Chia Walnut Banana Bread

This is a different take on my chocolate banana bread that turned out even better. I love banana bread because you don't need to use any extra sugar. It's so easy to make it healthy, especially when you use walnuts and chia seeds, which are both good fats. I attacked this loaf as soon as it came out of the oven, which could be why there's only six pieces in the photos even if the recipe yields eight...

Chia Walnut Banana Bread

Makes 8 slices

Ingredients

• 3 brown bananas, mashed
• 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 + 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• dash of sea salt

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a small loaf pan with cooking spray.  

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, chia seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. In a separate bowl, combine mashed bananas and vanilla extract.

3. In two batches add dry ingredients to wet ones and combine well.

4. Fold in chopped walnuts and then pour batter into loaf pan, making sure that it sits evenly.

5. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean!

I hate to use it but...moist. Ugh. The bread was moist. There! I said it!

Just another 4th of July + Spicy Cauliflower Tacos

Well, as you may have noticed (although it's just as likely you haven't), I have been posting on here rather infrequently. This is partially due to poor time management, I'm sorry to say, but also due to a change to this blog that I've been wanting to make. 

When I first started this little project, I tried thinking about what I liked about different food blogs that I had seen. What came to mind first was, well, pictures of delicious food. I aimed to keep the oversharing to a minimum and provide pictures to the max. I don't think that's working out anymore though. At one point, I found myself trying to think of a recipe just so I could write about a certain ingredient or idea, or even just write about how my week had been. From now on, I am going to be my oversharing self and post when I want to and about what I want to. If the post contains a recipe, I'll now be tagging it in the recipe index. So. Now that that's over.

The 4th of July hasn't held much excitement for me within the last three years. Sure, I like fireworks and barbecue sauce as much as the next person, but the last three Independence Days I've worked and missed all the festivities. It was different when I was a kid. Living at the shore was always great for the 4th of July. We would always head to a friend's house around dusk, stuff ourselves full of corn on the cob, and twirl sparklers until we were blue in the face (or perhaps singed in the eyebrows is more appropriate). We would head down to the Delaware Bay around ten to watch the fireworks, which were always spectacular, or maybe I just remember them that way. 

It's been a long time since I've really celebrated the 4th, and yesterday was no exception. I went to a pool party for a little while, and then went shopping and got some pretty plates and nice sheets (see below!) That was the high point of the day. Later, the boy and I went to the park to catch a view of the fireworks, but at that point it was already ten thirty and the fireworks were running late. I had to wake up at 5:30 this morning, so I bailed. True to form, I heard the fireworks begin to go off as soon as I crawled into bed. 

Not exactly a riveting holiday. Disappointing days off like this always make me want to prepare better for the same day next year. Perhaps next year I'll have a few beers on a porch somewhere. Maybe twirl some sparklers. Or maybe watch the fireworks without worrying about my bedtime.

These tacos are what I should have made yesterday to celebrate. They were simply superb.

Spicy Cauliflower Tacos


Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups chopped cauliflower
• 1 small slice sweet onion
• 1 large handful of kale, torn into pieces
• 2 small corn tortillas
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 bunch romaine lettuce (optional)
• 2 tbsp Tofutti vegan sour cream (optional, but highly recommended)
• 2 tbsp salsa (optional, I ended up using roasted garlic bruschetta that I had sitting around and it was amazing)
• 1 tsp Sriracha chili sauce (optional)

Preparation

1. Put cauliflower, onion, and kale in a frying pan with a small amount of water and place over medium heat. 

2. While its cooking, warm tortillas in the microwave or oven. I did one minute in the microwave.

3. Add cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper to the veggies and sauté until they are steamed through. 

4. Spread veggies over the tortillas and serve with drizzled Sriracha, lettuce, salsa, and Tofutti. 

So yum.

Cheers to you all having a more exciting 4th of July than I had. 

Vegan Potato Salad with Kale and Red Onion

Holy moly this stuff is good. There is a time for speech-making, but it is not now. Now, it is time for the weekend. (!!)

Vegan Potato Salad with Kale and Red Onion


Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into bite sized chunks
• 1/4 of a red onion, chopped
• about 3 cups of kale, cut in pieces
• 4 tbsp vegenaise or other vegan mayo
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp agave nectar
• 1 tsp Sriracha or other chili sauce

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add potatoes. Boil for 10-15 minutes or until soft but not mushy. Drain and allow to cool.

2. Add a 1/2-inch of water to a frying pan and add kale. Heat on medium until kale is tender and wilted, then drain and allow to cool.

3. To make the dressing, combine vegan mayo, ACV, agave nectar, and chili sauce. 

4. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, onions, kale, and dressing. Toss well and serve at room temperature.

Top 10 Recent Eats + A Summer Salad with Breaded Sesame Tofu

Hello again! It's been a while.

