Pumpkin Oat Breakfast “Cookies”

Looking for a quick breakfast option to make ahead then grab-and-go? Craving the tastes of fall? Dying for a guilt-free way to appease that occasional late night sweet tooth?

                  If any of these scenarios match your desires, then I have the perfect breakfast cookie recipe for you! These pumpkin cookies are light, flavorful, and packed with nutrients. They require less than 30 minutes of total prep and cook time and can easily be portioned and packed in the fridge for days when you need a quick breakfast or snack. Don’t let the word “cookie” scare you away if you’re trying to make health-conscious decisions regarding food. These pumpkin treats are not laden with artificial or processed sugars, butter, or oils like many cookie recipes but were only named such because of their appearance! Rather than an occasional treat, these “cookies” can act as a nutritious daily breakfast or snack.  In fact, each cookie is about 40 calories (not including any optional coconut or almond butter topping).

My favorite way to eat them is warmed and topped with a thin layer of almond butter, but these cookies are delicious chilled as well! The banana and agave give subtle sweetness while the smooth, rich mashed pumpkin makes them practically melt in your mouth. I prepare this recipe with 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice because I like a strong spice flavor, but you can easily back it off to ½ tsp if you prefer a subtler pumpkin spice flavor. For me, spreading 1 T of almond butter over 6 of these cookies makes for the perfect breakfast that keeps me feeling satisfied until lunch!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 C roasted* and mashed (or canned) pumpkin
• 1/3 C oats (I used GF quick cook, but rolled oats work too)
• 1 egg
• 1 banana
• 1/2 – 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (depending on your preferred spice level)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1-2 tsp maple syrup or honey
• 1 T unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)

Directions:

1. In mixing bowl, mash the banana until it forms a smooth paste.
2. Stir in the pumpkin, oats, egg, and sweetener of choice.
3. Add in the seasonings and coconut (if desired), mixing well.
4. Set mixture aside for 10 minutes.
5. While the mixture sits, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
6. On a greased baking sheet, form the mixture into small cookies of equal size. It should make 8 or 9 cookies total.
7. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, until the cookies are not sticky to the touch.
8. Optional: top the cookies with almond butter if you plan to eat them immediately! You can also put them in the fridge and re-heat later as a tasty snack.

 

Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili

Fall is my favorite season for cooking due to all of the delicious fruits and vegetables available during a New England fall.  Pumpkin, apples, butternut squash: such versatile ingredients that lend themselves to dishes that provide the cozy, warm feel you desire as the weather starts to get colder. Call me “basic”, but pumpkin is by far my favorite fall ingredient to use, and with its high number of nutritional benefits, I am always finding ways to incorporate it into recipes. Since I’m away from home researching in Swaziland for the two and a half months, I will sadly miss fall back home, so I have been trying to come up with recipes to cook here in Swaziland that remind me of home. Lucky for me, pumpkin is also in season here!

Back home, my go to fall dish is chili. On a cool fall day, nothing warms your insides and leaves you satisfied like a hearty bowl of chili. A highly versatile dish, chili can be easily modified to reflect your food preferences. I’m not a big fan of ground meats, so I often opt for vegetarian versions of chili, instead packing mine with different types of beans and lots of vegetables. For this particular recipe, I used diced pumpkin, which dissolves as it cooks down to act as a thickener. It also provides a natural sweet, yet hearty flavor, which I enhanced by adding in a secret ingredient: pumpkin pie spice! If you cannot find fresh pumpkin at your local grocery store, you can also swap the diced pumpkin for a can of pureed pumpkin as this will give the same desired effect. Throw together this chili during the next Sunday football game for the perfect ending to a fall day.

Tip: I always try to buy canned tomatoes without added salt and instead opt to add the salt myself in any soup, sauce, or chili I cook. Canned products generally have high salt contents, used to preserve the food for longer, but adding canned ingredients can quickly skyrocket the salt content of any dish. By adding the salt in yourself while cooking, you can better control the overall dish’s sodium content. I also prefer to cook with sea salt rather than the iodized table salt used in canned products as I think it has a better flavor, and you can generally produce the same desired effect using less volume with sea salt compared to table salt. If you cannot find canned products without added salt for a recipe, however, you can either wash the product before using (if possible) or omit any additional salt the recipe calls for.

