Banana Pecan Cacao Loaf [oil-free, dairy-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free option]

3 very ripe bananas (can be frozen and defrosted)
1/2 cup unsweetened apple butter
5 large, gooey Medjool dates, pitted
1/2 T vanilla extract
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup almond flour
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a blender, combine the bananas, apple butter, dates, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, and salt. Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix to combine well--but do not overmix. Add the chopped pecans and chocolate chips (if using) and fold in. Pour mixture into a loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes. Test with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean and the top can be lightly pressed and bounce back, it is ready to remove from the oven. Cool before cutting and serving. Can be store in the refrigerator for 5 days in an airtight container or wrapped well and frozen. 

Diclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits [oil-free, vegan]

NOTE: You will want to double this recipe if you have a husband like mine!

1 cup cooked and cooled sweet potato

1 T maple syrup, coconut nectar, or agave

3 T tahini (a good, runny tahini works best!)

1 t apple cider vinegar
1 T water
1/2 t salt
2 t baking powder
1 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry in a bit larger one.

Fold the wet mixture into the dry with a silicone spatula, adding a bit of cold water to make sure the dry ingredients are completely moistened. Lightly knead, but do not overmix.

Drop 2 T of batter mixture onto parchment paper-lined pan and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until lightly browned and firm to the touch.

Biscuits inspired by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

My Hunt for a New Food Processor - And I SCORED!

Braun FP3020

I used to own an expensive Cuisinart food processor that required a forklift to move from one counter to another. It was a drag to take out and use, so I finally got rid of it. Then, I moved on to the complete opposite spectrum by purchasing the Breville All-in-One, which was lightweight both weight-wise, but it also couldn't do some of the heavyweight jobs I needed it to. For a couple of years, I vowed to buy the perfect food processor to use in my new home. YES! It took me two years to find the right one!

So, I researched. And researched. And, I talked to friends and members of my Facebook community. I got a TON of advice and recommendations--all sounded good but none of them sounded right for my needs.

Then, I found it! The Braun FP3020. It was horizontal in shape, which would fit PERFECTLY in the space I had earmarked for it in my new kitchen. It got INCREDIBLE reviews. It had a bunch of attachments and variable speeds.  It even had a juicer attachment and small batch cup. AND IT WAS CHEAP, comparatively! I was pretty sure it could handle the few rotating tasks for which I needed it. So, I ordered and it came.

My main uses for a food processor are the following:
1) Make veggie burgers and falafel batter
2) Shred carrots for salads and dog food
3) Chop chickpeas for dog food
4) Make nut/date pie crusts
5) Chop nuts - I can put a handful of nuts in the smaller bowl and chop nuts perfectly!
6) Make pizza dough and dog biscuit dough instead of having to pull out my standing mixer (that I dropped on my toes a few years ago!) -
6) Banana "Nice" Cream
7) Juice lemons and limes - I freeze the juice in ice cube trays to make future sauces, dressings, etc. 
8) Nut butters - In the smaller bowl, I can make the creamiest nut butters with minimal clean-up! I can even make raw cashew butter, which is sometimes hard to make.


UPDATE!
Today, I made my pizza dough recipe with the dough blade, and it worked LIKE A CHARM! The key is to put in the flour, salt, and yeast FIRST and blend that for a few seconds on a low speed. Then, add the liquids (the aquafaba, maple syrup, and warm water) through the shoot SLOWLY on power level 7. It came out PERFECTLY!

My husband shredded carrots and chopped soaked chickpeas for our dog food last week, and he gave it a THUMBS UP, too! Hands down...this is the BEST food processor we have ever owned.

Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Homemade Oil-Free Pizza Dough

Makes one 13-inch round pizza or one 12x17 rectangle

1 ½ cups King Arthur unbleached bread flour
¾ cup King Arthur white whole wheat flour
½ t salt
½ t active dry yeast
3 T aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
1 cup warm water
1 t maple syrup or coconut sugar

Preheat oven to the lowest setting (usually 175 degrees F) then TURN OVEN OFF as soon as it hits temperature.

