snack

Coconut Banana Muffins

For the love of coconut, when a friend of mine shared this muffin recipe I literally went bananas. How did I not think of this sweet little treat sooner, however within hours I was baking my own batch. Warm from the oven, I knew these would be a household winner. And sure’y, they were!

A twist on a traditional banana muffin, these are sweet and bright, delectably comforting and easy peasy to make! They are my new go to muffin recipe and I’ll be sure to experiment ways to make them more coconutty. 🙂

Coconut Banana Muffins (yields 12-18)

  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 cup earth balance buttery spread or unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup cane sugar
  • 2 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
  1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line muffin cups with paper muffin liners.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
  3. Whisk together bananas, butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and 1/2 cup coconut in a large bowl until combined well.
  4. Fold in flour mixture until flour is just moistened.
  5. Divide batter among lined muffin cups and sprinkle with remaining coconut.
  6. Bake until muffins are puffed and golden, about 25 minutes.
  7. Transfer muffins to a rack and cool slightly.

Coconut Banana Muffins

Enjoy! xx

Baba Ghanoush

We have eggplants upon eggplants this summer and I have been running out of ideas on what to do with them.  I’m not the biggeest eggplant fan and am quite picky with how I like them, which makes it very challenging when you have a crisper full of them in the fridge. Of course I love them smothered in sugo and layered with cheese for a delectable Eggplant Parm, but I can’t eat that every day. Well, maybe I could, but I won’t. 🙂

High in dietary fiber, copper, vitamin B1 + a load of other nutrients, I really want to love this veg and not see them go to waste. I’ve put on my creative hat and dreamt up a batch of Baba Ghanoush and it’s real good! A recipe that’s better for you than what you would find at your local grocer, without all the extra’s, like mayonaise, sour cream, corn starch etc.

Eggplants

Creamy, tangy, savoury and slightly sweet; this recipe makes for a perfectly balanced dip. Simple in it’s ingredients and light on the extras, this dish packs loads of flavour and doesn’t compromise the nutritional value.

Baba Ghanoush

  • 1-2 eggplants
  • 1-2 lemons
  • 2-3 garlic cloves
  • 2-4 tbsp tahini
  • 2-4 tbsp olive oil
  • Himalayan sea salt
  • pepper

Optional: fresh herbs or chilli peppers, for some extra flavour.

Eggplants Roasting

  1. Preheat oven to high broil  and position a rack at the top of the oven.
  2. Slice your eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds, sprinkle with sea salt. Drain any excess liquid by placing slices in a colander  for 10 minutes. Rinse slightly and pat dry between two towels.
  3. Arrange on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of Himalayan sea salt.
  4. Roast for 10 minutes. Flip rounds and roast for another 5-10 minutes. Roast until the eggplant is softened and golden brown.
  5. Remove from pan, wrap the rounds in foil to lock in moisture – wait 5 minutes.
  6. Peel away the skin of the eggplant and add flesh to a blender/food processor.
  7. Add lemon juice, garlic, tahini, a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix until creamy.
  8. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
  9. Serve with pita and/or pita chips and veggies. Will keep covered in the fridge for several days.

Roasted Eggplants

Baba Ghanoush

Happy Dipping! xx

Coconut Matcha Pops

Transferring your warm Matcha Latte into something cooler for summer.

  • 1 400ml can of full-fat coconut milk
  • ½ cup of alternate milk- I used almond/coconut blend
  • 2-3 tsp. Matcha powder
  • Up to ¼ cup agave nectar (other sweeteners will also work)
  1. Mix matcha with couple tbsp of your alternate milk to create a paste. 
  2. Once the mixture is smooth, add remaining milk.
  3. Mix agave, matcha mix and coconut milk and freeze up to 4 hours.

These Pops are a great way to keep cool on those hot summer days without the guilty feeling. Coconut Matcha Pops are a sweet treat you can indulge in while still giving yourself the healthy goodness of our beloved Matcha. YUM!

Quinoa Cookies

Vegan. Gluten-free. Dairy-free. Absolutely delicious.

These quinoa cookies are quick to make, simple in its ingredients, easy to adapt and on the healthier side as far as treats go. If you are looking for a sweet treat that can double up as a quick grab and go snack with your morning coffee – these cookies are an obvious choice. You might want to opt out the chocolate for some dried fruit but in my opinion, a hint of chocolate is always welcome (especially when it’s the right chocolate). 🙂

These cookies are nutty in flavour with a touch of sweetness and the quinoa adds a slight crunch, (which I love). Next batch I’m going to try with a double up on the coconut, minus the chips – adaptations are just that easy with this one. I’d love to hear how you might switch this dish up.

Now for the real sell on these sweet bites. The plant based source Quinoa is a complete protein; packed with iron, zinc, B-vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, vitamin E and fibre. Adding this key ingredient to your baking is a big win over the traditional empty ingredients that go into the typical cookie. Plus, for those fighting allergens often related to our favourite baked goods (wheat/dairy), here is something for you. Check out this dish –

Quinoa Cookies (yields 20-24)

  • 2 cups cooked quinoa (let it cool before using)
  • 2/3 cup natural peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon himalayan sea salt
  • 3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chipsIngredients - Quinoa Cookies
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Combine quinoa, peanut butter, maple syrup, salt, and oats in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer on low speed, combine ingredients well
  3. Stir in coconut and chocolate chips
  4. Scoop and mold dough into round, tablespoon-sized cookies onto baking sheet
  5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until bottoms are nicely browned
  6. Let cool before storingQuinoa Cookie BatterQuinoa Cookies

Keep Sweet. xx