Sugar-Free(ish) Pumpkin Muffins

It's pumpkin season for sure. It seems like everyone makes a million pumpkin things in the fall and while the hipster in me wants to stay away from such a mainline cliched thing to do, the foodie in me loves the way pumpkin foods taste and smell. Foodie wins.

This is the second time I've made these muffins and I think I need to make them a third time combining aspects of each attempt. And then a fourth time because they're so yummy and make a convenient take-along snack.

The original recipe calls for 2 cups of oat flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour. When I made these the first time I thought that 2 cups of oat flour seemed like a lot - I didn't want the muffins to have a slightly rubbery texture. So instead I used 1 cup oat flour, 1 cup brown rice flour and 1/2 cup regular all purpose flour. I loved the resulting texture - very breadlike but without using very much regular wheat flour (we're not big fans of regular wheat flour and are mostly gluten-free, but that's a topic for another post). However, I wrote the recipe down before I made the muffins and I didn't know how they'd turn out, so I just wrote "2.5 cups flour." Unhelpful, Julie.

When I made these the second time, I totally forgot about the oat flour and used 1.5 cups of brown rice flour and 1 cup of all purpose flour. The texture can't even compare - they're a little spongy and definitely not as robust. I will definitely return to the first mixture (and update my recipe card).

The other aspect I messed around with was the sweetener. The original recipe calls for 1 tbs stevia as the sweetener, which I followed in my first attempt. Stevia is an alternative to sugar and it tastes that way. I am not a fan. The muffins were still good and they even grew on me, but I wasn't satisfied. I'm also not sure what I think about stevia. It's being lauded for it's role as a "natural" alternative to sugar, especially for people who need to watch their blood-sugar levels. This is because in being derived from the stevia plant it ends up being a strong sweetener that does not raise blood-sugar levels. However, I've also read that it gets highly processed on it's journey from green leaves to commercial white powder and is therefore not quite as "natural" as the advertisements suggest. I don't feel comfortable using a lot of it in my cooking.

In my second attempt to make these muffins I decided to test something I'd read in Superfood Kitchen: stevia is best used as an enhancement for other sweeteners. Try using less sugar than normal but add a bit of stevia to stretch out the sweetness.

I used 1 tsp coconut sugar + 1/2 tsp stevia for this second batch of muffins and they taste just like I wanted them to. I love that I can use so little sugar (divided among 16 muffins) and yet still have a great tasting snack. Speaking of which, this also helps the muffins get into the snack category instead of being stuck in the dessert realm.

Can I also add one comment on spices? I love them and I think more recipes should make more use of them. But I do not get "Pumpkin Pie Spice." What the heck does that even mean? There are all kinds of varieties of it, and really, it's just a mix of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and ginger. I get that it's a convenient way to use a mixture of those spices without having to measure each one out individually. Ok, fine, I enjoy that from time to time. But if you're going to use Pumpkin Pie Spice in your recipe, why would you also call for a teaspoon of cinnamon or 1/2 tsp of nutmeg? Why not just list all the individual spice amount, because clearly the blend isn't cutting it for you. I made up my own spice amounts for the below version of the recipe and it works wonderfully.

Sugar-Free(ish) Pumpkin Muffins (adapted from Sugar-Free Mom)

   Dry

• 1 cup oat flour
• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup regular all purpose flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp coconut or brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp stevia

   Wet

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 can pumpkin (15 oz.)
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

   Optional Mix-ins

• nuts
• chocolate chips
• raisins

1. Mix dry. Mix wet. Combine.
2. Grease muffin tins and bake 25-30 minutes at 350. Makes 16 muffins (Matt got to these before the picture was taken).

Pumpkin Brown Rice Pudding

I'm sorry I'm not better at taking pictures. These foods really taste a lot better than they look.

This recipe in particular smelled amazing while it was cooking. Matt kept wanting to know what I was making. I actually wasn't 100% sure what I was making - was it a dessert or a side dish? Matt pointed out that even though I was reducing the sugar from the original recipe, it still included 1/4 cup each of sugar and maple syrup and was very much a dessert. Upon tasting the finished product I conceded that he was right. I keep wanting to make fake desserts that can be eaten as snacks.

I looked in a few different stores for sweet brown rice but the closest I found was short grain brown rice. I wish I would have waited to find the sweet version because the only disappointing thing about my version was the rice itself. When enjoying the final product I found myself wanting to make the delicious sauce by itself and leave out the rice. I'm not sure I'll make this recipe again since rice pudding is a bit weird in general. But I do enjoy taking the container of leftovers out of the fridge and eating it cold with a spoon.

Pumpkin Brown Rice Pudding (adapted from Meaningful Eats)

• 1.5 cups sweet brown rice
• 1 can coconut milk
• 4 cups almond milk
• 1/4 cup brown or coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup canned pumpkin

1. Add everything except the vanilla and pumpkin to a stockpot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes (leave top on).
2. Cook another 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove the top of the pot for this step as you are reducing the liquid to make the dish thick and creamy.
3. When it reaches your desired thickness, remove from heat and stir in vanilla and pumpkin. Can be served hot or cold.

Tater(-Like) Tots

One of our treat foods of choice at the moment is tater tots. Sure they taste a bit processed, but after a long day those warm and crispy bits of potato just smell so damn good and make a great argument for themselves as comfort food. Sometimes they even taste just as good in the morning during breakfast.

