Good Morning (Healthy) Muffins

The adventures of healthy/vegan muffins began for me during college with some neglected and consequently well-browned bananas begging me to eat them. While the overripe fruit would normally meet its fate in the trash can, I decided instead to find a way to incorporate them into a healthy snack. A few google searches later, I landed on a vegan banana muffin recipe that would quickly become an apartment favorite.

After moving out of my college apartment the muffin baking subsided, until I recently returned home over the holidays to find that my mom, by way of a friend, had discovered a kicked up version of the healthy muffin concept. I'm starting to think that I am my mom's informant, here to write about all her great recipes, but nonetheless, I couldn't resist making some of these muffins to bring back to NYC with me.

So how does this whole healthy muffin concept come together into a tangible baked good? Baking without the eggs, butter or sugar may sound counter-intuitive to some, but with the right ingredients to substitute the outcome is a moist, delicious, and satisfying snack. These deserving substitutes include apple sauce and agave which are incorporated with the other ingredients - parsnip, carrot, nuts, dried fruit and apple.

Now set your skepticism aside, and give them a shot!

The recipe:

2 c. white whole wheat flour, sifted
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c, parsnip, grated
1 c. carrot, grated
1/4 c. dates, chopped
1/4 c. raisins
1/2 c. shredded coconut
1/2 c. toasted pecans, chopped
1 apple, chopped (Granny smith works well, but other varieties work as well)

3/4 c. oil, I used canola, original recipe calls for Sunflower or Safflower
3/4 c. agave nectar
1/2 c. apple sauce (used in place of 2 eggs)
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar (if not using eggs)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Measure and sift the flour. Add soda, cinnamon and salt to the bowl and stir together. Add in parsnip, carrot, dates, raisins, coconut, pecans and apple to the flour mixture and stir together.

In a separate bowl (or in a measuring cup) combine oil, agave, apple sauce, vanilla and vinegar, mixing until smooth.

Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Scoop the batter into muffin cups (an ice cream scoop works well for this). The muffins won't rise all that much so filling to close to the top of the cup is not a concern.

Bake until golden brown and the tops spring back to the touch. For regular size muffins ~30 minutes is a good start. Smaller muffins will only need ~18 minutes.

Variations: I substituted white whole wheat for the original 1 c. all purpose flour and 1 c. whole wheat pastry flour. The original recipe calls for a full cup of oil, but I substituted 1/4 c. of the oil for apple sauce, bringing the apple sauce used in the recipe to 1/2 c.

Wasabi Pea Crusted Tofu with Bok Choy and Ponzu-Soy Dipping Sauce

How does one come to enjoy eating tofu? Well, after severely abusing chicken on the George Foreman grill during my sophomore year of college, I cut myself off from the protein and decided to make the switch to tofu. I have since reintroduced chicken into my cooking rotation, but for about 2 years my go-to was the spongy scary white blob that many prefer to avoid.

While my use of the ingredient often leads to a stir-fry of some sort, I'm always on the hunt for ways to feature tofu as the main event. When I came across a recipe for pistachio crusted tofu, the hunt was over. I decided that a twist on the idea would be a great direction for my first tofu blog post (I can't believe it has taken so long!). Instead of using pistachios, the accompanying ingredient would be, drum rollll...wasabi peas!

Interestingly, wasabi as we know it in the US is really just a colored horseradish-based substitute, rather than the expensive and difficult to cultivate root vegetable found in Japan. "Western wasabi" is often found alongside sushi and sashimi or in this case, incorporated into a coating on green peas. Usually famous for their heat, this particular variety of wasabi peas did not have quite as much kick to them as others I have tried, however I still enjoyed the flavor they added to the tofu. I'm sure blending with some additional wasabi powder or paste would have solved the heat dilemma.

One of the funniest memories I have of tofu is my mom trying to get me to eat it in 4th grade through some sneaky tactics. By putting the tofu in "burger" form she managed to trick me...at least for a few bites. But with dessert on the line, I had to find a way to get through the meal. This phase of highly nutritious, tofu laden dishes often left my dad craving a greasy Whopper every now and then, but he too has come around.

