Coconut-Banana Ice Cake with Chocolate Pecan Crust

Did I mention that I made my own birthday cake for my birthday last weekend?

I figured eh...why not?  I wanted to try out a new recipe and I could make exactly what I was craving.

Coconut, banana and chocolate.

I can't think of a better mix of flavors. 

It was so good I wrote my cake a little love letter. 

Oh Coconut-Banana Ice Cake with Chocolate Pecan Crust, how do I love the?

Let me count the ways.

1) You are sweet and creamy and luscious.

2) You are so easy to prepare even a 3-year-old can help.

3) You don't involve any baking and opening of the oven door so you don't crack (or other cheesecake techniques that always seem to elude me.)

5) Your crust is so nutty and chocolately delicious.

6) You contain no belly busting sugar or animal products but are still so rich and divine.

7) You have 0 grams cholesterol and so many less calories than regular cheesecake but are just as delicious.

8) You have fiber, protein and tons of vitamins and minerals from the healthy and minimally processed ingredients.

Ok, ok so I am not the best at love letters.

Tell me. What is your idea of the perfect birthday cake?  

Coconut-Banana Ice Cake with Chocolate Pecan Crust

Inspiration from Taste Space and My New Roots
Vegan, Gluten Free

Serves 10

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Crust
1/2 cup raw pecans, toasted for a few minutes in a skillet over medium heat.
2/3 cup soft Medjool dates, pits removed
1/4 cup cocoa nibs (or dark chocolate chips for non-vegan)
1/4 cup finely shredded coconut, Lets Do Organic
1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Filling
1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 5 hours, overnight is best
Juice of 2 lemons
2 tsp alcohol-free vanilla extract, divided
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup agave (or honey for non-vegans)  
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 3 super ripe)
1/3 cup shredded coconut, Let's Do Organic 

Directions:

1. Place pecans, dates, coconut and chips in a food processor with sea salt and pulse to chop until they are just combined and stick together nicely.  Press into a small spring form pan (7 or 8 inch) or anything similar sized that can be frozen, (such as the microwave steamer I found and covered in plastic wrap.)

2. Heat honey and coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat until coconut oil melts, stirring frequently.  


3. In a Vitamix or food processor mix the soaked cashews, lemon juice, 1 tsp vanilla and melted coconut oil-agave mixture; process on high for several minutes until VERY smooth.


4. Pour about 3/4 of the mixture (does not have to be exact) out onto the crust and spread with a spoon or spatula.  Place into the freezer while you work on the next step.  

5.  Add the bananas, second 1 tsp vanilla and coconut to the remaining 1/4 mixture in the Vitamix or food processor; process or blend again on high until very smooth.  Remove cake from freezer and pour banana layer over the first cashew layer.  Place back into freezer until well frozen. Cover well with plastic wrap until ready to serve to prevent freezer burn.


6. Remove from freezer and place in refrigerator for 1 hour or at room temperature for just over 30 minutes prior to serving.  Cut slices with a knife run under hot water.  Rewrap any leftovers and place back in freezer.  

Estimated Nutrition Facts

10 Servings
Amount Per Serving


Calories 379.8
Total Fat 26.8 g
Saturated Fat 12.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.6 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 61.9 mg
Potassium 218.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate 34.6 g
Dietary Fiber 5.8 g
Sugars 22.9 g
Protein 4.7 g

Vitamin A 0.6 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 10.4 %
Vitamin C 12.1 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 1.7 %
Calcium 1.1 %
Copper 6.1 %
Folate 2.5 %
Iron 2.4 %
Magnesium 5.0 %
Manganese 16.2 %
Niacin 1.8 %
Pantothenic Acid 1.9 %
Phosphorus 2.7 %
Riboflavin 2.9 %
Selenium 1.3 %
Thiamin 3.8 %
Zinc 2.3 %


*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Cheesy-Chick Quesadillas

Ha!  I've now got four vegetarian recipes under my belt that my 3 year old daughter loves.

1) Pizza.  I use her brown rice bread, slap on some organic tomato sauce, some rice cheese and Italian seasoning then place under the broiler.
2) Baked potatoes topped with smashed white beans, cauliflower and broccoli
3) Sunflower seed butter and hazelnut agave pudding
4) The Cheesy Chick Quesadillas shown here (that I happen to be smitten with as well.) 

