The Recipe Post I Keep Promising Everyone

I know I know I've been promising to post some recipes for like 2 weeks now... working full time and taking 4 graduate classes while planning a wedding is definitely getting the best of me! We're now under 3 months until our wedding, it crept up on me so fast, and there's still so much to do. So anyway here are the three recipes that were requested the most recently: Granola Bars, Chicken Stuffed Avocados, and a Vegan Lentil and Mushroom Sauce over Herb Mashed Potatoes! (These are all my own recipes)

Granola Bar's

1 cup raw almonds (I buy bulk from Whole Foods)

1 cup sunflower seeds

2 cups old fashioned oats
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla
pinch of salt
1.5 cups dried berries (whatever mixture you want)

1. Toast raw almonds, sunflower seeds, and oats/oatmeal for 10mins at 350 degrees, stir halfway through. Pour into bowl.
2. Bring butter, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, and a pinch of salt to a boil, keep stirring for an additional minute. 
3. Pour into bowl with oat & nut mixture. Add whatever mixture of dried berries you like. (I did 1/2c blueberries, cranberries, and cherries). 
5. Mix well. Add to pan. 
6. Wet your hands and push mixture down to even out. 
7. Bake at 300 degrees for 27 minutes. Let cool for 2 hours before cutting up!

(You can also substitute coconut for the sunflower seeds and really use any kind of nuts you want instead of almonds. Pretty versatile recipe!)

Chicken Stuffed Avocado's

1lb Chicken breast boiled and diced
1 cup plain low fat Greek yogurt (I use Fage)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Tajin seasoning to taste (can be purchased at Mexican grocery stores and many other grocery stores)
Salt and Pepper to taste
pinch of sugar
3-4 Avocados

1. Mix chicken breast with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, Tajin seasoning, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. 
2. Scoop out avocados a little to make a bigger hole to put chicken mixture in.
3. Add scooped out avocados to mixture.
4. Fill avocados with chicken mixture

(These are SUPER filling, one half filled me up for dinner!)

Vegan Lentil and Mushroom Bourguignon over Herb Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes: 

5lb bag of red skin potatoes
1.5 cups almond milk
1 stick butter (use smart butter to make vegan)
salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon oregano 
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon thyme
4 garlic cloves chopped

1. Boil potatoes until soft (about 45mins) 
2. Add rest of ingredients and mash to desired consistancy 

Lentil and Mushroom Bourguignon:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoon butter
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1 8oz container sliced mushrooms1 cup cooked green lentils
1 cup red wine
1 tablespoon flour
2 to 3 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste

4 carrots peeled and sliced
 
1. In a large, heavy skillet, heat a drizzle of oil and saute the onion for 2 to 3 minutes, until soft. Add the butter, garlic, thyme carrots, and mushrooms and cook until soft and brown. Add another drizzle of oil if the pan seems too dry.

2. Add the lentils and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, then add the wine and cook for a few minutes more, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet, until the wine has almost cooked off. 

3. Sprinkle the flour over the lentil and mushroom mixture and stir to blend, then add the stock and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and dark and the mushrooms are tender. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more stock.

4. Spoon bourguignon over mashed potatoes and top with sour cream if desired.