National Banana Bread Day with Recipe Repost

       

Hello One & All!

It is February 23rd & that means National Banana Bread Day is here, such a yummy way to enjoy bananas. A fruit that has become very popular, did you know that the beautiful bananas we are used to eating today with their full sweet creamy satisfying fruit, were once mostly seeds which one had to suck on to get to the pulpy goodness we take for granted today?
Bananas are actually facing some serious difficulties which is something we should be aware of as our beloved fruit could face an untimely demise. Say it isn't so Kiki!
It is sadly true, Panama Disease is very real, has been here before, and our bananas face an uncertain future!
Let me drop some knowledge on you before I share my awesome Vegan, Gluten-free Banana Bread recipe.

Going bananas?

The serious threats facing the world’s favourite fruit

Learn how we can save the banana... And why that is so important.
When was the last time you ate a banana? Have you ever considered what it might be like if the famous musical hit 'Yes, we have no bananas' was to become a reality?

Such a scenario is not as unlikely as it may seem as the future of the world’s favourite fruit is under serious threat. And not for the first time...

In the first half of the 20th century, our parents and grandparents ate a delicious banana called Gros Michel, or Big Mike in colloquial terms. But in the 1950s a deadly strain of Panama disease wiped out almost all banana plantations in Central and South America. Despite the best efforts of growers, this most flavourful of fruits became virtually extinct.
In the second half of the 1900s banana producers across the world switched to a different cultivar, the so-called the Cavendish. Although less tasty than Gros Michel, Cavendish was resistant to the type of Fusarium that was causing Panama disease.

As a result, following enormous investments in infrastructural changes required to accommodate the Cavendish’s different growing and ripening needs, the banana industry was saved.
But not for ever… in the 1990s a new strain of the Fusarium fungus appeared and began to spread. Originating in Taiwan, it soon reached other South East Asian countries such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines – and even northern Australia. Thousands of hectares of Cavendish have already been destroyed and many will follow if we are unable to stop Panama disease.

Bananas

The worlds most favourite fruit crop

Panama disease is not only a huge concern for the global export banana sector. It exerts an even greater impact on the domestic production of this staple crop as many locally preferred cultivars are also endangered, threatening the livelihoods of millions of smallholder producers.
Some banana facts:

More than 100 billion bananas are consumed annually in the world, making it the fourth most important food crop after wheat, rice and corn.

85% of the world’s banana production is used for local consumption, and only 15% is exported (mainly to the USA and Europe).

Americans eat more bananas than any other fruit, with an average consumption of 11.9 kg per year, more bananas than apples and oranges combined.

 

visit http://panamadisease.org/  and pass the word along, let's save our yellow fruity delights!

 As promised, here is my recipe as an ode to Bananas on National Banana Bread Day. I posted this a little while ago but it's a really good recipe and I actually have bananas in need of bread baking; so why not post it here once more for those of you who really should't miss out?

   

It's gluten-free & dairy-free, I added egg to mine when making for guests but for Vegan goodness, which I prefer, you can replace it with flax "egg". I will include it. Enjoy it!

Here's the link to the original post and the recipe is also down below.

http://thekinkycoconut.blogspot.ca/2015/03/gluten-free-banana-bread.html

Gluten-free Banana Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

4 Large bananas mashed 1 3/4 Cups
1 LG egg or 1 flax "egg" (1 tbsp ground flax with 3 tbsp water, stir let sit 3 minutes until gummy)
3 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp walnut oil
1/2 Cup maple syrup
1/4 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Cup almond milk soured with 1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 Cup Bob's Redmill All-purpose Gluten-free Flour Blend
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
(Gluten-free flours burn more easily, it's best to bake at lower temperatures, especially when it's a heavier batter.)

-Line 2 loaf pans with coconut oil
-In a bowl mix wet ingredients
-In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients
-Add dry to wet, stir until well combined
-Fill each pan halfway, evenly share the dough between the two pans.
-Sprinkle with brown sugar on top

-Bake in the middle rack of the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. Turn the pans halfway and bake for another 20-30 minutes. Make sure a cake Pic comes out clean when you poke the bread in the middle.
-Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove from pan and allow to cool completely before slicing & serving.  

 

   I hope you enjoy this as much as we do, remember to leave comments or questions down below, don't forget to share with someone you love,and God bless you!
            

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote/ Pie Filling (refined sugar free)

Hey people, I am finally starting to feel better and am back with some recipes this week and I will be aiming to post a review as well. Thanks for being patient and continuing to check in while I was away.
Before we get to the lovely Compote recipe you came to check out, I want to say a very big
HAPPY 3 YEAR ANNIVERSARY to my beloved. 3 Years ago today my peanut butter asked his raspberry jam to be his girl and she said yes! We have been love boids ever since and I am feeling super blessed, blissed out, and very grateful for this huge gift Abba brought to our lives. I love you honey tongue!

