Whole Grain Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

I buy bunches and bunches of bananas for smoothies every week, a breakfast staple during the school year. Sometimes, I buy extra bananas just so I'll have enough to make banana bread or these Whole Grain Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins as a special breakfast treat or after-school snack. 

I am thrilled that my recipe for these Whole Grain Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins is being featured on iVillage.com today! So hop on over and read my post on 10 Kid-Approved Recipes with Whole Grains to get the recipe along with some easy tips to get kids to try whole grains.

I would love to hear your tips and tricks on getting your kids to eat whole grains.


More Whole Grain Muffin Recipes:

Gluten/Dairy/Egg-Free Carrot Coconut Pineapple Muffins from Jeanette's Healthy Living 
Ginger Peach Muffins from White On Rice Couple
Whole Wheat Apple Muffins from Smitten Kitchen 
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins with Toasted Almonds from Cookin' Canuck
Blackberry Cobbler Muffins from Manifest Vegan
Oatmeal Blueberry Applesauce Muffins from Joy the Baker
Peaches and Coconut Cream Muffins from Food for My Family
Gluten-Free Whole Grain Strawberry Muffins from Gluten-Free Goddess
100% Whole Grain Ginger Pear Bran Muffins from Farmgirl Fare
Kim Boyce's Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Muffins from The Wednesday Chef 
Banana Oatmeal Muffins from Guilty Kitchen

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Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers with Millet Black Bean Pilaf and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce {Bob's Red Mill Giveaway}

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers with Millet Black Bean Pilaf

The last few weeks, my CSA Box has been overflowing with red peppers, and I've been trying to figure out what to do with all of them...that's how these Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers with Millet Black Bean Pilaf came about. I've been thinking of making stuffed peppers with whole grains for a while, so this was the perfect excuse to try them.

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Whole Grain Recipe Roundup - Whole Grains Month

Quinoa Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you've been following along this month, I've written lots of posts on whole grains the last several weeks, trying to take the mystery out of adding more whole grains to the everyday diet throughout the day.

We've had lots of fantastic feedback, as well as active reader participation, sharing recipes and ideas on how to add more whole grains to meals.

Today, I'd like to share some fabulous whole grain recipes I've been drooling over from some of my favorite food bloggers. I've been inspired by these healthy whole grain recipes and wanted to share them with you. Take a look and I hope you'll be inspired too.

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Oatmeal Peanut Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe - 50 Women Game Changers In Food - Maida Heatter

Oatmeal Peanut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes I just need an excuse to make cookies. Believe it or not, my kids actually are not huge sweet eaters (although they do love their ice cream), but they do appreciate good home baked cookies once in a while, especially chocolate chip cookies (but only if they're soft and fresh out of the oven...I know...they are so picky!). 

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Whole Grains - Fast and Healthy Recipe Ideas {Cookiehead and Alvarado Street Bakery Giveaway}

These Anzac Cookies are full of Whole Grain Goodness..

September is Whole Grains Month and we're kicking it off with some simple, fast ways to incorporate healthy whole grains into our everyday diet. If you've never tried whole grains or if you're just starting out, adding more whole grains to your meals might seem intimidating.  But once you start keeping an eye out for whole grain alternatives to your favorite foods, it becomes easier.

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Gluten-Free Ratio Rally - Gluten-Free Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts {Vegan}

Gluten-Free Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts

I am so pleased to be participating in this month's Gluten Free Ratio Rally, founded by Shauna from the Gluten Free Girl, and hosted this month by Meg of GF Boulangerie.

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Hot Black Bean Salsa Dip {Dr. Kracker Giveaway}

Hot Black Bean Salsa Dip 

With football season starting up, I will be making "football snacks" every weekend, a tradition in our house since my boys were young. Although football snacks are notoriously greasy and unhealthy, I've been trying to "healthify" our weekend snack fare the past several seasons while keeping them tasty and satisfying.

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Whole Grains 101 - Why Whole Grains?

Did you know that September is Whole Grains Month? I didn't even know there was such a thing. In any event, I've decided to take this opportunity to explore whole grains over the next four weeks, including some easy recipes to help add more whole grains to your daily meals. Many of you probably know that whole grains are good for you and that you should be eating more of them, but practically speaking, it can be difficult to transition to a diet that includes more whole grains than refined grains.

