whole wheat banana avocado bread

* bake me something! * was the request from the ravenous yogi a couple of days ago.

whole wheat, banana, and avocado weren't necessarily part of the demand, but ... at this point he's accepted that my baking endeavors inevitably lean toward the hearty, the rough-hewn, and the whole grain.

when he went back for a second slice i figured i'd scored on this one; only then did i tell tell him there was avocado in there. timing is everything.

this banana-avocado loaf is made with 100% whole wheat flour for a deep, nutty flavor and satisfying chew. it's also free of eggs and dairy, and sweetened with low-GI, mineral-rich coconut palm sugar. a 'flax egg' -- ground flax seeds mixed with water to activate the soluble fiber in the flax -- acts as the binder. a great trick for reliable egg-free baked goods; i use a ratio of 1 tablespoon of ground flax to 3 tablespoons of water = 1 flax egg. mashed avocado, along with a small amount of olive oil (both great sources of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids) replace butter and create a moist, dense texture. you won't detect any avocado flavor - or green hue - in the finished bread.

we also have chopped walnuts in here for textural contrast and -- lest you think this concoction is sounding all too virtuous -- a sweet & crunchy crown of turbinado sugar + cinnamon.

we've only eaten the bread straight-up so far, but i'll bet it would be amazing toasted and spread with almond butter, cream cheese, or butter + jam, even mashed avocado with a sprinkling of crunchy sea salt ... that last one's a little out there but i would go for it. whatever your schmear of choice.

whole wheat banana avocado bread
makes one 9x5 inch loaf

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp ground flax seeds
6 Tbsp water

1 ripe avocado, mashed (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup olive oil (plus more for greasing pan)
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar

2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 tsp vanilla extract
grated zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 Tbsp turbinado sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

preheat oven to 350F with rack in middle

grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with olive oil, line with parchment paper, and rub the paper with oil.

whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. 

in a small bowl, mix together ground flax seeds and water. set aside.

in a separate large bowl, beat mashed avocado, oil, and coconut sugar until creamy and glossy, 3 to 4 minutes (i used a hand mixer for this). beat in flax mixture for another minute. then add banana, vanilla extract, lemon zest and juice, and beat until combined. 

add in the flour mixture in three portions, taking care not to over mix. stir in the walnuts.

pour the batter into the prepared pan. mix together the turbinado sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. 

bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. cool on a rack before slicing. 

creamy herb cashew cheese

this cashew cheese is the first non-smoothie concoction i've tried with my new vitamix so far. silky-smooth and savory, it's a nice raw vegan alternative to include on a cheese or appetizer platter, spread on flatbreads or toast, or layer into a sandwich. and so simple to make. i soaked some raw cashews for a few hours, drained off the water, and blended them up with fresh lemon juice, a little shoyu for salt and depth (you can also use miso paste), dried italian herbs, a dash of tabasco, and chile flakes.

i used aleppo pepper, a gentle chile variety that's fruity, a little smoky, and mildly spicy. you can play around with the herb/spice combinations...herbes de provence, cumin and coriander, thyme and rosemary, smoked paprika, chipotle powder. make it as spicy or mild as you like. i'd also like to try using miso and maybe some nutritional flakes next time for a funkier, cheesier flavor.

right after blending, the cheese is very soft and spreadable - like a thick hummus. you could serve it right away as a spread or even a dip with vegetable spears and pita chips. i wanted to firm it up a bit and wrapped the cashew mixture in cheesecloth, letting it sit in the fridge overnight in a strainer set over a bowl. after about 12 hours it had the consistency of a soft chevre, drier but still creamy and spreadable.

creamy cashew cheese with herbs and aleppo pepper

1 cup raw cashews, soaked 6 hours (any longer and they may get slimy)
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp dried italian herb blend (oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, sage)
dash of tabasco
pinch of chile flakes
1 to 1-1/2 tsp shoyu, tamari, or miso (to taste)
 a few grinds of black pepper
1-2 Tbsp water, if needed, for blending

combine all ingredients in container of a high-powered blender. process on high for a few minutes until cashews are completely blended and mixture is creamy. may need to scrape down the sides a few times and/or add a little water to ensure that the nuts blend evenly.

enjoy as is, or wrap in cheesecloth, tie with kitchen twine, and strain for 12 to 24 hours for a firmer, drier consistency. to serve, unwrap and invert the cheese onto a plate.

chicken & leek soup with shiitakes

well, hello there.

welcome to the blog previously known as the smart palate.

