Healthy Gluten-Free Vegan Chai Spiced Banana Muffin/Bread

I didn't start out with the intention of creating a vegan treat.  It all just happened by coincidence.  But let me tell you...this coincidence is one deliciously yummy, dense, moist (yes, I went there) flavorful treat!

When I made Butternut Squash Chili last week (recipe coming soon), I want something carb-ish to go along side it.  However, I've never really been a fan of cornbread and I've recently wondered if I may have some issues with corn.  I remembered reading a blog post once upon a time that paired chili with banana muffins.  Realizing that I had massive quantities of ugly, brown bananas on my counter (and who wants a cold smoothie right now), muffins to go with the chili sounded like a match made in heaven.

I personally have a great love for fall spices.  I think they add a wonderful warmth and depth to many recipes.  If you aren't a fan of ginger and cloves, you can certainly leave them out and increase the amount of cinnamon.  If, like me, you love them, please try this recipe with them included. Even if you aren't sure, I'm betting you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Stash the extras in your frig and zap them in the microwave for a delicious and fast breakfast.  A smear of all-natural peanut butter or almond butter is an incredible accompaniment to them!

Healthy Vegan Chai Spiced Banana Muffin/Bread

1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour

3/4 cup sorghum flour

3/4 tapioca starch

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp xanthum gum

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup agave or maple syrup OR 3/4 cup coconut sugar, palm sugar or brown sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup non-dairy "buttermilk" - 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut or almond milk plus 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

3 over-ripe bananas, mashed (mine equated to just about 1 1/3 cups.)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pre-heat your oven to 330 degrees (after reading a couple other blogs on quick breads and muffins that recommended this oven temp, I tried it out and loved the results.  You can of course cook them at 325; however, you'll need to increase the time.)

In a glass measuring cup, combine the unsweetened non-dairy milk and vinegar.  Let this sit for at least 5 minutes to "curdle".

In a mixing bowl, combine all of your dry ingredients.  If you are using coconut, palm or brown sugar, add this in with the dry ingredients.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine all your wet ingredients.  Add in the "buttermilk" and then gently fold in the dry ingredients.  Be careful not to over mix the batter.  You want to mix just enough so that everything is incorporated.

Pour into either your prepared muffin tins or loaf pan.  Make sure that they are either lined or greased well.

Bake muffins for about 20 minutes and bread for at least 60-75 minutes.

I have made both of these multiple times and each time, the cooking time had varied.  I think it has something to do with the differentiating humidity out here.  Just watch your muffins/break carefully.  You want them to spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.

Linked up to: Whole Food Fridays  Pennywise Platter Thursdays

Guacamole

A few years ago (now that I think about it, it may have been more than a few years.  Man, I'm getting old.), my family took a trip to New York City.  Confession time:  I LOVE this city.  I love the hustle, the people, the sites, the sounds...all of it.  I've never been bothered by the "rudeness" of New Yorkers or the mass amounts of people everywhere.  Its such a change from my every day life that I actually enjoy it.  I could visit this lovely city every year and still find new place and sites to enjoy.

Anyway, back to the story....

My dad decided to take us to dinner at a restaurant on the west side of Central Park called Rosa Mexicano.  I honestly can't remember what I had for dinner than night, but I do remember the guacamole.  This was truly the best guacamole I've ever had.  They bring all the ingredients out and fix it for you, table side.  The flavors were incredibly fresh and bright and wonderful and simple.  Simple was the best part.  I like being able to taste the avocado in my guac and not have it be overpowered by other flavors and spices.

Over the years, we have worked on re-creating the creamy deliciousness of this guacamole.  I think we've finally done it.  I could eat the entire bowl-full, with a spoon...forget about the chips!

The great thing about this guacamole is that it is SUPER easy!  Quite often, I don't measure any of the ingredients and just throw things in the bowl until it "tastes" right.  Just be careful to not "taste" it all!

