Banana walnut Nutella muffins

You like banana bread? You like Nutella? You don't like to share? Look no further: those muffins are for you :)

These are super easy to whip up, and the swirls of Nutella in the moist banana bread are scrumptious.

A great breakfast on the go or post-workout snack, those banana muffins should be in your belly now!



INGREDIENTS (yields 16-18 muffins):
- 1 cup AP flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cups shelled walnuts
- 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp coconut extract (vanilla is fine too)
- 1/2 cup Nutella


RECIPE:
- preheat your oven at 375F
- in a large bowl, mix the eggs, bananas and sugar until well combined

- add in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix well

- mix in the walnuts then gently fold in the Nutella

Note: thorough mixing will give a subtle homogeneous hazelnut taste, whereas a quick fold will result in delicious swirls of pure Nutella throughout the muffin 
- line a muffin pan with paper cups, fill them to 2/3 and bake for 18 minutes at 375F

- Enjoy!

Gratin with a twist: garam masala, goat cheddar and sweet potatoes.

Ingredients (for 6 as a side, 4 as a vegetarian entree):
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 1 1/2 cups of shredded goat cheddar
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- garam masala, to taste
- shredded coconut (unsweetened), to taste
- salt, pepper


Recipe: 
- preheat your oven at 375F (190C)
- with a mandolin, slice the peeled sweet potatoes thinly (about a 1/10th of an inch, or 2-3 mm).
Note: be careful with the mandolin! Use the guard!!!

- fill the baking dish with layers of sweet potatoes. Salt and pepper every layer. Add garam masala, coconut and shedded cheese only every other layer.
Note: I find that adding spice and cheese to each layer rapidly overpowers the flavor of the sweet potatoes. Garam masala is quite a potent spice mix so don't be too heavy handed with it.




- finish by a thick layer of cheese, and pour the cream over the cheese.



- bake at 375F (190C) for 1 hour. Then let rest and cool a bit in the oven before cutting into it.
Note: Waiting here is quite important, because the sweet potatoes release a LOT of moisture, and letting the gratin rest in the oven allows for the reabsorption of the extra liquid.


Serve as a side to grilled lamb chops for example, or as a vegetarian entree with a side of green salad :)
Bon app!