Vegan Cooking with TLC

This banana bread makes a great breakfast while being just sweet enough to also serve as a dessert. I served it toasted with a fruit salad for breakfast and with tea for dessert after dinner. It is also good for an afternoon snack.  The chocolate chips will make it a bit more decadent and dessert-like. Omit them if you want a less sweet version Banana Mango Hazelnut Spelt Bread 2 cup spelt flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 tablespoon ground flax seeds 2 tablespoons hot water 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1 cup mashed banana (approximately 3) ½ cup date sugar 2 cups unsweetened hazelnut milk* ½ cup hazelnut pulp 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ cup dried mango ½ cup hazelnuts** ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips (optional) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place flax seeds and hot water in a small b...

I have created so many variations of banana bread, I've lost count. Banana bread feels like a basic to me, so I tend to build off it to create other recipes. I do this with many recipes. Start with a basic, traditional recipe and then start experimenting with little tweaks and big changes combining ideas from multiple sources and looking for ways to make it as healthy as possible. Chocolate Banana Bread is quite sweet and definitely dessert-like. Adding the spices to this recipe elevated its flavor profile nicely adding a bit of interest without the spice overwhelming the other flavors. Chocolate Banana Bread 2 cups spelt flour* 1 cup whole wheat flour* 2 tablespoons ground flax seed 2 tablespoons hot water 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1 cup mashed banana (approximately 3) ½ cup date sugar ½ cup hazelnut pulp 1 ½ cup unsweetene...

This is one of several versions of banana bread I've created over time. I like to play with the ingredients in classic recipes. I don't make this particular banana bread as often as some others, but I always enjoy it when I do. Combining bananas, chocolate, and coffee just seemed natural. This banana bread makes a good breakfast, a great afternoon snack with tea or coffee, and a satisfying dessert when served with some berries on the side. I also like to toast slices after the first day. The toasted Mocha Banana Bread kind of reminds me of French Toast. Mocha Banana Bread 3 cups whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds 1 tablespoons hot water 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves ½ cup unsweetened cocao powder 1 cup mashed banana (approximately 3) ¼ cup molasses * ¼ cup maple syrup * ½ cup peanut butter ½ cup unsweetene...

I have created multiple versions of banana bread. I think banana bread is easy to play with and come up with a variety of flavor combinations. I'll share many of those recipes, the ones that work anyway, over time. This one I specify red fife flour* because using that flour with the cardamom just seemed to create its own unique flavor. You could use any flour you want, but it won't be quite the same. That said, red fife flour isn't always the easiest flour to find, at least where I live. Banana Cardamom Red Fife Bread 3 cups red fife flour 2 tablespoon ground flax seeds 2 tablespoons hot water 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cardamom 1 teaspoon matcha powder (optional) ½ cup date sugar ** 1 cup mashed banana (approximately 3) 2 cups nut milk *** Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place flax seeds and hot water in a small bowl and mix until well blended. Set aside to thicken. Sift together flour, b...