Tropical Acai Bowls {Is it Summer?}

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It's been hot here lately!  I think Mother Nature has confused Spring and Summer.

We had a super lazy weekend in the heat and I knew I didn't want to spend loads of time in the kitchen.  Hubby and I love acai bowls, and so does Ayden.  He is so excited to share Daddy's bowl and says "Mmmmmmm!" when he gets his bites!  

There's a great place here in town to get Acai bowls, but at around $9 per bowl it's not exactly economical to do on the regular.  Plus, the bowls are so easy to make at home and I don't even have to change out of my pjs.  Winning!

Acai is easily found in the frozen section in many markets.  We get ours at Costco because it comes in super convenient smoothie packs that are the perfect portion.  Usually I would make my own granola, but haven't had the time do lately.  We love Nature's Path granola and always have some on hand.  You can switch up the ingredients in this recipe so easily to use what you have in the house.  Fruit will of course be best when it is in season, so peruse your farmer's market for the best selection.

Tropical Acai Bowls

| Prep: 5 mins | Serves: 1 large or 2 small bowls |

1 smoothie pack frozen acai

1/3 c (ish) frozen pineapple

3-4 strawberries (fresh or frozen)

1/2 coconut milk (sub OJ, pineapple juice, coconut water, water)

Toppings:

Granola

fresh fruit

honey

shredded/flaked coconut

Place acai, frozen pineapple, berries and liquid into a blender and pulse until smooth.  Pour into bowls and top with the granola, coconut, fruit, etc. and enjoy!

Equally delicious: chunky baby thighs.

...and cheeks.

Sweet Potato + Spinach Hash {Breakfast for Dinner}

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Today's recipe was born out of a desperate need for groceries.  I hadn't shopped, the house was a disaster of baby toys and I was too tired to deal with going to the market for anything.  Necessity is the mother of invention, right?  I had a single sweet potato, a couple handfuls of spinach leftover from making baked spaghetti, and a few eggs.  I thought to myself, this will either be awesome or a total flop. 

Guys.  It's awesome.  First off, there's nothing better than a runny egg yolk, and when in doubt, put an egg on it!  The first time I made this I didn't have any lemon and it was still delicious.  However, the second time I made it, I squeezed a lemon over the top of the hash before adding the egg and it was over-the-top amazing.  The lemon juice and the egg yolk combine and make an incredible sauce, and the tartness of the lemon gives the dish a nice bright note.  I'm starting to sound like I watch too much Chopped (I do.) so I'll shut my yap and get to it.

Run, don't walk.  Make this.  Now.

Sweet Potato + Spinach Hash with Egg
| Prep: 5 mins | Cook: 15 mins. | Serves: 2 |
1 sweet potato, peeled + diced
A few handfuls of fresh spinash
2 eggs
Sprinkle of garlic powder
Pinch of nutmeg

Heat 2 tsp of coconut oil in a medium skillet.  Peel and dice the sweet potato.  When the oil is hot, add in the sweet potato, sprinkle with salt and a pinch of nutmeg.  Saute, stirring occasionally, until beginning to caramelize, about 5 mins.  Add in 1/2 c water and continue to cook until water has evaporated and potatoes are soft, about 3-5 mins.  Transfer to a bowl and set aside.  Add the spinach to the same pan, sprinkle with salt and garlic powder and steam until wilted, about 2 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a non-stick pan and cook the eggs to desired temperature.  While the eggs finish up, add the sweet potato back to the skilled and combine with spinach.  Squeeze lemon juice over the combination, serve it up and enjoy!

Baked Frittata with Spinach and Feta

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Let's be real.  The past 24 hours have kicked my butt.  Teething has been torturing my poor sweet boy, turning a mellow, happy baby into a fussy, sleep-fighting, overtired and cranky mess.  I'm hoping that this extra large mocha I'm gulping down so lady-like will keep me semi-functional despite being up since 3:30 a.m.. Teething bites.  Nyuk nyuk.

