Chicken Salad Mini Pitas... Makeover

So, I made some Chicken Salad for my son a while back, and I wanted to do something different this time. I got some ideas online, but ended up doing my own thing. I think it tasted better than my first recipe. My son enjoyed it too! Things I like about this recipe: I really like using the mini pitas because they're the perfect size for his little hands! I like that when the chicken salad is put with some kind of bread, pasta, or grain, it makes a complete, well-rounded meal. You have grain, protein, veggies, and fruit in this recipe! I also like that it is relatively easy to make since you put most of the ingredients in the food processor. If you are used to a chunkier chicken salad, you don't have to use the food processor. You can just chop up your ingredients to the size you prefer, or only pulse a couple of times using the food processor. :) 

Ooh! I almost forgot... I also mixed some of this salad with some pasta and my son loved it that way too! 

Enjoy! 

Makes about 2 cups 

Ingredients:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 apple, peeled and cored

1/2 cup celery

1 carrot, shredded

1-1/2 tbsp mayo

1/4 tsp poultry seasoning*

1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg*

1/8 tsp garlic powder*

1/8 tsp onion powder*

1 tbsp orange juice (lemon juice would be good here too)

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook chicken breast as desired. I put mine in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water and I sprinkled it with the dried spices. Once chicken is cooked, let it cool, then chop it. Also chop apple and celery. Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until you achieve your desired consistency. Cool salad in the fridge until ready to serve. You can also serve this warm. You can serve this as a sandwich, in pitas, as a wrap, or mixed with pasta or rice. 

*Note about spices: You can use any spices you like, or none at all and it will still taste good. I don't really measure my spices when I add them, so the measurements listed are approximate. I usually just do a sprinkle or a pinch here and there, until I think it tastes good. ;) 

Chicken Salad Mini Pitas... Makeover

Easy Bean Salad

So, I'm sure all you bloggy friends that follow me and my recipes will get sick of hearing me say this, but here it goes again... The other day I was trying to create something that I knew my son would eat... but, it had to have some protein and veggies mixed in it somehow. Well, earlier this summer, we had gone to a little sandwich shop, and they had a bean salad served along with their sandwiches. My son absolutely loved it! So, I knew I had to try and create something similar. Well, I don't know what they put in theirs, but I think they had tomatoes, and some other veggies mixed with Cannellini beans and a simple dressing. I was unable to completely recreate their recipe, but this one was super quick and easy to make. The best part was... both my son and my husband loved it! :) I think next time I'll try making my own dressing, and maybe adding cilantro and tomatoes. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 can Cannellini beans (white beans), drained, rinsed and dried

1 carrot, shredded

1 zucchini, shredded

2 tbsp Italian dressing (or to taste)

Pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and stir to combine. Serve and enjoy, or refrigerate and serve later! :)

Easy Bean Salad

Thank you, Julia and lululu!

So, the other day, I was catching up on my comment love, and was visiting lululu's lovely blog when I saw that she had posted Julia Child's recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon. Well, I have no way of knowing if it's really her recipe or not, since I don't own Julia's book yet, so I just took lululu's word for it. ;) Nevertheless, I was excited to see the recipe, having recently seen the movie Julie & Julia. Of course, the meal looked delicious in the movie, so I really wanted to try it! So, try it I did, and it is a delicious recipe! I think this may have been one of the best meals I've ever made! Either that or I was really hungry after taking the time to make this. I won't lie... it takes a long time to prepare... but, the directions are easy to follow, and it is so worth it! My husband loved it too, and he even had a stuffy nose that night! So, since I didn't come up with this recipe, I'm sending you over to lululu's blog to check it out. I only added one thing extra to this... a few leaves of fresh sage, finely chopped, in addition to the other herbs. Probably my three favorite herbs for turkey, chicken or beef are thyme, rosemary and sage... and I love using them together! Plus, they're readily available in my backyard garden! :) I served the beef over some homemade garlic mashed potatoes. Sorry, no recipe for these either, I just added some milk, sour cream, garlic and salt to the flavor and consistency that I wanted. 

Enjoy!

Thank you, Julia and lululu!