In a standing mixer (preferably with a stainless steel bowl), mix together the flours, salt, and yeast.
Add in the liquid ingredients and mix until all of the dough pulls away from the sides and forms a ball. This should happen in about 30-45 seconds after mixing. If it is still too sticky (and won’t release on its own from the sides of the bowl), add 1 T of either flour. If it is too dry (not sticky), add 1 T of water. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and place in the TURNED OFF oven for 1 ½ hours. The dough will not gain a significant amount of rise during this time. Don’t panic.
Degass the dough by punching it down a couple of times. Place the bowl (covered with a towel) with the dough back into the TURNED OFF oven for a second rise (another 1 ½ hours). Since there is not a lot of yeast in this dough, it is not going to rise like bread dough would.

Preheat your oven as high as it will go (usually 550 degrees F).
Choose your baking sheet and liberally sprinkle flour on it. Dampen your hands with water. Pick up the ball of dough and flatten it into a disc with your hands as you rotate the dough. Position the dough so it is resting on the back of your hands and slightly pull your hands out as you rotate the dough. When you get to the point of where you think the dough might tear, place it on the baking sheet and pull it into formation so it’s about 13 inches in diameter. Do not crimp the edges of the dough; It will create an edge for you during baking.

Add sauce and toppings (pre-cooked or roasted toppings helps tremendously). Bake for 15-20 minutes until the crust turns golden brown with some darker spots. Rotate the pizza 180 degrees after about 7 minutes. Allow pizza to cool about 10 minutes before serving.

Overnight Granola

One thing I don't like about making granola is that you have to keep your eye on it while it's in the oven. I put together this recipe that you make in the evening, put it in the oven on 170 degrees overnight, and it's done in the morning! This came out SOOOOO good!

4 cups oats
2 cups puffed millet
2 cups puffed brown rice (not like crispy rice cereal, but the softer, puffed style)
1 ripe banana
1 apple (with skin on)
½ cup natural peanut or almond butter (no oil, sugar, or salt added)
1 T. tahini
¼ cup water
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla extract
2-4 T. date paste, date sugar, or coconut sugar (optional)
½ t. salt (optional)
½ cup chopped raw almonds
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
½ cup dried fruit (optional)

Preheat oven to 170 degrees F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
Blend banana, apple, peanut butter, tahini, water, cinnamon, vanilla, sugar, and salt until smooth.
Add oats, puffed millet, puffed rice, and nuts to a large bowl. Stir in blended mixture well. Split the granola onto two trays, spread it out evenly, but leaving it in clusters. Place trays in oven overnight (keeping the heat at 170 degrees all night). Granola should be dry by the morning. If desired, stir in dried fruit. Cool and store in airtight container.

CHOCOLATE Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (Oil-Free!)

WOW! I didn't know how popular this recipe would be until I posted it on Facebook and Vegan Amino! I guess an oil-free yet tasty banana bread (with chocolate!) is enticing to most people. It makes you feel LESS guilty. :-) I do admit that this moist and dense bread is the perfect occasional dessert. It's not too sweet, but just the right sweetness. It's also just the right amount of chocolate to curb a chocolate craving. Paired with berries, it's absolutely marvelous!

3 medium-sized RIPE bananas

2 T. unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup non-dairy milk

1 t. vanilla extract

1 ½ cups spelt or whole wheat pastry flour

¾ t. baking soda

¾ t. salt

3 T. cocoa powder

¾ cup coconut sugar

1/4-1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a blender, combine the bananas, applesauce, non-dairy milk, and vanilla. Blend until smooth.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and coconut sugar together well.

Add in the banana mixture and stir to combine. Do not overmix.

Pour into a standard-size, non-stick loaf pan. 

Bake for 45 minutes and insert a toothpick in the center to make sure the bread is done. If the toothpick comes out clean, remove from the oven and let cool a bit before serving. If the bread is not done, continue baking and checking every 5 minutes or so.

People said there is a smiley face in my banana bread! ;-) See it???

