turmeric rye banana bread

Honestly, who doesn’t love a good banana bread?? I feel like it’s one of life’s simple, but oh so delicious pleasures, and always nice to have on hand. It can be made as healthy or as decadent as you want, but I tend to love the heartier loaves chock full of good-for-you ingredients like whole grains, nuts, and seeds. My husband and I have been on a bit of a banana bread kick, and he recently whipped up such a unique & tasty version, I just had to share. Fresh ground turmeric really shines through in both flavor and appearance, giving this moist loaf a beautiful golden hue, and rye flour lends a hearty, but not overpowering hand. The pecans, hemp hearts, and chia seeds add a lovely texture, and the raw honey creates just the right amount of sweetness. It’s damn near perfect on its own, but lightly toasted with a pat of butter (or carrot cake jam, as pictured above), and it’s absolute heaven!

Turmeric Rye Banana Bread:

  • 7 oz whole wheat flour

  • 3 oz rye flour

  • 1 tsp ground turmeric

  • 1/8 tsp black pepper

  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 4 oz butter, melted

  • 4 oz raw honey

  • 2 large eggs

  • 4 extra ripe bananas (2 mashed, 1 chunky, 1 sliced)

  • 4 oz almond (or other non-dairy) milk

  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

  • 1/2 cup pecans, toasted & chopped

  • 1/4 cup hemp hearts

  • 1/4 cup chia seeds

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Sift both flours, baking soda, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, and salt into a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the butter and honey together until smooth. Add the eggs, mashed bananas, almond and vanilla extract to the butter mixture until well combined. Then add in the chunky banana pieces as well. Fold in the flour mixture, then gently add the pecans, hemp hearts, and chia seeds. Grease a loaf tin, and pour in the batter, smoothing and evening out if necessary. Top with reserved sliced bananas. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until the top is golden-brown and bananas are lightly caramelized. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

*Adapted from Banana Bread from BBC.

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salty nutty cereal cookies

Who doesn’t love holiday baking? I’m all about a cookie exchange, and these salty & sweet ones are sure to be a crowd pleaser. They don’t necessarily scream holidays, per se, but I think they fit in perfectly with a platter of otherwise festive cookies. And they’re super delicious, so who really cares? My mom has been baking up batch after batch of them this past week, and I have to say, I’m a huge fan. I love a sweet & salty flavor combo, and the almond flour & pecans lend the perfect amount of nutty goodness. Feel free to use a simple flakey cereal of your choice, or mix it up with a crunchy granola! You could even make them gluten-free by subbing in your fave GF flour for the all-purpose. These babies are super versatile, so have fun with it, and enjoy! Happy holidays!

Salty Nutty Cereal Cookies:

  • 3/4 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter

  • 1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed

  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature

  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup almond flour

  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats, toasted

  • 2 cups flakey or crispy cereal (your choice!)

  • 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt, plus more for topping

  • pecan halves, for topping

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spread oats on a cookie sheet and toast for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Beat coconut oil, brown sugar & maple syrup together on a medium speed until well incorporated. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until fluffy, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, stir together flours, oats, baking soda & salt. Slowly add to the butter egg mixture. Add cereal and mix until combined. Refrigerate dough for at least 4 hours (overnight is better, but feel free to bake off a few right away too!). Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking mat. Measure out heaping tablespoon-sized balls and spread evenly on cookie sheet. Flatten the cookies a bit with your fingers, top with a pecan half and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. They will continue to harden a bit post-baking, so it’s okay if they look a tad underdone. Cool on cooling rack and enjoy!

*Adapted from Salted Oatmeal Corn Flake Cookies by sweetish.co.

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trilogy sanctuary

On a recent day trip down to San Diego with the fam, we got to spend time with one of my best friends and eat some tasty vegan food in the process. I’d heard great things about Trilogy Sanctuary, a cute vegan cafe and yoga studio in La Jolla, so was pumped to check it out. We sat outside on the rooftop deck, overlooking Trilogy’s setup for Aerial Yoga (which looks both super intimidating yet relaxing at the same time), and enjoyed fresh, healthy, yet satisfying meal. The menu is huge- I already want/need to go back to try out more things- but once I finally narrowed it down, I decided on the raw coconut wrap filled with tasty things like roasted butternut squash, avocado and tahini drizzles, along with a green smoothie full of apple, avocado, cucumber parsley, fennel, ginger, and lime! Zingy and delicious! My hubby, an avid meat-eater, ordered the Beet Burger with fries, and chowed down. I think he just wishes it were bigger, as per usual… My bestie went the cauliflower route, and I have to say her buffalo cauliflower wings and cauliflower crust pizza were super impressive and flavorful as well! I definitely need to come back soon for a dessert sampling: the raw carrot cake, jumbo peanut butter cup, and warm fudgy brownie with date caramel are all calling my name! And who knows, maybe I’ll even try Aerial Yoga?!

