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.

It was really tempting to post this recipe last week in tandem with my puffed lotus seed popcorn alternative, but I figured that it was better to spread out the love a bit. And hot damn, do I have a lot of love for this recipe. I've mentioned before my former obsession with cereal, and I think that it is of great credit to my power of will that I have so graciously accepted eating vegetables for breakfast for the past two years rather than the sweet indulgences of the past. (Gotta give myself a pat on the back every now and then.) But man, if I let myself really think about it, I've really missed eating cereal. When I finally had this in my bowl, complete with some homemade milk, I had to keep saying to myself, "This is really happening right now. I'm eating sweet, delicious cereal. Live in this moment." This recipe is pretty remarkable in that it's easy, fast, allows for limitless variations, and has a completely gratifying texture akin to Kix, but way better because it doesn't get soggy at the bottom of the bowl! Today I'm offering you my very first version of this cereal, but if I let my mind wander, I can already start daydreaming of the variations I might suggest to you in the future. (Peanut-free peanut butter puffs anyone?) If any of you missed my previous post about puffed lotus seeds, head here for a little bit of background and another awesome snack.

5 CUPS PUFFED LOTUS SEEDS*

2 TBS COCONUT OIL

5 (+/-) DROPPERS OF LIQUID VANILLA STEVIA

SEASONINGS TO TASTE (I USED 1/4 TSP CARDAMOM, 1/4 TSP MACE, 1/4 TSP NUTMEG)

PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. ON STOVETOP, MELT 2 TBS OF COCONUT OIL IN A LARGE POT OVER LOW HEAT. ADD LOTUS SEEDS, SPICES AND STEVIA, AND MIX UNTIL THE SEEDS ARE COATED WITH THE OIL, ETC. POUR SEEDS OUT EVENLY ONTO A BAKING SHEET AND BAKE ABOUT 5 MINUTES, OR UNTIL LIGHTLY GOLDEN ON AT LEAST ONE SIDE. ENJOY WITH YOUR FAVORITE DAIRY-FREE MILK, OR SNACK ON IT AS IS.

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!

Diced Korean radish sauteed in coconut oil with cultured burdock root, seaweed, flax meal and a splash of Coconut Aminos. I used the Shiso leaves, purchased at a local Korean market, as wraps for the mix. This was definitely a favorite lunch this week.

This has kind of been an exciting week for me in terms of food adventures. I'm trying not to go too deep into the water, just inching a little bit further out on the diving board (on my bum, though, mind you), and relishing the view. I believe that it is thanks to the tips I'm getting from reading The Body Ecology Diet, and my bravely plugging through the varying symptom flare-ups I get upon (slowly) introducing  cultured vegetables into my daily routine. (See previous post.) My digestive system seems to be getting stronger, and being able to enjoy a mug of this beautiful soup seems to be a result. On Friday, my husband and our friends were able to reap the benefits as well, as I quickly brainstormed and cooked this soup up for us to enjoy for dinner. (Butternut squash is not typically something that my body can handle.) Can you tell by the blurry picture how excited I was to sit down and eat it? Our dinner was completed by some salad greens and my salmon cakes topped with homemade mint & basil avocado mayo. Both recipes utilize the smoked sea salt that I am currently having a giveaway for. Go here now, as there is only one more day to enter!

4 CUPS PEELED, CUBED AND ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

3 CUPS WATER

JUICE OF 1/2- 1 LIME (according to your taste)

2 TBS COCONUT OIL

1 1/2 TSP CUMIN

3/4 TSP CORIANDER

1/2 TSP MEXICAN SMOKED SEA SALT

1/4 TSP CARDAMOM

1/4 TSP ALLSPICE

1/8 TSP ASAFOETIDA POWDER

FRESH CILANTRO TO TASTE

PUT ROASTED SQUASH AND WATER INTO A BLENDER AND PUREE. POUR INTO A SOUP POT AND HEAT ON STOVE, ADDING LIME AND SPICES FIRST, AND THEN COCONUT OIL. COOK UNTIL HEATED AND COCONUT OIL IS FULLY MIXED AND MELTED. ADD CILANTRO RIGHT BEFORE SERVING.

