Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins

Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffin

I'm definitely not vegan, but when I had 4 VERY brown bananas hanging out in the fridge that needed used and no eggs, I figured a vegan recipe was my best option! I googled around until I found this recipe from Whipped, which I used as a base and made the changes that I needed.  When I subbed evaporated cane juice for agave nectar and I needed to add additional liquid, but I ended up pouring in too much.  The flavor is excellent, but the texture was a bit moist, or undone, so I corrected the amounts in the recipe below.  The extra liquid is also why they sunk in the middle. 


Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins

• 2 cups Jules all purpose gluten free all purpose flour (already contains xantham gum, but if your favorite flour does not, add 1 teaspoon xantham gum to the flour)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup evaporated cane juice or sugar (evap cane juice is actually granulated like sugar - not a liquid)
• 1 cup coconut milk, not canned (or your preferred type)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 3)
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees and lightly grease a 12 cup muffin pan and some other sort of pan for the extra batter (I used a pie plate).
• Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup oil and sugar, milk, and vanilla to dry ingredients and stir until smooth.
• Using a spatula fold in bananas.  Stir in chocolate chips or sprinkle on top - I only put 3-4 chips on top so they'd be a bit healthier.
• Fill prepared pan halfway with batter.
• Bake on the center rack for 35 minutes, rotating pan after 20 minutes. Cook until when you press on the loaf is bounces back slightly and a toothpick comes out clean.  The pan may be done before the muffins if it's much thinner (mine was)
• Let muffins sit for 20 minutes before removing from pan.  I like to turn them upside down so the bottom dries up a bit, especially since mine were so moist.  

Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins

bottom of muffins

I could  have just cooked mine longer, but I needed to leave for yoga.  I kept these in the fridge, especially since they were so moist, because I was worried they'd get moldy easily.  I threw a couple in the freezer that we weren't going to eat before the weekend.  The next time I make this, I'll sub yogurt or applesauce for part of the oil to make them even healthier. 

Cream Cheese Stuffed Dates

We had Mediterranean-themed potluck for my co-worker's wedding shower since they were taking a Mediterranean cruise for their honeymoon.  I planned to bring a chickpea salad, but the night before I decided to also do cream cheese stuffed dates so that I could have something sweet.  I knew they'd probably have cake or something and I wouldn't be able to have it since it wouldn't be gluten-free.  I already had all of the ingredients for these, so I just whipped them up.  It really is a dump/taste recipe, because it depends on the sweetness and amount of cinnamon that you prefer.  I hate to give measurements for recipes like this because: 1.  I don't usually measure myself and 2. people get all hung up on the amounts instead of just going with what tastes good to them.

You could use any type of dried dates - I had Tunisian Deglet Noor, so I used those, but you can use any plump pitted date.  It's worth buying pitted dates because I don't even know how hard it is to pit dates, but it's probably hard - plus there are already slits in the dates that make them easy to fill with the cream cheese.  This recipe makes more filling than you probably need, but that's because it makes more sense to use a whole brick of cream cheese than to shove a half of brick back in the fridge and forget about it until it molds.  I just used the extra spiced cream cheese on GF bagels.


Cinnamon Cream Cheese Stuffed Dates

• Dates - however many you need...I used about 20
• 1 brick of cream cheese, I used /3 less fat kind
• cinnamon, to taste
• honey, to taste
• vanilla or vanilla sugar

Set the cream cheese out to soften while you prepare the dates.  I initially started using a paring knife to slit the dates, but then I realized that they already have a slit from being pitted, so I just started finding the slit and unrolling them from there.  After unrolling all of the dates, stir a couple of teaspoons of cinnamon and honey into the cream cheese by hand or mixer.  Add more to taste.  If using vanilla, stir a little of that in - maybe 1/4 teaspoon.

Once the cream cheese mixture is to your liking, spoon it into a ziploc bag or frosting bag.  If using ziploc, push the cream cheese to one corner and squeeze out the extra air.  Snip off the tip of the ziploc and fill the dates with the cream cheese mixture.  It's that simple!  I sprinkled the tops with vanilla sugar so they wouldn't stick to the wax paper between the layers in the container.  Obviously you can use regular sugar too.  To make your own vanilla sugar, slit a vanilla pod lengthwise and stick it in a jar of sugar for a few weeks or longer.   

Most of my coworkers have never had dates, or even heard of them, but they really liked these. 

