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sunflower seed butter buttermilk waffles

Sunbutter Waffles

June 27, 2013 ·

Sunbutter Waffles are whole wheat, buttermilk waffles made with sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter (or other nut butter), making them a nut-free alternative. While perfect just as-is, we also enjoy them topped with additional sunbutter, berries or maple syrup.

We have had a waffles iron for years, but for whatever reason it hasn’t been used much…well, until recently. If you’re a regular reader, you know how much my Adam loves pancakes. At least once per week, I make his favorite kind(s) of pancakes to load up the freezer and/or just to have on hand. Sometimes I would end up making a double (or triple!) batch. On my small little griddle, this exercise could take hours. A labor of love I guess. These days, with a newborn in the house, it’s a bit tricky to devote that much time to cooking or baking anything. On a whim, I decided to try my hand at waffles. Due to Adam’s peanut allergy, I opted to transform my beloved peanut butter waffles into sunbutter waffles. I was pleased to discover cooking waffles is much quicker than flipping pancakes. And Adam had 5 waffles for breakfast that day. Operation waffle was a success!

For another recipe using sunbutter, try these Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars. They make a great snack!

Sunbutter Waffles

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients

1¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
¼ cup canola oil
6 tablespoons sunflower seed butter
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a medium bowl, with a hand mixer, beat oil and sunflower seed butter until smooth. Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and stir until incorporated.
Add buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until combined. Let mixture sit for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat waffle iron. Cook waffles according to the manufacturer directions for your waffle iron.

Notes

Note: Store leftovers in the refrigerator and toast to reheat. These also freeze well.

Adapted from Everyday Food

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, kid-friendly, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: baby/toddler, brunch, buttermilk, easy, freezer friendly, quick, sunflower butter, waffles

Jalapeno Popper Pasta

June 18, 2013 ·

Jalapeno Popper Pasta is a cheesy, spicy dish where comfort food meets an appetizer favorite. This grown-up mac ‘n cheese dish is filled with tasty jalapeno peppers, topped with garlic breadcrumbs and is made a little lighter too!

While Mike and I were pretty sure we would enjoy Jalapeno Popper Pasta, because I mean really…between the cheese and garlic breadcrumbs and a nice kick from the jalapenos…it’s a safe assumption, right? Well, this is how it typically goes down when I want to photograph our dinner for the blog. I load up a plate for photos and head over to my photo spot. I tell Mike to go ahead and start without me, but he always says he wants to wait. (He might sneak a bite or two). Photos take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes depending on various factors, and then we eat! These photos didn’t take long, maybe 5 minutes. I went to the table, and Mike had already finished. He just smiled and went to load up for seconds. It’s that good!

If you’re lucky enough to have a garden full of jalapenos, this Jalapeno Popper Pasta is a delicious, new and different way to use them up.

Jalapeno Popper Pasta

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

8 ounces pasta (rotini, gemelli, or any other similar shape will work)

For the Garlic Breadcrumbs:

¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
pinch salt

For the Sauce:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 jalapeno peppers, minced (to yield approx ¼ cup)
6 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, cut into 6 pieces
1 cup skim milk
1 cup Monterey jack cheese
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

COOK PASTA: Cook pasta according to package directions to al dente. Drain and set aside.
MAKE BREADCRUMBS: Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium, nonstick skillet and add breadcrumbs and (1 clove) minced garlic. Stir frequently until breadcrumbs begin to brown and garlic is fragrant. Add a pinch of salt, remove from heat and set aside.
MAKE SAUCE: In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Add peppers and cook for 3 minutes, or until onion and peppers are softened. Add garlic during the last minute, cooking until fragrant.
Reduce heat to medium and add cream cheese to onion mixture. Stir until melted. Add milk, stirring until incorporated. Add cheese and chili powder and stir until melted and smooth.
PUT IT TOGETHER: Remove sauce from heat. Add cooked pasta to sauce and toss until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.
SERVE: Divide on serving plates and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of garlic breadcrumbs. Top with jalapeño rings for garnish (optional).

Notes

Adapted from Rachael Ray

It’s my favorite time of month again…the Eating with the Alphabet Challenge hosted by Brenda from Meal Planning Magic! This month we were to showcase a recipe using a fruit, vegetable or grain that begin with the letters I or J. I obviously went with J for jalapeño.

The past few months, I have been able to knock out several recipes from my bucket list with this challenge, and each of these recipes have become household staples. Gotta love a 3 year old who can’t get enough of roasted chickpeas (we go through 1 can every 1 to 2 days!)