I've had lots and lots of yummy ideas bouncing around in my head, colliding with to-do lists and an ever-changing informal schedule of naps and feedings, but the yummy ideas have mostly been just that.  Recipes these days are simple and quick and today's can even be done one-handed while balancing a squirming 6 month old on one hip.

Frittatas are essentially Italian omelettes, loaded with various cheeses, vegetables, meats and even pasta!  Traditionally made in a skillet, and either flipped to brown both sides, or slid under the broiler, they are a great way to use up the random odds and ends that tend to accumulate over the course of a week (random tomato half, I'm lookin at you...).  In the interest of convenience, I went with baking.  I'm a sucker for a stick-it-in-the-oven-and-walk-away recipe.

This dish is great either hot out of the oven/skillet, or at room temp.  Pour yourself a mimosa, serve up some fruit and toast and it's time for brunch!  What add-ins would you put in your frittata?  I'd love to hear the combos you come up with.  Enjoy!

Frittata with Spinach and Feta
| Prep: 5 mins | Bake: 17-20 mins | Serves: 6-8 |
6 eggs
2 tbsp. milk
salt & pepper
2 handfuls spinach
2 tsp olive oil
Feta
Tomato slices

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a pie pan or spray with cooking spray and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet and saute spinach until just wilted.  Set aside to cool slightly.  While the spinach wilts, beat eggs with milk.  Make sure to beat the eggs well to break up the whites.  Add cooled spinach to eggs and mix.  Pour eggs and spinach into pie pan, sprinkle with feta, and top with sliced tomato.  Bake approx. 17 minutes or until eggs are cooked through.

Breakfast "Milkshake" {and yes, it's healthy!}

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Ya know those "hungry days" that happen out of the blue?  You wake up and for some reason are ready to devour a large pizza or plate of enchiladas?  As any nursing mom will tell you, those days are quite frequent.

Weekday mornings are always pretty fast-paced for me.  I get up while A is still asleep so I can get myself ready for work before he's ready for his breakfast.  He usually wakes up at 7 and is ready for a change and a snack, then it's time for Momma to get dressed and out the door while he and Daddy snooze.

Busy mornings don't leave a lot of room for healthy breakfasts, so I try to think of ways to pack in a nutritious on-the-go snack for the morning drive to work.  I also happen to have a wicked sweet tooth.  This smoothie is perfect for busy mornings and is deceptively healthy!  Bananas and agave give it a sweet, decadent flavor, and all-natural peanut butter and greek yogurt provide a punch of protein to keep the munchies away all morning.  The addition of unsweetened cocoa powder sends this smoothie over the top, making me feel like a little kid who's been allowed to have a chocolate milkshake for breakfast.

This recipe makes about 10-12 ounces of smoothie.  Feel free to adjust to your liking.  I think next time I'll add in some oats and flax for an added boost!

Breakfast "Milkshake"
2/3 c milk (almond milk would be a fabulous substitute)
2/3 c plain greek yogurt (Fage is my favorite)
1 large ripe banana
1/2 c all-natural peanut butter
2 tsp agave (or honey), to taste
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3-4 large ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in blender and whirl!  Serve with a fun stripey straw because it tastes better that way.

PS - I would love to be able to make this the night before.... Thoughts?  I feel like it will be a soupy mess if I try...  Talk to me, people.  Let's make this happen.

Annnnnnd.....

Happy 6 months to our sweet little muchacho!

Gluten Free Banana Bread + How to Make Homemade Oat Flour

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Long post alert!  We have had quite the exciting dramatic eventful week over here, folks.  Memorial Day weekend brought the unofficial official kickoff to Santa Barbara's fire season - complete with a brand new fire, dubbed the "White Fire":

Around 2:30 Monday afternoon I thought I smelled smoke.  Hubby had said that the neighbors were getting ready to BBQ, so I thought maybe they had tossed some wood into their pit.  A bit later as Chico and I were in the backyard, I noticed the telltale red tinge when I looked around... then looked up and saw a thick, heavy blanket of smoke in the sky.  These images were taken from La Cumbre peak using my iPhone. 

