Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Banana bread is one of my all-time favorite treats. I like my banana bread to eat more like a cake, rather than bread - makes it feel so much more indulgent - and I hope you feel the same way.

And, it’s dairy-free and gluten-free.

AND, it’s been taste-tested and approved by hungry brunch friends.

ANNND, I’ve decided to add this to the cookbook. Yep, I’m that generous.

Here’s what you’ll need to make this chocolate chip banana bread:

• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil + a little extra to grease bread tin

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 2 eggs

• 3-4 medium-sized very ripe bananas, mashed

• 1/4 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1 cup almond flour

• 3/4 cup oat flour

• 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats (not quick cook), plus more to sprinkle on top

• 1/4-1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (or chocolate chips of your choice)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a bread tin with enough coconut oil to coat the entire tin, including the sides! I usually melt about a teaspoon of coconut oil, pour into the tin, and spread with a paper towel.

In a large bowl, whisk melted coconut oil and maple syrup until combined. Add eggs, and whisk again until combined. Add in bananas, milk, baking soda, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon, and whisk until completely combined.

Add almond and oat flours, as well as oats, and using a spatula, carefully fold mixture together until all ingredients are incorporated. Add in chocolate chips, and fold again with a spatula until the chips are dispersed throughout the mixture evenly.

Pour batter into the greased bread tin. Even out the top with the spatula and bang the tin (gently) on the counter a couple of times to release any air bubbles. Sprinkle the top with some extra oats.

Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes, until the middle is set and a toothpick/knife dipped in comes out clean. The edges of the bread will brown before the middle, so don’t worry. Let bread cool slightly before taking out of the bread tin.

How To Make Meal Prep Not Suck

A friend and I were recently talking about how we feel like all we do at the backend of the week is grocery shop, cook, and clean. We were swapping stories over how often we clean our bathrooms and how we feel like our food never lasts long enough in the fridge.

This concept of “adulting,” made popular by millenials, can be cheeky and used to poke fun at my generation that feels personally victimized by simple life responsibilities. However, if you haven’t read this article about millennial burnout yet, go read that and come back to this after.

With that being said, I’m all “how-to-adult” in the best way possible, always thinking about I can maximize my time and effort. While I love to cook and have learned to find joy in the mise en place-ing of it all, it’s taken time to get here. However, I’m confident that I can inspire at least one person reading this post to shift how they think about meal prepping.

Let me back up and answer the question, why meal prep? At the most basic level, it takes the thought out of what you’re going to have for breakfast/lunch/dinner during the week, so you can focus on other important things: your partner, your job, your side hustle, your friends, your family.

It can save you money. Let’s do some quick math: if your sweetgreen salad costs $15, and you’re getting that salad for lunch every day, that’s $75/week. I spent $60 on my grocery shop this week (a lighter week, as I wasn’t stocking up on a lot of pantry staples), and it went into lunches and dinners for at least 4 days this week, plus some meals for the freezer, plus some fresh produce, as well as a few canned items that I will use for future dishes. That nets to less than $8/meal this week!

It can make you healthier. Meal prepping allows you to know exactly what’s going into your food and how it’s being prepared. This is game-changing. You can control the amount of oil, the amount of salt, adding everything you want and leaving out everything you don’t. Eating whole foods and a variety of these whole foods is key, and something I strive for during my meal prep.

OK, so what can you do to take the dread out of meal prep?

1. It sounds simple, but, plan ahead - do your recipe research during the week! I love the NYT Cooking app and Instagram to find inspiration

   • Look for recipes that require one pot, which will always save time

   • Look for recipes that require stewing/simmering, which means you’ll be able to walk away while your dishes are cooking

   • I like to choose two recipes that require a lot of the same ingredients, but are different enough so that I won’t get bored during the week(s) of eating the same thing, e.g. my personal favorites right now: spiced chickpea stew and coconut curry lentil stew

   • Plan to freeze at least one or two containers of whatever you make so that your freezer will have a variety of items to choose from on weeks where you’re traveling or otherwise don’t have time to meal prep

2. Make a very detailed grocery list - even down to the ounces or cups of dry ingredients you’ll need. You can buy in the bulk section of the grocery store to save money, not buy more than you actually need, and will save time during cooking as you’ll have the exact amount ready to go

3. Spread your grocery shopping out over more than one day - avoid the Sunday scaries! You can buy canned goods on Saturday on your way back from yoga, and grab fresh ingredients on Sunday after brunch with friends… less time in the store each time, less to carry each time

4. Prepare your storage containers ahead of time - make sure you have enough to hold all of your delicious meal prep. Have them out and ready when you’re done cooking!

