TASTE: Banana-Oat & Date Muffins

Banana-Oat & Date Muffins 

Always in a hurry to grab something for breakfast and GO? This is a great morning muffin you can prep and bake ahead of time, freeze, and then pull out and take along with you in the car or on the subway. It's happy fuel for the morning commute. And for how delicious and comforting it tastes... it's pretty darn healthy. I mean, it's sweetened by bananas and dates. And just a bit of maple syrup. Please. Can we be any more granola?

Being back in the South has brought to mind some recipes that I had honestly forgotten about. You know how that happens? You go home and all the familiarity, the scent of home, the pattern in your steps... your past life just comes soaring back to you. That's what happened this week. I found myself fumbling around the kitchen for some half-spoiled bananas, pulled down my glass jar of oats, and voila, this recipe pretty much made itself. It's reminiscent of banana bread and therefore, highly heavenly and appealing. And homey-ish. This recipe is based largely on Gwyneth Paltrow's version, but I tweaked a few things here and there. You can rag on her all you want, but I really do love her recipes. I mean, the semi-normal ones that I've actually attempted to try. Now she's actually queen of the granola. We don't need to be queen of that. We just need to enjoy our muffins and get on with it. So lets.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups flour

- 1 cup old-fashioned oats

- 2 tsp. baking powder

- 2 tsp. baking soda

- a pinch of sea salt (Maldon!)

- 2 overripe bananas, mashed

- 1/2 cup olive oil

- 2/3 cup maple syrup

- 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

- 2 tsp. vanilla extract

- 1/2 cup dried dates, pitted and chopped (about 6 dates)

- 1/4 pumpkin seeds, roughly chopped, plus more for topping each muffin

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line your muffin tin with liners.

2. In a bowl, mix together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3. In another bowl, mix the mashed bananas, olive oil, maple syrup, almond milk and vanilla.

4. Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing together.

5. Toss the chopped dates with the 1/4 cup chopped pumpkin seeds and fold them into the batter. Mix well. Make sure that the dates and pumpkin seeds don't fall straight to the bottom of the batter.

6. Fill each muffin tin about 2/3 of the way full with the batter. Sprinkle each muffin with a pinch of the extra pumpkin seeds.

7. Bake until the muffins are browned and a toothpick comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes.

Worth the Muffin Top.

I promise, you will love these deceivingly decadent muffins. The pumpkin seeds add a bit of salty crunch and the dates add a hit of soppy, southern mapley-ness. The hardest part is only eating one at a time!

TASTE: Blueberry-Apple Baked Oatmeal

Blueberry Apple Baked Oatmeal

Yum yum yum yum. I don't know about you, but I love eating oatmeal in the mornings. Heeeaaaallllthy. But I pretty much loathe making it. It just feels like it takes, like, 7 whole minutes. I know, I sound like an ugly rushed American. But in the morning time, especially lately, I've been waking up famished and wanting food NOW. So oatmeal? Doesn't really fit into the "quick and easy" breakfast category. But this oatmeal (introduced to me by my lovely dear, newly-British friend Carrie), is wondrous, because you can prep it the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning. Then, voila! You have a delicious, healthy, toasty breakfast. And if you have a husband who wakes up before you... he can put it in the oven so that it's hot and ready right when you wake up :) Thanks, Stevie!

Ingredients:

- 3 cups Rolled Oats

- 2 Eggs

- 1/4 cup Agave

- 1/4 cup Butter, melted

- 1 Apple, chopped

- 3/4 cup Blueberries, fresh or dried

- 1 cup Almond Milk

- 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp. Salt 

Method:

1) Chop the apple. Combine in a bowl with the blueberries. Set aside.

2) In a large bowl, combine the oats, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and combine with the almond milk, agave and melted butter. Stir the wet mixture into the oat mixture, adding in the apples and blueberries until evenly combined.

3) Spoon into a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until set. Yields 9 servings. Or 2. Depending on how much you eat :)

Breakfast of Champs!

I really hope you love this. Because I do - a lot. And if you're interested in a fun twist of flavor on this basic oatmeal recipe, you can check out my exotic Mango Coconut Baked Oatmeal. That's right. You can get a little crazy with it and this will still taste incredible.

Happy breakfasting!

TASTE: Grandma Soup

Grandma Soup. 

My wish came true. Spring has finally decided to grace New York with her presence. YES! However, if you are anything like me, spring is a smidge-bit bittersweet. Only because this particular season comes with some unsavory baggage: POLLEN. If any of you have allergies, I'm sure that you completely love all the budding trees, but are probably popping Claritin around the clock, as well. I have a better solution for you. THIS SOUP.

This soup is my winter go-to, always brimming atop the stove in the icy cold winter season. However, this is also a great springtime chicken noodle and vegetable soup, because it has insane healing properties that combat the woes of pollen. So if you're like me and battle those allergies, I encourage you to try this hearty, homey soup that will make you want to pull out your crochet and call your grandma for life advice.

