Everything I know about my family history is a bit fuzzy. Whenever I ask my father questions about how his parents ended up in the Midwest, he only knows so much. “We didn’t talk about things like that,” he explains to me. “Those conversations would ma…
Everything I know about my family history is a bit fuzzy. Whenever I ask my father questions about how his parents ended up in the Midwest, he only knows so much. “We didn’t talk about things like that,” he explains to me. “Those conversations would make us feel less ‘American,’ so we didn’t really have them.” He tells me that his parents were originally from Kraków and Wilno (which is no longer part of Poland), but he doesn’t remember which parent grew up where.
What he does know is that the story goes something like this: They were both being transferred from one camp in German-occupied Poland to another when technical issues blessed them with an opportunity to escape. After fleeing, they immigrated to America, eventually landing in Chicago where a friend was able to host them. From there my father’s family raised him and his brother, fully rooting themselves in the American Midwest.
A Big Little Recipe has the smallest-possible ingredient list and big everything else—flavor, creativity, wow factor. Psst: We don’t count water, salt, black pepper, and certain fats (specifically, 1/2 cup or less of olive oil, vegetable oil, and butte…
A Big Little Recipe has the smallest-possible ingredient list and big everything else—flavor, creativity, wow factor. Psst: We don't count water, salt, black pepper, and certain fats (specifically, 1/2 cup or less of olive oil, vegetable oil, and butter), since we're guessing you have those covered. Today, you’ll just need two ingredients.
There is no shortage of fruit-flavored yogurts in American supermarkets. Blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, cherry, peach, lemon, lime, pineapple, coconut, apricot, pomegranate, passion fruit, strawberry, strawberry-banana, strawberry-rhubarb, strawberry-kiwi, strawberry-mango, just to name a few.
This cinnamon-spiced apple smoothie is creamy and irresistibly tasty! It’s full of natural sweetness and packed with protein. Here’s a smoothie that’s full of cozy spiced, naturally sweet flavor: the perfect Apple Smoothie! This one works anytime and in any season. But of course it’s perfect for fall when you’ve got mounds of apples to use up. In fact, it’s a healthy way to enjoy the flavors of apple pie or apple crumble! Cinnamon and vanilla are just the right compliment to the sweet tart fruit. It’s also loaded with protein from Greek yogurt, which gives it just the right creamy texture. You’ll almost feel like you’re drinking an apple pie milkshake…but a wholesome version! Let’s go. Ingredients in this apple smoothie The great thing about this apple smoothie? You might already have the ingredients on hand. If you stock bananas and Greek yogurt like we do, you’ll be able to whip up this smoothie in no time. Here’s what you’ll need: Apples: You can use any variety! For the best flavor, use sweet tart apples like Honey Crisp or Granny Smith (stay away from Red Delicious here). Banana: No need to freeze it: you can use a room temperature […]
This cinnamon-spiced apple smoothie is creamy and irresistibly tasty! It’s full of natural sweetness and packed with protein.
Here’s a smoothie that’s full of cozy spiced, naturally sweet flavor: the perfect Apple Smoothie! This one works anytime and in any season. But of course it’s perfect for fall when you’ve got mounds of apples to use up. In fact, it’s a healthy way to enjoy the flavors of apple pie or apple crumble! Cinnamon and vanilla are just the right compliment to the sweet tart fruit. It’s also loaded with protein from Greek yogurt, which gives it just the right creamy texture. You’ll almost feel like you’re drinking an apple pie milkshake…but a wholesome version! Let’s go.
Ingredients in this apple smoothie
The great thing about this apple smoothie? You might already have the ingredients on hand. If you stock bananas and Greek yogurt like we do, you’ll be able to whip up this smoothie in no time. Here’s what you’ll need:
Apples: You can use any variety! For the best flavor, use sweet tart apples like Honey Crisp or Granny Smith (stay away from Red Delicious here).
Banana: No need to freeze it: you can use a room temperature banana! If you do have one frozen, that will work too.
Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt adds lots of protein to this smoothie, and live probiotics which help gut health.
Milk: Use any type of milk, including non-dairy milk
Ice: Ice helps to get just the right texture. Note that this smoothie is more creamy than icy.
Vanilla and cinnamon: These bring in that apple pie flavor!
It’s great naturally sweet, or add a bit of maple syrup
This apple smoothie tastes fantastic with no added sweetener: it’s perfectly sweet tart! However, the flavor can depend on the ripeness of the fruit and your personal tastes. Take a taste, and if you’d like it sweeter, add a bit of maple syrup or honey. This is a nice option if you’re looking for a sweet treat to take the place of a dessert.
Start with 1/2 tablespoon in the blender, and increase if you need more. You may want to stir it in instead of blend, because if you over-blend the texture can get too liquid.
