Tag Archives: apple

March 12, 2012 · 11:57 pm

apple muffins and life

What happened to my second Tasmania post? Oh that’s right. I got sick of editing pictures. Woops. OK well… SURPRISE POST… at some point in the next year! Get ready. brace yourselves. it could come at any moment.

But for now, I’m organizing life. Filling in forms, photocopying every piece of identification that I have and cleaning my apartment like a woman possessed.

I’m also making bowls of cereal and pouring in vegetable stock instead of oat milk. it’s my life ya know? unedited.

I made things last week! I made pie! Apple pie! but I made it with butter as it was my boyfriends birthday and a crust made of vegan margarine is really nothing to brag about. Also Australia seems to be against vegetable shortening. Where is my CRISCO!?

I also made muffins! Apple ones. Kinda like mini apple cakes. I think I’m on an apple kick.

Apples, cinnamon, brown sugar. what could be better?

Apple Crisp Muffins!
a recipe adapted from Happy Herbivore

1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. rolled oats

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 c. raw sugar

1/4 c. brown sugar (not packed)

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

sprinkle of salt

1 c. homemade apple sauce!* (the best kind)

1 c. of diced apple

1/4 c. maple syrup

*To make the apple sauce, peel and chop two apples. Place apple in a saucepan with a tiny bit of water on the bottom of the pan. Cover and let the water boil and steam the apples. When the apple are good and tender (can be smushed with a spoon or fork) Drain any remaining liquid and add a dash of cinnamon. Blend the mixture in a food processor or with a stick blender until smooth. Taste and add more cinnamon if desired.

Mix the dry ingredients and preheat the oven to 350*F. Line a muffin tin with papers, or lightly grease with margarine.

Add applesauce, sugars, and maple syrup to dry mixture and mix until almost combined. Then add the diced apple and mix until everything is just combined. Spoon mixture into muffin liners, about 3/4 way full. Sprinkle some oats on top.

Bake for about 20 minutes.

Eat warm!

 

Enjoy muffins! Organize your life! Pour Vegetable stock on your cereal!

x

 

 

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September 15, 2011 · 11:48 am

Zucchini-Apple bread… with toasted walnuts

Last weekend the boy and I got to go on another wine tour. We’re pretty much experts now.

While swirling his glass, ‘I’m definitely picking up notes of… grapes. Yes. definitely grapes.’

Swoon. He’s such a high society man. However, I won’t bore you with the details of more boozy afternoons.

It’s Spring here… and feeling like almost summer. The mornings are getting much much lighter, so much so that I am able to run at 6am. The only other people out at that time are other morning joggers. I never realized what a nice time of day it is. The light is so perfect, and the sunrise is beautiful. I kinda wish I could run with my camera… but that might be pushing it.

I’ve got heaps of extra time now at lunch and after work. So what better way to fill that time… than to drool over baked goods on foodgawker and then promptly march home to make them.

I’ve noticed that zucchini cakes are really bursting onto the scene lately… and I’d call it fate, since I had numerous zucchinis in my fridge.

On a mid-week grocery shop last Wednesday I happened to walk into Woolies at the exact moment when a stock boy was putting out crates and crates of discounted fruits and vegetables. Without even thinking twice, I grabbed a bag and stuffed it full with TWO bananas… (the last two) 3 zucchinis, 4 tomatoes, 1 lime and a cucumber. The total cost? TWO DOLLARS. Man o man. I was buzzing. It takes a certain personality to get this excited over discounted food. But combine my love of a sale, with my low potassium and my budget-savy mind… and I tell ya. There was so much reason to celebrate. I mean come on! Two bananas ALONE woulda been a deal. Though I must point out that my beloved bananas have recently dropped from 14.99/kilo to just 10.99! Summmmmer’s a-comin!

Anyhow, the point of the story was the zucchinis and how I had an abundance of them. The only logical thing to do would be to bake a zucchini bread. So I did.

It was delicious. By far, the most deliciously healthy bread eva. Check out the ingredient list… its amazing. No dairy, no refined sugar… no white flour. AND an entire fruit and a vegetable. Innncredible.

