#2,813: Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

Breakfast is the one meal I really struggle to eat sometimes because I don't sit down and eat.  I'm always either eating on the go, or while doing something else (lately it's usually cooking!), so anything that is pre-made for me and quick is what I'll gravitate towards.  I found a recipe for healthy breakfast cookie...all you had to say way "cookie" and my ears would perk up.  Adding the word pumpkin in there makes me listen even harder.  I've got to say, these are a bit strange but I like them.  I'd like them more if they were loaded with chocolate chunks and peanut butter, but I suppose that wouldn't be the same.  I still did like these though, and they are making an easy breakfast for me!  My kids wouldn't even try them, but I really didn't expect them to.  

1/4 cup coconut oil melted

1/4 cup honey

1 cup rolled old-fashioned oats

1 cup quick cooking oats

2/3 cup dried cranberries unsweetened

2/3 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

2 eggs beaten

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet.

In a small bowl warm coconut oil and honey (either microwave, inside preheating oven or on the stove top).

In a large bowl combine both kinds of oats, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, ground flax, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Add pumpkin puree, eggs and warmed coconut oil and honey. Stir until fully combined.

Drop about 1/8 cup sized scoops of the mixture onto a cookie sheet and flatten (cookies won't spread while baking). Bake for about 15-20 minutes until edges are lightly browned.

Let cookies cool on baking sheet before moving to an airtight storage container.

#2,812: Coffee Cake Banana Bread

Here's another banana bread recipe for you to try!  I LOVED the addition of the cinnamon sugar topping to make this like a coffee cake.  My kids loved this too and devoured a mini loaf after school.  Ok, I maybe helped them eat it, but personally I would have loved to cut off the topping and just eat that!  Maybe I should make these in muffin top pans?!!?  

3-4 medium or large bananas

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp sour cream (or Greek yogurt)

Crumb Topping

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

6 Tbsp butter, cold

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease two 8x4 pans.

In a small bowl, mash bananas, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Add in eggs and beat until mixed.

To the wet ingredients, sift in flour, baking soda, and salt.

Stir until just combined. Add in sour cream and stir.

Pour in mashed bananas, and mix until combined.

Crumb Topping

Combine cinnamon, flour, and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter, and mix until the topping looks like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle coating evenly over the batter in both pans.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs stuck to it. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Move to a wire cooling rack.

#2,811: (GF) Beef and Corn Noodle Bake

This recipe had the one ingredient in it that my boys (big boy and little boy) do not particularly enjoy...corn (although they hate peas way more).  I however, could eat corn probably every day and not get tired of it.  Even as I look at the photo above, I can barely see the corn and I used way less in the recipe because I knew they'd complain.  But the little one (6 yrs) saw one piece on his plate and immediately scowled.  The big one (41 yrs) managed to pick every little kernel out.  I swear if he just would have eaten it all mixed up he wouldn't have even tasted it.

Regardless  the girls and I loved this dish and were happy to go back for seconds (one of us may have gone back for thirds, but I won't rat anyone out!).  I made these with gluten free noodles and no one in the group could tell the difference.  I also wanted to give them more veggies (heck I was pushing my luck with the corn anyways!), so I added half a can of petite diced tomatoes, and then pureed the second half and threw that in there as well.  Mmmm....I might have to make this again this week!

2 pounds ground beef (I only used 1 lb. 2 lb seemed like a lot!) 

1 cup chopped onion

12 oz. can kernel corn, drained

20 – 24 oz. tomato soup – this can be creamy tomato soup that is gluten free or gluten free condensed tomato soup (I used a 14 oz can and then added another can of water)

1 Tbsp. ketchup

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups cooked gluten free noodles (I used Tinkyada shells)

1 1/4 cups grated cheddar cheese
I also added: minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and dried basil.  

  

Brown the ground beef until no longer pink, adding the onion about halfway through cooking time. Put cooked meat mixture, corn, soup, ketchup, and seasoning in a bowl and mix.