Why is this called Grandma Soup? This recipe was passed down from my mom's grandma (my great-great grandma!) She used to cook it on Sundays after Catholic mass, and my mom remembers being a tiny little girl in her shiny, church-day mary janes, eating this exact soup. I love that visual image of my sweet mom, a little girl with Shirley Temple curls, slurping down the same recipe I've been eating my whole life. I didn't ever know my grandma, let alone my great-grandma, so I feel especially grateful to have one small token of that family history: this recipe. And I've learned that the best thing to do with something that you love is to give it away! So I'm sharing this very precious recipe with all of you today :) Over the years, I have jazzed up the soup a bit, added ginger and a few fresh herbs to pep up the flavor. Somehow, I think my great-grandma would be proud.

Ingredients:

- 1-2 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts (sometimes called chicken ribs)

- 1 can stewed or diced tomatoes

- 1 yellow onion, chopped

- 7-8 celery stalks, chopped

- 3-4 large carrots, chopped OR 1 bag baby carrots

- Noodles of your choice (my mom always used ABC noodles, but I can't find them in many stores these days, so I experiment with anything fun and fancy looking)

- 3-4 Chicken bullion cubes (I love the Knorr brand) OR 2-3 32-oz. boxes of chicken stock (Whole Foods 365 is my favorite)

- 1 Bay Leaf

- Oregano & Basil (fresh chopped is best, but you can use dried, too)

- 2-3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and pressed

- 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

- Salt & Pepper (I like to use Maldon Sea Salt Flakes)

Method:

1. In a large stockpot, place the chicken breasts, the stewed tomatoes, the chopped onion, the chopped celery and the baby carrots. Generously go to town with the salt and pepper. I mean it. Get furious. We need to get some flavor going.

2. If Using Bullion: Place three large cubes in the stockpot and fill with water, leaving about 1.5-2 inches from the top empty. If Using Chicken Stock: Pour 2 boxes (64 oz.) of stock over the ingredients in the stockpot. Add a few cups of water to the mixture, leaving about 1.5-2 inches from the top of the pot empty.

3. Heat stockpot on stove over low heat. Cover.

4. While that begins slowly heating up, begin chopping up the herbs. Chop the garlic, ginger, basil oregano, and any other delicious green herbs you happen to have in your fridge (parsley, rosemary and thyme are great additions, too!) I just like to throw a medley of herbs in, because they're so good for you and they make the flavor soooo intoxicating. Add all the herbs to the pot and recover.

5. Simmer this mixture on low for 5-7 hours. You want to, very slowly, boil the chicken and give the vegetables time to soften. If the mixture starts to boil, stir it a bit and turn the temperature even lower. If you find that some of the broth has burned off (as mine always does), you can add more chicken stock to the mixture. If you used bullion cubes, add a few more cups of water and another cube. Just keep that soup savory! After a few hours you can uncover the mixture and continue on with low heat.

6. Once the chicken is fully cooked through, you want to remove the breasts from the pot. This takes a little finagle-ing, so use a large slotted spoon and do your best to remove the chicken without removing anything else. Place chicken on a large plate and cut all the white breast meat off, placing back into the soup. You want to make sure you're removing all the skin, bones and fat from the meat so that you can just eat the chicken. Sidenote - this part always grosses me out a bit, but its SO worth the 5 minutes it takes. Place all the good meat back in the pot and stir it around. Add a little bit more salt and pepper.

7. Continue on low heat for another 30 minutes.

8. During the last 30 minutes of heating the soup, follow the recipe on the package to prepare the noodles. It should take between 15-20 minutes to prep/cook the entire package, depending on the kind you choose, then drain and set aside. You can combine the noodles, once they're cooked, into the soup, but I never do. I don't really know why, its just not the way my mom did it. I'm a follower.

9. To serve, we spoon the noodles up first, then pour the broth/vegetable/chicken mixture over top.

Voila! Slurp Away!

Mmmm its so delicious, I melt every time. I like to serve this with buttery Ritz Crackers. On a crazy winter day, we might make a grilled cheese to go along with it. But this is seriously the BEST feel-better soup in the world, and it's been tried-and-true in my family for over 50 years. Go ahead.

Those allergies haven't bested you yet. Happy souping!

*This post is entirely dedicated to my sweet mother, who has probably made hundreds of batches of Grandma Soup in my lifetime. We share the same laugh, the same cheeks, the same regretful woes of allergy season, but we also share the delight of this familiar, favored family recipe. Thank you for passing on the tradition of being a happy cook in the kitchen. Everything I know is because of you :)

TASTE: Lavender Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

Lavender Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting.

My gender reveal party ruined me. Ever since I tasted those delicious Magnolia Bakery and Sprinkles cupcakes, I've just wanted MORE. And since I don't want to use this pregnancy as a reason to eat the entire Earth, I'm trying my best to resist sweet-tooth cravings. Trying. My. Best. Well, all that went out the window when I glanced in my pantry and suddenly noticed those lovely lavender herbs. And in a wonderful flash of sugar-craving brilliance, this adorable recipe was born. I birthed it! (Prepping my baby speechin', obviously.)