Firefighters here in Santa Barbara work so hard during fire season.  This area is notorious for its many wildfires, and the red, smoky sky is, unfortunately, an all too familiar sight to us locals.  Thankfully, this fire has stayed on the other side of the mountains. Despite strong winds and soaring temps, not a single home has burned and no one has been injured.  Fires in the past (Painted Cave, Tea Fire, Jesusita Fire, Lightning Series Fires) have had devastating, long term effects on California and its residents.  Many of our friends have lost homes over the years, and Hubby's family came extremely close to losing their home during the Painted Cave Fire.  We are very thankful that this one has not come down into town!

Mother Nature couldn't let us get too comfortable once the fire was somewhat controlled... Wednesday as I was about to leave for work, I heard a loud *BANG* as the house lurched and started shaking to the tune of a 4.9 earthquake hitting just 3 miles off of our coast. It was so loud I thought someone/something had crashed into our house!  Dramatic little city, aren't we?  I think I've had enough excitement for one week.

So, anyway, back to the good stuff - food!

You may remember the Flaxseed Nutella Banana Bread recipe that I posted last year.  As delicious as that recipe is, it desperately needed a healthy makeover.  Lately I've been really paying attention to how I feel after I eat certain things; I feel my best when I keep to lean proteins such as fish and chicken.  Sugar gives me an awful headache and a jittery feeling in my gut, so I've been trying my hardest to keep it out of my diet. I allow myself to indulge in moderation, which keeps my sweet tooth satisfied without making me feel like crap.   Win!

This banana bread freezes well, and isn't overly sweet.  Hubby loves it drizzled with local honey.  Feel free to toss in some golden raisins, mini chocolate chips or whatever your heart desires.  At the last minute I decided to top mine with oats mixed with a smidge of brown sugar and cinnamon.  It gives the bread the perfect tiny bit of sweetness.

Gluten Free Banana Bread
| Servings: 1 loaf | Prep: 10 mins. | Bake: 50 Mins |
1/4 c coconut oil, melted
1/2 c plain greek yogurt
1/4 c (scant) agave
1/4 c honey
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
2 c oat flour (see below)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1 c bananas, overripe, mashed
1/2 c chopped nuts
For the topping
1/4 c oats
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x5 loaf pan lightly with non-stick spray.  Set aside. {Alternately, you could make this recipe into muffins - bake for about 15-20, or until cake tester comes out clean.)

In a small bowl, mix together the coconut oil, greek yogurt, agave, honey, egg and vanilla and bananas.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Stir the wet ingredients into flour mixture until thoroughly incorporated.  Gently fold in the chopped nuts and any other additions (dried fruit, choc chips, etc.) and stir until just combined. Pour bread dough into the prepared loaf pan.

In a small bowl, stir together the 1/4 c oats, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle over the top of the bread dough.  Bake bread for 45-55 mins., or until a cake tester comes out clean.  Cool completely before slicing and serving.  Or not.  It's really great still warm.

To make the oat flour...

I will not call this a "recipe" because it simply involves one ingredient and one easy step.  "Gluten Free" is everywhere and I personally know several people who are intolerant to gluten, so I wanted to make this recipe accessible to all.  If you have gluten free oats on hand, you can make this oat flour to use in your baking adventures.  Woohoo!

Gluten Free Oat Flour
Makes 2 cups
What you need:
2 cups gluten free oats*
Food processor

Pour the oats into the food processor and pulse until finely ground.  Tada!  Oat flour!

