Banana Bread Featuring Josie's Best

Josie's Best the muffin & more baking mix

I was recently introduced to a 1:1 flour replacement and just had the opportunity to try it. The bananas I purchased made it to the point of "overripe for baking" so I took the opportunity to try Josie's Best the muffin & more baking mix in an old favorite banana bread recipe. 

 

The NEW MIX made a bread that was moist, flavorful, and rose out of the pan to create nooks and crannies perfect for butter/plant butter to be drizzled if you wished to add extra moisture as you took the bread out of the oven. 

 

An Old Favorite Banana Bread Recipe Re-imagined  

2 flax eggs

2 cups Josie's Best the muffin & more baking mix

1 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup honey or agave

2 cups ripe bananas

OPTIONAL: add nuts or seeds for texture

Bake 350 for 45 minutes to an hour (check to see if done at 45 minutes then monitor)

Pad Thai Rice Noodle Rainbow

Gazing at my Forbidden Pad Thai Rice Noodles I KNEW I wanted to make a dish that was full of color. The purple noodles were calling for the rest of the rainbow to join them. with Lotus Foods Forbidden Pad Thai Rice Noodles as my blank canvas, and the rainbow as my muse, I began meal prep. From start to finish, the meal was ready in less than 30 minutes.

Preparation

I gathered veggies:

• Red bell pepper (1 diced)
  
• Rainbow carrots... Yellow and Orange (2 diced )
  
• Frozen peas - Green (1 cup)
• Onion (1/2 cup diced)
• 2 cloves of garlic (diced)
  

I decided on a protein ... Tofu

I decided on a sauce ... peanut 

Peanut Sauce

• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp brown sugar .. omit of using store bought nut butters as there are sugars added
  
• 2 tsp red curry paste
• 1 tbsp gluten free soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp nut butter (seed butter works too)
• 1 tbsp olive oil/sesame oil so things do not stick to the pan 
• add a tbsp of water if the sauce is too thick for your taste (depends on nut/seed butter you use) 

 

Instructions:

• Prepare the peanut sauce in a small saute pan. 
  
• Saute the onions and garlic is just enough olive oil to coat the pan
• Once translucent, add the rest of the veggies and saute until el dente
• In a separate pan, fry the tofu (or use an air fryer) 
• In a pot, bring water to a boil and prepare the noodles as directed on the package. 
• Toss the noodles with the sauce and add the veggies
• Put in a bowl and top with the tofu
  

 

My rainbow is almost complete. 

To finish the rainbow, I should have some fresh blueberries for dessert!

 

 

Bananas and Plants Bread

When I look to try out a new ingredient, I tend to try it out in a recipe I have made numerous times.

 The latest NEW ingredient I discovered is a vegan butter, 

Flora Plant Butter.

 

 I decided to substitute FLORA PLANT BUTTER (unsalted) for the coconut butter in my Banana Bread Recipe. The result ... a moister banana bread!

I have found there are simple swaps to change a recipe to make it fit your dietary needs. I am adding Flora Plant Butter to that list.

 

My Favorite Swaps ... to make baked goods vegan

1. flax egg (1 tbsp flax seeds + 3 tbsp water) ... for an egg
2. mashed medium ripe banana  ... for an egg
3. equal parts FLORA PLANT BUTTER ... for real butter
4. equal parts coconut butter ... for real butter

Now that I have met Flora Butter, I am going to start to use it all the time. 

More recipes to come!

Banana Bread with a Monk Crunch

 I am a FAN of snacking on nuts. 

Select Harvest just came out with Monk Crunch Almond Snacks and I am enjoying them! 

 

I like them alone or in a mix with some dried fruit and seeds. 

I like them so much, I decided to find ways to incorporate them into a family favorite, banana bread.

I decided to use some of the Vanilla Monk Crunch in my Gluten Free Vegan Banana Bread Recipe. I diced a cup of Vanilla Monk Crunch Almonds and added them to the batter. 

 

The result ... a flavorful CRUNCH in the middle of my bread.

