So here’s my new morning breakfast routine. First, a green smoothie (or if I’m feeling really ambitious I’ll start the day with lemon tea:). After 20-30 minutes past finishing my smoothie, I need more sustenance. Enter the most delicious banana breakfast cookies, which go perfectly with coffee. It’s pretty much my new version of heaven. Plus, what is it about daily routine that is so predictable and comforting? It’s great to start the day off on a good note.

While they’re called “cookies” and do contain sugar (not refined – just honey!), they’re still packed with healthy ingredients, are gluten free, and can easily be vegan. They’re so delicious fresh out of the oven but what’s even better is they’re just as good after keeping them in the fridge. The cookies are soft and bread-like, and we enjoy them all week, being so easy to grab on the go.

Banana Breakfast Cookies

(gluten free and vegan; makes 2-3 dozen; adapted from Minimalist Baker)

Ingredients

• 2 medium ripe bananas
• 2 Tbsp. flax seed, ground
• 5 Tbsp . water
• ½ cup natural peanut butter or almond butter (we loved both options!)
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp. honey
• 1½ cup gluten free rolled oats
• ½ cup oat flour (ground from gluten free oats)
• ½ cup almond meal (ground from raw almonds)
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• 3 Tbsp. raw walnuts, lightly crushed
• 2 Tbsp. shredded coconut
• 3 Tbsp. dried cranberries
• ½ cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips (use non-dairy chips to make these vegan)
• pinch sea salt (add more or less depending on saltiness of your nut butter)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl combine flax seed and water and let rest for 5 minutes for the consistency to thicken (this will achieve an “egg-like” texture).
Mash in the bananas until well combined, and then add nut butter, baking powder, baking soda, melted coconut oil, honey, salt, vanilla and stir.
Add oats, almond meal and oat flour and mix well.
Add chocolate chips, walnuts, cranberries, coconut flakes, and stir until well combined.
Drop cookies by spoonfuls of uniform sizes on a lightly greased baking sheet (simply use coconut oil to grease the pan!).
Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the cookies are slightly golden brown.
Let them rest on baking sheet for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

After completely cooled, store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator or freezer for even longer storage time.

So what do you think? Would you make these to enjoy for breakfast? (Ahem, they’re also great for an afternoon snack, too.) I also love that you can customize the ingredients however you’d like, adding more or less nuts/dried fruit/etc.

Hope you enjoy!

xoxo

 

AKA the best carrot soup I’ve ever had. Seriously, this was amazing. I told multiple people about this soup, maybe even repeatedly. I had it for lunch for about a week straight, and didn’t tire of it. This soup is the perfect combination of sweet and nutty with a little spice, but not too much. It was also just the right amount of creamy and I love the addition of basmati rice to make it thick and nutty.

Full confession: we got the idea for this recipe from our local co-op. We made a few modifications but overall the idea was positively brilliant. And if you’re still dealing with weather that feels less and less like spring…I hope you enjoy it!

Ginger Carrot Soup with Caramelized Onions

1 large onion, thinly diced
12 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/3 cup basmati rice, uncooked
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 1/2 cups water
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 tsp. sweet curry
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. white pepper
1 tbsp. sea salt
1 cup half and half
4 tablespoons orange juice concentrate

Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion slices and stir to coat the onions with the butter. Spread the onions out evenly over the pan and let cook. Reduce heat, stir occasionally and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, until onions are soft and golden in color.

Add carrots, rice, broth, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and spices. Cook until rice and vegetables are very tender. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Puree soup using a blender or food processor – using small amounts at a time to avoid splashing hot soup.

After soup has been pureed, add cream and orange juice concentrate. Mix well to combine. Reheat and serve. Top with fresh cracked pepper and parsley, if you’d like.

Enjoy! :)

I’m writing this from Boston as I’m hear visiting my sister and brother-in-law…and meeting my nephew for the first time! I’m having so much fun taking photos of him (see my Instagram for updates:). I’m planning to do lots of cooking to help out and we started today with fresh green smoothies!

So this recipe is a fun mix of flavors, perhaps even a little adventurous. I’d never cooked with fennel bulbs before so it was really fun to try. Lemon and pomegranate are an obvious pair, but mixed with fennel and nutty herb quinoa makes for a delicious dinner or lunch that’s packed with not only fresh ingredients, but plenty of fiber and protein as well. Feel free to substitute any herb combinations you’d like…and a little tip: don’t use your fingernail to de-seed jalapeños like I did (it still burned the next day, ha!).

Fennel Herb Quinoa with Pomegranate & Lemon (adapted from Bon Appetit)

(60 minutes; serves four)

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium fennel bulbs (2 1/2 pounds), cut lengthwise into 1/4″-thick slices
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 lemon
1 serrano chile or jalapeno, seeded, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint or parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1/2 pomegranate)

Also, so here’s the trick for cutting a pomegranate. First cut out the top. Second, slice only the skin off the bottom. Then slice gently along the natural ridges of the pomegranate to create wedges. Gently remove seeds or place wedges in warm water to loosen them.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add fennel slices and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10-12 minutes, until fennel is just tender and lightly golden. Stir in lemon juice, cumin, and sugar; cook for a few minutes, lowering heat. Season again with salt and pepper and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring quinoa and 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until quinoa is cooked, about 10 minutes. Drain; return to pan. Cover; let sit for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork; transfer to a large bowl.

Add the juice of one lemon and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to quinoa; stir. Add fennel mixture, chile or jalapeno, and herbs. Toss gently to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer salad to a platter.

Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, additional fresh herbs, salt & pepper. Serve warm with lemon wedges.

Enjoy! :)