Spicy Bombay Sliders

When I made Buffalo Turkey Wraps, I only used half of the package of ground turkey since I mixed lentils into the meat.  Since we also had lettuce leaves, which are great to use as a gluten-free substitute for buns or wraps, we decided to make Spicy Bombay Sliders with the leftover turkey.  We picked up pound of ground chicken to round out the recipe - I don't love the taste of turkey burgers, so adding a different meat usually milds the taste for me.  Lo made Spicy Bombay Burgers for a friendly cooking "competition" with our friends, so we knew how good they were going to be. 

Spicy Bombay Sliders

recipe from The Fresh Market

Bombay Sauce: 

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 T. garlic chili sauce
• 2-3 T. hot curry paste (found in the asian section)
• 1 T. sugar

Sliders:

• 3/4 - 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 lb. ground chicken
• 1 1/2 T. fresh ginger, minced (see tip below)
• 1 t. cumin
• 1 t. curry powder
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• salt and pepper

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, chili sauce, curry paste and sugar. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Preheat grill to medium heat. In a large mixing bowl, fold together turkey, chicken, ginger, cumin, curry powder and garlic until well combined; form 1/3 cup of mixture at a time into patties. Season patties to taste with salt and pepper; grill 4 to 5 minutes per side until done. Serve sliders with spicy sauce.  I wrapped mine in lettuce leaves, while Lo ate his on a bun.

Ginger tip: I keep a knob of fresh ginger (found in the produce section near the garlic usually) in the freezer.  When I need of piece of it, I just grab it from the freezer and cut off a hunk with a sharp knife.  Using a veggie peeler or the knife, carefully peel the skin off the ginger.  Mince or prepare according to recipe instructions.  If I don't need much ginger, I'll often just peel part of the hunk with a peeler and continue to "shave" the ginger with the peeler.  Just chop the shavings to the size you need. 

Gluten Free Crispy Cereal Cakes

My friend was having a birthday and I wanted to make her a cake, gluten-free, of course!  I didn't want to make a super rich flour-less cake or try to mess with a bunch of types of gf flour, so I decided to make a Crispy Cakes!  I used Fruity Pebbles for one, and Cocoa Pebbles for another.  You can use Rice Krispies or any gluten-free crispy cereal. 

There are so many options for decorating these "cakes" and even people who aren't gluten-free will enjoy them.  Who doesn't like Crispy treats??

I can't say that I had a favorite between the two cakes...they were so different.  Normally I would always choose chocolate, but Fruity Pebbles are SO good! 

Basic Recipe for Crispy Treats

• 3 tablespoons butter 
• 1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows or 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 6 cups crispy cereal 
• 1/2 t. vanilla 

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

2. Add cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into pan(s)* coated with cooking spray.

*To make the layers, pour the mixture into different sized bowls and press down gently to level.  Don't press down too hard (like i did) because it will compact and crush the cereal, making the bars harder than they should be.

My pans/bowls were a little too big, which made the layers thin, so I ended up making another third of a batch (1 tablespoon butter, 1 1/3 cups mini marshmallows, and 2 cups cereal).  Just multiply the recipe for how many you want to serve. 

I piped canned vanilla frosting onto the Fruity Pebbles cake and used skittles and swedish fish to decorate.  I didn't have any frosting bags handy, so I just scooped the frosting into a ziploc bag and snipped off a corner. 

Chocolate-drizzled potato chips - YUM!

For the Cocoa Pebbles cake, I added some peanut butter into the marshmallow-butter mixture before stirring in the cereal, and used peanut butter frosting that I had saved and froze from this recipe.  I decorated with M&M's and then drizzled dipping chocolate (Merkins) over the cake by pouring the melted chocolate into a ziploc bag and snipping off a tiny corner.  There was leftover chocolate in the bag - I can't throw that away - so we drizzled the chocolate over some potato chips. 

These were so good and are going to be my "go-to" cake - especially in the summer when I don't want to turn on the oven!

Buffalo Turkey Lettuce Wraps

I love lettuce wraps - especially P.F. Changs - but I wanted to make a version that wasn't Asian-inspired (mostly because we didn't have soy sauce).  I saw some recipes on Pinterest that were buffalo-style and I thought that sounded perfect.  I didn't have the ingredients for those recipes either, so I just (buffalo) winged it.  

