Recipe: Egg “Muffins”

This past weekend, The Hubster and I were in the mood for a little something different when it came to breakfast. I had come across this recipe from Lettuce Pray and knew that it was the perfect something.
The great thing about this recipe is that it’s easy and totally flexible. We used our favorite morning ingredients — sweet potatoes, onions, spinach — and built our egg muffins around those. Feel free to add in your favorites.

The not so great thing about this recipe is how much time it takes to make. It’s totally easy and delicious, just takes about 45 minutes from start to finish. A bit time consuming for breakfast, if you ask me.
I will say that the taste is worth it. Just not worth it on a regular basis. Think Sunday brunch. Think fancypants entertaining with friends or family. Think holiday breakfast treat.
And in case you’re wondering, The Hubster said that these are only good the first day after you make them. They loose their deliciousness on the second day.

Egg “Muffins”
Ingredients:
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and grated
- 1 tbs canola oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced and loosely chopped
- 1 cup spinach, wilted in olive oil
- 8 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Grease a muffin pan and set aside.
- Combine grated sweet potato, canola oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix to combine.
- Divide sweet potatoes evenly among 8 muffin cups.
- Place in oven and bake for 15-18 minutes.
- Remove from oven. and reduce oven temp to 350F.
- Add onions on top of the sweet potatoes, leaving enough to sprinkle another round on top of each cracked egg.
- Add wilted spinach.
- Crack an egg over each “muffin”.
- Sprinkle with remaining onions, and dried parsley.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place back in oven and cook for an additional 10-20 minutes {less for runny yolks and more for more solid yolks}.
- Gently slide a knife along the edges to loosen, and pull up with a fork.
- Serve hot with your favorite accoutrements {toast, pancakes, waffles, etc}.
For your reference:
This recipe is vegetarian. It is also nightshade free, dairy free, wheat free, gluten free, soy free, corn free, cinnamon free, and contains no MSG.
Recipe: Salted Caramel Pretzel Cupcakes

Do not. I repeat. Do not make these cupcakes.
They are way. too. good.
And will make you want to devour an entire pan without coming up for air or sharing a single crumb with your loved ones. Which, in turn, could lead to fights. Or a separation. Or even a nasty breakup.

Which is precisely why I didn’t post these on Valentine’s Day. Call me a closet romantic.
These cupcakes also make me want to send several thousand love letters to the loverly Blake over at Life is Cake (Eat it up). She is the one who turned me on to these bad boys. And turn me on, she did.
These cupcakes are the perfect combination of salty and sweet.

So perfect, that I think it has officially blown away my love for all things chocolate and peanut butter. And makes me want to write in all caps, italics, and bold.
BECAUSE HOW ELSE CAN I GET MY POINT ACROSS THAT THESE LITTLE CUPS OF SALTED CARAMEL-Y CAKES ARE INSANELY AWESOME?!
Who knew that sea salt would mellow out the sugary sweet caramel in the most perfect way. Or make it so that you could eat an entire plateful without being sent into a sugar coma. Or reduce you to a quivering mess the minute the salty caramel-y sweetness hit your lips.
Or…

Sorry, what?
I got distracted.
Salted Caramel Pretzel Cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes
- 1 stick Earth Balance {or other vegan margarine}, room temperature
- 2/3 cup raw sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon caramel extract
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 cup crushed pretzel pieces
For the frosting
- 5 tbs Earth Balance (or vegan buttery spread)
- 3 tbs Spectrum vegetable shortening
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp caramel extract
- splash almond milk
- 1/4 cup pretzel pieces
- sea salt
Directions:
Make the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
- In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Beat in the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 17 – 20 minutes or just until set and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. (Always check a few minutes before the stated baking time. Do not over bake or the cupcakes will be dry.)
- Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
- Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing.*
Make the frosting:
- Cream Earth Balance and Spectrum together with hand mixer.
- Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time
- Add caramel extract
- Add splash of almond milk to achieve desired texture (smooth and light).
Putting it all together:
- Once cupcakes are completely cool, frost with the caramel frosting.
- Top with pretzel pieces.
- Crack {or sprinkle} your favorite sea salt on top. {I used Pink Himalayan}
- GO FIND A ROOM WITH A DOOR, LOCK YOURSELF IN IT. AND EAT TO YOUR HEARTS CONTENT.
* Do not be an impatient fool like me, and start to rost them before they are completely cool. The frosting turns into a puddle and will not stay on the actual cupcake. See Exhibit A.

