Blueberry Barbecue Sauce with Creamy Polenta and Broiled Tofu

Sometimes being a good cook means being smart enough to NOT reinvent the recipe wheel.  Case in point:

Last night's dinner was full of inspiration from my fellow bloggers!  Since blueberries were on sale this week, I bought three containers of them.  Unfortunately, there are only so many raw blueberries I can toss into my mouth, on top of cereal, or onto oatmeal, before they start going bad.  I thought I remembered seeing a unique use for summer's blue beauties over on Katie's blog; and thankfully I was right!

Specifically, the inspiration for the:

• Blueberry Barbecue Sauce came from Chocolate Covered Katie; and
• Creamy Polenta and Broiled tofu came from Ashley over at Edible Perspective. 

Overall, I drew heavily from the amazing recipes that Katie and Ashley had already created.  I simply added a few twists here and there to put my spin on each component of the dish.  The result was spectacular!

For the Blueberry Barbecue Sauce I:

• substituted the red wine vinegar for a scant 1/4C of apple cider vinegar;
• cut the powdered ginger in half (to 1/4 tsp); and
• added three packets of stevia (instead of two...my blueberries weren't super sweet).

For the Creamy Polenta and Broiled Tofu I:

• added 3/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 2T Smart Balance to the polenta; and
• broiled the tofu on high for 15 minutes, flipped them over, and broiled them for an additional 10 minutes.

The result was ultra-creamy and flavorful polenta with perfectly crisp and textured tofu.  Hm...hmmm...good!

If you are skeptical of tofu, I would strongly recommend broiling it.  The result is a texture that is very similar to chicken.  The edges get a little crisp and - for lack of a better word - substantial, while the insides remain moist and chewy.  Even Bo likes it!

If I do say so myself, the afternoon natural light really did wonders for these photos.  The Blueberry Barbecue Sauce, in particular, looks shiny and delicious; and trust me, IT WAS!

Question of the Day:

Have you ever cooked with (or eaten) fruit in a nontraditional way?!  If so, I would love to hear about it in the "Comment" section below!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Cherry Pie Oats

On a whim - for no apparent reason other than it was on sale - I recently bought a can of Compton's No Sugar Added Cherry Pie Filling.

Well, that was almost a month ago.  

Since that purchase, the large can of cherry pie filling has sat, ignored, in the back of our pantry.  Keep in mind, we don't have any pie crusts in our refrigerator or freezer.  For that matter, Bo and I don't really even like pie crust all that much.  Most of the time, on the few occasions that we have either ordered or baked a pie, we end up eating out all of the "innerds" (that's not a very nice word now is it?) and leaving the crust for the birds.

Seriously, what in the world was I thinking buying pie filling?!

It was simple.  

I was going to have to come up with another way to eat this pie filling.  

And that got me thinking...how else can one eat pie?  I mean let's be honest, who doesn't try to get away with eating dessert for breakfast every once in a while (Come on...what do you think cinnamon rolls, french toast, and scones really are?!)?  So why fight it?  Why not just embrace the concept of pie for breakfast, but turn it into something healthy, delicious, and fulfilling?  The truth is, there is not reason not to.

So that's exactly what I did.

Cherry Pie Oats
Serves 1

1/2 C oats
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 C Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
1 C water
1/2 tsp butter extract (or 1T butter)
1 C Compton's No Sugar Added Cherry Pie Filling
1 T unsweetened, shredded coconut (optional, for garnish)

Directions:

• Add the oats, salt, and cinnamon to a medium saucepan.
• Pour in the almond milk, water, and butter extract.
• Bring to a low boil, immediately reduce heat, and simmer for 7-10 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken.
• Pour the oats into a large bowl, and mix-in the cherry pie filling.
• Garnish with the shredded coconut, and serve.

On the off chance that you aren't a fan of cherry pie (Really?  How is that even possible?!), here are nine other recipes from the ABC blog that are perfect for breakfast:

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

This is the PERFECT bowl of oats for fall weather.  Stock up on canned pumpkin so that you can enjoy this recipe all-year round!

Overnight PB&J Oats

Peanut butter, jelly, cream, and oats all in the same bowl.  

Enough said.

Peanut Butter and Banana Overnight Oats

This recipe takes a classic snack combination and turns it into something perfect for breakfast.  This bowl of oats will keep you fueled and full for hours!

Blueberry Cobbler Oatmeal

This is one of my personal favorites!  

Feel free to get creative with ANY herbal teas you have laying around!

Cranberry and "Dressing" Overnight Oats

Tradition with a twist, this oatmeal recipe will have you wistfully reflecting on Thanksgiving come and gone.  But don't wait until November to enjoy this any-time-of-year bowl of oats!  

Apple and Peanut Butter Oatmeal

Here's another classic snack combination turned into something marvelous and delicious for breakfast.  If bananas aren't your thing, this bowl of oats should fit the bill!

Biscoff Overnight Oats

What's Biscoff?  

Don't ask.

Just get into your car,

drive to the nearest grocery store, 

buy it, and

rush home to make this for breakfast tomorrow.

You can thank me later.