Collard greens & broccoli sauteed in coconut oil with fresh basil, roasted spaghetti squash with a vanilla stevia sweetened coconut oil spread with chopped fresh mint, and creamy brown rice cooked with meyer lemon zest & a touch of vanilla stevia and coconut oil. (Rice for my husband, not I, unfortunately!)

Sometimes the simplest meals are the most satisfying: Cabbage and blue potatoes sauteed in coconut oil. 

(I'm typically quite sensitive to potatoes, but seem to tolerate the more rare varieties in small amounts.)

 Sometimes the overwhelming buzz over the current ultimate "superfood" will encourage me to ignore good nutrition rather than embrace it. Part of that inclination is understandable; if the food is trendy, the price will skyrocket, often above an already steep price. Eating natural, whole foods can be expensive sometimes, so it's often easier to just roll my eyes when someone mentions hemp, acai, spirulina, kelp, and yes, chia seeds. I've embraced hemp, at least in the form of milk, because at least when it comes to store-bought milks, one particular brand of hempmilk is the only kind of alternative milk that I can consume. I finally decided to give chia a go when I was still figuring out my diet, as I read it worked as an excellent egg replacer, as well as having potential as an alternative to gelatin. I tried a couple of recipes with varying success, but wasn't excited enough to incorporate it into my diet with any regularity. On my list of recipes I've been brainstorming up lately is a vegan lemon curd, and I thought that maybe chia seeds might be the key. I picked up some meyer lemons that were on sale, and went to work. Well, I didn't achieve my original goal this time (more experimenting to come), but I did come up with a perfectly sweet and tart pudding and sorbet that I'm happy to share with you. This definitely isn't something I'd typically crave on a winter day, but I figure there are enough readers in warmer climates (Hello Australia!) that will appreciate it, and the rest of us can dream of licking our spoons after a long day at the beach whilst ignoring the stubborn piles of snow outside our doors. If you're curious about the (myriad of) nutritional benefits of chia seeds, I enjoyed reading Gena's synopsis here. This is my second submission to Kim & Ricki's SOS Challenge for February, the month's ingredient being stevia.

1/4 CUP CHIA SEEDS

1 CUP HEMPMILK (OR OTHER DAIRY FREE MILK)

3 TBS COCONUT OIL

ZEST & JUICE OF 2 MEYER LEMONS

1 TBS EDIBLE LAVENDER BUDS

1/2 TSP + 1/8 STEVIA POWDER

MIX CHIA SEEDS AND HEMPMILK THOROUGHLY, AND SOAK, IDEALLY OVERNIGHT, IN FRIDGE TO ALLOW SEEDS TO SOFTEN. CHECK ON IT PERIODICALLY IN THE FIRST HOUR TO MIX IT, AS THE SEEDS CAN CLUMP TOGETHER A BIT AS THE MIXTURE GELS. THE NEXT DAY, IN A SMALL SAUCEPAN, HEAT THE MIXTURE ON LOW HEAT, ADDING THE COCONUT OIL AND REMAINING INGREDIENTS. HEAT FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES, STIRRING REGULARLY. ALLOW TO COOL. IF MAKING PUDDING, CHILL IN FRIDGE. IF MAKING SORBET, PUT MIXTURE INTO SILICONE MUFFIN CUPS OR PARCHMENT PAPER LINED CONTAINER. FREEZE. INDIVIDUAL CUPS CAN BE TAKEN OUT, THAWED FOR 30-45 MINUTES FOR MORE OF AN ITALIAN ICE (PICTURED), OR PROCESSED IN A FOOD PROCESSOR FOR SORBET.

