neverhomemaker: a homemade life

Showing posts with label a homemade life. Show all posts

Vegan Banana + Zucchini Bread

>> Friday, August 4, 2017

It’s that time again -- time to eat #allthezucchini. Every year I made zucchini bread, sometimes I combine with banana bread. Sometimes I add chocolate chips. This year, I figured I may as well combine all three to make a mega-bread of sorts. You can actually bake this mix into muffins, cake, or bread. It’s your call. I’ve given you the bake times to make any option work.

Without further delay, here’s the recipe. Perfect for a weekend baking session!

BANANA + ZUCCHINI BREAD with chocolate chips

What you’ll need . . .

3 large ripe bananas
1 cup canola oil
1 cup soy or almond milk, unsweetened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sprouted wheat flour*
1 cup coconut sugar
2 teaspoons apple pie spice (or mix of cinnamon + nutmeg)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)
1 to 1-1/2 cups shredded zucchini

*I used some King Arthur sprouted flour I found at my store. It worked wonderfully, but I do think plain old whole wheat would work fine, too.

Method . . .

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Mash bananas until as smooth as you can get them. Then whisk together with the canola oil, soy milk, and vanilla extract.
In another bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, spice, baking powder and soda, and salt.
Then pour the wet into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Fold in the chocolate chips and zucchini shreds.
You can bake in muffin tins, a cake pan, or a bread pan. If you bake in muffins, they take around 30 minutes. In a square glass cake pan, around 40-45. In a glass bread pan, maybe 50-55 or so. Basically, you want a toothpick inserted into the center to come out clean. The top should be a nice, golden brown.
Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

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Kitchen Fails Times 1,000,000

>> Wednesday, June 16, 2010

I've had several pretty epic kitchen fails lately. First there was the great gluten-free pancake disaster. Then the awful tangerine-limeade incident. We can't forget the coconut butter debacle. And now the maple-almond butter gone wrong. The concept seems easy enough to grasp -- at least mentally: Turn nuts into butter. Just roast, process, and flavor.

However, between the almond and coconut butter issues, I'm starting to think my food processor might be to blame. (I mean, it can't be ME, right?!) We'll get to that later. I wanted to share this recipe with you anyway. Though what results isn't exactly like Ashley's cinnamon-maple-almond butter, it's still good enough to eat. Good enough to add into oatmeal. To spread atop toast. To enjoy simply from your spoon. It's got all the protein and flavor, it's just not the right texture.

HOMEMADE MAPLE-ALMOND BUTTER -- SORT OF

What you'll need . . .

1 cup raw almonds
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 to 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Method . . .

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil or parchment and pour your almonds onto it. Spread out for even cooking.
Allow to roast for 10 minutes -- you should start to smell them . . . and they'll change color, darken.
Allow to cool for approx. 10 minutes. Then in your food processor (I would assume a smaller one works better), process until almonds form a fine meal-y texture.
Add in the maple syrup, cinnamon, and 1 tablespoons of the coconut oil. Continue processing for up to 10 minutes. The mixture should be well incorporated and close to almond butter texture by then. Again, mine never fully reached that point. Add more oil if you feel it's necessary.
Store in a glass jar or other kind of container.

So, it looks pretty dry, right? It isn't dry. It's just crumbly. I don't quite understand why it didn't totally work. It does taste just as good as the "real thing," however the texture is certainly something I need to work on. I even found Ashley's recipe for her famous cinnamon-maple-almond butter and followed it exactly. And I thought her method of roasting the almonds with the maple syrup on them would be the magical key to success. For me? No dice.

Like I said above, I'm starting to think my food processor is to blame. She's small, but powerful. The blades might not be sharp enough? Have any of you had this problem? I first started to suspect something was up with the little pink thing when Ashley said that all you need to make coconut butter is coconut flakes. Then you just process them (for a while) until the butter forms. I processed for twenty -- count 'em -- twenty minutes . . . nada.

Basically, I'd love some suggestions on good-quality food processors. Because I'm almost 100% certain we need to buy a new one. What works the best for you? What's the most economical? What size do you like best? Anything related to food processors is welcome. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com. Also don't forget you have until Friday, June 18th at 9PM to enter our CSN $60 Gift Certificate Giveaway. I know what I'd do with that $$$ -- buy a new food processor!!!

