Tag: appetite

Chocolate Chip Jumbo Cookies [with optional pistachio + walnuts]

by Kristen Neilan, RD, LDNLeave a Comment on Chocolate Chip Jumbo Cookies [with optional pistachio + walnuts]

It’s been awhile since we posted a fantastic dessert recipe, so HERE. IT. IS. The best cookie of all time. There is only ONE way I love my cookies and that is super chewy/gooey. The key to this is making your cookies HUGE. Yes, that is the answer. I am still all about portion control sooo I typically cut our gigantic cookies in half or in fourths depending how I’m feeling/how hungry! Definitely give these guys a try and if you prefer crunch, just make them a bit smaller!

There are two ways to make this recipe depending on how decadent you want to get or what the occasion is! Try subbing half the butter for applesauce to decrease some of that saturated fat! Delicious both ways, if you are bringing to an event or if it is an occasion or if you just feel like the real thing, we recommend keeping the recipe as is. It definitely is a cookie that will impress!!!

ingredients

  • 1 C Butter [cut into cubes for easier mixing] As mentioned above you can sub half of the butter for applesauce
  • 1 C Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 C Sugar [we used coconut sugar]
  • 2 Eggs [we used vital farms]
  • 2 1/2 C Flour [we used 100% whole wheat]
  • 1/2 C Coconut Flour [if you don’t have it, just add another 1/2 of reg flour or whatever you used for the above- we just love that little hint of coconut]
  • 1 Tsp Corn starch
  • 3/4 Tsp Baking soda
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • 2 C Chocolate Chips
  • 1 C Walnuts Chopped
  • 1 Package of Pistachio Pudding Mix OR 1 C Pistachios [this step is optional]

recipe

  1. Preheat oven to 410 degrees
  2. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and regular sugar until creamy
  3. Add eggs one at a time
  4. Stir in flours, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Mix just until combined without over mixing
  5. Stir in chocolate chips, walnuts and/or pistachios
  6. Separate dough into LARGE balls and place on pre-greased cookie sheet.
  7. The dough should make 8 extra large cookies [they will look gigantic]
  8. Bake for 9-12 minutes. They will look like they are not thoroughly cooked but they are!
  9. Let them sit for 10 minutes
  10. Enjoy!

We hope you enjoy this sweet treat!

– The Neilan Family-

-T— jkfj

Blueberry Muffies

by Kristen Neilan, RD, LDN4 Comments on Blueberry Muffies

Lets be honest- we all love the top of the muffin the best. Whenever I make a batch in the house, I end up with a bunch of muffin stubs laying around. This is exactly why the blueberry muffie recipe was born.

You can either bake these in a regular baking dish or a muffin tin! The bottom layer is from another recipe we’ve posted: [Vegan] Dreamy Banana Date Bar – because why mess with perfection. The middle layer is chia seed jam and the top portion is a oat, hemp + almond crumble. It. is. delicious.

about sugar: Usually when it comes to sweet in a recipe, we say “to taste” often. This is because depending on what kind of sugar you use on daily basis- what’s sweet to me, might not be sweet to you! I have actually weaned myself off of Splenda and artificial sweeteners because I didn’t like that it took more and more for me to taste the sweetness. That is why you see pure maple syrup and pure honey in a majority of our recipes!

ingredients: base

  • 2.5 cups quick oats
  • 2 tbsp ground flax
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 2 overripe bananas sliced in half lengthwise then chopped up
  • 8 medjool dates (68 g without pits), chopped
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 packets Stevia or 1/4 C Honey – to taste
  • We added hemp powder [Manitoba Harvest: Hemp Yeah, Max Protein]

recipe for base

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Add the oats, flax, coconut, protein powder [if you’re using] and cinnamon to a bowl and stir to combine.
  3. Mix in the vanilla and almond milk. Fold in the chopped banana and dates. (Taste the dough and add a bit of stevia if you want them a little sweeter.)
  4. Place in either muffin tin OR baking dish
  5. Bake for 15 minutes.
  6. Set aside, it will go back in the oven after the jam + crumble topping.

ingredients + recipe: chia seed jam 

  • 2 heaping cups of frozen mixed berries (or fruit of your choice)
  • 3/4 C water
  • 1-2 Tbsp of Pure Maple Syrup
  • 1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
  1. Place berries and water in a small sauce pot- turn on medium heat- and bring to boil. Stirring occasionally.
  2. Use a fork or spoon to help the fruit breakdown
  3. Once liquid has been absorbed and the jam is your desired consistency [we prefer some clumps of fruit], remove pan from heat and add maple syrup + chia seeds.
  4. Whisk for about 5 minutes to make sure chia seeds don’t clump up on you
  5. After the base has baked for 15 minutes, add a generous amount of chia seed jam on top. We put a generous amount but you might have extra jam regardless [yay!]

ingredients + recipe: crumble topping

  • 1 C Rolled Oats
  • 1/4 C Sliced Almonds
  • 1/4 Hemp Seeds
  • 1/4 C Honey or to taste

recipe 

  1. Mix above ingredients in a bowl
  2. Crumble over chia seed jam
  3. Place muffies back in the oven for 15 minutes at 350

PS: To switch it up and get a little crazy, you can always layer some jam in the middle + top too!

-The Neilan Family-

Dreamy Butternut Squash Mac + Cheese

by Kristen Neilan, RD, LDN1 Comment on Dreamy Butternut Squash Mac + Cheese
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Photo: The Colorful Kitchen

We adore mac + cheese [who doesn’t]. This recipe is our go to when we want the real deal- cheese included. When we make this recipe – since it’s pretty decadent- we think of it as a side and usually pair it with a salad. If you’re lookin for a Vegan version, check out our next post [coming out this week].

