5 Minute No Bake Nutty Butter Chocolate Chunk Granola Bars

First of all Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! I’m definitely missing my dad these days but I’ll be seeing him soon!

 

The title of these bars is a bit of a mouthful but they are very delicious! I found this bar recipe from healthy food blogger Anne at fANNEtastic Food. I love her blog because she incorporates healthy food and fitness. She stays true to who she is and I respect that. Her blog is very motivating and it motivated me to try her 5 Minute No Bake Peanut Butter Bars. I took her original recipe and tweaked it with ingredients I had on hand. They are a really tasty granola bar and they really do only take 5 minutes to make. The only thing I didn’t like about them is the chia seeds! I might just reduced the amount next time because they get stuck everywhere in your mouth. I had one on my break during work one day and I’m so glad I had a toothpick to pluck them out ;). I didn’t want to scare away customers!

They are a very soft granola bar as well, unless it was the nut butter I used. They fall apart easily, even if you keep them in the fridge. I’m going to add them to the freezer and she if that helps. I also added some extra salt to the mix because I was worried they would taste bland. Wrong!! Mine are a bit salty but in a good way since the dark chocolate balances it out. Dark Chocolate always makes everything taste better. Enjoy!

5 Minute No Bake Nutty Butter Chocolate Chunk Granola Bars
Adapted from fANNEtastic Food (link to original recipe)

Ingredients
1 & 3/4 cup gluten free rolled oats
1 cup crisp puffed wheat cereal (brown rice cereal works too!)
1/4 cup pepita seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1/8 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1/3 cup Nuttzo Peanut Free (creamy peanut butter would work best)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 100 calorie dark chocolate bar (Trader Joe’s Brand) OR 1/8 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions
Add all the dry ingredients (oats to flaxseed) to a large bowl and mix them together.

In a separate (microwave safe) bowl, mix together the brown rice syrup, nut butter and vanilla extract. Microwave for 30 seconds. This will make it easier to mix and add to the dry ingredients since it’s really sticky.

Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix. Keep mixing until the wet binding ingredients are distributed all the way. This will take a few minutes but is well worth it. As Anne would say, put some muscle into it!

Pour the mixture into a shallow pan and flatten down. Top with chocolate and transfer to the fridge to harden up and then cut into 12 bars.

 

If you noticed I used Nuttzo Peanut Free in the bars, probably not a good idea either. There were already chia seeds in this nut butter and I added more. I don’t think the taste of this nut butter did much for the bars either. Creamy peanut butter or almond butter that has been roasted and a little salt would taste so much better!

 

Enjoy!

Fallon

Green Peanut Butter Smoothie with Chunky Monkey Granola

This is currently one of my favorite ways to make a smoothie. It comes out thick and creamy, perfect for a granola topper. My chunky monkey granola works great on top of this smoothie. This is the perfect smoothie to have after a sweaty workout! It is packed with nutrients (spinach, banana) and protein. I recently picked up xanthan gum when I was in Las Vegas. I started adding 1/2 teaspoon to my smoothies and it really helps binding everything together so it stays super creamy. I’d highly recommend the purchase, it will last you a while!

Green Peanut Butter Smoothie                                                               Serves 1 hungry person

Ingredients

4 ounces almond milk

4 ounces water, chilled

1/2 banana, sliced and frozen

1 heaping tablespoon peanut flour (Trader Joe’s or PB2)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

Dash sea salt and cinnamon  

Handful baby spinach

4-5 ice cubes

1-2 tablespoons chunky monkey granola

Directions

Put ingredients in order and blend away. Depending on consistency you can add more liquid or ice. I tend to add more ice, for a thicker smoothie. Pour in a huge glass and top with chunky monkey granola. Eat with spoon and enjoy!

           I do the straw/spoon combo!

Fallon

Chunky Monkey Granola

Katrina from Baking and Boys! likes to call it Banana Dark Chocolate Chunk Granola but I’m more fond of the Chunky Monkey Granola. Either way it is a healthy granola! The extra ripe bananas act as the glue to this granola by adding the right amount of sweetness and practically no added fat. The only fat, which is good fat comes from the nuts and flaxseed. I’m very picky when it comes to buying granola and making granola. We all know granola “sounds” healthy but it is usually very calorie dense with a high amount of sugar and fat. When I see homemade granola recipes calling for 3/4 cup of fat and sugar, I stay away from it. This granola recipe Katrina came up with is great. I don’t feel guilty eating it! The addition of dark chocolate chips is an added bonus too. I always need my chocolate fix daily and sometimes I get this out of the way during breakfast!

 

I love this granola topped on frozen yogurt, Greek yogurt, vanilla soy milk, or as a smoothie topper! Next time you want to make homemade granola I’d recommend this recipe. It is very simple to make and all ingredients are pretty standard in most kitchens! I followed Katrina’s recipe but I adjusted some of the ingredients which is posted below. To get the original recipe for Chunky Monkey Granola head on over to Katrina’s blog by clicking this link HERE.

Chunky Monkey Granola

Adapted from Katrina of Baking and Boys!

