Ham and Gruyere Hash Brown Waffles

I'm always looking for a new twist on breakfast. I ran across this recipe while looking at the September/October 2016 issue of Eating Well, and thought these sounded easy and amazing. I whipped them up this morning for breakfast in less than 20 minutes, and they were delicious! I used an herbed butter to top these waffles, but they probably didn't even need that. They were a little salty, a little smoky, and a lot delicious. They are also entirely gluten free, which is a bonus if you've got someone in your house who can't eat gluten (do pay attention to the shredded potatoes you're using if they are pre-packaged to ensure they don't have any gluten added). My mind is racing with all sorts of fun variations you can do with this basic recipe. This one has gone into the permanent files.

Ham and Gruyere Hash Brown Waffles
Ingredients:
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives or 1 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
20 ounces frozen shredded hash browns (about 7 cups), thawed or a 20-ounce bag of fresh shredded potatoes
1 cup diced ham
1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese

1. Preheat a classic waffle iron to medium-high.

2. Whisk eggs, oil, garlic, chives and pepper in a large bowl.

3. Place hash browns in the center of a clean kitchen towel. Gather up the edges of the towel and twist and squeeze to wring out excess moisture from the hash browns. Stir the hash browns, ham and cheese into the egg mixture. *NOTE: If you using the fresh shredded potatoes, you can skip the squeezing step.*

4. Coat the waffle iron with cooking spray. Use a generous 1 cup of the mixture per waffle and cook until browned and crispy, about 5 minutes each.

Toasted Coconut and Chocolate Chip Scones

Andy asked me to make scones the other night. This isn't a request I hear often, not that we're scone haters - quite the contrary - but usually, I'll hear a request for brownies or something of the like. As it happened, I was flipping through my Better Homes and Gardens' magazine, and they had four different fun recipes for scones! Kismet, right? Two of the recipes caught my eye, one for a strawberry shortcake scone, and these toasted coconut and chocolate chip scones. I chose the latter because I had all the ingredients on hand, and I was pleasantly surprised to see only one tablespoon of added sugar in these scones. I, of course, swapped out the AP flour for my stand by, whole wheat pastry flour, which did the job beautifully, but I kept everything else the same. These turned out really well. We cut up some strawberries, I whipped up some whipped cream, and we enjoyed a little strawberry shortcake with toasted coconut and chocolate chip scones standing in excellently for the shortcake!

Toasted Coconut and Chocolate Chip Scones (via Better Homes and Gardens)
Ingredients:
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread one cup coconut on a baking sheet and bake 5 to 7 minutes or until golden, stirring once. Cool slightly. Transfer to a food processor. Process until finely ground; set aside.

2. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or food processor, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl combine egg and 3/4 cup whipping cream. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Add toasted coconut and chocolate pieces. Using a fork, stir just until moistened. Do not overmix! Your scones will be tough.

4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough by folding and gently pressing it for 10 to 12 strokes or until dough is nearly smooth. Pat dough into a 10x4-inch rectangle. Cut in half lengthwise and in sixths crosswise to make 12 rectangles. (Mine made 14!)

5. Place rectangles 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush wedges with additional whipping cream. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. If desired, top scones with additional shredded coconut the last 5 minutes of baking. Remove scones from baking sheet. Serve warm.

Homemade Instant Oatmeal

I love instant oatmeal. Those little packets are addicting, probably because of the crazy amount of sugar they put in those things! I've had to abstain from buying them because I don't want all that sugar cluttering up my oatmeal. I never thought about making my own instant oatmeal (I really can't explain why not - the thought just never entered my mind), until I purchased The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Making by Alana Chernila. Her recipe is simple, delicious and only uses 1/2 cup of brown sugar for 6 cups of oats! I made a slight variation in my version, only pulsing 3 cups of the oats, and combining with 3 cups of whole oats, but the rest is hers. You can add cinnamon, dried fruit, whatever you'd like. I kept it simple here and just went with oats, salt and brown sugar.


Instant Oatmeal
Ingredients

6 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Dried or dehydrated fruit (optional)
Cinnamon (optional)


1. Preheat oven to 325°. Spread oats on a baking sheet and toast for 20 minutes.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine 4 cups of the toasted oats (I did only 3 cups here), the brown sugar (and cinnamon, if using) and salt. Pulse until the mixture resembles a rough powder.

