Cherry Almond Muffins

It has been a while since I have made muffins at home, and last night I got a sudden craving. I made this batch of muffins from items I had laying around the house. They are dense (almost like quick bread) and slightly sweet, making them delicious and filling snacks or accompaniments.

I like eating muffins plain, or reheating them in the oven topped with butter, or cut into cubes and eaten with fresh fruit or with yogurt. These are warm and spicy from the ginger and cardamom but also bright from the cherries and coconut.

I can't really call these muffins healthy, but they do have whole wheat flour - only a small amount of sugar - and almonds and dried fruit. So I'm going to say they're much healthier than most muffins while still being sweet :-)~

To make this recipe vegan, use cultured soy, almond, rice or coconut milk as yogurt. A creamy variety works better than a thick one.

Cherry Almond Muffins

• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup creamy yogurt, plain or vanilla flavored
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds + more for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a muffin pan with baking cups or spray with non-hydrogenated cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, coconut, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and cardamom. In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup, yogurt and olive oil. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and then fold in the cherries and almonds.

Use two spoons to drop the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle some more almonds on the top of each muffin, pressing in slightly. Bake in the oven until done, about fifteen minutes.

Absolutely Spectacular Sweet Breakfast Couscous

I'm not the biggest couscous fan in the world, but I bought some from the bulk section at Whole Foods one day when I realized that whole wheat couscous existed. I haven't always enjoyed it as a savory dish, so I decided to experiment with it.

This amazing sweet salad is a perfect, well rounded and nutritious breakfast. It will give you a quick pick-me-up with its incredible taste and will keep you full until lunch time. This recipe makes a large batch, because you will be sure to eat it (for breakfast, for lunch, for dinner, for a snack, for dessert…) It makes enough to feed two people breakfast for a whole week. If you’d like, cut the recipe in half. Experiment with the nuts (pecans, almonds or peanuts would do nicely), with the minced greens (extra nutrition and flavor), and with different amounts of dried fruit (chopped dried peaches, apricots, prunes).


If you have quinoa around the house, try using that instead. It will add a boost of protein.

Absolutely Spectacular Sweet Breakfast Couscous

• 1 ½ cups whole wheat couscous
• 1 ½ cups vegetable stock
• ½ of a red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/3 cup diced green onions
• ¾ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 inner stalk celery with leaves, chopped
• 2/3 cup minced fresh baby spinach, parsley or cilantro (your preference)
• ¾ cup dried fruits: cranberries, blueberries, raisins

For the dressing:

• 1 ½ tablespoons honey or suitable vegan substitute
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Bring the vegetable stock to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the couscous; cover and let sit for five minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Chill in the refrigerator, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for at least an hour.

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a small container with a lid and shake vigorously until thoroughly mixed.

When the couscous is chilled to room temperature or below, add in the remaining ingredients and mix. Pour the dressing over the top and mix well. Either eat at room temperature or chill until cold.

To make a similar, savory couscous, make the following substitutions:

• Extra diced veggies instead of the dried fruit
• Balsamic or red wine vinegar for the apple cider vinegar
• Any favorite dried or fresh herb for the ground cinnamon, and increase to 1/4 teaspoon (dried) or 1 tablespoon (fresh)
• Eat warm instead of chilled

A rainbow of nutritious colors and delicious tastes!

Sending this to Presto Pasta Nights guest hosted by Sweet Artichoke

Masala Tofu Sandwiches with Sweet Curry Spread

I got this inspiration from the Curry Tofu Salad available in the prepared foods section of Whole Foods Market. Instead of making a salad, I decided to make sandwiches with a spread and sliced tofu. The Sweet Curry Spread is a delightful shade of deep yellow and the tofu is firm enough to please a meat eater.

As I was making this, I thought of all the uses: individual sandwiches for lunch, or a vast array of appetizers. If you'd like to make appetizers, simply cut the tofu into smaller pieces before marinating.

The tofu makes enough for either three large, two-tofu-slice sandwiches or six smaller once-tofu-slice sandwiches, or 12 more appetizers with a half of a fourth of a slice each. The spread recipes make enough for this amount of sandwiches.

