GLOW

It's been in the 90's here for the past few weeks, and since we live in a 100 year old (+) home, we only have two rooms in the apartment air-conditioned with window units. The kitchen is not one of those rooms, so our bananas have been getting spotted and spoiled before the tips even turn yellow. We had four big ones that were so ripe yesterday that they were falling out of their skins, so banana bread seemed essential. 

There are a great deal of gluten-free, vegan, even sugar-free muffin recipes out there, but I didn't want to have to go and buy ingredients that I didn't already have on hand. (Again, the heat doesn't make walking to the store for two items sound very appealing.) I modifed this nongluten-free recipe with my own alternative ingredients. Unlike most of my previous posts (okay, perhaps unlike any of my previous posts), this does contain sugar. Lots of sugar. I would have preferred to forgo that, but figuring out how to translate the recipe using only stevia wasn't something I felt like tackling.

It's been a little while since I've come up with a new baked item, so I am very very happy and grateful that these turned out so perfectly on the first try. They are perfectly moist, neither too fluffy or too dense, with the perfect crumb, in my opinion. I don't have a loaf pan, so I used my giant muffin pan instead. These are deep deep muffins, probably as tall as a full loaf would be. Currently, I am stupidly full, uncomfortably full, because I insisted on finishing two of these behemoths in quick succession. Though I will be happy if you love these enough to want to eat that much immediately, I hope you will use a bit more discretion than I. Basically I'm saying that if you want or need to keep your pants buttoned and zipped, don't do it.

If you add icing to the top of these, it would easily pass as a cupcake. Have at it.

The milk I used for this recipe is raw and homemade. I'll include the recipe for it below if you are interested in using it. It's very simple.

BANANA BREAD (GLUTEN-FREE, VEGAN)

YOU'LL NEED A PAN. A LOAF PAN, MINI LOAF PAN, MUFFIN PAN, OR GIANT MUFFIN PAN. I AM GOING TO BE ENTIRELY UNPROFFESSIONAL AND ONLY BE ABLE TO TELL YOU HOW MANY GIANT MUFFINS YOU CAN MAKE (4). YOU'LL HAVE TO EYE-BALL IT OTHERWISE.

1/2 CUP COCONUT OIL (If you're making this in a season other than summer, or don't live near the Equator, warm your oil until soft. All others use at room temperature.)

1 CUP BROWN SUGAR

2 CUPS MASHED OVER-RIPE BANANAS (approximately 4 bananas)

2 LARGE EGGS IF NOT VEGAN, OTHERWISE, 3 TBS FLAXMEAL, 1/2 TBS ARROWROOT STARCH & 5 TBS WARM WATER MIXED & ALLOWED TO SIT UNTIL THICKENED

1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT

1 1/4 CUP MILLET FLOUR

1/2 CUP RICE FLOUR

1/4 GLUTEN-FREE QUICK COOKING OATS

1 TSP BAKING SODA

3/4 TSP SEA SALT

1/4 TSP CINNAMON, 1/4 TSP NUTMEG

1/8 TSP GROUND CLOVE

1/4 CUP VEGAN MILK (SEE BELOW FOR THE RAW CASHEW & BRAZIL NUT MILK I USED)

1/2 TBS APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES.

CREAM SUGAR AND OIL IN A LARGE BOWL. ADD MASHED BANANAS, MIX. ADD EGGS OR EGG SUBSTITUTE ABOVE, MIX. ADD VANILLA, MIX AGAIN.

IN A SEPARATE, SMALLER BOWL, MIX THE FLOUR, BAKING SODA, SEA SALT & SPICES WITH A WHISK. ADD DRY TO WET AND THOROUGHLY MIX. ADD THE APPLE CIDER VINEGAR INTO THE MILK, MIX & ADD IT TO THE BATTER. STIR UNTIL JUST MIXED.

