Gluten & Lactose Free Blueberry Banana Coffeecake

Vegetarian: Tomato-less Chili

I had a request for tomato-free chili on the Savor and Nourish Facebook Page. I thought it would be tough to figure out how to replace this because it's usually the base of any chili that I make. After some quick internet research, I discovered that there's some serious debate over the definition of "chili". Some say it's pepper, onions, spice and meat. No beans. Some say beans are a must. But both sides agreed that real chili includes NO tomatoes of any kind. I was pretty shocked. Further research showed that the tomatoes can easily be replaced with a little broth.

I've included my recipe (Full Recipe) and a stripped down version below. I've included the stripped down version because you may have allergies to some of the veggies in the Full Recipe. The Basic Recipe only includes the essential ingredients.

When choosing a veggie broth, check the labels. I only found one brand (store-brand organic) that was free of tomato products.

When choosing tempeh, check the labels. Not all tempeh types are gluten free. Check the link below to see the brand and type of tempeh used in this recipe (this one is gluten-free).

Vegetarian: Rice and Beans Stew

You know when you get that first little scratch in your throat? Am I thirsty? Or is it a cold coming on? Well I felt it tonight and decided it was time for soup. I basically took a little-of-everything approach and ransacked all available veggies. I was hungry, and figured veggies alone would not fill me up. I added some beans and a quinoa & rice mix that my husband found at Costco (of all places!!).

Sweet Potatoes: Smoky & Spicy

Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite foods. My favorite way to cook them is by baking them in the oven. I literally eat them plain. We had taco night last night and I wanted a side to go with the tacos. I felt that plain sweet potatoes didn't quite match. But sweet potato with a little cumin and chilli powder sounded like a perfect pair for the tacos.

Chicken: Shepard's Pie

Let's hear it one more time for that shredded chicken!! I made this Thursday night, which means it was getting towards the end of the week and resources were low. This one is so easy to make and you can use just about any combination of meat, veggies, and potatoes. Whatever you have on hand! It's hearty, and healthy as long as you stick to lean meat, skip the cheese, and go easy on that oil & butter.

Marathon Cookies

This recipe is from a coworker who is a marathon runner. One day he brought in these things that he called cookies. They are hearty and so packed with stuff that they barely resemble 'cookies', but they are delicious and they are good for you. They are packed with good fats and proteins and grains and all kinds of other stuff. I figured I'd make them for my hubby, who is also a marathon runner. He loves them!

I must disclaim that these are NOT low fat. They are instead, good fat. They are great for a quick fix to a sweet tooth, or to tide you over until dinner is ready post-run. Just don't think that you can sit down and eat an entire batch with no consequence.

Here's a good article about good and bad fats:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/skinny-fat-good-fats-bad-fats

Here's the recipe already!!!

1.5 cups whole wheat flour
0.5 tbsp baking soda
dash of cinnamon
dash of cardamom
1 cups apple sauce
0.5 cup organic sugar
0.5 cup organic brown sugar
2 ripe bananas
4 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
3.5 cups oats
0.5 cups steel cut oats
2 or 3 handfuls chocolate chips
1 handful almonds
0.25cups flax seeds
1 small handful walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Mix flour, baking soda and spices in small bowl. Use whatever spices you like and have at hand. If it's fall, go for some pumpkin pie spice.

2. In a mixer, beat/cream the bananas with the sugars. Add the applesauce, eggs, and vanilla. The bananas are used to sweeten the cookies. Use ripe bananas (almost black peels). Add more bananas to use less sugar.

3. Combine the dry ingredients with the banana mix. Once a sticky dough is formed, add the oats, nuts, chocolate chips and seeds until they are well incorporated. It's a pretty chunky batter.

4. Plop tablespoon-sized mounds onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 - 15 minutes (depending on how many sheets of cookies you put in at once).

5. This recipe makes about 3 dozen. These are delicious right out of the oven. Or you can let the cookies cool completely. Wrap some with wax paper and stuff into a ziplock bag. They freeze very well. Then you can take out just enough for the week so you're not tempted to eat all 36 before they spoil. :)

Enjoy!