Tag Archives: almond milk

Cherry Almond Soda Bread (Vegan)

Cherry Almond Soda Bread

The first thing I want to do is apologize to anyone who is Irish. I took your soda bread and really messed with it…and I’m sorry. Well, I’m not really sorry. No disrespect, but this turned out really good. If you give it a chance, I know you’ll forgive me. The combination of cherry and almond is really nice. This is more of a sweet soda bread, not overly sweet, but it’s nice with some jam or just as is.

I’m not a vegan and I’m pretty sure I may never be. I like everything too much! But…I do like to experiment and eat healthy as much as I can. I wasn’t sure this recipe would turn out, but when it came out of the oven…well, take a peek at the photos below and you’ll see why I’ve gained weight writing this blog.

Cherry Almond Soda Bread (Vegan)

1 C. whole wheat flour
3/4 C. all purpose flour
1/4 C. almond meal
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/4 C. sugar
2 T. coconut oil
3/4 C. unsweetened almond milk
1/2 C. dried cherries
1/8 C. sliced almonds

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flours, almond meal, baking soda, salt and sugar. Using a pastry cutter or a fork, blend the coconut oil into the flour mixture until it becomes slightly crumbly. Add the almond milk and cherries. Stir with a rubber spatula until combined.

Drop the dough out onto the parchment and sprinkle the top with the sliced almonds. Using generously floured hands, form the dough into a round loaf.

Bake for 28 to 30 minutes.

Cool slightly before devouring.

Notes:

  • You many not need this to be vegan or you may not have all of these ingredients on hand. You can omit the almond meal and just increase the all purpose flour to 1 cup. You may want to add a splash of almond extract for flavor. You can also use regular milk instead of almond milk and butter in place of the coconut oil.
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Blueberry Cobbler Smoothie…and a Giveaway!

Blueberry Cobbler Smoothie

I can’t tell you how excited I am to share this recipe. It’s just so good. I started out planning to share my blueberry-banana smoothie recipe, but it just sounded kind of blah and unoriginal. It’s delicious, but I know you don’t need any help from me to make one. So, I stood in front of my spice rack, spinning it back and forth. Cinnamon? Nutmeg? Hmmm…sounds odd in a smoothie, but that’s what I’d use in a blueberry cobbler. For some reassurance, I flipped open my new favorite book, The Flavor Bible. (I love it so much, I’ve included it in my first post about things I love!) I quickly found the blueberry page and my thoughts were confirmed right there in black and white. Cinnamon and nutmeg really do go well with blueberries, in fact, one chef mentioned that he feels cinnamon actually intensifies the flavor of the blueberry. One sip is really all you need to get it. It really is exactly like a blueberry cobbler…in a glass.

We are (self-proclaimed) smoothie aficionados in my house. We make a lot of them. It usually resembles a comedy act though. Run the blender, turn it off. Shake the blender, run the blender. Run the blender and shake the blender. Turn it off. Stir it up. Run the blender and stir it up. Lose a spoon. You know what I’m talking about. Sigh. One day I’ll afford to spend half a week’s salary on a nice blender. Not today. So, the whole point of this drawn out paragraph is that I think the consistency of this smoothie is perfect. The proportions are just right to create a thick and rich texture, but not so thick that you’ll have a replay of the above nonsense.

 

Blueberry Cobbler Smoothie

1 C. frozen blueberries
1  banana (you can use a frozen one if you’ve got time to fight with your blender)
3/4 C. almond milk
1 T. honey
1 T. golden flaxseed meal
1/2 t. freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 t. cinnamon
just a pinch of nutmeg

Throw it all in the blender. Blend on high until completely smooth. Enjoy. Come back and tell me how much you love me. :D

 

For a chance to win your own copy of The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, see my Things I Love page and click on The Flavor Bible!
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Persimmon Cranberry Quinoa Breakfast

Persimmon Cranberry Quinoa Breakfast

I try to start each day off with a healthy breakfast. Did you notice I said try? It’s not always easy, but when I do, it just makes me feel good all day. I make quinoa frequently as a side dish with dinner, but have yet to try making it for breakfast. After having it this way, I think I like it all the more! The sweetness from the brown sugar, the fruit and the almond milk seem to work well with the slight bitterness of the quinoa.

Now, as for the persimmon…I used the Fuyu persimmon. It’s the variety that is more round and looks a bit like a tomato. The other variety, Hachiya, is more acorn shaped and is not as sweet. I’d never had one before and I didn’t know what to expect, but they are really good! They are sweeter than I imagined. I had left mine on the counter for about a week and waited for them to soften up. The exterior has a pretty tough skin and I guess there is some controversy over whether or not to peel them.  I didn’t. I like the contrast of the skin against the soft and juicy interior. Apparently, the skin has some health benefits, so why peel it? To me, they taste like a cross between a pear and a plum, but without the tartness. Next time you see them in the grocery store, just grab a couple and give them a try. So worth it!

Persimmon Cranberry Quinoa Breakfast

1/2 C. water
1/4 C. quinoa
3 T. unsweetened almond milk (or any milk you like to use), divided
1 t. + 1 pinch dark brown sugar, divided
1/2 persimmon, sliced into segments
1 T. dried cranberries
1 T. walnuts, chopped
In a small saucepan over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the quinoa and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 12 minutes covered. Remove from heat, add 1 T. of the almond milk and 1 t. of the brown sugar, stir and allow to sit covered for 5 minutes.
Put the quinoa in a bowl. Pour on the remaining 2 T. of almond milk, add the persimmon, cranberries and walnuts and finish it off with a pinch of brown sugar on top.

One serving

Notes:

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