Cook noodles (al dente). Drain. Mix into the other ingredients. Pour casserole into a baking dish and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, covered. Uncover for the last 10 minutes of cooking.  

#2,810: Thai Chicken Salad

We have a disagreement at school during lunch about which is better canned shredded chicken or fresh shredded chicken.  I am the minority of that vote who greatly prefer canned chicken over fresh chicken.  So in the recipe photo above (which I was making just for myself, I used canned chicken.  The salad was delicious and I decided to make it again for some friends, but this time I figured I'd actually cook and shred fresh chicken and add that into the salad.  Although I will deny saying this to my friends, the fresh shredded chicken was actually quite good!  The dressing in this salad is tangy, a bit sweet, and yet a tiny bit spicy.  I like it.  (In my head I said that last sentence with a weird, definitive accent, so please try to read it that way! 🤣).  I strongly recommend this salad...it was THAT good.  

2 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded

2 cups red cabbage, chopped

1 bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup peanuts, roasted & unsalted

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

1 cup Greek yogurt, plain

2 tbsp maple syrup

3 tbsp rice vinegar

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

In a large bowl, add all ingredients listed in the order above and mix with spatula until well combined.

Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

#2,809: Chicken Sausage Egg Hash Brown Bake

Can you tell I'm on a sausage/egg/cheese/hash brown kick!?  That's what happens when you have leftover ingredients from a recipe and want to find a new/different recipe/way to use it up in.  I was super surprised how much I enjoyed this casserole/egg bake.  I was running out of cheddar cheese so I improvised and added sliced provolone on top (I pushed it into the egg mixture a bit) and the result was the super brown and crispy topping.  

2 lb bag frozen hash browns thawed

1 lb pork breakfast sausage sage or spicy (I used chopped chicken sausage)

½ onion finely chopped

8 eggs

½ cup milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

Spray 13 x 9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a sauté pan, cook onions and brown and crumble sausage. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and 1 cup of shredded cheese.

In a baking dish, spread thawed hash browns into bottom of dish.

Spread cooked sausage on top of hash browns.

Next, pour egg mixture on top of that.

Sprinkle the remaining cup of cheddar cheese on top.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes.

Take foil off and bake for additional 10 minutes. Just keep an eye on it to make sure the cheese doesn’t brown up too much.

#2,808: (GF) Sausage and Cheese Hash Brown Cups

I have enjoyed eating these super simple gluten free sausage, egg, and cheese hash brown cups, that I've literally eaten them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (meals on different days, but still all 3 meal times).  These are great to make ahead of time and freeze.  Then to reheat and have a quick meal, just pop them in the microwave for about a minute and they reheat really well.  My kids actually like these too...but the more cheese I put in it, the more they seem to like it.  LOL 

4 Cups Shredded Hash Browns, thawed

4 Tbsp. Butter, melted

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

8 Eggs
1/2 cup milk

1 ½ Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 Cup Sausage, cooked and crumbled

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl combine the shredded hash browns, butter, salt and pepper.  Spray your muffin tin VERY well with cooking spray and fill the cups about 3/4 of the way full with the hash browns.  I sued my fingers to mold them to the muffin cups.  It’s okay if they stick out a bit.  Try to make the sides all the same thickness so they will cook evenly.  You’ll also want to make sure there’s plenty of hash browns at the bottom of the muffin cups.

Bake 20-25 minutes, or until they are starting to brown. Let cool slightly.

Reduce oven to 350 degrees.  Take half of the shredded cheese and sprikle it in the bottom of the hash brown cups.  Repeat with half of the sausage crumble.  Whisk the eggs together and fill the cups until almost full.  Top with the second half of the cheese and sausage.

Bake until the eggs are set which takes about 20 – 25 minutes.  

#2,807: Sweet and Spicy Sticky Chicken

My family was such a big fan of this chicken that we literally ate it two nights in a row and both times we were fighting over the last piece!  And I don't even like chicken thighs...but I did for THIS recipe!  This recipe requires you to brown it on the stove and then finish baking in the oven.  But I wasn't happy with the sauce (it was too liquidy), so I threw it back onto the stove top at the end and it thickened up so nicely (see photo above).  We will definitely be eating this one again...soon!  

