Whole Wheat Blueberry Banana Pancakes

Whole wheat blueberry banana pancakes... whew that was a mouthful. But, I will never buy store bought pancakes again! Not only are these more delicious than any frozen waffle or pancake you can purchase at the store, they are easy to make, 100 percent natural, and are just darned delicious. The best part is, you can freeze them in between sheets of parchment or wax paper and pull them out for breakfast - just pop right into the toaster : ) I have adapted this recipe from 100 days of real food - and I hope you enjoy!

Once upon a time, I had the picture of my delicious pancakes. But I lost it, so you get this random one of some bananas and blueberries from google : ) 

INGREDIENTS

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon of honey

2 large eggs, beaten lightly

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 3/4 cups milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

2 ripe bananas, mashed

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

2. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and pour in the honey, eggs, cinnamon, milk, and butter. Mix together lightly just until mixed - be gentle!

3. Gently fold in the bananas and blueberries. 

4. Heat a griddle or large skillet to medium high heat. Add pancake batter to the skillet, flipping when bottom side is brown. 

FREEZING TIPS

*Make sure to divide them with wax or parchment paper, otherwise they will stick together with a vengeance!

*Completely cool pancakes to room temperature before freezing. 

Black Bean Chili : )

OH.MY.GOODNESS.

It's that time of year, friends! Chili is perfect for lunches, snacks, or dinners, and will be even better when Texas decides to join the normal states and become cool for fall. In fact, we are having this from the freezer for dinner tomorrow night! I made this over last weekend and it is freezer-friendly and delicious! If you want it to be vegetarian, you can leave it as is. Or, you can add one pound of ground turkey or lean ground beef, putting in the pot after the cumin and chili powder.

INGREDIENTS

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

(1 pound ground meat, if desired)

2 (14.5 ounce) cans of chili style diced tomatoes (or plain)

2 (15 ounce) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Start with a medium-large pot and add olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 3 minutes. 

2. Add the garlic and sauté for another 3 minutes.

3. Add all of the other ingredients and turn the heat to high. 

4. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes. 

FREEZING DIRECTIONS

Cook chili per directions above. Make sure it is completely cooled, then freeze in your choice of container. 

Cilantro Lime Chicken

My new cooking goal has been to create food that is freezer friendly for convenience! This cilantro lime chicken is inexpensive, easy, and take very little time to prepare or cook! It is really yummy paired with some fresh sliced avocado, piled on top of some black beans, or with some steamed veggies on the side. 

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds of boneless chicken tenderloins or thin breasts

2 medium limes - juiced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients besides the chicken together evenly in a bowl. Place chicken in a container and coat evenly with the cilantro marinade. Cover and allow to sit in the refrigerator for at least one hour, but for best results - overnight. 

**Freezer Friendly**

Follow all directions above, except put chicken and marinade in your freezer container and stick in the freezer. 

Black Bean and Brown Rice Burritos

Justin and I are always searching for new ways to make lunch exciting, so here I present to you.... Black Bean and Brown Rice Burritos!!! The best part about these besides the fact that they were quick and easy to make, is that you can FREEZE them - that's right folks, put them in the freezer just like those nasty fat infested ones from the grocery store, except here you have nothing but natural goodness! : ) You just wrap in foil, the plastic wrap and freeze. Of course, when you reheat - take the foil off! 

This recipe makes about 5 burritos.

INGREDIENTS

 1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1-2 cups sliced mushrooms (or leave out if you don't like mushrooms!)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 (15.5 ounce) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5) ounce can of diced chili -style tomatoes (or plain is fine)

1 cup chicken broth or stock

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Whole Wheat tortillas

DIRECTIONS

1. Place olive oil in large pan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes.Then add garlic and mushrooms and sauté for another 3 minutes or until mostly cooked. 

2. Add the black beans, tomatoes, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. 

3. Warm tortillas in the microwave until soft. Add rice to burrito along with the bean and tomato mixture, and top with cheese. 

Wrap up and enjoy!

Carrot Apple Almond Muffins

Carrot Apple Almond Muffins

This is my favorite recipe so far. I just made these yesterday - perfect for fall! I adapted this recipe from onceamonthmom to make it "more healthy", and here you have my delicious carrot apple almond muffins :) 

INGREDIENTS

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped almonds

3 eggs

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (or fresh)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups grated carrot (no need to peel!)

1 cup grated apple 

DIRECTIONS
In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and nuts. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, applesauce, ginger, and vanilla. Gently mix together wet and dry ingredients until just combined. Gently fold in carrot and apple. Spoon into greased muffin tins, filling about 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 

***FREEZER FRIENDLY***

Make a bigger batch and freeze! Make sure they are completely cooled before storing in the freezer.

 

First Blog Post

Hi everyone! 

I have had some mass demand from my friends and acquaintances to post all of the healthy recipes that Justin and I have been making! So... here comes my new blog. Feel free to leave comments and suggestions! I can't make any promises right now to update it super frequently, but I will do my best : ) 

Happy Monday!

Lauren