Vanilla Strawberry Cupcakes with Honey Cream Cheese frosting

It was my kiddo's birthday last week ,he insisted for a vanilla cake with strawberries.His wish was granted, mommy was for once going to bake a cake without chocolate. The strawberries are not in season yet ,can be pricey and not as fresh as those sold in summer. None of which would matter to my little one ,as long as strawberries are on and in his special cake.
The frosting is incredibly simple to make ,blend of low fat or fat-free sour cream and cream cheese with touch of vanilla and sweetness of honey.

Recipe :Vanilla Strawberry Cupcakes with Honey Cream Cheese frosting
Makes 10-12 cupcakes
Ingredients
For Cupcakes
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Agave nectar or Pure Organic Honey
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Canola oil
2 large Organic eggs
1 cup Skimmed milk
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract(alcohol-free)
1/2 cup strawberries ,finely chopped

For Frosting
6 ounces low fat cream cheese
1/2 cup fat free or low fat sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract(alcohol-free)
1/4 cup pure Organic Honey
2 cups strawberries,hulled and quartered

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Line the muffin tray with baking cups.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.In another bowl whisk eggs,mix in sugar, honey and oil,add the strawberries ,combine. Now combine this wet mixture slowly in the dry mixture until completely incorporated.
Fill the baking cups 3/4 th full and bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.Cool completely.

To make the frosting,blend the cheese ,sour cream,vanilla with the honey until smooth. Spread over cooled cupcakes. Top with strawberries quarters before serving. Left over frosting can be refrigerated for a week or two.

Weekend Herb Blogging #273 Round Up

The amazing food event that bring together bloggers around the world to share their unique delicacies, Weekend Herb Blogging, continues with Round up of 273th week as follows.


Featured Ingredient: Basmati Rice
Soma(Texas USA) of eCurry ,Vegetable Pulao.
Basmati Rice is a variety of long grain rice grown in mainly in the Indian Subcontinent; it is fragrant and delicate. The name means the fragrant or the perfumed one in Sanskrit.Basmati Rice is simple, and a quick recipe. Adding a few vegetables and spices is a good way to jazz up the plain old steamed rice at certain times and during special meal times.


Featured Ingredient:Rutabaga
Rachel of The Crispy Cook ,Rutabaga Souffle.
Rutabaga is a member of the Brassica family, closely related to the whiter, smaller turnip, but with a mellower flavor. Once stripped of its skin, the flesh is a pale golden color that deepens into a yellowy-orange when cooked.It is a great source of fiber and Vitamins A and C.Simple to bake and flavorful, Rutabaga Souffle is far tastier than plain mashed rutabaga.


Featured Ingredient: Lamb
Mimi(London,UK) of foodie and the chef , Lamb Provencal
This Lamb roast deserves a toast: a slow-roasted loin of lamb, infused with garlic & Provençal herbs and served with pearl onion gravy.There is definitely something about lamb which makes one’s taste buds go wobbly, particularly if it’s slowly roasted to succulent perfection. As with other dishes for a Sunday lunch affair, simplicity and choice of ingredients are the key here. This recipe calls for top quality cut of tender loin from your local butcher.


Featured Ingredient: Salmon
Janet(Toronto,Canada) of Taste Space ,Blueberry Salmon Teriyaki Spinach Salad.A delectable salad with simple ingredients, with authentic Asian ingredients. Baby spinach is the base, and it is topped with sliced bell pepper for some crunch, blueberries for tart-sweetness and green onions for a bit of zip. The salmon teriyaki is plated on top and then balsamic vinegar is drizzled over top.


Featured Ingredient: Bell Peppers
Marija of Palachinka ,mouthwatering and vibrant Chicken Bellpeppers


Featured Ingredient: Blood Plums
Haalo(Australia) of Cook Almost Anything ,Upside down Blood Plum Cake. Haalo uses intensely colored and juicy flesh, Blood Plums.The plums are used raw and during the cooking soften and release all that lovely juice into the caramel base creating a rather decadent sauce to serve with the cake.


Featured Ingredient : Kaffir Lime leaves
Nilam(Indonesia) of Growin Kitchen , Opor Ayam.Opor uses loads of ingredients that refined and poached along with coconut milk and, of course, the chicken. Among the ingredients are kaffir lime (Cytrus hystrix DC.) leaves that give a distinctive tangy trait to the dish.


Featured Ingredient: Teff Flour
Winnie(New Paltz, NY) from Healthy Green Kitchen ,Blueberry Muffins with Teff Flour. These nutritious muffins are made with teff flour,teff is a tiny seed that is native to the Ethiopian highlands: it has been cultivated there for thousands of years. Nutritionally-speaking, teff is high in protein, calcium and iron: it is also gluten-free.