FOR THE SPICE RUB

2 teaspoons , or to taste, chili powder

1 teaspoon or to taste , paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

FOR THE HONEY SAUCE

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

FOR THE CHICKEN

1 tablespoon unrefined , cold pressed coconut oil

6 to 8 boneless , skinless chicken thighs

green onions , for garnish

Preheat oven to 375F.

Melt coconut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.

Combine the spice rub ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. 

Rub the chicken with the prepared spice rub and toss to coat.

Add chicken to skillet and cook for 5 minutes on each side, or until browned.

Prepare the honey sauce by combining honey and apple cider vinegar in a mixing bowl; stir until well incorporated.

Remove chicken from heat and pour honey sauce over the chicken thighs, turning to coat.

Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove from oven and let stand couple minutes.

Plate and garnish with green onions.

#2,806: Caprese Lasagna Roll-up

When you have a whole lot of tomatoes and basil in your garden you've got to find a way to use them up!  I am a huge lasagna fan so I was excited to try this recipe when I found it.  I loved this lasagna and I loved that I was able to use fresh ingredients from my own garden for it too.  It would have been even more home made if I would have made the noodles from scratch but that would have really been pushing it! HA  

8 lasagna noodles, uncooked

3 1/2 cups fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

1 large egg white

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

freshly ground black pepper

3-4 medium Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (plus more for garnish)

2 cups marinara sauce 

Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain pasta and align noodles in a single layer on a large sheet of parchment paper (I used a flexible cutting board).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For the filling:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese and egg white until well blended. Stir in fresh Parmesan cheese.

Mix about 3 cups of the Mozzarella cheese and season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Spread a thin layer of the cheese mixture over each lasagna noodle, covering it completely from one end to the other.

Lay about 4 thin tomato slices over the cheese mixture and then sprinkle fresh basil over top.

Snugly roll lasagna noodles to opposite end.

Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 11x7'' baking dish.

Place lasagna rolls seam side down in dish and top each roll with a heaping spoonful or pasta sauce. Make sure to cover the edges of the pasta so they don't dry out while baking.

Sprinkle remaining shredded Mozzarella on top.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and garnish with more fresh basil ribbons. Enjoy!

#2,805: Thai Baked Chicken

I personally was so scared of this recipe because I don't love chicken if it's not grilled, or battered and fried.  I am really not a fan of baked chicken, but this recipe got such good reviews I wanted to give it a try.  Even as I was making it, I was thinking I wasn't going to like it because the chicken was too.........chicken-y.  (go ahead....give an eye roll!)  But I was pleasantly surprised that this chicken was so moist and tender.  Although I ate a little bit of it as seen above, I really enjoyed this in a quesadilla instead!  My kids loved this chicken and we even ate it two nights in a row (one as the chicken with a side dish and once as a chicken quesadilla).  I think this would also be good as a chopped up chicken filling for tacos or enchiladas. 

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves or 12 boneless chicken thighs

1 tbsp oil (for skillet)

Marinade

1-1/2 cups chopped fresh cilantro

3/4 cup canned coconut milk

12 leaves fresh basil

1 large or 2 small jalapeños, seeds removed

3 cloves garlic

1/4 inch slice of fresh ginger

1-1/2 tsp salt

1-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3/4 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp packed brown sugar, or coconut palm sugar

2 limes cut into wedges, for garnish

Add marinade ingredients to food processor and purée until smooth.

Arrange chicken parts in a single layer in a large freezer bag. Pour marinade over chicken, seal tightly or vacuum seal and massage the marinade into the chicken a bit. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours, or simply lay it flat in the freezer and freeze for another day.

When ready to cook, thaw completely. The safest way to thaw is in the refrigerator overnight.