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion
• I red bell pepper
• 1½ – 2 C diced pumpkin (or 1 can pumpkin puree)
• 2 small sweet potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 1 can no-salt added chopped tomatoes
• 1 can cooked lentils
• 1 can cannellini beans
• 2 T tomato paste
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 t minced garlic
• 1-1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1½ tsp salt (+ more to taste)
• 1½ tsp pepper (+ more to taste)
• ½ tsp cayenne (optional)

Directions:

1. Dice onion, pepper, and pumpkin. Peel and dice sweet potatoes and carrots, then set all vegetables except the onions aside for use later.
2. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large pot on medium-high heat, and then add the diced onion and garlic.
3. Cook onions on medium-high heat until golden brown (about 5 minutes).
4. Add the rest of the diced vegetables to the pot along with the tomato paste and canned tomatoes.
5. Re-fill the tomato can halfway with water and add to the pot.
6. Bring the vegetable mixture to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
7. After 30 minutes, drain and wash the lentils and cannellini beans then add both to the pot.
8. Stir in the salt, pepper, pumpkin pie spice, and cayenne.
9. Cover the pot and let the chili cook down for another 40-45 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.
10. Turn off the heat, let the chili cool and taste. Add more salt and/or pepper if desired.
11. Enjoy!

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

For me, lunch is a meal that should boost energy and fuel the rest of your day without leaving you feeling weighed down. That being said, lunch should also be delicious and packed with flavor. The solution? These thai chicken lettuce wraps. Subbing out the bread for lettuce makes these wraps low-carb and light, but the kick from the thai sauce and heartiness of the chicken won’t leave you feeling like you compromised on flavor. These wraps are now a staple lunch for me, and they’re even easy to make ahead of time for lunches at the office. Give them a try!

Ingredients:

2 chicken thighs

2 tsp soy sauce

broccoli slaw*

bib (butter) lettuce or romaine (for wraps)

bean sprouts

chopped peanuts

chopped cilantro

lime wedge

*comes in a pre-chopped package from the produce section of the grocery store

For dressing:

3 T powdered peanut butter (PB2)

1 T GF low sodium soy sauce

2 tsp sriracha

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 1/2 T unsweetened almond milk (or more, if sauce too thick)

Directions:

1. Dice chicken thighs into small, bite-sized pieces.
2. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a pan on medium heat.
3. Add diced chicken and 2 tsp soy sauce to the pan and let cook for about 8 minutes, until chicken cooked through.
4. While the chicken cooks, add all the sauce ingredients to a small bowl and mix until well combined.
5. Remove 6-8 large leaves from the head of lettuce, wash them, and set aside to dry.
6. Once the chicken is cooked, its time to assemble the wraps! I start with the chicken on the bottom, followed by the broccoli slaw and bean sprouts, drizzle on the sauce, and sprinkle the chopped peanuts on top.
7. Optional: Garnish each lettuce wrap with fresh chopped cilantro and lime juice.
8. Enjoy!

Makes 2 servings.

Sunday Salads: Mexican-Style Salad with Cilantro-Lime Yogurt Dressing

Salads are one of my favorite things to make on Sundays in preparation for a busy work week because they’re easy, fast, and always hit the spot. Since I make multiple salads every week, I am starting a new section on my blog called Sunday Salads where I will post ideas for make-ahead salads. I know it can be hard to get creative when it comes to salads as I also tend to make the salad over and over again, but I hope my salads might help inspire you to try something new!

I often get frustrated with store-bought salad dressings because they are packed with excess sugar and oil, so I prefer to make my own whenever possible. This Mexican-inspired salad is jam packed with veggies like red pepper, tomato, and corn, but packs ample protein from the quinoa and black beans, and some healthy fat from the avocado. To top it all off, this salad recipe includes a simple dressing recipe that uses 6 ingredients commonly found in many of your kitchens! I hope you enjoy, and tune in next Sunday for another yummy salad recipe.

Mexican-Style Salad ingredients:

• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/4 of a Hass avocado
• 1/4 C canned black beans, rinsed
• 1/8 C uncooked quinoa
• 1/4 C roasted corn (I use the Trader Joe’s frozen version)
• 5-6 cherry tomatoes
• Large handful of baby kale or spinach

Cilantro-Lime Dressing Ingredients:

• small handful of cilantro, washed
• 1/3 C nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• juice from 1/2 of a lime
• dash of cayenne

Salad Directions:

1. Combine quinoa and  1/2 C of water in a small pot and bring to a boil on high heat.
2. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes.
3. While the quinoa cooks, dice the red pepper, tomatoes, and avocado.
4. Place a large handful of baby kale or spinach in a tupperware container.
5. Add toppings, except for the quinoa, one-by-one over the kale or spinach base.
6. Wait for the quinoa to cool before adding to the top of the salad. (If you’re in a hurry, you can put the quinoa in a bowl in the fridge for 5 minutes to cool).
7. Cover salad and place in the fridge until ready to consume!

