best of 2013

Hi everyone!

As we say goodbye to 2013 and hello to 2014, I thought I'd continue the tradition and do a round-up of some of my favourite posts of 2013.

gluten-free banana chocolate chip muffins

(These muffins were also the most viewed post of 2013!)

gluten-free chocolate chocolate cupcakes

baking essentials

avocado red cabbage salad

herb garden tour

banana chocolate cupcakes

coconut flour biscuits

homemade brownies

Thank you so much for visiting us and reading the posts!  I wish you a year filled with love, peace and good health.

xoxo

a

gluten-free banana chocolate chip muffins

These should really be called guilt-free banana chocolate chip muffins.  They use coconut flour and bananas, so there's packed with fibre and potassium.  So good for you and super delicious!  What are you waiting for?

These muffins and this chocolate cake are my favourite gluten-free recipes yet.

ready to pop into the oven!

cool down time 

They're supposed to cool down before you dig in.  Mr. A let them cool down for all of 2 seconds.  That's how I knew they were winners!

Oh one more thing: don't worry if they don't rise a lot once they're baked, that's normally.  As long as the knife comes out clean, you know they're done.

Here's the recipe!

Gluten-Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
adapted from Eat Good 4 Life

Ingredients:
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
pinch of nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 ripe bananas, mashed 
1/3 cup honey
1/2 coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside. 

In a mixing bowl, mash bananas until creamy, add in honey, spices, eggs and coconut oil  and mix through.

Add coconut flour, and mix well. I do this with a wire whisk. Allow batter to sit for 5 minutes to allow the coconut flour time to absorb the liquids.

Add baking soda and chocolate chips and combine. Fill cupcake liners all the way like in the picture.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned on the top and a knife inserted comes out clean.

Remove muffins from the baking pan and let cool on a wire rack. 

Enjoy!

vegetable pad thai

During the summer, I like making recipes that use the veggies in our garden.

We planted some thai basil this year {I love basil!} so I used that as my inspiration for making vegetable pad thai.  This dish is chock full of veggies, which made me happy because our fridge is full of fresh veggies and I need to use them asap.  Some of the veggies came from a local farm, like the scallions and then snap peas.  They were super tasty.

Here's the recipe!

Vegetable Pad Thai
adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces dried wide, flat rice noodles
• 1/4 cup fresh lime or lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili sauce, such as Sriracha
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon packed dark-brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 package (14 ounces) soft tofu, drained
• 1 cup snap peas
• 1-2 cups bean sprouts
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
• Coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons roasted salted peanuts, chopped (optional)
• 1/4 cup fresh thai basil leaves if you have them
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Cook the noodles according to package instructions; drain. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, chili sauce, hoisin sauce, and brown sugar.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1/2 teaspoon oil over medium-high, tilting to coat pan. Add egg, swirl to coat bottom, and cook until just set, about 1 minute. Transfer eggs to a cutting board, loosely roll up, and cut crosswise into thin strips. Add 4 teaspoons oil to skillet and heat. Add tofu in a single layer and sautee until golden brown on both sides, 7 minutes. Transfer to separate dish.
3. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, carrots, garlic, snap peas, and scallion whites to skillet and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add lime-juice mixture and bring to a simmer. Add noodles and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Add eggs, tofu and bean sprouts and gently toss to combine. Season to taste with salt. Serve on a plate or in a bowl, and top with peanuts, cilantro, basil, and scallion greens. 
   Enjoy!