If you’re a peanut butter and chocolate lover this recipe is amazing. It requires no baking and it’s a healthier version of a Reese’s cup! Keep them in the freezer and enjoy one after dinner.

no bake peanut butter oat cups

servings: 12

ingredients 

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup almond flour or oat flour
• 1 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (or honey)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt

chocolate topping:

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 2 tbs peanut butter

instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, flour, peanut butter, syrup, vanilla and salt. Transfer to a muffin tin lined with liners evenly amongst 12 slots. Flatten out as best as possible. Freeze the tray for at least 2 hours.
2. In a small pot over low heat, melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter, stirring constantly until smooth and melted. Can also melt in microwave for 1:30-2 minutes.
3. Remove the tray from the freezer and drop about 1 -2 tbs of chocolate on the tops of each and smooth it out flat. Freeze for another hour.
4. Store in an airtight container in the freezer.

I was driving in Santa Monica today and I passed by this truck:

It’s a gelato truck by Cher and it’s called “CHERlato” 😂

They even play Cher songs while you order!

Here’s Cher’s favorite flavor 👇

Did you know that ramen is important in prison?

Apparently that’s one of the few ways prisoners can express themselves.

So a former inmate wrote a book about it.

Prison Ramen: Recipes and Stories from Behind Bars by Gustavo Alvarez.

In it he has a lot of interesting recipes:

• Peanut butter and jelly sandwich with ramen and trail mix
• Ramen Witch: Which is bologna sandwich with ramen
• Ramen Popcorn: They put seasoning in the bag, crush it up and eat it like popcorn during a movie

Lesson: “You can make something out of nothing depending on what ingredients you have.”

Here’s the full article if you wanna learn more 👉

https://www.eater.com/23900359/gastropod-instant-ramen-prison-ramen-recipes-stories-maruchan-cup-noodle

OMG! They’re making 3-D Printed Meat 😱

It’s made out of soybean, chickpea and veggies.

So it doesn’t include any animal products.

The crazy part is you can customize it.

So if they want more marbling (fat in the steak), you just use a touch screen and set it. 

I’m really not sure how I feel about it 😐

Would you try it?

Here are some gross pictures of how it’s made lol

The other day I had a craving for cornbread and hot honey. 😄

But most cornbread recipes are too sweet.

So I made some changes to an original recipe.

And it came out really good.

It’s not too sweet, but still quelled the cornbread craving.

Hope you like this lighter recipe for cornbread!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

It’s lower in sugar. But still tastes great

It only takes 25 minutes to bake

It’s a one bowl recipe!

Easy Cornbread

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal (I like bobs red mill brand)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ⅓ cup neutral oil or melted butter (I did half butter and half applesauce)
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup milk (I used almond milk)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan or cast iron skillet well and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Whisk to combine well.
3. Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and add your oil or butter, milk, and egg. Stir just until the mixture comes together and there are only a few lumps remaining.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is a deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Serve hot.

I just made these really good salmon cakes the other day.

They’re pretty easy to make and they’re really cute.

And if you want, you can make a salad and a side of tartar sauce.

Adapted from Natasha’s kitchen

Salmon Cakes

Ingredients (makes 13-14 minis)

• 1 lb fresh salmon filet*
• Garlic Salt – I use Lawry’s brand
• Black Pepper
• Olive Oil
• 1 medium onion, 1 cup finely diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs, Japanese Style crumbs
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 Tbsp mayo
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Instructions

• Preheat Oven to 425˚F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a silpat. Place salmon skin-side down, brush with olive oil and season with garlic salt and black pepper.
• Cook salmon: Bake uncovered for 10-15 min or just until cooked through (my thinner cut salmon was closer to 10 min). Remove from oven, cover with foil and rest ten minutes. Discard skin, flake salmon with forks, remove any bones, and cool to room temp.
• Cook filling ingredients: Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp butter and finely diced onion and bell pepper. Saute until softened and golden (7-9 minutes) then remove from heat.
• Make mixture: In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled flaked salmon, sautéed onion and pepper, 1 cup bread crumbs, 2 beaten eggs, 3 Tbsp mayo, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp garlic salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 cup fresh parsley.
• Form Patties: Stir to combine then form into 13-14 patties. It’s easy to portion patties using a flat ice cream scoop then pressing them into 1/3 to 1/2″ thick patties.
• Heat 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a large pan over medium heat and once butter is done sizzling, add half of the salmon cakes and sauté 3 1/2 to 4 min per side or until golden brown and cooked through. If salmon cakes brown too quickly, reduce heat. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate. Add remaining 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter and repeat cooking remaining salmon cakes.

