foodie: banana nut bread (gluten-free)

since beginning my gluten-free experiment 6 weeks ago, i haven't had any bread in the house...not even gluten-free varieties.  but with weekend visitors on their way, i decided i'd try my hand at making a gluten-free breakfast bread for our morning meal.

here's what you'll need...

2 cups plantain flour
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 banana (over-ripe and mashed)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp maple syrup

topping:
1/2 cup chopped nuts (i used more walnuts and pecans)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon

preheat the oven to 350

reseaching recipes for inspiration....

1. combine flour, chopped nuts, flaxseeds, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking powder in a medium bowl.

2. in a large bowl mix together the eggs, banana, vanilla, yogurt, coconut oil and syrup until well combined.  slowly add dry mixture to wet mixture and fold together.

3. pour batter into well-oiled 9 inch pie plate.

4. mix together topping ingredients and sprinkle over the bread.

5. bake for approximately 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

to top our bread, i made a spread with equal parts butter and greek yogurt, and then i flavored it with maple syrup and cinnamon to taste : )  makes 8-12 servings, depending on how big of a slice you want.

FYI - the bread had good flavor, but was a little dry (it definitely was better with the butter/yogurt spread i mentioned above).  next time i make it, i would probably add 2 bananas or extra yogurt to moisten it up a bit!

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wheat belly diet end of month wrap-up

my month-long gluten-free experiment has drawn to a close (sort of).  going without gluten (i.e. wheat) for a month was actually much easier than i had anticipated, and i definitely feel better for it.

watch below to hear what happens when i eat pizza... (lesson learned!)

wondering how i was feeling throughout the month?

check out day 1, day 8 and day 23.

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foodie: grilled potato packets

because of the outrageous heat waves we've been having here in the northeast, i was reluctant to cook indoors the other night.  (our tiny cottage heats up fast if the oven goes on...)  so, instead, we fired up the grill and had a vegetable feast!  one thing that i was particularly excited about was the potato packets i made, so i thought i'd share the recipe : )

here's what you'll need for 4 packets...

1.5 lbs baby new potatoes, halved
1/4 cup good mustard (i used grainy horseradish mustard)
2 tbsp dry white wine
2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 garlic gloves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
plain greek yogurt or sour cream
salt & pepper
4 1ft by 1ft foil squares coated with non-stick spray

1. in a bowl, whisk together the mustard, wine, oil and garlic.  add in the potatoes and cilantro and toss.  season with salt & pepper.

2. evenly distribute mixture between the 4 foil squares, and fold into secure packets.

3. cook over medium-heat on the grill, preferably on the upper rack, for 25 min or until fork tender.

everyone gets their own packet, and once they dump the contents onto their plates, they can top it with plain greek yogurt or sour cream...or pesto...or tapenade...

we enjoyed our potato packets with grilled spring asparagus, crisp romaine salad and grilled portabella caps topped with tangy bleu cheese : )

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foodie: peanut butter banana sandwich cookies

i made this dessert a few weekends back to take to our friends' house.  i had never made them before -- and kind of made-up the recipe -- so, needless to say, i was pleased when they turned out well.  (i had to hide them from craig so he wouldn't eat them all before the party! lol)  even better...they're gluten-free, and if you use agave nectar instead of honey, they could easily be vegan too!

here's what you'll need for 6 sandwich cookies...

cookie:
1 mashed (over-ripe) banana -- about 3/4 cup
1/2 cup creamy organic peanut butter
2 tbsp honey (or agave nectar or maple syrup)
2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
3/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

filling:
1/4 cup chocolate morsels
2 tbsp peanut butter

preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. mix all the cookie ingredients together until combined.

2. divide mixture into 12 cookies (so that you can make 6 sandwiches), and place them on a non-stick baking tray.

3. bake for 11-13 minutes, until cookies are just slightly browned (you'll see the coconut browning).
4. remove from oven, and allow to cool.

5. while cookies cool, melt chocolate in microwave and combine with 2 tbsp peanut butter.

6. spread filling evenly on 6 of the cookies (you can gently press the cookies flat if you want a more uniform surface to spread the filling on), and then top each with another cookie.

fyi - this is a very, very doughy cookie.  it has the texture and taste of nearly raw dough -- which is exactly how i prefer my baked treats : )

you can store these in the fridge for up to 5 days.  (want to see the recipe that inspired this one?  check it out here.)

enjoy!!!

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