Oat and Flaxseed Muffins with Blueberries

This muffin recipe is exactly the same as my Oat and Flaxseed Muffins with Cherries. However, I use a cup (140g) of blueberries instead of fresh chopped cherries. Similar to the cherry muffins, these only have 1tablespoon of agave nectar and are egg-free (no cholesterol!). They are a great way to start the morning - oats, flaxseed, fruit!

I like to make a couple of batches and freeze them for the perfect on-the-go snack. This saves any temptation of buying a store-bought muffin, such as a Starbucks Blueberry Muffin with Yogurt and Honey. Admittedly, my muffins aren't as big as these ones but with 30g sugar in each serving and 380 calories, and only 1g fibre, this is more like a dessert instead of a breakfast / pre-workout snack. The muffins below are only 141 calories with 3.8g sugar and 4.7g fibre!

Oat and Flaxseed Muffins with Blueberries
Makes 12

Ingredients:
- 225g / 8oz oats
- 120g /4oz flour
- 40g / 6tbsp flaxseed meal
- 1tsp cinnamon
- 1tsp baking soda
- 240ml / 8floz buttermilk (240ml / 8floz almond milk and 15ml / 1tbsp lemon juice)
- 45ml / 3tbsp bean liquid (I use chickpea or pinto beans)
- 112g / 4oz applesauce, unsweetened
- 20g / 1tbsp agave nectar OR honey
- 5ml / 1tsp vanilla extract
- 140g / 5oz blueberries

Method:

• In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (oats, flour, flaxseed, cinnamon and baking soda).
• In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, bean liquid, applesauce, agave nectar and vanilla.
• Pour the wet mixture into the large bowl and stir everything together.
• Gently stir in the blueberries.
• Spoon the mixture into muffin cases.
• Bake in the oven at 175C / 350F for 20-25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Oat and Flaxseed Muffins with Cherries

These muffins are the perfect breakfast snack. I usually eat one first thing in the morning with a cup of tea prior to a run.They are great for a post-workout snack too.

I first made a batch with added brown sugar and an egg - traditional muffin ingredients. Whilst these muffins were moist, sweet and delicious, I thought they were too sweet for a breakfast food/snack so I replaced the sugar with just 1 tablespoon of agave nectar (sweeter than sugar) and used some bean liquid (aquafaba) as an egg replacement - making them cholesterol free!

As I'm always eating beans, in hummus or in salads, I have plenty of left-over bean liquid, whether they are chickpeas, pinto, red kidney, black, butter or cannellini beans.

By cutting out the 50g sugar (which equals 187 calories, 12tsp sugar) and substituting for 20g/1tbsp agave nectar or honey (which equals 60 calories, 4tsp sugar), they are just as sweet! The natural sugars from the fresh cherries and the applesauce, combined with the cinnamon, are a delicious and nutritious way to start the day!

To concentrate the flavour of the cherries, and to prevent excess moisture from leaking into the muffins, I roasted the cherries for 10 minutes and then coated them in cinnamon. In my first batch, I didn't bother doing this and just mixed fresh cherries and cinnamon into the muffin batter. I prefer the roasting option if I have time but it's not the end of the world, and the muffins didn't taste too 'wet'.

Oat and Flaxseed Muffins with Cherries
Makes 12

Ingredients:
- 225g / 8oz cherries
- 1tsp cinnamon
- 225g / 8oz oats
- 120g /4oz flour
- 40g / 6tbsp flaxseed meal
- 1tsp baking soda
- 240ml / 8floz buttermilk (240ml / 8floz almond milk and 15ml / 1tbsp lemon juice)
- 45ml / 3tbsp bean liquid (I use chickpea or pinto beans)
- 112g / 4oz applesauce, unsweetened
- 20g / 1tbsp agave nectar OR honey
- 5ml / 1tsp vanilla extract

Method:

• First, pit and quarter the cherries and then bake, cut side up, at 220C / 425F for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and transfer to a bowl.
• Sprinkle the roasted cherries with the cinnamon and stir to coat.
• In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (oats, flour, flaxseed, and baking soda).
• In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, bean liquid, applesauce, agave nectar and vanilla.
• Pour the wet mixture into the large bowl and stir everything together.
• Gently stir in the cinnamon cherries.
• Spoon the mixture into muffin cases.
• Bake in the oven at 175C / 350F for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Quinoa Cherry Cake

These fruit cakes are similar to my Cinnamon Quinoa Bars. I simply added some chopped fruit and replaced one egg for a vegan alternative - aquafaba, aka chickpea liquid/brine. I was tempted to see how the mixture would  bind together with one less regular egg. Turns out, it didn't make a difference. I'm not sure if I'd replace all eggs with aquafaba as I like the protein source. However, it did reduce the cholesterol in each serving.

