Breakfast Banana Muffins

These banana muffins were adapted from a recipe I found via pinterest which took me to a lovely blog.  I adapted it into my own using honey flavored greek yogurt instead of plain and therefore used less sugar too!

2 1/2 cups of old fashioned oats (not quick cook)

2 eggs

1 cup honey greek yogurt ( I used ZOI )

1 1/2 to 2 bananas (whether medium or large)
*Always remember, the browner the better when baking with bananas! 

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

IS YOUR MOUTH WATERING YET?

Add wet ingredients first (bananas, yogurt, eggs) and then the dry ingredients (baking powder and soda, both sugars, oats) into your blender.  Doing this will help it blend easier with less stirring or blender motor burn out!

I used the baby food setting on my awesome Oster blender to start while helping to mix with a spatula through the hole in the lid until well blended.  There will be tiny chunks of oats - you don't have to make it like a soup. 

 Grease a muffin pan (Do not use paper liners for a non-flour recipe) and fill each spot with muffin mix.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (or until tooth pick comes out clean).

GOLDEN GOODNESS!

You can eat plain or spread with butter, nutella, or peanut butter.  But whatever you do...

ENJOY!

First Pasta Salad of the Summer

Yes, it is easy to grab a box of Suddenly Salad at the grocery store...but it's also easy to make one from scratch with yummy goodness!
I don't know about you, but I crave pasta salads in the summer.  Pasta salad are so easy and so delicious for a snack, lunch, or even dinner on a warm day. 

• 2 cups of pasta- Your choice of type (I used bowtie because we had it at home but I would have preferred wheat spirals or something with more color)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• 10 kalamata olives (or another kind if you prefer)
• 1/4 green bell pepper
• 1/4 red onion
• optional- shredded parmesan cheese

Boil the pasta until al dente.

Strain pasta and let dry for a few minutes in colander.  This will allow for the oil to stick better if there is less water on the pasta.

Meanwhile, slice the tomatoes and kalamata olives and dice the bell pepper and onion.

Drizzle olive oil onto pasta and toss until evenly coated.

Sprinkle garlic salt, pepper, and dried basil then toss again until evenly coated.

Now stir in the tomatoes, olives, bell pepper, and onion.

Cool in refrigerator before serving.  Sprinkle servings with parmesan cheese if desired.

Takes about 15 minutes and you suddenly have a pasta salad!

Add shredded rotisserie chicken for a meat if desired.

I enjoyed it on the porch at sunset with a side of cantaloupe and a bright summer ale.

ENJOY!

Baked Polenta and Parmesan Zucchini

Polenta is an Italian food made from corn meal which serves as a good alternative to meat because it has ZERO FAT and is a serving of grains!  It is very bland alone but is a versatile base to a meal.  I had not cooked with polenta before trying this recipe so I think I hit some beginners luck.  
I knew I wanted to stick with traditional Italian for the recipe so I started by making some homemade marinara as the polenta topping.

Homemade Chunky Marinara:

• 1- 15 oz can of diced tomatos
• 1- 8oz can of tomato sauce
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 white onion chopped
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
• salt and pepper

Combine ingredients in medium sauce pan, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Baked Polenta:

• 1 package pre-cooked polenta 
• Homemade marinara sauce (or a jar of your favorite pre-made marinara if desired)
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Cut polenta into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Drop a dime size of olive oil in bakeware and coat bottom with a baking brush.  Place polenta slices in bakeware, salt and pepper, and cover with marinara sauce, piling each with plenty of tomatoes.  

*Serves 4*

Parmesan Zucchini

• 2 zucchinis
• parmesan cheese 
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Slice each zucchini long way.  Drop a dime size of olive oil in bakeware and coat bottom with a baking brush.  Place zucchini strips in bakeware, sprinkle with parmesan cheese until evenly coated, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake both polenta and zucchini on middle rack of 375 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Then remove and change oven setting to broil. Sprinkle polenta with parmesan cheese.  Broil on top rack for 2-3 minutes, until parmesan cheese is browning.

DELIZIOSO!

Easy Sesame Ginger Salmon

This is one of the easiest Salmon recipes because of the few ingredients and little time it takes to make.  All you need is:

• 2 Salmon Fillets
• Newman's  Own Sesame Ginger Marinade
• Toasted sesame seeds
• 2 Garlic cloves minced (I like a lot of garlic)
• salt

Line bakeware with foil which makes the skin stick to it and be easily removed form the fish.  Pat the salmon fillets dry with a paper towel and place in bakeware.  Spread garlic over the fillets, dash some salt, drizzle with the marinade until fully coated, and sprinkle sesame seeds.  Now either cover with foil and allow to marinate in the fridge while the over heats or place directly onto middle rack of 350 degree oven.  Cook for 20-25 minutes.

