Healthy Pumpkin Maple Pecan Oat Muffins

Did you know October is non-GMO month? Yep, it is! Sugar is one of those rampant GMO foods, so if you're trying to avoid genetically modified foods or just don't want your sugar manufactured by using the bones of cattle (yes, it's a thing...I talk about it briefly here), then get yourself some ethical sugar! You might be laughing at me, but I don't care. There's such a thing, and I like Zulka. Bet you didn't know that sugar could be such a big time downer, but guess what? I've got something to cheer you straight up! These Healthy Pumpkin Maple Pecan Oat Muffins! There's no flour, oil, eggs or butter in them! Doesn't that make you happy? However, if you're like me, anytime you see "no flour, oil, eggs, butter, etc..." you run far, far away from these type of recipes. However, I promise you that these are healthy as well as delectable! Try them out for yourself.

Healthy Pumpkin Maple Pecan Oat Muffins

Inspired by Examiner

Makes 12 muffins

• 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped small
• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats, dry
• 1 cup pumpkin puree, canned
• 1/3 cup vegan sugar (I always use Zulka)
• 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 5 oz. plain vegan yogurt (I used Silk)
• 1 tsp. maple extract
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Flax is first. To make the two flax eggs, in small bowl add the ground flaxseed then add in the cold water and whisk to combine. Place in the fridge until ready to use.

Chop the pecans very small and scatter them evenly on a baking sheet. Toast at 350 F for about 10 minutes or until fragrant. Careful not to let them burn! When done, remove them from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet. Leave the oven on.

In a food processor, add the dry oats and pulse until very fine and a  flour-like texture is achieved.

Add in the remaining ingredients including the flax eggs, but not the pecans. Pulse until smooth and well combined. Now, fold in the pecans until incorporated evenly. 

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Coat a regular muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray and distribute the batter evenly. 

Bake at 350 F for about 15 minutes or until the tops of the muffins spring back when poked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in their pan. Then, gently remove them and place on a wire cooling rack to finish cooling. 

Serve for breakfast (like me!) or as a snack or even for dessert! Store in an airtight container.

Also, I thought I'd share this pretty little quote. So eat these nutritious muffins and be happy. It's good for your healthy after all!

I'm listening to The Features – How It Starts

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Twice Baked Walnut and Broccoli Sweet Potatoes

First, I cannot start this post without seriously thanking one of our lovely readers, Alex, for leaving me such a truly smile-inducing voice mail! I woke up to it first thing and it just totally made my day! I love getting the voice mails. So, thanks, Alex! Now onto food. Step aside you peasanty twice baked white potatoes! Your snobby, sophisticated and downright sexy cousins are in town! So next time you're thinking of making boring and commonplace twice baked potatoes, let your rad side roam free and make these Twice Baked Walnut and Broccoli Sweet Potatoes instead.

These are certainly healthier than regular baked potatoes and I assure you much, much tastier. Class it up, people! You're only cool if you're making twice baked sweet potatoes anyways. Hadn't you heard?

Twice Baked Walnut and Broccoli Sweet Potatoes 

Inspired by Daily Bites

Makes 4

• 4 medium sweet potatoes (equal shape and size)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• sprinkling of kosher salt
• heaping 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped small
• 2 Tbsp. pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds), chopped
• 2 cups broccoli (florets only), chopped small
• 1/3 cup vegan cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 Tbsp. walnut oil (or olive oil)
• 1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed (optional)
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F. Scrub the outside of the sweet potatoes and then dry them. Poke a few slits in each potato with the end of a knife. Rub them with olive oil and a generous sprinkling of kosher salt. Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 1 hour or until tender when poked with a fork. 

Now, go curl up on the couch and read with a cup of hot cider. Or take your dog for a walk and call a friend to catch up. I did all three of these, you can do what you want. When the potatoes are done cooking, taking great care, cut them almost in half. Be sure to leave a small bit intact on both the ends of the potatoes, however. Allow them to cool on the baking sheet while you prepare the stuffing. Just trust me, you're gonna want to let these mofos cool. Leave the oven on.

