Carrot Apple Ginger Muffins

There seems to be something sub par about a weekday breakfast: something lazily poured into a bowl, quickly grabbed between coats of mascara and searching for keys, something cold.

A weekend breakfast easily out plays its weekday counterpart.

It slips into your morning and wakes you for the day with warm pancakes topped with fruit and drizzles of syrup or fluffy omelettes stuffed with veggies and spices, accompanied by endless cups of coffee enjoyed over conversation with friends, or better yet, in pajamas and bed.

Although I've always been quite a granola gal, lately I've been trying to give my weekday breakfasts a lesson from the weekend.

I'm a firm believe that breakfast should be delicious, easy, and healthy, but above all I believe it should exist, which is probably the worst part about weekday breakfast: it's SO easy to skip.

This batch of breakfast worthy muffins however is something you won't forget.  It's loaded with grated apple, carrot, whole wheat flour and a little spice to give your mornings a warm, filling feeling, but it's reduced in sugar content so you won't crash 2 hours later.

If you're a religious breakfast eater toss one in the microwave for a few seconds to enjoy as you run from room to room getting ready; if you're more the person who always forgets, toss the batch into ziploc bags at the beginning of the week so you can toss one or two into your bag for a mid-morning snack!

Carrot Apple Ginger Muffins

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 2 c whole wheat flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t cinnamon, clove, tumeric
• 2 T chia seeds (optional)

Wet Ingredients

• 1 large sweet apple, grated
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 2 inches of ginger, grated
• 1/2 c packed brown sugar
• 1 c greek yogurt
• 1/3 c oil
• 1/3 c water
• 1 large egg

Combine

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin tin or line it with paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together.
3. In separate mixing bowl, beat the egg then whisk in the brown sugar, greek yogurt, oil, and water.
4. Mix in the apple, carrot, and ginger then fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just mixed.
5. Scoop into the muffin tin and bake for 15-20 minutes.
6. Carefully transfer the muffins to a cooling rack and let cool for a few minutes before enjoying!
7. Note: these are best stored in the fridge due to their moisture content but will last on the counter for up to 5 days.

Accidental Soup

In a Freudian slip of the mind, I maladjusted the temperature dial in my fridge.  Although I gained the extra freezer space I've always dreamed of, I subsequently gained a fridge full of fruit and vegetable ice cubes that I have never wanted...

As I reset the temperature, shut the door, and tried to ignore the now oddly textured baby carrots melting on the shelf, one word slipped into my mind: SOUP!

Spicy, sweet, dairy-free bisque to be exact.

 There is no better way to transform your freshly frozen fresh ingredients into a meal worth looking forward to, and even if you don't have a frosty fridge I think we can agree that the weekend's snowpocalypse left everyone in need of a delicious way to warm up!

Carrot Apple Bisque


Ingredients

• 3 T olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 inches of fresh ginger, grated
• 2 red apples, chopped, with skin left on
• 1 lb of baby carrots
• 2 t turmeric
• 1 t cumin
• 1/2 t crushed red pepper
• 1 t sage
• 2 salt and pepper
• 2 T soy sauce
• 2 T lemon juice
• Water as needed

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.  When the oil shimmers, toss in the onions and saute for 3-5 minutes.
2. Add in the ginger and saute for about 2 minutes or until you can smell it.
3. Add in the apples, carrots, and spices and cook for another 10-15 minutes until they are just starting to soften.
4. Add in the soy sauce, lemon juice, and enough water to just cover the ingredients - it's okay if the end of a carrot of two sticks out.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat for 5 minutes, then simmer for 30-45 minutes until the ingredients are completely softened and the colors have blended.
6. Ladle the soup mix into your blender and puree until smooth.
7. Drizzle the bowls with any leftover liquid to feel fancy, crack some pepper over it to make it extra spicy, and enjoy!

Counting Down

Now that November is here let the countdown to Thanksgiving begin!