Muffin Tin Monday--People and Faces

I made this muffin tin meal for my son on Sunday evening. So, since I have been a little unsuccessful in getting my son to eat his 6-cup muffin tin meals, I decided to go back to doing 4-cup meals. Also, I really didn't know what to do with this theme, so it's not super creative. I don't know how to make actual people's faces out of food, so I just stuck with smiley faces. From the top left to the bottom right... I have spaghetti with "red hair" (pasta sauce), carrot eyes, and red pepper mouth; ham with cheese eyes and mouth; yogurt with granola hair, blueberry eyes, and apple mouth; and toast with cheese hair, and fried egg eyes and mouth (kind of like a "toad in the hole"). So, the last one didn't turn out the way I envisioned it, but it was close enough... Yet again, my son only ate the yogurt and fruit. But, he did have 3 days of protein-packed meals, so I didn't feel so bad. The toast/egg smiley face was yummy (I ate it since my son refused it)... and now my hubby wants me to make him one for breakfast! See? Muffin tin meals are fun for all ages... ;) 

Enjoy!

Click on the button above for more information about Muffin Tin Mondays, or check out Michelle's blog at Her Cup Overfloweth. 

Muffin Tin Monday--People and Faces

Muffin Tin Monday

Since there was no theme for Muffin Tin Monday this week, I just did my own thing... My son ate his muffin tin meal on Sunday for lunch. I had made some Pumpkin-Banana Muffins that morning, so I decided to fill a cup with one of them (stay tuned for a muffin recipe later this week). I also made some spinach and ricotta filled tortellini (the easy packaged kind) with pasta sauce, and some dinosaur-shaped quesadillas. In the second row, there are some dino-nuggets, chopped apples, and bunny crackers. My son enjoyed three out of the six cups this week. I bet you can probably guess which ones... 

Yep... Muffin, apples, and crackers. Great lunch! Oh, well... I tried... 

I enjoyed his leftovers... :)

Have a great week, everyone!

For more information on Muffin Tin Monday, visit Michelle's blog at Her Cup Overfloweth, or click on the button above. 

Muffin Tin Monday

Soft Taco Night...

So, my husband was craving some tacos, and since we had just bought some tortillas, he apparently felt the need to use them all up right away... I actually wanted them to make some quesadillas for my son. But, instead I ended up making some delicious soft tacos for dinner! I usually use a packet of taco seasoning, but I didn't have any, and I also didn't feel like going back to the grocery store in a hot car just for a small packet of seasoning. So, I made up my own "taco seasoning" and it tasted pretty good with the ground beef. It was a little bit spicy, but still yummy! :) When you have the beef mixture made, you can add any toppings you want. We had some tomatoes, green chili and shredded cheddar on hand. I also like sour cream, but we didn't have any. The beef mixture can be used in any kind of tortilla you want. Since we just had flour tortillas, we made soft tacos. But you can certainly use corn tortilla taco or tostada shells, or make your own corn tortilla tacos if you have a deep fryer. Yum! :) Enjoy!

Ingredients for beef mixture:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb ground beef

1 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 onion, diced

1 tbsp garlic, minced

Ingredients for taco seasoning:

2-1/2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp New Mexican chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp red pepper flake

In a small bowl, stir together all taco seasoning ingredients until combined. Set aside. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and bell pepper and cook until tender. Add beef and combine with the other ingredients while browning. When beef is browned, add taco seasoning mixture. You can add as much or as little as you want until it is to your preferred taste. Mix all ingredients well. Serve in a warm flour tortilla or a crunchy corn tortilla with your favorite toppings. :)

Soft Taco Night...

Muffin Tin Monday

This is my first time participating in Muffin Tin Monday. When I saw the idea at Her Cup Overfloweth, I thought it was so cute! And what a great way to mix things up and add some extra variety for a picky eater... like my son (occasionally). Anyways, since this week there is no theme, I thought this Monday would be the perfect day to start! So, I gave my son a mix of four different things in my 6-cup muffin tin. I think next time I'll use all 6 cups to give him even more variety...  In this muffin tin, I put some strawberries, bite-sized chicken-apple sausage, cut up string cheese, and Banana Nut Cheerios. Excuse the shabby muffin tin... it's been used. If you've been following my blog, you know that I love making muffins, so I definitely make good use of all my muffin tins! :)