Ingredients:

4 cups old fashioned oats

2 tablespoons ground flax meal

1/2 cup unsweetened, flaked coconut

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup salty almonds, chopped coarsely

3 small bananas, overripe

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon table salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons hot water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Handful of dark chocolate chips

Direction:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine oats, flax, coconut, sunflower seeds and almonds. In another large bowl, combine the bananas, almond extract, salt, brown sugar, water and cinnamon. First use a fork to mash the bananas down and then change to a wooden spoon to mix everything together until smooth but slightly chunky from the bananas.

Pour banana mixture into oat mixture and stir together with a wooden spoon until all the oats are moistened. Transfer the granola onto rimmed baking sheet and spread evenly. Stir every 12-15 minutes and bake for an hour (longer if you like it extra crunchy). Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before adding chocolate chips. Store granola in an airtight container. You can keep in a cool spot or store in the refrigerator.

   

Please don’t forget I am hosting a giveaway!!! I’m going to go ahead and extend it till Saturday, March 19th till midnight! So you have today and tomorrow to submit your comment(s). Click this link to head on over to the giveaway page and read the following. I’m going to add a few more things to the package but that will be a surprise to the winner! If you like almond butter, then you will like the surprise!

Much love,

Fallon

Almond Breaded Chicken Breast, 2 ways!

I first just wanted to start by saying THANK YOU for the wonderful comments from my recent posts. It feels really good to know that people are actually taking the time to read my blog. It means a lot and I appreciate it! This week I've been working a shift till 10pm. Definitely something I'm not use to at all. I was really feeling it last night. Since I'm up early today, I wonder how long I'll last tonight at work? =P Any tips/advice on late night shifts when your not use to it and like to get up early.. I'll need all the advice I can get!! So please share if there is anything. LOL

Now on to something that is super delicious and one of my new favorite ways to make chicken! If you notice I like to go for simple a lot, but I want to make sure it can be healthy and will taste good too. Healthy and baking are hard for me to put in the same category but you know what I mean. Almond breaded chicken inspired me from a blog called The Inner Workings of a College Graduate by dipping chicken breast into egg whites and breading it in almond flour. I told you simple!!! It is also delicious. ;) Here is the original posting for the chicken, she had actually stuffed hers with a cranberry chutney and feta cheese. I didn't have feta and my mom is not a fan of smelly cheese, so instead I had a cranberry apple butter I topped it off with instead. Tasted like a turkey dinner. Now I can't wait for Thanksgiving!  

Almond Breaded Chicken (Adapted from The Inner Workings of a College Graduate)
Ingredients
Ground almond meal (I bought mine from Trader Joe's but you can make your own as well by pulsing in a food processor.)
Egg whites, whipped till they start to form bubbles
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet line with tin foil and spray with olive oil or oil of choice. To get the chicken ready in an assembly line from left to right have a bowl with the whipped egg whites, in the middle a bowl of almond flour seasoned with salt and pepper, and last should be the prepared baking sheet ready for the oven. The chicken takes 25-30 minutes depending on how thick they are.

I did go for seconds on chicken and green beans. ;)
 

I used 2 large egg whites for 3 chicken breasts. At first I didn't feel it would be enough but it was more then enough. Using egg whites as the glue for breading is great and I'll be using it more often when I don't have buttermilk in the house. As for the flour, I just loaded it in the bowl. I always want to make sure I have enough breading for the chicken.

On my chicken I drizzled cranberry apple butter from Trader Joe's, but any cranberry topping you preferred will be just as good. My sides were steamed green beans with a little butter and a brown rice medley from Trader Joe's that was steamed in my rice cooker. Like I said this is my FAVORITE way to eat chicken right now. It simple and delicious. Healthy too!!

So good I licked everything clean!

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Then the next day I used my chicken for an early dinner before work in a spinach salad.  
Almond Breaded Chicken Spinach Salad with Granola and Goat Cheese By Fallon
Ingredients
Leftover almond breaded chicken, sliced
Handful of fresh baby spinach
Crumbles of fresh goat cheese
Raspberry vinaigrette (This came from Trader Joes, if you have a homemade recipe that would work too and you should share it with me!)
Pecan Granola ( I used my homemade granola)
Fresh ground black pepper

In a large bowl pile a heaping serving of fresh baby spinach. Top with sliced chicken, and add crumbles of goat cheese. Drizzle a tablespoon of dressing on top. To garnish sprinkle on pecan granola and fresh ground black pepper. I had a side of Mary's Gone Crackers with my salad.

Great texture going on with this salad.
 

The granola sounds weird but it is so good! Why did I put granola on my salad? Well the other day I made a spinach salad with goat cheese and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. I was missing crunch.. pecan crunch. So I had raw nuts in my freezer I would of toasted up, but I already had toasted pecans in my granola. See where I'm going. The combination with my granola and the spinach salad was scrumptious. You have a wholesome, crunch from the oats and the nutty sweetness from the pecan, you can't go wrong!

  These crackers are awesome. I like the seedy crunch they have.
 

