Healthy breakfast on the go!

I just read an awful article about eating healthy at fast food (gag!) so I thought I would share some tips for healthy breakfasts for those on the go.

One day a week ( like Sunday!) spend an hour making breakfasts for the week, here are the 3 that I find are the easiest and cheapest to make.

1. Whole grain waffles are super easy to make and you can make a giant stack in very little time. They freeze well, take 30 seconds to microwave and you can eat them with turkey & cheese or honey & fruit. When freezing lay them on a tray for an hour then store in a freezer bag, this will ensure they don’t stick together. Cost=less than 5 cents a waffle 25 cents with toppings
2. Breakfast burritos take a bit more work but are oh so worth it. Scramble a dozen eggs (tip add a splash of cream and a 1/2 tsp baking powder to make them fluffy) , add diced meat of choice ( or none for veggie) I use turkey slices, add veggie of choice ( green onion and red pepper are the bomb.com). In a whole wheat tortilla add about 1/4 c egg/meat/veggie mixture and a sprinkle of shredded cheese. Roll into burrito and wrap in plastic. This usually makes about a dozen-15 burritos depending on how many topping I use. They re-heat surprisingly well and only take a minute to heat up. Cost= about 75 cents a burrito if it’s loaded with veggies and meat 🙂
3. Oats on the go– In sandwich bags add 1/2 c quick oats, 1 tbsp brown sugar, dried fruit of choice. When you want to eat it just add some water and microwave for 30 seconds. cost is like a penny a bag and if you buy in bulk at winco you can have endless to go bags. Re-use the bags or use a mason jar for easy transport and a bowl in one.

Smoked paprika, Orzo, Chicken stew

There is nothing better on a gloomy day than a hot bowl of stew and on days when I can’t breathe out of my nose and my sinuses feel like they might explode, I need a stew with a bit of a kick. I have been obsessing over smoked paprika lately so I  put together this yummy southwestern stew  featuring the bright red spice.

For this recipe I used a pound of leftover shredded  ( unseasoned) chicken from taco night so if you don’t have cooked chicken on hand use chicken breast cut into tiny pieces and cook it up in a skillet with a bit of oil until just done.

What you need

• 1 pound of chicken, cooked
• 1 cup orzo
• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• 1/2 of a white onion, finely chopped
• 1 32 oz can of tomato sauce (plain, no spices)
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 1 tbsp each of smoked paprika, new mexico chili powder, cumin, black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• salt to taste

How to make it

• Saute garlic & onion with a few tablespoons of olive oil until translucent
• add chicken & spices and cook for a few minutes until chicken is well coated in spices
• add tomato sauce, broth and orzo
• cook on medium heat for 20 minutes or until orzo is done
• add salt to taste
• serve with a dollop of sour cream  and a warm tortilla

Cooking with Edible Wasatch

One of my favorite local publications, actually one of my favorite publications period, is a little magazine called Edible Wasatch. This seasonal magazine is packed full of bios and stories about local farmers, restaurants, chefs and producers. The best part of the magazine though, is the local recipes. 

Every time a new issue of Edible Wasatch hits the shelves I rush over to my local cafe and snatch my copy up and head right home to get cooking. The recipes featured are always exciting and easy and accessible for all to make. The directions are never complicated but the end result is always something fantastic.

The first recipe I tried was the mackerel pate and as luck would have it,  I had been holding on to a can of fancy mackerel for months just waiting for the perfect recipe to inspire me to crack it open.  I truly wish I would have ordered more cans of this little fish because the spread was  amazing.  I substituted aiolo where  it called for creme fraiche and added just a pinch of cayenne for a little kick.

The second recipe I tested was polenta with meatballs and tart cherries. I was planning on making something using the last of my ground turkey for dinner so I substituted the pork in this recipe for that and the cherries with the cranberries I had on hand. I had never used fruit in my meatballs before and the added sweetness was so delightful. On their own, each dish is lovely but together the polenta and meatballs really make something special .

Head over to http://www.ediblewasatch.com/ to find these recipes and more. I will be trying out their kombucha cocktails this weekend from their feature ‘The mother of all cocktails’, how cute!

Chocolate zucchini cupcakes & chocolate bacon frosting

Today we got a taste of spring sunshine and I was really in the mood for a picnic. Sadly it was still too cold to actually sit outside so my daughters and I had an indoor tea party with all of their little Russian dolls and these yummy chocolate zucchini cupcakes.

The best part of zucchini cupcakes  ( besides being delicious) is of course getting a little extra veggies in the kiddos diet without a fuss. Luckily my kids love veggies but even they can be stubborn about eating sometimes.  These are lightly sweet and oh so yummy and the frosting has a hint of salty bacon in it making them a little extra special.

