Strawberry Oatmeal Bars (Vegan)

Servings10

Recipe from Michaela Vais Ela Vegan

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

We thought these strawberry oatmeal bars were delightful.  Of course, the husband loved having this seasonal treat.  These had just the right amount of sweet to them.  By using mashed banana and just a bit of maple syrup, the flavor of the berries really comes through. (I followed the original recipe to the letter, with this exception… I added about ½ teaspoon vanilla to the berry mixture and ¼ teaspoon almond extract plus ½ teaspoon sea salt to the dough mixture.)

Dough:

2 cups (205 g) oats 

1 cup (120 g) almond flour* 

1 cup (90 g) oat flour 

1 small (80 g) banana, mashed* 

1/4 cup (80 g) maple syrup or agave syrup

1/4 cup (60 g) canned coconut milk*

2 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon almond extract

Strawberry Filling:

3 cups (450 g) diced strawberries

1/3 cup (105 g) maple syrup or agave syrup

2-3 teaspoon fresh lime or lemon juice

5 teaspoon chia seeds

3 teaspoon cornstarch or potato starch 

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

(I highly recommend using a kitchen scale for this recipe and measuring the ingredients in grams.) 

Preheat the oven to 360 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

Put the ingredients for the strawberry filling in a saucepan, bring to a boil, let it simmer for 5-10 minutes, and stir occasionally.

Mix all ingredients for the dough in a bowl by either using your hands or a hand mixer.

Press 2/3 of the dough evenly into a greased or lined baking dish. The pan I used measured 7 x 11 inches (18 x 28 cm).

Pour the strawberry filling over the crust.  Crumble the remaining 1/3 dough on top.  Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. 

Notes:

*Banana: Use banana or applesauce for a low-fat version. If you prefer a flaky/buttery soft crust, I would recommend using 40 grams banana (or applesauce) and 40 grams vegan butter (margarine).

*Almond flour: You can use any ground nuts/seeds of choice (e.g. hazelnuts, shredded unsweetened coconut) instead of almond flour.

*Coconut milk: You could use oat cream or soy cream instead of canned coconut milk.

*Other reviewers said that the bars could be frozen for up to 3 months.  Other berries can be used.  Frozen strawberries/berries will work.

Nutrition Facts (1 of 10 servings)

Calories 273; Fat 9.5 g; 1.7 g Sat. Fat; Carbohydrates 36.2 g; Fiber 6 g; Sugars 15.4 g; Protein 7.1 g

Strawberry Salad with Candied Hazelnuts (Vegan)

Here we have Strawberry Salad with Candied Hazelnuts
served along side bbq tofu.

Recipe from Minimalist Baker
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen 
Servings: 4 (2-cup servings)

It’s strawberry season where we live, therefore, we must eat ‘em any way we can.  Minimalist Baker has consistently posted great recipes and so I was pretty confident this one would be great too.  I confess to making a double batch of the hazelnuts to toss in other salads for the week, but they are absolutely the perfect nut to pair with the strawberries.  I buy vegan feta cheese from Trader Joes.  The strawberries were locally grown and so they were extra tasty.  All in all, this salad is summer in a bowl.  Yum!

Hazelnuts
1 heaping cup raw hazelnuts, roughly chopped
2 tsp olive oil or melted coconut oil
1 Tbsp coconut sugar
2 tsp maple syrup (or agave nectar)
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch ground cinnamon

Dressing
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp maple syrup
1-2 Tbsp minced shallot
1 pinch each sea salt and black pepper

Salad
1 (5-oz.) package baby spinach OR mixed baby greens
1 ½ cups thinly sliced strawberries
1/4 cup vegan feta cheese crumbles 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and add raw hazelnuts to a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Once oven is preheated, toast hazelnuts for 7 minutes. Then remove from oven and add remaining ingredients directly to the hazelnuts (oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup, sea salt, and cinnamon). Use a spatula to thoroughly toss/combine.
Place back in oven and roast for another 4-6 minutes or until fragrant and golden brown. Set aside to cool.
In the meantime, prepare dressing by adding all ingredients to a jar (or mixing bowl) and shaking vigorously (or whisking) to combine. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more balsamic for acidity, maple syrup for sweetness, salt or pepper for flavor balance, or olive oil for creaminess. Set aside.

To serve, add spinach or baby lettuces/greens, half of the strawberries, and half of the roasted hazelnuts to a large mixing/serving bowl. Drizzle with half of the dressing and toss to combine.
Plate and garnish with the vegan feta and remaining strawberries and hazelnuts, and serve with remaining dressing (if you like a more heavily dressed salad).
Best when fresh, though leftovers store separately in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Store hazelnuts well sealed at room temperature.