I love these and the recipe is completely customizable.  I mixed cooked lentils with the meat to stretch the amount of meat and make it a little healthier.  The lentils can be left out, or you can used cooked rice or quinoa in place of the lentils.  You won't notice the taste or texture for the lentils though, so I recommend them.    

Buffalo Turkey Lentil Lettuce Wraps

3/4 - 1 pound lean ground turkey (or chicken or beef)
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup dry lentils (brown or green...orange gets mushy)
3 carrots, shredded using a veggie peeler
Leaves of lettuce, washed (we used butter lettuce, but it doesn't matter which type)
Shredded cheese or blue cheese sprinkles
Buffalo Wing sauce, about 1 cup
Blue cheese dressing, if desired (I didn't have it and didn't need it)
Chopped celery, if you have it (I didn't)

Don't have buffalo wing sauce?  Mix some up.

Buffalo Wing Sauce:
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot (or favorite hot sauce)
1/2 T. white vinegar (more to taste)
sprinkle of garlic powder, to taste
1-2 t. sugar, to taste
pepper, to taste

Stir together the ingredients, tasting as you go.  Add more vinegar if you want it to be more tangy; add more sugar if it's too tangy.  If it's still too spicy or too tangy, stir in a couple of tablespoons or more of BBQ sauce to mild it out. 

For the wraps:
Sort lentils, discarding any weird looking ones.  Place in pan with 2 cups water and simmer with lid tilted until to desired tenderness, stirring occasionally, about 20-25 minutes. Drain water from lentils and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook onions for 3 minutes until tender.  Add ground meat and cook until browned.  Drain if needed. 

Add lentils to cooked meat.  Stir in buffalo sauce.  If the sauce it too runny (once mixed with the juices from the meat), you can turn the heat back on and cook for a couple of minutes.

To assemble, scoop meat/lentils down the middle of the lettuce, top with carrots and desired cheese and celery, if using.  Fold it up like a taco and enjoy!  I find it easiest to eat the stem end last, since it's a little more sturdy.   

Gluten-Free Easter Treats

I was planning to make Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting for Easter again this year, and when I saw these no-bake Easter treats, I wanted to make these too.   I was converting the Cupcake Recipe to gluten-free this year, so I was nervous about the results.  They actually turned out pretty well - though they were a little flat and dense.  My favorite out of all of the treats were the Crisped Rice Treats - the side dipped in chocolate was amazing.  

I totally forgot to buy cupcake wrappers and didn't have any, so they looked a little naked. 


Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
Adapted from this Bon Appetit recipe
Make approx. 16

Cupcakes:

1 1/4 cups gluten-free flour (I used Jules All-Purpose with xanthum gum added)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 very ripe large bananas, peeled

3/4 cup sour cream or greek yogurt (lite works fine)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk

Frosting:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (more or less to preferred consistency)

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature (I used neufchatel)

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

mini candy coated chocolate eggs, like Cadbury or Hershey

For cupcakes:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Mash bananas with fork in another medium bowl until smooth. Mix sour cream and vanilla into bananas.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk and beat until well blended. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with banana-sour cream mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating just until blended after each addition. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups (generous 1/4 cup for each).

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center of each comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to rack and let cool completely.

For frosting:
Sift powdered sugar into large bowl. Add cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until smooth. If it's too thin, you can stir in more sifted powdered sugar until you get the right consistency.  If you use 1/3 less fat cream cheese, you may need extra powdered sugar.  You'll want it to be able to hold a little shape if you intend to make it look like a nest with the eggs.  Spread frosting over top of cupcakes, dividing equally.  

I tried to make mine look like nests by spreading the icing on with a knife and randomly pulling the knife up off of the frosting (does that even make sense?) to create peaks.  If you want to make the frosting look even more like a nest, stir in some coconut so it looks like straw.  Place the mini candy eggs in the "nest" of frosting before serving.  If you are going to store these for more than a couple of hours, add the eggs at the last minute because the shell get a little soggy and weird.

Chocolate Dipped Crispy Rice Eggs

1/4 cup butter
40 large marshmallows (5 cups mini or 250g)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
6 cups crispy rice cereal (I used GF Koala Crisp)
Chocolate for dipping
sprinkles or crushed m&m's

Melt butter and marshmallows over low heat. Stir in vanilla. Remove from heat and add cereal. Stir until equally incorporated.
Using a greased 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop out some of the mixture and form into an egg. Set aside and repeat until all of the mixture has been used up.  Dampen hands occasionally to keep from sticking. 
Melt chocolate.
Dip the tops into chocolate, then into sprinkles or crushed candy.  Store covered at room temperature for up to two days. Freeze for longer storage.


