Banana Brownies

We've all been faced with the brown banana syndrome: you buy a bunch on the weekend / grocery day, eat a few (one a day if you're a die-hard), and before you know it the rest of the bunch is starting to turn rather not yellow. In the summer, bananas get it doubly tough - not only to they overripen at lightning speed in the heat, but the sheer availability of other (and IMHO more delicious) produce like fresh berries and peaches relegates them to the ignored corner of the counter.

Now, I'm the first to admit that I don't like fresh bananas. I'll eat them, if they're mostly green with a tiny yellow blush, but given the choice, I'm finding another fruit. Baked into bread, cake or cookies is a different story, and I even love mashing a frozen one with some cocoa powder for a mock ice cream (especially since chocolate makes everything better). My mom and stepdad, though, eat them out of hand a lot over the winter in particular, and on weekday mornings my mom regularly slices one over her oatmeal and blueberries.

Even so, I have a running freezer cache of bananas too far gone for anything but mashing, and as you know I've made my fair share of banana bread over the years. But then I found a great use for them (that included chocolate!) on Whisk, Write, Repeat. Banana Brownies. I know... how much more delicious can you make the rejected fruit? I re-veganized the recipe, added some vanilla soy protein powder for a little "oomph" (I was serving it to a crowd that included finicky kids who hardly ate anything). I was able to use the delicious Pure Via Stevia (the baking blend) to cut down the sugar a bit, while the sugar I did use was the rich dark brown variety. For a little added texture (and fun), I tossed in a few handfuls of Cheerios along with the chocolate chunk - the chunks added pockets of gooeyness that were a joy to discover! The kids lapped them up - and considering their taste preferences I was definitely patting myself on the back.

Watermelon Muffins

Still searching for a new use for watermelon - or it's curd version? Well, apparently I was too slow in eating my second jar, and my mom told me on the weekend that it needed to be used up or thrown out to make room for BBQ leftovers and groceries. Hmph.

Well, I did manage to use it up in one go, along with the last of some shredded coconut and mini chocolate chips. Doing what I do, I baked the lot into a batch of muffins... though granted, they are sweet (even though there's no sugar in the batter - only the curd and chocolate chips), with a tender, cakey texture, so I'd be more tempted to call them "naked cupcakes". Either way, they make use of a good portion of curd (I'm sure lemon or strawberry curd would work deliciously in this too),and get extra structure and moisture from a trifecta of dairy: yoghurt, cream cheese and butter. To boost the flavour of the melon a little more, a few drops of watermelon flavouring got stirred in too - just enough to add interest without brashly declaring "yes, I am watermelon. Hear me roar".

Now, I mentioned that I didn't add sugar to the batter... and I didn't. But these are sweet, thanks to some of the Pyure Bakeable Blend Stevia Sweetener I had on hand. Normally I wouldn't use the replacement exclusively in muffins or cakes - it isn't as hygroscopic as "normal" sugar so the finished bakes tend to dry out - but with all the other moisture going on I figured it would be pretty safe to do this once. Of course, if you don't have it on hand, regular or coconut sugar would work too - just watch them closely for overbrowning.

In the end, they were an unexpected sweet treat for the party, which surprised everyone when the "secret ingredient" was revealed!

Lemongrass Tofu Banh Mi

Now that you have all that delicious carrot pickle on your hands (granted, it's still marinating... right?) what are you going to do with it all? Well, how about a delicious, vegan version of the most common foil for it - the popular Vietnamese sandwich Banh Mi? 

I only stumbled onto the wonders of Banh Mi after removing meat from my diet, so I don't know how authentic using marinated tofu really is. But it doesn't matter - the flavour and texture of the finished product - tangy, crusty sourdough bread, sweet, spicy and sour pickle, lightly crisped, almost floral tofu and spicy-sweet Sriracha laced Veganaise - is out of this world and will tempt vegans and omnivores alike.

