Creamy Coconut & Lime Smoothie

Can we just make a smoothie together?

I feel like ninety percent of the vegetables I've eaten in the past month have been roasted to death, covered in cream sauce, or topped with marshmallows.  It's been wonderful - oh so wonderful - but it is time to start putting some nutrients into this body that is trying very hard to dodge the ineluctable winter sickness. 

Now, let's talk about green smoothies for a moment.  I will not drink things that do not taste at least reasonably good because, while I might be able to choke it down once or twice, I know it will soon become a chore that will quickly be forgotten.  Also, if I am going to go to the trouble of cutting up fruit and vegetables, pulling out the blender, and cleaning the blender, I think I should have some kind of reward.  

So, this smoothie.  This smoothie truly tastes really good.  Maybe not as good as a crisp waffle covered in melted butter and a sprinkling of sugar, but it is a genuinely good breakfast.  

It is super refreshing and packed with great fats and proteins so it can actually sustain you until lunchtime. 

The base of this smoothie is coconut cream.  I froze my cream into cubes as to give this smoothie a frosty texture.  For whatever reason, I cannot will myself to drink a room temperature smoothie. Nope, not doing it. 

Besides adding protein, avocado brings a creamy nuttiness to our blended treat. 

Spinach, a twist of fresh lime, tart cranberry juice, and a bit of sugar join the avocado and coconut cream cubes. 

This smoothie is rich, but in a wonderfully energizing and refreshing way.  

Right now it's all about balancing my intake of pistachio gelato with spinach. 

It's good to be back in the game. 

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Coconut Cream & Lime Smoothie

serves 2

- 7 ounces coconut cream (I get mine at Trader Joe's)

- 1/2 ripe avocado 

- 1/2 cup fresh baby spinach (about a handful)

- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

- 1/2 cup sweetened cranberry juice (preferably not from concentrate) 

- 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Pour coconut cream into an ice cube tray and freeze overnight, or until fully set. 

Combine coconut cream cubes, avocado, spinach, lime juice, cranberry juice and sugar in your blender and pulse until very smooth.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy! 

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Vegan Banana Pancakes with Cocoa Cashew Butter

A moment of honesty. 

I sometimes throw minor fits when someone asks me to adapt perfectly wonderful, gluten-filled, animal-dependent recipes into alternative, allergen-safe recipes. 

I might slam the refrigerator door, or just stare at a vegan cookbook with much sass and great disrespect, while eating eggs cooked in butter and topped with cheese. 

I am anti-preservative, anti-MSG, anti-GMOs - I like eating healthfully, but I do not turn my nose up to any truly natural resources.  If it comes from the land and has not been touched by the dubious hands of chemists, I will likely approve.  

Some of my recent pursuits have called me to lay aside my butter *sniff, sniff,* and delve into another realm that lies entirely beyond my sphere of comfort.  

It has resulted in some truly nauseating egg-less muffins, and some positively delicious pancakes.

I will be no means be reverting to veganism, but through some careful study and much practice, I have found that even vegan recipes can have their charm. 

I will even go another step further and say candidly that these egg-free/dairy-free pancakes lack nothing to be desired.  

They are light in texture, but their edges are crispy from being fried in coconut oil. 

The batter begins like most pancake batters, with leavening and flour.  Sugar and cinnamon add a bit of interest, and a pinch of salt brings balance. 

Mashed bananas act as the binder in these pancakes, taking the place of eggs.  Almond milk, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla form the rest of the "wet" team. 

In a matter of moments the batter will have come together. 

I like to allow the batter to rest for a few minutes before I begin frying.  This gives time for any overlooked pockets of flour to work themselves out.

I fried my pancakes in coconut oil because I love the nutty flavor, but you could use vegetable oil, or even a light olive oil.  

Your kitchen will smell pretty amazing at this point. 

While the pancakes are still hot, it would be a really good idea to slather them with homemade cashew butter.  Of course, first you have to make it. 

Once you realize the simplicity of nut butters you are going to lose your mind.  I did.  A whole new world opens up. 

You might make more nut butter than you can actually use, but that's okay because if all else fails it makes a really nice dip for pretzels. 