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Gluten/Dairy/Egg-Free Mocha Chocolate Chip Muffins {Vegan}

Gluten/Dairy/Egg-Free Mocha Chocolate Chip Muffins

Recently, I received a sample of whole grain flours and mixes from King Arthur Flour, some of which were gluten-free, including their Gluten-Free Baking Mix, Gluten-Free Whole Grain Mix, and Gluten-Free Ancient Grain Mix. The first gluten-free recipe I came up with using King Arthur Flour's Gluten-Free Flour Mixes were a stash of fluffy Gluten/Dairy/Egg-Free Pancakes.

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Baked Portobello Mushroom Fries {Secret Recipe Club}

Baked Portobello Mushroom Fries with Pesto

This is my third month joining in on the fun with the Secret Recipe Club, created by Amanda of Amanda's Cookin. This club has been growing each month and now has over 100 participants. The idea behind the Secret Recipe Club is to give bloggers the chance to try each other's recipes without the other bloggers knowing it until everyone posts their results.

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Bob's Red Mill Spar-for-the-Spurtle Contest and A GIVEAWAY!

I've been a fan of Bob's Red Mill grains and flours ever since my son was diagnosed with numerous food allergies. In fact, Bob's Red Mill's All Purpose Gluten Free Baking Mix was the first gluten-free mix I used when I first started learning to bake gluten-free. What I especially like about Bob's Red Mill's products is that their gluten-free mixes contain more nutritious whole grains and bean flours compared to some of the other gluten-free mixes on supermarket shelves. My kitchen cabinet is full of Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Flours, including their Garbanzo Fava Bean Flour, Teff Flour, Millet Flour, Sorghum Flour, and Brown Rice Flour.

I've made Gluten/Dairy/Egg Free (Vegan) Hot Soft Pretzels, Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies, Carrot Coconut Pineapple Muffins, Coconut Pineapple Scones, and Cinnamon Spiced Scones using Bob's Red Mill flours, as well as homemade gluten-free bread. 

So, when Bob's Red Mill contacted me recently about spreading the word about their Spar for the Spurtle Recipe Contest, I responded with a resounding "Yes!" This contest is all about Bob's Red Mill's Steel Cut Oats, wholesome and hearty, which comes in both a regular and gluten-free version.  If you've never tried steel cut oats, you're missing out. One of my favorite recipes for steel-cut oats is Steel Cut Oats with Dried Fruit and Blueberry Compote. Although you might be thinking, "It's so hot outside - why would I cook up a pot of oats now?!" I can tell you I enjoyed a nice comforting bowl of hot oatmeal for breakfast in 90 degree weather during my recent trip to Orlando, Florida, and never gave it another thought.

So, get your thinking caps on and come up with an original steel cut oats recipe, savory or sweet. All you need to do is submit a 3-minute videotape segment demonstrating your own creative steel cut oats recipe (that can be prepared in 30 minutes from start to finish) by July 31 August 7, 2011. All entering videos will be posted on Bob's Red Mill's Spar for the Spurtle site, where fans can vote for their favorites. The top three contestants will be flown to Portland for a live cook-off, and be treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the Bob's Red Mill facility by Bob Moore himself, in addition to winning additional prizes. The winner of the 30-minute cook-off will receive an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Scotland, including $2,500 in cash, to compete in the 18th Annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship!

And now for the Giveaway - in addition to having a chance to win a trip to Portland and Scotland, the first five people who email me (Jeanette at JeanettesHealthyLiving dot com) to let me know you've submitted a video to the Bob's Red Mill Spar for the Spurtle Recipe Contest will receive a prize pack that includes a bag of Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats and a Spurtle (a Scottish kitchen tool dating back to the 15th century that is traditionally used to stir porridge and prevent it from becoming lumpy), and a copy of Bob's Red Mill Cookbook: Whole Healthy Grains for Every Meal of the Day.

