Spring Stuff

I have a super serious question.

Do you swap out your décor for the season?

I, for one, enjoy doing so. But I need to know who are the people who buy ALL THE SPRING STUFF that I'm seeing in stores? "Hoppy Easter" signs. Faux-carrot wreaths. "This way to the carrot patch" plaques. Jellybean-scented candles. Fake eggs. SO MANY FAKE EGGS.

I'll confess that I have these two bunnies, but otherwise I like to keep it on the simple 'n' pink side.

Even though I may prefer decor that's on the minimally-obnoxious side, I am all. for. springy. food.

Enter Hummingbird overnight oats. Have you heard of Hummingbird cake? It's a classic Southern recipe, made with bananas, crushed pineapple, spices, and pecans. It's delicious and I've had it before and one slice is 623 calories and 58 grams of sugar. Yikes. I'm always trying to think of high nutrient versions of treats, so I came up with the idea of making this into overnight oats. It's super easy to throw together and my kids LOVED this (they also loved eating the leftover crushed pineapple of course).

Hummingbird Overnight Oats

1 cup dry oats (doesn't matter what type)

1 ripe banana

1 tablespoon hemp hearts

2 tablespoons shredded coconut

1/2 cup crushed pineapple canned-in-its-own-juice, drained

1 1/2 cups unsweetened plain or vanilla almond milk

2 tablespoons chopped pecans

Dash each of cinnamon and nutmeg

Combine oats, hemp hearts, 1 tablespoon of the coconut, pineapple, almond milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large resealable jar. Stir well. Cover and let sit in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

Before serving, mash up half of the banana and stir that in. This serves as the substitute for added sugar. Divide the mixture into two bowls and top with the remaining banana half, sliced, plus the reserved coconut, and pecans.

It's got the flavors of Hummingbird cake, but unlike the real thing, this is sweet without being a total sugar bomb! Traditional hummingbird cake doesn't have coconut but since I had some on hand, I figured why not? If it's not your thing, omit it. Same goes for hemp hearts- I tossed some in for additional fiber, protein, and healthy fats, but if you don't have any it's not a big deal.

Makes 2 heaping servings. Per serving: 354 calories, 55 grams carbohydrates (including 9 grams fiber), 12 grams fat, 10 grams protein, 135 mg sodium.

When I dip, you dip, we dip

Spring-ish continues around here and we are okaaaaaaay with it.

Spring means fresh, and nothing is more fresh than crunchy baby carrots. You know what though? I don't love raw veggies. I don't love to eat them plain and I am not a huge ranch fan. I *can* get on board the hummus train though. And because I am who I am, I added veggies to the hummus so I can dip the veggies in the veggie hummus.

You with me?

We're making buffalo hummus. All the flavors of buffalo dip- the spicy, the blue cheesy, plus the usual chickpeas and garlic. But we're taking a hard left turn with some steamed cauliflower. Why? More like why not? Traditional hummus- while high nutrient- is also pretty high calorie due to the tahini (sesame paste). I wanted something high nutrient but a bit lower calorie. This also is a winner because all you need is a blender. OH YES.

Buffalo Hummus

-1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

-2 cups steamed cauliflower*

-1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1/4 teaspoon black pepper

-1/4 teaspoon onion powder

-1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles

-1 tablespoon hot sauce (like Crystal or Louisiana)- add more to your liking

-3 tablespoons olive oil

*Feel free to buy a microwavable steamer bag of cauliflower florets. My grocery store was all out, so I had to buy a whole head of cauliflower and steam it the old fashioned way.

Add all the ingredients into a large food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate. Serve chilled and with an extra dash of hot sauce on top if you'd like. This stays fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

This is some dip I can get behind. Makes six ~1/3 cup servings. Per serving: 171 calories, 18 grams carbs (including 4 grams fiber), 9 grams fat (heart healthy kind), 5 grams protein, 404 mg sodium

A spring in my step

We hit 45 degrees this weekend. FOOOOOOORTY FIIIIIIIIVE. That is 60 degrees warmer than it had been just a week prior, and man alive, it felt practically tropical outside as a result. Birds were singing. Kids were riding bikes without jackets. Toddlers were splashing through puddles. Glorious.

You know how some recipes are just made for warm springy days? Like- I’m not going to put a shepherd’s pie or beef stew in the crock pot. I want fresh. I want simple. FORTY FIVE DEGREEEEEES!

This dinner is great. The only problem is that I don’t know what to call it. It’s not a hotdish. It’s not a salad. It’s perfect for those in-between winter and spring days. If you can think of a not boring name, let me know. Just because it’s vaguely named does NOT mean you shouldn’t make it. Nutritionally this rocks- it has it all: veggies, fiber, protein, and healthy fats.

Chicken with Avocados and Tomatoes

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

2 avocados, diced

2 cups corn (if using frozen, microwave to heat first)

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup lime juice

½ teaspoon honey

Pinch of salt

Cilantro, if desired

Hot sauce, if desired

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, and ground coriander together. Sprinkle over both sides of the chicken breasts. Place in a shallow baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until internal temperature registers at least 165 degrees. Hint- this is my favorite way of cooking chicken because it’s a foolproof way to get tender, juicy chicken.

Meanwhile combine black beans, tomatoes, avocados, and corn in a large bowl. Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, honey, and salt. Set aside.

When chicken is done, coarsely dice it up into bite-ish sized pieces. Stir into the bean/tomato mixture. Pour dressing over it and stir to combine. Serve with a dash of hot sauce and cilantro, if desired. This will keep fine in the fridge for a day or two. The acid of the lime juice will help prevent the avocado from completely browning, but it might still turn a bit of a dull green- this is totally fine. It changes only the appearance but not the flavor.

Makes four large servings. Per serving: 472 calories, 26 grams carbohydrates, 10 grams fiber, 27 grams of fat (mostly all heart-healthy unsaturated), 43 grams protein, 759 mg sodium.