Katie Curtis

Heart Holes

17 November, 2015/2 Comments/in Writing/by Katie

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Last night, as we were driving home in the dim light after an electric sunset, my husband and I were talking about the events of the weekend, our hearts heavy over the news from Paris. We were talking about how social media is being used to lure in young new terrorists all over Europe. In my tired state, I uttered, “I just don’t even get the draw that terrorists have for new recruits.”

When I woke up today, I read this from a writer I follow on Instagram:

“Re-read a book I read this summer about a young French journalists’s shocking undercover investigation into how today’s most ruthless terrorists use social media to reach and recruit increasing numbers of young Europeans and trick them into going to Raqqa, Syria, the most bloody city in the world, occupied by ISIS (and strict Sharia law), with the promise of love, spiritual purpose and a better life. The author chronicles her intense, month-long online relationship with a member of ISIS – who turns out to be non other than the right hand-man of Baghadi, the caliph of ISIS and the most dangerous man in the world. The book is called “In the Skin of a Jihadist”. Read it and protect our young!”

I thought of the really naive statement I said the night before. These terrorists are, after all, human. And at the core of every human is the need for love. If they can’t fill it with love, something else will enter. Nature abhors a vacuum. Some define evil as the absence of good, and though we can’t understand the terrorists totally, this helps explain their hatred to a degree.

This Monday morning, as we woke up and went about our day, most of us did not encounter the type of evil that is filling up these empty hearts across the ocean. Yet. The pundits say they are coming here, and though I refuse to let terrorism serve its purpose of making me feel terrified, it seems very likely to me that what happened in Paris will be duplicated. As the world starts to strike back against ISIS, they will retaliate. Soft targets. Big publicity. More recruits.

It is so easy to feel helpless in the face of all of it. We can’t do anything about it, except pray and lend our sovereign will to our leaders, and hope that they will respond effectively.

But it occurs to me that this dynamic of hatred entering in where there is want for love is something we do see closer to home, right where we are. The teens that feel unseen. Depression that is unchecked and turns into a rampage. Family members who are estranged. Hurt people who tend to shut off, shut out, or lash out. Relationships where people feel abused or abandoned. People in our lives who do the unforgivable, or are unable to forgive. We need to be brave right here, and reach out to them.

And we need to have fun. We need to show that despite heartbreak and terror, the fun in life, the joy in loving, is bigger. Yes, the world is hurting and there are so many problems to solve. But sometimes fear and grief can make us paralyzed. Fear can rob us of our humanity, of seeing the humanity in others. But love, laughter, joy – they can thaw that fear.

We can’t solve the problem of terrorism, but we can meet the need for love in our every day, in those around us and celebrate what’s good. We can see those that we tend to put off because they seem hungry or haughty, and offer a smile, a kind word, a moment where we see them. The light in them. And replace the vacuum – before it turns to hate – with love.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

19 October, 2015/in humbleonion/by Katie

Dear Blog Readers,

I have been wrestling with how to fit in all of my life goals and motherhood and writing and the blog, and I am going to shift things around a little bit and wanted to let you know.

When I started this blog – complete with bad photos and all – I had no clue about blogging. I just knew I wanted to freelance write and thought this would be a good first step. Since then, I have learned how to use the manual settings on my camera (yay) and had more freelance writing work then I can handle, and had a readership that surprised me as it grew. And my family has eaten well, which is what I love the most about running The Humble Onion – leftovers! So I am going to call this blog a win. Not to mention how much fun it has been to hear from all of you after you make one of the recipes here! I love sharing about food and that is the best part of having a food blog.

But I have this working theory about creativity – if you have a big outlet for it, you sort of have very little left for other creative pursuits. Decorators I love swear by take out for dinner. Artists I know can’t be bothered with putting together cute outfits and just wear black. When I am writing a lot, I don’t decorate my house. When I am not writing as much in the summer, I go gangbusters on interior design.

When I am riding a creative wave about food, it is all I think about, and my creative juices are very committed to it.

But a few years ago, in between babies 3 and 4, I wrote a novel. It was a great experience, and even though it didn’t get published, I got great feed back from a lot of major publishing houses. Some asked if I wanted to write a cookbook.

The thing that is pressing on my heart creatively is writing a food memoir, about growing up in a big family with lots of characters and tragedies and laughter and good food. There will be recipes at the end, so food will still be a part of this project. I feel like it is the perfect place for me to be creatively, and I really want to channel all my time and creative energies to it.