According to Dr Oz in last month's Oprah magazine, it takes a child 12 tastes to develop a taste for something.  So don't give up on introducing foods such as chickpeas to your kids.

My daughter likes them simple with chickpeas and cheese only.

I prefer my cheesy-chick quesadillas with the addition of roasted veggies.  

I cut a variety of vegetables up about 1/3 inch thick, such as tomato, zucchini, summer squash, onion, mushroom and sweet potato each weekend.  Simply preheat the oven to 350F, spray baking sheets with non-stick spray; lay the veggies out and roast for 45 minutes to an hour, turning halfway. Keep a close eye on them as different pans will brown veggies at different rates.

Here is the photo of mine with the roasted veggies.

On the side is a fabulously light guacamole; recipe to follow!

Cheesy-Chick Quesadillas

Serves 4
Vegan, Gluten Free (if Rice Cheese and Brown Rice Wraps used)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1-15oz can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed, such as Eden Organic

1 recipe taco seasoning (Recipe below)

1/2 cup rice cheese, such as Daiya (or regular Mexican blend shredded cheese)

4 rice tortillas, I used Food for Life brand (or tortillas of choice)

Olive oil spray
Roasted Vegetables (optional if you happen to have some)

Taco seasoning
(Seasoning from these Walnut Lettuce Wraps)

1/2 Tbsp tamari

1/8 tsp ground chipotle

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp olive oil

Directions

1. Toast chickpeas in a skillet, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, over medium heat until just browned, about 5-8 minutes; stir gently every now and then. Wipe out skillet to make quesadillas.

2. Place chickpeas and taco seasoning in magic bullet or small food processor.  Pulse until just combined. Be sure not to over mix as you will get a paste.

3. Lay 4 tortillas out; cut each in half.  Spread 1/4 of chickpea mix and about 2 Tbsp rice cheese evenly over one half of each.  Top with the second half of tortilla. Spray outside of each quesadilla with non-stick cooking spray. 

4. Heat skillet over medium high heat.  Lay 1 quesadilla, cooking-spray side down; cook until browned, about 5 minutes; spray top side, flip and cook additional 5 minutes or until browned.  (Alternatively, preheat the broiler, place all four quesadillas on a baking sheet and broil until browned, flip and broil second side until browned.) Remove from heat, cool a few minutes; slice.  Repeat with remaining three quesadillas.

Nutrition for taco seasoning
1 Recipe

Amount Per Recipe

Calories 35.0
Total Fat 2.5 g
Saturated Fat 0.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.7 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 516.2 mg
Potassium 59.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate 2.2 g
Dietary Fiber 0.7 g
Sugars 0.4 g
Protein 1.3 g

Per Quesadilla (Not including roasted veggies)
Nutrition Facts

4 Servings
Amount Per Serving


Calories 335.9
Total Fat 10.1 g
Saturated Fat 2.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 838.2 mg
Potassium 264.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate 51.9 g
Dietary Fiber 7.1 g
Sugars 0.1 g
Protein 7.8 g

Broiled Polenta Cakes with Sautéed Broccoli and Cannellinis

Today is a special Friday as it happens to by my 34th birthday.  The plan is to go shopping, lunch at Mandaloun and then a pedicure before a dinner with the family tonight.  Tomorrow is a date night out with friends; dinner and dancing.

I made my own birthday cake....here is a sneak peek from while I was making it.

I won't give it away entirely but there is dark chocolate, banana and coconut involved.  I can't wait to post!

As for the polenta, this is one of those recipes that I'm so excited about for several reasons.

1. The outcome was fabulously delicious.

2. It was so quick and easy.

3. My whole family (including me the plant eater, my hubby the omnivore and our 3-year old daughter who is allergic to everything.)  The verdict is that it was much better than my first whole-family vegetarian attempt at mushy bean burgers.

4. It doesn't sound like it would be but it was filling and satisfying with over 11 grams fiber and 15 grams protein!

Broiled Polenta Cakes with Sautéed Broccoli and Cannellinis
Inspiration from the lonely bean

Serves 4 (1/4 broccoli bean mixture and 2 slices polenta)
Vegan, Gluten Free

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 tube organic garlic-basil polenta, I used Food Merchants Organic Garlic Basil Polenta
Non-stick cooking spray
1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

¼ cup vegetable broth or water

1 large head broccoli, chopped

¼ cup sliced sun dried tomatoes

Splash (about 2 to 3 Tbsp) of good quality white wine (Meaning you would drink it.)

