Gluten Free No-Bake Quinoa Almond Protein Cookies

Nice Stack!!

Holy healthy cookies, Batman Robin anyone who cares to listen, these are awesome! I bet the creators of that original “Batman and Robin” show never dreamt that line would be reused so much; and for this long, but it just works so well.


I have seen, created, and tried so many microwave cake recipes; I decided to experiment with more microwave madness using quinoa as the test subject. This was actually pretty easy and should be a great time saver for future work lunch meals!

Cooked with a little crunch left


Just add rinsed quinoa and liquid (water, broth, coconut milk, etc.) to a microwavable bowl at a 1:1 ratio, cover, and microwave 3 – 5 minutes. Stir quinoa and place back in the microwave to cook another 3 – 5 minutes. Watch for bubbling over the sides; if this happens, pause (don’t open the door) to let settle, and then restart pausing as needed until finished. The quinoa should look translucent just as it does when cooked with other methods.


I used a 1/2 cup quinoa with 1/2 cup water and microwaved for 3 minutes, stirred, and then another 3 minutes. The quinoa still had a bit of crunch to it, which I like, but it could’ve been cooked longer. I didn’t have a need for cooked quinoa since I already made our meals for the week, so I immediately thought…cookies!

The fork lines really add character...don't you think?

But did I feel like baking? No way; we’re trying to not use the A/C in our house, and it’s hot enough as it is. This recipe had to be no-bake, healthy, and preferably easy. Lara Bars came to mind and my decision was made; but my recipe would be better. I swear, that’s a completely unbiased statement!


Do you want to try these? Grab a food processor and gather the following:

No-Bake Quinoa Almond Protein Cookies/Balls/Bars

1/2 cup dry quinoa – cooked in microwave or on stove
2 scoops (1/4 cup) protein powder – I used vanilla whey protein powder sweetened with stevia
10 dried apricots
1 to 1.5 ounces dry roasted almonds – I only used a handful, but more could be used
1/8th tsp salt
Sweetener to taste - I used 1 packet nunaturals stevia and 6 drops liquid vanilla stevia

Process until well combined and roll into balls or press into small brownie pan to make into bars. I pressed the balls with a fork to make cookies, but they taste the same (freakin’ awesome) either way. These will firm up once left in the fridge.

This could be a new version of Tic-Tac-Toe with "balls" and "O's"

Try swapping ingredients for a whole new cookie. Instead of dried apricots, try raisins, dates, papaya, or blueberries; swap the almonds for pistachios, walnuts, peanuts, or pecans. So many variations, I can’t wait to try a new one.

Have you ever microwave-cooked something that’s usually not nuked? Let me know what you have tried or want to try; I might try myself and post about it!

Celebrate Spring with Homemade Peanut Butter Dip N’Dots

Today marks the first day of spring for 2012, and we have nothing but constant rain here to start it off. But that’s ok since the rain will help the grass to grow, flowers to bloom, and everything will have a fresh start! Now we just need to avoid the Texas droughts that usually occur a couple months later.

I saw a few posts (here’s one good example) on homemade dip n’dots over the weekend and was instantly intrigued. I remember getting this from a little cart inside the mall as a kid….mmmm, all the tasty, frozen pellets would melt with each spoonful. It was good, but I’m sure not very good for you.

Enter the wonder and satisfaction of homemade! It’s simple, all you need is yogurt and your preferred flavoring to get started.

Or you could just use an already flavored yogurt that requires no mixing, but where’s the fun in that? Plus, flavored yogurt usually has a lot of sugar that negates most of its health benefits. No thanks!

I’m a fan of peanut butter, so that’s the flavor I immediately thought of for my own Dip N’Dots version. Go ahead, make your own and let me know how much you loved it.

Peanut Butter Dip N’Dots

Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Greek or regular plain, non-fat yogurt (or 2 6oz containers)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup peanut flour (If you don’t have, you can use 2 tablespoons natural, creamy PB; just briefly heat to make it easy to stir)

Directions

In a bowl, mix together the yogurt, vanilla, and peanut flour or peanut butter until well combined. I actually had a large 32oz yogurt container with the right amount left, so I used this to mix everything.

Put the yogurt into a plastic sealable bag, and zip shut.

Cut a small corner off the bag and use it like a piping bag to squeeze out small dots over a cookie sheet. I used a silicone baking mat for ease of transfer once frozen.

Place in your freezer for a couple hours and wait, impatiently, if you’re like me.

Fold the mat to create a “V” shape and dump (if you didn’t use a mat, use a non-metallic spatula to scrape) into a container with a lid to freeze until ready to eat. Or just eat them right away! Warning: these melt somewhat quickly, so freezing your storage device before hand will help the dots keep their shape.

The best part about this recipe is that you can easily change the flavors to your liking. Here are some alternative suggestions:

Honey or agave to taste; Honey Dots!

Liquid (plain or vanilla) or powder stevia; Sugar-free Sweet Dots!

Favorite flavored protein powder; Protein Power Dip N’Dots!

Blended fruit; MMMM, Peanut Butter Banana Dots!

Pumpkin puree; Pumpkin Pie Dots!

These can and do make for a wonderfully satisfying and healthy treat. Try mixing with nuts and Overnight Oatmeal Crisps for a unique and hearty breakfast!

Kelley’s sister asked us if we’d take her 7 year old daughter (our niece) one weekend to show her the foods I buy and cook. She’s a very smart girl with a non-stop hunger for knowledge, so hopefully she’ll go back to teach her mom and dad a few things on healthy food and cooking! Homemade Dip N’Dots are easy enough to make with a kid and I bet she’ll have a blast helping us make (and eat) this simple treat.

Do you ever spend time in the kitchen with your own or your relative’s kids?