Banana breakfast bread

I've enjoyed this vegan banana bread for breakfast. It's oil free and mildly sweet. It got more and more tasty as it sat on the counter for a few days. It can also be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line a bread pan with paper or grease and flour it.

2. Mash 3- 4 ripe bananas.

3. Add 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 c date syrup (or maple syrup); 1/3 c homemade applesauce (steam and crush 1 cored apple, with or without peel).

4. Stir together in a separate bowl: 1 1/2 c whole wheat flour; 1/4 c ground flaxseed; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp cinnamon; pinch of salt (optional)

5. Barely stir wet (#3) ingredients into dry ingredients (#4). Lumpy is ok.

6. Pour batter into the prepared bread pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out dry. Let it cool in the pan or on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Rating: 4/5
Taste: mildly sweet, hearty
Calories: 180 per slice (if cut into 6 thick slices)
Time to prepare: 10 minutes to stir (plus 15 minutes if making applesauce); 45-50 minutes to bake
Tea: chai or black tea

White Fruitcake

When you're in the mood for something naturally sweet and hearty, this hits the spot. Makes a great breakfast, too. Use gluten-free oats to make this gluten-free.

White Fruitcake (serves 6)

Preheat oven to 350F/180C.

Soak 1 1/2 c /350 g oatmeal in 1 c /250 g(plant-)milk while you assemble the other ingredients.

Use wax or parchment paper to line a 6"X8"/15x20cm loaf pan or 8"X8"/20X20cm cake pan OR lightly oil it. Set the pan aside.

In a medium bowl mix together all ingredients.

• 1 apple, cored and chopped into small pieces. (Not/peeling the apple is up to you.)
• 2 small or 1 1/2 larger bananas, mashed
• 1 c walnuts (or other nuts), chopped
• 1 T date syrup or maple syrup 
• 1 tsp vanilla, optional
• dried fruit, finely chopped, option

Lightly tap the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan or eat hot.

Refrigerate up to 6 days or freeze for later.

Rating: 4/5

Taste: mildly sweet

Colories: 300 calories

Time to prepare: 10 minutes plus 40 to bake

Tea: chai or black

Almost any combo ...

 Almost any combo of beans and vegetables makes a good soup or stew. Eat it clear, or add coconut cream or plant milk thickened with a tablespoon of flour (any kind) for a creamy texture. We ate this 2 ways, clear broth soup the first day. The second day, we added coconut cream and a pinch of curry to the leftovers. Yummy!

Here's the recipe for 2 hearty portions: (Double the recipe for 4, add more vegetables for additional meals)

Steam or fry in 1 teaspoon oil until translucent:

• 1/2 chopped onion, (1 garlic clove is optional)

Bring to a boil and add the onion:

• 2-4 c broth. (I used 1 T "Better Than Bouillon" and water)

Add the following and cook for 1/2 - 1 hour:

• 1 c cooked beans
• 1 c chopped cooked potatoes
• 1 carrot, grated or sliced
• 1-2 c chopped greens (lettuce, kale, spinach, broccoli, etc.)
• 1/2 c chopped leafy herbs (cilantro, celery leaves, etc.) OR up to 1 T dried herbs (sage, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, etc)
• Optional, 1/2 tsp salt (if the broth is not salty)

Hint: Use whatever seasonings you like - or if you're not sure, open a spice bottle to smell what's inside. Does the flavor complement what you are hungry for? If so, add a pinch.

Enjoy. Store leftovers in fridge or freeze for later.

Note: If you prefer a creamy rather than thin texture, thicken it. Before you remove the soup from the stove, stir in 1/4 c coconut cream OR thickener (1/2 c plant milk or water + 1 tsp starch: cornstarch, potato starch, flour, etc.) Stir until it thickens. Then taste and add a bit more salt if it's not flavorful enough.

