Vegan Mofo Day 10 Baking without Flour - Breakfast Brownie

Today's vegan mofo prompt is "Baking without Gluten".
Whilst this recipe *may* contain gluten due to the oats, it is a flour free recipe which is something that is very relevant to me as I shared in my Introduction Post! For a guaranteed gluten free version you can substitute quinoa flakes in place of the oats.
I am quite enjoying my flour free life and with delicious breakfast treats like this, it's no wonder that I am not feeling deprived at all!
It would also make a great dessert for anyone who wants a little after dinner treat! 

Single Serve Black Bean Breakfast Brownie

                                  You'll need:
                                        1/2 cup cooked black beans
                                        1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds
                                        1/2 teaspoon cacao powder
                                        1/4 cup rolled oats
                                        1 small overripe banana
                                        1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all the ingredients together in a mini food processor and pulse until lightly combined (best to keep some chunks for added satiety - Chew your food!). Add a splash of water if it's needed to combine the mixture into a thick batter. The water may or may not be needed depending on the size and ripeness of your banana and how well your beans are cooked.
Pour mixture into a silicone baking mould. I press my mixture into a quarter of a large square one. It doesn't spread as it cooks so this works well. Bake in a preheated 200°C oven for 20 minutes until cooked through and edges are crispy.

Delicious served with yogurt and berries.

Showing the pieces of banana and beans so you can see it's not pulsed thoroughly. 

*I find this sweet enough with just the banana, however if you'd like a sweeter version you can add 1 Tablespoon date paste to the batter.
*Multiply quantities if you want to make a multiple serves. 

Vegan Mofo Day 2 Emoji Inspired- White Bean Spread

This vegan MOFO I'm hoping to follow along the plan that has been set up! 

You can see a list of the upcoming themes and prompts by clicking here! 

That means I'm starting the month off with Inspiration Week! 

Today's inspiration is bought to you by Emoji's!!!

             

When I was thinking about emoji's I checked my phone to see my most recently used ones to get my inspiration, and other than smiley faces and blowing kisses (mainly to my husband!) my most commonly used ones are the tasty face and a thumbs up! Generally speaking I use the 'thumbs up' emoji when I'm thinking "too easy"!

So today I bring you a simple creation that truly is tasty and is so quick and easy it's worth a thumbs up!  

WHITE BEAN SPREAD

You'll need:

(to serve one)

1/2 cup cooked white cannellini beans
1 small overripe banana

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

pinch of cinnamon powder

Combine all the ingredients in a mini food processor and pulse until the mixture forms a smooth spread. 

Use as soon as it's made because the banana will begin to brown if stored. 

Delicious served over rice-cakes, with berries, nuts and/or nut butter! 

This spread is delicious and has no 'beany' taste due to the other ingredients! 

I highly recommend you give it a try! 

Want to try another delicious alternative - replace the white beans with black beans and substitute the lemon juice for 1/2 teaspoon cacao powder! 

Let me know in the comments below what creative ways 

you would like to eat this delicious spread....
And don't forget to use the 'tasty' emoji if you take a picture!!! 

Easy Pancakes

There's endless ways to make pancakes! Here's a quick & easy recipe that uses basic ingredients and doesn't require flour.

                          EASY BLUEBERRY PANCAKES
                                  To serve ONE - 4 small pancakes

          1/3 cup rolled oats
          1 generously heaped Tablespoon ground flax seeds
          1 small overripe banana
          1/3 cup soymilk
          1/8 teaspoon each vanilla essence, ground cinnamon
          2 Tablespoons blueberries (optional)

In a food processor combine the oats, flax, banana, soymilk, vanilla and cinnamon. Pulse several times until the mixture comes together but is not completely broken down.
Stir through the blueberries if you're using them.
Heat a non-stick frying pan, then reduce to medium heat. Pour the batter into the frying pan in quarter lots to make 4 small pancakes. As the pancakes begins to bubble around the sides, flip and allow the other side to cook until golden brown.

Serve with toppings of choice - shown with soy yogurt & raspberries.

NOTE: For pancakes that have a lower calorie density you can replace the soymilk with water.

