From the Kitchen: Homemade Acai Smoothie Bowl Recipe

I am super late to the acai bowl game - having had my first one at a local restaurant this weekend - but now they're all I can think about!  B had never even heard of acai bowls, which are basically a thick smoothie in a bowl, with toppings, eaten with a spoon.  Even though they're a glorified smoothie, something about eating it with a spoon instead of drinking it through a straw (as well as the fact that the toppings require chewing) makes it much more satisfying and filling.  I love that they're full of healthy ingredients, too!  I made my own homemade version for breakfast on Sunday, and they were just as good as the restaurant version - even my 3-year-old happily devoured 3 servings of "purple ice cream!"

You will need a strong blender for this recipe - I have a Vitamix, which is totally worth the hefty price tag for the use we get out of it making margaritas, homemade baby food purees, hummus, soups, and now, acai bowls :)  Look for a certified refurbished or open box Vitamix on Amazon to save some money!

Homemade Acai Smoothie Bowls

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

1 3.5-oz packet frozen unsweetened acai puree (this comes in a 4-pack for $4.49 at Trader Joe's in the frozen fruit section.  You can also find it at Whole Foods or online from Amazon, shipped in dry ice)
1 banana, cut into chunks and frozen (can also use a non-frozen banana, but the end result won't be quite as thick)
5-6 frozen strawberries 
1/2 cup milk of your choice (you can use cashew or almond milk for a vegan alternative; I used regular milk because that's what we had)
1-2 tablespoons peanut butter (I use Laura Scudder's peanut butter, which has no added sugar)

Toppings:
Granola (I used Trader Joe's Pecan Praline Granola)
Shredded coconut (I used Trader Joe's sweetened shredded coconut)
Chopped fruit (strawberries, bananas, mango, blueberries, etc.)
Chia seeds (I was out but these would be good sprinkled on top!)

Run the frozen acai puree packet under hot water for 15-30 seconds to thaw it enough to break into large chunks.  Put the first 5 ingredients (acai puree, banana, strawberries, milk, and peanut butter) in a strong blender and blend on high until smooth.  The texture should be thicker than a smoothie, but thinner than ice cream - add more milk if necessary to achieve the appropriate texture.  Pour into a bowl and add your choice of toppings.

Interested in more breakfast recipes? Check them out here!

From the Kitchen: Easy Quiche

This easy quiche is one of my go-tos for an easy breakfast, lunch, or dinner; I frequently bring it to new moms when I'm delivering dinner as a bonus breakfast item (since I thought breakfast was the hardest meal to pull off after C was born).  It's nothing special since hardly any part of it is homemade - but it takes less than 10 minutes to assemble and pop in the oven, and less than an hour later, you have a finished quiche on your hands!

The recipe is super flexible in that you can use whatever cheese, meat, and/or vegetables you prefer (or, if you're like me, have on hand and need to get rid of).  It is a great way to use up leftovers, especially since eggs and milk are almost always on hand!  Except for the eggs and milk, the specifics and the quantity of the other ingredients (cheese, meat, vegetables) is flexible!  My go-to is to use frozen chopped spinach, which I microwave to thaw it and then squeeze out the extra water, along with turkey breakfast sausage.  When in a pinch, I use the Jimmy Dean precooked turkey sausage crumbles, which you can find with the packaged lunch meat and hot dogs at the grocery store.

I use frozen deep-dish pie crusts if I'm taking the quiche to someone else, just for the convenience of the disposable pie pan that they come in; if I'm making it for my own family, I usually use a refrigerated pie crust in a deep dish pie plate.  I find that regular-depth pie plates come too close to overflowing!

Easy Quiche

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 50-60 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pie crust (frozen deep-dish pie crust or refrigerated pie crust)
3/4 cup (more or less) grated cheese (my go-to is cheddar, but anything works!)
(optional) 1 cup (more or less) chopped meat (e.g., ham, bacon, breakfast sausage)
(optional) 1/2 cup (more or less) chopped vegetables (e.g., spinach, mushrooms, bell pepper, green onion; thaw and drain excess water if using frozen)
4 eggs
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

If using a refrigerated pie crust, press into the bottom of a deep dish pie plate.  If using a frozen deep dish pie crust, no need to thaw.  Evenly spread the chopped meat and/or vegetables around the bottom of the pie crust.  Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the meat and/or vegetables.  

