Clean Eating Quick and Easy Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

Serves 4

Hi. This isn't going to be all fancy and nicely formatted. I'm putting it on here quickly simply because I threw it together tonight, I loved it, Matt loved it, my kids ate it with minimal complaint, and I don't want to forget how to make it. I love many things about Japan but one of the things I love most is the plethora of fresh food. It is a big part of the culture. Many people here don't do one big grocery shop a week or every two weeks like in the states. Instead they buy things fresh every day or every other day. I always want to just run into my local Japanese grocery store and grab some things to throw together a quick stir fry. But I am incapable of cooking anything without a recipe. Well tonight I went for it!!!!

The kids and I had been at my friend Christine's house all day (hi, Christine!!) and we were planning to eat dinner there. (She made spaghetti squash with chicken, parmesan, and avocado! That will be a post for another day.) Matt suddenly texted to let me know he would be coming home after all. So we hopped into the car and I ran into the store on the way home. I had nothing remotely in mind for dinner so I thought tonight would be the night to just go for it!

White meat chicken is dirt cheap here  since they prefer dark meat so I grabbed some chicken tenderloins. Then I perused the discount produce bin. They put stuff in there significantly marked down that is still perfectly good but has to be used today. I grabbed a bunch of asparagus (for 50 cents!!!), a bunch of some kind of leafy green veggie, and a little package of 4 of what I think are some kind of onion but they were about the size of shallots. Then I grabbed a package of fresh soba noodles (I know you're jealous!) and a bag of what I think was thinly sliced carrots mixed with bean sprouts. Here is what I did with it all:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of lean protein (I used chicken breast)
• 4 servings of a precooked complex carbohydrate (you could use brown rice or whole wheat angel hair pasta. I used the soba noodles)
• variety of veggies (I used the asparagus, onions, carrots, leafy greens, and bean sprouts)

For the sauce-

• 1/4 cup water/broth (I used water)
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce (less if you don't want it as salty)
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter (can omit or sub a different nut butter or I bet tahini would be delicious)
• 1/8 cup honey (or mirin if you live in Japan!)
• Tbsp lemon/lime juice
• 1 tsp minced garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic powder

ONE: Cut the protein up into bite sized pieces and brown it in a skillet/wok in a little bit of oil (I used olive oil) over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

TWO: While the protein is cooking, whisk the sauce ingredients together. (I did this in a one cup measuring cup so I could measure as I went and then not make two things dirty :)

THREE: Once the protein is cooked, remove from pan, and add a little bit more oil. Throw your slower cooking veggies in first (like asparagus, carrots, or broccoli) and stir fry about 3 minutes. Then add your faster cooking veggies (like onions and bean sprouts) and cook until tender crisp. If using leafy greens, throw them in during the last minute of stir frying.

FOUR: Once veggies are done, add your protein back into the pan along with your complex carbohydrate (in my case the soba noodles) and dump in the sauce. Stir it all and let it cook a little bit until the sauce starts bubbling. Let the sauce bubble for a minute or so until it is heated through and the sauce is your desired thickness (more bubbling equals thicker sauce).

This isn't specifically a freezer recipe but I fully intend to mix up several batches of the stir fry sauce and freeze them using the medium/large portions method. That way I can pop them in the fridge in the morning to defrost during the day and save myself the measuring when dinner time comes around :)

Nutrition Info:
This is just for the sauce since the actual stir fry ingredients will vary. You could use this sauce for 4 portions or certainly stretch it to cover 6 portions.

