20--- Monkey Bread Muffins from Scratch

Confession: prior to making these I had never had monkey bread.

Honestly, I didn't know what the fuss was about.

And then I thought that I probably, as a food blogger, should find out what the fuss was about.

So I set out to make me some.

And all I could find were recipes using refrigerated biscuit dough.

That makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit.

Do you KNOW what's in that?

No, really, DO YOU KNOW????

Yes, I am a healthy food snob, but I do, on occasion, indulge. 80/20 my friends, 80/20.  Refrigerated biscuit dough, however, is not on my list of things that will ever enter my mouth.

So I made my own buttermilk biscuit dough and had me my monkey bread.

Ok I get it.  It's delicious.  And I am guessing even more delicious without the trans fats that we omitted.

Monkey Bread Muffins from Scratch
Makes 1 dozen

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

GLAZE
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a muffin tin generously with baking spray.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.  Add in butter pieces and use a pastry cutter or fork to combine until coarse crumbs are formed.  Stir in buttermilk to form a soft dough (careful to not over mix).

Transfer dough onto a lightly floured flat surface.  Knead dough 5-6 times, then roll out dough until it is 1/2" thick (no need to have even edges).  Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 2" square pieces.

In a large Ziploc bag, mix white sugar and cinnamon.  Add dough pieces and shake to coat the dough.  Place 5-6 coated dough pieces in each muffin cup. 

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter for the glaze.  Add the brown sugar, whisking to combine.  Bring to a low boil, then remove from heat.

Pour glaze mixture evenly over each muffin.  Place the muffin tin on the middle rack of the oven and bake for ~20 minutes, or until cooked through.  Allow to cool 3-4 minutes prior to serving.

80(ish)--- Sunflower Seed Snaps

I've been looking for a good granola bar alternative for a while.  One that has a good long storage life.  One with a good balance of protein, fiber, and fat with natural ingredients.

And then I found these Sesame Snaps.  Do you know about them? They are delicious.  And apparently I am waaaaayy late to the game as they have been around forever.

So I made my own. My version with dry roasted sunflower seeds instead of sesame seeds.  I'll have a little bit of salty with my sweet please!

Oh- and this was also my first attempt at making "candy".  If I did it YOU can do it!

Sunflower Seed Snaps
Makes 24 squares 2x2"

1 cup honey
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups dry roasted sunflower seed kernels

Place a parchment-lined  baking sheet on the counter near your stovetop.

In a medium saucepan, combine ingredients and heat over medium heat.  Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to a boil.  Continue to cook until the mixture reaches 315 degrees (use a candy thermometer).  You may need to reduce the heat to medium-low, depending on your stovetop (if it boils too rapidly or if the mixture browns quickly).  Be patient! It took my mixture about 12 minutes to reach this temperature.

When the mixture reaches temperature, pour it onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and use a spatula to spread it evenly.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then use a sharp knife to cut the candy into squares.  Let candy finish cooling completely prior to breaking squares apart and storing in an airtight container.

Nutrition Info per 1 square: 108 calories, 4 g fat, 2 g protein,  16 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber

Things That I Know

1.  I ran my first half marathon last weekend.  In Disneyland.  I thankfully have a great group of girlfriends who have a sense of humor- and who loved the experience as much as I did.  How did I do?  Well.......... I finished in the top 10%.  But by no means does that mean that I am fast.  It means that everyone else was slow.  If I ran that same pace in any other race I would have been lucky to finish in the top half.  C'est la vie, right?

2.  With Super Bowl right around the corner, I wanted to tell you about.......

This hummus

These baked pickle chips

And popcorn

And creamy onion gratin... maybe on toast wedges?

3.  And here are a few more random recipes that have nothing to do with football that I thought looked divine........

DIY Saute Blocks... pure genius

Winter Quinoa Salad.... because something good (besides snow) needs to come from this season

Roasted Cauliflower Soup.... because cauliflower is so trendy and it makes me so happy

Fauxstess Cupcakes... because it's like a cupcake is THAT bad for you.  It's the partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup that those processed little buggers have.

