Banana Fudge Muffins

The combination of chocolate and banana in baked goods may not be revolutionary but these Banana Fudge Muffins are pretty special. The wonderfully  decadent and delicious muffins taste  phenomenal but they are actually quite low in calories and fat , in addition to being free of all gluten and dairy products.  These easy to make treats composed of a rich chocolate batter ad tasty mashed bananas taste great any time of the day of from breakfast to dessert.

Banana Fudge Muffins
Gluten Free
Makes 12 Muffins
Click Here for Printable Recipe



Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients:
3/4 cup Truvia Sweetener
1 cup Gluten Free Flour Mix
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (like the kind Bob's Red Mill)
1 tablespoon gluten free millet flour (also available from Bob's Red Mill )
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
9 ounces sliced banana (about 3 medium bananas/ approximately 1.5 cups once sliced)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil, room temperature
1/4 cup liquid egg substitute (like the kind by Egg Beaters)
3/4 cup unsweetened original almond milk (like the kind by Silk)
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners*




2. Add dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix on low speed until combined.



3.  Add bananas to a medium microwave safe mixing bowl. Microwave 20-25 seconds or until bananas are slightly softened. Use a potato masher or the back of a spoon to mash bananas into a chunky puree.



4. Add remaining wet ingredients to bowl with mashed banana. Stir to combine ingredients, then microwave 20-30 seconds or until oil is melted and mixture is slightly warm.  Stir until ingredients are combined.



5. Pour banana mixture into bowl with dry ingredients. Mix until well combined and all ingredients are incorporated (it’s okay if batter is slightly chunky because of banana chunk but make sure other ingredients like flour and egg are mixed).



6. Scoop batter evenly into prepared muffin tin.



7. Bake muffins for 27-30 minutes or until tops feel firm to the touch and cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.



8. Immediately after removing from oven, use a small spatula or butter knife  to loosen edges of muffins from tin and place on a cooling rack.



8. To store -- let muffins cool completely, then wrap individually in aluminum foil and place in a tupperware container or a gallon sized ziploc. Muffins will last 4-5 days at room temperature or to keep longer, place container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Once frozen, you can defrost muffins one at a time as needed in the microwave or by leaving on the counter for a few hours.



Nutrition Information--approximately 97 calories per muffin



*I may be way behind the times but I recently discovered the wonder of foil cupcake liners. I’ve always had trouble with the paper liners sticking and tearing to muffins but foil wrappers (like these) don’t stick at all and are marvelously easy to remove!

Sesame-Soy Noodle Stir Fry

The sesame-soy noodle is an amazing dish that packs a ton of delightful of flavorful ingredients into one skillet. First, simply stir fry a tasty combination of vegetables for a few minutes just tender. Next, combine the vegetables with the gluten free noodles and the delectable sesame-soy sauce. Finally, the finishing touch is a delicious egg on top. There’s need to worry about getting another pan dirty though, the egg is baked right on top of the noodles and vegetables in the oven. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Sesame-Soy Noodle Stir Fry
Gluten Free
Serves One
Click Here for Printable Recipe



Ingredients:
Sauce:
1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce (15)
¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil (10)
¾ teaspoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon minced scallion greens
Dash of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
Noodles:
1 (7 ounce) package Miracle Noodles (you can find Miracle Noodles in many major supermarkets or just order them online)
1 teaspoon grapeseed oil, divided
4-5 brussels sprouts, sliced
4 ounces cauliflower florets (about 1 cup)
¼ of a red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons frozen edamame, defrosted and drained
2 tablespoons frozen corn, defrosted and drained
2 tablespoons frozen peas, defrosted and drained
1 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated
1 garlic clove
1 egg
Salt & Pepper
1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds (optional)


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small dish, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar until combined. Whisk in scallions and red pepper flakes, then set aside.



2. Drain Miracle Noodles, then rinse thoroughly under water. Use paper towels to squeeze out the excess moisture from noodles, and then use kitchen shears to cut them into smaller pieces. Transfer noodles to a microwave safe bowl and season with salt and pepper. Microwave for 1 minute; set aside.