Well, this was one of my son's "picky" weeks, so... much to my dismay he wouldn't touch the sausage or the cheese (big sigh...). But of course, he loved the Cheerios and the strawberries! Hmmm.... I wonder why...  Anyways, like I said, I will keep trying, and maybe we will be a little more successful next time. I still think this is a super cute idea and it is great to make things a little different for meal time. I think my son really liked picking the food out of the little cups. :)

Muffin Tin Monday

Mac and Peas

I was having a really rough time this past week... trying to get my son to eat anything nutritious! I don't know why this happens. He has some really great weeks of eating "normal", and I think, "maybe he's changed and he's going to be a good eater from now on"... But then we have frustrating weeks like this past one where he turns down almost anything I make for him. It is frustrating, and I have no idea where he gets it from... my husband and I are both good eaters! Anyways, this week it seemed my son would only eat anything "bread" related... crescent rolls, crackers, pasta... So, I've had to be really creative this week. I made this new Mac and Cheese where I snuck in extra protein and veggies (I can't believe I'm having to resort to sneakiness!). I mixed in some tofu with the cheese sauce, then added sweet potato puree and peas. It was very successful! I tried some too... and it was delicious! This is going to be one of my new "go-to" recipes when my son is feeling picky again! Enjoy! :)

Ingredients:

2 cups small pasta (I used elbows)

1/4 cup tofu (I use firm since it has more protein)

1/2 cup milk

1-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup sweet potato puree

1/4 cup frozen peas

Dash of pepper

Cook pasta per package directions.

In a food processor or blender, puree together tofu with 1/2 cup milk until smooth. Heat tofu mixture over medium heat until warm. Slowly whisk in cheese until melted evenly, and mixture becomes smooth. Reduce heat to low. Add sweet potato puree and stir until combined. Add pasta and frozen peas. Stir until evenly coated with cheese sauce, and peas are cooked (this only takes a minute or two). Add pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!

Mac and Peas

Different Chicken Noodle

When my son is feeling under the weather, I make him some homemade chicken noodle soup. It is such a healing natural remedy for colds, and I think it just makes you feel better by keeping your insides warm! Normally I like to use the typical onion, celery, and carrots, but I didn't have any celery on hand. So, I decided to make my own version using ingredients that I had. You can really use any kind of vegetables you like, and I'm sure it will taste delicious no matter what. I usually steam the chicken and vegetables first to soften them before I stick them in the broth with the noodles. When my son was younger, I would puree the chicken and vegetable mixture with a little bit of broth, then use it as a sauce over small pasta (elbows, wheels). It makes a great finger food! Nowadays, he is becoming more independent and likes to feed himself, so I just give it to him the same way we eat it! It is so much healthier this way without all the added sodium and preservatives that the canned versions have. The best part is my son LOVES it! :) Enjoy! 

Ingredients:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed and cooked

6 oz whole wheat egg noodles

1 cup chopped broccoli florets, cooked

1 cup chopped carrots, cooked

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1 tbsp minced garlic

3 cups water

3 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp cumin

1 tsp poultry seasoning

In a large pot, bring water and broth to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until heated through, tender, and the flavors are combined. Serve hot, or at room temperature for toddlers. Makes about 6 cups. 

Different Chicken Noodle

Miso Soup

My son LOVES Miso soup! Anytime we go to a sushi restaurant, the waitress brings out a little bowl for him, with some added rice. He usually finishes it, which makes me happy. It's another way for him to get some extra protein, and iron. :) So, I know it's not soup season, but I was dying to try to make my own miso soup. I got some of the ingredients at an Asian supermarket, and some at Whole Foods. Since I knew my son loved the seaweed and tofu in the soup at the sushi restaurant, I bought some to add to the soup here. Also, when I got the container of miso, I noticed that there was a simple recipe on top (just miso and water), which made it a little easier. However, I didn't use their guidelines. It needed more miso, and more yummy ingredients in my opinion... So, here's what I came up with, and it tasted so good! I made 2 cups worth of soup, and he ate at least 1 cup... probably more. 