*Not all oats are gluten free.  Trader Joe's carries a large bag of GF oats for $3.99.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

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Originally the idea behind this muffin was to broaden the breakfast horizon.  I'm a sucker for a baked good, and if that baked good happens to have a smidge of chocolate in it, move outta my way.  I'm goin' in.  So it shouldn't surprise anyone that we plowed through these muffins so quickly that they only made it to one breakfast. 

We had a bunch of zucchini on hand from making veggie pizza, so zucchini bread or muffins seemed the natural next step.  No different than using carrots in a cake, right?  Pretty much. 

This recipe makes six muffins, so if you're anything like me you may want to double it so you have plenty on hand for midnight snacks, pinterest surfing snacks, no wait!  I mean...  while dinner is cooking snacks, No really - breakfast.  Yeah, that's it.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

|Yields: 6 muffins | Prep time: 5 mins. | Bake time: 20-22 mins.|

3/4 c AP flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 c agave (a bit less if you're adding chocolate chips)

1 egg

1/4 c coconut oil, melted

1 c grated zucchini, extra water squeezed out

1/3 c slivered almonds or walnuts

1/4 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a muffin tin with cooking spray, or line with baking cups.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Set aside.  In a slightly larger bowl, whisk together agave, egg, coconut oil and zucchini.  Stor the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, careful not to over-mix. 

Fold in nuts and chocolate chips until just incorporated.  Fill cups about 2/3 full (I use an ice cream scoop for perfect measuring) and bake 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool completely if you have the willpower.
Adapted from taste of home

Homemade granola {gluten free}

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Granola is one of my favorite foods.  I love granola with fresh fruit and some greek yogurt, and Hubby likes to top his smoothies with granola for a crunchy post-workout snack.  We've been buying tons of granola and the other day I realized that we could - and should - be making this at home.

Store bought granola can be loaded with oils, flavorings and preservatives, all of which I'd rather not indulge in.  Anything made at home gives you the ability to control what goes into your food.  In the case of this granola I used healthy coconut oil instead of vegetable or canola oil.

Coconut oil is something I'm only beginning to experiment with.  It is pretty easily found in most grocery stores - I get it at Trader Joe's.  It is high in saturated fat (hold on, don't freak out yet!) however the saturated fat in coconut oil is different from other oils in that it does not increase LDL levels.  Coconut oil has been found to be useful in losing weight, and increases metabolism by reducing stress on the pancreas.  It also strengthens the immune system and promotes healthy digestion.  Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so must be melted before being added to most recipes.

When it comes to granola, you can customize with whatever ingredients you like.  I added in ground flax seeds and raw almonds.  You could also toss in some dried fruit or shredded coconut.  I think I'll make this a fall treat next time and use some pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon.  Yum!

Homemade Granola
2 c rolled oats (make sure they are gluten free if that is a concern)
1 tbsp cinnamon (scant)
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/3 c honey
1/2 c raw sliced almonds
1/3 c ground flax seeds

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium bowl, stir together oats, cinnamon and salt.  Add in coconut oil and honey, stirring until thoroughly combined.  Spread mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  (If you wanted the nuts toasted, add during the last 5-10 minutes and make sure to stir frequently to prevent them from burning.)  The longer the granola cooks, the crunchier it will be.  Cool completely before adding almonds (unless toasting) and flax seed.  Store in an airtight container.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bars

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It's no secret that I struggle with fitting breakfast into my day.  We have been so busy lately that I'm completely shocked I haven't run out the door wearing pajama pants and heels.  There's always tomorrow!

We have been busy with great stuff, though, so I can't complain.  I got to attend my first Montalvo family reunion since becoming a Montalvo, and last weekend got to cheer on my Mister as he completed his second Tough Mudder challenge (can you believe?!).  We also got to spend 4th of July and the weekend following with great friends and their adorable girls, Noah and Piper.  This weekend we will be heading up to San Francisco for a very exciting family gathering (more on that in a later post) and I thought these bars would be a good snack to take on the road with us.

