C&C in the Kitchen

Yesterday I decided to make pureed vegetable soup. The first time we took the Mini Fashionista to Europe she spent the first week eating primarily fruit, bread and banana chips...that was until we got to this fantastic hotel in the Dolomites that had a pureed vegetable soup just for kids. She devoured it every night. 

With her tastes being somewhat difficult these days, especially at dinner time, I decided to see if the pureed vegetable soup was still a winner. 

I didn't follow a recipe, but I did find this great post from Epicurious that serves as a recipe for those of you that need one. 

Basic Instructions

- Sauté onion in chosen oil (I used butter) until soft

- Add garlic and sauté for another minute or two

- Chop all vegetables (I used butternut and delicate squash, turnips, carrots, potatoes and broccoli) 

- Add vegetables and stir for a few more minutes. I also added a little white wine (an opened bottle) and deglazed it. You can easily skip this step. 

- Add herbs (I added a sprig of thyme and a few rosemary) and salt and pepper

- Cover with water and simmer on high (covered) until all vegetables are soft. 

- Remove herbs before blending

- Blend (I used an immersion blender which is much easier than transferring to and from a blender)

- Add coconut milk or cream to thicken 

Here's what my soup looked like. We took a stale baguette and made some garlic croutons that we served on top.

So grab all of the veggies out of your refrigerator and try this! Unfortunately the Mini didn't love it as much as she did in Italy, but she ate it...somewhat willingly. 

C&C in the Kitchen

Tuesday marked the first day of fall which means tis the season for pumpkin everything, pumpkin cookies, bread, smoothies, cake...you get the picture.

Canned pumpkin is back on the shelf at Trader Joe's, and last week I decided to try out a new "healthy" pumpkin bread recipe. I took this recipe and adapted it into my own, much healthier version. 

Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Banana Bread

Ingredients

1½ cups gluten free flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1-2 Tbs pumpkin pie seasoning (depending on how flavorful you want it)

½ tsp. sea salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 large, ripe banana

½ cup pumpkin puree

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

1 Tbs maple syrup or coconut sugar (you can use up to 1/4 cup if you don't care how "healthy" it is)

Optional add-ins: chocolate chips, nuts, Trade Joe's seeds blends, cranberries, etc.

Instructions

- Preheat your oven to 350ºF, and lightly grease a 9 x 5 bread pan. Set aside.

- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Stir until well combined and set aside.

- Lightly beat the eggs in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add mashed bananas, pumpkin, Greek yogurt, maple syrup or sugar, and vanilla. Stir until well combined.

- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently. Do not over mix. Fold in your optional items (I added Trader Joe's seed blends)

- Pour the batter into the loaf pan, spreading it out evenly. Then I added more Trader Joe's seed blends (hemp, chia, etc.). Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Here's what my bread looked like! I'll be honest...it's not the most amazing pumpkin bread you've ever tasted (it's better with more sugar), but it is moist, flavorful and it's made from all good things! So, when you need a pumpkin fix and you want something healthier than the pumpkin muffin at Starbucks, try it! 

C&C in the Kitchen

Early sunday morning the Mini Fashionista and I were enjoying some time together when we realized that our bananas were looking pretty tired. So I asked her what she wanted to bake with them, and her response was "banana bread."

I've made this Paleo Banana Bread recipe a few times before and have since altered it slightly into my own recipe (below). This bread is spongy and moist and totally delicious. And what I love most about it is the complete absence of any sweetener besides the bananas! In the words of the Kix commercial, this bread is "kid tested, mother approved".

Happy Baking!

Spongy Banana Bread
Ingredients
4 ripe bananas
4 eggs
1/2 cup almond butter (or other kind of butter such as coconut, sunflower, peanut, etc)
4 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of sea salt
chocolate chips, walnuts etc. (optional)

Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Combine bananas, eggs, nut butter and coconut oil into a mixing bowl and mix well. I used a Kitchen Aid mixer and suggest that or a handheld mixer.
- Add in coconut flour, almond meal, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and sea salt and mix well.
- Pour into a week greased loaf pan (I used coconut oil spray to grease my pan)
- Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
- Remove from oven and flip your bread out onto a cooling rack

C&C in the Kitchen

You may remember from my previous post that the Trader Joe's Cilantro salad dressing is a favorite in our house. As far as salad dressings go, it could be worse, but as with nearly everything that is packaged, it could be better.

