Baking Products

These following products are ones that make my dishes so yummy. :)

Chia seeds are great to bake with! Find in a health food store or in the bulk section at a store such as Winco. I've also seen them at Costco.

If you have to bake with shortening, this is the way to go! It's a bit more expensive but well worth it! I buy it at Yokes or Fred Meyers (in the natural section)

Any flour by this brand is great! It's non-GMO/all natural! It can be locally found at Yokes for almost $8-9/bag but I found it at Walmart for under 1/2 that! 

Once I switched to organic sugar, my life changed. Refined sugar makes me so gassy! I use this for everything! This is found at Costco.

Banana Bread Variations

I've been buying bananas lately and my family is letting them go bad on purpose so I have to make banana bread. You'll see in my recipes, we like to use Chia seeds because they're rich in Omega 3 and also because they keep us hydrated (Google that if you don't understand). 

               This is the Banana Cocunut

Here are my recipes:

Banana Bread

Basic Recipe (Betty Crocker)

1 1/4c sugar

1/2c butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 1/2c mashed bananas (3 medium)

1/2c buttermilk*

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2c all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

* I substitute buttermilk with milk mixed with 1 teaspoon white vinegar (if I don't have buttermilk on hand) OR replace with equal parts orange juice.

1. Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms of 2 loaf pans.

2. Mix all ingredients, mixing in flour last. Beat until smooth. 

3. Divide batter between two pans and bake. 60-75 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

4. Cool on wire rack. Enjoy or wrap up and freeze.

Variations: 

Banana Almond Bread

>this makes a wonderful breakfast. Smear a little PB on the top and serve with yogurt. 

Make as above. At the end of mixing stage add in 

-1 large handful of slivered almonds

-1c chocolate chips

-heaping  1/2 c. Chia seeds

Banana Coconut Bread

>this is great anytime but it makes a great dessert bread. 

Make as above, EXCEPT reduce sugar to 1 cup and use buttermilk for the liquid (you don't want this one drying out!). At the end of mixing stage add in 

- 3/4c shredded coconut 

- 3/4c white chocolate chips

- heaping 1/2c Chia seeds

I hope you enjoy these. My family just devours it!

*also check out the post of Baking Products*

Peach Salsa Stuffed Chicken Breast with Vegetable Rice Medley

Stuffed chicken

Ingredients-

6 thawed BS Chicken breasts

Peach salsa (below)

Topping

Guacamole 

Sour cream

Salsa:

2-3c diced tomatoes 

1 small sweet onion diced

1/4c chopped cilantro (or 1/3 bunch)

1 peeled peach, diced 

Mix together in a bowl, set aside

Topping:

1 tbl cumin

1/4 tea salt

1/4 tea pepper

1/2 tea garlic salt or powder

Mix all together 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Make salsa. Then make topping. 

Cut a pocket into the chicken, spoon salsa into pockets and set on baking pan.  Sprinkle topping on top of chicken. 

Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until chicken is done. 

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and guacamole 

Veggie Rice

3 cups cooked brown rice

1c each Zucchini (green And yellow) (shredded)

1 Bell pepperdiced

Onion diced

Mushrooms chopped

1 1/2c chopped spinach

2 tbl olive oil

In a sauté pan, heat oil and then place in veggies, reserving spinach. Sauté until tender. Remove from heat and mix in 1/2- 3/4 amount of rice depending on the ratio of veggies to rice you prefer. Add in spinach