Peanut Butter No-Bake Nests 
(I halved this recipe and it made around 24)


2 cups sugar
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups gluten free rolled oats (old fashioned)
coconut, if desired
m&m's for "eggs"

Lightly grease a mini muffin tin.  In lg saucepan, mix sugar, margarine, and milk; bring to a full, rolling boil over med heat. (full, rolling boil = large bubbles rising to surface that can't be stirred down).

Boil for one minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla, stirring until peanut butter is melted; stir in oats.  Scoop spoonfuls of the mixture into mini muffin tins.  Use a spoon to create a divot for the nest - you can also use your thumb if it's cool enough. 

Stick in the freezer for 20 minutes or so.  In order to get these out of the muffin tin, I had to slide a toothpick down the side of the each tin to pop out the nests.  I used a dab of leftover peanut butter frosting to "hold" the coconut and m&m's in the nest so they wouldn't spill during transport, but it probably isn't necessary. 
 

Bibimbap Recipe

While it sounds like a song by the Hanson Brothers, it's actually a crazy delicious Korean dish that I had while visiting friends in Atlanta. Since it's something that I've only had once, I can't tell how spot on this recipe is, but we loved it. I pieced this together from several different bibimbap recipes, but it's most strongly influenced by this one. This nice thing about this recipe is that you can use whatever vegetables or meat that you have on hand. Our egg didn't turn out yolky, but that's because I gave poor instructions to Lo while he was cooking it.  Update: we made it again a few weeks later because I couldn't stop craving it.  This time the yolk turned out (on mine...his still broke, sadly), so I took a new picture because it's so pretty!

Bibimbap
4 servings

4 tablespoons soy sauce (gluten-free)
3 tablespoons sesame oil
3 teaspoons sugar
2 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 pound thinly sliced chicken or beef
2 cup cooked rice (I used brown)
2-4 eggs
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1-2 cups baby bella or crimini mushrooms, halved
1/2 - 1 cup carrots, matchstick or shredded (I buy shredded from Trader Joes)
handful of pepper slices (I used frozen) or other preferred veggies
Gochujang sauce (purchased or see below for "recipe")

Combine the soy sauce, 1.5 tablespoon of the sesame oil, sugar, garlic, and ginger in a large bowl. Add the meat and stir until coated. Set aside for 30 minutes - 2 hours. Cook rice according to package.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the sesame oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until they are tender. Set aside. Add another 1/2 tablespoon of the sesame oil to the skillet and add the sliced zucchini (and/or other vegetables). Cook until tender, about 5 minutes or so.

Set a large skillet over high heat (can remove vegetables and use same skillet). When very hot add the beef. Cook, stirring often until browned on all sides.

Pour the rest of the sesame oil into a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Crack the two eggs in and cook until the whites have set, but the yolk is still runny.

To assemble add rice to the bottom of the bowl, add the meat on top and place vegetables around the edge. Carefully place the egg on top. Serve with Gochujang sauce.  To eat, break the egg yolk and dig in.

Fake Gochujang Recipe
I call this fake because all gochujang recipes call for red pepper paste, which I didn't have, so I completely made it up.

Spoon and a half of garlic chili sauce
squirt of sriracha sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp (or less) sesame oil
1.5 tbsp brown sugar

Mix together all of the ingredients and reduce in a small saucepan until slightly thickened. Drizzle your preferred amount on top of the bibimbap.

Easter 2011

For the last few years, we've stayed home on Easter. Traffic on Sunday night is so terrible (especially coming from my parent's in NE Ohio). The first year we did this, we went to Betty's for Easter lunch/dinner because they had adorable peep martinis.

Last year we went to Dirty Franks Hot Dog Palace for brunch because we'd been dying to try it (it was delicious!).  We made an awesome dinner later that night that wasn't exactly "Easter" standard - except for the carrots!

