Summer Time

Is really flying by. I then realized I hadn't posted anything in a long time, sorry about that.

I do have a few things for you all. I made a yummy lemon basil/parsley pesto, another zucchini recipe, rosemary seedy crackers, and banana blueberry pancakes.

So to start how about breakfast:

Banana Blueberry Pancakes

1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon flaxmeal
1 tablespoon water
1 small ripe banana
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon oil
water as needed

Combine the flaxmeal and water, let it sit.

Mash the banana, add in the oil.

Then stir in the dry ingredients. If the batter is too stiff slowly add in some water to loosen it.
Heat a nonstick pan/griddle. Spoon batter onto heated pan (making the pancakes as large as you would like) and let them set up slightly. Top with some blueberries. Press them down very lightly into the pancake. Once you see bubbles around the edges, flip the pancake and cook on the other side.

I topped mine with cinnamon cashew butter, but feel free to stick with good old maple syrup!

Pesto time! Now this stuff was so fresh and green and devine on top of hummus on a cucumber. (I would have taken pictures of what that looked like but devoured them all before I had the chance, sorry.) Also my pesto does not have cheese in it, so I use the term pesto loosely. It was more of a pistou or a French version of a pesto.

Fresh Herb "Pesto"

1/2 cup lemon basil
1/2 cup parsley
1 tablespoon walnut oil
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1/4 teaspoon black pepper and salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
water, as needed

Combine everything in a food processor (since this is a small amount I used my mini one) and blend until it becomes a smooth herb paste like, you made need to add in water to do this. I added about 2 tablespoons.

I made seedy crackers again just this time with some chopped fresh rosemary from my garden. Yum!

Rosemary Seed Crackers

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon flaxseeds
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 tablespoons flaxmeal
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon each onion powder, coriander, black pepper, salt
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all the seeds and spices together. Add in the water, mix, and let it sit for 10 minutes or so while the seeds soak up the water. Spread it out onto a lined pan and bake for 30 minutes.

And now I keep trying to make these zucchini muffins/biscuits, but seem to keep failing at it. The flavor is there just not the right texture. So Jack (the guy I work for) had some on the verge bananas so he gave them to me. Idea!! Banana zucchini muffins! (This recipe makes a lot of them!!)

Banana Zucchini Muffins

9 small bananas
2 jumbo zucchini
1/2 cup oil
4 tablespoons flaxmeal
4 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups whole wheat white flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 cup walnuts, optional
2 tablespoons flaxseeds, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, spray muffin pans with nonstick spray.

Combine the flaxmeal with the water and let it sit.

Mash the bananas and shred the zucchini (I used my food processor, I was not going to get a work out from all that zucchini).

Mix the spices and oil with the mashed bananas.

Add in the zucchini.

Fold in the flour and baking powder.

Fold in nuts and seeds if using.

Spoon into prepared muffin pans and bake 40 to 45 minutes, turning the pans half way through baking.

They taste great but are super- super- super moist.

I do believe that is all the recipes I have to share with all of you for now.

Oh have you ever tried a canary melon before?

It was good. Made me want to make a melon salad to bring to the next bbq I go to.

Oh so here are some awesome salads I have been making for myself lately.

Strawberry, apple, cucumber salad.

Kale, cherry, cucumbers, tangerines, and pecans.

That is all... <3

Kale, Kale, and Even More Kale

The garden is in full bloom!

Love it!

You may have guessed that we are growing some kale in it. (I also think I mentioned it too, but who's counting.) What to do with a crap ton of kale? Eat it!! Woohoo!! In salads, chips, or sauteing it. How ever your heart may desire.

Kale is underneath it, I swear! Along with strawberries, blueberries, black berries, tangerines, and almonds. I massaged the kale with lemon juice and black pepper, then topped it with all the goodies.

This salad had kale, fresh corn off the cob, bacon chick peas, cherries, strawberries, black berries, blueberries, and tangerines. I massaged the kale again with lemon juice and black pepper, then loaded it up. My bacon chick peas and strawberries amazing combo!! So doing that again. I want to try making a strawberry salsa of some sort.

How about cheezy kale? Hum? Here is where I got the idea from: Shamrock Chips.

Cheezy Kale Chips

1 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
2 bunches of kale

Mix the water, salt, and nutritional yeast together.

In a large bowl mix the kale with some of the cheese sauce.

Toss to coat.

Place in dehydrator for 2 hours or so.

Eat with salsa and some guacamole. Yum!

So my garden has given me some green beans, curry time!

Carrots, tomatoes, black olives, roasted cashews, garden parsley.

How about some dessert?

Carob Peanut Butter Banana Bars

3 large bananas, mashed
1/2 cup unsalted peanut butter
1/4 cup flaxmeal
1/4 cup water
1 cup carob powder
1 cup whole wheat white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthum gum
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, grease and line an 8x8 inch baking pan.
Combine the flaxmeal with the water and set aside to set up.

