honey – Page 3 – The Pajama Chef

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars

June 7, 2016June 6, 2016 Sarah

These healthy, flavorful granola bars are full of that wonderful chocolate peanut butter goodness that EVERYONE knows and loves. And they can be made in ten minutes, perfect for any busy schedule… even that of a new mama. 🙂

Hi guys! Another new recipe! Who am I?!? I just had to take some of my free time to share this no bake granola bar recipe with you… because frankly, I’m obsessed with them. I’ve made two batches in just as many weeks… and eaten almost all of them myself! 🙂 You know what else I’m quickly becoming obsessed with? Babywearing! Having two hands to use during baby naps [that he prefers to take on me or on Ben] is priceless. I have a Baby K’Tan and it’s purple and fabulous. I can even cook while wearing it! Well, cooking is a bit of a stretch, but I definitely can make really easy recipes as long as they don’t involve putting something in the oven or any potential splatters from the stovetop. Paranoid, safety conscious new mom here! Probably for a good reason, but still.

Anyways, back to this deliciousness! And no, I’m not talking about this cute ONE MONTH old baby here. Though he IS delicious and adorable, huh? What do you think I should call him on the blog? Due to his privacy and not wanting to make more of an online trail for him in the future than necessary, I don’t want to share his full name here. Before he was born, we joked around that his name would be “Volde,” as in Voldemort so his current Instagram hashtag is #BabyVolde. We might stick with that, or we might adapt one of his [many] family nicknames. Most of them have to do with foxes, because we chose woodland animals as his nursery theme. Gah, I way overthink EVERYTHING. Haha.

This cutie has his eyes open more and more these days… he’s so fun! Moving on… no good transition, but I gotta get moving as naptime will be coming to a screeching halt any minute now. 🙂 These granola bars. They are no bake, amazingly delicious, and SO simple to throw together. Since I made my first batch, I’ve eaten one just about every day. Err, night. Middle of the night feedings make me hungry! Or maybe it’s just being up in the middle of the night that makes me hungry. Either way, I learned very early on in this little one’s life that I needed a healthy snack to eat in the middle of the night when I was up with the babe. Granola bars are the easy choice, right?

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars3

For a couple weeks I was buying [or sending Ben to buy] the more wholesome granola bars from the grocery store… but then I felt like baking. So I decided to make my own using healthy ingredients that I had on hand! Some oats, Rice Krispies cereal, nuts, honey, peanut butter, and chocolate later, these babies were born. I was a little unsure of how they would turn out using natural peanut butter as the base, but I’m happy to report that they stick together just fine if you store them in the refrigerator. Score! They do get a little melty at room temperature, but I’m sure you can eat them quickly enough to remedy that problem. I know I sure do! The classic combo of peanut butter and chocolate is one that I don’t tire of easily. Reminds me of eating candy, so much so that I have to stop myself from setting the baby down partway through a feeding to go get another granola bar. No joke. These granola bars are that good! With that in mind, it’s probably for the best they need to hang out in the fridge so they last a little longer. I bet they would freeze well too, though I haven’t tried that yet. Hope you can make these granola bars soon–you won’t regret it! Enjoy!

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars2

one year ago: Cherry Chipotle Chicken Salad with Cherry Lime Salsa
two years ago: Dark Chocolate Double Coconut Macaroons
three years ago: Pretzel Rolls
four years ago: Orange Glazed Chicken Stir Fry
five years ago: Strawberry Chocolate Coconut Pancakes

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Servings: 16
Time: 10 minutes & an hour + to chill
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from It’s Just Laine

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter – I used natural creamy
3/4 cup honey – I used mostly honey but a little maple syrup because I ran out
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons cocoa powder [dark chocolate if you have it]
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
up to 2 cups of mix-ins–I’ve been using the following:
- 1/2 cup peanuts
- 1/2 cup Reese’s chips
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Grease a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt together peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, and cocoa powder over low heat. No need to boil, just heat until melted together. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. This step can also be done in the microwave if desired–just mix in a bowl and heat on 50% power until melted. For me, this was about 45 seconds.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together oats and Rice Krispies. Pour peanut butter mixture on top and stir to combine. Fold in mix-ins, then transfer to prepared pan. Use a sheet of wax paper or a spatula to press down and flatten. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour, or up to overnight to set.

After bars have set, cut as desired. Store in the refrigerator or freezer, especially during warm/humid months.