Nutritional Info: (1 of 4 servings) Calories: 368; Carbohydrates: 19.1 g; Protein: 7 g; Fat: 31.9 g; Saturated Fat: 2.9 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 23.5 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 68 mg Potassium: 557 mg; Fiber: 5.6 g; Sugar: 11.2 g; Vitamin A: 3337 IU; Vitamin C: 43 mg; Calcium: 94 mg; Iron: 3 mg

Strawberry Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie (Vegan)

Recipe from The Conscious Plant Kitchen

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 1 generous smoothie

This smoothie makes a yummy healthful snack or quick breakfast.  

1 cup unsweetened almond milk or other plant based milk

1 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted natural peanut butter

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 small frozen ripe banana

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon chia seeds (optional)

Notes:

You can replace the almond milk with other non-dairy milks such as oat milk or coconut milk.  

You can replace the peanut butter with other nut or seed butters such as almond butter or sunflower butter.

You can add some plant based yogurt.

You can make it even more sweet by adding just a touch maple syrup, but we think this is plenty sweet because we use very spotty bananas.

You can boost the flavor a bit by adding 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or a smidgeon of nutmeg.

You can thin it out by adding more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.

You can thicken it by adding more banana, a bit of yogurt or a few cashews.

You can reduce the fat content by using powdered peanut butter (PB2).

 

The Red and Black (Cocktail)

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Makes 2 generous cocktails or 4 “mini” cocktails*

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

When the weather warms up and the local strawberries are in, be sure to save some from your shortcake, pie, and jam making so that you can prepare this deliciously spicy and refreshing cocktail.  I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen (one of my favorite websites) and actually had all the ingredients, soooooo…..I didn’t waste any time trying it out.  *The original recipe said that it made 2 generous servings.  We had a couple of friends coming over for a casual dinner party and I thought I’d make “mini” cocktails with this recipe.  It was actually the perfect amount for each person (see photo.) For those faint of heart may not enjoy the peppery kick, but we thought it was fantastic with the cooling strawberry mixture.  The strawberries can be muddled, but I used a stick blender to blend them for easier sipping.  I loved how I could make the syrup and the actual strawberry mixture in advance, so convenient for a party.

Simple Syrup:

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup water

1 Tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

Combine sugar, water, and the pepper in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Simmer until the sugar fully dissolves, stirring; this takes about 1 minute.  Cool completely. Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer.  Discard the black pepper.  Set aside the simple syrup while you make the drink mixture. (You can make the simple syrup days in advance and keep it in the fridge after straining.)

Make Drink Mixture:

4 oz. ripe strawberries, hulled and halved

5 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

5 ounces blanco tequila

Muddle the strawberries in a tall, wide-mouth mason jar.  Add the lime juice and ½ cup of the cooled syrup, the tequila and stir to combine.  (If you wish, you can use a stick blender and blend right in the jar.) Put a lid on the jar and chill in the fridge until ready to serve, up to 2 days.

For Serving:

1 lime wedge (plus more to pretty up the glass)

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

¾ teaspoon finely ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Crushed ice

Swipe the rims of 2 rocks or equivalent 11 or 12-ounce glasses with the lime wedge.  Combine 1 Tablespoon sugar and ¾ teaspoon finely ground black pepper and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt on a shallow plate.  Dip the rims in the sugar-pepper-salt mixture to coat them.  (You can do this task in advance and keep the sugar-rimmed glasses in the fridge until you are ready to serve.) Carefully fill the glasses with the crushed ice.  Divide the strawberry-tequila mixture between the glasses including the strawberries. 

Homemade Fruit Rollups

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Well, these are fun and easy to make.  It’s a great way to use up berries that might be a little past their prime.  They make a healthful treat, perfect for the lunchbox.  This will work with just about any kind of berry.

3 heaping cups strawberries, rinsed and topped

1 Tablespoon honey

Line the trays of a dehydrator with parchment paper.  (My dehydrator has four trays that are about 12” X 12.”)  Place the strawberries and honey in a blender or food processor.  Puree the berries.  Pour the pureed berries onto the parchment-lined trays in equal amounts.  Using an offset spatula, spread the pureed berries into an even thin layer on each tray.  Place the trays in the dehydrator.  Set the dehydrator to the setting according to the manufacturer directions.  (My dehydrator has a “fruit leather” setting.)  Check the puree after 5 hours.  Touch the puree.  If it’s tacky, leave it in the dehydrator for another ½ hour or so until the puree is completely dry.  Remove the trays from the dehydrator.  Carefully peel the fruit puree from the parchment paper.  You can either roll up the puree without the parchment paper or you can place the fruit puree back onto the parchment paper and roll up the fruit along with the parchment paper.  Cut the rollups into 2-3 inch sections using scissors.  If using the parchment paper, you might like to tie up the rolls with string.  Store the rollups in an airtight container in the fridge.

The photos above show the steps for making
Homemade Fruit Rollups.