I know sometimes it’s annoying in recipes when you see something you don’t have on hand [trust us- hate that] BUT Gouda + fresh thyme is what makes this recipe SO delish. Without, it’s just not the same. So- definitely worth the trip to the grocery store! We promise.

We make this recipe with Banza pasta [aka chickpea pasta] and it’s great. Extra protein, extra fiber, less carbs- sign. us. up. The one thing to be careful with [with chickpea pasta, lentil, etc] is that you don’t want to overcook it or it just turns out to be mush. Personally, I don’t even follow the directions on the box. I only let Banza boil for 5 minutes and then take it off. That’s really all it needs!

We typically add kale and peas to this recipe but the nice this is you can get creative and add whatever floats your boat. Broccoli is another delish addition.

ingredients 

  • 1 box of pasta of your choice
  • Sea Salt
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 medium onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus a few sprigs for garnish
  • 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
  • 1 (10 ounce) box frozen cooked butter nut squash, defrosted
  • 2 Cups Chicken Stock
  • 1 cup cashew/almond [or milk of your choice]
  • 1 1/2 cups sharp Cheddar, grated
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Black pepper
  • 1/4 C Gouda Cheese
  • 2 Cups Kale and/or Green Peas and/or Broccoli

recipe

  1. Heat a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Salt the water then add the pasta and cook per preference [if using lentil or chickpea- recommend tasting every so often. we boil Banza pasta for 5 minutes only or else you’ll have mush!
  2. In a large pot, add the extra-virgin olive oil and butter. Place on medium heat. When the butter melts into the oil, add the thyme and onion directly into the pot. Cook the grated onion in butter and oil 1 to 2 minutes, then add flour and cook together 1 to 2 more minutes.
  3. Add chicken stock.
  4. Then stir in butternut squash
  5. Cook until warmed and smooth.
  6. Stir in milk of choice and bring to boil
  7. Stir in cheeses and season the completed sauce with salt, nutmeg and pepper. Taste to adjust seasonings.
  8. Drain cooked pasta well and combine with sauce. Serve alongside with broccoli, kale and/or peas!

We hope you enjoy!!

  – The Neilan Family-

A Not So Politically Correct Take on Appetite from a Registered Dietitian

by Kristen Neilan, RD, LDNLeave a Comment on A Not So Politically Correct Take on Appetite from a Registered Dietitian

OK everyone!!! Patrick is spending the night at the hospital – another 30 hour shift. SO I’ve got some time to share something with you all that I’m super excited about! 

Boy do I. Love. This. Book- “Women, Food and God” by Geneen Roth. Mindful eating- my, how we forget this day and age what that actually means. As a clinical dietitian, you see the repercussions of poor diet around you 24/7. An unhealthy diet is the cause of 678,000 deaths per year- that’s ABOVE tobacco, alcohol abuse, and high blood pressure. I can’t cover diet all in one post but I am going to talk about a piece of the puzzle & the one that I am most passionate about- mindful eating. Because I talk a lot about meal timing in this blog, this post is not appropriate for diabetics (as a dietitian, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that).

So! I read this book back in college & it was completely game changing for me. The book Women, Food and God (don’t be turned off by the title for anyone who does not have a religious background- it does not delve far into religion by any means) focuses on how we ignore hunger cues for SO many different reasons. Whether it’s because it’s just plain old “time to eat” or “I am supposed to have six small meals a day” or “I promised my friend I’d meet at a bakery”- whatever it is. As human beings, lets be honest, we were meant to work for our food. That is how it always was before technology and all this fancy stuff! We did not have a restaurant on every corner or a vending machine outside our office begging us to get another snack. NOPE. We would go out into the world and hunt and fish and this would take TIME and ENERGY. But here we are. We feel the slightest inkling of hunger (or thirst) and we are on the prowl. We eat when we are bored, we eat for holidays, we eat because it’s “lunch time”, we eat to celebrate a birthday, to catch up with a friend, we eat mindlessly on the phone, we eat while we watch a movie, we eat in the car on the way to work. But are we even hungry? Trust me, I think the social aspect is wonderful. Traveling and trying new restaurants is our favorite past time. However Patrick and I will not eat if we are not hungry- under any circumstance. But that’s the only “diet” we follow & it works. It sounds easy- but it takes work! Is it strange for people at times? Yes it definitely is. It is not easy to not eat with a friend when you are not hungry- but I do it all the time. My friends know this and they know it well. Do not care how uncomfortable it makes someone, don’t care if they’re judging- because it doesn’t make sense. If you’re not hungry your body is saying- “I’ve got the energy we need in here- no worries”. A lot of the time it takes people time to regain hunger cues because if you are used to ignoring them aka eating more or less than what your body needs – your hunger cues may be out of whack but they do come back! It just takes time to relearn how to listen to your body. Starving yourself, only sends your hunger cues into constant FEED ME craziness- so we will cover this in another post because restricting is another topic, for another day, my friends.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book:

– “Change happens when you understand what you want to change so deeply that there is no reason to do anything but act in your own best interest”.

–“If you pay attention to when you are hungry, what your body wants, what you are eating, when you’ve had enough, you end the obsession because obsession and awareness cannot coexist”.

–“And if you worry that not finishing the food on your plate is a slap in the face of all the hungry people everywhere, you are not living in reality. The truth is that you either throw the food out or you throw it in, but either way it turns to waste. World hunger will not be solved by finishing the garlic mashed potatoes on your plate”.

helath

Sweet dreams & Happy Hunger Cues!