These are a great on-the-go snack or a pre/post-workout snack. They freeze quite well and don't take long to defrost so it's easy to make a batch whenever I have some spare fruit or extra quinoa.

Strawberries, used in the picture below, cherries, and plums all work well with the quinoa and cinnamon.

Cinnamon Quinoa Bars
Makes 6 large or 12 small bars

Ingredients:
- 225g / 8oz cherries
- 135g /5oz quinoa, dry
- 180ml / 6floz boiling water
- 180ml / 6floz almond milk, unsweetened
- 1tsp cinnamon
- 45ml / 3tbsp aquafaba / bean liquid (I use chickpea liquid)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 5ml / 1tsp vanilla extract

Method:

• Pit and quarter the cherries.
• cook the quinoa in the milk and boiling water, until the liquid has been absorbed - about 15 minutes.
• Once cooked, allow to cool for 5 minutes and then mix in the cinnamon and cherries.
• Add 3tbsp aquafaba to the beaten eggs and stir to combine.
• Pour into an 8x8 tin and bake at 170C / 350F for 45 minutes.
• Cool on a wire rack before slicing. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Tofu Cherry Yogurt

It's clearly cherry season as I have several bags and have been trying to get creative with what I can do with them all. Previous recipes from this blog featuring cherries include:
Cherry and Rice Walnut Salad
Infused Spirits - Vodka
Cottage Cheese Cheesecakes - Lemon & Cherry

As the weather has been hot, I've really enjoyed eating the cherry and rice walnut salad. It also tastes great with Royal Black Quinoa instead of rice - extra nutty and crunchy! This year, in addition to baking cherries with quinoa, and making muffins, I blended them with soft tofu to make a delicious yogurt.

After eating Greek yogurt, I found on several occasions that I tend to break out in spots around my chin. Therefore, I have been trying non-dairy alternatives such as uncultured unsweetened coconut milk, as well as almond yogurt. This recipe below uses soft tofu and fresh cherries for a sweet and creamy yogurt version that still has protein - just like regular yogurt! It's also gluten free, low fat and low sodium - just tofu and fruit blended together. Although cherries are sweet, traditional yogurts with fruit are usually very high in sugar content, anywhere between 12-20g. A serving of tofu yogurt only has 6g.

I like to stir some of the yogurt into cereal (oats, grape nuts, shredded wheat), or add a few spoonfuls to a smoothie.

Tofu Cherry Yogurt
Makes 8 (70g per serving)

Ingredients:
- 225g / 8oz cherries
- 170g / 6oz tofu, soft
- 60g / 2oz pineapple chunks

Method:

• Pit and chop the cherries.
• Purée all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth.
• Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate. 
• Stir before serving. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Cottage Cheese Cheesecakes - Lemon & Cherry

 

Two new additions to the cottage cheesecake family. The first two recipes are listed below:

Strawberry Cottage Cheese Cheesecake
Pumpkin Cottage Cheese Cheesecake

Lemon cheesecake is a classic as it's sweet and creamy but has the tang of citrus fruit, whereas the cherry version contains sweet berries, similar to the strawberry cheesecake. I reduced the sugar content in the cherry recipe because the cherries contain plenty of natural sweetness.

Cottage Cheese Cheesecake - Lemon
Makes 4
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 225g / 8oz lowfat cottage cheese
- lemon zest
- 30ml / 2tbsp lemon juice
- 85g / 3oz nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 egg
- 25g / 6tsp sugar, white
- 15g / 1.5tbsp flour
- cashew crust

Method:
First, let the cottage cheese sit in a sieve for 15 minutes so excess liquid can drain away.

In a food processor, blend the cottage cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice and yogurt until smooth. Add the egg, sugar, flour and blend.

