Banana Muffins

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup almond flour
2/3 cup coconut flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened2 large eggs
3 very ripe bananas mashed
1/3 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° and line 12 muffin tins with muffins cups.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Blend sugar and butter until thoroughly mixed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, vanilla soy milk and vanilla. Beat until blended. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed just until combined. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake at 350° for about 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Apricot Blueberry Cobbler

This incredible cobbler is adapted from Chez Panisse Desserts. There are many different combinations of fruits that can be used for the filling. As long as the fruit is ripe and fresh it should be delicious. The topping to this cobbler is spectacular - it almost reminds me of a sweet biscuit or scone or the shortcake in a strawberry shortcake recipe. I would like to experiment with the topping recipe and try making some sort of scone with it.

Filling Ingredients
3 cups chopped apricots
2 cups blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 T flour

Toss apricots and blueberries with sugar and flour.

Topping Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
3/8 tsp salt
4 T sugar
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
6 T butter
3/4 cup light cream

Mix flour, salt, sugar and baking powder together. Cut in butter and mix until mixture is course and crumbly. Stir in cream and mix until just combined.

Pour filling into a 1 1/2 quart gratin or baking dish. Top with large spoonfuls of dough. Bake in over at 375 for 35 minutes until topping is brown and fruit juices bubble thickly around it. Serve warm.

Linda's Olive Oil and Sauternes Cake

I decided to try another recipe from my Chez Panisse Desserts cookbook. I settled on Linda's Olive Oil and Sauternes Cake. The cake turned out well, however, I felt like something was missing. It may be because I couldn't find any Sauternes wine and I substituted an inexpensive bottle of Muscat wine. We didn't have anything to serve it with, the original recipe recommends serving the cake with apricot cream or jam. I think it would also be good with a light layer of powdered sugar sprinkled over the top or a thin drizzle of icing. I'd love to try this recipe again with a good bottle of Sauternes wine. I'll update this post next time I make the recipe.

Ingredients
5 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 T mixed orange and lemon peel grated
1/3 cup plug 2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup good sauternes
1 cup sifted flour
1/3 tsp salt
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Directions
Butter and four an 8-inch springform pan.
Preheat oven to 350.

Separate the 5 eggs and beat the yolks with half the sugar until light colored and thick. Beat in the mixed grated peel. Beat in the olive and then the Sauternes. Mix the flour and salt and beat into the egg mixture until just mixed.
Beat the 7 egg whites with cream of tartar until they hold soft peaks. Beat in the remaining sugar until the egg whites hold stiff peaks. Fold into the egg yolk mixture thoroughly.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 300 and bake for another 20 minutes. Turn off the oven, cover the top of the cake with a round of buttered parchment paper and let site for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan.

Chocolate Gelato

I was searching for a simple chocolate gelato recipe that was not terribly unhealthy. Most of the recipes I came across called for heavy whipping cream or half and half. I finally stumbled upon this recipe by Alice Medrich. I new right away this was going to be good and was happy find that the base is whole milk rather than cream. Unfortunately I did not have any Scharffen Berger cocoa powder so I used ghiradelli instead. I followed the original recipe pretty closely although I did not have a mesh strainer so I skipped that step. The recipe that follows is my verision.

Ingredients
3 cups whole milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweeted cocoa powder
1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions
Mix 1 cup milk, sugar, cocoa and cornstarch together in a bowl until completely blended. In saucepan, heat remaining 2 cups milk over low heat. When hot, add cocoa mixture and continue to stir over low heat until all ingredients are dissolved and mixture is very smooth. Pour mixture into a shallow glass plan, cover with a layer of saran wrap (make sure saran wrap is touching mixture) and chill in freezer until very cold (about 2 hours). Once mixture is chilled, freeze in an ice cream maker.

Vegan Breakfast Muffins II

Yum! I think this might be the best version of vegan muffins that I have developed so far. I know a muffin recipe is good when my fiancee Lee chooses to eat one for breakfast over a leftover brownie or granola! This recipe is similar to my Vegan Breakfast Muffin recipe but has different spices and carrots! The great thing about the Vegan Breakfast Muffin recipe is that you can experiment with different kinds of flour, fruits and vegetables. My favorite thing about this muffin recipe is there is absolutely no added sugar.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups oat bran
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour flour
3/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 cups applesauce
1 very ripe banana mashed
2 whole carrots grated
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp soy milk
8 pitted dates chopped into tiny pieces

Directions
Mix all the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl mix together remaining ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Bake at 450 for about 13 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

*I baked my previous Vegan Breakfast muffins at 400 for 17 minutes. My oven temperature is always off and so I often check it with an oven thermometer. I thought I was baking these muffins at 400 but it turns out I was baking them at 450. Anyway, this recipe works baked at 400 or 450, but if you bake at 450 it will take about 4 or 5 minutes less time.

