whole wheat banana berry muffins

a muffin that is actually a healthy breakfast! these are great for freezing and then thawing one or a few overnight for the next morning.

whole wheat banana berry muffins
makes 18 muffins

2 eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 bananas, mashed
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cup frozen berries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin pans or fill with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, yogurt, applesauce, sugar, vanilla and bananas. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda and spices. Stir into the banana mixture until moistened. Stir in the berries until evenly distributed. Spoon batter into muffin cups, 1/2 - 3/4 of the way full.

Bake for 20 mins. Cool before removing from muffin tins.

corn and potato chowder

This was our lunch today and it was super good!

slow cooker corn and potato chowder
makes 12? servings

8 oz (1/2 lb) bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled
2 1/2 lbs Russet potaotes (about 5), unpeeled and diced into cubes
8 cups (2 lbs) kernel corn (I used frozen)
1 sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup chopped celery
6-8 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
32 oz chicken stock
16 oz half & half (or heavy cream)
salt
pepper

Combine all ingredients except the half & half in the slow cooker.

Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours.

Blend about half the soup.

Add cream and continue cooking uncovered, for about another 15 mins until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

white bean chicken chili

this recipe comes from my friend Erin, who made it for me once and I've never stopped thinking about it.

slow cooker white bean chicken chili
makes 6 servings

1 1/2 lbs lbs boneless, skinless chicken
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 zucchini, cut into large pieces
1 bell pepper, diced (you can use a poblano pepper if you want some spice)
32 oz chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 cans (15 oz ea) white beans, rinsed and drained
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Optional Garnishes:
sour cream
avocado, diced
chopped cilantro
shredded cheddar cheese

Place the chicken in the bottom of a 5-qt. slow cooker.

In a pan, heat the oil until ripping and hot. Add the onion, garlic, and pepper and saute for 3-4 mins. Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker.

Add the chicken broth, zucchini, cumin, salt, pepper, oregano and chili powder.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Remove the zucchini and blend. Shred the chicken. Return zucchini to pot, and add beans. Cook on high for 30 ins until beans and soup are heated through. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with garnishes if desired.

soy ginger scallion whole steamed fish

This dish is probably my favorite of a multi-course Chinese banquet. I never thought I'd be able to do it on my own, but this turned out just like the real thing.

whole steamed fish with soy, ginger and scallion
makes 2 (or 4 side) servings

1 (1 1/2 lb) whole white fish (such as sea bass, branzino or flounder), cleaned with head and tail intact
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2"x 1/2" piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely julienned
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
1 scallion, julienned
4 sprigs cilantro
1/2 cup canola oil

Rinse the fish in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Season the fish inside and out with salt and pepper. Place the fish on a heatproof plate that is both large enough to accommodate it (a glass pie plate works well) and will also fit inside your steamer, bending the fish slightly if it is too long. Stuff half of the ginger inside the cavity of the fish and spread the remaining ginger on top of the fish.

Pour water into a wok or stockpot and set a steamer in the wok or on the rim of the stockpot. Make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the steamer. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.

Place the plate holding the fish in the steamer, cover, and steam for about 8 minutes, until the fish flakes easily when tested with the tip of a knife.

While the fish is steaming, in a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, wine, and 1 tablespoon of water. Set aside.

When the fish is ready, carefully remove the plate from the steamer and pour off any accumulated liquid. Lay the scallion and cilantro along the top of the fish. In a small sauté pan, heat the oil over high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Remove the oil from the heat and pour it directly over the scallion and cilantro to "cook" them. Drizzle the soy mixture over the fish and serve immediately.

soy sesame miso dressing

A friend of ours brought over this homemade dressing which they received from another friend, who owns a restaurant and never gives out the ingredients of this dressing. It was so good! We've been trying to recreate it - we've even kept a small amount of the original jar to compare with and tweak each new recipe we make. This isn't exactly it, but we're getting closer...

miso sesame soy dressing
makes 4-6 servings

1 1/2 tbsp miso paste
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/4 tbsp honey
1 tbsp minced, fresh ginger
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp lime juice

Whisk miso paste into rice vinegar in a bowl until smooth. Stir in honey, ginger, sesame oil and lime juice into the vinegar mixture.

asian pulled pork buns

Asian pulled pork buns
makes 12 servings

For sauce: 

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

3 tbsp ketchup or sriracha sauce

3 tbsp rice vinegar

1/4 cup honey

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger

2 tsp dark sesame oil

1 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

 1 pork shoulder

½ bunch green onions, sliced thin

½ bunch cilantro, chopped

Chinese mantou or American potato sandwich buns

Put sauce ingredients into a jar and shake to combine.

Add 1/4-1/2 of the sauce, along with the meat to the slow cooker and add water to cover meat completely. Cover with lid and cook the meat on low for 8 hours (or high for 4 hours).

When the pork is done, remove it from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon and shred the pork, removing any skin, fat and bones.

Return the meat to the pot or large bowl and stir it in the remaining sauce.

Serve the meat inside a bun, and topped with a few green onions and cilantro sprigs.

almond berry breakfast smoothie

I'm not a breakfast smoothie kind of person, but lately I've been making this every once in awhile. Marcy likes it because it always ends up pink or purple.

almond berry breakfast smoothie
makes 1 pint glass and 2 half kid cup portions

1/2 cup raw almonds whole or chopped
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup frozen berries
1 banana
1 cup milk or almond milk

Combine all ingredients into a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth. If using a blender, you should probably make sure your almonds are chopped first.