I've decided to do this new thing where I write about all the foods/food combinations that I'm currently in love with but that don't necessarily always get their own recipe. These will be filed under the "recent eats" category. I've decided to do this because I find that I am constantly making things or using ingredients that are too simple to get their own post, and yet too delicious to not be mentioned at all! 

So here are the latest and greatest ingredients that I'm currently obsessed with:

1. Pepitas. Or, pumpkin seeds. I put them on everything...and I mean everything.

2. Dried fruits, any and all, including raisins, prunes, dried cherries, dried blueberries, etc.

3. Avocado, perfectly ripened. I've been using it every single day.

4. Raw red onion. I love its bite!

5. Tofu. I had it on hiatus for a little while, but then I started to miss it so bad! Tofu scramble, fried tofu, baked tofu...yum. (See recipe below)

6. Tempeh. And to think I used to hate it.

7. Walnuts. I'm crazy for those little brains. 

8. Green olives, 'nuff said. 

9. Balsamic vinegar + olive oil. It beats out ANY other dressing for me, any day. 

10. Bean sprouts, pea sprouts, alfalfa sprouts...any sprout really.

So here's a few ways I've been using some of these ingredients lately...

This is my absolute favorite breakfast toast. Ezekiel 4:9 bread, spiced carrot butter, tempeh bacon, and sliced avocado. I unleashed this bad boy out of sheer curiosity and ending up eating it for breakfast for a week straight.

And when I run out of tempeh bacon (it happens so fast)...

Oatmeal for breakfast! This has whole almonds, golden raisins, cinnamon, and vegan chocolate chips.

I heart this veggie combo! Couldn't resist. 

This salad will become a recipe once I perfect it. Spinach, cukes, tempeh bacon, chopped prunes, walnuts mushrooms, raw broccoli, olive oil and vinegar...very good for digestion!

I loved this huge tofu scramble! Breakfast for dinner is the best. Red onion, kale, red pepper, and mushrooms in the tofu, plus a side of sweet potato fries and a piece of toast with pepitas. I told you I put them on everything!

I've been way into huge salads lately, and this one was almost the epitome of my current obsessions. Tofu, black beans, red onion, avocado, and so much more tossed in a tahini dressing.

Okay! So now that I'm done gushing, here's a real-life, followable, god-honest delicious recipe :)

Summer Salad with Breaded Sesame Tofu

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1/2 a head of romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 handful baby spinach
• 1 small handful raw kale, removed from stems. The ratio of romaine to spinach to kale was about 1:1:1/2.
• 1 thin slice of red onion, chopped
• 1 handful of pea sprouts
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 2 tbsp dried cherries
• 1/4 of an avocado, cubed
• 1 tbsp olive oil + 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/5 a block of extra firm tofu, pressed
• 1/2 a flax egg (1/2 tbsp ground flaxseeds + 1.5 tbsp water)
• 2 tbsp bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp sesame seeds
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• a dash of salt
• 2 tbsp salsa, optional
• cooking oil or spray

Preparation

1. Grease a frying pan lightly with cooking spray and place over medium heat. 

2. Combine bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, and sesame seeds. 

3. Cut tofu into small cubes. Dip each cube first in the flax egg, and then in the bread crumb mixture. Make sure each cube is coated on all sides before dropping in the hot pan. Allow to cook on each side until crisp and browned. 

4. While tofu is browning, combine all other ingredients except salsa in a large bowl and toss with the oil and vinegar. Transfer to a plate if desired.

5. Once tofu is browned, top the salad with the cubes and add salsa if you want! 

Now enjoy. 

"Oh, you're a vegan?"

"Yes."

"What do you eat, salad?"

Hell yeah, I eat salad. And my salad eats your salad for breakfast.

So there!

Curry-Coconut Milk Cornbread

So I had some help with this recipe. I got the flavor inspiration from my most recent favorite of Elizabeth-bread (see my last post), and I got a basic cornbread recipe, which I tweaked a bit, off of Lindsay Nixon, alias Happy Herbivore (don't you just love her?) Anyway. Man, cornbread is good. Gritty, dense, and just sweet enough. 

I love the crackly top. And yes, those are my toes.

Curry-Coconut Milk Cornbread

Makes 8-12 servings

Adapted from the Happy Herbivore

Ingredients

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut non-dairy milk
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup agave nectar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and grease a 9-inch pie plate.

2. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, and wet ingredients in another. Add dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix only until the dry stuff is absorbed. 

3. Pour the batter into your pie plate and shake it from side to side slightly to even the distribution.

4. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Quick, easy, and delish.

I had mine with some lentil dal over brown rice. Lentil dal recipe will be up once it's perfected!

Loaded Broccoli Soup

My mom made me some vegan cream of broccoli soup last weekend. It was SO good. The woman is just  an animal in the kitchen. This was my attempt to recreate it, and (keeping in mind that I didn't snag the recipe) it turned out pretty great! A little bit different, perhaps a little chunkier. But topped with vegan salsa sour cream and shredded vegan mozz, it was definitely yummy.  

