vegan banana bread

As the weather gets cooler, baking can be a lovely activity that fills the home with delicious smells. Sometimes when I'm feeling stuck, cooking or baking helps get the energy moving again. 

Banana Bread 

Ingredients:

2 cups flour (sifted) I have tried buckwheat flour, spelt and all purpose (or a combination of them). Whole grain will be more dense and all purpose will be more fluffy.

2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

4 very ripe bananas

1/3 cup + 1T pure blueberry juice

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

2 t vanilla

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 t cinnamon (optional, try Ceylon cinnamon)

1/4 t nutmeg (if tolerated)

*optional add ins- shredded coconut (no preservatives), chopped walnuts or pecans (to taste, if tolerated)

Preheat oven to 350F

Grease your baking pan (I used a little coconut oil).

Mash bananas.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl (I just use a fork or spoon for mixing).

Mix the wet ingredients together in another bowl, including bananas.

Make a hole or indent in the dry ingredients and slowly pour the wet ingredients in, mixing together until it is just mixed (do not over mix!). Fold in any add ins if you are using them. The mixture is kind of a grey colour at this point. Don't worry, it will be a more appetizing brown once it has baked!

Bake for 45- 50 minutes. Test with a fork or toothpick and see if it comes out clean. Let the loaf cool in the pan for a few minutes and then gently remove it and place on a cooling rack if you have one, or something else like a plate. Bon appetit!

peanut butter oatmeal cookies

 

My mom and I have been creating these delicious cookies for a treat and thought they turned out well. They are a little soft and quite filling. 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup spelt flour

1/4 cup oats
1/3 cup maple syrup

1 very ripe banana 

1 t vanilla

pinch salt

pinch cinnamon (optional, if tolerated)

1/2 t baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir together until well mixed. In another bowl, mash the banana. Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla to the banana bowl and stir together until they are well combined (you can squish any lumps of solid coconut oil with the spoon, although you don't have to get them all!). Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir together. You can use your hands to mix and squish the dough together towards the end- this works very well! 

You probably don't need to grease the cookie sheet if it's nonstick. Divide the dough into 14 pieces and roll into little balls (roughly 1.5 inch diameter) on the cookie sheet. Squish the balls into a flat cookie shape with a fork, leaving them about 1/2 inch thick. Bake for 13 minutes. Please note that this time worked for us, but it could be slightly different depending on your oven. If you're not sure, you can check the bottom of the cookies and check if the sides are starting to brown to tell whether they are done. 

Take the cookie sheet out of the oven and let them cool for a few minutes on the sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Enjoy! 

sweet potato aduki bean bowl

1 sweet potato, cut into slices
2 T olive oil
1/3 c cooking onion (if tolerated)
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
roughly 1 t each italian spice, corriander, tumeric (if tolerated),
za'tar seasoning (to taste, if tolerated)*

about 4 cups kale, washed de-stemmed and chopped

1 tin aduki beans, drained and rinsed
2-4 cups veggie soup broth (ic friendly)
2-3 T coconut aminos (if tolerated)

In a large pot, saute onion (if using) in olive oil for a few minutes until translucent. Add garlic and saute for another minute or so. Add spices and sweet potato slices. Add just enough soup broth to cover the sweet potatoes.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are cooked. Add in kale and aduki beans, cook uncovered for a few more minutes until most of the broth has evaporated. Stir in coconut aminos and any additional seasoning if desired.

Serve over grains.

* I've been putting za'tar seasoning on pretty much everything lately. It is a Palestinian spice blend with thyme, sumac, sea salt and sesame seeds. I got it from 10 000 Villages (fair trade!), and have seen it at No Frills as well.

carrot and lentil soup

'Tis the season for soups and stews!

Serves 2-3

3 large carrots
2 T olive oil
About 1/2 t each corriander, tumeric (if tolerated), cumin (if tolerated) and ceylon cinnamon (if tolerated)
4 cups veggie broth (ic friendly)
1/3 cup red lentils
1/4 cup cooking onion (roughly- if tolerated)
2 cloves garlic
1 grated apple (ic friendly)
1 small head of broccoli

Heat up olive oil on low heat in the bottom of a pot. Chop and add onion (if using), saute a few minutes until translucent. Add garlic and saute about 1 minute.

