Carrot and Nut Muffins- Healthy

A muffin recipe that isn’t only on the healthier side, but is also ridiculously easy to prepare and needs very little cleanup. This recipe is dairy free and it also replaces part of the flour with almond flour, which results in a denser (and healthier) muffin.

They also contain healthy plant oils and nuts, full of the essential omega 3 fats and fiber, dried cranberries, carrots and ginger rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and healthy plant compounds. True, we do use eggs, minimal quantities of whole wheat flour and added sugar in this recipe, which means that you won’t be able to survive on these muffins exclusively (I know I want to), but we stand by the belief that it’s still a good idea to stick to healthier alternatives, especially when you’re craving sweets so badly your hand is reaching for cookies as you read this.

 

As is the case with all of our recipes, this recipe can be prepared in 1 bowl and it’s ready in a blink of an eye (sadly also gone in a blink because they’re so delicious).

Dry Ingredients  

 

½ cup (50 g) almond flour* 

 

2 cups (250 g) whole wheat flour 

 

1 tsp baking soda 

 

1 tsp cinnamon pdr

 

¼ tsp nutmeg pdr

 

½ tsp salt 

 

*I don’t buy ready-made almond flour. Instead, I wizz some almonds in my blender until they form a powder. If any bigger almond bits remain, don’t worry, they will give your muffins some extra crunch.

 

 Wet Ingredients 

 

1 cup (240 ml) soy milk 

 

1 tsp vinegar 

 

¾ cup (150 g) brown sugar 

 

2 eggs 

 

½ cup (125 g) applesauce 

 

¼ cup (60 ml) coconut oil 

 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

 

2 tsp grated fresh ginger (optional) 

 

“Filling” 

 

1 cup (50 g) shredded carrots (about 2 small carrots) 

 

 ¾ cup (90g) unsweetened dried cranberries 

 

1 cup (150 g) chopped walnuts (reserve half for the topping)

Preparation:

 

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). 

 

Prepare the soy buttermilk by whisking the soy milk with vinegar and letting it thicken for about 10 minutes until it resembles buttermilk. 

 

In a large bowl, combine and mix all the wet ingredients together until smooth, adding in the buttermilk last. 

 

Sift in all the dry ingredients, whisking the batter until smooth and glossy, but it’s crucial not to over-mix the batter because it won’t rise as it’s supposed to. 

 

Add in all the ingredients from the “filling” section and work them in gently with a spatula. 

 

Divide your batter evenly into the lined muffin tray, topping each muffin with some of the walnuts you reserved. Bake the muffins in the midsection of the oven for 18-20 minutes. The top of a perfectly-cooked muffin should be domed and golden brown, and the edges of the muffin should pull away slightly from the edges of the muffin tin. 

 

Take the muffins out of the oven and let them cool down for at least 10 minutes before taking them out. Enjoy warm or cold, I love to combine these with morning coffee, so delicious!

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs.

Malai Kofta

Ingredients

For kofta

100 grams paneer or 1 cup grated paneer

2 potatoes – medium to large – 200 grams, boiled, peeled and grated

¼ tsp red chili powder

2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) or tapioca starch

¼ tsp garam masala

3 tbsp almond flour or 2 tablespoons milk powder or 3 tablespoons khoya (mawa or dried evaporated milk solids)

salt as required

 oil for deep frying, as required, any high smoke point neutral oil

 

For stuffing kofta – optional

10 to 12 cashews

1 tbsp raisins

 

For gravy

3 tbsp oil 

½ cup onion paste or about 2 medium to large onions or 1 heaped cup chopped onions

2 tsp ginger-garlic paste or 1 inch ginger, 4 to 5 garlic cloves crushed in a mortar

1 cup tomato puree or about 2 medium to large tomatoes

¼ tsp turmeric powder

¼ tsp fennel powder – optional

¼ tsp cumin powder

1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder or ½ tsp cayenne or red chili powder

