Oatmeal Zucchini Banana Bread

I live in an apartment with four people. Four people that are addicted to eating a banana every morning. Ok, it's really probably more like 2 addicts and 2 people who feel like they have to eat a banana rightnoworelsetheywon'tgetonebecausetheywillallbegonetomorrow. So everyone eats a lot of bananas.

I do most of our grocery shopping (at Wegman's with a sidekick of course) and since our (fabulooouuus) 4th roommate has moved in, I have started to feel increasingly silly about the numbers of bananas that we bring to the checkout. We're buy ever growing bunches, some green, some yellow of course, just to get us through the week. Trust me we're not lacking potassium and it's really a wonder that any of us can poop (I feel like talking about poop on a cooking blog is kinda like a party foul, but I just did it anyway... oops).


Of course marathon banana eating this isn't really conducive to baking. Because I love banana bread banana's are the only piece of produce (that I can think of right now) that I want to go bad. And we just can't keep them on the shelves.


When we do get an over ripe banana it's never more than one. I think one of the best tips I've received is to freeze them. This way, I can save up until I have enough for bread.


This is all relevant, of course, to this bread. You only need 2 bananas. Cash in early.  Go. Me.

The other bonus about this bread is that I've adapted a Weight Watchers recipe. So if you feel lighter after eating it... that's why.


PS I can never spell Zucchini. EVER.

Buddies!

Soundtrack: Boogie.

Oatmeal Zucchini Banana Bread

Adapted from Weight Watchers

1 1/4 c ap flour
1/2 c unpacked brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cardamom

1 cup(s) uncooked old fashioned oats
3 tsp canola oil
1 large egg, beaten
2 large egg whites, beaten
2 large bananas, just a bit too ripe 

1 small zucchini, about the size of a banana

1/2 c walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, mash bananas with a fork and set aside. Puree the zucchini in a blender or small food processor until the dice is very small. Squeeze handfuls of the zucchini bits over a colander to remove all excess  water, then add to the bananas and set aside. 

In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients and spices. Add oil and eggs; mix thoroughly. Fold in bananas, zucchini and walnuts and stir until mixed well using as few strokes as possible.

Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan and bake until top of loaf is firm to touch, 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Flip out and move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Peach, Fennel & Mint Quinoa Salad

Grain salads are totally all the rage right now. And not just in my head. They're everywhere else too. They're a fabulous and healthy alternative to pasta or potato or macaroni salad. Or even a more filling alternative to a green salad. When you use a grain like quinoa, brown rice or barley as a base to your salad dish, you easily add vitamins, fiber and protein. Then, you can pack in veggies and fruit and skip the mayo.

And, the beautiful thing about summer is that produce is so fresh.... and so good. I can get excited about tomatoes. And green beans. And squash. Because it's sooo good! And it's even better when you don't cook it. Which is nice... because who wants to cook too much in the summer? Don't you love it when nature has your back? The only thing better would be if mint chocolate chip ice cream grew on trees.


Soundtrack: This


Peach, Fennel & Mint Quinoa Salad
Serves 6 as a side, 4 as a main course


1 c quinoa
1/2 c scallions, chopped
1 large peach, pitted and chopped (don't peel)
1 c green beans, trimmed, cleaned and cut into >1/2 in pieces
2 tbsp chopped mint
1 fennel bulb, chopped
1 tbsp EVOO (I used jalapeno infused, but this totally isn't necessary)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper


Cook quinoa according to package directions.


While the quinoa cooks, combine scallions, peaches, green beans, mint, and fennel in a large bowl. Set aside.


In a small bowl, whisk together oil and vinegar. Season with pepper and about 1/8 tsp salt. Pour over the fresh ingredients in the large bowl. Toss to combine.


Add quinoa while still slightly warm and toss to combine. Serve while warm or cooled.

Lemon & Arugula Potato Salad

My weekend.. in numbers!:

10: Time that my new favorite trashy tv show, My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding is on TV (light up dress this weekend!!)

9: Number of times I thought about going to the gym on Sunday... but didn't

8: Time that I woke up on Saturday AM. I know you're impressed.

7: Number of sports Adam was watching on Saturday... simultaneously

6: Number of corny jokes at which I laughed too hard

5: Amount of hours I spent editing a writing sample (GOOD GOD.. I know)

4: Times I ate ice cream (relax, I was a good sharer)

3: Number of foods I created on Saturday before 1 PM (Go me!!)

2: Trips I made to the grocery store (I was really ready for a third)

1: Times I made a list of my weekend in numbers

0: Number of rolls of toilet paper available in the bathroom at Morgan's Pier on Saturday night (I will forgive the place for being all around pretty awesome otherwise)

11: Rating on a scale from 1-10 of how excited I am about this potato salad. Yep. Potato salad makes me that excited. But here's the deal: I love potatoes. All kinds. And in salad form they are so much fun (yea I just called potatoes fun). Easy, breezy, and dressed up for summer. But this salad is so light and so unlike the mayo laden salads of old. It makes me feel as though I just ate a real vegetable... well 2 real vegetables. The tangy taste of the vinaigrette contrasts with the saltiness of kalamata olives and peppery arugula perfectly. It tastes even better outside, or alongside a turkey burger. It's easy to make and fun to share. 

