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Spicy Thai Crunch Salad with Goji Berries

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Spicy Thai Crunch Salad with Goji BerriesHey, all you peanut butter lovers out there! Peanut butter is not just for sweets and treats. Think beyond PB&J sandwiches and peanut butter cookies and take a trip down the savory route.  One of our favorite ways to use peanut butter is in a salad dressing or sauce.

Spicy Thai Crunch Salad with Goji BerriesPeanut-based dressings and sauces always make us think of Thai food. So we came up with our ultimate Thai Crunch Salad packed with colorful veggies (because you eat with your eyes first) and edamame for the protein (you can add tofu, chicken, or shrimp). And every salad needs a sweet component to balance out the flavors – hello, goji berries. But the chewy nature of goji berries right out of the bag left a lot to be desired. The trick to delicious goji berries is to soak them in water so they become plump and sweet!

The result was a nutritious and delicious salad that got thumbs up from adults and kids. And we know it can be difficult to get kids (and sometimes adults) to love a salad. So we took this is as a big win!

If you are allergic to peanuts, then you can substitute almond or cashew butter or even sunflower seed butter (we love the whole line of 88 Acres sunflower seed butters). We love all the possible substitutions you can make for this recipe to tailor it to your specific tastes and needs.

Spicy Thai Crunch Salad with Goji Berries

Category: Recipes

Cuisine: Thai

Servings: 2

Spicy Thai Crunch Salad with Goji Berries

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup goji berries
  • 1/2 head napa cabbage, shredded
  • 1/2 English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 organic red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 2 green onions, sliced diagonally
  • 1 cup shelled, organic edamame
  • 1 tbs. organic peanut butter (sub cashew or almond butter or sunflower seed butter)
  • 1 tbs. gluten-free tamari (sub coconut aminos)
  • 1 tbs. seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 tbs. low-sugar apricot preserves
  • 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. 1. Place the goji berries in a bowl and cover with water. Let soak for at least 20 minutes or until plump. Drain and pat dry with a paper towel.
  2. 2. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, cucumber, bell pepper, carrots, green onions, and edamame. Toss to combine.
  3. 3. In a jar, combine the peanut butter, tamari, vinegar, apricot preserves, and red pepper flakes. Seal with a lid and shake to combine. Add the dressing to the salad and toss again to evenly coat the salad with the dressing. Add the goji berries and toss again.

Nutrition Facts

Spicy Thai Crunch Salad with Goji Berries

Serves

Amount Per Serving
Calories 236
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5.2 (g) 8%
Saturated Fat 0
Trans Fat
Cholesterol 0
Sodium 0
Total Carbohydrate 37.2 (g) 12.4%
Dietary Fiber 0
Sugars
Protein 12 (g)
Vitamin A Vitamin C
Calcium Iron

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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No Bake Dark Chocolate Cashew Butter Bars

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No Bake Dark Chocolate Cashew Butter Bars

What’s better than dessert? How about a no bake dark chocolate cashew butter bar?

Yep, that’s a mouthful to say, but so worth it!

It’s our version of a Reese’s peanut butter cup, but without the refined sugar and trans fats. And it’s gluten-free and dairy free. What more could you ask for?

The great thing about this recipe is that it’s easy to customize to your liking.

Don’t have cashew butter? Use almond butter, peanut butter, or sunflower butter (we love 88 Acres for sunflower butter).

If you don’t like dark chocolate (weird, right?), use semi-sweet, milk, or even white chocolate.

No Bake Dark Chocolate Cashew Butter Bars

This recipe comes together in about 5 minutes and after 30-45 minutes in the freezer, it’s ready to be cut and served.

And, if you’re in a hurry and need a last minute dish to bring to a gathering, you can whip this up in a jiffy and look like you slaved for hours – or with COVID, feel free to enjoy this treat all to yourself. Plus, it will stay well in the freezer for a few months if wrapped well to keep out the air, so you can always have a back-up plan in case of a dessert fail (been there, done that).

 

No Bake Dark Chocolate Cashew Butter Bars

Want a bite?


