Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip Banana Breakfast Cookies

Posted on August 23, 2015 by skibootsinthekitchen

Whoever said cookies aren’t a breakfast food, lied. Cookies are great for breakfast especially when they are packed with protein and deliciousness like chocolate chips and oats! I had some old brown bananas and I was really bored of making banana bread. I mean seriously- what else can you do with over ripe bananas other than freeze them for smoothies or make banana bread?

Now you can make gluten free, vegan and healthy cookies that are easy to pack for breakfast on the go, crumbled over yogurt or for an afternoon snack. There are lots of other ingredients you could substitute into the cookies too. Try some dried cranberries instead of chocolate chips (or WITH chocolate chips!) add pecans or walnuts for a little crunch. The options are endless! Plus what better way to get your picky eaters to get their whole grains and fruits in the morning?? A kid turning down a cookie for breakfast? That has never happened! Happy baking!

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas, mashed
3 cups rolled oats (quick or regular)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Other optional ingredients- pecans, walnuts, dried cranberries, coconut, raisins

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350
Place the oats in a blender or food processor and blend until oats are consistency of flour- if there is still larger chunks of oats, that is OK.
In a large bowl combine mashed bananas, oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips and whatever else you want. Mix to combine.
Place dough (it will be very sticky!) on a greased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool.
Store in a plastic zip lock bag or wrap and freeze them individual. Makes 12-16 large cookies.

Boneyard Saloon’s Berry Berry Salad

Posted on August 17, 2015 by skibootsinthekitchen

There is nothing more delicious on a hot day than a crisp, fresh salad! One of my favorite summer salad’s ’round town these days is over at the Boneyard Saloon and Wine Dive, called the Berry Berry Salad. The original version of this dish has a delightful combination of blueberries, cranberries, goat cheese and pumpkin seeds that come together to make your mouth sing! For this remake, I decided to add a couple additional ingredients, plus some juicy grilled chicken for added protein…boy oh boy did it come out delish! Pair this with a nice glass of pinot grigio or frosty brew and you’ve got yourself super fresh dinner or lunch. Enjoy!

Berry Berry Salad (Serves 1 person or 2 side salads)

Ingredients:

3 large handfuls fresh spring mix
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup raspberries
1/4 cup dried cranberries
3 large strawberries, sliced
6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons toasted almond slivers
3-4 tablespoons crumbed herb goat cheese
1/2 a medium avocado, diced
1 grilled chicken breast, cut into strips
Brianna’s creamy balsamic dressing
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with 3-4 tablespoons of Brianna’s balsamic dressing. Toss to combine, making sure all the ingredients are coated with dressing. Add more dressing if needed
Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Enjoy!

Greek Quinoa Salad

Posted on August 11, 2015 by skibootsinthekitchen

Summer is not over yet folks! It kind of feels like fall is creeping in, especially this last weekend when we went camping and the temperature dropped into the low 40s. I was not prepared for those kind of temperatures which required me to stay by the fire all night long. What I love most about this time of year is all of the fresh veggies, herbs and produce at the farmers markets, they are bursting at the seams!

I was looking for a delicious gluten free side for the Deer Valley concerts on Wednesday nights and I stumbled across this recipe from Eating Bird Food. It sounded so fresh, healthy and easy I couldn’t help but try it! Next time I make it I would suggest adding Kalamata olives because I feel like they always make Greek salads tasty! Hope you enjoy!

Greek Quinoa Salad (Serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups dry quinoa or 1 box orzo (cooked to package directions
2 cups roughly chopped baby spinach
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cup diced cucumber
3/4 cup pitted katamala olives, halved
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
⅓ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
¼ cup toasted almond slices or pine nuts

Directions:

Cook quinoa in water, according to package directions. Let cool.
In a medium bowl, stir together quinoa, spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese, red onion, basil and parsley.
In a small bowl, whisk together red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper.
Pour the dressing over quinoa salad and toss to combine. Top with almond slices.
Serve immediately or let the salad chill in the fridge a couple hours before serving.