Hawaiian Teriyaki Burgers

Makes 4 burgers

1 pound ground sirloin

1/2 cup red onions, finely chopped

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/3 cup Bread Crumbs or Crushed Tortilla Chips (use chips for gluten-free)

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon chipotle spice rub (use your favorite)

1 1/2 Tablespoons spicy brown mustard

3 tablespoons Spicy Hawaiian Marinade (from World Market) or Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce (or choice of sauce)

vegetable oil, for brushing the grill rack

4 hamburger buns or sandwich thins (or nothing if gluten-free)

6 fresh pineapple rings, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Combine the sirloin, onion, egg, bread crumbs, garlic, pepper, spice rub, mustard, and sauce in a large bowl. Mix until combined. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions and form patties, slightly larger than bun size.

When grill is ready, brush grill rack with oil. Place patties on rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done (165‘F), about 7 minutes on each side. Grill pineapple rings after turning burgers, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. During the last few minutes of cooking, place buns, cut side down, on outer edges of rack to toast lightly.

To assemble burgers, on each roll bottom, place a burger and a grilled pineapple ring. Brush bun tops with sauce, sprinkle with ½ tbsp of cilantro and serve.

Fingerling Potatoes Braised with Pepper and Paprika
Adapted from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

olive oil spray
½ cup minced red onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes or small red potatoes
2 ½ cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons corn starch

½ cup cold water
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves (optional)

Wash the potatoes and cut potatoes in half, except smaller or thin potatoes, which can be left whole.

Spray a pan lightly with olive oil. Over medium-high heat, sauté the red onion for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, spices, and potatoes and toss to coat. Stir in the vegetable broth, add salt to taste, and cover. Cook on low for about 25 – 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Remove the cover and increase the heat. Cook, stirring regularly, until the broth has cooked down to about half. Remove the potatoes to a serving bowl with a slotted spoon. Stir corn starch into the cold water until smooth and add to the sauce. Stir and continue cooking until thickened to desired level. Add the oregano and pour over the potatoes to coat with sauce.

Grilled Carrots with Carrot Greens Pesto(makes 4 servings)

1 bunch carrots with greens attached
1 large clove garlic
about 1/2 cup and 1-2 tablespoons good extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup pine nuts (optional)

1/4 cup parmesean cheese or parm-romano blend

Favorite spices – I used a chipotle blend, to taste

Snip the carrots from the greens leaving about 1/2-1 inch of the stem on the root. Set carrots aside. Remove any long stems and wilted leaves from the leafy greens. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and boil the greens for about 1 minute. Drain for 5 minutes. Coarsely chop the garlic clove and the greens, and transfer to a food processor as well as salt, pepper, the 1/2 cup of olive oil and pine nuts and cheese. Pulse for a few seconds, stopping to scrape down mixture with a spatula as needed, until well blended. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper and other spices, as desired.

Cut carrots lengthwise so that they’re about equal in size and thickness. Drizzle with olive oil just to coat and season with salt and pepper. Grill carrots on a grill heated to medium-high (or cook on cast-ron pan on stovetop). Let cook for 1-2 minutes, or until charred marks form on the underside, and flip. Cook another 2-3 minutes, turning occasionally, until each side is slightly charred and remove from heat. Serve with the pesto.

And of course, we had Easter Banana Peanut Butter Cupcakes!

Corned Beef and Coleslaw

I was busy lazy before St. Patrick's Day weekend, so didn't get the corned beef made until the next week.  I didn't know that I liked corned beef until we went to Skillet and I had corned beef hash.  I didn't even know what it was, but it sounded pretty gross.  What is "corned" anyway?  So once I knew I liked it, I decided to buy it when it was on sale for $3.99/lb. before St. Patty's.  I also bought a bunch of cabbage for a couple of different recipes and used the last half a head in this coleslaw recipe.  We don't generally love coleslaw, but this recipe looked good and I thought it would go well with the beef.  The original recipe also had a Guinness dipping sauce that sounded AMAZING, but I can't have beer because of gluten.

Corned Beef and Coleslaw
inspired by this recipe 
 2-2 1/2 pound corned beef brisket

corn tortillas

Coleslaw:

3 cups thinly sliced green and/or purple cabbage

1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped chipotle pepper (in adobo sauce)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt

1 1/2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar

salt and pepper, to taste

For corned beef:

Place corned beef, fatty side up, in a slow cooker and sprinkle seasoning packet on top. Add 1/2 cup of water to the crockpot.  Set on low and cook for 10 hours.  Remove corned beef from water and let sit at about 10 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Scrape off the gross fat layer and discard. Shred remaining meat.  If you have a husband, make him do this part.  It's gross.