1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
Sea salt, fresh ground pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat broiler.  Slice polenta into 8 slices and place on baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Broil until first side is browned, about 10 minutes, flip and broil second side until browned.  Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat, sauté onion until translucent, about 3 minutes; add garlic, sauté additional 2 minutes; add broccoli, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and garlic powder, to taste;  cook 1 minute; add broth, wine and sun dried tomatoes, cover and reduce heat; simmer about 5 minutes until broccoli is tender-crisp.  Stir in beans and pine nuts.  Serve over crispy polenta.

Estimated Nutrition Facts

4 Servings
Amount Per Serving


Calories 236.6
Total Fat 77.7 g
Saturated Fat 0.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.7 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 419.9 mg
Potassium 1,059.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate 49.2 g
Dietary Fiber 11.3 g
Sugars 2.2 g
Protein 15.3 g


Vitamin A 54.2 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 18.6 %
Vitamin C 253.8 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 14.1 %
Calcium 16.2 %
Copper 21.9 %
Folate 44.5 %
Iron 29.4 %
Magnesium 28.1 %
Manganese 84.9 %
Niacin 7.5 %
Pantothenic Acid 10.6 %
Phosphorus 24.9 %
Riboflavin 14.3 %
Selenium 9.5 %
Thiamin 15.7 %
Zinc 15.5 %




*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Tofu Kra Prow with Buckwheat Noodles

My favorite dish to get at my local hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant, Mai Thai, is Tofu Kra Prow, described as mixed vegetables and basil leaves in a chili-garlic sauce.  I always order steamed rice noodles on the side as opposed to white rice.  My eyes light up when the fragrant dish arrives, piled high with super spicy and fresh, tender-crisp veggies.  The restaurant has the most beautiful presentation of carrots artfully formed into a flower on top of a nest of thin red beet strands.  It's just gorgeous.  The tofu is lightly fried so it has a delicate crust and soft pillowy inside that is perfect with the spice.  I could eat it every day.  Alas, that could get expensive and I don't need to be eating white rice noodles and fried tofu daily so I vowed to come up with a buckwheat and sautéed tofu version.

Once again, I channeled my inner Veggie Sandra Lee with a bag of frozen Thai-Style veggies. All about the convenience!

The final verdict is that this is not the sauce they use at the restaurant.  The recipe I found for Kra Prow (and there were not many out there) has fish and oyster sauce in it, so my sauce is brown and theirs is not.  Both are equally delicious in their own way though.  This had more depth of flavor and the buckwheat soba is heartier than the rice noodles. As for similarities, both have the delicious garlic and heat elements as well as that aromatic basil.  

Tofu Kra Prow with Buckwheat Noodles

Inspired by Tofu Kra Prow from my local Mai Thai's Menu and this recipe; Kra Pow Chicken

Serves 5 (over 1 cup depending on size of eggplant)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 block extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into cubes

1 bag Thai Style frozen veggies, I used Cascadian Farm, Thai-Style Stir fry Blend

3 white Japanese Eggplant, chopped

1 head garlic (12 cloves), minced

2 -4 cayenne pepper, diced (I had to sub 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper)

1/2 to 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups Thai Basil leaves (again had to sub regular basil as that's what I had growing)
1 Pkg Buckwheat Soba, cooked to package directions and set aside
2 tsp rice wine vinegar

Sauce

6 Tbsp oyster sauce
4 Tbsp fish sauce

1/2 Tbsp Turbinado sugar
2 tsp low sodium Tamari (or soy sauce)

Directions

1. Mix sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

2. Heat 1 Tbsp water or broth in a skillet or wok over medium heat; add garlic and pepper, sauté, stirring constantly until browned, about 3 minutes. 

3. Add tofu and eggplant and sauté until browned, adding more water or broth as needed to prevent sticking. Remove from pan and set aside.

4. Heat another 1 Tbsp broth over high heat; add Thai vegetables, sauté 4 to 5 minutes.  Add tofu and eggplant back to pan.