To bake: Preheat oven to 375F. Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium to high heat. Add oil and wait until it ripples or shimmers. Add chicken pieces and sear on each side for 3-4 minutes, then place skillet in oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Cover with foil and let stand on a platter for 5-10 minutes before serving.

If you want to grill it instead: Place chicken on medium-hot well-oiled grill. Turn when chicken has grill marks (approx. 5-6 min). Cook until internal temperature is 165 degrees at the thickest part (about 7-8 minutes).

Sprinkle with more chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

#2,804: Parmesan Hash Brown Cups

I had some leftover hash browns in my freezer and wanted to find a quick way to use them up, so I gave these baked cheesy hash brown cups a try and they were a big hit with my crew!  The kids didn't even mind the specks of "grass" they saw on top (ignore them, they get that from their dad...it was just chives!).  These are so simple and as long as you bake them long enough, they pretty much pop out of the muffin tins.  If they won't come out, you either didn't grease the cup well enough or it's just not ready (it's probably not ready!).  I used Parmesan and a little mozzarella, but you could use whatever cheese you have on hand.  The original recipe also says to grate a potato, but the thawed shredded hash browns was so much easier!

These also reheat well from frozen (just microwave for about a minute). 

1½ pounds potatoes (I used a bag of defrosted hash brown potatoes)

1 small yellow onion

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
a handful of shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons chives, minced

2 tablespoons garlic herb seasoning (I didn't have this so I used a little bit of brown sugar, garlic powder, seasoned salt, and parsley)

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease or parchment line the wells of a 6-well jumbo muffin pan (I used regular muffin tins).

Cut ends off onion, remove outer later, and grate.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stir well to combine, then add to the prepared wells in the muffin pan.  Bake in preheated oven 30-40 minutes until the tops are golden brown. 

#2,803: Gluten Free Chocolate Doughnuts

So the original recipe for these chocolate doughnuts called for gluten free oat flour, which I did not have on hand.  I debated about grinding up some oats in place, but that seemed like too much work (it's not, I was just being lazy!).  So I figured I'd dry brown rice flour instead since I had it on hand and it was ready to use.  First of all, the batter alone for these doughnuts is pretty darn good!  But baked and glazed, these doughnuts are SO good.  I had enough for the kids to have one for a snack and one for breakfast the next day.  They tried to convince me to let them have it for dessert and not wait until breakfast...nice try kiddos.  

3/4 cup (2 1/2 ounces) gluten-free oat flour (I used brown rice flour)

1/2 cup (4 ounces) granulated sugar

1/4 cup (1 1/4 ounces) potato starch or tapioca starch (I used potato starch)

1/4 cup (3/4 ounce) cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

6 tablespoons sour cream

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

nonstick cooking spray

For the Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

6 tablespoons whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract, optional

Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk together oat flour, granulated sugar, potato starch, cocoa powder, baking soda, and xanthan gum in a medium bowl. Add egg, sour cream, milk, and vegetable oil. Whisk until batter is smooth. Allow batter to stand for five minutes. Lightly coat pan with nonstick cooking spray. Fill cavities about halfway with batter.

Bake until doughnuts spring back to the touch, about ten minutes. Turn doughnuts out onto a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining batter. Allow doughnuts to cool completely. Place a wire rack into a parchment-lined baking pan. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and lemon extract in small bowl. Dip doughnuts, one at a time, into glaze. Shake off excess glaze. Place dipped doughnuts onto wire rack. Store doughnuts covered at room temperature for up to three days.

#2,802: Mashed Potato Puffs

So one of my kids is a self-proclaimed mashed potato hater.  Actually he hates all forms of potatoes if it's not a hash brown, a french fry, or a potato chips.  So when I told him we were having these mashed potato puffs for dinner he was not happy.  We told him he had to take one bite, and boy was I shocked when he said he liked these and asked for seconds (he had to dip it in catsup though).  These are a great recipe to use with leftover mashed potatoes.  Or, if you get the steam and mash frozen kind (that you microwave) from Ore Ida, you can whip these up super fast!  You know when these are done when they start to pull away from the sides.  If you can't get them out of your muffin tins, they probably aren't done.  As you can see from the photo, I used my square muffin tin, but any muffin tin would work! 