Piper

Noah 

These would be great to make on a Sunday night to have on hand for weekday breakfasts/snacks.  Store the bars in an airtight container to ensure they stay nice and fresh.  I think next time I'll add in some chopped nuts for a little crunch.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bars
1 c flour
2 1/2 c oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 c applesauce
2 beaten eggs
1/2 c honey
1/4 c brown sugar*
1 medium apple, peeled and diced

*Note: I somehow spaced adding the brown sugar.  The bars turned out okay but needed a little something, so I drizzled mine with additional honey for a little more sweetness.  It was super yummy, especially topped with a little bit of greek yogurt!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Mix the flour, oats, baking soda and cinnamon in a medium bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine applesauce, eggs, honey, brown sugar and mix well.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients until thoroughly combined.  Fold in the diced apples.  Spread mixture into prepared baking dish and bake approx. 17 minutes, until lightly golden brown.  Cool completely, cut into bars, enjoy!

Snacks are better when shared :)

Energizing Strawberry-Acai Parfaits

Pin It Now! Breakfast is a tough meal for me.  I'm the kind of person that is usually rushing out the door and realizing an hour later that I'm starving.  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right?  I really need to work on fitting a few minutes into my morning to fuel up.

Luckily this recipe is super quick to put together, and as an added plus, has just the right ingredients to keep your energy up for a busy day.  Acai (pronounced ahh-sigh-ee) is loaded with antioxidants, and is conveniently available in many grocers' frozen section.  Costco carries a bag of individual smoothie-sized packages of acai, which are perfect for these parfaits.

For such a simple recipe, these parfaits are so delicious.  Creamy greek yogurt layered with granola and smooth fruit puree is the perfect marriage.  Feel free to use frozen strawberries if fresh isn't an option.  I found these beauties at the local Farmer's Market and couldn't resist them.

Strawberry-Acai Parfaits
|Serves 2| Prep time: 5 mins|
Greek yogurt (Fage is my favorite)
granola
1 package frozen acai
4-5 strawberries (fresh or frozen)

Blend the acai and strawberries until smooth.  Spoon some yogurt into the bottom of a shallow glass.  Top with a good spoonful of the fruit puree, and then with granola.  Repeat in layers to the top of the glass.  Drizzle with honey if desired.

Crustless Spinach & Sausage Quiche {Breakfast for Dinner}

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I'll admit that some nights I just don't have it in me to put a lot of thought into dinner.  Don't get me wrong - I love cooking and I do find it to be somewhat therapeutic.  But at the end of a long day sometimes you need to come home and space out to Friends re-runs instead of standing over a hot stove.  This recipe is great for that.

Quiche is another one of those customizable ("kitchen sink," if you will) dishes.  It's a great way to use up extra veggies, and the cheesy goodness makes any quiche very kid friendly (helloooo, sneaky veggie hiders!)  Make this recipe yours - substitute your favorite cheeses, meats or veggies and see what combo your family loves.

PS - I apologize for the less than stellar photos.  We were rather hungry and eager to dig in.


Haphazardly placed avocado is a great garnish.

Crustless Quiche
|Serves 2-4| Prep time: 10 min.| Bake time: 40-50 min.|
6 eggs
1 1/2 c milk
4 oz. sausage (whatever kind you like)
1/2 small onion, diced
handful of baby spinach, chopped
1/2 c cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray an 8x8 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Note: Make sure to beat the eggs well so that no egg white solids remain.  I didn't do this.  Baked egg whites turn out very tough.  Learn from me, people.  Add the chopped spinach and whisk.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the sausage and onion in a skillet over medium heat until the onions are somewhat soft and the sausage is cooked through.  Drain on a paper towel lined plate.  Once sausage is drained well, spoon it into the bottom of baking dish.  Follow with cheese and any other veggies and then top with the egg mixture.  Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the quiche is set and top is golden brown.  Can be served warm or at room temperature.