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Bourbon Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Muffins

8/31/2015

These light, healthy and moist bourbon banana coconut chocolate chip muffins are easy to make. Simply throw all of the ingredients into a blender, fold in some chocolate chips, and bake.

Bourbon Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Muffins; Enticing Healthy Eating

Good morning everyone! I'm in a very chipper mood as of late. Remember how I told you guys I was starting a new job recently? My extra chipper mood is due in part of how I feel about this new job. Finally I feel like the puzzle pieces of my career life are starting to slowly come together. And that's just after one week at my new job. I can't wait to see what this position and company has in store for me in the future.

On my first day at my new gig, I decided to take in a homemade treat for my coworkers. After all it was Monday and I know Mondays can be one of the most hated days of the week. I presented my coworkers with some peanut butter rice krispy treats on my first day at my new job. They loved them. I think I made a good first impression.

Pro tip: Want your coworkers at your new job to REALLY like you? Bring in snacks.

No, but really, it was worth taking the time to make the krispy treats to brighten up their days. Cooking for others is something I consider to be one of the greatest acts of love and caring. My colleagues even asked me if I could make this a routine gig--bringing in homemade snacks on Mondays. I told them it might turn into a bi-weekly thing.

Now, these bourbon banana coconut chocolate chip muffins were actually made just for me. Alright I'll admit, I was hoping Wade would take a fancy to them as well. Since he's picky with his tastes, I never know if what I make is going to be a hit or a miss with him. Even if the ingredients used in a dish are all things he likes separately, there's no telling if he'll like them combined.

Another reason these particular little muffin morsels came about was because I have a large bag of coconut flour in my pantry and I realized I need to start using it up. The coconut flour molds perfectly with the banana in these muffins. This recipe doesn't even call for butter or oil and yet they still remain moist after baking.

As for the bourbon, obviously it's optional. But I was happy to be starting a new job and this occasion called for a celebration of bourbon added to my chocolate chip muffins. Bourbon and banana? They're two peas in a pod, trust me. The chocolate chips are also optional. I had to leave the chocolate chips out of the batter in my own muffins you see here because Wade prefers no chocolate chips in his baked goods. So I added some on top of half of the muffins just for me! I highly recommend adding chocolate chips. Or if nuts are more to your liking, by all means add those.

I will probably continue making homemade goodies to bring into my new job to surprise my coworkers. I'm already baking up a large batch of Sally's Baking Addiction Lightened Up Pumpkin Spice Bars for my manager's birthday this week. These bourbon banana coconut chocolate chip muffins might be added to my list to take to the office in the near future.

Bourbon Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Muffins

Serves: 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup quick oats
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. coconut flour
2 large, ripe bananas
2 large eggs
6 oz. (3/4 cup) plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup cashewmilk (or milk of choice)
2-3 Tbsp. honey
1-2 tsp. molasses
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips OR other mix-in (nuts, raisins, etc.)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Add all ingredients except the chocolate chips to a large blender. Pulse a few times to roughly blend. Open the lid of the blender to scrape down the mixture to make sure all of the ingredients are well incorporated.

Blend on low speed just until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed together.

Pour batter into a large bowl. Add in the chocolate chips or other mix-in of your choice. Fold into the batter. Divide the batter between the prepared muffin tins, making sure to only fill the muffin tins roughly 3/4 of the way.

Bake muffins for 15 minutes or just until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow muffins to remain in tins for 5-10 additional minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Linking up with Katie for Marvelous in my Monday and Heather for Friday Favorites

Do you have any coconut flour recipes you'd like to share? I need to use up more of my coconut flour!

Have you ever brought in homemade treats to your job? What'd you bring?

Recent Eats and Treats

8/21/2015

A recap of recent things going on in my life, including some tasty food finds and an update on some fun happenings.

Austin, Texas food adventures; Enticing Healthy Eating

Hello all! Yes, I have been more absent on my blog lately. Yes, I've noticed it. Not only with my own blog, mind you. It seems to be a trend among many bloggers I follow as well. The Summer shenanigans find us busier and out-and-about, enjoying life, soaking up these beautiful months before they pass. And that's okay! Life happens.

I wish I had some epic vacation to recap for you. Perhaps a European adventure, a Napa valley wine tasting excursion, or even a trip to San Antonio since it's not even that far away from my new city of Austin. But alas, things have been a bit ho-hum around here. My life has been in a bit of a rut lately until this past week and thus I did not have quite as much inspiration to write. Luckily I'll be digging myself out of that rut very soon. Details at the end of this post...

Like life, I notice that my urge to write on this blog may come and go with a change in the wind. Today, the wind is happily flitting along in a direction that makes me want to put down some words onto Enticing Healthy Eating. Let's get to it, then, shall we?

Recent Eats

Since my time here in Austin I have been trying to figure out how to navigate this whole "all of my best friends are no longer within short driving distance and now I have to make more, even though I'm an adult, and sometimes making friends as an adult can be hard" thing. Luckily I found a recent new friend to hang out with who may just be more obsessed with sweet treats than me. Jessica, the creator of the incredible food blog, Desserts with Benefits, is a fellow new Austinite and once I discovered this and reached out to her by email we quickly set up plans to meet up in person.

While I'm a healthy eater by nature, I still have a sweet tooth to rival candy-craving children on Halloween night. So where else were to sweet-loving food bloggers to meet than some well-known desserts specialty restaurants around town? Jessica and I both have a list a mile long of restaurants we want to visit in Austin. It's difficult to keep up with this city--I swear they open up another restaurant every other day.

