peanut butter

Frozen Peanut Butter Banana Snack Bars

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These are the perfect snack or dessert for my fellow peanut butter lovers out there! They taste like such a decadent treat, but they are made from just a few simple and healthy ingredients! The peanut butter banana combo is tough to beat in my opinion. You can add in some chocolate chips if you want to make them feel a bit more special.

Ingredients:

For the crust:

  • 1 cup almond flour

  • ¼ cup ground flax

  • ¼ cup maple syrup

  • 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted

  • 1 tbsp cinnamon

  • ⅛ tsp salt

For the filling:

  • 1 cup smooth peanut butter

  • 1 ½ bananas

  • ¾  cup water 

  • 3 tbsp coconut oil

  • 3 tbsp maple syrup

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • ⅛ tsp salt

Directions:

  • Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper

  • Add all ingredients for the crust into a mixing bowl and combine with a spatula.

  • Using the spatula or your hands, press the crust mixture into your baking dish creating an even layer.

  • In a blender, combine all ingredients for the filling. Blend until smooth and pour on top of crust.

  • Freeze for 3-4 hours or until set. Then cut into squares and enjoy! Store remaining bars in the freezer in an airtight container.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Date Balls

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I love making treats that I can keep in the freezer and enjoy whenever I am craving something sweet, and these are no exception! You can feel free to make these your own by adding oats in place of or in combination with shredded coconut. You can use any nut butter you’d like in place of peanut butter. You can even sweeten this mixture with maple syrup or honey in place of dates! While most of us are not making regular trips to the grocery store at this time, with strict shelter-in-place regulations, we have to get creative in the kitchen and use the ingredients we have on hand!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup shredded coconut

  • ¾ cups of Medjool dates, pitted

  • ½ cup of creamy, all-natural peanut butter (unsalted)

  • 2 tbsp ground flax seeds

  • ¼ tsp salt

  • ¼ cup dark chocolate chips

  • 2 tsp coconut oil

Directions:

  • Place dates in a food processor and pulse until broken down

  • Add in peanut butter, shredded coconut, ground flax, and salt. Pulse until combined.

  • Scoop out the dough and roll into balls. Place in freezer for 15 minutes.

  • Melt chocolate with coconut oil either in the microwave or on the stove top. Once melted, dip each peanut butter ball in chocolate.

  • Freeze in an air tight container.

Optional: add the chocolate chips into the dough with a spatula (after all other ingredients are combined) if you’d rather have chocolate chips instead of dipped chocolate peanut butter balls. 

Veggie Pad Thai

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I love Pad Thai so much! It’s an incredibly flavorful and comforting dish, perfect for a lazy night at home. By making your own Pad Thai at home, you know exactly what ingredients are being added to your dish and can be assured it’s not loaded with hydrogenated oils and sugars (typical of take-out). Also, while under “shelter in place,” were not eating out much/at all, so this is the perfect way to satisfy some of our take-out cravings!

FYI - I used Forbidden Rice noodles, which is why they are black in color. Any rice noodle will work for this dish!

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

Sauce:

  • ¼ cup coconut milk

  • 2 tbsp peanut butter

  • 2 tbsp fish sauce

  • 2 tbsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce)

  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

  • 1 tbsp honey

Noodles:

  • 6 ounces of pad thai rice noodles

  • ½ onion diced

  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced

  • ½ cup frozen peas

  • 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets

  • 2 eggs, beaten

  • 2 tbsp coconut oil

  • Juice from 1 lime

Garnish (optional):

  • ¼ cup of chopped peanuts

  • Lime wedges

  • Bean sprouts


Instructions:

  • Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook rice noodles according to their directions. Rise with cool water and drain. Set aside.

  • In a bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients and set off to the side.

  • In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onions (and a pinch of salt) and cook for about 5-8 minutes, or until softened. 

  • Add garlic and broccoli and cook for another 5 minutes, or until soft. (Optional: add a splash of water to help cook and steam the broccoli)

  • Push vegetables to one side of the pan and add the beaten eggs. Scramble eggs until cooked, approximately 2 minutes.

  • Add the peas and sauce mixture, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes, or until it’s bubbling and thickens. Add the lime juice and give it all a good stir.

  • Turn off the heat. Add the cooked noodles into the pan and toss to combine. Serve.

  • Garnish however you’d like!


Optional: Choose whichever veggies you want to use in your pad thai!

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Brown Rice Bowl with Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli, and Peanut Sauce

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Peanut butter is an American classic. Who didn’t grow up with PB+J as a household staple?! While peanut butter and jelly is still a favorite of mine, I love using this creamy ingredient when baking or to add some richness to a dish, in the form of a flavorful sauce. Peanuts are given a hard time these days and there are many misconceptions around whether they are healthy or unhealthy for us. Peanuts (and peanut butter) are legumes (in the same family as beans, lentils), not nuts. They can be a healthy addition to our diets, but it’s important to consider quality when shopping for these ingredients. Most peanut butters out there contain added ingredients like hydrogenated oils and sugars, which can cause inflammation and weight gain. If shopping for peanut butter, look for organic peanut butter with only one ingredient: peanuts.

Here is a simple recipe that can be adapted however you like! If you have other fresh veggies on hand, like peppers, spinach, asparagus (whatever it may be), feel free to swap those in instead! You can also just make this sauce and use it as a dipping sauce for chicken, beef, or spring rolls. I personally love how both the brown rice and peanut butter have a nutty flavor profile, but feel free to swap our brown rice for a grain of your choosing (quinoa, Farro, buckwheat)!

Ingredients:

(serves 4)

  • 1 ½ cups of brown rice

  • 2 sweet potatoes, cut into ¾ inch cubes

  • 1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets

  • 4 zucchini, cut into ¾ inch cubes

  • 3 tbsp avocado oil

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Peanut sauce Ingredients:

  • ½ cup creamy or crunchy natural peanut butter

  • 2 tbsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce)

  • 2 tsp honey

  • 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice

  • 2 cloves of garlic, pressed

  • 3 tbsp warm water


Directions:

  • Prepare brown rice according to package instructions.

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss sweet potatoes with half of the avocado oil, salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet for about 45 minutes, flipping about halfway.

  • With 20 minutes left of roasting for the sweet potatoes, toss broccoli and zucchini with the remaining avocado oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.

  • While veggies roast, prepare the peanut sauce. Add more water and lime juice if necessary to reach a smooth consistency.

  • Once veggies are cooked, create brown rice bowls topped with vegetables and peanut butter sauce! 

Health Benefits of Peanut Butter:

  • Peanuts/peanut butter are a high-protein food, making them a great option for a post-workout snack (to build and repair muscles) or for a midday snack that fills you up between meals

  • Half the fat in peanut butter is comprised of oleic acid, which is a health monounsaturated fat (also found in olive oil). It also contains linoleic acid, an essential omega-6 fatty acid. It’s important to keep in mind the importance of balancing our omega-6 intake with omega-3 foods.

  • Peanut butter is high in antioxidants, which can help our bodies fight oxidative stress.

  • The high amounts of unsaturated fats, vitamin E, and B vitamins found in peanut butter are beneficial to improving brain health!


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