One reason that I love cooking with this food that so many find repulsive is that it's very easy to transform the flavor into whatever you want. Almost like a blank canvas that gives you the artistic freedom to go to work. In this case I thoroughly enjoyed the added flavors of both the wasabi peas and the ponzu dipping sauce, which really added a memorable finishing touch.
As you know by now, adding green to my plate completes the meal for me. Bok choy is always a wonderful complement to tofu dishes so I opted to use it once again.The recipe:

(Adapted from Epicurious)
1/2 block firm tofu
1/2 c. ponzu sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup wasabi peas
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. soy sauce

Bok Choy:
2 heads baby bok choy
1 clove garlic, minced

Begin by draining the water from the tofu package and slicing the tofu block down the middle (long side). Return the unused half to the package, cover with some water and plastic wrap, unless doubling this recipe. Slice the remaining piece in half again and then form triangles from the 2 large rectangles. In reality you can do any shape you'd like.

Place the pieces of tofu between paper towels to absorb the excess water.

Mince the garlic and set aside the equivalent of one clove for the bok choy. Add the remaining garlic to a shallow dish with ponzu sauce. Then set the pieces of tofu in the dish. Be sure the tofu is at least partially covered and allow to marinate for about 15 minutes, turning halfway through.

Meanwhile, prepare the bok choy by simply washing and slicing the baby bok choy to the desired size and then saute over medium heat until softened. Pour the wasabi peas into a mini food processor and blend into a powder form. Once blended spread on a plate with the pepper.

Once the tofu is done marinating, dip the pieces in the wasabi pea powder to coat each side then saute in sesame oil over med-high heat until golden brown.

Reserve the ponzu marinade and combine with soy sauce for a delicious dipping sauce.

Asian Inspired Quinoa Salad

There is something about bright and colorful food that just instantly enhances my mood. I guess that could explain why I've added this recipe to my regular rotation. Not only is it made with my favorite superfood - quinoa - but it is also loaded with delicious vegetables, including sugar snap peas, which I love and red cabbage, which I would otherwise probably never eat.
Not surprisingly, the credit goes to mama dukes for introducing this recipe to me. Despite going through a few very over the top healthy phases throughout my life, she has now toned it back to recipes that tend to be heart-healthy crowd pleasers.

Although this dish has great ingredients packed into each and every bite, the flavors are enhanced by the accompanying sauce which consists of jam, vinegar, oil, ginger and salt. Originally the recipe calls for orange marmalade, however because I had it around I substituted apricot jam, which absolutely worked just as well.

The final touches call for cilantro and scallions, however I decided to mix the scallions right in leaving cilantro as the remaining ingredient. Now, I've had a lifelong battle with cilantro; once an herb I used to abhor, because I was 100% certain I was eating soap, I now appreciate the subtle way it can add an immense amount of flavor to a dish. As a result of simply not having any on hand, I didn't include cilantro in the dish this time around, however I would recommend it for the brave souls who have come to love the flavor!

The recipe:
(Adapted from WeightWatchers)

1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp orange marmalade
2 tsp dark sesame oil
1 Tbsp ginger root, fresh, grated
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup uncooked sugar snap peas, trimmed (halved if you want)
1 cup shredded carrot(s)
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 small sweet red pepper, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp scallion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted


In a small saucepan, combine broth and quinoa. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low then cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the dressing by whisking together the rice wine vinegar, marmalade, sesame oil, ginger and salt; set aside.

After quinoa has cooked for 10 minutes, toss in snap peas to partially steam them. Cover and simmer until most of liquid has been absorbed, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and stir in carrots, cabbage, peppers, scallions, sesame seeds and dressing; mix to thoroughly combine. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

White Russian Cupcakes

For mature audiences only!

With the cupcake craze that's been sweeping the nation for the past several years, it's a mystery to me why cocktail cupcakes haven't been at the forefront. Finally, you can have your alcohol and eat it too!

One fateful day at work, a girl in my group introduced our team to Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes and there was no turning back from there. My mind immediately started racing, wondering how to make my own version of these alcohol-laced cupcakes. After a very productive brainstorming and googling session with one of my would-be-cupcake victims, I settled on the White Russian inspiration (runner up: Caramel martini cupcakes).

The recipe is undoubtedly very decadent, but the end result was so delicious. I'm sure my basketball teammates (the recipients) would vouch for them and would also maybe argue that I was a bit of a lush when it came to the Kahlua in the buttercream icing...oops!

The cupcake recipe in and of itself was pretty straightforward, but interestingly it called for instant pudding mix, which made the cupcakes extra moist and spongy (in a really good way).