Featured Ingredient:Pumpkins
Cinzia(Garda Lake, Italy) of Cindystar, Pumpkin Gnocchi. The pumpkins used add more appeal and nutrition to the Classic potato gnocchi.


Featured Ingredient: Meyer Lemons
Joanne from Eats Well With Others , Meyer Lemon Bars .Sweet and sour ,these lemon bar will sure get your taste buds tickling.


Feature Ingredient : Edamame(baby soy beans)
Finally , my entry of serene green Vegan Edamame Burger with Red Pepper Hummus.


Thanks to all the participants for awe-inspiring contributions and Haalo for letting me host yet another delicious round up.

Vegan Edamame Burger

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A cup of these crunchy little nibbles every day can immensely boost the fiber, protein vitamin and mineral serving of your diet. Edamame is recommended in a heart-healthy diet because of its amazing nutritional value and as a delicious healthy substitute for protein sources that are higher in saturated fat and cholesterol.In case you've missed,here is recap of edamame recipes posted.


Another enticing addition to the list would be the all vegan Edamame burger recipe, almost similar to the Veggie burger ,in this I further enhanced the flavor and nutrition with edamame. The red pepper hummus adds an attractive contrast to this serene green burger.
I use Organic Edamame,available pre-cooked(shelled or in pods) in well stocked super markets under frozen vegetables section.

Ingredients
3 Whole grain Home made Burger Buns
For Burger Patties
2 cups Frozen Edamame beans(baby soy beans),thawed and shelled
1 cup cooked chick peas
1/2 teaspoon black pepper or chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup store bought bread crumbs or 1 whole wheat bread slice ,processed to crumbs.
1 Tablespoon of Extra virgin Olive oil or Canola oil
For Topping
1/2 a cup red Pepper Hummus(as in recipe below)
10-15 baby spinach leaves or other baby greens

Method
Prepare Hummus
Use the same recipe of Hummus,to get the rich red color and added nutrition of red peppers,char the red peppers in broiler or over stove flame(as in this recipe),then blend together with the chickpeas.
Make the Patties
Process all of the ingredients listed under burger patties,peas using a food processor or blender. Do not use any water,blend until coarse ground.Shape in to patties about the size of the buns ,makes about 2-3 medium 1 inch thick patties .
Heat a non-stick pan and lightly grease with oil, roast the patties on both sides just until crust is lightly crisp.
Assemble the Burger
Lightly toast the burger buns and lay the patty,top with a tablespoon of hummus and baby greens and serve.



I'll be hosting the Weekend Herb Blogging event for this week(Feb 28th - March 6th).Share your unusual delicious foods.Talk about the one unique ingredient used and please keep the entries exclusive(cannot be sent to other food events).For more rules check here and send your entries to YasmeenHealthnut AT gmail DOT com.

Dark Chocolate Almonds

My favorite nut just got healthier and more delicious than ever with a gentle ,smooth decadent chocolate coating.My initial plan was to use cocoa powder,but some how the recipe never turned out right ,then I got the idea of using Dark chocolate which magically coats the almonds to make this whole new healthy snack.
Remember there is Chocolate and then there is Healthy Dark chocolate with more than 60% cocoa,in other words check the label of the brand you buy,go for the one with lower sugar and more concentrated cocoa,the power house of anti-oxidants(I personally prefer the Ghirardelli brand)

A little effortful task,coating almonds one at a time,but its all worth it.


Recipe : Dark Chocolate Almonds

Ingredients
30-40 (about 2 cups) raw almonds
1 cup Dark chocolate chips(with at least 60% cocoa,I use Ghirardelli)

Method
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in microwave until glossy and smooth.
Dip one almond at a time in to the warm chocolate and lay on a parchment paper.You may have to melt the chocolate again if it starts to set.Let the almonds cool completely about an hour or lesser depending on room temperature. Transfer to a clean air tight container,if at all there are any left overs,most likely not.



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Dried Fig Bread(No sugar added)

Super moist bread ,as good as dessert but lower in sugar and high in fiber.What's not to love?


Since figs are high in natural sugars,the bread is sweet enough without a need for any other sweetener.Figs are good source of minerals, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and manganese. 5 medium figs can contain about 100mg of calcium.



Symbol of abundance and fertility,fresh figs are seasonal but dried figs can be devoured any time of the year.These are Turkish imported figs,I puree them in my recipe,but some figs can be hard to puree,should be soaked in water an hour or two before grinding them.


