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.

I really miss popcorn. My cravings for it lately have been pretty unbearable. I've tried popping sorghum before, and damn, those one or two kernels that actually popped were mighty tasty, but the other hundred or so dormant little dudes were quite a tease. Sometime last year I came across a large bag at a local Indian market* labeled "Phool Makhana", and the translated label on the back said "puffed lotus seeds". I was intrigued, and my brain immediately decided that it might be the perfect popcorn substitute. I tried some from the bag; they were weird and chewy, with a subtle sweet aftertaste. I decided to try toasting them in oil in a pot like you would popcorn with no success. They remained strange in texture, they tasted nothing like popcorn. Research online taught me that they are normally stewed in dals and other savory dishes, but that wasn't what I was after. I closed up the bag, and it remained pushed to the back of the shelf until last week. 

My recent resurgence in cravings led me to take the bag down again and give it another go. This time I thought of coating them in oil and toasting them in the oven; this time my dreams came true. Roasted puffed lotus seeds end up tasting just like popcorn, the texture is completely convincing, and it's so fast and easy that it hardly even requires a recipe. I've shared this with friends who were also really surprised and excited...we were equally addicted to the snack. You will be happy to know that I have also come up with a cereal recipe with them that I will share with you soon! For now, though, enjoy fulfilling your popcorn cravings with a new gluten-free, grain-free, corn-free snack.

PUFFED LOTUS SEEDS

GRAPESEED OIL TO COAT

SEA SALT & SEASONINGS OF YOUR CHOICE TO TASTE

PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. POUR THE LOTUS SEEDS INTO A BOWL, POUR ENOUGH OIL IN TO COAT, STIR. LAY OUT ON BAKING SHEET, BAKE FOR 5-7 MINUTES OR UNTIL SLIGHTLY GOLDEN ON AT LEAST ONE SIDE. SEASON WITH SEA SALT, DULSE OR SEAWEED, NUTRITIONAL YEAST, OR WHATEVER ELSE SUITS YOUR FANCY.