That is all I have for today!

Time for the gym.
Fallon

First attempt at granola making!

Good evening! How is everyone? Once again it is a Friday night and I'm chilling at home. I made dinner tonight and just now able to sit down and relax. I've been wanting to make a post, but I've just been preoccupied with other things. Don't worry, tomorrow night I'll be heading out. My friend is getting married soon and it is her bachlorette party. Doing it Las Vegas style like usual. Having dinner at House of Blues and heading to LAX to go clubbing. I haven't been to a club in a while! I'm so use to having a 10pm bedtime and I'll be out really late tomorrow. Yuck! I sound old huh? LOL

Anyways, I made granola for the first time yesterday!! I have to keep trying and perfecting a recipe. It wasn't very sweet and I like when my granola kind of clumps together. Practice makes perfect right? I was inspired by the recipe I found on Mama's Weeds blog. It was something I always look for, simple. I had all the ingredients on hand and I decided to take a shot at it. You can click this link for her recipe, and below I slightly modified it.  

Maple Pecan Granola  
Ingredients
2 cups of old fashion oats
1/4 oat bran
1 tbsp of butter
1 tbsp of extra virgin coconut oil
2 tbsp of pure vanilla bean maple syrup
1/2 cup of raw pecans, slightly chopped (I just used my hands to break them up)
1 tbsp of orange zest
Pinch of kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Use a large glass bowl to mix everything together. First melt the butter in the microwave for 10 seconds, then added the coconut oil to the warm butter. Let them melt together and then add the maple syrup. Add a pinch of kosher salt. Then mix in the old fashion oats, oat bran, pecans, and the orange zest. Mix everything till it well incorporated. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and spread the granola on top. Put it in the oven for 20 minutes. Afterward take it out to mix everything together. At this point I was smelling the wonderful scents from the oven. Put it back in for another 5 minutes. Take it out and let it cool down. Once it is fully cooled down, put the granola in a mason jar to remain fresh!

Always like to be ready when baking! ;)
 

Before heading into the oven. 
 

Great for topping yogurt with berries. 
 

In the mason jar it goes! This would be a nice holiday gift for your healthy friends! ;)
 

My thoughts? Well there is definitely potential in making homemade granola. You can control the sweetness and how caloric-ally dense you want it to be. It is definitely healthier then store bought granola, and it is cheaper! One pound of organic old fashion oats from the bulk bin at Wholefoods is only $1.19. The zest was a nice addition to the maple syrup. A granola I tried at Wholefoods the other day had a citrus addition to it but they wanted $8.99 for a 16 oz bag of granola! So it inspired me to add it to my own granola.

The only thing with my granola is it wasn't sweet enough and wet enough! I didn't really use actual measuring spoons, just a regular eating teaspoon. So maybe that wasn't accurate? Next time I'm going to add more sweetness and coconut oil. I will most likely not use oat bran again because it really didn't stick to the oats. Flax seed or hemp seed would be a better addition. Which proves making this granola recipe and any other recipe is really flexible. I look forward to future granola making!

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I've been having some of the best lunches lately. I'm hooked on veggie wraps! I recently tried goat cheese for the first time and I love it!! I like the herbed kinds and just yesterday I picked up a goat brie! OMG! Creamier than cows milk brie. Next I want to try a cheddar goat cheese, I hear it is the best. It always good to experiment and taste new foods. It adds variety and makes food even more interesting to enjoy. I love the sprouted whole wheat wraps made by Ezekiel. They are very hearty and I love the chew you get from it, and the nuttiness! I spread goat cheese on or sometimes hummus. Then I load it with romaine lettuce, alpha sprouts, cucumber, tomato, purple onion, radish etc. Basically whatever veggies I have in my fridge. Roasted veggies are awesome too. The one I'm showing you that I made the other day has herbed goat cheese, 1 slice of black forest ham, romaine lettuce, alpha sprouts, tomato, onion, cucumber, and yellow mustard.

See those little pickles? I love them!! Little French pickles I picked up at Trader Joe's.
 

So I forgot the yellow mustard and added it last. :) Try not to do that! LOL

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And lastly my dinner tonight was awesome! I had a nice New York steak with my favorite side dishes as of late, grilled sweet potato fries and roasted summer squash and grape tomatoes. The steak was huge! I told my dad I only wanted half and he added the entire thing to my plate! It was perfect, medium rare and so tender. I rubbed it with kosher salt, steak seasoning and herbed garlic. Let it marry for about 30 minutes and sizzled it on the grill. Awesome!!! Can't wait for my left over steak tomorrow!

Love to load up on the veggies! Garnish with basil, mmm! 
Organic ketchup and grilled sweet potato fries? You must try it!
 

The huge steak!
 

The weather is finally cooling off in Las Vegas. Meaning if you wake up super early in the mornings it about 70 degrees. Awesome working out weather!! I've been running up and down stairs, breaking records I've set for myself. Tomorrow I'm doing an obstacle course with running and running up and down stairs. Can't wait because I love working out outside!

Have a great night and a fantastic weekend!!
Always, Fallon