Peanut Butter Truffles

One more day until Valentine's Day, and you know what that means....sweets! Though, to be honest, it doesn't have to be a holiday to want sweets. I get cravings for sweets all the time. And when I say “all the time” I really mean ALL THE TIME. Thankfully, I can restrain myself so that my indulging-to-craving ratio is relatively low. In an effort to reduce the guilt that sometimes accompanies those indulgences, I’ll try making treats that are a little less unhealthy (like these blueberry banana muffins made with whole wheat flour) or have some benefit to balance the sweet (such as these protein-packed peanut butter oat balls).

This recipe is based on the peanut butter and oat balls. I was actually aiming for a cake-pop type treat - a chocolate covered peanut butter ball on a stick. But, the consistency of these didn’t like the sticks very much, so I turned them into truffles! They are a little bit like buckeyes, but not as sugary-sweet, and they have flaxseed for a little extra fiber.

Ingredients: (makes ~20 truffles)

1 cup oats (I used ½ cup quick oats and ½ cup old-fashioned oats)

½ cup all natural creamy peanut butter

¼ - ½ cup ground flaxseed

⅓ cup honey or maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

~½ cup dark chocolate chips for coating

~¼ cup crushed peanuts for topping

In a large bowl, combine oats, flaxseed, peanut butter, honey, and vanilla, and mix well. Refrigerate for about half an hour to let the mixture firm up. Form balls about 1 inch in diameter.

Heat the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl for about 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until all the chips are melted. Dip the balls in chocolate and place them on a plate covered with plastic wrap. Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts. Refrigerate the balls to let the chocolate coating set. Serve the balls in individual mini-cupcake liners for a festive flare. Happy indulging!

~Karla

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A sweet treat for Valentine's Day!http://cooksofcakeandkindness.blogspot.com/2016/02/peanut-butter-truffles.html
Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Saturday, February 13, 2016

Fasting... with Potatoes (Upavas Batata Bhaaji)

Fasting is quite common in India, and a lot of these fasts don’t necessarily mean eating less/healthier food. However there are certain restrictions on what is considered fasting food. One of the most common fasting ingredients is potato. Even though I never fasted, I would always be excited when my grandma did, because she would make these delicious potatoes with roasted peanuts and cumin. The recipe requires simple ingredients and doesn’t involve much work - hence one of my favorites for weekday dinners. But the best thing about this dish is the wonderful aroma of cumin seeds tempered in ghee (clarified butter).

Ingredients (3-4 servings)

5 small potatoes

~3 Tbsp coarsely ground roasted peanuts

½ tsp cumin seeds

2-3 tsp ghee/oil (ghee can be made at home using unsalted butter (this is a good tutorial), or you can buy it at an Indian store)

½ tsp red chili powder (adjust to taste)

¼-½ tsp sugar (adjust to taste)

½ - 1 tsp lemon juice (adjust to taste)

salt

Wash and boil the potatoes. Peel and cube them once cool enough to touch.

Heat ghee/oil over medium-high heat; add cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds are roasted (only takes a few seconds for them to puff up and be incredibly aromatic), add the potatoes. Saute for a few minutes, add salt, chili powder to taste. Add a little bit of sugar (optional). Once the potatoes get golden brown, add the ground peanuts, mix well and cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add lemon juice, adjust seasoning if required and take it off the heat.

Serve warm by itself, or with roti/chapati.

~Gayatri


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Quick & easy recipe - Potatoes with roasted peanuts and cuminhttp://cooksofcakeandkindness.blogspot.com/2015/06/fasting-with-potatoes-upavas-batata.html

Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Monday, June 22, 2015