Banana Carrot Muffins

-->

Banana Carrot Muffins

Gluten/Dairy-free/Paleo

Adapted from DailyMeals by My Little Blue Heron

It’s back to school time, and for some, the end of summer is delicious. I haven't shared recipes for ages. I've shifted my diet from gluten and diary free to Paleo or "Palee-ish". I have a mess of famtastic recipes to share with you, and I hope to start churning them out on a regular basis (again.)

These easy and fun to make muffins will keep you happy and your pantry or freezer stocked with a delicious and healthful grab ‘n go breakfast, snack, dessert or teatime option. These may become your finest muffin accomplishment of the year. They're easily mine.

I am so happy to share this recipe and some MLBH trucs! Let's get crackin'!

My Little Blue Heron trucs:

My favorite almond flour is Wellbee’s. It’s ground super fine, and if you use almond

flour as a flour sub, it’s worth the price. I also use and like Anthony’s almond flour. It’s not

as super fine, but it’s excellent quality, and if you sift it, it’s beautiful. You can buy it for a

little (but not much) less. 

Buy organic bananas. I look for smaller and rounder/plumper fruit.

     

Buy organic carrots. Think about it: these are hanging out in the dirt where they could

be bathing in pesticides that will be inside of you. Organic carrots seem to taste sweeter.

Buy the biggest, fattest ones available. For this recipe, if you can manage it, shred the

carrots by hand. That way they won’t be soggy.

 I cop to Trader Joe’s walnuts. Fresh, inexpensive and delicious.

Diamond Crystal is the best kosher salt. It doesn’t have other stuff in it.

Use Ceylon Cinnamon. It’s supposed to be healthier because it doesn’t contain large

amounts of coumarin. Coumarin is an anti-coagulant (If you're of un certain age, you've

heard of the drug, coumadin) and it (like it seems just about everything) can mess with

your liver. This health warning is only if you eat cinnamon in bulk (I do). But another good

reason is that real Ceylon cinnamon is delicious and more delicate and finer. It's sweeter

than the 'other' cinnamons. Look at the label: it should come from Sri Lanka! Don't 

freak out if you're using Cassia or Korintje: you won’t get sick. This is just the current

buzz.

Maple syrup is personal. I like mine both dark and light. It depends on what I'm using it 

for. Paleo diets use NO refined sugar, so pretty much, we use maple syrup, honey, dates

and I use coconut sugar, too. Back to maple syrup: For baking, dark seems to work very

well. Grade “B” is no longer a grade, so you'll read descriptions that say, “formerly grade

b”. I found a wonderful Canadian brand that’s dark and delicious called Escuminac. It’s

so fine. A more economical option: NOW brand is organic and really delicious.

By now you probably know that when a banana is beyond recognition, you should

freeze it. Remove its skin and put it into a Ziploc freezer bag and smash it up (fun). Label

how many are in the bag. Use them for baking, in smoothies, or add to your hot (or cold)

cereal.

 I think buying already ground flax seed should not be your first choice. I think

buying whole seeds and grinding them in your spice grinder is what you should do. I

keep my flax seeds (I like golden ones, but after reading about it, I don’t think there’s any

significant nutritional difference between dark or golden) in the fridge. I add them to my

smoothies and grind ‘em in small quantities to add the ground flax to salads and cereal.

BTW: Did you ever think you'd eat linseed (in bulk)? 

Make these muffins on a rainy day or when the subway is messed up (both almost any day in NYC). Make them when you have too many bananas that are overripe, or when you want your kitchen to smell like carrot cake. If you're a teacher or you work in the schools or your child is returning to school, and you want to start getting it all together for the upcoming school year, start grating your carrots. 

For whatever reason you may choose to make these muffins, I hope you love making them and enjoy eating them.

With love and मेत्ता,

jane

Maple Syrup from Canada 🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

Banana Carrot Muffins

Equipment:

Muffin tin (12), silicone, non-stick, or old-fashioned muffin liners. Box grater, liquid measure cup, measuring spoons, whisk, measuring cups, large bowls, mixing spoons, spatula, optional Vitamix, optional electric stand or hand mixer.

Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour, finely ground, blanched

3 ripe bananas (from the freezer is great!)

3 eggs, size large, room temp.

