Carrot Muffins

When my children were small, oddly enough they loved vegetables. But as they got older, green food became "not cool". They started not to eat fruits and vegetables like they used to. So, to improvise, I would sneak it in their food. I would puree the vegetables in soup so they would not see the chunks or would make healthy snack items. One of the items I usually make are these carrot muffins. Moist and so tasteful, it has become a hit here in our household. I use whole wheat flour for extra fibre. If you do not like the taste of whole wheat, all purpose flour can be used.

Carrot Muffins



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

one or two 12-cup muffin pans, greased or lined with paper liners

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

3/4 cups raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups peeled and grated carrots

3 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

Combine the flour, sugar, raisins, walnuts, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt in a large bowl. Stir well.

Beat carrots, eggs and oil. Add to dry ingredients all at once, stirring just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pans, filling three quarters full for regular-size or full for large-size muffins.

Bake for 20 minutes for regular muffins or 27 minutes for large muffins or until tops spring back when lightly touched.

Variations:
Omit nuts if desired. My kids hate nuts so I make carrot muffins without the nuts.

Switch the carrots with shredded zucchini.

A healthy breakfast alternative. My son

Polenta Fries

Polenta considered northern Italy's peasant food back in the day has now become a gourmet item. Even though my parents are from the central part of Italy, polenta was served particularly in the winter months. My mother would serve hot polenta with a delicious tomato sauce topped with homemade sausages.

Today I converted this plain corn flour into delicious fries. The dipping sauce is made of homemade tomato sauce. Adding a little hot pepper would add a little zing to this dish.

Polenta Fries Served With Spicy Tomato Sauce

Polenta Fries

Preheat Oven to 425 degrees F

4 cups water, salted
1 cup polenta flour (cornmeal)
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Pinch salt and pepper

Boil the water. Add salt and polenta stirring constantly. For about 20 minutes or until mixture has thickened.

 

 

Once the mixture has thickened, remove from heat and add the rosemary and parmesan. Stir until well incorporated. Spread onto a greased baking sheet.

Refrigerate the polenta until completely cooled. For about an hour. In the meantime, you can start making the tomato sauce.

1 can of tomato puree (14 ounces)
2 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove
1/2 onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes

Simmer all the ingredients above in a pot on medium heat. Cook for about 20-30 minutes.

While the sauce is cooking, you can grab the polenta. Remove from pan and start slicing the polenta into fries. I dipped the wedges into rice flour to add more crispiness to the fries. You can use regular flour if you wish.

Bake the fries for about 25-30 minutes or until crispy; rotating the pan halfway through. Remove and sprinkle with more parmesan if you wish.

Healthy and gluten free!

A Natural Version to The Peanut Butter Cup

There's one chocolate that I absolutely love which is Reeces Peanut Butter Cups. The delicious chocolate complemented by the peanut butter is truly heaven. But not exactly great for my abs, butt and thighs. So I'll switch it up with this recipe. I'll pretend play with this healthy rendition of the peanut butter cup. Just as good but it is actually good for you. When you have that sugary, chocolate craving, keep a stash of these on hand. Even better eaten out of the freezer.

Using dark chocolate, natural peanut butter and banana. It truly makes a delicious treat. 

Banana Peanut Butter Cups

You will need:

1 banana, sliced

1/4 cup natural peanut butter or almond butter

2 tsp coconut oil

100g dark chocolate bar

small paper candy cups

Blend 1 tsp of the coconut oil with the peanut butter in a bowl and set aside

Melt the dark chocolate and 1 tsp of the coconut oil

Drop the chocolate in the cup approx. 1/2 tsp. add banana, then layer the peanut butter and top with chocolate.

I place the cups in mini tart tin tray to keep the shape of the cups.

Freeze for 20 minutes.

Store in an air tight container.

A Big Happy Mother's Day to All of You!

I want to personally wish all mothers a Happy Mother's Day. We would not be here without you! Muah! I dedicate this blog to my mother. She has inspired me. From a little girl cooking/baking, entertaining, arts and crafts, housekeeping etc. has been taught to me by my mother. And I could not thank her enough!

Today we all went out for breakfast to celebrate this occasion. As I am writing this I cannot breathe for how full I feel. I made myself some detox water and would like to share with you! I always keep flavored water in the fridge. Just to add some flavor to the water.

Mango Ginger Water

 

Mango Ginger Water

1/2 cup mango

a slice of ginger

fill a water bottle or mason jar with water or sparkling water

Let it infuse for 2-4 hours

Lemon Blueberry Water

 

Lemon/Blueberry Water


Add a 1/4 cup of blueberries and a few wedges of lemon into your mason jar or canteen and fill with water or sparkling water. Let stand in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours to let the flavors infuse into the water.

