Marin Mama Faves

Buffalo Apple Burgers with Sage-Jalapeño Pesto

4th of July is around the corner and it’s time to fire up the grill. Here’s a great burger recipe that celebrates the American West. This is a lean mean tasty burger. I say lean because buffalo has 70 to 90% less fat compared to beef, and 50% less cholesterol. Buffalo is also leaner than both pork and chicken, and has fewer calories to boot. On top of that, buffalo is higher in protein, iron and all the omega and amino acids. We’ve been fans of buffalo meat for years, going back to the mid 90’s when we were introduced to our first buffalo burger at Joe’s Garage in Minneapolis. You can pick up buffalo pretty much at any grocery store or Whole Foods. Because buffalo is high in protein, it’s also very filling, so 1-pound is perfect for a family of 4. We serve these burgers up on mini brioche buns and they’re the perfect size.

June 25, 2013 22 Comments

Easy Overnight Steel Cut Oats

So most of you know that I was a cereal addict since the age of 17. I literally ate a bowl of cereal everyday, usually grape-nuts topped with some other kind of fiberish cereal and granola. I’m one of those people that wakes up hungry and can’t sit around and wait a 1/2 hour for breakfast to cook, so cereal was the breakfast of choice, or should I say breakfast of convenience. Steel cut oats were reserved for those fancy hotel vacations or breakfast out with the family, as I was under the assumption that steel cut oats were a labor intensive and timely breakfast to whip up. I changed that way of thinking though when I cooked up my hot quinoa and oat cereal for the first time. I learned the trick to a quick breakfast of steel cut oats, and that was to bring them to a quick boil and then let them sit out overnight. I still eat cold cereal on occasion, but lately I have been devouring these steel cut oats, my 5 minute quinoa cereal and my quinoa and oat cereal. I would have to say that my breakfast routine has changed for the better!

June 6, 2013 208 Comments

5 Minute Hot Quinoa Cereal

Want a hot and healthy breakfast in 5-minutes? Well, here you go, this quinoa cereal takes 5 minutes from start to finish and will leave you feeling healthy and satisfied! I love my other quinoa and steel-cut oat cereal, but I have to plan ahead the night before in order to make it, and sometimes I just want to wake up and have some hot cereal, like NOW! I’m not the type of person who likes to fuss a lot when it comes to breakfast. I like to have my coffee and cereal ready within 10 minutes of waking. That’s just how I roll.

April 3, 2013 55 Comments

Kale and Ricotta Salata Salad

Anyone who knows me knows that I love lacinato kale. I mean it just tastes so good, yes, you heard me right, it really tastes good. It’s not just me who feels that way, my kids prefer a kale salad over an arugula or spinach one any-day, and John, well he likes all types of salads, he’s not a picky guy. Kale is uber healthy, and if stored properly the leaves can last for about 2 weeks in the fridge. Kale is also a great make-ahead salad. It’s one of those salads that you can make ahead, like the morning of an event, and have it taste great at dinner. Kale salads make great leftovers. I love that I can make up a salad on Monday and then eat leftovers on Tuesday and Wednesday, and it tastes great all three days. I will have to say that lacinato kale is the kale to try first if you are new to kale. Lacinato kale really tastes more like a lettuce, especially when you massage the dressing into it. Curly kale on the other hand, tastes bitter and can leave a chalky aftertaste in your mouth. I think most people who have tried kale have tried curly kale, and that’s why kale has gotten the bad reputation. Please, just try a salad with lacinato kale (sometimes called tuscan or dinosaur kale) and you might be converted.

March 6, 2013 21 Comments

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes make people happy, at least everyone I know. I can still her cute little raspy voice and see her big grin every time we went to a birthday party and she saw cupcakes. She would jump and down saying, “happy cakes, happy cakes.”

February 7, 2013 37 Comments

Hot Quinoa and Oat Cereal with Goji Berries

This is one of my go-to overnight breakfasts and I make this at least 2 times a month. It only takes 5 minutes to prep the night before and 6-8 minutes to heat up in the morning. I love that this breakfast is gluten-free and dairy-free, and I can add in healthy fats and pair it with season fruits and chia seed to give me energy to do all that I have to do in a given day! It’s the perfect breakfast to serve up on a fall and winter morning.

February 5, 2013 36 Comments