Vegan Cooking with TLC

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 first made Basil Berry Salad last summer when I had several types of fresh berries and some fresh basil in the refrigerator. I couldn't decide which berries I wanted eat and then I smelled the basil. I thought "Why not? What's the worst that can happen?" So I made it. It was simple and refreshing! I'm sure you could use any berries you like, but this is what I had in the refrigerator this week! Basil Berry Salad 1 small bunch fresh basil (about 1 Tbs after chopped) ½ pint raspberries ½ pint blackberries ½ pint blueberries 1 pint strawberries. Finely chop basil. Set aside. Wash and pit strawberries and cut into pieces close to the side of the other berries. Wash the rest of the berries. Be sure to pick out any overly ripe berries. Add all berries to a bowl . Add the basil. Gently mix berries and basil together careful not to bruise the berries. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to allow flavors...

Every time I make these nuts I wonder why I don't make them more often. They're easy to make and don't take all that long. They're nice to have in the pantry for a quick and easy snack, to serve at a party, or even to take on a hike. Tamari Lime Mixed Nuts ½ cup raw pistachios ½ cup raw peanuts ½ cup raw almonds ½ cup raw Brazil nuts ½ cup raw hazelnuts ½ cup raw cashews ½ cup raw walnuts ½ cup raw pecans 1 cup tamari sauce * Juice of 1-2 limes 2 teaspoons maple syrup or date syrup ** Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper . Mix nuts in a large bowl . Mix tamari sauce, lime juice, and syrup in a small bowl or 2-cup measuring cup. Pour sauce over nuts. Mix to cover nuts well. Allow to set for 5-10 minutes. Spread nuts in sheet pan in an even layer. Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes, shaking pan to move nuts around every 8-10 minutes. Nuts will turn brown a...

When I make granola I make a large portion because I like to have it to eat for breakfast and to snack on. As long as its stored in an airtight container, it lasts pretty well. We always eat it all within a week to ten days. Granola is easy to make, and my biggest problem is having all the ingredients in the house at the same time. That's why I often just make substitutes based on what I have on hand. Granola 2 cups rolled oats * 2 cups rye flakes * 2 cups speltflakes * 2 cups barleyflakes * 2 tablespoons ground flax seed 2 tablespoons chia seeds ¼ cup datesugar ½ cups sunflower seeds ½ cups pumpkin seeds 2 cups walnuts or almonds 2 cups dried berries, cherries, and/or raisins** ½ cup cranberry juice , or other fruit juice*** 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together oats, flax seed, chia seeds, date...

When I first started eating a plant-based diet, I ate smoothies almost daily. I don't eat them as often now because I've found other ways to make sure I'm getting a wide variety of healthy, nutrient dense foods in my daily diet. I used Dr. Gregor's Daily Dozen as a guide for making sure I eat all the nutrients I need each day. The Daily Dozen app (available free for both iphone and android devices) is great for helping to track eating habits. A smoothie is a great way to knock off several items on the list quickly and easily; however, the there are pros and cons to eating smoothies . (I would recommend watching the whole 5-part series starting with the one linked.)  We almost always eat a smoothie at least one morning of the weekend. It's a nice change of pace from the oats we eat many other days. Also, smoothies are great for those days when getting in all the nutrient dense food isn't quite working out. We've been known to do a smoothie for di...

This week I had a craving for sweet potato fries, so I decided to make them and share my recipe. These are a healthy no-oil bake version that I really enjoy. The sweetness of the sweet potato combined with the smoky mild heat of the paprika makes these a nice accompaniment to a variety of sandwiches and salads. They also make a nice snack. Sweet Potato Fries 4 small sweet potatoes 2 cups apple cider 1-2 teaspoons paprika * 1 teaspoon no salt seasoning mix Cut sweet potatoes lengthwise into fry-shaped pieces. Place in a mediumbowl . Mix apple cider, paprika, and seasoning mix in a small bowl. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pour apple cider marinade over sweet potatoes. Cover. Marinate for 10 minutes. Stir gently. Marinate another 10 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper . Place sweet potatoes in a single layer on baking sheet. Brush with marinade. Sprinkle with a little more paprika.   Set marinade aside. Bake sweet pota...

This week I'm sharing two very similar recipes Raw Applesauce and Raw Cinnamon Applesauce . They weren't my planned recipes, but when I discovered enough apples on our apple tree, I decided to go ahead and make applesauce and share the recipes. This is a basic raw applesauce. I don't specify the number of apples because I've made this recipe with as few as 2 apples when I needed applesauce for a recipe I was making or a full blender full of apples like this time. Raw Applesauce   Apples Wash apples. Core and slice into pieces cutting out any bad spots. Fill blender with apples. Slowly increase speed on blender until blending on high. Blend until smooth pushing apples down when necessary. Place in airtight containers and place in the refrigerator.  Can be frozen for longer storage if necessary.

These granola bars work great for a breakfast on the run, a day hiking, or an afternoon golfing. They make an easy mid-afternoon snack or even a simple dessert. I might like them a bit too much. They never last very long around my house. This particular version is fairly sweet. As I mentioned in a previous recipe, maple syrup doesn't have the nutritional value molasses has; however, it enhances the flavor of these granola bars. Everything else in this recipe is included for its nutritional value as well as the flavor. Sweet Peanut Granola Bars ½ cup peanut butter 1 banana, mashed 2 tablespoons molasses 4 tablespoons maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon cinnamon * 1 teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon cardamom ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ** Pinch of ground cloves 2 cups thick rolled oats 1 tablespoon goji berries 2 tablespoons dried blueberries 1 tablespoon cacao nibs 1 teaspoon hemp seeds 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds Preheat oven...

I named this recipe Wintery Granola because the flavor profile reminded me of eating apple pie or drinking hot spiced apple cider on a winter day.  I first made it on a rainy Autumn day because I found dried apples in the pantry and apple cider in the refrigerator.  I made Wintery Granola yesterday to satisfy a craving and decided to go ahead and share it even though it's obviously not winter. I like to eat this granola any time of the year, but it always reminds me of winter...  Wintery Granola ½ cup spelt flakes ½ cup rye flakes ½ cup barley flakes ½ cup triticale flakes ½ cup kamut kharosan flakes ½ cup thick rolled oats 1 cup dried apples cut, into small pieces 2 dried whole bananas, cut into pieces 1 cup almonds ¼ cup goji berries ½ cup dried blueberries 2 teaspoons ground  cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground  ginger ½ teaspoon ground  cardamom 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ cup molasses ...