Vegan variation
Want to make this apple smoothie vegan? Try our Green Apple Smoothie recipe! It pairs green apple and cashews to make a beautifully sweet tart vegan smoothie. The cashews add plant-based protein to help it stay satiating and keep you full.
More flavor variations!
This apple smoothie tastes amazing as is. But if you’d like it mix it up even more, we’ve got answers! Here are some ideas for fun variations on the theme:
Ginger: Add 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger to the mix for a spicy brightness.
Spices: Add 1/8 teaspoon allspice or nutmeg. Even better, replace the cinnamon with equal parts Pumpkin Pie Spice or Chai Spices.
Oats: Add whole grains by throwing in 1/2 cup rolled oats.
Pecans, cashews or almonds: Throw in 1/4 cup nuts to add a nutty undertone and even more plant-based protein.
Apples are very good for you and full of nutrients! Here’s a little breakdown on some of the top benefits (Source: Healthline).
Apples are a good source of vitamin C: 1 apple contains 14% of your daily needs
Theyare full of fiber and water: 1 apple has 4 grams fiber or about 15% of your daily needs
Apples contain pectin, a type of fiber that acts as a prebiotic and helps with gut health
Most of the nutrients in apples are in the skin, so you should eat the skin as much as possible. That’s why we included the skin in this apple smoothie.
This apple smoothie is…
Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based and dairy-free, see the variation above.
This cinnamon-spiced apple smoothie is creamy and irresistibly tasty! It’s full of natural sweetness and packed with protein.
Ingredients
2 cups fresh apple chunks (skin on, about 1 large or 2 small apples)
1 ripe banana (room temperature)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup milk (or almond milk or oat milk)
8 ice cubes
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Optional: 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup or honey (we liked ours without sweetener)
Instructions
Chop the apple. Place all ingredients in a blender, breaking the banana into pieces. Blend until creamy and frothy, stopping and scraping down the sides as necessary. If desired, garnish with an apple slice. Serve immediately or store in a covered jar in the refrigerator for 1 day.
What to do with browning bananas? It’s the question that never stops needing to be answered. The other day I was about to make a batch of my Yogurt Banana Bread with some over ripe bananas, but I decided to change it up last minute. I added little cocoa powder and a handful of chocolate […]
What to do with browning bananas? It’s the question that never stops needing to be answered. The other day I was about to make a batch of my Yogurt Banana Bread with some over ripe bananas, but I decided to change it up last minute. I added little cocoa powder and a handful of chocolate chips to the batter, then scooped it into a muffin tin instead of a bread pan for easy portioning, and I got these tasty little Chocolate Banana Muffins. They’re the perfect not-too-sweet treat that I can keep in my freezer for days that I want a little something special to go with my morning coffee.
Use Ripe Bananas for the Best Flavor
I know chocolate banana muffins sound delicious, but have patience and wait until you have some brown, over ripe bananas to make this recipe. Over ripe bananas are sweeter and their banana flavor is more intense, which is what you want for the banana flavor to really come through in the muffins. Plus, they’re easier to mash when they’re soft and super ripe. ;)
How to Freeze Chocolate Banana Muffins
I love the fact that these banana muffins are already in single-serving portions, which makes them really great for freezing and thawing as-needed (or “as-wanted”?). To freeze the muffins, make sure they cool completely to room temperature, then place them in a gallon-sized zip top freezer bag and transfer to the freezer. To thaw, you can either let them sit for 15-30 minutes at room temperature, or microwave for about 30 seconds until they’re warm and the chocolate chips are melted. They’re sooooo good with a cup of coffee!
Other Muffin Add-in Ideas
Muffins like this are kind of fun because you can really play around with the add-ins (in addition to, or in place of the chocolate chips). Peanut butter chips would be really good in these muffins, as would something like shredded coconut. Walnuts are a classic with banana bread, but almonds would probably taste really nice with this banana-chocolate combo, too.
Chocolate Banana Muffins
Chocolate Banana Muffins are a delicious freezer-friendly sweet treat, and a great way to use up brown bananas so they don't go to waste!
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
Mash the bananas well. You'll need one cup mashed bananas. If you have slightly less than one cup, you can use slightly more yogurt to make up for the banana. If you have slightly more than one cup, you can reduce the yogurt slightly to compensate for the extra banana.
Add the mashed banana to a large mixing bowl along with the yogurt, eggs, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Whisk the ingredients together well.
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir just until they are combined. It's okay if the mixture is a little lumpy. Do not over stir. Finally, fold the chocolate chips into the batter.
Divide the batter between the 12 wells of the muffin tin (it will fill each well up to the top). Transfer the muffin tin to the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes.
After baking, remove the muffins from the tin and allow them to cool on a wire rack before serving.
