Old Bananas are the BEST Bananas!

My obsession with "old" bananas baffles a lot of people. I can't eat a yellow banana. I consider it raw, uncooked if you will. I need my banana to be brown. REALLY brown.

The best part of living alone was my bananas sitting out getting brown and NOT getting eaten by someone else before they were primed and ready to my liking.

I understand I'm in the minority on this but the people that love me are supportive. And that's really all that matters.

If you have a few of these bananas lying around and aren't about to eat them, don't toss them. Bake with them. Brown bananas are sweeter than their yellow version. Banana bread anyone?

I make this bread/loaf about once a week. I make it so much I can just about make it in my sleep.
Grab your old bananas and give it a whirl!

• 3 to 4 brown, delicious bananas 
• 1 & 1/4 Cup Gluten Free Flour (I use Bob's Red Mill one to one)
• 1/4 Cup Coconut Flour
• 1/4 Cup Flax Meal
• 1/4 Cup Coconut Sugar
• 2 tsp of Vanilla
• 1 Egg
• 2 Tbsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 3 Tbsp of oil, I use canola.

Sprinkle to your liking of;

• ground cloves
• cinnamon
• nutmeg

Add in;

• Chocolate Chips. I like Enjoy life.
• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Peanut butter

you get the idea. :)

Grease loaf pan with coconut oil & place in the middle of a pre-heated oven.

350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes. My oven is unreliable so I keep and eye and nose on it.

When I think it's done, I stick a knife in the middle and make sure it comes out clean.

Slice and enjoy! I clearly did.

Tortellini-less della Nonna

So creamy & yummy!

I’m over winter.  Considering this winter has been mild in comparison to most, I feel a like a brat saying that. Alas it is true, the last few weeks of cold and being sick more than once has me lingering closer to my couch. I long for sunshine and flowers.

When my body wants rest, rest it gets. I have a hard time sitting still when I’m home, so if I have a strong desire to curl up on my cushiony love interest, I will.  This also goes hand in hand with a longing for comfort food.  Who doesn’t love a lazy day with your favorite meal that transports you to your childhood.

For me, that is tortellini della Nonna.  Cheese filled tortellini with sautéed prosciutto & peas, covered in a creamy, buttery sauce. It instantly takes me back to my Nonna’s kitchen table.
 

So when a wave of tortellini nostalgia hit me, I had to take action. Since I’d been couch surfing for the better part of the weekend, I knew I couldn’t add butter, cream & cheese to resting metabolism.

Instead, I took a look into my refrigerator and came up with something that was a little healthier and totally hit the spot.  It would have been healthier if I didn’t eat it ALL, but you do what you can.

Tortellini-less della Nonna

• Serving of Explore Asian ‘”fettucine”. I eyeballed, so I’d say it was about a cups worth.  Or a hearty handful.
  
• 2 Laughing Cow cheese wedges
• ½ of a white onion
• 2 Slices of low –sodium deli ham
• ¼ Cup of parmesan cheese
• ¼ Cup of organic half & half
• 2 Tbs of Extra Virgin olive oil

I started by boiling the fettuccine in lightly salted water and chopping up the ham into small pieces.
While the pasta cooked, I sautéed my onions in a tablespoon of the olive oil until they were translucent.

I then added the chopped ham & peas to the pan, continuing to sauté on low heat.  I let the combination cook for about 10 min before I lowered the heat even more and slowly added the half & half.  Milk would probably also work, but I used what I had.
Once the peas, ham & onions were coated in the liquid, I let it cook up for another 2 minutes before adding in the cheese wedges.  The wedges don’t melt easily, so you need to stir them sufficiently until they melt down.

Once the pasta was at the texture I like, I strained it and added it to the mixture with the remaining oil & parmesan cheese.  I tossed the pasta in the pan until it was completely coated by the cheese sauce.

I then put some on a plate and marveled at how good my concoction tasted without butter, cream or prosciutto. I marveled so much, I helped myself to another plate :) Enjoy!

Savory breakfast Egg "Crepe"

While I don't discriminate against any one meal, breakfast is actually my least favorite. I think it's because I make my breakfast to go and eat at my desk at work.

It kind of takes the joy out of a meal that's best eaten in pajamas.

Yogurt and oatmeal are easy go-to's, but I've been trying to evenly distribute my carb intake lately so I turned to eggs.

I'm not a huge fan of eggs and I like them less and less as I get older. Trying to get creative with them has NOT been easy. However, my latest concoction  has me actually looking forward to breakfast.

One whole egg
One egg white
Salt and pepper to taste
Cheese of choice (I like feta)
Favorite egg toppings. Ex; Onions, peppers, salsa, beans, ham etc.

