I usually make a mid-afternoon pot of coffee, enjoy a leisurely cup, and the rest is leftover, staring me down saying: “you’re wasteful, Ashlee.” Whoa. If this happens to you, you can do one of two things:

Action One: Decant the cooled coffee into a glass bottle or jug, add agave, cardamom, cinnamon, and almond or coconut milk to taste. Pop the lid on and shake, shake, shake.  Put in the fridge and the next day, you have a delish iced coffee that’s ready for on-the-go enjoyment.    -or-

Action Two: MAKE THESE. Pronto. Coffee is a wonderful sub for traditionally fattier ingredients and makes this muffin fluffy and a bit crunchy on the edges.  The consistency of the muffins and icing turned out reminiscently donuty (donut or doughnut? I’m gonna use both). If you’re so inclined, or you want to gift to friends, by all means, pour the batter in a doughnut pan and go on with your bad self. I don’t have a doughnut pan (cue the violins), so I present to you…muffins.

Vegan Coffee Muffins with Mexican Cocoa Glaze

• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 30 minutes
• Yields: 24 muffins

For the Glaze Icing

• 1/4 cup vegan margarine
• 3/4 cup unsweetened pure cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup warm, brewed coffee
• 1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 – 2 cups powdered sugar (depending upon how thick you want your icing)
• Salt, to taste
• Optional: Pinch of cayenne, orange zest, cardamom, and/or almond extract to flavor more exotically

For the Muffin Batter

• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup warm coffee
• 1/2 cup vegan margarine (or coconut oil or your preferred baking fat substitute), melted
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Generous dash of cinnamon
• Spray coconut oil, or your choice of veggie oil to grease pan

Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 12-cupcake tins with coconut oil or your choice of mist vegetable oil.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  In a medium bowl, whisk together coffee, melted vegan margarine, and vanilla.  Add the wet ingredients, all at once to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.  If the batter is too thick to pour easily, add a bit more coffee.

Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake pans.  The batter will be relatively thick. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.

Single glazing gives just enough punch of flavor, while double glazing makes for more decadent, doughnut-like results.

For the icing, melt the vegan margarine and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan on medium heat, stirring consistently. Gently add the coffee and vanilla extract.  While stirring, gradually add a bit of the powdered sugar to desired consistency (should still be liquid and viscous).

Remove muffins from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before icing.  Drizzle icing or dunk into a larger batch of icing (especially fun with the donut version) and top with chopped pecans, coconut, orange zest, or whatever you please. Allow glazed muffins to cool on a cooling rack and serve.  Or, if you’re particularly adventurous, double- or triple-glaze those puppies for a more decadent result.

Serve and make friends. Or just eat them all yourself. – Ashlee Piper

Ecorazzi covers news and gossip on celebrities and notables in support of the environment and humanitarian causes. You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Image: emmadiscovery

The post Vegan Coffee Muffins Recipe with a Mexican Cocoa Kick appeared first on EcoSalon.

Tis the season for picknicking-whip up one of our team’s 10 must eat dishes.

With record high temperatures soaring around the world, there’s no better time to keep the cool outdoors—under a tree and on a grassy knoll. And, foodie or not, the principles behind ecopsychology say there’s no better way to reconnect and nurture relationships than out in the fresh air. Breaking bread together with brie (or sticky chocolate cake), makes the whole picnicking affair that much more meaningful.

So, grab a blanket and try one (or  all 10) of our favorite picnic recipes—a compilation of our team’s favorites and enough to make a complete menu.

Snacks & Appetizers:

• Fruits & Nuts
• Brie & Bread
• Picnic-side Guacamole

Main dishes:

• Quinoa Salad
• Smokey Jicama Salad with Kale and Corn
• Cold Soba Noodle Salad

Desserts:

• Sticky Chocolate Cake
• Nutella Donut Muffins
• Strawberry Shortcake

Drink:

• Honey Ginger Sparkling Lemonade with Rosemary

1. Fruits and nuts

For our shelter writer, K. Emily Bond—who sometimes seeks refuge under trees—fruits and nuts are a staple picnic snack. While it may sound sinfully simple, we know that sometimes it’s the simple things that make life so much sweeter. All it takes is 5-minutes in your kitchen, and you have a delicious medley of homemade trail mix. We love this “Not Your College Boyfriend’s Trail Mix” from our archives.