How to Make Chocolate Banana Muffins – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin tin with paper liners. Mash 2-3 bananas well with a fork. You’ll need 1 cup mashed bananas. If you have slightly less banana, you can add a little extra yogurt to make up for it. If you have a little more than 1 cup banana, you can reduce the yogurt a little to compensate for the extra banana.
Add the mashed banana to a large mixing bowl along with 1 cup plain yogurt, 2 large eggs, ½ cup sugar, 4 Tbsp melted butter, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Whisk these ingredients together well.
In a separate bowl, stir together 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp salt. Stir until the dry ingredients are very well combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until everything is moistened. The mixture will be lumpy, but try not to over stir (the photo shows the mixture half stirred, check the next photo for the appearance of the fully stirred batter).
Finally, fold a ½ cup chocolate chips into the batter, again taking care not to over stir.
Divide the batter between 12 wells of a muffin tin. The batter will fill each well all the way up to the top. Transfer the muffin tin to the preheated 350ºF oven.
Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Remove the baked muffins from the tin to cool before serving.
Apple Muffins with Cinnamon-Sugar Topping
These apple-cinnamon muffins pack huge apple flavor thanks to apple cider and chopped apples, with a fabulous cinnamon-sugar crunch on top.
READ: Apple Muffins with Cinnamon-Sugar Topping
I finally made some veggie burgers for the blog. But they’re not burger-y burgers. They’re hummus burgers. I wanted something with the flavors of hummus, in burger form. And because I like a little texture in my burgers, I didn’t want…
I finally made some veggie burgers for the blog. But they’re not burger-y burgers. They’re hummus burgers. I wanted something with the flavors of hummus, in burger form. And because I like a little texture in my burgers, I didn’t want to use actual hummus. So instead, I smashed some chickpeas and cauliflower together with tahini, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. The first time I made this, I did it without the cauliflower and it just didn’t work out. The burgers needed a little more moisture, so I thought I’d experiment by adding steamed cauliflower the next time around. The cauliflower doesn’t take away from the hummus flavor, but it makes the burgers less crumbly and adds some veggie goodness to the patties. Chobani sent me some samples of their Greek yogurt (thanks, Chobani!), so I figured the appropriate topping for hummus burgers was tzatziki. Traditionally, dill is used in tzatziki sauce, but since my dill is pretty pathetic right now, I used mint instead. I’m not big on yogurt unless it’s in something and I feel the same way about tzatziki—it’s great on these burgers, but a little too much for me on its own. (But I guess […]
I’ve been even more diligent about keeping my food waste low since the pandemic started, since our visits to the grocery store are few and far between. So when I was taking stock of what was on hand the other day, the puzzle pieces started to move into place in my head, and I saw […]
I’ve been even more diligent about keeping my food waste low since the pandemic started, since our visits to the grocery store are few and far between. So when I was taking stock of what was on hand the other day, the puzzle pieces started to move into place in my head, and I saw everything I needed to make a glorious loaf of banana bread. Yogurt banana bread, to be exact. Why yogurt? Read on to find out.
Homemade Banana Bread with Yogurt and Walnuts
Why Add Yogurt to Banana Bread?
Yogurt is a great ingredient for adding to banana bread and other baked goods. It keeps the bread moist, tender, and super delicious without using a ton of butter or oil. You’ll want to use plain yogurt for this recipe, not pre-sweetened. I have not tested Greek-style yogurt in this recipe, but would guess that it would make a slightly more dense loaf, since it has less moisture than regular yogurt.
How Ripe Should the Bananas Be?
The more ripe the banana, the better for banana bread. As bananas ripen the starches turn to sugar, so an un-ripe banana will not be as sweet or as soft (good for mashing). Try to wait until your bananas have NO green left and are about half spotted. If your bananas get to the perfect banana bread ripeness, but you’re not quite ready to make banana bread, simply peel them, toss them into a freezer bag, and freeze them until you’re ready.
Can I Bake These As Muffins?
Yes, this batter works great for banana muffins, too! Just divide the batter between 12 wells of a muffin tin and bake for about 40 minutes at 350ºF.
What Else Can I Add to Banana Bread?
Banana bread is fun because you can add all sorts of stuff to it. I used walnuts here, but they’re completely optional. You can do other nuts, like pecans or even shredded coconut. Chocolate also pairs really well with bananas, so you can add ½ cup chocolate chips, or melt the chocolate and swirl it into the batter once it’s in the bread pan. A little bit of well-drained canned crushed pineapple would also be fun!
How to Store Banana Bread
After baking the banana bread, let it cool completely to room temperature, then transfer it to a gallon-sized zip top bag and store in the refrigerator. It will last in the refrigerator for about five days. I like to slice mine before refrigerating, so I can just take one slice out at a time to have with my coffee. About 15 seconds in the microwave and it’s warm and delicious, just like fresh baked!