What you need

Cupcakes

• 1 medium-large zucchini
• 1/2 c coconut oil
• 1/2 c honey
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 c cocoa powder
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 eggs
• pinch of salt

Frosting

 

• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 4 tbsp honey
• 1 heaping tablespoon of bacon grease ( you can use chopped cooked bacon for ‘sprinkles’!)
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• A few drops of water as needed

 

How to make it

Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350
• in one bowl mix flour, cocoa powder,  baking powder & soda and salt together and set aside
• Grate zucchini finely
• in a bowl mix zucchini, eggs and honey
• Melt coconut oil
• Add coconut oil to dry ingredients and mix well
• add zucchini mixture to flour mixture and mix well
• add batter to a greased muffin tin
• reduce oven to 300 and bake for 15 minutes or until done

Frosting

 

• In a kitchen aid or in a bowl with a mixer whisk together cocoa powder and corn starch until fully blended
• add coconut oil and honey slowly and whisk in
• whisk in bacon grease
• add a few drops of water if needed until consistency is like frosting
• Place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes
• (coconut oil may clump together once cooled, just whisk again to blend or not if you don’t care )

 

 

 

Easy sugar cookies and Utah love from Revolutah

I am hosting a giveaway with Revolutah over on my other blog (Giveaway HERE)  and they were kind enough to send me this adorable cookie cutter to show off. What better way to show my Utah pride than with some delicious cookie love?

Sugar cookies are the easiest cookies to make and you can really do anything with them. Sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar, drizzle chocolate, add sprinkles,  whip up some colorful frosting or pipe on pretty designs, the possibilities really are endless.  These cookies are a breeze to whip up and roll out very nicely without getting sticky.

Use any cookie cutter you can dream up but if you are a lover of all things Utah, like myself, then head over to Revolutah and pick one of these gems up for yourself!

What you need

• 3/4 C unsalted butter
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon almond extract ( or vanilla)
• 2.5 C flour
• pinch of salt

How to make it

• preheat oven to 275
• Cream together butter and sugar
• add eggs and vanilla and whisk together well
• in a separate bowl mix together flours, baking powder and salt
• slowly add flour mixture until it all comes together
• put in the fridge for at least a half hour
• separate into 3 balls
• roll out one ball at a time and cut out your cookie shapes
• sprinkle with sugar and bake for 8-10 minutes until  light brown on the edges
• eat up!

Chocolate, coffee crunch bars

When you need chocolate you NEED chocolate so it’s always a good idea to store some for those days when the craving hits hard. This is one of those recipes born out of desperation, during a particularly fierce chocolate craving I gathered up some baking supplies and whipped this up. To my surprise ( and relief) these bars came out amazing and are now my new favorite treat.

This recipe makes quite a lot especially if you cut them into  2 inch squares. Store them in a bag in the freezer for emergencies  but remember to hide them behind the veggies so no one else eats them.
What you need

• 1 c dark chocolate chips ( Or carob to make this vegan!) plus a handful for good luck
• 1/2 c coconut oil
• 6 cups rice krispies cereal, you can get it in bulk at Winco for so cheap!
• 1 heaping tablespoon of fine ground coffee, espresso grind is best
• coarse sea salt

How to make it

• Melt chocolate and coconut oil together
• in a big bowl mix together  rice krispies , ground coffee and melted chocolate mix until mostly coated
• throw in your handful of chocolate chips for good luck
• press into a baking dish lines with wax paper.  I used a deep baking pan for bars but you can do a baking dish for thicker slices.
• Using a sheet of wax paper, press your bars into the dish gently to help it all stay together
• sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt
• put into the freezer for half hour to an hour until hardened
• cut into pieces and devour!

Cream of Broccoli soup

I told you i’d be back! Ok, it took a bit longer to get back into the groove than I expected but  with thesun shining and warmer weather on the way I am feeling inspired to get back to creative cooking! Enjoy this first recipe back!

Nothing warms the soul after a long day in the snow quite like a ‘sticks to your ribs’ kind of soup. In the winter I am always craving creamy soups but I don’t really want to spend a lot of time cooking and canned soup is out of the question, yuck!  I came up with this easy and quick recipe that really hit the spot and best of all it uses some local  Utah ingredients that really add a little kick.

This recipe takes under half hour to make,  less than 20 if you don’t have one kid hanging on your leg and one spilling glitter in the living room. You can use regular old cheddar or Colby jack but if you really want to add some local flavor you simply must use Beehive’s ‘Big John Cajun’ cheese.

*If you are feeling adventurous add a couple of  cups of cooked macaroni and convert this recipe into creamy broccoli mac n cheese!

Ingredients 

• 3 tbsp real butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1 extra large head of broccoli or 2 medium
• 1/2 c shredded Big John’s Cajun cheese from Beehive Cheese or 1/2 C regular cheese
• 1 tsp cajun seasoning
• 1 all natural chicken/veggie bullion or sub 1 cup of milk for chicken/veggie broth

Directions

• In a sauce pan melt butter over med heat
• add flour and mix
• cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly to remove flour taste
• add milk and broth/bullion and whisk together until smooth and flour is all dissolved
• add cheese and stir until melted together
• chop head of broccoli into tiny pieces, peel stem and dice into pieces (or omit if you don’t like the stem)
• Cook for about 10 minutes at a slow boil, whisking frequently to keep bottom from sticking
• serve and top with shredded cheese, yum!

