Vegan Banana Raspberry Muffins

We've had quite a selection of fresh, local, amazingly sweet berries here in BC and we can't get enough of them. On yogurt, in salads or simply on their own, they taste like berries should...like you're eating a little bit of sweet sunshine!

Muffin time again and since my last batch were of the blueberry variety it was time to use some of the raspberries. I took one of my standard banana muffin recipes and adapted it to be vegan. Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries all work well with the banana so choose your favourite. These turned out fabulously. Light, fluffy, and not too sweet. The kids have eaten two each already and I think I'll be making another batch in just a few days.

Vegan Banana Raspberry Muffins
Prep Time:10 minutes/Total Time: 35 minutes. Makes 18 large muffins.

Ingredients:
3 very ripe bananas
1/4 vegan margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup white all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup fresh raspberries

Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease. Ungreased silicon muffin cups also work well.

In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork till soft. Using a fork, mix in the vegan margarine and sugar and cream together.

In a separate bowl, combine together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Combine with the banana mixture, stirring gently just to combine.

Gently fold in the raspberries.

Fill each muffin 2/3 full with batter. Bake for about 25 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

wheat berry salad with goat cheese and grapes

I couple of weeks back I held a cooking class for a group who wanted to learn more about cooking with whole grains. One of the recipes I demonstrated was this wheat berry salad with goat cheese and grapes. It is a simple, yet delicious recipe. Very easy to make and packed full of nutrition. It is also very versatile. Feel like barley instead of wheat berry? Substitute it in. Quinoa instead of wheat berry? Substitute it in. Wild rice instead of wheat berry? You get my point...

Light and refreshing, this salad pairs well with the quinoa crusted chicken tenders. And if you think the kids won't like it, think again. The sweetness of the grapes combined with the creaminess of the goat cheese and chewiness of the wheat berry is a kid pleaser. It's also a fantastic next day lunch.

Wheat Berry Salad with Grapes
(Prep Time: 10 minutes/Total Time: 40 minutes. Serves 4.)
Recipe from http://www.ontariotenderfruit.com/.

Ingredients:
1 cup wheat berries (wheat kernels)
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1/2 cup finely diced red pepper
1/2 cup finely diced cucumber
2 cups halved seedless grapes
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
1/4 cup crumbled feta

Directions:
Cook wheat berries in a large pot of boiling, salted water (uncovered) until they are soft, about 20 minutes. Drain in sieve.

In skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of the oil over medium high-heat. Add red onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour in remaining oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add warm wheat berries, red pepper, cucumber, grapes, walnuts and basil and toss to combine. Transfer to a bowl and let salad rest for at least 30 minutes, tossing occasionally so the wheat can absorb the dressing.

Sprinkle with feta and serve at room temperature.

rolled flank steak with spinach, garlic and pine nuts

I'm just going from memory here. I can't say that I really measured too much. I remember seeing a recipe like this one in one of my many magazines...

I had some flank steak, a few cloves of garlic and a bunch of spinach to use. First, I took the flank steak and sliced it lengthwise so that I ended up with two seperate thin pieces. I then gave it a good seasoning of salt and pepper then set it aside. Next, I sauteed the garlic and spinach in a little olive oil in a pan. Once the spinach wilted, I removed it from the heat and mixed in some pinenuts, maybe about 3 tablespoons worth and also added in some rice cracker crumbs, about 1/4 cups worth, that I had processed in the food processor. I add a bit of salt and pepper to the mix then spread it out over the flank steak pieces. The last step was to roll, tie, and then bake the rolled steaks in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 5 - 7 minutes for medium. Voila! Beautiful and delicious too.

jennifer iserloh's quinoa crusted chicken: an egg free version

A few week's back I featured some fabulous quinoa crusted chicken tenders created by Jennifer Iserloh of The Skinny Chef on my business site, Can I get the Recipe? Not only were they huge hit with my subscribers, but they we also a major success here at home. So much of a success that I recently demonstrated them at a Whole Grains cooking class I taught last week. Of course, when I make them at home, I have to prepare them egg free and dairy free because of youngest's food sensitivities, but it isn't hard to do at all. I simply use ground flax and hot water in place of the egg whites and use whole wheat bread crumbs instead of the seasoned ones, since they can sometimes contain parmesan cheese.