Dressing Directions:

1. Set aside half of the Greek yogurt in a small bowl.
2. Place the remaining ingredients and the other half of the Greek yogurt in a small blender (or Magic Bullet!) and blend until well combined.
3. Fold in the remaining Greek yogurt.
4. Place in container in the fridge. Do not dress salad until you are ready to eat (no one likes soggy lettuce!).

Chocolate-Swirl Sweet Potato Mini-Muffins

I am always searching for easy, healthy, gluten-free snack and breakfast ideas that I can make ahead of time. Last week, my friends asked me to go on a hike, and once again I was faced with the challenge of creating something gluten-free but also high in protein and filling enough to keep me fueled for the hike. I came up with this delicious recipe for chocolate-swirl sweet potato muffins which were easy to pack in a tupperware container and carry in my backpack. Not to mention they were delicious!! While my friends chowed down on sandwiches, I munched on my muffins, and I can tell you, they were all eyeing me with food envy.

With an ideal ratio of protein from the egg whites, sweetness from the banana and dates, and carbs from the sweet potato and brown rice flour, these mini-muffins are sure to satisfy your hunger. Then, adding dark chocolate chips into the mix just brings them to a whole new level. My cooking experiment definitely worked this time, and I will be making these again in the near future, this time as a delicious breakfast option for mornings on-the-go.

 

Muffin Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato
• 1 overripe banana
• 2 T GF flour (I use brown rice flour)
• 1/2 C egg whites
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 dates, pitted
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 C dark chocolate chips
• diced pecans (for topping, optional)
• coconut (for topping, optional)

Directions:

1. Use a fork to poke a few holes in the sweet potato then bake in the oven at 275 degrees for 45 minutes and remove from skin OR peel the sweet potato, poke holes, cover in a damp paper towel, and bake on the “potato” setting in the microwave.
2. While the sweet potato is still warm, add the potato innards, banana, dates, and egg whites into a medium-sized bowl.
3. Use a hand blender to mix the wet ingredients until well combined.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
5. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
6. Slowly fold in the chocolate chips just until the chocolate melts slightly and forms a swirl effect.
7. Use a measuring cup to ladle batter into greased muffin tins.
8. Sprinkle pecans and coconut on top if desired, or get creative and add your own favorite toppings!
9. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.
10. Let cool slightly and enjoy! They’re delicious served warm or at room temperature.

Makes about 8 small muffins!

Spinach and Artichoke Greek Yogurt Dip

I recently discovered a spinach and kale greek yogurt dip from Trader Joe’s that I could not get enough of! Advertised as “reduced guilt” due to its use of greek yogurt in place of the more typical mayo or cheese base, I was ready for this to be my new go-to party dip: until I read the ingredient label. Although the dip is lower in calories, as promised, it still contains mayo (just less than other dips) as well as agave nectar, another form of sugar, to add sweetness. That added sweetness is often what reduces your body’s ability to feel satisfied and stop you from eating more when you should be full, so I avoid excess use of any form of sugar. A vegetable dip does not need added sugar.

I was heartbroken to part ways with this newfound love for spinach dip, so I opted to make my own. The outcome? A dip that tastes, in my opinion, just as good as the Trader Joe’s version without the added mayo or sugar and has a few additions for my own twist on the dip. Goat cheese provides the same creaminess that mayo creates in TJ’s version and rather than kale, I used artichokes, a natural compliment to spinach. Be sure to use frozen artichokes rather than the canned, marinated version to avoid the excess oil and salt needed to preserve the canned form.

