Tag Archives: healthy cooking

Muffin Mindfulness

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If you are anything like me you enjoy a nice sweet, yet light muffin in the morning. I created what I’m calling my “Spring into Spring” muffin this week to share with the team of gifted clinicians I have the great pleasure of working with. My little muffin is hearty and it provides the energy for hard working people to get through their morning without that late-morning drop in energy that sneaks up on us. 

You know what I’m talking about…you are suddenly aware that you want to take a nap, you are shaky and find it hard to concentrate. Everyone around is now irritating and it is challenging to be calm or kind. A little Hypoglycemic maybe? If there is a snack bar or vending machine nearby you are contemplating heading that way. WAIT! You can head that off with this little “Spring into Spring” muffin. Simply pull it out of your lunchbox, (yes that’s what I said…lunchbox…I’ll be doing a blog post in the near future about packing your healthy lunch/snack for work) grab a cup of green tea with a little honey and experience a moment of sheer pleasure!

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Spring into Spring Muffin Mix: remember to use organic non GMO whenever you can. This is a vegan recipe but you can add 2 eggs if you’d like to make these muffins a bit more fluffy. You can also substitute the brown sugar with maple syrup for a less sugar option.

1.5 cups whole wheat flour

½ cup flax meal

2 teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup maple syrup

1 cup applesauce (unsweetened)

½ cup Greek yogurt

½ cup coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups grated carrot

½ cup grated coconut

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup raisins

¾ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup whole oats

Prepare a muffin pan with Spectrum organic butter flavored shortening.

In a medium bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flour, flax meal, baking soda, spices.

I a separate small bowl mix together the grated carrot, coconut, cranberries, raisins and walnuts.

In a larger bowl mix together the coconut oil, maple syrup and brown sugar (add eggs if you are including them) and the applesauce. Mix until blended. The mixture will be chunky but don’t worry. Add vanilla.

Slowly add the dry ingredients blending completely until mixture if light and fluffy.

Fold in the carrot mixture and blend completely by hand.

Sprinkle the whole oats in the bottom of the prepared muffin tin, and on top of the muffins before placing in the oven to bake.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350.

Find your peaceful place and enjoy a muffin.

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Tu Vein Kim Son Buddhist Monastery, Watsonville, CA

 

Health is the greatest possession.

Contentment is the greatest treasure.

Confidence is the greatest friend.

Non-being is the greatest joy.

                        Lao Tzu, Father of Taoism

Blessed Be

 

Cooking with Family and Friends

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My kitchen remodel is nearly done and it’s looking great! We have had a ton of fun cooing together this past week and learning where things are as we go. The contractors will return after the New Year but for now it is just my kitchen. Sharing it here with my daughters, Hannah who flew in from California and Kristen who came over to bake.

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I hope you all are enjoying this season of family and friends. It has been quite busy in my kitchen and I’d like to share a couple recipes with you that we like to make. The first is so delicious and yet so simple and comes from The Kind Diet Cookbook by alicia silverstone.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups:

 ½ cup Earth Balance butter

¾ cup crunchy peanut butter (preferably unsweetened and unsalted)

¾ cup almond meal

¼ cup maple sugar or other granulated sweetener (I used regular sugar and it was fine)

1 cup grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate or carob chips

¼ cup soy, rice, or nut milk

¼ cup chopped pecans, almonds, or peanuts

  •  Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
  • Melt the Earth Balance butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the peanut butter, almond meal and maple syrup and mix well.
  • Remove the mixture from the heat. Evenly divide the mixture, approximately 2 tablespoons per cup, among the muffin cups.
  • Combine the chocolate and milk in another pan. Stir over medium heat until the chocolate has melted.
  • Spoon the chocolate evenly over the peanut butter mixture. Top with chopped nuts.
  • Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours before serving.

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The refrigerator in the background which is my living room is going to the Habitat for Humanity Re-store soon!

Chestnut Tarts:

1 cup (5ounces) whole peeled chestnuts roasted or bottled dry chestnuts

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup maple syrup

2 large egg whites (free range, organic or egg substitute)

¼ tsp salt

2 packages 15 count phyllo pastry tarts

½ cup fresh whipped cream

  • Reconstitute chestnuts if dried, pulse in food processor until finely ground. Remove to a  medium bowl, stir in vanilla and maple syrup.
  • Beat together egg white, salt in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Fold into the chestnut mixture.
  • Place phyllo tarts into mini muffin pan and fill each with the chestnut mixture.
  • Bake at 375 for 10 minutes until golden.
  • Allow to cool and pipe a whipped cream star on top of each cooled tart.

Off to see Shakespeare and Company It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play with all my Children. Photos and story to follow.

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Kira and her pal Pooh approve of the kitchen remodel mostly because they can see out the new back door.

Be Well and Enjoy!

Boo-Ya… Black Bean Burgers and Thanks-Giving

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Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Well it’s that time of the year again when we are thinking about feasting with family and friends. I just love this time of Thanksgiving. We have a wonderful opportunity to take a moment with those we love dearly to reflect on what we are thankful for in our lives. For some of us it is a large task as we may have faced life challenges that were not only beyond our control but beyond our capacity to endure. The Art of Thanksgiving is for us to dig deep into our hearts and find something that brought us joy…inspired us in some way and will remain tucked neatly in our soul for eternity. I am thankful for the family and friends I have been blessed with!

So this week has just flown by and today my darling Hannah arrives from California. Furniture has been rearranged and the menu for our family Thanksgiving is in the works. This year will bring some changes at our Thanksgiving table but many of the favorites from years past. After all Thanksgiving has a tradition attached to it so we come together with the expectation of seeing and experiencing those dishes. We are very blessed to be able to come together to share our meal. I am ever aware of my blessings and grateful always! Along with food changes there will be some family members absent at the table and they will be sorely missed. To mom and brother, John feast on up there in heaven and be with us as you are able.

One of the dishes I plan to add to our feast is my new favorite Boo-Ya Black Bean Burgers! They are simply delightful with a bit of secret sauce (recipe will appear in the secret sauces post at a later date) on top oh my.

So simple to make here is my recipe but you can make adjustments to taste.

1 ½ cup organic black turtle beans – washed and soaked overnight

1 cup cooked organic millet and corn – see millet post for directions

¼ cup organic whole wheat pastry flour

1 organic sweet onion finely chopped

2 large organic carrots finely chopped

2 stalks organic celery finely chopped

½ cup finely chopped fresh organic parsley

Organic Olive oil

  • Cook beans with 2inch piece of soaked kombu in just enough water to cover for approximately 45 minutes or until soft. Check the beans as they cook and add water if needed to prevent sticking on bottom of pot.
  • Cook millet and corn as directed (see previous post)
  • Chop carrots, celery and onions and sauté in 1 tblsp. olive oil until soft.
  • Mash cooked beans with potato masher until about half the beans are mashed. I like to leave some beans for texture and appearance.
  • Add the millet, vegetables and mix well.
  • Sprinkle the pastry flour over mixture and blend in thoroughly.
  • Form bean paste into patties and cook on medium heat in enough olive oil to prevent sticking.
  • Turn burgers after approximately 5 minutes (or when brown but not burned).

I use my spatula to continuously shape the bean paste into patties. The millet and flour are nice binding agents and add flavor. Keep patties warm in oven until all are cooked. Top with pumpkin seed sauce or tofu cream…yummy!

Kira and I hope you all have a most joyous Thanksgiving. Be well!