Add spices, chopped carrots and broccoli, grated apple and 2 cups veggie broth. Bring to a boil and then lower heat. Simmer about 5 minutes.

Puree the contents of the pot in a blender, and then set aside.

Bring the rest of the veggie broth to a boil. Rinse and add lentils. Simmer about 15 minutes or until lentils are cooked, stirring occasionally.

Add the pureed mix back into the pot and simmer a few minutes longer. Serve and enjoy!

Note: I've taken a little break from this blog due to various life changes, but will be posting recipes again from time to time if you want to check back :)... 

mashed potatoes with cashew gravy, green beans and collard greens

Serves 2

Ingredients

2-3 medium red potatoes
1 small head of cauliflower
1/4 cup veggie broth (ic friendly)
sea salt and fresh pepper (to taste)
1 bunch collard greens
1-2 T onions (optional, if tolerated)
1 clove garlic
red pepper (to taste)
1 cup fresh/frozen green beans
1 T olive oil

for the cashew gravy:

1 cup cashews, soaked beforehand if necessary
2 t tahini paste (if tolerated)
fresh thyme (to taste)
1 small garlic clove
1/2 cup veggie broth
1 T coconut aminos (if tolerated)
salt and fresh pepper (to taste)

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Wash and cut up the potatoes and cauliflower and cook until soft (test them with a fork). Drain the water and mash them with veggie broth, salt and pepper (butter or vegan butter optional).

Meanwhile, wash and de-stem the collards. Steam them for 15-20 minutes.

Heat up olive oil in a frying pan or cast iron skillet. Saute onions (if using) for a couple of minutes. Add red peppers and saute a few minutes more. Add beans. Add collards to the pan when they are cooked. Add the garlic when everything else is lightly sauteed and cook about a minute more. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

For the gravy, blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until saucy. Serve everything together and enjoy!

epic granola

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups oats
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (no preservatives)
3/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup walnuts (if tolerated)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 T coconut oil
1 t vanilla
1/4 t cinnamon (optional - try ceylon cinnamon)
1/8 t sea salt
dried mango without preservatives (optional, to taste)

Preheat oven to 300 F. Pour the oats, almonds, and walnuts (if using) onto a cookie sheet. In a small pot on low heat, mix together the maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt (just until coconut oil is liquified). Pour this liquid over the oats and nuts and mix with a flipper.

Bake for 20 minutes, stirring about every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and mix in the coconut and pumpkin seeds. Bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Remove from oven and transfer to a pyrex dish to cool, stirring every so often. If you wish, cut a few slices of dried mango (if tolerated) into smaller pieces and mix it in. Store in the fridge.

peppermile iced tea

Ingredients

About 1 T fresh mint leaves (in a tea ball or sachet)
1 bag of chamomile tea
1 t raw honey (optional, to taste)

Boil enough water to almost fill a medium size teapot. Steep tea for about 20 minutes, then remove the chamomile and mint.  At this point, you can stir in a little honey if you wish. Wait for it to cool down closer to room temperature, then put the pot in the fridge and forget about it for a while.

Enjoy a refreshing glass, with ice if you like.

watermelon salad

This is an ic friendly version of a watermelon salad one of my friends served at a potluck a while ago. Serves roughly 4-5

1 mini red seedless watermelon, or half of one depending on size (if tolerated)
1-2 cups english cucumber, sliced
1 half pint box of blueberries
fresh mint sprigs (to taste)

Cut watermelon into slices, then remove the rind/outer part before cutting it into smaller chunks. Put into one large bowl or individually portion into several bowls. Add the cucumber slices and top with blueberries and sprigs of fresh mint. No dressing necessary!

red pepper sauce

Serves 3

Ingredients

1/2 cup cashews, soaked beforehand if necessary
2 red peppers, chopped
1/3 cup onion, chopped (optional- if tolerated)
4 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
1/2 cup veggie broth (ic friendly)
1/2 cup cooked sweet potato, mashed
about 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 t sea salt, or to taste
2 T olive oil
fresh pepper (to taste, optional)
1 t each dried oregano, basil, and savory

In a frying pan or cast iron skillet, saute peppers and onion (if using) together for about 20 minutes on a low-medium heat. Add garlic and stir for a couple more minutes.