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 4 eggs, milk, and salt and pepper until well blended; pour into the pie crust on top of the meat, vegetables, and cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes until no longer liquid in the center (it will still appear slightly jiggly but should be firm when pressed).  Let cool at least 5 minutes before cutting into 6-8 slices.

From the Kitchen: Pioneer Woman French Toast Casserole

This post combines two of my favorites - the Pioneer Woman and brunch!  I've made this French toast casserole for brunch many times, including last weekend when we had our neighbors over.  It's great for groups because it's easy to make in large quantities, and even better because it can be prepped in advance and assembled and baked in the morning.  The streusel crumb topping is cinnamon-y and crunchy, the French toast is soft and thick....topped with syrup and served with fruit (and maybe a mimosa...), this recipe is everything I love about brunch.  Definitely a crowd pleaser!

French Toast Casserole

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Yield: 10-12 servings
Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 loaf thick, chewy bread*
8 eggs
2 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Topping:

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed.

*French, ciabatta, or sourdough bread are good options.  You canNOT use normal sandwich bread for this - the texture won't be right.  When I have leftover French bread that is just going to go stale (or even if it's already stale - it doesn't matter), I'll tear it into bite-size chunks and put it in a Ziploc bag in the freezer to save for this recipe!  Or, if you spot a loaf of day-old French bread on Manager's Special at the grocery store, it's perfect for this!

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13" Pyrex dish with cooking spray.  Tear the loaf of bread into bite-size chunks and spread evenly in the pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla.  Pour evenly over the bread, ensuring that all of the bread chunks are wet (press lightly with your hands to soak up the egg mixture if necessary).

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cold cubed butter using a pastry cutter until the butter crumbly - the size of peas.  Spread the topping over the top of the bread mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Remove from the oven and serve with syrup or powdered sugar.

To prepare in advance:

Tear the bread into chunks and place in the greased Pyrex dish; cover.  Make the egg mixture and store in a Tupperware container in the refrigerator.  Make the crumb topping and store in a Ziploc bag or Tupperware container in the refrigerator.  When you are ready to make the casserole, simply pour the egg mixture over the bread, then top with the crumb topping, and pop it in the oven!

Click here to see my other Pioneer Woman recipes!

From the Kitchen: Hearty Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes (Baby-Friendly)

C LOVES pancakes and has since he was about 8 months old (when he started eating finger foods and not just purees).  I make them as healthy as possible (no sugar in the pancakes - when I'm making them for baby, that is - and no syrup with them), so they are very plain, but he doesn't know what he's missing and loves them anyway :)  These turn out super thick and fluffy, and have protein (from the Greek yogurt) and whole grain (whole wheat flour and oatmeal)!

I like to make them in huge batches and then freeze them; since Blair gets C ready in the mornings on the days I work (since I leave for work before C wakes up), he defrosts a couple of pancakes in the microwave for an easy breakfast for baby, along with some fresh fruit.  I like that this makes for a quick and easy breakfast without having to resort to store-bought frozen pancakes or waffles, which often have sugar and other stuff in them that I don't want C to be eating.  This way, I know exactly what is going into them!

This recipe makes 36 pancakes as written.  I normally double this recipe when freezing them.  If you're just making them for breakfast (or dinner!) and don't want this many, you should be able to divide all the ingredients by 3 to end up with a more reasonable 12 pancakes.

Hearty Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes

Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

Yield: 36 pancakes

Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat flour (I use white whole wheat)

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

3 eggs

3 cups milk

6 tablespoons packed brown sugar (if desired....I omit this when making them for baby)

1 6- or 7-ounce container (or approx. 3/4 cup) plain Greek yogurt (I used Fage)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1.5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (optional)

Directions:

Add all ingredients except blueberries (if using) to a large mixing bowl and stir with a metal whisk until just combined and no lumps remain.  If using, gently fold blueberries into the batter.  

