Chewy Vegan Banana Nut Muffins

I am not a vegan, however, I have this fascination with vegan baking. Mostly, it's a fascination with substitution, and seeing what I can get away with to make something tasty, yet also nearly healthy. My primary goal is to make yummy treats that are lower in refined sugars, higher in fiber and lower in fat than their conventional cousins. Right now, I'm just playing with making my own recipes. Below is a recipe I recently made. The muffins turned out beautiful, though they are on the dense and chewy side. The nuts should help with the chewiness, by offering some texture difference. They also increase the protein, which I often need to balance out any carbs. Please let me know if you try this recipe, and how it works for you!

Chewy Vegan Banana Nut Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 bananas, pureed
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preparation

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Oil and flour three mini muffin pans or line with paper liners. Whisk flour and wheat germ, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and baking soda in medium bowl. Whisk almond milk and vanilla in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and banana puree in large bowl to blend. Beat well after each addition until mixture is evenly mixed, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with almond milk mixture in 2 additions. Mix just until blended. Mix in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups by generous tablespoonfuls.

Bake muffins until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 23-25 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pans and cool on rack.

Recipe Sunday: Favorite Salad, Tuna and Greens

Here's a quick and easy recipe that is just about one of my favorites. It uses Fishing Vessel St. Jude's Wild Troll Caught Pacific Albacore tuna (which is superior to what you find at most grocery stores due to mercury and sustainability issues). We also use our favorite greens (Wild and Spicy Mix) from Alm Hill (also at the Ballard Farmer's Market.)

Here's the basics:

Lemon French Salad Dressing

1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoon paprika
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 pinch cayenne pepper
3/4 cup Olive Oil

Combine all but the olive oil in a blender or container that you can use with an immersion blender. While the blender is running, slowly add in the olive oil so it emulsifies, about 30-60 seconds, or until well blended. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

The salad:

Take the greens of your choice (I'd say about 2 cups per bowl) and pile them high in a bowl. This is where you can get creative. Some of my favorite toppings include kalamata olives, avocado and tomato. Then there's my standard 6 oz can of tuna nicely shredded up on top (use anything you like for protein, chicken, nuts, tofu, whatever.) Pour on the dressing, and you have a refreshing, tasty salad. A mainstay of my summer diet. One can of tuna usually equals two portions. Use left over dressing for salads throughout the week!

Sunday Recipe: Moroccan Apricot Couscous

Here's a recent low-point and filling recipe that worked like a charm. Highly recommended!

Moroccan Apricot Couscous
(from Tyler Florence's recipe Moroccan Chicken with Apricot Couscous and Green Olive Sauce in Flat Bread)

Weight Watchers POINTS® Value: 3 (Calculated using eTools)
Servings: 6

Level of Difficulty: Easy
Course: side dishes

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked couscous
1 1/2 cups water, warm
10 pieces dried apricots
1/4 cup almonds, whole, toasted
2 medium scallion(s), green parts only
1 cup fresh mint
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 medium lemon, juiced
2 tsp olive oil, drizzled
1 tsp kosher salt, to taste
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Instructions

Put the couscous in a medium bowl; pour the water over it, stir with a fork to combine. Cover and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then uncover and fluff with a fork. Put the apricots, almonds, green onions, mint, and cilantro on a cutting board and coarsely chop everything up; add this to the couscous. Add lemon juice, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.