Blend all ingredients together in a blender or food processor.

Note: If your blender is not very powerful, you can try blending just the contents of the frying pan, veggie broth, and sweet potato to start, before adding cashews, olive oil and seasonings, blending in the parsley at the end. If this is the case you probably also want to soak the cashews for several hours beforehand to make blending easier.

stir fry sauce

Happy summer everyone, and if you're a Canuck happy Canada Day!  I will be working on some cool summer recipes over the coming months if you want to check back.

Here is a tasty stir fry sauce with no soy sauce or miso (this was a challenge for me). I have been experimenting with coconut aminos (coconut seasoning sauce) as a soy sauce substitute. If you can't eat soy sauce this might work for you, although since it is an aged/fermented product it may not work for everyone. Please feel free to substitute for any ingredients here or leave them out. Also, of course feel free to add anything that you can eat but I can't!

Ingredients

1/2 - 1 cup veggie broth (ic friendly)
2 T toasted sesame oil
2 - 3 T coconut aminos (if tolerated)
1-2 T cashew, peanut or almond butter
1 t parsley flakes
1 t italian spice
1/4 t tumeric (if tolerated)
1/4 t garlic powder
salt and fresh pepper (to taste)

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until well combined and then add to your stir fry.

Optional :  If you want your sauce to be thicker, you can thicken it with cornstarch or arrowroot starch. Combine starch with equal parts cold water first and then whisk it into your sauce on a low/medium heat for a couple of minutes. Start with just a teaspoon or two of starch as you can always add more if necessary (side note: sometimes it doesn't look like it has thickened but when you put it on your food you'll notice that it has).

useful substitutions

Here are a few substitutions that I have found useful.

kale and quinoa soup

Once you have a good broth, you only need a few ingredients to make a delicious soup.  Sometimes the best soups are just made with whatever you have on hand at the time.  Here's one of those I made that turned out well.       Serves 5-6

Ingredients

1/2 tin great northern beans, drained and rinsed (or equal amt cooked beans)
2- 3 cups kale
3-4 small carrots, chopped small
1 leek  (if tolerated - maybe add something else with a strong flavor if not using)
about 1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa
fresh thyme and sage
6 cups veggie broth
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
2 bay leaves


If using leek, chop just the white/light green part and saute in olive oil in a frying pan or cast iron skillet for a few minutes, until softened. Add carrots and saute a couple more minutes.

Add garlic and herbs, saute another minute or so.

Bring 6 cups veggie broth plus bay leaves to a boil in a large pot then reduce heat to simmer.  Add the contents of the frying pan to the pot.

In the meantime wash, de-stem, and roughly chop kale. Add kale and beans to the pot. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add quinoa towards the end.

You can serve it right away, or turn off the heat and let it sit for a little while so that the flavors can mingle.

sesame garlic dressing

1 T toasted sesame oil
1 T pear juice
1/2 t tahini paste (if tolerated)
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of salt and fresh pepper

Stir ingredients together in a bowl until well mixed.  Great with spinach salad or a green salad.

vanilla almond granola

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (no preservatives)
3/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 t organic pure vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 300.  Spread the oats, coconut, and almonds on a baking sheet.  In a bowl, mix together the maple syrup and vanilla.  Pour maple syrup over oats, etc. and add a sprinkle of salt. Stir with a flipper until everything is well coated.

Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes, stirring with a flipper about every 5 -10 minutes.  When it's all looking lightly browned, you're done!

Remove from oven and transfer to a pyrex pan or glass container to cool, stirring once in a while. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.

Serve with unsweetened nut, rice or organic milk (or plain yogurt, if tolerated).  Add berries if you wish :).

pesto dressing

1/4 cup home made pesto
1 T Olive oil
1 T Pear juice
dash of salt and fresh pepper

veggie shepherd's pie

A hearty meal for the cold weather that smells lovely baking in the oven. When I make this, I usually do a double batch on the weekend to eat later in the week.      Serves  6

Ingredients

1/4 - 1/2 cup soup broth
4 - 5 medium red potatoes
1 small sweet potato
1 14 oz tin of brown lentils, drained and rinsed (or equal amt cooked lentils)
1/4 cup cooking onion (optional - if tolerated)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 carrot
1- 2 cups kale
1 head of broccoli
red pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup fresh or frozen corn
Fresh thyme and sage
Salt and fresh pepper (to taste)
Olive oil (small amount)

1 pyrex pan

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Wash and cut up the sweet potato and potatoes, removing any gnarly bits or rotten spots.  You can leave the skins on if they're organic.  Add them to the pot and reduce heat.

