Month: March 2017

recipes

Grain-Free No-Added-Sugar Banana Bread

nicolesuzannebianchi

bananabreadI had a lot of bananas hanging around yesterday, from a long, busy, smoothieless week prior, and they needed to be used before they over ripened. Hence this banana bread, which is so moist and delicious, it’s as much a dessert as it is a wholesome breakfast.

This bread has no added sugar, but relies on the ripe bananas for its sweetness. It’s also gluten free.

Here you go!

Ingredients

  • 5 ripe bananas mashed
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup almond butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 tablespoons grass-fed butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup hazelnut flour
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon of real salt or sea salt

Directions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
  • In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas
  • Add eggs, almond butter and vanilla and stir gently
  • Melt butter and add it to the egg mixture and gently stir again, don’t over mix
  • In a separate bowl, combine hazelnut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt
  • Combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir until batter is smooth
  • Pour batter into a very well greased loaf pan
  • Bake 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
  • Allow bread to sit for about 30 minutes before slicing
  • Slice and serve, warm
  • Refrigerate over night if you want to serve it the next morning
  • Enjoy!
recipes

Choco Coco Blueberry Smoothie

nicolesuzannebianchi

choco_coco_blueberry

Hello, and welcome to recipe of the week! It has been a while since I have shared a smoothie recipe, so I thought I would do one today. This one is rich, creamy and satisfying.

Here you go!

Ingredients

Thoroughly blend all ingredients and enjoy! Makes about 24 oz, perfect for 2 12-ounce smoothies.

recipes, Uncategorized

Mango Salsa

nicolesuzannebianchi

There is no photo that can capture the yumminess of this salsa. The flavors of these ingredients belong with each other.

It’s amazing on fish, fish tacos, black bean dishes and by itself on corn tortillas. I eat it with a spoon out of the mixing bowl. When I am making a dish that calls for this salsa, I have to keep myself from eating the whole bowl before dinner is served.

Ingredients

  • 3 small or 2 medium ripe and soft mangoes, peeled, pitted and cubed
  • 2 small or 1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
  • 1/2 red onion, minced
  • the juice of 1 lime
  • 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt or real salt to taste

Directions

  • Add cubed mangoes, cubed avocados, minced onion to a mixing bowl.
  • Squeeze the juice of one lime over the mix. If your lime isn’t soft, hold it under warm water and massage the peel for a few minutes.
  • Add olive oil.
  • Add salt to taste.
  • This salsa is so delicious. It is amazing over white fish, on black bean tacos, with tortillas chips or even on chicken.
Uncategorized

Before and After: Cupboard

nicolesuzannebianchi

pantry

Oh, to live in a tiny home. So many things are sacrificed with small living — of course so much is gained as well — and there is no disputing that with small living, a walk-in pantry or closet is most certainly on the list of sacrifices.

So, instead of a pantry, I have a cupboard. It was a cupboard that needed serious TLC.

I was so hesitant to post a photo of the before (on left) because it was in such disarray. But I am happy to report that that same cupboard is looking way more orderly and zen after I spent an hour last night pulling everything out, wiping down the shelves, repositioning one of the shelves, and removing expired foods. Ahhhhhhh…..

I was inspired by the ladies of Mom’s Kitchen Handbook and Real Mom Nutrition to get my kitchen in order this month, one small area at a time.

Large kitchen or small kitchen, what areas of yours need some TLC?

recipes

Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding

nicolesuzannebianchi

choc_banana_chia_puddingThis recipe was inspired by my 28-Day No-Sugar Challenge, which is happening now!

Although this pudding isn’t overly sweet, it has bananas, cinnamon and chocolate goodness, with the addition of cashews which are loaded with healthy fat.

Chia pudding is one of the easiest things to make ahead, and it packs a huge energy punch, so I love it for breakfast.

Here you go!

If you try this recipe, let me know!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight + soaking water which will be discarded
  • 1 1/2 cups of fresh water
  • 2 bananas, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons chia seeds
  • berries for garnishing — raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and extra sliced banana are all great

Directions

  • Soak cashews in water for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  • After they are softened, rinse cashews, discard the soaking water, and put them into your blender.
  • Add fresh water and blend to make cashew milk.
  • Add bananas and blend again until consistency of mixture is smooth.
  • Add cacao and cinnamon and blend again, another 15 seconds.
  • You can add chia seeds now, and blend again so that the chia seeds are ground up, or if you like your chia pudding to be like tapioca in consistency, don’t add chia seeds until later.
  • Pour mixture into 8-ounce Mason jars. This recipe makes 3 servings/jars.
  • Mix in chia seeds (1 tablespoon per jar) if you didn’t already blend them.
  • Add berries to the mixture as well, or you can also add berries to these when you are ready to eat.
  • Refrigerate over night, and serve cold in the morning!

Enjoy!