4.  Stir in sauce and toss to coat; add broth, reduce heat and simmer.  Add buckwheat soba.  Remove from heat and stir in basil and rice wine vinegar.


Nutrition Facts

5 Servings (Large, over 1 cup servings, depending on the size of the eggplant)
Amount Per Serving


Calories 304.0
Total Fat 6.5 g
Saturated Fat 0.8 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.3 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 1,912.3 mg**** 
Potassium 458.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 45.1 g
Dietary Fiber 6.2 g
Sugars 8.1 g
Protein 18.9 g


Vitamin A 11.5 %
Vitamin B-12 1.5 %
Vitamin B-6 9.5 %
Vitamin C 22.6 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 0.0 %
Calcium 13.3 %
Copper 10.3 %
Folate 8.2 %
Iron 12.4 %
Magnesium 23.3 %
Manganese 52.1 %
Niacin 4.1 %
Pantothenic Acid 1.2 %
Phosphorus 16.3 %
Riboflavin 3.7 %
Selenium 18.2 %
Thiamin 4.1 %
Zinc 7.7 %


*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

****This dish will be lower in sodium than listed here due to the low sodium tamari and vegetable broth; however, to cut it down even more reduce the amount of fish sauce and oyster sauce a bit and that will help as well.  I use Sparkrecipes as the recipe builder and there were no options for low sodium veggie broth or tamari.

Vegetarian Breakfast Burger with Fresh Tomato, Sprouts and Carrot-Mustard Sauce

Could I be the next Food Network Star with my Breakfast Burger with Fresh Tomato, Sprouts and Carrot Mustard Sauce? Something along the lines of a plant-based Sandra Lee Perhaps?

At first I was a little guilty.  It's not like I was actually going to be making these burgers from scratch.  But after my first recipe-free veggie/bean burger attempt came out more like brown burger mush I realized I needed some help.  Hey, I'm sort of new to this totally meat-free thing. So when I came across these Sunshine Burger samples at Native Sun that don't have soy or wheat in them (so my daughter can eat them) it was like the heavens opened up and light shone down.  I believe I heard angels singing. 

Why the excitement? 

Let's just say my new way of eating is taking a bit of an adjustment period for the family, which is understandable.  My husband Chris grew up in Jacksonville Florida.  Now mind you, I love it here, but the main staple is meat.  Let's see, we have Bono's BBQ, Sonny's BBQ, Longhorn Steakhouse, Roadh0use, Texas Roadhouse, Ted's Montana Grill and on and on, all based solely on meat.  Ten years back my new husband and I got married and in the back of his mind he was probably thinking I was already a bit weird as it was, if you've read my background, but whatever,  we were shiny new newlyweds, young and in love so it could be overlooked.  Little did he know.....there was more (or shall I say less) to come. 

In 2008 we had a beautiful baby girl who happened to have some SERIOUS eczema issues that we were paying $300 a tube each month for steroid cream not approved for her age so she wouldn't scratch her eyelids until they bled.  Against the recommendation of the pediatrician I had her allergy tested and sure enough she tested positive for food allergies out the wazoo.  I immediately announced we can't feed our, at the time, one year old daughter, wheat, eggs, dairy, soy, cod fish, peanuts, tree nuts, seeds (she can eat moderately) and all those synthetic dyes like red 40.  At first no one really believed me.  After all, the doctors said it's not food related and you can't eliminate all that from her diet, right?  I just say give me a chance and let me try.  And it worked.  So we got used to that and switched her to all free range organic meats, organic veggies and fruits and few snacks that come from Native Sun. 

And then I read the China Study. 

And then I made some seriously mushy bean burgers.  

My poor hubby doesn't know what hit him.

So there you go.  That's why the excitement over finding some seriously delicious, convenient burgers we can all eat. I needed an easy and tasty and cheap option.  Another bonus was that these were on SALE so they came to just over $1 per burger and with working full time the convenience factor won out.  Hellooo it's like my very own dollar value menu or whatever they call it. Normally I  make most everything else from scratch so I had to let go of the guilt. 

And buy eight boxes.