My college roommate sent me a photo of her daughter eating a big bowl of greens with cilantro dressing. It was inspired by this photo that was in my recent "Healthy Eating" post (here).

Her dressing was homemade, and it inspired me to ditch the bottled dressing and make it from scratch using the recipe she sent me from The Garden Grazer.

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing

Ingredients
1 cup loosely packed cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2 avocado (or 1/2 cup plain coconut or Greek yogurt)
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime), more to taste
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt
Recommended: cumin, honey/agave

Directions
Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Recipe yields 3/4 cup dressing

I served the dressing on Sunday over a quinoa salad with green onions, bell peppers and cilantro. It was a hit. I highly, highly recommend it. It's definitely going to become a staple in our house.

Now the real test is seeing if the Mini Fashionista likes it as much as she does the bottled version from Trader Joe's. I won't hold my breath. 

C & C in the Kitchen: Easy Weeknight Sweet Potato Carrot Curry Soup

Last night I modified a recipe from Dietitian on a Mission's reboot recipes for an easy weeknight meal. Both Dr. B and I loved it, and it's a quick fix for those nights when you just want to get something healthy on the table. And the bonus, there's leftovers for lunch the next day.

Sweet Potato Carrot Curry Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 bag organic carrots chopped (I used the multicolor organic carrots from Trader Joe's)
1 sweet potato chopped
1 large onion chopped
1 Tbsp curry powder
Pinch of cayenne (if you don't like spice, leave this out)
8 cloves garlic chopped
1 small piece ginger chopped (I used one frozen Trader Joe's cube)
1 can light coconut milk
4 cups (1 qt) veggie or chicken broth
salt and pepper

Instructions:
Saute all by the liquid ingredients in the coconut oil until soft, including curry. Add brother. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then put in blender until smooth. Add the coconut milk. Bring to a slight simmer for 10 minutes (add water if it's too thick). Season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste.

Enjoy!

C&C in the Kitchen

Last year I bought a spiralizer, and for nearly a year (I bought it in July) it has been sitting on the shelf, in the box and unopened. I've had gadget guilt for nearly an entire year, and finally I decided to do something about it.

In case you are wondering which Spiralizer has been sitting on my shelf for the last year, this is it, The Paderno World Cuisine A4982799 Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer.

Earlier this week, I FINALLY used it to make THAI SWEET POTATO NOODLES WITH CRISPY BAKED TOFU.

The Mini Fashionista turned the crank while I helped to progress the sweet potato forward into the blade.

Here is what our "noodles" looked like coming out.

These were all my ingredients for the dish. I added a yellow and orange pepper to the recipe.

This is what the dish looked like before adding the sauce.

And here it was on my plate!

I will definitely be using my spiralizer again soon! Even my +1 liked the "noodles", and he's not a big fan of sweet potatoes!

And if you are looking for recipes to make more frequent use of your spiralizer, check out Inspiralized!

Easy Like Sunday Brunching

On Sunday I had some friends over for brunch. I LOVE to entertain and host at our house. I HATE cooking during the week, but there's something so nice about having time to prepare a menu, set the table and enjoy a leisurely meal. 

The weather was perfection and we took full advantage with the first outdoor meal of the season.

Since I was the hostess, I was able to ensure that it was reboot friendly (minus the mimosas and coffee). And, I wanted something that wasn't too time consuming to throw together before 11 - aka I wanted to ensure I could still sleep in! 