 

 The added texture and flavor added to the bread. I toasted my bread and enjoyed it with some fruit and a cup of coffee for breakfast. 

 

Hoe do you enjoy Monk Crunch?

Rice Ramen and Me

Stores are filled with many products. When you read product labels to make a decision about which product is best for you, you may be faced with a choice. If you have the opportunity to purchase a product from a company that is B Certified, please do consider making the choice. 

 

Why purchase from a B Corporation?

Certified B Corporations balance profit and purpose. Leaders of B Corporations drive a global movement of business being a force for going good. 

Why Purchase from Lotus Foods?

Lotus Foods is committed to organic and regenerative practices in generating more rice from less land while working to preserve genetic biodiversity. Lotus Foods also saves hundreds of millions of water annually, promotes long-term soil health, and works to remove greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere.

 

How Do I Enjoy Lotus Foods?

I enjoy Rice Ramen from the package ... and enjoy adding to the package. The image you see here is sauteed veggies and pan fried tofu added to the prepared package. My formula for adding to Rice Ramen Noodle Soup is listed below. Enjoy Rice Ramen as packaged, or use the package as your blank canvas and customize the meal based on your flavor profile and appetite when you make it!

2 cups veggies + 1 cup protein + 1 package prepared Rice Ramen Noodle Soup

 

Lotus Foods Rice Ramen and More

Stores are filled with many products. When you read product labels to make a decision about which product is best for you, you may be faced with a choice. If you have the opportunity to purchase a product from a company that is B Certified, please do consider making the choice. 

Why purchase from a B Corporation?

Certified B Corporations balance profit and purpose. Leaders of B Corporations drive a global movement of business being a force for going good. 

 

Why Purchase from Lotus Foods?

Lotus Foods not only creates superior products, but the company also has a mission to change how rice is grown around the world. This California based company partners with small scale farmers who are committed to using less water to produce more rice. Lotus Foods promotes organic agriculture, biodiversity, and supports its producers. 

 

Why I love Lotus Foods

Lotus foods has superior products. I have to eat a gluten free diet and, as a result, do consume quite a bit of rice and rice products. I feel confident eating rice cultivated by a company that I trust. 

 

Lotus Foods Rice Ramen

Rice Ramen is a product that I can eat. I love the product straight from the package, but I prefer to add to the package to add additional nutrients, textures, and flavors. I took the Millet & Brown Rice Ramen and added a mixture of vegetables that I sauteed (1/2 red bell pepper, 1/4 cup onion, and 1/2 medium zucchini) and tofu that I drained and pan fried.The meal was tasty and satisfying. 

 

 

I enjoy a broth based soup that is filled with veggies and noodles. The meal is a comfort food for me as it reminds me on my childhood. Customize the Rice Ramen if you wish to "add more" and make it your nostalgic comfort food. Perhaps add some chicken instead of tofu or different vegetables.

Kidney Bean Curry

I hydrated a batch of kidney beans and sought out several recipes to use to make each recipe tasty and distinct.

I read several curry recipes and combined portions of each into this recipe. Each time I make it, I probably will interchange a few veggies.

This recipe can be done in 20-30 minutes. A tip for speed... start boiling water for your rice as you start cutting the vegetables. 

Ingredients:

Olive Oil ... just enough to saute the aromatics
1/2 white onion (diced)
4 cloves of garlic (crushed and diced)
1 inch of fresh ginger root (diced)
1 TBSP garam masala (or make you own mix 1 part cumin + 1/4 part allspice)
2 cups kidney beans
1 can coconut milk
crushed red pepper at serving if you wish to add heat

Variations:

• Add 2 cups of vegetables...I added red pepper and broccoli for color.
• Use chickpeas or tofu instead of kidney beans 

Instructions:

• Sautee onion, garlic, and ginger in olive oil
• Add vegetables after a few minutes
• Once onions are translucent, add the spices and stir
• Add the kidney beans and coconut milk
• Let boil
• Stir, reduce heat, and cover
•  Let flavors combine and liquid reduce a bit. 

Serve over a bed of rice
Add in as much or as little sauce as you like in each bowl ... make it your own!