3 medium organic carrots shredded (about 1 ½-2 cups)

¾ c. walnuts (or ‘other’ nuts of choice), chopped

2 Tbsp. flavorless oil (Canola, Grapeseed, Avocado, Sunflower)

1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon powder

¼ tsp. vanilla powder or 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. maple syrup

¼ c. dried currents or other dried fruit of choice

            (may use fresh berries or diced apple)

2 tsp. ground flax (flax meal) or chia seeds

variation for fall!: try a combination of diced dried apples and raisins, cinnamon, 1/4 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg, 1/4-1/2 tsp. ground allspice .. and the leaves'll start changing as you take a bite. 

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350º F. and put rack in the middle of the oven. Prepare muffin tins.

Shred carrots and set aside.

ORANGE!

Measure and chop walnuts and set aside.

Measure currents or ‘other’ dried or fresh fruit and set aside.

In a LARGE bowl: Measure almond flour, flax meal, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Whisk together and set aside.

a whiskit (for my daughter)

In the container of a Vitamix (or with a hand mixer, electric stand mixer or you can do this by hand!), mix together: banana, eggs, oil, vinegar, vanilla powder (or extract) and maple syrup. (If doing by hand, first mash the banana and then add the rest of the ingredients).

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix well, until fully combined.

Fold in grated carrots.

Add walnuts and currents 'other add-ins' and mix until incorporated. (Don't be alarmed: this batter is wet!)

Fill muffin tins (they won’t rise much), and bake for 25-35 minutes, depending on size of muffin, how wet the batter, how accurate your oven is, and how firm you want the muffin to be. If you're finding it's not firm enough, bake a little longer. This is a MOIST (but not mushy) muffin.

Remove from oven and cool on rack. As soon as you can handle, remove from muffin tin so they won't steam. 

Cool completely and enjoy! Store in fridge for up to a week. Or, wrap in waxed paper and store in Ziploc freezer bags and pull from freezer. This may be politically incorrect, but they nuke really well.

Carrot Ginger Dressing

Carrot Ginger Dressing

(with gluten-free and sugar-free options)

Adapted from Vitamix “Simplyfresh” by Blue Heron Kitchen

You’re going to love this dressing. You know the ‘orange’ dressing in Japanese restaurants that rocks? This is it, only better.

This dressing or “vinaigrette” is fantastic for dipping veggies, raw, steamed or roasted, as a salad dressing, and as a condiment! Put small dollops on seared scallops or raw or cooked tuna. Mix some into your tuna salad. If you’re not a meat or fish eater, try it in your TVP dishes or with tofu.

The original recipe calls for brown sugar and low sodium soy sauce. For gluten-free and ‘sugar-free’ options, use reduced sodium organic Tamari soy sauce (wheat-free) and dried, organic pitted dates. Cover the dates with some boiled water to soften and plump.

I recently bought a wooden citrus reamer.

It's one of my new joy tools - one I can't believe I haven't always had. It's $5.99, and if you're an Amazon Prime-r, you'll have it in a couple of days, no shipping fee. What a steel reamer.

Process this dressing fine, less fine or coarse. You’re the boss.

Carrot Ginger Dressing

Blue Heron Kitchen

Ingredients:

6 oz. (170 g.) carrot, sliced into ½ inch discs

1 c. (240 ml.) water

3 Tbsp. (45 ml.) rice vinegar (plain, not ‘seasoned’ rice vinegar)

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice (organic, if possible)

4 tsp. low sodium soy sauce

            (For gluten-free, use reduced sodium Tamari soy sauce – organic, if possible. )

4 tsp. sesame oil

¼ tsp. salt

2 tsp. packed light brown sugar

            (For “processed-sugar-free”, while you’re preparing the dressing, cover and       soak about 4-5 pitted dates with boiled water. You’ll remove them from the water before adding.)

1 (heaping) Tbsp. (12 g.) chopped, peeled fresh ginger root

Procedure:

In a small saucepan, place sliced carrots with 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes, depending on how thin you’ve sliced the carrots. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking liquid for the dressing and drain the rest of the liquid.

In this order, place carrots, cooking liquid, vinegar, lemon juice, soy (or Tamari) sauce, sesame oil, salt, brown sugar (or dates) and ginger into your Vitamix or excellent blender. Secure the lid.

For Vitamix, select Variable 1. Switch machine to Start and increase to Variable 7.

For a very smooth consistency, blend for 20 seconds. Blend less time and lower variable for more control and chunkier dressing.

Chill thoroughly before serving. (The dressing as well.)

More to come from BHK, sans gluten, dairy and night shades ..

I'm working on a miso/tahini variation that will be both marinade (great for fish!) and dressing.

Around the bend: Homemade almond milk!  

peace and love,

jane