4 Servings - 143 Calories (72 Calories from Fat), 8g Total Fat, 1.5g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 535mg Sodium, 13g Total Carbs, 1g Dietary Fiber, 10g Sugar, 6g Protein, 0% DV VitA, 3% DV VitC, 1% DV Calcium, 4% DV Iron

6 Servings -95 Calories (48 Calories from Fat), 5g Total Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 357mg Sodium, 9g Total Carbs, 1g Dietary Fiber, 7g Sugar, 4g Protein, 0% DV VitA, 2% DV VitC, 0% DV Calcium, 3% DV Iron

Clean Eating Creamy Cauliflower and Sausage Casserole

Makes about 6 servings, 1 1/2 cups each
Yum, yum, YUM! I got the idea for this recipe in part from a post on my friend, Mandy's, facebook page. Mandy is my super awesome friend who creates all kinds of scrumptiously delicious things in her kitchen. She's the kind of friend that drops off muffins on your doorstep in the morning or comes to visit you after you have a baby, brings a whole bunch of food, and then forces you to sit down and eat while she does your dishes or something. 

Anyway, Mandy follows the Paleo Diet now and she posted a recipe for a Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole. I loved the idea of a casserole featuring veggies as the main ingredient but I didn't have any chicken and we are pretty wimpy about spicy things in our house. So really the only thing I took from the recipe was how to cook the cauliflower to start the casserole LOL. The end result was totally different but SOOOOOOOO good. Creamy and savory with a crispy parmesan crust. 

I inhaled my bowl and the boys were equally enthusiastic. The baby started dancing in her high chair after the first bite and then growled at me if I put her spoon down for a minute to get my own bite. (If you want to see what she looks like when she is NOT growling, make sure to scroll to the bottom!) I will admit that the boys and I each had a piece of homemade whole wheat bread and butter with our servings (so no Paleo for us!) but it was only because the bread had just finished baking and we had been smelling it for an hour. We would have been more than satisfied with just the casserole. 

Ingredients:

• 14 oz package frozen cauliflower or 1 head fresh cauliflower, chopped (about 4 cups)
• 2 Tbsp and 1 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 parsnip, peeled and finely diced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 12oz all natural, nitrate free chicken sausage links, sliced into medallions (I used Saag's Naturals Chicken Apple)
• 4 big handfuls spinach
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock (could use chicken broth or vegetable broth)
• 1/2 cup silken tofu
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

ONE: Preheat oven to 400. Dump the cauliflower into a large baking dish and pour 2 Tbsp olive oil over the top. Sprinkle with salt, nutmeg, and sage and stir well until all of the cauliflower is coated with oil and seasonings. Bake 30 minutes, stirring once in the middle, until cooked through and starting to brown.

TWO: While the cauliflower is cooking, throw the onion, parsnips, and carrots into a large saute pan with the remaining 1 tsp of olive oil. Stir well, cover, and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent and veggies have softened, about 10 minutes.

THREE:  Add the sausage and spinach and cook, stirring often, until the spinach has wilted and the sausage is slightly browned, about 4 minutes. (I used fully cooked sausage so if you are using raw sausage, cook it until the sausage is mostly cooked. You are going to bake the final dish so a little pink is okay.)

FOUR: Whisk the tofu and lemon juice into the chicken stock. (I used homemade chicken stock that had no added salt so I added 1 tsp of low sodium soy sauce to the mixture.) Pour it over the veggie mixture along with the shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Stir well and heat through until the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes.

FIVE: Add the sausage mixture into the baking dish with the cooked cauliflower. Mix well, breaking up any large pieces of cauliflower as you stir. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese over the top and bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes or until the parmesan cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

Freeze in 1 1/2 cup portions using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash.

Nutrition Info:
Per 1/12 cup serving- 278 Calories (130 Calories from Fat), 14g Fat, 4.5g Saturated Fat, 60mg Cholesterol, 920mg Sodium, 16g Total Carbohydrates, 5g Dietary Fiber, 3.5g Sugars, 19.5g Protein, 87% DV VitA, 50% DV VitC, 21% DV Calcium, 13% DV Iron

Toss cauliflower in a baking dish with olive oil, salt, sage, and nutmeg.

While cauliflower is baking, saute carrots, parsnips, and onions

Once veggies are cooked, add sausage...