   • Label ahead of time, if you’re going to freeze some for later - I like to put the date it was frozen and what’s in the container

5. On your meal prep day of choice, spend time doing your “mise en place,” which means prep all of your ingredients before you start cooking

   • May sound counterintuitive to spend more time before you get started, but it will ultimately 1) save time during the actual cooking process, and 2) allow you to focus on your recipe in the moment

6. Clean up as much as possible while your dish(es) are cooking

7. Meal prep isn’t just for dinner - expand your horizons and prep breakfast, too! I love making chia seed pudding (recipe below) for a grab-and-go nutrient packed breakfast for after a morning workout

8. Shift your mindset - aside from all the physical prep you’re doing, do some emotional prep. Think, “I’m doing this because I have respect for my time this week, and I want to create delicious, healthy meals that will make me feel great inside & out.”

9. Invite a helping hand - this will save time prepping your ingredients, plus it goes along with shifting your mindset to make meal prep into a desired activity rather than a chore

Chia Seed Pudding (1 Grab & Go Serving)

• 3 TBS chia seeds

• 1/3 - 1/2 cup milk of your choice (less milk = more thick pudding)

• Mason jar with lid

• Toppings of your choice - sliced banana, peanut butter, cinnamon

Pour chia seeds and milk into the mason jar, and secure lid. Shake until chia seeds are thoroughly shaken up with milk. Take off lid, add toppings of choice, re-seal lid and keep in fridge overnight.

The Ultimate Breakfast Hack: Frozen Fruit Baked Oatmeal

I try to buy local, in-season produce when I can, but last-minute plans and little energy after a long day of work and a post-work yoga class can easily sabotage my efforts to use fresh produce in the proper amount of time. While exaggerated, that meme of the avocado that's ripe at 6:00pm and rotten at 6:02pm explains my frustration of buying and using fresh produce, especially fruit!

Life hack? Stock up on frozen staples for future meal-prep ease! Buy frozen fruits like berries, and veggies like peas and broccoli florets. I love adding frozen berries to smoothies and frozen peas to any stew-like dish I make. Frozen produce helps make meal prep easier because you're not running to the grocery store for those select, fresh items. You'll save a little money too, as frozen produce can be purchased at any time during the year, and fresh, out-of-season produce is often quite expensive. 

By no means am I suggesting you replace all fresh fruits and vegetables with their frozen counterpart. Fresh produce, when locally grown and in-season, contains important vitamins & minerals to support health. However, if you're in the middle of a long winter, grabbing frozen produce can help save money and still add some of those vital nutrients into your diet, like vitamin C to ward off that pesky cold.

Here's what you need to make my Mixed Berry Baked Oatmeal (makes 4-6 large breakfast servings)

Wet:

• 1 ripe medium banana
• 2 cups frozen, mixed berries, split into 1 cup portions
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup almond milk (or nut milk of choice)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

Dry:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 baking dish with ghee (you can also spray non-stick cooking oil) and set aside.

In a blender or food processor, puree banana, 1 cup frozen berries, maple syrup, almond milk, and vanilla until smooth. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Add eggs and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Add in all dry ingredients—oats, coconut flour, shredded coconut, cinnamon, baking powder, salt—and mix until thoroughly combined. Finally, add in remaining 1 cup of frozen berries and mix until they're evenly distributed throughout mixture.

Pour mixture into baking dish, making sure mixture is level. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until edges are slightly browned and middle is no longer soft—you can lightly touch top of oatmeal to determine if it's still "gooey" inside.

Serve immediately for a sweet snack, topped with coconut yogurt or a scoop of almond butter, or store in air-tight containers for your weekly breakfast meal prep. Oatmeal will last 3-5 days in the fridge.

I'm still here, I promise!

I haven't forgotten about you, blog. There's just been so much going on - lots of work, lots of travel - but I'm here, and I want to share the last few months with you.

I started the new year with a quick trip to New Orleans, where I had some of the best meals of my life. We ate at some amazing restaurants, where I gave most of my hard-earned money to John Besh, and it was totally worth every penny. AND we got to experience my first ever Mardi Gras parade. Our daily activities were planned around our meals (I mean, eating is an activity in NOLA) and in between meals, we explored the French Quarter, the Warehouse Arts District, the Garden District, and lots in between. We decided that five days just wasn't enough, and we'll have to make our way back. 

After returning from NOLA, I ate as much green food as I could - a girl can only eat so many beignets and drink so many cups of chicory coffee. I brunched with friends, explored new parts of the city, and geared up for IIN's annual conference. 

After months of planning, organizing, a weekend of 4:30am wake-up calls, and an overall extremely successful event, I was more than ready to escape for a long weekend.

Miami was beautiful and my body was thrilled to finally experience sun and sand. Highlights included a delicious breakfast, beautiful cocktails, and a morning of solitude on the bay.

After a whirlwind past few months, it felt great to get back to my normal routine. More homemade meals was the goal, and the easier, the better.

