Tag: easy prep

Adaptable Recipes, Breakfast, Makeover Monday Meals

Makeover Monday Meals- Banana Nut Muffins

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Bakery Style Banana Nut Muffins by She’s Not Cookin adapted by Still A Chick Lit

 

INGREDIENTS

1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour (gluten-free all-purpose flour, 1 to 1 gluten-free baking blend, white rice, brown rice, or sorghum flour)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

⅛ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

3 ripe bananas, mashed

½ cup granulated sugar (Swerve sweetener, Splenda granulated, coconut, turbinado, or raw cane sugar, pulsed finely)

 

¼ cup light or dark brown sugar (Splenda brown sugar substitute, Splenda brown sugar substitute, or organic brown sugar)

1 egg, lightly beaten ( 3 tablespoons Aquafaba, ¼  cup silken tofu pureed with 1/8 teaspoon baking soda, 1 flaxseed or chia seed egg, vegan egg replacer=1 egg, liquid mung bean egg replacer=1 egg)

 

⅓ cup melted unsalted butter, cooled (unsalted vegan butter)

½ cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

Streusel Topping

⅓ cup brown sugar (Splenda brown sugar substitute, Splenda brown sugar substitute, or organic brown sugar)

 

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour (gluten-free all-purpose flour, 1 to 1 gluten-free baking blend, white rice, brown rice, or sorghum flour)

⅛ tsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp. cold unsalted butter (unsalted vegan butter)

½ cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

Pinch salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease 6 jumbo muffin tins. (or use paper cups)

Melt the butter and set it aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, combine mashed bananas, granulated sugar, brown sugar, beaten egg, and melted butter.

Add banana mixture to dry ingredients and stir just to combine. Do not over-mix.

Divide batter evenly into six jumbo muffin tins.

Streusel topping: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter. Cut in with a pastry blender or with clean hands until the mixture is crumbly.

Add in walnuts and mix well to combine.

Sprinkle generously on top of the muffins.

Bake in 425°F oven for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for another 20-25 minutes. Test with a toothpick or cake tester. It should come out clean when inserted in the center of the muffin.

Remove from muffin tins and cool on wire racks.

NOTES

Storage: Cool muffins and store them in a covered airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Alternatively, you can store cooled muffins in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Freezing: To freeze muffins for up to two months, place cooled muffins in a Ziplock bag or freezer-safe container.

 

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Adaptable Recipes, Dessert, Weekend Baking Warrior

Weekend Baking Project Chocolate Cupcakes

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There’s nothing in the world like cupcakes. It packs a lot of taste into every bite.  Nevertheless, there are times when a dozen is just too much temptation especially when it comes to chocolate. This is the beauty of small-batch recipes. This one comes from Just So Tasty

This makes 6 standard-size cupcakes or 4 jumbo-size cupcakes.

 

This recipe has been adapted by Still A Chick Lit

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcake original recipe by Just So Tasty

Ingredients

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free all-purpose flour, 1 to 1 gluten-free baking blend, brown rice, white rice, or sorghum flour)
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil or canola
  • ½ cup white sugar (Swerve Sweetener, Splenda granulated, coconut, raw cane, or turbinado sugar, finely pulsed)
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg(3 tablespoons of Aquafaba, 1/4 cup silken tofu pureed with 1/8 teaspoon baking soda, vegan egg replacer = 1 egg, liquid vegan egg replacer = 1 egg)
  • ⅓ cup buttermilk (dairy: low-fat, light, or whole-fat buttermilk)
  • (Non-dairy buttermilk 1/3 cup of unsweetened almond, soy, rice, or light coconut milk mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, let stand for at least five minutes)

Chocolate Frosting*

  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened (unsalted vegan butter)
  • 1 ½ – 2 cups powdered sugar (Swerve confectioner’s sugar substitute, organic powdered sugar, vegan powdered sugar)
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1–2 tablespoons milk or whipping cream (Dairy: heavy or light cream) (Non-dairy 1-2 tablespoons of full-fat coconut milk or almond milk)

Instructions

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees and line a muffin tin with muffin papers. You’ll end up with 6 or 7 cupcakes in total. I always use the middle 6 muffin cavities because I find the cupcakes cook more evenly.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  • In a separate medium bowl whisk together the oil, sugar, vanilla extract, and egg. Then whisk in the buttermilk.
  • Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until no lumps remain.
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each about ½ – ⅔ full. You should end up with 6 or 7 cupcakes total. Be sure not to fill the cupcake liners to the top.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Chocolate Frosting*

  • In a medium bowl, beat the butter until soft.
  • Beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. If it’s lumpy, be sure to sift it first.
  • Add in the cocoa powder (again, sifting if lumpy), vanilla extract, and salt and beat until combined.
  • Mix in the rest of the powdered sugar about ½ cup at a time, alternating with a tablespoon of milk/cream until the desired sweetness and thickness is reached.
  • Frost the cooled cupcakes with a knife, or transfer the frosting to a piping bag and frost. I used a piping bag and a Wilton 1M piping tip.

Adaptable Recipes, Dinner, Fall Comfort Recipes, Makeover Monday Meals

Makeover Monday Meal- Cast Iron Baked Ziti

ccanton84

 

 

There are basic factors recipes must meet in order to be the Makeover Monday Meal:

  1. It has to have a fairly short prep time, and the meal or dish should come together in less than an hour.
  2. The ingredients have to be easy to find in your grocery store, freezer, or fridge. The use of pantry items is a plus.
  3. The recipe has to be adaptable, even traditional meat recipes.
  4. It should be healthy

 

This week’s recipe for Cast Iron Baked Ziti comes from America’s Test Kitchen. This is a wonderful weeknight meal that comes together quickly and is easily adapted for a vegan/vegetarian or gluten-sensitive diet. The sauce is a combination of fresh tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, basil, mozzarella, and grated parmesan cheese. Moreover, as good as it tastes when you first make it, the leftovers actually taste better overnight in the fridge.

