Banana Nut Muffins

There is probably a banana or two on your counter right now that is too ripe to eat, but not rotten enough to throw away. These bananas are perfect for making banana nut muffins! Make a batch for quick and healthy on-the-go snacks and breakfasts.

Banana Nut Muffins (Vegan)

1 ripe banana
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (or your favorite nut)
1 tbsp. apple butter (or applesauce)
2 tbsp. Canola oil
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp. ground flax seed plus 4 tbsp. water, whisked together (this is an egg substitute)
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white flour (Note: If you follow a gluten free diet, use oat flour in place of the white and wheat flours)
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ginger

1) Mix all wet ingredients together (except banana). Whisk in sugars.
2) Mix all remaining dry ingredients together, except nuts.
3) Gradually add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.
4) Break ripe banana in small pieces into batter. Add in  nuts. Mix everything together.
5) Spoon batter into muffin cups.
6) Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Lazy Vegan Biscuits (who knew they could be so good?)

As a housewife in the 1960s and 1970s, my mom embraced Bisquick and all of the other modern shortcuts to a good suburban meal. So, until today, it did not occur to me to try to make biscuits from scratch. I figured they would be too time-consuming, difficult or fattening.

Inspired by a delicious-looking blog entry at the Amateur Gourmet , I decided to try to make some biscuits.

Of course, being a health nut and vegan-ish, I had to change his recipe around to make it “lighter” and vegan, but even without the butter and buttermilk, these biscuits were darn good! More than darn good. Especially with honey and apple butter. Yum!  And I’ll add that they only took minutes to prepare (that’s why I call them “lazy” – they were just too easy!)

Lazy Vegan Biscuits

Lazy Vegan Biscuits

1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. Smart Balance
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

Lazy Biscuits Turned out Good!

1) Mix together dry ingredients.

2) Melt Smart Balance in the microwave and add to the dry ingredients.

3) Gradually stir in the unsweetened almond milk. (You may need to add another tbsp. of flour if it looks too wet).

4) Spray a cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. Drop the biscuits by big spoonfuls into the pan.

5) Bake at 500 degrees for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 450 degrees and bake another 10-15 minutes (check after 10 minutes).

6) Try with apple butter or honey. Yum!

Makes 5 good-sized biscuits.

Biscuit with Honey

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Sweet Potato Bread (vegan)

Ground Cinnamon

It’s the time of year when baking seems like a good idea, particularly when it involves cinnamon and spices that fill the house with warm, yummy fragrance. Anyone walking into a home where sweet potato bread is baking will want to sit down and stay a while. It’s a scent that says  ”make yourself comfortable.”

And there’s nothing like a slice with a cup of tea or vanilla almond milk for a mid-afternoon or late night snack.

The version below is vegan and healthful. Treat yourself today!

Sweet Potato Bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 cup white flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
•  ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tbsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. ginger
• ¼ tsp. ground cloves
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ cup firmly-packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. ground flaxseed plus 3 tbsp. water (egg substitute)
•  ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4  cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1/3 cup chopped currants (I used Zante currants)
• 1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans

Sweet Potato Bread: the dough

1) Combine wheat and white flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices in a large bowl.

2) Cook sweet potato in the microwave for about 3 minutes (or until baked). Peel sweet potato and mash it. (Cook the potato a little ahead of time and it won’t be hot when you peel it!)

3) Place ground flaxseed and water, milk, applesauce, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Add mashed sweet potato.

4) Add wet ingredients to dry. Stir in dates and chopped pecans. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5 loaf pan coated with nonstick cooking spray.

5) Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.  Bread is done when a knife comes out clean from the middle.

Makes one 9 X 5 loaf.

Beautiful sweet potatoes

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