Zucchini Apple Bread

Adapted from this recipe

1 1/2 c. whole wheat spelt flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. all spice

 

3/4 c. grated zucchini

3/4 c. grated apple

1/2 c. roasted walnuts

 

1 tbsp. chia seeds with 3 tbsp. water (chia egg)

1/2 c. maple syrup

1/4 c. coconut oil

Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside.

In a large bowl mix the wet ingredients. Partially combine the dry and the wet before stirring in the grated zucchini and apple and walnuts.* Mix until just combined, and then pour into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to start, however mine took closer to an hour.

*I’ve made this bread twice now, once without straining the zucchini and apple. It was extremely moist. So much so that when I stuck a knife in, it came out with what looked like raw dough on it. However, even after leaving it in the oven for an extra 15 minutes, the middle didn’t completely bake. It was still delicious, just very moist in the center. The second time I baked it, I strained about 1/2 c. of liquid from the zucchini and apple and the bread was still VERY moist. In my oven, it still took at extra 15 minutes to bake. I’m not sure, but it was still amazing, so unless you hate really moist or dense breads… this is still a must bake!

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August 12, 2011 · 2:58 am

The (Baking) Bucket List

For the past couple months I have been making a real effort to post at least once a week. The posts usually revolve around my weekend and if I’m lucky, they involve some sort of baking or recipe. I have to admit though, sometimes my life isn’t as exciting as all that. Sometimes I have nothing to write about, nothing to report… and I’m left feeling a little bit empty, having no baked goods in my tummy, no pictures of food and no humorous anecdotes to regail you with. It’s a shame when this happens, but it happens. I am only human and my life can’t revolve around pictures of food. Not yet anyway, though that is the goal (!).

This week… is one of those weeks. I’m currently house sitting and dog sitting for a friend so it’s been a bit of a write off for me. I’m all turned around, I’ve barely turned on my computer, or even picked up my camera until now. Yeeesh.

With all this non-baking going on, I’ve had the chance to think about some of the things I’d like to try. I’ve browsed Foodgawker and Tastespotting, bookmarked way too many blogs and ordered a cookbook on amazon specifically for one recipe. You know… the usual.

With that being said, I’ve taken some ques from other food blogs and started my very own “Top 100″… Although, mine is not 100, yet. It’s kind of like a random Baking bucket list. I will add to it as I see fit… but for now it is just some things that I’d like to attempt or re-attempt and document here.

I think its a fine starting point. I’ll aim for one attempt per week… but I make no promises. My fast paced life may not allow it, what with all the going to bed at 9.30pm and watching 30 Rock in its entirety.

Anyhoo, I DID make a little somethin soemthin last Saturday for my boy. By request:

Mmm Saturday mornings.

Banana Porridge with Poached Apple
(Banana and apple doesn’t sound like the best combination to me, but each on it’s own? Delicious! So… I mean I geuss it’s all the same in your stomach)

2 small bananas (one chopped one mushed)

1/2 c. of rolled oats

1 c. oat milk

1 tbsp. chia seeds

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamin

pinch of ginger

pinch of salt

1 tbsp. maple syrup

2 tbsp. of coconut cream

Raisins for garnish

Coconut for garnish

1 Apple, peeled and sliced in quarters

water or juice for poaching

First, place the apples in a saucepan with the water or juice and bring to a boil. You can add sugar if you prefer a sweeter poached fruit, but I think the apples are fine on their own. Add a slice of lemon or cinnamon stick for extra flavour. Allow the apples to boil for about 20 minutes or until you can pierce them very easily with a fork.

Meanwhile, whisk together your oats, milk, banana, chia seeds, cinnamon, ginger, salt and maple syrup. Using a small saucepan on medium heat, heat up the mixture, stirring occasionally until almost all the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the vanilla and coconut cream, continue to heat until desired consistency.

Spoon oatmeal into a bowl, and top with some poached apple. Sprinkle with raisins and coconut and drizzle some maple syrup on top.

The combo was actually quite delish.

Sweet Saturday Mornings, you smell of overpriced Bananas.

xxx

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