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
We love a good rice bowl. (One of my favorites is the salmon- with veggies- teriyaki bowl at Whole Foods. Clara and I have shared a dozen of those over the last few years.) So I was excited when I found this recipe. The maple-soy-lime glaze is what really makes it awesome! Steam some rice. Saute spinach and whatever other vegetables you desire. Simmer a quick glaze to brush on the salmon before roasting and drizzle atop before serving. I added some steamed broccoli on the side. Healthy and delicious.
p.s. Serve it with brown rice if you prefer. Or try rice noodles. I bet chicken or shrimp would be equally delicious. (Shrimp you can roast- it’ll cook quick!- but chicken I would grill or cook in a skillet.) Or tofu. Or just go crazy with the veggies.
Salmon Rice Bowl with Maple Lime Glaze
INGREDIENTS
1 cup jasmine rice
2 tsp. unsalted butter
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. cornstarch
3-4 salmon fillets (12-16 oz. total), skin removed
1 tsp. canola, coconut, etc. oil
2 5- oz. packages baby spinach (and/or a mixture of vegetables to saute- I added green beans, shallot, and bell peppers)
2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
chopped green onion or chives, for serving (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 400 F. Cook rice as directed on package (I use 2 cups water and 3/4 tsp. salt for 1 cup white rice).
2. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté garlic and pepper flakes until garlic is lightly golden, 1 minute. Add syrup, juice and soy sauce; cook until bubbling, 3 minutes. In a bowl, combine cornstarch and 1 tsp. water; stir into garlic glaze. Cook until slightly thick, 1 minute.
3. Arrange fillets on a foil-lined baking sheet. Spread 1 tsp. glaze over each fillet. Roast until just cooked through, about 12 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, warm oil over medium heat. Add 1 package spinach; sauté until just wilted. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from pan; set aside. Repeat with second package spinach. (At this point you can sauté any other vegetables you want to include.) Divide rice among bowls; top each with spinach/veggies and salmon. Drizzle with remaining sauce, sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion/chives (optional), and serve.
Clara’s birthday cake. I almost made her this funfetti cake but decided last minute to try a new recipe for vanilla cake with a buttery cream cheese frosting and just add some sprinkles between the layers and on top. Simple and elegant and just whimsical enough for a 3-year-old. I was truly wowed by how delicious this vanilla cake turned out to be! Soft and tender and moist. The frosting (which I added a little more cream cheese and used a little less sugar in) was just right. Creamy and not at all too sweet. We all LOVED it!
When I’m deciding whether to try a recipe from another blog, I always read through the comments. Besides rave reviews, many people wondered if they could use whole eggs instead of whites. The answer is that no, not in this case. It would change the texture, color, and final result. And the cake would probably take on a yellow hue. Save those yolks and make some ice cream too! I made a few slight adjustments for high altitude, which I’ve detailed below*. We had a bit of cake leftover, which I froze and then devoured the following week. It was just as amazing the second time around.
Vanilla Birthday Cake
INGREDIENTS
Cake Batter:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
3/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
Cream Cheese Frosting:
12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar (to taste)
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Pinch salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Spray two 8 or 9-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Cut two 8 or 9-inch rounds of parchment or wax paper and line the bottom of each pan; spray the paper with nonstick spray. (To measure the parchment paper, just trace the bottom of the pan.)
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until very soft and light. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.
4. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg whites and milk by hand in a medium bowl until just combined.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in one-quarter of the flour mixture, then one-third of the milk mixture, stopping and scraping down the bowl and beater after each addition. Beat in another quarter of the flour, then another third of the milk mixture. Scrape again. Repeat with another quarter of the flour and the remaining milk mixture; scrape. Finally, beat in the remaining flour mixture.
5. Scrape the bowl with a large rubber spatula. Don’t worry if the the batter looks a little grainy. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops.
6. Bake the cakes for about 30 minutes, until they are well risen and set on top and a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean. Cool the cakes in the pans on rack for 5 minutes, then unmold onto rack to finish cooling right side up (keep parchment paper underneath cake layers so they don’t stick to rack).
