Banana (or Blueberry) Crumb Muffins....

So if you haven't noticed yet from my previous posts, I LOVE to bake! Maybe because it seems more fun to share baked goods, everyone enjoys a little plate of homemade, warm baked goodies and I love to deliver them :) Here's one that never left my house, but instead was eaten and enjoyed by many who have passed through in the past 2 days... they are DE-LICIOUS and I would recommend them for any occasion or ordinary day! You can make them with bananas or blueberries...

My little chef in training... mashing bananas all by herself!

Ingredients

1.5 cup flour ( experiment with different flour types and measurements)

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar or raw coconut crystals

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup coconut oil

Crumb Topping

Crumb Topping

2 TBSP whole wheat flour

1 TBSP butter, soften or melted

1/4 cup sugar or raw coconut crystals

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375. Mix your dry ingredients in a large bowl and sift well. Add to it your beaten egg, mashed bananas, a coconut oil (in liquid form), mix thoroughly and scoop into lined cupcake tins. Mix all your ingredients in a small bowl until it becomes crumbly in texture. You have two options for the topping,#1: spoon it on before they go in the oven and it will melt into the muffin OR #2 you can bake them for 10 minutes, pull them out and spoon it on top, immediately placing them back in the oven for another 10 minutes- this option will leave it more crumbly and loose like the ones in the pictures. You choose! ** Baking time is 18-20 minutes.**

Blueberry Variation:

Instead of using bananas, substitute the 3 mashed bananas for 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries and 3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce. They are equally delicious!** Just a note, when I made the blueberry ones, I put the crumbs on BEFORE they went in the oven, you can see the difference in the two pictures of how the toppings turn out.***

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Here's a great recipe for summertime.... It is quick, easy, and simple.... my favorite kind! I made it with "Chili Lime Chicken Kabobs" and it made for a great complimentary side dish!

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked black beans

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup red onion, diced

1 & 1/2 cups corn, fresh or frozen

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

** a handful of cherry tomatoes??? If you are a tomato lover, this would probably be a great accent to the salad... I am not a lover, so I didn't include them in the mix!

Dressing:

2 TBSP olive oil

1 lime, juiced

1 tsp cumin

s & p to taste

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, pour dressing over top and season with s & p to your liking. If it seems like it needs a little sweetening for your liking, add a pinch of sugar. Set aside or refrigerate to allow flavors to blend. This salad can be served at room temp or refrigerated and will last up to 5 days stored in an air tight container.

Chili Lime Chicken Kabobs

Sometimes I feel like I get stuck in a "flavor rut", so I am trying to branch out to things I wouldn't automatically gravitate towards... here's my newest find, it was really tasty and out of the box for me. Let me know if you give it a thumbs up or down....

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken breasts

3 TBSP olive oil

1.5 TBSP red wine vinegar

1 lime, juiced

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp pepper

shake of cayenne pepper (if you like it spicy!)

Skewers

Directions:

Wash and cut your chicken into cubes. Put them in a large ziplock bag (or shallow dish). Whisk ingredients for marinate together in a bowl and pour over the chicken. Let marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Skewer them on a kabob sticks and BBQ over med- high heat for 10- 15 minutes. I served this with Black Bean and Corn Salad and the flavors blended perfectly together!

Fruit Kabobs

This is another one of those things that I have enjoyed for so long and have simply forgot to add to my blog, so without further a-do... the ever cute Fruit Kabobs.

This is great year round, using whatever fruit is in season at the time. My good buddy Sarah Jane makes them every year for the 4th of July, and I use them a lot with big groups, showers and parties. They are easy to put together and easy for people to to enjoy without having fruit roll all over their plate!

Simply buy wooden skewers at the grocery store and pick up any fruit that is seasonally ripe. For summertime, any of the melons, pineapple, strawberries, and even blueberries work well. In the colder months, think about oranges, apples, grapes and bananas. Softer fruits like peaches and raspberries have a tendency to fall off the skewers. Also, keep your chunks bigger-the thinner you slice them, the more likely they are to fall off the skewer. And if you are preparing these for a large group, it's easy to cut up all the fruit the night before and store it in separate Ziplock bags until an hour or so before when you can assemble them on the skewers.

Fun Dip Ideas to serve with your Fruit:

Lemon Yogurt Drizzle:

1 lemon, zested & juiced

8 oz vanilla yogurt

2 TBSP lemon curd

Mix the lemon curd with the yogurt, zest the lemon (about 2 tsp) and add it some lemon juice for extra flavoring, to your tasting. Stir well and refrigerate until using. This is a runnier dip for drizzling over the top of your fruit.

