Baked Banana Steel Cut Oats

I have mentioned my love of banana bread on this blog before....I really, really seriously love it! It smells good, is wonderfully comforting, and is like a dessert for breakfast. These baked oats have the flavor of banana bread and a texture similar to rice pudding. Another dessert-like breakfast, but this one is really good for you with the whole grains and the sweetness from the banana.

Baked Banana Steel Cut Oats

Ingredients:

1 tsp vegan margarine
1 1/2 cups steel cut oats

1 cup smashed ripe banana (2 large bananas)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 cups soy milk
2 1/2 cups water
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Heat the margarine in a medium sized saucepan oven medium heat, and once it is melted add the steel cut oats. Toast the oats in the margarine until they begin to smell fragrant.

Next, add all of the remaining ingredients which is the banana, maple syrup, cinnamon, soy milk, water, vanilla and salt. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes over low heat, while stirring continuously to break up any clumps and keep it from sticking.

Pour the oat mixture into the prepared casserole dish and cover with a lid or with foil. Bake for 35 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

For 8 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 191 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  149 Calories from Fat  24

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  2.7g 4%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  61mg 3%

Potassium  256mg 7%

Total Carbohydrates  27.7g 9%

Dietary Fiber  2.7g 11%

Sugars  12.1g

Protein  4.3g

Vitamin A 1% • Vitamin C 4% Calcium 3% • Iron 7%

Nutrition Grade B-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Blueberry Scones

Over the past couple of weeks we have been watching Michael Pollen's new Netflix series, Cooked. I love food related shows like this, and this one was very good. The episode, Earth is all about how things ferment and change due to things like yeast and mold. Bread was a highlight of this episode and it all looked so good. I woke up this morning wanting to bake, so I made some blueberry scones. They were so good warm and fresh out of the oven with some coffee this morning.

Blueberry Scones

Ingredients:

1 tbsp golden flax meal (grind golden flax seeds in a spice/coffee grinder until they are a fine powder)
3 tbsp water

3/4 cup soy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

4 tbsp vegan margarine
2 tbsp coconut oil

1/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the flax meal with the water and stir well to combine. Set aside to let thicken.

Combine the soy milk with the vinegar, and set aside to let curdle.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk it all together to incorporate the dry ingredients.

Then cut in the margarine and coconut oil. I like to use my hands, but a fork works just as well. You want to work these fats into the flour until you have small pea sized clumps.

When you have worked in the margarine and coconut oil, add the soy milk and the flax mixture. Stir until it is just starting to pull together into a dough. Then add in the blueberries. You can add just a little more flour if needed to pull the dough together, but don't add too much because a slightly wet dough results in a more tender scone.

Next, you can roll out the dough to cut out pretty scone triangles or circles. Today, I took the lazy route and just formed balls of dough and lightly pressed them down.  Put on lightly greased cookie sheets and bake for 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

For 12 scones. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 59 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  165 Calories from Fat  61

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  6.8g 10%

Saturated Fat  2.6g 13%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  201mg 8%

Potassium  172mg 5%

Total Carbohydrates  23.8g 8%

Dietary Fiber  0.9g 3%

Sugars  6.6g

Protein  2.8g

Vitamin A 3% • Vitamin C 1% Calcium 6% • Iron 7%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Chocolate Dipped Vanilla Biscotti

The other day I was perusing some recipe sites and saw pictures of  delicious looking biscotti. Biscotti is something that I have not had since going vegan, so I started researching recipes. It seems that the basic recipe is 2 parts flour to 1 part sugar and enough egg to pull it together into a dough that is rolled into a log, baked, sliced, and then baked again.

I decided to use my favorite egg replacer of water and ground golden flax seed. Once the cookies were done, I dipped them in dark chocolate and voila my craving was satisfied.

Chocolate Dipped Vanilla Biscotti

Ingredients:

6 tbsp water
2 tbsp ground flax seed

1/2 stick vegan margarine, melted (4 tbsp)
1 cup sugar

2 tbsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder

1 cup chocolate chips
1 tbsp soy milk

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Combine the water and finely ground flax seed and mix to combine. Set aside to let thicken. Use an electric mixture to cream the melted margarine and sugar together.

Add the water and flax mixture, and the vanilla to the butter and sugar and mix to combine. Then add the flour, salt and baking powder. Mix it all together until all the flour is incorporated and it forms a slightly sticky dough.

Divide the dough in half and roll them into long logs. Then gently press them into 3 inch long strips. Put the rows of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool for about 10 minutes. Then you want to slice them into 1 inch pieces with a sharp knife. Put the cookies back on the cookie sheet, and line them up so they are on their side (with a cut side up).

Reduce the oven heat to 275 and put the cookies back into the oven for 15 minutes. Then turn the heat off and let them sit in the oven to dry out.

For 24 cookies. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 35 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  130 Calories from Fat  38

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  4.3g 7%

Saturated Fat  1.8g 9%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  2mg 1%

Sodium  52mg 2%

Potassium  88mg 3%

Total Carbohydrates  21.0g 7%

Dietary Fiber  0.7g 3%

Sugars  12.1g

Protein  1.8g

Vitamin A 2% • Vitamin C 0% Calcium 3% • Iron 5%

Nutrition Grade C-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Tandoori Tofu and Rice

Tandoori is a type of oven made from clay or metal that chicken is often cooked in. My mom took the spices traditionally used to marinate the chicken and added them to rice and tofu and stir fried it. This is her sweet way of ensuring her plant-based daughter is getting enough protein at family meals. This has become a staple at family gatherings, and I wanted to capture the recipe and share it here. The seasonings lend a delicious exotic flavor, and the tofu and rice make a healthy base for this nutritious meal. This is lightly seasoned so taste and adjust as you go for your liking.