3. Combine with remaining oats and stir by hand. Pour mixture into an air-tight jar or container, stir in dried fruit (if using), and top with the lid.

4. To make oatmeal, pour 1/2 cup dry mixture into a cereal bowl, add 1/2 - 1 cup boiling water, and stir.

Oatmeal mix keeps in a covered container at room temperature for 4 weeks, in the refrigerator for 3 months, or in the freezer for 6 months.

Pre-Workout Energy Muffins - via Running on Veggies

Kara Goucher, a top notch women's elite runner and a running hero of mine, has been referencing recipes from a website called Running on Veggies. Today, I checked them out and ran across this muffin recipe. This is super because they are easily modified based on what you have or want to put in it. I'm re-posting the recipe from their website, but I used blueberries instead of apples, and I didn't have Maca, so I didn't use that. I'm currently out of almond milk, so I used non-fat milk. My batch made 15 regular muffins, and they are quite tasty. I'm already planning the next batch.

Pre-Workout Energy Muffins
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups of oats
1/4 cup ground flaxseeds ( do not use whole flaxseeds)
3 tablespoons of Maca ( you can omit, but I love this superfood great for energy and endurance)
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of baking powder
Wet:
3 ripe bananas
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (any non-dairy milk can work)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 apple pealed and cubed
optional
8 teaspoons unsweetened fruit jam
1 cup sliced strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grind oats in a food processor until you get a “flour”- such as oat flour. Add the rest of your dry in ingredients. Then add Wet ingredients, (besides apple) into the food processor making sure your bananas are mashed!

2. Once everything is combined, fold in your apple that is cubed (pears may work, or blueberries whatever you like). You can omit this step but it takes the muffin to another level!

3. In a muffin pan, scoop a tablespoon worth of batter into the mold, then take a teaspoon worth of jelly fill the middle with jelly and a slice of strawberry. Then cover with more batter around a tablespoons worth. top with strawberry. Bake for 15 minutes.

Banana Bread Granola

I stumbled across this website, the Minimalist Baker, while looking for a new granola recipe. I love their premise: "sharing simple, delicious recipes that require 10 ingredients or less, one bowl, or 30 minutes or less to prepare." I was already hooked, and then I saw their recipe for Banana Bread Granola, and it was over. You gotta go over there...the pictures of the granola are mouthwatering. I've given you a few pictures to hold you over, but you really should visit their site. I made a few changes to this recipe, not because the original didn't sound delicious, but because I was out of walnuts and vanilla extract. I kind of like the addition of almonds and almond extract though. Quite delicious. I made mine with honey because I'm out of agave and maple syrup at the moment, and because I make my banana bread with honey, so it just made sense to keep it consistent. If you're a granola fan, and you like banana bread, you'll love this one.

Banana Bread Granola
Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup almond slivers
3/4 cup pecans
3 Tbsp raw sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp flax seed
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp maple syrup, agave or honey
1 tsp almond extract
1 medium ripe banana, mashed (~1/2 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Mix the oats, cinnamon, sugar, salt, flax seed and nuts together in a large bowl.

3. In a small saucepan over medium low heat, warm the coconut oil, honey, and almond extract. Once it becomes liquid, remove from heat and whisk in banana puree until well combined. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well.

4. Spread the mixture evenly onto one or two baking sheets (making sure it doesn't get crowded) and bake for 23-28 minutes or until golden brown. The coconut oil will help it crisp up well, but be sure to watch it carefully as it can brown quickly.

5. Once the granola is visibly browned, remove from the oven and toss just a bit to let the heat escape. Cool completely on the baking sheet or in a heat-safe bowl.

Carrot Applesauce Whole Wheat Muffins

My friend Brita and I email pretty regularly. We talk a lot about the food we're preparing for the week ahead. She mentioned that she was making the 100 Days of Real Food Carrot Applesauce Muffins. The thought intrigued me, so I went to the website, found the recipe and decided to make them myself. I'm so glad she told me about these. They are delightful! Moist, sweet, but not overly sweet, tender, delicious, and Andy and the boys gobbled them up asking for more. Nice. This will definitely be a staple in our house. I've linked to the 100 Days of Real Food site above, or here's the exact recipe below. My batch made 12 normal muffins and eight mini muffins.