Hubby's Favorite Granola

1/2 cup raw cashews
1 very ripe banana (with spots!)
1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and cut into quarters
1/4 cup coconut sugar or 3 Medjool dates
2 t vanilla extract

1/4 t. sea salt
2 t. cinnamon
4 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 T. hemp seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened dried coconut flakes (optional)
1/2 cup fruit-juice sweetened dried cranberries (optional)


Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Blend raw cashews, banana, apple, coconut sugar or dates, vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon in high-speed blender until smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine, oats, nuts, coconut flakes, and seeds. Add in wet, blended mixture and combine well.
Spread half of oats mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and the other half on another tray.
Bake for 20 minutes. Stir granola around well. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until granola is lightly brown and dried out. When cooled, stir in dried cranberries. Store in an airtight container.

Cranberry-Walnut Spelt Muffins

Wanting to get away from using genetically-modified wheat flour? Try these delicious spelt muffins! Spelt is easily found at most stores. I buy an organic whenever possible.

NOTE: You can sub a mixture of whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour (half and half) if you desire.  Also, if you do not have stevia powder or erythritol, you could add a bit more coconut sugar or maple syrup to kick up the sweetness.

2 cups organic spelt flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 T. chia seeds
2/3 cup coconut sugar
1/2 t. stevia powder or erythritol
1 T flaxseed meal mixed in 3 T warm water, set aside
1/2 t. vanilla
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup chopped organic dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Whisk the first 7 ingredients together, and then add all the wet ones (except the cranberries and walnuts). Mix just until moistened. Fold in the cranberries and walnuts, and then fill muffin cups to the top of the baking cups.
NOTE: I use silicone baking cups placed inside my muffin tin.
Bake 20-25 minutes.

Product Review: Non-Stick Personal Pizza Pans

We just LOVE to do make-you-own-pizza nights! Whenever I post photos, I have had several people ask me how we make our pizzas. I found these (set of 2) non-stick personal pizza pans on Amazon.com, and I LOVE them! Since everyone likes something different on their pizza, they can put whatever they like on theirs! Buy a couple of sets and enjoy!

Oil-Free Carrot Muffins with Orange-Maple Glaze

Last night, I had a dream about making carrot muffins using the blender. I know, weird. But, I woke up convinced that I had to try making some! So, here is the recipe I came up with.

2 T ground flaxseeds + 6 T warm water
½ cup unsweetened organic applesauce
1 ½ cups chopped carrots, (if organic, leave peels on)
½ cup maple syrup
¼ cup coconut sugar
1 T unsulphured molasses

1 cup whole wheat flour or spelt flour
1 cup oat flour
½ T baking powder
½ t. baking soda
¼ t salt
1 ½ t cinnamon

Glaze:
2 T freshly squeeze orange juice
1 T maple syrup

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a small bowl, combine the ground flaxseed with the water, stir and set aside.
In a high-speed blender, blend the carrots, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and molasses until smooth.
In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda and powder, salt, and cinnamon.
Add the wet blended mixture to the dry mixture and mix to combine well.
Spoon mixture into silicone baking cups to the top (so they puff up over the top in the oven).
Bake for 20 minutes.
While the muffins are baking, mix up your glaze.
After removing muffins from the oven, turn it off.
While the muffins are warm, carefully drizzle the glaze over them.Return the muffin tray to the oven for 5 minutes (make sure the oven is turned off!) to let the glaze thicken on the muffins.

Cornbread

Updated 9-18-2020

1 cup of whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, or spelt flour
1 cup of cornmeal (fine ground)
1 T. baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup plant-based milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 T tahini (runny tahini is best!) - optional, but makes the texture less dry

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (or 375 convection).
Stir the dry ingredients together.
Add the wet ingredients and mix well.
Pour batter into a nonstick 8x8" square pan.
Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly browned and cracked on top.
NOTE: Muffins are perfectly done at 18 minutes cook time.

Adapted from The Happy Herbivore

Oil-Free Croutons

RECIPE REVISED on 1/16/2020
It is frustrating to go into a store and not be able to find whole grain croutons, let alone ones without oil, dairy, or eggs. That's why I cook! So, tonight we are making Caesar Salad, and so my hubby and I devised croutons to go with it. In order to make anything "stick" to the bread cubes, normally oil would be used. We decided to use a different approach, and they came out AMAZING!