...and a heaping pile of spinach :)

Whisk tofu and lemon juice into chicken stock

Cauliflower is done when it is softened and starting to brown

Add stock mixture, mozzarella, and half of the parmesan to sauteed veggies

Combine with cooked cauliflower, stir well, and top with remaining parmesan

Bake covered for 15 mins and uncovered for 5 until top is crusty and bubbly

Liadan enjoyed a bath in the sink while I chopped veggies. How's that for multitasking?
One more perk of my super cool Japanese house! 

:)

Clean Eating Coconut Almond Curry

Makes about 6 servings, 1 1/2 cups each
One of the best things about living in Japan (besides the fact that you can get a can of hot milk tea from a vending machine!) is that there is delicious curry EVERYWHERE. I am hoping to go to a local grocery store with my new friend, Hiromi, (Hi, Hiromi!) soon so that she can show me what the different kinds of curry pastes and bottles of sauces are. But for now I made this super yummy version using regular curry powder. The coconut and almond butter went so well together and made the sauce silky smooth. I loved the slight sweetness of the red pepper and pineapple paired with the slight saltiness of the soy sauce. You could easily make this a vegetarian meal by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth and using firm tofu, mushrooms, cauliflower, or even potatoes in place of the chicken.

I deliberately used almond butter because Liadan isn't old enough to eat peanut butter yet and I wanted her to be able to try it, but I think it would be scrumptious with peanut butter as well. The boys were skeptical at first when they saw their bowls but in the end they both licked their plates clean. The baby inhaled hers while making lots of happy lip-smacking noises and trying to throw herself out of the highchair and onto the table to get closer to the bowl. Matt finished two bowls in record time even though he was trying to eat it with chopsticks. I'd say this was a success :) 

At first glance it may seem like this dish is high in saturated fat but it's mainly from the coconut milk which is, believe it or not, good for you. Read more about it HERE.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces, about 1 lb
• 2 Tbsp tapioca starch or arrowroot powder (can use cornstarch but it won't be "Clean")
• 2 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth, divided (can use vegetable broth)
• 1 can coconut milk (I used a regular one but you could use low fat as well)
• 1/4 cup almond butter (can use peanut butter or any other kind of nut butter or leave this out completely for a nut-free dish)
• 2 tsp curry powder or 2 Tbsp curry paste (I used yellow curry powder)
• 2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce 
• 1 tsp ground ginger 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 2 Tbsp sucanat (could use honey or brown sugar)
• 3 carrots cut into matchsticks
• 4 cups broccoli florets 
• 1 cup pineapple chunks
• Cilantro (or basil) and slivered almonds (or peanuts) for garnish

ONE: In a large skillet, wok, or saucepan lightly misted with cooking spray, cook onion, pepper, garlic, and chicken over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes.

TWO: In a medium bowl (or 4-cup measuring cup!), mix the tapioca starch/arrowroot powder with enough of the chicken broth to make a thin liquid (called a slurry). Add the rest of the broth, coconut milk, almond butter, curry, soy sauce, ginger, salt and sucanat. Stir well to combine.

THREE: Once the chicken is cooked through, dump in the carrots, broccoli, pineapple, and curry sauce and mix well. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium and let cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the carrots are tender and the sauce has thickened,

Garnish with cilantro and nuts. We ate ours by itself but it would go nicely with brown rice or some whole grain naan. Freeze in 1 1/2 cup portions using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash.

Nutrition Info:
Per 1 1/2 cup serving without garnishes- 490 Calories (279 Calories from Fat), 31g Total Fat, 19g Saturated Fat, 67mg Cholesterol, 603mg Sodium, 27g Total Carbs, 6g Dietary Fiber, 14g Sugars, 30g Protein, 125% DV Vit A, 180% DV Vit C, 8% DV Calcium, 22% DV Iron

Saute onion, peppers, garlic, and chicken until chicken is cooked through and veggies are soft

Combine all of the sauce ingredients 

Chop up your carrots...or carrot if you are in Japan since they are ENORMOUS here!
 That's an 8 inch chef knife it is sitting next to. Is it weird that, every time I buy carrots here,
I think about how Bugs Bunny would have loved Japan? ;) 

Mix up your sauce

Dump the broccoli, carrots, and pineapple into the pan on top of the chicken mixture

Add in the sauce mixture

Stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook uncovered about 10 minutes or until veggies are tender crisp and sauce has thickened.

