Coconut Banana Banana Bread

Ingredients

2 cups organic flour (white and/or wheat)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 salt

1/2 cup coconut oil (softened)

1/2-3/4 cup coconut sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas
1/4 water

*Add ins: 1/4-1/3 cup Chocolate Chips (I like Enjoy Life dairy, nut, & soy free), 1/2-1 cup Chopped walnuts or pecans.

*Sometimes I add in a little bit of brown sugar with the coconut sugar.

*When using coconut oil it needs to be softened. It's melting point is 76 deg. If it's solid I spoon it out the into a bowl and mash it to soften it and then measure desired amount. 

*The water makes them more moist.

Directions

1- Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. and if using a loaf pan, lightly oil and dust with flour. If using a muffin pan I love these "If You Care" baking cups. 

2- Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl cream together coconut oil and coconut sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture. Add in your chocolate chips and/or nuts if wanted. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan or scoop into muffin cups. If baking with wheat let it rest for 10mins. 

3- Bake for 60-65mins for 9x5 loaf pan or 18-20mins for muffin pans.

*A good tip when baking with wheat is to let the batter sit and hydrate for 10 mins. The wheat is more course and this give it some time to absorb the liquid and soften the bran and germ of the wheat. Also, it may need more cooking time. 

For muffins I highly suggest getting this Vollrath Disher!! I love these scoopers. They make it so much easier to dish out the right and consistant amount of batter for muffins, cookies, meat balls, etc. For the pictured muffin I used a yellow size 20 disher (1 5/8oz or 3.25Tbs). If you want them a little bigger I'd suggest going with the blue size 16 disher (2oz or 4Tbs). If I want a higher rounded muffin I will do a heaping scoop of batter with my yellow #20 disher. 

Enjoy!

Coconut Sugar Banana Muffins

These Banana Muffins are now our favorite go to muffins. I've made them organic and am so glad they are fast and easy to whip up! I use this recipe from All Recipes, but have altered a few ingredients, so you can make to your liking :) I replaced the sugar with organic coconut sugar (and reduced it), I replaced the butter with organic coconut oil, and the flour with organic stone ground wheat. I also occasionally add nuts, coconut flakes, or healthy organic dark chocolate.

My family and friends have absolutely loved them!

Organic Coconut Sugar Banana Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups    organic stone ground wheat
• 1 tsp              baking powder (Rumford Aluminum Free Non-gmo)
• 1 tsp              baking soda
• 1 tsp              sea salt (Redmond Real Salt)
• 1 cup             bananas, mashed (use this conversion calculator for bananas)
• 1/2 cup         organic coconut palm sugar
• 1 egg              preferably pasture raised
• 1/3 cup          melted organic coconut oil

Directions 

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Put muffins liners into the muffin pan. (I used these unbleached/non-toxic muffin liners). Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 
2. Mix together the banana, coconut sugar, egg, and melted coconut oil in a large bowl. Pour in the dry ingredients until mixed smoothly. Add in your nuts and/or chocolate, coconut flakes if wanted. Then scoop batter into your muffin pan. (I love this disher/scooper that I have, find it here on amazon). 
3. Bake in oven for 25-30 mins. Bake mini muffins for 10-15 mins.

Mix it all together, fill your muffin pans, put it in the oven, and enjoy the smell of baking banana bread. Yum!!

Enjoy it with a cup of milk or in our case a diary free coconut/rice milk combo!!!

They are perfect snacks to enjoy :)

Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bars

Some friends had us over for dinner and I brought the dessert.

Paleo pumpkin pie bars...

No refined sugars, grains, or milk dairy.

They loved them!

From PaleoOMG

For the crust

• 6 dates, pits removed
• 1 cup almond butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. First we will make the crust. Add your dates and almond butter to a food processor and pulse until it breaks down together.
3. Then add your 2 eggs, honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt and puree until smooth.
4. Grease an 8×8 glass baking dish with some coconut oil and pour in your crush. Use a spoon to smooth off the surface and level out all over.
5. Place in oven to bake for 12-15 minutes or until crust is firm and cooked through when you poke it with a toothpick. Then let cool.
   
   

While the crust is baking start the filling...

From Paleo Newbie

• Pumpkin Pie Filling:
• (1) 15 oz can of pure pumpkin (not pie filling) –or– 1 3/4 cups of pumpkin purée
• 1/3 cup of Medjool dates (pulsed in a food processor or puréed)
• 1/3 cup of raw honey
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk, full fat
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 2 tbs coconut oil
• 1 tsp of pure vanilla
• 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp of nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Start pie filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk all the filling ingredients together
2. Cook over medium heat, until filling starts to bubble - then cook for 1 minute more
3. Remove from heat, and pour over cooled pie crust layer
4. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving
5. Keep refrigerated except to serve
   
   

Then top it with coconut whip cream. Yum!

Coconut Whip Cream:

1. The most important thing to do is put a can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight.

2. All the fat will solidify at the top of the can.

3. To open the can turn it upside down where the cream isn't sitting, heavy side on bottom and then open it up with a can opener.

4. Pour out coconut water into another container to save if you want.

5. Scrap out the cream into a mixing bowl.

6. Add some kind of sweetener...white sugar, powdered sugar, maple syrup, honey, agave, etc.

7. Beat/whip it together with a mixer.

8. Taste taste and sweeten to your liking.

Enjoy!

Re-post: A Jar of Pumpkin & Pecan Pie

If you love pumpkin then you'll love this smoothie from mywholefoodlife...