Breakfast, Muffins, Recipes

SRC: Honey Banana Muffins

May 15, 2016May 15, 2016 Sarah

Lightly sweetened banana muffins… these muffins are a simple, wholesome treat you will want to make again and again! If you love the taste of honey in baked goods, these muffins are for you!

Lightly sweetened banana muffins... these muffins are a simple, wholesome treat you will want to make again and again! If you love the taste of honey in baked goods, these muffins are for you! via thepajamachef.com #secretrecipeclub

Happy Secret Recipe Club Monday! I’m comin’ atcha from April, because who knows when this baby is going to come! Or if he has already, or if he is coming now, or what. 🙂 But I wanted to make sure I got my recipe in this month so here ya go, friends! This month for SRC, I was assigned to Rafeeda’s lovely blog, The Big Sweet Tooth. Rafeeda has so many amazing Indian recipes on her blog that she makes for her family [a husband and two kiddos]!

It almost seemed a shame to make something as basic as muffins, but it seems like Rafeeda likes banana treats quite a bit because I counted a good 8 or 9 banana muffins/breads/loaf cakes on her blog. I love banana-based muffins a lot so it sounded like a good idea, especially during a busy time in life. But I definitely have bookmarked some other recipes like Varutharacha Urulakizhangu Curry – Potato Curry in Roasted Coconut Masala,Koshari – Lentils and Rice with Tomato Sauce, Channa Masala – Chickpeas Curry in Coconut Milk, and Dark Chocolate Orange Cake with Orange Glaze to try later. Mmm!

But in the meantime, I’m not complaining about making these honey banana muffins. They are SO good! They’re super light and simple, but so flavorful. As I was baking them, I realized there wasn’t any real fat in the recipe – no butter, oil, or eggs… just banana, baking soda, and baking powder for leavening and brown sugar, cinnamon, and honey for flavor [plus bananas! duh!]. I used white whole wheat flour as the base, but you could use all-purpose or even whole wheat flour if you prefer.

The original recipe didn’t call for any mix-ins but I wanted to spice up a few, so I added some cinnamon chips to some and some mini chocolate chips to others. You can add anything you want, or nothing at all… they are great either way! You could also make these muffins as bread, but as you know, we prefer muffins over quick bread so I hope Rafeeda doesn’t mind the liberties I’ve taken with her recipe. 🙂 I think this is one I’ll be coming back to over the summer as the baking urge strikes when I’m busy with the baby! These muffins are healthy, easy, and delicious. What more do you need? Thanks, Rafeeda! Enjoy, everyone!

one year ago: Chicken Mozzarella Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes
two years ago: Chocolate Baked Oatmeal
three years ago: Club Soda Waffles
four years ago: Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
five years ago: Salsas for Cinco de Mayo

Honey Banana Muffins

Servings: 18
Time: 30 minutes
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from The Big Sweet Tooth

Ingredients:

2 cups white whole wheat flour [or all-purpose flour]
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup honey
1 cup milk
1 cup bananas, mashed – about 3 large bananas
any desired mix-ins: chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, coconut, granola, etc.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper liners or grease well.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. In a small bowl, whisk together honey and milk. Add mashed bananas and stir until combined. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ones, and fold together until just incorporated.

Divide batter between muffin cups, then add mix-ins to individual muffins as desired.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before storing in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3 days. After that, freeze for best results.

Note:

Original recipe was for honey banana bread–use a large loaf pan and bake for about 45-50 minutes.

Please check out other SRC recipes at the link below:

Main Dishes, Recipes, Salads

Chopped Thai Chicken Salad

January 11, 2016January 2, 2016 Sarah

Chopped salads are my favorite salads… they’re just so fun to eat! This version combines chicken, cabbage, carrots, and mango but the peanut butter based dressing takes the cake by far! 🙂

Thai Chopped Salad: a hearty winter salad everyone will love!

Salad in January? So cliched, I know. Especially since last week with that Amish Cheeseburger Soup I talked about how we didn’t need to just ‘eat healthy’ in January. Ummm, right. 🙂 But still, I stand by what I say… and salads are definitely part of our normal meals. Normally, our salads are pretty standard: romaine/spring mix/spinach, carrots, peppers, cucumber, maybe tomatoes or mushrooms or something else based on what’s in season. Dressing, yes… croutons, cheese… maybe. But never anything too exciting, unless I make a salad for our main course. Then, it is GOOD STUFF! And this salad is good stuff. 🙂

Thai Chopped Salad: a hearty winter salad everyone will love!