He loved it, as expected, and I was so happy! :)

Ingredients:

2 cups water

5 tsp light yellow miso

1 handful of Nori, shredded (or Kombu)

1 tbsp Bonito flakes

2 tbsp dried Shiitake mushrooms

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup tofu, cubed

1/2 cup rice, pre-cooked

In a medium pot, stir together miso and water, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Reduce heat to low, and return pot to burner. Add the remaining ingredients, and cook until heated and mushrooms are tender. Serve and enjoy! Or, if serving to little ones, cool to room temperature before serving. This is probably about 4 servings, but with my son, it only ended up being 2 servings! 

Miso Soup

"Barbeque Chicken Buns"

So, in my previous crescent roll recipe, I had said that I would try to make my own barbeque pork buns. Well, this is sort of my take on that, with some slight differences. I took the meat idea, and used chicken instead, since I didn't have shredded or diced pork in my fridge. I also used my Better BBQ Sauce recipe which I had frozen into ice cube trays... and I must say, it freezes and defrosts very nicely! So, besides the chicken that I had to cook, I basically had most of the ingredients (rolls and BBQ sauce) already prepared, so this was a very easy recipe for me to put together. But, I realize that if you are going to try to make my version of barbeque sauce, then there is a little bit more work involved for you. :) Otherwise, to make it easier (and faster), you can certainly use the store-bought barbeque sauce and you'll have these "buns" prepared in no time! In case you missed the BBQ Sauce post, here's a little background info on my barbeque sauce: My son LOVES barbeque sauce, and I know that if I drench his meats in it, he will definitely eat more protein! However, my problem with store-bought barbeque sauce is that they are loaded with sugar! Obviously, this is the reason why my son likes it so much! So, I tried to make a healthier version for him. We both think it tastes pretty good, and I snuck in some veggies too! :) Needless to say, my son LOVED these barbeque buns! Yay! Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded

1/2 cup Better BBQ Sauce (recipe below)

1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls (I used the Pillsbury Big and Flaky)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine barbeque sauce and chicken and stir until sauce is evenly distributed throughout the chicken. Unroll and separate crescent rolls onto a baking sheet. Place about 2 tbsp of meat mixture onto each crescent roll, and spread all along the inside of the roll. Starting at the wide end, roll up the crescent all the way to the tip, making sure meat stays in place. Curl the two ends of the roll to make the crescent shape, and lay on the baking sheet. Space rolls about 2 inches apart from each other on the baking sheet. Bake at 350 F for about 15 to 19 minutes, or until golden-brown. Makes 6 to 8 rolls. 

Better BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1/2 cup sweet potato puree

1/2 cup carrot puree

1/2 cup cider vinegar

3/4 cup tomato paste

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp molasses

1 tbsp agave nectar

2 shakes Tabasco

pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in medium saucepan over low heat, until combined and heated through. Makes about 2 cups. Extra sauce freezes nicely. Enjoy!

"Barbeque Chicken Buns"

Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls

So, my son was having one of those weeks, where he wasn't eating very much protein... He goes in phases--good protein weeks, and bad protein weeks. I guess he eventually gets what he needs, but I would really like him to eat more meats! We were having Dim Sum the other day, when a lightbulb went off in my head. My son loves Cha Siu Bao (barbeque pork buns), so I thought I would wrap some meat up in bread with some other yummy ingredients. Crescent rolls to the rescue! I suppose I could make my own rolls, but it is soooo much easier to just buy the refrigerated crescent rolls! So I rolled up some ham and cheese and some crushed dried herbs, baked them, and voila! Protein time! Success! He LOVED them! Hee hee hee... (my sneaky laugh). I'm sure this recipe exists elsewhere, and I know that Pillsbury has some recipes online too. So check them out as well if you're looking for an easy snack or side to make. I'm thinking of making my own "barbeque pork buns" next time... Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls (I get the Pillsbury Big and Flaky type, 6 crescents per tube)

3 slices lunch meat, chopped into small size bites for toddlers (I used ham, but any kind is fine)

6 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese

1 tbsp crushed dried Italian seasoning (or crushed dried herb of choice)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Unroll and lay crescent rolls flat on a baking sheet. Sprinkle a little bit of the Italian seasoning over each crescent roll, and lightly press the herbs into the dough. Place lunch meat dices over crescent rolls, distributing evenly on the roll. Sprinkle about 1 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese evenly over each crescent roll. Carefully roll up the crescent rolls from the wide side to the angled side, then curve the ends into a moon shape. If desired, sprinkle a little more dried herbs on the tops of the rolls. Space the rolls about 1-2 inches apart on the baking sheet (no need to spray/grease the sheet). Bake for 15 to 19 minutes or until golden brown. 

Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls

7 Grain Hot Cereal

I found this at Whole Foods the other day, and I was so excited to try it and give some to my son. Seven grains?! Awesome! So, here are the seven grains that are in this delicious mix: whole grain cracked wheat, steel cut oats, whole grain barley grits, soybean grits, wheat bran, whole grain buckwheat grits, yellow corn grits, and whole grain hulled millet. Phew! That's a lot of fiber and protein! :) So, this is my new favorite mix of ingredients! Oh, and by the way it's all organic! Yay! My son loves this cereal just as a yummy breakfast mixed with different fruits. But, he really loves it when I mix it in with his muffins! It is delicious any way you like it. I also plan to create a pancake and a cookie recipe using this stuff! I'm sure there are probably other versions of this type of cereal. I found the Arrowhead Mills version at Whole Foods, but it is probably available elsewhere. Try it and enjoy a delicious and nutritious start to your day! :) 

7 Grain Hot Cereal

Yummy Mush

My son goes through phases of eating really great one week, then being picky about food the next. This was one of those picky weeks, so I had to try something different to make sure he's getting all of his nutrients. Sometimes, I don't know how I come up with these recipes! I suppose I just throw a bunch of different things together that I think my son will like, then hope and pray that he eats it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't and the food is either thrown to the dogs (by my son, not me...), or eaten by me or my husband, or sadly, a wasted recipe... This is another one of those weird combinations of foods that actually worked for my son. I got him to eat some grain, protein, and veggie. He LOVED it, and even ate leftovers! I was a very happy Mama! It may sound weird, but maybe your picky eater will like it too! :)

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup brown rice, pre-cooked

1/4 cup sweet potato puree

1/2 cup tofu, cubed

Sprinkling of pepper

Heat chicken broth over medium-high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to low, and add remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine, and heat until warmed through. Cool to a temperature suitable for your child. You can also puree all the ingredients together for a younger baby. Serve and enjoy!

Yummy Mush

Apple-Cherry Amaranth Muffins

After I made my quinoa muffins, I thought to myself, "I bet I could make these muffins with amaranth too!". I had a bag of amaranth in my pantry, and some dried cherries and thought they would make some great healthy muffins! Amaranth is a seed which is similar to quinoa, but much smaller. Both are treated like grains, but are actually seeds that are packed with protein! Usually I cook up some quinoa or amaranth and mix them up with some fruits or veggies for one of my son's meals. Of course, he never turns down a muffin, and they make such a great traveling snack! As I was making this recipe, I started mixing up the wet ingredients with the dry, and then realized I had no eggs! Luckily, applesauce and mashed bananas make a great substitute for eggs in muffin recipes, and I almost always have both of those on hand at all times. So, it turns out, these muffins are also vegan! As you probably know from my previous recipes, I'm definitely no vegan. But if you are, these are a great muffin for you! They taste pretty good even if you're a carnivore like me. :) My son says, "Mmm Mmm!"

Ingredients: 

1 cup amaranth

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped*

3/4 cup whole milk

1/4 cup applesauce (or 1 large egg)*

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium saucepan, bring amaranth and 3 cups water to a boil. Reduce to low heat; cover, and cook until water has been absorbed and amaranth is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. 

Meanwhile, brush a 12-cup muffin pan with oil, and dust with flour, tapping out excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, cherries, and 2 cups cooked amaranth. Reserve any leftover amaranth for another use. 

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, milk, applesauce (or egg), and vanilla. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and stir just until combined. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. 

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean 25 to 30 minutes.* Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 12 muffins. Enjoy!

