Oatmeal Cookie Balls (No Bake)

I used to eat PB2 Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls for a snack but got a little burnt out on them after a while.  On a recent visit to Trader Joe's I picked up a jar of cashew butter and have been figuring out the best thing to do with it.  Then I decided it was time to make balls again. I love these even more than the PB2 Balls!  The cashew butter is neutral so it's perfect for mimicking that cookie dough flavor. 

I had to experiment a bit to get the right consistency but last night they were finally ready.  The flavor and texture is like an oatmeal cookie but they come together in just a few minutes - with no baking!  Plus you only need a few ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your cupboards.  If you don't have cashew butter you could substitute a different nut butter but the flavor won't be quite the same.  For a nut-free option, try SunButter.

Oatmeal Cookie Balls (No-Bake)

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

6 tbsp old fashioned oats
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp cashew butter
1/2 tbsp agave nectar
1 & 1/2 tbsp. almond milk (I use unsweetened vanilla)
1 tsp vanilla
Handful raisins

Directions:   

1. Combine oats, cinnamon, and ginger in a small bowl.  Add cashew butter, agave, almond milk, and vanilla.  Stir with a fork until everything is combined.  Mixture will be a bit crumbly and just sticky enough.  Add raisins.

2. Using a small spoon or melon baller, scoop the mixture into your hand and roll into 4 evenly sized balls.  Squish well so that everything holds together.  Place in a bowl and freeze for 30 minutes before eating (if not eating immediately store in refrigerator).

Makes 4 balls.

Post-Run Rehydration

I'm normally very good with staying hydrated.  Due to humid weather and some recent end of the school year (ahem) indulging, I've been a bit dehydrated.  Even though the weather was cool and the humidity was down, I was feeling the effects of that yesterday after finishing my long run.  Instead of turning toward my usual post-run oatmeal, I found myself craving a cool and creamy green smoothie.  Thankfully I had a couple of bananas tucked away in my freezer.  What's a smoothie without frozen bananas?  I just needed to grab a couple of things at the corner farm market, toss it all in the Vitamix, and I was good to go!

Post-Run Summer Smoothie
(print recipe)

Ingredients:

1 bag baby spinach, rinsed
1/2 pineapple, cored and cut into chunks
Mango, peeled and cut into chunks
2 frozen bananas

Directions:

1. Blend spinach, pineapple, and mango in blender* until liquified.
2. Add frozen banana until creamy and smooth.  Do not over-blend.

*High-powered blender, such as Vitamix does the job well!  If you have a regular blender you may need to add water to get it to blend.

Serves 2.  Or one very hungry and dehydrated runner!

Jumbo Pina Colada Muffins

I love muffins.  Not mini muffins.  Not regular muffins.  JUMBO muffins.  When done wrong, muffins (especially jumbo muffins) are no more than unfrosted cupcakes made with unhealthy ingredients and loaded with fat and calories.  And it's not easy to find good vegan muffins anyway.  It's really best to make your own.  But sometimes I get lazy.

There's a good bakery - Bizzy Lizzy Flourless Bakery - that delivers vegan muffins to a nearby market.  They use high quality ingredients, too, so I feel okay about the treat.  I like that I can stop and grab just one muffin here or there.  Anyway, I fell in love with their Pina Colada flavor and have made it my mission to find a recipe. 

Alas, I couldn't find one.  I did, however, find a recipe for vegan coconut muffins that I thought could be adapted and turned into pina colada muffins.  After some experimenting I think the combination of coconut and pineapple is right; however, afterwards I wondered if maybe I should have used rum extract instead of vanilla.  Next time... 

So here's my recipe for healthy Pina Colada Muffins - JUMBO-sized!*

Jumbo Pina Colada Muffins
(print or share)

Ingredients:

3/4 c. oat flour (grind oats in a blender or food processor to make flour)
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

2 medium bananas
8 oz. can pineapple tidbits, undrained
1 tsp. rum extract (or vanilla)
1/4 c. light brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar

1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
Additional coconut for topping the muffins

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly spray your muffin tin with nonstick spray.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the oat flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking powder, and salt.  Make a well in the center of the mixture and set aside.