Every bit of this salad is incredible, and it’s perfect for the winter since it’s so hearty and filling, and isn’t your typical bunny rabbit salad fare. 🙂 This salad is basic and fancy all at once, with a basic chicken-cabbage-carrot mixture dressed up with mango, cilantro, green onions, and peanuts. But the best part of this salad by far is the peanut butter-based dressing… it’s just SO flavorful, tangy, and fantastic. The salad easily serves four, so what we do is divide everything in half and eat half for dinner, and save half for lunch the next day. Leftovers will do okay in the fridge for the next day, but for best results combine the salad and dressing immediately before serving–hence dividing everything in half before serving. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

one year ago: Southwest Veggie + Taco Rice Casserole
two years ago: Oreo Ice Cream Pie
three years ago: Lemon Cranberry Muffins
four years ago: Spaghetti and “Meat” Balls
five years ago: Caramelized Onion Dip

Chopped Thai Chicken Salad

Servings: 4
Time: 20 minutes
Print

from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients:

for the salad

2 cups cooked and shredded chicken [I used some from a chicken we roasted earlier in the week, but a rotisserie chicken would be great too!]
3 cups shredded cabbage [I’ve used green, red, and a combination]
1 1/2 cups shredded carrot [about 3-4 medium]
1 1/2 cups chopped mango [or green papaya if you can find it]
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped [about 1/2 a bunch]
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

for the dressing

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey or sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of cayenne
1/4 cup peanut butter [natural works great–just microwave for 10-15 seconds to melt a little if it’s too hard to combine]
1/4 cup water

Directions:

Combine chicken, cabbage, carrots, mango, cilantro, and green onions in a large bowl. Toss to combine, then stick in the fridge while you prepare the dressing.

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, honey, lime juice, oil, fish sauce, garlic, and cayenne. Add peanut butter and water and whisk again until smooth.

When ready to serve, pour half of the dressing over the salad, then sprinkle with the chopped peanuts. Add more dressing to taste, or save for later–the dressing will keep in the fridge for up to a week. Leftovers will be okay in the fridge for the next day, but for best results combine the salad and dressing immediately before serving.

Enjoy!

30 Before 30, Breads, Recipes

Easy Whole Wheat Bread

April 24, 2015February 19, 2016 Sarah

Soft, chewy whole wheat bread… a bread lover’s dream come true. Just seven ingredients to perfection! 🙂

Is there anything that smells homier than bread cooking in the oven? I think not. Homemade bread is such a treat, and it has been my quest to find an easy, foolproof, and simple recipe that I can use for toast, sandwiches, and anything in between. Well friends, I think this is IT!

I’m sorry the bread is a little wrinkled on top. When I made this, I couldn’t take pictures that day because it was too dark… and the bread wrinkled a little bit overnight. But it tasted amazing so I had to take pics anyway! Finding a great whole wheat bread recipe was one of my 30 before 30 goals. Spoiler alert: I turn 30 on Monday [yikes] and I am not to those 30 recipes yet. Whoops! This year was just too busy. So I’m extending my challenge into my 30th year. #mychallengemyrules

I found this recipe on one of the first blogs I ever started reading, The Runner’s Plate. Michelle’s mom has made this bread for years. Recipes from moms are always winners so I knew–even before I made it–that this bread would be one too! 🙂 It’s soft and hearty, with a faint honey taste, and it’s made with only 7 ingredients. I bet you have them all in your pantry right now! I know I do. It isn’t 100% whole wheat, but I bet you could experiment with using part white whole wheat flour in place of the all-purpose flour. Most homemade bread recipes are too heavy if you use ALL whole wheat flour, so tread lightly with substitutions.

What we loved about this bread was that it was soooo soft, almost like storebought bread. But it is homemade! Win! Though the amount of time it takes to make may be a bit overwhelming, it’s a great recipe to make on the weekend. It requires very little babysitting once the initial prep is completed so you could start it off, do some cleaning, move on to the next step, watch a tv show, move on to the next step, go for a run, move on to the next step, take a shower, then let it bake. Easy easy! That’s why it’s called Easy Whole Wheat Bread. 🙂 It’s the vehicle I used to eat this Curried Chicken Salad, some BLTs, and innumerable pieces of toast. Enjoy!

one year ago: Easy Homemade New York Bagels
two years ago: {Green} Bean and Cheese Enchiladas
three years ago: Royal Berry Coffee Cake
four years ago: Mexican Pizza

Easy Whole Wheat Bread

Servings: 2 loaves
Time: 5-6 hours
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from The Runner’s Plate

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups warm water [about 110-115 degrees]
1 package active dry yeast [2 1/4 teaspoons]
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

Add water to a large bowl, then sprinkle the yeast on top. Pour in oil, honey, and salt, then mix to combine. Let rest for 5-10 minutes. At this point, yeast should bubble.