Mix the banana with the peanut butter and flaxmeal.

Add in the dry ingredients and combine until a thick batter forms.

Place in prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, turning pan half way through baking.

They are sooo fudgey and yummy! Try them asap (you can sub cocoa or cacao powder instead of carob if you like. Also I used really ripe bananas so feel free to add some agave or maple syrup if you want them sweeter.

What to come up with next...?

NYC Eats

Part one, hopefully, with many more to come!

And a little quick recipe.

I met a friend in the city last week to hang out, catch up, check out some vegan restaurants, and the high lights go to Lula's Sweet Apothecary.  And let me tell you so much fun!! I can't wait to do it again =] because there are so many places to check out.

Dinner was at Caravan of Dreams. This place has such a great atmosphere and the food, amazing, and my kind of food.

They have a selection of raw foods! How often to do places have that option? I guess I don't go to the city enough, because Jersey most definitely does not! We ordered the first two dishes that jumped out at us. A rosemary shiitake mushroom burger and raw live quesadilla (not listed on their online menu). The burger was great but the quesadilla was my favorite. We also got a raw coconut avocado soup. It was good, but coconut water is not one of my favorite things, so I liked the creamy aspect the avocado gave it, I just might use that in some recipes in the future. And we had a salad that was dressed with an interesting dressing. We thought it contained avocado, but it didn't still great though. The quesadilla had this brazil nut cheese in it, I am so trying to make that at some point for real.

Dessert! Ice cream baby!! Oh my gosh, heavenly! Lula's uses a cashew milk base for most of their ice creams.

I had peanut butter and jelly ice cream and chocolate chocolate chip. My ice cream maker is finally going to get some use for sure this summer. They have a soft serve version too, cake batter flavored. It legit tasted like raw cake batter.

What an awesome time!

Oh and we stopped at The Whole Earth Bakery and Kitchen  and I picked up a peanut butter and jelly cookie. It tasted like shortening to me not peanut butter. Not really my favorite but perhaps their other stuff is really good.

My dehydrator is going to be getting a work out soon. Why? My garden is growing with some beets and kale! I really wanna make beet chips. Also carrot chips. And perhaps some more kale- oh a "cheese" version. Soon.

And now for a quick recipe. Carrot "scones" or drop biscuits. Not sure what I want to call them. I based the recipe off of my zucchini biscuits, just this time grated carrots.

Carrot Drop Biscuits

1 tablespoon flaxmeal
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup whole wheat white flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons or so water
1/2 teaspoon each flaxseeds and chia seeds (optional)

Preheat the oven ( I used my toaster oven) to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the flaxmeal and water and let them "gel."

Mix the grated carrots with spices.

Add in the oil, flax egg, and seeds if using.

Mix in the flour and bp and salt.

Add in enough water to make a thick dough.

Drop in four equal parts on the baking sheet.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden browned.

I ate them with some apple butter and pumpkin falafel.

Oh yea....

I Love My Bacon Chick Peas!!

I don't care what anyone tells me but my bacon chick peas do remind ME of bacon. Probably do to the fact that I haven't actually eaten bacon in what 8 years or so. The only reason I even call them bacon chick peas is because my brother tells me they smell kind of like bacon as I roast them. Cause all they are is smoked sweet paprika roasted chick peas. Yum!

So why am I even tell you all of this. Good question. I made a quinoa salad for one of my favorite loves graduation party this weekend. Easy recipe, yummy salad, and my chick peas!

Roasted Chick Pea Quinoa Salad

2 cans chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon oil

1 1/4 cups quinoa
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon oil

1 each red, yellow, green pepper, diced
1/4 pint baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon coriander and onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and oregano
1 teaspoon oil

1 pint grape tomatoes
1 handful fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix the chickpeas with their spices, place on a baking sheet.

Mix the peppers and shrooms with their spices and place on a baking sheet. Roast each for about 30 to 45 minutes or until chick peas are hard and crunchy and the pepper/shrooms start to brown.

While those things are roasting, heat a large pan with the oil and add the onions. Allow them or caramelize, or brown slowly so not to burn them, this takes about 20 minutes.

Add in the qunioa and allow to toast slightly about 2 minutes.

Add in the veggie broth, bring to a boil, cover pan, lower heat to medium high, and cook until done about 30 minutes.

Once done allow it to cool before making the salad.

Halve the tomatoes, chiffonade the basil. Mix cooled quinoa with lemon juice, tomatoes, basil, the roasted veggies, and if serving right away the chick peas. If you aren't serving right away wait to add the chick peas so they stay crunchy. Serve!

Oh I also made my very first batch of Red Velvet for the party:

So RED!!!

(sorry for the folded towels in the pic) Frosting Time!!

So many Cuppy Cakes!!!

First attempt success! Next time I may play around with the recipe so to make it vegan and not so chemically with the red food coloring. Instead a more natural food coloring, say beet juice =] Haha we shall see!

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