2 eggs

⅓ cup sour cream, plus more for serving

1 heaping cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons chopped chives

salt and black pepper, to taste

3 cups mashed potatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 8 - 9 of the wells of a cupcake pan - preferably nonstick.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk the eggs then whisk in the sour cream. Mix in both cheeses and the chives.  Season with salt and pepper. Add them to the bowl and mix well.

Spoon them into the pan filling the cups just to the top or a little below.

Bake 25 - 35 minutes until they pull away from the sides of the cup and are golden brown all over.

Remove from oven and let them cool 5 minutes in pan. Turn them out onto a platter. Serve with sour cream.

#2,801: Peanut butter and jelly muffins

I'm playing catch up with recipes and making my way through Food Network Magazines month of muffins!  This is the recipe from September and is a perfect back-to-school recipe!  One of my kids likes grape jelly, and one likes strawberry, (and one doesn't like jelly), so I made both kinds.  The muffin is a tiny bit dry, so the jelly definitely helps.  The peanut topping is so good on it though!  We really enjoyed these and the kids would ask me every morning if they could eat them and how many they could have.  I just kept responding "how many do YOU think you should have?"  LOL

2/3 cup whole-wheat flour (I used more all-purpose flour)

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

3/4 cup honey-roasted peanuts, finely chopped

1 cup strawberry or grape jelly or jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk both flours, the baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk 1/3 cup peanut butter, the milk, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla and eggs in a medium bowl; stir into the flour mixture until just combined.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling them three-quarters of the way. Tap the bottom of the pan lightly on the counter to smooth out the batter. Bake until the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let the muffins cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Using a melon baller or teaspoon, scoop out a shallow hole in the middle of each muffin. Melt the remaining 2/3 cup peanut butter in the microwave until loose, stirring halfway through, 45 to 60 seconds. Spread the peanuts on a plate. Dip the top of 1 muffin in the melted peanut butter, letting the excess drip off, then dip it in the chopped peanuts to coat. Transfer to the rack and repeat with the remaining muffins.

Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon jelly or jam into the hole in each muffin. Let set 5 minutes.

#2,800: Nectarine - Blueberry Almond Muffins

Recipe #2,800!  I'm pretty sure I've accidentally numbered things wrong a couple of times too so it might actually be higher than that!  This is a great milestone recipe because it is delicious!  HA  These muffins are super easy to make and Chloe keeps asking me if we have nectarines in the house...I think she keeps hinting that I make these again!  These may not be the world's healthiest thing I've ever made, but it is hard to resist that batter.  The kids and I fight to lick the spoon at the end.  So good.  I use frozen blueberries to help the batter from turning purple and it makes the batter very thick (and a bit sticky), so it's easiest to portion this into the muffin cups using one spoon to scoop and another spoon to push it into the muffin cup.

This recipe was from the August muffin of the month with Food Network Magazine (I'm only a few months behind...don't worry, the August muffin recipe/review is coming next!), and this was definitely a winner in our book!  This was probably my favorite one yet.  

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

2 small nectarines, pitted and chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)

1/2 cup blueberries

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Coarse sugar, for topping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, sour cream, eggs and almond extract in a medium bowl; stir into the flour mixture until just combined with small bits of flour remaining. Stir in the nectarines and blueberries.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling them three-quarters of the way. Sprinkle the almonds on top, then sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake until the muffins are golden and the tops spring back when gently pressed, about 20 minutes. Let the muffins cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

#2,799: Gluten Free Home Made Ramen Noodle Cups

Ramen noodles may be so bad for you, but they are a guilty pleasure of mine!  I am not a fan though of the ramen noodle cups (eck!) which are just loaded with sodium and weird spices.  So when I found a healthier version with real veggies I knew I wanted to give this a try.  I've been eating gluten free ramen noodles lately (I like the millet and brown rice ones from Lutus foods...I get it off Thrive) so this was even a little more exciting.  

