Maple and Oat Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches

Happy spring, everybody!

This is what spring looks like in Mississippi:

These pictures also represent someone who had been completely irritated and annoyed for a solid week and is trying really hard to think peaceful and kind thoughts in her mind.

The struggle is real, folks.

I didn't think I would be so happy to see spring because I love winter so much, but, yes, I am happy spring is here. Spring has won me over. *Standing ovation by blogger for spring*

And since the days are getting warmer, I've got a great little recipe today that will cool you off,  Maple and Oat Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches.

BUT WAIT!

This recipe is pretty darn healthy. (And no doubt, when it is published, the healthy police people will stop by and leave a comment about how I messed up and what I did was not 'really' healthy, and blah, blah, blah.)

But I am still going with my thoughts that although this recipe may not be perfect, we really liked it, there are some healthy things in it, and I feel really good about.  So there.  Baby steps.

Here are my notes:

--You will absolutely need to line your pan with foil, to lift out the frozen layers.

--You could probably leave out the 5 teaspoons of maple syrup in the ice cream part if you want--the banana ice cream is sweet enough without it, but I just wanted a subtle maple flavor throughout.

--You could probably substitute with honey instead of maple syrup.

--I am proud of myself because I didn't use any sugar other that the maple syrup. *big cheesy grin*

--I used 5 bananas, but that could probably be adjusted depending on how thick you want your middle layer to be.

Maple and Oat Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches

Printable Recipe

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup maple syrup

3 cups quick oats

1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts

5 medium very ripe bananas, peeled and cut into small chunks and completely frozen

5 teaspoons maple syrup

1. Heat butter and 1/2 cup maple syrup in a small sauce pan, whisking until melted and smooth. Place the oats and walnuts in a large mixing bowl. Add the maple syrup mixture and mix to evenly coat.  
2. Line two 8 x 8 inch square pans with foil letting foil hang over sides, then lightly spray with cooking spray.  Divide the oat mixture between the two pans, pressing firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan.  Freeze until very firm, about 3-4 hours in deep freeze.
3. Place the bananas in a food processor with 5 teaspoons maple syrup and process until smooth and creamy. 
4. Immediately spread the banana ice cream evenly over one frozen oat layer.  Carefully lift the other frozen oat layer out of the pan by using the foil, then peel the foil off and place on top of the ice cream, pressing down slightly.  Freeze until firm.  Remove from pan using the foil to lift it out, then cut into bars quickly.

Tip:  I peel my very ripe bananas and freeze them on a baking sheet that has been lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  When they are frozen they go into a ziplock bag to store in the freezer for smoothies or ice cream.  

Aaaaaaand...here is my grandson and his freckles.  Because I can.

Chewy Peanut Butter or Almond Granola Bars

You just can't trust what's in food these days.  Chemicals, hormones, additives, and crazy DNA that shouldn't be there.  I try to cook from scratch as much as possible for my day to day cooking so I know what goes into my food.  A lot of store-bought granola bars claim to be healthy and natural, but they're anything but.

These are my current favorite granola bars.  And let me tell you my favorite way to eat them--straight out of the freezer.  I know, weird, right?  But I actually make a big batch of them and wrap them all separately and store them in the freezer.  (Tip:  I store them in my regular freezer which is set to keep things frozen, but not rock hard like a deep freeze does.  So I can still actually bite into them straight from the freezer.  You might want to adjust your freezer's temperature setting if your ice cream freezes like a brick.)  You can store these at room temperature too.

More and more, I am trying to use organic as much as possible in my everyday cooking, which are things we eat on a regular basis.  I am very limited in my rural area and yes, organic items cost a lot, but I do try.  So if you want to really up the healthy aspect of these, use organic ingredients.  I was excited to see some organic Smucker's natural peanut butter the other day.

PS.  Mississippi Kitchen is getting a makeover and a brand new home.  We have been feverishly working behind the scenes to make this happen, and by we I mean the person I have hired to do all this tedious work.  Stay with me please because some good things are coming soon.  (Like a recipe index, hallelujah!)  I am still here, alive, and cooking up a storm, but trying to hold off a lot of blogging until my transfer is done.  You understand, don't you?  I *knew* you would.  :)

Here are my notes:

--I use both almond butter and peanut butter.  If I make them with almond butter, I use chopped almonds, and if I make them with peanut butter, I use chopped walnuts.  Both of these nut butters will require stirring before measuring.

--I leave the nuts raw because I have read they are better for you this way.  I LOVE the flavor of toasted nuts, but this is a great way to get my share of raw nuts since I don't love eating raw nuts plain.

