Banana Cake -- vegan, free of gluten and cane sugar

There are banana eaters in this house. I am not one of them. Occasionally, they let some bananas slip through the cracks. When this happens, and we end up with a very brown, very ripe banana sitting on the counter, I freeze it. The banana eaters in this house quite like banana bread and banana cake in all its incarnations. This one is delicately imbued with ceylon cinnamon and vanilla, and uses chia seeds, almond flour, and coconut flour.

ingredients:

2 1/2 cups mashed OVERRIPE bananas

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup finely ground chia seeds

1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup almond flour
1 cup coconut flour

2 tsp baking soda


extra coconut sugar for sprinkling on top. I went crazy and used around 3 tbsp ...

directions:

1. combine the ingredients in the order listed
2. I used a hand blender to puree but you can do it how you like. Fork?
3. scoop the (thick) batter into a square silicone pan (I used a 9 inch) and flatten and smooth
4. sprinkle the top of the cake with plenty of coconut sugar before baking
5. bake at 345 for 60 minutes

Little Fishy Crackers, and why I'm a crazy lady.

"Mom, can we get goldfish crackers?"
"No, son."
"Why not?"
Why not? Let me count the ways: 1) I'm a controlling food-fascist who won't let my kid eat processed  snacks. 2) there is nothing redeeming about them 3) they are made by 'big food' 4) gross -- bad oil, bad flour, added chemicals ...

Anyway. I made these:

Little fishy crackers.

Good news: my son loves them. He ate about half the batch before they made it off the cooling rack.
Bad news? I'm a controlling food-fascist.

Which bothers me. But at the same time my child has no cavities (unlike many many of his peers), no longer has eczema on his face, gets rashes when he eats treats at people's parties (such as pretzels), gets 'digestive issues' when he eats other people's birthday cakes (I blame the weird oils in the icing), gets rashes all over his body from fruit grown with pesticides ... Is robust and healthy and full of energy on the fascistic diet I make him follow. Whole foods, no added chemicals, no food dye, no processed and packaged food.

So, oh well.

I made these with organic kamut, which is a type of ancient wheat that doesn't have the modifications that modern wheat does. That being said, a our family has a host of inflammatory related reactions to food, we do limit the amount of wheat -- and grain in general -- that we consume. So, these, to my son, are a lovely treat. I used a combination of vegetable bouillon powder and granulated garlic. Next time I think I'll throw in a little mesquite and onion powder. Just for fun.

ingredients:

1 cup kamut flour
1/4 cup finely ground chia seeds
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp vegetable bouillion (an organic one with sea salt in it)

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup ice water


directions:

1. preheat the oven to 345
2. combine the dry ingredients
3. using a fork, cut in the coconut oil
4. once the ingredients resemble sand, add the cold water and form a lovely dough
5. roll the dough out on a silicone mat and cut it into fish shapes (I did this on the mat that I would bake it on and didn't move them again.) I did this in 2 parts on 2 silicone mats. Or use baking parchment!
6. bake at 345 for about 14 minutes -- let them get crisp and lightly brown


next time:
1 tbsp mesquite powder
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp turmeric



I cut these by hand ... with a butter knife. And separated them out after they were baked.

Creamy Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Creamy milk chocolate ice cream today, friends. Luscious, creamy, smooth, date-based frozen confection given added dreaminess of lovely mellow coconut milk. An excellently delicious vegan dessert.

ingredients:

1 cup pitted honey dates
3 cups hot water
1/2 to 1 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1 cup raw cacao
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp stevia

1/2 cup coconut nectar
400 ml can of coconut milk




directions:
1. combine the dates and the hot water, tthe coconut oil, and allow to sit for 10 minutes
2. add the coconut nectar then puree with an immersion blender (or in your blender if you have one!!!)
3. add the rest of the ingredients and mix well
4. chill thoroughly!!

Big ridiculous vegan gluten free chocolate Birthday cake -- 4 layers, baby!!

My son asked me to make a really huge cake for his birthday. So, I did. Four layers of delectable chocolate cake, filled with rich vegan chocolate ganache, frosted all over with a gooey chocolate icing. Fantastic. It was a big hit, and good to the last piece that was still moist and flavourful a week later ... at which point we fell into a cake coma ...

ingredients:

2 cups hot water
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil (organic and unrefined)

1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup date sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar


4 tsp egg replacer + 1 cup cool water

1 cup raw cacao

2 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp stevia powder

 2 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 cup ground chia seeds

4 tbsp coconut flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

directions:

preheat the oven to 345
prepare your baking tins. I did a double batch and used 2 x 8" silicone square pans  and 2 x 9" square silicone pans and just gave them a once over with coconut oil. For metal pans, use coconut oil as well as parchment.

