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Sunday, August 8, 2010

Vegan Banana Oat-Nut Muffins

This is my own twist on vegan banana muffins.  I had an awesome recipe for banana muffins that I used to make all the time before becoming vegan, but now I think I've finally mastered the ultimate vegan banana muffin.  I made some with nuts and some without, and it good both ways.  My husband even loves them (they just came out of the oven and he already ate two) and he is usually skeptical of my cooking when I convert a recipe to vegan.  So, give these a try; they're really tasty.  (Feel free to cut the recipe in half.  This makes a least 24 big muffins-I usually freeze some and reheat them in the microwave or toaster later)

Ingredients:

6 mashed bananas
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (you can cut some of the sugar and replace it with molasses to make it healthier)
1tsp salt
2tsp baking soda
1-2 tablepoons cinnamon
1-2 tablespoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
2 cups of flour
1 cup oats
Chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 and spray cooking spray in muffin tins (you can use papers if you want, just make sure to spray them with cooking spray).
Mash the bananas and add the oil and applesauce.
Add both types of sugar and mix well.
Add the salt, baking soda, and spices
Mix in the flour
Mix in the oats.
Mix in some of the nuts if you're using them (leave some to sprinkle on top)
Spoon the batter into muffin tins until they're 3/4 full
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until they look golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Enjoy with a nice cup of tea!






Freezer Waffles (or Pancakes!)

Sunday mornings are so relaxing for me. All throughout the week, I get up early to either get to work super early, or to workout and then get to work early. On Saturdays my mom and I always go out for coffee and then to Yard sales when the weather is nice. Sundays are the day when I can sleep until I wake up, lounge in bed lazily until I feel like getting up, then I drink tea until I feel like doing something else. Sometimes I get the urge to cook a nice breakfast, and this recipe is perfect for a Sunday morning breakfast. It doesn't take that long to make, but it's not something I'd feel like bothering with on a weekday. The cool part is that you can make this whenever you feel like it, then freeze the waffles so that you can have them whenever you want. They freeze just as well as the frozen waffles you buy at the store, except these are more delicious, you can customize with the ingredients that you like, and they're much cheaper.

Here's what you need:
Boxed pancake mix (you can make your own if you want, but the box is easier)
Milk and eggs (if your box mix calls for it. I usually get the box mix that does not have milk and eggs because I add vegan alternatives like almond milk and applesauce)
Whatever mix-ins and toppings you'd like!

If you have a waffle maker (we do, and we LOVE it!!!!), you can use that. Otherwise, you can simply make pancakes. Make the mix according to the directions on the box, then you can add fruit (frozen blueberries, strawberries, banana, etc), nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts), coco powder, chocolate chips, peanut butter, whatever you want. I usually make several different kinds then freeze them in separate freezer storage bags. Last time I made cinnamon waffles, blueberry waffles, and waffles with coco powder.

To cook waffles, preheat the waffle maker, pour in about 1/4 batter per waffle, close the lid, and wait until the steam stops coming out (about 5 minutes). To cook pancakes, preheat a non-stick skillet at medium heat. You can use non-stick cooking spray to make sure the pancakes will come off easy. Pour the batter into the skillet and wait until the edges start to bubble and pop. Then, carefully flip it over with a spatula and cook the other side.

Eat them hot and fresh, or freeze them and pop one in the toaster when you want a delicious breakfast. You can also add in flax powder, protein powder, wheat germ, or other ingredients for added nutrition. You can have lots of fun with this recipe. Let me know what your favorite ingredient combinations are!

Here's a link to some cheap waffle makers on Amazon.com. Mine makes 4 at a time, and it wasn't very expensive. If you want to make extra waffles to freeze, I highly recommend a waffle maker that makes 4 at a time.

This is one of the best deals I saw:






And this one is more expensive but it makes really cute heart shaped waffles (5 at a time!):