Breakfast – Page 13 – The Pajama Chef

Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

August 2, 2013August 2, 2013 Sarah

Well, I wish I had a fun story to tell about these muffins, but I don’t. These Double Chocolate Banana Muffins are pretty much out of this world, so that’s the story itself, I suppose. They are utterly chocolately, perfectly fluffy, and even a smidge on the healthy side. You should totally make them, stat. Need I say more?

Like any banana bread or baked treat, these are best made with ultra ripe, almost too disgusting to look at, much less touch bananas. These are nowhere near ready… they should be almost completely black. The darker the banana, the sweeter the flavor, I say. [Even though I basically have to have Ben deal with the grossness.]

These muffins get their amazing, rich flavor from not one, not two, but THREE kinds of chocolate. I know I called them Double Chocolate, but I may have lied a bit. Cocoa powder, white chocolate chips, and mini chocolate chips are ALL necessary for success here, folks. In a cupcake, I’d pretty much never use all three things at once. But in these muffins? Totally works. Especially because these muffins are a bit on the healthy side thanks to the use of applesauce, flax seed, and whole wheat flour. What more could you ask for?

a year ago… Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
two years ago… Recipe Repeat: Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken
three years ago… Potato Soup

Double Chocolate Banana Muffins [from Amy’s Cooking Adventures]
click to print

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners or grease well with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine bananas, oil, applesauce, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, flax seed, cocoa powder, and baking soda.

Fold dry ingredients into the wet, then add chocolate chips and gently mix until just combined. Batter will be lumpy.

Spoon into muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full, then bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 14-16 muffins.

Notes: Use or freeze within 3 days. These muffins freeze well!

LInked up with: Foodie Friday, Weekend Potluck.

Breads, Breakfast, Recipes

Grandma’s Banana Nut Bread

July 19, 2013July 19, 2013 Sarah

While I love making all sorts of fancy schmancy muffins and scones, cookies and cakes with recipes I found online, sometimes I get cynical of it all. The internet is overrun with complicated [but tasty] fad-type recipes, full of weird or rich or exotic ingredients and things our grandmas may or may not have called food. I like muffins made with greek yogurt and chia and goji berries and bittersweet organic chocolate chips and a flaxseed egg as much as the next food blogger, but you know what? Sometimes I just want simple. Familiar. Reliable. Or to eat my greek yogurt with a spoon. Whatevs. Sometimes I just want my Grandma’s Banana Nut Bread.

It’s the best banana bread I’ve ever tasted, buttery and soft and vanilla-y. Looking at the ingredient list it might look a little bland. No cinnamon, no nutmeg, no warm spice whatsoever. But if you use good quality ingredients–good butter, real vanilla, really ripe bananas–that doesn’t matter. You can use nuts if you want. I’ve made it with and without, and can’t really say which way is better. 🙂 Walnuts and pecans are my favorite two options here though. I can’t tell you how many loaves of this bread I’ve made over the years, with my mom and grandma surely, but also with my sister, my roommates, my husband. As it bakes up perfectly every time, I just think of family and love. Eating a warm slice of this bread is absolutely heavenly. I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine!

Grandma’s Banana Nut Bread
click to print

Ingredients:

1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in a little hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 medium bananas, mashed
1/4 cup chopped nuts, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream shortening and sugar, then add ingredients in order given. Bake in 2 nut pans or 1 large [9×5] loaf pan for 1 hour.

Time: 65 minutes.

Yield: 14 servings.

Linked up with: Foodie Friday and Weekend Potluck.

Breakfast, Egg Dishes, Recipes

Eggplant Potato Frittata for Two [or a crowd]

July 17, 2013July 17, 2013 Sarah

So, I used to post once a month on a blog called Today’s Housewife. Last fall, the group decided together to stop posting due the busyness of life and families and such. Though sad, I enjoyed being part of the group. As of early January, the blog was officially taken down. But I don’t want to lose my recipes, so periodically I will be reposting them on here. Enjoy!

from September 8, 2011… I need to make this again soon!

Q: How do you get a husband (or kids) to eat eggplant?

A: With eggs, cheese, and potato of course!

This summer my husband and I joined a CSA for the first time. CSA stands for “Community Supported Agriculture” and is basically a chance to purchase a basket of produce each week from a local farmer. You can read more about our experience here, but for the most part, it’s been great–and it lasts until early November so we still have several months to go! I love that my CSA basket has items that I would never purchase on my own… but sometimes it does create challenges, like when you have an eggplant-hating husband and you receive a pint full of those purple vegetables.

Enter the frittata, also known in my kitchen as a “miracle vegetable hider” or just plain “delicious.” A frittata is a crustless quiche, prepared mostly on the stove but thrown in the oven for a delicious finishing touch. Frittatas sound complex, but are really simple to prepare and make a great, filling dinner on a busy night or an impressive looking meal for company.

Over the past few months, we’ve had the opportunity to make many combinations of frittatas with different vegetables and herbs. It’s amazing what egg and cheese can do! This is my latest version–sweet, chewy eggplant combined with familiar, comforting potatoes was a winner in our book, and I hope you enjoy it too!

