Carob Chip Spice Muffins

I made these tasty muffins for our lunch dessert today. Makes approx 14 muffins. To make them vegan simply use banana instead of yogurt as the "egg re-placer". Check 'em out! :-)

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup wheat germ
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 Tbsp baking soda
3 Tbsp cinnamon powder
1 1/2 Tbsp nutmeg powder
1 cup carob chips
1 cup raisins
1 cup crystallized ginger small pieces
2 Tbsp vanilla natural essence
1 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup safflower oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt or 1 banana mashed into a puree (I like using banana because it gives flavor)
Approx 4 cups water - use as needed to make a medium runny batter that drops from spatula slowly but easily.

Method

Mix all dry ingredients. Mix all wet ingredients separately. Then mix everything together. Oil the muffin trays, sprinkle with oat flakes, wheat bran or something else to help prevent sticking. Fill batter into muffin tray and bake in a preheated oven (385 degrees) for approx 25 mins or until golden brown. To test if down simply press your finger tip to the surface lightly, it will spring back when done.

Serve warm or cooled, straight or with apple sauce, custard, cream etc. You can glaze them if you like.

Gopi's Bean Burgers

These nutritious bean burgers are one of my most recent experiments in the kitchen. . .they are healthy and tasty, so its all good! ;-) They are baked, vegan and also soy free. Makes approx 14 big burgers.

Ingredients 

Approx 4 cups brown rice- ready cooked

3 cups red lentils - ready cooked

2 cups cannelloni beans - ready cooked

1 cup sunflower seeds

Approx 2 cups wheatgerm

3-4 cups quick oats

1 cup nutritional yeast

2-3 Tbsp asafoetida to taste

4 Tbsp sea salt or to taste

1/2 tsp pimento powder

2 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper

3 stalks celery chopped fine

1 red bell pepper chopped small

3 Tbsp Italian herbs

2 Tbsp cumin powder

2 Tbsp smoke flavor

1/4 cup safflower oil

Method

Remember that a little goes a long way with long grain brown rice, you only need 1 cup to yield approx 4 when cooked. Cook it til its mushy and drain water off.
Red lentils also expand - 1 cup yields approx 3 cups when cooked.

Stir-fry the celery and red peppers for 10 mins with a little asafoetida.

Mash and mix everything together thoroughly in a big mixing bowl. The texture is a little on the wet side and sticky enough to form - that's what we want to have burgers that are crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.

Have 2 flat baking trays at hand, and oil with approx 2 Tbsp safflower oil (yes, you need enough oil to roast the burgers and prevent sticking).

Oil your hands and form mixture into patties and place on tray approx 3-5 cm apart. Bake in a reheated oven at 450 degrees for approx 20 mins til golden brown, turn over and bake 10 - 15 mins more (add more oil as you turn if  tray is dry).

Serve hot with a homemade ketchup, barbecue sauce, mayo or Vegenaise as part of a meal, or in a bread roll with salad greens as lunch! :-)