Here’s a new favorite.

I make muffins each week for my meal prep clients and this was a hit.

The other muffin hits are apple strudel and blender breakfast muffins.

These aren’t too sweet and I love the crunchy walnuts nuts in them.

You can feel good eating them. They’re packed with 2 cups of carrots (about 3)!

Hope you enjoy them!

Healthy Carrot Muffins

Adopted from Cookie and Kate Prep

Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 13 mins

Yield: 12 muffins 1x

Ingredients:

Dry:

• 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Mix-ins:

• 2 cups peeled and grated carrots* (from ¾ pound carrots—about 3 large or up to 6 small/medium)
• ½ cup roughly chopped walnuts
• ½ cup raisins (I like golden raisins), tossed in 1 teaspoon flour

Wet:

• ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup maple syrup or honey
• 2 eggs, preferably at room temperature
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (also called raw sugar), for sprinkling on top

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. If necessary, grease all 12 cups on your muffin tin with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients. Blend well with a whisk. Add the grated carrots, chopped walnuts and raisins to the other ingredients and stir to combine.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, add wet ingredients and mix well. (If the coconut oil solidifies in contact with cold ingredients, gently warm the mixture in the microwave in 30 second bursts.)
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a big spoon, just until combined (a few lumps are ok). Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with turbinado sugar, if desired. (I didn’t)
5. Bake muffins for 13 to 16 minutes, or until the muffins are golden on top and a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. If you have leftover muffins, store them, covered, at room temperature for two days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze leftover muffins for up to 3 months.

.

Want a gluten free pizza recipe?

Well, this is an easy no-fuss one. No yeast required.

It’s really nice as an appetizer with a glass of wine.

It’s from Nice,France.
.
Socca (Farinata)
Adapted from NY Times
.
INGREDIENTS
Yield: 4 to 6 appetizer servings

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 to 6tablespoons olive oil
• ½ large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
  PREPARATION
• 1. Heat the oven to 450. Put a well-seasoned or nonstick 12-inch pizza pan or cast-iron skillet in oven.
• 2. Put the chickpea flour in a bowl; add the salt and pepper. Slowly add 1 cup lukewarm water, whisking to eliminate lumps. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover and let sit at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours. I did 1 hour. The batter should be about the consistency of heavy cream.
• 3. Remove the pan from the oven, pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into it and swirl. Add the onions return the pan to the oven and cook, stirring once or twice, until they’re well browned, about 5 min. Stir in the rosemary. Stir the onions and rosemary into the batter, then immediately pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pancake is firm and the edges set.
• 4. Heat the broiler and brush the top of the pancake with 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil if it looks dry. Set the pancake a few inches away from the broiler, and cook just long enough to brown it in spots. Cut it into wedges, and serve hot or warm. I served with salad on top.

Are you here because you saw the Netflix special on Blue Zones? Well, welcome!

To recap, Blue Zones are places in the world where people live 90 too 100 years old, and are free of disease.

A lot of their success is living the lifestyle they do (in communities, with purpose, and prayer). But, some of it can be contributed to their diet.

Even if we don’t live in some sort of utopian community, we can gain benefits from eating the way they do!

So that’s where these recipes come in.

A little background- I spent a year during the pandemic trying all the Blue Zones recipes. There were some hits and misses. And I did all the hard work for you, so you don’t have to go through the misses.

Below are 3 easy Blue Zone recipes to get you started. They use minimal, everyday ingredients and no fancy cooking techniques.

I hope at least one catches your eye and you give it a try.

*Remember these are simple preparations. If you’re looking for full spice and smack-you-in-the-face flavor you’ll be disappointed. These meals are humble preparations that you would find in the simple countryside.

1. Five-Ingredient Okinawan Bowl

This recipe is made with buckwheat soba noodles. I hadn’t really worked with soba noodles before, but they are amazing. They are whole grain and just take 4 minutes to cook. There’s only a handful of ingredients in this recipe. So, it instantly became a favorite weeknight meal for me.

2. Sardinian Walnut Pesto

Did you know tomatoes don’t come from Italy? The first sauces were pestos made from pine nuts or walnuts like this recipe. Grinding up walnuts and sautéing them in olive oil oddly gives them a meaty, filling mouth feel. In other words, you don’t miss meat. This recipe was a surprise because it’s so minimal, but tasty. The only thing is it doesn’t keep well and should be eaten once it’s made.

