two-bite recipes

Are any of you going to an Independence Day potluck today? I love trying out new recipes for these sorts of occasions -- and lately I've been really into bite-sized treats because I find myself eating on the go (or standing up, or while doing a million other things) lately. Tiny things are so cute, aren't they?

Here are two two-bite recipes I've made in the past week. The first is a great way to use up all the zucchini you're bound to have taking over your garden (if you have anything of a green thumb, that is -- unlike me! I just thank my lucky stars I have great neighbors), and the second is sure to satisfy your dark chocolate cravings.

Zucchini Bites

two eggs
one large zucchini, grated and pressed between towels to remove excess liquid
half a yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup cornmeal
3 oz your favorite cheese, grated
1 tbsp dried parsley or 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
freshly ground sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 and prepare a mini muffin tin. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Spoon the zucchini mixture into the cups, filling to the top. Fill any empty muffin cups with a small amount of water. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Makes around two dozen.

(Side note: my daughter loves these!)


My Favorite Things Cookies (peanut butter, oat, and dark chocolate cookies)

1 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup Earth Balance [or butter, softened]
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter [I like Parker's or Old Home]
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup oats
1 cup dark chocolate morsels [I used Ghirardelli]

Preheat your oven to 350. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. With a hand mixer, cream together the Earth Balance, peanut butter, sugars, and vanilla. Add the egg; beat well. Add the flour slowly and mix by hand to combine. Stir in the oats and dark chocolate.

With a melon baller, scoop out the dough onto a prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes -- they will look slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven, but will cool to doneness. Makes about 50 mini-cookies.

(The peanut butter gooiness is best when these are eaten warm -- just sayin'!)

Happy Fourth!

good morning muffins + happy birthday cupcakes

I've been wanting to make some baby-friendly muffins for a while, because I've been looking for new breakfast foods for my soon-to-be toddler. With the in-laws in town this week, I suddenly had some baking time -- and since they wanted to do a little pre-birthday celebrating, I multipurposed them into some healthy cupcakes, too.

Without the frosting, these can be vegan, depending on how you choose your muffin ingredients!

Good Morning Muffins - makes about 36 mini-muffins
(I made 24 mini muffins and five regular sized ones)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
pinch of salt
3 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup sugar*
2 tablespoons neutral oil (butter, canola, Earth Balance spread, etc.)
2/3 cup baby food -- fruit flavor of choice (I used a spinach, mango, and pear mix that tastes sweet and gives a little leafy-green boost without making the muffins green too)
2/3 cup "milk" (breastmilk, formula, cow's milk, soy milk, etc.)*

Preheat oven to 400. Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, baby food, and milk. Pour into the center of the dry ingredients and stir quickly just until all ingredients are blended -- don't overmix. If you're not using muffin cups, prepare your muffin tin with nonstick spray before filling each about 2/3rds full. Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until muffins are set and starting to turn golden and spring back when touched. Cool and serve.

To turn these into Happy Birthday Cupcakes, I mixed together a half cup of cream cheese with powdered sugar added by the tablespoon just until I had enough to turn it into frosting and to avoid making it overly sweet.

* NOTE: if you choose, you can leave out the sugar completely or use molasses, agave nectar, or other sweetener. If you use a liquid-based sweetener, you may need to adjust the amount of milk so the batter doesn't get too runny.