Filed Under: Featured, healthy, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: cheese, dinner, easy, jalapeno, light, pasta, quick, stovetop

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken with Quinoa

June 12, 2013 ·

Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken with Quinoa | alidaskitchen.com

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken is a healthy 30-minute meal made with chicken, lots of vegetables, and a light sweet and sour sauce. It takes just minutes to prepare, making this Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken an ideal weeknight meal that is much healthier than its take-out counterpart.

Here the Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken is served over the ever trendy super-seed, quinoa. You can easily substitute brown rice, or another favorite grain, or eliminate it all together for a lower carb option.

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken with Quinoa

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon water
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thick coins
6 scallions, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
salt and pepper, to taste
nonstick cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk honey, ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and 1 tablespoon water.
Toss chicken in 3 tablespoons of honey mixture and place in prepared baking dish. Toss peppers, carrots and scallions in remaining honey mixture and pour evenly over chicken.
Loosely cover baking dish with foil, leaving one end open to vent. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, put quinoa and broth in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then cover, reduce to a simmer (medium-low) for 15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.
Divide quinoa on plates and spoon chicken and vegetables over quinoa.

Notes

Slightly adapted from Family Circle, June 2013

If you enjoy this recipe, you may also enjoy:

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad

Lighter Sesame Chicken

Filed Under: gluten free, healthy, main dishes, Recipes Tagged With: asian, carrots, chicken, dinner, easy, onion, peppers, quick, quinoa

Oreo Cookies and Cream Muffins

May 22, 2013 ·

Oreo Cookies and Cream Muffins are a tasty vanilla muffin studded with large chunks of chocolate sandwich cookies throughout. If you like Oreos (or Joe Joe’s!) and are looking for a fun recipe to try with them, these muffins are for you. While Oreo muffins are not something that I would make every day, after making the crust for my Lighter Chocolate Cheesecake Bars, I found myself with leftover Oreos (if there is such a thing). Why not try something new for a change! Oreo Cookies and Cream Muffins are glorious and definitely something worth trying if you’re a cookies and cream lover, like myself!

Oreo Cookies and Cream Muffins

Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
⅓ cup cold butter, cut into 12 pieces
1 cup milk (I used skim)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 Oreo cookies, chopped
Topping:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 Oreo cookies, finely crushed
2 tablespoons cold butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a standard muffin tin, line 12 muffin cups (or spray with cooking spray) and set aside.
Make topping: In food processor, combine flour, sugar and crushed cookies until combined. Add cold butter, pulsing until crumbly. Put in a small bowl and set aside.
Make muffin: In a food processor, put flour, sugar and baking powder and process until combined. Add cold butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour into large bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk milk, egg and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Gently fold in chopped cookies.
Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with topping. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Source: Taste of Home

Filed Under: breakfast, dessert, Recipes Tagged With: brunch, chocolate, cookies, cookies 'n cream, easy, muffins, oreo, quick, vanilla

Honey Roasted Chickpeas with Sea Salt {Garbanzo Beans}

May 15, 2013 ·

honey roasted chickpeas with sea salt | alidaskitchen.com

Honey Roasted Chickpeas with Sea Salt are a healthy, sweet and salty snack that is easy to make. They are high in fiber, protein-packed, gluten free, dairy free…and Adam can’t get enough of them (in other words, they’re toddler friendly too!)

Honey Roasted Chickpeas are made with only a few simple ingredients, and you most likely have everything you need already in your pantry. In fact, all you really need is one ingredient, and that’s the chickpeas. The additional ingredients are simply for flavoring, but roasted chickpeas are super crunchy and delicious straight from the oven. In this case I made them honey roasted with sea salt, however I have other variations in the works that I am excited to share with you soon!

Honey Roasted Chickpeas with Sea Salt

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

15 ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 tablespoon honey
½ tablespoon canola oil (or other neutral tasting oil)
sea salt, add to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Empty chickpeas into a colander. Rinse until no longer foamy and drain. Put chickpeas onto paper towels to pat dry. (Optional: remove skins from chickpeas. Not necessary, but I recommend it).
Place chickpeas in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, or until chickpeas are crunchy. (If they're soft, put them back in for 5 minutes until crunchy).
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk honey and oil. Add hot chickpeas and toss to coat. Pour chickpeas back on lined baking sheet and return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until caramelized. Sprinkle with sea salt, as desired, and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Slightly adapted from fitsugar.com

Filed Under: appetizers, gluten free, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes, vegan Tagged With: baby/toddler, chickpeas, dairy free, easy, honey, quick, roasted, snack

