Zucchini Banana Nut Muffins (Vegan)

I'm just gonna go ahead and warn you now; there will be many-a-squash recipe on the blog in the next few weeks. Squash season is in full swing which means three for a dollar at the Farmer's Market on Saturday. How could I not come home with three squash (squashes?) every week?

These muffins came out better than expected and as crazy as it may sound I think they taste better with time. The room temperature one I ate for breakfast this morning was even tastier than when they first came out of the oven a couple days ago. Go figure. These muffins are made with no added oil, no white sugar, no white flour, no eggs and no butter. They are made with fruit, veggies, nuts, whole wheat flour, almond milk and chia seeds.

Zucchini Banana Nut Muffins

Lightly adapted from this recipe.

• 1 3/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 Chia Seeds
• 1 Lose Cup of Vegan Brown Sugar (approximately 2/3 cup packed)
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• Pinch of Sea Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1 Cup Grated Zucchini
• 2 Overripe Bananas, Mashed
• 1 Cup Almond Milk
• 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 Cup Chopped Pecans (or Walnuts)

Makes 12 muffins.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you're not using muffins liners, lightly grease muffin tin. 

Combine flour, chia seeds, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. In another medium or large size bowl, grate the zucchini and mash the bananas. Mix in the almond milk and then the pecans. Add the dry mix to the wet mix, do not over mix. Spoon or pour the batter into the muffin tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the muffins feel firm, with little give with pressed down lightly. Allow to cool before consuming. Enjoy them plain or however you like. I like mine topped with peanut butter. 

What's your favorite summer squash? 

What's your favorite way to enjoy it?

Whole Wheat Rosemary Bread (Vegan)

Happy Monday Everyone! 

It seems like it's been forever since I've posted an actual recipe, but today I've got a good one for you! I realize the idea of baking bread is not that enticing in the summer, especially as we begin the hottest months of the year (July, how did you sneak up on us so fast?), but this past weekend has been rainy and cool in Colorado. And if there is one thing I have learned in the three months of living here it is never complain about the rain. In a state constantly threatened by wildfires, you learn to love and appreciate every single drop of moisture. So after work yesterday I embraced the rain by baking a delicious loaf of whole bread made with fresh rosemary from my herb garden. To say my house smelled absolutely heavenly last night is the understatement of the year. 

This recipe comes together really easily, even if you have never baked bread before go ahead and give this one a try and impress your friends and family. It's so delicious I had to stop myself from eating more for breakfast (I decided to go with a smoothie bowl instead) because I knew I'd want some with dinner. I should just call this recipe the Disappearing Loaf. Come winter I think this recipe would be fantastic to make bread bowls with for soup... I'll have to keep that in mind.

Whole Wheat Rosemary Bread

Adapted from A Hint of Honey

• 1 Cup Warm Water
• 1 Packet of Active Dry Yeast
• 1 Tablespoon Pure Cane Sugar (I actually used brown sugar, honey or pure maple syrup would also work)
• 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary, chopped
• 1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Garlic, minced
• 1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil + more for greasing the bowl
• 1 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 2/3 Cup All Purpose Flour + more for kneading

Makes 1 Loaf.
Start by combining the water, yeast and sugar in a large bowl, set aside for 10 minutes to allow it to proof. Mix in the salt, rosemary, garlic, pepper and oil. Mix in the whole wheat flour and then the all purpose flour. Stir until it is too thick to and then begin kneading either on a clean, floured surface or right in the bowl, adding flour as needed so the dough isn't sticky. Knead for about 5 minutes or until smooth.

Using olive oil, lightly grease the inside of the bowl, place the dough back in, cover with a clean dish cloth and allow to rise for about an hour or until doubled in size. Punch the dough down, form into a loaf and place on a silpat or parchment paper. Allow to rise for another 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven (and pizza stone if you have one) to 400 degrees. If desired, you can brush the top of the bread with a thin layer of olive oil and sprinkle on some more rosemary. Transfer the bread with the silpat or parchment paper onto the pizza stone (or cookie sheet if you don't have one). Bake approximately 25-30 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes. Then slice into your freshly baked homemade bread, relax as the aroma wafts through your home and take your first bite of this delicious bread. Try not to eat it all.

