Almond-Hazelnut Banana Bread Muffins with Chocolate Chips

I’m particular about the ripeness of bananas. My preference is for the slightly under ripe banana that still has a ting of green around the stem. Unfortunately, this leaves me with a very small window of opportunity to consume a banana bunch. With baking, however, the more ripe, spotty and pungent, the better.

The obvious go-to for overly ripe bananas is banana bread, and since I have yet to purchase a loaf pan, I've been whipping up lots of banana bread muffins. I found a recipe that I love on The Curious Country Cook that is gluten-free and adds no additional sweetener (other than chocolate chips), and lets the banana shine on its own.

The muffins are nutty and dense, with a perfect golden crust. I've been using them as breakfast treat for on-the-go. The original recipe uses plain almond butter, which works great, but I'm crazy for this organic almond-hazelnut butter by Riverview Orchard and I think the hazelnut adds a little sumpin' extra.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup almond-hazelnut butter (or other nut butter of choice)
3 very ripe bananas
2 eggs
1sp baking soda
1tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) In a large bowl, peel and mash bananas with a fork. Stir in almond-hazelnut butter, almond flour, eggs, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon until thoroughly mixed. Fold in chocolate chips.

3) Divide batter between muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. 

3/4 cup almond butter
3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
2 large eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup almond flour/meal
1/3-1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a 12 muffin tin with liners.
2.In a medium bowl, mix the almond butter, bananas, eggs, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon until combined. Fold in the flour and chocolate chips.
3. Divide the batter between the muffin cups and top with extra chips. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. - See more at: http://curiouscountrycook.blogspot.com/2012/08/almond-banana-chocolate-chip-muffins.html#sthash.G6va9ct4.dpuf

3/4 cup almond butter
3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
2 large eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup almond flour/meal
1/3-1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a 12 muffin tin with liners.
2.In a medium bowl, mix the almond butter, bananas, eggs, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon until combined. Fold in the flour and chocolate chips.
3. Divide the batter between the muffin cups and top with extra chips. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. - See more at: http://curiouscountrycook.blogspot.com/2012/08/almond-banana-chocolate-chip-muffins.html#sthash.G6va9ct4.dpuf

Mornin' Groats

As a vegetarian, who doesn't eat eggs, I'm often limited to a fruit cup and side of hash browns when I go out for brunch. Of course, there's the occasional granola bowl (like my favorite at La Boulange in San Francisco). At home, I like to get creative with my breakfast options and I'm constantly looking for new inspiration. This weekend, my father introduced me to whole oat groats, which are basically minimally processed oats (the oat kernel with the hull removed). Groats not only have a high nutritional value, they also have a wonderful nutty flavor and creamy texture. They're also a labor of love (if you want super creamy groats, you'll need to cook them for at least an hour and a half) but are well worth the wait. They taste great with a little chopped banana, blueberries, pepita seeds and walnut pieces.

Whole Oat Groats
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 cup whole oat groats
8 cups water
drizzle of honey or maple syrup (optional)
chopped fruit, handful of chopped nuts and seeds (optional)
splash of nut milk (optional)

Directions:
1. Combine groats with water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for required time, stirring often until desired consistency is reached.
2. Top with a splash of hemp milk, chopped fruit, nuts, seeds and a drizzle of honey.