Blueberry Pomegranate Chia Muffins

My lovely friend Catherine- author of the stylish blog Chic Geek- called me last week asking me to make her a high protein super healthy breakfast and snack muffin. Normally I'm not into baking insanely healthy- I can do a normal level of healthy but adding no sugar to a muffin is tough for me. But I would do anything for Ms. Chic Geek so she came over and I created a crazy super healthy muffin for her to snack on all week. She loved them!!

Make these healthy muffins while perusing Catherine's awesome fall must-see items! 

Blueberry Pomegranate Chia Muffins 

Fridge:

1/2 cup of applesauce (we used our homemade recipe) 

3/4 cup coconut milk (we used canned) 

1/2 cup blueberries

1 egg 

Pantry:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1/2 cup coconut oil, room temperature (liquid form)

2 tbs local honey

1/2 cup dried pomegranate seeds 

1/2 cup raw almonds minced- plus extra for sprinkling on top 

1/4 cup of chia seeds 

Tools: 

Greased or lined muffin tray 

2 medium mixing bowls

Mixing spatula

Whisk

Ice cream scoop or large spoon 

Measuring cups/spoons 

Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin tray or line with paper liners. 

In one bowl add coconut milk, egg, coconut oil (microwave for 10-15 seconds if you need to make it liquid), vanilla extract, honey and applesauce. Whisk well.

In separate bowl add whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, chia seeds, ground ginger and ground cinnamon. Mix well. 

Add the liquid bowl to the dry bowl and combine well. Once mixed together- add pomegranate seeds, blueberries and almonds. Mix until just combined. Using the ice cream scooper fill the muffin trays about 3/4 full. 

Sprinkle extra chopped almonds on top and then place in the oven and bake for 24-28 minutes or until the tops are golden and slightly spongy to touch. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before enjoying! 

And if you're anything like me aka addicted to sweet things- I would add 1/4 cup of sugar before baking for some sweetness. But that's just me!! 

Be good- stick to Catherine's recipe! She did an excellent job as my sous chef!! Thanks CC! Xo

Applesauce Season

It is officially fall here in New England. And autumn kicks off the season of all things apple and pumpkin. As if you haven't seen the million facebook posts and tweets about pumpkin lattes and apple picking.

The family I work for also joined the apple picking club and brought home more apples than we knew what to do with- and so our first cooking venture together was making our own applesauce. And if you can peel an apple- then you can make this applesauce. It's beyond simple!!

Easy Applesauce 

Counter:

10 large apples, peeled and cored 

Juice of 1 lemon

Enough water to barely cover the apples, my pot used about 7 1/2 cups.

Pantry:

2 cinnamon sticks 

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger 

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup white sugar 

Tools:

Large pot with lid

Slotted spoon 

Blender or food processor 

Measuring cups/spoons 

Add all the ingredients to the pot and then add cold water to just barely cover the pot. Stir together and cover with a lid. Turn heat on low to medium and allow to simmer until apples begin to break down. It took about 20-25 minutes on a gas stove. 

Once the apples are broken down and soft, remove from heat. You can allow to cool for 10 minutes before processing.

Using the slotted spoon, add just the apples into the blender. Pulse the apples until the consistency you want. I like my applesauce fairly smooth with just a little chunks. If the sauce is too thick for you- add a little of the cooking liquid. Continue this process until all the apples are blended and smooth. 

Now at this point taste the apples for flavor. I did not want to add any extra sugar as this was for the kids- so ours was slightly sweet but still tart. You might prefer a more sweeter applesauce so make sure to add more sugar while sauce is still hot so the sugar dissolves. I recommend only adding a tablespoon at a time- you don't want to over sweeten it (or maybe you do, no judgments). 

Allow to sit out for 30 minutes to come to room temperature and then put into mason jars or Tupperware and chill in the fridge. This will last 7-10 days in the fridge. 

This is great to eat for both kids and adults. I like to dip pretzels in mine- thanks to my friend Leslie who taught me that in grade school. It is also great as a substitute in baking. Grab some apples and give it a go! So simple! Xo

Charlies faces as he tries the applesaucefor the first time are classic!! 

The BEST Oatmeal & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Kids love cookies. It's a fact. So whenever I decide to do special treats cooking with the kids we usually end up raiding the pantry for cookie ingredients.

These oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies are to-die for! The kids inhaled them. I inhaled them. They were an all around success!! 

You can also substitute the chocolate chips for raisins, dates, currants, dried cranberries, etc for a healthier option. They will still be delicious- bc they are soft but with crunchy edges- which in my world- is a perfect cookie!

The BEST Oatmeal & Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Fridge:

1/2 cup or 1 stick butter, softened 

2 eggs

Pantry:

1 3/4 cups ap flour 

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar 

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

2 1/2 cups quick cooking oatmeal 

1 1/4 cups semi sweet chocolate chips 

Tools:

Two large bowls

Baking spatula

Electric hand mixer 

Measuring cups/spoons 

Large spoon or ice cream scoop

Large baking tray 

Preheat oven to 350. 

In one bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. 

In the other bowl add the butter and brown and white sugars. Cream together with electric hand mixer. Once creamy add the applesauce and mix again. Then add one egg and mix and the second egg and mix. Add the vanilla extract and mix once again. I like to pulse mix this- only 10 seconds and then I add the next ingredient. 

Once the wet ingredients are combined, slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredient bowl- add a little at a time and then mix. It's easier than cleaning up flour everywhere! 