Feeling Peachy

Breakfast to me is my favorite meal of the day. I like to wake up and start my day with something tasty, healthy and delicious. And, most importantly filling. I need substance to carry me through my busy morning. When my healthy eating started, I have to admit, I found a lot of the recipes to be truly gross. I know, I know, it's suppose to be good for you. But if I have to plug my nose and gag to eat it. Forget it! So, steel cuts oats they say is really good for you. It lowers your cholesterol, it's filling, but...it's tasteless. That gets my wheels turning on how I can make this healthy grain tasty. I love peaches but unfortunately, it is not in season. I created this recipe and used frozen peaches. When in season, use fresh. I added a citrus twist to naturally flavor the oats.

Steel Cut Oats With Peaches

Steel Cut Oats With Peaches

2 1/2 cups                    water
1 cup                            steel cut oats   
1/2 tsp.                         salt
1 cup                            sliced peaches fresh or frozen
1                                   zest of one orange
1                                   juice of one orange
2 tbsp.                          maple syrup or honey
1/2 cup                        vanilla almond milk
1/2 tsp                         cinnamon
a pinch                         nutmeg

Add the steel cut oats, zest and peaches to the boiling water. Add the salt and let boil until cooked (about 20 min). When the oats are almost cooked, add the almond milk. Remove from heat and add the orange juice and stir. If you feel the oats are not sweet enough, add more maple syrup to suit your taste.

You can also add pumpkin seeds, nuts or chia seeds.

Make this ahead of time so you have it ready for breakfast for the week.

A Healthy Alternative To Beer Nuts

I have a stash of these at my office. I usually crave sugar around 3pm. So to hit the spot I brew some green tea and munch on these almonds. A good way to curve your sugar craving.

You can also serve these as an appetizer with pre-dinner drinks or at a card game with the girls or guys. Just store them in an air tight container to have on hand. It really doesn't take long to make. A great healthy substitute to beer nuts.

Roasted Almonds

Roasted Almonds

Ingredients

2 tbsp.                       egg white or egg white of one egg

1 tbsp.                       vanilla extract

3 cups                       almonds

2 tbsp.                      coconut sugar, maple syrup or honey

1 tsp.                        salt

1 tsp.                       cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300F
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy, beat in the vanilla.
3. Add almonds, stir gently to coat.
4. Combine sugar, salt and cinnamon; add to nut mixture and stir gently to coat.
5. Spread evenly into a greased pan.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until almonds are crisp, stirring once; cool.

Store in an airtight container.

Broccoli Salad With A Twist

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The original recipe called for mayonnaise and bacon. I've modified the recipe to a more healthier side by using chicken bacon and using a greek yogurt dressing which is just as yummy. If you're not feeling it with the chicken bacon, by all means use the real deal. No worries :)

Broccoli Salad With Greek Yogurt Dressing

Broccoli Salad

1 bunch        broccoli washed and chopped
1/2                medium red onion
1/2 cup         salted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup         golden raisins (I also added some dried cranberries)
10 slices       bacon or chicken bacon (cooked and chopped)
Greek Yogurt Dressing (see below)

Wash and chop the broccoli in very small pieces. (I like the stem as well, just remove the tough outer layer). Cut up the bacon in very small pieces and fry until very crisp. Combine all ingredients.

Greek Yogurt Dressing

2 tbsp.           fresh lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
1 tbsp.           white wine vinegar
1.5 tsp           sugar
2 cloves         garlic, minced
1/2 cup          greek yogurt or you can also use sour cream
2 tbsp.           extra virgin olive oil
1.5 tsp           sea salt
dash              black pepper
1 tsp             greek organo or regular oregano

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well incorporated. Slowly add the dressing to the salad and incorporate.

I usually like to refrigerate this salad for about 24 hours before serving.

Breakfast of Champions

My children and I try our best to cook and eat as healthy as we can during the week and allow for a guilty pleasure on the weekend. So to make our meals a little interesting during the week, I have to make the meals healthy and taste good. So I made up this breakfast meal using quinoa. As seen in my previous post I've made some delicious variations for breakfast. I hope you enjoy this recipe. It smells like apple pie!

Apple Cinnamon Quinoa by The Suburban Single Mom

Apple Cinnamon Quinoa

2 cups      water
1 cup       quinoa
2              apples cored, peeled and cubed
1 tsp        cinnamon
1/2 tsp     nutmeg
1/2 tsp     salt
1/2 cup    raisins
1/4 cup    walnuts, chopped
2 tbsp.     maple syrup
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk

Boil the quinoa and apples until cooked. Remove from stove and add the raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, maple syrup and almond milk. Stir until combined. I served this with a dollop of vanilla greek yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon and walnuts.

Tasty and filling. Enjoy!

Breakfast On The Go!

We all live busy lives. Leaving in a rush in the morning to work, driving the kids to school, going to class, etc. etc. etc. Just because our lives are busy doesn't mean we should sacrifice our health. Going through the drive through for a quick fix is no excuse. I usually make this parfait the night before so there's no excuse. I used flavored cottage cheese. If you're not a fan of cottage cheese,  greek yogurt is also a yummy substitute.

Use a mason jar to quickly pack this breakfast parfait on the go. I used fresh (or frozen) berries to make this. Layer the cottage cheese (yogurt), a layer of granola, then a layer of fruit and repeat. It's that simple! I used strawberries and blueberries and vanilla flavored cottage cheese! Yum!

I found these really cute mini chalkboards at the dollar store! OMG! The endless possibilities for these cute and inexpensive chalkboard clippies. I used an elastic band around the jar to fasten the spoon and clipped this tag on the jar! Enjoy! xo

Guacamole Dip

This dip is so delicious served with tortilla chips, tostitos, on a piece of toast, multigrain cracker or veggies. I love serving several dips as a pre-dinner nibble when I am hosting an event.

Guacamole Dip

3 ripe avocados
1/2 small onion
juice of one lime
6 cherry tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. cilantro, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Remove the flesh of the avocado and place in medium mixing bowl. Mash with the backside of a fork until smooth. Add the onion, tomato, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir until blended.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Date Breakfast Cookies

You are not going to believe that these cookies are sugar free and healthy too! I made a batch last night and guess what? There's nothing left! Gone! 1 had the privilege of only tasting one cookie. The dates, raisins and maple syrup add to the sweetness of this cookie. Soft and chewy and just the right amount of spice. A perfect breakfast on the go or for an afternoon snack (if it lasts until the afternoon).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, line baking sheet with parchment paper

1/4 cup      dates pitted and chopped
3 tbsp.       coconut oil
1                egg
1 tsp.         vanilla
3 tbsp.       maple syrup
1/2 cup      quinoa flour
1/3 cup      all purpose flour
1/4 cup      rolled oats
1/2 tsp.      each of baking powder and baking soda
1/2 tsp.      cinnamon
1/4 tsp.      each of nutmeg and sea salt
1/2 cup      raisins

In a bowl whisk together the flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and raisins. In a food processor, puree dates, coconut oil, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla. add to flour mixture and stir until combined.

Drop by the tablespoon and keep approximately 3 inches apart.

Bake for about 12-15 minutes.  Let cool.

Yield: 18 cookies

Bocconcini Salad

Spring has sprung here in Canada - finally! We had snow last week and this week we have hit double digit temperatures! To celebrate spring, I made this salad for dinner last night to complement the roasted chicken. Light, easy and delicious, my kids crave for this dish believe it or not!

 



This recipe is quite easy. Slice cherry tomatoes in half. Add sliced cucumber and mini bocconcini. Add salt, black pepper, fresh or dried basil and extra virgin olive oil. That's it! So tasty!

Lemon Chia Loaf

This delicious and moist loaf will be a perfect start to your day. You can serve this for breakfast with a dollop of vanilla greek yogurt or call your friends over and serve this with a nice cup of coffee or tea.

Lemon Chia Loaf

1 1/2 cups    all-purpose flour
1/4 cup        almond flour
1/4 cup        chia seeds
1 tsp            baking powder
1/2               tsp salt
1 cup           granulated sugar
1 cup           plain yogurt
3 large         eggs
1/3 cup        vegetable oil
2 tbsp.         lemon zest
2 tbsp.         lemon juice
1 tsp            vanilla (I used limoncello liquor) for that extra lemony flavor

Mix together flour, almond meal, chia seeds, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Whisk the sugar, yogurt, eggs, oil, lemon zest, juice and vanilla until well blended. Incorporate the flour mixture and blend well.

Scrape batter into a greased 8x4 inch loaf pan.

Bake in preheated 325 degrees oven for about 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

A delicious and healthy alternative to the pound cake.

Lemon Blueberry Breakfast Parfait

Healthy eating has become a lifestyle in our home. The children and I try our best to eat healthy all week. For breakfast I have been making this parfait made with cottage cheese. Before you cringe, I must say this is so delicious! Nordica (Gaylea) has introduced creamed flavored cottage cheese! I'm not a fan of cottage cheese but I do enjoy this!

1 (113g) container of plain smooth cottage cheese
1 (113g) container of smooth cottage cheese in lemon
10 unsalted almonds
1/3 blueberries

I incorporated the plain and lemon flavored cottage cheese so it's not as sweet. Layer the cottage cheese, almonds and blueberries for a delicious, healthy breakfast. If you're in a rush, create this parfait in a mason jar so you can pack and go.

I love this especially in the morning. The lemon refreshes and cleanses your mouth.

Enjoy!