Breakfast-for-dinner is a great go-to, whether it's breakfast tacos with scrambled eggs, leftover cabbage slaw, + homemade guacamole, or toasted whole wheat sourdough with almond butter, banana, chia seeds, hemp seeds, maple syrup + cinnamon.

Or, one-pot tofu coconut curry with light coconut cream, vegetable stock, tofu, + all the vegetables I could thrown in.

As I've said in a previous post, I'm continuously exploring my new home of BK (+ NYC). Even though I get to enjoy NOLA coffee here in my own apartment, I'm afraid I've caught the travel bug this year. I can't wait for my next non-local adventure!

Weekends Are Meant for Brunch

I don't care what anyone says about brunch. I love it and how it makes me feel. Sorry I'm not sorry.

Whether you're rolling out of bed in last night's makeup to go wait on line for bottomless cocktails and some version of a Benedict,

OR, you've already been to the gym and had breakfast and ran errands AND just want to have breakfast-y food again, there's no wrong way to EMBRACE THE BRUNCH!

Pancakes are usually served stacked and can leave you feeling way too full after only one. Where's the fun in that!? I want to have my pancakes, and eat them too! Here's a protein-and-fiber packed pancake that won't leave you feeling more hungover.

Here's what you'll need to make 12 medium-sized pancakes (18-20 small pancakes):

• 2 large very ripe bananas, mashed
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats, uncooked
• 1/4 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas with a fork until smooth. Add in eggs and whisk until combined. Add in oats, milk, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon, and mix until thoroughly combined.

Heat griddle on low-medium heat. Spray with cooking oil or add 1 TBS Earth Balance and spread evenly on pan. You'll know it's hot enough when you sprinkle water on the griddle and it sizzles and steams!

Spoon the pancake mixture onto the griddle to make pancakes of desired size. Let cook for 2-3 minutes on one side or until the edges begin bubbling, then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. The pancakes are done when they are no longer liquid in the center.

Your first batch may take longer than the following batches, since the pan may still be heating up. I was always told growing up that the second batch is better than the first.

Serve immediately with Vermont Maple Syrup.

Having brunch at a restaurant can be fun, but staying home and cooking in your pajamas/gym clothes is a real treat.

Morning Treats: Banana Oat Breakfast Muffins & "Breakfast" Cookies

You'll go bananas over these muffins. Seriously, bananas.

I'm always trying to find a way to make breakfast more interesting. I love my whole wheat toast with peanut butter and banana, and I love my overnight oats with chia seeds and fresh fruit. The next logical step? Combine them! High in fiber, omega-3's and potassium, these muffins pack a nutritional punch. 

Here's what you'll need to make Banana Oat Breakfast Muffins (makes 10-12 large muffins):

• 2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 TBS chia seeds
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 - 2 cups)
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk - vanilla is great!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, baking powder, cinnamon, chia seeds and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, combine bananas, egg whites, vanilla extra and almond milk. Combine the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing thoroughly with a spatula until evenly combined.

Line muffin tins with cupcake cups or spray well with non-stick cooking spray. Fill muffin cups until almost full - they will not rise much. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the muffin is completely set in the middle. Allow the muffins to cool before removing from the muffin tins, or serve warm with some peanut butter and extra chia seeds! A giant cup of coffee makes this breakfast complete and satisfying.

Breakfast & snack tip: Make these muffins Sunday evening, and you'll have a quick, easy Monday morning breakfast. Grab one for a mid-day snack and serve with some yogurt and fruit.

Are you checking to see if you have the ingredients? Get creative - throw some blueberries, nuts or flax seed in there!

With no added sugar, these breakfast muffins are great for those watching your sugar intake. If you like to have a more indulgent breakfast, which I sometimes do, then this next recipe is for you. Having something sweet in the morning may curb your afternoon sugar craving. Personally, I can have chocolate any time of day, and I will usually reach for any dark chocolate or raw cacao nibs.

While many say that chocolate "can help you lose weight," or "is healthy for you," it's all up to how it makes you feel. If you're going to have sweets, do it right, and skip the artificial sweeteners.

These cookies were not originally meant to be for breakfast, but they definitely could be. If you're not one for a big breakfast, having a small treat loaded with whole grains, protein and antioxidants is the perfect solution.

Here's what you'll need for my Peanut Butter & Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies (makes 12-15 small cookies):

• 1 cup whole wheat flour (or 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 TBS peanut butter - creamy or crunchy, your choice!
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup roughly-chopped dark chocolate or 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup chopped frozen cherries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour (or oats), baking powder and salt. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Add in vanilla, sugar, peanut butter and applesauce and mix well. Fold in chocolate and cherries gently, as to not break up the cherries too much. 

