Valentine Banana Bread

For a Valentine's Day treat, I decided to bake banana bread in HEART shaped molds! A small change that makes a difference when you are trying to do something special.

I modified the recipe posted on the Pamela's Baking &Pancake Mix website to make the recipe vegan.

Posted recipe:

• 1¾ cups Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup pumpkin, grated zucchini or very ripe bananas
• ½ cup nuts, chopped
• ¼ cup melted butter or butter substitute

MY MODIFIED RECIPE
2 cups Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix
2 FLAX EGGS
1 TBSP vanilla
1 1/4 cup ripe bananas
1/2 cup dried fruits or nuts (optional)
1/4 cup coconut butter

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes in the hear shape mold. Serve with fresh fruit ... strawberries or raspberries...something RED!

Fruity Overnight Oats

I love a blank canvas. You know that as you have been reading my blog posts for years. The concept of OVERNIGHT OATS is definitely a blank canvas that can be customized. Today's version is not only gluten free but vegan also.

What is great about this recipe is that you make it in the container in which you will eat it ... quite a time saver!

Ingredients: 
2 Pouches of Gutzy Apple, Strawberry, Banana Flavor
1/4 cup oats
1 TBSP chia seeds (I use organic)
Sliced strawberries - I used 4 large
optional - drizzle of honey

Instructions:
NOTE: Traditionally a mason jar is used for the overnight oats. You can use what you have on hand! You make the oats in the same container in which you eat it...it can be a grab-and-go meal/snack.

• In layers add the ingredients to the jar: Gutzy, oats, chia, strawberries, and honey if you wish. 
• Stir and refrigerate overnight

Serving:
Enjoy fresh out of the refrigerator or let rest for a bit and consume closer to room temperature.
Optional: Add seeds or nuts on top

Organifi Superfood Powders

I had an opportunity to try Organifi Superfood Powders at the Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expo at the Del Mar Fairgrounds yesterday.

I am partial to warm beverages so the Organifi Gold was my favorite. Gold features Tumeric and is a good nighttime tea. It is supposed to detoxify the body and help it heal/recover as you sleep!

The Red Juice is filled with cranberries, beets, pomegranates, raspberries, and strawberries. The cranberry flavor takes the center stage. This is a metabolism booster and a great drink pre-workout or during workout. It has a "zip" to it that will give you energy.

For those that are enamored with Green Juice, they have a product for you too!

Give Organifi a try! Their products taste great.

Sunday is Pancake Day

Pancakes for breakfast can be simple. Start with a few simple ingredients and transform them into a gourmet breakfast!

Ingredients for 1 pancake:

• 1 package of instant oatmeal (I used Quaker Gluten Free Maple & Brown Sugar in this recipe)
• 1 Flax egg (1 TBSP flax seeds + 3 TBSP water ... combine and let rest 5 minutes)
• Coconut oil for cooking/coating pan
• 1/2 cup nuts, seeds, dried fruits for garnish
• 1/2 package GUTZY (I used Apple, Mixed Berries & Steel Cut Oats)

Instructions:

• Make the flax egg
• Gather the rest of the ingredients
• Add the oatmeal packet to the bowl with the flax egg - combine and form into an oval "patty"
• Heat the pan/oil and cook the pancake for about 3 minutes on each side
• Garnish with dried fruits, seeds, and/or nuts
• Top with 1/2 package of GUTZY 

A SunButter Start to the Day

Rice cakes are a great blank canvas. In this recipe I used Quaker Caramel Rice Cakes, SunButter, and dried cranberries and dates from Futterman Farms in Indio, California.

This is a great breakfast or snack! Enjoy this simple meal that can be customized each time you make it.

Play with your food ... make a smiley face to make a young person's day! Be creative!

Pictured above is almond butter rice cake smiley face.

Quinoa with Chickpeas and Roasted Edamame Crunch Dried Snacks

With a blank canvas of cooked quinoa, I decided to make a gluten free vegan lunch to take to work. I love making a large batch of quinoa at the start of the week so I can quickly prepare nutritious meals!

Ingredients (Serve 2)

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 diced shallot
• 4 diced garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup Roasted Edamame Crunch Dried Snacks by Sensible Foods
• 1 cup chickpeas (I used dried and re-hydrate them to control sodium ... if using canned, look for low sodium and drain and rinse the chickpeas)
• 2 cups diced vegetables: I used red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, asparagus, and kholrabi greens (you can substitute beet greens or spinach for the kholrabi greens)
• 1 tbsp crushed red pepper
• Optional: a pinch of lime
• olive oil 
• 1/4 low sodium gluten free vegetable bouillon cube
• 1/2 cup water 
  
  

NOTE: I diced the asparagus stalks and reserved the tops for a garnish

Instructions:

• Sautee shallot and garlic in oil
• Add bell peppers, asparagus, bouillon and water and cook until liquid almost absorbed
• Add greens, chickpeas, quinoa, Roasted Edamame Crunch Dried Snacks, and crushed red pepper
• When liquid is fully absorbed, remove from heat and serve (or pack into glass containers to take to work as I did)
• I served with asparagus stalks as a garnish. You can add salt and pepper to taste ... even a splash of lime if you are looking for a tangy taste.

Walnut Seed Burgers

I decided to make a vegan burger combining elements of different vegetable burgers I have eaten. The recipe is a blank canvas that can be customized each time something is made. The base is 2 cups of vegetables, 1 cup of walnuts, and 1 cup of TVP.

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato (relatively large - 2 cups once cooked)
• 1 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)
• 1 cup walnuts 
• 1 cup of seeds (I used a mixture of pepitas, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds) 
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp mustard seed
• gluten free panko bread crumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil for the pan

Instructions:

• Start by roasting one sweet potato then letting it cool (I made this a day in advance).
• In a Vitamix, blended 1 cup of walnuts until they broke apart into small pieces 
• Add the walnuts to a mixing bowl and combine TVP, seeds, and spices.
• (Once the potato cools, add it (2 cups) to the Vitamix with 4 cloves of garlic.)
• Add the vegetable mixture to the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl.
• Combine ingredients and form into patties. Let rest in the refrigerator for an hour for best results (so they do not fall apart).
• Before cooking, place about 1 cup of gluten free panko crumbs on a plate. Coat both sides of the walnut burger patty with the panko.
• Preheat the oven to 350
• Add the patties to a pan of oil and cook for about 5 minutes on each side. 
• Transfer to a foil lined baking sheet (I use non-stick aluminum foil) and bake for 30 minutes 
• Serve warm or store in an airtight container for a few days. 

NOTE: This recipe makes about 6 palm size burgers

Serving suggestions:

• Top with roasted vegetables or arugula
• Top with hummus
• Top with ketchup and mustard

Pictured here: Gluten Free Udi's Hamburger Bun.