QUESTION OF THE DAY:
What's your favourite topping for pancakes?

Flourless Sweet Potato Waffles

My potato waffles have been a huge hit amongst the plant based community. They make a great bread replacement for burgers!
But today I bring you a sweet potato waffle that works fantastic as a sweet breakfast treat!
And honestly who wouldn't want a breakfast like this?!?!?

FLOURLESS SWEET POTATO WAFFLES

(To serve 1)

               1 small sweet potato
               1 heaped tablespoon ground flax seeds
               1/4 cup boiling water
               small drop of vanilla essence
               1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 
Preheat your waffle iron.

Place the sweet potato in a microwave and cook for approx 5-6 mins until inside is tender. Note that time will vary in different microwaves. If you don't have a microwave you can cook the sweet potato in the oven. But I don't recommend boiling the sweet potato over a stove top as the consistency will end up different.
Whilst the sweet potato is cooking, prepare the flax mixture. Pour the boiling water over the ground flax seeds and whisk with a fork til thickens. Allow to sit for a few mins.
Remove the sweet potato flesh from the skin, discard the skin & mash the flesh into the flax mixture. Add vanilla & cinnamon, stir until completed combined. The mixture will be quite sticky.
Pour the mixture into the waffle iron & cook on medium for 8-10 mins. You can cook on a higher heat if you'd rather, but the waffle will come out darker. Don't lift the lid while it's cooking or this will pull the waffle apart. It needs to be fully cooked before the lid is lifted. You can wait longer, up to about 15mins on a lower setting and it will be fine. If you are in doubt, they are better to be left a little longer, not shorter!

When your waffle is done, remove & serve with desired toppings!
Shown here with homemade soy yogurt, banana, raspberries & walnuts:

QUESTION OF THE DAY:
Have you experimented with other types of waffles in your waffle iron instead of just flour-based mixtures?

Easy Banana Granola - SOS Free

I know I'm been MIA for quite some time.
Truth is that I've lost a lot of motivation to blog when there are soooooooo many blogs out there these days & I'm not sure that I offer anything extra special above others!
I started writing a cookbook, which I have dreamed of doing for about 9 years now.... but I fear my food photography skills are rather lacking. I haven't given up yet.... I am just doing it quite sloooooowly! 

Also we've been eating so simple lately that I kinda feel like our food is "boring"!
Not that it's boring to us because we have honestly found that our taste buds change, so that when we eat simple unrefined foods in their whole form, they are just delicious like that.

But recently I've had quite a few people ask me for various recipes, or asked me to get back into it.....
SO........
I shall attempt to find some motivation to get blogging again!
Some recipes may be quite simple - but hey - sometimes we just need simple ideas to motivate us to make a meal!


Today I bring you a simple breakfast recipe that I've been making for a few years.So many store bought varieties of cereal these days have so much junk added to them! My version is completely junk free! It's also very versatile. You can add any dried fruit or nuts to it if you wish. It can be a granola or muesli base, or just used as a cereal - which is what I do mostly. Just add motherless milk and fresh fruit for a delicious brekkie that's quick and easy to serve, and isn't too much effort to make either.

EASY BANANA GRANOLA

You'll need:
2 large overripe bananas
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
3 cups rolled oats

Mash the bananas well. Add the vanilla, cinnamon and flax and stir til evenly distributed.
Stir through the oats until they are reasonably well coated by the wet banana mixture. 
Spread evenly onto a large lined baking tray.

Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C for 30 mins, stirring half way through. 

 

Allow to cool completely before transferring to a container.
This will keep for about 2 weeks in an air-proof container.  

QUESTION OF THE DAY:
To my other blogging friends.... have you ever lost your blogging mojo?
To my readers who follow along for the recipes.... What do you reckon- Does this look boring, or do you like the idea of simple recipes that don't include junk?

Summer breakfast ideas

I am a breakfast preson :-)
I just LOVE having breakfast - however, I must admit that I find I get bored with breakfast easily.
Here's 2 recipes that I've been loving over summer when it's too hot for having warm oats..... and I'm not bored with them!