GUACAMOLE

2 ripe avocados

1/2 tomato, seeded and diced

3 tablespoons yellow onion, diced finely (I don't like big chunks of onion flavor)

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 jalapeno, chopped (deveined and seeded, depending on the level of heat you want)

Juice from 1/2 of a lime

1-2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Salt, to taste

Optional: a couple dashes of your favorite hot sauce in addition to or instead of the jalapeno

Scoop out the flesh of the avocado and mash lightly.  Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix together until well combined and avocado is as chunky or smooth as you prefer it.  Taste and adjust as necessary.

My Favorite Green Smoothie

I am in LOVE with this smoothie! There have been days when I've had one for breakfast and dinner (yes, I've been slacking in bit in the cooking dinner department).  Not only is it creamy and smooth and wonderfully delicious, it's packed with both fruits and veggies.  It's a great way to get excellent nutrition to start (or end) my day. 

Don't let the combo of veggies freak you out.  I had never thought about adding avocado to my smoothies until I read a recipe using them to create a creamy chocolate shake.  I decided to give it a try and man, I'm so glad I did!!

Yes, avocados are a little on the high side when it comes to calories, but the nutritional benefits definitely outweigh the addition of the calories. Avocados contain folate, potassium, monosaturated fats (the good fats) and are very high in fiber.  They have also been shown to help lower LDL and raise HDL.

My second favorite addition to this smoothie....the kiwi!  I'm addicted to them right now.  While not technically a superfood, this little green gem is packed full of vitamins A, E and C, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes.  It's also a great source of fiber, packing almost twice as much as spinach.  Take that, Popeye!

And those little chia seeds...great source of both protein and fiber.  If you don't like the feeling of the seeds whole in your smoothie, you can always grind them into a powder prior to adding them in.

It's easy to add in a little extra protein when I drink these after a workout, too!  Add a little vanilla protein powder or Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla) and you've got a great post-workout smoothie!

MY FAVORITE GREEN SMOOTHIE

1/2 cup diced pineapple, frozen
1/2 banana, sliced and frozen
1 kiwi, peeled, sliced and frozen
1/4 avocado
1 cup spinach
2 inch chunk of cucumber
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp chia seeds
1/4-1/2 cup water
optional add ins: 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder or 2-3 tablespoons Greek yogurt

Place almond milk in the blender first, then add remaining ingredients, only adding 1/4 cup water.  Blend on high until everything is blended well and smooth.

Depending on your fruits and blender, you may need to add an additional 1/4 cup water to get and keep everything moving.  Add it slowly and in small amounts so your smoothie isn't too runny.

NOTE: To make things easier, I put the pineapple, banana and kiwi in food saver bags and freeze them together.  That way I can just grab one bag from the freezer and I'm ready to go!

Linked to: Allergy Free Wednesdays, Mix It Up Monday

Morning Mango Muffins

Confession: I am a terrible breakfast eater.

Yes, I know. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I try, I really do. But I'm just not hungry in the morning. Needless to say, my blood sugar the rest of my day is pretty screwy. So I'm trying to be better.

My first step is to always have something in the house I know I will eat. Unfortunately, it's harder than it sounds. I don't eat cereal and I have texture and dairy issues with yogurt. I can't eat too much fruit as it spikes my blood pressure too high. I've been trying to make things I can eat...muffins, breakfast bars, power bars, etc.

This means you'll be seeing a lot a breakfast posts on here. All healthier versions than what you can buy anywhere; most of them grain-free, egg-free, vegan and dairy free.

This recipe is based on a gluten-filled recipe I found at Alisa Cooks. I'm a huge fan of her website because she cooks dairy-free.

Now, these muffins are full of good fiber and natural sweeteners. They are dairy free with a vegan option and they can be modified to include whatever fruit puree you like!


Morning Mango Muffins
Modified from Marvelous Honey Mango Muffins at Alisa Cooks

1/2 cup almond flour
3/4 cup oat flour
3/4 cup sorghum flour
1 tsp basking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups mango puree
1/2 cup agave plus 1 tablespoon (set aside for later)
1/4 cup coconut oil, liquefied
2 eggs - either large organic or chia/flax for vegan
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup mango, diced

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

If using chia eggs, combine ground chia/flax with warm water and let sit for 5 minutes.
In a bowl, combine together almond flour, oat flour, sorghum flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl combine fruit puree, agave, oil, eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients in two parts. Stir together just so dry ingredients are incorporated. Fold in diced mango.