Combining a few recipe ideas, I decided to fill the cupcakes using some newly purchased decorating tools. I settled on Irish Cream filling, which certainly did the trick, though I refuse to ever manually whip heavy cream into a solid state again without the help of an electric appliance. Despite my frequent trips to the gym, my arms just are not cut out for that.

The finishing touches were piping on the Kahlua buttercream icing and dusting with some chocolate shavings. Sugar coma accomplished.

The recipe:
Cake mix (Vanilla, 18.25oz)
Sugar-free, fat-free instant vanilla pudding (1.7oz)
1 c. vegetable oil
3/4c. milk
4 large eggs
1/4 c. vodka
1/4 c. kahlua + 2 tbsp.
1 tsp. vanilla

Irish Cream Filling:
8 oz. heavy cream
4 oz. Irish liquer (Bailey's)

Kahlua Buttercream Icing:
1 stick butter
3 c. powdered sugar
3-4 tbsp. Kahlua (or my preferred method, to taste)
Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all ingredients for the cake into a bowl, setting aside the 2 tbsp of Kahlua for later. Scoop about 1/3 c. batter into each cup (they should be about 2/3 full) and bake for 17-20 mins. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes, then brush the tops with the remaining Kahlua.

Meanwhile, make the filling by whipping the heavy cream until it begins to thicken. Continue mixing and slowly add in the Bailey's. (This is all best served using an electric mixer of some sort).

Then make the icing by creaming the butter and adding in powdered sugar, salt and Kahlua.

To fill the cupcakes, use a pastry bag and long nozzle/decorating tip. Insert the tip and squezze in the filling while pulling the bag up away from the cupcake. Then, to ice the cupcakes, use a pastry bag again and squeeze out icing following a circular motion until the top is covered. Using a grater/zester, garnish the cupcakes with chocolate shavings.

Tips: Keep the cream filling and the icing refrigerated until you are ready to use them. Also, I would recommend refrigerating the cupcakes after so the alcohol doesn't cause the icing to start melting.

Spaghetti Squash Fritters with Yogurt Chive Sauce

In another wave of squash inspiration, I decided to do some experimenting with spaghetti squash. My mom first introduced me to the vegetable a number of years ago and I still to this day think it's a bit strange and unexpected...which I'm sure my college roommate would attest to given the look on her face the first time I cooked with it in our apartment. It makes for a great pasta stand-in, however, instead of "pasta", this time around I decided to attempt a fall version of a summer favorite, zuchinni fritters.

Zuchini fritters made their way into my repoitorie this summer after a Saturday stroll through my local Whole Foods, where they have made a tradition of hosting "Saturday Smackdowns". Each week a new feature ingredient is incorporated into a recipe in each of the different departments, which shoppers can then sample and vote on. One thing that caught my attention about the fritters was the use of chickpea flour instead of regular flour, which I decided to also adopt for my recipe. It might appear I have a mild obsession with everything chickpea, but the flour is high in protein, fiber, iron and is gluten free - who's complaining?

Aside from the cooking time to get the squash to its characteristically stringy, spaghetti form, the recipe was very quick and easy. I rarely am completely surprised by the outcome of the dishes I concoct, but the pairing of the squash with the fresh sage and other ingredients made for a delightfully light savory evening treat.

The recipe:

2 cups cooked spaghetti squash or 1/2 of a whole spaghetti squash)
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tablepsoons chopped Fresh Sage
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
2 teaspoons Garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground Pepper
1 egg
1 tbsp canola oil

Chives

Plain greek yogurt

Salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Roast, cut side down, on foil-lined, cooking sprayed baking sheet for ~35 minutes. Allow the squash to cool. With a fork, scrape the squash strands into a strainer resting over a bowl. Sprinkle with salt to help draw out the excess water. Meanwhile prepare the other ingredients, then squeeze the remaining water from the squash.

In a medium bowl, combine the squash spaghetti, sage, grated nutmeg, onion, garlic and pepper. Stir in the egg and flour and mix well until combined.

Form fritters by hand or using a 1/4 cup measure and sauté them in a pan using canola oil. Cook until the fritters are golden brown on each side, 4 to 6 minutes. After the fritters have cooked for a couple minutes. Place fritters on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

To prepare the yogurt chive dip, mix together plain greek yogurt, chopped fresh chives, salt and pepper to desired flavor.