Banana Peanut Butter Muffins

Let me say that I don’t like the idea of eating breakfast in the car.  I really don’t want to make it a habit.   I also don’t like the idea of being hungry in the morning, and I am fairly grouchy when I’m hungry so you wouldn’t like it either.  So on some days, I’ll be eating breakfast in the car.

These muffins aren’t nearly as healthy as the Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins I made last week, but they are really good.  The recipe is easy to follow, and you might even be able to find overripe bananas at a discount in your grocery store.  The bananas make the muffins moist and sweet.  The peanut butter flavor is subtle, but I used chunky peanut butter so you can still see some of the nuts.  In the original recipe, the muffins are garnished with a smear of peanut butter and a slice of banana which is very cute if you are going to enjoy these at home.  But for me, they’re perfect just as they are.

 

 

 

 

 

Pan Fried Naan

Just about a year ago, I made homemade naan for the first time.  I was pretty excited, but the naan was missing some flavor.  So I tried again and made Roasted Garlic Naan, which had a great flavor but poor texture.  Dough can be tricky, so I tried that recipe again for some for friends last year.  The consensus was that it was good, but didn’t taste like naan.

So I went back to the kitchen this weekend for yet another try.  This time I used this naan recipe from Budget Bytes.  The dough is much richer because it contains oil, yogurt, and egg.  It was easy to work with, and rose perfectly.  To cook the dough, you roll out 6″ circles and fry them one at a time in a hot pan coated with cooking spray.  When the first one was done, I was in heaven!  The naan was soft, fluffy, and had a nicely fried flavor.  I could have eaten it by itself standing over the stove, but I happened to have a batch of chana masala ready.

 

 

I am pretty sure that this will be my go-to naan recipe now.  There are just two things left to do.  First, I want to try adding either garlic butter or butter with fresh herbs next time, which might make this naan perfect.  I’d also like to try cooking these 4 at a time in an electric fry pan, because standing over the stove to cook them one by one was a little time consuming.  And of course, I need to get some people to taste test this version!

Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

Last week I started a new phase in my journey to be a Registered Dietitian as a full time intern at a hospital.  I will still be blogging of course, but right now I am trying to settle into a new routine.  And that means new recipes for all of us!

I keep getting menus in the mail for the Chinese restaurant down the street.  It’s torture to come home from work hungry and look at a menu filled with crab Rangoon, egg rolls, and pork fried rice.  But who needs those little white boxes when you can make Chinese food at home pretty quickly?

This stir fry inspired by this recipe from Eating Well uses mostly standard pantry items plus tofu from the refrigerator and broccoli and peas from the freezer.  The secret is coating the tofu cubes with cornstarch before frying them in the pan.  That gives the tofu a ‘deep fried’ look without actually being deep fried.  When you mix the crispy tofu with broccoli, peas, and a homemade sauce and serve it over brown rice, you’ll forget all about your favorite Chinese takeout place!

 

 

Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

1/2 c. vegetable broth
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 T rice vinegar
4 T corn starch, divided
1 T sugar
1/8 t red pepper
2 T canola oil, divided
1 16 oz. block tofu, cut into 1″ cubes
2 T garlic ginger paste
1 (16 oz.) bag frozen chopped broccoli
1 c. frozen peas

Mix together broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, 1 T cornstarch, sugar, and red pepper.  Set aside.

Spread remaining 3 T cornstarch on a large plate.  Roll tofu cubes in cornstarch, lightly coating on all sides.

Heat 1 T oil in a large pan.  Fry tofu cubes in a single layer until all sides are golden brown.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat remaining 1 T oil.  Add garlic ginger paste, and fry for 1-2 minutes.  Add broccoli and peas, cover, and cook for 10-15 minutes until vegetables are cooked.  Add reserved sauce and simmer uncovered for 7-8 minutes, until heated through.  Add tofu pieces, stir, and serve.

-Adapted from Eating Well

Beet Walnut Dip

I was craving beets again already after the delicious ones we roasted on Christmas Day, and then I spotted this recipe for a Beet Walnut Dip.  While dips are great for a party, or the occasional casual meal, it made more sense for me to put it in a wrap.  So I went ahead and made a wrap on lavash with fresh spinach and fat free feta.  FAIL.  By lunchtime, I had a purple mess on my hands because it soaked through the lavash.

So, I went back to using it as a dip, and even put a spoonful on a hot bowl of pasta.  No matter how you use this, you’ll like the fresh flavor and creamy texture.  It’s cheerfully bright, which is quite welcome this time of year!

 

 

 

Beet Walnut Dip

1 lb. beets
2 T olive oil
2 T lemon juice
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 c. chopped walnuts
Salt
Pepper

Scrub beets, and boil for 45-60 minutes until fork tender.  Drain and peel skins.  Quarter beets, and place in food processor.  Add oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and walnuts.  Process until smooth, adding a splash more lemon juice if needed.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

-Adapted from Disney Family.com

Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

Remember those colorful salads packed with local vegetables from the Farmer’s Market in August?  Those were great, I know.   But I saw this recipe for a Roasted Root Vegetable salad which is more realistic for this time of year.

You can use whatever vegetables happen to be available, but make sure to roast them until they are tender.  When they cool to room temperature, toss them with your favorite salad dressing for even more flavor.  I used the Easy Honey Mustard Dressing recipe, which is equal parts oil, lemon juice, honey, and mustard.  That’s it, nothing complicated, just another way to enjoy a bowl of vegetables.

