Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Ingredients:

•3 medium ripe bananas
•1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
•1/4 cup canola oil
•1/2 cup sucanat (or organic cane sugar)
•1 tablespoon molasses
•1 cup peanut flour
•1 cup all-purpose flour
•3/4 teaspoon baking soda
•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
•3/4 cup chocolate chips

To Prepare: Start by peeling and mashing the ripe bananas in a medium mixing bowl. Once mashed, add the sucanat (or sugar), molasses, canola oil, and applesauce.

Whisk until well combined!

In a separate bowl, combine the peanut flour, all purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients until just combined, and then fold in the chocolate chips. If you’d prefer a different type of chip (white chocolate, butterscotch, mmm), or nuts or dried fruit – you can fold that in now too.

From The Front Burner (http://www.thefrontburnerblog.com/2010/12/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-banana-bread.html)

Easy Green Curry

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp, oil
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1" piece of ginger, minced
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1/4 cup water, plus more as needed
- green curry paste, to taste
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup coconut milk, or more as desired
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat. Saute shallot, garlic, and ginger for a few mins, until fragrant and lightly browned. Add sweet potato and fry for 5 mins.
2. Add broccoli and cook for about 15 mins, adding splashed of water as needed to help stem/cook the veggies and keep them from sticking to the pan.
3. Add curry paste, along with 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Add soy sauce and beans and cook for about 5 mins, making sure the veggies are now fully cooked.
4. Add coconut milk, season to taste, and serve.

From Vegan Dad (http://vegandad.blogspot.com/2010/02/easy-green-curry.html)

Indian-Style Potatoes and Spinach

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 large onion, halved and sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1" piece of ginger, minced
- 4 large Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
- 1/2 cup water (more if needed)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- salt to taste
- 2 handfuls baby spinach


METHOD
1. Heat oil over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and fry until they begin to pop and splutter. Add onion, garlic and ginger and fry for 5-7 mins, until translucent.
2. Add potatoes, water, chili powder, and salt and mix well. Add a little more water, if needed, to make a nice sauce. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for 12-15 mins, or until potatoes are cooked. Stir occasionally.
3. When potatoes are cooked, add spinach to the pan. Cover and cook for a few mins until spinach wilts but is still a nice vibrant green.

From Vegan Dad (http://vegandad.blogspot.com/2009/04/indian-style-potatoes-and-spinach.html)

Sweet Potato + Lentil Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes, chopped
1 tbsp coconut oil, or olive oil
Salt + pepper to taste
2 cups broth
1 cup lentils
1 cup cooked wheatberries (optional)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 cups trimmed green beans
2 apples
1 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped chicken or turkey (optional)

Dressing:
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp cranberry mustard, or regular dijon
1 tbsp Garlic Gold oil, or olive oil
1 tbsp black cherry balsamic, or regular balsamic
Salt + pepper to taste

Chop potatoes and toss in coconut oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 400* for 35 minutes, or until soft pillows. Meanwhile, cook lentils in broth. Stir in wheatberries near end, if using. Heat large pan and toast chopped walnuts until fragrant. Add 1 tbsp butter and sauté green beans and apples until tender. Toss all ingredients together. Shake dressing into a jar and toss salad. Top with chicken or turkey if desired.

From Kath Eats Real Food (http://www.katheats.com/kerfuffled/)

Apple Cinnamon Cranberry Quinoa

Ingredients: (serves 4)

•1 cup dry red or white quinoa
•1 medium apple, diced
•1 cinnamon stick
•3/4 cup orange juice
•1 cup water
•1/3 cup dried cranberries
•1/3 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
•salt to taste

To Prepare: I personally prefer to use red quinoa more than white because I think it’s a bit nuttier and chewier, but you are more than welcome to use whatever you prefer. Rinse the quinoa over a fine mesh strainer to make sure all the bitter residue is removed.

Add the quinoa, apple, and cinnamon stick to a sauce pan over medium-high heat.

Pour the orange juice and water in, and stir to combine.

Cook covered for 20-25 minutes, or until the moisture is absorbed and the quinoa is tender. You might want to remove the lid in the last 5 minutes or so to cook the rest of the moisture out.

Remove the cinnamon stick, and add the dried cranberries and pepitas.

Add salt to taste.

From The Front Burner (http://www.thefrontburnerblog.com/2010/11/apple-cinnamon-cranberry-quinoa.html)

Kale and Roasted Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

•3 medium sweet potatoes, cubed
•1 large rutabaga, peeled and cubed
•1.5 medium onions, diced
•3 gloves garlic, minced
•4 –6 cups vegetable broth (use 4 if you want a thicker stew-like soup, and 6 if you prefer a brothier soup)
•1 bunch kale, washed and trimmed
•1 tsp cumin
•1/2 tsp coriander
•1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
•1 small avocado, diced
•salt and pepper (to taste)

To Prepare:

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cube the sweet potatoes and rutabaga into evenly sized pieces. Toss with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper, and spread evenly onto a sheet pan.
2.Roast the vegetables for 45 minutes, or until browned and tender, stirring once halfway through cooking.
3.Once the vegetables are done, sauté the onions and garlic over medium high heat in a heavy-bottomed pot (like a Dutch oven) until soft and starting to turn brown.
4.Add roasted vegetables, vegetable broth, and spices and bring up to a simmer.
5.Fill pot to the top with kale (washed and torn), and cover for at least 10 minutes so that the kale will wilt and steam.
6.Check kale for tenderness after 10 minutes. Once ready, add rinsed black beans and stir well to heat through.
7.Adjust final seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle and serve into individual bowls, and top with freshly diced avocado.

From The Front Burner (http://www.thefrontburnerblog.com/2010/11/kale-and-roasted-vegetable-soup-the-video.html)

Lime Cilantro Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans

Recipe:
(adapted from Epicurious)

3 tbsp olive oil
3 medium sweet potatoes (I guess they’re actually yams? The ones that are orange inside…), diced
3 cups cooked black beans (or 2 cans), rinsed and drained
juice of 2 limes
zest of 1 lime
1 tsp salt, divided
pinch or two cayenne
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Preheat the oven to 450 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silpats.
Toss the diced sweet potatoes with oil and 1/2 tsp of salt and spread evenly on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake about 20 minutes (time will depend on the size of the sweet potato pieces), or until tender. Remove and let cool for about 5 minutes.

While the sweet potatoes are baking, whisk the lime zest, lime juice, remaining salt, and cayenne together in a large bowl. Add the black beans and sweet potatoes (after cooling slightly) and toss well. Sprinkle with cilantro, toss again, and serve.

From Cate's World Kitchen (http://catesworldkitchen.com/2010/06/lime-cilantro-sweet-potatoes-with-black-beans/)