On a different baking sheet, arrange the chopped walnuts and pepitas and toast for about 7-10 minutes in the 400 F oven or until fragrant. Careful not to let them burn. They're tricky. Once done, remove them from the oven and cool. Still leaving the oven on.

In a large bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients including the walnuts and pepitas and stir well. When the potatoes have cooled sufficiently, very carefully scoop out the insides and place them in the large bowl with the broccoli. You don't have to scrape every last bit, just be sure to get most of it. Careful not to damage the skin. 

Mix all the sweet potato meat with the broccoli mixture and stir until very well combined. 

Now, carefully place all the stuffing back into the potatoes. Once they are all stuffed and bulging *snicker snicker*, feel free to kind of shape them as you please. Top them with a little extra cheese, if you wish and place them back in the oven to bake at 400 F for about 15 minutes. 

Serve hot! These are badass enough to be a main meal if you're a little guy like me, or as a giant side, I suppose. 

We went for an awesome walk today and Todd took some beautiful, Alaskan Fall photos for you all! I'm in the pink, and my BFF in the purple. We have some termination dust! Long live Winter.

What am I listening to? Ghostland Observatory – Sad Sad City

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Creamy Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale

Oh. Good. Heavens!

I literally pranced around the kitchen like a little kid on Christmas morning when I tasted this bangin' pasta. In case you don't know, that is part of some song. I don't know what song, if you know what song, let me know. That's the only part I can recite. Anyways, new favorite dish alert! Gah, this pasta dish is so delicious I could never do it justice just talking about it. You'll just have to go make it, I'm sorry. 

This is Fall comfort food at it's best. It's sweet, it's savory, it's creamy and cheesy and guess what? It's actually pretty darn good for you too thanks to delicious roasted butternut squash and wilted kale. Really, there's not a whole lot tastier than roasted butternut squash. And it makes the whole house smell so wonderful and cuddly and just goddamn lovely. Sigh. 

If you're trying out veganism this is a fantastic dish to start with. I feel like this would definitely be my "bible" of vegan dishes. Like, if I was going around door to door trying to convert people (as I always do...) then I would definitely use this dish as my converting weapon of choice. That was probably horrendously offensive. I can't be controlled.

Anyway, seriously, it's amazing. But I mean, lets be real here...everything, most things, some things I make are pretty amazing. Well, everything I post at least. Did you try yesterday's soup?! It was pretty incredible, too. 

Vegan and omnivores alike are going to love this pasta. Come on, it has cheese in it okay? And yes, some vegan cheese is downright excellent!

Creamy Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale

Inspired by Apartment 34

Serves 6

• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced small (about 6 cups)
• 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 cup vegan butter
• 17 oz. of pasta ( I used whole wheat spaghetti) 
• 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced 
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large bunch of kale, de-stemmed and chopped
• 1/2 cup vegan mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1/4 tsp. dried sage

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Peel, remove seeds, and dice the butternut squash. Then, on a parchment lined, rimmed baking sheet scatter the squash cubes and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss around to coat. Bake for 40 minutes or until squash is tender when poked with a fork.

Meanwhile, slice the onions and mince the garlic. When there is about 20 minutes left for the squash to cook, bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil for the pasta. Once boiling add the pasta, cook for about 10 minutes or according to package and then drain. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water for use later.

Heat the butter in a very large soup pot. Allow to melt over medium heat for about 3 minutes then add in the onions and the garlic. Saute until the onions begin to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, de-stem and chop the kale, then add it to onions and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. 

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Add in the cooked pasta, reserved pasta water, cheese, nutritional yeast and sage and stir well to combine. Make sure there's no clumps of cheese. Now, add in the squash and stir gently to combine.  

Serve hot with additional sage or nutritional yeast to garnish or even some pumpkin seeds! Yum!

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