Tandoori Tofu and Rice

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked brown rice

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
dash each of cayenne, cardamom, ground cloves and black pepper

14 oz extra firm tofu

Directions:

Prepare your rice, or use some leftover. You want 3 cups of cooked brown rice for this recipe.

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté  until the onions begin to soften and brown. Then add the garlic and ginger and cook those for a minute or two before adding the remaining seasonings which are the cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt, cayenne, cardamon, cloves and pepper. Stir these in to coat the onions.

Next, add the rice and stir fry that to incorporate all of the seasonings. Finally, crumble the tofu into the pan and heat until the tofu is warmed through.

For 8 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 130 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  303 Calories from Fat  42

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  4.6g 7%

Saturated Fat  0.9g 4%

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  157mg 7%

Potassium  285mg 8%

Total Carbohydrates  56.2g 19%

Dietary Fiber  3.1g 12%

Sugars  0.6g

Protein  9.5g

Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 1% Calcium 13% • Iron 13%

Nutrition Grade B+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Carrot Curry Soup

This weekend my husband and I went out for dinner at one of my favorite vegan friendly restaurants, City-0-City. I started with the vegan carrot curry soup and it was so freaking fabulous, I decided I had to try and make something like it at home. This is what I came up with and it was pretty amazing, too.

Carrot Curry Soup

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup diced onion (1/2 small onion)

1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 tsp yellow curry powder

1 tsp red curry powder

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

dash of cayenne pepper (optional - depending on how spicy you want)

1/2 tsp cumin

3 cups chopped carrots

4 cups vegetable broth

1/3 cup coconut milk (from a can)

1-2 tbsp soy sauce

Optional: roasted nuts (almond, cashew, peanut, and pistachio are all amazing)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the diced onion and stir. Let the onion heat through until it begins to soften and turn translucent. Then add in the ginger, curry powders, yeast, cayenne and cumin. Stir to coat everything with the spices. Then add in the carrots and the broth. 

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 20-30 minutes. You want the carrots to completely soften. Once the carrots are cooked through. Run the soup in batches through a blender or use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Once the soup is completely pureed add the coconut milk and soy sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. 

Serve warm with a few roasted nuts on top.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 247 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 102 Calories from Fat 46

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 5.1g 8%

Saturated Fat 3.2g 16%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 851mg 35%

Potassium 432mg 12%

Total Carbohydrates 9.5g 3%

Dietary Fiber 2.6g 10%

Sugars 4.1g

Protein 5.3g

Vitamin A 184% • Vitamin C 7% Calcium 4% • Iron 8%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Caramelized Onions

When you cook without animal products, you get to use creativity to coax savory umami flavors out of plant based ingredients. This recipe is one way to really deepen the flavor of a dish. I have added caramelized onions on top of pizza, pasta, sandwiches, potatoes, and rice. They add such a wonderful complex depth of flavor that makes it totally worth the time it takes to prepare them.

Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:

2 onions
1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Cut off both ends of each onion and then slice them down the center. Place the onion cut side down on your cutting board and thinly slice the onions into half moons. Put the onions in a rectangle baking dish and toss with the olive oil to evenly coat. Bake for about 40-60 minutes, stirring every 15-20. They are done when they are golden brown, and even starting to blacken a bit on some of the ends. I find they do better when on the bottom rack of my oven, and when I start to stir them more frequently towards the end (about every 10 minutes). Babysitting these onions is worth the effort, because they totally transform and get a wonderful depth of flavor.

Simple Baked Squash

I love squash. It is such a healthy vegetable and I think it goes well with so many things like stews, chili, rice dishes, or on its own with some cinnamon and a little brown sugar.

This is an easy and basic way to prepare squash. This time I am using butternut, but this works well with any winter squash, just check that it is done at the 30 minute mark and if not keep going and check it every 10 minutes or so until its cooked through. Cooking times vary depending on the size or type of squash, but the basic steps are the same.

Simple Baked Squash

Ingredients:

1 winter squash
2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Wash your squash and cut it lengthwise down the middle. Scoop out the seeds and drizzle it with the olive oil. Then use your hands to rub the old all over the surface of the squash. Place the halves cut side down on a cookie sheet and put it in the preheated oven to bake for 30 minutes. Check the squash for doneness by piercing it with a fork. If it is tender, it is done.

Pumpkin Pie Granola

I have just recently became aware of seed cycling as a method of lessening symptoms of women's monthly cycles. Men can benefit as well because seed cycling is thought to regulate hormones. Either way, in one phase of seed cycling you consume pumpkin and flax seeds, so I wanted to combine them in recipes to make things easier.

I thought of granola and created a pumpkin spiced granola with both pumpkin and flax seeds. This granola has just a hint of pumpkin flavor and is lightly sweetened.

Pumpkin Pie Granola

Ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds
scant 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
pinch of ground ginger

1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp canned pumpkin
1 tbsp brown sugar

1/3 cup raisins

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the oats, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger in a large mixing bowl.

Melt the coconut oil and stir in the maple syrup, pumpkin, and brown sugar. Pour this over the oat mixture and stir well to combine.

Put the oats in a greased baking dish and put it in the pre-heated oven. Bake for 35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so (in the last 15 minutes, I stir it every 5). When the oats have turned golden brown and have crippled up, remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Finally, add the raisins and enjoy.

For 9 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 81 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 316 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 13.0g 20%

Saturated Fat 6.5g 32%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 135mg 6%

Potassium 305mg 9%

Total Carbohydrates 44.3g 15%

Dietary Fiber 5.2g 21%

Sugars 15.2g

Protein 7.5g

Vitamin A 11% • Vitamin C 1% Calcium 4% • Iron 22%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet