Bean Soup and Whole Wheat Cornbread

Last week I made some hodge podge bean soup with whole wheat cornbread on the side. My meal plan was for white bean chili but I had a bell pepper and a portabello on hand that I was supposed to have used for another meal that I didn't end up making that week. So I decided to chop the extra veggies and throw them in the mix. The soup went something like this...

• 1/2 pound of organic dark turkey meat (which I had browned the night before)
• 1 onion, 2 stalks of celery, 1 green bell pepper and 1 portabello all chopped (again, done the night before)
• 1 cup each of rinsed pinto and cannellini beans
• 1 container of TJ's vegetbale broth plus equal amount of water (about 4 cups)
• Generous sprinkling of cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and oregeno 

I tossed all of the above in my slow cooker and let it cook on low for 8 hours. Perfectly delicious and healhty soup was ready when I got home. I made a batch of whole wheat/organic corn bread following the recipe on the bag of cornmeal that I have. I also mixed up a little honey butter to serve with the bread.

Blueberry Chia "Jelly"

I recently tried this recipe for blueberry chia "jelly" and it came out pretty well. I cut the recipe in half bc I didn't want that much jelly and it still made more than enough to last all week. My kids tolerated it just fine on their toast and pb&j sandwiches. I thought it tasted just like jelly and it was packed full of nutritious goodness.

Mushroom Pasta and Salad

Last week I made Mushroom Pasta following this recipe that I found on Pinterest. I more or less followed the recipe exactly excpet I used double the amount of mushrooms (bc I LOVE them) and I used whole milk rather than cream. While the flavor of this dish was excellent, the consitency of the sauce didn't impress me. It was way to thin and runny. Next time I make this, I will make a roux before adding the liquid. This should help thicken it up a bit. Stayed tuned for my improvised version with hopefully thicker sauce!

I used whole wheat rotini pasta.

And a side salad!

Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

Last weekend, I made this recipe for Best Ever Chocolate Oatmeal Bars and wow, were they ever delicious. Husband, kids and everyone in my office loved them. They were super simple to make and relatively healthy. A few notes...

• I did not add nuts bc I used chunky peanut butter.
• I only added about half the amount of dark chocolate and threw in a couple spoonfuls of cacao powder (for added nutrition).
• I used an 8" square pan bc I wanted thicker bars.
• These have to be stored in the fridge otherwise they get to soft and mushy.

Pork Tenderloin, Fried Quinoa and Green Beans

Last Tuesday I was in a huge hurry to put dinner on the table after work so that we could get my son to his swim class on time. I made a pork tenderloin, quinoa "fried rice" and some fresh green beans. My basic way to cook a pork tenderloin (unless I'm following some other recipe) is to rub it with salt, pepper, sage and fennel and roast it at 400 for about 30 minutes. I check it with a meat thermometer but 30 minutes usually does the trick (sometimes 40). Let is rest for a few minutes before slicing into it...so good!

 

As for the quinoa, I started out following this recipe for quinoa fried rice but now I just wing it. I also do not add chicken to the micture. This quinoa is really easy to make and is always a big hit on our house.

 

Lastly, I had a bag of green beans from the farmer's market so I just washed them, trimmed them and then steamed them until they were soft enough for my liking. We don't like them too mushy but obviously they need to be cooked enough.

 

And there you have it. Delicious dinner prepared, served and eaten within an hour and 15 minutes.

Banana Egg Pancakes

I am way behind on blogging so these pancakes happened a few Saturday's ago. Kids were requesting pancakes one Saturday morning and I had remembered that my best friend told me about the most delicious "pancakes" she made using only bananas and eggs. I couldn't remember exactly how she said she had made them (or exact quantities of each) so I visited my trusty friend Pinterest and found a zillion versions of banana egg pancakes.

 

I mashed 2 ripe(ish) bananas with a fork and stirred in 3 eggs (from neighbors chickens-YUM) to make a batter. I sprinkled in some cinnamon (based on my own preference) and thought a handful of some oats would be good in the batter. I just wanted to give it a little texture and body. Let's say I threw in about a half a cup or so (I really have no idea). I also threw in a handful of chopped walnuts. There you have it...pancake batter.   

 

On a hot griddle, I s.l.o.w.l.y poured some batter over melted butter. I emphasize slowly bc I didn't want to just plop the batter on the pan. It's super thin and would have no doubt run everywhere. I cooked these just as you would a normal pancake and they were really delicious. Different but still very good. Kids and husband loved!  

Notice that my trusty cup of coffee is never too far away!

Zucchini Quinoa Patties

I recently made zucchini quinoa "meatballs" for a second time (see previous for recipe link and info). I made meatballs for the kids and patties for my husband and I to have burgers. I spread some mayo on my bun (husband hates mayo so he got ranch) and put a good amount of spinach on both of our burgers. They were delicious! 

I also made a side of potatoes by cooking some cut up potatoes in a good amount of olive oil, some rosemary, salt and pepper for about 40 minutes or so. I think they come out so much better when you cook them lower and slower. In addition, I  had a ripe organic cantaloupe from Trader Joes that I thought I'd serve as well.