No Bake Dark Chocolate Cashew Butter BarsThis treat is so satisfying and filling, that all you really need is one square.

Nutritious.

Delicious.

Easy.

That’s how we roll.

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Shrimp Pad Thai Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

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Shrimp Pad Thai Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

Now that the weather is heating up, we find ourselves turning to lighter fare, like salad and raw or lightly cooked preparations of veggies.

One way to make a fun salad is to break out your spiralizer and turn zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, and jicama into thin noodles!

Our Shrimp Pad Thai Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing will be your new go-to salad for the entire summer (even though summer isn’t officially here yet, it’s hot enough to feel like it)! Not only is it colorful (use the purple carrots; trust us, you’ll get a lot of questions about them), but it’s so versatile. If you don’t have a particular ingredient on hand, don’t worry, swap it for something you DO have. 😉

No peanut butter (or are allergic)? Use almond or cashew butter OR tahini or sunflower seed butter (we love 88 Acres the best).

No zucchini? Use cucumbers (just don’t cook them).

Add some sprouts!

Swap out the almonds of any other nut you like – cashews, peanuts, pecans – OR add some seeds for more crunch. We’re particularly fond of hemp hearts from Manitoba Harvest.

You can make this salad vegan by swapping out the shrimp for organic, sprouted extra firm tofu or organic edamame.

Or, if fish isn’t your game, then add some shredded or grilled chicken.

See? Very versatile.

Let  us know how you like this salad and if you made any swaps, which ones you use!

Happy eating!

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Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats

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Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats

An apple a day keeps the doctor away! And now that it’s fall, we are loving all of the organic apples available in the market and farmer’s market (where you will find many more varieties!).

And what pairs better with apples than peanut butter? Naturally, we had to make a nutritious and delicious breakfast using these two superstars. Then we decided it needed some more friends (organic rolled oats, collagen, and chia seeds) to make it a more complete breakfast.

What else can we make out of this flavor combo?

Oh the possibilities are endless!

Peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

Peanut Butter oat energy bars.

Peanut butter oat cookie dough bites.

Peanut butter stirred into a hot bowl of oatmeal and topped with dried tart cherries.

But in fall, we move toward seasonal fruits – apples, pears, and pomegranates – and use them as the star players in many of our recipes.

Breakfast is Queen!

As lovers of all things breakfast, our inspiration for this recipe came from our Much Ado About Muesli recipe from our cookbook, “No Excuses! 50 Healthy Ways to ROCK Breakfast!”

Muesli is a version of overnight oats. Search the term “overnight oats” in your search engine and you will come up with hundreds of recipes.

We’re sure that most of them taste pretty good. But of course, we like ours best 😉

The beauty of overnight oats is that you can make a bunch of them at once and have them ready to eat for the whole week! There’s no excuse NOT to eat breakfast! As the oats sit in the peanut butter and almond milk overnight, they absorb the liquid and get nice and soft and chewy.

Our overnight oats are this season’s new comfort food.

When you eat it, you will feel the warmth of the cinnamon fill your body with joy. The textures of the creamy peanut butter contrasting with the crunchy chia seeds will intrigue your mind. And the sweetness of the sauteed cinnamon apples will make your spirit sing.

And then you will say, “Thank you, may I please have another” 😉

Sure thing. Keep ’em coming!

Three cheers for apple cinnamon overnight oats!!!

*see notes in recipe for substitutions

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Flourless, Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

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We are peanut butter super fans. We don’t know if it’s the nostalgic feeling of childhood or the fact that it’s just so yummy (very technical word choice!), but adding a little bit (or a lot) of peanut butter to our recipes just hits the spot.

For a long time we were peanut butter-phobic. Back in the “fat-free” days, foods like peanut butter and other nuts and nut butters had no place in meal plans we designed for our clients. Fortunately, we know better now and have plenty of scientific evidence to back us up. Nuts and nut butters absolutely have a place in a clean eating world. Their blend of carbs, protein, healthy fats, and fiber make them a very well-balanced food. They are heart-healthy and can help you stay fuller for longer, which will help you achieve your weight management goals. Yes, the calorie count is pretty high, with 1 tbs. of nut butter clocking in at 90 calories, so make sure to measure it out and enjoy.

