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2018 01 05

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Life of the Party - Carrot Cake Muffins / Cabbage, Sausage & Potato Soup - by Elizabeth Morse

posted: Jan. 05, 2018

Resolution Recipes: Starting Strong In 2018

While the new year signals the official end of holiday parties, it does welcome healthy beginnings and resolutions. Maybe you've set some culinary/nutritional goals and are working hard to achieve them? Why not emphasize your efforts with some eats that satisfy your plans and your taste buds? The recipes featured today are great for entertaining and daily use alike. They are also designed to align with any financial goals you may have as they don't contain any exotic (read: expensive) ingredients. Give these recipes a whirl and you'll be the life of the party, whether you share them at the office, or in your own living room.

For Breakfast or Early Morning Meetings, try serving these with coffee and fresh fruit:

Carrot Cake Muffins

1 ¾ cup whole wheat flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup honey

2 eggs

½ cup vanilla yogurt (I like Greek-style)

½ cup applesauce

½ cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup raisins

1 cup grated apple

1 cup grated carrot

1/3 cup coconut oil

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine, then add carrot, apple, raisins and walnuts. Mix well.

In a second bowl, combine the honey, coconut oil, eggs, yogurt, and applesauce and mix well. Pour this mixture into the dry mixture and combine. Divide the batter evenly into 12 muffin cups. (I use a non-stick muffin pan, but if you don't have one, use paper liners or prepare the cups with non-stick spray)

Bake for 13-15 minutes in a preheated 425 degree oven. Cool and enjoy. These will keep, covered at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator about four. They also freeze well.

Want a healthy but hearty main dish to feed your crew or maybe you're hosting book club this month? I'm LOVING this healthy version of an old favorite.

Cabbage, Sausage & Potato Soup

1 pound chicken or turkey kielbasa sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces

4 leeks, sliced

3 carrots, sliced

2 stalks of celery, including leafy tops, chopped

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 cabbage, cored and chopped

8 cups of vegetable (or chicken if you prefer) stock

1 pound diced potatoes (I like red potatoes)

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried rosemary

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

In a stock pot, over medium heat, sauté the sausage until browned. Remove the sausage and add the oil, carrots, leeks and celery to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, then cabbage and sautée for another five minutes, still stirring.

Add the stock, herbs, potatoes, cooked sausage and bay leaf. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

I like to serve this piping hot with a crisp green salad and crusty bread. A traditional Pilsner is a strong match for this meal. The stew can be made ahead and frozen for up to three months.

My grand finale today is a funky little brownie recipe that is sure to please, just don't divulge the ingredients to your guests. Seriously. You will read through this and not believe that it can be good. Healthy, yes. Good, no. But they REALLY are excellent. Give them a try and see what you think.

So Good Brownies

¼ cup vegetable oil (I like coconut)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup honey

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup quick oats

2 tablespoons cocoa powder (I like Hershey's extra dark)

1 ½ cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained

Dump ALL of the ingredients into your food processor and blend until REALLY smooth. Pour the batter into a greased 8x8 inch pan (or a stick-free if you have one). At this point, you can add some more chips to the top for decoration or to change the flavor a bit (for instance, a hand-full of raspberry chips, or peanut butter or butterscotch--you get the idea. This is totally optional).

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Cool completely before attempting to cut. You can hurry this process along by sticking them in the fridge if you need to.

These brownies are great as they are, but delicious with a scoop of frozen yogurt if you are so inclined.

As always, I'm curious to know if you enjoy my suggestions so please drop me a line or let me know if there's something you'd really like me to write about. I'm here for you. Bon Appetit!

Elizabeth Morse, owned the Corner Wine Bar in Broad Ripple for close to 20 years. She is a graduate of IU, Hoosier Chef, Food Writer, Wine Guru & Advanced Master Gardener who believes in supporting all things local. Check out her blog: www.schlepicurean.com. Email her at elizabeth@broadripplegazette.com

elizabeth@broadripplegazette.com

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