1 tsp coriander pdr

¼ tsp garam masala pdr

6 to 7 tbsp cashew paste – 12 to 15 cashews soaked in warm water for 30 minutes and blended to a smooth paste with 2 to 3 tbsp water

½ to 1 tsp sugar or as required

salt to taste

2 cups water or add as required

1 tsp dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)

2 tbsp light cream or cooking cream or 1 tablespoon heavy or whipping cream – optional 

 

Whole spices

1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)

1"  cinnamon

2 green cardamoms

2 single strands of mace or a light pinch of ground mace powder

2 cloves

 

For garnish

1 to 2 tbsp grated paneer (cottage cheese) – optional

1 or 2 tbsp light cream or whipping cream – optional

2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) or some mint leaves sprigs

Instructions 

Making paneer kofta Mix all the ingredients mentioned under “For making paneer kofta” ingredient list except oil in a bowl. Rinse with water if you prefer and finely chop 10 to 12 cashews and 1 tablespoon raisins. Set aside. This will be the sweet-tangy and crunchy stuffing for the kofta. Make medium sized balls from the kofta mixture. If it feels sticky, rub some oil on your palms before shaping the kofta. Flatten one kofta ball lightly with your palms on a chopping board or a rolling board. Place a small portion of the cashews and raisins stuffing on it. Gently bringing the edges together, shape into a neat ball. Rub some oil in your palms while shaping. Make sure that the stuffing remains in the center of the kofta. Fill and shape all the kofta in this manner. Cover with a lid and set aside at room temperature or refrigerate for 30 minutes.

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Making kofta gravy Heat oil in a thick bottomed or heavy pan or skillet. Add all the whole spices and fry for a few seconds or until the spices crackle and the oil becomes fragrant. First add the onion paste. Stirring often sauté the onion paste until it becomes golden. To quicken the cooking of onions, add a few pinches of salt when you begin to sauté the paste. When the onion paste has become golden, add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for about ten seconds or until the raw aroma of the ginger and garlic goes away. Add the tomato puree and sauté for 6 to 7 minutes on a low to medium-low heat. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, fennel powder, kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala powder. Mix well and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes stirring often. Add cashew paste. Mix well and sauté until the oil starts to leave the side of the masala paste. This sautéing takes about 9 to 10 minutes on low to medium-low heat. You will see that the paste becomes lumpy and gathers around itself. It will also become slightly glossy with some oil releasing at the sides. Then add sugar and salt as per taste. Add water. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or wired whisk Simmer until the gravy begins to thicken. This takes about 8 to 10 minutes on a low to medium-low heat. The consistency of the gravy can be medium-thick to thick. When the gravy is cooked through, you will some oil specks on the top of the gravy. Lastly add the crushed dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) and cream. Mix well and set the gravy aside. Check the taste and add more salt or sugar if needed.

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Frying paneer kofta

Heat oil in a frying pan or a wok (kadai).

Before shaping and frying the entire batch, check a small tiny piece of the paneer kofta in hot oil. If it does not break, then you can easily fry the remaining koftas

If it does break, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornflour (cornstarch) as a binder. Mix the binder in well, then shape into koftas.

The kofta should also come up swiftly yet gradually in the hot oil. This means the oil is hot enough for the kofta to be fried. If it browns too quickly, the oil is very hot and if the kofta remains at the bottom, the oil is warm. Carefully add the paneer kofta to the hot oil, being careful not to spatter the oil. The oil should be medium hot and have a temperature of 180 to 190 degrees Celsius (356 to 374 degrees Fahrenheit). When one side becomes golden, gently turn over with a slotted spoon and fry the second side. Fry turning over a couple of times until golden on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Working in batches, fry all the paneer kofta this way and drain them on a paper napkin so that the extra oil is absorbed.

