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More and more fruits are in season, and with summer just around the corner we’ve got a lot of goodies to look forward to. But right now, we’ll focus on what’s available, notably rhubarb and strawberries. For a quick, easy fix of both, give these easy Rhubarb-Strawberry Muffins a try – they’re light, moist, and low in fat.

Stems of rhubarb on kitchen counter

Rhubarb-Strawberry Muffins
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp sea salt
1 cup diced rhubarb
½ cup chopped strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup skim milk
1 heaping tbsp fat free vanilla yogurt
2 large egg whites
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl, the rhubarb, strawberries, and sugar in another, and the remaining ingredients in a third bowl. Stir the ingredients in the third bowl well with a whisk, then mix into dry ingredients, just until combined, being careful not to over mix. Fold in the rhubarb mixture, pour into a greased or paper lined 12 cup muffin tin, and cook for about 20 minutes - until golden brown.

For more inspiring rhubarb recipes, check out Martha Stewart’s rhubarb collection. And, for an indulgent recipe that uses both chocolate and strawberries, try Style at Home’s Chocolate Strawberry Truffle Pots.

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23.4.10

It's Bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A Yeah!

Posted by Stephanie |



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My boyfriend has an obsession with Banana Bread. His mother bakes all sorts of wonderful treats with top-secret family recipes, and in turn, anyone who encounters said treats is obsessed.

This is lovely, but the problem is that I love to cook. The cooking part isn't the problem - it's that because I bake something fresh nearly every day, the things that I cook must be relatively healthy, or one of these days I'll just up and die. Now going back to the banana bread obsession; I like to make a huge batch of banana muffins all the time and keep them in the freezer so there's always a supply on hand. I try to switch it up and keep these muffins interesting, but it can be tough, so I take a basic recipe, and add a little somethin' somethin' just to keep it fresh.

Give this recipe for Low-Fat Banana Bread from the Joy of Baking a shot. It makes 2 medium sized loaves or 12 muffins. Here are some tasty changes and additions:

  • Try just under 1/4 cup oil (I use grapeseed) and add a tablespoon or so of applesauce. It lowers the fat a little more, and adds some more moisture.
  • Use all whole-wheat flour, but use a little less and add some bran. Omit cinnamon, use more vanilla extract or a vanilla bean.
  • Use a bundt pan; pour half the batter in, then sprinkle 1 cup of blueberries over batter, then fill with remaining batter.
  • Add 1 cup of any (or a combination) of the following: walnuts, pecans, cranberries (fresh or frozen, not dried), chopped strawberries, chocolate chips, or shredded, unsweetened coconut.
Muffins in basket, close-up

Do you have a baked good that you make and your family and friends just drool over? What is it?

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15.3.10

The Healthy Dilemma

Posted by Stephanie |



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We all love tasty food, but so much of the time, the tastiest food is not so healthy. It's often argued that fat, salt, and sugar are what gives food flavour, but I disagree. I think that fresh, unprocessed ingredients give food flavour. That's the reason that a salad, chock full of veggies, topped with a home made vinaigrette, is so satisfying. It's also the reason that when presented with huge bowl of ripe, red cherries, I will inevitably consume the entire dish (well, not the dish itself, but you get my point).

What do you think? Do you think you're sacrificing flavour for health? What's more important to you?

While on the topic of healthy options, here's my quick, fibre rich (and tasty!!) recipe for Mountain Blueberry Muffins (I call them this not due to my proximity to the mountains, but because they look like ridiculous pointy mountains...).

Mountain Blueberry Muffins:

2 cups whole wheat
1/4 cup bran
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 pinches sea salt
1 cup skim milk
1 heaping tbsp fat free vanilla yogurt

2 large egg whites
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl, and the remaining ingredients (except for the blueberries) in another bowl. Stir the wet ingredients well with a whisk, then mix into dry ingredients, just until combined. Add blueberries. Distribute evenly into a greased (or paper lined) 12 cup muffin tin, and cook for about 18 minutes (or until golden brown). Enjoy!

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