Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

photo credit: http://www.whatthehartlikes.com/2012/10/choc-chip-banana-bread-recipe.html

2 ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs

½ cup coconut oil

¼ cup milk, buttermilk, or yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray loaf pan or 8x8 pan with non-stick spray. Combine all dry ingredients and wet ingredients in two separate bowls except chocolate chips. Lightly mix, just until incorporated.  Then add the chocolate chips and mix briefly. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake until top is golden brown and splits slightly, about 50 mins for the loaf pan and 30 mins for the cake pan.

Scallion Fried Rice

photo credit: http://www.seasaltwithfood.com/2011/03/scallion-and-ginger-fried-rice.html

adapted from cooksmarts.com

4 cups cooked brown rice

1 bunch of scallions, chopped; white and green parts separated

olive oil

3 eggs, beaten

2 cups of frozen mixed veggies (a mix with peas, carrots, green beans, corn, and edamame is great)

2 T soy sauce

¼ tsp white pepper

½ tsp turbinado sugar

Heat a wok over medium heat. Add in 1 tsp oil, heat, and then add the white parts of the scallions. Saute scallions for about 15 seconds and then add the beaten eggs. Scramble with a wooden spoon.

When eggs are lightly scrambled, add in rice, frozen vegetables, soy sauce, white pepper, and sugar. Toss until all ingredients are warmed through. Season to taste with any of the seasonings. Mix in green parts of the scallions.

Indian Spiced Roasted Veggies

adapted from cooksmarts.com

2 cups chicken stock

1 T butter

1.5 cups dry whole wheat couscous.

olive oil

1 head of cauliflower, chopped

1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 can garbanzo beans

1.5 cups frozen peas

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

½ T coriander

1 T turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Cook couscous in broth and butter according to package directions.  Drizzle olive oil on cauliflower and sweet potatoes and toss to coat, then roast on a sheet pan until vegetables are beginning to turn golden brown.  On a second sheet, drizzle olive oil on the garbanzos and peas, toss to mix, and roast until garbanzos are turning golden brown.  Add roasted vegetables and beans to cooked couscous and sprinkle on spices and sugar.  Mix and enjoy!

Salmon Salad

photo credit: http://eating-made-easy.com/2010/10/18/salmon-salad-the-cheap-easy-way-to-eat-more-fish

6 oz canned wild salmon

2 T mayo

2 T sweet pickle relish

10-15 grinds of lemon pepper

Drain salmon and mix with other ingredients. I love Trader Joe's canned salmon as well as their lemon pepper!

Grilled Cheese

photo credit: http://aliciatasteslife.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/grilled-cheese-quest-grahamwich

grass fed butter
whole grain bread
cheddar or another cheese, sliced

Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread.  Heat a non-stick griddle pan on medium heat.  When pan is warm, place a slice of bread (butter side down) on the pan and the cheese slices on top of the bread.  When cheese is starting to melt, place the other slice of bread on top of the cheese (butter side up), and then flip over so that the buttered side is down.  Cook until golden brown on both sides.

Simple Steak

steak (I like Trader Joe's Grass Fed Strip Loin Steak)
spices of choice (sea salt and pepper; lemon pepper and seasoning salt; etc)


Preheat oven to 425.  Place steak on a foil-lined pan and sprinkle spices generously on both sides.  For medium-well steak (how my kiddos generally like it, feel free to cook for less time), cook for 12 mins on one side. Then flip and cook for 10 mins on the other.  When you remove the pan from the oven, crumple the foil loosely around the steak to make a little tent for it which helps seal in moisture while it cools.

Spinach, Slaw, Red Pepper, and Cucumber Salad

photo credit: http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2012/01/slow-cooker-recipe-for-spicy-ground.html

baby spinach

broccoli slaw or coleslaw

red pepper, chopped

cucumber, chopped

sunflower seeds

Toss all ingredients together in desired proportions and enjoy!