7. When cake layers are completely cool, transfer to cake plate and frost with vanilla buttercream.
8. To make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese until creamy and well combined. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat in the vanilla and salt. If the frosting is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk or cream.
* for high altitude (~7000 feet): increase baking temp to 375 F, decrease baking time to ~25 min., + 3 Tbsp. flour, halve baking powder, + 2-3 Tbsp. milk, -1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
This salad is great- with apples, spinach, goat cheese and pecans (toasted with butter, sugar, and curry powder even). But the maple cider vinaigrette is especially amazing. Believe me, you’ll want to drizzle it on everything!
A few confessions: I rarely measure when I make a salad- a little of this, a lot of that. And I usually cut down such recipes drastically to serve just 3 (as dressed salad doesn’t stay fresh long). I probably only made 1/3 of the vinaigrette. If you do have extra, it should last at least a few days in the fridge. And for the pecans, I skipped the oven step and just sauteed them with the butter/sugar/spices in a skillet for several minutes before tossing them on a paper towel to crisp up. The oven would have been better (for a more toasted flavor) but whatever works!
Spinach-Apple Salad with Maple Cider Vinaigrette
INGREDIENTS
10 oz. baby spinach
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 oz. crumbled goat cheese
1 apple, thinly sliced
6 oz. sugared-curried pecans (see below) or toasted chopped pecans
Maple Cider Vinaigrette:
1/6 cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 1/2 Tsp. Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp. kosher salt + extra to taste
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
DIRECTIONS
1. To prepare pecans: Preheat oven to 350°. Toss pecans in butter. Stir together sugar and next 4 ingredients in a bowl; add pecans, tossing to coat. Spread in a single layer in a nonstick aluminum foil-lined pan. Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until lightly browned and toasted. Cool in pan on a wire rack 20 minutes; separate pecans with a fork.
2. To prepare the vinaigrette: Whisk together cider vinegar and next 4 ingredients. Gradually whisk in oil until well blended.
3. To prepare the salad: Combine spinach and next 3 ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle with desired amount of vinaigrette; toss to coat.
Last week I flew to San Francisco (Menlo Park specifically) to spend time with one of my best friends and her new baby. It was my first solo trip since becoming a mama myself and it was so relaxing! And then I returned just in time for Clara’s 3rd birthday. We celebrated with a few friends and had BBQ (pineapple pulled pork sandwiches and this southwest slaw) and a dreamy vanilla cake that I’ll share ASAP. It was busy/fun/crazy! And how is Clara already 3?! On to the recipe…
I’m just realizing that tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo. Perfect timing for this post! Today’s tacos are made with ground chicken, red pepper, garlic, and my favorite ancho chili powder (among other things). So much flavor going on here. Serve with your favorite taco toppings- always avocado, cilantro, and salsa verde on a cheesy toasted tortilla for me!
Ground Chicken Tacos
INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely diced
1 bell pepper (any color- I use red), finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. ground chicken (not super lean, a mixture of white and dark meat is preferred)
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 tsp. ancho chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (to taste)
~1 tsp. kosher salt (to taste)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup (8 oz.) tomato sauce (can use crushed tomatoes instead)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (can use 1 tsp. ground coriander instead, adding it with the other spices)
for serving:
corn or flour tortillas, warmed
shredded Mexican cheese (such as Monterrey, Colby, or Pepper Jack)
shredded lettuce or cabbage
diced onion
chopped fresh cilantro
diced tomato
salsa or pico de gallo
avocado or guacamole
sour cream
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the olive oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and just starting to brown, 10-12 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a few minutes more. Add the ground chicken, paprika, ancho chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Turn the heat to high; use a wooden spoon to stir and break the chicken into small clumps until the chicken is partially cooked, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, then turn the heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking chicken into smaller clumps, until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro. Adjust seasoning to taste if necessary. Serve in warmed tortillas with lettuce, cheese, onion, cilantro, tomato, salsa, avocado, and/or sour cream.
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