Easy Like Sunday Brunching Menu

Fruit Plate 

(Costco & Trader Joe's)

Green Machine Smoothie

(recipe)

Veggie Scrambled Eggs

(Sauteed bell peppers, green onions,

mushrooms and garlic with avocado)

Katie's Energy Balls

(recipe below)

 Katie's Energy Balls (Dietitian on a Mission Katie)

Ingredients:
1 cup raw nuts (I used almonds and walnuts)
1 Tbsp peanut butter (or melted coconut oil - you could probably use any kind of nut butter)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut (organic, reduced fat)
8 large dates
2 Tbsp chia seeds (I used hemp seeds instead)
1 Tbsp sunflower or pumpkin seeds (optional)
1 Tbsp cocoa powder

Directions:
In a food processor, blend nuts, nut butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and coconut until finely chopped. Add dates, chia seeds and continue to pulse until well blended. It's "done" when a ball forms and it should be slightly sticky. If it's dry, a a Tbsp of water at a time until lightly sticky (I added 2). Stir in sunflower seeds if desired.

Roll mixture into balls. I coated mine with coconut and cocoa powder.

Store in an air-tight container in the freezer (my choice) or the refrigerator. They will soften at room temp.

C&C in the Kitchen

I've never been a big lover of egg salad, but after decorating Easter eggs, I had a refrigerator full of hard boiled eggs, and I needed to do something to avoid wasting them. Because I hate wasting food.

Somehow, I happened upon this recipe for Avocado Egg Salad from Two Peas and Their Pod.

I served it to two friends for lunch last week, and it was a big hit. And, I liked it so much that I actually boiled more eggs earlier this week and made it again! I'm pretty sure I will NEVER make egg salad with mayonnaise ever again. There is no reason to when this is so healthy and so good. 

Avocado Egg Salad
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
2 hard boiled egg whites, chopped
2 small avocados, pitted and peeled
1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine the hard boiled eggs and egg whites, avocado, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, green onion, and mustard. Mash with a fork. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

C & C in the Kitchen: Roasted Broccoli & Fregola Sarda Salad

If you read the blog regularly, you know I'm a huge fan of Blue Apron (full details here). It's every working woman's dream. Last week we made a recipe that was too good (and easy) not to share. This will definitely be on my reboot meal plan in the coming weeks. So, without further ado, I give you Roasted Broccoli & Fregola Sarda Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs & Tahini Dressing.

Roasted Broccoli & Fregola Sarda Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs & Tahini Dressing

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 cup fregola sarda pasta (you could easily substitute quinoa or another grain)
1 garlic clove
1 lemon
1lb broccoli
1 red onion
1 bunch mint
2 oz pecorino cheese
2 tbsp sesame tahini
2 tsp Za'atar spice blend
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Olive Oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450.
2. Cook the fregola sarda - heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Cook 10-12 minutes. Drain thoroughly and return to pot. Stir in a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Prepare the ingredients - Heat a small pot of water to boiling on high. Separate the broccoli crowns and stems; thinly slice the stems and cut the crowns into florets. Peel and mince the garlic; using the flat side of your knife, smash until it resembles a paste. Quarter and deseed the lemon. Peel and thinly slice the onion. Pick the mint leaves off the stems; discard stems. Using a small knife, break the pecorino cheese into bite-sized pieces.
4. Roast the broccoli & onion - place the broccoli stems and florets and onion on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and the za'atar; toss to coat. Roast 20 to 22 minutes or until browned and tender.
5. Make the dressing - Combine the garlic paste, tahini, juice of 2 lemon wedges, and 2 tbsp of water; season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in 2 tbsp of olive oil. Set aside.
6. Soft-boil the eggs - Add the eggs to the small pot of boiling water. Cook 7 minutes. Drain and run under cold water. Peel. Slice into thin rounds.
7. Finish and plate your dish - To the pot of fregola sarda, add the broccoli, onion, almonds, cheese, and the juice of the remaining lemon wedges. season with salt and pepper. Add enough dressing to coat the salad. Top with mint and sliced soft-boiled eggs.

C&C in the Kitchen

I'm a far better baker than I am a cook. My +1 does at least 85% of the cooking in our house, which is pretty much every girl's dream, right? I remember before I met him that I had a long list of attributes I was looking for in a man, and cooking skills was one of them. My dear friend DP told me that my list was a bit lengthy and unrealistic, so I took cooking skills off. It was weeks later that I met my husband and within weeks he had prepared me a 4 course meal. I showed her. 

Anyway, on to today's post. On Monday my +1 was out of town and a friend came for dinner. I had lots of veggies I wanted to use, so I decided to make a soup. I put it all together without any sort of a recipe, which is a small miracle. 