*Note: It is not necessary to chop your dried cherries. I did only because I knew I would be serving these muffins to my son, and I wasn't sure if he could handle a larger-sized dried fruit. To substitute eggs in future muffin recipes, use either 1/4 cup applesauce or 1/4 cup mashed banana for each egg in the recipe. My muffins took a little longer in the oven, about 40 minutes. I'm not sure if it's because of the amaranth, or if the applesauce made the batter too moist. They still turned out good, just took a little longer. :)

Apple-Cherry Amaranth Muffins

Protein Smoothie

I was feeling like making another smoothie for my son (and me), but I wanted to add some extra protein to it. Tofu is great for smoothies since it has a smooth texture, and blends very easily with the other ingredients. And for anyone who is not a tofu fan, you can't really taste it when it is mixed up with delicious fruits! I like to use the firm tofu, since it has more protein than the soft or silken versions, but any tofu is fine. I also use whole milk and whole milk yogurt since this is for my son. But you can certainly use low-fat or skim to make this lighter. This smoothie is packed with nutritious ingredients! Protein from the tofu, flaxseed meal, and wheat germ, as well as the milk and yogurt... Vitamin C from the mangoes and pineapple... Potassium from the banana and sweet potatoes... and many more vitamins! To put it another way, this smoothie is a meal in itself! :) Oh, and by the way, it is delicious too! Enjoy! :)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup tofu

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1/4 cup pineapple chunks

1/4 cup mango chunks

1/4 cup sweet potato puree

1 medium banana, sliced

1 tbsp flaxseed meal

2 tbsp wheat germ

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth and creamy! This smoothie came out a little bit thick, so if you like yours thinner, you can add more milk. 

Protein Smoothie

Good For You Muffins

I think I seriously need to open a bakery or something. I make waaaay too many baked goodies! I made up my own muffin recipe this time, and it turned out delicious! I was pleasantly surprised! The best part is, they are good for you too! I didn't know what to call these muffins, since they have so many delicious ingredients in them, so I decided to just call them "Good For You Muffins". It works! I recently bought this hot cereal for my son to try that is 7-grain hot cereal. I thought, seven grains is way better than just one or two, right? The mix (I got the Arrowhead Mills version) has wheat, oats, barley, soybeans, buckwheat, corn, and millet in it! Super hearty! I made some for him, mixed it with some fruit, and he loved it! Well, on the back of the package there are a couple of recipes for muffins/bread. I think my husband noticed the big lightbulb above my head... I got so excited to experiment with a new muffin recipe, that I made some later that night after my son went to bed! I didn't use the recipe on the back of the box because I wanted to put different ingredients in it, so I just made one up based on a bunch of different ideas I had in my head (and also what I had in my kitchen)! I think they turned out great, and when my son does his usual, "Mmmm, mmm!" I know they must be good! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (8 oz) Neufchatel Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 mashed ripe bananas

1/4 cup applesauce (homemade or no sugar added)

1/2 cup carrots, grated

Zest and juice of 1 lemon*

1 egg

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour

1/2 cup Arrowhead Mills Organic 7-Grain Hot Cereal

1-1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 F. Using a handheld or standing mixer, beat neufchatel cheese, sugar, and butter on medium speed until well blended. Add banana, egg, applesauce, lemon zest and juice, and carrots. Mix well. 

In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients (except cranberries) together until combined. Add combined dry ingredients gradually to the wet ingredients and mix until moistened. Leave about 1 tbsp of the dry ingredients in the bowl to coat the cranberries. After coating the cranberries with the flour mixture, add to the batter, and fold in with a spoon until evenly distributed. Pour batter into greased and floured, or paper cup-lined muffin tray. 

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from muffin tray. Cool completely on wire rack. Serve and enjoy! Make 12 "puffy" muffins, or up to 18 normal-sized muffins. 

*Note: I had a "Momnesia" moment and thought that I had some oranges on hand, which would have tasted delicious with the cranberries and carrot! However, when I went to grab one, I noticed that the only citrus I had was lemons... Oops! So, I used lemon and it turned out fine. If you decide to use orange, you could use half or all of the zest of one orange, and about 2-3 tbsp of the juice. :)

Good For You Muffins

Father's Day Frittata

I made my husband this spinach frittata for his Father's Day breakfast. He LOVED it! Once all the ingredients are prepared, it is pretty simple to put together. I served mine with some homemade hashed browns. I make my frittata in the oven instead of frying it. I'm not the best "flipper" when it comes to large sized pancakes, omelets, hashed browns, etc... Notice I tried not to focus on my ugly hashed browns behind the frittata. They tasted good, but were not very photogenic. Anyways, baking the frittata in the oven makes it much easier to cut up and serve prettier, when you're not a pro-flipper. I love the combination of flavors in this recipe! We are big spinach fans, and I also added some more delicious ingredients that go well with the egg and spinach. You can also add some meat (sausage, ham) to this recipe and it would probably taste even more delicious! Happy Father's Day to all! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 large eggs