Flourless, Vegan Peanut Butter CookiesWhen choosing a nut butter, it’s always best to go with an all-natural style, rather than the big name brands (you know which ones we’re talking about). The only ingredients in your nut butter should be nuts and maybe salt. That’s it. Check out the ingredient list of the most popular brands of peanut butter and you’ll find a lot of stuff in there that has no place in peanut butter or your body. Definitely not clean eats. Most have partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup. Big no-nos.

We saw an episode of  Unique Sweets a while back on the Cooking Channel that was all about peanut butter. They featured a flourless, vegan PB cookie and we thought, “We can do that!”. Of course we made a few tweaks to their recipe. Instead of granulated sugar, we used coconut sugar. We didn’t have plain peanut butter in the house, so we used the White Chocolate Wonderful from Peanut Butter & Co. Bonus – you can eat the batter because there’s no raw eggs in it! After the first batch came out, we thought to jazz up the second batch with chocolate (what  pairs better with PB than chocolate?). We found some delicious chocolate truffles in the pantry, sliced them up and placed a piece in the center of the cookie. Another delicious result. For the final batch, we decided to crack a hint of sea salt over the top for a little sweet-n-salty combination. Mmmmm. Here’s the recipe. We hope you enjoy them.

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Healthy Candy Cane Truffles

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Candy Cane TrufflesIt’s the holiday season, and candy canes pretty much scream “Christmas!” But what do you do with all your candy canes? Besides hanging them from your decorations or taping them to the gift (like our rockin’ breakfast cookbook or our extra rockin’ lunch and dinner cookbook) you’re wrapping for your friend, what else can you do with them? They’re cute and come in all sizes, but when it comes to eating them, we pretty much get bored after the first few licks. And chomping down on them is just asking for a cracked tooth.

No Excuses! 50 Healthy Ways to ROCK Lunch and Dinner!

No Excuses! 50 Healthy Ways to ROCK Lunch and Dinner!

It’s time to make…Candy Cane Truffles!

We thought about all the ways we could incorporate candy canes into some of our recipes in which the peppermint flavor would shine through and add another dimension of flavor. Well, you can crush them and put them into your pancake batter, add them to your post-workout smoothie (think very fast acting carbs), or sprinkle them on top of your brownies. However, we wanted something that was quick to prepare, really eye-catching, and great to bring to a party.

We made Candy Cane Truffles. With crunch and a decadent chocolate bite, these truffles are at the top of our list of favorite desserts. They are also so easy to make, which is perfect for the busy days we all seem to have during the holiday season. Our truffles can be made on Sunday and eaten throughout the week, whether it’s at work, for the kids’ lunches, or after a long day at work. Enjoy!

And, oh yes, they are good for you. 😉

Candy Cane Truffles (makes 16-20 truffles)

Candy Cane TrufflesHOW-TO:

1. Take the candy cane and place it in a zip top bag. Seal the bag and then pound the candy cane with a kitchen mallet or flat side of a pan until you get small pieces and some powdered candy canes. Place into a bowl and set aside.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, place the dates and nut or seed butter. Pulse until well combined and almost smooth. If you use a chocolate nut or seed butter, it really adds to the chocolatiness (is that even a word?)

3. Roll the date mixture into little balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

4. Place the chopped chocolate and coconut oil into a glass bowl and melt over a double boiler or in the microwave. You want to melt it to the point that it’s about 90% melted, and then remove from the heat and stir until smooth.

Candy Cane Truffles5. Place 2 truffles into the melted chocolate and roll around to evenly coat with chocolate. Remove, one at a time using a fork, so that some of the excess chocolate can fall back into the bowl. Place the chocolate coated truffle back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with some of the chopped candy canes. Repeat with remaining truffles.