For coleslaw:

Mix together cabbage, red onion and jalapeno in a large bowl.

In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Pour over cabbage mixture and toss until combined.

I didn't have any good pics, but I one during lunch the next day and dinner the next night, which is why they aren't in a tortilla. 

Proscuitto and Egg Cups

If you need to make a simple breakfast to impress, this is your dish.  It's beautiful and tasty - and super-easy.  You may be able to substitute thinly sliced bacon for the prosciutto, but it's worth buying the prosciutto for.  Serve with some toast and cantaloupe.

Proscuitto and Egg Cups
serves 6

cooking spray
12 thin slices prosciutto
4 oz. parmesean blend
6-8 leaves fresh basil, torn
12 eggs
fresh pepper

Coat muffin tin with cooking spray.  Place a prosciutto slice into each tin.  Divide half of the cheese and basil among the cups.  Crack an egg into each and add remaining cheese and basil to the eggs.  Bake at 375 degrees until set, about 15 minutes.  Egg should be be set, but not overcooked.  Season with pepper.  Loosen around edges with knife to unmold.

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

I made these cupcakes to take into work near Easter last year, and not only were they adorable, they were SO good!  I had been craving peanut butter and banana (like Elvis), so I went on a recipe search.  The cake was nice and fluffy, but tasted like banana bread, which is what I was hoping for.  I just couldn't get over how cute they were with the mini eggs on top.  I did NOT make these gluten-free last year, because it was before I found out about my intolerance, but I intend to make these again and will just sub gluten-free all purpose flour for the regular flour.  I'll let you know how they turn out this year!

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
Adapted from this Bon Appetit recipe

Cupcakes:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (or sub gluten-free flour, preferable with xanthum gum added)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 very ripe large bananas, peeled

3/4 cup sour cream (lite works fine)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk

Frosting:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

mini candy coated chocolate eggs, like Cadbury or Hershey

For cupcakes:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 12 standard (1/3-cup) muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Mash bananas with fork in another medium bowl until smooth. Mix sour cream and vanilla into bananas.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk and beat until well blended. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with banana-sour cream mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating just until blended after each addition. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups (generous 1/4 cup for each).

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center of each comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to rack and let cool completely.

For frosting:
Sift powdered sugar into large bowl. Add cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until smooth. If it's too thin, you can stir in more sifted powdered sugar until you get the right consistency.  If you use 1/3 less fat cream cheese, you may need extra powdered sugar.  You'll want it to be able to hold a little shape if you intend to make it look like a nest with the eggs.  Spread frosting over top of cupcakes, dividing equally.  

I tried to make mine look like nests by spreading the icing on with a knife and randomly pulling the knife up off of the frosting (does that even make sense?) to create peaks.  If you want to make the frosting look even more like a nest, stir in some coconut so it looks like straw.  Place the mini candy eggs in the "nest" of frosting before serving.  If you are going to store these for more than a couple of hours, you may want to wait to add the eggs to the top, as the candy may start melting. 

By the way, I think I frosted these and them put them back in the cupcake pan so I could take them somewhere.  Otherwise, I don't know why they would still be in the pan since I would have removed them to allow them to cool and then to frost.   

Reduced-Fat Sloppy Joes

Photo credit

We loved these sloppy joes - the sauce was really good and they were much healthier since mushrooms were added, thus decreasing the beef in each serving.  I'm being completely honest when I say that you have no idea there are mushrooms in this recipe.  As a matter of fact, I just asked Lo if he knew there were mushrooms in it and he had no idea. 

Reduced-Fat Sloppy Joes
inspired by Cook's Country Recipe

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 6 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1 1/4 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or some sriracha sauce to taste
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 lb. 93 percent lean ground beef
•   Salt and pepper
• 4 hamburger buns 

1. Process Mushrooms Heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat in large nonstick skillet. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to food processor and pulse until mushrooms are finely ground.  

2. Make Sauce Heat remaining oil in empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook onion and processed mushrooms, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 12 minutes. Stir in chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire, red pepper flakes or sriracha, sugar, vinegar, and water. Simmer over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender and sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.  

3. Simmer Beef Add beef and simmer, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Bourbon Chicken

I cooked a few pounds of chicken breasts in a crockpot and made several meals out of the chicken.  This bourbon chicken recipe was Lo's favorite and would freeze easily for a meal later on. 