Recipe: Israeli Couscous with Yams

I’m not one to make a huge fuss out of today. I much prefer to show people how much I love them the other 364 days of the year. Call me a bit of a cynic, but I don’t need someone else to tell me how and when to show that love.
I actually made The Hubster promise not to do anything big for Valentine’s Day when we first started dating. {He didn’t listen.}

I’m also not one to put up a holiday-specific post or recipe. Sorry, no sugary sweet treats today.
I prefer my sweets in the form of sweet potatoes and sweet dried cranberries. And when I saw the original recipe over at Weelicious, I knew it was my kind of meal.
I mean, how can you go wrong with sweet potatoes, cranberries, pine nuts and mint?
The Israeli couscous is just kind of a bonus. A fun bonus, mind you. But not the main attraction.

Whatever you choose to do today, hope it’s filled with love. And if you’re in the Pittsburgh area, make plans to check out the Love of Friends party. I hear it’s the only way to spend Valentine’s Day.
Israeli Couscous with Yams
Ingredients:
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 yam or sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 1 cup Israeli couscous
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Directions:
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add onions and saute for 3-5 minutes, or until translucent.
- Add garlic and yams. Saute for another 3-5 minutes.
- Add Israeli couscous and stir to coat with oil.
- Add in broth and dried cranberries and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and all liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and stir in pine nuts, mint, salt and pepper.
- Serve!
For your reference:
This recipe is vegetarian and vegan. It is also nightshade free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, corn free, cinnamon free, and contains no MSG.
Recipe: Roasted Fennel Bruschetta

This bruschetta was two years in the making. I say that, because it’s been two whole years of not eating tomatoes. Two whole years of avoiding one of my favorite foods because it gave me miserable migraines, cold sores, and jaw pain to name a few.
And then, I was told I could eat anything I wanted again. That whatever had been causing the food sensitivities to appear had disappeared!

And while it was the best news ever {seriously, it was}, I didn’t quite believe the day had finally come. I was hesitant to try the foods again.
I think it took me three whole weeks to work up the courage to have a plate of pasta with tomato sauce. And another week after that to try it again. And another week to dig into white potatoes. And another week for bruschetta. And…
Now that I’m finally back to eating tomatoes, I realized how much I have missed them. And am excited to have them back on the menu.

This bruschetta is like old meets new. Bruschetta was — pre-food intolerances — a favorite summer time treat for me, while the fennel is a new taste. The combination of the two is like an explosion in the mouth. Powerful flavors that play nicely together.
Don’t worry if you don’t have any fancy balsamic’s laying around. It’s just as delightful with a basic balsamic.

Roasted Fennel Bruschetta
Ingredients:
- 1 bulb fennel {stalks cut off, bulbs halved lengthwise, then cut lengthwise in 1-inch thick pieces}
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar*
- 6 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs balsamic vinegar*
- 7-8 leaves fresh basil, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Rub just enough olive oil over the fennel to coat {approximately 1 tbs}.
- Sprinkle on some balsamic vinegar, also to coat {approximately 1/2 tbs}.
- Arrange on baking sheet lined with foil.
- Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until the fennel is cooked through and beginning to caramelize.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool, then chop.
- Combine roasted fennel, diced tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir to combine.
- Serve atop your favorite crusty bread {we love a roasted garlic french bread}.
- Delight in the flavor-flav.
*I decided to get all fancy when it came to the fennel and bruschetta and tried out a delicious fig infused white balsamic vinegar. It really added a subtle sweetness to the bruschetta. Feel free to experiment with different flavors and styles.
Recipe: Banana Bread

The past few weeks have been a bit hectic and crazy, as I’m sure you guessed by the lack of new stuff showing up on the blog.
Which is a bit ironic, considering that my segment on Managing Stress ran a few days ago over at The Reinvention Project at the peak of craziness. A nice {and not-so-subtle} kick in the pants.
One thing that always seems to make me feel more grounded and sane is to get back into the kitchen.
Which is exactly what I did. I made a huge batch of the black bean soup. And not one but two loaves of this incredible banana bread.

This certainly isn’t the first time I’ve made banana bread. Just the first time using this recipe from Simply Recipes.
What I love about this recipe:
- It uses up a lot of bananas. Which we always seem to have on hand in the freezer. It’s like they multiply in there, or something.
- It doesn’t use a ton of sugar {1/2 cup!}.
- It doesn’t use milk of any kind.
- It is easily made dairy free {Earth Balance or oil for the butter}.
- I bet it could be made vegan quite easily {flax egg or egg replacer}, since it only uses 1 egg.
- It was super easy.
- It didn’t require any mixers, blenders, or special folding in of ingredients.
- It’s delicious.
- It requires very little prep time and minimal effort to have a fabulous homemade treat.
I highly encourage you to try it out. Just be warned, you might need to make two loaves. It’s kind of addictive.