And luckily it turned out so well that I decided to share my "recipe" with you. 

Bean, Farro and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

- Olive oil

- 2 small diced onions

- 1 small can tomato paste

- 3-4 chopped carrots

- 2 chopped red peppers

- 2 cans Cannellini beans rinsed and drained

- 1 can Garbonzo beans rinsed and drained

- 2 1/2 large boxes of Chicken Stock

- 1 bag of Trader Joe's 10 minute faro

- 1 large bunch of Kale (or other greens) with stems removed 

- 3 bay leaves

- salt, pepper, and garlic salt

- oregano and rosemary

Directions

- In a large pot (I used a Le Creuset) heat  2-3 tablespoons Olive oil 

- Add onions and sauté until softened

- Add carrots and red peppers and stir in tomato paste, sauté for about 1 minute

- Season with salt, pepper, garlic salt, oregano and rosemary

- Add beans and chicken stock, faro, bay leaves and kale

- Cover and simmer at low to medium heat. 

- It can stay on the stove on low for as long as necessary, and can be re-heated as well. You could also try this recipe in a slow cooker. 

- Season to taste when you serve

C & C in the Kitchen: Reboot Recipes

Earlier this month Regan mentioned that I'm doing a 6-week reboot run by a longtime friend, Katie of Dietitian on a Mission. It's too late to sign up, but I'm sure she'll do one again in the future - and we'll make sure to give you a heads up. Here's the Reader's Digest version (minus the awesome recipes, meal plans, and motivational Facebook Group) - week one you're a vegetarian and a vegan (but you can have eggs)(no alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and gluten all 6 weeks), week two add fish, week three and four add poultry, week four and five add red meat/pork and natural/unrefined sugar sources. I'm at the beginning of week three and it's going great so far. I've had 2 or 3 cheats (namely a glass of wine when visiting with friends), but I kept it at one, and that's success in my mind. I haven't succumb to sugar, which is my biggest win - if you know me, I have a killer sweet tooth. Overall I feel really good and it's getting me in the kitchen and meal planning/prepping a lot more. I thought I'd share a few of my favorite re-boot friendly recipes.

This Chickpea Coconut Curry from Oh My Veggies was delicious and Dr. B approved. I added spinach at the end before serving to give an extra dose of veggies. This went on the Pinterest "made and loved"board, and will definitely make repeat appearances.

This is my go-to butternut squash soup (I add apple as well). It's ridiculously good, easy to make, and reboot friendly. A win, win, win. We had it for dinner last night. 

Oh My Veggies freezer-friendly veggie loaded chili was also a huge hit. And just like the recipe says, I've got a bag stored away for one of those nights I don't want to cook. 

And just because you're rebooting doesn't mean you have to deprive yourself of a treat. This date-sweetened banana bread is perfect for fall. And if you're like me and LOVE everything pumpkin, this maple pumpkin custard will do the trick (I substituted dates for the maple syrup, but will definitely be adding it week 5 and 6). 

Happy healthy eating! 

C&C in the Kitchen

Every now and again we come up with our own recipes, but usually we use our blog as a way to share recipes you might not have come across otherwise.

Today, I am sharing a recipe from our dear friend and Dietitian on a Mission, Katie Kahn. We have known Katie for pretty much our whole lives, and while we see each other rarely, we continue our lifelong friendship through social media, barre3 online, texts and the much too infrequent in person visits.

Here we are many, many years ago in the Wagon Days Parade in Ketchum. Katie K is on the far right and Katie and I are front and center in the matching hats and shirts...in case there was any confusion.

And then here we are just a few years later (6 years ago) at a family friend's wedding.

Katie is not only a Dietitian, but she is also a very busy mother of four. Let's be honest, she's pretty much Super Woman! Her little peach is the same age as the Mini Fashionista, and if those two lived in the same place, they would surely be up to all sorts of fun and trouble together, just like their mamas! I'll keep dreaming (Portland is lovely Katie...hint, hint!).

In the coming weeks you may be hearing more about Katie K, as Katie of C&C is currently participating in her 6 week health reboot.