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 frozen banana

handful of Pecans

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup water & ice

Blend!

I roasted suger pie pumpkins and it's so so good!

"Portobello Burger" & Kale Chips

This raw/vegan burger is from Maui Kombucha...a place I've discovered on the island...
a place where I didn't know food like this existed...a place where all the food is awesomely good!

 The "burger" is made out of walnuts, portobello mushrooms, zucchini, olive oil, coconut aminos, garlic, herbs & spices, nutritional yeast, S&P, and lemon.

The "Cheeze & Pesto Aioli" Sauces were so tasty!

Throw on yummy toppings and wrap it in collard greens :)

I threw in some kale chips and whala...so so good!

Sorry no recipe, but I'm definitely going to experiment and come up with my own.

"Muesli Bars"

This recipe is found at Whole Foods Simply. I love her website and how simple and easy she puts recipes together with whole foods.

Wholefood Simply Snack Bars

75 grams roasted almond butter (this is 1/3 cup, you can use hulled tahini or sunflower seed butter for a nut free option)

75 grams (5 tablespoons) cooled roast pumpkin or pumpkin puree

75 grams desiccated coconut (3/4 cup finely shredded dried coconut)

1/2 ripe banana

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 175 Degrees Celcius or 350 Degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease and line a mini loaf tin (mine is 6″ x 2.5″) with baking paper hanging oven the sides for easy removal.

Place all ingredients into your blender or food processor in the order listed, blend quickly to combine. Alternatively mash the almond butter, pumpkin and banana together in a bowl and then stir in the remaining ingredients.

Press the mixture into the loaf tin and cook for 30 minutes or until golden on top and an inserted skewer comes out cleanly.

Remove from the oven, leave in the tin for five minutes then carefully move the slice onto a cooling rack. Once it has cooled chop into bars. Enjoy!

You could also double this recipe and make it in a standard loaf tin, be sure to increase the cooking time.

***I used tahini paste and didn't add the shredded coconut. I added chopped pecans. My loaf came out soft and mushy inside. So, I couldn't cut it into bars. Nonetheless, it was delicious!

"A Jar of Pumpkin & Pecan Pie"

 If you love pumpkin then you'll love this smoothie from mywholefoodlife...

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 frozen banana

handful of Pecans

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup water & ice

Blend!

I roasted suger pie pumpkins and it's so so good!

Pizza & Cheezcake

 I absolutely love all the health foodie places here on the island! Maui Kombucha has some incredible kombocha and raw food creations. I was very curious about how this "Raw Pizza" would taste and oh my goodness it was so tasty!

 Nut and seed crust

Raw means it's still alive...no cooking. Also, it was vegan...no diary, no meat. And gluten/grain-free. Just what I needed!

Can't beat the goodness of raw pies!

Homemade Potato Salad

Have you ever read the ingredients list on store bought potato salad? Wow, this list is long and scary, well at least I think so. It has been awhile since we've enjoyed homemade 'tater salad. It's really simple too...

Boil

Diced Potatoes

Eggs

Chop up

Red Onions

Celery

Pickles

Boiled Eggs

Mix Together

 Everything above

Organic Mayo

Fresh squeezed lemon juice

 Dijon Mustard

It was really really good, especially after it sat in the fridge to chill!

L'A'RABAR Fruit and Nut Bar

If you are looking for a very healthy energy bar try these Larabar's, super yummy, ingredients are minimal, and made of only wholefoods! I've been eating these for a few years and really like them.

"The LARABAR is truly brilliant in concept; each bar is made with “whole food” ingredients such as nuts and dried fruit and seasoned perfectly with spices. No need to add globs of oil and syrup. Instead, LARABAR is concentrated vegan “whole foods” nutrition in its purest form.

Each LARABAR flavor contains no more than eight ingredients. Pure and simple, just as nature intended. For example, the ingredients in the “Apple Pie” LARABAR include: dates, almonds unsweetened apples, walnuts, raisins and cinnamon. That’s it!" (http://cleancuisineandmore.com/larabar/)

My favorites are...Key Lime Pie, Coconut Cream Pie, Lemon Bar, Peanut Butter Cookie!

A variety pack of 18 bars (Apple Pie, Peanut Butter Cookie, & Cherry Pie) at Costco costs about $16. Also, found at local health food stores.

Summer Salads

Organic red and green leaf lettuce, organic spinach, cucumbers, organic grape tomatoes, avocados, and pecans. No salad dressing.

Broccoli Pecan Pasta

Tru Roots Gluten-free noodle, lightly steamed organic broccoli, pecans, Italian dressing, & cayenne pepper.

Good Tip with the Broccoli...

After steaming put in very cold water or ice water to stop it from cooking and losing more nutrients. We like our steamed veggies to still be a little crunchy.

凉粉 Liángfěn

Chinese cold noodle with soy sauce/vinegar/sesame oil/garlic and peanuts. A friend from China made this and brought a plate full over...my husband says, "太太 Tai Tai! Learn to make me good Chinese food!" Ummm, I wish I could, it's hard to get the sauces just right! He knows what good Chinese food is since he practically grew up in Taiwan. I have much to improve on! Thanks 王晓莉 Xiaoli!

Here's the best recipe I found for this....My Cooking Hut: Cold Mung Bean Noodle

Razzberry Guru

This is the most amazing desert! It's been a long time since I've been able to enjoy something like this because most deserts have milk/diary products. This one is all vegan! It's made out of organic coconut kefir, coconut palm sugar, and cacao beans. I LOVE all the coconut things in Hawaii!