To enter the Spar for the Spurtle Recipe Contest and the Giveaway, simply submit your video To Bob's Red Mill's Spar for the Spurtle Contest. To enter to win the Giveaway, email me (Jeanette at JeanettesHealthyLiving dot com) and let me know you entered. For more information, visit Spar for the Spurtle.

So get cooking! Can't wait to hear what you all come up with.


The deadline for this contest has been extended to August 7, 2011.


Note: This contest is open to U.S. Citizens only.

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50 Women Game Changers in Food -#4 Martha Stewart's Cold Sesame Noodles

Cold Sesame Noodles

Now that it is getting so hot outside, I have been craving cold Asian noodles. There's something refreshing about eating cold Asian noodles in the summertime - light on the dressing, tossed with fresh vegetables. One of my favorite cold Asian noodle salads is a Cold Sesame Noodle recipe from an old Martha Stewart cookbook I've been making for years. Perfect for a summer barbeque or a picnic for the upcoming 4th of July weekend, this Cold Sesame Noodle salad can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator overnight.

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Homemade Gluten/Dairy/Egg-Free (Vegan) Pancake Recipe

These Gluten/Dairy/Egg-Free Pancakes Came Out Nice And Fluffy.

Since my youngest became allergic to wheat and other gluten-containing grains, I have been on the look-out for healthy gluten-free flours, whether in the store or in catalogs. So, when I flipped through the King Arthur Flour catalog that came in the mail recently and saw that King Arthur Flour now makes gluten-free whole grain flour blends, I was ecstatic!
King Arthur Flour is known for its high quality flours, and sells to both the retail and commercial markets. The company is the oldest flour company in America, founded in 1790, and is an employee owned company - amazing in this day and age for such a well-established company.

King Arthur Flour offers baking classes four different ways: at their facility in Norwich, Vermont, through traveling baking demos, and through self-guided online classes. In addition, the company sponsors a Life Skills Bread Baking Program for children in 4th-7th grade, where instructors teach children how to bake bread. Not only do the children learn how to bake bread, but they take home materials (including whole-grain flour) so they can bake at home. In addition, each child bakes two loaves, one to enjoy for themselves, and the other to donate to a local community organization chosen by the school. All this is done free of charge!

While many people might be familiar with King Arthur Flour's high quality white flour, King Arthur Flour also offers a whole host of whole grain flours, including whole wheat pastry flour, white whole wheat flour, oat flour, spelt flour, barley flour, rye flour, pumpernickel flour, as well as whole grain blends (including two gluten-free blends). Although some of these flours are only available through mail order, I'm hoping that they will start selling them in the local markets in the near future.

I used a combination of King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Flour Blends.

There are lots of recipes on King Arthur Flour's site, including a blog where MaryJane Robbins posts recipes using King Arthur Flours. I noticed there were not too many gluten-free whole grain recipes, so this past week, when I received samples of King Arthur Flour's gluten-free flour blends, I couldn't wait to try making some gluten-free goodies.

First up, I was eager to try making some gluten/dairy/egg-free pancakes from scratch as I have yet to come up with any allergy-free pancakes that have really tasted good. I pulled out The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, a wonderful reference cookbook that I have had in my library forever, and used the griddlecake recipe as a guideline.

I decided to use a mix of three gluten-free flours: King Arthur Flour's Multi-Purpose Flour, Whole Grain Flour Blend, and Ancient Grains Flour Blend. King Arthur Flour's Multi-Purpose Flour contains rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch and brown rice flour. Their Whole Grain Flour Blend contains 71 % whole grains: sorghum, brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, millet, and teff, and their Ancient Grains Flour Blend contains millet, sorghum, amaranth and quinoa.

King Arthur Flour suggests replacing 20%-50% of the total gluten-free flour called for in recipes with their Whole Grain Flour Blend, and up to 25% of the total gluten-free flour in recipes with their Ancient Grains Flour Blend. The Ancient Grains Flour Blend absorbs much more water than other gluten-free flours, so a bit more liquid might be needed when using this blend. According to one of King Arthur Flour's test bakers, the Ancient Grains Flour Blend has an "earthy flavor that we've found is complimented by corn, cinnamon, and maple." The ratio I ended up trying was 50% Multi-Purpose Flour, 25% Whole Grain Flour Blend, and 25% Ancient Grains Flour Blend.