The first time I made these I didn't pre-cook the carrots and I really regretted that.  Have you ever choked on a shred of carrot?  No?  It hurts. The second time I made these I sauteed them in a little olive oil until they softened up and I also chopped the spinach a little finer, and I LOVED this more.  I have eaten this both with shredded chicken and cooked chicken sausage (you can see it in the photo above) and I like it both ways.  I also added some edamame after I took this picture...that was a good idea!  

This is made with homemade bouillon seasoning and it is quite good in my opinion.   The recipe makes a ton though so you might want to halve it! 

This makes a super easy, make ahead lunch!  Just add some hot water, let it sit for a few minutes, and you are ready to eat! 

This is for FOUR ramen cups

Bouillon Powder

1/2 cup (40 g) nutritional yeast flakes*

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons onion flakes (can substitute 1 tablespoon onion powder)

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon wasabi powder (if you can’t find it, leave it out)*

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar (can substitute regular granulated sugar)

Instant Soup

4 “nests” gluten free ramen or rice noodles

2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves (I like mine chopped a bit)

3/4 cup shredded carrots (from about 2 medium carrots) (I used grated carrots and sauteed them to soften a bit)

1 cup cubed extra-firm tofu or diced cooked chicken

2 tablespoons gluten free miso paste (I omitted)

4 teaspoons gluten free soy sauce

1/4 cup Bouillon Powder

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped fresh scallion greens

1 cup edamame

First, make the bouillon powder. Place all of the bouillon ingredients in a medium-size bowl and mix to combine well. Place in a resealable glass container (a small mason jar works great), and set aside.

Next, cook the noodles one nest at a time according to the package directions or by boiling them in about a quart of water until they separate and begin to soften.  Do not cook them all the way.  Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, and set them aside briefly.

To assemble the instant soups, set out four heat-safe jars that can accommodate about 20 fluid ounces in volume. 

In each jar, layer the ingredients in the following order: 

1/2 cup spinach leaves 

1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup edamame
1/2 cup tofu or chicken
1/2 tablespoon miso paste
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 nest of softened noodles
1 tablespoon bouillon powder and, finally,
scallion greens to taste (at least 2 tablespoons).

Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, fill each container with boiling water (leaving a small space to permit covering the container) and cover tightly. Allow the container to steep for 2 minutes. Open, stir gently and enjoy.

#2,798: Pineapple Coconut Rice

This recipe went well with the Hawaiian Chicken sandwiches from a few days ago.  Although my family wasn't a fan of this recipe (big babies), I certainly was.  This is the second time I've tried making coconut rice and the pineapple was exactly what it needed...and it pulled together the pineapple from the Hawaiian chicken nicely too!  This was really easy to throw together.  I liked it topped with both green onion (pictured) AND some slivered almond. 

I did not follow the instructions on how to cook the rice using the original recipe below, but followed the instructions on the bag of rice I used.  It needed A LOT more cooking liquid though so I had to keep adding water until the rice was soft and fully cooked.  The instructions below were so much different than the directions on the bag, I figured I was safer using the bag instructions.  I should have known to add more liquid/water right away based on the instruction on the rice.  It's ok though...it all tasted good in the end. 

2 cups jasmine rice

1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup crushed pineapple

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/4 cup diced scallions

Optional toppings: macadamia nuts, almonds, toasted coconut flakes

Rinse the rice several times until the water runs clear. Drain the rice. (At this point, I made mine in a rice cooker. If you don’t have one, here’s the stove top method):

In a medium pot, over high heat, add the rice, broth, and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat to low and cover with tight fitting lid; let cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat, and without opening the lid, let it sit for another 10 minutes to finish steaming.

Fluff the rice with a fork and mix in the pineapple, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and scallions.

Top with any of the other recommended toppings. Drizzle a touch more soy sauce, if desired.