What's your favorite kind of homemade bread?

Toasted Coconut Banana Pancakes (Vegan)

Saturday morning I woke up and decided it was a pancake morning. Some days are pancake days and it doesn't do you any favors to ignore that fact. Nine times out of ten when I make pancakes, it's this kind- it's my absolute favorite! Pancakes should always be made with bananas and coconut in my opinion. Then again, if you've been hanging out at my blog, you've probably noticed I think most things are better with bananas and coconut. 

Now before we get to the recipe, there's something I should mention. Every time I make these pancakes I also get this song playing in my head. So if you plan on making these pancakes, make sure you have this song playing in the background; it makes them taste better I swear.

Toasted Coconut Banana Pancakes

Adapted from Chef in Disguise

• 1 1/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar (I used Beet Sugar)
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 Cup Almond Milk
• 1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Ripe Banana
• Coconut Oil for Cooking
• Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (I totally forgot to measure how much I used, I just sprinkled away!)

Makes 4 Large Pancakes.

Warm skillet or griddle to a medium-low heat. Place about 1 teaspoon of coconut oil on the surface and spread it around as it melts to grease the pan. Sprinkle a thin layer of shredded coconut onto the pan and allow to toast. While that's heating, in a medium sized bowl, mix the first four ingredients together. Then mix in the almond milk and apple cider vinegar until just combined; try not to overmix. Ladle about 1/3 cup of the batter onto the heated surface. Thinly slice the banana and place the slices on top of the pancake batter. Allow to cook until small bubbles begin to form, flip the pancake and cook for another minute or two. Repeat with the rest of the batter, adding more coconut oil and shredded coconut as needed. Serve with pure maple syrup or fresh strawberry sauce or whatever you like (I like honey on mine). And if you're feeling really fancy, you can even mix chocolate chips into the batter.

Today is Tuesday so that means I must announce the winner of my first ever giveaway! Drum roll, please...

The winner is Hannah from Grove St. Kitchen! I loved her idea of using the vanilla extract in nut butters, I can't wait to try it. Congratulations Hannah! I'll be contacting you soon so I can send you your vanilla extract.  As for everyone else, be on the lookout for my next giveaway!

Happy Tuesday!

What are your favorite kind of pancakes?

Garlic Whole Wheat Flatbread (Vegan)

I'm just going to be honest and come out and say it. This morning for breakfast I had an everything bagel with guacamole. Now, before you start judging me, allow me to explain. Last night at work we had leftover bagels that we were able to take home. Being as poor as I am, I'm not about to pass up free food, especially everything bagels- score! What I didn't consider is that we don't have any butter or cream cheese in our house; I rarely consume either of those products. We do have almond butter, but I thought that would be weird. I used to just toast bagels and eat them plain so that's what I was prepared to do until Molly suggested dipping the bagel in some guac. My ears perked up- any excuse to eat more avocados! And you know what? It wasn't half bad! I'd eat it again actually. Plus, topping my bagel with fruits and vegetables is always going to be a healthier option than dairy products loaded with saturated fat and growth-hormones. So the moral of the story is sometimes I eat weird combinations of foods and that's okay and sometimes it's even better that way. 

After that strange, but oh-so-tasty breakfast combination, I thought I should make something a little more...traditional. And what combination is more traditional than garlic and bread? Now for this flatbread recipe you have a few options when it comes to the garlic portion. In my opinion, if you have a little extra time or if you are able to do it ahead of time, you should totally roast the garlic. This will give it a mild, caramelized flavor that won't reek as much havoc on your breath. To roast garlic, all you do is slice the top off of the garlic bulb, just enough to expose the cloves inside. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, rub in the oil well, wrap it loosely in aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 45 minutes or until the garlic  is soft. Then you just squeeze the garlic out of the peel and viola! Delicious roasted garlic!