Matt had his with peanuts and no cilantro. Mine was prettier ;)

:)

Clean Eating Skillet Baked Ziti with Sausage

Makes 10 servings, about 1 cup each

I have made this once a week for the past 4 weeks. It is a new family favorite :) We have been in Japan for almost 6 months now. The time has just flown by and we are loving this wonderful experience. The kids and I have gotten really involved with modeling since we have been here which means that we spend a few days a week in Tokyo for jobs or auditions. I have had to rely a LOT on my freezer stash and quick-but-healthy throw together meals like this one for the nights that we are getting home from the train station right at dinner time. 

I whipped this up one night when Matt was gone, we had been in the city all day, and I just wanted a nice, home-cooked meal. Whenever my sister, Anthea (hi, Anthea!!), comes to visit me she always makes me baked ziti. She just throws it together but if you have been following my blog for any length of time you know I am incapable of cooking ANYTHING without a recipe. I was googling baked ziti recipes and came across a few that were started on the stove and finished in the oven and I loved how much faster it was so I pieced this together from a few different sources. It is also a super great way to use up wilted spinach that you don't want to eat in a salad :)

Technically this is rotini, not ziti, but the commissary doesn't carry whole wheat ziti
so this was the best I could do ;)

Ingredients:

• 4 big handfuls spinach
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (1 tsp)
• 12 oz all natural, nitrate free sausage, sliced into medallions (I use Saag's Naturals Chicken Apple)
• 28 oz can no salt added crushed tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp dried basil
• 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
• 3 cups water
• 12 oz whole wheat pasta
• 1/3 cup neufchatel (or reduced fat cream cheese) OR 1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese
• 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup part skim shredded mozzarella

ONE: In a large oven proof skillet, cook the spinach and garlic over medium heat until the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced sausage and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

TWO: Pour in the crushed tomatoes with juices, salt, basil, oregano, and water. Bring to a simmer.

THREE: Preheat oven to 475. Stir the uncooked pasta into the tomato sausage mixture in the skillet, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook covered until pasta is al dente, about 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

FOUR: Remove from heat and stir in the cream cheese/ricotta cheese and parmesan. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top and put the skillet into the preheated oven. Bake 10 minutes until cheese on top is melted and lightly browned.

NOTE: If you don't have an oven-proof skillet, you could certainly do the stove top part in a sauce pan or regular skillet and then dump it all into a casserole dish before sprinkling on the mozzarella. I just like using the oven proof skillet because then I only have one pan to wash.

Freeze leftovers in 1 cup portions using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash.

Nutrition Info:
Per 1 cup serving made with Neufchatel- 243 Calories (48 Calories from Fat), 5g Fat, 2.5g Saturated Fat, 35mg Cholesterol, 384mg Sodium, 32g Carbohydrates, 5g Dietary Fiber, 3g Sugars, 16g Protein, 34% DV VitA, 20% DV VitC, 15% DV Calcium, 13% DV Iron

Per 1 cup serving made with Ricotta Cheese- 232 Calories (41 Calories from Fat), 5g Fat, 2g Saturated Fat, 32mg Cholesterol, 330mg Sodium, 32.5g Total Carbohydrates, 5g Dietary Fiber, 3g Sugars, 15g Protein, 34% DV VitA, 20% DV VitC, 9% DV Calcium, 14% DV Iron

Cook spinach and garlic until spinach wilts

Add in sliced sausage and cook until lightly browned

Stir in crushed tomatoes, seasonings, and water. 

Add in pasta, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 12-15 mins until al dente 

Stir in ricotta/cream cheese and parmesan and sprinkle top with mozzarella.
Bake at 475 until cheese on top is melted and lightly browned.