Carrot Applesauce Whole Wheat Muffins (Recipe from 100 Days of Real Food)
Ingredients:
1.5 cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened (but not melted)
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup carrot shreds

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper, foil, or silicone liners, and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.

3. In a large bowl fitted with an electric whisk (or beaters), mix the butter, honey, egg and vanilla together on medium speed. Turn the speed down and slowly add in the flour mixture until well combined. The batter will be fairly thick at this point.

4. Using a spatula, carefully fold in the applesauce and carrots. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick comes and muffins are beginning to turn golden brown on top. Enjoy!

Baked Doughnut Holes

Many people love doughnuts. But my boys adore doughnuts. They talk about them constantly. They ask if we can get them for breakfast more often than I'd care to admit. So, I've previously made Doughnut Muffins, which we all thoroughly enjoyed. But my friend Tori sent me a recipe for baked doughnuts that I thought I'd try. That recipe is for a spiced pumpkin doughnut, something Andy and I would enjoy, but probably not my boys. So, I rounded up a recipe for a more basic doughnut and gave them a whirl. These were fast and easy, and they are delicious. My boys have devoured their allotted two (one of each kind) for the evening already and told me that I should market them at Safeway. Silly boys. These aren't good for you...what doughnut is? But they are better than fried doughnuts and are about 101 calories a piece. I'm thinking this recipe is a keeper. It is inspired by a recipe I found on The Faux Martha blog.

Baked Doughnut Holes
Ingredients:
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. lemon juice
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. nutmeg, fresh
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. honey
1 large egg
1 tbs. vanilla extract
Topping
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 c. pure cane sugar
1 tbs. cinnamon
1/4 c. powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a small bowl, mix together milk and lemon juice. Let sit for 5 minutes to curdle. Melt butter in a small bowl and set aside to cool.

3. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sea salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Set aside.
Into the cooled butter, whisk in sugar, honey, egg, and vanilla until combined. Add in milk/lemon juice combo.

4. Whisk together wet and dry ingredients until just combined. Over-mixing will create a dense doughnut.
Spray mini muffin tin pan. Evenly distribute batter. (This makes 20 doughnuts.)

5. Bake for 9 minutes. Allow to cool at least 1 minute before removing from tin and placing on a cooling rack to cool completely.

6. Meanwhile, make topping. Melt butter. In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, add in powdered sugar.

7. Dip each doughnut hole in butter before either coating in the cinnamon/sugar mixture or powdered sugar mixture (10 of each). Place back on cooling rack until dried.

Bacon, Caramelized Onion and Gruyere Quiche

I've taken a new job, and it's a little farther from home than I'm used to. Thank goodness for public transportation that allows me to ride the train every day to work. This does put me home a little later than I'm used to, so I've decided that the weekends will be my main cooking days for the week. Today, I got busy making a lot of different things, but I knew I wanted to make a quiche. My family loves frittatas, quiches and the like. I had some peppered bacon, Gruyere cheese and a couple of onions, so I went to work blending these three ingredients into a lovely quiche that we can eat during the week for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Normally, I make a quick pastry tart dough when I make my quiches, as it's easy to whip up, press into a pan and go. That's what I would recommend. But I also had some Trader Joe's pie crusts in my freezer, so I thawed one this morning while I was at church, and by the time I came home, it was ready to roll out and press into my pie shell. So, whatever way you go will work out fine. This recipe is based on Alton Brown's Refrigerator Pie recipe.

Bacon, Caramelized Onion and Gruyere Quiche
Ingredients:
1 pie crust or pastry dough recipe
2 medium onions, sliced
2 tbs butter
6-8 rashers of bacon, sliced into lardons (little strips) and cooked
1/2 - 3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
2 large or extra large eggs
1 cup half-n-half (or you could sub out lower fat milk for part of this and up the eggs to 3)
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large pan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and let caramelize for about 20 minutes. Remember to keep the heat low. I add a little salt to allow the natural sugars from the onions to come out. Stir occasionally.