Cashews require but a few minutes of toasting before they are ready to be spun around in the food processor, along with coconut oil, cocoa powder, salt, and a teeny bit of sugar.  It is basically like cashew Nutella. 

If you are a topping-lover, you will probably enjoy sliced bananas, coconut chips, and maybe a pinch or two of cinnamon on these pancakes.  Oh, and maple syrup too.  But use the good stuff please.  Get outta here with that butter-flavored sugar water.   

Okayyy... so maybe veganism isn't always a bad thing. 

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Vegan Banana Pancakes with Cocoa Cashew Butter

pancake recipe adapted slightly from Vegan by Food 52

for the chocolate cashew butter

- 1 cup raw cashews 

- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

In a medium saucier pan, toast cashews over medium heat until fragrant and slightly deepened in color; about 5 minutes.

Combine the cashews, coconut oil, cocoa powder, salt, and granulated sugar in the work bowl of your food processor.  Pulse until cashews are completely pulverized and the mixture is smooth and homogenous.  This will take several minutes. 

Serve the prepared butter atop warm pancakes or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. 

for the pancakes

- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

- 1 tablespoon baking powder

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 2 cups almond milk

- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

- 1 cup mashed bananas (2-3 ripe bananas) 

toppings (optional, but why wouldn't you?)

- fresh banana slices

- coconut chips

- maple syrup

- ground cinnamon 

- cocoa cashew butter

In a large bowl, sift to combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. 

In a measuring cup, combine almond milk and apple cider vinegar and whisk until frothy.  Stir in the vanilla. 

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.  Stir in bananas and coconut oil.  The batter should be smooth with no lumps visible.

Cook's Note: The bananas may give the batter a lumpy effect, but that is not anything to worry about.  Pockets of flour are the real enemy.  It should be fairly easy to tell the difference between the two.

Place a large, nonstick frying pan over medium heat and coat lightly with coconut oil.  When the oil is simmering, place 1/4 cup of the pancake batter in the pan.  Depending on the size of your skillet, you should be able to cook 3-4 pancakes at a time.  

The tops of the pancakes will quickly begin to bubble.  When the bubbles have burst and stopped forming, your pancake is ready to flip.  Cook on the opposite side for 1-2 minutes; until golden. 

Repeat with the remaining batter, re-coating the pan with coconut oil as needed. 

Serve with cocoa cashew butter, fresh banana slices, coconut chips, ground cinnamon, or maple syrup!  Enjoy! 

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Pumpkin Pecan Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” 

― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gable

I am infinitely thankful.

At any moment I can turn my head and find a reason to be deeply grateful.  Not just grateful for life, and relatively good health, and shelter, and food, but for the beyond-necessity blessings that are constantly surrounding me. 

It's too much.  It's an overwhelming, all-encompassing, never-ending Christmas morning life that I am living right now and I love it.  

Yet, though thankfulness is abundant, and blessings even more ubiquitous, I still find myself fighting anxiety, stress, and frustration with every Prius in my vicinity that insists upon driving twenty miles under the posted speed when I have an errand list to conquer. 

Perhaps all of the blessings have disillusioned me into thinking the world cares much more about me than it actually does.  Or perhaps, I am simply a selfish human that forgets all too easily the mountains of goodness that surround me, and instead focuses on the one imperfect stone at my feet. 

I cry tears of joy as I watch my dearest friends, relatives, and fellow sojourners of this life come together to make this great change in my life so special.  Then somehow, my entire morning is fogged because of a broken bottle of truffle oil.  Completely replaceable truffle oil.  Why?

I would like to blame it on hormones or stress, or the fact that truffles are just very dear to my heart, but truthfully, it is none of those things.  It is my selfishness.

There is no eloquent way to state it.  

On these days when everything is going so wonderfully, the slightest road bump can ignite a meltdown, and this is simply because I am thinking far too much about Ashlyn.  

That is why I baked these rolls.  I made these cinnamon rolls to counteract my own self-absorbed tendencies.  I made them to get my mind off of all that I had to do, and onto someone else. 

