Homemade Banana Pudding

May 13, 2016May 13, 2016 / ktbuchs87

Homemade Banana Pudding | Life Healthfully Lived Ok, so I learned some new things while making this recipe. First, I have to tell you about my inspiration for this one because it’s weird and who doesn’t like weird stuff? No one. That’s who.

I was making a loaf of my gluten-free banana bread (which you should make immediately because it’s the bomb. Side note: I’m bringing back “the bomb”) and as I was blending the banana and avocado together I thought to myself, “Antoinette, (I call myself Antoinette NBD) that kind of looks like pudding. I wonder if it would be any good as pudding? I wonder if there is banana pudding?” So I set about to research banana pudding.

This is my life people. Homemade Banana Pudding | Life Healthfully Lived

I remember pudding snack packs used to have a banana flavor but I doubt that there was any actual banana in that pudding. My google searches told me that banana pudding was indeed a thing. A southern thing. Which means it’s delicious because it has all the fat and sugar. All delicious things have fat and sugar. Most recipes called for making a vanilla custard type deal and adding sliced bananas, vanilla wafers, and in one case merengue. While it wasn’t a difficult process, it was more steps than I wanted for my pudding. And by more, I mean this is pretty much just one step.

There are no eggs in this so you don’t have to cook anything but because of the addition of avocado, stick with me, it is creamy and delicious without the eggs. And depending on how ripe your bananas are, it’s pretty sweet too. You can add maple syrup if it isn’t sweet enough but mine was totally delicious without it. See? Fat and sugar. Just a better version of fat and sugar.

I know you’re probably getting tired of me putting avocado in things but I’m not, so get over it 🙂 It’s delicious and I can’t stop, won’t stop. You can get creative with toppings like coconut whip cream, pecans or walnuts, crumbled up graham crackers, or in my case cacao nibs because, chocolate.

Banana Pudding

As I was making this I started singing the part about figgy pudding from We Wish You A Merry Christmas. Adam asked me if I was singing a Christmas song and I said no, I was singing a pudding song because how do you make pudding without singing about it? So feel free to sing about pudding while making this because I think it enhances the flavor.

2 very ripe bananas, sliced (about 2 cups)
1/2 avocado, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup coconut cream (you can buy coconut cream from Trader Joes or just put a can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight and scoop off the solid cream)
1 tbsp maple syrup, optional if your bananas aren’t super ripe. I didn’t need any extra sweetener for mine
2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp maca powder, optional but adds a nice caramel-y flavor

Toppings (optional)

chocolate chips or cacao nibs
pecans or walnuts or almonds
sliced banana
coconut whip cream
graham crackers
nilla wafers if you’re rebellious or Southern 😉

Ready for this? Put all the pudding ingredients into a blender and blend until super smooth. Dish it out and put on all the toppings.

Told you it was one step 😀 Happy Friday friends! Have a great weekend! Homemade Banana Pudding | Life Healthfully Lived

DIY Wednesday: Cauliflower Pizza Crust

May 11, 2016May 10, 2016 / ktbuchs87 / 6 Comments

DIY Wednesday: Cauliflower Crust Pizza | Life Healthfully Lived The cauliflower pizza crust. For many, it is an elusive dream. You see recipes on Pinterest and they claim that it is the best crust ever (just like real pizza) and that will fulfill all your gluten-free pizza dreams.

And then you make it.

And it turns into a soggy wet pile.

Or it has five pounds of cheese and eggs holding it together.

I’ve tried a lot of cauliflower pizza crusts and while some were good, none were great. Most of them had to be eaten with a fork and a knife and that’s ok if you’re eating a deep dish pizza but not ok when you want to pick up a slice and feel like you’re eating pizza. That’s what I wanted.

Then I stumbled across Sprint 2 The Table’s quinoa flour crust pizza and it sounded simple enough and didn’t have the cheese that most crust recipes use to keep everything together. So I gave it a shot and EUREKA! It worked. I could actually pick it up and while I won’t go as far as saying it tastes exactly like real pizza it was the closest I had ever come.

I kept playing with the crust and swapping out a few things and came up with one that doesn’t use eggs or grains as the flour. If you’re totally fine with eating quinoa flour and eggs then go ahead and try Sprint 2 The Table’s pizza crust. If you want an eggless and grain-free version try this one below.