I know all of you totally can't wait for this food-famous holiday either, and this dinner is a great way to get an early but health-conscious start to the festivities.

Start by picking your favorite turkey-day-style herbs and coating some chicken breast in them.  While the chicken is baking saute some ingredients that are reminiscent of your favorite turkey-day-sides.  My checklist includes cranberries, mushrooms, onions, greens, apples, and feta.  Put the two together, close your eyes, and sink your teeth into all of the best flavors of Thanksgiving.

This chicken dinner doesn't include the heavier dishes of cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, or apple pie, but it does come with the satisfaction of knowing that it won't be hitting your waistline as hard as the actual big day!

Herb-Crusted Chicken and Cran-Apple Sauteed Kale

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 1 lb chicken breasts, lightly olive oiled
• 1/2 t red pepper
• 1 t sage
• 1 t rosemary
• 1 t garlic powder
• 1/2 t salt

For the salad:

• 3 T oil
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 c  mushrooms, sliced
• 6 cups of kale, chopped
• 1/4 c cranberries
• 1 T balsalmic vinegar
• 1 honey crisp apple, match-sticked
• 3 T feta, crumbled

Combine

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Trim the excess fat off the chicken, coat it with a little oil, then coat it with herbs and bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, place the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms are cooked as desired: at some point during cooking you will notice that all of a sudden there is a lot of extra liquid in the pan.  This is coming from the mushrooms and it's great because it adds extra flavor to the whole dish: at this point the mushrooms will be juicy but still have a texture similar to their raw form.  I like to keep cooking so the juices get reduced and the mushrooms are browned/darkened, feel free to try one or two along the way to make sure they are too your liking!
5. Add the kale, cranberries, and vinegar and toss all of the ingredients together.
6. Cover the pan for 2-3 minutes until the kale is just wilted then toss in the apple.
7. Plate the salad, crumble on some feta, top with a piece of chicken and enjoy!

Asian Fusion Salad

Asian Fusion salads have been cropping up all over the place and after having versions in two different restaurants I fell in love and decided it was time to take this recipe home!


The beauty of this salad is the balance of the flavors that can be found through many different combinations.   The sweet, the salty, the citrus - it's amazing!  The basis is a bunch of shredded veggies tossed with something sweet, some nuts, a fusion dressing and a protein.  Adding a light cheese or some sliced avocado is always a good idea and a great way to keep this salad vegetarian.


In this version kale is mellowed with lime juice, sweet carrots and apples, marinated chicken breast, and roasted, salted peanuts, but as suggested above feel free to make any desired substitution: for a sweeter salad try tossing in beets or raisins; if you are nuts for nuts, try using raw almonds or something flavored like spiced pepitas or honey roasted peanuts; if you don't like kale even iceberg lettuce will taste good in this mix.  As long as the dressing is kept in line with the same balance of salty, sweet, and acidic, any combination should be great!

Fusion Salad

Ingredients

• 5 Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced/chopped
• 2 sm carrots, peeled and grated
• 1 sm. apple, chopped into strips
• 4 large leaves kale, washed and chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• Roasted salted peanuts as desired
• 1/2 t sesame oil

For the chicken

• 1 lb chicken breasts, cleaned
• 2 T olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 t red pepper
• 1 T soy sauce
• 1 T apple cider vinegar
• 1 T honey
• 1/4 t garlic powder
• 1 inch ginger, grated

Combine

1. Wash and chop your veggies, place them in a large mixing bowl, toss with the lime juice until covered, then set aside.
2. Trim the chicken, rub with a little oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat then brown the chicken on each side and cook through until internal temperature is 160 degrees.
3. Whisk the red pepper, soy, vinegar, honey, garlic, and ginger. Cut the cooked chicken into slices then toss with the sauce.
4. Top the salad with the chicken and extra sauce.
5. Sprinkle with sesame oil and peanuts and enjoy!