Through self-examination, and much more experience than I would willingly admit, I have found that the best way to get my mind off of myself is to serve someone else.  

Though there are truly bad days where the stress and tears are acceptable, many of my worst days simply stem from selfishness, unfair expectations on others or myself, or downright impatience.  I have a very good life, and it is especially exciting right now, but it's so easy for me to be downcast by the spilled bottles of precious oil and the slow drivers that make me late. 

On these days, when frustration begins to creep in, it is good to set aside the phone and the demands it brings, and bake. 

Bake for someone you love very much, or someone you are just learning to love very much.  It is good to be concerned for something other than ourselves. 

There will always be to-do lists, there will always be things I could change about this upcoming wedding, but if we want there to always be friends, we must invest.  We must invest our love, time, and efforts into making their lives a little sweeter.

It is so much more worthwhile than ranting about Prius-owners. 

(I apologize to all of you lovely, Prius-driving readers, I'm sure you're just wonderful.)

These cinnamon rolls just about make every fall baking fantasy come true.  I shoved every autumnal flavor I could into these rolls - pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, pecans, and cocoa nibs - and wrapped them up in my very favorite yeast dough.  They are truly so very, very good.

Oh!  Brown butter!  Did I mention the brown butter?

Are you wondering why Pinterest is suddenly telling you to brown every stick of butter in your refrigerator?  I know, it is a little out-of-hand, but there is a good reason for its fame. 

Brown butter has a toffee-like richness of flavor that adds so much nutty, buttery goodness to baked goods.  It is a little intimidating at the first attempt, but after the second or third time, it becomes all too easy to throw this little weapon to everything you bake. 

The recipients of these rolls were beyond grateful, but more importantly, I got my mind off of myself for a solid hour.  It is good to serve. 

It's also good to taste-test before you serve.  Sometimes you need to taste-test two or three rolls for quality control.  It's a necessary evil.  We all have to make sacrifices. 

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Pumpkin Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

makes 7 very large cinnamon rolls

for the dough

- 8 ounces warm milk 

- 1/3 cup granulated sugar 

- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon active dry yeast 

- 15 ounces all-purpose flour

- 2 egg yolks 

- 1/2 teaspoon salt 

- 2 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature (plus extra for coating the pan)

In the bowl of your stand mixer combine milk, sugar, yeast, egg yolks, flour, and salt.  Use the paddle attachment and combine on low speed for 1 minute.  Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes. 

Fit your stand mixer with dough hook and add the butter.  Mix on medium speed for 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side.  

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and form a large ball.  Place in an oiled bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap.  Allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.  While the dough rises, prepare the fillings and coat a 9-inch pie pan with softened butter. 

for the pumpkin filling

- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)

- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

- 1/4 cup brown sugar

In a small saucepan, melt butter.  Add pumpkin and brown sugar and cook, over medium heat, for 7-10 minutes, stirring often.  The mixture should be thick and deepened in color.  Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. 

for the spice filling

- 3/8 cup granulated sugar

- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 

- 2 tablespoons cocoa nibs 

- 1/2 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped

In a small bowl, whisk to combine sugar, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  

Remove the dough from the bowl.  Roll out on a floured surface into a 15x12 inch rectangle. Spread the pumpkin filling evenly over the surface of the dough and sprinkle with the spice mixture, cocoa nibs and pecans.  Roll the dough up tightly, working from end to end, and tucking as you go.  Cut the roll into 7 equal pieces.  Place the rolls in the buttered pan and cover loosely with plastic.  Allow to rise for 40 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, or until deep golden brown.  Allow the rolls to cool for 10 minutes before coating with frosting. 

for the cream cheese frosting

- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

In a small frying pan, melt butter over medium heat.  Bring the butter to a simmer, and cook, swirling the pan every so often, until the butter has deepened in color and small, brown bits have formed at the bottom of the pan.  This should take about 5-10 minutes.  Remove from heat and skim any white residue from the top.  Allow to cool.

In the work bowl of your stand mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed for 1 minute.  Add cooled butter and vanilla extract and beat to combine.  

With the mixture on low speed, sift in confectioner’s sugar.  Spread the frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls and serve immediately. 

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