3. Break up the bananas and toss them in a medium bowl.  Mash them well with a fork until no chunks remain.  

4. Add the pineapple, vanilla or rum extract, and sugars.  Stir well.

5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry.  Stir until just combined.  Set aside.

6. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the coconut flakes and stir constantly until coconut begins to brown slightly.  Keep a close eye on it - you want it to brown, not burn!  Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before adding to the muffin batter.  Gently stir until just combined, being careful not to over mix.  

7. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 of the way with batter.  Sprinkle with additional coconut flakes.

8. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until just beginning to brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in pan on wire rack until you can safely remove them from the pan.  

Yield: 6 jumbo muffins

*For 24 mini muffins, bake for 10-15 minutes.  
**For 12 regular muffins, bake for 20-25 minutes.

Summer Berry Parfait

It's been forever since I've posted a recipe.  Like forever-ever!  This one is hardly a recipe but it'll have to tide you over until I get a real one for you. (I'm putting the finishing touches on a new muffin recipe that should be ready soon - stay tuned!)

I posted a picture of this on the Vegan Road Runner Facebook page recently but I know not everyone follows me there. In case you missed it, here's my current favorite summer lunch.  It would also make a fabulous breakfast.  

Summer Berry Parfait

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

1 cup strawberries, rinsed and sliced
1/2 cup blueberries, rinsed
6 oz. vanilla soy yogurt
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats (dry)
1 tbsp. toasted wheat germ*

*If you have a wheat allergy, omit or substitute with something you can tolerate.  I like the flavor it adds but it's also tasty without it.

Directions:   

1. Combine the berries in a bowl.
2. Top with yogurt, oats, and wheat germ.
3. Mix together and enjoy!
Makes 1 serving.

This bowl packs a nutritious punch!  Antioxidants and vitamin C (berries); protein and calcium (soy yogurt); B-vitamins, folate, Vitamin E, minerals (wheat germ); fiber (berries, oats, and wheat germ).


What's your favorite fresh fruit breakfast or lunch?

Blog Updates

In case you haven't noticed, I've recently made some changes to the
blog that I'd like to bring to your attention.

• Find VRR on Facebook - For starters, I'm very excited to have finally launched Vegan Road Runner on Facebook!  I wasn't smart enough to figure out how to put a "Like" button on my blog but if you click on the link it will take you to my FB page and you can "like" me from there.  Not only will you get links to VRR posts as soon as they're posted but you'll also get quick status updates about my runs and meals, interesting links and recipes, and witty observations on my vegan life. 
• "Like" my posts on Facebook - Following each post is a "like" button so you can just click right on that to show that you like the specific post.  What a great way to share my race recaps and recipes with all your friends, right?
• Search VRR - Looking for a certain recipe, ingredient, or topic that I might have written about?  Now you can type a key word or phrase into the search box and a list of posts will show up that have that in it.
• Recipe Index - An easy way to browse, search, and print my recipes.  All new recipes I post will have a printable recipe and eventually all my previously posted recipes will, too.  They aren't all in there yet but I'm working on it!
• Labels - Instead of searching for, say, "1/2 marathon," you can click on it in the labels list and it will pull up all the posts that are about 1/2 marathons.  While I'm still working on the Recipe Index, this is another way to find what you're looking for (ex. click on entrees, appetizers, desserts).
• Subscribe to VRR - Add Vegan Road Runner RSS feed to your reader such as Google or Yahoo.
• Popular Posts - A list of the top 5 all-time most popular posts.  If you haven't read these posts, you're obviously missing out.

Thanks for taking the time to check out these new features.  Please let me know what you think by leaving a comment either in the comments section below or on Facebook. 

Have a great day!