--I am sure you could use whole oats.  I just usually have quick oats on hand.

--I try to use raw, unprocessed honey which is so much better for you.

--Press the mixture in tightly with the back of a spatula or you can even use the bottom of a measuring cup.

--The chia seeds.  Yes, they are weird but very nutritious.  They form a gel like substance around them when they get wet.  It's strange.

--I have found the easiest way to wrap these is to stick one in a cheap sandwich bag and fold it over, the kind that are not zip lock (because you would use too many and that would be expensive), but fold over  instead.  I think they are sold about a 150 to a box.

Chewy Peanut Butter or Almond Granola Bars

Printable Recipe

5 cups quick oats

1/4 cup chia seeds

2 cups chopped raw walnuts or almonds

8 tablespoons butter

1 cup honey (preferably raw organic)

6 heaping tablespoons natural style peanut butter or almond butter (preferably organic)

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

1. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, chia seeds, and nuts.
2. Place the butter, honey, peanut butter or almond butter, brown sugar,  and salt in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Cook until melted  and smooth, whisking often.
3. Pour the honey mixture over the oat mixture and stir well.  Line a 13 x 9  inch metal pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Press the mixture well into the bottom of the pan using a spatula.  
5. Freeze for several hours before cutting into squares.  I like wrap these individually and store them in the freezer.  They can be eaten cold or brought to room temperature.

Two Ingredient Dark Cocoa Banana Ice Cream

You guys.

I've been seeing one ingredient banana ice cream float all over the Internet for a couple of years now, but I always told myself that it probably tasted like baby food and no thank you please.

But one day I realized I had an overaccumulation of bananas in my freezer, so I thought I'd give this "ice cream" everyone was raving about a try.

Now listen and listen good, I am not even stretching the truth a little bit when I tell you that this is delicious.  This is my go-to dessert when I want to be all healthy and stuff.  The texture is very, very much like soft serve ice cream.  It's really hard to believe but it is.

AND THIS--->>>  To me, it does not overwhelmingly taste like bananas.

I love bananas, but I want it to taste more like ice cream and it does.  To me.  Others may disagree.

If you are a banana hater, this is probably not for you. But if you're not and you want something healthy, creamy, cold, and delicious, you should give it a try.  Read my notes below, but honestly, it's a cinch.

Just think, it's non-dairy and no added sugar.

My notes:

--I like to add dark cocoa powder to mine.  I am not a fan of dark chocolate, but I LOVE the dark cocoa powder.

--There are lots of recipes out there with different mix-ins like peanut butter, Nutella, honey, nuts, etc.  I wanted to keep mine fairly healthy and simple.

--Give the food processor a little time to whip it up good.  Several minutes depending on your machine.  Mine is just a mini one, so it takes a bit.

--Depending on how hard the bananas are frozen and how powerful the food processor is (mine is not very powerful), it is helpful to add a teaspoon or two of heavy cream, half and half or regular milk to process easier.  I guess this would make it 3 ingredient, but you don't have to.

--It can be placed in the freezer to firm up a bit, but I love it soft and creamy.

--Ripe bananas are best.  I peel my very ripe bananas and freeze them on a baking sheet that has been lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  When they are frozen they go into a ziplock bag to store in the freezer for smoothies or ice cream.  

Two Ingredient Dark Cocoa Banana Ice Cream

Printable Recipe

1 medium very ripe banana, peeled and cut into small chunks and completely frozen

1 heaping teaspoon dark cocoa powder

1. Place the banana in a food processor (a mini one works well) and process until almost smooth.  
2. Add cocoa powder and process until very smooth and creamy.  Eat immediately or place in freezer to firm up.

Hint: Depending on how hard the bananas are frozen and how powerful the food processor is (mine is not very powerful), it is helpful to add a teaspoon or two of heavy cream, half and half or regular milk to process easier.

Tip:  I peel my very ripe bananas and freeze them on a baking sheet that has been lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  When they are frozen they go into a ziplock bag to store in the freezer for smoothies or ice cream.  

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Pot Pies with Quinoa

I'm trying to get a grip on healthier and 'cleaner' (mostly cleaner) eating (it's January, hello!), and although I hardly ever buy prepackaged foods at the grocery store and we've been eating brown rice for, like, twelve years or something, I know I need to change a lot of things about my diet.

That doesn't mean I'm going completely crunchy, okay?

