Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins

I don’t know if you’ve figured it out yet, but I have a soft spot for any kind of baked good. I will admit that I don’t gravitate toward them as much as I used to, due to taste buds changing and the desire to be more healthy, but if you hand me a muffin, I’ll at least take a bite.

I wanted to add some more nutrition to my original banana chocolate chip muffin recipe, and I’m not sure that I really achieved that since I kept the chocolate chips (you can substitute with nuts to make a nutty banana oatmeal muffin), but they turned out so great that I’m sharing the recipe with you here.

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These muffins are sweetened with banana and maple syrup. I suppose the unsweetened applesauce could naturally add some sweetness too, but you can’t even tell it’s in there.

Make sure to cool these babies completely before eating them - they tend to stick to the paper liner. Alternatively, skip the paper liner completely so you don’t have to worry about that.

I keep these in the fridge and enjoy them with breakfast with a hot cup of tea. Mmm.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

What you need:

• 1 large ripe banana, mashed

• 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1/8 cup melted coconut oil

• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

• 3 tablespoons hot water

• 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup rolled oats

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (or chopped nuts of your choice)

• 1/8 cup almond milk

• 1/2 cup applesauce (I’ve also had great success with plain soy yogurt)

• extra chocolate chips/nuts and oats to top (optional)

what to do:

1. Grease or add liners to a cupcake or muffin tin and preheat the oven to 350ºF

2. Make flaxseed egg by mixing the ground flax and hot water in a bowl and let sit

3. Mix your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl

4. Mash the banana and mix the wet ingredients in a smaller bowl

5. Add wet ingredient mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until well mixed

6. Fill pan cavities and top with extra chocolate chips and rolled oats if desired

7. Bake for 25 minutes, until a nice golden brown

8. Remove from oven and transfer muffins to a wire rack (I use these from Amazon and love them!) and cool completely before enjoying (if they are not cooled completely, they tend to stick to the paper liner if you used one)

Store these in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

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What do you like adding to your muffins?

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Easy DIY Vegetable Broth

Over the last few years, I’ve been getting closer and closer to near-o waste. Not quite zero, but almost there. Vegetable broth was one of the easiest switch ever! Not only did it cut down on vegetable scrap waste, it cut down on the waste produced by buying tetra packs of vegetable broth.

It is so simple! It took me forever to get this onto the blog, but today is the day.

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The key to this broth is your collection of vegetable scraps. I collect these over time and keep them in my freezer. It’s simple: onion ends, carrot peels, celery ends, you name it. I make sure to clean everything well before peeling or adding. Sometimes I’ll add vegetables that are starting to wilt to my collection if I won’t be able to use them in time. I stick these scraps in a jar or in a baggie and keep them in the freezer until I am ready for them.

I whip up this broth in my Instant Pot, but it’s just as easy to do it on the stovetop or in your slow cooker as well.

Once the broth is made, it will stay good in your fridge for a few days or in the freezer for 6 months. I prefer the latter, by the way. Just requires some planning when you’re ready to use it. If I want to use it, I’ll stick it into the fridge overnight and it’s ready for me the next day!

I really enjoy being able to make my own pantry staples and knowing exactly what goes into what we eat!

Some recipes that use vegetable broth:

• Easy Enchilada Sauce

• Vegan Corn Chowder

• Poor Man’s Lentil Soup

• Spinach & Artichoke Flatbread

Easy DIY Vegetable Broth

What you need:

• Large onion, in large chunks with papery skin still on

• 3 carrots, scrubbed, skins still on

• 3 stalks celery, scrubbed, leaves still on

• 8 cloves garlic, crushed

• 2-3 cups veggie scraps

• 1 TBSP parsley (dried or fresh)

• 1 TBSP thyme (dried or fresh)

• 6 springs fresh rosemary (optional)

• 3 bay leaves

• 2 tsp sea salt

• 10 cups water

Instant Pot Instructions

Add everything to the instant pot insert. Set on manual high pressure for 30 minutes and release steam manually. (Continued below in bold print)

Stovetop Instructions

Add everything to a large stockpot and allow to simmer at least 1 hour. (Continued below in bold print)

Slow Cooker Instructions

Add everything to the pot insert and cook on high for at least 5 hours. (Continued below in bold print)

Allow broth to cool. Once cooled, run through a fine sieve and store in large jars or containers.

