Banana Walnut Bread (gluten free & vegan)
I had a major craving for banana bread the other day, but didn’t have a recipe that I love so I checked out my go-to site for gluten free baked goods, Sarah Bakes Gluten Free. I didn’t have all of the ingredients that her recipe calls for so I did a little experiment with what I had on hand, made a few adjustments and voilå- it worked! I used Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour because that’s all I had in my pantry. I also used organic vegetable shortening to keep the bread as light in texture as possible- not always so easy when baking both gluten free and vegan. Unlike most gluten free breads, my recipe does not call for xanthan gum which can be irritating to the gut and cause bloating and stomach upset. I enjoyed a couple pieces with some Irish butter and it really hit the spot!
P.S. While this recipe is both gluten free and vegan, I wouldn’t say that it’s 100% healthy. It’s definitely healthier than traditional recipes which call for refined sugar, but I recommend enjoying it as a treat- in moderation and after you’ve already balanced your blood sugar with a proper meal.
INGREDIENTS
Dry Ingredients:
1 1/4 c brown rice flour
3/4 c tapioca starch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients:
1/2 c coconut sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3 medium bananas, mashed
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp water
1/4 c coconut milk drink, room temp
1/4 c organic vegetable shortening, melted
Stir in at the very end:
1/2 c walnuts, chopped
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 square Pyrex baking dish with parchment paper.
Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl, breaking up any clumps.
Stir wet ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth.
Pour dry ingredients into wet mixture and stir until combined.
Stir in walnuts.
Pour into 8x8 glass baking dish lined w parchment.
Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the top is slightly cracked and lightly browned.
Allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing.
Store in an airtight container.
Cannellini, Bacon & Veggie Soup (gluten free, dairy free)
I made this super yummy soup last night for dinner, and I thought I would take a photo of it and share the recipe before I polish off the leftovers for breakfast this morning (I'm eating as I write!). The boys and I met up with some friends at the beach yesterday while Ben stayed home for some downtime, and as we were driving home at 5 pm I had no idea what we were going to have for dinner. I remembered that I had recently bought a couple of cans of cannellini beans, and that we still had weekend bacon in the fridge plus leftover fresh rosemary from Thanksgiving, and a big mason jar of homemade chicken stock waiting to be used up. It seemed like the beginnings of a great soup, and since it's been "chilly" here lately, it just seemed appropriate to make something warm and comforting to eat. It's healthy, hearty, and full of that umami flavor that I just love. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did, and if you have any leftovers, it really is a delicious way to start the day.
INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
5 stalks organic celery, diced
3 medium organic carrots, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
5 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 small orange flesh sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
3 cups organic chicken stock
1 cup water
1 cup finely chopped organic Lacinato kale
1 tsp dried thyme
2 cans organic cannellini beans, drained and rinsed well
6 slices thick nitrate-free bacon, cooked until crispy, then chopped
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1-2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium low heat and saute onions until they start to brown.
Add the celery, carrots, garlic, rosemary, and sweet potato and saute for another 5-7 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, water, kale, and dried thyme. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Stir in the cannellini beans, bacon, and Italian parsley. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the veggies are fork tender, but don't over cook. You don't want everything to end up super mushy.
Add 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt, and check for seasoning. Add more salt if needed. I used 2 tsp total, but it will depend on how salty your chicken broth is to begin with. Add a little black pepper at this point, if you'd like.
Ladle into soup bowls, and enjoy! This would be delicious with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese on top, if you eat dairy.
Aromatic Chicken & Carrots (paleo, AIP)
Dinner just doesn't get easier than this when you're in the mood for a hearty, made-from-scratch meal. Five main ingredients and 15 minutes of prep time will give you a mouth-watering, healthy supper that is kid friendly and perfect for any time of the year. At 4 pm today, I had no idea what I was going to make for dinner, but luckily both my fridge and freezer are well stocked thanks to last week's trip to Costco, and today's jaunt to the grocery store and farmers market. For tonight's meal I was inspired by the gorgeous, vibrant organic rainbow carrots that I got from the store. They must be in season right now because they are so crisp and fresh, despite having been flown (or shipped!) over from California. I always have organic chicken thighs in the freezer, and lemons in the produce drawer, so I pulled out some shallots that I got from the farmers market, and tied it all together with the aromatic rosemary that grows so eagerly in our backyard. After simmering on the stove top for about an hour, the result was a yummy, comforting dish that was perfect for this cool and rainy Sunday evening.
INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp ghee, divided
5 medium shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into quarters
1 lb rainbow carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
zest of a large lemon
1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste (omit for AIP)
1 tbsp lemon juice, set aside
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee over medium heat in a large Dutch oven, or heavy enameled pot with a tight fitting lid.
Add the shallots and sautee over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until they are just golden brown, being careful to not let them burn.
Add in the chicken, carrots, rosemary, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper. Give everything a good stir, bring to a strong simmer, tuck the rosemary sprigs under the chicken and carrots, then cover and turn the heat down to the lowest setting.
Let simmer for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes, or until the carrots are fork tender, and the chicken starts to fall apart. Remove the tough rosemary stems.
Right before serving, stir in the remaining tablespoon of ghee, the lemon juice, and add more salt and/or pepper if needed. Garnish with fresh parsley, and enjoy!
