Some time ago, Kraft came out with a whole bunch of new peanut butters. There are some with granola, dried cranberries, raisins, cinnamon, or just honey; and the truth is, I love them all. So when Kraft sent me some jars to try I was so excited to receive them I opened each one and tried a spoonful. In my house the Cinnamon Raisin Granola flavour won out, but once I started baking with them it was hard to choose a new favourite. The banana granola one has a very slight banana taste, but has chunky bits of granola that add some great texture to the peanut butter. We loved the muffins so much that they quickly disappeared and I have plans to make more soon.
These muffins are really very good. Not heavy or very sweet, they have banana, applesauce, and whole wheat flour to make them a healthier option than most muffins. We loved these, and they made a great morning snack or breakfast option. They freeze well and where a great way to use up leftover bananas when I had extras hanging out on the counter.You can whip up a batch of these with the kids and get outside for a mid-morning summer picnic snack.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup Kraft banana granola peanut butter
3/4 cup mashed banana (about 2-3)
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Line your muffin tins with paper cups. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl whisk together the egg, peanut butter, mashed banana, applesauce, oil and vanilla until smooth. Dump into the flour mixture and stir gently until just combined.
Divide the batter evenly among 12 muffin cups. Bake for 15-17 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan for a few minutes before you remove them to a wire rack and cool completely.
These muffins are fantastic the day they are made but also keep for about a month if you freeze them in an airtight container.
Makes 12
Adapted from Kraft Canada
Disclosure: I was not paid by Kraft to write this post. I was paid and sent some peanut butter to sample and write about on my personal blog, but we loved the muffins so much I wanted to share with readers here. Enjoy!
Salads are often a go-to side during the summer when you want something that doesn't heat up your kitchen or a lighter dish to go with something you've grilled. As much as I love salad, the same old tossed green salad every day gets a little boring. Who says you are stuck with strictly veggies? Try some grainy salads for a change instead of your usual sides and you might be pleasantly surprised at how much you love them. Often, I serve a grainy salad along with a veggie one, then some grilled meat (or these oven baked BBQ chicken legs) and dinner is ready!
Would it surprise you to know that in North America, Israeli couscous is considered more trendy, while in Israel it's a 'kid food'? Made from hard wheat roasted in an oven and shaped into small balls, this grain is pasta-like and less clumpy than the usual couscous you'll find at the store. Personally, I love the taste of Israeli couscous (sometimes also called pearl couscous) far more than the usual kind and enjoy simmering it with chicken broth as a quick side dish. While it may be a little trickier to find, I've had success finding it at London Drugs and specialty markets, or you can try the rice or ethnic sections at your local grocery store. If you have access to a Trader Joes, make sure to pick up their Harvest Grain mix, which is my family's all time favourite. We buy a bunch of bags whenever we go to the USA!
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous, uncooked
1 small shallot, finely chopped (or use a couple green onions, finely sliced)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Zest from 1 lemon
2 Tbsp (or more to taste) fresh lemon juice
1 English cucumber, seeded and finely chopped
3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint (or basil)
Cook couscous according to package instructions.When it's finished cooking, rinse with cold water, drain well, and set aside. You want it to be a little on the cooler side, or at least room temperature so it doesn't make the veggies wilt.
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and shallots.
Toss the cucumber, tomatoes, and dressing with the chilled couscous until well mixed. You may not need all the dressing, which is fine! Put the leftovers in the fridge. Stir in the herbs and stir. You can add salt and pepper to taste, or a squirt of lemon juice if you want.
Serves 6
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Want more salads? Try this really popular creamy broccoli salad, easy Greek pasta salad, or my family's favourite small batch potato salad.
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