Blueberry Banana bread

Leave a comment

Thick slices to have on their own or with a cup of tea. Chock-full of antioxidant rich blueberries, potassium laden bananas, this yogurt-moistened, blueberry banana bread recipe is a keeper.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour + 1 tablespoon to coat the blueberries
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (can substitute frozen although bread will be streaked blue)
  • Butter or cooking spray to grease 9*5 loaf pan

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

Grease the loaf pan with butter or cooking spray and set aside.

Wash and pace the blueberries in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of flour and toss to coat.

In a mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, yogurt, vanilla, and add the mashed banana to it. Mix the banana in well.

Slowly add in the try ingredients, mixing till it is all moist. Slowly blend in the blueberries.

Gently drop the mix to the greased loaf pan.

Place in the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool the bread for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack; remove the bread from pan.

Cool completely on wire rack before cutting.

Easy, Healthy Granola

Leave a comment

Granola is an excellent source of fiber and potassium. It’s a magical, delicious mix of oats, nuts, dried fruits and maple syrup or honey. Not only is it beloved by hikers, it’s good for breakfast, a snack, or when mixed in with yogurt and berries, makes for a delicious desert. But store bought granola can be full of artificial sweeteners. Here is a super easy and yet, very healthy granola recipe. It’s sweetness comes from maple syrup (or honey) and the crunch comes from nuts. Make it your own with your choice of nuts.

Servings: 6 cups of granola

Time: 35 minutes including baking time of about 20-22 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats ( or use gluten free oats)
  • 1.5 cups mixed nuts – almonds, walnuts and pecans (you can use your own combination of nuts – cashews, pistachios taste great)
  • 2/3rd cup maple syrup (or honey)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup olive or coconut oil (I prefer the flavor of coconut oil)
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3rd cup dried cranberries (other dried berries, just watch the sugar in those)
  • 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Method:

  • Line a large, rimmed baking sheet or pan with parchment paper while preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts, salt, cinnamon powder.
  • Pour into the mixing bowl the maple syrup(or honey), oil and vanilla essence. Stir to combine so all the oats and nuts are coated.
  • Evenly layer the mix on the baking sheet and place the sheet in the oven. Set the timer for 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes, remove sheet/pan from oven and stir the granola so that it browns evenly. Put the sheet back in oven and cook for another 10-12 minutes.
  • Remove sheet/pan from oven and cool for an hour, as the granola will further crisp.
  • When cool, mix in the dried cranberry and chocolate chips.
  • It is now ready to be served or store in an air-tight container.
Berry yogurt with granola topping

Apple-cinnamon overnight oats

4 Comments

Overnight oats are delicious, easy to make and not just a perfect way to start the day but also very healthy! Mix, soak, enjoy!! And if you really don’t like them cold, just pop them into your microwave and heat in 30 second increments until the desired temperature is reached and enjoy!

Chopped apples, cinnamon, maple syrup! What’s not to enjoy!!

Prep time : 8 hours including overnight time

Serving size: 2

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsweetened milk, I prefer unsweetened almond but any milk will do
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (or plant-based for a vegan recipe)
  • 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats (or gluten-free oats)
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey or sweetener like stevia
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract, optional
  • 2 teaspoons chia seeds
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • Big pinch of cinnamon powder
  • 1/2 a small apple, diced
  • Toppings like nuts, granola, berries, diced apple and banana

Method

  1. Mix all the ingredients, except for the toppings in a large glass container and stir until combined
  2. Cover the container and refrigerate overnight (or atleast 2 hours).
  3. Before serving, give it a stir and add a little more milk, if desired for a thinner consistency. Add toppings and serve!

Enjoy! Make a bigger batch and it can stay in the fridge for up to 5 days

Try out some other overnight recipes here:

  1. Old Fashioned Overnight Oats
  2. Tropical Mango, Banana Overnight Oats
  3. Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

German Apple Pancakes

1 Comment

We stayed over at our friend Prafulla’s house one weekend and awoke to this delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen. Cinnamon, apples….was that really apple pie for breakfast?? Instead we were greeted by an oversized and very fluffy pancake baked with apple slices and drizzled with Maple syrup. And while it was not apple pie, we werw not disappointed.

This delicious and yet, simple and quick but so special breakfast has become my go to and it was great to see both my dad and Nilesh enjoy it on this Father’s day weekend.

I highly recommend this. It comes together so quickly and you will be asking yourself why you want to make individual American pancakes when this one is so easy and quick!

Servings: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time:20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 large apples (honeycrisp or gala) – peeled or unpeeled, cored and thinly slices
  • 4 eggs
  • 3/4 cup flour (no need to sift)
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk (or regular milk)
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar (or regular)
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder(or per taste)
  • For serving: Optional: Maple syrup to drizzle and confectioners sugar for dusting

Method

  • Heat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit
  • Take two 9-inch round cake pans and grease evenly with butter
  • In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, buttermilk, flour, salt, sugar, and half the cinnamon powder
  • Layer the apple slices on the bottom of each pan
  • Pour the mix into the two cake pans distributing evenly between the pans
  • Sprinkle remaining cinnamon powder over each pan
  • Put pans in the oven
  • Bake uncovered until puffed and golden brown about 20 – 22 minutes
  • Drizzle maple syrup and dust confectioners sugar
  • Serve!

