Peanut Butter & Jelly & Banana Muffins

I made these as a snack to bring along to a bachelorette party, and they were SO GOOD.

Tip: Don't put the sugar on top if you arent going to eat them soon. I put them in a big baggie, and the tops sorta turned to mush, because the sugar got soggy.

( recipe from Java Cupcake)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups ripe bananas (4-5 small bananas - I like chunks of bananas, so I don't over-mash mine)
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  
• 2 cups fresh raspberries (not frozen)
• 1/4 cup coarse sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw or Turbinado sugar)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line cupcake/muffin tin with liners. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, buttermilk, peanut butter and melted butter.
4. Add the eggs and sugars to the wet mixture and whisk until smooth.
5. Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture and fold together with a spatula until just combined or until only a few flour lumps are visible.
6. Add the raspberries and gently fold into the batter. NOTE: Do Not over mix! You don't want to break up the raspberries or work the flour too much.
7. Gently scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin filling no more than 3/4 full. Top each muffin with the coarse sugar.
8. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the muffins and the tops are golden brown.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before running a butter knife along the edges of the pan and inverting the bread onto a wire rack to cool completely.

One Pot Pasta

This pasta is RIDICULOUSLY easy. (pic and recipe by the linked Lottie and Doof)

Throw a bunch of crap in a pot and cook.

DONE.

You can kinda customize it, too. Add a bunch more herbs, if you want.

It turns out oddly creamy. I think from keeping the starches in the water from the noodles.

One-Pan Pasta (adapted slightly from Martha Stewart Living)

• 12 ounces linguine
• 12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
• 1 onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2- 3/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 2 sprigs basil, plus torn leaves for garnish
• 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 1/2 cups water
• Lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Combine pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, red-pepper flakes, basil, oil, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and water in a large straight-sided skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil mixture, stirring and turning pasta frequently with tongs, until pasta is al dente and water has nearly evaporated, about 9 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, divide among 4 bowls, and garnish with basil. Serve with oil and Parmesan.

milk chocolate mousse with coconut whipped cream.

Holy crap, I am SO far behind on this blog!!

This recipe is from How Sweet Eats.

It is DELICIOUS. It's crammed full of coconut, though, so not exactly a good diet dessert. I almost found the coconut in the mousse AND the coconut in the whipped cream to be a little over the top. I think next time I would put regular whipped cream on it, but I would fo sho put the coconut whipped cream on something else.

ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
directions:

8 ounces high-quality milk chocolate, chopped

2 large egg yolks

2 cans full-fat coconut milk, cold (refrigerated overnight)

Combine chocolate, water and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on medium heat for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave for 30 seconds again. Stir constantly until all chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

While the chocolate is cooling, take one can of coconut milk out of the fridge. Open the can and discard the liquid, then scoop the firm coconut meat into the bowl of your electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until completely whipped and thick. Set the bowl in the fridge.

Add egg yolks, sugar and remaining water to a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved, mixture is opaque and light yellow and has thickened and can coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in melted chocolate mixture. Place saucepan in a bowl of ice water and whisk constantly until chocolate is cooled.

Remove whipped cream from the fridge and fold it into the chocolate mixture. Once whipped cream is completely folded in, evenly pour mousse into either two or four glasses. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

A few minutes before serving, remove the other can of coconut milk from the fridge and whip the cream just as you did earlier. Once whipped, add in powdered sugar and beat just until the sugar is incorporated. Top mousse with the whipped cream and extra chocolate shavings if desired.

[adapted from taste of home]

Baby Spinach Frittata with Sweet Potato Hash Crust.

From The Sprouted Kitchen, which my newly mama'd friend, Gabrielle got us for our wedding. I have LOVED everything I've made out of it, so far, and I have made this frittata two times in as many days. It's just SO simple and SO tasty.

Ingredients
8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper
2 small sweet potatoes (I've  made it with one, and it was perfectly fine)
1 Tbl coconut oil or olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbl fresh thyme
2 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
2 cups baby spinach
1/3 c. (about 3 oz) of herbed goat cheese (ok with a little less)
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Hot sauce (optional)

Arrange a rack in the upper third of your oven and preheat the oven to 425F.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together until uniform in color. Add the milk, a pinch of salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper, whisk, and set aside.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 1/4 in cubes (the smaller the better, I've found). Warm the oil in a 10 or 12 inch saute pan over medium heat. Add the potatoes and toss to coat. Sprinkle the cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, and the thyme and stir again. Cook the sweet potatoes, tossing occasionally, until they are cooked through and have brown marks, about 10 mins. Sprinkle the green onions on top of the potatoes, followed by the spinach. Let the spinach wilt, about 1 min, putting a lid on the pan to help things along if you have one. Turn the heat down to low. Give the eggs one last whisk and pour them over the spinach. Break up the cheese wth your fingers and distribute it over the top. Put the pan in the oven and bake until you shake the pan and see that the middle is just barely set, 10 to 12 mins. The handle will be very hot.