2. Brie & Bread

If you’re anything like Behind the Label columnist Jessica Marati, whose picnic mantra is “take knife, dip in Brie, slather on baguette,” you’ll love this grab & go solution. It’s literally that simple.

Directions:

• Pick up your favorite brie & local, freshly baked bread
• Grab a knife and voila, enjoy!

3. Picnic-side Guacamole

Crowd pleasers like me, (your Vegan This columnist and fashion writer) will agree, there’s nothing like fresh, made-on-site guacamole to get a picnic party started. My boyfriend and I love this dish because it’s so versatile (avocados are your canvas), so fresh (see everyone’s eyes light up as you whip this up before their eyes), healthy (packed full of heart- and skin- healthy fatty acids and vitamins) and easy to tote (just pre-chop your garnishes, grab a few avocados and a to-go container, and you’re out the door).

Ingredients:

• Ripe avocados (as many as you need depending on the number of people you’re serving—to be safe, plan on 1 avocado per person)
• 1/2 onion
• 1 handful cilantro leaves
• 1/2 red or yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 lime
• 1 teaspoon, or so, salt
• 1 bag organic tortilla chips or crackers of your choice

Other:

• To-go container
• Serrated knife

Note: Adjust the lime, salt and garnish amounts according to taste and the number of people you’re serving

Directions:

Pre-chop the onion, cilantro leaves and bell pepper. Put in a to-go container large enough to hold the finished guacamole (this will also serve as your mixing bowl). Squeeze the lime and sprinkle the salt over the veggies and mix together. When you arrive at your picnic spot, simply cut your avocados open, remove the seeds and scoop out the fruit. Add to your veggie, lime and salt mix and mash together until you’ve reached the desired consistency. Grab some chips or crackers and enjoy!

4. Quinoa Salad

Life, according to Foodie Underground columnist Anna Brones, is all the better when quinoa is involved. “Quinoa salads are my go to summer meals. They’re easy to make and easy to pack, which means that if you make a big batch one day you have leftovers for a few more. They’re also the perfect picnic item, light enough that they feel like summer food, dense enough that you’re full after eating them. As a base I tend to do a mixture of red and white quinoa, greens and some type of vinaigrette. Then you simply add in whatever you have laying around the kitchen. Nuts, vegetables, fruit… whatever you’re in the mood for. But the Summer Carrot and Date Quinoa Salad is one that I can’t live without, so if you’re in need of a recipe, start there.”

5. Smokey Jicama Salad with Kale and Corn 

One of our resident raw foodies and trendy fashion columnists, Johanna Björk, packs her picnics with a healthy punch.
“This cold salad is super easy to make, which makes it perfect for an impromptu summer picnic. It also doesn’t get soggy easily, which means it can keep for a while in that picnic basket, even if you didn’t bring a cooler. The jicama is fresh, somewhat sweet and crunchy, the kale is hearty and nutritious, the fresh herbs are so summery delicious, and the chipotle gives it a bit of a kick. It also just happens to go really well with a cold beer.”

Ingredients:

• 1/2-1 jicama (depending on how large it is), thinly sliced or grated
• 6 leaves kale, thinly sliced
• 1-2 cups corn (leave out if you want it to be 100% raw)
• 1 large handful mint leaves
, olive oil, 
hemp seeds
, chipotle chili powder
, sea salt

Directions:

Mix the jicama, kale, corn and mint leaves together. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and chipotle chili powder and mix well. Finish with a sprinkle of hemp seeds.

6. Cold Soba Noodle Salad

Fashion and food really go hand-in-hand, and Rowena Ritchie, our west coast fashion editor, proves it with this dish from none other than Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop.

“Goop’s cold soba noodle salad is my go-to pot luck recipe because it’s so easy to make. I generally have soba noodles, mirin, soy, and sesame oil in my cupboards, so I just have to grab some scallions and cilantro. My meat-eating friends seem to love it as a side, and if it’s the only vegan dish at the party, it makes for a full and nutritious meal for me! If you can get hold of Eden Shake’s Furikake, I highly recommend using it—it’s full of protein, vitamins A, B & C and calcium and it tastes great. And, I’ve always found the recipes on goop to be top knotch. Gwyneth Paltrow is known for both loving food and for being health conscious.”