Things I love: Kitchen Ink

I love Etsy, I have an addiction and I don’t care. I love the dIY, hand-made,  down home feel of it all and I love that I know exactly who makes what I am buying. One Etsy store has become a staple in my house and  my kids don their hand printed clothes almost daily.

Kitchen ink is the brainchild of an old friend of mine and features hand printed shirts for kids and adults alike with images of veggies and pie and even hand drawn designs and creatures.  The shirts are all the softest shirts you will ever wear and are made in the USA.  Check them out on FACEBOOK or ETSY and get your adorable shirts today!

Kitchen Ink is an artistic endeavor nurtured and flourishing under the keen eyes of Rosin Bean James. Since the early days making scrap patches in the kitchen of a communal house in Oakland California, these goods and their maker have traveled to the far corners of the continents to bring you delightfully playful and refreshingly sinister embellishments at craft fairs, demonstrations, and concerts. There’s no telling how they’ll get there, but once they do you are sure to find something delightfully unique among stacks of buried treasure. We pride ourselves on continuously providing fresh, unique hand-made goods to the creative craft hungry masses.

Get Fresh recipes: raw peach tart & pâté rolls

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of participating in the annual ‘Get Fresh’ event at our local Oasis community garden. The ‘Get Fresh’ event is a local cook off sponsored by Ogden’s Junior League and helps raise awareness about eating healthy and raises money for the Junior Leagues projects including a new pavilion that is being built at the garden where they can host healthy cooking classes.

It was so much fun at last year’s event, eating all the amazing foods,  so when I got an invite to be a guest chef I could barely contain my joy. The  coolest thing about this cook off is that it isn’t a cook off at all, all the foods are raw! The Junior league makes a trip to our local farms and farmer’s market and gathers the freshest foods to display on a huge table.  The chefs can all bring 3 secret ingredients and  then at 3 pm sharp they  gather up as much fresh local goods as they can to prepare some creative raw foods.

Raw foods usually take hours to prepare and sometimes overnight with sprouting or freezing but during this raw foods (un)cook off we only had 1 hour! It was so much fun seeing what all the chefs prepared and I can not wait to get their recipes for everything from watermelon gazpacho to jicama pizza!  As for me, I made raw tart bites and pâté  rolls and as requested I am sharing my recipe with all of you!

Photo by Kristin Guthrie Brandt

Photo by Kristin Guthrie Brandt

Photo by Kristin Guthrie Brandt

Photo by Kristin Guthrie Brandt

photo by Junior League of Ogden

Photo by Kristin Guthrie Brandt

photo by Junior League of Ogden

photo by Junior League of Ogden

photo by Junior League of Ogden

Photo by Kristin Guthrie Brandt

Photo by Junior League of Ogden

Raw peach tart bites (makes 1 pie or 2 dozen pie bites)

What you need

• 2 cups of flax seeds
• 1 cup of almonds
• 1/4 c chia seeds
• 3 cups of dates (pitted)
• 4 large peaches
• water

How to make it

• put flax, almonds and dates in a blender  a handful at a time and pulse
• add a tablespoon or 2 of water to help it blend
• add to a bowl and add chia seeds
• mix together and let sit while chia absorbs the moisture ( about 30 minutes for full effect)
• to make a whole tart line a tart pan  in plastic or oil with coconut oil
• press crust into pie dish firmly
• slice peaches and arrange on tart, put in freezer for 1 hour before slicing
• for tart bites grab a tablespoon of crust and roll into a ball squeeze to firm it up
• slice peaches into cubes
• press your thumb into ball and but the peach cube into it, yum!

Zucchini Pâté  rolls (makes up to 50)

What you need

• toothpicks
• cherry tomatoes
• several large zucchini
• 2 bell peppers (red)
• 4 cups of sunflower seeds
• 1 bunch of basil
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1/2 white onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• sea salt to taste

How to make it

• Chop bell peppers and onion
• Add bell pepper, onion, garlic, basil and olive oil to blender and pulse
• add sunflower seeds a handful at a time
• add sea salt to taste
• using a veggie peeler slice zucchini into thin strips (do not use the center where the seeds are but sale that part for stews or stock  or your chickens!)
• Add a teaspoon of pâté  to the zucchini strip and roll up
• use a toothpick to stabilize it and garnish with a cherry tomato

Eat local challenge!

My daughter just started school and I have been over here wiping my tears and watching the clock and not doing a whole lot else. But I did manage to squeeze in a guest post over at by friend’s blog  ‘ The Family Practice’.  She is doing a month-long eat local challenge and some lucky local folks get a box of fresh local goods every week!  being the super generous person she is, she stopped by my house with a box and asked me to whip something up. I was so excited to try all the foods and I made a this yummy garden fresh  dinner recipe. Check it out HERE and be sure to peek at the other recipes on her site as well!