A basic banana muffin (or bread if you bake it as a loaf), made with 100% whole wheat (plus flax) and a touch of honey. These don’t taste nearly as healthy as they are. They’re soft and plenty sweet and lightly spiced (add the cinnamon!!). Enjoy them warm and then freeze the leftovers- they’ll stay fresh much longer and you can pull one out of the freezer for a snack anytime!
Whole Wheat Banana Bread/Muffins
INGREDIENTS
2 ¼ cups whole-wheat flour (I replaced 1/4 cup flour with ground flaxseed)
¾ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
3 ripe bananas, mashed
¼ cup plain yogurt (I used nonfat plain Greek yogurt)
¼ cup honey
2 eggs
⅓ cup oil (I used melted coconut oil)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F and light coat a muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt (and cinnamon if using).
3. In a separate bowl mix mashed bananas with yogurt, honey, eggs, oil, and vanilla.
4. Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture until blended. Do not overmix.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan.
6. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove muffins from the pan to cool on a wire rack.
NOTE: This recipe can be made into a loaf. Bake in a loaf pan for ~50 min.
*high altitude adjustments (~7000 feet): increase oven temperature to 375 F, halve baking soda
I’ve made this versatile breakfast casserole twice now with completely different ingredients and both times it was delicious. The base doesn’t change: eggs, milk, cheese, and veggies. What variety of melty cheese and handful of veggies go in is up to you. You can make it with sausage or ham or no meat at all. I halve the recipe to feed the 3 of us. Leftovers make an amazing breakfast sandwich on a toasted English muffin.
Sausage, Cheese, and Veggie Egg Bake
INGREDIENTS
8 oz. sweet or spicy Italian chicken sausage (or diced ham, etc.)
2 cups mozzarella (or fontina, Cheddar, Montery Jack, etc.), shredded (I used a combo of Swiss and Colby Jack)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup chopped shallots (or green onion)
8 oz. sliced mushrooms (I used cremini)
1 cup diced red bell pepper (or roasted red pepper)
1 1/2 cups chopped veggie (broccoli, spinach, tomato, or zucchini- I used yellow squash)
10 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning (optional, but recommended)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Place half of cheese into the baking dish.
2. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray, cook the sausage over medium heat breaking up as it cooks until browned and cooked through. Set aside.
3. Add the oil to the skillet with the shallots/onion and saute several minutes until tender. Add the mushrooms, peppers, and remaining veggies and saute until vegetables are tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Return the sausage, cook 1 minute; mix well and remove from heat. Spread evenly over the cheese mixture.
4. In a large bowl combine the eggs, milk, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and whisk well. Slowly pour over the vegetables in the baking dish and top with remaining cheese.
5. Bake until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let stand several minutes before slicing.
The thing I miss most about Chicago (besides the friends we left behind) is the food. So much amazing food in that city. At least once every week during the spring and summer Clara and I frequented one of the farmers markets (Lincoln Square and Lincoln Park were our favorites)- for fresh fruit and veggies, flowers, and bread. And to visit our favorite crepe stand. Two cute Frenchman ran a crepe truck and made the most incredible sweet and savory crepes. Dessert (or breakfast, occasionally!) crepes with blueberries and fresh cream and honey and buckwheat crepes with ham and cheese (our go-to), or pesto with cheese and ham or turkey, even goat cheese and honey. We’d share a massive hot crepe in the park with a side of just-picked cherry tomatoes and berries before heading home with the rest of our edible treasures.
Lincoln Square farmer’s market
I didn’t expect this recipe to be nearly as delicious or authentic as those perfect Chicago street crepes. But it is! And it’s simple and can be made 100% buckwheat/whole wheat if you wish. We love them just about any way, but highly recommend ham + freshly grated REAL Parmesan for your first experience. Which is what we had for lunch today (and several times last week) followed by a warm peanut butter + banana + honey crepe for dessert!
Buckwheat Crepes
INGREDIENTS
3 large eggs
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (I use 1/2 cup white whole wheat + 1/4 cup all-purpose)
1 cup whole milk
1 cup water
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
fillings:
thinly sliced ham + freshly grated Parmesan + freshly ground black pepper (I’ve also added spinach)
basil pesto + mozzarella
peanut butter + sliced banana + honey
almond butter + sliced strawberries + honey
yogurt + fruit + honey
DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth (using a blender, food processor, immersion blender, or whisk). Cover bowl and chill for several hours or overnight. (You can get away with cooking them immediately, but they’ll have a better texture if refrigerated first.)