Heat a griddle to 350 degrees (for standalone griddles) or medium heat (stovetop) and spray with cooking spray.  Drop approximately 1/4 cup of batter onto the hot griddle (my griddle can fit 8 at a time).  When the edges begin to appear dry, flip and cook on the other side until the pancake is cooked through.

If freezing, cool the pancakes on a wire baking rack.  Place small squares of wax paper between the pancakes and freeze in 2 stacks in a gallon-size Ziploc bag (see above).  To defrost frozen pancakes, microwave for about 15 seconds on each side (do not overwarm or they will become hard and tough!)

    

From the Kitchen: The Best Cinnamon Rolls (based on the Pioneer Woman's recipe)

These cinnamon rolls are addictive - I only make them a couple of times a year because somehow the entire pan disappears in our house.  That Pioneer Woman knows what she is doing!  This recipe has a couple of small modifications (read: shortcuts) from the Pioneer Woman's original cinnamon roll recipe and only makes half as many (about 18 cinnamon rolls instead of 36).  I make them in 2 pans - a 13x9" and 9x9" Pyrex.  They take a while to rise but the actual active prep time is so quick and easy!

The Best Cinnamon Rolls
Yield: ~18-20 large cinnamon rolls
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

Dough:
2 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 package active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon salt

Filling:
2 sticks softened butter
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 cup granulated sugar

Icing:
1 lb powdered sugar (about 1/2 of a standard sized package)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/8 cup brewed coffee
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Mix the milk, vegetable oil, and granulated sugar in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup.  Microwave for 1-3 minutes, until a thermometer dipped into the bowl reads between 100-110 degrees.  Give the mixture a final stir to distribute the sugar, and sprinkle the package of yeast on top.  Let it rest for 5 minutes.  Measure 4 cups of flour into a mixing bowl, and add the liquid mixture.  Stir the mixture until well combined, cover, and let rise for at least one hour.

After the dough rises, add 1/2 cup additional flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and stir until well combined.  If baking on the same day, let the dough rise for another 30 minutes.  If baking the next day, place in the refrigerator overnight. (I think it is easier to roll them out using cold dough!)

To prepare the filling, mix 2 sticks of room-temperature softened butter, cinnamon, and granulated sugar until well combined (it should form a brown paste).  

To prepare the icing, mix all of the ingredients in mixing bowl, using a whisk.

To roll out the cinnamon rolls, generously flour a clean counter surface.  Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/4" thick - at least 30" x 20".  Using a rubber spatula, spread the filling evenly across the top of the dough, making sure to reach all the edges.  Starting with one of the long edges, roll the dough tightly towards the other long edge of the rectangle,  Pinch the final seam to seal the filling inside.  Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 to 1 1/2" slices.  Place the slices into greased pans (aluminum pans would work well, or glass Pyrex dishes), leaving a small amount of space between the rolls.  (I fit 12 rolls in a 9x13" Pyrex).  Allow the dough to rise in the pans for 30 minutes before baking.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are starting to lightly brown.  Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle with the icing, allowing it to cover all of the tops and edges of the cinnamon rolls.  Serve warm or reheat if serving later (they reheat really well!)

Click here to see my other Pioneer Woman recipes!

From the Kitchen: Quick Amish Friendship Bread

Growing up, there was a family that lived on our block that always brought over loaves of Amish friendship bread.  It didn't last long in our house!  They made it the legit way too, using the "starter", which I don't fully understand but I think it's similar to making sourdough bread.  

I don't have the patience for that, so I was excited to try out a cheater recipe that doesn't involve use of the starter!  Even better, this can be made with ingredients most people always keep on hand, which means you can whip up some delicious quick bread whenever you want!  I love how the top gets a crunchy cinnamon-sugar topping!  This bread is great for breakfast or just for a snack!

