Rum Spiced Soft Pumpkin Muffins

January 2, 2014 Kathleen Henry

Okay, I have two pretty neat and equally exciting things to share today. Number one, we have over 500 likes on Facebook! Must be all those Alaskan pics. Cool beans, huh? Sometimes it's fun to get excited about such little things. Number two, Swiftype is finally working again! Hurray! Swiftype populates the search bar, which I love. So if you type in "muffins" it will population a list of all my muffin recipes. Or if you type in "spinach" it will populate a list of all my recipes including spinach! I was driven utterly bonkers while it wasn't working. So, anyways, both are...preh-tee, preh-tee, preh-TEE exciting. Happy New Years! I must confess; New Years is my absolute least favorite holiday. Truly, it's the worst. What do I hate more than rambunctious parties? Fireworks. I'm like a dog in that regard, I suppose. Bailey hates them as well. We have to make him a bomb shelter in tub. Plus, staying up until midnight!? Not for this ol' gal. Yes, I'm the The Grinch Whole Stole...New Years. This is not to dispute the fact that I did, however, have a lovely New Years eve.

Todd and I went to a low-key, sit-around-table and talk with the lights low while soft music plays in the background type of party. There may have been vegan spring rolls and oreos and vegan caramel corn involved. I would like to take a moment to thank that special person in my life who made all that possible! Thank you! And I didn't even have to drink or stay up until midnight, either. Man, what a party pooper! We were the youngest there and the first to leave. In bed by 11:30pm, it was all pretty pathetic of us to be honest. Two childless, mid-twenty somethings should definitely be able to do better than that. I'll put it on the list of New Years resolutions. Just kidding...I don't do those...

Any who, to this geriatric little shindig, I brought some fabulous pumpkin muffins! I whipped them right up after work, all in a snap and let me tell you , they are absolutely one of the best muffins I've ever had, truly.

These guys are so incredibly soft and borderline gooey. They almost melt in your mouth! You may think they need a little more time in the oven, but they're supposed to be very moist. With just a whisper of rum, and deliciously spiced these fluffy, sweet muffins are kindred to a perfect pumpkin pie and will be a total hit at any party.

Rum Spiced Soft Pumpkin Muffins

Makes 12

Dry:
1 3/4 cup whole wheat white flour
1 cup vegan sugar (I like Zulka)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
Wet:
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup cartoned coconut milk
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. molasses
2 Tbsp. spiced dark rum (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Do you adore my sweet little measuring spoons? I love them!

Preheat the oven to 400 F and coat a regular muffin pan with a nonstick cooking spray.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. I got The Flavor Bible for Christmas and pretty much died on the spot.

Divide batter evenly in the muffin pan and bake at 400 F for about 20 minutes. The edges should begin brown slightly and the top of the muffin should bounce back when gently poked with a finger.

Allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan, before popping them out. My god! Look how gooey and soft!

I couldn't of pulled it off without my kitchen helpers. Okay, that's not true, they are mostly a hindrance. Like furry, oddly-shaped movable rugs that are constantly tripping me and trying to snatch things off the table when my head's turned. Not pictured: Todd.

Swaying to Ane Brun – Halo

See the Go Dairy Free contest page.

See the So Delicious facebook page

[yumprint-recipe id='58']Inspired by IsaChandra

Easy Fusion Nori Veggie Wraps

December 31, 2013 Kathleen Henry

Feeling a bit overindulged with regards to food, after the holidays? Not me. *snicker, snicker* Being vegan, there's really only a handful of edible items at a normal party. They mostly include, well...salad. Yet, whether you're vegan or not and whether you stuffed your face over the holidays or used up your entire store of willpower, these little nori veggie wraps will set you right back on track. No need to go on a juice fast or drink wheat grass shots for three days straight. I promise. Please don't do that. Yep, trick your taste buds while sneaking your way back into healthy eating in delicious style. These Easy Fusion Nori Veggie Wraps are super quick, foolproof and downright tasty. Packed full of fresh veggies, with super nutrient nori seaweed, a little protein power from hummus and a wee bit of sweetness from hoisin sauce, they are sure to be a hit.

And so colorful too! What a great little meal to ring in the new year with.

Easy Fusion Nori Veggie Wraps

Makes 3 wraps (serves 2)

3 Nori seaweed sheets (same used for sushi)
1/2 cup hummus
1 1/2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
a few handfuls of fresh spinach
1/2 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced and chopped
1/2 large carrot, peeled
1/2 avocado, pitted and sliced
small handful of cilantro, chopped

--Notes-- Feel free to add or substitute any additional fresh veggies you like!

