Tag Archives: bake

Healthy Overnight Oatmeal Crisp Recipe on MLK Day

01/18/2016 R.C. Liley 4 Comments

Today’s post is an oldie but a goodie with a recipe from my old healthy foodie blog, Just Add Cayenne. It dates back to 2012, before we even thought of having a beautiful girl named Avery. But now, we couldn’t be happier with our constantly growing girl, her curly hair, and mesmerizing blue eyes….

healthy oatmeal crisps

Since I originally posted the Overnight Oatmeal Crisp recipe on MLK Day back then, I figured today is as good as any to share here on Going Dad. I don’t make this version in the oven like I used to, but now I’m seriously craving some healthy, homemade crispy goodness.

Do me a favor and make some for me and let me know how you like them. Maybe when Avery is a little older and knows not to pull on the hot oven door (yes, I know there is a lock and yes, I use it), I’ll make them again.

I’m being lazy and pasting the html directly from my old blog post, so you get to read about what’s going on in our lives at the time. Of course, you could just skip it and get to the recipe, but where’s the fun in that? Hope you’re having a great day!

We get this Monday, 01/16/12 in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Thank you, Mr. King, for helping us be free from working today!!

Unfortunately, Kelley has been and still is sick with a vicious cold; the thing won’t go away! So today she is getting some needed rest while I do things in the kitchen (surprise). I made a mini version of Tomato and Bean Bread Soup (recipe will come in a future post) that she really enjoys. It wasn’t the same as usual since it calls for white kidney (cannellini) beans and I didn’t have fresh garlic or many tomatoes to use. Either way, I think she was pleased and I hope the wholesome food helps fight the crap inside. The soup plus lots of herbal tea is hopefully working for her…..at least it can’t hurt!

Besides chopping a jicama to bring to work for the week and cooking a work lunch for us, I made Overnight Oatmeal Crisps. I just recently started to make these instead of baking so much with eggs, egg whites, and pumpkin puree in order to save time. The beauty of these is you can use mostly the same spices and flavorings you like in cookies, but in a much healthier way.

Just soaking rolled oats by filling with water to the top of the oats in a container is nothing, and they make for a great warm cereal meal on a cold day. If it’s hot outside, just eat the soaked oats cold…..it’s very refreshing. My favorite add-ins are vanilla whey protein powder, peanut flower, and cinnamon with several drops of liquid stevia.

I just use an empty yogurt container to fill with oats, spices, powders, and a dash of salt; fill with water and let sit overnight or at least an hour in the fridge. The starch from the oats help bind things together for that cookie-like result. Here is what I commonly use to make these, but this is easily customized to suit the tastes of anyone.

Overnight Oatmeal Crisps

Ingredients

– Rolled Oats; I just buy these in bulk and use how ever many will almost fill various containers

– Peanut flour, natural whey protein powder, non-fat dry milk powder; I try to use in a 1 part flour to 4 parts oats ratio, but doesn’t have to be exact.

– Dash of sea salt

– 10 to 15 drops of liquid stevia

– Optional: Chia Seeds (these gel up nicely when soaked and help bind the oats even more); nuts or dried fruit might work too, but I haven’t tried.

Directions

Once I have an empty yogurt container (no need to clean it out), I pour the oats in leaving some extra space at the top for the other ingredients. I usually add a good amount of peanut flour along with some vanilla whey protein and a few chia seeds. Together, these make up about 1/2 a cup for the 32oz container in the picture. Add a sprinkle of sea salt, cinnamon, and 12 drops of liquid stevia (honey or agave would work too) then gently shake the container to mix together. Add water (use milk if you wish) to where it rises just above the oats and stir everything together until well incorporated.

You’ll notice the mixture already thickening; just let sit in the fridge for at least an hour.

When ready, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees, spread the oats thin on a cookie sheet and bake for about 30 – 40 minutes turning once you see them browning on one side.

These should come out nice and crispy; enjoy! They are usually sturdy enough to hold up to a good yogurt and peanut butter dip or to let soak in milk. I like just having something tasty, crunchy, and made in our kitchen.