3. 7-Ingredient Veggie Champuru with Cabbage

The most exciting thing about this dish is that my meat-eating boyfriend loved it. I enjoy eating it with the steamed sweet potatoes, but he loves eating it with rice. Either way it’s a nice, super light dish full of veggies and protein. I always feel like I just enjoyed a day at the spa when I eat this one.

Before You Go

Thanks for taking the time to visit.

I hope you enjoy your intro into the Blue Zones!

And I hope these recipes inspire you to eat more vegetables.

Wherever you’re at in your cooking and eating healthy journey, keep going.

Take pleasure in the learning process and remember to nourish yourself with some self-love too!

Subscribe for more tips like these

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For more information on my work, please visit www.chefjoannas.com

To your wholesome & healthy life, 

Joanna

Did you make this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see it! @chefjoannas 

This lasgana was for a wine tasting event.

I needed an easy fill-yourself-up-don’t-get-wasted food to serve.

Lasagna for the bill perfectly.

This recipe is easy and good. In a perfect world I would have time to make my own sauce and everything but I didn’t. I used two shortcuts: using No-boil noodles and my favorite tomato basil sauce.

Even with the shortcuts it’s still good.

Hope you enjoy it.

Also, it can easily be made gluten-free with oven ready gluten free lasagna sheets. The Gluten free version was not even noticeable to people!

The original recipe is from Meaningful Eats

Easy Dinner Party Lasagna

An EASY recipe for gluten-free lasagna using barilla gluten free lasagna noodles!

Prep Time: 45 minutes 

Cook Time: 1hour 

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings 12 people

Ingredients

For the Cheese Mixture:

• 1 16oz bag of shredded mozzarella cheese low-moisture
• 8 oz ricotta cheese
• 8 oz cottage cheese small curd
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the Sauce/Lasagna:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 white onion finely diced
• 29 oz can Hunt’s Tomato Sauce or another canned tomato sauce
• 24-28 oz bottle jarred tomato basil pasta sauce I like the Tomato Basil sauce from Trader Joe’s best
• 10 oz Gluten-Free Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles I use Barilla

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425F. 
2. Set aside one cup of the mozzarella cheese for topping the lasagna later. In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining mozzarella and rest of the cheese mixture ingredients (mozzarella, ricotta, cottage cheese, parmesan, eggs, parsley and pepper) until combined.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and onion. Brown the ground beef, breaking into very small chunks as you do. (The smaller the better so there aren’t big chunks of meat in the lasagna.)
4. Drain the meat of any excess grease and return to the pan. Add the sauces and mix until heated through. 
5. Spoon a thin layer of sauce onto the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Using 5 noodles for the first layer – dip a noodle in the sauce and spread the top of the noodle with a layer of sauce. Place in the pan. Dipping/covering each individual noodle with sauce ensures the noodles will cook through. (See the photos in the post.) Repeat with the remaining noodles. You may have to break the 5th noodle in half to fit it along the bottom of the pan. If it breaks no problem, just layer it in the best you can! 
6. Layer the rest of the lasagna as follows:Add 1/2 of the cheese mixture in dollops across the top of the noodle/sauce layer. Spread with a small spatula until smooth.
7. Spread a few small spoonfuls of sauce over the cheese layer. Dip/cover another 5 noodles and lay them on top of the cheese mixture.
8. Add the other 1/2 of the cheese mixture in dollops across the top of the noodle/sauce layer. Spread with a small spatula until smooth.Spread a few small spoonfuls of sauce over the cheese layer.
9. Dip/cover the remaining 6 noodles in sauce and and lay them on top.
10. Spread any remaining sauce over top of the lasagna.
11. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes covered.
12. Remove the foil and top with the reserved mozzarella cheese.
13. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until browned and bubbling.
14. Let the lasagna sit for 20 minutes before serving. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

Ingredient Notes:

• Gluten-Free Oven-Ready Lasagna Noodles: You can fine these widely available these days. My favorite brand is Barilla.
• San Marzano Canned whole tomatoes: you can use other brands but I find san Marzano tomatoes have the best flavor. I purée them if I buy them whole.
• Jarred Tomato Pasta Sauce: My personal favorite for this dish is Trader Joe’s Tomato Basil.
• Ground Beef: You can also use ground sausage for more flavor. Be sure to break up the ground beef into very small pieces when you cook it. Nobody wants big chunks of meat in lasagna!
• Ricotta/Cottage Cheese: This is my personal favorite combination of cheeses for lasagna. The cottage cheese ensures the ricotta mixture stays moist and distinct.