Ovenight Oatmeal

Adapted from delish.com

4 cups water (32 ounces, 907g)
1 cup carton unsweetened coconut milk or milk of choice (8 ounces, 227g)
2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter (28g)
2 tablespoons maple syrup (17g)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups steel-cut oats (232g)
2 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch size pieces (669g purchase weight)**

**Can use pears instead of apples or both apples and pears.

Generously grease a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray if you do not have a nonstick insert.

Add water, coconut milk, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom and salt to the slow cooker. Stir in the oats and apples. Cook, covered, on low setting for 7 hours or until apples are broken down and the oats are tender,

Turn off slow cooker. Gently stir oatmeal and let rest for 10 minutes in the slow cooker.

Spoon oatmeal into bowls. If desired, top oatmeal with toasted nuts, coconut palm sugar or maple syrup, and carton unsweetened coconut milk or milk of choice.

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Lemon Ricotta Muffins

Lemon Ricotta Muffin

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

These muffins are delicious. They are tender, moist, and lemony! These muffins are not only perfect for breakfast, but are also great with afternoon tea or Masala Chai. Since I don't normally line my muffin cups with paper liners, I am only able to bake up 9 muffins from this recipe. Recipe can be doubled to get 18 muffins.

Lemon Ricotta Muffins

7.9 ounces (224g) WHITE whole wheat flour (about 1-3/4 cups)

2/3 cup organic natural cane sugar (130g)

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder (11g)

1/4 teaspoons salt

3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese (170g)

1/2 cup water (113g)

1/4 cup EXTRA LIGHT olive oil or expeller-pressed canola oil (48g)

Grated lemon zest from 1 large lemon (4g)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (28g)

1 extra large egg, lightly beaten (57g)
1/2 teaspoon lemon oil OR 1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (10g)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Position oven rack to the center of the oven. Spray 9 standard-size muffin cups with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, natural cane sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir well with a wire whisk. Set aside.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese and water. Using a fork, smash up the ricotta cheese and the water until combined. Add the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg and lemon oil or extract. Using a wire whisk, whisk everything together until thoroughly combined.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the entire ricotta cheese mixture. Using a pastry fork or a wire whisk, gently stir-fold the flour mixture with the ricotta cheese mixture just until the dry ingredients are moistened. The batter will be thick. Divide batter among 9 muffin cups. Sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar.

Bake for 18 minutes or until tops are lightly browned and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in the pan and transfer muffins to a wire rack to cook completely.

 

Best to store muffins in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator. The muffins will become more moist as it sits out at room temperature of more than one day.

Yield 9 muffins

Blueberry Coffeecake with Almond Streusel

Blueberry Coffeecake with Almond Streusel
Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

This blueberry coffeecake is moist, fluffy and light, with a burst of blueberry goodness, bright lemony flavor and a hint of cinnamon spice. This coffeecake tastes amazing and is perfect for breakfast or afternoon tea.

2 cups WHITE whole-wheat flour (9 ounces)
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh blueberries (11 ounces)

1/3 cup coconut palm sugar (1.7 ounces) or packed brown sugar (2.6 ounces)

1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (1.2 ounces)
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, walnuts or pecans, UNtoasted (0.6 ounce)
1 tablespoon WHITE whole-wheat flour (0.3 ounce)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter, melted (1 ounce)

3/4 cup organic cane sugar (5.2 ounces)
1/4 cup coconut oil or butter, softened (2 ounces)
2 tablespoons EXTRA LIGHT olive oil (0.6 ounce)
1 large egg (1.8 to 1.9 ounces)
1 cup buttermilk (8 ounces)
2 to 3 teaspoons grated lemon zest (1 lemon)
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (0.5 ounce)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Position oven rack to the center of the oven. Spray a 9-inch by 9-inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-size mixing bowl. Stir together with a wire whisk until thoroughly blended. Set aside.

Place blueberries in a separate small bowl. Measure out 2 tablespoons of the flour mixture and toss it with the blueberries. Set aside.

In another separate small bowl, combine the coconut palm sugar, oats, almonds, pastry flour and cinnamon. Toss with a fork to combine. Add the 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil and toss with a fork until thoroughly combined. Set aside. This mixture will be for the topping.

Place organic cane sugar, softened 1/4 cup coconut oil and olive oil in the bowl of a stand mixer. With the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed (speed 4) until blended, scraping down sides of bowl halfway of mixing, about 2 minutes. Add egg and beat until mixture is well combined on speed 4. Mixture will become creamy. Add flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, mix on low speed (speed 1) after each addition just until combined. (I do this in 5 additions: 1 large scoop flour mixture, mix just until combined; next add 1/4 cup buttermilk, mix just until combined; repeat alternating flour and buttermilk 3 more times; and lastly, the last scoop of flour mixture, mix just until combined.) Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and mix on speed 1 just until combined.

Spoon half of the cake batter into prepared baking pan.Spread batter with an offset spatula out to the edge of the pan. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of the blueberries. Spoon remaining cake batter over blueberries and spread batter with an offset spatula to the edge of the pan. Sprinkle evenly the remaining blueberries. Toss excess flour from the blueberries with the brown sugar topping mixture. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture evenly over the blueberries. Bake for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove cake from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into 12 slices.

Yield 12 slices

Quick Oat Ban and Banana Muffins
Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine

These muffins are wholesome, moist, light, tender and delicious on the day it is baked, but even more fantastic the next day.