3. Meanwhile, cook up the lardons of bacon until they are crisp. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. **Better make a few extra to snack on while you're cooking.**

4. Grate the Gruyere cheese.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, half-in-half and nutmeg together until combined.

6. Press the pie or pastry dough into a 9" pie pan. Put the pie pan on a half sheet pan or cookie sheet in case you have any run over. You are not going to pre-bake the pie crust.

7. Spread the bacon evenly over the bottom of the pie pan. Next, top with the caramelized onions. Top with the cheese. Then pour the egg mixture over the top.

8. Put in the oven for 35-45 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and let rest for at least an hour before serving.

Honey Almond Granola

If you can't tell by now, we really like granola, particularly Andy. The most recent granolas I've made, I have adored, but Andy was so-so on them. So I decided to try another version tonight. I actually printed out about a dozen recipes that I'm hoping to try out over the next couple of weeks. Today's iteration was a honey almond granola I found a wonderful site called Cookie + Kate. I did notice that she prefers you not copy her recipes as is and while normally I modify most of the recipes I find out there, this one, I did exactly as she suggests. So, I'm going to honor her request and just link you to her website to see the recipe. This is a simple but delicious granola. I'm hoping Andy loves it, because it's my favorite one so far. The best part about it? This creates gorgeous little chunks within the granola - that's my favorite part of granola, so I was thrilled as I clumped it together a bit that as it dried, it stayed clumped! I'm eager to try this with blueberries for breakfast tomorrow, or with yogurt, or on top of ice cream, or on top of a cobbler or...

Go ahead, click the LINK and see Cookie + Kate's yummy recipe for her Honey Almond Granola!

Raspberry Almond Coffee Cake

This one is for my mom who loves raspberries more than anyone else I've ever met! I found this recipe in a magazine a while back, took a picture of the recipe in my phone and waited until I could get fresh raspberries from the farmer's market to make this. Today, I bought a 1/2 flat of mixed raspberries and blueberries, pulled out this recipe, made a few small changes and cooked this baby up. It's lovely. Tart because of the berries, a little sweet because of the sugar, crunchy due to the almonds and barely dense because of the whole wheat pastry flour. All in all, a nice, tasty treat. And if you make 8 slices, each slice comes in right around 230 calories a piece! Not bad for dessert, though this would be a nice breakfast as well.

If you're not a raspberry fan, you could easily substitute blueberries, blackberries, huckleberries or strawberries into this recipe. You could also change the nuts for something different, but be sure to chop them up smaller so they don't weigh the cake down. I'm including the recipe for icing, but I totally forgot about the icing until I was writing this recipe down! Oops! It really doesn't need it, but feel free to add it if you want.

Raspberry Almond Coffee Cake
Ingredients:

CAKE:
1 cup fresh raspberries
3 tbs brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tbs butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup sliced almonds

ICING:
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1.5 tsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a bowl, combine the raspberries and the 3 tbs brown sugar. Stir to combine.

3. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients of the cake, including the sugar. In a smaller bowl, combine the egg, sour cream, butter and vanilla. Mix well. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until combined.

4. Spoon half the batter into a greased 8"round baking pan. Top with raspberry mixture. Spoon remaining batter over the top; sprinkle with almonds. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan (I used a springform pan) to a wire rack.

5. In a small bowl, combine the icing ingredients; drizzle over coffee cake. Serve warm.

Fruit and Nut Granola

Ever since I made the Sprouted Kitchen's Pumpkin Spice Granola, I've been looking for more yummy granola recipes. I went back to the Sprouted Kitchen site and found a recipe for a Cherry Nut Granola. I made a few small changes to fit my pantry, but it's another great hit. This granola does clump together as nicely as the pumpkin spice granola, but it's just as tasty. It can be eaten as your morning cereal, as a snack on its own, or as a topping for yogurt or ice cream. And you can adjust the nuts and fruit to fit what you like best.

And if you haven't checked out the Sprouted Kitchen website yet, you're missing out. She has recipes to fit every palate, every taste and most food styles (vegan, gluten-free, etc.). And while you're over there, check out her cookbook, The Sprouted Kitchen: A Tastier Take on Whole Foods. It's one of my favorite cookbooks I own.

