Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread

Banana bread! Whether as a treat with a warm beverage, a quick breakfast or the ultimate bread for a PB & Jelly sandwich, many of us have our favorite recipe and fond memories of this comfort food. When I switch to a conscious diet, I had to reinvent many of the favorite foods in my culinary closet. I found that baking proved my biggest challenge, but has now transformed into a newfound skill. Vegan baking, for my anyhow, has been far easier than expected and has transformed my favorite recipes into even yummier delights that before. Here is my rendition of banana bread, adapted from "Mom's Banana Bread" recipe from the Complete Cooking Light Cookbook.

Mix together by hand or with electric mixer:

1/4 cup raw sugar (omit if you prefer a low-sugar version)
1/4 cup vegan butter, softened (like Earth Balance Soy-free)
3 mashed ripe bananas
1/4 cup rice milk (or any vegan milk)
1/4 cup vegan sour cream


Whip for 2-3 minutes in food processor and add to banana mixture, stirring well:
2 Tbsp ground flax
6 Tbsp water


Combine in a separate bowl and then add to banana mixture, stir until just combined:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda (aluminum-free)
1/2 tsp salt


Fold in gently:
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts


Place batter in a lightly buttered loaf pan. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test. Remove  from pan to a wire wrack after cooling for 10 minutes and cool completely (or at least as much as you can before devouring the loaf with a slathering of vegan butter on each slice!).

Vegan Hot Cocoa

This recipe is derived from The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau...if you don't have it in your collection, order it today! It's the most used book in my kitchen, and I have yet to find a recipe that non-vegans didn't devour ("this is vegan???").

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup water

4 cups non-dairy milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp mint extract (optional)
agave or raw sugar to taste

vegan marshmallows for topping (I used Dandies)

Combine cocoa powder and water in a small pot over medium heat; stir frequently until mixture reaches a boil. Continue to cook and stir constantly for about 1 minute. Add choice of milk and heat to desired drinking temperature (do not boil). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, mint (optional), and agave. Serve immediately with a garnish of marshmallows as desired.

*gluten free, can be soy free if using a non-soy milk and skipping the marshmallows

Vegan Masala Chai

Chai (the Hindi term for tea) is a spectacular beverage, perfect for any cold Winter's day. The spices and herbs warm the body and comfort the soul. I've experimented with a few variations, and have decided to post a more traditional variation of this classical Indian spice tea, closer to what it may have been before the English introduced and encouraged the heavy use of black tea to the country. For those who desire black tea in their chai, after removing chai mix from heat, add 2-3 tsp loose black tea (recommend decaf) or 2 tea bags, steep three minutes; strain and serve.


2 1/2 cups water
1 tsp cardamom powder or 2 pods black cardamom, crushed
4 whole black peppercorns
2-4 slices fresh ginger
1/4 tsp of cinnamon or 1 large stick cinnamon
2 whole cloves
2/3-3/4 cup non-dairy milk (I prefer soy)
raw sugar or agave nectar to taste
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)


Combine water and all spices in a small saucepan; bring to a low boil. Lower heat to simmer for 5-10  minutes. Add non-dairy milk and sweetener of choice and bring to simmer. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Strain through a fine sieve and serve hot.


*gluten free, can be soy free if choosing coconut or almond milk

Vegan Potato Leek Soup

This delicately flavorful soup is simple and light.

1 Tbsp canola oil
1 large leek, sliced thin (use only white and light green parts)
6 cups vegetable broth
2 medium potatoes, cubed
3-4 carrots, sliced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
sea salt to taste

In a medium stockpot, heat canola oil over medium flame; add leeks and saute about 5 minutes, or until beginning to turn translucent. Add broth, potatoes, and carrots and bring to a boil for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat, and stir in parsley, thyme, red pepper, and salt to taste. Serve and enjoy!

*gluten free (use gluten free broth/bullion) and soy free

Vegan Healing Soup

The perfect soup to replace traditional chicken noodle soup. This is a classic comfort food made vegan, with the twist of healing spices from India.