1-1/4 cups WHITE whole-wheat flour (166g)
1 cup oat bran (107g)
1/2 cup organic cane sugar (95g)
1 tablespoon baking powder (15g)
1/2 teaspoon salt (3g)
2 extra-large eggs (112g to 114g)
3/4 cup whole milk OR unsweetened carton coconut milk (170g)
1/4 cup melted coconut oil (57g)
1 teaspoon pure banana extract or pure vanilla extract (2g)
2 medium-size riped bananas, cut vertically in fourths or sixths, then slice horizontally into chunks (282g to 286g)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted (57g)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, UNtoasted (57g)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Position oven rack to the center of the oven. Spray a standard muffin pan with nonstick baking spray or line with paper liners. Set aside.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the whole-wheat flour, oat bran, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir well with a wire whisk until thoroughly combined. Make a well in the center with a rubber spatula and set aside.

In a separate small mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a wire whisk. Add the milk and whisk together until blended. Add the coconut oil and vanilla. Whisk together until blended.

Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture. Using a pastry fork or rubber spatula, stir/fold ingredients until most of the flour mixture is moistened. Add banana chunks and the 1/2 cup of toasted nuts. Using rubber spatula to fold everything together just until combined, but do not overmix.

Divide batter into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with the remaining 1/2 cup of UNtoasted nuts. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for about 5 to 10 minutes. 

Remove from muffins from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store muffins in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Next day, warm muffins in  the microwave for 15 seconds or eaten at room temperature.

Yield 12 muffins

Whole-Wheat Dark Chocolate Muffins

Whole-Wheat Dark Chocolate Muffins

These muffins were adapted from a Chocolate Buttermilk Bread recipe I found on Pinterest. Because I substituted the all-purpose flour for whole-wheat flour, the bread did not bake up well. The batter was quite thick and the very center of the bread was a bit raw after baking. The texture of the bread was quite dense, but it tasted delicious and very chocolaty. My second attempt, I made some modifications to the recipe. After 20 minutes of baking, the batter was starting to overflow out of the loaf pan. I immediately removed the pan from the oven and transfer the batter to a muffin pan. Not knowing what will be the outcome of this, I did end up with delicious and not-so-appealing-looking muffins. My third attempt, I decided to just bake the bread off as muffins. The muffins does not have a high dome which I was not able to achieve, but it is moist, chocolaty, and delicious. I like to warm these muffins in the microwave for 15 seconds so the chocolate chips are almost melting when you bite into it. Even if you don't, these muffins will still be delicious eaten at room temperature.

1-1/2 cups WHITE whole-wheat flour (7.1 ounces)
1 cup organic natural cane sugar (7.4 ounces)
3/4 cup Hershey's brand Special Dark Cocoa (2.5 ounces)
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (6.6 ounces)
1 large egg (about 1.8 to 1.9 ounces)
1-1/4 cup buttermilk (9 ounces)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt (4 ounces)
1/2 cup EXTRA LIGHT Olive Oil (3.4 ounces)
1 tablespoon Nescafe brand Clasico Dark Roast Instant Coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Position twp oven racks to the upper third and lower third of the oven.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the whole-wheat flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir well with a wire whisk until blended. Toss in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula and make a well in the center. Set aside.

In a separate small mixing bowl, lightly beat the egg with a wire whisk. Add the buttermilk to the beaten egg and whisk together until blended. Add the olive oil to the egg mixture and whisk together until blended. Lastly, add the instant coffee and vanilla. Whisk together until blended.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Using a pastry fork or wire whisk, stir/fold in ingredients until all mixture are moistened. Switch to a rubber spatula to complete folding all ingredients until blended, but not to overmix. 

Divide batter into 15 muffin cups lined with paper liners or sprayed with nonstick baking spray. Bake for 30 minutes. Let muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Keep muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Warm muffins in the microwave for 15 seconds or let it sit out at room temperature.

Yield 15 muffins

Spicy Corn and Chicken Chili

Spicy Corn and Chicken Chili

This recipe is adapted from Whole Foods Market. This recipe is already doubled so this recipe will make a very large quantity. This chili is different from the traditional meat chili with beans. It is made with ground chicken, but most of the time I like to use ground lean turkey. It has a lot of corn instead of beans which makes this chili so delicious in flavor and texture. The spices and chipotlle salsa gives this chili a nice smoky flavor and kick. This chili is very thick, hearty, spicy and comforting. The spiciness can be adjusted to your own taste by adding more or less canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. The corn adds a little sweetness to the chili and I love the chewy texture of the corn.

2 large onions, finely chopped (about 1:6.3 to 1:7.8 pounds)
5 cloves garlic, minced (0.8 ounce)
1/4 cup ground ancho chili powder (0.8 ounce)
4 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 to 2 canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce (0.5 to 1.0 ounce), finely minced OR 1 teaspoon ground chipotle powder
2 pounds ground chicken OR two 1.25-pound packages ground lean turkey
One 28-ounce can no-salt plum tomatoes, hand crushed
One 14-ounce can Swanson brand 33% less sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup cold water
One 16-ounce jar Marcela Valladolid brand Fire-Roasted Chipotle Salsa (Safeway)
One 16-ounce package frozen roasted yellow corn
One 16-ounce package frozen white corn
2-1/4 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup chopped cilantro (1.0 ounce)

Heat a large pot over high heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and add the ground chicken/turkey. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until browned. Transfer the chicken/turkey to a colander to drain and set aside.

Return same pot to the stove. Lower temperature to medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pot. When hot, add the onions and garlic. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, oregano, cumin, coriander, and chipotle chili. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add the ground chicken/turkey and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for a few seconds. Add tomatoes, salsa, chicken broth, water, both kinds of corn and salt. Increase heat to high to bring chili to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pot and continue to cook for about 25 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Serve with corn tortilla, fresh diced avocado, and cilantro.

Yields 8 to 10 servings