Use a large frying pan, one you'd typically use for larger meals. Get the pan hot before adding the eggs. I turn my range on high for 2 minutes to get the pan hot, then knock the temp down before I pour in the eggs.

In a bowl, scramble the eggs and seasonings.  Spray with a non-stick spray, pour eggs into pan and evenly coat the entire surface with the scrambled eggs.

Let the edges get solid before attempting to flip what will now look like a large egg crepe.
Take your time! Once flipped, turn down the heat to low and add your favorite mix-ins.

I chose feta cheese, some lettuce and a few sliced Greek olives, then rolled it up. You can roll it or fold it, whichever you prefer.
I topped this off with a slice of toast (Gluten Free) and some coconut oil. 
It makes waking up before the sun almost worth it :)

Breakfast with a Smile - Gluten Free Granola

I love the crunch!

5 days a week I eat breakfast at my desk.  I generally make it ahead of time
and bring it in bulk. I switch it up week to week but I could probably eat yogurt. fruit and granola every day, every week, indefinetly.

Greek yogurt is a great breakfast pick for me.  I like 2% Fage the best. The fat keeps me full and satiated without being as heavy as the Whole.  I can't stand the taste of the 0% and don't feel satisfied afterwards. There is no point in eating it if I'm going to be hungry again in an hour.

I like to top my yogurt with fresh berries, some agave and granola. I love the crunch!
Homemade granola is my go-to when I want something crunchy and slightly sweet.

Store bought granola is usually high in sugar and fat. Which is why my taste buds love it and my waist line hates it!

I decided to experiment and make my own granola so I knew what was going into it. 
Plus it's so easy and cheap to make in bulk that I feel guilty not making it.

Gluten Free Homemade Granola

• 1C GF Oats
• 1/2C Coconut Oil, melted
• 1/4C sweetener of choice. I like creamed honey.
• 1 Tbs cinnamon
• 1 Tbs nutmeg
• 1/4C unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4C chia seeds
• 2Tbs pumpkin seeds
• 2 – 3Tbs slivered almonds
• 2 Tbs crushed walnuts
• *Chopped dried apricots – I chopped up about 6

Toss the oats w/cinnamon and nutmeg so they’re coated

Add the sweetener and oil together, mix fully then pour over oats

Add nuts/seeds/fruit and mix well

Place in oven on low heat, about 200 degrees

Occasionally toss mixture so it evenly browns.

I take it out after 45 mins or so but it depends on how light or dark you like your granola.

It’s easy to burn so keep an eye on it!

*Any dried fruit works or none at all. The world is  your granola, do it your way!

Breakfast Cookies!

Cookies for Breakfast!

This was a pantry clean out experiment that worked out nicely.  They taste better than they look, I promise.

I needed to condense the contents of my overflowing pantry and decided using up some assorted nuts, oats and chia seeds was a good start.  I always have nuts on hand. Cashew, Almonds, Walnuts - I have them all.

They provide protein and healthy fat that keeps me full & happy. Who doesn't want to be happy at breakfast. Right?

• 2 mashed bananas 
• 2c gluten free oats (I Like Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/4c coconut flour
• 2 Tbs almond milk 
• 4 dates (soaked over night)
• 1/2 c walnuts
• roughly 2Tbs liquid egg whites
• chia seeds, shredded coconut flakes, dried cranberries (as many or few as you like)

Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 a 10 min or until the edges brown.

I made a little dent while they were warm for some leftover jelly that needed a home.  I was inspired  by a recipe I saw but I would only recommend that if you're eating them right away, otherwise they got a little soggy. Enjoy!

 

Easy As (Pizza) Pie

What's for dinner?

Good Enough to Eat :)

I had leftover spaghetti squash that I made into a "pizza crust" the other night.

I'm not trying to lie & say this is a legit replacement for delicious, gluten-y REAL pizza crust.
It was however, an alternative way to eat spaghetti squash, which I happen to love!

Recipe adapted from www.sharedappetite.com  

• 1 small to medium spaghetti squash (this was a personal pizza)
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella  
•  salt / pepper / garlic powder / dried basil (a dash of each)
  I roast my squash but you can microwave it, turning every 3 min until it's soft.

Cut and remove seeds. Make sure to strain, strain & strain again the stringy squash goodness! A cheesecloth or dish towel can help this process.

Mix the strained squash into the egg, add remaining ingredients & pop into the oven.
(I used a pie pan that I sprayed with Pam). 

I watched mine, about 15 minutes, at 350 degrees, until it looked brown.

I remove it from the oven & topped with my fav toppings.

Place it back it until the cheese melted.

Quick & delicious.