 

Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

4 shallots, peeled and halved
3 c. butternut squash cut into 1″ pieces
4 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
2 T canola oil
Salt and Pepper
Dressing of your choice, such as Honey Mustard

Mix vegetables with oil in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast at 400F for 45-50 minutes, or until tender.  Cool to room temperature, and toss with salad dressing.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

So many muffins are like cupcakes disguised as breakfast, but this one from Green Lite Bites reminds me of a nice bowl of pumpkin oats.   Packed with whole grain oats, nutritious pumpkin, and limited added sugar, these are about as healthy as it gets in the category of muffins.

I followed the recipe as written, although I used skim milk and made an even dozen instead of 15.  They have a dense texture and are not overly sweet, which is what makes them more similar to a bowl of oats than a traditional muffin.  I am happy with a new ‘breakfast to go’ option this week!

 

 

 

Ginger Lentil Soup

I started reading Joy the Baker last year, and found myself drooling over her recipes.  She is well known for her sweet treats, but I was looking for something a little lighter.  So instead of baking, she inspired me to make this Ginger and Lentil Soup.  There is nothing like the smell of freshly cut ginger.

I cut the recipe in half, and then made a few changes.  First, while I do love the French green lentils in the original recipe, I can only find them at Whole Foods, so I went with the standard brown ones which happened to be right in my cupboard. I also added some green to the pot in the form of Chinese broccoli, but either bok choy or Swiss chard would probably work as well.  After a month filled with heavy foods, this soup was light and refreshing, but still a satisfying meal.

 

 

Ginger and Lentil Soup

1 T canola oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 T minced garlic
3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 T minced fresh ginger
1 t cumin
Dash cayenne pepper
2 c. vegetable broth
2-3 c. water
1 1/2 c. lentils
1 large bunch Chinese broccoli, large stems removed and coarsely chopped (appx 3 cups)

Heat oil in a large pot.  Add onion, and saute for 5-10 minutes until onion is soft and starting to brown.  Add garlic, carrots, and ginger, and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add cumin and cayenne pepper and stir well.  Add vegetable broth, 2 c. water, lentils, and Chinese broccoli or other greens, and simmer covered for 1 hour.  Add more water if soup is too thick.

-Adapted from Joy the Baker

Potato Leek Soup

The color of potato leek soup just doesn’t lend itself to a nice picture, so you’re going to have to use your imagination.  But what this soup lacks in visual appeal, it makes up for with an intense leek flavor.  It is reasonably low in calories, but with a total of 4 leeks in 6 cups of soup, there’s nothing wimpy about it.

The recipe from Skinnytaste starts out with a roux of flour and butter.  I completely messed this up, but forged ahead anyway, and focused on the simpler ingredients: leeks, potatoes, vegetable broth, and milk.  The end result was a thick soup that was perfect for the cold snap we got in New England.  Leeks will be in season for a while I think, so you have some time to give this recipe a try.

‘Way Better than a Can’ Black Beans

This recipe was originally posted on Beth’s Journey as “Black Beans that will Change your Life“.  While I can’t say that these beans changed my life, they did taste far better than any black bean from a can.  Simmered on the stovetop with onions, garlic, and cilantro and seasoned with salt, you end up with tender black beans in a flavorful sauce.  Yes, you do need to let the beans soak overnight, and yes, they do sit on the stove for about 2 hours the next day.  However, there’s very little ‘active’ time required in this recipe and the yield is large, so you can make these beans once and enjoy them for many meals.

I froze part of this batch right away, and think they are going to be perfect for enchiladas, or perhaps a plateful of nachos.  They might even make a good base for a dip.  But for my first meal using the beans, I settled for an open faced black bean quesadilla.  It was simple but delicious, and worth the wait for the beans.

 

 

‘Way Better than a Can’ Black Beans

1 lb. dry black beans
1 T canola oil
2 large onions, peeled and diced
2 t minced garlic, divided
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
1 1/2 t salt

Rinse beans, searching for any debris. (I found a rock in the bag!)  Place beans in a large bowl or pan and cover with several cups of water.  Allow to sit overnight.  In the morning, rinse the beans again.

Heat the oil in a large pot on the stove.  Add the onions, and cook for 5-10 minutes until the onions are soft and just starting to brown.  Add 1 t of minced garlic, and stir well for 2 minutes.  Add the beans, and enough water to cover the beans by one inch.  Cover the pot, and simmer on low heat for 1 hour.

Add the remaining teaspoon of minced garlic, cilantro, and salt.  Cover the pot, and simmer on low heat for another hour.  If the beans are tender, remove the cover and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes to slightly thicken the sauce.

– Lightly adapted from Beth’s Journey

Roasted Cauliflower and Tahini Dip

I’ve been meaning to make this Roasted Cauliflower and Tahini Dip for weeks, but every time I bought cauliflower I ended up making something else.  Finally over New Year’s weekend, I had a fresh head of cauliflower and some time on my hands.  You begin by roasting the cauliflower with oil, loads of fresh ginger, and coriander.  Then you put it in the food processor with lemon juice and tahini, and season it with salt and pepper.  The end result is a fantastic dip that you’ll want to keep scooping up!

Molly from Cheap Beets noted that she kicked up the ginger, and I used over 2 tablespoons.  That’s what really makes this dip great.  The only thing I would change is to use less oil in roasting the cauliflower, simply because I don’t think it’s needed and the tahini adds plenty of fat later in the recipe.  The next time you have a head of cauliflower on your hands, consider this as a fun start to your meal.