Coconut & Ground Hazelnut Banana Bread

This banana bread is a little different. It�s not that super banana-y bread you�re used to. It doesn�t have chocolate chips in it. But, it could. I mean. It should, right? Note to self.

I don�t trust banana bread that comes out of other people�s kitchens. I know this is weird, but it�s my life. Same thing with deviled eggs and tuna sandwiches. Until about a year ago, I never ate a tuna sandwich that was made by someone other than my mom, my sister, or myself. And then I gathered up my courage and ordered a tuna sandwich from a little store/caf� a few blocks from my apartment, and I loved it, and I ordered it like it was going out of style�which it was, because now that store/caf� has closed.

I also hate it when people say �tuna-fish sandwich.� That�s like saying you�re eating a chicken-bird sandwich, or a beef-cow burger. Sorry, I digress. We�re not here to talk about tuna. Or chicken or beef.

We�re here to talk about banana bread. This one is heartier than most, with earthy whole wheat and hints of nutty-coconutty goodness throughout. It�s not overly sweet�less of a snack bread, and more of a breakfast bread. In fact, I think its best sliced thick, toasted, and slathered with a bit of butter and sea salt, served with a cup of coffee or tea. Evan likes it because it�s nutty without having distinguishable nut pieces (I�m a big fan of nuts in baked goods, but I know I�m in the minority here), and because, as he put it, it�s not as mushy as some.

I like it because quick breads are my jam, and I typically have everything on hand to make it. And it tastes real real good. And, it came out of my own kitchen. So� there�s that.

Coconut & Ground Hazelnut Banana Bread

3 ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt

1.5 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup finely ground hazelnuts/ hazelnut meal

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup desiccated coconut (unsweetened, dried, and shredded)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a standard loaf pan.

Stir together bananas, eggs, and sour cream. Add remaining ingredients, and stir until combined. Scoop batter into loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes to an hour. Serve warm, room temperature, or sliced and toasted. 

Saturday on CBC's Weekend Morning Show - Squash K�fte and a taste of Spring

I am presenting the following recipes tomorrow on CBC' Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.  

Easy to prepare in advance and a taste of Spring all year round if portions are frozen.  The K�fte were a big hit with vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike at my restaurant.  Try with Quinoa instead of Bulgur if looking to be gluten-free.

(photos after Saturday)

Squash K�fte

1 small squash, about 2 � lbs (baked and scooped out of skin)

3 tbs olive oil

1 red onion, finely diced

1 tbs Harissa

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

9 ounces medium-fine bulgur

generous pinch salt

1 egg

(optional, 1 tbs Turkish Baharat)

Saut� onion, pepper paste and spices in olive oil until softened over a low heat for about 15 minutes.

When pumpkin is scooped out, puree or mash.  Add to onion and spice mixture. 

Rinse bulgur and add to the squash mixture.  Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes.  Mix in eggs and then cool.

Preheat oven to 350�F.  On a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet, form squash mixture into oblong patties.  Bake until firm, about 15 minutes.  Cool.   At this point, the k�fte can be wrapped and frozen for future use.

In a pan, heat olive oil and fry k�fte until crispy.  Serve with grilled vegetable on flatbread with a yoghurt tahini sauce.

Enjoy!

Pea Shoot Pesto
Ingredients:
1/4 lb fresh, young pea shoots (or pea tips!)*
1 bunch chives, chopped (or spring onion)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (or almonds)
salt
pepper

Directions:
Place the pea shoots, chives, garlic, cheese, olive oil, pine nuts salt and pepper in a food processor or blender, pulse until a thick paste forms.

Enjoy with pasta, fish or other pesto uses.

Avocado & Orange Salad with Sesame Soy Dressing

I love to walk. My mom is a walker too. As long as I can remember, Mel has walked 2-4 miles every day, up and down the wooded country road I grew up on. When we were kids, Amanda and I went with her. I would inevitably fall and scrape my knees, which often led to me fainting right there on the side of the road. In addition to being a walker, I�m a fainter.