So I will probably be posting here and there on the Humble Onion, but not as regularly as I was. I will try to share my writing journey on the writing blog though so if you are curious about the process or about the publishing journey, feel free to follow along.

Most of all thank you for reading! I feel like this blog has been a conversation with a great friend, and you have been such good company.

Till next time, Happy Eating!

xoxo Katie

The Art of Memoir

15 October, 2015/0 Comments/in Writing/by Katie

As you might know from reading this blog I’ve been on a memoir kick, because I am trying to write one, a fact which I hope you’ll forget if I fail miserably. And if you’re a long time reader you know that I was trying to publish a novel with an agent and after a year of trying, no bites. So failing is a definite possibility. But most good writers had the same problem and the same fear each time they started a new work, so I am in good company.

When I recently picked up Mary Karr’s new book on the subject, The Art of Memoir, it was like finding Mecca.

I’m one of those people that thinks everyone could write a memoir. I love hearing people’s stories – seated next to me at a wedding, riding the train, hanging at sports with my kids, the dump. I want to know, basically, what led them to this exact moment, and what was the highlight reel of the stumbling blocks in their way. (Coincidentally, I don’t love small talk. I love big talk, the kind where you let it all hang out.) Then I think about, how would you craft that into a great read?

Well, just ask Mary.

She knows a thing or two since she has written three memoirs herself; The Liar’s Club and Cherry, both about her crazy upbringing in Texas with alcoholic parents and a mother who, during a psychotic break, stood over her with a kitchen knife, as well as some unfortunate run-ins with some pedophiles. She also teaches the subject to Grad Students at Syracuse University.

When I was on the first chapter of The Art of Memoir I put it down and bought Lit, her third memoir, and read it over the course of the next 2 1/2 days. (Thankfully we were on vacation in Maine and I had nap duty.) This book chronicles her going to college, getting married, then becoming a mother, and alcoholic, and a professor, then getting sober, getting divorced, and converting to Catholicism.

If it sounds like a busy ten years, it was. And she writes about it masterfully. Like Anne Lamott, this subject matter of a crazy family, a stumbling coming of age, becoming a mother, and – in discovering how hard and painful all of this is – finding a belief in the spiritual parts of themselves, and in God. Which was a total shock to both of them, having come from non-spiritual homes. (Karr says a year prior, she would have believed that she would be a church goer about as much as a pole dancer or a spy.)

Reading these ladies’ stories shifts something in me, puts something in place that was out of alignment. They’re like spiritual chiropractors. At one of Karr’s lowest points, someone said to her, try to pray for 30 days, and just see if your life gets better. And it does – she gets awarded prize money from a poetry contest she didn’t even enter when she desperately needs the money, someone lends her a car when they go abroad right when she needs one. It is an amazingly hopeful tale. The possibility that we are loved, that there is reason to hope, and that we are our own biggest problem, abound in her book. She writes at the end of Lit:

“For it feels as if I was made – from all the forms a human can take – not to prove myself worthy but to refine the worth I am formed from. To acknowledge it, own it, and spend it on others.”

All of this, of course, is why a memoir is so compelling to write, and read. In The Art of Memoir, she holds your hand in the really hard work of finding your truth, finding your voice, and finding a way to tell your story, with the best parts of your heart and mind. She cites a close friend, who asked her when she was struggling to finish Lit, “what would you write if you weren’t afraid?”

Karr acts as midwife to our stories coming into the light. Because all of this must be cloaked in flesh and blood, and be as concrete as the smell of your mother’s perfume. So what would we all write if we weren’t afraid? Because we need it. We need art to touch the parts of ourselves that others can’t. That therapy can’t, or our families.

Preach, Mary. The world needs your work. It needs the best from all of us.

Sausage Kale and Lentil Stew

13 October, 2015/in humbleonion/by Katie

So, this might be the yummiest recipe I have ever posted.

It starts with bacon. Then a ton of good for you veggies softened in the bacon fat.

Then add kale….

andouille sausage…(you can totally substitute a less spicy smoked kielbasa or sausage if you are making this for kids).

and French lentils…(from Target no less)

Add chicken broth and whole tomatoes and simmer it all for an hour.

Can I just explain how the flavors of the spicy smokey andouille sausage and the bacon drippings flavor the whole dish? Such a great combo of textures and flavors.