On to the recipe... for Blueberry-Almond-Oat Scones. I made these little morsels earlier this week and knew immediately I had to share. They are SO delicous and nutritious (as far as scones go), my favorite combination.

I already have plans to try different nut butters and ingredients to make other versions of these tasty treats. Today I am sharing the original recipe. For her Original post and tons of other fabulous recipes, visit Katie's Blog here! 

Ingredients:

3/4 heaping cup oat flour (blend heaping 3/4 cup oats in your food processor until fine and powdery)
1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup organic peanut butter (or nut/seed butter of choice)
1 small banana, peeled
1 egg (you can also use a flax 'egg', 1 Tbsp flax meal + 3 Tbsp water, let rest for 5 minutes)
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut, optional
3/4 cup oats
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp each chia seeds and hemp seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup slivered almonds
2 Tbsp sunflower seeds
1/2 cup frozen organic blueberries

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350. In your food processor, pulse 3/4 cup of oats until flour-like in consistency (about 1-2 minutes).  Set aside in small bowl.

2. In the empty food processor, add banana, honey, peanut butter. Puree until very smooth. Add the egg and pulse until incorporated. Add the coconut oil and the vanilla and blend well.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oat flour, oats, salt, baking soda, baking powder, chia, hemp, and sesame seeds, and almonds and sunflower seeds. Mix until combined. Fold in the frozen blueberries gently. Let batter rest for 10 minutes.

4. Divide batter into 8 cookie-like portions on a lined baking sheet (I use a Silpat). Bake for about 12 minutes or unit lightly browned. Remove from oven to cool. Scones will keep fresh for 3 days in a sealed container, so freeze what you won't use right away.

C&C in the Kitchen

It's hard to believe that it's already August! Where has the summer gone? One of my favorite things about summer is all the fresh fruit and veggies.

We have been berry picking four times.

We make at least one stop a week at a farmer's market (sometimes two).

And every Monday we pick up our CSA box. What does CSA mean? "Community Supported (or shared) Agriculture." A CSA refers to a group of individuals who have pledged to support a local farm, with growers and members sharing the risks and benefits of food production. CSA members pay at the onset of the growing season for a share of the anticipated harvest; once harvesting begins, they receive weekly shares of vegetables and fruit...whatever is coming out of the ground.

Our CSA comes from Tumbleweed Farm in Parkdale, OR. Taylor and Andrea are quite possibly the coolest farmers ever!

Coolest and cutest! Andrea makes dirt look chic! 

You might be familiar with Andrea through her widely known blog, Dishing Up the Dirt.  Remember recently Katie share some of her favorite recipe sources? Andrea's site was on her list (post here)!

I can't tell you how much I look forward to Monday and opening our box of fresh vegetables and herbs that have been harvested from the ground that very morning. I'm like a child on Christmas morning.

Andrea and Taylor truly know the meaning of hard work. I'm pretty sure when the Mini Fashionista gets older I am going to send her up there to learn what it means to really "get your hands dirty!"

Earlier this week I used the cucumbers we received to make this amazing Chilled Cucumber-Tahini & Herb Soup with Cumin-Spiced Roasted Chickpeas that Andrea posted on her blog (recipe here). It was super easy and so delicious.

This is what her soup looked like. 

Mine wasn't quite as pretty, but I know it tasted just as good. 

I am hoping to make a trip to the farm with the Mini sometime very soon, so I will be sure to recap our experience when we do!

C&C in the Kitchen

A few weeks ago I posted a tasty granola bar recipe (here). While I love this recipe and have been eating these bars nearly daily, they are pretty heavy in "nut butter", and have a good bit of sugar, albeit natural, given the honey as a sweetener.

So, last week I went in search of a granola bar recipe that doesn't contain nut butter or a lot of sugar. I found this one, and have used it as a source of inspiration to create my own recipe which I thought I would share with you today.

I'm calling them Banana Bread Granola Bars because they taste like banana bread but in thin little squares. Here is the finished product.

You can add whatever combination of nuts and dried fruit you choose. I made two batches last week. The first batch had the ingredients listed below. In the second batch I used cashew meal, cashews, and dried cherries.