To make these homemade pancakes dairy-free and egg-free, my milk substitute of choice was almond milk, although any non-dairy milk would work perfectly (rice, hemp, coconut, soy). I also used coconut oil in place of butter, which gave these pancakes a tropical scent. As an egg substitute, I used a mixture of ground flaxseed and water (1 egg = 1 tablespoon ground flax seed + 3 tablespoons water). Since these pancakes are gluten/dairy/egg-free, they are also vegan.

The results...fluffy, light pancakes, not grainy tasting like some I've tried - definitely a keeper!

Homemade Gluten/Dairy/Egg-Free (Vegan) Pancakes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup almond milk or other non-dairy milk
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup King Arthur Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour Blend
• 1/4 cup King Arthur Ancient Grains Flour Blend
• 1/4 cup King Arthur Gluten-Free Whole Grain Flour Blend
• 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
• 2 tablespoons ground jaggery sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• fresh blueberries, strawberries or other fruit
• maple syrup or honey

Directions:

1. Mix together almond milk, coconut oil, ground flaxseed, and water in a small mixing bowl. 
2. In another bowl, whisk together the three flours, baking powder, sugar and salt.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just blended. 
4. Lightly grease a cast iron pan with some coconut oil. 
5. Spoon pancake batter into pan and cook until bottoms are lightly browned. Flip pancakes and continue to cook until the other side is brown and pancakes are cooked through. 
6. Serve with fresh fruit and maple syrup or honey.

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A Gluten-Free Ancient Grain: Amaranth

Amaranth is a Highly Nutritious Gluten-Free "Ancient Grain"

In my last post, I talked about our recent discovery that my youngest son "A" has numerous food allergies. First I want to thank all of you who have reached out and shown your support and encouragement, as it has reminded me how important family and community are when one is faced with challenges.  Some of you have also shared some terrific suggestions (including introducing me to a whole world of gluten-free/special diet bloggers) for which I am grateful for. If there are any recipes, ingredients, or other information that you think might be helpful, I would love to hear from you.

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Whole Grains for Breakfast {Chai Spiced Quinoa Porridge Recipe}

Chai Spiced Quinoa Porridge

On cold winter mornings, there's nothing like a hot bowl of whole grain porridge to start the day off right.  Whole grains take longer to digest and they release their sugars slowly, so they make you feel satisfied longer.

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The Day After Thanksgiving - Turkey Congee Recipe

Turkey Congee, a Thanksgiving tradition in many Chinese American families

A tradition in many Chinese American households is to make turkey congee (also called "shi fan" and "jook") the day after Thanksgiving. As soon as Thanksgiving dinner is over, a pot of water is put on the stove, and filled with leftover turkey bones (I add carrots, celery, onions, bay leaf and peppercorns for more flavor) to make turkey stock.

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Farro, An Ancient Whole Grain - Fiery Red Bean Chili Recipe

Fiery Red Bean Chili

Recently, farro has been gaining popularity on restaurant menus in the form of risottos, salads and side dishes.  You might think it’s a trendy new whole grain (it certainly sounds more interesting than brown rice or barley), but according to an article in The Seattle Times, farro actually “traces its roots back 17,000 years to the beginning of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent of Mesopotamia.”

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How To Cook Brown Rice - Vegetable Fried Rice and Kimchi Fried Rice Recipes

Kimchi Fried Rice served with bean sprout salad

One of the easiest whole grains to introduce into daily meals is brown rice. Brown rice comes in three basic varieties - long grain (such as jasmine and basmati), medium grain, and short grain.

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Whole Grains - Steel Cut Oatmeal with Blueberry Compote Recipe

Steel-Cut Oats with Dried Fruit and Blueberry Compote

In the past several years, whole grain foods have been getting a lot of attention. There are whole grain breads, crackers, pastas, and more in supermarkets. What are whole grains and why are whole grains good for you?

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A Simple Healthy Lunch

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of catching up with my friend "J" who has thyroid cancer.  She is an amazing woman.  She works full time, has two children, and just started taking two classes this week.  For a healthy person, this would be a lot (I know I couldn't do all that!).  

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