B-A-N-A-N-A-S

16 Jun

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, that is!  Oh yes.  These muffins have a prominent banana flavor, sprinkled with gooey chocolate chips.  The bananas keep the muffins very moist.  Lovely!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup of all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 canola oil
4 mashed bananas
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
walnuts (optional)

I started by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F and lining the cupcake tins with the cupcake papers. This recipe makes 12 regular sized muffins.

I first mixed together the flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl, I beat together the sugars, oil and banana and added the rest of the wet ingrediants to that. I poured the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mixed until it was all combined. Once it was all mixed, I added the chocolate chips.

I used my ice cream scoop to fill the liners to the top.  The muffins bake for 20-23 minutes.

For lunch, I threw together some Cucumber Rolls (inspired by Gena).  I made these before, and they were just as delicious as last time!

I found this Roasted Red Pepper & Artichoke Tapenade at Trader Joe’s this morning, and I was really excited to use in in my cucumber rolls.  It lends a really delicious and savory flavor to the rolls.  It’s a really great spread.  I can’t wait to try it on crusty bread.  Anyway, the rolls are very simple.  All you’ve got to do is peel a cucumber to create slices, and pile on whatever veggies you want!  I used red bell pepper, cucumber, carrot, spinach, pickles, and avocado.

As usual, I ended lunch with this sweet plate of fruit.  Apples, kiwi, strawberry, pineapple, and blueberries to be exact!

I spent some more time in the kitchen to create another batch of East Coast Coffee Cake from Vegan Brunch.  What can I say?  I can’t get enough!

When dinner rolled around, I had a serious craving for a huge bowl of Carrot Cake Oat Bran.  I made this yesterday and I could not stop thinking about them today!

Topped with White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter, these were exactly what I was craving!  I was definitely inspired by Maggie over at Sleep Dream Dress.  I was still a bit hungry after finishing my oats, so I made another snack plate of fruits and half of an english muffin left over from breakfast.  Delicious!

It’s always so satisfying.  I’m looking forward to vegging out in bed for the rest of the night.  My car died on the highway yesterday (YIKES!!) so I’ve had to bike everywhere today!  It was exhausting.  I tried to run all my errands in one trip but every time I returned home, I realized that I had forgotten something!  Seriously.  This happened more than once.  Time to relax!


32 Responses to “B-A-N-A-N-A-S”

  1. VeggieGirl June 16, 2009 at 8:03 pm #

    I need that tapenade.

    YIKES is right!! Thank goodness you’re okay!!

  2. Kiersten June 16, 2009 at 8:16 pm #

    Mmm, those muffins look yummy! I made muffins today too. It’s just a muffin kind of day I guess.

    I am totally looking for that tapenade next time I go to Trader Joe’s.

  3. brandi June 16, 2009 at 8:18 pm #

    those muffins look awesome! are vegan chips = carob chips or are those different?

    • Nicole June 16, 2009 at 8:22 pm #

      They’re different! Carob is kind of a chocolate substitute. I use semi-sweet chocolate chips that don’t have dairy in them. Most dark chocolate chips don’t have dairy either :)

  4. brandi June 16, 2009 at 8:19 pm #

    i hope your car gets fixed soon, too!

  5. maggie June 16, 2009 at 8:24 pm #

    Seriously amazing looking food here! I am dying to try that PB but all the markets don’t sell it here! But whole foods probably will have it, huh? Love the coffee cake too…I must try making it! You always give me such good ideas!
    Hope the car gets fixed!
    Maggie

  6. Shelby June 16, 2009 at 8:41 pm #

    Wow, all the baking and delicious foods look so good! I’m loving the carrot cake oats =)

    Must make those cucumber rolls! YUM!

  7. Melissa S. June 16, 2009 at 8:53 pm #

    wow, such great baking! i’m loving all the eats, especially those cucumber rolls!

  8. kilax June 16, 2009 at 10:05 pm #

    Ooo, how did you know I was looking for a use for my super ripe bananas?

  9. Marianne June 16, 2009 at 10:24 pm #

    Great day of eats. I must try making some carrot cake type oatmeal one of these days.

