snack

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread with Hazelnuts & Sage

September 23, 2016 By Courtney West 1 Comment

HAPPY AUTUMNAL EQUINOX YOU GUYS!! Despite the fact that we’re having a bit of a last ditch heat wave here in Houston at the moment, I can tell the air is changing and that soon the temperatures will, too. Or at least I HOPE they will. All I ask is that we get out of the 90s. That’s not too much to ask for, right?

With the arrival of autumn comes an invitation to turn inward. We start to seek stability and calm while the vata-like qualities typical of the season threaten to make us unstable and anxious. We move closer to the earth and closer to ourselves. We crave substantial meals because our bodies are trying to prepare us for the winter months. Autumn is a time to slow down and savor each and every experience whether it’s noticing the changing hues of the leaves or the spicy smells that will soon waft through open windows.

To celebrate the equinox and the shift that comes with it, I’m sharing an earthy loaf of pumpkin bread full of toasty hazelnuts and sage. Though pumpkins in general are one of my favorite things (they’re even a part of my new blog header), pumpkin bread itself is by far one of my favorite baked goods. I realized that the last time I shared an actual pumpkin bread recipe on the blog was way back in 2011. YIKES! I figured it was high time I cracked open a can of orange squashy goodness and came up with an updated version.

If you are craving just a plain old loaf of pumpkin bread, leave the sage and hazelnuts out and sub in a pumpkin pie spice mix for all of the spices called for. But, I highly recommend trying out this version first because the addition of the sage and hazelnuts takes it to a whole other level. If you are looking for more pumpkin-y goodness, there’s no shortage of it here on the blog. Simply go to the “recipes” tab at the top of the page and search for “pumpkin” in the search box. Last year at this time I celebrated with these dark chocolate pumpkin truffles. Yummmmmmm.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread with Hazelnuts & Sage

notes: I prefer to make mini loaves of quick bread because I find them easier to store and eat, but I’ll include other options below. Also, this is a full batch that makes 3 mini loaves or 1 large loaf or 15 muffins. So, if you’d like to make less, divide the recipe as you see fit.

75g arrowroot flour
90g buckwheat flour
105g oat flour
1 tsp psyllium husk or xanthan gum
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 tbsp minced fresh sage
3/4 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts

120g melted coconut oil
180g dark maple syrup or honey
375g pumpkin puree (or other squash puree)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and grease or line the pans you are using (large loaf or mini loaf or muffin). In a large bowl, mix together the flours, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices until well combined. Stir in the hazelnuts and sage then set the dry mixture aside. In another bowl, mix together the wet ingredients until they are smooth, then add them to the dry. Mix until a smooth and thick batter forms. Pour the batter into your prepared pan(s) then tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles and help to settle the batter. Smooth out the top of the batter, then put the pan(s) into the oven to bake. If you are baking muffins, it will take 18-20 minutes. If you are baking mini loaves it will take 20-25 minutes. And if you are baking one large loaf it will take 30-40 minutes. The bread is ready when a tester inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean. Once the bread has baked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for at least one hour before slicing into it. If you baked muffins, you only have to wait 15-20 minutes for them to cool.

Buckwheat Porridge Parfaits with Banana & Passion Fruit

August 2, 2016 By Courtney West 2 Comments

Soaked buckwheat groats are blended into a creamy porridge with coconut cream and layered with bananas and passion fruit in these vegan and gluten free breakfast parfaits. These are perfect for hot summer days as there’s no cooking required!

As much as I dislike the weather in Houston, I love our year-round growing season. Tropical variants thrive and we are able to have farmers markets all year due to our lack of frost and deep freezes. Just recently I passed by a house in my sister’s neighborhood with a papaya tree in the front yard, it’s thin boughs laden with fruit. Every fiber of my being wanted to hurriedly pick one and run away but I took a deep breath and chose to exercise a bit of restraint while ogling them from afar.

After spying the papaya beauties it got me wondering why I didn’t see more tropical variants at the farmers market? And then as if by some crazy cosmic coincidence, there was a vendor that very next market selling papaya, papaya plants, malibar spinach, and passion fruit. I immediately gravitated toward the wrinkly-skinned passion fruit. I had barely paid and set the fruit into my bag before I was making plans to pair the juicy, tart flesh with some nice, sweet bananas.

Cutting into passion fruit instantly reminds me of my visits to Hawai’i and Tahiti. It smells tropical, more so than anything I’ve ever come across. It’s also a rather interesting looking fruit, sporting a wrinkly, dimpled skin on the outside and brilliantly yellow flesh punctuated by dark seeds on the inside. It pairs really well with bananas to offset their natural sweetness. But to be honest, it goes well with pretty much any other fruit.

I decided to use my locally grown passion fruit in these breakfast parfaits made with layers of a vanilla coconut buckwheat porridge and fresh banana slices. I ended up eating them with toasted and chopped cashews for a bit of crunch, but I’ll leave that part up to you 🙂

Buckwheat Porridge Parfaits with Banana & Passion Fruit

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Author: Courtney West
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
Diet: Vegan

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Description

Ingredients

1 cup of raw buckwheat groats, soaked 6-8 hours or overnight
2–3 tbsp maple syrup (depending on how sweet you want it)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
4–5 tbsp coconut cream or coconut milk
1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of fine sea salt
2 bananas
3 passion fruit

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Instructions

Once the buckwheat groats have soaked, drain and rinse them then add them to a blender along with the maple syrup, lemon juice, 4 tbsp of the coconut cream or milk, the contents of 1 vanilla bean, and a small pinch of salt. Blend until smooth, then taste and add more maple syrup or coconut cream as needed. If you want a thicker consistency, you can chill the porridge until the fat in the coconut cream/milk firms up.

Prepare your fruit: cut the banana into slices and cut each passion fruit in half. To serve, layer the porridge, banana slices, and passion fruit pulp in a glass or jar. Or, pour the porridge into a bowl and serve the fruit on top.

Makes 2 generous servings.

Notes

If you are not able to find passion fruit, go for any sweet-tart fruit such as berries or pineapple. To pick a good passion fruit, look for wrinkly skin and a fruit that feels slightly heavy for its size.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Category: breakfast