Valentine's Day Reci-pea

Valentine’s day is a day overflowing with love, hearts, flowers, all things pink and CANDY, CANDY, CANDY! So on a day when candy, chocolate and cookies are supposed to be consumed for every meal how do you make sure that your family is eating healthy but still enjoying the holiday? Simple, you make this month’s reci-pea: St. Valentine’s Vegan Cornbread Muffins!  These sweet treats can be consumed as a healthy dessert or a yummy breakfast because they are low in fat and contain applesauce instead of butter and eggs.  We’ve also added beets, which not only turns the muffins a festive shade of pink, they add vitamin A and C.  Vitamin A is important for healthy bone development and vitamin C helps the body heal. Have a happy and healthy Valentine’s Day and enjoy!

St Valentine’s Vegan Cornbread Muffins:

• ½ cup white cornmeal

• ½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ cup applesauce

• 2 medium beets (should be about ¼ cup when puréed)

• ½ cup soymilk or other milk of your choice

• ¼ cup agave nectar

• 2 tablespoons canola oil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Cut and wash beets (do not peel). Place beets in a pot and cover them with water.  Boil over medium heat for 20 minutes or until beets pierce easily with a fork.

Once the beets are cool enough to handle, gently rub the skins with your fingers until the skin peels off.

Roughly chop beets and place them in a food processor.  Add enough water to pulse into a smooth puree.  Continue to pulse until beets are very smooth.  I opted for the easier option of buying precooked and peeled beets from Trader Joes (this speeds up the recipe quite a bit).

Lightly grease a muffin tin with pan spray.

Combine white cornmeal, wheat flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl; stir in the beet purée and applesauce, soymilk and agave.

Pour mixture into a muffin tin.

Bake for about 15 minutes. (To make sure they are fully cooked check by inserting a toothpick to see if it comes out clean). 

Makes 6 Muffins.