Diet, Dessert and Dogs

I know; nothing is as awesome as George Clooney.  (Well, at least according to George Clooney).  But this is still one heck of a stud muffin, nonetheless! (*groan*).

So, are you ready for the Oscars?!

As I’ve been remarking on twitter, I’m not sure why I’m so geared up to watch the glitz-and-glamor, botox-and-restalyn, glistening parade of sartorial faux-pas yet again this year, considering (a) I’ve seen but one of the movies; (b) the hosts, while both appealing in their own ways, are really a generation removed from most of the viewing audience; (c) this year’s show, with its surfeit of charity-ops for camera-hungry celebs and its plethora of cause-specific ribbons, promises to offer a massive ego-massage positively onanistic in its over-the-top, only-as-they-can-do-it-in-Hollywood, self-indulgence. 

But hey–I might see George Clooney! And Meryl will be there!  And maybe even Oprah! And gowns!  And a dance number! And Joan Rivers–!!

Oops, no Joan Rivers this year (at least, not in Toronto).  Boo hoo! To me, her biting commentary and snarky asides were mostly what made watching the Oscars worthwhile (that, and the squirm-inducing speeches, of course).  Well, at least I saw La Joan the other night at her live performance.  (For those of you who asked, she was tremendous.  Hilarious.  Gut-splittingly funny. A force of nature, indeed!  And the worst gutter mouth of anyone I’ve ever heard, regardless of age.  Nice to know some things don’t change as you get older!)

I’ve always wanted to have one of those Oscar-night parties with friends, at which you all eat themed foods and drink themed alcoholic beverages.  Instead, tonight I’ll be watching the show while continuing to work on my puzzle, with the HH gleefully adding his ascerbic commentary from the sidelines.  Not a fan of the whole Hollywood-worship vibe, the HH would rather read a book on nuclear physics.  For real.

Still, gotta give the guy credit for staying in the same room and keeping me company.  And who says couples can’t have different interests?  When we were first together, I might have wished that my honey and I would do everything together, but I’ve since realized it’s no fun, for instance, sitting in a movie theater watching The Notebook and bawling your eyes out while your partner silently mocks you for your melodrama.  Much better to go with a girlfriend, and let her silently mock you.

And so, in the spirit of each doing her or his own thing, I bring you these Awesomeness Muffins, made especially for the HH to enjoy on his own.  Since he’s not on the ACD, and since I would much rather he bring a homemade muffin than a Tim Horton’s muffin to work for breakfast each day, I was happy to do so. And they’ll make a great snack for the guy while he reads that physics text.

The recipe is adapted from the talented Kris Holechek’s  100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes.  The original muffins, called “Leslie’s Awesomeness Muffins” (see? some things really are better with your girlfriends) featured a combination of banana, dates, and nuts.  I took the mix a step further–perhaps feeling a bit of the over-the-top Hollywood influence this weekend–and added butterscotch chips, which I sourced from a local supermarket and have been dying to use.  The result was a moist, light muffin packed with a health-promoting punch and just a smidge of decadence.  Somehow, I don’t think the Oscars will offer the same restraint this evening. 

Awesomeness Muffins (ACD maintenance only)

adapted from 100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes

Light, moist, and with very little added sweetener.  You can certainly substitute chocolate for the butterscotch, but the butterscotch chips add a lovely aroma and richness to the muffins.