Spring Green Overnight Oats

Think you don't like green foods?  Well, this bowl of oats isn't your average sauteed spinach, boiled broccoli, or mushy asparagus.  Don't be scared, just go for it!

And again...thank me later.

Roasted Coco(nut) Oatmeal

Running out of fresh fruits and vegetables?  Don't despair...oatmeal is here!  Add a few tablespoons of pantry staples such as nuts and coconut and you are good to go for hours!

Question of the Day:


Do you like fruit pie?!  If so, what is your favorite flavor (i.e. cherry, apple, peach, blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, etc.)?  

P.S. I have a can of Lucky Leaf's Sugar-Free Apple Pie Filling in my pantry as well.  Hmmm...I see another variation of "pie oats" coming your way in the near future!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Sweet in the Morning...Sweet in the Evening...

My Recent List of Cravings:

oatmeal (what's new?!);
blueberries;
raisins;
carrots; and
fruit cobbler.

Pretty random, huh?!  Bo says that I am one of strangest people he knows because he doesn't know anyone else you craves oatmeal and carrots...fruit cobbler maybe...but not oatmeal and carrots.  Oh well, I am who I am, and thankfully he loves me just as I am (hmmm...saying that just made me think of the first Bridget Jones Diary movie where Mr. Darcy says: 'I like you very much, just as you are.'"  I suppose Bo is my very own, personal Mr. Darcy. :)

Any-whoo, back to what I was saying about cravings.  Yesterday I wanted oatmeal and carrots and I wanted them fast!  Thankfully I had both on hand in my kitchen, therefore I had breakfast with blueberries and oatmeal and dinner with raisins and carrots.  Oh, and both were a little sweet, which made them delectable!  So what am I waiting for?!  Here's recipe #1 of today's post!

If I closed my eyes while I ate this bowl of oatmeal, I could have sworn that I was eating blueberry cobbler!  All of the traditional flavors are there: blueberries, oats, brown sugar, and butter.  It is like having dessert for breakfast, but completely without the guilt!

Blueberry Cobbler Oatmeal
Serves 1 (oatmeal craving woman!)

1/2 C rolled oats
Pinch of salt
2 stevia packets
1 1/2 C water
1/2 C almond milk
1 True Blueberry Celestial Seasonings herbal tea bag
1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp butter extract (or more coconut oil)
1 T Silk creamer, for garnish
1/2 C blueberries, for garnish
Pinch of brown sugar, for garnish
Drizzle of maple syrup, for garnish

Directions:

• Add water and milk to a medium saucepan.  Boil, add tea bag, reduce to simmer (low), and steep for 15 minutes.
• Remove tea bag.
• Note: Squeeze out all the water before removing so that you get all of the delicious tea flavoring out of the bag that you can! 
• Add oats, salt, and liquid to the water/milk/tea mixture, and heat over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes until beginning to bubble.
• Turn down heat to low.
• Add stevia, vanilla extract, butter extract, and coconut oil.  Stir until smooth.
• Pour into a Tupperware, or other container, and store in refrigerator overnight.
• Note:  The oats will not be fully cooked at this point.  Overnight, the oats will absorb the remaining liquid, continue to cook, and become voluminous and fluffy.  YUM!
• In the morning, pour in a splash of Silk original creamer to loosen the oats.
• Note: I prefer my oats cold.  Weird, I know, but I like what I like!  If you prefer warm oats, at this point you may choose to heat them up either via stove top or microwave.
• Place the blueberries, brown sugar, and maple syrup on top.
• Enjoy! 

Now, about those raisins and carrots...I wasn't going to stop fulfilling my cravings with Blueberry Cobbler Oatmeal.  No way!  I still had several intense cravings that needed to be satiated quickly!  I thought about making a shredded carrot and raisin salad (you know, the kind you used to pick up in the Furr's or Piccadilly cafeteria line?!), but that seemed a little too hum-drum and boring.  Earlier yesterday I had noticed that a couple of zucchini in my refrigerator needed to be eaten, so I decided to run with it.

Sweet and savory with a little kick from the ginger, this salad can be served warm or cold.  The spices give this dish a slight Asian feel, while the Smart Balance makes it feel decadant.  I have a feeling that this salad will be a new regular in our vegetable rotation!

Note: I served this salad with corn on the cob and bulgur (cooked in vegetable broth and tossed with Herbamare, pepper, and Smart Balance).

(Gingerly) Carrot and Zucchini Toss
Serves 2

2 zucchini, juilienned
2 carrots, juilenned
1 T sunflower oil (or other oil)
1/4 C raisins
Pinch of cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 1/2 T Smart Balance
1/4 tsp dried parsley, for garnish
1 T slivered almonds, for garnish

Directions:

• Heat the sunflower oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
• Saute the zucchini and carrots for 3-5 minutes until tender.
• Add seasonings and raisins, and toss to incorporate.
• Pour the contents of the saute pan into a medium glass bowl.
• Add the butter, and toss to coat.
• Garnish with parsley and almonds.
• Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve cold.

Up next - A post about my birthday dinner at Vietnam Restaurant.  I can't believe I'm going to be 28!

Question of the Day:

What foods to you frequently crave?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo