Banana Nutella Swirl Muffins

20 Comments

20130316-DSC_7889Hello! Today we are taking a short break from our regular scheduled programming of vegetarian food from around-the-world, so I can share this wonderful recipe for Banana Nutella Swirl Muffins. I’ve been making lists upon lists of globally inspired dishes I want to re-create and make over the next few months to share – but after I saw this recipe for Banana Nutella Swirl Muffins, I knew they had to be the next thing on my cooking/baking bucket list!

After a few days of not feeling well, I finally felt up to spending some time in the kitchen this morning. I decided to give these muffins a try as a treat for Jesse. My mom had so kindly sent some homemade banana bread home with us last Sunday….and I ate the last piece mid-week. For a while there, I did not think Jesse would ever forgive me! *haha* So, I made these muffins to make amends :) I mean, you cannot stay mad at a girl offering you freshly baked muffins! *hah* Thankfully Jesse was willing to share some of these muffins with me. The muffins themselves taste like deliciously moist banana bread, but with a decadent swirl of Nutella on top. Really….what’s not to love!? I loved how easy these muffins were to whip up. And they were the perfect excuse to use up some bananas going brown on the counter.  It’s somewhat of a blessing that the recipe only made 12, because I could see eating a whole half dozen in one sitting! Alas…I’ve learned my lesson though. I’ll leave the last muffin for Jesse :)

I’ll be back in a few days with a delicious pot pie recipe inspired by my mom. Happy weekend everyone! :)

Print
Banana Nutella Swirl Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 4 over-ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1/2 cup of sugar (or vegan white sugar)
  • 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg (or 1 flax egg)
  • 1/4 cup of canola oil
  • 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
  • Nutella (or vegan chocolate hazelnut spread)

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350'F. Prepare a muffin tin with liners and set aside.
  2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl. Whisk to combine ingredients well.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the mashed banana, sugar, brown sugar, egg, canola oil and vanilla extract.
  4. Slowly pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients whisking until there are no lumps. Do not over mix.
  5. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full. Top each muffin with a teaspoon of Nutella. Using a toothpick, swirl the Nutella into the muffin batter.
  6. Bake muffins for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and/or with dry crumbs.

Note: I poured a little extra batter into each muffin cup and baked them 19 minutes. This yielded 12 medium-large muffins.

Source: The Novice Chef

Cheesy Vegetable Tamale Pie

11 Comments

20130313-DSC_7867-3Over the past few days, there’s not been a lot of cooking going on in my kitchen. Jesse and I have discovered Downton Abbey and have become obsessed. What a truly fantastic show! I adore the characters. And, oh man – the clothes are incredible. We are just finishing up season two and will start season three tomorrow. Have you seen Downton Abbey? Great, isn’t it!?

Last night, our leftovers from the weekend (I made Oh My Veggie’s awesome Vegetable Baked Ziti) ran out and I needed to take a quick break from our Downton Abbey marathon to make some dinner for us. I decided to make one of my favourite, easy casseroles, so that we’d have left overs for tonight as well. This casserole is loaded with peppers, chilies, beans and corn and spiced with classic Mexican flavours of cumin, chili powder and fresh cilantro. The casserole is then baked with a cheesy, cornbread topping (reminiscent of tamales) and garnished with some lime crema and avocado slices. It’s hearty, filling and incredibly flavourful.

My favourite cornbread muffin mix to use is Bob’s Red Mill Cornbread Muffin Mix as it has great texture and is made with all-natural ingredients.

Print
Cheesy Vegetable Tamale Pie

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon of canola oil
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1 yellow pepper, diced
  • 1-4 ounce can of diced green chilies
  • 1-19 ounce can of mixed beans; well-rinsed
  • 1-12 ounce can of corn (without added salt)
  • 1 teaspoon of powdered garlic
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of chili powder (divided)
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin (divided)
  • 1/2 cup of vegetable stock
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1- 8 and 1/2 ounce bag of cornbread muffin mix (about 1 and 1/4 cups of mix)
  • 1 egg OR 1 flax egg
  • 1/8 cup of canola oil
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 1 and 1/4 cups of low-fat shredded cheddar cheese (divided) OR Daiya vegan shreds
  • 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped cilantro (optional)

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 400'F. Heat tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add red and yellow peppers and sauté another 5 minutes, or until peppers begin to softened.
  2. Add beans, green chilies and corn to the pan. Pour broth over the vegetables and reduce heat to a simmer. Stir in 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon of chili powder. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, combine the cornbread muffin mix (about 1 and 1/2 cups) with 1/8 cup of oil, 1 egg and 1/2 cup of water. Note: the batter should be thick, but still pourable. Add more water if needed. Season the cornbread topping batter with remaining half teaspoon of ground cumin and half teaspoon of chili powder. Fold in 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and freshly chopped cilantro.
  4. Add remaining 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese to the bean/pepper mixture and toss. Pour the mixture into a 10-inch square casserole dish. Spread evenly in the dish and then pour the cornbread topping mixture over top. Smooth topping.
  5. Bake in 400'F over for 25 to 30 minutes (or until the cornbread topping is golden). Allow tamale pie to sit for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with lime sour cream and fresh avocado slices.

Garnish: 1/2 cup of reduced fat sour cream mixed with 1 tablespoon of lime juice + avocado slices

Source: adapted from Better Homes and Gardens 

Vegetarian Yakisoba

17 Comments

20130306-DSC_7788-3Today we are headed on a culinary adventure to Japan to learn how to make one of my favourite Japanese dishes – Yakisoba. Yakisoba is a Japanese noodle dish often sold as street food in Japan. Yakisoba literally translates to “fried noodles in sauce” and is derived from the Chinese dish chow-mein. Soba noodles are cooked with sautéed cabbage, shredded carrots and fresh ginger then mixed with a sauce of soy, rice wine vinegar, chile-garlic paste and sesame oil. Yakisoba is often sold with pork or beef, but veggies are the focal point of this dish. Feel free to add sprouts or even some broccoli slaw to the mix. Vegetarian Yakisoba is a great, quick dinner option for busy week nights or for a lazy weekend.

Visiting Japan is currently the number one item on my bucket list with visiting Iceland as a close second. For over 12 years, I’ve been studying the Japanese language and culture. I would not say I’m completely fluent, but I can get by in Japanese. I adore the language. I find it to be incredibly beautiful. I studied Japanese literature, culture and history in university. And well, I cannot wait to finally see and experience Japan (and visit my friends Miho, Nana and Yukiko) and explore the incredible country. In the mean time, I’ve been learning how to cook a variety of Japanese specialties and adapt them into vegetarian dishes. I truly feel like cooking different ethnic dishes can temporarily transport you around the world. Another Japanese speciality that I’ve recently made is Vegetarian Gyoza – and they were fantastic!

Cultural Note: In Japan, one says “itadakimasu” before a meal to give thanks for the meal. It is to express gratitude for the person who has prepared the food. It’s similar to saying grace in Western culture. “Kanpai” is the Japanese equivalent of “Cheers!”

Print
Vegetarian Yakisoba

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces of uncooked soba noodles (or vermicelli noodles broken in half)
  • 1/4 cup of low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of chile-garlic paste
  • 2 teaspoons of sesame oil
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger
  • 1 small white onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 cups of shredded cabbage (such as napa or savoy); or mixed bagged cabbage
  • 2 carrots, peeled and shredded
  • sliced scallions for garnish (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon of black or white sesame seeds

Method

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the soba noodles for 2 minutes or vermicelli for 4 minutes. Drain and rinse quickly in cold water, so that the noodles do not stick together.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, chile-garlic paste and sesame oil. Set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions to the pan. Cook until onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Add ginger and sauté for 2 minutes.
  4. Add cabbage and shredded carrots to the frying pan. Cook on low-medium heat for about 5 minutes.
  5. Add soba or vermicelli noodles to the frying pan. Add prepared sauce. Toss noodles, sauce, cabbage and carrots to mix well. Cook another 2 minutes.

Serve with sliced scallions and sesame seeds.

Source: loosley adapted from Sue Lau on Food.com