Put the frittata aside to set for a couple minutes before slicing it. Sprinkle with more pepper and garnish with the cilantro. Serve with hot sauce on the side. Or, if you're like my husband, dump it all over, as seen below.

Mini Greek-Style Meat Loaves with Arugula Salad

Another keeper from Real Simple.

I loved how portable these were. Just pop them out of the muffin tin, and you can grab a few at your leisure. Perfect.

I served it with cauliflower mash, for a solid plate of grub.

Ingredients

• 
  Preparation
• 10 ounce ground sirloin 
• 5 ounces lean ground lamb
• 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup grated red onion
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten 
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt 
• 2 ounces reduced-fat feta, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups baby arugula leaves
• 1 1/2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) diagonally sliced seeded peeled cucumber 

1. 1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. 2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon mint, 1 tablespoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, allspice, and next 3 ingredients (through egg). Press meat mixture into 8 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 7 minutes. Turn broiler to high; broil 3 minutes.
3. 3. Combine yogurt, feta, 1 tablespoon juice, 1 teaspoon mint, and 1 teaspoon thyme in a mini food processor; pulse 10 times to combine.
4. 4. Combine 1 tablespoon juice, oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a bowl; stir. Add arugula and cucumber; toss.

Chipotle and Apple Turkey Burgers

My friend, Gabrielle, bought us the Sprouted Kitchen cookbook for our wedding, and I decided that it was time to put it to work.

This recipe was delicious.

Like....SO DELICIOUS.

1 Tbls olive oil
1 celery stalk
3 green onions, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 green apple, grated
1 lb turkey
1 chipotle chille in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbls fresh thyme, chopped

Heat oil in a saute pan. Add the celery, green onions, and garlic and saute until just browned, about 5 mins. Turn off heat and seat aside to cool.

Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the apple. Combine the grated apple, turkey, chipotle, salt, pepper, thyme, and cooked veggies in a large mixing bowl and stir everything together. Form the mixture into four patties, each about 1.5 inches thick, and let them rest at room temp for about 15 mins, or keep them covered in the fridge until ready to grill.

Heat the grill (I just used a pan) to medium-high. Cook the burgers about 5 mins on each side. Put a slice of cheese (the disc in the picture is provolone) on top of each patty in the last minute of cooking time to melt. Transfer the patties to a plate and cover loosely with foil.

Grill or toast the buns. I spread some aoli that I mixed together on the buns and put lettuce and caramlized onions (to die for) on top.

The glorious end.

Milk Chocolate Mousse with Coconut Whipped Cream

Aaaaaand my love affair with How Sweet Eats continues.

Note: the coconut whipped cream was pretty damn good, BUT the coconut on coconut (it's in the pudding, too) was a LITTLE rich. I think I would do regular whipped cream next time, and slap the coconut whipped cream on a bunch of other stuff.

But, really?

This was phenomenal.

I did so many taste tests through the process that I was pretty sure I would have none left by the time it was done.

ingredients:

8 ounces high-quality milk chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons water

2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water

2 cans full-fat coconut milk, cold (refrigerated overnight)
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

directions:

Combine chocolate, water and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on medium heat for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave for 30 seconds again. Stir constantly until all chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

While the chocolate is cooling, take one can of coconut milk out of the fridge. Open the can and discard the liquid, then scoop the firm coconut meat into the bowl of your electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until completely whipped and thick. Set the bowl in the fridge.

Add egg yolks, sugar and remaining water to a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved, mixture is opaque and light yellow and has thickened and can coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in melted chocolate mixture. Place saucepan in a bowl of ice water and whisk constantly until chocolate is cooled.

Remove whipped cream from the fridge and fold it into the chocolate mixture. Once whipped cream is completely folded in, evenly pour mousse into either two or four glasses. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

A few minutes before serving, remove the other can of coconut milk from the fridge and whip the cream just as you did earlier. Once whipped, add in powdered sugar and beat just until the sugar is incorporated. Top mousse with the whipped cream and extra chocolate shavings if desired.