If you have ripe bananas around, mash one and mix that into the oats too. Bananas are great when using peanut flour and cocoa powder in the mix…try it!

I hope you give this a shot and let me know what flavors you used. Happy MLK day, try not to get sick!!

Going Healthy, NuttZo

Healthy Single Serving NuttZo Oatmeal Cake Recipe

11/21/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

It’s pretty clear that the Going Family loves both NuttZo and Oatmeal, so it only makes sense to combine the two into a healthy, tasty and transportable treat. I’m not trying to win any creativity awards here, just make something the whole family will love and won’t take forever to put together.

And that’s just what I did. Voila!

The unfrosted version is better for transporting. Trust me.

Nothing fancy, but damned delicious. If you’re enjoying at home, why not put some healthy Greek yogurt frosting on that NuttZo-atmeal cake?

Need a better view?

Oatmeal Cake with Yogurt Frosting 2 — Topped with cinnamon and looking lovely. Make it go away…….via eating

I wanted a recipe for a super peanut buttery and healthy oatmeal cake, and am very pleased with the end result….so are Kelley and Avery!

NuttZo Oatmeal Cake

Ingredients

– 1/2 cup rolled oats

– 1 T melted NuttZo

– 1/4 tsp baking powder

– 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

– 1/2 tsp cinnamon

– 2 packets or 1 T stevia powder, 8 – 12 drops liquid stevia, or, if you want to use sugar, 1 – 2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar

– 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, pumpkin puree, or mashed banana (Plain yogurt works well too)

– 1/4 cup unsweetened almond or other milk of choice

– Small dash of salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together until well incorporated. Let sit 5 – 10 minutes to allow oats to absorb liquid

Pour into one of the muffin molds in a muffin tin, 1-cup ramekin (or use a glass baking dish like I used), or just spread flat on a baking sheet for a crunchy treat. Make sure you use non-stick bake ware, spread coconut oil, or non-stick spray before pouring batter into device of choice.

Cook for 25 – 30 minutes; the top should have a nice light brown and the whole cake will feel firm. You can set your oven to broil and let cook about 3 – 4 minutes for a crispier crust; reduce baking time by 5 minutes if you do this.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing.

For a quicker version, use a microwave-safe container and microwave mixture for 5 minutes.

What happens when you let your wife/kid try a "bite" — What happens when you let your wife/kid try a “bite”

This cake is bliss on its own, but try smearing more NuttZo or nut butter of choice on top for extra nuttiness! Or, get a little more creative with a banana and peanut butter mashed together and smeared on top.

Try your favorite spread and let me know what you come up with. Have fun with the flavors and making this cake.

What? You want to try the Greek Yogurt Icing? Ok, it’s extremely easy; just like this recipe…..

Greek Yogurt Icing

Mix 2 cups plain Greek Yogurt (non, low, or full fat will work) with one of the following to suit your preferences:

– 1/2 cup melted NuttZo, other nut butter, or peanut flour for peanut butter icing

– 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder (preferably organic and sweetened with stevia) and 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

– 1/2 cup chocolate protein powder (preferably organic and sweetened with stevia), 2 tsp cacao powder, and 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

– 1 very ripe mashed banana and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

– 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger and nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp cloves

I love the single serving recipes, but just double, triple, or quadruple the measurements to make more. This would be a perfect Thanksgiving breakfast you make in a hurry since we all know the rest of the day can get hectic fast! Try making the entire mix the night before so you can cook first thing in the morning.

Contest, Food, Going Healthy

A Healthy Turkey-Mushroom Pumpkin Casserole and Chance to Win $500 for #ShroomTember

09/15/2014 R.C. Liley 3 Comments

I never understood why so many people are averse to the mushroom. I mean, c’mon, he’s a “fun-gi”!

Sorry, had to get that in there. But I feel that if more people gave the fungus a chance, it would grow on them.

Okay, seriously, I’m done now.

