How To: Flax Eggs

Happy Mother's Day! If that doesn't apply to you, then Happy Sunday!

I love eggs. I would eat them 3 times a day, if I could, but Joel isn't as big of a fan of them as I am, so I basically only reserve eggs for breakfast on the weekends. I still go through more eggs than one probably should, which sometimes leaves my egg carton empty. That poses a problem because I also like to bake, and baking usually requires eggs. For mother's day, I baked up a delicious breakfast treat that I will be sharing later in the month. Since I didn't have any eggs in the house, and I didn't have time to run to the store to buy some, I decided to try making flax eggs as a replacement. I had heard about them in several recipes before, and since I happened to have ground flax seeds in my freezer from some smoothies I made, it was perfect timing to try them. After sitting for about 15 minutes in the fridge, I was amazed at how similar the consistency of the flax eggs was to that of real eggs. My baked good came out of the oven just as perfectly as it would have if I had used real eggs. Now that I know this trick, I may use it for all of my baked goods!

1 tablespoon Ground Flaxseed or Flaxseed Meal
3 tablespoons Water

Mix the water and flaxseed in a bowl and refrigerate for about 15 minutes. Whisk once more and use in place of eggs in baked goods.

SOURCE: Bob's Red Mill

Mango Jalapeño Margaritas

Whenever I make cocktails at home, tequila is generally my first choice for liquor, so it is no surprise that I love margaritas. While the frozen kind was my favorite back in the day, these days I prefer them to be made on the rocks. Since yesterday was Cinco de Mayo, I wanted to have a Mexican meal, complete with margaritas. We made carne asada tacos, and while the steak was marinating in the fridge, I whipped up a batch of these delicious, sweet-and-spicy margaritas to enjoy in the yard. The jalapeño infused tequila gave this drink some heat, while the mango simple syrup added the perfect amount of sweetness. I love the fact that the recipe for the syrup and the tequila made more than enough for 2 margaritas. I'll definitely be enjoying these again, and often!!

For 1 Margarita:
2 ounces Grand Marnier
1 1/2 ounces Jalapeño Tequila, recipe below
2 ounces Lime Juice
2 1/2 ounces Mango Simple Syrup, recipe below 
Salt
Lime Wedges

Rim the edge of a glass with a lime wedge, then dip the glass in salt and fill it with ice. In a cocktail shaker, combine the grand marnier, tequila, lime juice, and simple syrup with ice and shake. Pour over the ice in the glass and garnish with a lime wedge and some jalapeño slices from the tequila.

For the Mango Simple Syrup:
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Water
1/2 Mango, peeled and cubed

Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and let the sugar dissolve, then turn off the heat and let it cool completely. Combine the cooled syrup and the mango cubes in a blender and puree until combined. Keep sealed in a container for a few weeks, preferably in the fridge. 

For the Jalapeño Tequila:
1 1/2 cups Tequila
2 Jalapeños, sliced

Add the jalapeño slices to a large jar and pour in the tequila. Let it sit for 24 hours, then strain before using. Keep sealed in a container for a few weeks, preferably in the fridge.  

SOURCE: How Sweet It Is

Spring Vegetable Tortellini Salad

Now that spring is in full swing and the warm weather is here, I'm constantly on the look out for new dishes to try that  don't require me to use my oven. Since I love pasta salads, especially when they are made with tortellini, as soon as I saw this one, I knew it was bound to be on our table. Since Joel is obsessed with prosciutto, I knew that this would win bonus points with him, too. I made this salad to go along with some grilled sausages, since I'm apparently all about the side dishes (at least that is what Joel says), but I think this would also be a great stand alone meal on a hot day in the summer. Light, refreshing, and delicious--the best words to describe this salad. 

For the Salad:
9 ounces Fresh Cheese Tortellini (I used a 12 ounce frozen bag…turned out perfectly)
1/2 pound Asparagus, woody ends removed
1/2 cup Frozen Peas
2-3 slices Prosciutto, chopped 
1/4 cup Herbs, chopped (I used parsley and thyme) 
Dressing, recipe below 

Cook the tortellini according to package directions. Cut the asparagus into 2-inch pieces and add them to the tortellini for the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain the pasta and asparagus and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again. Toss with the peas and set aside. In a small skillet over medium heat, cook the prosciutto until crispy and lightly browned, stirring often. Drain on a paper towel. In a large bowl, toss the tortellini, asparagus, peas, and herbs. Top with the dressing and stir until combined. Sprinkle with the prosciutto and serve. Serves 4.

For the Dressing:
1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
Juice from 1/2 Lemon
1 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
Tiny squeeze of Honey

 Combine the zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, olive oil, and honey in a jar with a lid. Make sure that the lid is tightly secured and shake the jar until the ingredients have combined. 

SOURCE: Pink Parsley

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

While I've been enjoying smoothies for breakfast lately, I still prefer baked goods for breakfast because they are generally portable, filling, and sweet. I came across these muffins while searching Pinterest and was intrigued by the addition of the oatmeal and yogurt. These muffins are delicious! They have exactly what I look for in a baked good; they are portable, they are filling, and they are sweet, but not overly sweet! Best of all, these muffins are relatively healthy! With fibrous oats, protein packed yogurt, fruit, minimal butter, and no oil, you can feel good about yourself when you start your morning off with one of these muffins!

2 cups Flour
1 cup Oats
2/3 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 cups Greek Yogurt
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons Butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup Blueberries (I used frozen, but the original recipe calls for fresh)

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla until combined. Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture, stirring until incorporated. Gently fold in the blueberries. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and spoon the batter into each lined well. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until golden. Makes 12-14 muffins.

SOURCE: Domesticated Academic

Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Banana Smoothie

My blender spends most of it's life in a cabinet in our kitchen, but this month, it has found a permanent spot on the counter top. I've been going smoothie crazy, thanks to a little help from Laura at A Healthy Jalapeño, my assignment for this month's Secret Recipe Club! Laura is an Army wife who likes to live a healthy lifestyle. She has tons of delicious smoothie recipes on her site, and while I planned to try them all, I fell in love with the first one I tried and have been enjoying it regularly ever since! Now that the weather is warmer, a hot mug of tea doesn't sound appetizing in the morning. This smoothie is such an easy grab-and-go breakfast that keeps you full until lunch. I look forward to trying many more of Laura's appetizing flavor combinations in my morning smoothies throughout the spring and summer! Thanks for getting me out of my breakfast rut, Laura!!

1 cup Chocolate Almond Milk
2 tablespoons Peanut Butter
1 Banana
1/4 cup Ground Flax Seet
Handful of Ice Cubes

Put all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Makes one large or 2 small smoothie. 

SOURCE: A Healthy Jalapeno

*Sorry my posting time was a bit off. I apparantly had a few glitches with my scheduling.