GREASE YOUR PAN WITH COCONUT OIL, AND BAKE APPROXIMATELY 40-45 MINUTES. I'D CHECK AFTER 20 MINUTES IN ORDER TO GAUGE THE PACE OF YOUR OVEN. INSERT A KNIFE, AND WHEN IT COMES OUT CLEAN, TAKE THEM/IT OUT OF THE OVEN, COOL THE PAN ON A WIRE RACK FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES, THEN DUMP THEM/IT ONTO THE WIRE RACK AND ALLOW THEM TO COOL FURTHER. OR NOT. I TEND TO BE IMPATIENT, AND SPLIT THEM OPEN ONTO A PLATE SO THAT I CAN EAT THEM SOONER. 

RAW CASHEW & BRAZIL NUT MILK

1/2 CUP RAW CASHEWS (ROUGHLY)

1/2 CUP RAW BRAZIL NUTS (ROUGHLY)

DROP THE NUTS INTO THE BLENDER PITCHER & FILL UP THE PITCHER WITH (IDEALLY) FILTERED WATER UP TO THE 4 1/2 CUP MARK. (IF YOU WANT THIS TO BE CREAMIER, REDUCE THE WATER.) SOAK FOR AT LEAST 2 HOURS, THEN BLEND UNTIL SMOOTH. (I USUALLY USE THE "ICE BREAKER" MODE ON THE BLENDER SINCE THE BRAZIL NUTS ARE SO HARD.) GRAB A STRAINER AND A DEEP BOWL THAT THE STRAINER CAN SIT UPON (THIS IS WHAT I PREFER, ANYWAY). POUR THE MILK THROUGH THE STRAINER A BIT AT A TIME, USING A SPOON OR SOMESUCH TO SCRAPE THE FINE NUTS ASIDE TO ALLOW THE MILK TO DRAIN THROUGH.

FOR THE ABOVE RECIPE, I USED THE MILK AS IS, NO SWEETENER.

FOR THE MILK THAT YOU DON'T USE IN THE ABOVE RECIPE, USE A FUNNEL TO POUR IT FROM THE BOWL INTO A JAR OR PITCHER OF YOUR CHOICE. I SWEETENED MINE WITH A BIT OF STEVIA, AND ADDED SOME VANILLA EXTRACT, BUT IT IS FLAVORFUL ENOUGH ON ITS OWN.

YOU CAN USE WHAT IS LEFT IN THE STRAINER FOR OTHER BAKING PROJECTS, OR YOU COULD MIX THEM WITH COCONUT BUTTER, MAKE LITTLE BALLS, ROLL THEM IN COCONUT, CHOCOLATE SHAVINGS OR THE LIKE, AND CHILL FOR A DESSERT. OR WHATEVER ELSE SUITS YOUR FANCY. I WOULD USE THE MIXTURE WITHIN 2 OR 3 DAYS, THE MILK AS WELL.

Vanilla cashew cream custard parfait, layered with cocoa teff crumbles from a failed pie crust, and blueberries. (This was my husband's custard, mine was served sans these embellishments.) I'm still experimenting with agar agar, learning how much is too much, etc. This is a bit of a cheat, as I made this a few weeks ago, but it's been a rough week, and my relationship with food is especially bittersweet these days, so I have been somewhat reticent when it comes to documenting my meals. I have a few new recipes to share with you next week, though, including a submission for this month's SOS Challenge. Until then, I hope you enjoy your Easter weekend in health and happiness.

Seaweed has been my new jam this week. I've been snacking on it in a variety of ways, much thanks being owed to our local Korean grocer, Reliable Market in Union Square, which has an entire aisle devoted to affordably priced bags of it. I'd love to stock my pantry with locally-sourced seaweed, like that provided by Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, but at 4-8 bucks a bag, that's not within our budget. Look at this massive bag of Laver for only $2.49!

I'm definitely going to be grabbing some more this week. My favorite way to eat the Laver is to dry toast it in a pan, giving it a nutty, salty crunch to it that I adore. I'm quite a sucker for the salty and sweet combination, too, and found that if paired with my other new favorite jam, cashews toasted in coconut oil with liquid vanilla stevia, I have the most phenomenal eyes-rolling-back-in-the-head snack. (Best iron boost ever.) 

