Tag Archives: Food

Blueberry Chia Seed Jam

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Do you love jam?

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I do. I’m in love with jam. And jelly. And marmalade. And preserves. Any thick fruity substance spread over any bread product = love.

And, I love any flavor. Strawberry, raspberry, marionberry, apricot, orange, pineapple. You name it,  I love it.

Except mint jelly. Actually, I never tried mint jelly. I don’t think I’d like it though. I’d try, but I just don’t think so.

Blueberries

When I was younger, I would spend the night at my grandparents for a week or a weekend at a time. Every single night, like clockwork, my gram and I would have toasted bread with butter and jelly. And let me tell you, my grandparents never had a shortage of jam and jelly to choose from. And they still don’t! Maybe that is where my love came from. I have good memories with jam.

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Now, this jam. This jam is delicious! It is not overly sweet, it tastes just as it should. Like real blueberries.

And chia seeds. These are new to me. But I’m loving them.

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I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. Four simple ingredients, that’s it!

You can find the recipe here — Oh She Glows

Thank you, Oh She Glows, for the great recipe!

Enjoy!

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

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For the longest time, I was not an oatmeal lover.

Oatmeal

I just couldn’t do it. Nothing sounded more bland to me than a bowl of oats cooked in water. Even topped with some fruit, it just didn’t do it for me.

Lately, I’ve been all about the oats. Cooked in some almond milk and topped with nut butter, honey and a chopped apple. Yes, please.

But now?

Now, I have a problem.

Oatmeal Ingredients

I am absolutely OBSESSED with this stuff.

The soft oats, the plump raisins, the crunchy pecans in a warm pool of almond milk? With a sprinkling of cinnamon? I can’t even.

I quickly devoured that entire bowl right after the photos were taken. I already had a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. Two bowls of oats in two hours? Oops.

OatmealFinished

Looks like I’ll be making this every week. That’s not such a bad problem, right?

I’m so excited to share this with you!

Method

Preheat oven to 375*.

Start with:

2 c. oats (I used old fashioned)
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. golden raisins
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.

Next:

1 1/2 c. milk (I used almond milk)
1/2 c. pureed pumpkin
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 c. applesauce
1/4 c. honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. melted butter

Mix wet ingredients. Then, add to dry ingredients. Mix together until just combined. Place in a baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes.

*I served mine in a bowl with almond milk and extra cinnamon. So good!

Enjoy!

Adapted from Mint.

Banana Muffins

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A Friday morning, snow falling out your window, a steaming cup of coffee in front of you. What’s missing from this picture?

Muffins

These soft, comforting banana muffins!

Muffins make such a great breakfast, snack or dessert. These muffins are just the right amount of sweet and the crunchy top compliments that soft inside perfectly.

Bananas

It is hard to eat just one!

Muffin

Method

Preheat oven to 400*. Line and grease 12 muffin liners in a muffin pan.

Start with:

3/4 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix together in a bowl.

Next:

2 ripe bananas
1/3 c. applesauce
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 c. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix together and then add to dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Scoop batter into muffin liners, about 3/4 full.

Crumb topping:

1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. oats (I used old fashioned)
1/3 c. chopped pecans
1 heaping Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2.5 Tbsp. butter, cubed

Combine ingredients in a bowl, and using the back of a fork or a pastry blender, mix the ingredients until “crumby.” Spoon crumb topping onto each muffin.

Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes.

Recipe adapted from The Fauxmartha 

Enjoy!

Caramelized Onion White Bean Dip

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What are the foods that you will just NOT eat?

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For me, it’s most meat (I know that’s a big one). That pink ginger that comes with sushi. And I recently discovered I won’t eat a certain brand of roasted garlic hummus. Oh, and a bag of dried papaya I just bought.

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More on the hummus I’m not eating: I really wanted to buy a dip just to have around to snack on. I bought the roasted garlic flavor and knew from the first bite that I just can’t eat it.

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Enter: caramelized onion white bean dip. So much better than store bought anyways, right?

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More proof that everything happens for a reason. I bought hummus I didn’t like so that I would be inspired to make this. 🙂
This dip is sooo good. It’s creamy and so full of flavor. I think you will really enjoy it.

Method

Start with:

1 head of garlic

Roast the garlic. I followed this method.

Next:

1 medium red onion, sliced thin
Olive oil
Salt
10 fresh sage leaves

Heat about 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until caramelized, 25-30 minutes. Once onions are caramelized, remove from pan and set aside. Add sage leaves to the pan to toast, about 5 minutes.

Then:

1-15 oz. can white beans (I used Great Northern beans)
Olive oil
4 cloves roasted garlic, from above
Juice from 1/2 of a lemon
Fresh ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes (I used about 1 tsp. but add according to your taste)

Using a food processor, process beans and olive oil until smooth. Drizzle in enough oil to get a smooth consistency. Add roasted garlic, lemon juice, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Process again, lightly. Add caramelized onions and toasted sage. Process once more, until just combined.

Enjoy!

*Notes:

-Add as much olive oil as you need as you are processing the dip to keep a smooth consistency. If it’s difficult to process, drizzle  in some oil and try again.
-I left some larger chunks of onion and sage in my dip. If you want your dip completely smooth, process it longer, until it is how you like it.
-I served this with crackers and toasted bread.

Sweet Potato Risotto with Roasted Brussel Sprouts

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This creamy, dreamy meal is sure to turn around any winter blues.

Sprouts Shallots

That’s what it did for me.

Yes, it is true. I am not a lover of winter. I have the winter blues. I don’t dream about being knee-deep in snow during an invigorating winter hike, or swiftly skiing down a mountain of it. I don’t even want to be outside when it is lightly flurrying! I don’t love wearing scarves and boots and jackets. I’d choose to go jacket-less every day of the year if I could. I try my hardest to enjoy being inside, looking out at snow gently falling to the ground. But even that is a stretch for me.

Risotto

Escaping for a week to somewhere warm this time of the year is always an option of trying to cure the winter blues. But, when you can’t do that, eating a steaming bowl of sweet potato risotto will help. I promise.

The sweet potatoes and ricotta makes this extra creamy and the roasted brussel sprouts and sage are the perfect added flavors.

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Enjoy every bite, and for all others out there dreaming of warmer weather, spring is officially 16 days away!

Method

Preheat oven to 400*.

Start with:
1 medium sweet potato
1/2 lb. brussel sprouts
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Peel and cube the sweet potato. Slice brussel sprouts. Toss sweet potato and sprouts with olive oil and season with salt pepper. Roast in preheated oven, about 30 minutes, or until sweet potato is soft and brussel sprouts are crispy. Mash or process sweet potato until smooth, using a potato masher or food processor.

Next:
3 large shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. arborio rice
1 c. dry white wine
4 c. vegetable stock, heated
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Thinly slice shallots. Heat about 2 Tbs. olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add shallots and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes.

Turn heat to medium-high and add arborio rice and cook about 2 minutes. Add wine, cooking until almost completely reduced. Add warm stock, 1/2 c. at a time, to rice, waiting until absorbed to add the next 1/2 c. Stir in between each addition. When done, rice should be full, creamy and tender. This process should take about 25 minutes.

Then:
1/2 c. + 4 tablespoons ricotta cheese
10 sage leaves

When rice is finished, gently stir in mashed sweet potato, crispy brussel sprouts and 1/2 c. ricotta cheese. Spoon into an oven-safe dish and top with 4 tablespoon-sized dollops of ricotta and sage leaves. Bake at 400* for about 15 minutes.

Enjoy!