2 medium bananas, mashed (about 1 cup/240 ml)

1/2 cup (120 ml) plain or vanilla soy, almond or hemp milk

1/4 cup (60 ml) sunflower or other light-tasting oil, preferably organic

2 Tbsp (30 ml) blackstrap molasses

2 Tbsp (30 ml) maple syrup or agave nectar

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) apple cider vinegar

1 cup (100 g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats (not instant)

2/3 cup (95 g) chopped dried dates

1/3 cup (65 g) dairy-free butterscotch or chocolate chips

1/2 cup (55 g) walnut pieces, lightly toasted

1 cup (140 g) light spelt flour

1/3 cup (45 g) whole spelt flour

2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) baking soda

1/2 tsp (2. 5 ml) cinnamon

1/8 tsp (.5 ml) fine sea salt

Preheat oven to 375F (190C).  Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, or spray with nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the bananas, soymilk, oil, molasses, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar; stir until well mixed.  Add the oats, dates, chips and nuts and stir to coat.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the light spelt flour, whole spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until combined.  Using a large ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup (60 ml) measure, scoop the batter into the prepared tins, dividing evenly.  Bake in preheated oven 15-20 minutes, until a tester inserted in a center muffin comes out clean.  Cool 5 minutes before turning onto a rack to cool completely.  May be frozen.

Last Year at this Time: Grain Free Lemony Almond Pancakes

Two Years Ago: Week at Warp Speed and Easy Dinner (Lentil-Tomato Spaghetti Sauce and Avocado Pesto Salad Dressing)

I recently received a copy of the newly published Clean Food by Terry Walters. The book focuses on local, whole, natural foods. 

I’ve posted my review as well as recipes for Seaweed Cabbage Sauté and Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies in the “Giveaways/Reviews” section of the blog. 

To read the full review and recipes, click here.

[I've decided to offer a mini-post every once in a while, for a dish that comes together incredibly quickly, or else is so easy to make that no recipe is required.  Here's today's "Flash in the Pan."]

One of the blogs I read and enjoy on a regular basis is Katie’s Chocolate Covered Vegan.  The ever-adorable,  squash-loving, mulitple-meals-with-same-dish, search-term reporting, Photoshop-proficient, cupcake-baker extraordinaire blogger provides great advice on cooking up healthy, delicious meals in a snap, many of which are quick and easy to make. And if you’ve ever read her blog, you’ll also know that Katie loves to use her blender (one of which she just acquired gratis–lucky gal!!).

Well, I may be a breakfast person, but that doesn’t automatically make me a cold-cereal person. Oh, I used to be a cold-cereal person, all right; throughout high school, I think I ate a bowl of Special K, Corn Flakes, Shreddies, or Cap’n Crunch (well, I had to have some indulgence, didn’t I?) with lots and lots of skim milk (ew!), every single day (and I wondered how I turned up with IBS!).  Ever since I changed my diet, though, I’ve relied more on cooked whole grains and soy or almond milk as my “cereal.”  Constants in my diet now are steaming bowls of steel-cut oats, brown basmati rice, millet, or even buckwheat for breakfast.  (In the longstanding DDD tradition of “Ricki and the HH must be diametrically opposed on every single issue,” my Human Honey loves cold cereal. So, when I buy the mega-box of Raisin Bran that he so adores, I often pick up another carton of something wholegrain for me, for those two times a year I have a hankering).

Well, over a year ago now, I read about the recipe for Banana Bread Blender Cereal on CCV’s blog.  I thought it sounded great–the perfect way to use up that box of cereal I rarely touched–but it was cold, and I crave warm during the snowbound months.  Problem solved:  I simply warmed it up instead.  

And you know what happened?  Just as Katie predicted, the banana caramelized a bit and the blended cereal absorbed the milk, smoothing up and softening–resulting in the most delicious, pillowy, creamy and self-sweetened cereal I’ve ever eaten!  I was hooked, immediately, and have made this for breakfast countless times since.  I’ve played with the recipe a bit since then, but the basics are the same.

Here, then, is the perfect comfort breakfast for a cold, snowy morning when the chill accosts your feet as you scamper across the kitchen tiles to the coffee maker (or teapot, in my case).  It takes only a few minutes to prepare, and rewards you with a warming, soothing, sweet and satisfying meal in a bowl.  Thanks, Katie!

