Mmm-Mmm-Muffins

When feeding babies, toddlers, kids and adults, it's important to be aware of how much sugar is in the food being consumed.  So many snacks designed for children have sugar and sweeteners added to them. Manufacturers have become clever when listing ingredients on food labels, so it's up to us, as the consumer to be knowledgeable enough to see what kind of sugar is being added to our foods. According to Prevention.com, there are 57 Names of Sugar.  But, are all sugars bad? No way! By reading the labels of the foods you eat and serve you then become a responsible consumer. Another way to avoid added sugars, is to make your own snacks.

These muffins are naturally sweet and are packed with essential nutrients. Even better, is that you have control over the flavour.

These muffins were designed with babies and toddlers in mind, but they are so good that you could double the recipe and make adult sized muffins too.

Mmm-mmm-Muffins

Makes 24 one-bite muffins

¾ cups flour

½ cup quick oats

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

⅛ tsp salt

⅔ cup mashed overripe banana (about 1½ bananas)

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

¼ cup milk

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

Plus up to 2 of the following

¼ cup grated carrot

¼ cup grated apple (squeeze out juice)

¼ cup grated zucchini (squeeze out water)

¼ cup raisins (chopped)

¼ cup dried cranberries, cherries, apricots, or other fruit (chopped)

½ cup blueberries (halved or quartered)

½ cup chopped walnuts

 

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease muffin pan with butter or non-stick spray.

Combine all dry ingredients.

Mash banana and stir in applesauce, milk, lemon juice and vanilla.

Fold in 2 extra ingredients. I did ¼ cup of carrot, ⅛ cup apple, and ⅛ cup raisins. In the past I’ve done apples and dried cherries, and apples and raisins.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes. It really depends on how watery your bananas, applesauce and add-in fruit is. If you’re using a lot of moist fruits, it will take longer, if you are using more dried items it will take less time. It’s okay if they are a little gooey inside; there is no egg, so there is no risk of salmonella. Careful not to over-bake them though, you don’t want them turning out tough and chewy.

Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove and place on wire rack to cool completely.

Mmm-Mmm-Muffins with poached nutmeg pears

I toss them in the freezer and take them out when needed. Two one-bite muffins are equal to a ¼ cup. I usually serve them as a snack with a side of fruit.

The joy of this recipe is that the possibilities are endless. If you, or baby, are lactose-free, you can use almond, soy, coconut, or whatever milk-substitute you want. If you’re gluten-free, go ahead and use your regular gluten-free flour (I prefer Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour). Don’t be afraid to experiment with different add-ins.

Let me know what combinations you try!

Update: I've since tried Strawberry-Blackberry muffins too!

Fruit of the Sea Gumbo

        Shrimp are a delicious addition to many meals and can be served in a variety of ways. They are common in the cuisine in many different cultures and can be served on their own, as in a shrimp cocktail or grilled on the BBQ, in a pasta, in a soup, or mixed together with other proteins and vegetables, as found in Laksa.

Black Shrimp

        Before you start to cook with shrimp, you should know exactly what it is that you are eating. A shrimp is a crustacean with a long narrow tail, long whiskers and stalk eyes. Other crustaceans, such as lobsters and crabs, are strong walkers with thicker legs, whereas shrimp have slender, fragile legs that are used for perching. They are often found feeding near the seafloor on most coasts, in estuaries, and can even be found in rivers and lakes. They swim forwards by using the ‘swimmerets’ found on the underside of their abdomens. The terms “shrimp” and “prawn” are often used interchangeably.

         Now that you know what a shrimp is, the next challenge is trying to figure out what type of shrimp to buy. When you visit your local fishmonger, you’ll see that he will have his shrimp categorized according to size, with little in terms of breed variety. Let’s start with size, then we’ll talk about species. The smallest shrimp commonly sold are called ‘cocktail’ shrimp. These are often sold precooked and frozen, and are typically the cheapest. They are commonly used in salads. Prawns will go up gradually in size, and in price, from this small cocktail size, to jumbo, and sometimes you can even find gigantic (which look like small lobster tails). Depending on what you are doing with the shrimp can help you decide the size you should get. Your fishmonger might be able to help with this too.

White Shrimp

         There are two species of shrimp that I commonly see at St. Lawrence Market when I wander through the vendors: Black Tiger shrimp, and White shrimp. The White shrimp (which could be either the Pacific White shrimp, or the Atlantic White shrimp) is found in waters that don’t fall below 20^oC. The Black Tiger shrimp is an Indo-West-Pacific shrimp, although it is now also an invasive species in the Gulf of Mexico. This is probably the most widely known type of shrimp, although its popularity is decreasing due to the rising popularity of the white shrimp.

        Within each of these varieties you also have farmed, cultivated, and wild shrimp. According to Bubba in Forrest Gump, "shrimp is the fruit of the sea" and after learning about all the different types and sizes, you can see why. Bubba was from Bayou LaBatre, Alabama and gumbo is a popular dish down there.