Back to food.
So, we went to my aunt and uncles place just before I got sick, and I was really happy to get away from all the noise and concrete jungle of suburban life. They don't live in the country but they are at the midway point, far enough to be surrounded by houses with space and modern conveniences but a ways out enough, that it feels calmer, you feel like it's easier to breathe and much more relaxed. Cool thing is that my aunt has a garden and has been big on growing rhubarb, which I got to bring a bunch of home! If you didn't know, I adore this stuff. It's tart, tangy, bright, and mingles so well with strawberries that I go a bit nuts when I get my hands on it. I have been known to scoff it down without feeling guilty that I finished a whole mason jar in less than two days. Shocking I know, reminds me of the organic turkey bacon incident of 2013. Don't ask, Poppa Bear still brings it up with a tone of disbelief and reprimand every chance he gets, and I am still so okay with it. Teehee

Here's my rhubarb, yes, I got three bunches! Perfect for the 3 year anniversary, fun coinkidink!

 Below is the finished product, I didn't take pictures of the steps as I made this because there was a horrible storm out, the lighting was awful indoors and I was still too run down to make the effort to pull out extra lamps. I did however take pictures a few days later of a ginger rhubarb and cherry variation, which shows a quick breakdown, I also include the how to for that yum scrum recipe down below.

I had to stop eating this compote from regular markets a while ago, as the refined sugar was something I had become unable to tolerate and the amount of sugar used in jams, jellies, and compote/spreads, is so high now that I have found myself not liking it one bit. Hence this recipe that I decided to do on a whim, I used maple syrup and organic coconut sugar aka palm sugar. Yes, these both go through a refinement process and I would not recommend them all the day long, however, they are a great alternative and my tummy does not freak out when I use them. Bonus, they are way less sweet and I find this allows the actual fruit flavour to shine through instead of being masked.
If you have never heard of compote here's a little wikipedia action for you that will get you up to speed:
Compote (French for "mixture") is a dessert originating from medieval Europe, made of whole or pieces of fruit in sugar syrup. Whole fruits are cooked in water with sugar and spices. The syrup may be seasoned with vanilla, lemon or orange peel, cinnamon sticks or powder, cloves, other spices, ground almonds, grated coconut, candied fruit, or raisins. The compote is served either warm or cold.
Compote conformed to the medieval belief that fruit cooked in sugar syrup balanced the effects of humidity on the body. The name is derived from the Latin word compositus, meaning mixture. In late medieval England it was served at the beginning of the last course of a feast (or sometimes the second of three courses), often accompanied by a creamy potage. During the Renaissance, it was served chilled at the end of dinner. Kompot – made from the juice and syrup rather than the fresh – remains a popular drink made from homegrown fruit such as rhubarb, plum, sour cherry or gooseberries in Poland and Russia.
Compote may have been a descendant of a Byzantine dessert.
Because it was easy to prepare, made from inexpensive ingredients and contained no dairy products, compote became a staple of Jewish households throughout Europe.



Thanks wiki! Now for the recipe:

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB COMPOTE:

Ingredients:
4 Cups Fresh chopped rhubarb
3 Cups Sliced strawberries
1/2 Cup Spring water (if using frozen fruits, do not use more than 1/8 Cup of water)
1 tsp Lemon juice
2 Tbsp Vanilla extract
1/2 Cup Coconut sugar
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup (the darker one)
1/4 tsp Sea salt (pink)
2 tsp arrowroot starch mixed with 1 tsp water

Method:

-In a medium non-reactive, heavy based saucepan, add all *ingredients EXCEPT maple syrup and arrowroot starch. Keep the last two aside for now.
-Bring what is in pot to a boil, reduce heat to medium and stir.
-Add maple syrup and stir. Allow to cook on medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-Add arrowroot starch/water mixture into pot, stir right away until thoroughly incorporated. Allow to cook for 2-3 more minutes until thickened. Turn off heat and remove to hot plate, allow to cool.
-Once cool, you can fill in jars. I use 2x 500 ml mason jars. This recipe is not a canning recipe, it is really meant to be kept refrigerated and eaten within 2 weeks maximum.
-You can use the filling in an already cooked pie shell, as a dessert topping for cake/coffee cake, on ice cream, to layer a parfait, serve with pudding or whipped cream. The possibilities are limited to your imagination. I love it on toast and on waffles.

 *Here is the Cherry, Ginger Rhubarb variation. Talk about YUM! This one I devour on my gluten-free pumpkin spice waffles.

4 Cups Rhubarb chopped
3 Cups Sweet Dark Cherries, pitted
1 tsp Ginger, fresh grated. (use 1/2 tsp if you don't like an intense hit of ginger background flavour)
2 Tbsp Vanilla extract
1/4 tsp pink sea salt
1/2 Cup coconut sugar
1/8 Cup Maple syrup
1/2 Cup water (1/8 Cup if fruit is frozen)
2 tsp Arrowroot starch mixed with 1 tsp water.