For your outside pieces, I make the following suggestions:

• naan or chapatis
• pita
• whole grain sandwich bread
• cocktail bread, such as rye or pumpernickle to make appetizer sandwiches
• whole grain or sprouted raw crackers 
• thick slices of cucumber
• thick, sturdy pieces of hearty lettuce, such as romaine or kale

Masala Tofu Sandwiches

• 1 block of tofu, cut into six wide, thin slices
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about one lemon's worth)
• 2 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos (or 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce + 1 tablespoon water)
• bread of choice
• garnishes: romaine lettuce, curly green kale, baby spinach, shredded carrots, alfalfa sprouts, cucumbers, sliced onion

In a long, shallow container with a tight fitting lid, mix the lemon juice, garam masala, sesame oil and liquid aminos. Add in the tofu slices, one at a time, coating each one in the marinade. If it is not possible to stack them separately, stack them side by side, three slices high. Place the lid on the container and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or overnight if possible, flipping the container over once halfway through.


After marinating, preheat the oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the tofu slices in a single layer. Bake until they are firm and brown, about 20-30 minutes. Let cool completely.

When ready to serve, spread some of the Sweet Curry Spread on your outside piece. For large sandwiches, top with two slices of tofu and for small, one slice. If you are making appetizers with the crackers, cucumbers or lettuce, cut each tofu slice in half or in fourths and use the spread as "glue" for the tofu to stick. Top with any desired toppings.


Sweet Curry Spread

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 3 tablespoons raisins
• 3 tablespoons dried cherries
•  1/4 cup shredded coconut

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until a thick, creamy paste forms - just a little bit thinner than mayonnaise consistency. Chill until ready to use. As it chills, this spread will thicken considerably but will still be spreadable.

This also works as a delicious dip with bread, chips, crackers or crudites. If using as a dip, use a little bit more coconut milk, and a little bit less cashews to make it less thick.

Breakfast Mint Toasts

I just made these for breakfast. In fact, I am still eating them and I simply could not wait to post them on this blog!!

A little while back we had bought some Greek sour cream to make stroganoff, and we had a bunch left. I've been staring at it in the fridge in anticipation of the expiration date. Then I decided to actually read the container.

This specific sour cream is Greek Gods brand, and it's not even sour cream, it's Kefir Cheese, or Lebni. Now that I look at it it's not sour cream at all, but I am absolutely certain it was on the same shelf as the sour cream in the grocery store... anyway, I absolutely love this brand's yogurt (especially the honey flavor) because it is extremely thick and creamy. The same for the this lebni - it's thick and creamy and very tart. Here's a picture of the package:

Well, on the back of the tub it says to mix it with some dried mint and eat it with pita. This morning I did sort of that, and it's great!!

If you don't have this product, cream cheese would be very similar but the dish would no longer be healthy. Plain or vanilla flavored Greek yogurt would also work, Fage brand is another one I like. Whatever you use, it must be of spreading consistency, so it won't slide off the bread.


Breakfast Mint Toasts

• 2 slices whole grain bread (here in the picture I used whole wheat hamburger buns, because that's what I had! haha)
• 3-4 tablespoons Greek Gods Lebni
• teaspoon or so of honey
• 2-3 tablespoons dried cherries, cranberries, blueberries, currants or raisins
• 2-3 tablespoons chopped walnuts or almonds
• 10-20 fresh mint leaves (depending on your level of minty preference)

 Preheat the broiler and place the bread slices underneath just until they are brown (my electric broiler does this in fifteen seconds - check often!) I only prefer one side of the bread toasted, but if you like the other too, flip it over. This side will take much less time to brown. Or, if you have a fancy toaster, use that.


Spread the lebni over the top of the bread slices and drizzle with however much honey you'd like (be careful though, honey is very sweet). Top with the dried fruit and nuts. Make a chiffonade of the mint leaves - stack them on top of each other in a pile, roll them up in a cylinder and slice extremely thinly (or mince the leaves). Spread atop the toasts, eat and enjoy!!