Delicious & Healthy Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

Most of the times, I end up baking Chocolate Banana Bread with old mushy browned Bananas. But this time, I wanted to try something different, and preferably healthy, if possible. So this recipe for Banana Oatmeal Muffins was just perfect! I loved the fact that it uses Almond milk, which gives it a mild Almond flavor, and the chocolate chips help transform this healthy muffin into a more sophisticated and kid-friendly treat. With less than 120 calories per muffin, it is indeed a dessert you can treat yourself with, a dessert which will keep you full for a longer time, thanks to the Bananas and Oatmeal! Recipe & photo courtesy of Roni at Green Lite Bites.

Ingredients
3 very ripe mashed bananas
1 cup vanilla Almond milk (use whole milk if you want instead)
2 eggs
1 tbsp Baking powder
3 cups Old Fashioned or Rolled Oats
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp mini chocolate chips

Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix all the dry ingredients except the chocolate chips together in a bowl, then slowly add the Almond milk and combine to make a batter. Let it sit while you prepare the muffin pans.

Spray a muffin pan and/or liners with with non-stick spray and keep ready.

Now stir the chocolate chips into the oatmeal batter. Just mix enough to combine, do not blend or whisk. The batter should be thick, not runny like cake batter.

Divide batter equally into 15 muffin cups, filling them 3/4th full. Bake 20-30 minutes, you’ll see the edges just starting to brown and they will be firm to the touch. Do not over-bake.

The muffins may stick to the pan when hot. So allow them to cool completely on a wire rack, then turn them out easily.

Related Recipes
Wholegrain Blueberry Pancakes
Spiced Apple Bread
Quick & Easy Pineapple Muffins

Blueberry Orange Sour Cream Bread

Sweet breads are a great way to enjoy the goodness of a cake-like dessert which can be relished by itself, or even be paired with tea or coffee. Fruit breads are not only easy to make, they can be really versatile to incorporate seasonal ingredients. This week we enjoyed baking this Blueberry Bread, made even more delicious by addition of citrusy Orange flavor, and made soft by using Sour Cream. The bread not only smells great, it can fill your kitchen with a refreshing aroma that lingers long after you've finished your delicious loaf of Blueberry Orange Bread.

Ingredients
1 cup whole grain flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1 stick butter - at room temp
1 1/2 cup cane sugar
4 large eggs
Zest of 2 large oranges
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tsp vanilla
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup blueberries

Method
Spray 2 bread pans generously and keep aside. Preheat oven to 350 deg F.

Cream butter and sugar in large bowl. Beat in eggs one at a time, then orange zest, orange juice and vanilla.

Thoroughly combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl and add to creamed butter mixture. Slowly add the sour cream and mix everything well to form an even blend.

Fold in the blueberries, taking care not to mix too hard so s to break them.

Bake in the middle rack for 45-50 minutes at 350 F, until the loaves swell up and pass the toothpick test. When done, let them rest on the wire rack till they cool to room temp. Only then attempt to cut the loaf into slices.

Store in a cool, dry container and you can relish this bread for up to a week. It tastes great 2-3 hours after baking, as the orange and blueberry juices slowly sink in to make a moist flavorful bread!

Enjoy this delicious Blueberry Orange bread with your morning tea, or serve as a sweet treat at your next party!

Garlic Naan Recipe

"Naan" is a name well-known in Indian cooking, and this is one kind of flatbread that is appreciated all around the world, by Indians and non-Indians alike. Soft and tender, Naan can be made with several different variations, but I bet every one loves a bite of Garlic Naan! It pairs well with any kind of curry, and is filling as well as appealing to the eye. Determined to try a homemade Naan recipe, I set out on an adventure last weekend, and was happy to see that my Garlic Naans turned out nice and fluffy! And you can bake them in regular oven too, though it would be great to own a Mini-Tandoor; nevertheless, the experiment was absolutely successful, as you can see from the picture!

Ingredients
Yields about 8 to 10 naans

4 cups of fresh all-purpose flour
1 to 2 cups of yogurt (a little sour is preferred)
2 tbsp of melted ghee at room temperature
1 tbsp of sugar
1 tsp of salt
Olive oil - for brushing the naans
finely chopped garlic cloves - according to taste
finely chopped cilantro - to garnish
Yeast mixture
In a small cup, take 2 tablespoons of warm water, add a pinch of sugar, and stir in 2 teaspoons of active dry yeast. Mix well, leave in a warm place and wait for it to rise (about 10 mins)

Method
In a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt; add the sugar and ghee slowly to this mixture, followed by the yeast water. Mix by gradually adding the yogurt. Add and mix until the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl and comes together in solid lump. You can use a little water to make the dough, but only if needed.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands and knead it for 7-8 minutes. Cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rest and rise for at least 2-3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425 F. When you are ready to bake the Naans, take the dough out and knead for another 5 minutes to soften it. Divide the dough into lemon sized rounds. On a cutting-board or counter-top, dust a little bit of flour, and roll out each ball into a big round with 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness.

Roll out all your Naans and place them on a greased or parchment-paper lined baking tray for baking. Brush them all lightly with melted ghee or olive oil. Then evenly sprinkle the finely chopped garlic on each piece, pressing it gently into the dough so it doesn't fall off.

Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the bread is cooked through and turns into a golden yellow color.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with some freshly chopped cilantro, and serve your hot Garlic Naan with any delicious curry of your choice.

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Shahi Dum Aloo Recipe
Vegetable Korma
Malai Kofta Curry