If the cashews aren't an option (either because you can't eat them, or like me, you ate them all), try toasting the laver in a bit of coconut oil with some puffed buckwheat (also available at Reliable Market), and add some of the vanilla stevia to that. Hot damn!

Let me first say that this may be one of the most unappetizing-looking photographs I'll ever share with you, but let's face it-- does a plate of dirty diner fare like this ever really look good? On a recent trip with family down south, we stopped on a Sunday at a Virginia diner famed for its Southern fare, and though I tried to distract myself from my grumbling tummy and empty plate by admiring the impressive hats of the church-goers surrounding me, my eyes kept being drawn to the plates next to me piled with fried chicken, biscuits & gravy, and I found myself thinking, "Why do I want that so badly?" When, a few weeks later, a friend advertised online that she was eating chicken fried steak with biscuits & gravy for dinner, and the same thought resurfaced in my brain, I decided that I needed to make it happen. And hot damn, did I make it happen. There were exaggerated (but sincere) looks of amazement on my face, tap dancing in place, and even a bit of (manageable) heartburn for the genuine Southern comfort food experience. What a perfect winter meal! The chicken tastes remarkably buttery, and the rustic flavor of the biscuits, albeit not a very traditional choice, pairs really well with the savory gravy. I may play around with the biscuits a bit more in the future to see if I can satisfy another, "Why do I want this so badly?" craving for KFC biscuits. This meal is easily made vegan by using tofu instead of chicken, if you are one of the lucky souls who can indulge in soy, or you could try breading thick-cut vegetables like zucchini, summer squash or eggplant.

1 15.3 OZ CAN CHESTNUT PUREE

1 CUP WATER (OR VEGETABLE OR MEAT STOCK IF YOU CAN TOLERATE IT)

1 1/4 TSP TOASTED SESAME OIL

1/2 TSP MEXICAN SMOKED SEA SALT (OR SMOKED SEA SALT OF YOUR CHOICE)

2 PINCHES OF ASAFOETIDA POWDER

PUT CHESTNUT PUREE IN FOOD PROCESSOR OR BLENDER AND PROCESS, ADDING LIQUID SLOWLY AS IT BLENDS. ADD REST OF THE INGREDIENTS*, MIX UNTIL SMOOTH, AND HEAT ON STOVE TOP.

1 1/2 CUPS BUCKWHEAT FLOUR

1/2 CUP TEFF FLOUR

1/2 CUP TAPIOCA FLOUR

1 TSP SEA SALT

1 TSP BAKING POWDER

-

1/4 CUP FLAX MEAL

2/3 TSP BAKING SODA

1/4 CUP OLIVE OIL

2 TSP FRESH LEMON JUICE

1 CUP WARM WATER

PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 DEGREES. MIX FIRST FIVE INGREDIENTS IN A LARGE MIXING BOWL. IN SMALLER BOWL, MIX FLAX MEAL AND BAKING SODA, ADD WARM WATER, LEMON JUICE AND OLIVE OIL, MIX THOROUGHLY, AND ALLOW TO SIT FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES. POUR WET MIXTURE INTO THE DRY, KNEAD UNTIL ALL CRUMBS ARE MIXED INTO THE DOUGH. LINE A BAKING SHEET WITH PARCHMENT PAPER, FLATTEN OUT DOUGH TO ABOUT 3/4 INCH HIGH, AND USE A CUP OR COOKIE CUTTER TO CUT OUT ROUNDS ABOUT 2 1/2-3 INCHES WIDE. BAKE 8-10 MINUTES. 

4 TBS FLAXMEAL

1/2 CUP WARM WATER

-

6 TBS (3/8 CUP) GROUND RAW CASHEWS

2 TBS TAPIOCA FLOUR

2 TBS TEFF FLOUR

1/2 TSP SEA SALT

2 PINCHES OF ASAFOETIDA POWDER

-

2 LARGE CHICKEN BREASTS (OR EQUIVALENT AMOUNT OF TOFU OR VEGGIES), CUT INTO STRIPS

-

GRAPESEED OIL FOR FRYING

IN A SMALL BOWL, MIX FLAXMEAL AND WATER UNTIL THE MIXTURE GELS. IN A LARGER BOWL, MIX THE DRY INGREDIENTS. HEAT SKILLET ON STOVE, AND POUR ENOUGH GRAPESEED OIL IN THE PAN TO FRY, ALMOST A 1/4 INCH DEEP. COAT EACH STRIP IN FLAXMEAL MIXTURE, AND THEN COAT WITH DRY MIX THOROUGHLY. WHEN OIL IS HEATED, DROP THE STRIPS INTO THE OIL AND FRY, TURNING WHEN ONE SIDE IS BROWNED.

