Banana chia bites

I was a bit skeptical about these muffins. I made many healthy recipes without sugar and butter and it was a disaster, I tell you! However, these "muffins" are moist and tasty. Can we really call them muffins, because muffins are known to have tons of fat and sugar. And these are total opposite of that.

 

I really enjoyed it and I enjoyed it even more because I know it's gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free WHAT! That's right. A grain, gluten and sugar free banana muffin made with chia seeds. What a perfect way to start the day.

 

Serves: 10-12 mini muffins

Ingredients

• ¾ cup almond meal
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 large ripe banana, mashed
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (or other milk)
• ¼ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a mini-muffin pan.
2. Combine almond meal, coconut flour, chia seeds, cinnamon, salt & baking soda in a large bowl.
3. Whisk together remaining ingredients (besides nuts if using) in a small bowl.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine.
5. If using the nuts, fold into the batter until evenly distributed.
6. Spoon batter into mini-muffin pan and bake for about 15 minutes until tops start to turn golden brown.
7. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Vietnamese Style Chicken Wings

Simple recipe. Just what I needed because I had a lot of reading to do for school. It seems like I can't find enough time to do the things I enjoy anymore. But I have to continue cooking. I just have too!

 That's why I made these babies today. These chicken wings are slightly sweet and spicy. Have it with rice and cucumber and you have a completed meal. Enjoy!

Tip: cut the tip of the chicken wing so it doesn't get burnt like mine.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup Zsweet sugar or regular sugar
• 1/4 coconut sugar
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp lime juice (~1 lime)
• 2 tbsp chili sauce (such as sriracha) or to taste
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 pounds chicken wings, rinsed and pat dry

Instructions:

1. Simmer the water and sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat until it turns a deep amber, about 10 minutes.
2. Mix the fish sauce, water, lime juice, chili sauce, and garlic and carefully add it to the pan, then heat until the caramel dissolves.
3. Marinate the chicken wings in the sauce for 30 minutes to overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
5. Place the chicken wings on a rack, on a foil lined baking sheet and bake in the oven until golden brown and crispy, about 30 to 40 minutes. Every 10 minutes brush wings with additional marinade.

Healthier Lemon Cheesecake with almond vanilla wafer crust

I was browsing my friend's pictures on Instagram and came across a picture my friend Kenny posted. He posted a picture of the cheesecake he made and provided the recipe. He mentioned he used greek yogurt and stevia. This inspired me to make my own cheesecake.

I did not have greek yogurt but I definitely have stevia since I am trying to cut down on sugar. I also replaced greek yogurt with ricotta cheese. For the crust, I wanted to cut down the sugar so I added almonds in the food processor with the vanilla wafer cookies. I pretty much wing this recipe. I decided what I wanted to add and how much. It turned out a little dry for a cheesecake, but the flavors were good. My bf and I ate it all up in a few days. :) What can I say...we love cheesecake!