Recipe of the Week: Morning Glory Muffins

While honeymooning in Jamaica, Nathan and I fell in love with morning glory muffins and finally got around to making our own version on a Sunday morning. Mix up these delectable ingredients and morning glory muffins are sure to become one of your breakfast staples.

Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup cane sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or any nuts on hand)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 apple (peeled, cored and shredded) OR 1 cup of apple sauce
3 organic eggs (can always substitute if you don't want to use eggs)
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees 
-Grease 12 muffin cups or use muffin liners
* this batch made 12 large and several mini muffins for us
-In large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in carrot, raisins, nuts, coconut, and apple.
-In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, oil, and vanilla.
-Stir egg mixture into the carrot/flour mixture, just until moistened.
-Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.
-Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.


Recipe adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-morning-glory-muffins/

This Super Foods Salad is so easy but also delicious and so fresh. I modified from this recipe.
Here's how it goes down:

Ingredients:
1 small bunch of broccoli (we steamed it)
Fresh spinach to toss in (amount varies depending on desired servings)
2 oranges, peeled and sliced (used a half of one for dressing)
1 avocado, sliced
Added in almonds and sesame seeds
Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Combine broccoli, spinach, oranges, avocado and then toss in -some nuts. Drizzle olive oil and juice from orange over salad. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

And wah-la!

Recipe of the Week: Skillet Lasagna

Spinach and vegetable lasagna are staples in our house but sometimes it takes a little too long. I found this recipe and decided to give it a whirl. It certainly did not disappoint and was a great substitute for traditional pan lasagna. One suggestion is to slightly reduce the amount of cheese you add because it can be super cheesy (which isn't always a bad thing). Be sure to use your largest skillet because you will need all the space you can get!

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
Salt and Pepper
10 curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into 2 inch lengths
1 small zucchini, cut into small chunks
1 small yellow squash, cut into small chunks
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil (this seemed like a lot so I reduced the amount)
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until simmering.
Add onion and cook until softened (about 3 minutes).
Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
Drain tomatoes into 2-cup liquid measure. Add water to tomato liquid to make 2 cups.
Add tomato/water mixture and 1 teaspoon salt to skillet.
Scatter noodles into the skillet (layer tomatoes over the noodles and bring to a simmer)
Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, stirring occasionally (so the noodles won't stick) for about 10 minutes.
Stir in zucchini and squash, cook, stirring now and then, until noodles and squash are tender, about 8 minutes.
Add basil and half of the ricotta cheese and half of the Parmesan cheese to the noodles, stirring until the sauce is creamy.
Dollop remaining ricotta cheese over the noodles, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

(Original Recipe & Above Picture from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe.)

Recipes of the Week: Guacamole Bruschetta & Feta Dip

Made these two appetizers for our New Years Eve party and they were simply to die for (If I do say so myself). These would be recipes for just about any occasion.

Guacamole Bruschetta:

Ingredients:
1/2 Loaf French Bread (we chose to use a whole wheat sour dough bread and that was just perfect)
1 Clove of Garlic
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tomatoes, chopped
2 Avocados, chopped
1/3 Cup Onion, finely chopped
1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped
2 Tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

Directions:
- Slice the bread into 1/2" rounds and place on baking sheet
- Toast the sliced bread in the oven for 3 minutes, then flip each piece over and toast an additional 3 minutes
- Remove the toasted bread from the oven and immediately rub with the clove of garlic (it works best to first cut a small tip off the garlic clove so that the oils will seep out)
- Brush the tops of the garlic-rubbed toasts with olive oil and set aside
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, avocados, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix together gently making sure the avocado is well coated in the lime juice.
- Spoon a portion of the mixture onto each of the garlic toasts and serve.

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Feta Dip:

Ingredients:
Olive Oil
Feta Cheese (about one block)
Tomatoes (roughly 3 Roma)
1 Bunch of Green Onions (we used a little less)
1 Baguette (we opted for Pita Chips and Crackers)
Greek Seasoning (or just use oregano, salt and pepper)
1 Platter

Directions:
- Wet the platter generously with the olive oil
- Dice green onions and tomatoes. Put them on the platter.
- Crumble feta cheese and add that to the platter.
- Sprinkle seasoning on top
- Mix everything together, gently.
- Slice the bread (if that is what you are using)

Serve.

Fiesta Lime Rice & Holiday Sangria

Though these are not necessarily recipes that we used this week, we have used them in weeks past and they are both full of flavor. Simply delightful.

Fiesta Lime Rice
(I'm pretty sure this was snagged from Pinterest)
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cooked long grain rice
• 3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and heated
• 3/4 cup cooked corn
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 large scallion, diced fine
• 2-4 tbsp chopped cilantro (to your liking)
• 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
• salt to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine hot rice, heated corn, heated beans, tomato, scallion, cilantro, lime juice and salt if needed. Toss and serve.