Quick Amish Friendship Bread

Adapted from The Semisweet Sisters
Yield: 1 large loaf, or 3 mini loaves

Ingredients:

Bread:
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice (or 1 cup buttermilk if you happen to have that on hand...but who does?)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cinnamon/sugar swirl and topping:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Grease 1 - 9"x5" loaf pan or 3 - 5.75"x3" mini loaf pans.

Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and egg until light and fluffy.  Add the milk, flour, and baking soda, and mix until combined.  

In a separate bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon for the swirl/topping.

Pour half of the batter into the greased loaf pan(s) and use a rubber spatula to smooth the top (the batter will be thick).   Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the batter.  Top with the remaining half of the bread batter.  

Use a butter knife to swirl the batter around in the pan to swirl the middle cinnamon-sugar layer.  Smooth the top of the batter with a rubber spatula, and top with the remaining cinnamon sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes (mini loaf pans) or 50-60 minutes (9"x5" loaf pan), or until a toothpick comes out clean.

From the Kitchen: Perfect Popovers

There's nothing like a good popover, whether for brunch with fruit compound butter or as a side to a great dinner - browned and crispy on the outside, moist and eggy on the inside - perfection.  After years of making faux popovers using a regular muffin tin, I recently bought a popover pan - hey, what else was I supposed to do to get to the $35 minimum for Amazon free shipping?  (I bought this one, and the nonstick coating is great.)  The difference in the popovers was AMAZING - totally worth it!  

I halved this recipe (my husband and I do not need 8 popovers sitting around the house - they'll get eaten!), and it made 4 impressively large popovers in a normal-sized popover pan.  I had a little bit of a challenge halving the 1/6 teaspoon baking soda (how the heck do you measure 1/12 teaspoon?!) but I just used a 1/4 teaspoon and eyeballed it 1/3 full.  It seemed to work fine :

Perfect Popovers

Adapted from Making Lemonade

Yield: 8 popovers

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

4 eggs, room temperature*

2 cups milk, room temperature*

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/6 teaspoon baking soda**

*Ideally, let your eggs and milk come to room temperature before preparing.  If you forget (like I always do) or are short on time, just warm the milk in the microwave for about a minute (not too hot or it will cook the eggs).

**I'm not sure how you're supposed to accurately measure 1/6 teaspoon.  However, it's so little that I think you can just eyeball it - use a 1/3 teaspoon and shoot for half full.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  If necessary, move the rack in your oven to allow enough room above the popover pan - keep in mind that they will rise up to 4-5 inches above the pan, and you don't want them hitting the top of the oven.  Spray a popover pan with cooking spray.

Whisk the eggs in a medium mixing bowl.  Add the milk and whisk until well blended.  Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until nearly smooth.

Fill popover pan cups 3/4 full with batter.  (You can also use a muffin tin - it will make more, but smaller, popovers).  Bake for 14 minutes.  Without opening the oven (you don't want the heat and steam to escape!) reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the outside is crispy and brown.  

Remove from oven and immediately pierce the bottom of each popover with a knife to allow the steam to escape (this helps them stay crispy).  Serve immediately with butter, jelly, and/or whipped cream (depending on what meal you're serving them with!)

From the Kitchen: Spiced Pumpkin Bread

It's fall, which means it's now socially acceptable to make pumpkin recipes!  I love everything pumpkin, and pumpkin bread is no exception!  It's perfect with coffee for breakfast and will remind you of fall, even if it's still 100 degrees outside!  With cloves, nutmeg, and a sweet, caramelized crunchy topping, this pumpkin bread screams fall!  I love to make in mini loaf pans so I can share with neighbors and friends.

On a side note, it is difficult to take appetizing pictures of this bread because it is so dark - similar to the color of gingerbread.  However, don't let my poor photography turn you off!  It's delicious, I promise!

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup canned 100% pumpkin
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and oil until well blended.  Add the eggs and continue mixing until the batter is light and fluffy.  Add the pumpkin, mix on low speed until blended, and then add the dry ingredients.  Mix well.  Pour into a greased pan - either a 1 8x5-inch loaf pan or 3 mini loaf pans (I use this Wilton pan).