Here is what I bought

Two breakfast:

Ingredients:

Organic sunflower seeds

organic brown rice

organic adzuki beans

organic hemp seeds

organic onion

organic bell pepper

organic herbs

organic paprika

organic black pepper

sea salt

Two Falafel

Ingredients:

Organic raw ground sunflower seeds

organic brown rice

organic chick peas

organic split peas

organic tahini(ground toasted organic sesame seeds)

organic sesame seed paste

organic parsley

organic cumin powder

organic garlic

Two Southwest

Ingredients:

Organic ground raw sun-flower seeds

Organic Brown Rice

Organic Carrots

Organic Black Beans

Organic Bell Peppers

Organic Cilantro

Organic Garlic

Organic Jalapeño Peppers

Organic Ground Cumin Seeds

Organic Onion

Sea Salt

Two Garden Herb

Ingredients:

Organic Ground Raw Sun-flower Seeds

Organic Brown Rice

Organic Carrots

Organic Herbs

Sea Salt

The first one I tried out was the morning after my purchase...the breakfast burgers.  I paired it with a slice of toasted sesame Ezekiel bread, some juicy fresh tomato, sprouts and I thought about what I used to like on my breakfast sandwiches in the mornings.  Typically a slice of Kraft yellow American cheese that I promptly threw out once I read the ingredients on the low fat slices I had, way back when.  I wanted to create a nice substitute, but I have a hard time calling something "vegan cheese" that doesn't have cheese in it.  This sauce is made with carrots, nutritional yeast, spices and mustard but it just happens to taste a bit like cheddar and is delicious in it's own way.  I'm reminded of my friend Cara when she talks about spaghetti squash.  Don't eat it as a replacement for spaghetti.  You'll have a hard time loving it.  Love it for the delicious squash that it is.  As for the burger, in every bite I could taste the perfectly seasoned brown rice, nutty sunflower and hearty hemp seeds.  It was the burger I had set out to make after the last perfection I ate at Cafe Karibo in Fernandina, but the best part about this is I can have it every day for just over a buck. 

Another option is to add some roasted veggies which would be delicious. For those of you new to my blog I roast four trays of veggies every weekend and sometimes more during the week and add them to everything.  But that's another post.  This time I just wanted to keep it simple.

Breakfast Burger with Fresh Tomato, Sprouts and Carrot Mustard Sauce

Serves 1
Vegan

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 Sunshine Burger, Breakfast Burger (or bean burger of choice)
1 slice sesame Ezekiel bread, toasted, or bread of choice
1 slice fresh, organic, ripe tomato
Sprouts
1 leaf fresh organic romaine
Drizzle of Carrot Mustard Sauce (will make lots of extra for later)

Carrot Mustard Sauce (blends and cooks down to about a cup)
Inspired by this recipe
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup water
4 Tbsp non-GMO cornstarch
4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp each onion powder, garlic powder, ground mustard
1/4 tsp sea salt

Directions

1. Blend carrot mustard sauce in a magic bullet or blender; heat in a small sauce pan over medium high heat, stirring constantly, to just gently boiling, reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about three minutes.  If too thick add a bit of additional water.

2. Cook burger to package directions; top toast with lettuce, burger, tomato, drizzle of sauce and sprouts.

****I did the nutrition info separate as you may have other bean burgers on hand or different bread.

 

Nutrition Information
Per Tbsp Carrot Mustard Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories	10.6
Total Fat	0.1 g
Saturated Fat	0.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	0.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat	0.0 g
Cholesterol	0.0 mg
Sodium	39.6 mg
Potassium	55.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate	1.7 g
Dietary Fiber	0.6 g
Sugars	0.3 g
Protein	1.8 g
Vitamin B-12	16.6 %
Vitamin B-6	60.6 %
Niacin	35.2 %
Riboflavin	70.8 %
Thiamin	80.3 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Nutrition Information
Breakfast Hemp Burger
Amount Per Serving
Calories	210
Total Fat	9 g
Saturated Fat	1.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	0.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat	0.0 g
Cholesterol	0.0 mg
Sodium	300 mg
Total Carbohydrate	26 g
Dietary Fiber	5.0 g
Sugars	1.0 g
Protein	8.0 g

Nutrition Information
1 slice Ezekiel Bread
Amount Per Serving
Calories	80
Total Fat	0.5 g
Saturated Fat	0.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	0.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat	0.0 g
Cholesterol	0.0 mg
Sodium	80.0 mg
Potassium	75.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate	15.0 g
Dietary Fiber	3.0 g
Sugars	0.0 g
Protein	4.0 g