Lauren on Living

A Lifestyle Blog about Simplifying Healthy Living

Recipe: Fig Bars

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These fig bars may look impressive, but I promise,  they’re super easy to make and delicious to boot!

Ingredients:

Shortbread base:

1/2 cup Earth Balance

1/4 brown sugar OR (1/8 cup sugar  + 1/8 cup molasses) OR 1/4 cup maple sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Fig Topping:

2 1/3 cups (13 oz) dried figs

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar OR 1/2 cup maple sugar

1 1/2 cups water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Lightly grease a baking dish and line with parchment paper (make sure the parchment paper is hanging over the sides, so you can lift the bars out easily). Beat the the earth balance, brown sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon until well combined, then mix in the flour using a spoon until well mixed.  Press the mixture into your baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.

Put the dried figs, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, sugar and water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and let the figs simmer for 20 minutes until they are soft and the liquid has reduced.  Place the mixture in a food processor and pulse until smooth.  Spread the fig mixture over the shortbread base and bake for 12 minutes.  Allow to cool completely, then lift out and cut into squares.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Avocado Pie

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UPDATE: We adopted a plant based diet in September 2013 so, while this was definitely yummy, it no longer reflects the food we eat. IMG_6595

I know, I know, avocado pie sounds dreadful, but trust me on this, it’s actually quite nice and super easy to make.  You can even name it something else and leave people guessing as to what your secret ingredient is.  It’s reminiscent of a key lime pie and has always been a crowd-pleaser whenever I’ve made it (except for that one time when I added eggs and baked it, don’t do that) you can make it a bit healthier by leaving the cream cheese out, but be warned, the pie won’t maintain it’s form as well.  Try it and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 ready made cracker crust, graham cracker or short bread (you could make your own, but I generally go for the quicker route)

Filling:

2 medium ripe hass avocados – scoop out and chop up the flesh

1 8-ounce package cream cheese (room temperature)

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

3 limes -juiced

1 lemon – juiced

Pinch of salt

Garnish (optional):

Heavy whipping cream

Sugar – to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl mix together the avocado and cream cheese until smooth, using an electric mixer.  Mix in the condensed milk, lime juice, lemon juice and salt until creamy.  Try to keep the avocado lumps to a minimum.  Scoop into the pie crusts and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or over night.

Put the heavy whipping cream and desired amount of sugar in a separate bowl and beat until fluffy and soft peaks form.

Garnish the pie with the whipped cream and serve.  Enjoy!

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Recipe: Pecan Pie

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UPDATE: We adopted a plant based diet in September 2013 so, while this was definitely yummy, it no longer reflects the food we eat. IMG_5921

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This recipe is super easy to make and only takes about 5 to 10 minutes to prepare once you get the hang of it.  This pie is not as sweet as most pecan pies that I’ve come across, but that’s what my husband loves most about it.

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup flour

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 tbsp milk

Filling:

3 eggs (lightly beaten with a fork)

1/2 cup karo light corn syrup

1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt to taste

1 1/2 cups pecans

2 tbsp butter (cut up into smallish pieces)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Crust:

Mix the flour, oil and milk together until all liquid is absorbed.  You want the consistency to be like play dough, so add a bit more milk and oil to get it there if need be (I forgot this step and my crust was rather dry and crumbly, just saying).  You should mix as little as possible so as soon as there is an even consistency, stop mixing.

Using your fingers, press the dough into a pie pan, making sure to go up the sides, until it is evenly distributed,

Filling:

Mix the eggs, sugar, corn syrup, salt, pecans and butter together in a large bowl, then pour into the pie crust and bake for 50 minutes.

Let cool, then serve with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and enjoy.