It's perfect for bread dipping. Which is always the best part of eating soup, let's be real.

Loaded Broccoli Soup

Makes 2 1.5 cup servings

Ingredients

• 1 medium head of broccoli (including the stalk), chopped into pieces
• 1/3 a medium onion, sliced and separated
• 4 large cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (hereafter referred to as "nooch")
• 1 cup unsalted vegetable stock
• 1 cup coconut milk
• a dash each of salt, pepper, curry powder, and cumin
• olive oil cooking spray
• 2 tbsp vegan sour cream (I used Tofutti)
• 4 tbsp salsa + 4 tbsp vegan sour cream
• 1 oz shredded vegan cheese (I used Galaxy rice cheese block, mozzarella style)
• bread of choice

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a dish or roasting pan with cooking spray.

2. Toss broccoli, onion, and garlic with spices and cooking spray and place vegetables in the roasting pan. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove and toss the vegetables. Replace in the oven and cook for another ten minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

3. Transfer veggies to a food processor and add vegetable stock, coconut milk, nooch, and 2 tbsp of vegan sour cream. Add items slowly and blend well in between so that you don't blow up the food processor. Trust me, I've had it happen.

4. Taste test and add more spices or nooch if desired. Transfer to a saucepan and warm over medium heat, stirring.

6. Serve in bowls and top with the combined salsa and sour cream, and shredded vegan cheese.

That bread, by the way, is absolutely amazing. It's curry coconut milk bread. 

I got it from my hometown. Cape May, NJ. 

 If you're ever in the area on a weekend morning, do yourself a favor and drive down Sunset Boulevard until you see the following sign:

(borrowed from Cape May Times news blog, see it here)

When you see that sign, pull your car over at once and buy some bread from the lovely Elizabeth. You will fall in head over heels in love. With bread. Or more specifically, wood-fired, clay oven-baked, deliciously dense, crunchy on the crust-side, chewy in the middle, magically spiced and absolutely addictive, bread. Think it's impossible? Think again. I recommend the roasted garlic, black pepper, or polenta and sage. In my mom's words, it's just so...sliceable. Go to the link above for more info.

This soup...that bread...heaven in a bowl. 

Lilly

Tempeh Bacon...and B.L.T. Quinoa!

What can I say about this fakin' bacon? It tastes...like bacon. This fact was corroborated by my omnivorous boyfriend. Winner! I'm so happy about it too, because I haven't always been a fan of tempeh. I threw some tempeh chunks into some slow cooker chili once, and it was just so blah. Now I know that marinating and baking tempeh is definitely the way to go. I love the nutty texture, and the ridiculously high amount of protein. The quinoa was awesome too. Tempeh bacon, red onion, spinach, cucumber, and spicy tahini. This is definitely one of my favorite dishes thus far!

Now for the bacon...

Tempeh Bacon

Makes about 24 small slices

Ingredients

• 1 8 oz. package of tempeh
• 2 tbsp tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp liquid smoke
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• a dash of black pepper
• safflower oil (or your favorite type)

Preparation

1. Cut tempeh into quarters, then turn each quarter on its side and cut into three thin slices. At this point you'll have 12 strips. 

2. Combine tamari, liquid smoke, maple syrup, and pepper. Stack the tempeh evenly in a tupperware container and pour the liquid mixture over it. 

3. Let the tempeh marinate in the fridge at least overnight. I let it sit for 20 hours, turning the container upside down halfway through to make sure it soaks evenly.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then very lightly grease a baking sheet and place the tempeh slices on it. Brush the slices lightly with safflower oil and bake for about 7 minutes.

5. Remove the sheet and flip the slices over with a spatula. Brush the other side with oil and let it bake for another seven minutes.

6. Once the slices have cooled slightly, transfer to a cutting board and cut each slice length-wise. Now you have 24!

Onto the quinoa!

B.L.T. Quinoa 

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 4 slices tempeh bacon
• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes, sliced
• 1/2 a slice of red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup cucumber, cut into cubes
• 1 large handful of baby spinach
• 1 tsp tahini
• 1/2 tsp Sriracha or other hot sauce
• 1/4 tsp agave nectar
• 1/2 tsp safflower or other oil
• a sprinkle of sesame seeds
• black pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Cook quinoa according to package until all the water is absorbed and the germ has separated from the seed. 

2. Combine tahini, hot sauce, safflower oil, and agave.

3. Add tahini mixture, sun dried tomato, red onion, cucumber, and spinach to warm quinoa and stir until well mixed. Place on low heat for a few minutes if necessary.

4. Transfer to a plate or bowl and top with tempeh bacon, sesame seeds, and black pepper. 

Can't wait to try some tempeh bacon for breakfast. I really do think that food tastes better as soon as you wake up in the morning. (Ahem, not that there's much room for improvement here.)

Enjoy!

Lilly