Author: Megan

Ooey, Gooey, Chocolatey Peanut-Butter Oatmeal No-Bakes: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan

No-Bake Cookies instantly bring me back to my childhood days.  There is nothing quite like the smell of melting peanut butter combined with chocolate and a hint of warm vanilla filling every corner of your home.  Talk about hitting all the high notes for a sweet treat.

So naturally, I wanted to change the original recipe I grew with, to replace the foods I am unable to tolerate with foods that I can, all the while keeping its delicious texture and flavor.

If you are making these for any holiday, event, or birthday party just double or even triple the batch!!!  They will definitely go quick and you might be wishing you quadrupled your recipe!!    Since these no-bakes are slightly different than the original, these will need to be refrigerated or placed in the freezer to keep their form.  If they are kept out too long they will become a little squishy and sticky.

I hope you all love this version of No Bakes as much as I do and I WOULD LOVE to hear from you!

XOXO,

Megan

Ingredients:

• 2-2 ½ cups of Gluten-Free Steel Cut Quick Oats
• ½ cup Maple Syrup
• ½ cup Organic Peanut Butter
• ½ cup unflavored Coconut oil
• ½ cup of organic coco powder
• ½-1/3 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions:

In a large pan add the unflavored coconut oil, pure vanilla extract, organic peanut butter and organic maple syrup.  (To be honest, I added a bit more peanut butter, because well it’s peanut butter and I thought if it’s full of peanut butter maybe my husband wouldn’t know the difference!)

While this was heating, ripped off a large piece of parchment paper to place on my counter top for my cookies.

Once the ingredients start to melt, continue to stir the glorious concoction until you can no longer see the peanut butter swirl.

Then add the 2-2.5 cups of gluten-free quick oats and continued to mix the oats until thoroughly coated.

Spoon out the no-bakes and place on the parchment paper to cool.

That’s it, you’re done.

Enjoy!!

I would suspect most people some time in their life have food cravings and can’t exactly pinpoint what they’re taste buds really want? Chocolate IMMEDIATELY comes to mind for some people. Yet, others want a creamy texture like peanut butter, still other want the satisfying salty crunch of a potato chip. But sometimes those quick fixes are often times just a band-aid for what the underlying craving really is like perhaps real food.

It’s often times in the quick fix cravings our bodies are trying to tell us we are low in some vital nutrients and minerals and the quick go-to-food can quell the craving but doesn’t always fix the problem. Kind of like if you really cut your finger you certainly don’t just want a band-aid to “fix” the wound you most likely need stitches because the wound is deep. The superficial quick fixes of food is similar. There is a real underlying issue for building back up your bodies reserves in nutrients and minerals and the junk food just won’t cut it…pardon the pun.

One of those cravings I have is eggplant. Now, most of you are probably like….WHAT???? Do you crave eggplant? Surprisingly, yes! Eggplants have a long laundry list of nutritional benefits, one in particular of reducing symptoms of anemia…which is why my body craves this vital fruit…err vegetable. Technically, eggplants are a fruit because they grow from a flowering plant and contain seeds and are a member of the nightshade family. Eggplant, grow like tomatoes mannerly speaking, being they hang from vines of plants that grow several feet high.

Some additional health benefits of eggplants:

• Improve Brain function: Contain antioxidants particularly, Nasunin, an anthocyanin, that helps to protect the brain from damaging free radicals as well as removing toxic waste material. Anthocyanins can help reduce neuroinflammation, which is inflammation of the nervous tissue, and aid in blood circulation to help boost cognitive activity.
• Help to aid in better digestion: High dietary fiber helps with increased gastric acid secretion, which in turn helps with nutrient absorption and overall better digestion of food. Plus, fiber helps with improved bowel movement motility!
• Reduce Anemia: Eggplant is a good source of iron and copper which are both vital components for red blood cells and combatting anemia.
• Help Bone Health: Contain a significant amount of Manganese, which works primarily as a coenzyme helping out in various metabolic processes in the body particularly with bone formation.
• Helps to Protect against Cancer: Have varying levels of antioxidants and phytonutrients which help protect the body from damaging free radicals.
• May aid in Weight loss: Thanks to the high fiber content and low-calorie content eggplant can help with satiety making you feeling fuller LONGER!

So on the menu tonight is my ‘Baked Eggplant with Marinara Sauce over quinoa pasta’ which is a savory, nutritionally dense yet VERY flavorful satisfying dish!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium eggplant

Sauce:

• 1 medium onion
• 2 peppers red, orange
• 3 stalks celery
• 2 large carrots
• 2-3 cans of diced tomatoes
• 2 cloves of garlic
• ½ tsp. oregano
• ¼ tsp. parsley
• ¼ tsp. basil
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• **Optional red pepper flakes ½ teaspoon I like a bit of a kick!

Directions:

1. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut the eggplant ¼ to ½ inch and place on parchment paper.
2. Lightly salt the eggplant to “sweat” the fluid out.
3. After an hour or so I dab some of the salt off of the eggplant.
4. In the hour the eggplant is “sweating” dice, onions, garlic, celery, carrots, and herbs sauté until almost cooked.
5. Add the canned tomatoes and other herbs and simmer sauce until oven is ready to bake eggplant.
6. Place lid over sauce and turn to low heat and continue simmering until eggplant is done.
7. Place eggplant in the oven and bake 20 minutes until golden brown (not burnt)
8. Once the eggplant is done either add all the eggplant to marinara sauce or add individually per plate.

Enjoy!