As my birthday was approaching this year, I decided that I wasn't really up for a second birthday without dessert, so I experimented with a few ideas in the weeks preceding the big day. Ice cream served as the treat on my actual birthday, but I wanted something that I could practically serve to a larger crowd during my birthday party. While experimenting with ice cream recipes a couple of weeks ago, I came up with an avocado base that tasted pretty wonderful both chilled as a pudding, and frozen as an ice cream. I started to daydream of a crust that would compliment and cradle the vibrant green filling, and brought that lovely dream into reality this last Saturday, just in time for my guests. (I've used Kim's crust recipe here as a reference for measurements for most of my pie experiments.) Although I am really happy with this recipe, I also think that it will welcome modifications according to your taste. The refreshing mix of peppermint, lemon zest and cardamom would really be complimented by the addition of freshly shaved coconut, maybe some chopped pistachios, and even a bit of orange or lime zest. Pistachios are the only members of that list that I can enjoy, but I forgot to grab some from the store. A friend also suggested a bit of sea salt, which could be pretty wonderful in the form of a coarse blend sprinkled on top. So this can be a bit of a "choose your own adventure" recipe...would you like pudding? a pudding pie? or a frozen ice cream pie? I served this at my party as a frozen pie, but I might try it as a slightly more messy, but equally satisfying pudding pie next time.

This is my second submission to Ricki & Kim's SOS Challenge for the month, the challenge ingredient being coconut oil.

PUDDING/FILLING

6 AVOCADOS

3/4 CUP UNSWEETENED HEMPMILK (OR NON-DAIRY MILK OF YOUR CHOICE)

6 TBS (OR 3/8 CUP) COCONUT OIL

3 TSP CARDAMOM

1 1/2 TSP PEPPERMINT FLAVOR

1/2 TSP VANILLA POWDER

A SCANT 1/2 TSP OF STEVIA

3 PINCHES OF SEA SALT

ZEST OF 2 LEMONS

JUICE OF 1/2 A LEMON

PIE CRUST

1/2 CUP RAW CASHEWS

1/2 CUP RAW MACADAMIA NUTS

1/2 CUP TAPIOCA FLOUR/STARCH

1/2 CUP SORGHUM FLOUR

2 TBS COCONUT FLOUR

1/4 TSP SEA SALT

1/4 TSP VANILLA POWDER

PINCH OF STEVIA POWDER

4 TBS COCONUT OIL

5 TBS WATER

ZEST OF 1 LEMON

FOR THE PUDDING, PROCESS THE AVOCADOS AND MILK IN A FOOD PROCESSOR OR HIGH-SPEED BLENDER UNTIL PUREED. MELT COCONUT OIL, AND POUR IN WHILE PROCESSING. ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS, PROCESS AND CHILL.

FOR PIE CRUST, PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. GRIND NUTS TOGETHER AS CLOSE TO A FLOUR/MEAL AS POSSIBLE. (THIS CAN BE TOUGH WITH MACADAMIA NUTS, SO BE PATIENT. MINE WAS STILL SOMEWHAT COARSE.) MIX FLOURS, SALT, VANILLA POWDER & STEVIA TOGETHER THOROUGHLY. MELT COCONUT OIL AND MIX IN. ADD WATER A COUPLE OF TABLESPOONS AT A TIME, AND MIX THOROUGHLY. THEN WORK IN THE NUT MEAL AND LEMON ZEST. GREASE YOUR PIE PAN WITH COCONUT OIL, AND PAT THE DOUGH INTO THE PAN, WORKING IT UP THE SIDES AND PRESSING IT EVENLY ACROSS. BAKE FOR ABOUT 12-15 MINUTES, OR UNTIL IT BECOMES GOLDEN ON TOP.

ADD THE PUDDING, TOP WITH GARNISHES AND CHILL IN REFRIGERATOR FOR PUDDING PIE, OR IN FREEZER FOR FROZEN PIE. ALLOW TO THAW FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES BEFORE SERVING IF FROZEN.

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.