A close friend recently had a housewarming party for his new apartment, providing me the perfect opportunity to test out my new recipe. The dip was a huge hit! I served it cold, and people were dipping everything from chips to veggies to bread, all of which were perfect vehicles. You could also serve this creamy dip warm by slowly heating in a 325 degrees F oven until heated through. I would avoid microwaving the dip or heating in the oven on a high temp because the yogurt may separate or curdle, leaving you with a runny mess rather than a creamy texture. Bring this to your next party or make some for a healthy snack throughout the week. Hot or cold, its a hit!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip Ingredients:

• 6 oz. frozen artichokes, thawed
• 12 oz. frozen chopped spinach
• 1/2 C diced leeks (or diced sweet yellow onion)
• 1/2 C diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 C goat cheese
• 1 Roma tomato (approx. 1/3 C diced)
• 1 C nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 T pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Dice pepper, leeks, thawed artichokes, and Roma tomato*. Set aside.                                                    *When dicing the tomato, remove the seeds and inner portion, using only the outer, meaty part for the dip. (Otherwise your dip will have too much fluid)
2. Heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium-high heat then add in the leeks and pepper.
3. Turn down to medium heat and let cook for 8-10 minutes, or until pepper is tender.
4. Add in the frozen spinach and diced artichokes, turn heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat then add in the goat cheese, stirring until creamy texture formed.
6. Let the mixture stand for 20-25 minutes until nearly cooled through.
7. Once cooled, add the Greek yogurt and diced tomato, stirring well.
8. Sprinkle on the salt and pepper, stirring until well combined.
9. Cover and set in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Enjoy!

Dill Salmon Hash: Brunch in Style

 

Domku version

My at-home version

With brunch fresh on my mind from this morning, I thought I would share with you a make-at-home version of one of the best brunch meals I’ve had in DC! The original dish came from Domku Bar & Cafe, a Polish/Scandinavian restaurant in Petworth. Called the “Salmon Pytt i Panna”, this meal packed a flavor punch with flaky, tender salmon, sweet carrots, hearty potatoes, prominent dill flavor, and a perfectly runny egg to top it all off. I loved every bite and decided I had to re-make this delicious creation at home, with my own spin of course!

Domku’s version was served with a “dijonaisse”, essentially a dijon-flavored hollandaise sauce, but I opted to make a lighter, less calorie-dense version. I also halved the regular white potato quantity and added some sweet potato into the mix for more nutrients and extra flavor. Although I never saw their recipe for this dish, I have to say that mine tastes just like my memory of the real thing! Whether you make it for brunch, lunch, or dinner, this well-balanced meal is bursting with flavor yet not laden with excess calories. Plus it involves salmon, so what’s not to love?

For all you single ladies (and gentlemen) like me who cook for 1, this recipe is written for a single-serving. However, anyone looking to make this for their family or special someone, the recipe is also easily adaptable for larger serving sizes. With its short list of common ingredients and simple steps, this recipe can even be tackled by those still learning their way around the kitchen.

Dill Salmon Hash Ingredients:

• 4 oz. fresh or previously-frozen salmon
• 2 tsp diced dill
• 1/2 medium sweet potato
• 1/2 small white potato
• 1/4 cup diced carrots
• 1/4 of a sweet yellow onion
• 1 T greek yogurt
• 1 T dijon mustard
• 1 lemon
• Olive oil
• 1 egg
• salt + pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Dice the white and sweet potatoes, carrots, and the onion.
3. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray or drizzle with olive oil, then spread out the diced potatoes, carrots, and onion onto the sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with 1 tsp dill.
4. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
5. Place the salmon on a separate oiled baking pan.
6. Top the salmon with the juice from 1/4 of the lemon, 1 tsp dill, and salt and pepper to taste.
7. When the potatoes have 20 minutes of cook time remaining, place the baking sheet with the salmon in the oven alongside the potatoes.
8. While the salmon cooks, assemble the dijon dressing by combining the greek yogurt with 1/4 tsp salt, 1 T dijon mustard, and juice from 1/4 lemon.
9. Set dijon dressing aside in the fridge.
10. After 20 minutes, remove both the salmon and the potatoes, and set aside to slightly cool.
11. In a small pot, heat water and a dash of vinegar over medium-high heat until you achieve a gentle boil.
12. Crack the egg into a small bowl.
13. Reduce the heat to medium, create a circular flow of water in the pot, and gently drop the egg into the water.
14. Cook for about 3 minutes (for more detailed directions on how to poach an egg, check out this video http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/videos/techniques/how-poach-egg)
15. Set poached egg onto a paper towel to remove excess water.
16. Use a fork to flake the salmon into small pieces.
17. Fold the salmon into the potato hash.
18. Plate the hash and salmon mixture, add the poached egg on top, and drizzle the dijon dressing mixture over the top.
19. Enjoy!

P.S. Mine is also topped off with a little goat cheese (because, why not?!) in case you were wondering what was with the white topping in the photo of my version! Check out my instagram: whatkateateblog for more images and a video of this meal’s “yolk porn”.

