German Pancakes

We've had German pancakes just a handful of times at family breakfasts when we used to live in Utah, and thought they were fantastic. Jeff's sister-in-law raved about how simple they were to make and how much her kids loved them. For some reason we didn't try making them ourselves until just a few weeks ago...and we are hooked! They literally take 3 minutes to put together and 20 minutes to bake in the oven. And there's no butter or sugar...so its a basic foundation that you can serve with whatever fits your fancy. We like to top ours with blueberries, strawberries, sautéed apples with cinnamon, sliced almonds, maple syrup or applesauce. This recipe makes one 9x13 pan and if we must confess...the four of us can eat it all in one sitting. We'll give the kids most of the credit for that one. 

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs 
• 1 cup [whole wheat or white] flour 
• 1 cup low-fat milk (we use 1%) 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• non-stick cooking spray or oil to coat pan 
• Toppings: blueberries, strawberries, sautéed apples with cinnamon, sliced almonds, maple syrup or applesauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Place first four ingredients in a blender; process just until smooth.

Pour batter into greased 9x13 baking dish 

Bake uncovered until puffy and golden brown, about 20 minutes 

Remove from oven, serve hot with toppings of choice

Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes

These have become our favorite "special" breakfast to have for Saturday mornings, General Conference weekend or any other day where we want a fun treat to start the day with. The fresh lemon and nutty poppy seeds combined with pure maple syrup is a combination hard to beat. We love topping the pancakes with diced strawberries and chopped walnuts. For something a little more tame in the sugar department, you can top it with applesauce or puréed strawberries. 

Ingredients: 

DRY
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

WET
• 1 cup buttermilk*
• zest of two lemons
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 3 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup poppy seeds 

Instructions

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, blend the wet ingredients together and fold in the poppy seeds.
3. Add the wet to the dry and mix just until combined, don't over mix, you want your pancakes to be fluffy! Lumps are fine.
4. Cook on a lightly greased griddle until lightly golden on both sides.
5. Serve hot with maple syrup.

*don't have buttermilk? No worries! Add 1 T white vinegar to 1 cup milk, stir, let sit for 5-10 minutes and voila! Makeshift buttermilk. 

Find the original post here. 

Pumpkin Baked French Toast

If you're a fan of pumpkin, then you need to make this French toast bake before the season is over! Or just make it year round because it's that good. I found this recipe from the minimalist baker, who is one of my favorite resources for simple, wholesome recipes. This is our fun weekend brunch dish and is super easy to prepare. You put it together the night before, pop it in the oven in the morning and wait for your house to fill with the aroma of pumpkin goodness. 

Ingredients

• 5 1/2 - 7 1/2 cups (~225 g) 1-inch bread cubes (depending on type of bread)*
• 7 large eggs
• 2 cups (480 ml) milk (any kind)*
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 cup (87 g) pumpkin butter (or 1/2 cup pumpkin puree)*
• 3-4 Tbsp (41-55 g) brown sugar for topping
• optional: Nuts, like pecan or walnuts

Instructions

1. Cut any kind of bread into 1-inch cubes - I recommend a crusty, whole grain variety, but sandwich bread will work, too. Just use enough slice to fill a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish quite full.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, pumpkin butter and pie spice until well combined. Pour over bread and push down with a spoon or your hands until it's all soaked and mostly covered. Cover with saran wrap or lid and refrigerate overnight.
3. In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C), uncover and top with brown sugar, additional pumpkin pie spice and nuts (optional). Bake for 35-45 minutes or golden brown and no longer wet.
4. Serve immediately with maple syrup, honey or agave nectar. Store leftovers in the refrigerator covered for up to a couple days.

Notes

*For the bread cubes, just use as much bread as it takes to fill the bottom of your dish generously, plus up about 1 to 1.5 inches. If you've added too much to soak up the liquid, just remove some. And if it looks too wet, add some more bread.
*I used 2%, but use skim or low-fat for a lighter recipe. Alternatively, use non-dairy such as soy or almond.
*I HIGHLY recommend using pumpkin butter, as it has a concentrated pumpkin flavor and is much sweeter than puree. But if using puree instead of butter, it's important to compensate the flavor by adding a bit more puree, pumpkin pie spice, and a little agave nectar, brown sugar or maple syrup to the batter. Otherwise, it will lack that delicious fall, pumpkin flavor you're going for.

Quinoa Vegetable Soup

I love the colder months just because it means I can make soup. This is one of my favorites, can be modified to include whatever vegetables you like most, or whatever you have on hand (this is a nice way to use up some produce you have left in your fridge). This recipe calls for white or garbanzo beans, but when I didn't have those on hand I used chicken and it was a great substitute. To make this dish even easier, pour everything into your crockpot, let it cook for a few hours and then enjoy! Just make sure to sauté the vegetables before putting them into the crockpot so they are thoroughly cooked.