If you haven't had a chance to try these, you should. They really are amazingly good and the kids love them because of their crunchy texture and moist interior. And the adults? Well, they absolutely love them too! :-)

Quinoa Crusted Chicken: An Egg Free/Dairy Free Version
(Adapted from Jennifer Iserloh's website http://www.skinnychef.com/)

Prep Time: 30 minutes/Total Time: 45 minutes. Serves 4 hungry kids or 2 adults.

Ingredients:
2 pound chicken tenders or skinless boneless breasts, sliced into 3-inch long tenders

1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 cups cooked red or white quinoa
1/2 cup whole wheat or seasoned breadcrumbs
2 egg whites (or 2 tablespoons ground flax mixed with 6 tablespoon hot water - let sit 10 min)
2 tablespoons olive oil
 
Directions:
Spread out the quinoa on a piece of wax paper or aluminum foil. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the quinoa. With your fingers tips, squeeze the quinoa and breadcrumbs together until the moisture of the quinoa is absorbed Place the egg whites in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle the chicken with salt, garlic powder, pepper, and paprika.


Place the egg whites (or flax seed mixture) in a shallow bowl. Dip the chicken in the eggs (or flax) and then into the quinoa mixture. Place onto a plate. Warm the oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and reduce the heat to medium. Cook each side 4-5 minutes, turning once, until the crust begins to brown, and the chicken is not longer translucent. Transfer fingers to a plate and serve immediately.

Lunch at the Cabin: Pasta with Italian Sausage, Sundried Tomatoes and Broccoli

At our cabin, meals are simple and usually pretty quick. I also tend to serve up recipes that are more "kid friendly" as we can only boat in as much food that will fit into our large cooler. And if the menu isn't appealing to the under 4 foot set, well, let's just say cranky campers with low blood sugar are no fun.

This meal took about 20 minutes to make. It's simple yet delicious and everyone, including our littlest food critics, eat it all up in less time than it took me to make it. Substitute any other green veg for the broccoli if you prefer and asiago or goat's feta are also nice substitutes for the parmesan.

Pasta with Italian Sausage, Sundried Tomatoes and Broccoli
(Prep Time: 10 minutes/Total Tome: 20 minutes. Serves 4 hungry campers)

Ingredients:
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti pasta
about 12 dried tomatoes, reconstituted by soaking in hot water (not the oil packed version)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 mild Italian sausages, castings removed
2 cups broccoli pieces
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese plus a bit more for serving
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Just before al dente, add broccoli and cook until crisp tender.  Remove broccoli and run under cold water. Set aside. Drain pasta, put back in pot and set aside.

Place olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Once hot, add garlic and Italian sausage and cook until sausage is browned. broccoli, chicken stock, tomatoes and drained pasta. Toss to heat. Add cheese and toss a bit more. Season with salt and pepper to taste then serve with extra parmesan cheese.

Dense and Chewy Double Chocolate Vegan Brownies

Yet again I tackled a dessert that youngest could eat without breaking out in dry itchy "owie" skin. The brownie...

Everyone needs a brownie once in a while. And if you are going to swallow the calories, it better be good. But try to adapt a brownie recipe so that the end result is not only fabulous in taste, but has a great texture and presentation too. Can it be done? Yes. It. Can.

And so I give you, the Vegan Double Chocolate Brownie. Dense and chewy, chocolatey and gooey.It's love in a pan.

Dense and Chewy Double Chocolate Vegan Brownies
(Makes 16 brownies)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 cup rice milk
1/2 cup dairy free margarine
½ cup dairy free (real dark) chocolate
2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the 1/3 cup flour and non-dairy milk in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and gummy. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium saucepan in a double boiler, melt the dairy free margarine and chocolate. Set aside to cool slightly.

Grease a 9x13 pan with non dairy margarine and dust lightly with flour. Set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Using a wooden spoon, add the sugars and vanilla to the chocolate mixture. Stir in the cooked flour mixture. Mix thoroughly.

Use a spatula and fold in the dry ingredients. Add in the chocolate chips until just combined.

Spread into prepared pan. Sprinkle with a few more chocolate chips.

Place in oven and reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Bake about 25 – 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out nearly clean. (The brownies should just start looking dry on the top and beginning to pull from the corners or sides.

Allow brownies to cool completely on a cooling rack before removing from pan and slicing.

If desired, lightly dust with icing sugar.