Blueberry Buckwheat Breakfast

3/4 cup buckwheat
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 medjool date, pitted
splash of motherless milk
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

Place the buckwheat in a bowl of water and soak overnight.
In the morning drain the buckwheat and place in a blender with the blueberries, date and motherless milk. Pulse a few times until the mixture is combined and broken down but not completely smooth.
Serve in a bowl with the flax. 

 

  So creamy and delicious :-)

Anything purple is appealing to me!

Banana Soaked Mango Oats

1 banana
1 teaspoon coconut essence
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1 mango

Place the banana and coconut essence in a blender with just enough cold water to cover it. Blend til smooth.
Place the oats and flax in a bowl and pour over the banana mixture. 
Place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. 
The mixture will thicken and the oats will fluff up slightly.
Serve with a sliced mango.

Tropical flavours for breakfast :-)

So refreshing. 

 

Question of the day:
Do you prefer something different for breakfast in summer than winter?

Fruit & Oat Cookies - Sugar Free

My daughter doesn't like dried apricots...

My husband doesn't like ground flax seeds...

But I can get them BOTH to eat these cookies!!!

Fruit & Oat Cookies

(Makes 20)

You'll need:

2 over-ripe bananas

1/2 cup applesauce

1/3 cup each: raisins, dates, dried figs, dried apricots

1/2 cup ground flax seeds

1 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups oats

In a large bowl combine the bananas and applesauce. Mash until smooth.

Finely chop all the dried fruit.

Stir the fruit, flax, cinnamon & vanilla into the banana/apple mixture.

Gently stir through the oats until well combined.

Using wet hands, roll 2 Tablespoons of mixture into a ball shape and press firmly til the ball holds together. Place onto a lined baking tray and press down gently to form a cookie shape.

Bake in a preheated 170C oven for 25 minutes until lightly golden brown.

(You may notice the fruit in my cookies looks brown and not coloured - that is because I use non-sulphur dried fruit. I highly recommend you use it too - its available in health food stores.)


Question of the day:
What food do you dislike but enjoy when it's cooked into something else?

Banana Oat Slice

I love to mix up a quick & easy slice. 

They are great for sneaking into lunchboxes, for adults and kids! 

This is a really simple one that doesn't require many ingredients, most of them are just staples in our home so they are always on hand anyway. 

And.... it's easy enough for kids to make themselves!

BANANA OAT SLICE

You'll need:
2 Tablespoons ground flax mixed with 6 Tablespoons boiling water
1/2 cup motherless milk of choice
2 overripe bananas
1 teaspoon each baking powder, baking soda
1/4 cup coconut sugar  (*see below)
1 cup oats
1 cup oatbran

Whisk together the flax and water and set aside til thickened.
Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
In a smaller bowl mash the bananas well.
Add the milk and flax seeds and stir. 
Make a well in the centre of the dry mixture and pour the wet ingredients in.
Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Do not overmix.
Pour mixture into a 18cm square baking dish either lined or silicone.
Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 30 minutes.

*For a sugar free version omit the sugar and replace with 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Choc Chip Banana Muffins

Chocolate in a lunchbox is bound to keep kids happy..... but it doesn't have to be an unhealthy type of chocolate! Try this treat to keep them happy :-)

CHOC CHIP BANANA MUFFINS
(Makes 12)

2 Tablespoons ground flax
3/4 cup plant milk
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 overripe bananas
1/2 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips (I used Sweet William - cacao nibs would work too)
2 cups wholemeal SR flour

Whisk together the flax seeds with 6 Tablespoons boiling water - set aside to thicken.
In a measuring jug combine the milk with the apple cider vinegar - set aside to thicken.
In a large mixing bowl mash the bananas. Add the applesauce, vanilla, milk mixture & coconut sugar. Whisk until well combined, then stir through the flax seed mixture.
Gently fold the flour and chocolate chips into the wet ingredients until just combined - do not overmix.
Using an ice-cream scoop - pour a scoop full of mixture into a muffin tray. 
Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 30minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Meatless Monday: Vanilla Banana Custard

Today's Meatless Monday food is Vanilla.