Heat up a little olive oil in a frying pan.  If using onions, dice them and add to the pan. Cook for a few minutes, until translucent.

Wash and chop the veggies and add them to the pan.  Saute for a few minutes, stirring often.

Smash and chop the garlic, add it to the pan and cook for a couple more minutes.

When potatoes are cooked (test them with a fork), drain the water.  Add 1/4 - 1/2 cup veggie broth and a bit of salt and pepper.  Mash with a fork or potato masher.

Add herbs to the pan and saute for another minute or so.

Preheat oven to 350

When veggies are somewhat cooked, transfer them to a pyrex pan.  Add the lentils and mix them together.  Add the mashed potatoes on top, making a relatively even top layer.

Put it in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes.

Additional notes: For a less potato-y crust, feel free to substitute one head of cauliflower for two potatoes.

                                   
                                       Happy Holidays everyone!

parsley pesto

This pesto was my mom's inspiration, since fresh basil isn't usually available this time of year where we live.  I was skeptical of a pesto sauce without basil, but I think the experiment was a success! You can use this sauce in or on anything you like. It's absolutely delicious as a sauce on pizza (pictured below). Serves 2-3

Ingredients

1 cup cashews (soaked beforehand if necessary)
1 cup parsley, washed and chopped
1/2 cup veggie broth
1 clove garlic
half of an avocado (optional)
salt and fresh pepper (to taste)

Blend ingredients in a blender or food processor.  Either flat or curly leaf parsley works for this and it keeps a little longer than basil (for my basil pesto recipe, see "cashew pesto").

vegetable soup broth

     Many of my recipes call for vegetable soup broth, so I thought it would be good to include a method for making your own broth.  Not all of us live near a health food store or can find soup broth without problem ingredients.  If you have the time, making your own soup stock is a good option.

    With our dietary restrictions, this skill can be quite useful as there will be no preservatives and you can include only ingredients which you know to be bladder friendly for you. I've found it's easy to do once you get the hang of it. It's fun to experiment with and it has a richer flavor (and less salt) than store bought.
 
    The following is just a basic method rather than a specific recipe. The ingredients will depend on what you have on hand and what's available where you live. If you haven't made your own stock before, there is a lot of information on the internet or in cookbooks that you can browse for more tips before you start.

                                                               

You can use any combination of vegetables, fresh herbs, and clean, edible vegetable scraps (broccoli stems or carrot tops, for instance) that you desire.

For a classic base, saute carrots, celery, and onions together for a few minutes. If you avoid onions you can just use carrots and celery, plus garlic (whole cloves) if you wish. Transfer to a large pot and add the rest of your ingredients.

Add enough water to just cover the vegetables. Add salt (to taste - I usually use 1-2 teaspoons).

Bring to a boil and then simmer. Length of time is up to you - I usually simmer for about 45 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow it to cool for a little while with the vegetables in the pot. Then strain all the vegetables out by pouring it through a strainer or colander into another pot or a large bowl. Discard vegetables in the compost.

The liquid broth is now ready for use in soups and sauces. It will keep for a few days in the fridge or longer in the freezer.

Good in stock (examples):  sweet potato, rutabaga, parsley (including stems), lovage, bay leaf, zucchini, turnip, fresh thyme including stems (in a loose leaf tea bag), celery (including heart and leaves), carrots (including clean peels or leaves).

   

chickpea dip

This is a nice dip if tahini is ok for you.

Ingredients

1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup soup broth
1 clove of garlic
2-3 T tahini paste
a generous amount of fresh dill
salt and fresh pepper (to taste)

Blend ingredients in a blender or food processor until desired consistency is reached.  If you want it thicker, add more tahini.  If you want it thinner, add more soup broth.  Serve with ic friendly crackers or vegetables.