Tag: brunch

Banana Black Pepper Muffins

Leave a comment

This experiment was inspired by aromas. I really love the smell of black pepper. I find it so complex and full of twists and turns. Bananas too have an intestong aroma that evolves wih the ripeness of the fruit. The best bananas for breads and muffins are the ones that almost squish out of the dark peel; a banana rarely eaten in the same way that a bright yellow banana is eaten. The result of my current curiosity sounds like something from a spell book. Grab the squishy brown bananas, and black pepper and take these charming muffins to a Halloween party. If you want to creep people out a little, up the amount of black pepper by a smidge.

Yields 12 standard size muffins. You’ll need a muffin tin and muffin cups if desired.

Banana Black Pepper Muffins

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 3/4 c cane sugar
  • 2 T brown sugar
  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • kosher salt and more cane sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If not using muffins cups, spray muffin tin with cooking spray. Measure dry ingredients (flour-black pepper) into a medium bowl, and whisk to combine. In another bowl, combine sugars through vanilla and whisk together. Add banana mixture to the flour mixture and gently fold until combined. Scoop batter into muffin cups. Sprinkle a little kosher salt and cane sugar ontop of muffins, then bake. Check muffins after 20 minutes. When you can really smell the muffins and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, remove them from the oven and allow to cool.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Leave a comment

This was made on a whim from the bananas I thought I would start eating before I run. I didn’t eat them. But what I do like to eat before I run is a tear of banana bread, specificaly with chocolate chips. I sliced, then froze the loaf. I pull out a couple pieces at a time, keep them in the fridge, and just tear off hunks as needed.

  • 2 very ripe bananas
  • 1/3 cup low fat sour cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/3 cup a.p. flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup cane sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 T butter, softened
  • 1 T peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup cocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a loaf pan. Mash bananas in a medium bowl. Stir in sour cream, and set aside. Beat eggs in a seperate bowl. Measure flour into a small bowl and whisk in baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, and vanilla. Mix the sugars into butter mixture. Add the eggs to the butter mixture and blend. Scrap the sides and bottom of bowl, then add the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined. Stir in banana mixture and chocolate chips. Pour mixture into prepared loaf pan and place in oven to bake for 50-55 min. Remove from oven when a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Spring Barley Salad

Leave a comment

A combination of a whole grain, light flavorful vinegarette, and lots of spring vegetables makes for a high protein, high fiber, vegetarian salad, side dish, or one bowl meal. Great as a side for Easter Ham or Lamb. Come on in Spring.

Feeds 8-10 as a side dish. Feeds 4-5 as base to a main course. Takes roughly 45 minutes to make.

  • 1 cup of dried Barley, rinsed
  • 2 cups of chopped, celery
  • 1 small bunch of radish, cleaned and cut into matchsticks
  • 5-6 green onions, sliced on the bias
  • Dill, 1/2 cup chopped
  • Dill pickles, 1/2 cup chopped
  • 1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed
  • Dressing
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 2 T dijon mustard
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 T agave syrup
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • generous cranks of black pepper

Boil water and cook barley according to package directions. Set aside to cool. To make dressing combine vinegar-black pepper and blend or whisk together until combined. Prepare all vegetables. When barley has cooled to room temp, add dressing and veg. Fold together to combine. Taste for salt and pepper, add if needed. If serving later you may add oil if salad seems to dry for you liking.

magnesium is high in pumpkin seeds

Magnesium and Roasted Pepitas

Leave a comment

We NEED it but most of us don’t get enough of it. Why is it that most things we NEED, we don’t get enough of; water, sleep, patience, fun, magnesium? It’s likely most people don’t get enough magnesium because it’s found in minimally processed, whole foods, AND stress, caffeine and alcohol can cause excessive loss of magnesium. Women entering menopause can also experience a drop in magnesium as their levels of estrogen drop.

Why is magnesium so important? If you’re like most people you enjoy a good night sleep and a nice dump regularly. Magnesium is like the comfort zone mineral. Helping with some 300 bio-chemical reactions in the body, it helps regulate blood flow, blood sugar, nerve and muscle function, sleep, mood, and bowel. movements. It helps in balancing the states we associate with being comfortable. Without adequate amounts of magnesium, you could be experiencing cramps, headaches, depression, fatigue, brittle bones, reduced heart health, increased risk of stroke and diabetes.

Popping a magnesium supplement probably won’t stop a heart attack in its tracks but incorporating magnesium rich foods regularly, could prevent the worsening or the beginning of some major health disfunctions. While supplements may be necessary, that is something to discuss with a doctor. Too much magnesium from a supplement could be dangerous. Too much magnesium from food is impossible because excess will be passed through urine. My opinion is to always get as much nutrition from food as you can. By eating foods rich in magnesium, you will also be getting other important nutrients along with fiber, fat, protein, and enzymes that also play a crucial role in over all health. You can’t spot clean your health… wink.

roasted pumpkin seeds. Salty, spicy, and sweet.
They look like they’re covered in dirt, but they’re not. That’s the unique spice blend.

Here are some easy, popular food sources of magnesium. In a particular order, from highest amount to lowest, per oz.

