Fudgesicles, Quinoa "Mac", Muffins & Pasta Salad...oh my!

Things are pretty busy right now, as I'm sure most of you can relate to -- with the end of summer and start to the back-to-school chaos. What makes my back-to-school chaos particularly chaotic, is that I WORK at a school... so I have to go back 2 weeks earlier than most, scramble for additional childcare, and oh, publish an e-cookbook somewhere in the middle of all that chaos :) It's all getting done, slowly but surely. In addition, if you haven't yet heard -- I'm teaching a cooking class this fall!! It is a middle school elective called: "Nourishing Snacks and Desserts" and starts on Aug. 26. Because of all that chaos, this past week I posted 4 recipes in Facebook links only, that I finally have time to add to the blog officially.

4 recipes, 1 post

L to R, clockwise: 1) Health(ier) Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, 2) Quinoa "Mac" & Cheese, 3) Creamy Pasta Salad w/honey yogurt ranch dressing, and 4) White Peach Fudgesicles:

Let's start with the fudgesicles, shall we??? These were inspired by the success of my first creamsicles: Vanilla Raspberry. But I have to be honest here, these fudgesicles are like 1010 times better!!! OMG. YUM. And as you can see, Babycakes loved them too!

Next up is this Quinoa "Mac" & Cheese.  Also inspired by an earlier creation of mine: Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese. This quinoa was perfectly creamy, with many italian flavors -- parmesan, mozzarella, and basil. It was a perfect side dish to baked salmon...but could also just be eaten on its own.

Then comes these Health(ier) Banana Chocolate Chip muffins with nourishing add-ins like chickpeas and coconut oil. Perfect for an afternoon snack, or breakfast, or dessert, or ALL THREE!!!

And last but not least... the creamy pasta salad I made for Babycakes' third birthday party. Instead of traditional mayo (which I hate), I used a ranch dip dressing made with plain and honey yogurt. Add veggies, bacon, and pasta... and you've got yourself one heck of a side dish!!

Question:

  • How do you stay sane during this back-to-school chaos?

White Peach Fudgesicles

White Peach Fudgesicles

Description

White Peach Fudgesicles w/nourishing add-ins!! // @noshandnourish

Ingredients

3⁄4 White Peach (diced)
1 tablespoon Water
1⁄2 tablespoon Coconut Sugar
8 ounces Peach Noosa (could sub Chobani greek yogurt for more protein)
1⁄4 cup Chickpeas (drained & mashed)
1⁄3 cup Vanilla Almond Milk
1 tablespoon Cocoa Powder

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan, combine diced white peach, water, and coconut sugar.
  2. Simmer for 5 minutes, until softened and thickened. Let cool.
  3. Combine all other ingredients in a mixing bowl: peach yogurt, mashed chickpeas, almond milk, and cocoa powder.
  4. Stir in cooled peach compote.
  5. Pour into 8 popsicle forms.
  6. Freeze for at least 2 hours.
  7. Enjoy!!!

Yields 8 Popsicles

Quinoa "Mac" & Cheese

Quinoa "Mac" & Cheese

Description

Quinoa "Mac" & Cheese with nourishing add-ins like white beans, peas, and basil. // @noshandnourish

Ingredients

1 cup Quinoa (uncooked)
1⁄4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 3⁄4 cup Water
15 ounces White Great Northern Beans (rinsed & drained)
1 cup Shredded Cheese (I used 1/2 parmesan, 1/2 mozzarella)
1 tablespoon Butter
1⁄3 cup Almond Milk (could sub regular cow milk)
2 tablespoons Basil Paste (found in the produce section)
3⁄4 cups Peas

Instructions

  1. Cook your quinoa -- subbing 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar for some of the water required. My quinoa stated 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water, so I used 1/4 cup ACV and 1 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, then cover for 8 minutes.
  2. Remove from heat, uncover, and allow to "fluff"
  3. In a separate pan, combine white beans (rinsed & mashed), cheese, butter, milk, and basil.
  4. Melt over medium heat, stirring frequently.
  5. Once melted, add cooked quinoa in and peas.
  6. Serve as a side dish or on its own!

Yields 6 Servings

Health(ier) Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Health(ier) Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Description

Health(ier) Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (or bake into a loaf) with nourishing add-ins!!

Ingredients

2 Ripe Bananas
1 cup Chickpeas
1⁄4 cup Coconut Oil
1⁄3 cup honey
4 Stevia packets (or sub 1/3 cup coconut sugar)
2 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (or sub other flour)
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 Eggs
1 cup White Chocolate Chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mash bananas in a medium mixing bowl.
  3. Mash chickpeas in a separate measuring cup. (I microwaved mine for a minute to soften them up for easier mashing!!)
  4. Combine all ingredients in the medium mixing bowl.
  5. Use non-stick spray on muffin-tin (I also used paper baking liners).
  6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.
  7. Dig in!!

Yields 12 Muffins

Creamy Pasta Salad

Creamy Pasta Salad

Description

Creamy Pasta Salad w/a honey yogurt ranch dressing // via Nosh and Nourish

Ingredients

6 ounces Pasta (I prefer shells, but you can use whatever you'd like)
3⁄4 cups Broccoli (blanched - cooked 1 min in boiling water)
1 cup Frozen Peas
6 slices Bacon (crumbled)
1 cup Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
1⁄2 cup Carrots (thinly sliced)
1 1⁄2 cup Greek Yogurt (plain)
1 tablespoon honey
1 package Organic Dry Ranch Dip Mix (I used Simply Organic b/c the ingredient list is so much better!)

Instructions

  1. Boil pasta... approximately 8 min, until cooked through.
  2. Drain, then cool pasta in the fridge.
  3. Blanche broccoli, then dice.
  4. Combine broccoli, peas, crumbled bacon, cheese, and carrots in a medium mixing bowl.
  5. Stir in cooled pasta.
  6. In a separate small bowl, create the dressing by combining the dry ranch packet with the yogurt.
  7. Slowly add in the yogurt ranch sauce into the pasta mixture...until desired creaminess. (I used about 2/3 of the dressing mixture)
  8. Serve cold.

Yields 8 Servings