I adore lentils and kale and soup, so if you do too it is pretty hard not to love this dish. Oh, and don’t forget the shredded asiago cheese and bacon crumbles on top – the totally make this dish.

This is the exact kind of thing a crave when I go into a sandwich shop in cold weather and having it in my house (while I am still in my sweats) makes me feel like a lucky, lucky girl.

So consider yourself armed for the cold weather months ahead. Happy Eating! Katie

Sausage, Kale and Lentil Stew (printer version here):

3 slices thick-cut bacon, diced (about 4 ounces)
1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1½ cups)
3 large carrots, diced (about 1¼ cups)
3 celery stalks, diced (about 1 cup)
2 bay leaves
8 ounces French lentils
1 pound andouille sausage, cut into ¼-inch-thick diagonal slices (or other sausage)
2 cups fresh kale, coarsely chopped
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes with juice
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Asiago or Parmesan cheese, grated

In a large heavy pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 7 minutes. Remove the bacon pieces and drain on paper towels. Reserve for garnishing.

Add the onion, carrots, celery, and bay leaves to the bacon fat. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook the vegetables, stirring frequently until very tender, about 15 minutes.

Stir in the lentils, sausage, and kale. Add the tomatoes, crushing the tomatoes with your fingers as you add them to the pot. Add the chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, covered, until lentils are tender. Stir and add more salt and pepper to taste, as desired.

Ladle into bowls and top with the reserved bacon bits and some grated cheese. Serve immediately. (Recipe from Katie Lee’s The Comfort Table)

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Spinach and Pancetta Stuffed Shells

6 October, 2015/in humbleonion/by Katie

This is one of my favorite dinners to make.

It is from Giada De Laurentiis, and is one of her viewers most requested recipes. No wonder – the asiago cheese and garlic give the spinach the most perfect, fragrant flavor. And the salty chewy pancetta bites round out the dish.

I love it just for a family dinner but I have made if for company it is that easy and that good. I also love that this dish uses mostly pantry and fridge staples. If you call pancetta, asiago and ricotta staples, which I do now after this dinner made it into our rotation. I like to cook my shells ahead of time with lots of oil so they don’t stick, since that is really the only step on the stove. Everything else is just mix it together and slide in the oven.

And the hint of nutmeg in here makes this somehow a taste that you keep wanting to go back to. So you may want to make double.

The way the garlic simmers in the cream sauce (I used milk by the way but cream is the way to go if you have it) fills the whole dish with such a subtle flavor. And I ran out of asiago so the last layer I used was mozzarella.

Every time I start stuffing these shells, I always dream about other combinations of flavors I could put in them. But then I take a bite:

And I promise myself to make these again exactly like Giada does because…yum.

Shells with Crispy Pancetta and Spinach (printer version found on Food Network here) –

Ingredients:
Shells:
1 (12-ounce) package jumbo shells pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound thick-cut pancetta, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 pounds frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta
1 cup grated asiago cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup cream (or milk)
2 cups grated asiago cheese, plus 1/4 cup
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the shells:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl. Add the spinach, ricotta cheese, asiago cheese, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Stuff the shells with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture each and place the stuffed shells in a large, buttered baking dish.

For the sauce:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to very low and add the 2 cups asiago cheese, parsley, and pepper. Stir until the cheese is dissolved. Pour the sauce over the shells. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup asiago cheese. Bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis at foodnetwork.com

Slow Cooker Meatballs & Spaghetti Squash

29 September, 2015/in humbleonion/by Katie

Every kitchen needs some workhorse recipes.

This Slow Cooker Meatballs and Sauce recipe is mine.

It takes 15 minutes to throw it into the crock pot and we can eat forever. If you are in a hurry, you can just throw jarred sauce into the crock pot, then add the meatballs (this kind is my favorite spaghetti sauce of all time but any sauce will do since it is slow cooking with other flavors and meatballs.) Either way, I love how tender they end up, just like a real Italian restaurant or deli. And you notice there are no breadcrumbs in this recipe, making it totally low carb. If you are so inclined.

But if you have 5 minutes, it is so easy to make this sauce. First you sauté onions, garlic, whatever veggies you like (I used spinach since my kids can’t pick it out and tend to eat it) with tomato paste.

