Easy Kid Approved Zucchini Muffins!

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Bhanu Misra Marya

For the longest time, I was the mom who couldn’t trick her kids into eating veggies. I would listen to the stories of moms who would chop, blend and bake veggies into their kids foods, longing for the day that I would be able to experience that.

Not because I needed to LOL but because I wanted to :P

I’m not the biggest fan of cooking (I do it out of necessity). Yet, I still want to be able to make the best chocolate chip cookies for my kids (spoiler alert: they completely prefer the pillsbury eat raw or bake option and I’m not mad about it) or maybe even have a family recipe to pass along.

And I think my day has finally come!

BOTH my kids have FINALLY enjoyed a healthy baked good that I’ve made from scratch. I think because it doesn’t have cinnamon, peanut butter or almond flour makes a real difference. It doesn’t have that heaviness to it and is also school safe!

Best part it’s incredibly easy to make! Moist on the inside with a light crunch on the outside. It has zucchini and no white sugar or flour. And just for balance – a good helping of dark chocolate chips.

My kids loved it (after a highly persuaded first bite)!

Recipe for “Easy Kid-Approved Zucchini Muffins”

Ingredients:
– 2 cups of shredded zucchini
– 2 eggs
– ½ to ¾ cup of maple syrup
– ¼ cup coconut oil (room temperature)
– 2 cups oat flour
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 1 teaspoon baking powder
– ½ teaspoon salt
– ½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions:
– Put the wet ingredients in a bowl and stir together
– Put the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and mix together
– Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well
– Fill 12 greased muffins tins evenly and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes

5 Ingredient Vegan Cookie Dough Bars

Posted on August 17, 2020 by Bhanu Misra Marya

OMG! This FIVE clean ingredient INDULGENCE is so good and addictive. I’ve made this recipe several times, rounding measurements up and by half – each time it turned out equally good. I’d even think it would taste amazing with a sprinkle of flaked sea salt!

The texture is so incredibly like raw cookie dough but without the butter, eggs or white sugar. The coconut oil helps everything stick together perfectly. But the real star is the almond flour (I used the Kirkland brand blanched almond flour from Costco).

You could definitely make this for a potluck by swapping the 1/3 cups for 1 full cups, all other ingredients would be to taste.

Want more cookie recipes? Check out this vegan, gluten & guilt free cookie, granola that tastes like cookies, 3 ingredient breakfast cookie or this chickpea chocolate chip cookie (ha! don’t knock till you try it!)

Yet, another GUILT FREE Cookie Recipe (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Posted on May 25, 2020 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I wish I could say that I didn’t let my cookie cravings get the better of me during the last 10 weeks – but I’ve been making cookies and eating them on… r e p e a t!

Thankfully I have a few (here and here) that are on heavy rotation but I’ve also tried to make a regular butter/sugar cookie (which the girl gang prefer).

I did come across another variation of a healthy cookie. It’s vegan, gluten & refined sugar free. Which by default makes it GUILT Free.

Without further ado, here is the recipe/instructions. Save the image or pin for later :)

Easy healthy granola – that tastes like a cookie!

Posted on January 22, 2020 by Bhanu Misra Marya

The other day the Mister said that this granola tastes like a cookie, and I couldn’t agree more.

I started making it because I could no longer find my favourite Special K Dark Chocolate Coconut Popped Granola in ANY grocery store.

I used to make a nut granola but really wanted something a little lighter (nuts can get heavy) so opted for a baked oatmeal instead.

This is super simple to make and quick enough that I can make it on a Sunday to use thoughtout the week.

Where is what you do:
1) roughly crush up a half cup of dry roasted almonds

2) measure 1 cup of quick oats, add to crushed almonds and lay flat on a sheet pan. Bake for 10-15 min at 400 degrees. Check often to prevent burning and turn the sheet pan to make sure everything cooks evenly.