Rating: 4/5

Flavor: savory

Calories: 350 with broth; 500 with added coconut cream

Time to prepare: 1/2 hour plus 1/2-1 hour cooking

Tea: black

Easiest DIY sweetener: Date Syrup and Date Paste

SO EASY. Replace expensive maple syrup or artificial sweeteners with this healthier option. 

If you're not confident, give it a try with a small portion first. Then adjust the amount for your personal use.

DIY DATE SYRUP

Soak together, covered, for at least an hour or two:

• 1 part dates
• 1 part boiling water

After soaking, mash the dates in the water by hand or with a potato masher. (You can leave the pits in if you're mashing by hand. If you use a masher, remove the pits before mashing so they don't break = adds bitter taste.)

Set a large piece of cheesecloth over a bowl. Pour the dates and soaking water through the cheesecloth. 

Wring as much liquid into the bowl as possible. (You can add a little boiling water to loosen the dates if they stick to the cheesecloth.)

Pour the strained mixture into a heavy-bottomed cooking pot. Cook on medium heat for 20-40 minutes until it reduces to half the volume. Pour into a serving or storage container.

• Use immediately
• OR store on the counter for 3-4 days
• OR refrigerate for weeks
• OR freeze for a few months

*Use the leftover date pulp instead of jam/marmalade OR add it to smoothies.

-----

VARIATION: Date Paste. This makes a date spread or jam. It can also be used as a baking ingredient or mixed into smoothies.

DIY DATE PASTE

Soak together, covered, for at least 1-2 hours:

• 1 part dates
• 3/4 part boiling water

Blend the soaked dates with a hand blender, in a regular blender, or mash throughly by hand.

Pour the mashed dates mixture into a heavy pot. Cook on medium heat for 20-40 minutes to reduce the mix to a spreading consistency. Stir occasionally. (Do not overcook or burn. It thickens slightly when it cools.)

Store as above. (Below, served with Overnight Oats or Vegan Oatmeal Apple Bars, a separate post.)

#datesyrup #datepaste #DIYsweetener #DIYsyrup #DIYdatesyrup #DIYdatepaste #maplesyrupreplacement

Rating: 5/5

Flavor: sweet

Calories: 60/tablespoon

Time to prepare: 2.5 hours; hands on: 5 min plus stirring

Tea: chai

At long last ... another post. Oatmeal Apple Bars

I find this recipe for Overnight Oats:

• 1 part rolled oats
• 1 part plant-based milk
• 1/2 -1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• (optional: 2-4 T maple syrup)
• 1 apple, chopped

Mix, cover, and store overnight in the fridge. Pull it out for breakfast. Make a few batches for later in the week?

OK - that's good. But I want something warm. Here's my modification*:

-----

Baked Oatmeal Apple Bars

*Preheat the oven to 350oF/180oC. Prepare a non-stick pan or line a pan with parchment paper. (I used a 7"x7" glass baking dish.)

Mix together:

• 1 c rolled oats
• 1 c plant-based milk
• 1 chopped apple (up to you if you peel it - I didn't)

*Let soak for an hour or two. (Optional: then, use a hand blender to blend halfway to a finer texture.)

Stir in:

• 1/2 tsp vanilla, *baking powder, and cinnamon
• a sprinkle of *baking soda (and salt, if you want)

*Pour into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes. The top should be firm but the center will still be soft slightly damp. Cool a bit and enjoy. OR cover and refrigerate for later.

OPTIONAL: spoon 1-2 T date syrup on top if it's not sweet enough for you. (Recipe in another post.)

Rating: 4/5

Flavor: slightly sweet

Calories: (total cake) 350 (+ 60 / T of date syrup)

Time to prepare: 15 minutes plus 45 min cooking time, cooling

Tea: chai or black

Vegan Barbecue: More Than 100 Recipes for Smoky and Satisfying Plant-Based BBQ by Terry Sargent

Coming soon from the publisher: 

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 

Ok, so you don't eat meat but it's summer and you're craving it anyway. Here's the book for you, with a lot of recipes that will satisfy your barbecue tastebuds. Get your picnic basket and your grill ready.