Sneaky Veggie & Beef Soup (paleo)
We all know that some kids are better at eating their vegetables than others. Well, If you happen to have a picky eater in your house, then this recipe is for you. Why do I call it Sneaky Veggie and Beef Soup? Because I sneak 3 stalks of celery, one whole red bell pepper, and 3 packed cups of hearty kale leaves in this dish, but all of the vegetables are blended into a purée before cooking, so nobody would ever know! With the fresh, familiar flavors of tangy lime, smokey cumin, and sweet red bell pepper, this sneaky soup sure pleased all three of my guys at dinner last night, and Nikhil (my fussy one) had no clue that he was eating green vegetables.
To make a meal out of it, I served our soup over jasmine rice that I spiced with a quarter teaspoon each of turmeric and cinnamon, and my two year old gobbled up his first serving and quickly went in for seconds. If you can tolerate dairy (lucky you!), I'd bet that a dollop of sour cream would be a divine accompaniment. And if you are eating Paleo or grain free as I am these days, you could enjoy this delicious soup alone, with slices of ripe avocado, or with some roasted squash or sweet potatoes. No matter how you decide to enjoy your Sneaky Soup, I hope you and your family loves it as much as mine!
INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pound grass fed ground beef*
1/4 cup dried onion or 1/2 cup fresh yellow or white onion, finely diced (I used dried onion because that's all that I had in the house. Be sure it's dried onion flakes, and not onion powder.)
1 large red bell pepper, seeds removed, roughly chopped
3 large stalks celery, roughly chopped
3 packed cups kale leaves
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups chicken broth**
1.5 tbsp ground cumin
1/2-1 tsp sea salt (depends on your preference and how salty your broth is)
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
* If you don't care for beef, ground turkey would be a great substitute.
**If you use reduced sodium broth, you'll most likely need to add extra salt at the end to achieve the right flavor.
DIRECTIONS:
Pour 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a large soup pot and heat over a medium setting. Add in the dried onion or fresh onion plus your ground beef, and begin to break the beef apart with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking the beef over medium-low heat, crumbling the meat as much as possible, and stirring everything to allow the onions to cook through until at least translucent, if you used fresh onions. If you used dried onions, they will do their thing and turn a little golden brown.
While the beef and onions are cooking, prepare your vegetables: Place the red bell pepper, celery, garlic, and chicken broth in your blender cup, and process until everything is blended into a smooth puree. Add in the kale leaves, and blend again until the kale is pureed (you could try adding all of the veggies on the first try, but kale is pretty bulky so it might not all fit). You'll have a somewhat frothy, watery, strange looking liquid, but don't worry- this will all cook down and turn into a beautiful soup.
Once the beef and onion have cooked through, add the pureed veggies and broth mixture, ground cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt to the pot. Give everything a good stir, and then bring it to a boil. Once you've reached a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and let it cook uncovered for about 20-30 minutes until the liquid has reduced and you're left with a rich, somewhat thick soup. The consistency of the soup will be almost as thick as chili, but definitely "soupier."
Once you've reached a consistency that you're happy with, turn off the heat and stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and fresh lime juice. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves. Enjoy!
Creamy Leek, Mushroom & Chicken Soup (paleo)
Yesterday afternoon I decided to make some homemade gluten free pizza crust so that the boys could have pizza night, which is Nikhil's favorite. While I was waiting for the dough to rise, I searched through the fridge to figure out what I was going to make for myself for dinner, because as much as I love pizza, the bread & cheese combo just doesn't agree with me. My internal clock must sense that it's officially fall now, as somehow I was craving soup again, even though it continues to be close to 90 degrees here! In the fridge I found a whole leek and a bunch of fresh dill leftover from the delicious Summertime Salmon Chowder that I made last week, as well as the remnants of a rotisserie chicken that I had picked up over the weekend. I also found a handful of crimini mushrooms in the fridge, which I thought would work well with the leeks and the dill. My findings were especially fortuitous because I love mushrooms and any type of onion, but Ben barely tolerates them (I think he's mildly allergic to onions), so I wouldn't normally make something like this for the family. I knew Ben would enjoy pizza night with the boys, so I got to work on my own dinner, and came up with this oh so yummy soup.
INGREDIENTS:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium leek, halved lengthwise then thinly sliced (2 cups)*
2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise then sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
5 crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 can full fat coconut milk
2 cups chicken stock**
1 1/2 tsp paprika
10 turns of the pepper mill
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, roughly chopped (I used a rotisserie chicken)
1/2 tsp sea salt, or less to taste
*A tip about cooking with leeks: I was taught to use the white and light green portion of the leek, and not the darker green, tougher part. Leeks grow in sandy soil, so you want to be sure to properly rinse your leeks in a colander after slicing them. You can also soak the sliced leeks in a large bowl of water to let the heavier soil sink to the bottom, and then rinse several times to ensure that all debris has been removed. You don't want gritty soup!
**If you use reduced sodium stock, you may need to add more salt at the end to achieve the right flavor.
DIRECTIONS:
In a large soup pot with a tight fitting lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks, celery, and mushrooms to the pot and saute your veggies until the leeks are tender, and have just started to brown a little bit, about 8 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, chicken stock, paprika, black pepper, and dill, and bring to a low boil. Place the chicken in the pot, give everything a good stir, and then cover your pot. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and let it simmer for 10 minutes, until the celery is tender. Taste your soup, and if you require more seasoning you can add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. I added 1/2 teaspoon of salt to mine, and it tasted perfect. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with some dill fronds if you'd like. I devoured mine on it's own, but I think it would be delicious with some buttered gluten free toast, or a chunk of crusty sourdough bread. I recommend making a double batch of this soup so that you can freeze some to have on a chilly night when you just don't feel like cooking.
Enjoy, friends!