Eggplant Potato Frittata for Two [adapted from In Praise of Leftovers and The Pajama Chef]
click to print

Ingredients:

olive oil
3/4 cup potato, cut into very thin rounds
3 small eggplants, chopped [about 3/4 cup]
4 eggs
1 tablespoon water
3 tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped [I used basil] or 1 tablespoon dried herbs
salt and pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheese [I used mozzarella]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a small, ovenproof, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add a little oil [once around the pan], then add potato and eggplant. Cook 4-5 minutes or until soft, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, beat eggs, water, and herbs together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

After vegetables are soft, pour in egg mixture and use a spatula to evenly distribute vegetables. Allow to cook for a couple minutes, until the bottom of the frittata starts to set, then use a thin spatula to lift the edge of the frittata. This allows the uncooked egg to transfer below to cook. When eggs are almost set, top with cheese and place in the oven to cook for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Cool briefly before cutting, then serve warm.

Note: Recipe can be easily doubled, tripled, etc. as needed, but leftovers aren’t the best so just make what will be consumed in one meal if possible.

Yield: 2 servings.

Time: 30 minutes.

Linked up with: What’s Cookin’ Wednesday.

Breakfast, Recipes, Waffles

Ginger Banana Waffles

July 12, 2013July 9, 2014 Sarah

Can I let you in on a little secret? I have a love/hate relationship with ginger. It’s good… but can be juuuust a bit overwhelming. Before I got married, I was kind of ambivalent about ginger. Sure, it went well in cookies but anything else? Cinnamon was my sweet spice of choice. But I married a ginger fiend, and branched out into the world of crystallized ginger and fresh ginger. Pretty scary times, I tell ya. Especially when you add a little too much to a smoothie. Holy spice! In these waffles though, I embraced my [warm] spicy side and invited ginger to join banana in a tasty breakfast treat. These waffles have just the right amount of flavor to satisfy ginger lovers and ginger tolerators alike. 🙂 The perfect compromise! [Now, if we could just agree on movies…]

As much as I loooove pancakes, some days, only a nice crisp, airy waffle will do. While I can practically make pancakes blindfolded [I should totally try that sometime], waffles can be a little more complex. The batter has to have just the right amount of flour and liquid and fat [yup–I said it] to cook properly in the iron and not stick or ooze out the sides or any equally unpleasant thing. And I’ve had some waffle DISASTERS before, so I know the importance of a good recipe. Trying out a new one is always a little scary, but I’m glad I took the risk, because Ben says they’re some of the best waffles he’s ever had. With banana and ginger, how can you go wrong? Plus, with this recipe, even cranking up the heat on the waffle iron doesn’t make them burn so you can enjoy all the crisp airiness of waffles without losing the flavor.

These Ginger Banana Waffles bake up easy and delicious–perfect for a lazy weekend morning, or a quick weeknight dinner. The recipe only makes 6, which is great for the two of us, but you might want to double it for a family–or for leftovers. A couple years ago, I went through a huge waffle phase where I’d cook up big batches and then cool and freeze ’em in those large gallon-size ziploc bags. Then in the morning, I’d pop out a waffle and voila! Instant breakfast. It was great. I should do that again. But in the meantime, totally try these waffles this weekend–you can’t go wrong with the taste of sweet banana and warm spice. Enjoy!

Ginger Banana Waffles

Servings: 6 waffles
Time: 30 minutes
Print

adapted from Cooks.com

Ingredients:

2 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
up to 1/4 cup skim milk [if necessary]

Directions:

Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer directions.

In a small bowl, stir together the bananas, buttermilk, egg, and oil. In a separate, large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, ginger, and cinnamon. Fold wet ingredients into the dry ones, stirring until just blended together. Add more milk if batter is too thick–it should be somewhat easy to pour.

Cook on preheated waffle iron until golden brown. Serve with sliced bananas and maple syrup.

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck and Foodie Friday.

Breakfast, Muffins, Recipes

Strawberry Muffins

May 31, 2013 Sarah

this post is originally from August 9, 2012

Ever since I can remember, strawberries have been my absolute favorite berry. Not that I don’t love blueberries or blackberries or raspberries, but strawberries have a special place in my heart [and in my mouth!]. Oddly enough, I’m not a fan of strawberry flavored things like fruit and grain bars, yogurt, etc. Because of this deep love of strawberries, usually when I buy them I eat about half the package standing in front of the sink, washing “just one more.” If I want to bake with them, I need to buy them in bulk or specifically plan out a recipe, getting myself to a place of accountability by telling Ben of my plans. It’s pretty hilarious, if you think about it!

Surprisingly enough, this recipe came as a result of an emergency–I had purchased several pounds of berries and for some reason, just didn’t eat them with my usual fury. So instead of letting them go to waste, I whipped up these juicy muffins one warm afternoon. They are extra pillowy and tangy thanks to the buttermilk. Each bite has the sweet scent and flavor of strawberries since the berries are crushed and not left whole. If your berries aren’t very sweet, you can add a little extra sugar but I thought they were just sweet enough as is. These muffins were a hit, but be sure to eat them quickly or freeze them after a few days–the mashed berry makes them soft in the center so they are best fresh. Enjoy!

Strawberry Muffins [from Whole Living]
click to print

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups sliced strawberries
scant 1/2 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons canola oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

In a small bowl, combine strawberries and scant 1/2 cup sugar. Mash berries gently with pastry blender or potato masher, then set aside.

Next, stir together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, then pour in buttermilk mixture and fold slowly to combine. Add berries [including any juice] to batter, then stir until just mixed.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 of the way full, then sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan a few minutes before removing to wire rack. Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to three days, then freeze any leftovers.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 18-20 muffins.