Simply Banana Bread
Ingredients:
- 4 ripe bananas, smashed
- 1/3 cup melted Earth Balance or oil
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease and flour an 8″ loaf pan.*
- Mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon.
- Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla or almond extract.
- Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in.
- Add the flour last, mix.
- Pour mixture into loaf pan.
- Bake for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven and cool on a rack.
- Do a happy dance.
- Slice and serve!
* Not sure how to grease and flour a loaf or cake pan? Check out a great video tutorial here.
For your reference:
This recipe is vegetarian. It is also nightshade free, dairy free, soy free, cinnamon free, and contains no MSG.
Recipe: Black Bean Soup

Black bean soup was never something that I liked in my pre-food intolerance days. I was a stickler for tomato soup, chicken noodle soup, and vegetable soup. Black beans weren’t even on my radar back then.
And when black beans became something more than a passing thought, the soup always seemed to be off-limits {read tomatoes or peppers, or both}.
So I kind of just wrote it off.
That is until I stumbled across an amazingly easy looking recipe in Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything: The Basics.
The irony of it all? I waiting so long to try the soup, that I was able to add some of the good stuff back in. Like, red bell peppers! {Feel free to omit if you avoid them. The original recipe didn’t call for it anyway!}

Easy Peasy Black Bean Soup
Ingredients:
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped*
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbs ground coriander
- 2 {15-oz} cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 3-4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp lime juice
Directions:
- Heat oil in a large pot. Add in onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add in bell pepper {if using} and garlic. Saute for another 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in coriander, and cook until aromatic. About 1 minute.
- Add beans and stock {less broth = thicker soup} and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Turn off heat.
- Using an immersion blender or food processor, puree half the contents.
- Add lime juice, and stir.
- Serve warm.
For your reference:
This recipe is vegetarian and vegan. It is also dairy-free, soy free, wheat free, gluten free, egg free, cinnamon free, and contains no MSG. It can also be made nightshade free by omitting the red bell peppers.
Recipe: Sweet Potato Wontons with a Soy Garlic Dipping Sauce

Apparently I was tired of making the same old thing, because last week was chock-full of new recipes.
Including this one for sweet potato wontons.
I’ve been wanting to try my hand at wontons for a long time. I just couldn’t seem to find a vegetarian version that I wanted to try. {The wrappers were sitting in our fridge for a good two months.}
Until I came across one in the reFresh cookbook for sweet potato wontons. These bad boys were kind of incredible. And super fun {and satisfying} to make.
I know the recipe looks intimidating, but give it a go. After the first one or two, you’ll be a wonton making pro. And if not, here’s a video on how to fold a wonton that will show you just how easy it is.
Be warned: they are super addictive. And you’ll want to make them on a fairly regular basis. With a bazillion different fillings. Which, by the way, I want to know what your favorite combos are. Because I’m totally addicted to making them.

Sweet Potato Wontons
Ingredients:
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbs nightshade free curry
- 2 tbs tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp raw sugar
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed {or shredded}
- 1/2 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed {or shredded}
- 1 tbs grated coconut
- 2-3 scallions, chopped
- 3 tbs flour
- 2 tbs water
- 1 package wonton wrappers
- 1 cup safflower oil for frying*
Directions:
- Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft, about 3-5 minutes
- Add curry paste, and saute for another minute.
- In small bowl, mix soy sauce, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add to the saucepan and stir.
- Add sweet potato and squash and saute for 3-5 minutes, until soft.
- Add coconut and scallions, stir to incorporate.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
- Combine flour and water in a small bowl to form a paste.
- Take one wonton wrapper at a time, place it on a damp paper towel so it looks like a diamond, and fill with 1 tsp of sweet potato mixture.
- With finger, cover two sides of the wonton wrapper with flour paste, and fold into a triangle. Make sure ends are sealed. Take wonton by two bottom points {with one point at top like a triangle}, and gently fold until they touch each other. Secure with another dab of paste. Place on a baking sheet.
- Continue to fold wontons until all wrappers are gone.
- *If frying, heat safflower oil in deep dish sauce pan. Carefully drop wontons in {one at a time} and cook until golden brown. About 1-2 minutes. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
- *If steaming, place in steamer or bamboo basket and steam for 7-10 minutes, or until soft.
- Serve with Soy Garlic Dipping Sauce {see below}.
For your reference:
This recipe is vegetarian. It is also nightshade free, dairy free, cinnamon free, and contains no MSG. It can be made vegan depending on your choice of wonton wrappers.
Soy Garlic Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup raw sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbs soy sauce
- 1 tbs rice vinegar
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce thickens and becomes syrupy.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly before serving with wontons.
For your reference:
This recipe is vegetarian and vegan. It is also nightshade free, dairy free, egg free, wheat free, gluten free, cinnamon free, and contains no MSG.

