Slowly mix in flour, then knead for 10 minutes by hand or 6-7 with a stand mixer on medium-low speed.

Cover with a dish towel and place in a warm area to rise until doubled in size, about an hour. Punch down and let rise again until doubled in size. This should take less time–check on it after 20 minutes and every 10 thereafter.

Divide dough into two equal parts, then shape into loaves and place in 2 greased bread pans. Let rise until dough reaches top of bread pans, about 30 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 32-37 minutes, until golden brown on top.

Main Dishes, Pork, Recipes

Mystery Dish: Honey-Thyme Roasted Pork Tenderloin

October 29, 2014May 6, 2015 Sarah

For this month’s edition of Mystery Dish, Marcie of Flavor the Moments was our host. She gave us a lovely list to work with, including: pork, fennel, kabocha squash, hard apple cider, heavy cream, orange, farro, hazelnuts, quince, thyme, maple syrup, and brussels sprouts. A lot of fun ingredients, for sure! But some were a little too exotic or expensive for me to get without a trip across town to a fancier grocery store, so simple it was!

But simple doesn’t have to mean boring. This honey-thyme roasted pork tenderloin was anything besides boring! It was bursting with lots of fresh flavor–before roasting, the pork is seared in a hot skillet then coated with an amazing mixture of honey, butter, thyme, and orange zest AND juice. Talk about flavor overload! I could totally see making that honey mix into a fun spread on cornbread or a biscuit. It was SO delicious when I test tasted it [before it came into contact with the raw meat] that I was super tempted to put the spoon in my mouth later. But raw meat=gross=unhealthy so I talked myself out of that one. 🙂 It was hard, guys, but I did it.

As the pork roasted, a wonderful hearty sweetness filled the house. I tended up having to cook the meat a little while longer than the original recipe advised, despite the internal temperature reading 145 degrees F as it should, hence the photos above being a little too pink for my liking. But I was chasing daylight and thought the pork was done before I cut into it, so I had to take the photos then or else incur the wrath of the dreaded florescent kitchen lighting. Ugh, no thanks. But once the pork was done, it was amazing–juicy and rich, with the perfect blend of herb-citrus-honey baked right into the crispy coating that appears as the honey bakes on the pork. I served my pork with an awesome butternut squash side dish that I’ll have to share before Thanksgiving because it has “holiday side dish” written all over it. Enjoy!

one year ago: Skinny Southwest Chicken Dip
two years ago: Mexican Rollups
three years ago: Individual Pumpkin Pie Parfaits
four years ago: Asian Chicken Bowls

Honey-Thyme Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Servings: 8
Time: 60 minutes
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adapted slightly from Serious Eats

Ingredients:

2 pound pork tenderloin
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons fresh thyme [or 1 tablespoon ground thyme] + more for serving
zest and juice of one orange
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Let pork sit out at room temperature for 15 minutes before using, then pat dry and season with pepper and salt.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, sear pork for about 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove from pan and add chicken broth, scraping up brown bits, then remove from heat and reserve sauce.

Whisk together thyme, orange zest, orange juice, honey, and butter in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

When pork has seared, place pork in a baking dish then rub with thyme mixture. Pour chicken broth into baking dish.

Bake for at least 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. Let rest for 10 minutes, covered with foil, before slicing and serving with more fresh thyme.

See what other Mystery Dish gals made this month:

Baked Apple Donuts with Maple Glaze by Yummy Healthy Easy

Baked French Toast Casserole by I Want Crazy

Chocolate Orange Hazelnut Truffles by Culinary Couture

Hazelnut Maple-Glazed Cinnamon Rolls by I Dig Pinterest

Hazelnut Macarons with Pumpkin Maple Filling by Baking a Moment

Honey-Thyme Roasted Pork Tenderloin from The Pajama Chef

Italian Sausage and Ravioli Skillet by Simply Gloria

Kabocha Squash Curry with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Farro by Chez CateyLou

Maple Glazed Fennel and Brussels Sprouts by The Well Floured Kitchen

Pear Hazelnut Bread with Orange Maple Glaze by Blahnik Baker

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apples, Bacon, and Hazelnuts by Flavor the Moments