1-1/2 cups milk

1 10-oz pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and drained well*

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray an 8 x 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick spray, and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together until smooth and combined. Add remaining ingredients and stir until evenly distributed. Pour egg mixture into prepared baking dish, and bake for 17 to 22 minutes, or until eggs are set (not jiggly in the middle). 

*Note: After you thaw/defrost your spinach per the package ingredients, let it cool a little, then squeeze the spinach leaves through some paper towels, or a clean dish towel to thoroughly remove the excess liquid. Otherwise, your eggs will be more runny with the extra liquid. :(

Father's Day Frittata

Stuffed Mushrooms

Okay, so I kinda stole this recipe from my aunt, but it is so yummy! I did mine a little bit different, but they still turned out delicious. My husband and I LOVE these stuffed mushrooms! I normally make this with the smaller white stuffing mushrooms, but this time I wanted to make it more of a meal instead of an hors d'oeuvre. So, I used Baby Portabella caps. They were so delicious with the filling! I think I'll make them like this all the time! For most of my recipes that call for cream cheese, I use neufchatel instead because it has 1/3 less fat. But, you can use regular cream cheese if you like. I just served mine over some wild rice, and it was super filling! I was full after one mushroom! :) 

Ingredients:

5 to 6 Baby Portabella caps*

1 lb breakfast sausage*

1 pkg (8 oz) Neufchatel (or Cream Cheese)

1/2 cup green onions, finely chopped

1 tsp (2 cloves) minced garlic

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray, and set aside. Clean mushroom caps by wiping with a damp paper towel. Make sure to remove any stems that are left on the mushrooms. Place mushrooms open side up in the baking dish. Cook sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Add garlic and onions and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and add neufchatel or cream cheese. Stir until cheese is soft, melted and combined well with other ingredients. Remove from heat. Spoon sausage mixture into mushroom caps, patting down to make sure it is "stuffed". You will probably have leftover sausage mixture. Bake in oven at 350 F for about 20 minutes. Recipe makes about 6 big stuffed mushrooms or 12 smaller sized mushrooms. 

*Note: The name "Baby Portabella" or "Baby Bella" is misleading. The ones I found were a much larger size than the white mushrooms that I normally get. You could also use regular Portabella mushrooms if you want an even bigger mushroom! I prefer to use the Owens Hot breakfast sausage since it adds a little "zing", but you can use regular breakfast sausage or even Italian sausage if you like. You can serve these big mushrooms over rice or some yummy steamed vegetables. I bet it would taste delicious over cooked spinach too! I have also used this same sausage mixture to stuff Bell Peppers, and it tastes just as delicious! :) Enjoy!

Stuffed Mushrooms

Blueberry Oat Bran Pancakes

So, I had this bag of oat bran that I had just gotten from the market, and I was looking online for what I could do with it, besides make it into a hot cereal for my son. I didn't have a bunch of it, but I wanted to incorporate it's goodness into something yummy. Woo hoo! Pancakes it is! As usual, I found a recipe online, got some ideas, and made my own creation. The batter was a little bit thicker than normal pancake batter, but it worked fine, and tasted delicious! And, of course, my son LOVED them! I was happy because oat bran is high in fiber, protein and B vitamins! :) Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Arrowhead Mills Multi-Grain Pancake Mix

1/2 cup Oat Bran

1 tbsp canola oil

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp milk

1 tsp Agave Nectar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)*

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except blueberries, until smooth. Gently fold in blueberries. Spray a non-stick skillet with non-stick spray. Over medium-high heat, pour batter by the 1/4 cup-full into skillet. Flip when bubbles begin to form on top, or when edges turn light brown. Cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with maple syrup, if desired.

*Note: You can use any fruit you like. I had a bunch of blueberries on hand and wanted to use them up. :) 

Blueberry Oat Bran Pancakes