7. Sticky Chocolate Cake

There’s nothing like a fika-style picnic to elevate the mood. Just take it from our Swedish chef and artist extraordinaire Johanna Kindvall. And, if you tend to picnic with a core group of friends, this sweet delight will never get old—change it up with a splash of rum, a dash of mint or even some licorice or cardamom.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs (or one large duck egg)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4-6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Valrhona)
• 1 teaspoon salt (less if using salted butter)
• 1 cup freshly milled almonds (or almond flour)
• 4 oz butter
• mint leaves (optional)
• powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:

Whisk eggs and brown sugar together in a bowl. Stir in the milled almonds, cocoa powder and salt. Add the butter and stir until smooth. Pour the mixture into a greased 9” spring form.

Bake the cake in the oven at 350 F for about 15 minutes. The cake should just be set on top and sticky inside. Let the cake cool down. Decorate with some fresh mint leaves and/or powdered sugar. Serve it plain or with whipped heavy cream.

Note: if you want to spice up the cake I suggest the following flavors: rum, cognac, mint, licorice or cardamom. Just add the flavor to the batter before baking.

8. Nutella Donut Muffins

If you’re picnicking with sensitive foodies like me (think vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and more), then this delicious, easy to pack recipe is the perfect picnic companion. All you need is a re-usable container to carry these in, and you’re sweet-tooth ready.

For the donut muffins:

• 1 ¾ cup flour – follow the following gluten-free flour blend:
  • ¾ cup sorghum flour
  • ¼ cup sweet rice flour
  • 3/8 cup white rice flour
  • ¼ tapioca flour
  • 1/8 cup almond flour
• ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup oil (I used cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg substituted (I blended 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons water)
•  ¾ cup non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Nutella (I made this homemade, vegan version)

For the coating:

• 3-4 tablespoons vegan butter (I used Earth Balance coconut spread)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F, and grease a muffin tray with vegan butter or coconut oil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together your gluten-free flour blend, and add in the baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, egg-substitute and non-dairy milk. Add the dry ingredients and stir only until fully combined.

Follow these instructions to whip up your Nutella hazelnut spread.

Place 2 tablespoons of the muffin donut batter into your prepared muffin tins. Add 1 teaspoon of Nutella and cover with approximately 2 more tablespoons of batter until the muffin tins are ¾ full.
Bake for 18-22 minutes. (Mine were perfectly done after exactly 18 minutes).

Prepare your coating by melting your vegan butter in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together your cinnamon and sugar.

While the muffins are still warm, shake them out of the pan on to a cooling rack.
Dip your muffin donuts into your melted vegan butter and then into your cinnamon sugar mixture.
Allow to cool for approximately 10 minutes. These are perfect when warm and still wonderful when cool (up to 3 days—especially if making these gluten free). Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator if storing longer.

Note: These would also be delicious filled with your favorite homemade jam, in lieu of the Nutella, or simply plain, filling-free.

9. Strawberry Shortcake

For an authentic taste of summer, strawberry shortcake embodies it all. Earlier this summer, I packed all the parts of this dish (biscuits, strawberries and cream) and assembled it on-site at a friends-of-EcoSalon picnic. I love this version, adapted from Martha Stewart, for its freshness and simplicity. Vegan, gluten-free or not, you’ll fall fast for this fresh delight.

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ pounds (6 cups) strawberries—rinsed, hulled and quartered (For the fullest flavor, I recommend using local and fresh strawberries.)
• 1 ¼ cups + 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 cups gluten free flour blend
  • 1 cup sorghum flour
  • 1 cup white rice flour
  • 1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
  • 1/2 cup potato starch flour, minus 2 tablespoons
  • 2 tablespoons almond flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons cold (1 ½ sticks) unsalted vegan butter, cut into small pieces (I used Earth Balance coconut butter)
• 2 cups coconut cream (I used So Delicious coconut creamer, blended with approximately 3 tablespoons of dissolved agar-agar to thicken)
• 2 egg substitutes (I blended 2 tablespoon ground flax seeds with 6 tablespoons warm water)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, toss the prepared strawberries with ¾ cup sugar. (I suggest starting with ½ cup and tasting to see if more sweetness is needed.) Let sit to bring out the juices.

In a food processor, pulse together your gluten free flour blend. Add the baking powder, ½ cup sugar and the salt, and pulse until combined. Add the cold butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles course meal with some pea size bits of butter remaining (pulse approximately 10-12 times).

