Very Best Berry Muffins

A recipe I have spent years tweaking to make it sugar free and loaded with nutrition. I still make it a little differently each time, depending on what I have on hand, but here's the main recipe.

Makes 18 regular size muffins or what I usually make: about 36 mini muffins.

1 3/4 cups flour (I like to break it down with 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup teff flour, 1/4 cup almond meal, 1/4 cup barley or kamut flour) Using all whole wheat flour is great too.

1/4 cup wheat germ or oat bran

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup really soft butter (or you can substitute all applesauce if you want)

1/4 cup applesauce

1/3 cup flax meal

1/3 cup honey if you want it really sweet- or just substitute an extra banana and go totally sugar free

2 large eggs

3 ripe bananas, mashed well with a fork (or 4 bananas if you're not adding honey)

1/3 cup milk (cow's milk, or unsweetened vanilla almond milk is my favorite)

1 cup berries (give or take- I just dump them in). Our favorite is fresh raspberries. Blueberries are great too.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, germ, baking soda and salt.

2. In a large bowl whisk butter, applesauce, flax and honey (if using) until fluffy. Add eggs and whisk them in well. Then add the smashed bananas and milk. Add the dry to the wet and whisk until combined.

3. Add the berries- and if using raspberries I like to smash them so there are little bits of raspberries throughout. Stir in the berries with a small spoon. Then use the spoon to scoop the batter into a well sprayed or greased muffin tin.

4. Bake for 12 minutes for mini muffins and about 22-24 for large muffins.

The most moist, light, delicious breakfast muffins you will ever have. :)

Pancakes with banana and peanut butter syrup

This is a healthy hack from Our Best Bites. Their recipes are way too sweet, and I think all the sugar is unnecessary and tasteless. These are so indulgent without any sugar or chocolate.

1 1/2 C flour (I use 1/2 cup almond meal and 1 cup whole wheat flour)
3 TBSP flax meal (you can omit this and it still comes out fine)
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 C buttermilk  (or milk with a dash of vinegar)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs coconut oil
1 large egg

2 small-med ripe bananas

1 C  100% real maple syrup

1/2 C peanut butter

1. Whisk the dry. Whisk the wet. Add the wet to the dry. 

2.Mash the bananas in the bowl you used for the wet ingredients. Fold the bananas into the batter.

3. Heat up the peanut butter. Mix the syrup in and heat up again. This is SO good.

4. Enjoy!

Pear Vanilla Waffles

Adapted from Waffles from morning to midnight

Makes about 2 dozen waffles so they can be put in a ziploc to freeze for later.

1 stick of butter
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup flax meal
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
pinch (or more) of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

2 cups vanilla yogurt
2 cups milk
4 large eggs
3 cups diced very ripe pears (peeled and cored)

1. Melt the butter; reserve.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
3. In a pyrex measuring glass measure the milk, then scoop the yogurt into it until it comes to 4 cups total. Add the eggs and whisk it all very well.
4. Pour the liquid over the dry and whisk just until combined.
5. Fold in the melted butter and pears.
6. Spoon it onto the waffle iron. It's very thin, so it will spread, but it will result in light waffles.

Crockpot chili

From Real Simple

Serve with jack cheese, plain yogurt, lime, and chips

Ingredients

• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 15.5-ounce can black beans, rinsed
• 1 15.5-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed
• 1 medium sweet potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
• sour cream, sliced scallions, sliced radishes, and tortilla chips, for serving

Directions

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, cocoa, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Add the tomatoes (and their liquid), beans, sweet potato, and 1 cup water.
2. Cover and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender and the chili has thickened, on low for 7 to 8 hours  or on high for 4 to 5 hours (this will shorten total recipe time).
3. Serve the chili with the sour cream, scallions, radishes, and tortilla chips.

Pancakes- the best recipe I've tried

For years I've tried pancake recipes but haven't found one I like. This one is awesome. Great every time. I usually double it or even triple it if I want some leftover.  From Everyday Food

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• Cooking spray
• 1 apple, peeled and diced small (1 cup) or berries or nothin'

Directions

1. Step 1

   In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, applesauce, egg, and butter. Add applesauce mixture to flour mixture and whisk until just moistened (batter should have some lumps; do not overmix).

2. Step 2

   Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and heat over medium-high. In batches, drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls into skillet. Sprinkle each pancake with diced apple. Cook until bubbles appear on top and a few have burst, 2 to 5 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook until golden brown on underside, 2 to 5 minutes. Repeat with more cooking spray and remaining batter, wiping skillet clean between batches.

Coconut Red Lentil Soup

from 101cookbooks.com

1 cup  yellow split peas
1 cup red split lentils (masoor dal)
7 cups water
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons fresh peeled and minced ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons butter or ghee
8 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1/3 cup golden raisins (my kids didn't like this, so I'll omit them)
1/3  cup tomato paste
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
one small handful cilantro, chopped (or coriander)
cooked brown rice or farro, for serving (optional)

1. Give the split peas and lentils a good rinse - until they no longer put off murky water. Place them in an extra-large soup pot, cover with the water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the carrot and 1/4 of the ginger. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the split peas are soft.

2. In the meantime, in a small dry skillet or saucepan over low heat, toast the curry powder until it is quite fragrant. Be careful though, you don't want to burn the curry powder, just toast it. Set aside.

3. Place the butter in a pan over medium heat, add half of the green onions, the remaining ginger, and raisins. Saute for two minutes stirring constantly, then add the tomato paste and saute for another minute or two more.

4.Add the toasted curry powder to the tomato paste mixture, mix well, and then add this to the simmering soup along with the coconut milk and salt. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so. The texture should thicken up, but you can play around with the consistency if you like.

5. Sprinkle each bowl generously with cilantro and the remaining green onions.
Serves 6.
Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 35 min

Quinoa with currants and zucchini

from 101 cookbooks.com

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3/4 teaspoons fine-grain sea salt
1 cup / 6.5 oz / 185 g quinoa, well rinsed and drained
2 cups water
1/4 cup / 1 oz / 30g dried currants
1 lemon
2 sm-med zucchini, grated on box grater
4 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (I omitted this since Dave hates dill)
feta cheese, crumbled - as much or as little as you like

 Here's how the author describes it:

To make the quinoa, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add most of the green onions, a pinch of the salt, and cook until the onions soften, just a couple minutes. Add the quinoa and cook, stirring occasionally, until the grains dry out and toast a bit, roughly another 3 minutes. Add the water, the currants, the remaining salt; bring to a boil. Dial back the heat and simmer, covered, until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is just cooked through- 15 minutes or so. Be mindful here, you don't want to overcook the quinoa, and have it go to mush.

While the quinoa is cooking zest the lemon, and squeeze 2 tablespoons of lemon juice into a small bowl.

When the quinoa is cooked, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the zucchini, lemon juice and zest, most of the sesame seeds, and most of the dill. Taste and adjust for salt.
Serve, turned out onto a platter, topped with crumbled feta, and the remaining green onions, sesame seeds, and dill.

Serves 6.