6. Place baking sheet in freezer to harden the chocolate (this should take 5-10 minutes).

Candy Cane Truffles

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Summer Smoothie Cheat Sheet

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Smoothies. Those fruity, refreshing, icy-cold beverages that just scream, “summer.” But if you buy the ones at the market or from the local smoothie shoppe, you could be taking in far more calories and sugar than you bargained for. And on top of that, you could be short-changing yourself on your nutrition.

What? How could a seemingly innocent blend of fruits and juices be a poor nutritional choice? Aren’t we supposed to be eating more fruit? Yes, it’s ideal to eat 3 servings of fruit a day, but getting it from a bottled smoothie drink isn’t the best way to go. Read the ingredient list on the smoothie bottle label. What kind of juices go into it? Apple juice, white grape juice, pear juice. Cheap and lacking in important nutrients. These mild juices make a great neutral base for a smoothie as they don’t overpower the flavors of the fruit going in. They would be so much better if they were made with pomegranate or tart cherry juice, brimming with antioxidants. And don’t forget to read the label before you down that smoothie. One serving has 150-200 calories and one bottle has two servings. Most people we know will drink the whole bottle, quickly consuming 300-400 calories, and that’s usually in addition to the meal they’re drinking it with.

And check out the sugar content on the bottle. It will make your eyes practically bulge out of your head! Yes, most of the sugar comes from the fruit and is in the form of fructose, but most smoothies have added sources of sugar. Regardless, it can be a sugar bomb ready to set off an insulin spike like you’ve never seen! Your poor pancreas. 🙁

Another problem with the bottled smoothie is that most of them are just pure carbohydrate, which will boost your energy level, but won’t sustain it for a long period of time. It’s missing fat, protein, and fiber, the three important elements to balancing your blood sugar and sustaining your energy level. Plus, liquid calories empty out of your system faster than calories from food, leaving you hungry sooner.

All that being said, a smoothie can be a great way to get a great snack or meal, especially if you are on-the-go or short on time – or it acts as a great post-workout recovery meal, but you have to make it yourself. That way you control the quantity and quality of the ingredients and ensure that you’re getting a good balance of carbs, protein, fat, and fiber.

Here’s our smoothie “cheat sheet”. Pick one food from each category and put it together to make one great smoothie. Make sure you have a good quality blender to handle some of these ingredients.  Our favorite is the Vitamix!

GROUP A : LIQUID BASE

  • —- 8 oz. unsweetened coconut water
  • —- 8 oz. unsweetened vanilla almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, flax milk
  • —- 8 oz. brewed and cooled green tea
  • —- 8 oz. brewed and cooled coffee

GROUP B : FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

  • —- 1/2 – 1 cup fresh or frozen organic berries
  • —- 1/2 banana (frozen makes for a great smoothie consistency)
  • —- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen mango and/or pineapple
  • —- 1 cup leafy greens: organic baby kale, spinach, or chard
  • —- 1/2 sliced cucumber
  • —- 1 carrot
  • —- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
  • —- 1/2 cup cooked sweet potato

GROUP C : ADDED PROTEIN

  • —- 1 scoop protein powder: grass-fed whey, collagen, egg, pea, hemp, or seed mix (about 15-20 grams protein)

GROUP D : HEALTHY FAT AND FIBER

  • —- 1 tbs. chia, hemp, or freshly ground flax seed
  • —- 2-3 tbs. slivered raw almonds, cashews, pecans or walnuts
  • —- 1 tbs. raw almond, cashew, pecan, or macadamia butter or natural, organic peanut butter
  • —- 1/2-1 avocado
  • —- 1 Tbs. virgin coconut oil
  • —- 1 Tbs. MCT oil

GROUP E (OPTIONAL) : FLAVOR ENHANCERS – a little goes a long way

  • —- pure vanilla extract
  • —- ground cinnamon
  • —- espresso powder
  • —- cocoa powder
  • —- matcha green tea
  • —- maca

HOW TO MAKE YOUR SMOOTHIE:

1. Place your liquid (Group A), 2-3 ingredients (at least 1 vegetable) from Group B, one scoop of protein powder, one to two items from Group D, and any optional flavor enhancer from Group E into a high-powered blender. If the fruit chunks are frozen, pulse about 10 times to break them up. Then turn the blender to HIGH and blend until smooth. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy.

