Barbecue Black Bean Sweet Potato Quesadillas (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

It all started last week. Molly and I were talking with our friend Chris and somehow we got on the subject of eating black beans, sweet potatoes and barbecue sauce together. Chris thought it was just about the most disgusting combination imaginable; Molly and I were practically drooling talking about it. There was only one way to get Chris to believe us: We had to make him some Barbecue Black Bean Sweet Potato Quesadillas. So Friday night, we did just that.

But before I get to that, LOOK AT THIS:

No, this is not a duplicate picture or a repeat from this post. This is fresh snow that was not here when I went to bed last night. And it's still coming down hard. Will it ever end? 

On a happier note, I discovered another great vegan bagel topping; a thin layer of mashed or pureed sweet potato. You're probably thinking you're topping a carb with a carb? And to that I say, I still haven't received my first paycheck so I eat free food that we already have at the house whatever strange combination that may be. Besides, you put a banana on your toast or in a sandwich don't you? *sticks tongue out immaturely* 

*Ahem* Moving on.

Back to the quesadillas...So Friday night Molly and I went over Chris's house and made him this delicious meal. And you know what? He likes it, hey Mikey! (old Life cereal commercial, anyone?) And how could you not love this spicy, sweet, smokey flavor combination?

This meal is easy, simple, cheap, filling, tasty and loaded with nutritious ingredients like sweet potatoes, black beans, onions, cayenne pepper and cinnamon (yes, spices are good for you!). For an added nutritional boost, mix in your favorite leafy green. Another reason this meal is great? If you are dining in the company of people with different dietary preferences, it's easy to customize to their needs while still all enjoying the same meal.

Barbecue Black Bean Sweet Potato Quesadillas

Recipe by Molly

• 1 Large Sweet Potato
• 1 Can of Black Beans
• 1/2 Cup of Diced Onion 
• 8 Tortillas* 
• Colby Jack Cheese, optional** 
• 1/4-1/3 Cup Barbeque Sauce***
• Pinch of Cumin
• Pinch of Cinnamon
• Sea Salt, Fresh Ground Pepper and Cayenne Pepper to taste
• Coconut Oil for Cooking****

*Use Corn Tortillas for Gluten-Free. Vegans make sure they're free from any animal products or just make these.

**Vegans either omit cheese, substitute your favorite vegan cheese or sprinkle some nutritional yeast.

***Read the labels on the barbeque sauce, to make sure they are vegan and gluten-free, but also be careful because many list high-fructose corn syrup and modified corn starch as some of their first ingredients.

****It is not necessary to cook specifically with coconut oil, I just prefer to do so because it has a higher heat tolerance, therefore it is better for you because it is less likely to turn into a trans fat during the cooking process.

Makes 3 Quesadillas (12 wedges).

Bake the sweet potato for 35-45 minutes at 425 degrees or until soft. Scoop the potato out from it's skin and mash it with a fork. Mix in diced onion, cumin, cinnamon, sea salt, pepper and cayenne pepper, set aside. (To save time, prepare the sweet potato mixture ahead of time). Drain and rinse black beans. Heat skillet over medium-high heat, melt oil. Take tortillas, on one smear the sweet potato mixture, sprinkle with beans (and cheese or nutritional yeast). Take another tortilla and generously spread the barbeque sauce across it, covering the whole side. Flip the side with the barbeque sauce onto the side with the sweet potato. Place in skillet and flatten with spatula to ensure it sticks together. Cook for approximately 3-5 minutes on each side, or until tortilla is toasted and the inside warmed. Repeat this process to make the other two quesadillas. Serve with sliced avocado, guacamole, or cashew sour cream. As always, enjoy!

What are your favorite strange, although tasty food combinations?

Let's Paint the Town [Green]

First of all, allow me to apologize in advance. This is a rather long post, but it's mostly pictures, so that's not so bad, right? Also, there is no tasty recipe at the end (but there are pictures! lots of pictures!). 

Let me explain. 

In case you were unaware, today is Earth Day! And I thought it would only be appropriate to talk about this planet of ours.

Big Sur, California

 It is not my goal today to shove my beliefs in other people's faces. Nor is it my goal to spew out a bunch of facts. I care about this planet and I'm continually learning how to take better care of it. I just want to share that in celebration of today.

Bamboo Forest, Maui

I eat the way I do for many different reasons and one of those reasons is because it is so much better for the earth. When people think about vegans and vegetarians they tend to focus on the animal rights aspect of it, which is very important, but not the whole story. 

Kangamangus Highway, New Hampshire

The consumption of animal products has a major global effect. Many of the world's crops, approximately one-third, are fed to livestock. It takes thousands of gallons of water to produce just one pound of meat. Not to mention the fuel used to transfer livestock from ranch to slaughterhouse to packaging plant to distributor to grocery store causes major pollution.