1 loaf of whole grain bread, cut into bite-sized cubes
3 T. walnuts, chopped very finely
3 T. maple syrup
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper

Preheat oven to 300 (convection) or 325 regular.
In a very small bowl, combine the chopped walnuts, maple syrup, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Place bread cubes in a large bowl with plenty of extra room in it.
Drizzle mixture over bread cubes, tossing them as you go to coat all pieces.
Move coated bread cubes to silpat or parchment-lined baking sheets, making sure they are in a single layer with plenty of room around them. You may need 2 baking sheets to do this.
Bake for 30 minutes, until bread cubes are light and crispy and very lightly browned.
Store in a gallon-sized freezer bag or sealed container.

Homemade Whole Grain Hoagie Rolls

Homemade Whole Wheat Hoagie Rolls

There is nothing more frustrating than when you are trying to be healthy, but you can't find healthy options in the store. I am having company this weekend for dinner, and I am making Oven "Fried" Eggplant (vegan) Parmesan Sub Sandwiches. I went to numerous stores in my area, but I could not find a single healthy option--let alone the style of bread I wanted! I remembered that Jill McKeever (www.simpledailyrecipes.com) had posted a recipe for whole wheat, oil-free dinner rolls. I thought I would try the recipe with slight modifications to see if I could make my own hoagie rolls. It was SO easy and came out just as I had hoped!

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (that is fresh and within date)
1 1/3 cup unsweetened plain soymilk (warmed to 105º to 115ºF degrees)
1 tablespoon raw sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Bottom of the roll

Lower the shelves in your oven to fit your mixing bowl inside it.
Then, preheat oven to 200 degrees, then TURN IT OFF!
In your electric mixer, add yeast, warmed milk, sugar, and salt.
Turn on your mixer (using your dough hook) on low and let it stir around for a few minutes.
Then, add the flour. Turn on your mixer again and let it stir the dough until it becomes a ball. Once it becomes a ball, continue to let it knead the dough for another minute.
Shape the dough into a ball, and put back into the bottom of the mixing bowl.
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and place into the oven to rise for 45 minutes.
Remove bowl from the oven and knead the dough with your hands (in your hands; doesn't have to be on a board) for one minute.
Preheat your oven to 375 or 350 degrees convection (which is really 375 degrees).
Shape the dough into whatever style of bread you are making, but smaller in size because it will rise.
Place shapes onto silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet.
Again, cover the rolls with the clean towel and let rest until your oven has preheated, plus an extra 5 minutes longer.
Bake in the oven (I placed my lower in the oven) for 15 minutes.
Cool on a rack before slicing.

Low-Fat Blueberry Muffins

2 cups spelt or whole wheat pastry flour (or a combination of 1 cup oat flour and 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 T. chia seeds (optional)
2/3 cup coconut sugar plus ¾ t. NuNaturals stevia powder or 1 cup coconut sugar
2 t. flaxseed meal mixed in 2 T warm water, set aside
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup blueberries — fresh or frozen (measured then defrosted)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Whisk the first 6 ingredients together, and then add all the wet ones (except the blueberries). Mix just until moistened. Fold in the blueberries and then fill muffin cups (paper-lined, silicone, or sprayed) full. Bake 25 minutes.

Adapted from Susan Voisin – Fat-Free Vegan website

Marbled Banana Bread

Marbled Banana Bread
1 cup mashed bananas, very ripe (about 3 medium-sized bananas)
¾ cup turbinado sugar
2 T. unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup non-dairy milk
1 t. vanilla extract
1 ½ cups spelt or whole wheat pastry flour
¾ t. baking soda
¾ t. salt
3 T. cocoa powder
6 T. boiling water (3 T. for chocolate batter and 3T. for base batter)

Preheat oven to 350 degree and grease a loaf pan.
Whisk together mashed bananas, sugar, applesauce, non-dairy milk, and vanilla until smooth in a medium bowl.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until well combined. Do not overstir at this point.
In a small bowl, add cocoa powder and 3 T boiling water. Stir with a small spoon until smooth.
Add one cup of the base batter into the cocoa and water mixture. Stir together well.
With a hand beater, beat the base batter for about 1-2 minutes, until smooth.
Drop ½ cupfuls of batter, alternating the base and chocolate batters, into the loaf pan until you have put all of the batter into the pan. Then, use a butter knife to swirl through the batter in a figure-eight motion until a nice marbling is achieved.
Bake 55 minutes or until a butter knife put into the center comes out clean.