It's not just main dish "meat"-ish offerings, either. There are sides, desserts, and everything between. This is one to add to your library. I'm going to try the "meat"loaf this week. For vegans and those puzzled by their vegan friends ... this book's for you.

High-Protein Plant-Based Diet for Beginners by Maya A. Howard

 Coming soon from the publisher:

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
So you want to try a vegetarian diet but you're worried about getting enough protein? This should give you a place to start! 

Grab your kitchen tools, some basic foods, and off you go. You'll find familiar tastes as well as some fresh takes and information on hitting your target nutrition. 

This is a new one for your vegan and vegetarian bookshelf.

15-minute breakfast potatoes

Ok, you're hungry, you want something filling and satisfying ... but what?! How about 250 calories of deliciousness? You can customize this with various herbs or flavors. Portions below are per person:

1. On medium-high heat, melt 1 tbsp vegan butter or olive oil in a big saucepan.

2. Chop 1/2 - 1 potato into 1 cm pieces. Dice a wedge of onion (or 2 shallot or garlic bulbs). Fry them in the oil/butter for 2-3 min. until the onion is translucent, stirring once or twice.

2. Season with 1/2 tsp. dried herbs or peppers. (Options: Italian or French herbs, Korean red pepper, chili powder, a splash of smoke flavor, etc.) Cover and fry about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Turn down the heat to medium-low. Top the potatoes with sprouts, chopped lettuce, or other young greens plus 2 tbsp liquid (your choice: tea, water, almond milk, etc.) Cover and steam for 2-3 minutes until the greens are slightly wilted.

4. Take off the heat. Stir. Optional: if you have it, top with fresh chopped dill or parsley. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt and a pinch of black pepper to taste. For added flavor and color, sprinkle with powdered turmeric (yellow) or smoked paprika (red).

On the dinner plate, I surround mine with a cut tomato for pretty color. 

Mom's noodles - my recipe

You have my heart(s)

We ate organ meats as kids. What can I say? My husband also grew up with weird European food, but different ones. (Tongue, anyone? Hurts my mouth just to think of it.) We're moving to Asia in July, so we'll probably encounter those foods again. We'll update with SE Asian food after we arrive!

I bought chicken hearts at Ranch 99 in Tukwilla a few days ago and put them in the fridge. Since W's not home for supper, I'm indulging myself.

We always start hearty European meat dishes by frying bacon and onions, don't we? Of course. 

Then I added the hearts. They looked pale and unhappy until they warmed up.

I chopped cabbage, carrots, a few chiles, adding the vegetables when the meat had browned.

After a few minutes, I added a cup of water and spices, covering the pot with a lid. 

When the mixture came to a boil, I turned the heat down to simmer for a few hours.

The drippings made a fragrant gravy, best salted to taste (1/2-1 tsp) 5-15 minutes before serving. 

On top of homemade noodles, I ate a feast, with memories of growing up in a German immigrant community.

Servings: 4 @ 250 calories each, plus noodles or Spätzle (recipe coming soon).

Taste: 4/5 Savory. Old-fashioned stew.

Time to prepare: 10 minutes assembly. 2 hours cooking.

Beauty: Looks wholesome, colorful, hearty. Plain-Jane fare.

Tea: A robust Irish breakfast.

African-style curry

What do you get when you mix leftovers with curry and coconut milk? An African-style curry.

I had a 5" piece of smoked farmer sausage and leftover cooked chicken, plus some rice, frozen after Sunday dinner. What a great start! No time as usual, so I headed for the pantry. I grabbed 3 cans that sounded good:

• Coconut milk
• Sliced mushrooms
• Mandarin oranges

I browned 2 tbsp. curry in 1/3 can of coconut milk. Added another 1/3 can along with 1 tbsp. minced onion and 1 tbsp. minced garlic, the drained mushrooms and orange pieces. It cooked until it was reduced to almost-dry. Then I added the rest of the coconut milk, the chicken, and sausage, cut into pieces.