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop cookies out onto the baking sheet with a tablespoon. If you use a large ice cream scoop, you will yield 8-10 large cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are completely set and golden in color. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving - they are awesome served warm.

Creative variations: chopped nuts, 1 medium ripe mashed banana (add more flour or oats if you do this), cinnamon, chopped crystallized ginger, and/or chia seeds

Make your mornings more delicious - have dessert first. 


*Learn more from the blogs that inspired these breakfast treats: muffins & cookies

Sunday Mornings: Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes

Pancakes are the ultimate comfort food for me. Plain or busting at the seams with chocolate chips or fresh fruit, I love them all. While I may already be a morning person, these pancakes will make any morning better.

Here's what you'll need (yields 12-15 medium-size pancakes - see above):

• 1 egg
• 1 1/3 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon (only zest 1/2 the lemon if you don't want it too lemon-y)
• 1 3/4 cup brown rice flour (or flour of your choice)
• 1 TBS poppy seeds
• 1 TBS baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Non-stick cooking spray or "butter" spread of your choice - for the pan

Set a griddle pan over medium heat.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine egg, milk, oil, juice and zest and whisk until thoroughly combined. In another medium mixing bowl, combine flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt, and whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and whisk until smooth.

Spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray or spread "butter" on the pan, so the pancakes don't stick. Using a spoon (or small ice cream scoop, or tablespoon measure), dollop batter onto the pan - you should hear a sizzle! When the edges begin to bubble and rise from the pan (about 2-3 minutes), flip and cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes. Repeat and serve immediately with maple syrup and fresh berries.

When it comes to the weekend, I don't mess around with breakfast. I hope you won't either!

-N

Nina's Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Banana and Zucchini Bread

Banana bread is one of those treats that usually passes as the "healthier" option. I hate to break it to you, but the banana bread you're ordering at your favorite cafe is most likely very high in fat and sugar. Hey, I'm all for indulging once in a while, but I'm here to give you this fool-proof banana bread recipe that will allow you to indulge in this treat more often. I see you over there wincing a little at the zucchini. Do not be alarmed! The zucchini has a very mild flavor, gives a little more texture to an otherwise soft bread, AND gets you to eat some veggies. Everyone should incorporate veggies into their desserts.

Since I started my new job, I've been inspired to get more creative in my cooking and especially my baking, something I've never really gotten into because it requires true patience and measurement. I know, ME? NOT patient? NOT into precise measurement? Who knew. I also wrongly assumed that you couldn't bake anything worth eating without dairy. I've obviously proved myself wrong and I am loving taking classic treats and making them both healthier and dairy-free. The original recipe used whole wheat pastry flour, but I wanted to accommodate all of my co-workers' dietary needs (I tested this out on them the first time, needless to say it was a HIT), so I swapped the whole wheat flour out for brown rice flour. I've never used brown rice flour before, but I am a convert! It gives this bread such a lovely nutty flavor and smooth texture.

I truly believe that the simpler the recipe, the better. No need to pull out the electric mixer or 12 different mixing bowls or having to scramble to do the dishes. You will need just one large bowl (see above) to mix your wet and dry ingredients together. 

By now, you might have caught onto the fact that I love blueberries. I would put them in everything if I could, but that would be weird... right? The beautiful blue/purple color oozes out into the bread and, if you're lucky, you bite into a whole, warm blueberry that bursts with a fresh sweetness. You totally want a piece now, don't you?

If this couldn't get any better, this recipe yields TWO loaves. Keep one out, freeze one for later. Take the frozen loaf out for unexpected guests, a lazy Sunday brunch, or even a last-minute potluck.

Here's what you'll need (yields 2 loaves; 1 loaf serves 6-8)

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/3 cups raw, organic cane sugar
• 1 1/2 cups zucchini, grated (2 small zucchini)
• 3 large bananas, mashed
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups brown rice flour (or your gluten-free flour of choice)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 TBS cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, oil, sugar, zucchini, bananas and vanilla. Mix with a spatula until thoroughly combined.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Whisk until combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir with a spatula until thoroughly combined. Make sure you get all of the flour off of the bottom and sides of the bowl - you don't want dry spots in your bread! Add blueberries and fold in softly, trying not to break the blueberries. 

Spray two 8x4 loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray (I used olive oil spray - gives the bread a beautiful golden color). Pour the batter evenly into both loaf pans, and bake for 45-50 minutes. Check the bread at 45 minutes, stick a toothpick in and if it comes out clean, it's done! Once done baking, remove the bread from the pans and let cool on plate or cooling rack. If you're like me, you'll want to cut into it right away while it's still steaming. But, I recommend letting it cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Cut yourself a thick slice, pour a cup of coffee, and you're going to have the perfect Saturday morning.

-N