Low-Fat Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Many people say Mondays are the worst day of the week but I say, “Not so fast.”

Monday may mark the official beginning of a new week to slog through because it’s the first day of classes (or I guess if you’re a real person, the first day of work), but Sunday is when procrastination really comes back to slap you in the face.  There’s nothing like returning to your room post-brunch, sitting down at your desk, opening your planner, and realizing that, somehow, you didn’t accomplish anything at all on Saturday.  Then, of course, you have to prioritize the assignments while still considering how long each will take and how much you can feasibly accomplish in one day.  Needless to say, it’s complicated.  And as soon as everything has been crossed off the to-do list, the cycle starts all over again.

Anyways, I made these muffins earlier while I was waiting for my laundry.  My roommate had been bugging me to bake something all week to use up the ripening bananas we’d had sitting around.  (Neither of us particularly enjoys raw bananas).

I liked this recipe better than the last because the texture wasn’t quite so dense.  And, if you don’t add chocolate chips they’re even relatively healthy.

Low-Fat Banana Bread (adapted from Recipe 52206, courtesy of RecipeZaar):

• 4 very ripe bananas
• 1 1/2 C all purpose flour
• 3/4 C granulated sugar
• 1/4 C unsweetened applesauce
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1 large egg
• 1 C chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line muffin tin with liners, or grease two loaf pans.

Mash bananas in a large bowl.  Add remaning ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.  Fold in chocolate chips, if using.

Spoon batter into muffin liners (or pour into prepared pans).  Bake muffins for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  (Loaf pans should take about 50 minutes).

Let cool several minutes in muffin tin before removing to wire rack.  Yields about 18 muffins.

PS – Birthday cake was a success, but sadly I failed to document it.  So in lieu of a photo I have links to my favorite chocolate cake recipe and my new favorite chocolate frosting recipe.

Here’s to another new week (and another late night of work)!

I Know, I Know…

…I’m officially the lamest blogger ever.  For all my talk and cycles of renewed vigor I just can’t seem to follow through.

Aside from that I’ve kind of been in a rut lately.  First of all my class load this quarter is kicking my ass.  I’ll spare you the details this time on how soul-crushing being pre-med is, but suffice it to say that the quarter system is just not conducive to taking five classes.  Even so there are two that I’m really enjoying so far – and get this: they’re related to food!  One is for an Alternative Spring Break trip I’m doing entitled Food for Thought.  Basically we meet once a week , leading up to spring break, and discuss issues ranging from the ethics of eating to sustainability to farmworkers’ rights.  (See course blog here).  The readings and subsequent conversations we’ve had have led me to rethink my position on veganism (again, more on that at a later date).  I’m also taking a required writing class on the rhetoric of identity, for which I’m writing a research paper on food blogging and how food influences identity.  Feelin’ pretty stoked about it right now but I know it will be a lot of work, which brings me back to the rut.

Part of why I’ve been so MIA lately is that as a result of all the writing due for my classes, I’ve had little inspiration left over for posting here.  Even bullshitting essays (which for the record I try to do sparingly) can be draining.  The other part of the problem, of course, is that I’ve been too lazy to get out to a grocery store.  My friend’s birthday party is this weekend though, so hopefully this dry spell will be over soon enough.

Until then,

M

PS – I may or may not have mentioned that I started another blog for movie reviews. Here it is, if you’re interested.  (Although, what do you know, I haven’t seen a movie nor written about one in a while.  But that too should be remedied this weekend).

Gingerbread Men

Merry Christmas Eve!  I’ve been meaning to do a lot more updates, both here and at the other blog I’m testing out, but as it’s break I’ve sort of taken relaxing-and-doing-nothing to the max.  Essentially, my time at home thus far has consisted of sleeping, hot yoga, watching movies, seeing friends, and eating at my favorite restaurants.  Thank goodness it hasn’t been as cold as last winter, so the roads are snow-free.

Sadly my vacation is being cut short by my school’s nomination to a bowl game on New Year’s Eve.  But hey, this is arguably the only time it will ever happen while I’m still a student there so I can’t complain too much.  Sun Bowl, here we come!!

The following is a Mrs. Fields gingerbread cookie recipe I made a couple days ago to give to friends as gifts, after giving up on trying to find one online that did not require refrigeration of the cookie dough.  Make sure you don’t overbake, so they stay soft and chewy.

Cookie Recipe (from Mrs. Fields Cookie Book)

• 3 1/4 C all purpose flour
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 2 t ground ginger
• 1/4 t ground cloves
• 1 C salted butter, softened
• 3/4 C dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 C unsulfured molasses

Whisk together flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream butter and sugar.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add egg and molasses, and beat at medium speed until smooth.  Scrape bowl and add the flour mixture.  Blend on low speed just until combined; do not overmix.

Separate dough into 2 balls and flatten into disks.  Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325F.

On a floured surface with floured rolling pin, roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness.  With floured cookie cutters cut into gingerbread men.  Gather scraps and reroll dough until all dough is used.  Place on ungreased baking sheets 1 inch apart.  Bake 9-11 minutes, being careful not to brown cookies.  Let cool several minutes on baking sheets before removing to wire rack.  Let cool completely before decorating with icing.

Icing Recipe (from RecipeZaar)

• 2 C confectioners’ sugar, measured and then sifted
• 2-3 T milk
• 1 T corn syrup, light or dark
• 3/4 t vanilla extract
• food coloring (optional)

Using an electric mixer, beat the confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth.  Add corn syrup and vanilla and mix until smooth and glossy.

Spread over cooled cookies (or spoon into ziploc bag, snip corner off, and pipe onto cookies).

Icing will harden within several hours.

Crunch Time

Sorry I’ve been so MIA lately.  It’s practically finals week though so I don’t expect to be in the kitchen much.

Here’s to hoping that all the studying pays off!

- Misa

The Oaxacan Kitchen

As an almost-end-of-the-quarter treat, my Spanish professor took us to the nearby Oaxacan Kitchen for a late lunch.  Good thing I had a small breakfast that day – I pretty much devoured everything in front of me.

Apparently Profesora Urruela is on good terms with the owner, Zaida, because she arranged for us to have a set menu with set prices (pretty convenient, because usually the entrees are a bit pricey).  Here’s a breakdown of the meal:

Appetizer: tortilla chips with three different types of mole, served with pineapple juice, strawberry juice, and horchata

Side dish: quesadillas

Main course: enchiladas or enmoladas (choice of beef, chicken, or veggie)

Dessert: churros with Mexican hot chocolate or Nicuatole and Chilacayota (traditional dessert that includes dried crickets)

Everything was so good it’s hard to choose a favorite.  I guess what stood out for me was the horchata, because I had never had it before.  What makes Oaxacan Kitchen unique is that they use seasonal ingredients, most of which are grown locally.

Final word: sustainability never tasted so good.