Fruit and Nut Granola (inspired by the Sprouted Kitchen Cherry Nut Granola)
Ingredients:
3 Cups Quick Oats
3 tbsp. Flax Seeds
3 tbsp. Sesame Seeds
1/2 Cup Raw Sunflower Seeds
3/4 Cup Raw Pecans
3/4 cup Raw Slivered Almonds
2 tbsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Apple Butter (you could use applesauce here)
2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp. Honey
1 tbsp. Real Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups Dried Fruit (I used golden raisins and dried cranberries)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. In a saucepan, on low heat, melt the brown sugar, apple butter, honey, olive oil and vanilla. Cook for a couple minutes so the flavors come together and the sugar breaks down.

3. In a large bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, salt, nuts and seeds. Slowly add the wet mixture on the oat mix and stir until all oats are covered.

4. Spread the granola in an even layer on a baking pan. Place the rack in the middle of the oven and bake for 15 minutes, stir. Repeat twice for a total of 45 minutes cooking time; be sure to stir every 15 minutes.

5. Pull out the granola and fold in the dried fruit. Allow the granola to cool completely before putting it in a container.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

If you've not heard of, or checked out, the Sprouted Kitchen website, you should totally get over there today. It is one of the most beautiful food sites I've ever seen. Every recipe sends me to the kitchen checking ingredients to see if I can whip up one of her whole food concoctions tonight! For my birthday, I got The Sprouted Kitchen cookbook, and it has to be one of the best cookbook buys I've ever purchased. It's stunning, every page filled to the gills with recipes, stories and photos that make you drool.

Andy eats a lot of granola, and I've tried making tons of different granola, and I've never had one turn out really well - well enough to not buy somebody else's, really. Until today! The Sprouted Kitchen Pumpkin Spice Granola is wonderfully easy, delicious, and I will be making it again and again. Imagine the variations you could make with the dried fruit choices out there or the seed options...my head is spinning, but honestly, this original version is so good, I may not want to try anything different! This is not overly pumpkin tasting, for those of you who aren't big fans, but it provides a nice, spicy note to the granola that gives it depth and bulk. So thank you Sara Forte from the Sprouted Kitchen. This is a pure delight!

Pumpkin Spice Granola
Ingredients:
2.5 tbsp olive oil
sea salt
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup Grade B maple syrup (I used Grade A - out of B at the moment)
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup roughly chopped raw pecans
3 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 cup golden raisins (or cranberries, dark raisins, etc.)

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, salt, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree until smooth. Add in the oats, pecans, and sesame seeds and stir until well-coated.

3. Spread the granola evenly onto a large rimmed baking sheet, trying to keep as many clusters intact as possible. Bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until the granola is dry and golden-brown in color, stirring every 10 minutes or so by scooping the granola on the edges back into the center and then spreading back out into an even layer.

4. Let the granola cool for a few minutes, then stir in the raisins. Allow to cool completely on baking sheets before transferring to an airtight container for storage. Finished granola will keep for about a week.

Farm Apple Butter

I had a free night one day last week! Amazingly enough, my kiddos were occupied out of the house and Andy wasn't home from work just yet. That meant a cooking night for me! But what to cook. I pulled out my Art Smith cookbook (Back to the Table) and searched through it. Two things popped out at me. I didn't think of using them together but Art insisted that they were a perfect match, so I whipped them up. He was right! Farm apple butter and cheddar batter bread are a match made in heaven! Who knew? Well, I guess those of you who eat cheddar cheese with apple pie are not surprised, but you could have knocked me over with a feather. I had a lovely evening snack and the kitchen just smelled heavenly while the two of these cooked up together. Of course, these two aren't exclusive - they play well with others for sure, so feel free to test them out on other things.

Farm Apple Butter
Ingredients:
3 lbs apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3 cups natural apple cider
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves

1. Bring the apples and cider to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, until the apples are soft, about 20 minutes.

2. Stir in the honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice and cloves. Cook until the apples break down for a very thick sauce, 45 minutes to an hour.

3. Cool just until warm. In batches, puree in a food processor fitted with a metal blade or a blender. If the mixture seems watery, return it to the saucepan and simmer until it thickens. Cover tightly and refrigerate.

