You will need:
1 cup oatmeal, ½ cup chopped walnuts, 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour, 2 eggs, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 3 Tbsp yogurt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, optional spices (e.g., turmeric, caraway seeds, cayenne pepper, etc.).
How to:
Mix the oatmeal, walnuts, and flour together. To the yogurt add baking soda, salt, eggs, oil, and any spices. Combine the yogurt mix with the oatmeal-flour, knead and spread in an oil-sprayed pan. Press down the dough to ¼ of an inch or less in thickness and bake for 10 minutes at 400F, then turn the sheet of dough upside down and bake another 10 minutes to golden-brown color and crisp texture. Break into pieces, enjoy!
Next time I will try the same recipe without the eggs.
Happy holidays, from us and the bunny in our backyard (the one that eats most of my flowers, carrots, and lettuces). To indulge your palate during the holidays, and to have a homemade gift to give, I have prepared a recipe for chocolate clusters. They are easy to make and healthy, if consumed in moderation.
Ever since I watched the famous lecture of Dr. Lustig, MD, “Sugar the bitter truth”, I have become aware of how much sugar there is even in products that we do not suspect of having sugar as an ingredient (example: canned beans, tomato soup, etc.). Although I have reduced my sugar intake to the minimum, and started to drink my morning without sugar, for Christmas I decided to experiment with my only indulgence: chocolate, which is inevitably accompanied by some sugar.
Below is my chocolate-walnut cluster recipe, result of my effort to make a healthy Christmas treat. In the spirit of the Mayan and Aztec, the clusters have cayenne pepper, which seems to have countless health benefits, among which are clearing the mucus when you have congestion, quenching your migraines and allergies, and boosting your weight loss. I also added turmeric, the active ingredient of which, curcumin, is used against depression, pain, and inflammation; it also regulates blood glucose levels and may exert anti-cancer activities. The clusters have increased contents of cocoa, which is good for your mind and mood, and increases your cardiovascular fitness. The benefits of incorporating walnuts in your diet were already discussed in a previous post. Here is the recipe:
Chocolate clusters
For this recipe you will need: 1.5 cups chopped walnuts, 1.5 cups chocolate chips (I used Nestle’s semi-sweet morsels), 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (the amount depends on how spicy you like it), 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, and 4 teaspoons of cocoa powder (for baking, without sugar in it).
Assemble a double boiler, if you do not have one. I use a saucepan with an inch of cold water in it, and on top I put a heat-resistant dry glass bowl. The glass bowl is not in contact with the water, and is kept dry at all times. Once the assembly is ready, turn on the heat and pour the chocolate chips into the glass bowl. Mix the chips with a wooden or rubber spatula. As they start to melt, reduce the heat to the lowest setting or turn the heat off. Once the chocolate is smooth, add the powders (cayenne pepper, turmeric, cocoa), mix, and then add the walnuts. The clusters are made by spooning the desired amount onto parchment paper. I use a teaspoon of the mixture to make a single cluster, and from the listed ingredients above, the yield is maximum 20 small clusters. The treats set in within 2-3 hours at room temperature.
Do you like the taste of Hot Buffalo Wings?
I am talking about the Hot Buffalo Wings pretzel pieces, not the chicken. Sometimes I find myself tempted by the Snyder’s of Hanover brand: the pretzels are spicy, salty, and a bit sour. During winter, when my throat is sore, a small pack of Hot Buffalo Wings pretzels soothes the pain immediately. However, snacking on pretzels is not high on my list of healthy eating habits. So, I decided to make my own spicy walnuts. Walnuts are good for almost everything, it seems; therefore, when I crave some spicy food, why not have a few hot walnuts? Below is my recipe that may work for other nuts as well.
To two cups of walnuts I added 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a splash of hot sauce (ingredients: aged red cayenne peppers, distilled vinegar, salt, xanthan gum) and a dash of ground cayenne pepper. Baked the nuts at 300⁰F for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes with a wooden spatula. I let the walnuts cool completely, and stored them in a jar in the refrigerator.
Extra tips
For the hot sauce to stick better to the nuts, add a tablespoon of corn starch or arrow root powder. Also, if you end up adding too much hot sauce, you may need to bake the nuts longer or at a bit higher temperature.