I’ve been a mushroom lover for as long as I can remember, and never cared for anything fancy, just plain and raw. Sometimes, when I’m feeling really crazy, I might add a touch of spicy brown mustard or use them to dip in hummus, but I mostly enjoy them sans toppings.

My love for mushrooms is no secret, and I think that’s obvious when you see the birthday “cake” I was given by my co-workers one year.

Going Mom, on the other hand, has never allowed “mushroom” in her diet for the mycelium which leaves me as the only “con-shroomer” (wow, I can’t stop). Not a problem, though, since I’m not good at sharing food I treasure.

Even now that we’re feeding Avery a mixture of veggies, I’m apprehensive to give her mushrooms at the fear she’ll just throw them on the floor. It would hurt too much to see.

Although I prefer the simplicity of plain, uncooked mushrooms, I couldn’t resist when the great guys at Life of Dad invited me to partner with them and The Mushroom Council as an official ambassador to help celebrate and promote #ShroomTember!

I am honored to be amongst several other awesome dad bloggers acting as ambassador by creating and sharing an original recipe containing mushrooms and telling you, our wonderful readers, about how you can have a chance to win a $500 Visa Gift Card by sharing your own mushroom-infused recipe!

There are two contests remaining for #ShroomTember and this week it’s all about Blendability. Here are several bullet points provided by The Mushroom Council to help explain Mushroom Blendability:

On average, mushrooms have 90 percent fewer calories than a ground meat alternative.
Finely chopped mushrooms look similar and blend seamlessly with meat, so classics can be made healthier without losing taste or satisfying texture. Simply substitute flavorful mushrooms for some of the meat in a traditional dish to reduce calories and fat.
Mushroom Blendability helps you lighten up family favorites by replacing a portion of the ground meat with mushrooms – creating healthier versions of the recipes you love.
With the mushroom and meat blend, you don’t necessarily have to consume large quantities of meat to feel full and satiated.
Research shows that increasing the intake of lower calorie foods, specifically mushrooms, in place of those higher in calories, like ground beef, can be an effective method for reducing calories and fat while still feeling full and satisfied after a meal.
Mushrooms bring important nutrients like vitamin D, potassium, B vitamins and antioxidants to the plate without adding significant calories, fat and cholesterol.

Healthy Turkey-Mushroom Pumpkin Casserole

Ingredients

1 15oz can pumpkin puree
3 egg whites
1/2
1 medium onion, chopped
2 – 4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced (I used 4 because we love garlic!!)
1 lb ground turkey breast, cooked (sub chicken, beef, or pork if needed)
3 cups steamed mixed veggies with peas, corn, and carrots
1 cup chopped mushrooms (I used white button and cremini, but any kind will work)
2 tbsp. brown mustard
2 tsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (soy sauce works too)
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tsp paprika, parsley, and thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine steamed veggies and cooked turkey with pumpkin puree and egg whites in a large bowl
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add onions, mushrooms, and garlic. Sauté for 2 – 3 minutes until softened and add to mixture in the bowl.
Add all remaining ingredients and mix well.

Pour mixture into greased or parchment lined 9-inch casserole dish (individual ramekins or even a pie pan will work too) and bake for 40 minutes. There should be a golden crust forming on top; watch carefully so it doesn’t turn black!
Remove from oven and place on wire cooling rack. Allow to sit 5 – 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

This dish freezes well and is perfect for leftovers!

I used glass ramekins as the individual sizes made it easier to store some for me and some for Kelley to bring to work. Serve with your favorite hearty bread and a hefty side of greens.

Now, as much as it fills me with pride to have you sit and stare with a grumbling tummy, I urge you to get in the kitchen and put your ‘shroom skills to work for a chance at winning $500. That could buy a lot of mushrooms!!

Make sure to check out The Mushroom Council’s social media pages listed below for great tips and recipes to get you motivated.

Enjoy and good luck!

Disclosure: I have partnered with Life of Dad, LLC for the #ShroomTember promotion. Sponsored by The Mushroom Council, the #ShroomTember promotion gives anybody the chance to win a $500 Visa gift card.