Pour into a cake pan or individual dishes, on top of the cashew pie crust (if using).

Bake for 30 mins at 175C / 350F.

Cool completely and refrigerate for several hours before serving. ENJOY!

Cottage Cheese Cheesecake - Cherry
Makes 4
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 225g / 8oz lowfat cottage cheese
- 85g / 3oz cherries, pitted and chopped
- 85g / 3oz nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 egg
- 15g / 4tsp sugar, white
- 15g / 1.5tbsp flour
- 1/2tsp vanilla extract
- cashew crust

Method:
First, let the cottage cheese sit in a sieve for 15 minutes so excess liquid can drain away.
In a food processor, blend the cottage cheese, cherries and yogurt until smooth.

Add the egg, sugar, flour, vanilla and blend.

Pour into a cake pan or individual dishes, on top of the cashew pie crust (if using), and bake for 30 mins at 175C / 350F.

Cool completely and refrigerate for several hours before serving. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Cottage Cheese Lemon Cheesecake NI

Cottage Cheese Cherry Cheesecake NI

Cherry and Rice Walnut Salad

Using walnuts in a salad, like my Kale Waldorf Salad, is a great way to get some healthy fat. The cherry vinaigrette gives the salad a natural sweetness and the rice provides a good serving of carbohydrates.

If the rice is cooked ahead of time, and the cherries are pitted and chopped, throwing this salad together can be done in 5 minutes.

I love cherries. They are so sweet and juicy, although pitting the stones and chopping each one individually can get messy. I usually prepare a large batch of cherries in one go. I can then store the chopped fruit in a container and bottle the vinaigrette to keep everything fresh and convenient.

Cherry and Rice Walnut Salad

Makes 2

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients: 

- 150g / 5.5oz cherries
- 30ml / 2tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- ground black pepper
- 90g / 3oz rice, cooked
- 50g / 2oz kale OR spinach
- 30g / 1oz walnuts, chopped
- 110g / 4oz / 2 stalk celery, chopped

Method:
Pit and chop all the cherries.

In a food processor, blend 2/3 (100g) cherries, apple cider vinegar, garlic and black pepper into a purée.

In a bowl, combine the rice, kale OR spinach, walnuts and celery. Add the remaining chopped cherries.

Pour the cherry dressing over the salad. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Infused Spirits - Vodka

When infusing spirits, in addition to the required alcohol of choice, patience is also a significant requisite! I started my spirit infusion experiment with vodka - mainly because that's all I had in the pantry. I also had a mango and a bag of cherries in the fridge. Both fruits were seasonal and ripe so the opportunity to try something new was perfect.

There are plenty of websites dedicated to infusing spirits. Vodka, gin whisky, rum and tequila are all popular choices of spirits. Most of the sites suggest adding a combination of fruits, herbs, spices and vegetables. There's a chance to get creative but also a risk of ruining perfectly good alcohol!

I found this fruit flavored vodka website to be a good starting point. With regards to quantities, I found one cup of chopped fruit (approx. 110g/4oz) was sufficient for 1-1.5cups of vodka (approx. 300ml/10floz). 80% or 100% proof vodka is also recommended.

I may get a little more creative as I'm keen to try a few recipes from this site that has '50 Unique and Not-So-Unique Flavors to Infuse Vodka', including cucumber and dill, and oats and honey!

Infused Spirits - Mango Vodka
Makes 6, 50ml / 1.5floz serving
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 110g / 4oz mango, chopped
- 300ml / 10floz vodka, (I use 80% proof)

Infused Spirits - Cherry Vodka
Makes 6, 50ml / 1.5floz serving
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 110g /4oz cherries, pitted and chopped
- 300ml / 10floz vodka, (I use 80% proof)

Method:
Place the chopped fruit in an air-tight jar/container and pour in the vodka.

Store in a cool, dry place for 3-5-7 days. Shaking the jar of fruit and vodka (not vigorously) one or two times each day.
Depending on the preferred 'strength' or flavour of the infused spirit, after 3, 5 or 7 days, strain the vodka.

Pour the vodka into a storage jar or bottle.

Serve over ice. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:
A 50ml/1.5floz serving vodka contains 96 calories.
I found this article about efficient drinking to be very informative and a great way to compare alcoholic beverages.