So, here’s what you need to make Shrimp Gumbo:

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped green pepper (or any other colour pepper)

½ cup diced celery

2 tsp minced garlic

3 cups sodium reduced chicken broth

1 can (19oz) no-salt-added diced tomatoes (drained)

1 cup diced okra or zucchini

1 tsp dried turmeric or cumin

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp dried thyme

½ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

⅛ tsp cayenne pepper

1 lb uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed

4 cups hot cooked brown rice

1. Sprinkle flour over bottom of a small pie plate and toast at 400^oC for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Stir once or twice during cooking time. Remove and set aside to cool. 

2. Melt butter in a large, non-stick pot over medium-high heat.

3. Add onions, green pepper, celery and garlic. Cook and stir vegetables begin to soften (about 3 minutes). 

4. Stir in toasted flour and cook for 1 minute.

5. Add broth and mix well. 

6. Add drained tomatoes, okra, cumin, paprika, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne. 

7. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8. Add shrimp and simmer for 5 minutes, until shrimp is cooked through.

To serve: Spoon rice into individual serving bowls and ladle gumbo over top. Serve hot.

Tips:

• Toasting the flour in the oven is a little healthier than making a traditional roux with oil and flour.
• I cut up the shrimp into smaller pieces because I prefer to have many bites with some shrimp rather than few bites with big shrimp.
• We’re not big on the smell of cumin, so I use an equal amount of turmeric.
• Okra can be tricky to find, but it’s a great thickening agent. If you use zucchini, your gumbo won’t be as thick, but you can just add some cornstarch (mix it with some water to make a loose paste before adding it to the gumbo to avoid clumps).
• Last time I made it, I added both okra and zucchini. Nothing wrong with extra veggies.
• Depending on how spicy you want it, you can add whatever kind of hot peppers you want. First time I made it, I added just a bit of cayenne flakes. Last time I made it, I added a jalapeño. Both times were delicious with a different kind of heat.

Makes 6 big servings at about 316 Calories per serving (6 WW points)

                                                                                                                                                              Enjoy!
                                                                                                                                                                       Mel

Dominic's Fish Market @ St. Lawrence Market, Toronto

Not Your Average Rabbit-Food

   Welcome Back! Okay, I know, technically it was me that was missing but the world has been so busy lately.

       It's a new year, with new goals and exciting events so healthy living has become a priority. It's been difficult while working at a bakery, not just for me but for Mr. Pepper too. He finally had to tell me to "stop" because he didn't "need a treat every day". I didn't realize I was spoiling him, nor did I think he'd ever complain about being the recipient of brownies, cupcakes, and tarts. I digress, we are now on a healthy kick because have a few weddings to attend (including our own) where we must look our best. We are also competing in the Tough Mudder in May with a group of friends from University. Yes, I think we are a little crazy too, but what sounds like more fun than running 10 miles while completing 25 various military style obstacles with a group of nutty Brock Grads? So, to help us stay in tip-top shape and lose some of those pesky pounds and inches, we've instituted a meat-free day. Mr. Pepper thought it would be hard, but he agrees that the hardest part is finding new recipes to try (we don't want to feel like we're rabbits).

          Here is one of our favourite recipes, and by making a few alterations you could eat it every week and not recognize it's the same dish.

Veggie Medley

 12 mini red potatoes, unpeeled and quartered

3 cups medium-sized mushrooms

2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 medium zucchini, cut into bite-size chunks

1 medium red onion, sliced

1 large red pepper, cut into bite-size chunks

1 large yellow pepper, cut into bite-size chunks

2 cups green beans, cut into bite-size chunks

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp dried

1 tbsp fresh oregano, or 1 tsp dried

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp salt and ground black pepper

1/2 cup light feta cheese, crumbled

1. Lightly grease a large roasting pan or pyrex dish with butter, oil, or cooking spray.

2. Add vegetables, garlic, oil and herbs. Mix well.

3. Roast uncovered at 425°F for 30 minutes stirring once or twice during cooking time.

4. Turn on broiler and broil vegetables for about 5 minutes, until the edges start to brown.

5. Remove vegetables from oven and transfer to a serving bowl. Toss with vinegar, salt and pepper. Sprinkle crumbled feta over top. Serve warm

To change it up add some different vegetables. We've had it with green peppers and broccoli, and have taken out the mushrooms. I'm sure it would be good with sweet potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes, corn, asparagus, or any vegetable you want to add. I also purchased Goat Feta (much to Mr. Pepper's dismay) which has a much stronger flavour than regular Sheep Feta, so I've even made it without the Feta. Trying different vinegar would also change the flavour. I can't wait to try this recipe in the grill basket on the BBQ come summer.

Bon Appetite!

Mel