nationwide movement to encourage people to incorporate a meatless meal into their regular diets and I'm the first to support that.  Not only is it good for you to cut back on the meat intake but it's also great for the wallet.   This particular meal is probably about $10 to feed a family of four if not less.  It's so easy to double and bag to freeze for later.  It thaws beautifully though I might add a bit more garlic next time around as that is one flavor that tends to decrease when frozen. 


Lemon Zucchini Pesto Sauce
2 medium zucchinis - cut in half moons
2 jars prepared pesto* - if you look in the Italian section you will find a vegan variation.  There are at least a couple variations on the shelves that are vegan without being labeled that way. 
1 lemon - zested and juiced
2-3 garlic cloves - finely minced or pressed

Heat pan.  Toss in zucchini and a tbsp of water (or vegetable stock).  Cover and let steam till crisp-tender. Add garlic and heat till fragrant about 30 seconds.  Scoop out desired amount of pesto, sprinkle in zest and 2 tbsp lemon juice.  Heat another 1-2 minutes.  At this point you have two choices - toss in pasta and 1/2 c. cooking liquid from pasta and serve OR whip out your immersion blender.  Don't have one?  Get one.  They are priceless!  Stick blender into pan and puree to desired consistency.  I'm not a huge fan of the texture of zucchini once frozen and thawed so I left a couple chunks in mine but not much.  Let cool and bag in ziplocs. Label and freeze.

To serve at a later date - thaw bag in the fridge the morning of (or even a few hours before you plan to eat.) Boil your pasta - drain but reserve 1/2 c. cooking liquid.  Place drained pasta back into pan.  Snip corner of ziploc and squeeze out sauce onto hot pasta.  Toss.  Add in any extra liquid you desire to reach right consistency.  Serve!  You may garnish with a slice of lemon for a little extra zing.

Sorry no pictures yet but check out http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2011/09/recipe-for-easy-penne-pasta-with.html and http://onceamonthmom.com/vegetarian-march-2012-menu/ for inspiration.  

Let me know if you try it and what your thoughts were!  Of course the only note I would have right off the bat is had it been the middle of summer, make your own pesto.  Save money and get a far superior flavor but it's March and I opted for store bought.  : )