Poco-Cocoa

I’m always looking for a way to trick my husband into eating breakfast. He’s just not hungry in the mornings, but about mid-morning, he’s ready for a snack. Occasionally I’ll make muffins, but when I saw this recipe for granola bars, I knew it was worth a shot. Success! He’s been taking them to work, eating them, and liking them! What’s not to like?

They’re basically a cookie for breakfast. As soon as these came out of the oven, I started thinking of how I would tweak the recipe next time…not that the recipe isn’t great, but I love to tweak. These bars use a plain granola with mixed dried fruit and shredded coconut. But what about adding some cinnamon and using dried apples instead? Or substituting chocolate or butterscotch chips for the coconut? Or using dried cherries and toasted walnuts? The possibilities are endless!

Chewy Coconut-Granola Bars

• Cooking spray
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons fat-free milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat granola without raisins
• 3/4 cup chopped dried mixed fruit
• 1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Coat a 13×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray; dust with 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour. Lightly spoon 2/3 cup all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Combine sugar, oil, milk, and eggs in a large bowl; beat at high speed of a mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in granola and fruit. Spoon into prepared pan. Sprinkle with coconut. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 20 bars.

Source: Cooking Light magazine.

I cheat sometimes. Sometimes, I don’t make my black beans from scratch. Sometimes, I don’t make my own corn tortillas. Sometimes, I don’t roast my own tomatillos. What can I say? I cheat.

Last night’s meal was a cheater’s treasure…all the taste of home-made goodness in just a few short steps. I prefer to bake my flauta-ish rolls, partly because I’ve been trained as a dietitian, and the little voices in my head cry out, “Don’t fry! Don’t fry!”, and partly because I’m scared of oil at really high temperatures, with all the popping and jumping and possible burning. At any rate, these turn out crunchy and tasty, without all the greasy mouth feel (which, I understand, some people really enjoy, so if you do, you might want to skip this recipe).

I also used good-quality corn tortillas from Central Market, and La Costena brand green sauce, because it’s fairly spicy and very yummy. I served the flautas with cilantro-lime rice, which is just steamed brown Texmati rice with a squeeze of lime and some chopped cilantro stirred in. At this point, I have to publicly thank my friend Leti for letting me adopt her rice steamer. I’m in love with it.

Okay! On to the recipe.

Baked Black Bean Flautas with Tomatillo-Avocado Sauce

• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans
• 8 corn tortillas
• Cooking spray
• 3/4 cup grated Colby-Jack cheese
• 1 can (7-oz) La Costena Green Mexican Salsa
• 1 avocado, seeded and scooped out of its shell

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a small bowl, mash black beans and their juice with a potato masher or a fork.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray (line it with foil first for easier clean-up). Heat the corn tortillas in the microwave for about 1 minute, wrapping them in a moist towel, until they are soft and pliable. Spray both sides of one tortilla with cooking spray. Spoon a few tablespoons of the beans down the center of the tortilla, and top with a sprinkle of cheese. Roll up the tortilla tightly, and lay, seam side down, on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until tortillas are crispy and slightly browned.

Meanwhile, puree the salsa with the avocado in a food processor until smooth.

Serve the flautas topped with the Tomatillo-Avocado Sauce.

Makes 8 flautas.

Source: poco-cocoa.

I just love cloudy, rainy days. They just feel cozy and a little more closed-in, like the sky is coming in close for a hug.

After last week’s quick meals and dinners out, we were ready for some home-cooked goodness. We had a few veggies left from last week that I didn’t want to waste, so I came up with this sandwich last night. It actually turned out to be delicious, and I may have to plan for it again soon.

Roasted Pepper Sandwiches

• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 Anaheim chiles
• 3 (6-inch) pieces of baguette, split in half horizontally
• 1/2 cup grated Colby Jack cheese
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 an avocado, mashed

Roast both bell peppers and the Anaheims either under the broiler or over a gas flame. Allow to cool slightly. Peel the peppers, remove the stem and seeds, and coarsely chop.

Sprinkle the cheese on the bottom halves of the baguette pieces. Bake in a 375°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bread is slightly crispy. Spread the peppers over the cheese, and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Lay a few spinach leaves on top of the peppers. Spread the top halves of the baguette pieces with the mashed avocado, and set on top of the sandwich.

Makes 3 sandwiches.

Source: poco-cocoa.