Stirred. It stewed for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, I microwaved the rice with a bit of water until steamy hot. We used a salad packet (cranberries, coleslaw, kale, and pine nuts) for a nice change in texture.

Optional: add orange marmalade and soy sauce to adjust sweet and salty tastes. (The sausage was salty so I didn't add salt.)

Servings: 4

Taste: 4/5 Sweet, creamy, bit salty. Texture could be improved with crisp, salted peanuts and banana slices.

Time to prepare: 5 minutes assembly. 15 minutes cooking.

Beauty: Looked inviting. Went well with the green salad.

Tea: Peppermint - it was getting late.

Advantium chicken

I decided to try our new Advantium oven. It works! In 8 minutes, it baked breaded chicken to a crisp skin and moist interior.

First, I made the breading from what I could find in the pantry: 1/3 c. each of unsweetened coconut, cornmeal, and flour plus 1 tbsp. of Aromat, a flavored salt from Germany.

I coated the chicken in egg

and the breading

and then put it on the metal oven tray.

The oven auto-adjusts for what we're cooking, in this case 4-5 pieces of bone-in chicken, breaded.

At four minutes, the oven beeped to turn over the chicken, which was crisped on one side. After 4 more minutes, the other side was done. With raw snap peas and leftover pasta from yesterday, delicious!

Taste: 4/5 Crispy skin, great flavor
Time to prepare: 5 minutes. Cooks in 8 minutes.
Calories: 170 calories per thigh
Beauty: looks like a regularly grilled chicken leg.
Tea: Indonesian green

Sweet fall apple pancake

Apples to the right,
maples to the left

I give the apples along the driveway a tug. They're tight on the twigs.

On the south side of the house, the espaliered tree bears 5 varieties of apple. At head height, the Jonagolds come loose with a little twist. I bring 4 into the house. Peel and slice them. Set the oven to 350. What shall I do with them? First, I look in the fridge. Butter.

Melt 1/2 c. butter/good margarine into a baking pan. Pour the butter from the pan into a little mixing bowl. (The bowl is now greased, the butter ready for the dough.)

Second, I added the following to the butter, mixing lightly:

2 eggs/egg substitute
1/2 c. flour
pinch of salt
1/2 c. brown sugar

I turn the sliced apples into the runny dough and pat it all down in the greased baking pan.

After 20 minutes in the oven, I turned the oven up to 400o for 10 more minutes, turned the oven off, and finished my cleanup (another 5 minutes?)

You need enough heat to and time bake through the apples and the dough: you could put it on 400o for 25 minutes, 375o for 35 minutes, etc. Pretty flexible heat and timing.

It comes out of the oven hot and steaming. The smell of roasted apples fills the kitchen. I didn't even bother with cinnamon or other spices.

Other options:

• Sliced almonds with 2-3 drops of almond extract?
• 1 tbsp raw sugar with 1/2 tsp. vanilla?
• Add a sliced pear? or maybe two - with a little rum or brandy extract?



Hot from the pan

• Crush in pumpkin or sunflower seeds, pepitos or chia seeds?

No thanks. Sometimes plain is perfect.

Servings: 4
Taste: 5/5 It's tangy sweet, crisp top with varied textures underneath.
Time to prepare: 10 minutes. Cooks in just over a half hour.
Calories: 4-500 calories per serving (so much fat)
Beauty: the smell overwhelms the greens, browns, and cream colors
Tea: Earl Grey this morning, served in a country mug

First summer supper at the cabin

We've spent a month in SE Asia. This week and next, it's a treat to spend time at our cabin in Montana.

There's usually not a big variety of food when we first arrive at the cabin. However, after a general Costco run, I found these ingredients in the fridge and on the counter. It took less than 10 minutes to prepare and begin this easy supper. What was in it?

Fresh rolls

Yummy cheese

• Ciabatta herb rolls
• Organic lettuce mix
• Chinese barbecue pork with hot mustard and sesame seeds
• Brie

 We slice the rolls and pork and cut open the sesame seed and mustard packets.