*Note: the NI accounts for eating all the marinade. Obviously this isn't the case - only about 19 calories, .6 g fat, 554 mg sodium and .5g carbohydrate are absorbed into the tofu (not the 64 calories,  2.1 g fat,  1,847.8 mg sodium and 1.9 g carbohydrate a serving of just marinade contains)

Lemongrass Tofu Banh Mi
Serves 4

Tofu:
1 (350g) pkg extra-firm tofu, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
5 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari)
¼ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
3 tbsp pureed lemongrass (like Gourmet Garden)
1 tbsp coconut oil
 
Sandwich:
4 sourdough demi-baguettes (or 2 regular baguettes, halved crosswise), sliced in half
4 tbsp nayonaise(or homemade vegan mayo)
2 tsp Sriracha (or to taste)
1 cup Spicy Shredded Root Pickle
Thinly sliced cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes and chopped cilantro to taste

Tofu:

1. Wrap tofu in a clean tea towel and press under a heavy weight for 1 hour.
2. Slice crosswise into ¼” pieces and set aside.
3. In a large plastic bag or a shallow glass baking dish, combine the remaining ingredients and shake to distribute well.
4. Add the tofu, seal the bag and gently distribute the pieces through the marinade (try to get them in one layer).
5. Let marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Drain the marinade and blot tofu dry with paper towel.
6. Heat oil in a large non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the tofu in one layer (you will likely need to do this in batches).
7. Cook the tofu until both sides are golden brown with a nice firm crust.

Assembly:

1. Toast the baguette until golden.
2. Combine the mayonnaise and Sriracha and spread evenly onto one half of each sandwich.
3. Layer with lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, and tofu.
4. Top with Spicy Shredded Root Pickle and cilantro to taste.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 569.9
Total Fat: 19.0 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 3,000.7 mg
Total Carbs: 68.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.1 g
Protein: 18.6 g

Kitchen Sink Vegetable Curry (Farmer's Market #SundaySupper)

Farmer's markets and backyard gardens never cease to amaze me with their bounty. Even years when Mother Nature has been less than kind to the growing conditions (raining far too much or not at all, too hot or too cold), I can always find a bevy of delicious, local and fresh treats to bring into the kitchen with me. Granted, some of the stuff doesn't make it that far, but I always find space in the fridge for a fresh-picked pepper, plump July berries and a head or two of cauliflower or broccoli. Until my tomatoes come to fruition, the gorgeous orbs from our local farmers fit the bill nicely, as do the carrots. Garlic scapes are one thing that I snap up as soon as I find them in the markets as well, and I continue to buy handfuls of them until they're gone for the season.

It was this bounty of produce that inspired me to make today's #SundaySupper meal. The original inspiration came from the pages of The Four Season Farm Gardener's Cookbook, which featured a coconut milk based, "fall vegetable" Thai curry filled with cauliflower, onions and sweet potatoes. When Summer (and the associated good prices on fresh veggies) came, it began to evolve into a massive veggie-use up fest.

You see, as much as my mom and I adore all things not beige, our eyes at the markets are often bigger than our stomachs over the week and come grocery day we sometimes find ourselves with leftovers threatening to turn at any moment. That is especially the case when the garden starts producing, since it becomes impossible to predict what we'll need by week's end. I took stock of the fridge and pantry, grabbed a bunch of huge Vidalia onions my (ironically onion-hating) stepdad had bought at a fundraiser, traipsed out to the yard to raid my herb garden (and my Egyptian onion plant!) and got to work.

I'm not going to lie - this curry is a long process. There is a goodly amount of chopping, peeling, cubing and stirring. I had to switch pots right at the beginning because the stockpot I thought would suffice (which I usually use for soup) proved much too small for the bevy of onion, and I thought I'd have to move to my canning pot when I tried to stir in the other veggies. Then comes the cooking time - the original recipe called for just 15 minutes - and I don't know of any "cubed" sweet potato that cooks without a microwave or superhuman powers in 15 minutes, especially at a "simmer". While the first part of the curry cooked down, the rest of the veggies got prepped, tofu was cubed (I pressed it in the morning) and I put some brown Basmati and wild rice on as an accompaniment (I know it's an odd combination with Thai curry but it worked!).