It just means I am more concerned than ever about the food I've (and my loved ones, of course) been eating and how it's been grown and processed.  (And it's not just one book I read or one show I watched…it's been coming at me from a lot of different directions for a long time.)  I'm really concerned about GMOs, and all of the food that is raised and grown with harmful chemicals, hormones, and antibiotics.  And how very, very sick our country is.  And…I hate to admit it... how bad I have felt physically for the last year.  (I have not been diagnosed with anything, by the way, and I am not on any kind of medication for anything, but I just haven't felt good.)

But I'm going to be honest, I got thoroughly disgusted at the grocery store the other day on my venture out to find healthy, organic replacements for my pantry and I wound up having a small breakdown right in front of the honey crisp apples in the produce section.  I wanted to throw my hands up in the air and scream.  (Which I did later, at my house where I scared no one but my husband.)  Eating healthy and organic is EXPENSIVE.  And I'm on a budget.

But, I'm trying to make small changes in my life.  You know, replace stuff with better stuff.  I still plan to blog some fattening goodies, so don't judge me, pretty please!  I am, however, trying new foods, products, recipes and methods.   One website I found recently that has been a great source of encouragement is The Gracious Pantry.  In particular, watch her video on how to get started with clean eating.  I felt encouraged after I watched it and not hopeless.  Start slow.  Make small changes here and there, because big drastic changes can overwhelm you and cause you to quit.  (See what I have already learned?  Go me!)

So anyway, here is a recipe that I came up with to be especially kid friendly, but with some really good things like veggies, grain, and protein.  My four year old grandson tore into this like a ravenous beast. (After a good amount of coaxing to get him to try it in the first place.) I know it's not super "clean."  I had some evil prepackaged pie crusts in my fridge left over from the holidays that I wanted to get rid of.  But there are some good things in it and the taste was really, really good.

Read my notes for some tips and tricks and other options to make it even cleaner and healthier.

My notes:

--First of all, I got my frozen broccoli at Sam's. Why do I buy frozen broccoli and not fresh?  Because inevitably, when I buy fresh broccoli with the good intentions of making something the next day, I get side tracked and wind up cleaning out a hairy, gray mass from my vegetable drawer a week later. ( I loved the short ingredient list on the back of their packages.)

--I chopped my chicken very fine and because I did this, I was able to get by using just one chicken breast.  The ones I buy, although not organic, are twice the cost of regular ones because they are hormone free, antibiotic free, etc., and I have to ration them out.  This is a super great trick for making your meat go further.

--I also chopped the broccoli up very fine so my grandson would not bite into a small tree and freak out.

--This is not traditional Alfredo, but Alfredo "inspired" and super easy because you just add everything to the skillet.  There is not enough sauce to drench the filling, but just enough to add flavor.

--The quinoa bulks it up and makes it all go further.  I use Bob's Red Mill Organic Quinoa and I love that it doesn't have to be pre-rinsed because that's one less thing I have to do.

--My ramekins held one cup.  You could use whatever size you want.

--This filling is delicious eaten straight out of the skillet and piled into a bowl.  I did that yesterday in fact.  No need to make the actual pot pie if you don't want to.

--You can add more chicken or broccoli or less or more onions and garlic and the universe probably won't explode.

--A healthy alternative to the pie crust would be to put a crumb topping of, say, whole wheat panko and maybe some chopped almonds?  Or sprinkle with a little more parmesan cheese.

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Pot Pies with Quinoa

Printable Recipe

Extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, minced (or equivalent from a jar)

1 grilled chicken breast, very finely chopped

1 (16-ounce) bag frozen broccoli, cooked and very finely chopped

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

2 cups cooked quinoa

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

1 refrigerator pie crust, left out at room temperature for 15 minutes

1/2 tablespoon heavy cream

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat the bottom with extra virgin olive oil.  Add the onion and cook until transparent.  Add garlic and stir and cook for 1 minute.  Add the chicken and broccoli and cook until mixture is hot.  

Place the butter in the skillet and stir as it melts.  When the butter is melted, pour in the heavy cream and continue cooking until mixture is bubbly and hot.  Turn off heat.  Stir in the cheese until melted.  Add the quinoa, and toss to coat.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  You can stop here and eat this mixture from a bowl.  Or you can proceed and make quick individual pot pies.

Fill 4-6 small ramekins or casserole dishes (or even oven safe mugs or bowls) (how many you use will depend on their size) with the chicken mixture.   Unroll the pie dough and cut out 6 rounds the same size as the top of the ramekins.  Set directly on top of the filling, then brush lightly with about 1/2 tablespoon of heavy cream.  Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until pie crust in golden brown on top.