:)

Clean Eating Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup with Coconut and Cilantro

Makes 9 servings, about 1 cup each
I LOVED this soup. But I might be biased because butternut squash and coconut are two of my favorite foods. For me this was the perfect mix of slightly sweet squash and creamy coconut with a hint of cumin. I will admit that Matt and the boys weren't huge fans (meaning they ate it but there was some whining) but they all despise butternut squash so I wasn't super surprised. But that's okay, all the more for me and the baby (her opinion doesn't really count yet because at this point she eats anything we put in her mouth lol). This was fast to make, froze really well, and made me happy as I ate it for lunch all week when it was chilly outside. I did not add any salt to it so, if you are new to clean eating (or just like your soup a bit salty), then you might want to throw some in. At first glance it may seem like this dish is high in saturated fat but it's mainly from the coconut milk which is, believe it or not, good for you. Read more about it HERE.

Liadan and I modeling how delicious this soup is!
Okay, we were really modeling the Thermos product. But the reason she opened her mouth wide with that happy look on her face so they could get this great shot was because she was eating this soup so I think that still counts ;)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 large carrot, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup of lentils (I used green but any kind is fine)
• 4 cups broth (I used chicken but vegetable would be fine too)
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and chopped (2 1/2 - 3 cups)
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro plus extra for garnish

CROCKPOT INSTRUCTIONS: Throw everything into the crockpot, cover, and cook on high 4-5 hours or low 7-8 hours or until lentils and veggies are tender.

It makes me so happy to dump a bunch of stuff into the crockpot
and then have it be delicious soup in the evening :)

STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS: Heat 1/2 Tbsp olive oil in a large soup pot and sauté the onion, carrots and garlic for about 5 minutes or until the onions are tender. Add lentils, broth, coconut milk, cumin, mustard, squash, and cilantro. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes or until lentils and veggies are tender.

Once the soup is done you can certainly eat it as is but we prefer to puree it into a smooth, thick stew. I use my immersion blender for this but you could use a blender or food processor instead. I served it garnished with a dollop of plain yogurt, a little cilantro, and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds. Pumpkin seeds, some unsweetened flaked coconut, or a dash of lime juice would work nicely as well.

Freeze leftovers in 1 cup portions using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:
Per 1 cup serving - 256 Calories (118 Calories from Fat), 13g of Fat, 11g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 220mg Sodium, 30g Carbohydrates, 10g Dietary Fiber, 5g Sugar, 8.5g Protein, 242% DV Vitamin A, 42% DV Vitamin C, 8% DV Calcium, 19% DV Iron

** NOTE: As mentioned above, I know this seems like a LOT of fat, particularly saturated fat, but this comes from the coconut milk and is actually not a bad kind of fat. For more info check out this LINK.

Clean Eating Quick and Easy Chicken Curry

Makes 4 Servings
About a week after we arrived in Japan, Matt and I decided to be brave and try something out in town. We hired a babysitter and ventured out onto one of the main roads near our hotel. Everything was still very intimidating because we couldn't speak the language or read any signs and it all felt so alien. But, on the babysitter's suggestion, we found this little hole in the wall place called Nirvana. And inside we had hands down the absolute BEST curry I have ever had in my entire life. So good that I think about asking Matt to bring some home from work at least once every day. Dinner for two is about $30, though, so I knew I was going to have to come up with some way to satisfy my curry craving and limit myself to Nirvana only once or twice a month. This is a super fast and easy curry that you can throw together any old time. We ate it with whole grain naan but you could serve it over rice as well. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp minced garlic (or 2 cloves finely chopped)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 big handfuls of spinach, torn into bite-sized pieces

ONE: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown. Add the garlic and salt and cook one minute, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant but not burnt.

TWO: Add in the curry powder, cumin, and ginger and cook one minute, stirring frequently. Add in the coconut milk, tomatoes, and tomato paste and stir vigorously to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

THREE: Add chicken and simmer until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in spinach, cover, and let sit until spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes.