Kale and Butternut Squash Breakfast Burritos.... because veggies in breakfast are delightful

Have a wonderful week! 

80(ish)--- Twice Baked Avocados

These will be such a hit at your Super Bowl party.  Warm guacamole in it's own little bowl? Perfect for serving up to watch the big game!

I am FOR ONCE excited about the game.  Two western teams? You mean I actually have someone to cheer for? Let the festivities begin!

Twice Baked Avocados
Serves 4

2 ripe (but firm) avocados, halved and seeded
Olive oil spray
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
3 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
1/3 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp sea salt
Dash ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray avocado halves lightly with olive oil.  Place on a baking sheet, cut side up, and bake for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, so that they can be handled.

Gently remove flesh from avocados with a fork or spoon, preserving the skin as a "bowl".  Place flesh into a bowl and mash well with a fork.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Transfer mixture back into avocado skins and place back onto the baking sheet.  Top each with a sprinkle of cheese and return to oven.  Bake for 5-8 additional minutes.

Remove from oven and serve immediately with tortilla chips for dipping.

Nutrition Info per 1 filled avocado half: 177 calories, 14 g fat, 4 g protein, 5 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber                                                                                                                                                                  

80(ish)--- One Skillet Southwestern Pot Pie

A one-skillet supper that's loaded with veggies and topped with a crispy tortilla chip crust.  It will technically serve four, unless you live with my hubby.  I had a quick dish right before I had to leave the house to give a presentation.  And when I came home.............there was NONE left.

I swear I feed him.  I do.

One Skillet Southwestern Pot Pie
Serves 4

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 tomatillos, husked and coarsely chopped
2/3 cup frozen corn kernels
3/4 cup canned low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach leaves, stemmed
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup vegetable broth, warmed, divided
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup light sour cream
1 cup crushed tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a 9 or 10" cast iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add onions, red pepper and jalapeno and saute until softened, 3-4 minutes.  Stir in tomatillos, corn, black beans, and seasonings. Add 1/2 cup vegetable broth to the skillet and bring to a low boil. Stir in tomatoes, spinach and cilantro.  Whisk cornstarch into remaining 1/2 cup vegetable broth.  Add mixture to pan and return to a boil.  Stir until mixture is thickened, 5-8 minutes.

Stir sour cream into the skillet.  Top the mixture with crushed tortilla chips and place skillet into the oven.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly. Serve immediately!

Nutrition Info per 1 1/2 cups: 161 calories, 5.5 g fat, 9 g protein, 14 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber

20--- Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

This recipe is also known as Wacky Chocolate Cake (or cake pops- check those out here).  It's my grandmother's recipe and it is hands down the best chocolate cake out there- and no butter, eggs, or milk!

Dress them up as you see fit!

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes 24

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 Tbsp distilled white vinegar

1 1/2 cups water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.  In a smaller bowl, combine water, oil, and vinegar and whisk to mix.  Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until combined (note: batter will seem thinner than your typical cake).  

Pour batter into a cupcake pan lined with paper liners.  Fill each cup 2/3 full.

Place baking tins into the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes prior to transferring to a cooling rack.

Frost and decorate as you desire!

80--- Tangerine Mint Water

I am SO happy that sparkling water with natural fruit essences is such a hit!  I can thankfully recommend a calorie-free beverage to my patients that doesn't contain artificial sweeteners!

If you're looking to add some flavor to your water, this is also a great solution! AND you get some bonus antioxidants too!  

Tangerine Mint Water
Makes one gallon

2 tangerines, washed well, seeded and sliced into thin slices
10 spearmint leaves
1 gallon filtered water
Ice (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher and place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours prior to drinking!  

Note: If you plan to not drink all of your water within 24 hours, discard the tangerine slices and mint leaves after one day.  The water will stay flavored without them!