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Cranberry Pomegranate Holiday Sangria
(Shoutout to my fabulous mom for this recipe)
Ingredients:

• 1 bottle (750ml) red zinfandel (you can really choose any you prefer)
• 4 cups of cranberry juice
• 2 cups of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice
• 1 cup of orange juice
• 3/4 cup of simple syrup
• 1 apple, unpeeled, cored, quartered and sliced thin
• 1 orange, halved and sliced thin
• 1 lemon, halved and sliced thin
• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
• 1/4 cup of pomegranate seeds (we nixed these)
• SanPellegrino sparkling water (we opted for ginger ale)

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in an extra large storage container, taste and adjust flavors to your liking. Chill at least four hours overnight. Stir before serving and transfer to pitchers our pour by the glass. Use a pair of tongs to extract some of the fruit for each glass, add ice to each glass, and fill glasses, leaving about an inch of free space at the top. Top each glass off with a splash of Pelligrino (or ginger ale) and lightly stir.

*You really don't need it to chill for a very long time if you are serving over ice.

Photo Credits: 1. & 2.

Spinach Tomato Orzo Soup

This recipe is divine. It makes a TON and the longer it sits, the better it gets. Enjoy!

via.

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb spinach, fresh or frozen, defrosted
1 – 15 oz can diced Italian tomatoes (with oregano and basil)
1 lb package orzo pasta
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
2 quarts water
olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat a large pot. Drizzle with olive oil. Add onions and saute until tender. Add garlic and saute for 2 – 3 minutes. Add canned tomatoes, spinach, chicken or vegetable stock and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium.

2. Add orzo cook for 12 – 15 minutes, or until orzo is tender

Zucchini, Black Bean and Rice Skillet

Nathan and I have been in a rut lately when it comes to food. The word "rut" seems to have a negative connotation but in this case, we've just been lovin' our staples. When perusing through the endless pins on Pinterest I found this dish that sounded delightful; so we pulled out our skillet and gave this baby a try.

Picture snagged from readyseteat.com

Zucchini, Black Bean & Rice Skillet

What you need:

- 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil

- 1-1.5 Cups Quartered Lengthwise Zucchini

- 1/2 Cup Diced Green Bell Peppers

- 1 Can of Black Beans (drained and rinsed)

- 1 Can of Diced Tomatoes (undrained)

- 3/4 Cup of Water

- 1 Cup of Instant Rice (this is a great way to throw in some seasoned rice that goes with the dish)

- 1/2 Cup of Cheddar and Monteray Jack Cheese Blend (we used a sheep cheddar cheese from Trader Joe's)

What to do:

- Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and bell pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans, undrained tomatoes and water. Increase heat and bring to a boil.

- Add rice; stir well. Cover; remove from heat and let stand 7 minutes or until liquid is absorbed (this might take a little longer). Sprinkle with cheese.

I would highly recommend this dish. It is full of flavor and has a great texture, similar to chili. Perfect for this time of year. 

Original Recipe: Zucchini, Black Bean & Rice Skillet

Spinach Pesto Lasagna

Alright, another Pinterest goodie...which we modified just a tad.

Spinach Pesto Lasagna
(Originial Recipe from: Pink Parsley)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups torn spinach (we used a package of frozen spinach)
• 2 cups cremini mushrooms, diced into medium pieces (we're not fans so we nixed these guys)
• 1/2 cup pesto; commercial or homemade (we used some Trader Joes pesto-our favorite)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh mozzarella, shredded
• 1 (15-ounce) carton part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• 4 cups tomato-basil sauce; homemade or jarred (TJ came through for us again-so delicious)
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• Cooking spray
• 1 (8-ounce) package precooked lasagna noodles (We just cooked our own whole wheat noodles)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 425. Spray a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Steam the spinach and drain the excess moisture.
• Combine the mushrooms, pesto, spinach in a small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, combine 3/4 cup mozzarella, egg, ricotta, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Combine the tomato sauce with the pasta sauce.
• Spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of the saucepan. Layer 3 lasagna noodles, followed by 1 cup of the spinach mixture and 1 cup of the cheese mixture. Repeat the layers, following the order of pasta sauce-pasta-spinach-cheese. Sprinkle remaining parmesan and mozzarella over the top.
• Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes, until top is bubbly and golden.

Our results:
(Thank you iPhone)



Needless to say, we loved it!



So delicious!



Failed to Mention Another Current Favorite...

I was so quick to post about the delicious crockpot salsa chicken and in the meantime forgot to mention a delicious chicken chili (a variation of it) we have also recently made.

Here are the details...