Bourbon Chicken
based on this recipe

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp. ginger, minced

3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup apple cider (or juice)

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 bag of frozen stirfry veggies (or fresh, sliced veggies)

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned (or cook for 7-8 hours on low in small crockpot and shred). Remove chicken.  Add remaining ingredients to skillet. Heat and stir over medium heat until well mixed. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes. Serve over hot rice, in a lettuce wrap, or on a salad.  

The first night I served mine with rice in portobello mushrooms marinated in soy sauce. Pour some soy sauce into cleaned mushroom caps for 30 minutes.  Place mushrooms in skillet, add a tablespoon of water, cover and cook until mushroom starts to become tender.  If skillet gets too dry, add more water.  Fill mushrooms with desired filling, cook a few more minutes, and carefully transfer filled mushroom to plates to serve.

Crispy Oven Fries

Crispy Oven Fries

I prefer to make fries from potatoes rather than buy frozen french fries (though to be honest, I have those in the freezer at any given point).  The hardest thing about make oven fries is getting them crispy without burning them.  I finally figured it out!  Actually, Emeril figured it out...  By the way - this works for sweet potatoes too!

Crispy Oven Fries

• cooking spray or oil
• 2 large baking potatoes, scrubbed, about 1 1/2 pounds
• 1 large egg white
• preferred seasonings (I used Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute, Garlic and Red Pepper seasoning, salt and pepper)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and grease or spray a large non-stick baking sheet.  Pat the potatoes dry and slice lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Turn each slice flat and slice again lengthwise into even fries, 1/2-inch thick. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg white until very light and foamy. Add the potatoes and your preferred seasonings to the egg whites and toss to coat evenly.

Crispy Sweet Potato Fries

Spread the coated potatoes on the prepared baking sheet, not touching. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy; halfway through the cooking time, with a spatula, scrape the potatoes from the baking sheet and turn. Carefully remove with a spatula to a large serving plate, or individual plates. Serve immediately.

Gluten Free Protein Pancakes and Gluten-Full Pancake Mix

Gluten Free Protein Pancakes

I really like these pancakes because they are high in protein, gluten-free, and have no added sugar.  Since they aren't sweet, I've used them as "bread" for egg and cheese sandwiches and such.  As always, if you have a gluten allergy, make sure the oatmeal and other ingredient are certified gluten-free.  Oatmeal is often contaminated - one study I read said 70% tested positive for gluten. 

I wanted to use up a homemade pancake mix that I had mixed up a few months before I knew I needed to go gluten-free.  Since Lo could still eat them, I made up the rest of the batter for him (see second recipe) and made protein pancakes for me. 

Regular Pancakes on top,

Protein Pancakes on bottom

(Gluten-Free) Protein Pancakes

1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal (uncooked)

1/4 cup low-fat/FF cottage cheese (or 1 scoop vanilla protein powder instead)

4-6 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Blend together the oatmeal, cottage cheese, egg whites, vanilla extract, and cinnamon to make a batter using a blender or processor. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add the batter and cook over medium heat until both sides are lightly browned. Use your choice of toppings.  The flavor is more egg-y than typical pancakes. 

Add some honey or sugar to make it sweeter like pancakes. If you want them thicker, add more oatmeal or a tablespoon or two of gluten-free flour.

The pancakes in the picture were made with the protein powder option instead of cottage cheese.  The batter was thin, so I added tablespoon or two of gluten free flour.  I have made the cottage cheese version without the need to add flour, but they looked much thinner than the ones pictured - more crepe-like.  

If you look at the picture above, you can see the difference between the two pancakes recipes - the gluten-free plate on the bottom have more "texture" to them from the oats (and thus more fiber!). 

Pancakes are ready to flip
when bubbles form!

(Gluten-Full) Pancake Mix 

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup cornmeal

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

Stir the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl until thoroughly mixed.  Store the mix into a 2-quart jar. To make pancakes, stir 1 1/2 cups of pancake mix, 2 eggs, and 1 1/4 cups of milk in a mixing bowl until smooth. Spray skillet with nonstick spray (or butter or oil) and heat pan over medium heat (I prefer cast iron). Cook the pancakes for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.  You can tell when the pancakes are ready to flip because bubbles will form on the uncooked side.  Serves 4.