Fill cups 3/4 full. Bake 25-30 minutes for regular, 40-45 for jumbo. Muffins will be browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean.

Remove from the oven and drizzle the tablespoon of agave over the tops of the hot muffins. Let them cool for 15 minutes in the pan and them remove muffins to finish cooling completely.

Store in an air tight container, freeze if necessary.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

I love Fall. I'm fairly certain I could start every post for the next few months that way. I don't think there is one specific thing that makes Fall my favorite. I love the smells, the changing temperature, the changing leaves and the food....the warmth and depth that cinnamon and ginger give to soup, muffins, etc.

We went to our local farmer's market last weekend and it was full of Fall. Pumpkins, squash, rich maple syrup flavored with cinnamon and vanilla and apples. I was in heaven. As we wandered through the stalls, my mind raced with thoughts of soups, muffins and breads. There were so many options, but I knew that I couldn't take it all home. My kitchen is pretty little :)

As we wandered toward the end, my eye was caught by this beautiful butternut squash. Now, I've never really been a squash fan. I like zucchini, but the rest...no thanks. But this squash looked beautiful. Maybe I should broaden my horizons and try it. But how? I'd never cooked it before. I knew I didn't want it plain. They only thing I could think of was soup. The temperature has dropped into the 50's quite regularly. Soup would be perfect.

This was totally new for me; something I've never tried before. And I have to say...it was SO good!!!!! Its a little more sweet than savory, but its thick, creamy and extremely filling.

Now, the squash we bought was huge! I only roasted half of it and that was about 4 pounds. This soup is very easy to cut in half, or double, depending on the size of your squash. It would also be pretty easy to make it savory rather than sweet...just change up your spices a bit. Use some thyme, sage, ginger, maybe curry powder or a little cayenne pepper. Modify until your heart's content! :)

An item of note: I don't tend to measure my spices when I cook. These measurements are approximate. When you're cooking, always start with less and add until it tastes the way you want it to.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

4 pounds squash
2 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 small apples, chopped
1 cup coconut milk (can use half and half)
5 cups homemade chicken broth (can use veggie broth for vegan soup)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 scant tsp ginger
1 1/2 tsp sea salt (sea salt is different than table salt..its less salty)
1/4 cup agave (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half and scrape out seeds. Using a fork, poke the skin side of the squash 6-12 times. Drizzle the cut side with a little olive oil and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg, if desired. Roast until squash is soft to the touch. A fork should easily pierce through the flesh. You want it super soft. It will take around 45 minutes to an hour, depending on your squash. Remove from the oven and cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large stock pot over med to med-hi heat, depending on your stove. Add carrots and celery; saute for 7-8 minutes. Add onions and garlic. Continue to saute until all the veggies become very soft, adding the apples last. The carrots will take the longest to cook. Don't add the onion and garlic too soon or they will burn.

Scrape the flesh out of the squash skin. I actually found it easier to turn the squash flesh side down and peel the skin away instead of trying to scoop the flesh out.

Add veggies and squash to the food processor. (Due to the quantity, I ended up doing this in two batches.) Add about 3 cups of broth. Puree everything until smooth. You may need more broth in order for everything to move well in your food processor.

Before you return the mixture to the soup pot, make sure that you wipe out any remaining veggie bits that didn't make it to the food processor. You don't want those little bits in your soup.

Return the soup to the pot. Add coconut milk and additional broth until you achieve desired consistency. I used 1 cup coconut milk and 5 cups broth. Our soup was still plenty thick and creamy. Add spices and salt. Stir to combine. Simmer until warmed all the way through.

If your food processor didn't puree everything the way you wanted, you can always use an immersion blender in the soup pot to break down any additional chunks.

Serve with creme frachie or sour cream.