(Oh, and Thanks to all from Elsie (and moi, of course) for the outpouring of support over our flagrant disregard of our vet’s advice, taking that cone off early anyway (stitches are scheduled to be removed Saturday).  Oh, and yes, Scott, I guess it would have been a little more effective if our Girl had turned on the computer first.)

["What?? You have to turn it ON??"]

CCV’s Warm Blender Cereal

adapted from Chocolate Covered Vegan

1 cup (240 ml.) flake cereal (for a GF breakfast, use GF cereal)

1 banana, or 1/2 banana and 1/2 ripe pear, fresh or frozen

small handful raw walnuts

about 1 cup (240 ml.) milk of choice (I use soy or almond)

1 tsp. (5 ml.) pure vanilla extract (optional)

splash of pure maple syrup (optional)

1 tsp. (5 ml.) cinnamon

Place all ingredients in a blender and whir away until perfectly smooth.  Transfer to a small pot and heat over low heat until just bubbling and warm.  Pour into a bowl, top with more cinnamon or milk if desired, and savor every spoonful. Makes one serving.

Last Year at this Time: Mostly Raw Chocolate Truffles

© 2008 Diet, Dessert and Dogs

(Quick–try saying that title out loud ten times!). 

After staying up too late watching Tina Fey’s masterwork on Saturday evening, the HH and I woke up late Sunday–perfect excuse for brunch! As I rooted through the refrigerator for inspiration, I came across a half-full container of soy yogurt.  Now, you may recall that I was all high and mighty (though not as high and mighty as Tina Fey) last week, feeling pretty darned smug about how I cook everything from scratch, would never buy anything processed, yadda yadda yadda.  Well, isn’t it ironic, then, that I happened to have this soy yogurt glaring at me from the top shelf of my fridge?  True, I bought it originally at the behest of my friend PR Queen, who’d been extolling the virtues of this particular brand to me (and it did come in very handy for my mock tuna).  In this case, I promised to try out the strawberry flavor, and while it was. . . .okay. . . . I wasn’t crazy about it. I knew I’d never consume it “straight” the way I would dairy yogurt.  So I began to wonder what else I could conjure with it.

The first item I baked was a brownie–and not just any brownie–this one was superlative, and I’ll post about it anon (Oh, vague recollection of ACD!  Wherefore art thou, ACD, and why hast thou forsaken me, and I forsaken thee?) Anyway, I thought I might combine the strawberry yogurt with sliced bananas for an ultra airy, fluffy pancake.  I imagined the yogurt would react much like buttermilk in the recipe, creating a feather-light texture and fine crumb.  I was salivating at the very thought. (“Mum, we could salivate at the thought, too, you know–we sort of can’t help it.  Just ask Pavlov.“)  

In the home of my childhood, pancakes were a big deal.  In fact, brunch on Sundays were basically sacrosanct in our house; it was the only meal of the week we could all share together as a family (my dad worked 6 days a week in his butcher shop–yep, that’s right, he was a butcher!–and generally left in the morning before we kids were awake, then didn’t return home until well beyond 7:00 or 8:00 PM, after completing deliveries. But he didn’t work on Sundays, so that day was reserved for our family meal). 

No matter what my sisters or I had planned for the rest of the day, no matter how much we’d sobbed the night before watching Susan Hayward in I Want To Live on the Late Show, no matter how much we’d shrieked and bopped and hurled pieces of toast at the screen during  The Rocky Horror Picture Show, no matter how many Pina Coladas we’d downed while dancing with our buddies at the local disco, we were still expected to be on time at the brunch table on Sunday.  And since Dad was an early riser, “brunch” might begin anywhere from 8:30 to 10:00AM.  To their credit, my parents never said a word when we stumbled to the table looking less than perky. 

Occasionally, my mother would whip up a “treat,” what she called Cottage Cheese Pancakes (no points for creativity there–they were pancakes that contained cottage cheese).  Compared to our regular brunch pancakes, which were thick, fluffy, and mile-high, the cottage cheese variety were more like a yawn than a sigh: heavier, moister, and, to my mind, far less refined.  The first time you tried them, you might even wonder whether they were entirely cooked, as the outsides appeared bronzed and dry, yet the innards never quite lost their cheesy, gooey moistness. 