In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cream (before the agar agar has been added to thicken) and the egg substitute. Pour over the flour mixture, and pulse until some large clumps begin to form (pulse approximately 20-30 times).

Using a half-cup measuring cup, gently pack dough into the cup, invert and tap out on to a lightly buttered or parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat to form 6-8 biscuits.
Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for at least 15 minutes.
Beat the remaining 1 ½ cups cream, with the prepared agar-agar mixture, 2 tablespoons sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy (Note, this will not form peaks like a traditional heavy whipping cream, however, I assure you the taste and texture will not leave you craving cream.)

Slice the biscuits horizontally with a serrated knife. Spoon the strawberries and their liquid over the bottom of each biscuit just before serving. Spoon your whipped cream over the strawberries, and top with the other biscuit half.

10. Honey Ginger Sparkling Lemonade with Rosemary

Amy DuFault, EcoSalon’s Editor-in-Chief says, “I am always the last one to leave the party because I won’t stop talking. This lemonade from our lovely Foodie Underground columnist Anna Brones is a sure cure for talker’s mouth. You can spend an entire picnic having good conversations and the ginger and honey make it so that your voice never breaks. Oh, and that you are of course refreshed. That’s important.”

Ingredients:

• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup water
• Juice of 7 Meyer lemons
• 1/2 cup minced ginger
• 6-10 full rosemary stalks
• 1.25 liter bottle of sparkling water
• Ice cubes
• Optional:
• Your liquor of choice. We recommend bourbon or vodka.

Directions:

To make simple syrup, place honey, water and two rosemary stalks in a saucepan and warm over medium heat while constantly stirring until honey is completely dissolved. Add in ginger. Leave on heat for a 2-3 more minutes, regularly stirring, to increase rosemary flavor. Let sit for 30-60 minutes to cool down. Note: for a stronger rosemary flavor, muddle the rosemary first and let the simple syrup sit for longer.

Strain simple syrup into a pitcher and add in lemon juice, top off with ice cubes and sparkling water.

Garnish with rosemary and serve in mason jars.

Images: Paul and Christa, Rich Anderson, Pink Mochi, Jennifer Barckley, Anna Brones, Johanna Bjork, Goop, Jennifer Barckley, Amy DuFault

The post EcoSalon Team Picks: 10 Picnic Foods to Impress Your Friends appeared first on EcoSalon.

You can still have your chocolate and peanut butter and eat it too.

I’m not alone when I say that Reese’s Peanut Butter cups are among my favorite dessert snacks. They’re just delicious – end of story. However, when it comes to watching your waistline, the last thing you should do is reach for the packaged variation. Instead, take 10 minutes and create your own refined-sugar-free version of this American favorite.

In one serving of Reese’s Peanut Cups, we’re looking at 210 calories, 110 of which come from fat. The 2-piece serving also carries with it 24 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 5 grams of protein, and 5 milligrams of cholesterol. Considering that one serving fulfills 20% of your daily allowance of fat and a whopping 21 grams of simple sugar, the treat is artery-clogging and contributes to spikes in blood sugar levels.

Ingredients include the likes of peanuts, sugar, dextrose, salt, stabilizer tertiary butyl hydroquinone, cocoa butter, chocolate, non-fat milk, milk fat, lactose, soy lecithin and PGPR. I can’t quite pronounce tertiary butyl hydroquinone, but it sure packs a toxic punch. The chemical preservative is rendered to be deadly when 5 grams or more are consumed. The overly processed milk used in Reese’s negatively affects digestion, hormones, and acne.

The wonderful part about Reese’s is that it is easy to change without compromising taste. This recipe revamp uses all-natural, unsalted peanut butter, low-glycemic maple syrup, and coconut butter. Not all fats are the same, and coconut butter brings with it 3 grams of dietary fiber in just 1 tablespoon. And no simple sugars here! Cocoa powder is paired with maple syrup to give you the sweetness without the sugar rush. Enjoy!

Homemade Healthy Peanut Butter Cups

Makes 6

Ingredients:

Chocolate Shell:

1/2 cup coconut butter, mixed well

3 tablespoons maple syrup

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

Dash of sea salt

Filling:

3 heaping teaspoons unsalted peanut butter

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1/8 teaspoon vanilla

Dash of sea salt

Directions:

In a small saucepan, melt the coconut butter and mix in the remainder of the chocolate shell ingredients. Mix until thoroughly combined and remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, combine all the filling ingredients and mix until smooth.