2. Set the batter out to come to room temperature for an hour before cooking (I usually forget this step and they turn out fine). Preheat a large skillet over medium-heat. Add a small pat of butter and quickly spread the butter around the pan. Add 1/4 cup (for small crepes) -1/3 cup (for large crepes) of batter and tilt the pan so that the batter spreads into a circle. Cook for about a minute, until bubbling and golden on the bottom, then flip (I loosen the edges with a spatula and then slide it under the middle and flip very carefully) and cook on the second side until golden brown.
3. To make a ham and cheese crepe: Immediately after flipping, sprinkle with Parmesan and place a single layer of ham on top. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Fold the crepe over twice and cook a bit longer on each side, until the cheese is melted. Serve warm. The same can be done with pesto and mozzarella or other fillings of choice.
4. Unused crepes can easily be stored wrapped in the fridge for a couple of days, or frozen (layer between wax paper and place in a plastic bag) for several months.
Makes 10-20 crepes, depending on size (mine were large, so I only got 10).
My sister, a former employee of Great Harvest Bread Co. and accomplice in my consumptions of many many loaves of their goodness, inspired this recipe. She shared with me a granola recipe that she acquired while working there and I lightened it up. Less sugar, less oil- that sort of thing. But still full of flavor and addicting (-which is good or bad? You decide.)!
Unsweetened coconut flakes are the way to go. Much better texture than that sticky shredded stuff. To complement the coconut flakes, I used coconut oil (and it doesn’t need a whole lot, you’ll notice). Canola or sunflower or grapeseed would also work. I went with honey as the sweetener, but maple would be amazing (or just use brown sugar if you have neither). And I added sliced almonds and dried cranberries. Any assortment of nuts/seeds/dried fruits can be used. (p.s. You don’t have to include the coconut. Just aim for approximately 2 1/2 – 3 cups fruit/seeds/nuts and it should work out.) Also, don’t over-bake (it will crisp further as it cools) and stir often for evenly golden granola.
Healthy Homemade Granola
INGREDIENTS
4 cups raw oats (not quick or instant)
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 – 3/4 cup chopped nuts/seeds (I used 1/2 cup sliced almonds, will add flax seeds next time)
1 cup dried fruit (I used sweetened dried cranberries)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. almond or vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey (or maple syrup or brown sugar)
3 Tbsp. coconut oil (or another neutral oil such as ) **next time I plan on adding some cinnamon**
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, coconut, nuts/seeds, dried fruit, and salt. Warm the honey and coconut oil together in a small microwavable bowl until pourable. Add the extract and pour over top of the oatmeal mixture. Stir until well coated.
3. Spread onto a large baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, turning frequently for even cooking, until lightly toasted and golden. Let cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container. Keeps for about a week at room temperature, longer if frozen.
Every Christmas morning I get talked into making cinnamon rolls. Not that it takes much coercion because I love them just as much as (probably more than) the next person. But that’s the problem- I can eat a whole pan-full on my own. (And usually do, it’s part of the ritual.) They’re dangerous and thus saved for special occasions when I don’t have to feel as guilty about such gluttony.
When I want to avoid over-indulgence and still treat myself to breakfast, I make this. (Or something like it.) Puffed pancakes are traditionally a mixture of eggs and milk and flour, sometimes sweetened and served with lemon and fruit and syrup. This time I added vanilla, brown sugar, and cinnamon to the batter and dropped ripe sliced pears on top before baking. The pancake puffs up all around them and looks and tastes irresistible. Stunning enough for a special occasion, but simple and nutritious enough for every day.
Puffed Pear Pancake
INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp. butter
4 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or spelt or all-purpose flour)
2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar (or granulated sugar)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1-2 ripe Bartlett pears, cored and thinly sliced
for serving:
lemon wedges
powdered sugar
maple syrup
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Place butter in a large (12-inch) cast iron or other oven-proof skillet and place in oven until butter is melted.
2. In a large bowl (this can also be done in a blender) whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Remove the skillet from the oven (carefully, it will be HOT) and swirl the butter to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Pour in the batter and top with the pears.
3. Return skillet to oven and bake for about 18-2o minutes, until puffed and golden and the center is set. Serve with lemon, powdered sugar, and/or maple syrup.
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