Variatons
*You can substitute any combination of flour that you like, as long as you have 1 1/2 cups total. I have tried buckwheat, oat flour and spelt flour so far.

*You can add any kind of chopped fruit, shredded vegetables (carrots or zucchini), nuts or dried fruit. Two weeks ago I added chopped strawberries and it was delicious.

*If you prefer a sweeter version you can add up to two Tablespoons of honey or agave nectar. If you want to add more that two tablespoons honey or agave nectar you can reduce the soy milk or olive oil by an equal amount.

Vegan Breakfast Muffins

This is a wonderful, very healthy, vegan muffin recipe. These muffins are rich in whole grains and full of healthy ingredients. They are not a sweet muffin. If they are not sweet enough for you try adding 1/4 cup brown sugar or more agave syrup.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups oat bran
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 cups applesauce
2 small, ripe bananas, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp soy milk
2 Tbsp agave
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix together remaining ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until blended. Divide batter into 8 muffin cups lined with paper liners. Bake for about 17 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Muffins will be slightly gooey inside but will become drier as they cool.

Vegan Banana Crumb Cake

Craving dessert tonight but not having a lot of ingredients on hand, I decided to try a vegan banana crumb cake. This cake is quick, easy and delicious.

Cake Ingredients
2 cups unbleached whole wheat pastry flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
4 ripe bananas medium bananas, mashed
1/4 cup water1 Tablespoon bourbon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a separate bowl mix sugar, oil and mashed bananas. Add oil, water and bourbon. Mix thoroughly. Mix in flour until just blended. Pour into greased 8 x 8 inch glass baking sheet.

Crumb Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut flour (or regular flour)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
5 Tablespoons oil

Mix all crumb topping ingredients together. Pour over cake batter. Bake four about 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before serving.

Buckwheat Walnut Bread

I LOVE buckwheat flour. Ever since I bought it a few weeks ago I have been making all kinds of baked goods with it! It is so healthy and delicious. Replacing part of the regular flour in a recipe with buckwheat flour does make goods denser and it gives the baked good a heartier taste.

Here's the recipe for the Buckwheat Walnut Bread that I made today.

Ingredients
1 cup warm water (about 100 - 105 degrees F)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package)
1 tablespoon soy milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons agave syrup
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
Mix water and yeast in a large bowl. Let sit about five minutes. Stir in milk, olive oil and agave. Add flours, salt and walnuts and knead 10-15 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place dough in a oiled bowl and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. Punch dough down and form into a loaf. Place in well oiled loaf pan and let rise another 35 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes.

Bulgur with Spinach Pesto and Chickpeas

I love this dinner recipe. It is so fast, easy, healthy and delicious!

Ingredients
1 cup bulgur
6 oz spinach
2 garlic cloves
1 T olive oil
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, washed and drained
3 oz feta

Directions
Cook bulgur according to directions on package. Preheat over to 400. Coat a 9 x 13 glass backing dish with olive oil and transfer cooked bulgur to baking dish. Pulse spinach, garlic and olive oil in a food processor until blended. Spread on top of bulgur. Spread beans on top of pesto. Sprinkle with feta. Bake at 400 about 20 minutes or until cheese just starts to brown.

Walnut Torte with Bourbon Creme Chantilly

I made this torte for Valentine's day this year. About a month ago I bought the Chez Panisse Dessert cookbook and I finally decided to try my first recipe from it this Valentine's day. I didn't want an incredibly rich dessert so after looking through the cookbook I finally decided on the Pecan Torte. I didn't have pecans but I did have walnuts so settled for a walnut torte.

The original tells you to grate the nuts in a nut grater but I chopped mine into very small, fine pieces in a food processor and it worked just fine.

Here is the recipe I used for the walnut torte (adapted from Chez Panisse Desserts)

Ingredients for torte
6 oz raw walnuts
2 T flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for Bourbon Creme Chantilly
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup agave or sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Toast walnuts in oven until they just barely start to brown, about 8 minutes. Cool and then quickly pulse in a food processor until coarsely ground. Toss together in a small bowl with the flour.

Separate the eggs and beat the egg yolks with half of the sugar, on high speed, until they form thin ribbons (about five minutes at high speed). Set aside.

Warm the egg whites over hot water until barely warm. Beat them with the cream of tartar and salt on high speed until they form thick peaks. Add remaining sugar and beat again until stiff peaks form. Fold in vanilla, egg yolk mixture and 1/4 of nut mixture. Continue folding in the nut mixture in 1/4 increments. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan and bake at 300 about 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Beat whipping cream, bourbon and sugar on high speed until soft peaks form. Spread thickly over cooled cake. Garnish with toasted walnuts.