PS: Another great way to use food scraps like citrus is making an all-purpose cleaner!

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What kinds of pantry staples do you make from scratch? How do you cut down on food waste?

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Vegan New York Style Cheesecake

I definitely have a thing for cheesecake. It started way back in high school, and never really went away. In fact, a few of my friends and I have a tradition that whenever we’re together, we eat cheesecake. While it’s sad I don’t see them often, maybe it’s a positive thing.

Since I quit dairy, it was hard to find a substitute for the decadent dessert. Somehow, even though they’re tasty, the frozen varieties never really hit the spot.

This cheesecake, however, does it for me. And it’s husband approved - which is huge, considering he is even more of a cheesecake fan than I am!

The base of this cheesecake is cashews and vegan cream cheese (I’m sorry, nut sensitive friends!). I’ve also tried it with silken tofu, but somehow I like the texture the cream cheese gets. The arrowroot powder adds to the firmness of the cake. You also are in control of how tart you want it. I’ve tested this particular recipe with both as little as 3 TBSP of lemon juice and as much as a 1/4 cup of the liquid lip pucker.

I chose not to put the strawberries on top of the entire cheesecake, as we have a non-fan of the fruit living under the roof. Considering there is only one other human living in our house besides me, I’ll let you guess who that could possibly be.

You could make any type of fruit topping. In fact, get creative! And then let me know what combinations you like best! I’ve made strawberry and blueberry so far. I can’t wait to experiment with more flavors (and I’ve even made a galactic version of this for a space-themed birthday party which was a hit.

This is seriously the best basic cheesecake.

Vegan New York Style Cheesecake

For the Crust:

• 2 cups graham crackers

• ¾ cup melted coconut oil or vegan butter

• ¼ cup maple syrup or agave

• Pinch sea salt

For the Filling:

• 8oz vegan cream cheese (I used Tofutti brand)

• 1 cup refrigerated coconut cream

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes

• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder (get it from Amazon here)

• ¼ c fresh lemon juice

• ¼ c Maple syrup

• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

• Pinch salt

For the Strawberry Topping:

• 1 container (16 oz) of fresh strawberries, diced and a few just halved

• cane sugar

• lemon juice

• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder mixed in 2 tbsp water

what to do:

1) Preheat the oven to 350ºF

2) Prepare the crust by combining all the the ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and then press into the pie pan.

3) Bake the crust for 8 minutes, until browned. Set aside to cool.

4) While the crust cools, combine all of the filing ingredients into a high speed blender or food processor. Blend until a smooth mixture with no cashew chunks, scraping down the sides as deeded.

5) Pour mixture into cooled pie crust and smooth the top with a spatula.

6) Bake 40 minutes - top will be slightly browned.

7) Allow to cool completely.

8) While cake is cooling, make your fruit topping.

9) Make topping by adding the diced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes - the strawberries will break down. Make the arrowroot powder slurry and add it to the saucepan. Stir until the sauce is thickened. Add the halved strawberries and toss to coat. Cool before serving over the cheesecake.

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Do you like cheesecake? What is your favorite topping? Let me know below!

Trying this recipe? Don’t forget to tag #MapleAlps so we can see what you’re up to! :)

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Potato Chickpea Curry (Great for Meal Prep: Instant Pot Recipe + Stovetop Instructions)

I’m one of those kinds of people who always has to think thoroughly through every decision I make about larger purchases. I spend months, sometimes years, researching things before I invest. The Instant Pot (Get one on Amazon here) was no exception to this. I was hesitant at first, and took years looking up the pros and cons and finally took the plunge. Now I’m wondering how I ever lived without this magical pot! Meal prep is a dream come true now. I think my favorite part of the InstantPot is the cleanup - which is virtually zero!

It took a little while to get used to all the buttons and beeps, but once I did, I started getting more creative with the things I made in it. I now use my Instant Pot several times a week!

I took a poll in Instagram a few weeks ago, and you all wanted some more Instant Pot recipes and now I can finally share one with you - a simple potato chickpea curry that will keep you fed all week!

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This potato curry is so great for a quick meal prep. I love putting it over wild rice and it lasts a week in the fridge. A week of lunch with little effort (and money!) sounds great to me. 

