what do you think about when you think of bananas?

ew... gross. get your mind out of the gutter. 

bananas remind me of my mother. i bet you didn't see that one coming. but it's true. banana has always been her flavor. she is literally the only person i know who likes banana now&laters. 

i myself over dosed on bananas after seventeen years of swimming and i only eat them out of desperation or to cure a cramp. 

but i have a ton of appreciation for an ingredient i can still use after it has past it's prime. and let's be real. how often do you get to finish ALL the bananas you bought? 

not only are these muffins the perfect place to get rid of your over ripe bananas, it is quick to make and they are the perfect grab and go breakfast snack after a workout or before you start your day.

whole wheat banana + choco chip muffins
serves: 12 muffins
prep time: 10 minutes
bake time: 20 minutes
total time: 30 minutes

4 over ripe bananas. 1 cup brown sugar. 2 eggs. 1 tsp vanilla extract. .75 c butter (1.5 sticks), melted. 2 cups whole wheat flour. 1.5 tsp baking soda. .5 tsp salt. .5 c mini choco chips. .5 c chopped pecans plus extra for muffin tops.

preheat the oven to 375 f. in the bowl of a stand mixer or a mixing bowl with a whisk or hand blender, whisk together the banana and brown sugar until well combined. 

with the mixer on, add in the butter, eggs and vanilla.

turn the mixer to slow and pour in the dry ingredients till just incorporated. 

fold in the choco chips and pecan bits. 

pour the batter into prepared muffin tins (either with muffin cups or lightly buttered). top with a few pecans and bake for 16-20 minutes until golden brown on top. 

serve warm or room temperature. 

xoxo,
a

whole wheat banana + choco chip muffins
prep time: 10 minutes
bake time: 20 minutes
total time: 30 minutes
serves: 12 muffins

4 over ripe bananas. 1 cup brown sugar. 2 eggs. 1 tsp vanilla extract. .75 c butter (1.5 sticks), melted. 2 cups whole wheat flour. 1.5 tsp baking soda. .5 tsp salt. .5 c mini choco chips. .5 c chopped pecans plus extra for muffin tops.
preheat the oven to 375 f. in the bowl of a stand mixer or a mixing bowl with a whisk or hand blender, whisk together the banana and brown sugar until well combined. 
with the mixer on, add in the butter, eggs and vanilla.
turn the mixer to slow and pour in the dry ingredients till just incorporated. 
fold in the choco chips and pecan bits. 
pour the batter into prepared muffin tins (either with muffin cups or lightly buttered). top with a few pecans and bake for 16-20 minutes until golden brown on top. 
serve warm or room temperature. 

after a much needed weekend with some of my favorite ladies, i'm spending this week settling into my thirties.

and a major part of my new routine is cooking dinner for my husband. wtf? serious adulting going on over here.

when living with my girlfriends and even with my parents, i was always striving for light meals. lean proteins, whole grains and salads as a meal were common. 

but wes is a growing boy. not really.he eats whatever he wants and stays consistent or gets skinnier?! 

so while he is managing the restaurant late night and i'm working from home I try to whip up some meatier meals.

his go to request is bolognese, but i've quickly grown tired of the classic version so I decided to spice it up. literally. using chorizo in addition to beef adds great heat and zest. subbing prosciutto for the classic bacon or pancetta helps reduce the grease factor.

beef + chorizo bolognese
serves: 8
prep time: 30 minutes
cook time: 1 hour
total time: 1.5 hours

1.5 lb ground beef. 8oz chorizo sausage. 2oz prosciutto. 4 tbs olive oil, divided. 1 onion, diced. 3 carrots, diced. 2 stalks celery, diced. 5 garlic cloves, minced. 1c white wine. .25c tomato paste. 1lb vine tomatoes, diced. 2tbs fresh basil, finely chopped. 1tbs fresh oregano, finely chopped. c2c whole milk. 1tbs salt. .5tbs fresh ground black pepper. 2lbs of your favorite pasta cooked to instructions. fresh basil & grated parmesan for serving.

special note: in cooking, unlike baking it is important to season each ingredient as it is added in as opposed to adding it all in at the end. every time you add an ingredient into the pot, season it with a few pinches of salt and about half as much pepper. this way your food will be FLAVORFUL instead of SALTY. 

in a large pot, heat half the olive oil over medium heat and add in the onions, carrots and celery. cook until the the onions are softened and translucent. about 5 to 8 minutes.

add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. about 1 minute. 

push your sauteed veggies to the side of the pot, add the remaining oil and add your ground beef, chorizo and prosciutto to the pan. season the beef well with salt and pepper. let all the proteins cook with out moving for 4 to 5 minutes so it gets a nice brown. 

break up the chorizo and beef with your spoon and stir to combine all the meat and veggies. 

when most of your meat is browned, pour in the white wine. allow the alcohol to burn off and the liquid to reduce till it is almost gone. about 2 to 4 minutes.

add in the tomato paste and stir till everything is lightly coated. 

pour in the tomatoes and herbs and stir well to combine. let the tomatoes cook till they start to break down. about 5 to 10 minutes. 

stir in the milk and bring the pot to a simmer. when bolognese is simmering, reduce the heat so that it gently simmers and cover. stir occasionally while the sauce simmers for 20 to 30 minutes until thick and saucy. 

serve over you favorite pasta and top with fresh cheese, basil and pepper.

xoxo
a

beef + chorizo bolognese
serves: 8
prep time: 30 minutes
cook time: 1 hour
total time: 1.5 hours

1.5 lb ground beef. 8oz chorizo sausage. 2oz prosciutto. 4 tbs olive oil, divided. 1 onion, diced. 3 carrots, diced. 2 stalks celery, diced. 5 garlic cloves, minced. 1c white wine. .25c tomato paste. 1lb vine tomatoes, diced. 2tbs fresh basil, finely chopped. 1tbs fresh oregano, finely chopped. c2c whole milk. 1tbs salt. .5tbs fresh ground black pepper. 2lbs of your favorite pasta cooked to instructions. fresh basil & grated parmesan for serving.
special note: in cooking, unlike baking it is important to season each ingredient as it is added in as opposed to adding it all in at the end. every time you add an ingredient into the pot, season it with a few pinches of salt and about half as much pepper. this way your food will be FLAVORFUL instead of SALTY.
in a large pot, heat half the olive oil over medium heat and add in the onions, carrots and celery. cook until the the onions are softened and translucent. about 5 to 8 minutes.
add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. about 1 minute.
push your sauteed veggies to the side of the pot, add the remaining oil and add your ground beef, chorizo and prosciutto to the pan. season the beef well with salt and pepper. let all the proteins cook with out moving for 4 to 5 minutes so it gets a nice brown.
break up the chorizo and beef with your spoon and stir to combine all the meat and veggies.
when most of your meat is browned, pour in the white wine. allow the alcohol to burn off and the liquid to reduce till it is almost gone. about 2 to 4 minutes.
add in the tomato paste and stir till everything is lightly coated.
pour in the tomatoes and herbs and stir well to combine. let the tomatoes cook till they start to break down. about 5 to 10 minutes.
stir in the milk and bring the pot to a simmer. when bolognese is simmering, reduce the heat so that it gently simmers and cover. stir occasionally while the sauce simmers for 20 to 30 minutes until thick and saucy.
serve over you favorite pasta and top with fresh cheese, basil and pepper.