* This is great to use if you are serving this for a breakfast or brunch, it's refreshing and tangy, and more of a drizzle than a dip!

Strawberry Cool Whip Dip:

1 carton or cool whip, defrosted

1 container of strawberry yogurt, pre-stirred

* Mix the two together and chill before serving. This is more of a sweet treat and looks really cute!

Rosemary Garlic Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinnless chicken breasts

4 cloves garlic, minced

1.5 TBSP fresh Rosemary, minced (or 1 tsp dried)

1 TBSP dijon mustard

1 TBSP fresh lemon juice

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 TBSP olive oil

Directions:

Rinse your chicken, pat it dry, and put it in a glass baking dish. In a small bowl, mix the ingredients together and pour over the chicken and coat it well. (You can also do the same thing in a large ziplock bag and let it marinate in there). Cover it and marinate it at room temperature for 30 minutes. BBQ the chicken over low heat for 7-8 minutes per side basting with the marinate while it's cooking. *** You can also make these with skewers (like in the picture), if you do, cut your chicken into chunks before your marinate and adjust the cooking time according to the size of your pieces.

Black Bean, Rice, and Cheese Enchiladas...

These were super yummy, bursting with flavor and a really filling meatless option for your menu! There are lots of ways to tweak the recipe, so add or take away depending on your taste buds!

Ingredients:

1/2 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBSP Grape Seed Oil

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 16 oz. jar of chunky salsa (I used Trader Joe's Chunky Salsa with the black label)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup water

1 cup cheese

2 cups brown rice, precooked

3 TBSP cilantro

8 flour tortillas

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350. Get your brown rice cooking. Saute your onion, garlic, and green pepper in your Grape Seed Oil for a few minutes. Next add your black beans, cumin, chili powder, water and 1 cup of salsa to the pan and let that heat until it simmers, stirring it occasionally (depending on the salsa that you choose, you may need to add more or less water to get the consistency right, just eyeball it) . Next add your cooked rice and let that cook for another minute or two to blend the flavors (I also added a sprinkle of grated cheese to the mix so that the inside of the enchiladas would be cheesy too!). Spray your 9 x 13 pyrex dish. Scoop your rice and bean mixture into your tortillas, roll them up, and place them in your baking dish. Spoon another cup of salsa on the top of the enchiladas, then cover the top with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover them, add your cheese and cilantro and bake for 2 -3 more minutes until the cheese has melted. Serve as is or with sour cream and guacamole! Enjoy!!!

TIPS: Depending on the salsa that you use, judge how many onions you want to saute. My salsa had chunks of onions in it, so I went with less chopped onions. Also, I used green onions to top the dish because I didn't have cilantro, and next time I will skip the green onions and hold out for the cilantro because I think it would add a better flavor.... but fix it to your families likings! Oh and one more thing, rice freezes really well, so next time your making a serving of it, make an extra cup or two and stick it in the freezer for recipes like this one to cut down on the prep time!

Spinach, Sundried Tomatoes, & Artichoke Pasta Salad

This is a delicious recipe that I was introduced to through my sister-in-law Lisa, who got the recipe from her sister Emili, who is my Guest Chef today! She is a ball of fun, not only did she send me the recipe, but she also included a snap shot of her in her chef gear! Thanks Emili for being so fun and sharing this yummy recipe with all of us! You can make it as a side salad or a main meal- you can leave it meatless or add chicken... you choose!

Ingredients:

2.5 cups of Orzo pasta

1 big handful of baby spinach, chopped

1 12 oz. jar of marinated artichoke hearts

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1 8 oz. jar sundried tomatoes (I buy the Julienne Sliced ones from Trader Joe's)

1 jar or to your liking, of Kalamata Olives, pitted

1 clove garlic, minced

*** 1 lb. chicken, optional

***Extra olive oil or Balsamic Vinegar might be needed as well if you desire more dressing on your pasta.

Directions:

Super easy. Cook your orzo pasta per directions on the package. While that is cooking, if you are adding chicken, brown your meat on the stove with some s & p & garlic powder OR Lawry's Seasoning Salt & pepper. (I grilled my chicken on the BBQ and because I used tenderloins instead of breasts, it only took a few minutes and it added a great grilled flavor!) The rest is easy peasy. Drain your pasta and dump it in a bowl, mince your garlic, drain your sundried tomatoes and add them- give it a stir. Then, chop your spinach and your artichoke hearts and add all of the marinate from the artichoke hearts jar (that serves as your dressing for the salad). Add your feta and toss! If your pasta seams dry (or is dry the next day because it's absorbed all the dressing) add a little extra olive oil and Balsamic vinegar- perfect!

If you have a recipe that you would like to share, feel free to email me and we'll post YOU as our guest chef!