now it's kale and cardamom, named in honor of my favorite leafy green and favorite spice, both of which happen to be my favorite color (if we're talking green cardamom pods, at least). i decided on the name change because the smart palate had always sounded too serious to me, and i wanted something with a bit more whimsy. i mean, it's not all flax meal and wheatgrass juice around here :) i even figured out how to redirect the old blogspot address to the updated domain name (miracle of miracles). so there's a purdy new .com too.

gripped by a bad case of blog inertia last summer, i couldn't bring myself to post a damn thing. i thought about taking down the site (dead blogs are so depressing), but i guess part of me missed it around here, just a teeny bit, and suspected i might come back for an encore somewhere down the line. so it was spared.

i'm aiming to keep my posts simple and avoid anything too precious .... a lot of food writing these days kinda makes me want to hurl. blogging should be approached like getting dressed -- when you think you're ready to walk out the door, take another look in the mirror and remove one accessory.

so there you have it. i'm back. for now ;)

and since it's winter there will be lots of soups, stews, braises, and other long-cooked, one-pot meals.

why not get started -- here's one for ya. every winter i land on a favorite soup recipe, and this year it's a hearty chicken and leek soup based on a rich, long-simmered broth and pumped up with shiitakes, ginger, and garlic. a great immunity booster. i've made a big pot the last three weekends and don't think i'll be tiring of it any time soon.

(ps - life's too short to capitalize! i'm starting an anti-capitalization campaign.)

chicken & leek soup with shiitakes 

olive oil
3 large leeks (white and light green parts), thinly sliced and washed well
3 carrots, sliced into half moons
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
6 cups rich chicken-leek-ginger broth* (or flavorful veg broth/stock)
6 dried whole shiitake mushrooms (or 1/3 cup dried sliced or 1/2 cup fresh sliced)
1/3 cup uncooked brown rice
6 small or 2 large potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch chunks
2-inch piece of kombu (dried kelp)
1 tsp herbes de provence
red pepper flakes, to taste
sea salt
black pepper
optional: cooked chicken, cut into bite size pieces
lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
torn parsley or cilantro leaves

heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot (5 or 6 quart capacity) over medium heat.

add the leeks and saute for a few minutes until beginning to brown. add the carrots, celery, garlic, and ginger and a pinch of salt and pepper. cook for another few minutes till vegetables begin to soften.

add the broth, shiitakes, rice, potatoes, kombu, herbes, and red pepper flakes, and a little more s+p. add a little more broth or water if needed to cover the solids, and partially cover the pot.

simmer until everything is tender, at least an hour but closer to 2 if you have the time - the broth gets silkier as the rice and potatoes release more of their starch. break apart the kombu with a spoon if it hasn't fallen apart already. i left the shiitakes whole (good idea if someone in your house doesn't like mushrooms, since they can be easily identified and avoided.) otherwise remove their tough stems, slice the caps, and return them to the pot.

add the cooked chicken (if using) for the last 5 or 10 minutes to let it heat through. add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice/apple cider vinegar and s+p to taste before serving. garnish each both with parsley or cilantro for a dash of green.

rich chicken-leek-ginger broth
there tends to be a lot of debate about what constitutes a broth vs a stock. the way i learned it is that a broth is seasoned (salt, pepper, spices, etc), whereas a stock is unseasoned (just water and meat/bones/veg). i'm calling this a broth since i added salt, pepper, and other spices to it.

onion skin and long cooking time give the broth a really deep golden brown color and rich flavor. the cider vinegar helps pull minerals, esp. calcium, from the bones into the broth. yields a about 6 cups of broth.

1 chicken (whole chicken or bones)
2 quarts filtered water (+ more as needed)
1 yellow or spanish onion, root end removed and halved
dark green tops of 3 or 4 leeks, very roughly chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
2 inch piece of fresh ginger (skin on), sliced
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smacked with a knife
2-inch piece of kombu
bay leaf
juniper berries (4 or 5)
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
sea salt
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

combine the chicken, water, vegetables, herbs, and spices (everything except the vinegar) in a large pot and throw in a couple of big pinches of salt. bring to a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer. skim any foam from the top.

cook the chicken for about 1 hour, then remove it and pull meat from bones. set aside the meat for soup and toss the bones and skin back into the pot. add the vinegar. simmer the broth for 6 to 12 hours, partially covered -- its volume will reduce and its color will deepen (add more water if needed to keep the solids covered).

strain the broth. i like to refrigerate it and skim off the fat (easier done when it's cold) before using in soup.