We have so many nutritious and delicious smoothie recipes in our breakfast cookbook, “No Excuses! 50 Healthy Ways to ROCK Breakfast!”

Grab the recipe for one of our favorite green smoothies here! You’ll definitely want this in your regular summer smoothie rotation!

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Low Sugar Peanut Butter & Cherry IcePops

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On a hot summer day (or any day really), an ice pop is the perfect thing to cool you down and satisfy your sweet tooth. It’s just too bad that almost all of the store-bought ice pops are full of artificial colors and flavors and tons of sugar. Not a clean treat!

Low Sugar Peanut Butter & Cherry Popsicles

Rather than create a clean ice pop that’s just pure fruit, which is easy to do, but can act in your body like a sugar bomb, we decided to go back to our childhood roots and take one of our favorite kid foods – PB&J – and turn it into a ice pop that ROCKS!

We love peanut butter. It’s creamy and satisfying and reminds us of being a kid. Whether you put it in a smoothie, use it as a dip for your apples, or eat it straight out of the jar, it just puts you in a good mood 😉  For this recipe, we used organic peanut butter, but you can substitute any type of nut or seed butter for the peanut butter and still have a delicious-tasting ice pop!

Of course, we couldn’t let well-enough alone. We had to go and throw in one of our favorite ingredients – chia seeds – for both texture and a nutritional boost. Chia seeds are rich in protein, fiber, and omega-3 fats. Plus, they help you stay full for a longer period of time!

So, our refreshing treats don’t only have a healthy spin to them, but also look so pretty with the layers. The next time the kids have a play date (or hangout, as teenagers like to call it), make these ice pops for them! Or better yet, whip them up for your next BBQ party. Ice pops can definitely be enjoyed by adults, too.

Here’s the recipe. We hope you love it as much as we do 🙂

 

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Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

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chocolate peanut butter cups raw batterLet’s get the facts out of the way right off the bat.

They’re flour-less.

They’re gluten free.

They’re delicious!

We mean, who doesn’t love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter? There’s a whole candy industry devoted to the flavor combination.

Now, we aren’t saying they’re guilt-free, but they’re pretty close! Make them mini-sized and give yourself permission to have a few.

Mini Chocolate-Peanut Butter cupcakes!

They disappear as fast as we can make them. The smell alone will attract your neighbors from down the block. Just don’t tell them the secret ingredient! That’s right, these little fluffy bites of goodness are made with black beans. They add a higher nutritional value and make the cupcakes fudgy and rich.

pb choc cooked

Hungry?

We are. And it’s a good thing we have some more batter hanging out in the refrigerator because all of the cupcakes we made yesterday (30 of them) are already gone!

Let’s get baking!

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Chocolate Blueberry Truffles & PB Banana Chocolate Truffles

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Do you have a sweet tooth? We do. It’s summer, making it so easy to reach for a pint of ice cream or buy a snow cone. Instead, try a homemade healthy alternative. Everything tastes better when you make it yourself, and preparing it healthy is an added bonus. Our goal is to make dessert recipes taste like a treat but without the guilt!

Now, we also love chocolate. We wanted to make something that is no-bake, yet is decadent and delicious. We present truffles two ways! The first is a chocolate blueberry truffle and the second is a chocolate peanut butter banana truffle. Taking advantage of this season’s fruit and combining the classic flavors of peanut butter, banana, chocolate in this yummy treat!

Our truffles are made with almond flour and flaxseed meal. Flax is one of the best sources for plant based omega-3 fatty acids. It’s high in fiber and low in carbs. Flaxseed contributes wonderful health benefits to this truffle recipe. Our homemade dessert is also gluten-free! Kids and adults alike will love this treat. It’s not too sweet or too bitter – it’s just right, as Goldilocks would say.

Never again will you have to buy truffles at the store to fix your sweet chocolate craving, as you can now make your own!

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