What’s in the curry:

Potatoes, carrots, onion, ginger, spices, tomatoes (canned for convenience) and...chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans)! Everything is quickly chopped up, put in the pressure cooker, and cooked up! Set it and forget it (who remembers that commercial?)!

Note on the garbanzo beans: you can use canned, but I use dried beans that I’ve cooked previously. The Instant Pot is great for that. Find a tutorial here. You can freeze them to use whenever you like (I freeze them in 3 cup increments; a can is about 1 and a half cups).

I love curries because they are so easy to put together, nutritious, and versatile!

Potato Chickpea Curry

What You Need:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 4 potatoes, chopped

• 2 small carrots, chopped

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• Ginger, 1 inch minced

• 1 tsp each: Salt, Cumin, garam masala, curry, turmeric, chili powder, 

• 1 cup water (or plant based milk - I like coconut)

• Can of crushed tomatoes (Or stewed or diced, blended)

• 3 cups garbanzo beans (two cans if using canned)

• 1 tbsp fresh parsley (optional)

What to Do (Instant Pot):

1. Turn on your pot to Sauté setting.

2. Add olive oil and wait to heat.

3. Add onions and cook 3 minutes.

4. Add garlic and ginger and cook another minute.

5. Add carrots and potatoes and spices and mix together.

6. Turn off pot and add the water, tomatoes, and garbanzo beans.

7. Manually set the pot on high for 7 minutes, making sure to seal.

8. Once timer goes off, manually release the pressure

9. Adjust to taste and serve. You can serve this with rice or even naan.

What to Do (Stovetop):

1. Add olive oil to skillet and sauté onions until translucent. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant.

2. Add carrots, potatoes and spices and cook until the vegetables are a little soft.

3. Pour in the water (or milk), tomatoes, and garbanzo beans.

4. Allow the mixture to simmer for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked.

5. Top with fresh parsley and serve with rice

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What are some of your favorite meal prep meals?

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Delicious Vegan Lemon Loaf

I can hear you now: “Amanda! Finally, something sweet that doesn’t involve strawberries or chocolate!”

Yeah, yeah.

I have always loved a good lemon loaf. Something about those tangy, sweet tones just really makes my tastebuds soar.

A strange thing happens when you change your diet. Suddenly, things that used to be delicious to you start to lose their appeal. This started happening to me with lemon loaves filled with sugar and dairy. They were too harsh on my stomach and the taste was overwhelmingly sweet. I had no choice but to set out and make a version that would suit me better.

Yes, it still has sugar in it (and on top of it if you glaze it!), but I get to control it. I also get to control how tangy I want it, and I do love me some tang!

But enough about me!

This loaf boasts ten ingredients - 11 if you choose to glaze it. You can also substitute the oil for applesauce to make it oil-free and it is still as delicious.

Oh man, I’m ready to jump offline and run to the kitchen to whip up one of these bad boys. So much yum! The only thing I can’t decide on is if this loaf is breakfast appropriate. I think I’ll vote yes.

Vegan Lemon Loaf

For the Crust:

• 2 cups flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp sea salt

• ½ cup cane sugar

• 1 cup nondairy milk

• ½ cup vegetable oil or vegan butter or applesauce

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

• 1 tbsp lemon zest

• 1 tsp vanilla 

For the Glaze (optional, but encouraged)

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 1 tbsp nondairy

• 1 tsbp fresh lemon juice

• 3 tsp lemon zest (optional)

what to do:

1. Grease a loaf pan and preheat the oven to 350ºF

2. Mix your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl

3. Mix wet ingredients in a smaller bowl

4. Add wet ingredient mixture to the dry ingredients

5. Stir until batter is well mixed and pour into prepared loaf pan

6. Bake for 45 minutes, using the toothpick test to make sure it is baked through

7. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes

8. Move loaf to a wire rack and cool completely before adding glaze

9. Make the glaze by whisking together all ingredients

10. Pour over loaf. I like to let the glaze harden before digging in

11. Enjoy!

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What kinds of loaves are your favorite? I have so many favorites I can’t decide, but this lemon is definitely on the top of that list :) Leave your favorite in the comments.

Trying this recipe? Don’t forget to tag #MapleAlps so we can see what you’re up to! :)

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