Banana Bread Steel Cut Oatmeal

Sometimes I need a really hearty breakfast to jumpstart a particularly long work day, but I don't like to feel super weighed down at the beginning of the day. This recipe takes note of the nuttiness of the steel cut oats and pairs it with naturally sweet bananas for a delicious and filling breakfast for only 350 calories.

BANANA BREAD STEEL CUT OATMEAL

INGREDIENTS:

- 1/4 cup quick cook (or 7 minute) steel cut oats
- 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 1 overripe medium sized banana
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pour 3/4 cup (or whatever amount the instructions on your oats tell you) into a small saucepan and add 1 tablespoon of sugar. Bring to a boil and quickly add your oats. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for approximately 7 minutes, stirring every minute or so.
2. Break the banana up into a bowl and mash with a fork. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.
3. Spray a small sauté pan with non-stick and place over low heat. Add the banana mixture and cook for just one to two minutes.

4. Add the banana mixture to the oats during the last minute of cooking.
5. Pour into a bowl and feel comfort and deliciousness in your mouth.

Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce for Kids and Adults

I love my sister. She is hilarious and smart and is only sometimes incredibly irritating. She is also 7 years old, which means she is a picky eater. Right now, she really won't eat anything that is remotely healthy for her, not even most proteins. She even stopped eating many types of "red sauce" because she found out they were made from tomatoes from finding tiny portions of tomato skin in the sauce. This recipe was formulated as a way to get her to eat something, anything again.

SUPER SECRET "RED SAUCE" RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

- a 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 of a large yellow onion
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1 medium sized carrot
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- a pinch of sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Chop the veggies into large approximately 1-2 inch pieces while heating the olive oil in a medium to large saucepan at medium-high heat.

2. Place the veg into the pot and let them get a little caramelized and tender. Sprinkle with a little salt to draw out moisture. (**Here you could also add the flesh of a zucchini if you're feeling adventurous, just make sure to peel the green skin so the kids don't question the color)
3. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pot and then season again with the rest of the salt, pepper, and sugar. Add a little water if you like your sauce a tad thinner (about 1/4-1/2 cup's worth). Clamp on the lid and let simmer on medium-low for 20-30 minutes until the veggies are all tender.

4. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes and then carefully ladle the mixture into the blender.
5. Blend on high for about a minute or two until the sauce becomes smooth. Taste and season to your final liking.
6. Add parmesan cheese if you'd like (and I certainly do)

Sorry there's no final result picture this time, my family devoured it too fast for me to take a presentable photo :)

Lighter(?) Carbonara

I know everyone is supposed to love Carbonara. But I'm going to admit that most of the time it is really just too rich for me. And for some reason here bacon or pancetta is extremely expensive. So this is my bacon-less take.

PASTA "CARBONARA"

INGREDIENTS:

- 8oz thick long noodles (Trader Joe's has a lemon pepper pappardelle I HIGHLY recommend for this)
- Half to a whole bunch of asparagus, depending on your mood
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- approx. 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2-3 tablespoons light butter spread (I think olive oil is traditional here, but I wanted the flavor from the butter since I nixed the bacon)
- at least 1 egg (per serving)
- fresh chives, chopped for garnish
- freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prep your veg while you get the pasta pot filled with water and brought to a boil
2. Get a smaller pot with water and add a little salt and some white vinegar and put on medium heat to get a heavy simmer (Oh year, we're poaching these eggs)
3. Get a sauté pan and turn on medium low heat. Add the butter and garlic to the pan.
 4. Right before the pasta pot reaches a boil, add in your chopped asparagus (cut on the bias if you are so inclined to be fancy). Let them cook for just a minute or so and then add them to the garlic butter.
5. Add your pasta to the pot, cook to the time allotted from the instructions given to you on the box.
6. Crack your egg carefully into a ramekin or small bowl and drop gently into the SIMMERING water and let them poach for about three minutes.

Multitask your ass off

8. Add the cooked pasta to the sauté pan, toss to coat, then add the cheese and a bunch of black pepper and toss again until satisfied.

9. Place in a bowl and add your egg on top. Finish with more cheese and chives and crack that beautiful yolk to run all the way through your pasta

My yolk got a little excited and jumped ship into the pasta before the photo was taken