BBQ Chinese pork from the
St. Regis supermarket

Sharp hot mustard and
sesame seeds

We spread Brie on the rolls, topping them with pork, seasonings, and greens. It's a quick feast - and a delicious one!

Fresh greens

Fruit that's sweet and sour

Instead of tea, we sip Florida orange juice. We feel blessed by the simple fresh abundance.

Our finished supper sandwiches

Rating: 4/5; would have given it a 4.5 if I'd melted the cheese into the bread
Taste: both sharp (brie, mustard, and dark greens) and sweet-savory (meat and bread)
Calories: Up to 600, depending on amount of pork and cheese
Time to prepare: 10 min. finding and prepping ingredients. The actual assembly takes 1-2 minutes.
Tea: OJ this time around
Beauty: Pretty colors of red, yellow, beige and greens
Improvements: Melt the cheese and heat the rolls (an extra 5 minutes in a covered frying pan or 1 minutes in the microwave.)

Oat milk

I'm making oat milk today:

I originally wanted to feature a recipe but the blogger refused to be reposted here and asked me to take the repost down. Find another great recipe for Oat milk here.


Smiles, everyone. Not everyone is willing to share :-) so it's great that there are many alternatives out there.

German pho

Pho is Vietnamese soup. I used German vegan bouillon cubes for the broth. Hence the title.

Fresh in the plate

I chopped, diced, sauteed, and simmered my way through the kitchen for Sunday lunch and have enough for leftovers today.

Field mushrooms

Ingredients list:

• noodles - rice vermicelli (or thin noodles you like)
• meat - we had leftover turkey stuffing (frozen, then thawed and heated); my vegan option was Veggie Roast, diced and lightly fried in Asian Taste Oil
• greens - pea shoots, cilantro, Thai basil, chopped
• mushrooms - chopped oyster and field mushrooms, lightly fried with minced garlic and a splash of soy sauce
• broth - meat or vegetable broth plus a slice of ginger, a tbsp. minced garlic, any mix of Asian sauces (Hoisin, sweet soy sauce, brown braising sauce, mushroom sauce), and 1 tbsp of fish sauce
• sesame oil - 1 tsp-1 tbsp when you finish simmering the broth
• Have hot pepper seasoning and Asian sauces at the table: hoisin, black bean, sweet chili, sweet soy, etc.  Let guests help themselves to taste.
• Optional: up to 1 tsp Szechuan pepper oil per serving (numbs the tongue. For some reason my husband and sons like this. I skipped it.)

Purple-stemmed Thai basil

How-to:

• Prepare the noodles according to package instructions. Rinse in cold water, drain, and set aside. (When time to serve, heat them up by immersing them in boiling water for 20 seconds and draining.)
• Begin to simmer the broth down from a boil to about 2/3 worth of stock. Put in sesame oil at the very end, along with chopped cilantro.
• Meanwhile, prep your meat, herbs, and vegetables and store them nearby in separate bowls.
• Either assemble the soup in individual bowls or bring everything to the table so guests can assemble their own.
• Order of assembly is usually noodles in the bottom of the soup bowl, then meat, then vegetables and herbs, then broth on top. Taste, and season to personal preference with sauces on the table.
• Give everyone a soup spoon and a set of chopsticks (or fork) to make eating easier.

 

Almost done: good to the last spoonful

Rating: 4.5
Taste: nice combination of salty and savory
Calories: 4-800, depending on how much oil you use in preparation and how much food you assemble
Time to prepare: 30 min. or so - again, it depends on how quickly you assemble, chop, and fry separate ingredients. The actual assembly takes 2-3 minutes.
Tea: Some awful Tetley Green Tea brewed 1/2 hour before the meal. Bitter, like a bad Chinese restaurant serves ... and just the thing.
Beauty: Pretty colors of browns, beiges and greens
Improvements: Mix up the sauces to try a variety of blends. This one tasted just right. Leftovers the next day were even tastier as the flavors had blended beautifully. But that's par for most stock-based soups.