 

Vanilla Almond Overnight Oats

With a hectic schedule leaving me eating nearly every meal out of the house, I am constantly searching for easy, filling breakfast ideas that I can prepare ahead then grab out of the fridge to eat either on-the-go or in the office. Overnight oats are a staple in my morning routine for just these reasons: they’re easy to prepare ahead, keep you full until lunch, and you can throw whatever fruits, nuts, or other toppings you’ve got lying around in your kitchen and end up with a delicious product. After playing around with tons of overnight oats combinations, I have finally stumbled upon a recipe that is too good not to share!

In this recipe, I use banana as the staple fruit, but I also often sub this out for a combination of diced strawberries and blackberries when I can get my hands on them (one of the many reasons I am looking forward to berry season!). For this photo, I made my overnight oats right inside the jar of my favorite Trader Joe’s almond butter when I got down to the last tablespoon, just so I could make sure I used up every last drop of the almond butter! Utilizing leftover jars also makes for easy transportation, and you can just throw the container away after you finish breakfast.

Overnight Oats Ingredients:

• 1/2 C rolled oats
• 1/3 C greek yogurt
• 1/2 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk or water
• 1/2 banana, diced
• 1 T almond butter
• 1/4 t vanilla extract
• 1 t cinnamon
• 2-3 dates, roughly diced
• 1 t chia seeds
• drizzle of maple syrup (optional topping)
• pinch of unsweetened flaked coconut + more for topping
• sprinkle of dark chocolate chips (optional topping)
• 1/4 apple, diced (optional topping)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients (except toppings) in tupperware container, stirring until well combined. Mixture should appear soupy, but the oats will soak up the moisture overnight, resulting in an oatmeal-like texture.
2. Cover container and place in fridge for at least 12 hours. The oats also sit well in the fridge for multiple days, in case you want to meal prep a few days in advance.
3. When ready to eat, remove from fridge and add desired toppings. I always add an extra sprinkle of unsweetened coconut as well as either a few dark chocolate chips or diced apple, both of which add a nice crunch.
4. Dig in and enjoy!

I cannot get enough of this recipe and make overnight oats at least a few times each week because they are a great way to pack in a mixture of protein, carbs, and good fats (from the almond butter). They are an ideal alternative to grabbing a granola bar for breakfast as these “healthy” bars tend to be packed with hidden sugars in the form of glucose syrup, brown rice syrup, etc., and preparing overnight oats calls for less than 5 minutes of preparation time! Seems like a no-brainer to me. Cut the processed foods, even those that claim to have health benefits, and instead try eating foods in their more natural form with this recipe!

Simple Stuffed Peppers

With my current lifestyle, I am constantly on the move and eat most of my meals out of the house. Rather than incessantly ordering from fast food restaurants or eating pre-packaged, prepared foods, I prefer to cook meals in advance that I can re-heat later in the week when I’m at work or school. Finding meals that can hold their taste and form when reheated can be hard, but stuffed peppers are one of those rare meal ideas that I swear taste better re-heated than they even do when you first cook them!

This “simple stuffed peppers” recipe is filled with easy to find, nutritious, and satisfying ingredients that leave you feeling satisfied. As with all of my recipes, these stuffed peppers are gluten-free, and they are also low fat (especially if you go light on the cheese, although I prefer a healthy dose of parmesan!). I make these peppers in the beginning of the week then portion them off to 2 halved peppers per tupperware so I can heat them up as desired throughout the week when I need a quick meal! They can even be frozen then thawed and re-heated in the oven at a later date. From busy moms to overworked college kids, these peppers provide a quick alternative filled with all the homey flavors of Italian food. From the slight sweetness from the pepper to the creaminess of the tomato sauce and hint of salt from the parmesan, this stuffed pepper recipe is packed with flavor while simultaneously offering an ideal mix of protein, complex carbs, and vital nutrients. You can also remove the chicken and turn the peppers into a side dish to accompany an alternate protein of choice. Don’t knock ‘em ‘til you try ‘em!