The other options are simpler and will save you some time- just used garlic powder or minced garlic. Whatever you have to do to get that garlic flavor in there! You won't regret it.

This flatbread is great to just have on hand. Whenever I buy flatbread at the store it never goes to waste, I always find ways to use it- usually wishing I had more. You could eat it with your favorite curry dish, use it as a wrap for a sandwich, as crust for pizza or on the side of a salad such as this Curried Lentil Salad.

Garlic Whole Wheat Flatbread

• 1 Package Active Dry Yeast
• 1 Cup Warm Water
• 1 Tablespoon Agave, Pure Maple Syrup or Honey (for non-vegans)
• 1/3 Cup Almond Milk
• 2 Teaspoons Sea Salt
• Garlic (1 roasted bulb, 2 teaspoons garlic powder or 3 garlic cloves, minced)
• 3 1/2-4 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
• Oil for cooking

Makes 12 Flatbreads.

Dissolve yeast in warm water and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Mix in the sweetener, almond milk, sea salt and garlic. Add in flour a little at a time as needed. If you find that the dough is too dry just add a teaspoon of water at a time until the dough is soft again. Turn dough out on to a clean, lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth. Return dough to bowl and cover with a damp towel and allow to rise for one hour. An hour later the dough should have about doubled in size, punch it down and roll the dough into 2 inch balls. Place on a baking sheet, cover with towel and allow to rise for 30 more minutes. Preheat pan to high heat and lightly oil. Roll each ball into a thin circle and one at a time place them in the heated pan. Cook 1-2 minutes until the bread begins to bubble, flip bread and cook another 1-2 minutes. Repeat until all the dough has been cooked. Serve and enjoy!

*You can also mix in onion powder, rosemary, coriander, cumin...get creative!

What do you usually top your bagels with?

Whole Wheat Tortillas (Vegan)

The first roommate I had when I got to Maui made homemade tortillas all the time. I think they may have been some of the best things I've ever tasted. There is nothing quite like a warm, freshly made tortilla. She knew to make a whole extra batch just for our other roommate and I because we loved them so much and would have eaten all of hers. 

After being spoiled by her, store-bought tortillas just don't cut it for me. So when I found this recipe, I couldn't wait to try it. It's so simple- only four ingredients, ingredients that I always have on hand and they only take thirty minutes to make. Plus, they don't contain lard which most tortilla recipes I've found do. I love tortillas and by making my own for only cents each, not only will it save me from consuming all those additives that store-bought tortillas contain, it will also save me money. And anyone who knows me knows I'm all about saving money.

All you need is two cups of whole wheat flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 3/4 cup of water and three tablespoons of olive oil. Mix all the ingredients together. Knead the dough for a minute or two, roll it into a ball and let it rest for about ten minutes.

Then divide the dough into eight equal pieces. Roll the pieces into flat circles. Cook them in a skillet and you're done. Simple as that.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

Adapted from: Taste of Home

• 2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 3/4 Cup Warm Water
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder (optional)

Makes 8 tortillas.

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt, mix in the water and olive oil. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for approximately one minute or until the dough is a smooth texture. Let rest for 10 minutes. While the dough is resting, heat a greased skillet over medium heat. Divide the dough in 8 sections. On a floured surface, roll each section into a flat circle, about 7 inches across. Place the dough, one at a time, in the skillet. Once it starts to bubble, flip it. If the dough overcooks or if the skillet isn't pre-heated, the tortillas will become too stiff. Keep warm under a clean dish towel until ready to serve. Enjoy! Refrigerate to store. 

Options: For larger, burrito-size tortillas, divide the dough into 5-6 sections and roll the tortillas into larger circles. For perfectly circular tortillas, roll out the sections and use a bowl as a stencil and trace around it with a knife. To save time, I found that I had exactly enough time to roll out a section while one was cooking, rather than rolling them all out ahead of time. 

What's your favorite way to eat tortillas? Fajitas? Tacos? Enchiladas? Chips?

Peace & Love,

Joy