Line 6 muffin tins with baking cups.

On the bottom of each cup, place about 1 teaspoon of the chocolate mixture. Spread so it evenly covers the base. In the center of the chocolate foundation, add 1/2 teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture.

Conceal the peanut butter layer with another teaspoon of the chocolate mixture. Spread so the top is flat.

After you’ve done all six, pop into the freezer and allow the peanut butter cups to harden. Remove the paper baking cups and enjoy!

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

The post Nutritional Breakdown: Revamping a Reese’s appeared first on EcoSalon.

Putting summer’s bounty to good use. 

On a cool Sunday morning I was in the middle of rows upon rows of raspberries. Summer means u-pick season, and there’s something about standing in a field of berries that inevitably leads to overdose. Pick one, eat one, repeat. An hour and a half later I was on a sugar high and had my arms full of two cardboard flats with 13 pounds of raspberries.

13 pounds.

What does one do with 13 pounds of raspberries? Get to know your freezer, that’s what. But freezing berries doesn’t lead to instant gratification. A pile of raspberries on your kitchen table begs to be consumed right then and there. Taking my personal favorite Quinoa Cake recipe, I turned it into a muffin version, complete with summer’s other bounty, rhubarb. A few fresh figs laying around made their way into a quick and easy jam. Result? A raspberry treat that’s perfect for afternoon coffee.

Raspberry Rhubarb Quinoa Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 3 large stalks of rhubarb, chopped
• 1 cup raspberries
• 3 organic eggs
• 1/2 cup organic butter, melted (you can also switch this out for 1/2 cup coconut oil)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Directions:

Cook quinoa and set aside. To cook quinoa, bring two cups of water to a boil. Add quinoa and a dash of salt and let simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until water has cooked off.

Mix dry ingredients.

Whisk butter and eggs together and add to dry mixture.

Combine all ingredients, including quinoa, and stir in rhubarb and raspberries. Note that these muffins have a dense, cake-like consistency.

Pour into lined muffin tin. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350F.

Raspberry Fig Jam

Ingredients:

• 8 fresh figs
• 2 cups raspberries
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2.5 cups sugar
• 1 vanilla bean pod

Directions

Cut the figs into small pieces, and place with raspberries and water in a saucepan. Cut the vanilla pod in half, scrape out the seeds and add both seeds and pod to saucepan.

Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Keep stirring so it doesn’t burn.

Stir in sugar and simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes or until jam thickens.

Take out the vanilla pod, pour jam into clean glass jars and let cool. If you’re feeling up to it, you can can the jam too which will allow it to keep longer. But I assure you you’ll eat this up quick enough.

Store jam in refrigerator.

The post Sunday Recipe: Raspberry Rhubarb Quinoa Muffins with Raspberry Fig Jam appeared first on EcoSalon.

When Nutella, donuts and muffins meet, it’s easy to feed your cravings and forget it’s even vegan.  

Since my kitchen is void of donut molds, and since our fearless Foodie Underground columnist Anna, sent me a Nutella Donut Muffin recipe with a Vegan This dare, I made these donuts muffin-style, with no regrets. And as it turns out, they are best described as a true textural and taste blend of a donut and a muffin – fluffed to perfection with a finely tuned blend of gluten-free flours and filled with homemade Nutella—an EcoSalon favorite.

Normally, donuts, muffins and Nutella make the perfect food coma pairing. Not being one for comatose Sunday brunches, I softened the blow with less processed ingredients like coconut oil instead of butter, homemade almond milk in place of dairy and Nutella with real hazelnuts in lieu of artificial flavorings. For vegans like me who, beyond pure choice, are allergic to foods like milk and eggs, hazelnuts are actually the perfect ingredient. Full of phytochemical flavonoids (antioxidants) like quercetin, these little nuts may help to reduce allergic reactions. And, with healthy doses of vitamins E and B to boot—for healthy skin and a healthy metabolism, respectively – I’ll take a spoonful of hazelnuts with my sugar any day.

Denser than a donut, but still light, sugary and perfectly sweet, these quick and easy treats will give your cravings a real farewell. For now, at least.