Breakfast breakout

"May I eat this for breakfast?"

Oh wait. I'm the adult around here.

Chocolate covered coffee beans. Check.
Earl Grey tea. Check.
An avocado. Check.
On a silver tray with a Lotus candle from Tokyo Milk. Pretty.
Forget food. Forget calories. Forget food groups!

Anyone else feel like indulging taste and color when the rain pelts Seattle? Have a great one. Let's just say this was ...

Well worth it!

Just the thing to warm a cold vegan

Today we're featuring a cool-weather food: curried pea soup, to be exact.

Don't think of it as your mother's traditional soup. Here's what's in it today, though it looks similar to the goopy, glue-ey green-ish stuff your mama probably served in the winter:

1 tbsp curry paste (I look for the jar with the lady on it from Thailand - green, yellow, or red is fine.)
1 chopped onion
1 tbsp chopped garlic

*Browned in:
1-2 tbsp oil (I use Asian-taste corn oil)

*Add to the pot:
 2-3 c split peas, rinsed and sorted
2 bouillon cubes (I use a vegan brand)
2 bay leaves
Pinch of nutmeg
Trader Joes Smoke Seasoning (imagine smoked meat)
8-9 c water (Like thinner soup? Use more water. Prefer it thick? Use 7-8c.)

(optional: 1 c hulled barley or other grain)

Taste it when it's simmered for an hour, uncovered. If it needs salt or soy sauce, add some. Same for pepper.

For fun: garnish with popcorn, peanuts, red peppers, chopped tomatoes, or leafy veggies.

Servings: 4-6, depending on the bowl size
Taste: 4/5 Rich, nourishing, warming, savory
Time to prepare: 10 minutes. Cook for an hour-ish
Calories: 300-500 calories per bowl, (or more, depending if you cheat and use more oil)
Beauty: looks better with red pepper garnish or tomato. Pea-soup green is ugly.
Improvements: Pea soup tastes best with ham hock broth. Sadly, that's out of the question for a vegan.

Front porch pleasures: Lia's treat

Guess what showed up on my front step yesterday? A fall basket, lined with a white napkin and beautifully arranged. Lia, the artistic friend who dropped it off, beat a hasty retreat, but I was thrilled to show it to three women who were over for tea and study.

I pulled out the parchment-wrapped homemade bread first.

Then I found two bags of tea.

There was a jar of homemade paprika spread. (We LOVE this, having met it in England, imported from Eastern Europe. )

Lia included in a jar of her homemade pickled vegetables. Along with a brick of cheese
and an exotic sausage.

Last but hardly least, home-baked pumpkin bread.

I felt like jumping in the car and picnicking in the park. Thank you, friend. What a delightful feast which will take us a few days to consume! Won't last long though. I'm enjoying the bread and paprika spread as I write...

Weather change and my food response

When the weather changes to Seattle fall, we get grey skies and rain. My mood shifts within a few days to depression and fatigue. Unless...

Indian food - oh yum

I'm eating vegan again. Ingesting only eating plant-based foods. It works for me, though my leaving the traditional American diet is purely based on my body's health not on vegan philosophies of care for the planet or animal rights extremists' preferential treatment of animals over humans.

Mexican lunch - can't wait!

Many websites provide info on what vegans DO eat. Some of the best and easiest recipes are at the websites below. If you deal with seasonal depression or ill health, consider giving your food a change in nutrition for a chance to heal. Remember that it takes 2 weeks to remove dairy toxins from your system, about 3 weeks for beef, and up to 4 weeks to shed pork residues - so you might want to put yourself on a 4-week challenge to see if your body benefits from a pure plant diet. I'd love to hear from you if you do!

Enjoy. And if you eat out, you can usually find vegan options at ethnic restaurants - Mexican, Chinese, or Indian meals anyone?

Dr. McDougall Medicine
Forks Over Knives
Vegan 101
101 Cookbooks blog - more gourmet recipes