   
Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1-2 cups seasonal vegetables (zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper, sweet potatoes, butternut squash)
6 garlic cloves
1 can (28-ounce) diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup quinoa
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 can
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
pepper (to taste) great northern beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup or more fresh kale or spinach with tough ribs removed

Instructions

1. Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, seasonal vegetables and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Pour in the drained diced tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes, stirring often.
3. Pour in the quinoa, broth and the water. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 2 bay leaves and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Raise heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
4. Cook for 25 minutes, then remove the lid and add the beans and the chopped greens. Continue simmering for 5 minutes or more, until the greens have softened to your liking.
5. Remove the pot from heat, then remove the bay leaves. Stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt and pepper until the flavors really sing. (You might need up to ½ teaspoon more salt, depending on your vegetable broth and your personal preferences.) Divide into bowls and top with grated Parmesan if you’d like.

Notes: Be sure to cut all vegetables roughly the same size so they cook evenly in the same amount of time. 

Original recipe adapted from this blog. 

Chicken Skillet with Sweet Potatoes, Apples and Brussels Sprouts

This has turned into one of my favorite dishes. It is such a good mesh of flavors and is filling without making you feel heavy.  A big batch makes a great dinner and [possibly] even better leftovers. 

Ingredients: 

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
3 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered (about 3/4 pound)
2 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 8 ounces)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 apples (I've used Granny Smith and Gala), peeled, cored and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Cook the bacon in large nonstick pan to desire crispness, set aside. Drain excess oil from pan
2. Add the chicken, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper. Cook until lightly browned and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes (make sure internal heat reaches 165 degrees). Transfer to cutting board, dice into 1/2 inch cubes. 
3. Reduce skillet heat to medium high. Add Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, onion, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender and the onions are beginning to look translucent, about 10 minutes.
4. Stir in the apples. Cook until apples tender (about 1-2 minutes). Stir in reserved chicken and bacon. 
5. Serve warm and enjoy!

*Notes: 

1. It is heartier to use chicken, but I have made it without and it is still a great dish. You can use either chicken or bacon for a heartier meal, or omit both to make this dish a side. 
2. For a Whole30 breakfast, just make this dish and add a fried egg!

• Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (the bacon will soften somewhat, but the meal is still yummy). Reheat gently in the microwave with a splash of chicken stock to keep it from drying out.

Original recipe found here.

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

This is a lighter version of a traditional lasagna dish, and everyone in our family loves it. Spaghetti squash replaces the usual lasagna noodles, and is layered with ricotta cheese, mozzarella and marinara sauce.

Ingredients:

2 cups marinara sauce
3 cups roasted spaghetti squash*
1 cup part-skim ricotta
6 oz part-skim mozzarella, shredded

*For directions on how to roast spaghetti squash, click here 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Ladle 1 cup marinara sauce on bottom of dish
3. Top with 2 cups of cooked spaghetti squash, spreading evenly
4. Top with 1 cup ricotta, remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese
5. Cover with foil and bake 15-20 minutes (until cheese is melted and edges begin to bubble).
6. Uncover and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!


Original recipe found here 

Notes:
1. I usually double this recipe to make a large batch. Everyone gobbles the dish up (especially our toddler) so it's nice to have a lot, and then some for leftovers. I will usually just use an entire spaghetti squash to fill a 9x13 pan (and if the squash is big enough, I'll have enough for an 8x8 pan in addition). I eyeball the amount of sauce and cheese as I layer the ingredients in the pan. That's the beauty of this recipe; it is not exact at all, so it's flexible with amounts used. Pretty hard to mess up, which is a big perk of this meal. Delicious, yet easy. 
2. This dish makes great leftovers, and freezes well for a meal to use on busy days. 

Curried Coconut Chicken

My mom sent me this recipe while I was in college years ago, and I've made a few modifications to the original recipe that has made it one of our favorites, especially during the cold weather months. And best of all, it is the perfect dish to make in the crockpot so it takes hardly any work to make!

Ingredients:

About 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts (can be fresh or frozen)
 1 (14.5 oz) can stewed, diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
3-4 russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 chunks
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS curry powder
1 teaspoon salt + pepper, or to taste
1-2 cups dry rice (I love using jasmine rice since it adds richness and really lovely aroma to the dish, but you can also use brown or white rice)


Directions:

1. Saute the onions and garlic for 4-5 minutes until onions translucent and garlic is fragrant
2. Put all other ingredients into crockpot, stir together so everything is well incorporated
3. Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 5-6 hours.
4. Toward the end of cooking time, prepare your rice in whatever quantity needed to match the amount of curry you made
5. When chicken is tender, shred with two forks and mix. Add additional curry powder or salt/pepper as desired.

*Note: I usually double this recipe so I can have leftovers and/or freeze a few servings for a quick meal! I like the "cook once, eat twice" philosophy when I make meals. It's always nice to make a little more for a ready-to-go homemade meal when you're in a pinch (or when you just don't feel like cooking)

Original recipe found here