Minty Tropical Green Smoothie

 I like to think that I'm somewhat of an early bird- I can rise and shine with the best of them, and I loathe sleeping in late. If I sleep in past 8:00am I can't shake the feeling that I'm racing to catch up with the rest of the day.

But every now and then I do need a little help catching the proverbial worm...they can be slippery little suckers sometimes. On days when I'm feeling sluggish a cup of coffee might certainly do the trick, but I'm not always in the mood for the bold flavor or strong jolt of 'alertness' that coffee provides first thing in the morning, and I definitely don't want to find myself roped into a daily caffeine habit, so I try to limit my intake to just a couple of cups per week anyway.

So, when coffee isn't on the agenda but I still need a little pick me up, this green smoothie is just the thing! It's such a sweet, gentle and sunny way to start the day. And with its velvety smooth texture, vibrant tropical flavors and a zing of minty freshness, I promise you can't even taste the obscene amount of kale in this smoothie that makes it so good for you. Plus, the chia seeds add some protein and fiber to keep you going strong until lunchtime...those pesky worms won't stand a chance.

makes 1 smoothie

Ingredients

1/2 cup frozen banana slices

1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks

1-1/2 cups packed loose kale leaves, stems removed

1 small handful fresh mint leaves, chopped

1 tbsp. chia seeds 

1 cup coconut water

Instructions

1. Soak chia seeds in 1/4 cup coconut water for about 5 minutes. Add chia seed mixture and all remaining ingredients into a high-speed blender and pulse until a smooth consistency is reached. Pour into a glass and enjoy immediately.

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Brown Butter & Sea Salt Muffins

I'm a sucker for any sort of browned butter situation. If I'm out at a restaurant and I see brown butter anything on the menu, no need to continue browsing. I will have that, please. There's just something about taking an already perfect ingredient such as butter and transforming it into a totally different (yet equally perfect) entity that gets me every time. 

I think I also enjoy the languid, meditative process involved in making browned butter. So often I will whiz through my cooking lickety-split, balancing four or five different tasks at once in order to maximize efficiency. But browned butter forces you to slow down, because if you have too much going on I can promise that you will forget all about that little pot of butter melting away quietly in the background, and all of a sudden- poof! In a split second you're left with blackened, burned, ruined butter. So I take comfort in the fact that as long as you stay close by, practice a little patience and give it the occasional stir it will result in fragrant, nutty caramelized, buttery goodness every single time.

One of my favorite brown butter desserts is a tart with fresh fruit that I've made countless times, but this time I was in the mood for something of an individually sized nature. I decided to whip up a batch of muffins with brown butter, walnuts and a touch of Maldon Sea Salt- another ingredient that has me completely enamored, but I'll save my sea salt sonnet for another time. I added it to the batter of course, but also sprinkled a little on top of each muffin, and guys. Let me tell you, I went crazy for those little muffin tops! The brown butter flavor just explodes out of the top thanks to those delicate, crunchy flakes of salt.

Clearly there's already a sufficient amount of butter in these muffins so I opted to spread mine just with a simple dollop of fresh mixed berry jam. Personally I think that's all they need, but hey, if you want to add a smear of butter to your muffin, go crazy. No judgement.

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. Maldon sea salt, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a regular sized muffin tin with liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to brown. Remove from heat.
3. Combine flour, baking powder and sea salt in a bowl. Strain brown butter into a separate bowl and add sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. Whisk to combine, then add dry ingredients and stir until combined.
4. Fold in walnuts, then divide evenly among muffin cups and garnish the tops with additional sea salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.  Cool slightly before serving.

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Pumpkin Spice Protein Smoothie

I love starting my day with a protein shake for an instant dose of energy and nutrients, but lately my repertoire has been feeling a little stale. My faithful chocolate protein powder-banana-peanut butter-almond milk combo is getting tired. I needed to shake things up a bit, so imagine my delight when the inspiration struck to create a recipe that combines the health benefits of a protein shake with the flavors of everyone's favorite seasonal coffee drink!

The thing I love most about this Pumpkin Spice Protein Smoothie is that it contains 50 fewer calories than a tall pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks while packing in far more health benefits. This delicious beverage is not only high in protein, but also a good source of potassium, fiber and omega 3's. And those warming spices are not just there to enhance flavor- cinnamon, nutmeg and fresh ginger are known to boost immunity, aid in digestion, prevent inflammation and reduce fatigue and stress. So drink up!

makes 1 smoothie
Ingredients
1/2 cup sliced frozen banana
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp ground flaxseed

Instructions
1. Add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth.
2. Pour into a glass and top with whipped cream and additional ground cinnamon (optional).

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Egg White Fritatta

Fritattas are basically a healthier version of quiche, and although sadly they don't include that wonderfully indulgent buttery crust they can still be just as satisfying. I love making fritattas at the beginning of the week to have on hand for a quick breakfast, light lunch or even a simple dinner- you gotta love that! This time I thought I would try an uberhealthy fritatta using only egg whites, and the result was delightful.

I love the versatility of this baked egg dish, you can include just about any type of veggie or meat your heart desires. And adding a bit of cooked orzo pasta or cheese is a wonderful way to impart heartiness and richness. Try baking them in muffin tins for cute little individual portions! Lots of options here...for this particular fritatta I just used a hodgepodge of vegetables in my kitchen that needed to be used up quickly- zucchini, bell pepper and jalapeño- and sprinkled a touch of fresh parsley over the top for a pop of color. And I couldn't resist adding avocado, because, let's face it, I can hardly ever resist adding avocado to anything...it's kind of my little secret weapon. So now you know. Secret's out.

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
1 small jalapeño, seeded and diced
1/2 zucchini, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
8 egg whites
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1/2 avocado, sliced

 Instructions 
1. Preheat broiler. Warm the olive oil in a medium sized oven-safe pan. Add the jalapeño, zucchini, red and yellow peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes.
2. Whisk together the egg whites, pepper and salt and pour over the vegetables and cook gently until the egg whites are set.
3. Transfer pan to broiler and broil until the top is nicely browned. Sprinkle with parsley and top with avocado before serving.

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