1. combine the first 2 ingredients. Let them sit for a few minutes until the coconut oil melts.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients in the order listed.
3. divide into your pans. Makes 3 small round layers, 2 eight inch square layers, or 24 small cakes
4. bake at 345 for 1 hour in the upper half of the oven
5. allow to cool at least a little before removing from the pan. Cakes will be more delicate than traditional flour cakes.

I chose to fill with ganache, and frost with a gooey thick chocolate icing:

Ganache filling

Gooey Chocolate Icing

Gooey Chocolate Icing

ingredients:

1 cup pitted honey dates
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup unrefined cacao butter
1/2 cup coconut nectar

2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp stevia



1 cup raw cacao

1 can coconut milk



directions:
1. combine the hot water, dates, and coconut oil and cacao butter. If the cacao butter isn't melting, heat everything up a little. Let sit for 10 minutes to fully soften dates.
2. puree with an immersion blender until beautifully smooth
3. mix in the coconut nectar, cacao, vanilla, sea salt, stevia, and coconut milk
4. cool

Vegan Chocolate Ganache

This is great between the layers. It gives structural integrity to the cake, and tastes amazing.

ingredients:

1 cup pitted honey dates
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup unrefined cacao butter
1/2 cup coconut nectar

2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp stevia



1 cup raw cacao

directions:
1. combine the hot water, dates, and coconut oil and cacao butter. If the cacao butter isn't melting, heat everything up a little. Let sit for 10 minutes to fully soften dates.
2. puree with an immersion blender until beautifully smooth
3. mix in the coconut nectar, cacao, vanilla, sea salt, and stevia
4. cool

Creamier Vegan Fudge

Colin loves this. Now, with more chia and no flax. You know. I use the term fudge loosely. This bears no resemblance to condensed milk and corn syrup. It's a dense, lovely, sweet, delicious, rich, chocolate concoction that will uplift your spirit and entrance your taste buds. You'll think you're eating candy. You'll think you're dancing with the devil. But you won't be. You'll be feeding your body and your spirit with good real food that truly grows on this amazing planet of ours. Namaste.

I can't keep this stuff in the house. It's loaded with stuff that is amazing for you, and a piece or two makes a fantastic treat when you are in need of something chocolate and decadent.


ingredients:

2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup cacao

1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp ground vanilla bean ( I did 4 tbsp one time but I do admit I'm insane)
1 tsp stevia powder optional

1/2 cup ground chia seeds


1 cup dates

1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp vanilla extract


directions:

1. put coconut, cacao, salt, vanilla, stevia, ground chia in your food processor
2. process!!!
3. add 1 cup dates -- pick them over to make sure there are no pits or you will definitely regret it.
4. process!! pulse!!!
5. add 1/2 cup coconut oil
6. pulse!
7. add  1/4 cup water and vanilla and whirl until smooth
8. scoop into 2 square silicone pans and press flat
9. Chill partially then score into pieces
10. chill thoroughly
11. break apart and store in an airtight container. I like it in the freezer, but that's just me.

Chocolate Ice Cream Update -- vegan, whole foods, decadent ice cream

As I enjoyed a tiny scoop of this after dinner tonight I was struck by the following thought: I am a genius. This is genius.

Okay so I don't usually go off on such a high rant about myself ... but come on -- mixing dates and cacao and coming up with this? Genius!

I took whole foods and transformed them into something more than the sum of its parts. Something rich, creamy, decadent, delicious, and utterly satisfying.

ingredients:

1 cup pitted honey dates
3 cups hot water
1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil (1 cup)

1 cup raw cacao
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp stevia

1/2 cup coconut nectar




directions:
1. combine the dates and the hot water, tthe coconut oil, and allow to sit for 10 minutes
2. add the coconut nectar then puree with an immersion blender (or in your blender if you have one!!!)
3. add the rest of the ingredients and mix well
4. chill thoroughly!!

This is rich and smooth and velvety and tastes amazing. Prepare to be amazed!