Flourless Peanut Butter Mini Muffins

My friend, Meredith, texted me this recipe last night and asked if I had made these yet......well, approximately 30 minutes later I had! I was so intrigued by the ingredients and the method of making it all in the blender, I just had to right away! They were beyond easy and my kids literally gobbled them up for breakfast this morning. One of my sons said he ate 7 of them by the time I walked downstairs! Yay! A hit! I will be making these again and again. I'm sure you will be too!!!

On a side note, these mini-muffins are gluten-free, dairy-free and refined-sugar free! They are so moist and flavorful - you would never know!

The recipe comes from the blog Averie Cooks. Here is Averie's recipe word for word:

Ingredients:

1 medium ripe banana, peeled
1 large egg
heaping 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter** (I recommend using classic storebought peanut butter, and not natural or homemade)
3 tablespoons honey (pure maple syrup may be substituted)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
heaping 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

**<I only had natural peanut butter, so I added an extra Tbl of pure maple syrup to the recipe>

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare mini muffin pans by spraying very well with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pans; set aside. If keeping gluten-free for health reasons, simply use cooking spray or grease the pan. <I used mini-muffin paper liners - so glad I had these because they made the whole thing a breeze>
2. To the canister of a blender, add first 7 ingredients, through optional salt, and blend on high speed until smoothy and creamy, about 1 minute.
3. Add chocolate chips and stir in by hand; don't use the blender because it will pulverize them.
4. Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop that's been sprayed with cooking spray (helps batter slide off spoon or scoop easily), form rounded 1 tablespoon mounds and place mounds into prepared pans. Each cavity should be filled to a solid 3/4 full.
5. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until the tops are set, domed, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.  Due to their small size and oven variance, make sure to watch your muffins closely, and bake until done. Allow muffins to cool in pans for about 10 minutes, or until they've firmed up and are cool enough to handle. Muffins are best fresh, but will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Garlic Chili Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower & Pine Nuts

Here's another scrumptious recipe from my FAVORITE blog, Minimalist Baker (and she's coming out with a cookbook soon- so exciting!!). I'm a huge cauliflower-lover....it's one of my favorite veggies. This meal was easy to put together and had some awesome flavor combos. Serve with a side salad and some good bread. Enjoy!

 

PS I made my husband's meal with regular pasta and mine with gluten-free pasta.

 

Here is the recipe verbatim from Minimalist Baker:

 

CAULIFLOWER

• 1 small head cauliflower (580 g), large stems removed, florets separated
• 2-3 Tbsp (30-45 ml) olive or grape seed oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (9 g or 1 1/2 Tbsp)
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
• Heaping 1/4 tsp sea salt

PASTA

• optional: 2 cups (480 ml) vegetable broth (for adding more flavor to pasta)
• 12 oz (340 g) linguini or fettuccini (ensure vegan friendly | sub gluten free pasta to keep GF)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil (use extra virgin here if you have it for more flavor)
• 3 cloves garlic, skin removed + smashed NOT minced (9 g or 1 1/2 Tbsp)
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (reduce for less heat)
• 2 Tbsp (8 g) fresh chopped parsley, plus more for serving
• 2 Tbsp (17 g) toasted pine nuts, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup (20 g) vegan parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• Salt + Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (232 C).
2. Add cauliflower to a mixing bowl with olive oil, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and sea salt. Toss to coat, then spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, flipping/stirring once at the 15-minute mark to ensure even cooking. Sample and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.
3. Once your cauliflower has reached the 10-minute mark, add 2 cups vegetable broth (for added flavor | optional) and about 4-5 cups water (or however much to generously cover your pasta) to a large pot and bring to a boil.
4. Once boiling, season well with sea salt and add pasta. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and cook according to package instructions for ‘al dente’ - 7-10 minutes - then drain and set aside. Cover with a towel to keep warm.
5. Heat the same large pot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add 1/4 cup olive oil and 3 cloves smashed NOT minced garlic. Sauté 1-2 minutes on both sides, or until garlic is fragrant and slightly golden brown. Remove garlic from pan and let cool slightly, then mince. Set aside for serving.
6. Next add red pepper flakes to infuse the olive oil for 1-2 minutes.
7. Add cooked pasta, parsley, pine nuts, minced garlic, vegan parmesan cheese, cauliflower, and toss to coat.
8. Remove from heat and sample pasta. Adjust seasonings as desired, adding salt or pepper if necessary. Serve hot with additional parsley, red pepper flakes, pine nuts and vegan parmesan cheese. Best when fresh, though leftovers keep for a few days covered in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave, or on the stovetop in a large saucepan in a bit of olive oil.