Banana Bread Steel Cut Oats

Ingredients

2 cups milk (almond milk, dairy milk, etc)

2 cups water (see note)

2 to 3 mashed/pureed bananas (about 1 cup)

2 cups steel cut oats

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup brown sugar (or honey)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For serving: sliced bananas, chopped toasted nuts, honey for drizzling

Instructions

Grease the insert of a 6-quart Instant Pot with nonstick cooking spray.

Add the milk, water, mashed bananas, oats and salt to the pot and give the mixture a good stir.

Secure the lid making sure the valve is sealed. Select the Manual or Pressure Cook button and dial up or down to 4 minutes. The IP will start automatically. When finished cooking, let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes before manually releasing the remaining pressure (otherwise the oatmeal may spurt through the valve if pressure is released too soon). Stir in the brown sugar (or honey) and vanilla.

Serve warm with additional milk (if desired), sliced bananas, chopped nuts or extra honey/brown sugar. The oatmeal will thicken considerably as it cools.

Notes

If you are getting the burn warning when cooking, you can help/fix that by adding more water. You can add up to another cup of water with good results (the oats will look runnier after cooking but will thicken as they cool).

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 4 minutes

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 44 minutes

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/instant-pot-banana-bread-steel-cut-oats/

Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

• 10 oz bag Spinach Leaves (Chopped)
• 14 oz Artichoke Hearts (Chopped)
• 2- 8 oz Cream Cheese (softened)
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 5 tsp minced Garlic
• 1 1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese (grated)
• 3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese (grated)
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Serve with:

• Baguette Slices
• Chips 
• Crackers

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and sour cream with an electric mixer until smooth and mixed.
2. Stir in chopped spinach leaves, chopped artichoke hearts, garlic, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
3. Spread dip into an 9x13 baking dish. Top with any leftover mozzarella and parmesan cheese, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 30-35 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

www.cupcakediariesblog.com 

Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

• Large Spinach or Spring Mix
• Purple Onion
• Blueberries
• Feta Cheese
• Slivered Almonds
• Pomegranate

Prepare spinach and place all other ingredients on top.  This salad is great with a vinaigrette dressing.

From: Shauna

Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup Sugar (or 1/4 cup)
1/3 cup Oil
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/3 tsp Pepper

Instructions:
Put Ingredients in a mason jar put a lid on it and shake until sugar dissolves.

Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (28-ounce each) cans crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter (optional) 

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat until hot and rippling. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring very frequently, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until all the vegetables are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano and bay leaves and simmer, covered, on low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to make sure the sauce isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pot, until slightly thickened and the vegetables are completely tender. Stir in the brown sugar. Taste the sauce. Add salt and pepper as needed. Add the butter and stir to combine if you want to round out the flavors and add a dimension of silkiness.
2. Remove the bay leaves. In a blender or food processor, blend the sauce (in several batches, if necessary) until it is smooth. The sauce can be frozen once it is cooled completely in freezer-safe ziploc bags for up to 6 months.

Yield: 7 cups of sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/classic-marinara-sauce/

Fresh Zucchini and Tomato Linguine

Ingredients

• 12 ounces linguine
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely diced shallot or onion
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• 4 cups diced zucchini (about 18 ounces)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (about 12-14 ounces)
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the linguine until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and either rinse quickly in cool water (pasta purists look aside) or toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
2. WHILE THE PASTA COOKS, heat the oil in a nonstick 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, and cook, stirring often, until the onion turns translucent, 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the zucchini, tomatoes, broth and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook until the zucchini and tomatoes soften, 5-10 minutes (or longer, if desired); the mixture will thicken a bit as the liquid evaporates and it cooks down. Stir every once in a while to prevent sticking and moderate heat, if needed. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed!
4. Toss the drained pasta with the zucchini/tomato mixture. Add the basil and Parmesan cheese and toss again. Serve immediately.

Notes:

I know it's slightly annoying to buy a 16-ounce box of pasta and only use 12 ounces (like this recipe calls for). If you want to use the entire 16 ounces, consider 1 1/2-ing the sauce ingredients so the pasta isn't dry. 

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/fresh-zucchini-and-tomato-linguine/ 

Rice Krispy Treats

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Butter
16 oz (10 cups) Mini Marshmallows
6-7 cups Rice Krispies
1/8 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk

Instructions:
Melt butter then add marshmallows and melt.  Add condensed milk then rice krispies cup by cup.  Mix together and place into dish to set.  Note: Don't pack into dish you want them to be fluffy.