Strawberry (or whateverberry) Shortcake That’s Better For You

So, I love shortcake, but I hated the sensation of my arteries clogging every time I ate it, just at the thought of all the shortening involved.

I was browsing through my Betty Crocker cookbook from the 1980s one day and found a plain muffin recipe that I adapted a little and have been perfectly delighted with ever since as a shortcake substitute that causes me Much Less Guilt.

1 egg or equivalent egg replacer
3/4 c non-dairy milk
1/4 c oil
1/4 c applesauce
1 c white flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1/3 c brown sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp salt

Prepare either 12 muffin cups or 9×9″ pan by greasing well.

Beat egg or egg replacer well. Stir in milk, oil, and applesauce.

Add dry ingredients all at once and then stir just until moistened. It will be lumpy.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

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Note: A doubled recipe fits well in a 13×9″ pan.

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TOPPING:

I thaw frozen berries of whatever kind, and if I have fresh berries I mix those in. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, even sometimes a bit of very finely chopped apple.

I add no sweeteners to the fruit. If you’re used to sweetening your fruit, try using agave instead and then gradually wean yourself off it. Fruit really, truly tastes SO much better naked!

EDIT on 2012-03-09:

I made this batch in mini muffin tins and did a blended fruit sauce with blackberries, peaches, and a little apple and pineapple juice.

Because this post needed a picture. Incidentally, I left the sugar out of the pictured batch completely and they were still Most Tasty.

Tabouli of Deliciousness

For my first salad post, I’m going to actually link you to another blog, because as I was browsing my recipes, this one called my name.

My favourite tabouli recipe is here. There’s even a nice demo video of how to make it!

These are the only things I changed when I last made it:

1. I didn’t add the mint. (I’m not overly fond of it. So that’s up to you and your personal taste.)

2. I didn’t have olive oil, so I just used whatever oil I had on hand at the time.

3. I don’t always have fresh parsley on hand, so I think once I substituted 1/2 c dried parsley flakes for the cup of fresh.

It’s a super easy recipe and I’ve taken it to potlucks at church twice and it has always been a big hit, with people asking to take any leftovers home.

Enjoy!

Healthy Soft Granola Bars

Here’s a pretty straightforward recipe that disappears quickly any time I make it. Most, most delicious. I don’t appear to have a photo of it in my files. I guess that means I need to make it again soon?? Great for a snack or a healthier dessert choice.

1/2 c brown sugar
2/3 c peanut butter
1/2 c honey (or agave for vegans)
1/2 C butter (or Nucoa margarine for vegans), melted
2 tbsp vanilla
3 c oats
1/2 c cocoanut
1/2 c sunflower seeds
1/2 c raisins
1/3 c whole wheat flour
1 c chocolate or carob chips

Mix brown sugar, peanut butter, honey, butter, and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients.

Press into sheetcake pan.

Bake at 350 for twenty minutes. Cut into squares while warm; then let cool completely before removing from pan.

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You could try other nut butters and combinations of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. I always initially balk at the idea of combining peanut butter and raisins, but when it’s actually in my mouth, I really enjoy it, and therefore haven’t really tried any other options at this point. Let me know what you try and how it tastes!

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I’ve been requested to do a post on salads, so I’m mulling that over and hope to have something on that topic next week!

Cookbook Review: Of These Ye May Freely Eat

I had the notion that it might be nice to do reviews of all the cookbooks I regularly use in my kitchen, so every few weeks or so I’ll probably highlight one for you. I’m going to start with the first all-vegan cookbook I ever had that I consider to be a staple now.

It’s a very small book: 96 pages. It has about 250 recipes in it, and most of them are extremely simple and call for very basic, easily accessible ingredients. It’s a great resource either for new vegans or people who aren’t yet very comfortable in the kitchen at all and need simple recipes to start with.

The author, Joanne Rachor, opens the book with her story of how she began her journey toward a healthier diet. Other helpful features of the book are bread baking/pizza making tips and information, how to make sprouts, how to dry a wide variety of foods including soups, camping/travelling tips, and miscellaneous other interesting diet facts and nutrition tidbits.

I have made nowhere nearly all the recipes in the book, but have enjoyed most of what I have tried. Some favourites of mine are the Soy Oat Waffle, Oat Crackers (I couldn’t quit eating those!), Basic Cheese Sauce (I use this all the time, and there are LOTS of variations to try!), Macaroni and Cheese, and White Sauce. Other recipes I’ve used as a springboard and adapted on the fly.

Oh. And one indispensable piece of equipment you’ll need for many of these recipes is a blender. Sometime I’d like to do a post about blenders, but I need to do some more research first.

My main complaint about the book is – no pictures. I like pictures. However, considering its cheapness and compact format (you really can’t beat the price, at $2.95), I’ve been able to make do without pictures.

If you’re interested in purchasing a copy, you can get it through Amazon here.

You can also visit Joann Rachor’s YouTube channel here for some video recipes and tutorials.