The sauce and the meatballs took me about 15 minutes. I threw it all in the crock pot and at dinner I had this:

I tend to double the recipe to freeze some or use some for subs, but if you do any more the 6 qt. pot can’t hold it (I tried).

Spaghetti is one of my kids favorite dinners, so we have it almost every week. But to make it healthier lately I have been using spaghetti squash for mine (and my husbands who loves to eat low carb). It makes this meal perfect for everyone.

If you have never cooked spaghetti squash before, here is the method I learned a long time ago at Wegman’s (which you might remember me talking about in this post). They actually had a lady demonstrating how to cook spaghetti squash. One more reason I miss them so. You slice it in half and scoop out the seeds. Then you place it in a microwave safe baking dish with about an inch of water. Then throw plastic wrap on top. Cook for 20 minutes.

When it is done, you have this gorgeous squash that has actual strands of squash, just like spaghetti. Blows my mind every time:

I drizzle a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and honestly I could dive right in to this alone:

But it totally can take the place of spaghetti without missing a thing.

So in case you don’t already have a meatball recipe you love (or one for the crock pot!), here you go! Buon Appetito.

Slow Cooker Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash (printer version here):

(Serves 6-8, but doubles easily so freeze half)

Ingredients:

For the Sauce:

2-3 T. olive oil

1 yellow onion diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 t. garlic salt + ½ t. pepper

1 can tomato paste (3 oz)

2 cans (28 oz.) crushed tomoatoes

2 t. dried Italian seasoning

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. salt + ¼ t. pepper

crushed red pepper optional (I leave out for my kids and add to mine)

pinch of sugar

For the Meatballs:

1 + ½ lbs. beef/pork/veal mix

2 eggs

½ cup grated Parmesan

3 T. yellow onion, minced

3 garlic cloves minced

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

2 t. salt + ½ pepper

2 Spaghetti Squash, split in half and seeded

Directions:

Heat oil in large pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and spinach. Season well with salt and pepper. Cook about 10 minutes until soft. Add the tomato past into the onion and garlic and cook 2-3 minutes. Add mixture to the crock pot with the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, pinch of sugar and salt and pepper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the bround meat, eggs, Parm, oinion, garlic, parsley and salt and pepper together. Scoop up mixture and roll into a ball the size of a walnut. Carefully drop into the crock pot. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.

Cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 6-8. Taste and season sauce as needed during the last hour. (Note: We ate them after 3 hours and they were still good, but sauce deepens if it cooks longer). Serve with fresh basil and Parmesan.

To cook squash:

Place spaghetti squash in microwave safe pan and add 1 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and cook for 20 minutes. Alternatively you can roast a whole one at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Let cool before you cut it in half.

Note: I found this on the internet years ago but my printed out copy that I have been using doesn’t have a source and is super worn. So my apologies to whoever provided me with this recipe. Many thanks!

The Septembers

26 September, 2015/0 Comments/in Uncategorized/by Katie

When I brought one of my kids in for a check up earlier this month, our pediatrician joked that his wife wanted to quit her job as an attorney because back to school was that hard.

And when I went to Open House, while my oldest was at football and my husband was traveling, I raced from first to second to third grade to answer the sweet letters my kids wrote to me at record speed. I sat in their little desks and listened to their teachers give presentations (I only partially heard these because I haven’t yet figured out how to be two places at once. And God bless the babysitting in the gym.) Then I herded cats back to the car to race to pick up my son, and of course I was a few minutes late. He was being eaten alive by mosquitos.

Almost everyone I have talked to barely sees their spouse. If one of them is coaching a sport they’re lucky to check in with each other on Sunday morning. Or they just had a ‘disagreement’ and are talking in hushed tones on the side of soccer games or parties, only to have the tell tale arms-crossed pose of steely anger. Some even have outright said, “I can’t talk to him/her right now.” And isn’t it amazing how much time it takes to fight? Time neither one of you has because you were supposed to be somewhere 5 minutes ago.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, many couples are having a case of the Septembers. It’s that special time of year when no one is humanly capable of doing all that their responsibilities demand of them, and families constantly perform triage on what need has to be addressed first. All of this is pretty stressful on relationships. Especially the ones that involve someone with the title ‘partner’. That implies pulling some of the load and, well, those expectations are a mine field.