When I cooked up my own cakes this past Sunday and dug into the first bite, I was taken aback by the memory of those cottage cheese pancakes.  To begin with, they weren’t quite as high and fluffy as I’d expected, more like a cross between a pancake and a crêpe (a pancrêpe?).  Not entirely flat, yet with a slightly moist interior (courtesy of the yogurt), creamy and sweet where dotted with nearly-caramelized banana, these rounds were appealing enough to munch on their own, yet not so sweet to be cloying when served with syrup or jam (such as the all-fruit strawberry preserves with which I topped them).  They were also, coincidentally, most astonishingly good, and the HH and I enjoyed a couple of them each alongside our weekend tofu scramble. 

In the end, I wasn’t sure what to call these cakes.  I decided to go simply with “cakes,” which reflects their connection to both pancakes and griddle cakes from my childhood.  A delicious combination of fruit and cake; seemed like the perfect breakfast to me. 

And since these cakes contain not one, but two whole grain flours, I’m sending this off to Aparna from My Diverse Kitchen, who’s hosting  “Grains in my Breakfast” for Weekend Breakfast Blogging (an event started by Nandita at Saffron Trail).

[Quick Cookbook Note: THANKS SO MUCH, everyone, for your wonderful comments and support regarding the cookbook!  And thanks to all the volunteers who asked to be testers. I'm wrapping up the paperwork and will contact the testers this week! I really appreciate everyone's input and feedback, testers or not--so keep those comments coming!]

Banana Berry Breakfast Cakes

1 cup (240 ml.) strawberry soy yogurt (I used this brand)

1/2 cup (120 ml.) plain soymilk or almond milk

1 Tbsp. (30 ml.) finely ground flax meal

2 Tbsp. (30 ml.) light agave nectar

2 Tbsp. (30 ml.) sunflower or other light-tasting oil, preferably organic

1 tsp. (5 ml.) pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. (2. 5 ml.) apple cider vinegar

1 banana, thinly sliced

3/4 cup (110 g.) light spelt flour

1/2 cup ( g.) whole oat flour (or grind oats in a coffee grinder to a fine powder)

2 tsp. (10 ml.) baking powder

1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml.) baking soda

pinch sea salt

In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, soymilk, flax, agave nectar, oil, vanilla and apple cider vinegar.  Gently stir in the bananas; set aside while you measure the dry ingredients, or at least 2 minutes.

In a large bowl, sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir briefly to combine.  Pour the wet mixture over the dry and stir just to mix (it’s okay if a few small lumps remain here or there).

Using a large ice cream scoop or 1/3 cup (80 ml.) measuring cup, pour the batter onto a warmed nonstick frypan (try to include at least a couple of slices of banana in each pancake).  Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, until the bubbles on the surface of the pancakes begin to pop and the edges of the cakes appear dry. Flip the cakes and cook another 3-4 minutes on the other side, until golden.  Serve immediately.  Makes 8-10 pancakes. May be frozen.

Sometimes, you just want to eat something now.  I’ve decided to offer a mini-post every once in a while, for a dish that comes together incredibly quickly, or else is so easy to make that no recipe is required.  Here’s my first “Flash in the Pan.”

Speedy Fruit Sorbet

When I crave something sweet, creamy, and cold, this is my current indulgence.  It’s made almost entirely of fresh-frozen fruit, so there’s absolutely no guilt.  And it’s ready in about three minutes.  I’m loving this sorbet!