Being a stew, and somewhat spicy, you'd think it would have no place on our menu with the heat the way it's been. However, Thailand (as well as other nations known for spicy food) is a rather warm place - and the spice level of the curry with the heat of the day causes you to sweat - AKA cool down. Warm food also has a satiating power to it, which coupled with all the protein, fibre and nutrients in the dish mean that you can get by on less - hello bathing suits! Besides, in this day of air conditioning, my mom's office is frigid most days... meaning that anything warm is welcome... why not something healthy?

#SundaySupper this week is all about the haul from the Farmer's Market. It's hard to top fresh and local, and our group has really hit it out of the park this week with the offerings! Hosting this week is T.R. Crumbley of No One Likes Crumbley Cookies - Thanks TR!

Appetizers & Salads

Garlic Scape Dip from The Girl In the Little Red Kitchen
Onion Bacon Jam with Bread n' Brie from Gotta Get Baked
Kale & Pepita Pesto from girlichef
Garden Quinoa Salad from The Urban Mrs
Grilled Cherry Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad from Pescetarian Journal
Watermelon-Feta Salad with Pomegranate Drizzle from The Weekend Gourmet

 
Soups & Sides

Watermelon Gazpacho from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
Classic Gazpacho from Curious Cuisiniere
Pea Soup from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
Pickled Garlic Scapes from kimchi MOM
Cheesy Zucchini Hodge Podge from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Succotash from Magnolia Days
3 Easy Japanese Spinach Recipes from NinjaBaking.com
Michigan-Made Meal with Seasoned Potato Chips from Foxes Love Lemons

 
Entrees

Summer Veggie Pizza from Country Girl In The Village
Tomato Pie from The Hand That Rocks The Ladle
Kitchen Sink Vegetable Curry from What Smells So Good?
Margherita Pizza from Growing Up Gabel
Cheesy Zucchini Fritters from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Three Sauces with Summer Herbs to Transform a Simple Grilled Dinner from Cook the Story
Vegetable Quesadillas from Cookin' Mimi
Mushroom Scallion Risotto from Vintage Kitchen Notes
Lemony Summer Linguine with Grilled Vegetables from Neighborfood
Pasta alla Norma Nuda from Juanita's Cocina
Arugula Pizza from Family Foodie

 
Desserts

Peach Cobbler from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Coconut Cherry Bars from Killer Bunnies, Inc
Lightened Up Peach and Blueberry Cobbler from Peanut Butter and Peppers
Cherry Brandy Cobbler from The Wimpy Vegetarian
Peach Maple Ice Cream from Pies and Plots
Cherry Clafoutis from Food Lust People Love
Roasted Figs with Caramel, Honey Ice Cream and Aged Balsamic from Crazy Foodie Stunts
Peach Ice Cream Paletas from Basic N Delicious
Gluten Free Sour Cherry Cake from No One Likes Crumbley Cookies

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter today! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our#SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Spicy Shredded Root Pickle

There's something about pickles that I love. Give me almost any vegetable and add vinegar, salt and spices or herbs and I'm a happy girl! Since I had a bunch of beautiful carrots from the farmer's market and a fresh haul of radishes from the garden, I thought I'd try my hand at a new (to me) type of vinegary treat - a carrot-radish pickle a la banh mi sandwiches. 

Like most vinegar-based pickles, making these is dead simple. As a bonus, they won't heat up your kitchen for very long, even if you can them - most of the "cooking" is done by the salt purge, and the boiling is really just to combine all the flavours and bring the mix up to temperature for safe storage. Adding a good amount of grated ginger gives them a good kick, too - without the need for chiles (although you can certainly add some!) - but even without hot peppers, be careful when you're leaning over the pot or that pungent heat will clear your sinuses in a snap!

Again, like most marinated or pickled things, this relatively delicate shredded mixture is far better after it's had a chance to sit and develop the marriage of flavours. While I liked it after a day or two, it was far better after a week! I've been adding it to wraps and salads, and my stepbrother had it on his burgers and hot dogs at tonight's BBQ, but I have to admit I've eaten it on it's own as a type of gingery root "slaw"! I can't wait to toss it with a "regular" coleslaw to see how it turns out!

Shared with Wellness Weekend, Gluten Free Fridays and Waste Not Want Not Wednesday