And for those who hate mayo... promise them there is no mayo. Let them take a few bites before you tell them the secret ingredient is mayo. Let it eat at them for a minute before you tell them you're kidding.

Soundtrack: Ms. Patsy Cline


Lemon and Arugula Potato Salad
Inspired by Cooking Light's Lemon-Herb Potato Salad
Serves 5-6


1 lb red new potatoes
1 tbsp EVOO
1 tsp lemon zest, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp honey dijon mustard (I used Bookbinders. The key is a good dijon mustard, not a honey mustard dressing)

splash of kalamata olive juice (about 1/2 tsp)
3 oz arugula, chopped
1/4 c kalamata olives, finely chopped

1/2 tsp parsley (dried) or 1 tbsp fresh, chopped

1/2 tsp basil (dried) or 1 tbsp fresh, chopped

salt & pepper

Fill a 5 qt pot 3/4 of the way full with water. Place on the stove, cover, and bring to a boil. Add potatoes. Cover and simmer for ~10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the potato. The potatoes are done when a fork can be very easily inserted into the potato. Once the potatoes are finished cooking, turn off the heat. Allow the water to cool.

Drain the potatoes and set aside to cool fully (I let mine cool a while on the counter, then in the refrigerator to finish).

Once the potatoes are cooled, whisk together the EVOO, zest, lemon juice, honey dijon, and the splash of olive juice. Set aside.

Move the potatoes to a cutting board and cut into small cubes, about 1/4 in. Move the cubed potatoes to a large bowl.

Add the arugula, olives, parsley and basil. Add the dressing, then toss to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to marry. Serve chilled.

Triple Citrus Ricotta Cookies

I discovered something new this weekend. (Aside from a who-knows-how-old dust bunny under my bed.) 

I didn't discover this thing though, really. I was introduced to it. And people have been watching it for ages now.. or since they installed the traffic cameras in Philly. So I "discovered" it, in much the same way Columbus discovered our great nation.

Philadelphia has a television channel... devoted... to... traffic cameras. Rotating camera views of different points on all major highways set to an eclectic mix of music spanning all genres and ages. No repeats (on the music, that is). And it's titled... Jams and Cams.

I know what you're thinking. What happens if you happen to witness a horrible accident? Or just any accident really? Are you supposed to do something about it? I would think so. Thus, there is a lot of responsibility that comes in watching this channel. It's not for the faint of heart.

And now you know what I did this weekend (other than to make these cookies of course). I went to the gym. I ate a delicious meal of bbq brisket out. I drank some beers to kick of Philly Beer Week. And I watched Jams and Cams. I'm so cool.

Soundtrack: I like this.

Triple Citrus Ricotta Cookies

Adapted from Giada DeLaurentis Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Yield: ~3 dozen cookies

2 1/2 c ap flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
6 tbsp of citrus juices, divided*
~ 1 tbsp zest of the mixed citrus used for juices

1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 1/2 c powdered sugar

*I used 2 tbsp orange juice, 2 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp lime juice. Combined them in a bowl and then measured out 3 tbsp of the mix when needed, thus I had 1 tbsp of each in the cookies and in the glaze. You will need 1 lemon, 1 lime and 1/2 an orange for this. Also of note: I used fresh squeezed orange juice, not sure the effect that carton juice would have.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium sized bowl, stir flour, baking powder and salt with a whisk until combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, continuously beating the mixture. Once eggs are combined, add ricotta cheese, 3 tbsp of mixed citrus juice, and the zest. Beat just until combined.

Using a spatula, stir in the dry mix and poppy seeds. Dough will be very moist, more similar to a batter.

Spoon ~ 1 tbsp drops of dough onto lined cookie sheets. Dough will spread when baking, so make sure to leave room. (These are a flat cookie, not raised.)

Bake for 15 minutes (or until golden brown at the edges). Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheets for ~20 minutes before glazing.

While cookies are cooling, whisk together the remaining 3 tbsp of citrus juice and 1 1/2 c powdered sugar, to create a glaze. Once cookies are cooled, spoon ~1/2 tsp of glaze onto each cookie and spread to coat.

Glaze will need to cool ~2 hrs before storing.

Tofu, Corn & Snap Pea Burritos

I'm really excited about this burrito post.

Sure, I've made some other burritos before with other delicious ( and some similar) ingrediences (Tofu, Black Bean & Corn and Grilled Shrimp and Zucchini). Sure, they were equally exciting to eat and share.

But oy. I'm really excited about this post, because it shows me how far my photo skills have come since I started out to conquer this blogging hobby. Well, either my skills have gotten better or my camera has gotten better. You decide. (Camera)

But I finally feel like my photos are starting to really capture freshness and color and detail. Those elements are really important to me. After taste of course! I love fresh food with lots of color and I love being able to share that.