  10. lilveggiepatch June 16, 2009 at 11:06 pm #

    GAH I’m glad you’re okay! Car problems are so scary.

    LOVE those muffins. Send some of that chocolatey banana goodness my way! In all seriousness, I do hope I see you soon… I assume I will next Friday, but maybe before if we have time?

  11. necesseaties June 16, 2009 at 11:13 pm #

    I really admire how humble, intimate, rustic, and shaded your photographs are. It’s a refreshing change of pace from all the clean, brightly lit, obvious pictures on other food blogs.

  12. Animal-Friendly June 16, 2009 at 11:19 pm #

    Banana chocolate muffins…yum!

    I just tried those cucumber spring rolls after seeing your last post on them and I am beyond impressed! They tasted like the freshest veggie sushi ever- I’ll be making them all summer for sure.

  13. Rebeca June 16, 2009 at 11:50 pm #

    This post is a little too full of deliciousness… yum yum yum!

    Those cucumber rolls look fabulous!

  14. broccolihut June 17, 2009 at 12:03 am #

    Love that TJ’s spread! I buy it every time I visit a town with a Trader Joe’s.

  15. Gena (Choosing Raw) June 17, 2009 at 7:27 am #

    Gorgeous, gorgeous cucumber rolls!!

  16. luckytastebuds June 17, 2009 at 2:51 pm #

    omgsoh omgosh omgosh so much food porn here. The banana muffins really really really look up my alley and i’d devour a batch on my own if left to my own devices. Thanks for the idea on the cucumber rolls!! Regular cucumber slices get SO boring sometimes!!

    P.s. I’m hosting my very own Big Lucky Giveaway and I’d love to have you come check it out!!

  17. Jenny June 17, 2009 at 3:16 pm #

    so after reading this post i officially have that Gwen Stefani song stuck in my head and an unbearable craving for muffins…

  18. Diana (Soap & Chocolate) June 17, 2009 at 4:28 pm #

    Wow, that’s one way to get your exercise! Blessing in disguise at first, but I guess that’s just me trying to make a sucky thing like having your car die better. Hope things are back to normal now!

  19. Margaret June 17, 2009 at 6:03 pm #

    You should be banned from the Internet for all that food porn;) i never comment but i seriously love your blog!

  20. BitterSweet June 17, 2009 at 10:31 pm #

    Gah, those look amazing with the melty chocolate chips and everything!

  21. Mom June 18, 2009 at 10:40 am #

    I have not commented in a while. Those cucumber rolls look so delicious. You need to come home and make them for me. and I just loved those muffins. thanks for them.

  22. Katharina June 18, 2009 at 1:10 pm #

    I wish they sold over-ripened bananas at the grocery store, but I think people would just sneer at the poor bananas :(

    I love how your food always looks so vibrant. Natural beauty at it’s best! (And tastiest)

  23. Nicole June 18, 2009 at 1:18 pm #

    Katharina- I actually didn’t even have the ripest bananas, but I found that microwaving them a little softens them right up!

  24. Melissa @ For the Love of Health June 18, 2009 at 3:01 pm #

    What a great blog name :-)

    Your food photos are absolutely amazing!

    Muffins look fabulous and the fruit plate looks perfect!

    Good luck with your car!

  25. Mariposa June 18, 2009 at 3:06 pm #

    those look so yummy.. and the cuc rolls are amazing i just finished eating my lunch and now i am hungry again!

  26. janetha June 22, 2009 at 11:43 am #

    i made the muffins last night, the vegans LOVED EM! they are super yummy!

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

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  4. And We Have A Winner! « Another One Bites The Crust - February 12, 2010

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  5. Weekend Baking + Guest Bender: Mara from What’s For Dinner? « eating bender - March 15, 2010

    [...] Every Saturday, Bobby and I buy a gigantic bunch of green bananas. By mid-week, roughly a quarter of them are gone. By Friday, they are just ripe enough to make a few batches of whipped banana oatmeal. By Sunday, they’ve turned completely black on the outside, perfectly mushy on the inside and are that just-right consistency for Nicole’s banana bread. [...]

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