This is the time to step back, ~~grab some wine~~, asses the situation, and diagnose yourself and your relationship as having the Septembers. Like a cold, it is temporary but miserable to live through, and it is best handled by having patience with your to do list and the other people in your house. Once you do this, you might possibly have a chance to breathe, laugh and recall summer days where nothing was urgent and everything was easy. Unless that will make you cry, then don’t.

Pretty soon you will all hit your stride with your new schedules. You may have already had the brief moments that make it all worth it, like the winning goal, the great math test, the laughter around pizza and a movie when you’re beat. But more likely, you are waiting for that moment where you can relax and well, it isn’t coming to you. You have to take it.

Find some grace for yourself and each other to withstand the transitions that fall brings. I don’t know why family life has become so crazy, but I think the only way to push back is to acknowledge it, say it is damn hard, and then take what you need. Schedule date nights. Get a massage. Take a bath. Now is the time for self care so you can give to everyone else. And it wouldn’t hurt to throw a little care at your spouse. Make them their favorite dinner. Buy your wife some flowers. Exhale, and say to each other, ‘isn’t this hard? isn’t it so crazy?’ and then turn on Colbert and laugh.

And if you’re reading this and it doesn’t apply to you per se, think about the seasons of your life that get like this, that are just impossible to do perfectly and try to remind yourself to have a lot of forgiveness and grace and self care right then.

Seasons are filled with familiar memories, and our senses delight in the change. It is still change, though, and that can be hard. But thank goodness. The change just means we’re alive.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

23 September, 2015/in humbleonion/by Katie

The Fall

The abundant, redundant season.
Ushering in the winter, like an appetizer before the big meal.
Just a taste of what is to come.
Beautiful and temporary.

(excerpted from a poem by Marla Wardell)

Even though I loved this summer more then any I can remember, I am a fall girl. You probably already sniffed autumn on the edge of a cool breeze lately, and know what I mean. The smell of possibility. Of bountiful new beginnings. Of change. And for some reason, a big dash of hope and joy is mixed in there too. Love it.

So to help you usher in your ode to fall, here is our favorite quick and easy fall meal. Stuffed Acorn Squash.

Have you ever cooked acorn squash? It is really easy, like roasting any vegetable. 400 degress, olive oil and salt (holding the pepper for my kids!) And then the smell of fall veggies roasting fills your house.

This dish couldn’t be easier or quicker. It barely hits the 30 minute mark.

This is my husbands favorite meal! If your kids like cheese, feel free to melt some mozzarella on top (I tried parmesan but it feels too strong and blocks all the subtle fall flavors.) And I was out of pine nuts when I made this, but they truly make this dish (I know because I missed them! I always make this with pine nuts.) And I feel like the butter/brown sugar/cinnamon mixture helps my kids to eat the squash.

But truly, feel free to improvise, this is a dish that welcomes it. In our family, the rice pilaf, cranberry, turkey and pine nuts have become staple, but a little sautéed garden veg like zucchini or squash would be great added in at the same time as the spinach.

Happy fall, and happy eating! xoxo Katie

Stuffed Acorn Squash (printer version here) –

Serves 6-8

3-4 Acorn Squash, halved and seeded (Figure 1 half for each person. Filling easily fills 8 halves.)

Extra virgin olive oil

½ T. salt

1 box of Rice Pilaf (which we love! You could use Long Grain Wild Rice or other favorite grain)

1 small onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

10 oz. chopped spinach, thawed and drained

½ t. garlic salt

1 lb. ground turkey

¾ cup beef or chicken broth

⅓ cup cranberries

⅓ cup roasted pine nuts

2 T. butter

2 T. brown sugar

½ t. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.

Place acorn squash halved on a baking sheet, flesh side up. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with ½ t. salt. Turn over and roast for 30-35 minutes, until a knife inserted comes out easily and flesh is soft.

Cook rice according to package directions.

While squash and rice cook, heat 2 T. extra virgin olive oil on medium high heat in a pan. Add onions, sprinkle with 1/2 t. salt and sautéing until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add spinach and garlic salt. Add ground turkey, and cook through. Then add broth, stirring for 2 minutes until absorbed. Add cranberries, cooked rice, and stir to combine. Toast pine nuts in a pan on medium heat (watch them, then burn easily). Add to rice mixture at the end.

Meanwhile, melt 2 T. butter in microwave with brown sugar and cinnamon.

Let squash cool for 5 minutes, then brush with brown sugar mixture, mashing into the flesh with a fork to spread around.