Banana Crunch Muffins

I gave running on the treadmill at the Y another shot the other day. They have these new machines that have a TV built right into the treadmill. You just plug in your headphones, change the channel until you find one you like and run while you're watching. Andy seems to be able to manage 10 miles or so while watching, but I still struggled to do more than 2.5 miles on the treadmill - primarily because of the commercials...hate commercials - and ultimately had to hop off and run the rest of my run on the track. However, while I was on the treadmill, I caught an episode of the Barefoot Contessa making some fabulous muffins that looked heavenly, and really heavy, but I thought, I bet I can lighten these up a bit, while still keeping some good flavor. These are still not super healthy for you, but they are substantially improved and quite tasty if I do say so myself!

So, something came out of that dreadful treadmill session...thanks Ina Garten.

*For Ina's original recipe, click HERE.

Banana Crunch Muffins (makes 24 muffins)
Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour flour
1.5 cups sugar (next time, I'll knock this down to just a cup)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled (that's 2 sticks)
2 extra-large eggs
3/4 cup non-fat milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 bananas)
1 cup medium-diced ripe bananas (1 banana)
1 cup granola (I used a mix of Uncle Sam cereal and TJ's Vanilla Almond Crunch Granola)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Line 24 large muffin cups with paper liners. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the melted butter and blend. Combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, and mashed bananas, and add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Scrape the bowl and blend well. Don't overmix.

3. Add the granola and coconut into the batter and fold gently. Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each 1 to the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly, remove from the pan, and serve with butter!

Oatmeal Pancakes

For breakfast this morning, I made oatmeal pancakes with pinhead Irish oatmeal and whole wheat flour. Nathan was not a fan because he doesn't like oatmeal, but Micah and I gobbled these right up. These fill you up really fast - I only needed one with my two pieces of bacon and one egg, but the boys each ate three. You can find pinhead oatmeal (or steel cut) in pretty much any grocery store nowadays, and I use it almost exclusively when making oatmeal anymore. This recipe is from my Irish Food & Cooking cookbook.

Oatmeal Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup fine pinhead oatmeal
pinch of salt
2 eggs
about 1.25 cups buttermilk
butter for greasing the griddle

1. Mix the flour, oatmeal and salt in a food processor. Beat in the eggs and add enough buttermilk to make a creamy batter of the same consistency of ordinary pancakes.

2. Thoroughly heat a griddle or cast-iron frying pan over medium-hot heat. When very hot, grease lightly with butter.

3. Pour in the batter, about a ladleful at a time. Cook until set. Flip and cook for 1 minute.

4. Keep the pancakes warm while you cook the others. Serve with rashers (bacon) and eggs.

Orange Cranberry Wheat Germ Muffins

I'm always looking for a tasty breakfast that doubles as a snack and these little muffins hit the mark every time. I had a stock pile of blood oranges, so I used their wonderful juice and zest in these muffins, but regular orange juice would work just fine. These muffins are best when served warm, so if you're not eating them right out of the oven, pop them in the microwave for just a few seconds. I spread a little bit of honey butter in the middle, pair it with a fruit salad or a one-egg omelet, and I have a perfect, filling breakfast that takes me all the way to lunch time. This recipe is from my Cooking Light cookbook. I subbed out the AP flour for whole wheat pastry flour - worked like a charm.

Orange Cranberry Wheat Germ Muffins
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1/2 cup raw wheat germ
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (through nutmeg) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture.

3. Combine brown sugar, oil, rind, juice, and eggs; stir with a whisk. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir just until combined. Spoon batter into 12 greased muffin cups. Bake for 17 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched in center.

Sour Cream Apple Coffee Cake

I was in Oklahoma last week visiting my mother, and while I was away, Andy made this recipe that he found online at Runner's World. It was tasty, low calorie and full of good carbs and fiber. I made another batch of it tonight, subbing out the sugar with honey and I think it improved it! This batch is super moist and full of flavor. Best part about it, one slice (12 servings total) is a mere 164 calories! It's a super before-workout snack and a great recovery treat as well. We use 100% whole wheat pastry flour in our version, but you could use a mixture of all-purpose flour and whole wheat pastry flour if you wanted. I'm posting the recipe as I made it tonight, but you can find the original recipe on the Runner's World site (linked from here).