I think this is a really great treat to make in honor of Easter. Especially for all of you who gave up sugar for Lent - this is a great way to break the fast! Yummy, pastel and fluffy, anyone can take a moment to revel in this precious-tasting confection. Go ahead, it's okay to make and share. Or hoard all alone in your bedroom. I mean, what?

Ingredients:

Lavender Vanilla Cupcakes

- 1.5 cups All-Purpose Flour (I like Bob's Red Mill White Flour)

- 3/4 cups Sugar (I use Sugar in the Raw and just blend it for about 15 seconds in my Vitamix to achieve a more refined texture)

- 3/4 tsp. baking powder

- 1/4 tsp. salt

- 1.5 sticks of butter, softened

- 3 eggs, beaten

- 6 tbsp. milk

- 1.5 tsp. Vanilla Extract

- 2 tsp. dried lavender

Buttercream Frosting

- 1 stick of butter, softened

- 2 cups powdered sugar (Also made in the Vitamix - Just blend regular sugar on high for 30 seconds!)

- 2-3 tsp. half & half

- 1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract

- Red & blue food coloring

// Steeping the lavender. Mmm. //

Method:

1. Bring the 6 tbsp. of milk to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat. Steep 2 tsp. lavender in the milk for 30 minutes. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tin with liners.

3. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Set aside.

// Beware: Too much time whipping up these frosted treats could result in a belly like this. (JK. You gotta do other kinds of stuff to get a belly like this.) //

4. Beat the 1.5 sticks of butter together with the sugar. Add in the steeped, strained milk (there should be no bits of lavender left in the mixture), along with the beaten eggs and vanilla extract.

5. Slowly pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture, taking a few moments to beat and combine, then adding a bit more.

6. Once the mixtures are combined, pour the batter into the cupcake tin, filling each cup to 2/3 full.

7. Bake in the center of the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until they are lightly golden. Let the cupcakes cool for 15-20 minutes until completely cool. You don't want to frost while they're warm or they will get all melty. Ick.

8. To make the frosting, beat together the softened butter, powdered sugar, cream and vanilla together until slightly fluffy. Add the food coloring in, but don't add too much! Start with a drop of the red and a drop of the blue, then continue mixing/adding until you achieve the desired share of soft purple.

Note: If you used Sugar in the Raw in place of white sugar, like I did, your frosting won't start out pure white. This will affect the desired color of your icing, so just bear with it and play with the food coloring. I still managed to achieve a purple-ish hue.

9. I don't have a frosting kit, so I just added the frosting into a large ziplock bag and cut a tiny corner out. I squeezed the frosting through this itty-bitty opening. If you want to add sprinkles, do so immediately after applying the frosting, so they dry together. Or you could skip this all-together and just frost the cupcakes with a spatula. And occasionally lick the goodness. Okay, lick the goodness a lot and just save a little to dress the cupcakes. Either way.

Voila! If you want to get really fancy, you can use a frosting tip inside your pastry bag. I kind of couldn't wait to munch on them... so I did it the quick way! And they're still so pretty! Oh, dear springtime, we're so ready for you!

Taste: "Good Morning!" Green Juice

Good Morning Green Juice.

It's almost the weekend! To celebrate, let's add some healthy color to your morning routine! This is such a delicious way to get revved up and start the day. It's even better then a cup of coffee. That's right, I said it. I love drinking this in the morning because it feels really good to get in so many fruits and veggies so early in the day! Plus, it looks suuuuper green, but I promise it doesn't taste like grass. It tastes really tangy and refreshing (thanks to that hot hit of mint, mmm.)

This recipe serves two and is best if made in a high-powered blender, like a Vitamix, or a juicer.

Ingredients:

- 2 ribs of kale

- 1 handful of spinach (about 1 cup)

- 1 cup baby carrots (5-6)

- 1 green apple

- 1 red apple

- 1 lemon, skin and pith removed

- 3-4 sprigs of mint

- 1-inch piece of ginger, peel removed

- 1/3 cucumber, peeled

- 1 cup water

Method:

1. Place all the ingredients into Veronica the Vitamix (it's a bond, people), and secure the lid.

2. If you have a Vitamix: Select Variable 1. Turn the machine on and quickly increase speed to variable 10, then turn on High. Blend for 45 seconds or until the desired consistency is reached.

If you have a juicer/food processor: You might have to do this in batches. My food processor is only a 2-cup, so I would probably have to break this up into three separated batches. Or you could try to use a powerful blender, but just make sure all your ingredients are roughly chopped (the carrots might pose the biggest problem.)

Seriously, this is going to make you feel like a superhero. Now go and conquer your week!

Keeping your weekend green! And let me know what you think!

*This recipe was featured this week on Flat8 Magazine's website! Make sure to visit the site and check it out! Their content is so fun :)