My family also went on evening strolls after dinner�up the street a mile, then back down a mile. Sometimes I stopped a few yards before the turn-around spot, and waited. Then, when they got to me, I pretended I was an orphan, and that they found me on the road and were adopting me. I watched a lot of All Dogs Go to Heaven and Annie.

Seattle is a small city, and you can easily go from one end of downtown to the other on foot. I�ve done it plenty of times. I walk from my office to the gym, from my doorstep to the farmer�s market. I have a car and a bus pass, but I just prefer to get around on foot.

Lately, with the cherry blossoms blooming like crazy, the temperatures rising, and the sun staying out later and later each evening, I have a strong desire to just get out there and walk. Not to go anywhere in particular, but just to walk. To take in the fresh air and give my computer-strained eyes a break.

I can usually bribe Evan with snack-stops, but he prefers walks that have a destination in mind (I mean, what he actually prefers is driving). The other day, I tricked him into walking across town to my favorite grocery store and back. The sunny walk and the store�s bountiful produce inspired me to make this springy salad with buttery bibb lettuce, red onions, creamy avocados, juicy oranges, umami filled dressing, feta for tang, and almonds for crunch.

Evan, the non-salad lover, even asked for seconds. Maybe it was all that fresh air. I�ll give partial credit to the walk, but you can taste this salad and decide for yourself!

Avocado & Orange Salad with Sesame Soy Dressing

Serves 2

Dressing

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon mustard (I use spicy brown)

juice from 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon olive oil 

salt & pepper

Mix ingredients together (either shake in a jar, or whisk in a bowl). 

Salad

1/2 head bibb lettuce, torn into largish bite size pieces

1 orange, peeled and cut into bit size chunks

1 tablespoon diced red onion
Dressing (recipe above)

1 avocado, sliced

1/4 cup almonds, roughly chopped

1/4 cup feta

Fresh ground pepper

Put lettuce, orange, and onion in a bowl, and toss with about half the dressing. Arrange on plates or a platter, and top with avocado slices, almonds, feta, fresh ground pepper, and if desired, more dressing. Note: wait til just before serving to toss dressing with lettuce, to avoid soggy salad. 

Corrections to the New Review Paper on Dietary Fat and Cardiovascular Risk

The meta-analysis by Chowdhury et al. raised quite a furor from certain segments of researchers and the popular media. I find this reaction interesting. I usually write about obesity, which is a topic of great interest to people, but my post about the review paper received more than twice my usual traffic. People whose findings or opinions are questioned by the paper are aggressively denouncing it in the media, even calling for retraction (1). This resembles what happens every time a high-profile review paper is published that doesn't support the conventional stance on fatty acids and health (e.g., Siri-Tarino et al. [2], which despite much gnashing of teeth is still standing*). I'm not sure why this issue in particular arouses such excitement, but I find it amusing and disturbing at the same time. This kind of reaction would be totally out of place in most other fields of science, where aggressive public media outbursts by researchers are usually frowned upon.

As it turns out, the critics have a point this time. Significant errors were uncovered in the original version of the meta-analysis, which have been corrected in the current version (3). These include the following two errors, one of which alters the conclusion somewhat:

• The outcome of one observational study on omega-3 fatty acids was reported as slightly negative, when it was actually strongly positive. This changes the conclusion of the meta-analysis, making it somewhat more favorable to omega-3 consumption for cardiovascular protection.
• The authors left out two studies on omega-6 fatty acids. These didn't change the overall conclusions on omega-6.

Read more �

Book Review: Your Personal Paleo Code

Chris Kresser has been a major figure in the ancestral health community for some time now. It's funny to recall that I was actually one of his first readers, back in the early days of his blog when it was called The Healthy Skeptic and the audience was small. Chris's readership rapidly eclipsed mine, and now he's in high demand for his ability to convey ideas clearly and offer practical solutions to important health concerns.

He recently published a book titled Your Personal Paleo Code, which also happens to be a New York Times bestseller. The primary goal of the book is to help you develop a diet and lifestyle that support health and well-being by starting from a generally healthy template and personalizing it to your needs. Let's have a look.