Vietnamese Cabbage Salad

This is one of my favorite dishes. I have been addicted to Vietnamese food for the last 10 years and I eat out at a Vietnamese restaurant at least once a week. I almost always order the combination salad - a mix of shredded cabbage and other vegetables, shrimp, fish sauce and crushed peanuts. I finally - after 10 years of only eating this dish at restaurants - decided to try making it myself. This one is pretty good and very healthy.

Dressing
juice from 4 limes
2 Tablespoons fish sauce
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon agave syrup
1 minced garlic clove

Salad
1/2 head green cabbage
4 large carrots
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped basil
8 oz extra firm tofu
crushed peanuts

Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Dressing should sit for about 30 minutes before using.

Shred cabbage and carrots. I like to cut thin ribbons of carrot with a vegetable peeler.
Chop mint, cilantro, and basil. Combine all veggies in a large bowl.

Chop tofu into small cubes and pat dry with paper towels. In a nonstick frying pan heat 1 - 3 teaspoons sesame oil. When oil is hot toss in tofu and stir fry until golden brown all around. Season with salt and let cool slightly.

Crush peanuts or chop into tiny pieces and set aside.

Toss shredded veggies with the amount of dressing that you like. The dressing recipe for the dressing above makes more than you will need. Top with cooled tofu and crushed peanuts.

Brownies from "Baked"

This is the perfect brownie recipe for when you need a dessert to bring to an event or party. The brownie is delicious and looks beautiful. The recipe is yields a very rich, fudge-like brownie that is easy to cut into perfect squares. I think the brownies taste especially good chilled in the fridge!

I found this recipe posted in The San Francisco Chronicle. The recipe is from the Baked: New Frontiers in Baking," by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafit. Their bakery is located in Brooklyn, NYC and I am dying to go!

Ingredients
Makes 24 brownies
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder
11 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72% cocoa), coarsely chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9-by-13-inch glass or light-colored metal baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt and cocoa powder together.

Put the chocolate, butter and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature.

Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it.

Let the brownies cool completely, then cut them into squares and serve. Tightly covered with plastic wrap, the brownies keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Nutrition
Per serving - 235 calories, 3 g protein, 31 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat (7 g saturated), 65 mg cholesterol, 117 mg sodium, 0 fiber

Vegan Chocolate Cake

This is a truly amazing vegan chocolate cake recipe. It is moist, rich in flavor and much healthier than most chocolate cake recipes. The cake is wonderful without a frosting but adding a vegan ganache is a great way to dress it up. This cake is also the perfect base for a rich chocolate layer cake or chocolate cupcakes. If you don't mind making a non-vegan cake, this cake would probably be amazing sliced into two layers and filled and frosted with a rich dark chocolate buttercream frosting. I recommend storing the cake in the fridge, but it also freezes very well! I actually thought the cake tasted best chilled in the fridge and eaten the day after baking it.

Recipe
http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=124

Vegan Ganache
8 oz. vegan chocolate
3/4 cup soy milk

Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a saucepan heat soymilk over low heat. Add chocolate and stir until melted. Pour immediately over cooled cake. Use an offset metal spatula to smooth out frosting.

Apricot Bars

This is one of the easiest bar recipes ever. It takes no more than five minutes to prepare the bars and get them into the oven. The bars are delicious and especially good served with homemade vanilla ice cream!

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups apricot preserves

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Mix together all ingredients except preserves. Press half the mixture into the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking pan lined with foil and greased. Spread apricot preserves over mixture. Sprinkle remaining oat mixture on top. Bake mixture at 350° for 35 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.

Giant Cinnamon Rolls

Yum! I have been craving cinnamon rolls for a month now and I finally decided to make them. I have been baking for 20 years now and never once have I made cinnamon rolls. We only had whole wheat flour in the house so I substituted the whole wheat for the white flour and they turned out very well. Next time I might try half whole wheat, half white, but all whole wheat is great and extra healthy. I also had to reduce the baking time by 10 minutes and I think I could have reduced it by 5 more (a total of 15 minutes less). The rolls were great hot out of the oven but I thought they tasted even better the next day. We froze the extras and then microwaved them when we were ready to eat them and I thought the frozen ones also tasted even better then the ones straight out of the oven.
Be sure to roll the dough very tightly. After rolling out the dough into the rectangle and sprinkling the cinnamon sugar mixture over it, I did not roll the dough back up tightly enough. The rolls still tasted great but I think they would have been even better if I had rolled the dough very tightly!

Here's the recipe I used:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1842384

Whole Wheat Coconut Bread

This bread is so quick and easy to make and absolutely delicious! To get the rich coconut flavor it is important to use regular coconut milk rather than light coconut milk. For some extra coconut flavor feel free to add 1/4 tsp coconut extract and 1/2 cup coconut flakes.

Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Coconut Milk (not light coconut milk)
1/4 cup thinly sliced almonds

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a bread pan. In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl mix butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and coconut milk. Stir in flour mixture. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle top with sliced almonds. Bake about 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.