Simple Stuffed Peppers Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 zucchini
• 10 oz. sliced portabella mushrooms
• 1/2 C frozen peas
• handful of spinach
• 1/2 can tomato paste
• 1 can no-salt added diced tomatoes, drained
• 3 medium red, orange, or yellow bell peppers
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/4 C shredded parmesan
• olive oil for cooking

Directions:

1. Pre-cook wild rice according to the package instructions.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Halve the peppers and remove the seeds inside.
4. Place halved peppers on a baking sheet, spray with olive oil or cooking spray and bake in oven for 25 minutes.
5. While the peppers are cooking, dice the zucchini, mushrooms, onion, and chicken breasts.
6. Heat about 2 tsp olive oil in a pan over high heat for about 1-2 minutes.
7. Add onion, zucchini, chicken, and mushrooms to pan, stir, and turn down to medium-high heat.
8. Let cook down for about 10 minutes.
9. Add the frozen peas, spinach, cooked rice, and seasonings to the pan, stir, cover, and reduce to medium heat.
10. Cook down for another 5 minutes.
11. Turn off the heat and mix in the shredded parmesan.
12. Stuff a portion of the rice mixture into each halved pepper, overstuffing each pepper with any leftover mixture.
13. Top stuffed peppers with more shredded parmesan and return to oven for 10 minutes.
14. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread: Melt in Your Mouth Good!

I know people get all hyped up about everything pumpkin flavored in the fall, but who says pumpkin can only be a fall ingredient?

Pumpkin is easily canned so you can find it year-round if you know where to look, and unlike most canned vegetables, pumpkin does not require added salt to preserve in canned form over time. Pumpkin, in my eyes, is a super vegetable as it is high in beta-carotene and therefore beneficial for your eyes and skin, rich in fiber to slow digestion and help you feel full for longer, and naturally fat free! Whether you are a mom trying to sneak your children veggies without them realizing or an adult with a strong aversion to most vegetables, pumpkin is an easy vegetable to disguise due to its slightly sweet taste and subtle flavor.

My pumpkin bread recipe is the perfect way to get in an extra serving of vegetables without feeling like you just shoved a handful of kale in your mouth! There are many pumpkin bread recipes out there and people often think that since these recipes contain a vegetable, they must be good for you. In reality, however, they are likely loaded with sugar and butter. The recipe I created uses applesauce and greek yogurt to make the bread extra moist while also boosting the protein per serving and providing a natural sugar source, and these two ingredients are the secret weapons for why this pumpkin bread is too good to pass up!

When preparing for myself as an on-the-go breakfast option, I like to add dark chocolate chips and pecans because the flavor profiles perfectly complement the prominent pumpkin flavor. You can easily alter these additions, however, to any type of chocolate chip, nut, or dried fruit you prefer. The base pumpkin bread recipe is still melt-in-your-mouth good without any added chocolate or nuts too if you prefer to keep it simple and low-fat (nuts contain a large amount of beneficial unsaturated fats though, so they are a great addition!). I cannot get enough of this recipe! For an added bonus, try heating a slice up in the microwave for one minute before consuming. Trust me, once you try this recipe, there’s no turning back…

Guilty secret: Sometimes I go to bed excited to wake up in the morning just so I can have another slice of my pumpkin chocolate chip banana bread for breakfast! I may sound like a super dork, but try out this recipe and then tell me you don’t do the same thing…

Pumpkin Bread Ingredients:

• 3/4 C brown rice flour (or can sub for all purpose flour if not making gluten-free)
• 3/4 C rolled oats, ground to flour
• 1 egg + 2 egg whites
• 1/4 C plain, nonfat greek yogurt
• 1/4 C unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 C Stevia or other natural sweetener
• 6-7 dates
• 1/4 C unsweetened almond milk
• 1 C pumpkin
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 T pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 C chopped pecans (optional)
• 1/3 C dark chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Grind rolled oats into flour consistency using a small blender or food processor. (I use a MagicBullet!).
3. In medium-sized bowl, combine oat flour, brown rice flour, Stevia, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and pie spice and mix until well blended.
4. Blend dates and almond milk in small blender until they form a paste consistency.
5. In separate large bowl, combine date paste, eggs, yogurt, applesauce, pumpkin, and vanilla extract. Use stand or hand blender to mix ingredients.
6. Fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredient bowl in two parts.
7. Use stand/hand blender to mix all ingredients until well combined with no visible lumps.
8. Fold in dark chocolate chips and pecans. These are optional, and you could instead sub for your favorite nuts and chocolate, of leave them out completely!
9. Pour batter into a greased bread pan and bake at 375 degrees F for 60 minutes, or until a fork inserted in the center comes out clean (aside from maybe some melted chocolate).
10. Let the bread sit for about 5 minutes, then remove from bread pan and let cool on a plate.

*To best preserve the flavor of the bread and improve its shelf life, I suggest keeping it in the fridge until you are ready to consume!