Ingredients:
2 Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 Can Black Beans
1 Can Kidney Beans
1 Can Vegetarian Baked Beans
1 Can Yellow Corn
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Package McCormick's Taco Seasoning

Top with a little shredded cheddar cheese, serve with some fresh fruit and you've got a tasty meal (even in this summertime heat)!

Directions:
Place chicken in the bottom of the crockpot
Pour all  canned items (including juice) on top
Cook all day on low

A little Pinterest find

Lately, I just cannot stop pinning. Pinterest was such a great thought and has brought organization to the many categorized bookmarks I've had on my computer.Sheer brilliance I tell you.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken caught my attention last week and so Nathan and I gave it a try (since we are just head over heals for our crockpot right now).

Here is the link to where the recipe was originally posted... Crockpot Salsa Chicken

What you need:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup salsa (On a whim found some Paul Newman's Tequilla Lime Salsa and decided to try that instead of a regular and let me say it was quite a good decision)
1 package taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream (We nixed this for ours)

We served ours with some blue corn chips and topped the dish of with just a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.

Directions:

1.  Mix soup, salsa and taco seasoning in the bottom of your crockpot.  Sink chicken breasts into the mixture, covering completely.  Cook on low for 5 – 6 hours depending on size of chicken breasts.
2.  Remove chicken, shred and return to the crockpot.  Add sour cream and mix well.  Heat until everything is warmed through.  Enjoy!

Last night my family came down and were our guinea pigs for this dish and there were many positive remarks!

Reece's Peanut Butter Cake

It took Nathan and I a while to come up with just the perfect cake for his birthday. The only requirement: chocolate and peanut butter. Dynamite combo. 

The Result.

What we did:

-Snatched a box mix of the triple chocolate fudge cake (Got to whip out the new Kitchenaid mixer. Perfection)

-Used that to make two 8" round cakes

-In order to secure the two layers together we simply used a fudge icing (a lot of it)

-The most important and delicious part of the entire cake was the peanut butter frosting

-After a good peanut butter frosting coating we added just a few Reece's peanut butter cups (the mini ones)

Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe 

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

(As recommended by another site, we doubled the frosting recipe)

Success.

Recipes of the Week (so far)

 Salsaaa

• 10 Medium of 6 "Big Ugly" Tomatoes Chopped
• 1 Bunch of Cilantro Chopped (Use about a half)
• 1 Large Vidalia Onion Chopped
• 1 Yellow Pepper Chopped
• 1 Red Pepper Chopped
• 1 Green Pepper Chopped
• 2 Jalepeno Peppers (I leave this out!)
• 6 Cloves of Garlic Minced
• 4 teaspoons of Salt
• 4 Tablespoons of Sugar 
• 4 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice

Just combine all of the above ingredients in a bowl, use your hands to mix together and whala! 

Best if made the night before but can be served the day of as well.

Tip: Use a Vidalia Chop Wizard (this is the best tool ever)! It will cut your prep time in half and makes evenly chopped veggies.

Thanks to Momma Hart for this delicious recipe!

We ate this salsa with Veggie and Flaxseed Tortilla Chips from Trader Joes. Just trust me...they are delicious and go great with some Sabra hummus (a staple in our house)!
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Cilantro Pesto and White Bean Quesadillas

Ingredients:

• Leaves of 12 Cilantro Stems
• 1/2 Cup of walnuts (N and I passed on these just for this go-round)
• 1/2 Cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon Minced Fresh Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Black Pepper to Taste
• 1 Can White Beans, Drained (15 ounces)
• Butter or Vegetable Oil
• 4 Cups shredded mild white cheddar cheese
• Whole-wheat Tortillas

Preparation:

In food processor (we used our new blender), combine cilantro, walnuts, parmesan cheese, garlic and pepper. Pulse to combine. Slowly add just enough olive oil to make a thick pesto. Puree until smooth. In a medium bowl, gently combine beans and pesto. Layer tortilla with pesto mixture and cheddar cheese and place a skillet coated with butter or vegetable oil. When cheese begins to melt fold the tortilla in half. Brown on each side.

This was divine. Thanks to Nathan for having a huge hand in this dinner and to my sister-in-law Tommi for this recipe!
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Homemade Pizza

Ingredients:

• Whole-wheat pizza dough (at Trader Joes for $.99)
• Marinara
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Any cheese you have in the fridge

Preparation: 

Preheat oven with pizza stone (thanks Shelby and DJ for ours)in the oven. Begin spreading out the dough to form about a 12" circle. Simply add the ingredients and put in the oven 'til cheese is bubbling. Note: With the whole-wheat crust be sure to leave in for a good bit so you get a nice crispy crust...it's a little hard to tell because of it's natural dark color. 


Hopefully the coming recipes will have pictures to make these posts a little more colorful!