Sour Cream Apple Coffee Cake (inspired by Runner's World recipe)
Ingredients:
1.5 cup whole wheat pastry flour
.5 cup honey
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
.5 cup apple juice
.25 cup sour cream
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2.5 cups diced peeled apples
.25 cup plus 2 tablespoons currants

Topping:
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ or finely chopped walnuts
To make the topping, combine the brown sugar and wheat germ or nuts in a small bowl and stir to mix well. Set aside.

1. Combine the flours, baking soda, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and stir to mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the honey, apple juice, sour cream and egg white. Pour into the dry ingredients bowl and mix to combine. Fold in the apples and currants.

2. Coat a 9-inch round pan (I use a tart pan with a removable bottom) with nonstick cooking spray and spread the batter evenly in the pan. Sprinkle the topping (the brown sugar and wheat germ) over the batter and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 33 minutes, or just until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cut into 12 slices. Good served warm or cold.

Banana Coconut Muffins

Right now, I'm on the lookout for yummy, filling, healthy muffins that I can use at breakfast or snack time. While on Cookie + Kate, I ran across these banana coconut muffins that looked and sounded quite yummy, so I thought I'd give them a try. One thing to note, she uses shredded unsweetened coconut. I had unsweetened coconut, but not shredded, so you can see that my coconut is shaved in larger strips. I suppose I could have put them in the food processor to shred them, but I kinda like the larger strips. Either way, the recipe calls for unsweetened coconut, which keeps the sugar content down a bit.

Kate says these muffins freeze well, so I took half of my cooked batch, popped them in a freezer bag, took out as much air as possible, and put them in the freezer. They should last for up to 3 months and can be revived by thawing completely, and then baking in a 350 degree oven until they are warm.

Banana Coconut Muffins (via Cookie + Kate)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (or regular whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
zest of 1/2 lemon, finely chopped
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
1 cup ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup honey
1 large egg, preferably at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, divided
1 tablespoon turbinado (raw) sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a muffin tin or line the tin with muffin liners (note that this recipe produces about 10 to 11 muffins).

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Stir in 1/2 cup shredded coconut.

3. In a separate, medium bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, mashed banana, honey, egg and vanilla.*

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, then sprinkle the muffin tops with the remaining 1/4 cup coconut (about 1 to 2 teaspoons each). Top with a very light sprinkle of raw sugar.

5. Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer muffins to a cooling rack and let them cool.

Whole Wheat Scones

Have you ever had the wonderful opportunity to experience the British or Irish version of afternoon tea? I truly think this is something we're missing here in America. I love taking the time out of my day to make a pot of tea and to slowly enjoy it while munching on cakes, muffins, sandwiches or scones. Over the weekend, I made these Whole Wheat Scones from Paul Hollywood's 100 Great Breads, and I must confess, afternoon tea was on my mind, though these would make a splendid breakfast as well.

Top these fluffy delights with homemade jam, lemon curd, or if you're feeling particularly British, clotted cream...yum!

Whole Wheat Scones
Ingredients:
1 & 2/3 cups white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1 & 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
scant 1/3 cup superfine sugar
1.5 tbs baking powder
3/4 stick butter, softened
2 medium eggs, beaten, plus 1 egg, beaten for eggwash
scant 1 & 1/4 cups milk

**Don't have superfine sugar? Add sugar to your coffee or spice grinder and grind until superfine.**

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet.

2. Put the flours, sugar and baking powder into a large bowl and mix together.

3. Add the butter, eggs (except the egg wash egg), and milk and using your hands, mix together thoroughly for 6 minutes.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured counter and, using a rolling pin, flatten it to about 2 inches. Using a round cutter, cut out the biscuits.

5. Put the biscuits on the baking sheet and brush with the eggwash. If you've the time, chill the eggwashed biscuits in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking to help with a straight rise. Remove the biscuits from the fridge, and brush the tops again with eggwash, being careful not to let it dribble down the sides, as this will hinder their rise in the oven.

6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown, then transfer to a wire rack to cool a little.