cornmeal buttermilk pancakes with strawberry syrup and whipped cream

happy valentine's day! here's what i made my little munchkins for breakfast. my one-year-old kept calling them cupcakes, but i thought they tasted more like strawberry shortcakes. we all agreed they were delicious.

cornmeal buttermilk pancakes
adapted from epicurious

3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
3 tablespoons butter, melted

whisk the first six ingredients together in a small bowl. in another mixing bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter. add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined. cook pancakes on a greased pan 2-3 minutes on each side until golden. extra points for making them heart-shaped. top with strawberry syrup and whipped cream.















strawberry syrup

1 cup strawberries (i thawed some frozen strawberries in the microwave)
1/4 cup sugar

combine the ingredients in a blender and process until very smooth. makes about 1 cup.

lentil coconut soup

usually when i try out a new recipe, i only make half in case it doesn't turn out. i am so glad i made the full batch this time. my 1-year-old liked it too.

the original recipe is from delicious magazine, but i found the recipe at cook clean craft. i changed/added some ingredients to use what i had.
serves 6

8-10 bacon strips, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped (use fresh, it makes a big difference!)
1/8 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained (i used brown 'cause that's what i had)
4 cups chicken stock
1 can coconut milk, regular or light
1 lime cut into 6 wedges
cilantro, to garnish (i didn't bother with this, it's not my fav)

1. heat a large saucepan over medium heat and cook the bacon for 4-6 minutes until golden. remove from pan and drain on paper towel.
2. heat coconut oil or olive oil in the same saucepan over medium-low heat. add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic, cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. stir in the chili flakes and lentils.
3. add the stock and coconut milk, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. remove from heat.
4. divide among serving bowls. top with bacon and garnish with cilantro leaves. serve with a lime wedge (squirt to taste) and some crusty bread.
   

my green smoothie

i try to make a green smoothie for breakfast most days of the week. this way, no matter what i eat the rest of the day, (hopefully it's still pretty healthy) i've already had a good amount of fruit and veggies. green smoothies sound (and look) a bit strange at first, but try a google search for 'green smoothies' and you'll see a lot of people are making them. bottoms up!

makes about 1 quart

1 cup orange juice
4+ cups greens (i like spinach, collard greens, or kale)
2 tablespoons raw cashews or almonds (soaked in water for a few hours or over night)
3 pitted dates
1 banana
2 cups frozen mixed fruit (i get the spectrum blend from costco)

blend the first 4 ingredients in a blender for a few minutes until smooth. while that's going, i put the frozen fruit in the microwave on defrost for 2 minutes - so i won't destroy my blender. add the banana and frozen-ish fruit. blend for a few minutes more until smooth.

carrot cake smoothie

a while back, i bought a big bag of raw cashews i was planning on using to make cashew milk. though i love cashews, i discovered i don't like cashew milk. ew. i found this recipe at choosingraw.com and i had to buy a big bag of carrots to go with that big bag of nuts. i could seriously drink this smoothie every day.
adapted from choosingraw.com

serves 2-3

1 1/2 cups fresh carrot juice (from about 6-8 large carrots)
1 cup ice
1/2 cup cashews, raw
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice (i just use cloves since i don't have allspice)
2 tablespoons honey (or to taste)

soak the cashews in a cup of water in the refrigerator for a few hours. drain. process the carrot juice and cashews in a blender for a few minutes until smooth. add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. (if you have a really cool blender like this one or that one, then you could just throw all the ingredients in at once, but this is how i have to do it in my blender.)

chicken and spinach stuffed shells

serves 8-10

6 oz pasta - jumbo shells, cooked 2 minutes less than package directions
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
15 oz ricotta cheese
2 - 8 oz packages cream cheese
5 oz Parmesan cheese
1 egg beaten
1 Tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups mozzarella cheese
26 oz spaghetti sauce

preheat oven to 350. grease 2 9x13 baking dishes. combine chicken and the rest of the ingredients except mozzarella and sauce. stir in 1 cup cheese and spoon mixture into shells. spread half the sauce in baking dishes. arrange shells over sauce and top with the rest of the sauce. cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. uncover, sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheese and bake for 5-10 minutes.

you can prepare both dishes just up to baking and cover one with foil and freeze for later.

baked creamy chicken taquitos

Recipe by OurBestBites.com

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions

2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray


Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Dip them in salsa, sour cream, or guacamole.

chicken fajita bake

from good things utah

4 chicken breasts
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
8 – eight inch flour tortillas
4 Tablespoons McCormick Mesquite Grilling Mates Seasoning
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons real butter
1 lb. Shredded Monterey Jack cheese (divided)
1 can Campbell’s Cheddar Cheese Soup
2 cups salsa
sour cream
avocados
fresh jalapeno slices

Place chicken in a large zip lock baggie with mesquite seasoning and let marinate for 2 hours, no more than 4. Grill or fry chicken until cooked through. (Sometimes I just cook them in the crock pot with some water and the grill seasoning.) Slice thinly and set aside. Sauté peppers and onions in butter until tender. Add soy sauce and sauté a minute more In a medium bowl, mix together cheddar cheese soup and salsa. Pour 1 cup of the mixture in a 9x13 pan, spreading evenly. Roll equal amounts of chicken, Monterey Jack cheese, peppers and onions in the 8 tortillas and place in the baking dish. Pour over the remaining soup/salsa mixture and top with remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Bake at 350 covered with foil for 30 minutes and uncovered for 10 or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream, avocado slices and jalapenos if desired.

spinach brownies

adapted from allrecipes.com

1 (10 ounce) package spinach, rinsed, squeezed dry and chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 onion, chopped and sautéed
1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese (I use swiss/cheddar, or feta)
1 clove garlic, minced (saute with the onion)
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, cayenne, pepper, nutmeg and baking powder. Stir in eggs, milk and butter. Mix in spinach, onion/garlic and cheese.
3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before serving.

thieves pasta

Adapted from 365 Days of Slow Cooking

Serves 4

8 oz penne pasta
8 oz chicken breasts
14 1/2 oz diced tomatoes with juice
8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 tsp Italian seasoning
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups frozen spinach (loosely packed)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
4 oz cream cheese
1 Tbsp tapioca
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
feta cheese

Spray sides of slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine chicken, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic, sugar, and red pepper in slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low for 4 hours (until chicken is cooked through). Place spinach in a strainer. Run hot water over it and drain. Add spinach, cream cheese, and tapioca to slow cooker. Stir. Cook for an additional 30 minutes. Add cooked and drained pasta and pine nuts and stir and serve. Salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle some feta cheese on top.

crispy kale

This is salty and crunchy, almost like potato chips. Kale is loaded with vitamins A and C, and has calcium, iron, and fiber. Make this for your kids, mine surprisingly likes it.

6-8 cups chopped fresh kale, washed, dried, and hard stems removed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar (I use lots more vinegar, a couple capfuls)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt or sea salt

1. Place a rack on the lowest shelf of your oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spread kale out on a sturdy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Toss to coat completely. Sprinkle with salt.
3. Place on the lowest rack of the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and stir so that kale can get crispy all over.
5. Bake another 8 to 12 minutes or until kale is crispy to the touch. Don’t let it brown.
If kale still bends, rather than crackles, when you touch it, it isn't done yet. Return to the oven. Turn down the heat if it is getting too brown. Continue cooking until crispy.
6. Remove from oven and enjoy.