First, collect and prep all the veggies and the cilantro.

Then, lay one sheet of nori in a landscape position, so the shiny side is down and put a dollop of hummus on the side closest to you. Spread it from left to right, so it's even, then spread about 1/2 Tbsp. of hoisin sauce over the hummus. Next, spread a tiny bit on the opposite side. This will help the wrap stay rolled up.

Place your desired amount of spinach on top of the hummus, followed by portions of the remaining ingredients. Be sure not to pile it on too much or the wrap could break when it's rolled. I've never, ever done this... Now, roll it up away from you and voila! You have yourself a nori wrap.

Slice on the diagonal and eat up! Here's to a healthy and happy new year! Maybe even a slightly vegan new year, perhaps?

Dancin' to Air Traffic Controller – Hurry, Hurry I think this is my life's theme song...and pretty appropriate for the new year.

[yumprint-recipe id='57']Inspired by A House In The Hills

Vegan Spanakopita

December 27, 2013 Kathleen Henry

Hello! How have your Holidays been so far this year? Mine have been terribly busy. And also quite frankly, a smidgen frustrating...I'm looking at you, UPS, Shutterfly, and West Elm! However, there were times of relaxation that included walks in the snow and watching Dracula on Hulu. You know, the one on NBC with Jonathan Rhys Meyers? How they are allowed to show that on normal television is waaaay beyond me, but after watching The Tudors, I'm down for anything with Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Even if it is watching scary Dracula...around Christmastime. Oh well. If you haven't seen either of these shows, first, shame on you. And second, what are you waiting for?! For Christmas morning brunch at my Grandparents' house, I made this. Sooooo amazing. And for Christmas dinner I brought along my favorite drink ever and this Spanakopita! Spank-eee-o-pita. I was informed this is not the correct pronunciation of this dish. It's spa-na-ko-pi-ta, which, now that I look at it...makes a lot more sense. I have no idea where I got my pronunciation of it.

My family never made this dish, growing up. Honestly, I think I've only had it a couple times. My BFF used to make it a lot and I remember liking it, though I obviously never learned how to properly pronounce it. I had some leftover phyllo dough in the fridge, which of course, I couldn't bear to waste and I thought might be a sign that it was time to take on the spank-eee-o-pita.

Traditionally, I believe it involves feta. But don't freta (hah hah hah), feta doesn't make an appearance in this spanakopita! The flavor and texture of feta, however, is mimicked by a combination of chickpeas, nutritional yeast, tahini, vinegar, and lemon juice. Yes, this dish has all the wonderful flavors of the traditional, but with a little more benevolence. It's friendlier to the earth, to the cows, the chickens and to your body! I should've called it Friendly Spanakopita!

Vegan Spanakopita

Serves 8

Filling:
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
8 green onion stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach packages, thawed
1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained, rinsed and mashed
3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1/3 cup kalamata olives, de-pitted and chopped
1/3 cup tahini
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1/2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 lemon, juiced (divided into 1/4 cup and remainder)
12 phyllo dough sheets
Glaze:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. ground flax seed

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-low. Add in the chopped onion and green onions and saute for a few minutes, until the onions have started to soften. Now, add in the garlic and continue to saute a few more minutes, until the onions have become translucent.

Add the spinach to the onion mixture and turn the heat up to medium. Allow the spinach to cook until all the water has evaporated, stirring occasionally. This will take some time, about 10 minutes or so. Meanwhile, mash up the chickpeas.

Once all the water is gone, add in the rest of the filling ingredients, including the remainder of the lemon juice once 1/4 cup has been set aside, but excluding the phyllo dough. Combine well and allow to cook for another 5-10 minutes, until thoroughly heated while stirring occasionally.

See my reindeer dish towel?? Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F and whisk together the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray and place one sheet of the phyllo dough on the bottom of the pan. Lightly brush with the glaze to coat, then place another sheet on top of that and glaze. Repeat with an additional four sheets. There should now be six sheets stacked, total.

Now, spoon the filling into the dish and smooth over so it's even, ensuring to fill the corners. Place a sheet of phyllo dough on top of the filling and continue the glazing process with the other half of the phyllo dough sheets. There should now be six on the bottom of the dish, followed by the filling, followed by six more phyllo dough sheets. Be sure to brush the very top sheet and even spray it with some nonstick cooking spray.