Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Tart

I hope you are having a happy "Thankful season". Although every season can be a thankful season. We are looking forward to having almost all my extended family here at our house for Thanksgiving. It should be over 60 people. It will be a treat to have them here. :)

We had a quick get away last weekend for my son to play in a tournament. We had a really nice time. I saw this quote at the tennis court and Loved it. It is So true! I need to make sure I am feeding the right wolf.

"An old Cherokee told his grandson: "My son there is a battle between two wolves inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies, and ego. The other is Good. It is  joy,  peace, love, hope,  humility, kindness, empathy and truth. The boy thought about it and asked: " Grandfather, which wolf wins?"  And the grandfather quietly replied:  "The one you feed."    

I came up with this treat today. I was making something similar to the layered cookie that you have during the holidays, that has the eagle brand milk in it. I decided to try a healthier version of that, and this is what I came up with. It can even be gluten free if you use gluten free oatmeal.

Ingredients:
3 1/4 C old fashioned oatmeal (gluten free oatmeal if desired) *
2/3 C honey
1/3 C coconut oil or butter (melted) 
2 tsp cinnamon * optional
3/4 C chopped up dates *
1 1/4 water
1 C almonds chop in blender
1/2 cashew pieces chop in blender
1/4 C  unsweetened coconut
1/2 C dark chocolate chips
garnish chips and coconut

Directions:
1. Blend in blender oatmeal until it turns into flour.* Pour into bowl. With a pastry blender blend in honey and oil into the oatmeal. Add in the cinnamon. Press into greased tart pan or pie pan. Make it thin.
2. Bake in oven at 350 for about 10 min.
3. In the meantime pour dates and water into a sauce pan. Heat on medium heat until soft. Stir in the nuts and coconut. Combine for a few minutes oover the heat. Take off the stove.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips. Press on top of the crust.
5. Garnish with chips and coconut. Serve

* Add sweetner to the date mixture if you want it sweeter.
* You could not blend 1/2 the oatmeal and have it have whole half blended.     
* The oatmeal crust could be used for another kind of tart or pie. :)

Whole Grain Strawberry Tart

This was a fun recipe to make. It was rewarding to hear and see my children's reactions. They were so excited about it. :) It was nice to incorporate some healthy changes to make it healthy, without sacrificing the flavor. It is fun to be able to use the strawberries while they are still in the store. I love to eat berries!

Ingredients:
Tart crust:
2 C whole grain flour ( I used spelt and kamut )
1/3 C powdered sugar or other dry sweetener
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 C coconut oil or butter

Filling:
6 C fresh cut up strawberries washed and cut into bite size pieces
2 C frozen raspberries
1/4 C honey
1 tsp Ultra gel or 2 tsp cornstarch

Directions:

1. Spray 11 1/4 " tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray.

2. In bowl pour in flour, salt and sugar. Cut in the oil, until it is all combined.

3. Pour into tart pan. Press with finger tips, making it even on the bottom and going up the sides.
Poke some holes in the bottom with a fork to prevent it from puffing up. Cover with plastic wrap and place pastry in the freezer for 15 min. It helps the pastry from shrinking while cooking.

4. Preheat oven to 425. Bake for 12-15 min. Till light golden.Cool on wire rack. Do not remove from pan till cooled.

5. Thaw out raspberries, and then pour in a mesh strainer that is over a bowl. Smash and stir the berries in the strainer to release the juice. I ended up with 1/2 C of juice. I put the remains of the raspberries in a Zip lock in the freezer to use in my smoothies.

6. Pour the 1/2 C juice into saucepan along with honey. Heat on low heat. Then add the ultra gel or cornstarch until thickened. Let cool a few minutes.

7. Pour the mixture over the strawberries. I just wanted a slight coating if you want more sauce you can double it.

8. Then remove tart from pan. I left the bottom piece of the pan on for extra support, not necessary though. Pour the strawberry mixture into the tart right before serving. (So it doesn't soften the tart too much.)

* You could also sprinkle powdered sugar, or a dollop of whipping cream. You could also spread a small layer of cream cheese mixed together with a little sweetener on the bottom prior to putting in the berries. There are a lot of possibilities.