Recipe Ideas

Chocolate Trail Mix Bars Recipe

February 10, 2025 by The Natural Grocery Company

These delicious chocolate trail mix bars are perfect whenever you’re on the go!

Plus, they’re made of pantry staples you probably already have on hand – including oats, peanut butter, and chocolate chips. And if you don’t have them on hand you know you can get them at our stores!

Chocolate Trail Mix Bars

Makes 8

Total time: 35 Minutes

Gluten-Free, Vegetarian

Ingredients

1 cup gluten-free rolled oats

½ cup trail mix

½ cup mixed roasted nuts, roughly chopped

⅓ cup chocolate chips

½ cup roasted sunflower seeds

¼ cup sesame seeds

¼ cup currants

½ cup honey or brown rice syrup

⅓ cup creamy peanut butter

2 ounces chocolate, chopped

¼ teaspoon avocado oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine oats, trail mix, nuts, chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and currants.
Heat peanut butter and honey in a small saucepan and stir until bubbling. Pour over oat mixture and stir until well blended and everything is coated.
Line a 9”x9” baking pan with parchment paper. Add mixture to the pan and with wet hands, press mixture flat.
Bake for 15 minutes. Allow bars to cool before removing from the pan.
Cut into eight bars and place on a cooling rack.
Fill a medium-sized pot with two inches of water and place a heatproof metal or glass mixing bowl on top. You want it to fit snugly without touching the water. Bring the water to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add the chocolate and avocado oil to the bowl and stir until melted and combined. Drizzle the chocolate over the cooled bars.

BBQ Chicken Recipe

February 7, 2025 by The Natural Grocery Company

Looking for the perfect game time appetizer? These BBQ chicken drumsticks are deliciously saucy and quick to prepare.

Serve with a side of celery, carrots, and ranch for a superbowl classic 🏈

BBQ Chicken

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 chicken legs

¾ cup barbeque sauce

Salt and pepper

Directions

Grill Method

Heat an outdoor grill to high heat (450 degrees F)
Brush chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
Place chicken on the heated grill. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until chicken comes easily off the grates. Flip the chicken and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
Baste chicken with barbeque sauce, flipping every 2 minutes and basting again. Continue basting and flipping the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Remove chicken from grill and allow to rest on a clean plate for 5 minutes before serving.

Oven Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place chicken on tray.
Coat chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Bake chicken for 15 minutes, then start to baste with barbeque sauce every 5-10 minutes thereafter. Continue to cook chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Remove chicken from oven and allow to rest on a clean plate for 5 minutes before serving.

Acorn Squash filled with Wild Rice Stuffing with Dried Apricots and Pecans

November 4, 2024 by The Natural Grocery Company

Acorn Squash filled with Wild Rice Stuffing with Dried Apricots and Pecans

Makes enough for 2 entrée portions or 4 side dishes depending on the size of the acorn squash

1-2 Acorn Squash
2 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons Miyoko’s Vegan Butter
1 cup Lundberg Wild Rice Blend
1 cup vegetable broth stock
¹⁄₄ cup chopped pecans
¹⁄₄ cup chopped dried Turkish apricot
1 stalks celery, chopped well
½ yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon date molasses
salt
pepper

Directions

Roasting the acorn squash

Carefully cut the acorn squash in half, lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
Lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place on a baking sheet, cut side down and bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes, until tender.
Remove from oven and flip to cut side up. Put ½ tablespoon of vegan butter in each and allow it to melt before stuffing.

To prepare the filling

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat combine the rice and vegetable stock.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, until rice is tender, about 30 minutes.
If all the liquid isn’t absorbed don’t worry about it, as long as the rice is done. Drain if needed.
In a saute pan heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add the onion and cook until lightly caramelized. Then add 1 tablespoon vegan butter, nuts, apricots and celery and cook until heated through. To finish, add the chopped sage and thyme.
Add the apricots, celery, onions and nuts to the rice. Add the chopped parsley and date molasses, mix thoroughly.
Taste and salt if you want and pepper to taste.
Stuff baked halves of acorn squash and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cauliflower Cheese Gratin Recipe

March 19, 2024 by The Natural Grocery Company

What’s cheesy, melty, and vegetarian friendly? This Cauliflower Cheese Gratin recipe ticks all three boxes ✅. It makes a great appetizer or side and pairs perfectly with spicy sambal sauce.

Double Chocolate Stout Brownies

March 15, 2024 by The Natural Grocery Company

Need a little more protein in your diet? These double chocolate stout brownies use black beans and chocolate stout beer for added protein, fiber, and a little flavor kick.

Double Chocolate Stout Brownies

Makes 9 brownies

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Vegetarian

15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

2/3 cup chocolate stout beer

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup cane sugar

¾ cup cocoa powder

¾ cup brown sugar, packed

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon sea salt

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Glaze:

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon chocolate stout beer

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Using a blender or food processor, blend beans and stout until smooth. In a mixing bowl, combine bean mixture, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir until mixed.
In another mixing bowl whisk together flour, cane sugar, cocoa powder, and brown sugar.
Add dry into wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
Pour batter in prepared baking pan and bake for 48 minutes. Cool completely before glazing.
For glaze, stir together confectioner’s sugar, milk, and stout. Drizzle over cooled brownies and serve.