Almond Butter Chocolate Brown Rice Chow

You know when you have a vision for something turning out just-so...and then the outcome is completely different but also better than anything could have hoped for? 

That was the case with this recipe.

When I first read this month’s Recipe ReDux theme, “Favorite Chocolate Matches,” my brain started buzzing about the possibilities. 

I’ve talked about my lack of the “chocolate-lovers” gene on the blog before here. Just to clarify, it’s not that I dislike chocolate. It’s just that I like carrot cake, apple crisp, pumpkin pie, and puffed rice treats more.

That’s where the idea for this recipe was born. I really wanted to emulate a recipe I tasted a few years ago that was a healthier spin on your average marshmallow-butter-puffed-rice-cereal-squares. It was a recipe that mastered the sweet/savory combination perfectly; it incorporated almond butter and nuts with coconut and marshmallows. 

Then, of course, I wanted to add chocolate to this non-chocolate recipe since the sweet/savory combo is my favorite way to enjoy chocolate.

Except my bars didn’t necessarily hold up the way I expected; instead, the recipe created these really wonderful, fun clusters. They’re the perfect vehicle for leftover melted Valentine’s Day chocolate and shredded, unsweetened coconut. 

Don’t you just love it when life gives you those unexpected surprises?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Brown Rice Chow

This simple & fun snack is the a cross between puppy chow & puffed rice treats. If you like the sweet/savory combination, this treat is made for you! 

 Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup almond butter

20 large marshmallows

3 cups puffed brown rice cereal

2 tablespoons flax seeds

1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts and almonds)

1 cup chocolate, melted

1/3 cup unsweeteend shredded coconut

Directions:

1.     In a large bowl, combine brown rice cereal, flax seeds, and nuts. Stir to combine.

2.     Over the stove, on low heat, combine the butter, marshmallows, and almond butter until melted.

3.     Pour over dry ingredients and stir to combine.

4.     Press into parchment lined or greased pan (like one you would make brownies in). Allow to sit over night.

5.     The next morning, break up the mixture into chunks and lay out on a lined baking sheet.

6.     Drizzle with melted chocolate and then sprinkle with unsweetened coconut.

7.     Allow to set in the fridge for at least an hour.

An InLinkz Link-up

Almond Apricot Quinoa, Meal Makovers App Review + a GIVEAWAY

If you were to take a peek at our iPhones, you would find that we have a mild obsession for recipe apps. This is why when we heard that Liz and Janice, the dietitian duo that makes up Meal Makeover Moms created a recipe app, Meal Makeovers, we were thrilled.

We were even more thrilled after purchasing the app, and seeing what a gorgeous and nutritious recipe selection we now had available at our fingertips. Meal Makeovers is stocked with simple, approachable, and healthy recipes we’ve learned to expect from Liz and Janice. (If you haven't already seen the recipes on their website, we highly recommend you check them out! You can do so here.)

The recipes are sorted by category, such as “Pasta & Pizza,” “Side Dishes,” “Vegetarian,” “Holiday Classics,” and more.

Upon selecting the recipes you’d like to make for the week, the app creates an easy-to-follow shopping list divided by sections such as produce, herbs & spices, grocery, etc. Recipes can also be edited according to your tastes and preferences. If you’d rather pass on the onions, for example, it’s no problem. Simply unclick “onions” in the ingredients list of the recipe and it won’t be added to your shopping list.

The hardest part is selecting the recipes you’d like to make each week as each recipe is accompanied with a completely enticing photo. Last week I made the Avocado Salsa, Monster Cookies, and Almond Apricot Quinoa – all of which not only tasted ah-mazing, their recipes are nutrient-dense and tend to be lower in sodium and saturated fat than other recipes you might find online or in magazines. 

On my list for this week? Asian Salmon Sticks, Cauliflower Casserole, and Shepard’s Pie.

An added bonus: you can email recipes to friends and family and post them to social media, too!

Here’s a sneak peak at the Almond Apricot Quinoa, a recipe I made yesterday.

Almond Apricot Quinoa

Quinoa is a tiny seed that packs a big nutritional punch. It’s often referred to as an ancient grain, though technically it’s a seed. No matter what you call it, however, quinoa is considered a complete protein food, so it’s ideal for vegetarians, and it’s gluten free. Serve as a side dish or a main meal.

Makes 5 servings

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa

1 small red bell pepper

1/3 cup dried apricots

2 scallions (green onions)

1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds (*Note: my apricots are darker in color as I used a variety without sulfites)

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 lemon

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

black pepper

Instructions

1. Place quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse very well several times under cold running water. Drain well. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place quinoa in skillet and “toast,” stirring frequently, until quinoa is dry and gives off a nutty aroma, 4 to 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place 1 ½ cups water in a medium-size saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the “toasted” quinoa and stir well. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy, 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Transfer to a large bowl and fluff gently with a fork every few minutes until grains cool.

4. Cut half the bell pepper into ¼-inch dice to yield ½ cup. Coarsely chop apricots. Thinly slice white and light green part of scallions.

5. Gently stir bell pepper, apricots, scallions, almonds, cumin, and salt into quinoa until well combined.

6. Juice lemon to yield 2 tablespoons. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, and honey in a small bowl until well blended. Stir into quinoa mixture until well coated with dressing. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition Information per Serving (total yield 3 ¼ cups): 240 calories, 8g fat (0.5g saturated), 250mg sodium, 36g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 7g protein

Liz and Janice are also giving away a FREE Meal Makeover app download to 5 lucky readers. Simply enter the giveaway below for your chance to win!

Good luck!

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Berry Greek Yogurt Bark

I’ve been painfully sensitive since the day I was born.

This article, which I stumbled upon earlier this week titled 16 Habits of Highly Sensitive People fits me to a tee. My sensitivity to noise (I wear earplugs when I write, which is a lot), my preference to exercise solo, my attention to detail, my tendency to cry easier than most, my aversion to open-office plans...all true.

It’s one of the things I love and don’t love the most about me.

I think that’s why developing recipes for this blog and having my articles published initially terrified me (refer to #15). But, as we round out year #3 of the Nourish RDs blog, as I’ve cooked more, and experimented more with what works and what doesn’t, I’ve started to find that just sometimes, things work out better than you could have ever imagined.

That was the case with this recipe, which I whipped up yesterday morning.

I hope you like it! And if you don’t – well, that’s okay, too.

Berry Greek Yogurt Bark

Ingredients:

2 cups plain Greek yogurt

The zest of 1 lemon

3 teaspoons honey

1 cup frozen raspberries

½ cup shelled pistachios

¼ cup slivered almonds

Directions:

1.      Line a small baking pan with aluminum foil.

2.      In a medium bowl, combine the first 3 ingredients. Stir until well incorporated.

3.      Add the berries, pistachios, and slivered almonds to the mixture. Fold in until well incorporated.

4.      Spread the mixture in the baking pan and place in the freezer for about 2-3 hours, or until hardened.

5.      Once hardened, remove the bark from the pan and either cut or break up into pieces.

6.      Allow to thaw for about 5 minutes before eating.

*Store remaining bark in the freezer.

** You can experiment with any ingredients you have on hand. These are some of my runner-ups:

• frozen cherries and dark chocolate chunks
• frozen blueberries and unsweetened flaked coconut
• dried cranberries and pecans

Enjoy, preferably with those you love!

Although we do work with the National Raspberry Council, we were not compensated for this post.  

All our opinions are our own.  We really do just love berries (and this bark)!