I decided to go with Vanilla custard.
I have always enjoyed custard & I have fond memories of my mother making a banana custard for us when we were children which I really liked.

I have used that as inspiration but have made my own custard instead of using a powder for a base.

This is a really simple recipe that is quick to make and doesn't need a huge amount of ingredients. It can be served either hot or cold.

It makes it a perfect mid-week treat when desserts are sometimes overlooked!

VANILLA BANANA CUSTARD

(Serves 4)

You'll need:

300ml soymilk (or other plant milk of choice)

1/4 cup sugar (I used unrefined cane sugar)

2 Tablespoons cornflour

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 banana

Combine the sugar, cornflour and vanilla in a saucepan. Add a few tablespoons of milk and whisk until a paste is formed and the cornflour has completely dissolved. 

Add the remaining milk and stir until well combined. Place over a medium low heat & stir constantly until the custard thickens.

Chop the banana into thin slices and place in the bottom of little serving containers of choice.

Pour the custard over the banana.

Can be served warm, or alternatively store in the fridge until ready to eat. 

The custard will thicken more if kept in the fridge.

Question of the day:
Do you have any childhood dessert memories that you still enjoy eating today?

Walnut Blondies

Brownies - turned blonde.... and healthy ;-)

You'll need:
2 cups wholemeal spelt flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup walnuts

1 Tablespoon ground flax mixed with 3 Tablespoons boiling water
1 banana
1 cup apple sauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
100g dairy free white chocolate (I used Sweet William)
1/4 cup boiling water



Smash the walnuts into crumbly pieces. I do this by putting them in a zip-lock bag & hitting with a 'meat' mallet. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir until well combined and walnuts are evenly distributed.


 
Prepare the flax seeds - combine them with the water and whisk well. Leave aside for 5 minutes until thickened.
Mash the banana.
Melt the chocolate. I do this in a microwave on 50% power, checking every minute and stirring til nearly melted. The residual heat will do the rest. I find it best not to wait until it's completely melted or some parts tend to be hard and overdone.

Pour all the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently stir until folded through.
Pour mixture into a lined 18cm square baking tray and spread until evenly distributed.
Place in a preheated 180C oven and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
Cool before slicing.

School Tip:
For nut-free schools make this with sunflower seeds instead.  

Submitted to Meatless Monday A-Z:
Unbleached Flour

Banana Choc Pudding

Just because sometimes we all need a little sweet treat in our lives....

Banana-Choc Pudding

You'll need:
400g loaf of wholemeal bread (I used half an unsliced 800g loaf)
400ml lite coconut cream
1 1/2 cups soymilk
2 Tablespoons egg replacer
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 overripe bananas
100g dark chocolate (I used Lindt 70%)

In a large bowl, mix together the coconut cream, soymilk, egg replacer, brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.
Tear the bread into bite-size pieces and place in the bowl of the cream/milk mixture. Press down gently to encourage the bread to soak up the liquid. 

Mash the bananas in another bowl. Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe dish on 50% power. Once completely melted stir chocolate through the mashed bananas. 
Using a lined 20cm round cake tin, pour half the saoked bread into the bottom of the tin and press down gently.

Pour the banana/chocolate mixture over the top and then pour the remainder of the bread mixture on top and make sure it completely covers the banana/chocolate.

Place in a preheated 180C oven for 40 minutes.
Allow to cool before turning out onto a plate. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Slice and serve.

Banana Sultana Loaf

 

Back to real baking today! 

So pleased that this loaf turned out as good as I hoped it would.
It was so moist and tasty :-)

BANANA SULTANA LOAF

You'll need:

2 over-ripe bananas

1/4 cup soft silken tofu

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds mixed with 3 Tablespoons boiling water

1 cup sultanas

1 1/2 cups self-raising wholemeal flour

1/4 cup plant milk of choice (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)

Blend together the bananas, tofu, brown sugar and vanilla til smooth.

Add the flax mixture, and sultanas, followed by the milk and flour.
Stir until well combined.
Pour into a loaf tin (lined if needed).
Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 40-45 minutes until cooked through and golden brown.
Allow to cool before slicing.