Pumpkin seeds/pepitas, chia seeds, almonds, spinach, cashews, peanuts, black beans, edamame, brown rice, plain yogurt

Roasted Pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

Pumpkin seeds have 156 mg magnesium per ounce. The recommended daily for adult men and woman is 300-400mg/day. These guys are great for just snacking but also good as a salad crunchie, soup crunchie, mixed in a grain bowl, or on top of hummus. Start eating these and you’ll be sleeping and pooping like a baby in no time.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

  • 10 oz pepitas, unroasted and unsalted
  • 1 1/2 T pink Himalayan fine salt
  • 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1-2 tsp agave syrup
  • 1-2 T olive oil

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss well to distribute oil, agave, and spices. On a foil lined baking sheet, spread out the prepared seeds. Place in the heated oven for 12-15 minutes, start watching after 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool, laying out on the tray. Once fully cooled, seeds can be stored in a jar or container.

Pumpkin Bread

Leave a comment

I made a few notes about what I want in a pumpkin bread before I started this recipe; not too sweet, moist, not super dense, tastes like pumpkin. I love the idea of a quick bread’s flavor, squishiness, and sweet notes, but I don’t like when it feels more like I ate a piece of cake rather than bread. I want all the pumpkin all of fall but I don’t want to feel like I blew a bunch of calories on a overly sugary bomb to my stomach. This recipe uses whole wheat pastry flour, which keeps it light. It contains a whole can of pumpkin which gives it moisture and flavor without much added fat. I kept the sugar low so it’s sweet but not sugary. It’s so fall.

Moist pumpkin bread. Lower in sugar and fat than the standard recipe.
All the flavors of Fall, guilt free

Healthier Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Heat oven to 350 degrees. You will need a 9×5 loaf pan.

  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour + a little more for dusting the pan
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp cloves
  • 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 eggs and 1 egg white
  • 1 Tablespoon grated, fresh ginger
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup + 2 T granulated cane sugar
  • 1 15 oz can organic canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the baking pan by using cooking spray or oil and flouring the pan. Set the prepared pan aside and begin the bread. Measure flour into a medium bowl. Add baking soda-salt and whisk to combine. Into a large mixing bowl, crack eggs and using an electric mixer or whisk, whip eggs until yolks are broken and bubbles start to appear. Add grated ginger and oil. Mix again until combined. Next add both sugars and pumpkin, and mix again. Scrap down sides, and give it another whip. Add dry ingredients to the egg and pumpkin mixture and mix just until combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Place in the middled of the preheated oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes. After 50 minutes insert a tooth pick into middle, when the tooth pick comes out clean, remove from the over. Place loaf on a wire rack to cool. After, roughly, 30 minutes tap the sides of the pan to loosen and gently remove bread from the pan. Leave loaf on the rack to cool, before slicing. If you can’t resist and go in for the kill, it might crumble some but whatever.

Summer Wedge Salad with Creamy BBQ Dressing

Leave a comment

A summery twist on the average wedge salad. The BBQ dressing is creamy but light, using a low sugar BBQ sauce for big flavor and low fat yogurt for a creamy texture.

summer wedge salad with creamy bbq dressing

Feeds 4-6. 30-45 minutes

Recipe

  • 1 head of iceberg lettuce
  • 2 ears corn, kernels removed
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1/4 cup chopped banana peppers
  • Big pinch kosher salt
  • 1 5.3 oz container of plain, low fat Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup low sugar BBQ sauce
  • 1 tsp cider or rice vinegar
  • 1 T water
  • Heaping 1/4 tsp salt

Start by hard boiling eggs. Bring salted water to a boil in a small sauce pan. Slide eggs into pan of boiling water, turn off heat, cover pan and let sit for 9-10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Combine corn through kosher salt in a small bowl and toss to combine. Set aside. To make dressing, combine yogurt through salt and whisk until combined. Peel cooled eggs and cut each in half. Cut iceberg lettuce into wedges. Place each wedge on a plate, drizzle with dressing. Toss corn, then spoon over each wedge. Place egg halves on each plate, drizzle with more dressing, if desired, and serve.

This wedge salad makes the brings all the fresh flavors of summer to one filling, high fiber salad.

Crab Frittata

Leave a comment

A light main course for breakfast or lunch. High in protein, low fat, low carbrohydrate, and gluten-free. Pair with a green salad, fruit, or roasted potatoes.

Slice of crab fritatta on a pretty plate

Feeds 6. Takes 20 minutes to make. Bakes for 45 minutes. You will need a 9” round cake pan or oven proof skillet.

Recipe

  • 8 eggs
  • 4 egg whites
  • 1/3 cup crème fraiche
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2tsp minced jalapeño
  • 1/4 cup sliced green onions. Whites and some green.
  • 1 cup freshly grated Swiss cheese
  • 1 cup crab meat. Shredded or chopped and all shell removed
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • Cooking spray for pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Start by prepping green onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Set aside in a small bowl. Grate Swiss cheese, and set aside. Crack eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk well, without over mixing. Mix in crème fraiche, salt and pepper. Next, fold in remaining ingredients.

Spray a deep, 9” round cake pan with cooking spray and pour mixture into pan. Place pan in oven and bake for 45 minutes. Frittata should begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, and the center should be set, when it is ready to be taken out of the oven. Allow to cool slightly before cutting.

Fritatta in the pan