Finally add in the oatmeal and chocolate chips. Hand mix them into the dough. After they are evenly mixed in, use a large spoon or ice cream scoop to drop the dough onto an ungreased baking tray. 

Place the cookie dough a few inches away from each other as they spread and rise.

Bake for 12-14 minutes and allow to cool. 

Enjoy these warm with a glass of cold milk! Oh yah!! Xo

Jazzed Up Ramen

Dreary autumn days call for soups and stews. And since ramen is no longer the food of starving college kids, I've decided to share my jazzed up version of ramen. 

This is definitely a childhood favorite of mine and reminds me of when I would stay home sick from school and make my own homemade chicken noodle soup using ramen packets as my noodles. 

I made this particular version spicy so it's not very kid-friendly but if you swap out the spicy ramen for chicken flavored- you've got a delicious meal for the kids. And the long noodles are fun for them to eat!! 

Plus it's a quick and easy meal for the days when you're at a loss of what to make and have little time- keep a few ramen packets around and jazz them up for the kids! 

Jazzed Up Ramen 

Fridge:

1/3 lb firm tofu, cut into cubes (about 1 1/2 cups) 

1/2 cup mushrooms (your choice), sliced

1/2 cup scallions, sliced thin 

2 tbs cilantro, minced 

1/2 tbs ketchup 

1 egg 

Counter:

6 cups water

Juice 1/2 lime 

Pantry:

1 chicken flavored ramen packet 

1 spicy flavored ramen packet (see photo) 

2 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 1/2 tsp Wostershire sauce 

1 1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar 

Optional toppings: corn, mung beans, hard boiled eggs, lime slices, avocado, cilantro, grated carrots, cucumber slices, cooked mushrooms, etc. 

Tools:

Medium pot 

Whisk 

Wooden mixing spoon

Measuring cups/spoons 

Cutting board 

Chopping knife 

Add water to the pot and put over medium heat. Add mushrooms, scallions, cilantro, ketchup, soy sauce, sesame oil, Wostershire sauce, rice wine vinegar, the spicy and chicken flavor packets and lime juice to the pot. Bring the broth to a boil. 

Once broth is boiling, crack your egg straight into the middle and whisk rapidly for a minute. Add the tofu cubes and ramen noodles. Cook for 3 minutes until the noodles are al dente. Turn off heat and serve immeditately.

Use whatever toppings you want to add texture and flavor to the soup. I squeezed some fresh lime on top and added corn, mung beans, cooked mushrooms, extra tofu and a hard boiled egg. 

And let me tell you- it was delicious!! Super heart warming and a giant leap from the ramen we all knew and loved in college!! Try it out! Xo

Coconut Almond Veggie Quinoa Summer Rolls

Goodness- is that a mouthful or what?! These summer rolls might have a long name but in short they are De-li-cious!!

If you've never made summer rolls, I completely understand the hesitation. They seem like a pain in the butt and when you're a catering chef and have to make 200- they definitely are!! But this recipe made enough for appetizers at a small dinner party with a few leftover for lunch the next day- and it was super easy! The rolling takes about 20 minutes and once you get the hang of it- it's so simple! 

The flavor is amazing and so light and healthy- plus it's vegan for all you non-animal eaters!! And Charlie- the 16 month old I nanny for- loved the filling. He's my true test for flavor! 

I highly recommend trying out this recipe for your next get together with friends. They will love this recipe and be amazed that it's super healthy!! 

Coconut Almond Veggie Quinoa Summer Rolls 

Premade:

2 cups cooked quinoa*

Fridge:

2 cups red cabbage, julienned 

3/4 cup scallions, thinly chopped 

2 tbs cilantro, minced 

Counter: 

Juice of 1/2 lime 

Pantry:

Package of Vietnamese rice paper 

1 cup coconut milk (canned) 

1/2 cup raw almonds 

1/4 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp hot sauce (optional) 

Tools: 

Large bowl

Mixing spoon

Blender or food processor

Large tray or bowl filled with warm water 

Add almonds, coconut milk, cilantro and salt to the blender or food processor. Blend for a minute or two- it will still be a little grainy but the texture is good for the rolls. 

In the large bowl add the quinoa, red cabbage, scallions and grated carrots. Mix well and then pour the almond coconut sauce over the top. Combine everything well. At this point you can cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days until you're ready to roll them. I recommend rolling only a few (up to 6) hours before serving or eating. The rice paper tends to harden within a day. It doesn't taste bad- just not the best texture. 

How to make the rolls: 

Take the tray or bowl of warm water and run 1 rice paper roll a couple times through it- or let it soak for about 7-10 seconds (mine didn't fit so I had to move it through the water- see photo). Remove from water and place on a clean counter or cutting board with 2 inches of overhang (see photo). The overhang will make it easier to begin rolling. 

Take about 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup of filling and place close to the overhang- right near the edge and centered to the wrap edges. Then take the overhanging part and pull it over the filling- tightening it around the filling. You don't want a loose roll. Once you've tightened the overhanging piece over the filling- close the sides of the roll by folding the edges into the center. Then continue to roll the wraps up and it should form a mini burrito or better yet- delicious summer roll!! 

Enjoy them! Xo

Run it through or soak it in warm water to make it pliable enough to roll 

Overhanging piece makes it easier to fold it over and roll faster 

Before dressing

After dressing

*to cook quinoa- add 1 cup quinoa to 1 3/4 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for 12-15 minutes until all water is absorbed. Flake with a fork and cool for use in the summer rolls.