 

Cast Iron Baked Ziti America’s Test Kitchen

GATHER YOUR INGREDIENTS

1 ½ pounds grape tomatoes

1 tablespoon

extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon tomato paste

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

12 ounces (3 3/4 cups) ziti (gluten-free ziti)

3 cups water, plus extra as needed

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup) (vegan parmesan cheese)

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup) (vegan cheese like Daiya Provolone or mozzarella shreds are quite good)

INSTRUCTIONS

Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Heat 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Toss tomatoes with oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Add tomatoes to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred and blistered, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Off heat, coarsely mash tomatoes using a potato masher.

2

Stir in pasta and water and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to vigorous simmer, cover, and cook, stirring often, until pasta is tender, 15 to 18 minutes.

3

Stir in Parmesan and adjust sauce consistency with extra hot water as needed. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Transfer skillet to oven and broil until cheese is melted and spotty brown, about 5 minutes. Serve.

 

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Dinner, Fall Comfort Recipes, Makeover Monday Meals

Makeover Monday Meal- Soup’s On

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Well, November is here, and we are about to head into the heart of the holiday season. That said, Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away, and many of us will be gathering with family and friends to celebrate and give thanks together.

All of it means there’s a lot of planning underway to put family favorites on the table, and you might be looking to try a few new recipes to include for your get-together. As the unusually warm air gives way to colder temps, you might be looking for something that makes your feel warm inside, and a nice bowl of soup fits the bill.

This recipe comes to us courtesy of Catherine Fulvio of the Ballyknocken Cookery School in County Wicklow, Ireland. Catherine’s Kitchen Quarantine Edition had a wonderful recipe for red lentil soup, that’s soothing, delicious, and 100% vegan. The addition of coconut milk makes this soup creamy and velvety.  Many of us will have people with different dietary needs at our tables this Thanksgiving, and this is a soup that is sure to please.

Finally, the soup comes together quickly with a minimum of prep time. You can season the soup to your taste. Be mindful of the fresh ginger, it can have quite a bite. Keep tasting as you go along, and remember to use salt and pepper to balance everything on the palate. Also, Catherine has a tip for ginger that I always use. Store fresh ginger in the freezer. Use a freezer bag and use it as needed. Not only will it keep, but it also makes it far easier to use in recipes.

This recipe is Vegan. Vegetarian, Gluten-free, and low-fat.

I hope you give this a try.

 

Red lentil and ginger soup by Catherine Fulvio

 

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp Oil
  • 1 Onion finely chopped
  • 1 ½ Red Chilies deseeded and finely chopped
  • Pinch of Freshly Ground Nutmeg
  • 2 Red Peppers deseeded and diced
  • 4 oz Red Lentils soaked for 10 minutes in water and drained
  • 20 fl oz Vegetable Stock
  • 14 fl oz Can of Coconut Milk
  • 1 tsp Fresh Ginger grated
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Toasted Desiccated Coconut and Fresh Herbs to garnish

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion for 10 minutes until transparent.
  • Add chili and ginger and cook for a further minute.
  • Add the peppers, lentils, and nutmeg and stir to mix. Add the coconut milk and the stock to the soup. Leave to simmer until the vegetables are fully cooked through and the lentils are soft. Remove from heat and blend until smooth. Season to taste.
  • Sprinkle over the toasted coconut, garnish with fresh herbs and serve.
Adaptable Recipes, Easy Preparation Meals, Food Glorious Food, Healthy Lifestyle Choices, Makeover Monday Meals, Slow Cooker

Makeover Monday Meal- Dinner Edition

ccanton84

 

This Monday meal is just right for autumn and football season. When the temperatures drop, this chili will warm you up without weighing you down. It also comes together fairly quickly. Serve the chili alone, topped with cheese or over rice. It also goes well with guacamole and chips.

This is a family pleaser and perfect for Monday Night Football.

The recipe includes adaptations for vegetarians and vegans. It’s also gluten-free and high protein.

 

Chicken Chili by Still A Chick Lit

 

 

4 small or 3 large sweet onions, diced (Vidalia or Texas sweet)

2 green peppers, medium-diced

3 red peppers, medium-diced

1 orange pepper, medium-diced

1, yellow pepper, medium-diced

1 can low-sodium red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can low-sodium pink kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of unsalted chicken stock or broth

3 cans Campbells tomato soup

3 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste

1 pound ground chicken (or ground turkey)

1 pound ground chicken breast (or ground turkey breast)

3 tablespoons Canola oil

Add Canola or vegetable oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add your diced onions and peppers. Saute for 8 to 10 minutes. Add ground chicken and chicken breast in, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cover and let cook through, stirring occasionally.

When the chicken is no longer pink, add the chili powder and stir well. Add the beans and tomato soup. Mix well. Lower the flame and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

 

Vegan Substitution

  • 2 Packages of vegan ground meat
  • 1/4 cup to 1/2 unsalted vegetable stock or broth

 

To Make Using a Slow Cooker

  1. Cook the ground chicken separately in a skillet until cooked through. Set aside. Clean the skillet and add the onions and peppers. Cook until the vegetables are just beginning to soften. Remove from the heat.
  2. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a slow cooker with the beans, tomato soup, seasoning, and chicken stock.
  3. Cover and cook on high until chili has thickened, about 4 hours. Or cook on low for 6 hours.

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