While I enjoy the treat, I am still bothered by the fact that we're eating processed food that really isn't very good for us. The potatoes don't bother me so much - it's the processed aspect. So when I saw a recipe in Superfood Kitchen by Julie Morris for Tater(-like) Tots, I wanted to try them out. 

The verdict? Eh.

They are a combination of white beans, flaxseeds, quinoa, miso and brown rice flour - all things I enjoy. You mix everything up and mash it together to make a dough that is very delicate and does not stick together well. I made 3 "tots," found them to be super annoying and then made patties out of the rest, frying both varieties in coconut oil. They taste all right, but they don't remind me of tater tots and they're too much work for underwhelming enjoyment. 

I'm better off making my signature sweet potato fries which are a lot easier and less time consuming, especially since I bake them in the oven instead of frying them on the stove. Perhaps I should look into a home-made tater tot recipe. Maybe I could even find one that can be frozen and then cooked in individual batches in the toaster like we do with the store-bought tots.  

Curried Lentils and Sweet Potatoes

This is the first of four recipes I made on Wednesday evening of this past week. The kitchen was a whirl of ingredients and dishes. Matt said I was a force of nature. I was in my element - loving every minute of it. The other recipes will follow but lets start with the lentils.

I love lentils, especially red lentils that get all soft and mushy. This could be partly because of my aversion to chewing, but I think it’s also because red lentils cook the quickest and I’m never sure how to cook lentils that are supposed to retain their shape. How soft or hard should brown and green lentils be? If they’re still a little chewy and dry I feel like they’re not cooked through but then I cook them too long and they become mushy and shapeless. I love mushy lentils, but if they’re not supposed to be mushy then I feel like I failed at cooking them. Really, I think I just need more practice. I’m still a newbie at lentils.

This curry called for a bunch of items I didn’t have on hand: fresh ginger, an onion, 2 lbs sweet potatoes and a bunch of swiss chard. We never went grocery shopping last weekend so I just had the remnants of the shopping we did the weekend before - 2 sweet potatoes, celery and 1/3 head of cabbage. The end result was great, although I know the fresh ginger would have made it even better. I really need to start buying ginger root on a regular basis because I so rarely have it when I want it. 

Also, the recipe called for vegetable broth, but I forgot to add a bullion cube to my water. I don’t think it needed the broth though as there was plenty of flavor from the vegetables and seasonings. 

Curried Lentils and Sweet Potatoes (Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

• 1 med onion (or 3 ribs celery), chopped
• 1 inch ginger root, grated (or 1 tsp ginger powder)
• 1.5 tsp garam marsala
• 1.5 tsp curry powder
• 4-5 cups broth or water
• 2-4 sweet potatoes
• 1.5 cups dried red lentils
• 1 lb swiss chard (or 1/2 head cabbage), chopped 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

     Optional:

• 1/2 c fresh cilantro
• zest of one lime
• juice of 1/2 lime
• scallion and almonds for garnish

1. Saute onions in olive oil for a few minutes.
2. Add spices and saute a couple more minutes
3. Add broth, sweet potatoes and lentils. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 25 minutes. 
4. Add chard, salt and pepper (and cilantro and lime if using) and cook 5-15 minutes more until lentils are soft and chard is cooked.
5. Serve hot with desired garnishes.

I need dinner, quick!

Vegetable Quiche

Stir fried baby bella mushrooms, green bell pepper, zucchini and tomatoes from Sandra’s garden.

7 eggs, mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Grease pan with butter and bake for about 20 minutes at 350.

Pizza, Garlic Knots, Pumpkin Oat Bars

I was super excited about dinner last night and had it planned since Wednesday. I’ve been getting dough from a pizza place a couple blocks away and not only is it wonderfully doughy but there’s more than enough to make both a pizza and at least a dozen garlic knots. I’ve been rolling the knots in garlic that’s fried in butter and I am completely satisfied with the outcome. There were definitely at least 4 more knots in the bowl before this picture was taken. Pizza toppings tonight were red pepper, green pepper, zucchini, spinach, pepperoni and an Italian cheese blend.

The pumpkin bars turned out to be pretty good too. This is the first time I’ve made them and next time I won’t put in as many chocolate chips (Matt can’t understand why I would say such a thing). I reduced the sugar from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup, and used a mixture of coconut sugar and brown sugar. Next time I want to try to use 1/4 cup of sugar because we’re trying to consume less sugar overall and I’m coming to really enjoy subtly-sweet baked goods.

The recipe calls for making your own oat flour in a food processor which I find mildly annoying because it’s more dishes to wash and the top to my food processor doesn’t seal right, allowing small pieces of things (like flour) to escape and make a mess on my counter. But. It was fine and Matt said he’ll do all the dishes for me. The oat flour ended up a bit more granular than I expected, but I like the texture in the end result. I could use the coffee grinder to get a truer flour from the oats, but because it has to be done in such small batches it’s more annoying and just as messy.

Pumpkin Oat Bars (Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen)

    Dry

• 2.5 cups oat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

    Wet

• 1 cup wet pumpkin
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup mixture of brown sugar and coconut palm sugar
• 1 tbs olive oil or coconut oil

    Mix-In

• 1/3 cup chocolate chips + 2 tbs sprinkled on top

Mix dry. Mix wet. Combine dry and wet and fold in choc chips. Bake in 8x8 pan at 350 for 20-25 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out dry.