Matcha Chia Seed Pudding

Leave a comment

Sophie loves her matcha boba tea and was very happy when we made a matcha Chia seed pudding. Not only did the matcha powder give it it’s beautiful green color, the matcha flavor was elevated with the use of coconut cream. If you love matcha, this pudding is for you! It will energize you while filling you up.

Why Matcha? Did you know it’s full of antioxidants, can speed up metabolism, and lower bad cholesterol? And of course, chia seeds contain protein, fiber and the good-for-you kind of fat

Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup coconut cream
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 2 teaspoons matcha green tea powder
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
  • 4 tablespoons chia seeds
  • Toppings: Berries, almonds, granola

Method

  • In a large, lidded bowl, whisk the matcha powder, coconut cream and almond milk, making sure no clumps remain
  • Add in the chia seeds and maple syrup. Stir with a spoon. Ensure no clumps of chia seeds remain
  • Close with lid and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight
  • Top with granola, fruit or nuts

Try these other chia seed pudding flavors:

Apple-pie oatmeal

1 Comment

Oatmeal – one of the best choices for breakfast! It is supposed to help with weight loss, manage your cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease, and lower blood sugar levels. Combine that with apples and cinnamon, and you’ve got a trifecta for breakfast that is sooo healthy and good for you and helps you stay full for a couple of hours! While Nilesh and I’ve had oatmeal for breakfast for a while, I’m trying some combinations to entice the kids with a healthy breakfast as they rush out of the door at 6:45am!

The sweet aroma of apples with cinnamon baking wafts through the air as the kids wake up and get ready for school. If that doesn’t tempt them with breakfast, nothing else will.

SERVINGS: 2

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 sweet apples -cores and evenly sliced
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 2 tsp honey (alternative is 2 tsp maple or agave syrup)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (GF for gluten-free eaters)
  • 2 cups water ( or 1 cup water and 1 cup regular milk or unsweetened almond milk)
  • 1/4 cup chopped almonds, or walnuts
  • 4 whole dates (finely chopped)
  • Optional: Flax seeds, chia seeds, brown sugar

METHOD:

  1. If using the oven:
    1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
    2. Toss the apples with cinnamon powder, 1 tsp honey and lemon juice
    3. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and lay apples flat on the pan
    4. When oven is ready, put pan in the oven, bake the apples for 5 minutes
    5. When 5 minutes is up, remove pan from oven, roll over parchment paper to create a box so the apples are in a sort of “pocket” to trap in moisture. Place pan back in oven and cook for 15 minutes more until soft.
  2. If using the stove-top:
    1. Add the apples, honey, and sprinkle in the cinnamon and lemon juice. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the apples are softened
  3. Making the oatmeal:
    1. In a small saucepan over high heat, add oats, and water(or water/milk or milk only). When it comes to a boil, reduce to low-medium heat and cook until thick and creamy to a desirable consistency
    2. Once think, remove from stove top
  4. Serving:
    1. When oatmeal has cooled slightly, arrange 4-5 slices of baked apples in bottom of a serving bowl. Top with oats. Add 1/3 cup of the apple slices as topping to the oatmeal along with 1/2 the nuts and a drizzle of the honey
    2. Other toppings may include flaxseed, chia seed, brown sugar

Acai-Blueberry Bowl

Leave a comment

Acai berry bowls continue to be the Instagram rage and I just had to check it out when I saw a Acai Puree packet at Trader Joe’s. The acai (ah-sigh-EE) berry is a grapelike fruit harvested from acai palm trees, which are native to the rainforests of South America. Like other berries, acai berries contain antioxidants and fiber. Widely touted as a super fruit, it’s a very healthy way to start your day or even have as a mid-day snack.

Ingredients:

  • 1 packet Trader Joe’s Unsweetened Organic Acai Puree – 3.52 oz packet
  • 3/4 cup Frozen Blueberries
  • 1 medium Banana (keep aside a couple of slices for topping)
  • 3/4 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
  • 1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder (optional)
  • 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
  • 1/4 cup non-fat Greek Yogurt
  • 1 tbsp Honey or 2 Medjool dates (or more, depending on sweetness desired)

Method

  1. In a blender (I use a Vitamix), add the unsweetened almond milk, acai puree, blueberries, protein powder, chia seeds, honey/dates and Greek yogurt.
  2. Blend until smooth (adjust almond milk and honey/dates, if needed)
  3. Scrape mixture into bowl
  4. Top with remaining banana slides
  5. Grab a spoon and dig in