The first place on our list was Sweet Ritual. Sweet Ritual specializes in vegan ice cream creations. Their ice cream was excellent! So creamy and flavorful. I went with the Sockeye Monkey Sundae with Unicorn Poop Ice Cream while Jess went with Cinnamonkey Elephantastic and Toasted Coconut ice cream with chocolate chips. Two thumbs up for Sweet Ritual.

Jessica and I made another date a week later. This time we were on the hunt for pie. Tiny pies. In fact, the name of the restaurant that specializes in these petite treats is Tiny Pies.

I went for the blueberry peach, apple, and bourbon buttermilk pies while Jess picked out the key lime, coconut cream, and lemon meringue. Once again, two thumbs up. Wade's stepfather even texted me the next day and asked if I could take him to the Tiny Pies shop when Wade's parents come to visit us in Austin. You got it, Rick!

Another treat I've been enjoying on the regular lately are these Nakd bars. Their name reads true when you check out the ingredients list--minimal ingredients and they're also gluten, wheat, and dairy free. Quite delicious!

There have been actual meals made around here as well. I promise. Like these sticky BBQ orange chicken wings. I got the recipe from Christine over at Apple of my Eye. This lady knows how to create a hell of a great chicken wing recipe because these received rave reviews from Wade, Medgar and I when I cooked them last Friday.

Now, this orange chicken recipe, however, is all mine. I used a recipe from Gimme Some Oven for a skinny orange chicken and modified it to my liking. This skinny orange chicken is the bomb. Eventually I should get the recipe for this up here on the blog because I've had quite a few friends ask about it. For this particular dinner we had the orange chicken with mashed sweet potatoes and garlic green beans.

A great friend of Wade and I, Medgar, stayed with us at our apartment while visiting Austin for the second time since we have moved here this past weekend. I had to snap this photo because it's so quintessentially typical male behavior. Or at least for Wade and his friends. Two boys as happy as can be, sitting on the floor eating Whataburger for lunch and watching pre-season NFL.

And then there is this. THIS! Pickle....popcorn....It exists. Thanks to Trader Joe's. If you didn't know, I LOVE pickles and I also LOVE popcorn. Sometimes a marriage of two great foods is not meant to be. This, my friends, is a food match maid in heaven.

So there you have it! My roundup of recent favorite eats and treats.

I also have some fantastic news...

*drumroll*

I'm starting a new job on Monday! I am thrilled/excited/nervous/anxious. I have a feeling this is going to be a great job opportunity. I feel like I'm going to my first day of the new school year. I'll take the added bonus of the paycheck that a job brings, though.

Have a great weekend!

Linking up with Heather for Friday Favorites and Katie for Marvelous in my Monday

What is your favorite Trader Joe's product? I need recommendations!

Healthy Charro Beans

8/3/2015

A healthy take on a classic dish, these charro beans are perfect served a side dish for your Mexican meal and as an easy dish to prep ahead of time and eat throughout the week.

Raise your hand if you live in the South or Midwest and have been to a Chuy's restaurant! If you haven't, I don't believe you. For some odd reason, Chuy's is an essential restaurant you have to visit at least one time in your life where I come from.

I didn't even understand the hype behind a Chuy's restaurant until one finally landed in my hometown area of Northwest Arkansas about 2 years ago. I'm not usually one for chain restaurants. I will pass up a chain restaurant to eat at a more quirky, unique, authentic little hole-in-the-wall restaurant any day! But when the Chuy's opened in Northwest Arkansas I cannot tell you how many countless times I was recommended to give this restaurant a try by my friends and colleagues.

Eventually, I gave in. I made my first trip to Chuy's. And I was pleasantly surprised. And very satisfied by my meal. Who knew? I do give Chuy's credit for making all of their tortillas and six different salsas in-house. But the one thing that sold me, the one dish that blew my mind...was their charro beans. The Chuy's frilojes charros are muy bien!

Oh, and Chuy's isn't even paying me to write these things. This article is not sponsored in any way by Chuy's. I just really wanted to recreate a charro bean recipe similar to the Chuy's version but with a healthier twist.

Enter these super easy and healthier slow cooker charro beans. This recipe is SUPER simple, as most slow cooker meals tend to be. The part that takes the longest is really just dicing all of the veggies that make their way into the mix.

Oh, and the bacon is a must. Don't leave out the bacon. Yes, this is a healthier take on charro beans, but the bacon and the bacon grease added to the slow cooker is essential. Just do it. You'll thank me later.

Healthy Charro Beans

Serves: 14-16 cups

Ingredients:
1 lb. pinto beans, rinsed and soaked
3/4 cup diced sweet (vidalia) onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 large or 3 medium roma tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
5-7 pieces reduced fat bacon
1 1/2 Tbsp. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. chipotle powder
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar or stevia
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water

Directions:
1. Rinse the pinto beans and soak overnight (at least 24 hours). Drain the pinto beans after soaking.

2. Chop the bacon into small pieces and saute in a pan over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove pan from heat. You will add bacon and the bacon grease to the slow cooker.

3. Add pinto beans, diced onion, diced bell pepper, diced tomatoes, diced jalapeno, minced garlic cloves, and all spices to slow cooker. Add the cooked bacon pieces and bacon grease from the pan. Cover all ingredients with 4 cups of chicken stock and 2 cups of water. Cook on low heat for 7-8 hours until beans are tender.

Linking up with Katie for Marvelous Monday!

Have you ever been to a Chuy's restaurant? Have you tried their charro beans?

Have you ever tried charro beans at another restaurant?