The Original – Nutella Donut Muffins
from US Masala

Ingredients

For the donut muffins
• 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup oil
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Nutella (as needed)

For the coating
• 3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

The Vegan & Gluten-Free Nutella Donut Muffins
Makes approximately 9 donut muffins

Ingredients

For the donut muffins
• 1 ¾ cup flour – follow the following gluten-free flour blend:
• (¾ cup sorghum flour)
• (¼ cup sweet rice flour)
• (3/8 cup white rice flour)
• (¼ tapioca flour)
• (1/8 cup almond flour)
• (½ teaspoon xanthan gum)
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup oil (I used cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg substituted (I blended 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons water)
• ¾ cup non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Nutella (I made this homemade, vegan version)

For the coating
• 3-4 tablespoons vegan butter (I used Earth Balance coconut spread)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F, and grease a muffin tray with vegan butter or coconut oil.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together your gluten-free flour blend, and add in the baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, egg-substitute and non-dairy milk. Add the dry ingredients and stir only until fully combined.
4. Follow these instructions to whip up your Nutella hazelnut spread.
5. Place 2 tablespoons of the muffin donut batter into your prepared muffin tins. Add 1 teaspoon of Nutella and cover with approximately 2 more tablespoons of batter until the muffin tins are ¾ full.
6. Bake for 18-22 minutes. (Mine were perfectly done after exactly 18 minutes).
7. Prepare your coating by melting your vegan butter in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together your cinnamon and sugar.
8. While the muffins are still warm, shake them out of the pan on to a cooling rack.
9. Dip your muffin donuts into your melted vegan butter and then into your cinnamon sugar mixture.
10. Allow to cool for approximately 10 minutes. These are perfect when warm and still wonderful when cool (up to 3 days—especially if making these gluten free). Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator if storing longer.

Note: These would also be delicious filled with your favorite homemade jam, in lieu of the Nutella, or simply plain, filling-free.

Enjoy!

The post Vegan This: Nutella Donut Muffins appeared first on EcoSalon.

Image: She Knows

We’ve become peach combers in my house, this summer, sharing slices of the sensuous summer fruit during movies or games instead of the usual cookies and candy. The kids are fighting over fruit? You got the last slice! No, you did! Hey, how did we go right?

Fresh peaches just smell like summer, and I have vivid memories of my parents placing a slice into each glass of red wine they served at their Italian dinner parties during those warm August nights in L.A.

While the round fuzzy fruit is  delicious in the organic, pure form, you can also add them to a variety of tantalizing recipes for family and guests. Here is a bushel-full to get you into the grove!

Healthy Oat Peach Muffins are a great choice for breakfast or as a snack with quick oats, oat bran, walnuts and organic cream cheese folded into the mix. I’m always sifting through muffin recipes to make with my daughters, and this one, from She Knows, is a winner. A few fair-trade, dark chocolate chips can also be a welcomed addition.

Peach Sabayon with Balsamic peaches has received rave reviews from the readers of Epicurious. Sabayon is the French name for Zabaglione, an Italian custard dessert made with egg yolks, sugar, a sweet wine and sometimes cream, mascarpone, or whole eggs. The easy-to-follow recipe calls for balsamic vinegar, dry white wine and peach brandy to add that zing to the organic peaches and egg yolks. Whip up a batch for your next al fresco gathering.

Image: Romulo Yanes

Summer Peach Pie a la mode is a huge seasonal favorite when found on summer restaurant menus. You can make your own with this fruity recipe from Bon Appetit which calls for unbleached flour (I switch it with oat) and ground cardamom for aromatic punch.

Image: Bon Appetit

Peachy Summer Smoothies are easy to blend and serve at parties (spike to taste) or leave them as virgin pick-me-ups. Two recipes from The Nibble: Raspberry Peach Lemonade Smoothie and Mango Peach Smoothie are both healthy, vitamin and protein-enriched tropical delights. I say the peachy part is what makes them so keen!

Image: The Nibble

Peach Chutney is an excellent condiment to use sparingly for spicing a meal. I’ve heard chutney called “the perfect dance partner for food” and this recipe from All Recipes merited five gold stars from the foodies who followed it. Another tasty recipe for this low-fat relish can be plucked at Taste of Home.

The post Ecosalon Recipes: Peachy-Green Summer Delights appeared first on EcoSalon.