Baked Cinnamon French Toast

May 10, 2013 ·

Baked Cinnamon French Toast is a decadent yet simple breakfast (or breakfast for dinner, as we talked about yesterday). Made with cinnamon swirl bread that is drenched and baked into a rich custard, Baked Cinnamon French Toast toast is beyond delicious. It takes 10 minutes to prepare and then you can bake it right away since this is not an overnight French toast. While it’s not an overnight variety, you certainly can make it ahead and store covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake

baked cinnamon french toast casserole | alidaskitchen.com

This Baked Cinnamon French Toast is not something that I would have every day, simply because I like to have my boring old breakfast of old fashioned oats with a banana every day. But this French toast is definitely a wonderful treat worth enjoying for a special occasion…like perhaps for Mother’s Day this Sunday (hint hint Mike!)

Baked Cinnamon French Toast

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients

Cooking spray
12 slices cinnamon bread or cinnamon raisin bread
2 cups half and half (fat free works fine)
2 eggs
4 tablespoons butter, melted (light better works fine)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13"x9" pan with cooking spray.
In prepared pan, place six slices of bread and top with remaining 6 slices of bread.
In a large bowl, whisk together half and half, eggs, butter, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread, pressing bread down so some liquid is absorbed.
Bake for 45 minutes until bread is golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Source: I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: baked, cinnamon, easy, French toast, make ahead, quick

Easy Vegetable Frittata

May 9, 2013 ·

Thank you I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! for sponsoring this post. Visit www.icantbelieveitsnotbutter.com for more information about Breakfast After Dark.

We love breakfast for dinner (or “brinner” as it’s often called), whether it’s waffles, pancakes, egg scrambles or frittatas. This Easy Vegetable Frittata is a frequent “go-to” dinner because it’s quick, easy, and we can easily use up whatever vegetables or cheeses we have on hand. Mike can make it too, which is another plus!

In this frittata, for the veggies, I used sliced red pepper, chopped broccoli florets, chopped red onion, and some garlic, and I used cheddar for the cheese. It was such a delicious combination and so colorful! I paired my frittata with a mixed green side salad, because that’s generally what I have with any dinner. Mike skipped the salad and enjoyed his with a beer ~ it is dinner after all!

With Mother’s Day just a few days away, this frittata would be an excellent dish to enjoy at your celebratory breakfast/brunch or for a breakfast for dinner. Tomorrow I will be sharing another great brunch recipe…and it’s even easier to make!

Easy Vegetable Frittata

Yields: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! spread, divided
4½ cups sliced/chopped vegetables (I used red pepper, broccoli, onions)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
8 eggs (or 4 eggs and 8 egg whites)
1 cup shredded cheese, divided (I used cheddar)

Instructions

In a large oven-proof nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! over medium heat. Add your vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender (about 5 minutes). During the last minute, add minced garlic and Italian seasoning, stirring to combine.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining tablespoon of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, melted I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! and 3 tablespoons water for about 1 minute, or until frothy. Stir in ½ cup cheese.
Pour egg mixture over vegetables, stirring gently, and cook over medium heat until eggs begin to set. (Occasionally lift the edges of frittata to allow uncooked mixture to go to the bottom)
Top with remaining cheese and broil for 2 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden brown and eggs are set. Cut into wedges and serve.

Source: I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!

For more tips about making this delicious frittata, check out the Breakfast After Dark Episode “Fabulous Frittata with Lisa Vanderpump“

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Filed Under: Admin, breakfast, healthy, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: brunch, clever girls collective, dinner, easy, frittata, quick, vegetable

Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas

May 3, 2013 ·

Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas are fun, little individual deep dish pizzas made in a muffin tin. First you roll out little pizza dough circles and then gently put them in the muffin cups. Then fill each dough round with your desired sauce and toppings and then top it with cheese. I used premade dough (from Trader Joe’s), topped them with a marinara sauce, broccoli, red onion and mozzarella cheese, and they came together in less than 30 minutes. These Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas are completely customizable with your favorite sauce and toppings. Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas are a definite crowd-pleaser. Besides – there is always something fun about anything in miniature!

Today I am being featured over at Momma’s Meals where I’m being featured as part of Tammi’s Featured Fridays series! Every Friday, Tammi gets to know her fellow bloggers and makes one of their recipes to share with her family and then with her readers.