1/2 banana, frozen

about 1/2 cup frozen berries (I like blueberries and raspberries, mixed)

about 1/4 cup chopped frozen mango or pear (adds creaminess)

up to 2 Tbsp. agave nectar (may be omitted)

up to 1/4 cup plain soymilk or coconut milk (may be omitted)

Throw everything in your food processor and whir until it begins to resemble ice cream.  You’ll need to stop the machine and scrape down the sides two or three times before it comes together.  As soon as it’s creamy, scoop out and serve–it melts quickly.  This is a little scoop of heaven in a bowl!

Last evening I logged on to my blog and was gobsmacked to discover that my post had been listed on the Best of Holidailies!  You cannot imagine how thrilled this neophyte blogger was at the news (made the H.H. read the whole thing–he liked the pic of Elsie’s paw especially) and also how surprised.  So thank you, panel of Holidailies readers, and thank you, everyone who dropped by to read the post (I thought I was hallucinating when I saw the blog stats yesterday). 

Oh, no.  But now the pressure’s on.  I will feel compelled to write a witty, irreverent entry every day.  Or will I end up like Alanis Morisette, and only disappoint after the first big debut?  Only the rest of December will tell.  I’m just glad that today is recipe day–simple and straightforward.  So here goes.

This past Saturday evening, my friend Deb, flush from a recent trip overseas, dropped by and became our first  guest in the new place.  For the occasion (okay, and also because I knew I’d committed to writing about a dessert here), I played a bit with an ancient recipe I had for Banana Bars.

The original bars called for sugar, eggs, butter, and a mixture of bananas and oats.  Since I’ve overhauled virtually every aspect of this dessert by by subtracting ingredients, adding others, and substituting still others to make it NAG-friendly, I now feel that this is my own recipe, which I’ll post here.  I did use the Maple Frosting from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, though, so the credit for that goes to Isa and Terry (ain’t it cool how bloggers can be on a first-name basis like this with complete strangers??).

In my head, the bars were chewy, gooey, and the rich banana flavor was beautifully complemented by the subtle maple of the frosting.  All that was true in the finished product, except for the gooey part; these were more moist and chewy, like what a soft granola bar is supposed to be.  And they  definitely were complemented well by the frosting.

These are a lovely, not-too-sweet dessert and, sans frosting (okay, even with) a quick and convenient breakfast bar.  

Frosted Banana-Oat Bars

1/2 cup Sucanat or other UNrefined organic evaporated cane juice

1 Tbsp. finely ground flax seeds

1/4 c. vanilla soymilk or almond milk (we had some Vitasoy Holly Nog in the house, so I used that, and it added a delicious richness to the flavor)

1/4 cup organic sunflower or other light-tasting oil

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 very ripe, medium bananas (don’t mash them just yet)

1/3 cup raisins, optional (I used them this time, but actually think it would be better without)

1-1/2 cups whole old-fashioned rolled oats (NOT instant or quick-cook)

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup oat flour, sifted

1/2 tsp. alum-free baking powder

1/4 tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly grease an 8 x 8 inch pan, or line with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the Sucanat, flax, soymilk, oil, and vanilla. 

Cut the bananas into chunks and add to the bowl.  Using a potato masher or large fork, mash the bananas into the mixture, leaving a few little chunks (about the size of peas) here and there.  Stir in the raisins, if using.  Set aside while to measure the dry ingredients, or at least two minutes.

In a larger bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.  Pour the wet mixture over the dry and stir well to combine.  It will seem too wet for a bar dough; this is as it should be.

Scrape the mixture into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.  Bake in preheated over 40-45 minutes, until top is dry and a tester inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.  (Alternately, you may cool and frost right in the pan).

Meanwhile, prepare frosting.  When bars are completely cool, spread with frosting and chill until the frosting firms up a bit, about 30 minutes.  Cut into bars and enjoy.  Makes 16 small or 12 more acceptably-sized bars.  Frosting does not freeze well (though plain bars do).

[This recipe will also appear in my upcoming cookbook, Sweet Freedom, along with more than 100 others, most of which are not featured on this blog.  For more information, check the "Cookbook" button at right, or visit the cookbook blog.]