3. Make sure all of your vegetables are prepped, then add ½ teaspoon of oil to a large oven safe skillet and heat to medium high heat.

4. Add Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and bell pepper to skillet; stir-fry 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender and slightly charred. Season vegetables with salt and pepper.



5. Add noodles to skillet and stir to combine all ingredients. Cook for 1-2 minutes more.



7. Pour sauce into skillet and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until sauce coats vegetables and noodles.


8. Push noodle mixture to one side of skillet, and add remaining 1/2 teaspoon of oil to opposite side. Add ginger, and garlic to pan and saute for about 1 minute or until garlic is fragrant.



9. Add edamame, corn, and peas. Combine all ingredients and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes more.



10. Use a spatula or spoon to arrange noodles into a circle, then scoop out a small indentation in the center. Gently  crack the egg and place in indentation. Season egg with salt and pepper.



11. Carefully transfer skillet to oven and cook for 9-12 minutes or until egg reaches desired level of doneness.


12. Use a wide spatula to carefully transfer stir fry to serving plate. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired, and enjoy!



Nutrition Information--approximately 280 calories per serving (entire recipe; not including sesame seeds)
                                    

California Quinoa Bowl

Inspired by the light and fresh flavors of California cuisine, the California Quinoa Bowl includes all sorts of fresh and delicious flavors mixed together into one amazing meal. The base for this  tasty vegetarian dish is creamy quinoa and peas combination that’s topped with layers of flavor and texture ranging from crunchy walnuts to  creamy tofu to crispy broccoli. Best of all, the oven does the majority of the work for this easy meal, so all you really have to do is enjoy eating it!

California Quinoa Bowl
Gluten Free
Serves One
Click Here for Printable Recipe



Ingredients--
Roasted Tofu & Vegetables:
3 ounces lite firm tofu ( I always use Mori Nu)
1 tablespoon walnut halves
2 ounces shiitake mushroom caps, halved (about 1 cup)
2 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered (about 3/4 cup)
3 ounces broccoli florets (about 1 cup)
4 radishes, ends trimmed and halved
1/2 cup grape tomatoes
1 teaspoon grapeseed oil
2 teaspoons gluten free soy sauce
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Salt & Pepper
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
Quinoa & Toppings:
1/2 cup cooked quinoa (simply follow the cooking directions on box)
1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup frozen peas, defrosted
1/4 teaspoon lime juice
1 tablespoon scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Salt & Pepper
Hot Sauce, to taste

1. Wrap tofu piece (1/4 of a 12 ounce block) in a few layers of paper towels and squeeze gently to remove excess moisture. Place tofu on a small cutting board lined with multiple layers of paper towels, then add a few more layers of paper towels over tofu, and place a heavy plate or bowl on top. Weigh plate down with a heavy box or can.



2. Press tofu for 25-30 minutes, then uncover. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with olive oil spray. Cut tofu into 8 cubes.


3.  Place tofu cubes on one side of  prepared baking sheet. Arrange walnuts, mushrooms, broccoli, radishes, and grape tomatoes on the opposite side.  Drizzle soy sauce on top of tofu and gently stir to coat tofu in sauce.



4. In a small dish, whisk together oil, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar until combined. Drizzle dressing over vegetables and tofu, then season with salt, pepper, & red pepper flakes. Gently stir to mix ingredients, keeping the tofu separated on one side, and rearranging in a single layer once mixed. Place baking sheet in oven and roast for 15 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven and stir vegetables. Carefully flip tofu cubes, then return baking sheet to oven and continue to roast 10-13 minutes more, or until tofu is lightly browned and vegetables are beginning to caramelize around the edges.



5.  To assemble bowl, add cooked quinoa, Dijon, yogurt, peas, lime juice, scallions, parsley to serving bowl. Stir to combine ingredients, then season with salt and pepper.








6. Top quinoa mixture with roasted vegetables.



7. Arrange tofu on top of vegetables, then drizzle with hot sauce, to taste. Enjoy!



Nutrition Information--approximately 392 calories per serving (entire recipe)