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A Homemade Life: My Review

>> Friday, May 14, 2010

"I guess it's a product of our time, or a generational thing. Or maybe it's just a matter of pheromones. Whatever the reason, I keep falling in love with vegetarians."

Oh, Molly. I'm so there with you . . . it's not even funny. I have never dated a non-vegetarian. Every guy I ever considered myself to be "dating" was a vegetarian or vegan. And even though that's true of myself . . . it's never, ever been intentional! Now I'm married to a pescetarian, and -- to be entirely honest -- it took some getting used to. Stephen didn't always eat fish, he was vegan when we met. Vegetarian for years after that. And when he decided to join "the dark side" (I'm just kidding) and eat the fruits of the sea, I didn't argue with him.

Let's get this out of the way. I bet many of you didn't think I'd do my write-up for this month's Foodie Book Club posting! I know, I'm incredibly late. And if you'd like to check out the postings of the people who were actually ON time, just go here. Some beautiful write-ups . . . and one gal even got to MEET our author, Molly Wizenberg. Also: I didn't end up taking photos of my recipe either (Arugula with Pistachios and Chocolate! from page 296, but I assure you it was delicious and, well, different.) because my camera ran out of battery!!! I promise to do better with this month's selection: The United States of Arugula.

What I love so much about this particular section of A Homemade Life is that it's a 180 degree turn from what Anthony Bourdain would say about vegetarians (last month's book was Bourdain's The Nasty Bits -- here's my review). Rather than condemn vegetarians, Molly writes . . . "In the nearly three decades since his birth, Brandon has not once eaten meat, but his palate has ventured further than that of many omnivores, mine included."

In the foodie world, it does seem that there is some disdain for vegetarian and vegan foods. And, regarding the point that Molly made about a sophisticated palate, many food lovers I've talked to have actually looked down upon my love of food, saying things like: "Well, you wouldn't know..." Because I don't eat the "finer dishes" like foie gras. I don't think chomping on a piece of fatty liver is any less disgusting than many of these people think chewing on some tofu is. But I digress . . . You can love food no matter what diet you choose to follow. You can create masterpieces no matter what ingredients you choose to use.

So, I appreciate Molly's choice to include a chapter for the vegetarians and vegans. A point in the book where we aren't criticized . . . instead brought to light for loving interesting/exotic/good foods -- just in a different way. I don't think my choice to be vegetarian has limited my exposure to some amazing eats, nor has it limited my ability to hone my cooking/baking skills. And I can't wait to try the Chana Masala recipe at the end of this particular chapter. YUM!

After reading A Homemade Life, I truly feel like Molly is one of my friends. Her stories of her childhood and life, her palatable descriptions of her favorite foods, her recipes -- they're all so familiar. I certainly enjoyed the book and will continue to enjoy the recipes. I only wish I had purchased a hardcover version, mine's already well worn.

And, in the spirit of having an adventurous palate, here are some new foods I'm trying this weekend:

Now, here's the deal with the Foodie Book Club for the future. You don't need to be "officially" signed up. Simply choose to read the book in any particular month . . . and feel free to post about it when the call for posts goes out. That way, we're not exclusive. You need not read every book every month. I want to keep it loose. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker@gmail.com. Be sure to have a lovely weekend. I'm excited for not just one, but TWO brunch dates with friends.

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A Homemade Life: Foodie Book Club Posting

>> Friday, April 30, 2010

Good morning, everyone! Here's the post where you can share a permalink to your Foodie Book Club review/recipe/photo essay/or whatever else you've come up with to discuss Molly Wizenberg's A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table. I can't wait to share with you all my write-up and recipe. Hoping to get it up on the blog by Monday morning.

And here's how you share your own creation: Simply enter your information in the following format in the list below -- something like Ashley M. [at] (never home)maker (but use your own info, of course). Again, please provide the specific link to the post about Wizenberg's book so we can all easily find your post.

You have until Friday, May 7 (that's one week) at 11PM EST to post to this page. I'll be making a sidebar graphic for easy access. Thanks, and please let me know if you any questions! (Psssst: If you just can't get enough of Molly's fantastically crafted prose, check out her blog -- Orangette -- her latest recipe is roasted rhubarb!)

Image Credit

New to (never home)maker? Have questions about the Foodie Book Club? Check out our Foodie Book Club Details post. And if you'd like a button for your sidebar so everyone can know you're in the club, just grab the one below!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!