These burritos have the perfect amount of crunch. I really hate a soggy or mushy burrito. I never really understood restaurants that cover them in sauce (I mean.. maybe it's tradition or maybe it makes some people happy) or why all burritos don't include lettuce. I need something crisp. I gots teeth and I wanna use them before it's too late and I'm eating mashed peas 5 nights a week.

Ew mashed peas. Shudder.

Soundtrack:


Tofu, Corn & Snap Pea Burritos
Serves 4-5


1 1/2 packages of extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed (I used 1 1/2 because I reserved 1/2 a block for use in salads. You could certainly use both or just 1.)
EVOO
1 c snap peas, cleaned, trimmed and halved
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chipotle seasoning
1 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp agave syrup
1 c corn, either fresh from the cob or canned
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
salt & pepper
4-5 tortillas
1/2 radishes, julienned (to garnish)
romaine lettuce, chopped (to garnish)


Before beginning, be sure to press tofu for 20 minutes. Cube and set aside.


Heat 1 tbsp of EVOO in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, red pepper and snap peas. Season with salt and pepper and sautee for 3-4 minutes, or until onions just begin to soften. Remove from the skillet to a bowl and set aside.


Drizzle a bit more EVOO into the skillet. Add tofu to the skillet. Cook over medium low heat for a minute, chopping with the side of your stirring utensil until the tofu is broken down into small pieces. Add vinegar, cumin, chipotle, and agave. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes. Add corn and cook another 2 minutes.


Remove from heat, stir in onion, pepper and snap pea mixture. Add cilantro and stir to combine. 


Serve in tortillas, garnished with radishes and lettuce.

Roasted Radish and Sweet Potato Salad

Happy Memorial Day long weekend all! Hope everyone is enjoying the weather, time off and relaxation...with beer! 

Being that it's Memorial Day weekend and the sun is shining so beautifully, you might be under the impression it's about time to put away your dutch oven for the winter and let it collect dust until the air is crisp again.

You might think that your dutch oven actually needs to be swapped out for white pants. 

You're probably right, but I've never been one to follow rules like that anyway. Liberty, justice and the ability to wear white pants year round for all!

Soundtrack:


Roasted Radish and Sweet Potato Salad


1 tbsp EVOO
2 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 cubes
1 1/2 - 2 c radishes, cleaned and halved
1/2 tsp ground coriander
salt & pepper
1/4 c white wine
3-4 handfuls baby spinach
1/2 tsp white balsamic vinegar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Heat the EVOO in a large dutch oven on a stove top over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sautee for 4-5 minutes, or until fragrant.


Add the potatoes, radishes, coriander and salt (about 1/4 tsp kosher) and pepper. Sauteed for 3-5 minutes. Add white wine, raise heat to medium-high and cook for 3-5 more minutes, stirring frequently, until reduced slightly.


Cover the dutch oven and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 10 minutes, remove from the oven. Stir and return to cook for another 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven, uncover and allow to cool slightly. Add fresh spinach and white balsamic vinegar. Toss to coat. Serve room temp or cold.

Banana Walnut Breakfast Bars

My most favorite part of weekends is waking up and laying in bed for a while. Then eventually making my way downstairs and cooking delicious brunch. I don't have any kids, my dog can sleep in until 12 PM.... and I've got a lot of free time.

But all this taking time in the morning to make a good meal is an afforded luxury that I am only privy too because... well... I don't have to go to work on the weekend. During the week, I usually scarf down bites from a bowl of cereal whenever I transition from blowing dry my hair to flat ironing it to putting on eyeliner to pouring my coffee. Cereal can be subbed out with yogurt or granola or maybe a muffin if I'm feeling a little crazy.

One thing that I like to keep around for those mornings when I oversleep and don't have time to dry my hair or put on eyeliner and therefore can't simultaneously eat cereal are breakfast bars.


I'm pretty big on Odwalla bars. They're super healthy (or so they tell me...) and I have a thing for the texture. These Banana Walnut Breakfast Bars are my best attempt at a homemade banana Odwalla bar. They're sugar free (I used agave not fake sugar) and full of oats and banana. Walnuts for protein and raisins for well... being delicious. 


Oh! And! Speaking of alternative breakfast foods. Try these breakfast cookies too. Don't worry they're healthy as can be; my mom would never let me anywhere near cookie crisp either.


Soundtrack: 


Banana Walnut Breakfast Bars
Adapted from Food.com
Makes ~9 breakfast sized bars


1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp cardamom
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c agave nectar

1 large egg

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c quick oats
3/4 c walnuts

3/4 c raisins

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.


In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, cardamom, and cinnamon. Set aside.


In a large bowl, beat the butter, agave and egg together until combined. The butter will not completely cream together with the agave nectar as it would with sugar, but it should be thoroughly mixed.


Add the bananas and vanilla and beat until smooth. 


Add the flour mixture and oats and stir with a spatula until just combined. The batter should be fairly thick and spreadable. If it's too runny add 1/4 c more oats and stir again until combined.


Grease a 9x13 in pan and spread the batter into the pan, smoothing over the top. Bake in preheated oven for ~20 minutes, or until golden brown on top.


Cool in pan and cut into 9 pieces.