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Serving malai kofta If serving immediately, add the fried paneer kofta to the gravy in the pan. Or if you want to serve it in a better way, take some of the gravy in a serving bowl. Place the kofta neatly on the gravy. Drizzle some cream or top with grated paneer. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves or mint leaves and serve. If serving a few hours later, reheat the gravy until hot. If it looks very thick, add a bit of hot water. Warm the kofta in an oven at 120 degrees Celsius or 250 degrees Fahrenheit for some minutes. Place kofta on the gravy. Add the garnishes and serve. Note that these paneer kofta are really soft. So if you add them to the gravy and serve them later, they will break. You have to serve them immediately as soon as you add them to the gravy. Serve malai kofta hot or warm with roti, naan, steamed basmati rice or jeera rice.

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https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs.

Cardamom- pistachio cake

 Ingredients:

 Eggs: 3 large
Sugar: 200 grams
Butter: 200 grams
Milk: 120 ml
All-purpose flour: 200 grams
Almond flour: 100 grams
Baking powder: 2 tsp
Cardamom pdr: 1 tsp
Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
Ground pistachios: 150 grams
 

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and flour a cake pan.
In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Mix in the milk and vanilla extract.
In another bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, and ground cardamom.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Fold in the ground pistachios.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com     is the latest addition to my blogs.

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and health tips 

 

 https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

Lemon- RICOTTA & ALMOND CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ¹/2 cups of almond flour
• 3/4 cup of all purpose flour
• 1 cup of ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 7 tbsp of butter
• grated peel of 1 lemon+ 2 tbsp of limoncello  OR use more or less lemon juice, lemon pulp, lemon peel, water, sugar, and steeping time to get whatever balance you desire. If you make a ...
• 1/2 cup of slivered almonds
• a pinch of salt

 

METHOD

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and let it cool.

 In a bowl, sift the dry ingredients: flour, almond flour, baking powder and the grated peel of a lemon.

Mix.

In another bowl, beat, using a planetary mixer or electric whips, the eggs with the sugar and pinch of salt.

Work until the mixture is frothy, light and fluffy.

From this time, use electric whisks at low speed.

Soften the ricotta with a fork and gently add it to the mixture.

Pour in the butter and then the limoncello in a trickle.

Add the dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing them well into the mixture.

Grease and flour a 9 X 2 inches baking pan and gently pour in the mixture.

Add the slivered almonds on top.

Finally, bake in a static, preheated oven at 350 F for 40 minutes.

Always do the toothpick test to make sure they are cooked.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool

  

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com     is the latest addition to my blogs.

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and health tips 

 

 https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

 

Ricotta Cheese Almond Flour Burfi

 Ingredients

15 oz  ricotta cheese (425 grams)

½ cup almond flour 

14 oz sweetened condensed milk (400 gm)

3 tsp sugar

4 cardamom pods, finely crushed

3 tsp ghee

few saffron strands ( for garnish) optional

few sliced almonds (for garnish)

 

Instructions Add a tsp of ghee to the non stick pan and spread it all around the pan. Now add the ricotta cheese, almond flour, sugar and condensed milk. Mix all the ingredients with out any lumps. Turn on the stove. Initially the mixture will become watery. Continue cooking in medium flame, stirring often to avoid burnt bottom. If the mixture is splashing reduce the heat to low. When the mixture is half way cooked add ghee and mix it well. Scrape the sides and cook stirring often till the mixture slightly thickens. When you take a small portion of the mixture, you should be able to make a soft ball ( not hard ball). Its important that the mixture is still moist, if not the burfi will be hard after they are set. Add crushed cardamom and gently fold in. Place a parchment paper in a pan and pour the mixture and spread it evenly. Sprinkle some saffron and place half sliced almonds on the burfi. Set a side for 15 minutes and place the pan in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove from the fridge, and cut the burfi to squares. If the mixture is sticking, you may want to wipe the knife in between to get clean pieces note- this isn't my recipe, sent by my daughter.

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com     is the latest addition to my blogs.

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and health tips 

 

 https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement