Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Hummus

After looking on Pinterest to find a hummus recipe, and finding the "roasted garlic" version was actually garlic powder, I had to make my own recipe. I adapted this recipe from classycooking.com.

1 large head of garlic, roasted

2 cloves of fresh garlic

1 x 15oz can of chickpeas

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

3 Tbsp tahini

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp oil

Coconut Banana Muffins

Another idea from The Green Forks (as were the Spinach Muffins). But I've changed it so much from the original that I'm making my own post. 

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup white flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1/2 cup milk, warmed up

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup mashed banana

Combine dry ingredients.

Combine wet ingredients, keeping ingredients warm to keep oil as a liquid. 

Pour wet into dry, stir only enough to combine (about 18 strokes).

Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes. 

Makes 12 muffins.

Notes:

I used an immersion blender to mix liquid ingredients because we don't like banana chunks!

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.

Citrus Buns

You know I can't leave a recipe alone! I liked the orange roll recipe but I wanted to ramp up the amount of citrus in it. Here's what I came up with:

1 cup warm water

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp yeast

In blender:

1 peeled orange (zest saved for filling)

1 3/4 cups cooked potatoes

1 1/4 cups potato water

6 eggs

Dump blender mix into mixing bowl and add:

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp salt

12+ cups flour

Mix till dough is no longer sticky. Let rise for one hour in a warm, damp place.

Roll out 1/4 of the dough at a time, top with melted butter and filling mixture.

Filling:

3 cups sweetened coconut

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 Tbsp orange zest

Zest of 1/2 lemon (the rest goes into the glaze)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Let rise for one more hour. Bake at 350 for 18 minutes. Top with glaze after baking.

Glaze:

2 cups sugar

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup butter

1 Tbsp orange zest

Zest of 1/2 lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

If you end up with more buns than glaze, make cream cheese frosting:

1 block cream cheese

1/2 cup butter, softened

Zest of one orange

3 cups icing sugar

1/4 cup sour cream

I'm tired just writing it out!

Orange Rolls

A few years ago, I'm not sure exactly how it came about, but I received this recipe in a sort of full-circle moment. I understand this was my Mom's recipe, she had shared it with her friend from church, the friend became our neighbour after my Mom was hospitalized, and after I was grown and married, I was given the recipe. It was 20+ years after my Mom had given it to her friend. Thanks Henrietta Giesbrecht for this recipe. It is very special to me!

This is a huge recipe! I'll write it as it came to me, and I'll make a new post with all of the changes I made because it became an entirely new recipe.

4 cups water

1 cup margarine

1 cup sour cream

6 eggs

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups flour (plus 12-14 more cups)

2 Tbsp yeast

Let rise 1 hour.

Roll out, brush with butter, spread on mixture:

1 3/4 cup coconut

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 3/4 Tbsp orange rind

Roll up like cinnamon rolls and cut.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup margarine

1 Tbsp orange rind

Boil for a few minutes.

Put the glaze on after baking.

Notes:

Makes about 5-6 dozen buns.

Yogurt can be used in place of sour cream.

Spinach Muffins

I saw this on Pinterest, posted by The Green Forks, but I've made a couple of key changes for myself. The original recipe calls for fresh spinach but I use frozen. 

1/2 package of frozen spinach, thawed

1/2 cup banana

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup oil

1/4 to 1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and prepare a 12-cup muffin tin.

Thaw frozen spinach but do not drain!

Whisk together the dry ingredients, set aside.

In blender, place oil, spinach, banana. Blend until completely smooth. Add vanilla.

Pour puréed mixture into dry ingredients, add 1/4 cup water, folding together until entirely combined. As you start to mix this, you'll be able to tell if it needs a bit more water.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full, bake for 18-20 minutes.

Notes:

Very tasty with apple or applesauce instead of banana.

Also yummy with chocolate chips!

Spreadable Butter

1 lb butter, room temperature

1 cup oil

1/2 cup hot water

3/4 tsp salt

I dropped these four items in the mixer, whipped till it was smooth. I ended up with 1 1/2 500 mL containers full.

Banana Cake

Baking muffins is not a skill I possess. Well, I can bake them, just not so they turn out! This recipe is just right for me; it can be mixed a lot and it still turns out soft and moist.

This is from one of my top three recipe books: the Valley Mennonite Academy recipe book that I got as a wedding shower gift in 1999 from my Aunt Anne and cousins Joanne and Laura. The recipe contributer is my Aunt Kathy.

1 cup banana pulp

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup milk

Icing:

1/4 cup margarine

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups icing sugar

1/3 cup banana pulp

Yellow food colouring, optional

Beat first five ingredients together; add dry ingredients. Mix well. Add milk. 

Bake in 9x13 pan or as cupcakes. 

Icing: beat well.

Notes:

I baked these at 350 for 20 minutes.

I used coconut oil instead of shortening.

I added 1/4 cup flax (it was 1/4 cup before I ground it which became nearly 1/2 cup) and reduced flour... BUT I just turned the pan in the oven and they look flat, so I'm realizing I should not have decreased flour. Silly mistake! 

January 13, 2015: swapped apples for banana and added 1 tsp cinnamon. I reduced sugar by 1/4 cup. Good!