{Healthy} Spinach Banana Donuts

These cute healthy donuts are the perfect toddler-approved two bite snack. There are only 6 ingredients!

These green donuts are packed with nutrients, and if your toddler is like mine and does not like most veggies these help fill in that area.

These donuts are so easy to make and are versatile. You can make them in mini donut pans like I did, or even muffins. They freeze well {in an airtight bag or container} for months and you can pop them out as needed. 

What you will need: 

1 ½ packed cups baby spinach 

1 banana 

2 large eggs 

3 tbsp rolled oats 

½ tsp cinnamon 

1 tbsp ground flaxseed 

Glaze- 

6 tbsp powdered sugar 

 2-3 tsp water 

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease your donut pan.

Add all of the ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.
Pour the batter into the donut cavities and bake for 17 minutes or until the donuts are firm and browning on the edges. 

Pop out of the donut cavities and let cool completely before adding the optional glaze or freezing. 

Glaze- 

Combine the powdered sugar and 2 tsp water in a bowl until it’s a thick consistency. If too thick, add another tsp water. 

Glaze your donuts by either turning over and dunking into the glaze, or drizzle over the top with a spoon. 

Decorate with some sprinkles! 

Enjoy!

Cherry Apricot Preserves

I love cherries, but sometimes fresh ones cause me to have an allergic reaction. I bought a container of them so happy they were in season, ate a few, and then had an allergic reaction. I then thought to make a preserve with them so I can enjoy them again. I paired the cherries with apricots, which compliment the cherry flavor profile well. I also added some almond extract, which I learned from my many hours of watching The Food Network, that it enhances the flavor of cherries! 

This recipe is so easy and doesn’t use any pectin or preservatives! I will be using these preserves this week to stuff one of my challahs! 

What you will need: 

1 lb cherries, pitted and chopped 

1 lb apricots, pitted and chopped 

2 cups sugar 

1 tbsp lemon juice 

1 tsp almond extract 

Directions

Wash drain and pit the cherries and apricots. Chop into little chunks depending on the texture you need. Soft cherries can be used but discolored and bruised will ruin the jam so remove those. 

In a sauce pan, combine the apricots, cherries, sugar, and lemon juice. If you are using frozen cherries, let the cherries macerate in sugar and lemon juice for a few hours before cooking. This softens the skin considerably. 

Cook on medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Then, turn the heat up and let the mixture come to a boil. Let it boil for two minutes on medium-high. Boiling the jam is important as it releases pectin from the skin. 

Then, turn the heat to medium-low. The jam should still be simmering but at a low simmer, not bubbling. Mash the fruit so you have a smoother jam-like consistency. 

Continue to simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes more, stirring often so it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. The jam will continue to thicken as well as deepen in color as it cools. Add the almond extract once the heat has been turned off and stir once more. 

Pour the jam into clean jars leaving ¼” space from the top. Use a clean knife or spatula to move the jam a bit, this will remove any air pockets.

Enjoy!

Potato Knish Challah

What do you get when you stuff mashed potatoes and mushroom inside of your challah strands? Potato knish challah! And that’s exactly what my house smells like as this challah is cooking. 

This challah is oh so savory, and so good served warm! One of my favorite savory mashup creations yet!

What you will need:

Challah dough {recipe here}

Filling

3 Maine or Yukon gold potatoes

2-3 garlic cloves

Salt 

1 container mushrooms

Topping

1 egg

Mushrooms

Fried onions {I use Trader Joe’s fried onion pieces}

Directions: 

Prepare challah dough according to directions. 

Preheat the oven to 300°F. 

On parchment lined sheet tray or greased aluminum foil, spread out the mushroom slices and bake for about an hour. This helps remove all the excess moisture in the mushrooms that could make the challah soggy! {or use Trader Joe’s Crunchy Champignon Mushroom Snack to save a step, but we just finished our last bag on a pizza!}

While the mushrooms are in the oven, start on the mashed potatoes. I peel and cube my potatoes so they boil faster. I place it all in the pot with a generous amount of salt and garlic cloves. Boil for about 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. 

Drain the potatoes, but save the starchy water! This helps the mashed potatoes become creamy without having my to add margarine. 

Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes and gradually add the starchy water until creamy, but not too liquidy. Add salt and any other seasonings. 

Allow the mashed potatoes cool, if the filling is too hot it will be hard to shaped the challah. I usually do mine a day in advance. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Divide dough into 4 equal parts and then roll each part into a log, long enough to fit a loaf pan.

Gently flatten each log so that it is about 2 inches wide. Place cooled mashed potatoes along the log, and top with some dehydrated mushrooms. Pinch closed and braid. 

Place the challah in a greased loaf pan and let the challah rise 30 minutes. 

Once the challah has risen, brush with an egg wash, and sprinkle with reserved mushrooms and fried crispy onions. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the challah is cooked through.

Enjoy!