Masala carrot muffins (vegan)

25 Thursday Feb 2016

Posted by in dessert, healthy, indian, kids, kids lunchbox ideas, quick and awesome, spices, Tea, vegan, Vegetarian

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One more thing I’m adding my homemade masala chai spice blend to–muffins! I also used it this week when I made some damn fine vegetable biryani.

Everyone loved these. Really loved them. And it’s so obvious, really. Why just add cinnamon or nutmeg to carrot muffins? Why not ginger, bay leaf, cloves, coriander seeds, cardamom, fennel, etc?

Ingredients:
Makes about 14
1 cup grated carrot
1 pear or apple, grated
1 banana, mashed
3/4 cup oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup almond butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1.5 tsp baking soda
1-2 tsp homemade masala spice mix (I used 2 tsp)
(if it seems too dry, add a little almond or soy milk, but it should be fine.)

** For homemade masala spice mix, see this post here, or simply get out your mortar and pestle or spice grinder and pound away at: 1 tsp each of fennel seeds, coriander seeds. 2 tsp of cardamom. 1 cinnamon stick. a few cloves. A few black peppercorns. 1 bay leaf. Add 2 tsp of ginger powder. (Star anise and nutmeg are good too). Phenomenal in black tea with milk and honey, or in these muffins.

1) Add everything to a bowl and mix.
2) Bake in a preheated oven at 375 F for about 18-20 min.

Enjoy! They really are delicious.

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Roasted veg with yogurt and green chutney

12 Friday Feb 2016

Posted by in gluten free, healthy, quick and awesome, Vegetarian

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I work from home. So most days I try to eat healthy but there are the times where my lunch is nothing more than snacking on potato chips or crackers and cheese. I enjoy cooking for other people, but don’t often cook for myself. After a few days, my body revolts, demanding fresh produce and green things. And then I wonder why I don’t take the time to make myself a lovely healthy lunch like this every day?

Once the veg is roasted, top it with greek yogurt and fresh, spicy, zingy chutney. Or an egg and chili sauce. Or burrata and pesto. DO NOT use jarred chutney or pesto. For the vegan version, simply skip the dairy/egg on top.

Ingredients
Serves 1
1/2 fennel bulb, sliced
2-3 wild carrots, chopped and sliced
brussels sprouts, either halved or whole
other veg (sweet potato, leeks, onions, cabbage, parsnip, swede)
Full fat greek yogurt (leave out if vegan).

Green chutney
Click here for a more authentic mint chutney
1 cup fresh cilantro/coriander leaves
1/2 cup basil
1/2 cup parsley
1 tsp fresh ginger
2-3 cloves garlic
1 green jalapeno (with seeds)
1 tbs of nuts
1 tbs of lemon or lime juice
salt and pepper
water as needed

1) Chop/slice the veg to equal-ish sizes. Drizzle with olive oil and grind salt and pepper over. Roast for 20-25 min, or until golden brown and cooked through.
2) Put all the ingredients for the chutney in a food processor and blitz, adding a little water as needed to mix. Taste and adjust seasoning (add more salt, more lemon juice, etc.)
3) Top with a dollop of greek yogurt, green chutney, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and another grind of pepper.