Weekends make me go “Mmmm!”
Anyone remember this classic?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF2ayWcJfxo
So do these favorites from the week:
1. Spicie Foodie’s April YBR (check out my Meyer Lemon Ricotta Penne submission!)
2. Anything Indian-Spiced
Remember my epic trip to Whole Foods? I am finally getting around to trying out the Seeds of Change Madras (a red curry simmer sauce).
It was really good over spaghetti squash and spinach! I love that they left chunks of veggies in it. It was spicy… but I added a little red pepper… ’cause some like it hot!
I am also loving my Indian-Spiced Chickpeas.
These crunchy little balls of flavor are addicting. Try them over a salad with a little sweetness mixed in (I went with cantaloupe).
OMG. My first attempt at making nut butter was sheer deliciousness. From now on, I’m topping everything with this nutty, cumin-laced buttah.
4. Sweet + Salty Combos
Strawberry Pretzel Vegan Ice Cream. Sweet berries, salty airplane pretzels. Spring has sprung in my freezer.
And… how could I forget the post-Sweetwater 420 5K recovery?!
Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookie Bars. Iced with peanut butter. I’m beginning to think I have nut butter and pretzel addictions.
5. Vegan Oatmeal Cacao Nib Cookies
I’m headed to visit a friend this weekend and didn’t want to go empty handed! Cookies are the perfect solution to that problem. So is wine.
These are a great, healthy-ish option. The maple syrup gave this cookie a perfect chewy center. Don’t expect them to be super sweet, but they are delicious. If you like a sweeter cookies, try adding some chocolate chips or light brown sugar.
The “quality control” cookies I kept at home are going to be perfect crumbled over Greek yogurt with blueberries for breakfast.
I used Angela @ Oh She Glows‘ recipe for Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with a couple of modifications.
Vegan Oatmeal Cacao Nib Cookies
- 1 3/4 C halved walnuts, toasted
- 1 1/2 C rolled oats, divided
- 1/2 C white whole wheat flour (I used king Arthur)
- 1/4 C whole grain pastry flour (I used Arrowhead Mills)
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 C pure maple syrup
- 2 T unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 3 T coconut oil
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 oz cacao nibs
- cinnamon-sugar mix
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the walnuts on baking sheet and toast in oven 10-12 mins until just beginning to darken, stirring half way through. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Put the toasted walnuts in a food processor and process until just finely ground – watch out or you’ll have walnut butter! Add the flours, baking soda, 1 cup oats, cinnamon, and brown sugar to the food processor and process for ~20-30 secs until mixed.
In a small bowl mix coconut oil (softened in micro if necessary), maple syrup, almond milk, and vanilla. Pour wet mixture into food processor with the dry. Process until well-combined.
Dump the mixture into a large bowl. Mix in the remaining 1/2 C oats (you can use your hands!). Fold in the cacao nibs. Make balls of ~2T of the dough, place on cookie sheet and and flatten with your palm.
Bake for 10-12 mins at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and let cool. Makes about 15 medium cookies.
***
I’m pretending to be a college student – road-tripping to visit a friend from grad school!
Have you recovered from Friday’s early-morning royal wedding festivities?
Are you doing anything fun this weekend in this amazing sunshine?
Ari@ThE DiVa DiSh says
All those foods make me go MMM as well..
I watched bits of the wedding 🙂 it was such a fairy tell lol!
Katherine: Unemployed says
coffee makes me go mmmm good to the last drop! (the foods look great!)
Kristy @ KristyRuns says
dang! everything looks so delicious! and that strawberry-pretzel ice cream? wow. just…wow.
Allie says
All of your food/recipes make me go mmm! And weekends 🙂
Tina @ Faith Fitness Fun says
I think you know that anything sweet makes me go “mmmm”. What can I say? Major sweet tooth over here!
Hope you had a good weekend!