POUR GRAVY OVER THE CHICKEN AND BISCUITS, AND ENJOY.

By now, you've probably heard me mention Ricki's Rutabaga Gratin a number of times. It has been a favorite of mine over the holidays, and the recipe has inspired me to brainstorm up tasty variations, and has even inspired an ice cream recipe. A sweet potato gratin was one of the first ideas I had after eating the original recipe, and I've served it at home and to friends a few times now, with glowing (ahem) reception. So for my friends who have requested the recipe, and for those of you who have yet to try it but surely should, I present to you:

I've been brainstorming up an ice cream recipe for a couple of weeks now, and after watching my husband consume almost 3 containers of Ben & Jerry's this week, I decided that the time had come to  end the torture and try it out. I successfully made two kinds this weekend, and the one I'm sharing with you today is actually a bastard child of Ricki's cashew cream that is used in her Rutabaga Gratin which I so dearly love. (A variation on that recipe is soon to come as well.) I do not own an ice cream maker, so the texture of this is not exactly true to form, but it satisfied my cravings perfectly, and if you have experience using an ice cream maker, I'm sure you would know what to do to modify this for your appliance. Another option is to follow Ricki's non-ice-cream-maker ice cream instructions here, which I will most likely try in the future. This layered dessert reminds me of a more refined version of Friendly's peanut butter ice cream, which I so dearly loved as a child. It only makes about 2-3 servings, but as I have so little self control when it comes to sweets, I find it in my favor to make small batches so that I don't overdo it. My cravings perfectly coincided with the SOS Challenge this month, January's ingredient being coconut oil.

1 3/4 CUP UNSWEETENED HEMPMILK

1 CUP RAW CASHEWS

1/2 CUP TAHINI

2 TBS COCONUT OIL, MELTED

1/2 TSP VANILLA POWDER

1/4 TSP STEVIA POWDER

PINCH OF SEA SALT

ABOUT A 1/2 CUP COARSELY GROUND ROASTED HAZELNUTS

PLACE CASHEWS IN A BOWL. IN A SMALL SAUCEPAN, SLOWLY BRING HEMPMILK TO A BOIL, STIRRING REGULARLY, AND THEN POUR OVER THE CASHEWS. SOAK FOR 30 MINUTES. IF USING A BLENDER, POUR MILK, CASHEWS, TAHINI, SEA SALT, VANILLA POWDER & STEVIA IN, AND BLEND UNTIL CREAMY. MELT THE COCONUT OIL AND POUR IN WHILE BLENDING. IF USING A FOOD PROCESSOR, STRAIN THE MILK INTO A BOWL, PUT THE CASHEWS INTO THE PROCESSOR, AND SLOWLY ADD THE MILK, TAHINI, AND OTHER INGREDIENTS AS IT GETS CREAMIER. TAKE 2 GLASS JARS OR CONTAINERS OF YOUR CHOICE, AND SPOON THE CREAM IN, ALTERNATING WITH LAYERS OF THE GROUND HAZELNUTS. EACH JAR WILL BE ABOUT 1/2-3/4 FULL. SEAL AND FREEZE. IT SHOULD BE READY TO CONSUME IN 2-3 HOURS, OR YOU CAN FREEZE AND THEN THAW FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES AT ROOM TEMPERATURE.

On my current to-do list for you, friends, is to pour through my notes and recipes from this past year, and test them to finally discover what temperatures and times to cook them at, as my old malfunctioning stove was replaced this past week with a new one. This is a bit tricky, as I haven't been very consistent with writing my recipes down, and my new oven seems to come with a few quirks that I need to decipher. A dear friend recently sent me a lovely notebook to write my recipes in, so with this thoughtful gift in tandem with my new appliance, I should have some tasty dishes for you soon.