12 cups vegetable broth
4 medium potatoes, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
6 carrots, sliced
2 cups pasta of choice (I use Trader Joe's organic vegetable radiatore)
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
1-2 tsp cumin seed
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
sea salt

In a large stock pot, combine vegetable broth, potatoes, celery and carrots; begin to heat over a medium high flame and watch for boil.

While broth and veggies are heating, place canola oil in a saute pan over medium flame. Once oil has heated, add cumin seeds and saute until they turn brown and pop, about 1 minute. Add onion and a couple dashes of sea salt and saute until onions are golden brown. Add turmeric and saute another minute. Add red pepper flakes, ground cumin, and garlic powder and saute another 2-3 minutes (watch the heat, you may need to lower the flame to prevent over drying) and then remove from heat. *This method of cooking the onion and spices together before adding them to the main dish is called a turka. It COMPLETELY transform the flavor of foods, I recommend you try it with other dishes--it has revolutionized my chili!

When you notice the broth has begun to boil, boil for about 2-3 minutes and then add your pasta. You want the total boiling time to be about 10 minutes, this will be just enough time to soften the potatoes, carrots, and celery while cooking the pasta to perfection. In the last minute of the boil, add your turka (onion and spice saute). Remove from heat, add salt to taste and serve immediately!

*soy free, can be gluten free if choosing a gluten free pasta and broth/bullion.

Vegan Golden Milk

I've seen this recipe in many forms across the web, this is how we make Golden Milk at hOMe. I often share the healing power of Golden Milk with yoga students who arrive at class with some sort of inflammation (i.e., my shoulder, calf, hip hurts from running, lifting, etc.). Turmeric is one of the most healing spices we can consume. The most known benefit is that turmeric reduces inflammation in a way that pharmaceuticals cannot compare (and without side effects). This spice has been used for centuries in India as a part of daily diet and healing. Reducing chronic inflammation is key to healing and prevention and treatment of all sorts of dis-ease, from IBS to cancer. This delicious beverage taste more like a treat than medicine, serve it up and find ways to integrate more turmeric in your diet!

Vegan Golden Milk


1 Tbsp almond oil or vegan soy-free butter, like Earth Balance Soy-free
1 tsp turmeric
1 - 1 1/2 cups plain or vanilla soy, almond, or coconut milk
2-3 tsp agave nectar (to taste)

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat; add turmeric and saute about 5 minutes, minding the pan heat so as not to overcook the turmeric. Add choice of non-dairy milk; heat to the start of boiling and remove from heat. Add agave nectar to desired level of sweetness; enjoy this beverage as warm as the tongue finds possible.


*gluten free, soy free when using a non-soy milk choice.

Arsenic-flavored Chicken Anyone?

http://www.naturalnews.com/032659_arsenic_chicken.html

Vegan Bandh Gobi Subji (Punjabi Cabbage)

1 to 1 & 1/2 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp mustard seed
6-8 curry leaves
1 small onion, diced small
1 to 2 small jalapeno (depending on heat desired), diced small
3 cloves garlic, diced small
1 small head green cabbage, diced small
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 to 3/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 tsp garam masala (optional)
sea salt to taste

Heat canola oil over medium high heat. Add mustard seed and cover pan, allowing mustard seeds to pop (but not escape!). Remove cover as seeds finish popping, lower heat to medium and add onion and curry leaves; saute until onion begins to brown. Add jalapeno, garlic, cabbage and about 1/4 tsp salt, stir to mix well; cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add tumeric, cumin, and coriander; stir well, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add frozen peas; stir well and cook another 5 minutes or until any water from cabbage and peas has cooked off. Add garam masala and saute an additional 3 minutes. Test salt and add more as needed. Serve with roti (Indian flat bread) or rice.

*soy and gluten free if served with rice

Vegan MeetUp Group in MKE

Milwaukee peeps, there is a vegan meetup group in town! This month they are meeting up on Saturday, September 10 at Cafe Manna in Brookfield.

http://www.meetup.com/vegan-401/