Ingredients
3 medium/large bananas
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup almond meal
3/4 cup dried fruit (I used a combination of cherries, blueberries and mango)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 tbs chia seeds (optional)
2 tbs ground flax seed (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a large rectangular baking dish (approx. 8.5" x 12.5") and line with a piece of parchment paper so the bars are easier to lift out.
In a large bowl or mixer, mash the banana until smooth. Add in the vanilla.
Stir oats into the banana mixture.
Add the nuts and fruit and the rest of the ingredients into the banana-oat mixture until thoroughly combined.
Spoon mixture into prepared dish. Press down until compacted and smooth out with hands until even.
Bake for 25 minutes or until firm and lightly golden along the edge.
Place dish on a cooling rack for 10 minutes and then slice into bars once they are cool.

They can easily be wrapped up and taken with you on a hike, in your purse, or eaten straight out of the pan. I took some to the Mini's teachers and they enjoyed them. I hope you do as well!

Happy, Healthy Baking!

C & C in the Kitchen: Strawberry Milkshake...But Not

I love finding new smoothie recipes. This one is like a strawberry milkshake (at least in my mind) and I knew it was worth sharing. 

Here's what you'll need (give or take - I usually eyeball the ingredients).

1 cup almond milk (I use Almond Breeze)

4 or 5 large frozen strawberries (I like to use frozen fruit, because it gives it that milkshake-like quality)

1 frozen banana

1/4 cup cashews (you could also substitute it with almond butter or sunflower butter - I've done both)

2 or 3 dates (depending on how sweet you like it)

1/4 cup oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon

A dash of vanilla

Blend and enjoy! It's the perfect sweet and refreshing treat. 

C&C in the Kitchen

Okay, so I know that this is the second "in the kitchen" post of the week, but I have people waiting for this recipe, so I didn't want to hold off on sharing it!

On Sunday I woke up with a sore throat, so instead of going for our planned trip to Mt. Hood to XC ski, I spent the day mostly indoors. After a lazy morning in bed, I decided that The Mini Fashionista and I should make blueberry muffins. 

I went to Pinterest and searched "greek yogurt blueberry muffins".  I found a recipe that was pinned as " healthy power muffins", so I opened it. Upon reading the recipe I had to just shake my head. The author's justification of it being "healthy" was the inclusion of whole wheat flour and oats. What about the fact that it contains sugar and 1/2 stick of butter? Pretty sure that's not my definition of healthy. 

So, like with most baking recipes I find, I decided to use it as inspiration to develop my own recipe. I chose to make the recipe gluten free so that I could share the muffins with my gluten intolerant friends. I keep GF oats and flour on hand just for that reason. 

Greek Yogurt Blueberry Muffins (gluten free)

Coconut oil cooking spray

2 cups flour (I used gluten free but you can use regular or whole wheat)

1 cup oats (gluten free or regular)

1/3 cup coconut sugar (maple sugar is also a good substitute to white sugar)

3 TBS Trader Joe's Flax ground seed with blueberries (you can use regular flax or omit this ingredient)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1.5 cups Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons honey (you can also use agave)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup fresh blueberries (you can also use frozen)

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with the cooking spray. I don't recommend using muffins cups as they will stick to the paper.

There are two ways to do this 1) mix all your dry ingredients and then mix the "wet" ingredients and then add the dry to the wet or 2) throw everything (except the blueberries) in the order as listed above into your mixer and mix it all together. This is the way I did it. Clearly not the "proper" technique, but it works! Finally, fold in the blueberries. 

Scoop into the muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on the top. You will nearly fill each muffin tin.

Here is the end result! 

These muffins are good, crazy good! I hope you find the time to bake them and enjoy sometime very, very soon!

C&C in the Kitchen

If you are like me, you struggle to come up with quick, easy and tasty weeknight meals. In fact, I only have meals planned for tonight and tomorrow night for just that reason. 

Well, I have a winner for you. This "Posole" soup is delicious and is easily prepared and cooked in 20-30 minutes from start to finish. You could definitely do it in less if you don't have a two year old to entertain at the same time. Thanks to my good friend, and C&C reader, SW for sharing the recipe with me. Like always, I have modified the original recipe slightly!