To make the topping, use a pastry cutter (I use this one) to combine the butter, flour, and brown sugar until the butter is pea-sized.  Spread the topping over the batter in the pan(s).  Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before removing from the pan and cooling on a wire rack.

From the Kitchen: Breakfast Casserole

This breakfast casserole is one of my favorites for brunch; I especially love that it can be prepared in advance and then assembled and baked in the morning for a low-effort breakfast!  It's great for a crowd and is delicious reheated leftover!

 

Breakfast Casserole

Yield: 8-10 servings
Cook time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cans crescent rolls (you really only need 1.5 cans...so you can buy 1 can of 8 and 1 mini can of 4, or 2 cans of 8 and have 4 crescent rolls leftover)

1 pound pork breakfast sausage

2 cups cheese, shredded (I use cheddar or a combination of cheddar and Monterrey Jack)

7 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk or half and half

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Optional: chopped ham, bacon, spinach, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, etc.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 Pyrex dish with cooking spray and line the bottom of the dish with the crescent roll dough.  (This usually takes me 12 crescent rolls, or 1.5 cans, worth of dough).  The dough should come up approximately 1/2 inch on all sides of the Pyrex.  Use your fingers to press together the seams of the crescent roll dough to form a solid sheet.

Brown the breakfast sausage in a skillet on the stove.  Drain the fat and crumble the sausage over the crescent roll dough.  Sprinkle the cheese and any additional ingredients on top of the sausage.

With a whisk, beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.  Pour the egg mixture over the cheese, sausage, and additional ingredients.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the eggs are set and the top is golden brown.  Cut into 8-10 rectangular portions and enjoy!

To prepare in advance (can be made 1 day before):

Assemble the crescent roll dough, sausage, cheese, and additional ingredients in the Pyrex dish; cover and refrigerate.  Whisk together the egg, milk, salt, and pepper, and store in a Tupperware container in the refrigerator.  When you're ready to bake the casserole, pour the egg mixture over the Pyrex dish and pop it in the oven!

From the Kitchen: Coconut and Dried Fruit Granola

My mother-in-law made us a batch of this coconut granola, and we loved it!  I've made it several times since then - it is perfect for a quick and filling breakfast when paired with some low-fat, plain Greek yogurt and fruit (I love it with strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries on top!)  The recipe is pretty forgiving -- if you don't have (or like) the nuts or dried fruits that the recipe calls for, feel free to substitute your favorite (such as whole almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, diced dried pineapple, dried cherries, etc.)

Coconut and Dried Fruit Granola

Yield: approximately 10 cups
Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup ground flax seed*
2 cups large-flake unsweetened coconut**
2 cups dried fruit (I used chopped dried apricots, raisins, and dried cranberries)

*found in the baking aisle near the flour or in the bulk section at stores like Sprouts
**my mother-in-law had trouble finding this at her store; I found it in the baking aisle at Kroger, near the chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 325.  In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, vegetable oil, honey, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  It will form a brown paste.  Add the oats to the bowl and stir until the oats are coated in the paste. 

Spread the mixture onto 2 large, rimmed baking sheets or jelly roll pans lined with parchment paper or silpat mats.  Spread the oats evenly on the baking sheets with a spoon or rubber spatula.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove the baking sheets from the oven and add 1/2 cup of slivered almonds to each pan.  Stir the mixture, spread out on the pan, and return to the oven, switching the pans between the racks.  Bake for 5 minutes.

Remove the baking sheets from the oven and add 1/2 cup of walnut pieces and 1/4 cup of ground flaxseed to each pan.  Stir the mixture, spread out on the pan, and return to the oven, switching the pans between the racks.  Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove the baking sheets from the oven and add 1 cup of coconut to each pan.  Stir the mixture, spread out on the pan, and return to the oven, switching the pans between the racks.  Bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the coconut is light brown.

Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool in the pans.  It will continue to crisp and dry out as it cools, so don't worry if it seems too soft when it comes out of the oven.  When completely cooled, mix the granola with the dried fruit.  Store in a tightly sealed container; it should keep for up to a month, if it lasts that long in your house (it doesn't in ours!)