Then fill with turkey and rice mixture. Add favorite cheese, if desired. Add pepper to the grown ups.

Delicious Chicken Taco Bowls with Lime and Cilantro

16 September, 2015/in humbleonion/by Katie

Do you love Chipotle as much as I do?

Then you will love this chicken taco bowl with whole grain rice with lime and cilantro (which is exactly what makes Chipotle rice so good).

This week I’ve had four freelance writing deadlines I’ve been working on (3 down, 1 to go!). So multi-tasking takes on a whole new level. And you know who that means has to cook dinner.

The crock pot.

And the rice maker too.

And did I mention you start by throwing your frozen chicken breasts in? Let’s just say I made double for some nachos later this week.

I first heard about this dish from my friend Jen who has three of the cutest little boys and raved about how easy these chicken taco bowls were in the crock pot. We did the whole, ‘I need the recipe!’ and ‘I’ll send it to you!’ and then forgot about it a nano second later as moms do. But it hung around in the deep recesses of my mind I guess because when I was flipping through Instagram I spotted it. And then quickly added the ingredients to my online grocery order. (I hope you have one of those services.)

This dinner gets 5 Curtis stars (meaning 5 out of 6 Curtises liked it, but our picky eater didn’t mind the rice with melted cheese on top, so I might call it 5 1/2 stars?) And it is really great for customizing to each person as you probably figured out because of your keen intellect when you read the words ‘taco’ and ‘bowl’. Plus, we all felt awesome after we ate it which I canNOT say after a bad decision to go to Burger King last weekend.

^ Way better then Burger King. And standing in line at Chipotle.

The salsa that you use sort of drives the flavor so make sure it is one that you like. The recipe calls for fresh but I think a really yummy jar of sauce would be great too. And it does come out pretty mild so the kids liked it, but it is easy to doctor up a little with toppings for us grown up spicy lovers.

So spend five and feed lots of people for, like 2 weeks. You’re welcome. xoxo Katie

Delicious Chicken Taco Bowls with Lime and Cilantro (printer version here) –

Ingredients:

11/2 lb chicken 4 large frozen chicken breasts
1/4 cup water
1 cup fresh salsa
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 clove garlic minced
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 can corn drained
1/2 lime juiced about 1/2 TB

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 TB butter
1 cup uncooked white long rice
juice and zest 1 large lime
1 14 oz can chicken broth
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
¾ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place chicken in a large crock pot and pour water and salsa over the chicken. Next add in chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic, lime juice, black beans and corn. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, or until chicken easily shreds.

2. Make the rice: In a skillet melt butter with rice. Add the chicken broth and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
3. Serve chicken over rice. Optional: top with cheese, avocados, sour cream and serve with tortilla chips.

(Recipe from www.iheartnaptime.net – see printer link!)

Healthy Banana Oat Muffins

13 September, 2015/in humbleonion/by Katie

I am always looking for recipes that can replace the mountains of snack bars that my kids can eat.

When I found this recipe for Healthy Banana Oat Muffins in Katie Lee’s new cookbook, Endless Summer I couldn’t believe the ingredient list! Greek yogurt? Coconut oil? So I made a double batch and guess what?
We all loved them.

Seriously, they’re the perfect fuel for rushed mornings. I ate one before I ran a 5k and felt amazing.

But what I really love about them is they are the perfect canvas for all different ingredients. As I was eating them, I thought of lots of different versions of them. Like:

// Pears and cranberries

// Chocolate chips (and less healthy, obviously)

// Chunks of apples

// Pumpkin puree in place of the bananas

Hope you try them and come up with a version your people will love. Happy Eating xoxo Katie

Banana Oat Muffins (adapted from Katie Lee’s Endless Summer Cookbook. Printer version here) –

2 cups spelt flour (or all purpose if you don’t have this, or make them Gluten Free with Brown Rice flour)

2 t. baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 t. ground cinnamon

¾ t. salt

⅓ cup rolled oats, plus 2 T. for sprinkling

1 cup mashed ripe bananas

1 ½ t. fresh lemon juice

½ cup plain Greek yogurt (whole is fine but I used 2%)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

½ c. maple syrup

¼ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled

2 t. vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin pan and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a medium bowl. Stir in the oats.

In a large bowl, whisk the bananas, lemon juice, yogurt, eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla together. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined; do not overmix! Use an ice cream scoop to evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with oats.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before removing from the tin.