Adapted from “Isa Does It”

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oat flour
1 1/4 cups raw sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
1 cup pureed organic pumpkin
1/2 cup unsweetened almond or soy milk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoons molasses
silicone muffin cups

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
Mix together wet ingredients in standing mixer bowl or large bowl.
Add dry ingredients and mix until completely combined.
Place silicone muffin cups in a muffin tin. Fill each cup to almost full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

You can drizzle a mixture of maple syrup and cinnamon over the warm muffins before serving, if desired.

Cranberry-Walnut Homemade No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread

Cranberry-Walnut Homemade No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread
2 cups warm water
2 Tablespoons maple syrup or agave syrup
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup chopped dried cranberries

Run your tap water until it's very warm but doesn't burn your hand.
Fill a small bowl with 2 cups of warm water, add 2 T of maple syrup and 2 t. active dry yeast (this is 1/2 t. more than the original recipe because other folks said the dough rose better with more)
Gently stir the ingredients and set aside for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, you should see the yeast colonizing and bubbling.
Set your oven to 200 degrees. When it reaches 200 degrees, SHUT IT OFF.
In the meantime, in a large bowl, add the whole wheat flour and salt. Whisk the ingredients together. When the yeast mixture is ready, stir into the flour mixture for 1 minute, using a wooden or silicone spoon/spatula. The dough is a very wet dough. Don't be concerned about the consistency if you added the correct amount of ingredients. This is how it should be!
Add in the walnuts and dried cranberries and stir a few times to get them incorporated.
Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel and place in the TURNED OFF oven. It should be nicely warm in the oven but not hot. Let the dough rise for 90 minutes. Take the bowl out and vigorously stir the dough for 30 seconds. Cover again with plastic wrap and return the bowl to oven for another 90-minute rise.

After the two "risings", put the dough into a loaf pan. It should be VERY non-stick, or you may have to lightly grease it (which I didn't do). Take a plastic grocery or produce bag and cover the loaf pan, leaving plenty of room all around it for rising. Let sit for 30 minutes. Due to the high water content in the dough it may begin to spill over the sides of the loaf pan. In this case, take the edges of the dough and stretch it over the loaf to the other side, working your way around the perimeter of the loaf pan as you go. Stretching the dough over itself will also help keep the loaf in its proper shape as it bakes. Lightly dust the top of the loaf with wheat germ, wheat bran or oat bran.

About 10 minutes before the "sitting" is complete, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake for approximately 45 minutes. You can insert a digital thermometer to make sure the internal temperature is at least 180-190 degrees. It SHOULD be done, though.

Remove the bread from the loaf pan after about 30 minutes and allow to cool on a wire rack until it's cooled to room temperature. This bread is best stored covered in a cool dark place or pre-sliced and stored in a plastic freezer bag in the freezer.

Make-Your-Own Pizza and Vegan Parmesan Cheese

I know...it's pizza night at our house A LOT. We make personal-sized make-your-own pizza at least every other week. It's such a wonderful way to get veggies into a meal without a ton of effort. This pizza has leftover arrabbiata sauce from last night as the base with peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and artichoke hearts on it. SCRUMPTIOUS! The crust is Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (which is only $1.19 a bag -- which makes three personal-sized pizzas!). Topped with our three-ingredient vegan parmesan cheese (recipe below).

Vegan Parmesan Cheese in Vitamix:
1 cup of slivered blanched almonds
¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
½-¾ t. salt
Pulse in blender until desired consistency, but do not overblend.