3) in a small pot (using the lowest heat) melt 1/3 cup coconut oil, then add pure maple syrup, cinnamon, cacao powder to taste (careful it’s hot!). Add a tablespoon of chia seeds and a pinch of salt. Stir often and combine well. If you want the granola to be chewy, add more coconut oil, maple syrup and cacao.

4) remove the oats and almonds and let cool for 5 min then pour coconut oil mixture on top (it will sizzle). Mix to coat all the oats/almonds.

5) pack the mixture so it can get stuck together and be chunky! (instead of laying it flat on the pan). Put back in the oven for 3-5 min. Check frequently as it can burn easy.

6) remove from oven and let cool before enjoying with yogurt, almond milk or by itself.

Optional add ons: dark chocolate, another nut or seed or dried fruit!

Try it out and let me know what you think in the comments below? Better yet, share your healthy home made granola recipes for me to try!

More like this? Check out this other healthy cookie recipe.

Maghmour Recipe – Eggplant and Chickpea curry

Posted on January 16, 2019 by Bhanu Misra Marya

Since becoming a pescaterian I have re-fallen in love with eggplant! I’ve been trying different recipes and came across this Lebanese Maghmour. It’s garlicky, thick, slightly smokey and incredibly velvety.

Perfect with rice, salad, as a dip or on its own.

So good I had to make twice in 1 weekend 😂

I recently got an Instant Pot so I figured I should put my crockpot into semi retirement. And I’ve swapped my Nutribullet for a big mouth food processor. I also got a hand held emulsion blender. Oh and I got a crank chop – by far the best kitchen tool I’ve tried!

After years and years of not having much kitchen equipment I now have so many options! Safe to say, I’m looking for new recipes to try with all my new tools!

That said I didn’t use ANY of those to make this dish. I also put a little more of a desi spin on it by using haldi (tumeric) and dhannia (coriander powder). They add colour and thickness to stew/curry like dishes respectfully.

What you’ll need:

– 2 large eggplants, cut into 1-2 inch pieces (leave the skin on)

– 1 (15 oz) can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

– 1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes, including juice

– 1 tbsp. tomato paste

– ½ – 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

– 1 large onion, diced

– 8-10 cloves of garlic, minced (you can also use garlic powder to taste)

1 tsp. Smoked Paprika

– 1-2 cups water

– Tumeric, coriander powder, salt and pepper to taste/likeness

What you’ll do:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay non stick foil onto a baking sheet
To a large bowl add the chopped eggplant and add in enough olive oil to coat the eggplant. Mix with your hands to coat evenly. Lay on the baking sheets and roast until done, about 15-25 minutes. Turning half way through. When done, remove from the oven, lightly salt and set aside.
In a large pot add another portion of the EVOO. Add the onions and cook until they become transparent, make sure to stir constantly to avoid sticking. Add a few pinches of salt and pepper to taste and then add garlic. Stirring constantly for about 1-3 minutes.
Add the eggplant cubes, drained chickpeas, tomatoes, tomato paste, smoked paprika and about half of the water. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water, if the mixture gets dry. I like to try the dish and add salt/pepper/EVOO as necessary. I also added tumeric and coriander (1/2 teaspoon here and there as needed).
Serve and enjoy! You can store the dish in the fridge for 5 days (but it will probably be finished before that 😋)

3 Ingredient Breakfast Cookie Recipe

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I am always on the look out for a healthy cookie! (Here is one that I make a lot!)

The other day while searching pinterest I found yet another healthier option for my favourite sweet treat. The best part? …there is no butter or eggs AND it only uses 3 ingredients (which includes the best one: CHOCOLATE CHIPS!).

Here’s what you need:

2 ripe bananas (the more ripe the better)
1 cup of quick oats
dark chocolate chips (amount is up to you lol)

Here’s what you do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mash the bananas with a fork
Add in the oats and mix well
Fold in chocolate chips
Scoop 1 tbsp cookie mix mounds onto a sheet pan lined with parchment
Flatten / shape the cookies
Bake for 15 min, remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes
Enjoy with your coffee :)