Flourless Chocolate Banana Nut Muffins

Here's a new favourite of Beau's. I made these on a whim for him to take to school to share with his classmates. Apparently it was a hit! :)

Ingredients: 

4 squares semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter or use coconut oil or margarine for vegan version
3/4 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder + more for dusting the muffin tins
3 eggs, beaten or use flax gel for vegan version 
1 cup nuts of your choice, chopped
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract  
 

Preheat oven to 300F. Grease a 12 muffin tin, and dust with cocoa powder. 
 
In a double boiler over low heat, melt chocolate and butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, banana, nuts and vanilla. ~~Add an extra banana for extra banana-y goodness~~

Pour batter equally into prepared muffin tins.
 
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let cool in tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.



Happy Baking my Foodies :)

Love V

2013/03 March Favourites

Hello Foodies!

Listed below are my March Obsessions. I hope you will find something that you enjoy also.

Banana Chips - crispy, buttery and slightly sweet

Clementines - juicy and sweet, great source of vitamin C

Jazz Apples - crunchy semi sweet and tart, just the way I like them

Pineapple - I usually let them ripen in the kitchen fruit basket for a couple days before I dissect it. It takes about 20 minutes to cut up a pineapple and give it a salt water bath. But the results are always worth it.

Cascade Ice Raspberry Lemon Twist - sugar free, caffeine free, sodium free sparkling water

Dried Turkish Apricots - yummy snack

Natural whole almonds - delicious quick snack that is filling when you are hungry.

Cinnamon - love this in my cereal or in my almond or rice milk.

Broccolini - delicious steamed

Homemade Salsa - see my pico de gallo recipe, salsa and chips and great burger topper.
Pico de Gallo Limon Recipe

Homemade Nachos - quick and easy meal that is equally delicious.

Buckwheat Hot Cereal

Although Spring is here, the weather is still cold. I love starting my day with a hot cereal. Here's my personal favourite recipe,  you are welcome to alter it to your preference.

Ingredients:
1 cup buckwheat grouts
2 cups water
3 tbsps cinnamon powder
2 tbsps brown sugar, maple syrup,  honey or agave nectar
1 cup almond milk, rice milk or coconut milk

Cook the twice washed buckwheat in water on medium high heat. Bring to a rolling boil then turn down to medium low heat. Cover the pot with a lid. Let cook for 15-20 minutes until tender.

Remove lid and stir in cinnamon and sweetener. Add milk of your cereal. Stir well and serve. Add fresh or dried fruits, chia seeds, hemp seeds or flax.

Enjoy :)

2013/02 February Favourites

This month has gone by so quickly and I have some new favourites to share with you.

Restaurants:

Heirloom on West 12th@ Granville

I especially love their build your own brunch menu. The coconut milk black beans are to die for. If you don't already know, Heirloom is a vegetarian restaurant that offers vegan and gluten free options.

If you enjoy eclectic style, you will love this place. They serve you tea in vintage tea cups and lovely tea pots from David's Tea. And did I mention I love David's Tea? :)

Foods:

Avocado, I eat these like a kiwi with a spoon. Or I mash them with the juice of a lime and lime zest. Spread the avocado mash on toast = Mega YUM

Kettle Corn, one of my loves, battle of the sweet and the savoury. Great TV snack :)

Cinnamon, adds great flavour to cereals, popcorn and rice milk

Coconut Oil, my butter alternative

Organic Brown Rice Milk, non dairy smooth and slightly sweet

Unripened Goat Cheese, great substitute for cream cheese

Rice Cereal, my alternative to oatmeal, great way to change it up once in a while

Beverages:

Earl Grey Tea

Propel Vitamin Powder in Raspberry Lemonade

Prosecco

Lavender & Chamomile Tea

Organic Echinacea Tea

Hope I've inspired you to try some of these products that I am loving for the month of February.

Happy Blogging ;)

Raw Brownie

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups pecans, walnuts, pistachios or cashews (unsalted) [I've also used 1 cup hemp seeds & 1 cup nuts of your choice]
1 cup pitted dried cherries
⅛ tsp sea salt
⅛ tsp lemon zest
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large avocado, roughly chopped
½ cup cocoa powder

Frosting:

3 large avocados
⅛ tsp sea salt
½ cup cocoa powder
½ cup agave nectar, add more to taste

Directions:

Active time: 40 minutes
Total time: 3 hours, 40 minutes

In a blender, mix the cake ingredients, then pat down in an 8-inch square baking pan.

Puree all frosting ingredients in a blender and spread on the cake base.

Cover and freeze at least 3 hours. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve cold.

Hope everyone enjoys my version of the fabulous Heirloom Restaurant's raw brownie. I love the ones from Heirloom but I don't travel out that way often enough.

2013/01 January Favourites

Lately I've been obsessed with extremely healthy foods for my course meals. I do have my share of junk food for snacks here and there also.

This month's food obsessions are...

Celery Sticks

Ruby Grapefruit

Quinoa
Turkey

Spinach

Soft Unripened Goat Cheese

Cashew Almond Pumpkin Seed Brittle

Here are all of this month's beverages that I've been loving...

You will see a reoccurring theme...

Brown Rice Milk

Bigelow Jasmine Green Tea

Arizona Green Tea

Aquafina Fuji Apple Pear Vitamin Water

David's Tea Coco Mint Cream Tea

Sencha Shots

Also for sweetener I have been using Blue Agave Nectar. I find it to be twice as sweet as honey. So I use very little.

Coco NUT Bars

2 cups brown rice flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2/3 cup coconut oil
2 cups golden cane sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1-1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease a 9x9 brownie pan.

In a large bowl cream the coconut oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Sift flour, salt and baking powder into the wet mixture.  Slowly combining the wet and the dry ingredients. Mix until blended. Fold in chocolate,  nuts and coconut.

Spread this mixture evenly into greased pan. Bake for 22-27 minutes or until golden. Let cool before cutting into squares or bars. I personally like to cut them into little bite size pieces as a snack.

Hope you enjoy this chocolaty & nutty treat.

Happy Baking & Prosper!