Recipe : Dried Fig Bread(No sugar added)
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups of whole Wheat flour
2 organic eggs
12-15 medium dried figs,hulled and chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder(alum free)
3/4 cup organic skimmed milk
1/4 cup of canola oil

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven.Grease a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan with oil or line with parchment paper; set aside.

Puree the the figs(reserve few for topping)in a high-power blender(Vitamix) until smooth,add a tablespoon of water if needed.
In a large mixing bowl sift the flour along with the other dry ingredients(salt and baking powder)
In a separate bowl crack eggs and whip for few seconds,add oil ,vanilla and fig puree.
Mix the wet and dry mixtures.Pour in the prepared loaf pan,sprinkle the chopped figs in rows,bake in the middle rack of the oven until the crust is lightly brown about 40-45 minutes.
Cool about 30 minutes;loosen the sides using a table knife,flip the pan on to the cutting board. Slice and serve with a hot cuppa black coffee. Can refrigerate for a week in an air tight container.



The fig bread is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging #270,hosted this week by Lynne of Cafe Lynnylu

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Baked Tostones with Mojo Verde(Green Dipping Sauce)

These crunchy-munchies are famous Latin American plantain appetizer.Traditionally fried twice ; loaded with fat calories,the recipe here is inspired by Chef Juan's low fat healthy variation.
Chef Juan's boils them first in flavored broth until tender,then gently smashes and bakes until crisp.The green dipping sauce,Mojo verde is simply a concoction of fresh herbs and spices with tangy touch of lemon(can be replace with vinegar or cider vinegar).

Recipe : Baked Tostones adapted from Chef Juan's Original recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 large green plantains
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (low-sodium, fat-free)
salt

For Mojo Dipping Sauce
2 cups fresh cilantro/coriander leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice


Method
To make Tostones
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Boil Plantains in Broth
Bring the broth to a boil,add salt and the spices.Peel the plantains and slice about an inch thick and carefully drop in the boiling water.Cook until tender about 10 minutes.Drain all water.Pat the plantains dry with a kitchen towel.
Bake the boiled plantains
Lay the boiled plantain pieces between a plastic wrap,gently mashed them using a mallet or back of a heavy pan.Now set them on a baking sheet,spray oil and bake for 10 minutes,turn and bake another 6-8 minutes.Serve warm with the dipping sauce.

To make the Dipping sauce
Smoothly blend all of the sauce ingredients,refrigerate in air tight container and use for dipping hearty baked tostones.

Pearl Millet(Jowar) Vegetable Stew.And the winners...

Contrary to the dull,bone-chilling and lifeless weather outside, this heartwarming invigorating stew is just what one needs to drive the winter blues away.



Pearl Millet is another hearty whole grains like barley or farro,that is ideal for making wholesome stews that is all-vegan.To get the best of the flavor,the stew needs to be cooked at low heat and vegetables should be added when millet is almost tender,so the vegetables still retain there crunchiness and color.
Recipe: Pearl Millet(Jowar) Vegetable Stew
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
1 cup Pearl Millet
1 large onion,finely chopped
1 plum tomato,finely chopped
1/2 pound of fresh or frozen vegetables,chopped(Carrots,peppers,broccoli and others of choice)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger,finely grated
2 cloves garlic,finely grated
1/2 teaspoon hot chili powder or cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
Fresh herbs for garnish(Parsley,cilantro or baby fenugreek/methi)

Method
Rinse Pearl Millet in cold water and set aside.
Heat the oil on medium heat in a large pot or skillet. Add the onions ,saute for 2 minutes until translucent, then add the garlic,ginger,tomatoes ,turmeric and chili powder.Add the Millet,saute for 3-4 minutes,then add 3 cups of water.Cover and simmer for 40-45 minutes until slightly tender to touch,then add the chopped mushrooms and simmer another 10-15 minutes on low heat vegetables and millet are tender.Serve warm with some fried onions.
You can also use a slow cooker and cook for 2-3 hours or a pressure cooker takes about 25-30 minutes on medium-low heat.Be sure to add vegetables when the millet is almost tender.


The recipe is my entry for this weeks' Weekend Herb Blogging #266,hosted by Cinzia from Cindystar

Dr.Axe's Real Food Diet Cookbook Giveaway

The winners have been chosen:

1.Jennifurla
2.Zanjabil
3.RARA - AVIS

Congratulations !! Please contact me(at YasmeenHealthnut@gmail.com) in next 7 days to receive your free copy.