I thought it would be fun to make something from Tammi’s site to share with you, and her Individual Deep Dish Pizzas were perfect! Incidentally I had been looking at an Everyday Food recipe for little deep dish pizzas made in a muffin tin, so these Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas that I’m sharing with you is sort of a combination of the two recipes.

Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas

Yields: 12 pizzas

Ingredients

Cooking spray
All-purpose flour, for rolling
1 pound pizza dough (homemade or store-bought) - in 12 pieces
Salt and pepper
1 cup pizza sauce (I used a homemade marinara sauce)
Your favorite pizza toppings - about 1 to 2 tablespoons per pizza (I used chopped broccoli and red onion)
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray 12 standard muffin cups with cooking spray. Set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of pizza dough into 6-inch circles. Place into prepared muffin cup, gently pressing dough into bottom and up the sides. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
Put 1 tablespoon sauce in each dough cup. Top sauce with 1 to 2 tablespoons of pizza toppings and then top with cheese.
Bake until dough is browned and crisp, approximately 12 minutes. Let cool for 2-5 minutes before removing from cups.

Sources: Everyday Food,September, 2010 and Momma’s Meals

Filed Under: appetizers, healthy, kid-friendly, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: baby/toddler, cheese, dinner, easy, italian, muffins, pizza, quick

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad

April 30, 2013 ·

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad is a delicious entree salad made with quinoa, broccoli, carrots, tossed with a healthier version of buffalo chicken. Quick and easy, perfect for a weeknight!

This Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad is darn near perfection. We start with warm, shredded chicken tossed in a lighter buffalo sauce; add sautéed vegetables and combine it with the ever trendy (and tasty!) quinoa. Sprinkle blue cheese (or cheddar) on top, as desired, and you’re looking at a delicious and healthy Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad.

Not only is this salad am-a-zing, but it can be made in under 30 minutes! The quinoa and chicken cook simultaneously, allowing plenty of time to prepare and sauté the vegetables and whisk together the sauce. Put it all together and dinner is served! (Leftovers make great lunches too)

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad

Yields: 3 to 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups vegetable broth (or water)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 to 10 ounces) OR 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup broccoli florets
2 to 3 green onions chopped, whites and greens separated
Cooking spray
½ cup hot sauce (I recommend Frank's hot sauce)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Optional toppings: blue cheese crumbles or shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Make quinoa: In a medium sauce pan, put rinsed quinoa and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes and then fluff quinoa with a fork.
Poach chicken: While the quinoa is cooking, place chicken in medium pot, and add enough water to cover chicken. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer; cook for 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let chicken stand, covered until cooked through (about 12 to 14 minutes). Remove chicken from liquid and shred with 2 forks.
While quinoa and chicken are cooking, sauté the vegetables. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium high heat. Add broccoli, carrots and the whites of green onions, and sauté for 5 minutes, or until desired crisp-tenderness. Set aside.
Make the sauce: Whisk together hot sauce, oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder and salt.
Pour ¼ cup sauce over shredded chicken, tossing to coat.
To a large bowl, add quinoa, chicken and vegetables, tossing to combine (You can add remaining sauce with this step OR drizzle as desired over each individual serving).
Sprinkle with remaining chopped green onion and serve.

I drew inspiration from this recipe and my Baked Buffalo Chicken Tenders recipe.

Filed Under: Favorites, gluten free, healthy, main dishes, Recipes, salad Tagged With: broccoli, buffalo, carrots, chicken, dinner, easy, onion, poach, quick, quinoa, sauté, spicy

Baked Dorito-Crusted Chicken

April 23, 2013 ·

Baked Dorito-Crusted Chicken came to me in a dream, which is funny because I’m typically not a flavored chip person (except for salt ‘n vinegar…yum!) I dismissed it as a quirky pregnancy dream. That is, until we had a bag of cheese tortilla chips (remember my Green Giant post?), which were just asking to be paired with chicken.

Baked Dorito-Crusted Chicken tastes like…wait for it….yep, you guessed it. Doritos and chicken. And it’s really good! The chicken is moist and juicy. The salty, cheesy chips give a nice seasoning to the chicken as well. We were very happy to finally turn my crazy dream into a delicious reality!

Baked Dorito-Crusted Chicken

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 cup crushed cheese tortilla chips (or any chip will work here)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon milk (I used skim)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 to 5 ounces each)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray baking sheet with cooking spray.
Put crushed chips in a shallow bowl.
In a separate shallow bowl, whisk egg and milk until combined.
Dip chicken breasts in milk mixture and then dip in chips, coating the chicken. Place on prepared baking sheet and lightly spray tops with cooking spray.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.