Hit of the Day (x3)

Time to open up the last bag of granola sitting in my closet!  Galaxy Granola sent me three flavors to try a while back, and I zipped through them as if it were my business.  Granola does not last long in this house. 😉

I’d say my favorite granola so far has been the Vanilla Almond, because the vanilla was so not subtle which I loved!  It was light and crunchy but full of flavor all at the same time.  This one–the Not Sweet Vanilla–is very subtle in flavor but makes a great, c-r-u-n-c-h-y oat topping. 😀

Speaking of oat toppings, breakfast was a major hit this morning for my tastebuds (hit #1!!!.)  I’m calling this bowl: Peanut Butter Cup Oats!

• combine the following in a bowl and pop in the fridge overnight: 1/2 c. oatmeal, 1 banana (slice half, mash half,) 2 T. cocoa, 1 T. crushed flax, 1/4 c. canned pumpkin, 1/2 c. milk
• next morning, mix in: 6 oz. yogurt
• top with: 2 T. Galaxy Granola, sprinklin’ of coconut and a scoop of salted, crunchy peanut butter

The texture was like chocolate pudding and the flavor resembled peanut butter cups.  YUM!

Another major hit for the tastebuds was found in a rustic bowl of Mexican soup (hit #2!!!.)  This recipe was spotted in a Womans Day mag, and I couldn’t wait to try it. 😀  A few things were tweaked for what was on hand in the moment (veggie vs. chicken broth, etc.) but it still came out perfect.

• 2 tsp oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch peices
• 2 cans (14-1/2 oz each) vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 can (11oz) corn niblets, drained
• 1 c. medium salsa
• 1 can (8-oz) tomato sauce
• 1 can (15-oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 T. fresh lime juice (optional)
• cilantro (optional)

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Saute onion for 3 min or until softened and translucent.
2. Add sweet potato, veggie broth and cumin; cover and reduce heat.  Simmer 15 minutes or until sweet potato is tender.  Process soup until smooth (I used a regular, handheld mixer because I don’t have an immersion blender…worked fine! 😀 )
3. Stir in corn, salsa, tomato sauce, and black beans.  Simmer, covered, 5 minutes to blend flavors.  Add lime juice if using.  Top with cilantro if desired.

Serves 4: 177 cal, 6g pro, 5g fiber, 3g fat (0g sat fat)

The final hit for the tastebuds (hit #3!!!) came when I had exactly 20 minutes to come up with an idea for dinner and put it on the table.  Oh the pressure! 😉

I meandered over to KERF, finding myself in desparation.  When I fell upon a simple recipe for black bean burgers, I knew I had found the answer!

The recipe called for 1/3 c. black beans + 1 T. wheat flour for one patty (with lots and lots of mashin’.)  Does it get any simpler? 😀  I decided to follow this technique, while also jazzing it up with some spices:

• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
• 1+ T. worcestershire sauce
• salt & pepper
• cayenne
• lots and lots of garlic powder!

Once it was finely mashed, I popped it into the fridge while I made some side salads and tidied up.  About 15 minutes later, I heated up a non-stick pan, sprayed some cooking spray, and threw on the 4 patties that I had formed.  Once they were brown and sizzly on one side (about 5-7 min) I flipped them to cook on the other, while flattening them just a bit.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the stove, I had some balsamic glazed onions and peppers cookin’ up.  That’s simply 1 onion, 1/2 red bell pepper, 2 tsp olive oil, salt & pepper and some balsamic thrown on towards the end of cooking time. 😀

I was out of cooking space and had to improvise by toasting the buns in the toaster.  Did the trick.

My dad and I each had two burgers + a green salad.   It was a superb meal and came together so quickly and easily. 😀

Aside from today’s yummy meals, I also had some yummy workouts in the form of lots of sunny walks and 30-minutes at the gym for some elliptical time.  These days, I’m really enjoying long walks more and more.  It’s taken the place of running for now, until my injuries are 100% cleared up and they’ve been so very enjoyable. 😀

Off to pack up my lunch and books for a busy day of classes tomorrow!  😀

Question: What was the “hit of the day” for your tastebuds?