pink's creamery

Now that the weather is finally warming up, and perhaps because I’m eight months pregnant, I could happily eat ice cream every day. The cold and creamy goodness just always hits the spot! So many amazing places come to mind, but one that really stands out is Pink’s Creamery on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. My husband and I visited on a recent trip- our babymoon, actually!- and were blown away by the quality and taste. Pink’s has been slow-churned on Maui since 1932, and serves local-inspired flavors like my husband’s fave, the Kona Mud Pie (Kona coffee ice cream with Oreo cookies and fudge), and Haupia (a classic coconut custard). I was all about the Banana Mac-Nut Brittle- a delicious banana ice cream with roasted macadamia nuts & crunchy bits of brittle! Holy yum! Just thinking about it has my cravings going wild. Guess we’ll have to plan another Hawaiian getaway soon!

wishing well shave ice

Ok shave ice, where have you been all my life?! I shouldn’t necessarily say all my life. There was this amazing ‘lil shave ice stand in the Texas Hill Country that my family would frequent during the summertime when I was a kid. But man, I forgot how good that stuff is! I’m not talking about the typical sno-cone you find at your local amusement park or state fair. Those are icy, hard, and way too syrupy. True Hawaiian shave ice is another beast entirely, and I found some of my fave at Wishing Well Shave Ice in Kauai. The ice is shaved so finely thin (go figure!), it’s like the fluffiest snow you’ve ever tasted. No hard crunches to the teeth here! Plus, the typical flavors are made from local, seasonal fruits like coconut, mango & papaya, so they aren’t too crazy sweet. Your shave ice bowl gets topped with fresh fruit for a nice, refreshing finish! Many of Wishing Well’s offerings are even organic as well- pretty awesome if you ask me! Now, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll take advantage of the optional ice cream scoop that gets put at the base of the bowl. Oh my glory, it’s the perfect, creamy complement to the fruity shave ice. But go for the macadamia nut ice cream (a local favorite!) over classic vanilla, and thank me later :) Enjoy!

bavel

baba ganoush // smoked eggplant, charred bell peppers, red walnuts, lemon chili salt, fried pita

One of my most memorable dining experiences of 2018 was at Bavel in Downtown Los Angeles. That may have been partly because it was a celebratory dinner (our wedding anniversary!) with my husband, but in all honesty the food and atmosphere stole the show. Offering a similar chic, downtown vibe to their previous hit, Bestia, chefs Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis truly blew us away with this Middle Eastern gem. Both chefs have family roots in Israel, Morocco, Turkey, and Egypt, which is evidently clear in their dedication to creating inspired, yet traditional, flavors. I absolutely loved the mix of fresh ingredients and slow cooking techniques, as well as the variety of flatbreads and spreads, veggie-focused small plates, and larger format meat and fish dishes. Carbs with dips are always a highlight for me, and the delicately fried pita served with smoky babaganoush was divine. I’d heard from multiple people that we just HAD to order the slow roasted lamb neck shawarma, and being the dutiful diners we are, that is just what we did. Just wow. The lamb was fork tender and literally melted in your mouth, and I couldn’t stop creating the perfect bite with a bit of lamb, tahini, and pickled veggies all wrapped up in the chewy laffa. By the way, the sommelier was super helpful in guiding us toward a full bodied, yet well-balanced biodynamic wine to pair with dinner. I loved the giant jug it was decanted in too! Never one to skip dessert, even after being extremely full, we went for the roasted fig tart. The baharat spiced semolina crust was super unique and nicely complemented by the brown butter cream. What a sweet treat and perfect ending to a truly memorable meal. Both my husband and I are plotting a return trip soon!

slow roasted lamb neck shawarma // tahini, pickled vegetables, laffa