Zero Fat Banana Muffins - an Experiment

     When replacing fats in fat-free baking, it is often recommended to use applesauce or fruit purees. I've successfully tried to replace eggs before with mashed bananas in banana bread before, but I've never tried to completely eliminate the oil or butter. I've read somewhere that green papaya is high in pectin, and since pectin the sought-after component in applesauce and other fruit-based fat substitutes, I decided to give green papaya a try. I juiced half a green papaya and decided to make banana muffins.

     I followed this banana bread recipe and replaced the same amount of oil with green papaya juice, and 1/2 cup mashed bananas for every egg. I used ripe plantains and pureed it using a food processor. I discovered that it's more moist when I puree the bananas instead of just mashing it. This recipe can make 12 muffins.

Ingredients:

  1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

  1 cup brown sugar

  1 tsp baking soda

  1 tsp salt

  2 cups banana puree/mashed bananas

  1/2 cup green papaya juice

  1 tsp vanilla essence

Cooking procedure:

  1. Sift and combine all dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly and evenly.

  2. Combine all wet ingredient and mix together evenly.

  3. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well until a batter is formed.

  4. Lightly grease the paper cups and pour the batter up to 3/4 of each cup.

  5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 - 15 mins.

  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

     I was so happy that the muffins rose more than I expected it would. The first thing I noticed was there were less of those little fibers or stringy things that I see in my other banana breads. The color was also lighter. My theory is that since green papaya contains a lot of enzymes and is an effective meat tenderizer, I believe that the enzymes broke down those fibers. Just a theory. :)

     I was more than happy with the result. It come out soft and moist, like it was just like any regular muffin/cupcake. You cannot even tell that it's vegan. You can taste the green papaya behind the banana flavor but it's not overpowering. Overall this experiment came out a success and I'm looking forward to using green papaya in other recipes. I'm happy to boast that this is an absolutely all natural fat free recipe. Cheers! :)

     

  

How to make Chayote "Apple Sauce"

     This is a chayote, in the Philippines we call it sayote. It's a vegetable that's related to zucchini and cucumber, most commonly used in salads and stir fries. It has only about 39 calories per cup, nearly fat free, high in fiber and folate. 

     Chayote has almost no flavor of it's own, so it has to be paired with something to give it flavor. It is similar in texture with apples and there is even a rumor that McDonald's used them as an extender in their apple pies. I have tried making an "apple" pie using chayote, and yes, you can't really tell the difference except maybe the lack of apple flavor.

     But did you know that you can also substitute apples with chayote in making apple sauce? Chayote, like apple, is also rich in pectin. Pectin, as we know, is an insoluble fiber that's a gelling agent in jams and jellies. In vegan baking, we use applesauce to replace fats because it is a good source of pectin. Pectin, in place of oil, prevents gluten formation in flour to make cakes light and fluffy. Click here for further reading.

     Since chayote has almost no flavor, there won't be any distinct taste when used in baking, unlike applesauce which gives you a distinct apple taste. It's also a lot cheaper.

HOW TO MAKE CHAYOTE "APPLE SAUCE"

Peel and chop the chayote into small pieces.

You'll notice some little hairy filaments. We'll remove that by seiving it later.

Pop it in a food processor and blend until it turns into a mushy pulp.

This would be the raw "apple" sauce. I don't know what difference it makes when using raw or cooked applesauce in baking. If you want to use it raw, just sieve this and store in a jar.

For cooked applesauce, put it in a saucepan over medium heat. Cover and stir occassionally for 30-45 mins.

I just used 1 cup, without any water, so I stopped at 15 mins because it was already getting dry.

Raw vs cooked applesauce. The main difference would be the water content, I guess. The water would evaporate during cooking.

Raw and cooked apple sauce

Diet Chocolate Cake - vegan, fat free

    Got that chocolate craving but can't give in to all that calories? I have the answer for you - diet soda cake. This is a low calorie, fat-free, vegan dessert which is insanely so easy to make. 

     You can use any diet soda you want. I've tried Coke and Sprite zero. I liked coke zero better since it  added more flavor to it. It's optional to add spices too, like cinnamon or coffee to suit your taste, but I haven't tried it yet coz it might cause a reaction or something. This is just a basic recipe.

     The cake will come out light and moist with some air pockets (from the bubbling of the soda).

Ingredients:

  2 cups all purpose flour

  3/4 cups sugar

  1/3 cup cocoa powder

  1/4 cup cornstarch

  1/2 tsp baking soda

  1/2 tsp baking powder

  1/2 tsp salt

  1 can diet soda

Cooking instructions:
1. Sift together all dry ingredients and add soda. Mix until no flour is visible.
2. Pour in greased pan and bake in preheated oven at 350 F for 25-45 mins or until toothpick come out clean.

So easy right?

Serves: 8
Calories per serving: 210

ANALYSIS:

• fat free
• good source of fiber and iron