Kohala Mountain Road, Island of Hawaii

 Okay, so maybe I'll spout off a couple facts, but that's it, I promise. If you are interested in learning more about the global effects of meat consumption, check out this post by Sarah from The Sweet Life. She explains it much more eloquently than I ever could. You can also check out this article by The New York Times, Rethinking the Meat Guzzler, it's a few years old, but still very informative.

Colorado

Seriously, guys, look at the world around you! Is it not gorgeous?

Haleakala Summit -Maui

And breath-taking?

Kailua-Kona, Island of Hawaii

I want to leave behind a beautiful world for my children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren to experience and discover.

Elephant Seals -California Coast

I want to hear them laugh at the funny creatures we share this space with.

Manta Ray -Island of Hawaii

I want them to be able to explore the ocean and it's inhabitants the way I have. People often ask me if I'm scared of sharks when I go diving, but the sad truth is that out of the countless times I have gone diving, I have only seen one shark. Some people may view this as a good thing, but I assure you it is not. To put it simply, we will all be in trouble if sharks disappear from our oceans. They are a vital part of our ecosystem and are a huge factor in keeping our oceans clean and balanced. For more information, check out the Shark Savers website.

Hawiian Monk Seal (critically endangered) -Island of Hawaii

There are many species that I would love for my children to be able to see and experience in person, not read about in books because they have disappeared.

Aerial View of Utah

Our world is so diverse. I'd like it to stay that way.

Pololu Valley Lookout -Island of Hawaii

I don't want our trees to disappear or our oceans to die.

Jamestown, Rhode Island

I want to pay attention to the little details and the subtle beauty in nature. 

Island of Hawaii

I just want to remember to not take this world for granted. To remember that it is up to us to take care of it. That unless we do something, the world as we know it will no longer exist.

Mahana Beach- Island of Hawaii

Thank you for allowing me to rant today today (believe me, it could have been oh, so much worse, just ask my family). Now I want to hear from you. 

What are some ways you help protect and conserve our planet?

What are you passionate about when it comes to being green?

I hope you are all having a wonderful Monday.

Happy Earth Day!

*These are my personal photos. I would love it if you didn't take them and use them as your own. Thanks.

Vegan Banana Cake

Bread? Cake? Bread? Cake?

This was the debate going on in my head as I tried to determine what to call this banana deliciousness. I originally came up with this recipe while I was living in Maui. My friend, who was vegan, loved banana bread, but as it's traditionally made with eggs and butter he was unable to partake of it. Being the oh-so-compassionate *read always up for a baking challenge* person that I am, I took it upon myself to create a tasty vegan banana bread. I believe I have done just that (and I think the whole loaves that were consumed within the day they were made stand as proof).

Fast forward to this morning. 

I had not made this recipe since I left Maui in February. Now for those of you a little rusty on your geography, Colorado Springs is slightly higher in altitude than Wailuku, HI where this recipe was born. And for those of you unfamiliar with baking, altitude affects baking results. So as you can imagine, I was slightly nervous that this banana bread would be a giant flop.

As you can tell from the pictures, it came out just fine, if not just more cake-like. However, I am unsure if the cakiness (yes, I've decided that's a word) is more of a result of the altitude or the fact that neither Molly or I have a loaf pan anymore so I had to use two cake pans to bake it.

 It would have been totally awesome if i had a food processor and some cashews. Then I could have made some cashew cream to smear in between and on top of the cakes to make a layered banana cake. That would have been really tasty. But I'll just throw that idea out there for you guys to try and hopefully sometime in the near future I'll be able to make it too. 

Okay, I'm done rambling now. On to the recipe! 

Vegan Banana Cake

• 3 Ripe Bananas
• 1/3 Cup Coconut Oil, melted or at least softened
• 2/3 Cup Pure Cane Sugar (Date, Palm or Coconut are fine, too)
• 1/3 Cup Almond Milk (2/3 Cup for muffins or cupcakes)
• 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 Flax Egg (1 Tablespoon Ground Flax seed dissolved in water)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

Makes 1 loaf or 2 6-inch cakes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flax seed with 3 tablespoons water and set aside. In a medium bowl, use a fork to mash the bananas with coconut oil and sugar, mix well. Add flaxseeds, vanilla and milk, mix well. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add the dry mix to the wet and stir until just combined, do not over mix. Pour batter into loaf or cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and removed cleanly. 

One thing is for sure, this recipe has been tested at various altitudes and always comes out dense and moist. Whether you decided to make it a bread or a cake, I will leave that up to you.

So what would you call this recipe? Cake or Bread?

Have you had much experience baking at different altitudes?