This past year, after sacrificing my love for the traditional American's sugary breakfasts, I was excited to find some respite in Whole Life Nutrition's Teff Banana Pancakes recipe, and I cooked them quite frequently while I was in denial still about my intolerance to the tropical pale-fleshed fruit. I've missed them dearly, and so have wanted to come up with a delicious recipe that could help bring the sweet breakfasts of my past back to my table. I was ecstatic yesterday when I tasted these buddies and realized that I had, once again, made my own culinary dreams come true. These lovely, spongey, crepe-like pancakes are sweet, light, and richly flavored, and are some of the best pancakes I have ever tasted...gluten-free or otherwise. Luckily for you and I, they are also filled with high-quality protein and iron, as well as magnesium and a number of other essential vitamins and minerals. (See here and here.) They would taste delicious topped with fruit and syrup, but if you, like me, have to avoid these forbidden delights, you can enjoy them with your favorite nut or seed butter, or if you are able to tolerate it, coconut butter. I topped mine with some sunflower seed butter (Maranatha's new one contains no added sugar or sweeteners!), and served them with a hearty vegetable and sweet potato hash.

New to these ingredients? Amaranth flour is an important flour to add to your gluten-free pantry, and it can typically be found in the bulk section of your local health food store, or pre-packaged in the gluten-free flour section. Online you can find it here and here. I buy my cashews by the pound from either Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, but you can also get them by the pound at local Indian markets and online. Tapioca flour/starch can usually be found pre-packaged in health food stores, as well as in asian food markets and online. It is a versatile and tasty thickener and binder, so I highly recommend getting your hands on some. Stevia powder, derived from a naturally sweet herb, can be found at Trader Joe's or your local health food store; I purchase my vanilla powder (because of my alcohol intolerance) at Whole Foods.

YOU'LL NEED:

NON-STICK PAN OR GRIDDLE

WIDE, FLEXIBLE SPATULA

1/2 CUP AMARANTH FLOUR

1/2 CUP FINELY GROUND RAW CASHEWS

1/4 CUP TAPIOCA FLOUR/STARCH

1 TSP BAKING POWDER

1/2 TSP PURE VANILLA POWDER

1/4 TSP SEA SALT

1/8 TSP STEVIA POWDER

2 TBS FLAX MEAL

1/2 TSP BAKING SODA

1 TSP FRESH-SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE

2 TBS COCONUT OIL

1 1/4 CUP UNSWEETENED HEMPMILK*

MIX THE FIRST SEVEN INGREDIENTS TOGETHER IN A MEDIUM BOWL. IN ANOTHER BOWL, MIX THE FLAXMEAL AND BAKING SODA. HEAT THE COCONUT OIL AND HEMPMILK UNTIL THE OIL IS MELTED, ADD A FEW TABLESPOONS TO THE FLAXMEAL, AND QUICKLY MIX IT UNTIL THE MIXTURE STARTS TO GEL. ADD THE LEMON JUICE, AND MIX UNTIL FOAMY. ADD THE REMAINING LIQUID, MIX, AND THEN ADD TO THE DRY INGREDIENTS. MIX THOROUGHLY. HEAT THE PAN OR GRIDDLE ON MEDIUM-LOW HEAT. ADD ENOUGH COCONUT OIL TO THOROUGHLY COAT THE SURFACE. WHEN HEATED, ADD ABOUT A 1/4 CUP OF BATTER AT A TIME, GENTLY CIRCLING OUT TO DESIRED SIZE. FLIP WHEN GOLDEN BROWN ON THE BOTTOM. MAKE SURE THAT THE SURFACE IS ALWAYS COATED WITH THE OIL, ADDING MORE AS NECESSARY.

MAKES ABOUT 10-12 4-5 INCH PANCAKES

*Living Harvest Unsweetened Original is the only hemp milk I've found without soy lecithin, brown rice and sweeteners of any sort.