Introduction

Kresser opens with the poignant story of his own health problems, which began with an infectious illness in Indonesia and several courses of antibiotic therapy. After years of struggling with the resulting symptoms, trying a variety of diets, and finally accepting his condition, he was unexpectedly able to recover his health by adopting a personalized Paleo-like diet that included bone broth and fermented foods.

Why Paleo?

Read more �

Pickerel with Pernod - an adaptation of an excellent Turkish Fish recipe

I made this for dinner for Desmond last night.  Not able to get Raki here in Winnipeg any longer, I used Pernod as it isn't as sweet as Ouzo or Sambuca yet has the flavours needed.   Quite delicious.   I'll remember to take a photo next time.

Why am I posting this now?  Gorgeous pickerel is in season until March 31st.  The sweetness of the fish makes it so versatile for so many cooking methods and recipes.

Pickerel with Raki (Pernod)  

4 filets pickerel
2 tomatoes, grated
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tbs Turkish Baharat *
1/2 cup (less) olive oil
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup fish stock
salt and white pepper, to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 bunch dill
2 tsp raki (Ouzo)

Heat skillet and saut� the garlic and add the onion and saut� for 3-4 minutes. Add bay leaves and Turkish Baharat. Add the vegetables, pour over the stock and simmer for 2 minutes. 

Season the fish with salt and pepper and place on top of the vegetables. Simmer for about 4 minutes. Chop the dill. Add lemon juice, chopped dill and raki and simmer for about 2 minutes. Arrange the fish and vegetables on a serving dish and serve immediately.

*Turkish Baharat now available at Pollocks Hardware Coop.

Coconut Margaritas

My sister and her boyfriend just got back from the most amazing look tropical vacation ever. They went to Turks and Caicos, those jerks! And while I zipped up my raincoat and pulled on my galoshes, she texted me pictures of white sand and bright blue water. Jealousy level max over here. 

Fact: the only possible way to overcome tropical vacation envy, aside from hopping on a plane, is to drink tropical drinks. Bonus points for pink umbrellas. 

Turks and Caicos is all about the rum punch, but I only had one drink of my mind: coconut margaritas! 

Last week my friend LZ and I had these coconut margs at happy hour the other day, and they were amazing! They weren't too sweet or over the top, and since they were made with coconut water, I felt all good and hydrated, something I don't usually feel when I'm drinking tequila! 

So of course, over the weekend I decided to shake up my own coconut margs, and pretend I was somewhere sunny and warm�just ignore that rain sound on the windows. That's just ocean waves. Obviously. 

I'm not trying to brag or anything, but these are the most amazing margaritas I've ever had. A little tart, a little sweet, a little coconutty� tropical perfection! I invited LZ over for taste testing, and we each had a couple tastes. I mean, full-glass sized tastes. Then maybe a couple more. Who was counting, ya know? We certainly weren't. 

Coconut Margaritas, on the Rocks

Inspired by El Borracho Coconut Margaritas
Makes enough for a crowd

Coconut Tequila (I used this brand)

Fresh lemon/lime juice (juice of 2 lemons & 3 limes, mixed)

Ginger syrup (like this, or make your own)

Coconut water (C2O is my favorite, Zico is my 2nd favorite)

1 can coconut cream (different from coconut milk, but that would work as well-PS. how great is Coco Lopez website... from like, 1999)

Toasted coconut sugar (2 tablespoons sugar & 3 tablespoons toasted desiccated coconut, stirred together)

To prepare your glass, add toasted coconut sugar to a plate. Run a lime wedge across the glass rim, and dip rim in sugar and coconut, twisting to coat. Add ice to glass.

For each margarita, fill up cocktail shaker half way with ice, and add:
 

1 oz tequila

1 oz lemon/lime juice

1/4 oz ginger syrup

2 oz coconut water

1/2 oz coconut cream

Shake until combined, and strain into prepared glass. Serve with a lime wedge and pink umbrella! Add a floater of coconut cream if you like it a bit sweeter.