Breakfast Muffins

I am modifying a non-vegan recipe I found.

Now, I'll be honest, I haven't tried it yet. I hate trying to develop recipes. Why? I'm a cheapskate. I hate wasting money and ingredients on mistakes.  And I'm too afraid to make mistakes.

The adapted version needs to meet 2 requirements: 1) It needs to be vegan and 2) must contain quinoa.

Here is goes. Please let me know what you think:

2 ripe bananas
1/4 C Canola oil
1/4 C rice milk (or fave non-dairy milk)
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 C sugar or splenda

1 C cooked quinoa, cooled
1.5 C whole wheat flour

1.5 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 C toasted, chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Spray cupcake tin with non-stick cooking spray and dust with flour

Mash the bananas with a fork, then add oil, milk and vanilla. Stir in sugar.  In separate bowl combine quinoa, flour, baking powder and soda. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Very gently stir in walnuts.

Fill a muffin tin 3/4 way full and bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Who Wants Dessert?

The Elvis and Magic Bars

My daughter loves to read my cookbooks. She loves cupcakes and cookies. She inherited my sweet tooth. Last year when I first turned over this vegan leaf I was relieved that I wouldn't be tempted by desserts anymore. Then I discovered Isa Chandra Moskowitz and her books Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World and Vegan Cookies Invade your Cookie Jar.  There goes that plan.

If you have a sweet tooth, I'd recommend both of these books. She hasn't steered me wrong yet.

The first one is the Elvis. My daughter picked this one out by herself. I was a little skeptical. Wasn't Elvis's favorite food a peanut butter sandwich with bananas and bacon?  Ick.

But whatever, if she wanted to try it I'd go for it. The cupcake part tastes just like banana bread. Very light with a fine crumb. Top it off with peanut butter icing (not my favorite) and garnish with chopped peanuts, chocolate chips and a banana slice.  The combination was actually quite delicious.  If you are really brave, try sticking a piece of facon bacon on it to be really authentic. I couldn't bring myself to do that.

Secondly, she wanted to make magic bars. Now, these I was really game for. Kinda like a 7 layer bar with coconut, nuts and chocolate chips. It was fun to do with her too she could help with all parts of the assemble since no loud machinery like a mixer was involved.  She stirred the base and put it in the pan, I poured the caramel sauce then her favorte part: making the layers. Which actually turned out to be more like mountains of each ingredient in the middle of the pan, but we were able to get them spread out.

Refrigerated overnight and voila! Bribes!

Banana Pepper Relish

I don't put every recipe I try on this site, although it might seem like I do. I try at least one new recipe a week, so I come across many, and some are complete bombs.

We've been getting so many banana peppers in our CSA boxes and I really didn't know what to do with them so I made some relish. But I haven't seen anything on Vegan Orange about how we've been using our banana peppers so I'm throwing this one out there.

Now, I'm not a fan of anything pickled or pickled-tasting, so I'm leaving it up to you all to determine if you think this is a good recipe. My husband liked it. And he would tell me if the recipe wasn't good or if he thought it needed something else.

Banana Pepper Relish

2 C banana peppers, finely chopped
1/4 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
1/2 T kosher salt
3/4 C cider vinegar
1/2 C-3/4 C sugar
1/4 t mustard seeds
1/4 t cayenne (optional)


Combine chopped peppers and salt in a large bowl. Let stand two hours. Drain.

Combine sugar, vinegar, and mustard seed and cayenne (if using) in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and dissolve the sugar.

Reduce heat and add peppers and simmer 10 minutes. Allow to cool and store in the fridge.