Freeze leftovers using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash.

Nutrition Info:
Per serving- 332 Calories (173 Calories from Fat), 19g Fat, 13g Saturated Fat, 73mg Cholesterol, 429mg sodium, 14g Total Carbohydrates, 5g Dietary Fiber, 8g Sugars, 28g Protein, 54% DV VitA, 36% DV VitC, 7% DV Calcium, 17% DV Iron.

Cook onions in a bit of olive oil

Once they start to brown, add garlic and spices

Stir in coconut milk, tomatoes, and tomato paste

Add in chicken, cook through, then add spinach

:)

Clean Eating Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal

Makes 8-12 servings
Breakfast the tastes like Pumpkin Pie but is actually good for you?! Yup, instant mom of the year award right here :) In the month that it's taken me to post this recipe I've made it three times. I always give my kids a cooked breakfast and most weeks we alternate between Crockpot Overnight Oatmeal and Green Eggs but every now and again I like to throw something different into the mix. This dish smells delicious while it's cooking and really makes you feel like you are having a treat. But it's chock full of Vitamin A and whole grains making it a super way to start your day. I mix up the wet ingredients the night before to save time in the morning and then we eat the leftovers over the next few days so my little bit of effort actually yields 3 or 4 mornings of scrumptiousness. 

Ingredients:

• 2 or 3 ripe bananas
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 cups uncooked oatmeal (I used rolled oats)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 can pumpkin (make sure it's just pureed pumpkin with nothing random added like sweeteners)
• 1/2 cup sucanat/honey (can use brown sugar but it won't be "clean")
• 2 tsp cinnamon plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, divided (I've used chopped pecans too)

ONE: Spray a 9x13 baking dish lightly with cooking spray. Thinly slice the bananas and spread them over the bottom of the dish. Drizzle with the Tbsp of honey and sprinkle with cinnamon. Place in the oven and preheat to 375. The bananas will soften while the oven heats up.

TWO: Mix the oatmeal with the baking powder and set aside.

THREE: Combine the pumpkin, sucanat, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, milk, eggs, vanilla, almond extract and 1/4 cup of the almonds in a medium bowl. Mix well.

FOUR: Once the oven is preheated, remove the baking dish. Sprinkle the oatmeal mixture evenly over the warm bananas. Pour the pumpkin mixture evenly over the oats and top with the remaining 1/4 cup of nuts. Bake 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown and the pumpkin mixture is firm enough that the middle doesn't jiggle if you shake the pan. You might also see the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cut into 8 or 12 servings (we eat a big breakfast so I always cut ours into 8) and serve warm.

Freeze leftovers using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash. Reheat in the microwave or oven.

Nutrition Info:
Per serving when made with almond milk and cut into 8 servings- 225 Calories (77 Calories from Fat), 8.5g Fat, 1.2g Saturated Fat, 41mg Cholesterol, 137mg Sodium, 34g Total Carbohydrates, 6.4g Dietary Fiber, 10.4g Sugars, 6g Protein, 195% DV VitA, 11% DV VitC, 15% DV Calcium, 14% DV Iron

Per serving when made with almond milk and cut into 12 servings- 150 Calories (51 Calories from Fat), 5.5g Fat, 0.8g Saturated Fat, 27mg Cholesterol, 93mg Sodium, 22.5g Total Carbohydrates, 4g Dietary Fiber, 7g Sugars, 4g Protein, 130% DV VitA, 7% DV VitC, 10% DV Calcium, 9% DV Iron

Spread sliced bananas in the bottom of the pan, drizzle with honey, and sprinkle with cinnamon

Roast bananas in the oven while it preheats and you combine the other ingredients

Sprinkle oatmeal mixture over bananas

Mix together pumpkin, spices, milk, eggs, 1/4 cup nuts, and sucanat 

Pour pumpkin mixture over oatmeal mixture

Sprinkle with remaining nuts

Bake 30-35 minutes until set, slice and serve

Hang out with your super cute kiddos while it's cooking :)

:)