Blueberry Pumpkin Muffins

Prep15 m
Cook20 m
Ready In40 m

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
2/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries, thawed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.

Mix the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a mixing bowl until evenly blended. 

In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, milk, egg, and butter. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, just until all ingredients are moistened. Fold in the blueberries. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling to the top.

Bake in preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes.

Carrot Cake

Based on http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2015/03/23/my-favorite-carrot-cake-recipe/

Ingredients:

CAKE

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup (240ml) vegetable or canola oil
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (133g) smooth unsweetened applesauce (I used frozen grapes ground up in the food processor; you can also use crushed pineapple.) 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups (260g) grated carrots (about 4 large)2 and 1/2 cups (312g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup raisins or other dried fruit
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray two 9-inch cake pans* with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, oil, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla together until combined. Set aside. In another large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and, using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold the ingredients together until just combined.
3. Mix in carrots and dried fruit. 
4. Pour/spoon the batter evenly into the two cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack.

(Sweet) Veggie Muffins

YIELD 24 muffins

INGREDIENTS

Original:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (or what you have on hand)
• 2 -3tablespoons soy flour (omit if you'd like but it adds protein)
• 1teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1⁄3cup brown sugar (or other sweetener)
• 2 -3tablespoons honey (optional)
• 1egg
• 3cups vegetables, pureed (I use 6 jars of baby food)
• 1teaspoon vanilla
• 2teaspoons cinnamon

My version:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup chickpea flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 cup butter, softened
• 1⁄2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups pureed carrots and broccoli stems (I boiled and food processed, thinning with some of the veggie broth until applesauce-like in consistency) 
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 dash of nutmeg
• 1 tsp ginger powder (optional) 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spray muffin pans or line with muffin papers.

Mix ingredients with electric mixer until well blended.

Fill muffins 2/3 full with batter.

Bake 25 minutes (I baked 35 minutes and tops were barely browned) until or toothpick comes out clean.

Cool partially in the pan then remove to wire rack.

Store half in an air tight container.

Freeze the other half. Microwave to defrost.


If you are using your own steamed vegetables, you may need to add some fruit juice to thin it out to the consistency of applesauce.If you don't have 3 cups of vegetables, make up the difference with unsweetened apple sauce or mashed bananas.n

Pasta Sauce With Hidden Veggies

Sometimes what you don’t know can help you, especially when it comes to getting vegetables on the table. Kids will always eat pasta with tomato sauce but they won’t always eat their vegetables—so it can help to magically, mysteriously hide them in the sauce. This is the sort of sauce that you may end up making on a regular basis, so it’s worth investing in an immersion blender. It really speeds up the works.

YIELD: SERVES 4


Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes
a sprinkle or two sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 bell pepper, any color, chopped
1 zucchini, shredded
few handfuls baby spinach

Procedure

Heat the oil in a saucepan with the onions and garlic. Sauté them until they begin to soften and caramelize. Pour in the tomatoes, toss in the salt and pepper, oregano, carrots, bell pepper and zucchini. Simmer for 20 minutes or so.

Stir in the spinach and continue simmering briefly as it wilts and heats through.

Purée the sauce with an immersion blender directly in the pot to minimize mess or with your food processor or blender. Reheat as needed, then cross your fingers and serve with your family’s favourite pasta.

Black Bean Brownies

Black Bean Brownies

1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8×8 square baking dish.

Combine the black beans, eggs, oil, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, sugar, and instant coffee in a blender; blend until smooth; pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the mixture.

Bake in the preheated oven until the top is dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.

Yield:  16 brownies (2″ x 2″)