Banana Bran Muffins

So I came up with this recipe by combining a few different ones I found online. I'm pretty happy with them - they're hearty yet still delicious and moist. I really like the subtle taste of the cinnamon and nutmeg. I ate a couple and the rest are going to be breakfasts for a little while. School gets pretty hectic some times, so it's nice to have stuff already made for days I'm really busy or just don't want to cook.

Banana Bran Muffins

1 tbsp flax + 3 tbsp warm water

3 mashed bananas

1/2 cup soy milk

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups bran flakes

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 400 and grease or line your muffin tins (I tend to grease mine so I don't waste a ton of wrappers, or I have silicone ones I sometimes use). Mix the flax and water to make an "egg". Add the rest of the wet ingredients, ensuring the bran flakes get wet. Let sit for ten minutes and stir so that the bran flakes are broken up. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Mix the wet and dry ingredients and spoon into tins. Bake for 23-25 minutes. Makes 12. 

On a separate note, a birdy flew into my house while I was baking and died. I felt so sad, and didn't know what to do with the little guy because we have way too much snow to bury him. The only thing I could think of was to throw him (or her?) in the garbage (this was google's suggestion), but I felt horrible about that. I ended up wrapping him in a nice piece of fabric I brought back from Uganda and putting him in a little bag before placing him in the garbage. It was the nicest thing I could think of to do. Poor birdy. 

Chai cupcakes...Happy Birthday Geoff!!

One of my best friends, Geoff, turned 21, so a bunch of us (I want to say 15?) headed to Banff for a weekend of skiing and, well...21st birthday celebrating! I made a huge batch of chili as well as quinoa and beans so that I had food to eat and share. There was enough left over I subsisted almost entirely off it for the following week. I don't think a birthday is complete without cupcakes, though, and Geoff specifically requested chai. I've done a couple variations on this recipe and I think this might be my fave so far (in part because it doesn't have soy yogurt like the original, which a) is expensive and b) always requires a trip to the store).

I used the golden vanilla cupcakes recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World as my base. I used some homemade chai I so very conveniently had in the fridge instead of milk. If you don't happen to have chai lying around, add some nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and a tiny pinch of pepper. I added a little extra nutmeg and cardamom because I love them so. For the icing, I used a vegan buttercream (which I never ever ever measure, I just taste and check texture as I go - only real tip, don't add too much milk because it's way easier to thin than thicken) and added the aforementioned spices but without the pepper and with cocoa. I didn't measure I just did little pinches of each and tasted.

I iced them in purple and teal and piped swirls on top. I would just like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Jewish dietary laws! Kosher certification makes vegan life much easier (though I'm probably going to get fat thanks to the Kosher jelly beans at Bulk Barn). The Wilton dyes are Kosher and thus don't have any cochineal or lovely ingredients like that (bugs are not Kosher). So yay!

Since I've posted art before I think I'll continue the trend. I told Geoff I would paint a picture of Notorious B.I.G. for him for his birthday. I plan to ultimately do it on a 1 foot by 1 foot canvas but I decided to practice on the tiny dollar store canvas first. Biggie needs to be, well, bigger. I made his face too skinny and the eyes aren't quite right. For a first attempt, though, I'm happy!

Stay far from timid

Only make moves when your heart's in it

And live the phrase the sky's the limit

Sushi and miso night

Hello again! It's been ages. Clearly, I did not stick to the new food every day thing. Instead, I moved out into a house with three awesome girls and a fat cat. I have put my past relationship behind me. I got a job in the kitchen at Langano Skies. I was also accepted into an internship in forensic anthropology with the Miami Dade Medical Examiners Office. So while I didn't stick to my original goal, I still feel like it's been a successful couple months! There may or may not be some catch up posts.

Anyhoo, on to the topic of the post: sushi and miso! Unfortunately, these are two foods I really don't use recipes for. I'll try my best to explain what I did though. Please forgive the terrible pictures; I've been doing a research project at the Royal Alberta Museum and completely changed the settings to get good pictures of the specimens under their lighting, but forgot to change it back. Oops.

Miso Soup

Water (I would guess 5-6 cups)

Veggie broth powder (a few shakes)

Wakame seaweed (probably about a cup, cut up)

Shiitake mushrooms (four big ones)

Silken tofu (one package)

Miso paste (about 4 tbsp)

I put the water in a pot and shook in some veggie broth powder (and nope, didn't measure either - I wanted enough powder to add some flavor but not become overbearing. I definitely used less than the suggested ratio on the broth package). Then I added the seaweed and let it go on medium high for about 15 minutes. I then added sliced shiitakes and cubed silken tofu and reduced the heat to medium-low. That cooked away for probably another 15 minutes (it may not need that long, it's just how long it took me to finish my sushi). At the last minute I removed some broth (a cup or so, I'd guess) and stirred in the miso paste. I turned the heat off and added the dissolved miso back into the pot. And that's it! I often add green onions to my miso but I completely forgot. It was still good without.

Sushi

Rice (1.5 cups uncooked; I used brown)

Mirin (1 tbsp; or rice vinegar if you prefer)

Nori sheets (3)

Cucumber (1/2, peeled)

Avocado (1)

Shiitake mushrooms (3 large)

First off get the rice cooking. Once it's cooked, stir in the mirin and allow to cool. Meanwhile, cut up the veggies. I juliened the cucumber and shiitakes and cut the avocado into tiny cubes. Once the rice is cooled and the veggies are chopped, the fun begins! Take a nori sheet and spread rice thinly over 2/3 of it. Then place the veggies on the side with rice. Roll tightly towards the end without rice and seal the edges with water. If you have a sushi mat, great. I don't, though, and it worked just fine. Just make sure to really give it a good squeeze. Cut the roll with the sharpest knife you have or it will get squished. Mix wasabi and soy sauce to taste for dipping and enjoy!

I tried going to bed about 3 hours ago and just couldn't fall asleep. Blogging and eating a banana with peanut butter seamed like a far better idea! On a separate note, I bought some sprouting seeds last week at Planet Organic. I'll let you know how the sprouting goes! Have a good night, everyone. :)