Banana Bread (WFPBNO)

This is by far my favorite banana bread recipe. I found this online and made some modifications to keep it whole food plant based no oil. This will make 1 regular loaf pan of bread or 3 of the 5x3 aluminum foil bread pans. It would also make wonderful large muffins. Obviously you can customize these ingredients and switch out the type of nuts and/or dried fruit you use. Don't let the ingredients list keep you from making this amazing quick bread. I made the small loaves for everyone in the neighborhood for Christmas!

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened
• 1/4 cup peanut butter (find a brand that is just peanuts)
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons aquafaba (this is the liquid from a can of chickpeas)
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3)
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray pans with oil or use parchment paper to line the pan. 

In a medium bowl add the flours, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a large bowl, stir together applesauce, peanut butter, sugar, maple syrup, aquafaba and vanilla. Mi well. Add the mashed bananas, stir well. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Stir in the remaining ingredients. Don't overmix. Spoon into prepared pans. The mini loaves baked for about 35 minutes and the regular loaf pan took an hour. Be sure to check when the time is getting short since all ovens are different. Let loaves cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then remove from pan. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Enjoy!!!!

Cranberry Orange Loaf

During the holidays I usually make loaf breads for us and mini loaves or small bundts to give away as gifts. I had left over cranberries from Thanksgiving and decided to give this recipe a try. We loved it. It's especially lovely during the holidays with the red berries. I'm sure you could use this same recipe and use blueberries or some other type of berry.

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• zest of half an orange
• 3/4 cup soy milk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup applesauce, unsweet, natural
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup fresh cranberries, run a knife through them a few times

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange juice 

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl sift dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add orange zest, mix; set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients: milk, oil, applesauce, orange juice and vanilla.

Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.

Roughly chop the cranberries.

Fold the cranberries into the batter.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for about an hour. You may have to bake it longer depending on the size of your loaf pan. Keep an eye on the loaf and when a toothpick comes out clean it's ready to remove.

Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes.

Remove from pan and let cool completely before glazing. 

Mix the powdered sugar and orange juice until there are no lumps and pour over cooled loaf.

Enjoy! Store loaf tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the frig for 4-5 days. If it lasts that long.

Chocolate Banana Bread

What you will see in the ingredient's pic is a blob of black and I do mean black bananas. When my bananas get overripe and I don't have time to deal with them, I throw in a freezer bag and toss it in the freezer. Yep, then when I do have time I just pull out the proper amount, but them in a bowl and let them sit on the counter top about 30 minutes or so. The skins slip right off and I'm ready to mash 'em up and make bread.

I made this bread about a month ago and took all my pics. This is the only way I can blog because I don't have time to cook and post on the same nights. So I usually a few recipes worth of photos on the camera at any given time.  I know I have posted a couple of other Banana Bread recipes, but it's fun to change up the flour, the nuts, add cocoa to the batter or don't - just use chocolate chips. The possibilities are endless. I hope you'll make this version and enjoy it as much as we did. This would also be good as mini loaves to give as gifts.

• 4 overly ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup raw (turbinado) sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli Semi Sweet- they also make chunks that I use sometimes)
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Mash bananas, add turbinado sugar and vanilla -  mix with a hand mixer gradually adding water to the mixture.  Mix until smooth.

In another bowl add the flour, cinnamon, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder.  Stir to mix well.

Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until a batter is formed.

Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Place into a lightly greased loaf pan.

Bake for about 60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean and the top is starting to split.

Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

 

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Butter

I know pretty much everyone has had apple butter on a biscuit or English muffin. Many years ago I bought a jar of Sweet Potato Butter at a Williams-Sonoma Outlet store. Oh boy, I had to make that. It's been years since I made this but in my latest blog posts I have mentioned the CSA we joined. Well, for the last 3 weeks we've been getting sweet potatoes. I always pick out the biggest ones I can knowing I was going to make this butter. Here it is....

• 8-9 cups mashed, cooked sweet potatoes
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 cups unsweet apple cider
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Wash and dry the sweet potatoes. Rub with a layer of oil and place in a roasting dish. Cover fairly tightly with foil and bake at 350 until potatoes are tender. (Remember I had goliath potatoes it took them 3 hours to roast til tender) Use your judgement from baking your potatoes in the past, it all depends on size.

Combine the potatoes, sugar and apple cider in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring almost constantly until the sugar dissolves.

Reduce heat, add cinnamon and cloves. Simmer, uncovered about 1 1/2 hours, stirring frequently.

If you are going to keep this in the refrigerator (you should reduce the recipe unless you have a huge frig, or plan to give some away immediately) just spoon into containers. Let cool. Place in frig for at least 24 hours before serving.  If you are canning follow directions for your equipment. My canning pot is is NOT a pressure canner. So, I ladle up the butter leaving head space. Have my water boiling in the canner. Add the jars and process for 10 minutes. Carefully remove and allow to cool. The popping sound of the lids let you know they are sealing.

Enjoy!

Vegan Heritage Press Giveaway

Vegan Heritage Press is having an amazing give away -- just  head on over to http://veganheritagepress.blogspot.com/2012/07/vhp-cookbook-giveaway.html?showComment=1343692798827#c8932095120849055955 for your opportunity to win 1 of 6 awesome vegan cookbooks!!!!
Best of luck to everyone, including me!

Banana Nut Bread

I take over ripe bananas and put them in freezer bags and save them until I'm ready for banana bread. I really dislike wasting food. So, when you look at the pics don't freak out on my black bananas. Take the bananas out of the freezer and let them sit at room temp for a bit. They will release some liquid that you can just mix in when you mush up the bananas.

• 2 tablespoons Earth Balance Margarine
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 2 cups AP flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 flaxmeal egg (1 T flaxseed meal + 3 T water - mixed well)
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup chia seed
• 1/4 cup hemp seed

Melt butter.

Sift together flour, soda, baking powder and salt.

Add sugar to mashed bananas.

Mix the dry ingredients into the banana mixture.

Add the flax egg and butter.

Stir in nuts and seeds.

Pour into greased loaf pan.

Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. If it gets to brown on top - add a foil tent.

Enjoy!

Salty Chocolate-Pecan Candy

This recipe was in an old Southern Living Magazine (one of my fav mags). Sweets are not something we have around the house on a regular basis, but chocolate is a weakness. The bittersweet chocolate bar was vegan but I could not find any white chocolate in the store that was vegan. You can probably order it online or find some at a whole foods store. I made this to give as gifts so I went ahead and used Bakers white chocolate. I'm not a huge white chocolate fan, and I do believe you just want the nice color swirls SO I think maybe a light vegan chocolate and a very dark one would be nice as well. 

I forgot to take a pic and this is the pic from the MyRecipes site. The other pics are mine.

• 1  cup  pecans, coarsely chopped
• 3  (4-oz.) bars bittersweet chocolate baking bars
• 3  (4-oz.) white chocolate baking bars
• 1  teaspoon  coarse sea salt or Kosher salt

Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted.

Line a 17- x 12-inch jelly-roll pan with parchment paper. Break each chocolate bar into 8 equal pieces. (You will have 48 pieces total.)

Arrange in a checkerboard pattern in jelly-roll pan, alternating white and dark chocolate. (Pieces will touch.)

Bake at 225° for 5 minutes or just until chocolate is melted. Remove pan to a wire rack. Swirl chocolates into a marble pattern using a wooden pick. Sprinkle evenly with toasted pecans and salt.

Chill 1 hour or until firm. Break into pieces. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 month. Trust me... those will NOT last a month in your home!