Weeknight Posole Soup

- 1 rotisserie chicken (or 2-3 cooked chicken breasts)

- 2 cans of black beans

- 1 can diced tomatoes

- 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies

- 2 cans hominy

- 1 box red pepper & tomato soup

- 2 cups chicken stock (add more or less to desired consistency)

- 1 onion, diced

- 1 glove garlic, minced 

- 1 tsp chile powder 

- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped 

Directions

- dice onion and sautee in bottom of soup pan with a little olive oil, add garlic after about 5 minutes. 

- Add chicken, beans, hominy tomatoes, soup, chicken stock, chile powder and cilantro. 

- Cook/warm on low for as long as you need. It can be eaten right away. 

Yes, a lot of the ingredients come from a can. That's one of the reasons it's so quick. Also, notice my 1/2 organic, 1/2 not. That's called balance! :) 

Don't you love all the colors?

Feel free to crumble up some tortilla chips and add to the top of the soup with additional cilantro and/or sour cream. I promise you, this tastes even better than it looks.

This is defintely one of our family favorites. I hope your family will enjoy it as well! 

C&C in the Kitchen

It's been a while since we shared a new recipe, so I thought I would share with you one of my new favorite smoothie recipes...it's kind of like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in a jar. 

"Peanut Butter and Jelly" Smoothie

1 banana

1 cup strawberries (frozen or fresh)

1/4 cup oats (or less, depending on how thick you want it)

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 tsp honey or agave

1 Tbs chia seeds

1 cup almond milk (or any type of milk)

4-5 pieces of ice (if not using frozen strawberries)

C&C in the Kitchen

It's been a while since I posted a smoothie recipe. This one has become my daily favorite, so I thought I would share it with you.

I'm kind of obsessed.

Ingredients
1 banana
3 dates (remove pits)
1/4 cup oats
1 cup almond breeze (or milk of your choice)
1-2 Tbs nut butter (I use almond or peanut butter)
1 Tbs flax seed
1 Tbs Chia seed
5-6 ice cubes

You can also add 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice if you are feeling like a holiday treat!

Put it all into the blender or Vitamix and just minutes later you have a healthy and delicious breakfast treat!

This is also a great combination of ingredients for overnight oats!

C&C in the Kitchen: Healthy Rice Crispy Treats

It's time for another sweet treat post. You know we love dessert here at C&C, and we love a "healthy" dessert even more.

If you liked my "healthy" fudge recipe, you will go equally crazy for these "healthy" rice crispy treats. I wish I could take credit for the recipe, but I can't. It was shared with me by my friend Robyn (thanks Robyn) and can be found here.

It's really so simple. All you need are the ingredients in this photo, a saucepan, a baking dish and your freezer. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bar

CRUNCH BAR

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

5 tablespoons liquid sweetener (maple syrup, agave, etc.),

1 pinch of fine grain sea salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup rice crisp cereal (I used gluten free brown rice crispies)

PEANUT BUTTER SHELL DRIZZLE

2 tablespoons all-natural peanut butter (or any nut/seed butter of choice)

1.5-2 teaspoons coconut oil, as needed to thin out

1 teaspoon liquid sweetener (maple syrup, agave, etc.)

Directions:

For the crunch bar: Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with two pieces of parchment paper, one going each way. In a pot over low heat, gently melt the coconut oil and then whisk in the rest of the crunch bar ingredients (except the rice crisp) to taste. Once the mixture is smooth remove from heat and stir in the rice crisp cereal. Pour mixture into prepared pan, smooth out, and then freeze for 10-15 minutes, or until the chocolate is solid.

For the PB drizzle: Melt the coconut oil and then whisk in the peanut butter and liquid sweetener. Adjust to taste if desired. Scoop into a plastic baggie. Snip a tiny hole in the baggie and drizzle the PB mixture onto the bar (you can also try drizzling it with a spoon, if desired).

Return bars to the freezer until the PB drizzle is solid, about 5 minutes.

Serve straight from the freezer or fridge. Bars will melt slightly at room temperature so I don't suggest keeping them out long. Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer.

And here is the final result! Tasty and not too terrible for you...my favorite combination!