P.S. Banana bread is really good with a little peanut butter or almond butter drizzled over top!
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Rub a little butter on the inside of a loaf pan to coat the bottom and sides.
Mash the banana well, then add it to a large bowl along with the yogurt, eggs, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Whisk these ingredients until they're well combined.
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg until well combined.
Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and stir together just until there is no dry flour left on the bottom of the bowl (a few lumps are okay, just be careful not to over stir). Gently fold in the chopped walnuts.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, then bake in the preheated 350ºF oven for 60 minutes, or until the bread is brown, cracked open on top, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (a few moist crumbs are okay, just no raw batter).
After baking, let the banana bread cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Once it's slightly cooled it will have pulled away from the bread pan slightly. Run a knife along the sides between the bread and pan, then gently turn the loaf out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Once cool, slice and serve.
How to Make Yogurt Banana Bread – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Rub a little butter inside a loaf pan to coat the bottom and sides. Make 1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 bananas). I do this in a glass measuring cup with a fork. It should only take about 30 seconds.
Add the mashed banana to a large bowl along with 1 cup plain yogurt, 2 large eggs, ½ cup sugar, 4 Tbsp melted butter, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Whisk these ingredients together until they’re well combined.
In a separate bowl, combine 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp nutmeg. Stir until well combined.
Pour the bowl of dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and stir just until they are combined and no dry flour remains on the bottom of the bowl. A few lumps are okay, but make sure there are no pockets of dry flour left. Avoid over stirring. (photo is half-way through stirring)
Fold ½ cup chopped walnuts into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake the bread in the preheated 350ºF oven for about 60 minutes, or until the bread is browned, the top is cracked open, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (“clean” means no raw batter, a few moist crumbs stuck to the toothpick are okay).
Allow the bread to cool for about 15 minutes in the pan. It will pull away from the pan slightly as it cools. Run a knife along the sides between the bread and loaf pan, then gently turn the bread out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Once cooled, slice and serve.
Would you look at those colors?! This roasted beet side dish is the prettiest recipe I’ve made in a long time, and the leftovers look like an abstract Easter basket.
This recipe comes from a new cookbook called Eat What You Want by Gaby Dalkin. You may know Gaby from her blog, What’s Gaby Cooking. I love Gaby’s fresh, California-style cooking and boundless enthusiasm for all things food-related!
The funny thing is that I’ve never met Gaby in person, but I feel like I know her after watching her on Instagram over the years. We share an affinity for fresh herbs and flaky sea salt, and I turn to her blog and cookbook for inspiration often. When she offered to send me a copy of her cookbook, I said yes, of course.
Her newest book features “125 recipes for real life” and I had a hard time choosing just one to share with you. I’ve been on a beet kick lately, so beets won the draw. This recipe also gave me an excuse to make Gaby’s go-to basil vinaigrette, which I’ve been meaning to try for ages.
This dish features roasted beets over thick yogurt (I used Siggi’s “skyr” instead of labneh), with fresh basil vinaigrette, avocado wedges, and a heavy sprinkling of fresh herbs. Even my husband, who’s not a fan of beets, went back for more.
Like everyone, I’m craving some adventure and daydreaming future destinations. Mexico City might be my first stop. It’s a vibrant, energetic city with incredible food around every…
Like everyone, I’m craving some adventure and daydreaming future destinations. Mexico City might be my first stop. It’s a vibrant, energetic city with incredible food around every corner. I hopped down there a few summers ago and came back with a list of restaurants to try next someday.
For now, we can make tacos at home. I can’t claim these black tacos are authentic, but they are easy, quick, tasty, and quite versatile. (If you’re looking for truly epic tacos, here they are—but they are a bit more time-consuming and reliant upon fresh produce.)
I hope these tacos are exactly what you need right now. I’ve provided suggestions on ingredient substitutions and alternate sauce ideas below.
Serve them as-is for an easy dinner, or keep on reading for side dish suggestions!
This green goddess dressing is exactly what we need right now. It’s creamy, tangy, and fully loaded with fresh, herbal flavor. I’ve savored it by the spoonful…
This green goddess dressing is exactly what we need right now. It’s creamy, tangy, and fully loaded with fresh, herbal flavor. I’ve savored it by the spoonful while imagining sunny days ahead.
The Green Goddess is going to carry us through to spring. We’re going to make it. I can feel it.
I put some soup recipe development on hold when I finalized this dressing. I’ll figure it out soon enough (hint: it’s also green). I’m too busy drizzling this versatile dressing over anything and everything.
The funny thing about this green goddess dressing recipe is that it’s so very simple. I tried adding lemon juice and olive oil, and they only distracted from the beautiful combination of good Greek yogurt and fresh herbs.
In fact, you can use any combination of fresh herbs for this recipe. That leftover parsley and cilantro in the fridge? Let’s use ’em up.
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