Stir-fried Broccoli and Peanuts

The original recipe comes from Eating Well.

Ingredients

⅓ cup creamy natural peanut butter
½ cup water, divided
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1½ pounds broccoli crowns, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large red bell pepper, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
¼ cup chopped unsalted peanuts
NOTE: I added pork. Chicken, tofu or another protein source would work equally well.

Directions

1. Whisk peanut butter, ¼ cup water, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and vinegar in a medium bowl until smooth. Set aside. 
2. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add broccoli and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to soften and brown in spots, about 6 minutes. 
3. Add the remaining ¼ cup water and 1 tablespoon soy sauce to the pan along with bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pepper has softened and the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes. 
4. Remove from the heat; stir in the reserved peanut sauce and season with crushed red pepper. Garnish with peanuts.

Communion Bread

Suzan Stegemoeller makes this yummy bread. I assume that someone somewhere along the way served it for communion. I just eat it cause it tastes great!

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

5 teaspoons oil

3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons very hot water

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons molasses

Directions

1.  Sift together 3 times.
2.  Stir in 5 teaspoons oil. Set aside.
3.  Mix wet ingredients together until dissolved.
4.  Add wet to dry ingredients and mix well. Should be slightly sticky. Do not knead.
5.  Add more moisture if too dry.
6.  Divide into 4 balls. Flatten each into a 1/4 inch thick disk. Score each disk.
7.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove. Brush top with oil. Bake another 5 minutes (maybe a little more, if needed).

Suzan's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Another yummy recipe from Suzan Stegemoeller.

2 sticks butter
2 cups sugar (raw or brown or a combination of the two)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
dash cinnamon
3 cups flour (half white, half wheat)
1 bag dark chocolate chips

1. Cream butter and sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla.
2. Mix in soda, salt and cinnamon, flour.
3. Mix in chips
4. Roll into cookie size balls. 
5. Bake for 12 minutes at 325.

Molasses Peanut Butter Balls

This comes from Suzan Stegemoeller, one of my awesome running buddies.

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup dried fruit chunks

Mix and then roll into balls and coat with more powdered milk.

Applesauce Muffins

Ingredients

1/2 Cup butter, softened
1 Cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Cups applesauce
2 Cups all purpose flour
2 Cups whole wheat flour (part gluten, if desired)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 Cup chopped walnuts, optional
Cinnamon sugar, optional

Directions

1. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Stir in applesauce. Combine the flour, baking soda and spices; stir into creamed mixture. Fold in nuts.
2. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar if desired. Yield: about 2 dozen. (NOTE: I prefer bigger muffins, so this makes 16 muffins for me.)

Protein Balls

This comes from Kay Lynn Larsen.

1 c dry oatmeal
1/2 - 3/4 c coconut
1/2 c peanut butter
1/4 - 1/3 c ground flax seed
1/4 c honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
(optional) 1/4 - 1/2 c mini chocolate chips

Mix together by hand and form into balls.