I’ll give you a step-by-step tutorial (along with pictures) so you can get the best pizza crust possible then you can go crazy with toppings. And I may have gone crazy with my toppings aka the whole refrigerator on my pizza.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza- Based on this one by Sprint 2 The Table

1 cup of cauliflower with as much of the stems removed as possible
1/4 cup coconut flour
3 tbsp ground flaxseed
6 tbsp water
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 425 and get out a pizza stone/pan or regular baking sheet. Line whatever you’re going to use with parchment paper (I used a pizza stone and cut my parchment paper into circles) and then cut another piece of parchment paper to match the first.
In a small bowl, combine the ground flaxseed and water and let it sit and gel for a few minutes.
In a blender or food processor, pulse the cauliflower a few times until it’s in small rice-like pieces and then dump it into a large bowl. Add the flour and seasonings and whisk to combine everything. It’s ok if it’s a little clumpy.
Add in the flaxseed and water mixture and start stirring everything together with a spatula. It should start to form a big dough ball. If it’s too dry, add a little water a tablespoon at a time. Remember that coconut flour likes to soak up water like a sponge so as you add water wait just a few minutes to see if it needs more.
Nice dough ball. Not too dry or too soggy.
Once you have your dough ball place it on your stone or pan that’s lined with parchment paper. Slightly flatten the dough with your hand and then using a rubber spatula start pressing the dough out into a pizza shape.
Spreading out the dough. It takes awhile so don’t rush it
Work from the middle pressing out and keep going until you have about a 10 to 12-inch circle. You want it to be fairly thin so the crust will cook all the way through and not end up soggy. As you press the dough out the edges might crack a little but that’s ok just press them back together.
About how thick you want your crust. You could even go a little thinner for a crispier crust.
Place the other piece of parchment paper on top of the crust and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove it from the oven.
Ok, this is the slightly tricky part. You’re going to flip the whole crust over. What worked for me was putting on an oven mitt and then using the parchment paper to slide the middle part of the crust onto my hand and then flipping it over in a quick motion. The crust should be mostly cooked at this point and if you rolled it out thin enough won’t break apart on you. Don’t freak out, I’ve made this crust a dozen times and even if I totally botched the flip it hasn’t broken or ruined the crust.
Once it’s flipped remove the parchment paper from the top of the crust and top with your favorite pizza toppings! Bake for another 5 minutes and enjoy!
Ready for toppings!

A few other tips:

Don’t use a crazy amount of sauce because that is just going to turn the pizza to mush. Trust me. My favorite sauce so far has been a light layer of my spinach or cilantro pesto.
If you put on a lot of heavy toppings your pizza may fall a little bit as you pick it up. If you don’t care and want all of the toppings go for it!
You can make this crust in advance and keep it in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to use it. I’ve only done it a few hours in advance so I can’t vouch for the quality after it’s been frozen and thawed but I will update this if I try it.
If you put onions or peppers on your pizza and you want them cooked a little more than the five minutes at the end, saute them before you top your pizza. If not, they might be a little less done than some would prefer.

Balsamic Roasted Broccoli Rabe

April 29, 2016April 29, 2016 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

Broccoli rabe is having a moment in the Dawson household right now. Every time I go to the grocery store I just can’t pass up those bright green bunches. I like the bitterness of the leaves and the slightly sweet broccoli, kind of like if kale and broccoli had a baby. Balsamic Roasted Broccoli Rabe | Life Healthfully Lived

That’s weird to imagine, so let’s move on. I usually just blanch and saute broccoli rabe because I don’t mind the bitter but some people are turned off by that taste. More rabe for me! But in an effort to be a little less selfish with my food (a very tough feat, just ask my husband) I decided to try preparing it a little different.

Roasted. Balsamic Roasted Broccoli Rabe | Life Healthfully Lived

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know that #roastallthethings is pretty much my favorite hashtag because I really do roast all the things. Roasting brings out the natural sugars in food and in turn makes things like broccoli rabe more palatable for everyone. The balsamic vinegar just ups the ante even more and adds a nice tang.

This is a simple side dish and after blanching it doesn’t take that much time. In fact, you could blanch the broccoli rabe a few days in advance so all you have to do is throw the rabe into the oven when you’re ready to eat. Easy peasy!

Balsamic Roasted Broccoli Rabe

1 bunch broccoli rabe
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1-2 shallots, finely diced
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

The first thing you need to do is blanch and shock the broccoli rabe. This helps it keep it’s color and tames a little bit of the bitterness. Separate the leaves from the broccoli stems, but don’t throw them away, and chop the broccoli part into bite size pieces.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with cold water and add a few ice cubes. Have a colander ready.
Once the water is boiling, dump the chopped broccoli pieces and stir around. Cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until the water starts to come to a boil again. With a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli to the cold water bath and then drain in the strainer. Repeat this process with the leaves.
Once the broccoli rabe is blanched and shocked you can roast it right away or store it in the fridge for about 2 days before you’re ready to cook it.
Preheat the oven to 400 and line a large tray with a Silpat or parchment paper. Toss the broccoli and leaves in the coconut oil and then lay them out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the shallots and garlic slices over them and then drizzle everything with the balsamic vinegar. You can add a pinch of salt as well at this point.
Roast for about 10 to 15 minutes, keeping a close eye so the broccoli rabe doesn’t burn. Remove from the oven let cool slightly before serving.