Method and storage is the same as above. Please note that this recipe variation does not use the lemon juice. It is not needed, however if you want to add another flavour dimension, feel free to add1 tsp lime juice with the zest of 1 lime. What fun!
Oh, I hope you try this recipe out and let me know all about your kitchen adventures! Leave your comments or questions down below and remember to subscribe.

Creamy Whole 30 Chicken Pot Pie (Gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free)

Good morning lovelies, today is a comfort food 101, Whole 30 recipe. I lasted 13 days on the whole 30 journey because of severe allergies/eczema/weight gain-6lbs! I was not so happy with the results & was a bit disappointed in myself, until my wonderful booboo and I talked & figured out a better strategy. I am feeling better, have lost 4 lbs in the last week with extra exercise, modification of diet, and am relieved the symptoms have abated, allowing me to move forward. Thank you God for this man in my life & for the opportunity to learn.
In all of this, I came up with new recipes that I did not have reactions to, were very filling, nourishing, & Paleo/Whole 30 compliant. This recipe is definitely a heavier, winter, comfort food meal. I recommend this as a special once-in-a while treat, as most comfort food should be. It's chock full of healthy fats, scrumptious vegetables, protein, & that crunchy, satisfying mouth feel we look for. It's labour intensive, requires a few steps, but is worth the effort. Have fun!
The first recipe is the Kream sauce you will need to make this delightful concoction.

DAIRY-FREE SAVOURY WHOLE 30 KREAM SAUCE
Difficulty: Low
Cost Range: Medium to high
Time: Prep-10 mins. (after overnight nut soaking), Assembly-5mins
Yields: 3-4 Cups depending how much liquid you prefer
Freeze: Beautifully, last 1month

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 Cup raw almonds, soaked overnight & very well rinsed off in cold water.
1 tsp macadamia nut butter
1 tsp tahini
2 Tbsp ground white sesame
1 tsp walnut oil
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (good quality) 1 1/2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 Cup almond milk unsweetened plain (up to 3/4 cup if you prefer a more liquidy kream sauce, for the pot pie, I prefer thicker for chicken but thinner for beef.)

METHOD:
In a blender, mix all ingredients & blend until smooth and kreamy. Add a bit of almost milk to smooth out more if needed but only 1 Tbsp at a time.

Now the Pot pie recipe begins!

Whole 30 Chicken Pot Pie (Kreamy & Crunchy)
Difficulty: Medium to High
Cost Range: Medium to High
Time: Prep-45 mins. Bake-20-25mins (golden brown top)
Yields: 4 Large portions or 6 medium sized ramekins
Freeze: Beautifully, lasts 1 month

Preheat Oven to 350° F

INGREDIENTS :

1 Cup savoury Kream sauce
1 Cup almond milk unsweetened plain
Mix together & reserve (keep to the side)


1/3 Cup organic, peeled, small fine chopped celery (brunoise)
1/3 Cup organic, peeled, small fine chopped carrot (brunoise)
1/3 Cup organic, fine chopped onion
1/3 Cup bruised scallion (green spring onion you banged with the heel of the knife)
1 pkg sliced mushrooms sautéed
1/3 Cup frozen or fresh green peas
1 Large clove garlic
3 Chard leaves, no stem, chopped
2 Cups cooked chicken, cut into bite size pieces
1 Cup reduced chicken stock
1 tsp arrowroot starch mixed with 3 Tsp water (optional)
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp ground garlic powder
1/4 tsp fresh thyme
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp ground bay leaf
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh chives

METHOD:
Prepare all your ingredients

In 2 Tbsp olive oil sauté the onions for 1 minute, add the carrots and celery, cook for 3 minutes, stir. Add scallion, cook 1 minute.




Add stock, cook 2 minutes, making sure to scrape all the nice brown flavourful bits off the bottom of the pan while stirring. Add savoury Kream sauce and cook 2 minutes.
Add garlic, vegetables and seasonings. Stir and cook 2-3mins. At this point you may add the arrowroot starch if you want a thicker sauce or add a bit more almond milk to thin your sauce a bit. Check for flavour, as you may need to add more kream sauce & seasonings to keep it from becoming watered down.



Now for the crumble crust:
2 Tbsp ground white sesame seeds
1 Cup ground almond meal
1/4 Cup coconut flour
2 Tbsp Arrowroot starch
1 Tbsp Tapioca starch
1/2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp walnut oil
Mix all dry, add wet, mix together by hand. Yup, get dirty!
Mixture needs to hold together the way you see in the picture above, it must still be able to crumble though. Not too sticky, not too dry.



Fill your ramekins 3/4 full with your kreamy pot pie filling and then gently cover with the crumble, distributing it evenly over all the pot pies.
(At this point, I cover them really well & freeze the portions I need to.)
Bake your pot pies in your preheated oven for 25-40 minutes depending how dark and crunchy you like your topping. You must have at least a golden brown.
Serve with a side salad & share with a loved one.





Leave your comments below & let me know how this recipe turned out for you!