Kid's Choice: Goat Cheese and Banana Muffins

We started our weekend at the Farmer's Market, buying produce and some of our favorite local cheese. The cheese booth has become a favorite. On a previous trip, the owner let Lillian wear a Cheesehead hat and ever since, that booth has been her favorite. And, we recently discovered that our girls love their goat cheese - Lillian picked out her own package of goat cheese this week (she picked a ball rolled in herbs). I know, goat cheese for a one and four year old! My husband says that he didn't even try goat cheese until he met me, which was in his mid-twenties.

We also picked up some great green tomatoes and corn on the cob. For Saturday night dinner, we had fried green tomatoes with a goat cheese roasted red pepper spread, corn on the cob roasted on the grill, and grilled tofu (marinated in olive oil, garlic, fresh basil and fresh oregano, which made a nice crust).

After dinner we made some vegan banana muffins with some over-ripe bananas we had. They turned out delicious - very moist. Lillian and I made them together with a recipe from Better than Peanut Butter & Jelly by Marty Mattare & Wendy Muldawer:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup maple syrup
3 T unsweetened applesauce
2 bananas, mashed
1 T water
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
Dash Cinnamon
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with vegetable cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix until blended. Spoon batter evenly into muffin pan. Bake 20-25 minutes. Remove from pan immediately. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 12 muffins.


I reprinted this here without permission. You can buy this great cookbook here: http://www.amazon.com/Better-Than-Peanut-Butter-Jelly/dp/1590131223/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216086093&sr=8-1 This cookbook was given to me by a great mom who loves to cook, Maria Mangano.