spinach banana muffins {aka “monster muffins”}

Posted on March 23, 2016 by dallaswoodburn

Hi, guys! I’m just poppin’ in with a little recipe to share with you today. I made these muffins for St. Patrick’s Day and they were a big hit! I promise, you can’t taste the spinach at all! They taste like banana muffins and have an added boost of good-for-you nutrients thanks to the spinach. These muffins would be a great way to get picky kids to eat more greens. Call them “monster muffins” and serve them all year long, not just for St. Patrick’s Day! 🙂

This recipe was adapted from this one by Pamela Salzman.

spinach banana muffins

1 cup white wheat flour
1 and 1/4 cup oats
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
¾ cup maple syrup
¾ cup milk {I used vanilla rice milk}
¼ cup vegetable oil
6-7 ounces of fresh baby spinach leaves
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
optional: 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
Into a blender, pour in applesauce, maple syrup, milk, oil, and spinach. Process until pureed. {I did in multiple batches in my Nutribullet!}
Add spinach mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until combined, being careful not to over-mix.
Stir in the egg. Fold in the mashed banana and chocolate chips.
Scoop batter into prepared muffin tin. It will be a little runny/thin — that is okay! This means the muffins will turn out moist.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

*Note: these muffins freeze very well… if they last that long in your household! They didn’t in mine. 😉

Hope you enjoy! Happy Wednesday. Have a wonderful rest of the week, my friends!

if you liked this recipe, you might also want to try:
– apple oat banana muffins
– carrot cake coconut muffins w/chickpea flour
– berry cream cheese muffins
– coconut zucchini muffins

my 3 favorite ways to use sauteed spinach

Posted on August 6, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Spinach is SO good for us. This superfood is high in fiber, antioxidants, cancer-fighting flavonoids, vitamin A and vitamin K — promoting healthy bones, skin, vision, brain and nerve function. {Read more here.}

I always put a handful of raw spinach into my smoothies {I promise, you can’t taste it!} and lately I’ve started sauteeing spinach and using it in many of my favorite recipes. To sautee baby spinach, simply spray a frying pan with a bit of olive oil, add minced garlic if desired, and cook the spinach for 3 to 5 minutes on medium-low heat, until the leaves are wilted.

Here are my top 3 favorite ways to use sauteed spinach {other than as a side by itself, which is also de.li.cious!}

1. Atop a veggie pasta bowl. I love to layer a bit of brown rice pasta, some roasted veggies {zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes, yum!}, sauteed spinach, and then top the whole she-bang with tomato sauce and a sprinkle of feta cheese. NOM!

2. Wrapped up inside an enchilada. This would be the perfect way to sneak more veggies into a non-veggie-lover’s diet. I layer some sauteed spinach on top of the ground turkey mixture, pour on some sauce, wrap it up and pop it in the oven to bake.

3. In my morning scrambled eggs. One of my favorite combos of the moment is sauteed spinach, avocado, onion and chicken sausage. A great power-breakfast to get your day off on the right foot!

Do you eat spinach regularly? If so, I’d love to hear some of your favorite recipes! Any other superfoods you can’t get enough of lately?

dairy-free butternut squash quinoa mock risotto

Posted on June 13, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

I am SO excited to share this recipe with you today! A few months ago, I had a delicious butternut squash risotto at a local Italian restaurant, and when I went to the grocery store last weekend the butternut squashes were calling to me. So I thought I would do a little experimenting in the kitchen and see if I could come up with a healthy, dairy-free, quinoa-based “risotto” … and I was super pleased with the results!

{My family was pleased, too … this dish makes great leftovers, which did not last very long in our house!}

– 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
– 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
– 1 bay leaf
– 2 cups roasted butternut squash, mashed
– 1/2 cup water
– 1 cup baby spinach
– 1 cup arugula
– 2 tsp minced garlic

Optional toppings:
– slivered almonds
– dried cranberries
– feta cheese
– salt & pepper to taste

1. Cook the quinoa in the low-sodium chicken broth with the bay leaf for seasoning.

2. While quinoa is cooking, warm the garlic in a bit of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the mashed butternut squash and cook on medium-low.

3. After about 3 minutes, pour in the water and stir. The consistency of the squash will becoming more like a thick sauce.

4. Add the spinach and arugula and continue cooking on medium-low until the greens are fully cooked, stirring frequently.

5. Once the quinoa is fully cooked, remove the bay leaf. Pour the butternut squash mixture over the quinoa and mix well to form a “risotto.”

6. Top with slivered almonds, dried cranberries, and feta cheese if desired. {To make this recipe dairy-free, simply skip the feta cheese.}

There you have it! An easy, healthy, filling and nutritious meal! This has been my go-to lunch of the week.

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy these recipes:
– cilantro-lime quinoa with chicken
– veggie-filled pasta bake
– pumpkin pasta

This post is linked up with Menu-Plan Monday!

kitchen tip tuesdays: my favorite {healthy!} chicken salad

Posted on May 14, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Hi, friends! I have a quick, easy and healthy recipe to share with you today as part of Kitchen Tip Tuesdays! I love chicken salad but I don’t like mayonaise very much, so I was on a mission to find a healthier recipe for chicken salad that I could make at home. I think I found a winner!

I like to bake chicken breasts ahead of time during the weekend {see my earlier post about making the most of oven time} so I typically have cooked chicken breasts in a tupperware container in my fridge. Often to save time and extra dishes, I mix up the chicken salad in the tupperware container, and I’m ready to grab and go if need be!

healthier chicken salad
– 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
– 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt {you could add more or less yogurt as desired}
– 2 tbsp hummus
– 2 stalks celery, chopped
– 1/4 cup dried cranberries
– 1/4 cup slivered almonds
– salt and pepper to taste

1. Stir Greek yogurt and hummus into chicken until fully incorporated.

2. Add chopped celery, dried cranberries, slivered almonds, and mix well.

3. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

It’s a great lunch, especially as the weather continues to warm up! I like serving the chicken salad over a bed of baby spinach.

Have a great day! I’ll be back tomorrow with a post I’m really excited to share with you! 🙂

Till soon,
Dallas

This post is also linked up with Menu-Plan Mondays!

springtime veggie pasta bake

Posted on April 17, 2013 by dallaswoodburn

Hi everyone! I have a simple, delicious and healthy recipe to share with you today. This meal is simple to make, easily adaptable to your preferences, and is bursting with fresh veggie flavors! Hope you enjoy!

– 1/2 box whole-wheat pasta {I used rotini}
– 1 yellow squash
– 1 green bell pepper
– 2 roma tomatoes
– 1/2 sweet onion
– 1 cup fresh baby spinach
– 1 tbsp minced garlic
– a drizzle of olive oil
– your sauce of choice {I used a combination of tomato sauce & pesto}
– 2 cups shredded cheese {I used an Italian blend}

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.

3. Chop and dice the veggies. Toss them in olive oil and saute them in a large pan on medium heat, until onion and garlic are fragrant and spinach is wilted.

4. Drain the pasta and pour cooked noodles into a large casserole dish. Toss with sauce and veggies until everything is well mixed.

5. Top with shredded cheese.

6. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve and savor! This is one of those recipes that makes terrific leftovers, too!

What are some of your favorite springtime recipes?

if you liked this post, you might also enjoy:
– easy veggie, potato & sausage bake
– cilantro-lime quinoa with chicken
– tilapia with pineapple salsa

Day-By-Day Masterpiece

Tag Archives: spinach