Kid-Friendly Banana Bread

I call them kid-friendly but really these are friendly for all ages. I made these for my 9 month old baby girl but I enjoyed them a lot! These sugar-free, gluten-free treats are a wonderfully healthy treat perfect for little hands to hold and enjoy.

Kid Friendly Banana Bread
yields 1 dozen small muffins
2 cups old fashioned gluten free oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp sea salt
3 ripe bananas
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a muffin or doughtnut tin.
In a food processor, grind the oats into a fine powder and transfer to a bowl. Add the baking powder, soda, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and salt.
Puree the bananas in the food processor and add to the oats along with the applesauce and melted oil.
Stir to combine.
Divide into 12 muffin tins and bake for 15 minutes. 

I used a doughnut tin I have but never get any use out of it. Whatever shape you do, keep these in small shapes so they stay moist.
Enjoy!
Freeze to store extras.

Hemp Heart Pancakes with Blueberry Compote

These gluten free, vegan, soy free pancakes will let you give in to your weekend brunch cravings without making you feel like you gave in to temptation.
"Hemp Hearts" are hulled hemp seeds and can be found sold as both. I buy mine in bulk at Whole Foods to save on cost. They are a perfect, incredibly beneficial addition to these but don't stop there. Add them to smoothies or sprinkle them on top of yogurt or salad.

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Hemp Heart Pancakes
serves 3
1 3/4 cup hemp, oat or almond milk
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup hulled hemp hearts
1 banana, roughly chopped
2 tbl maple syrup
1 tbl melted coconut or canola oil, plus extra for cooking
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until thick and smooth.
Grease a hot griddle pan and pour 1/4 cup of batter per pancake. Cook until golden brown on both sides.

 Blueberry Compote
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, divided
2 tbl maple syrup
2 tbl water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt

Combine the 1 cup of blueberries, maple syrup and water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until the berries have burst. Add the vanilla and salt. Remove from the heat and pour over pancakes. Garnish with the remaining fresh blueberries.

Southern spin on an east coast classic

Who needs a meatball sandwich when they can make a Black eyed pea boulette sandwich!?
A boulette is basically anything chopped, shaped into a ball and fried. Since I love making black eye pea patties, I thought it would be awesome to take that same recipe and shape them into balls for a delicious take on a classic.
My black eye pea boulette is served with a spicy tomato sauce, caramelized onions, fresh spinach and fried yellow tomatoes on a wheat hoagie roll. Served with a side of homemade plantain chips.

Black Eye Pea Boulettes
1 celery stalk, chopped roughly
1/2 small white onion, chopped roughly
1/2 green pepper, chopped roughly
4 cloves garlic
2 cans black eye peas
4 tbl tomato paste
1 tbl lemon zest
1 tbl vegan worchestershire sauce
1 tbl creole seasoning
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1c panko breadcrumbs

Spicy Tomato Sauce
extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, very finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1-28oz can organic crushed tomatoes
1 tbl tomato paste
1 green or red chili, seeded and finely minced
4 basil leaves, roughly torn

In a food processor combine onions, peppers, celery and garlic. Pulse to a small dice. Add remaining ingredients except for the breadcrumbs and pulse until mixed but still slightly chunky. You don't want a puree here! Stir in breadcrumbs by hand. Form medium sized balls and set on a plate in the fridge to firm up while making the sauce.
In a medium sized pot heat up a couple tablespoons of olive oil and sauce the onion until soft. Add remaining ingredients, bring to boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover sauce and let simmer for 15 min.
In a pan cook meatballs in olive oil until golden brown on all sides.

Caramelized onions
1 white onion, sliced thin
Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp organic sugar
Extra virgin olive oil

On medium low heat up olive oil in a small pan and add onions. Cook until soft and translucent. Add salt, sugar and pepper. Turn heat up to medium low and continue cooking until sugars are released and onion is browned and soft.

Fried Yellow Tomato
1 yellow tomato, sliced in 1/4 inch slices
1 cup oat milk with 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup ap flour
1/2c yellow fine cornmeal
1c panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil

Make a dredging station
One bowl with oat milk/vinegar mix
One plate with ap flour, season with salt and pepper
One plate with cornmeal and breadcrumbs, season with salt and pepper
Heat oil in a shallow pan until 350 degrees
Dip tomato in oat milk, then flour, back in oat milk and then coat in breadcrumbs.
Fry in oil until golden brown.
Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with salt.

Baked plantain chips
1 plantain
Coconut oil for brushing
2 tbl brown sugar
Salt
Preheat oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
Peel and thinly slice plantains on a bias. Coat with coconut oil and spread on an even layer on the sheet. Sprinkle with brown sugar and salt. Bake for 12 min or until crispy and golden brown, checking and rotating the sheet after 6 minutes.

Fudge Brownies

You know, the kind that are so chocolatey, and so fudgy that they stick to the top of your mouth? These are them.

Fudge Brownies

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped ( I love to use the Endangered Species brand chocolate bars)

3/4 cup earth balance

1 1/2 cups organic sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tbl egg replacer powder mixed with 1/4c warm water
1/2c silken tofu, whipped until smooth
1 teaspoon salt
1/4t baking powder
2 ounces cocoa powder
1 cup cake flour (if you don't have cake flour you can make your own! Use 3/4c plus 2 tbl AP flour with 2 tbl cornstarch)
* 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8x8 square pan.
Melt the 6oz of bittersweet chocolate with butter in microwave, 30 seconds at a time until melted.
In a large bowl combine whipped tofu, sugar, vanilla and egg replacer/water. Whisk together until sugar is dissolved.
In another bowl combine salt, baking powder, cocoa powder and cake flour. Sift.
Pour chocolate/butter mixture into tofu mixture followed by the dry mixture.
Mix until just combined and fold in chocolate chips.
Bake for 25-30 min, turning in oven after 15 min.

The trick to these brownies is to not overcook them! These are not the type of brownies that will be done with the ol' toothpick coming out clean trick. In fact if you do try a toothpick, it needs to come out completely messy. Under cooking them a bit will create a ridiculously dense, fudgy consistency that is exactly what I like best.

Brownie tips and tricks
*Did you know that adding a hint of baking powder to your brownies is what creates that awesome cracked crust? My original recipe had no baking powder, so I added 1/4tsp and got a perfectly cracked exterior that pairs well with the gooey center.
*If you prefer a more cakey brownie go ahead and cream the butter with the sugar before adding the egg replacer/water and whipped tofu. And just melt the chocolate on its own. Melting the butter with the chocolate like I do with this recipe is key for a fudge brownie.