ENJOY!

( Disclaimer:  I forgot to take an after picture :( but it didn't look much different! )

I served this with brocoli and lemon brown rice.  Asparagus is always a good pairing with salmon too.

Squirrel Supper

I cook for myself on Monday nights because Collin has a night class until 9:30.  This is when I can really experiment because I don’t care if I mess up a recipe that’s just for me!  So this is a recipe for one (but of course you can double, triple, quadruple, or whatever you want to it!)

You’re probably wondering where the name of this dish came from.  Its supper for a SQUIRREL because of two reasons: 1) My husbands brother and friends nicknamed girls “squirrels” because they thought it was fitting, and 2) because of the acorn squash.  So with that explanation, here is my recipe for the squirrels out there!

Ingredients:

• One acorn squash
• 75mL (1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon)
• wild rice mix (I used a lemon herb)
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1 celery stick chopped
• 2 slivers of yellow onion chopped
• tablespoon of slivered almonds
• 1 lemon to zest
• Old Bay’s Seasoning

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Cook Time:  65 minutes

Put onion, celery, and almonds in a medium saucepan on medium heat to sauté for a few minutes. Add tablespoons of water as needed to keep them from sticking to the bottom.

Put onion, celery, and almonds in a medium saucepan on medium heat to sauté for a few minutes. Add tablespoons of water as needed to keep them from sticking to the bottom.  Then add garlic and vegetable broth and many dashes of Old Bay's.  Bring to a boil then add rice and zest a quarter size area of the lemon into the pot.  Stir, then cover and simmer for 45 minutes while you prepare and cook the squash

CAREFULLY cut the acorn long-way, scoop seeds out, then place in a baking dish (I find a bread pan is the perfect size to help keep them upright) with ½ inch of water on the bottom to facilitate cooking.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the squash from the oven.  Dash a little salt and pepper on the squash.  Spoon the cooked rice into the holes. Dash a little more S&P.

 Place back in the over for 20 minutes.

And Voila!  You have you squirrel supper!

It is filling!

It is healthy!

It is tasty!

ENJOY!

I Saw the Sign

As promised...Drilled holes and looped hemp string (Michael's beading/jewelry section- get 40% off coupon from their weekly ad!) then hung above our bed. 

Collin walked in our room shortly after I hung and said, "Our room looks nice!"  *Brought me warm fuzzies* I decorate for myself but in the hopes that the hubs notices and even better, appreciate! :D

Black Bean Baja Bake

I could not wait to share this recipe because it happened purely in the moment and it was a very pleasant surprise!  My mouth is watering just remembering how good it tasted!  This recipe made about 4 servings in a 8X8 Pyrex.  To serve more people with this easy meal just double and use a 3QT Pyrex!  
Here it it:



2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 white onion diced
1/2 red bell pepper diced
1/4 yellow bell pepper diced
1/4 green bell pepper diced
1 can of black beans drained
1 tsp cumin
1 sliver of butter
1 5 oz can of green chilis
1 cup of sour cream (I use fat- free and it still tasted great!)
9 mini corn tortillas
1 cup of Mexican blend shredded cheese

Optional toppings:

1/2 avocado
4 cherry tomatos
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
3 green onions chopped

Preheat oven to 375

Start with onions in a large skillet on medium heat. Allow onions to simmer for about 2 minutes then add all the bell peppers, black beans, and cumin.  We'll call this the bean/veggie mix.  Stir and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Doesn't take long for this mix to warm up because the beans are already cooked so you are just infusing the flavors.  

Place mix in a bowl and set aside.

Rinse skillet and wipe with paper towel.

Place back on low-medium heat (my stove range is on a 1-10 scale so I set it to 3) with a thin slice of butter and garlic- begin to simmer then add the green chilis- stir.  Allow to simmer another minute then stir in sour cream until you have a smooth sauce.  It starts to smell so gooood!

Now that you have your bean/veggie mix and the sauce, you can begin layering!  Layering is always the fun part! In an 8X8 pyrex dish place a few of  the tortillas in the bottom then cover with beans/veggie mix a little cheese and sauce, and then repeat with a second layer and finally cover with tortillas sauce and cheese.

Done and in the oven!

SO GOOD!

And as they say in Texas, "The Fixin's"

 My husband and I loved this dish and I cannot wait to make it again! 

Hope you enjoy it!

Kitchen Tip:

Green onions should be kept in water up to where the white begins to turn green and either in the fridge or on a cold window sill.  Storing green onions this way will cause them to grow!  When you haven't used them for a little while cut down the limpy parts and replace the water and they will crisp back up. I've had these for almost 2 months now!