DIY Wednesday: Sun-Dried Tomatoes

April 20, 2016April 19, 2016 / ktbuchs87

The other day, I wanted to recreate one of my favorite breakfast dishes from a restaurant back in Sycamore, Eggsclusive Cafe. It’s an omelette that has fresh basil, sun-dried tomatoes, and avocado slices on top. So simple but so good.

To the store I went to grab the things I needed that I didn’t already have, one of which was the sun-dried tomatoes. I didn’t want to get the ones packed in olive oil because they tend to make everything else oily and the ones at my store always have some other flavoring like jalapeno added. So I picked up one of the packages, despite the $5 price tag, and flipped it over to read the ingredient list. That’s where I was met with sulfates and sulfites and other preservatives to keep “freshness and color retention”. DIY Wednesday: Sun-Dried Tomatoes | Life Healthfully Lived

No brand at my store had sun dried tomatoes without some kind of chemical or preservative and I didn’t want to spend $5 or more on something that I didn’t want in my body. I almost resigned myself to the oil packed tomatoes when I thought to myself, “Self, can’t you just make your own sun dried tomatoes? I mean obviously not in the sun, that would take too long and you don’t have a sunny spot in the apartment, but in the oven? And wouldn’t it be like way less expensive?”

Yes, my self was correct. I can make sun dried tomatoes in my oven and have fresh, preservative free toppings for my omelettes and whatever else my heart desires. If you have a food dehydrator you probably already know that you can make your own sun-dried tomatoes and it’s fairly simple. If you don’t, you can do like me and make them in your oven!

Sun Dried Tomatoes

One 8 oz. package of grape or cherry tomatoes
olive oil, optional
salt, optional

* I made mine without oil or salt but you can, it just may take a little longer to dry out.

Preheat your oven to the lowest setting. If it’s 150-170 lucky you, the rest of us will have to make due with 200.
Wash and dry the tomatoes and then slice in half. Arrange the tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. If you want to add olive oil and salt, toss the tomatoes in a bowl and make sure they’re covered then arrange on your baking sheet.
Place the sheet in the oven to dry out. Now, if your oven only goes to 200 you’re going to have to keep an eye on things to make sure the tomatoes don’t burn. I opened my oven every 10 minutes or so to let out some of the heat.
Turn over the tomatoes every so often. Remember you’re just trying to dry them out, not roast them. They’re done when they look shriveled like red raisins. Take them out of the oven and let them cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

* Make sure the tomatoes are completely cool and dry before you store them because any moisture in the container will make them mushy and spoil sooner. DIY Wednesday: Sun-Dried Tomatoes | Life Healthfully Lived

Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Blueberry Bottoms

April 1, 2016April 1, 2016 / ktbuchs87

Told you this week was all about the Meyer lemons and poppy seeds. Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Blueberry Bottoms | Life Healthfully Lived

Of course, I had to make some lemon poppyseed muffins because who gets lemons and poppy seeds and DOESN’T make muffins? Psychos, that’s who. I might be crazy but I’m no psycho. Anyways….

I was a little worried that these wouldn’t turn out after I made my first batch and they were…. well, bland. They tasted like nothing and that’s not what you want from a muffin. So I switched a few things around and the second batch turned out much better. They even got the approval of my family at Easter, so that’s an even bigger plus! DSC_4509_00004 DSC_4507_00003

I used frozen blueberries because that’s what I had at the time but if you want to use fresh that’s good too. You might have to adjust your cook time, so keep an eye on them. Other than that this recipe is pretty straightforward and fairly simple to make!

After the recipe, you’ll find a quick poll. It will only take a few seconds and it will help me make this blog even better for you. Thank you in advance and have an awesome weekend!

Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Blueberry Bottoms

1 cup almond flour
6 tbsp tapioca starch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
3 tbsp Meyer lemon zest
1 flax egg (3 tbsp flax meal mixed with 6 tbsp water. Let sit for 10 minutes to gel)
scant 1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp coconut sugar
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly oil each well.
Combine all of the dry ingredients, except for the lemon zest, into a medium bowl and whisk together so it’s light and fluffy.
In a smaller bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients and make sure everything is completely incorporated.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. With a spatula, fold everything together. Once mixed together, add the zest and stir a few times to combine.
Place 3 to 4 blueberries in the bottom of each muffin well and then spoon in about 2 tablespoons of batter. These won’t rise a ton, so you can fill them about 3/4 of the way up.
Bake the muffins for about 22 minutes (a little less if using fresh blueberries). Remove them from the oven and see if the middle is set. If not bake for another 2 minutes.
Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.