Build a Better PB&J - free of everything you want

 

I can't take any credit for this one. My friend S nearly always packs her lunch, and it always looks super yummy and super healthy. I first noticed these sandwiches a while back; it took me a long time to give it a try. I'm SO GLAD I did. 

Here's the thing: I've never liked PB&Js. I like bread. I like peanut butter. I like jam. I like bread with peanut butter. I like bread with jam. But I don't like all three all together. I know. I'm kind of a weirdo. Even my mom thinks so. 

But it turns out that I do like peanut butter and fruit. A lot. And just about any fruit will work here. While visiting, my mom made a peanut butter and nectarine sandwich she was quite happy with. Fresh blackberries are excellent. Sliced strawberries, sliced apples, and sliced bananas are all good. 

Besides the obvious benefit of no added sugar, you can make this breakfast/snack/lunch-if-you-add-another-piece-of-bread-and-pack-it-safely free of whatever allergen you need to. Regular or gluten free bread, any nut butter or sun butter, fruit of choice. It's that easy. 

 

For those of you who like instruction to come with your food photos, here goes:

1. Spread nut or non-nut butter of your choice on a favorite slice of bread.
2. Arrange fruit or slices of fruit (if large, like strawberries, bananas, apples, peaches, etc) on top in rows, or however the fruit is telling you to do so. 
3. If you're extra hungry, spread another piece of bread with nut/non-nut butter and place, sticky side down, on top of fruit. 
4. Eat. Enjoy. nom nom nom

I especially like this in the morning with a hot cup of tea. 

Have you tried this before? What are your favorite combinations?

Blackberry Coconut Oatmeal Cookies - vegan

In my mind, it's still summer. Yes, there have been a few chilly, fall-like moments. And yes, you can buy pumpkins and pumpkin flavored things at stores and coffee shops. But at the grocery store this afternoon, right across from the pumpkin display was an equally large watermelon display. Welcome to September. It's got to be the most bountiful month of the harvest. So here, on this tiny piece of the interwebs, we're going with summer. I'm going to join Deb and declare this a pumpkin-spice-free-anything zone for at least another couple of weeks. 

So, since it's summer, and since berries are still abundantly available at my farmers' markets, these cookies are a perfect way to savor the season. I love fresh berries in cookies, and these were a big hit at our big party a few weeks ago. They are tiny, perfectly sized, relatively wholesome treats. No, really. There are whole grains and fruit. See? Relatively wholesome.

Were I even more on top of things, I would make up a batch or two, divide dough and form into logs. Next, I'd wrap each log in plastic wrap and stick them in the freezer. (oh, and, uh, labeling them is helpful. I recommend a sharpie and some tape) Then, come the dark days of February, I could take out a log, slice off some cookies, and bake up some summer. 

You know, to compliment my Pumpkin Spice tea.

Blackberry Coconut Oatmeal Cookies - vegan

Of course, you can also make these not vegan by using regular butter and milk, and 1 egg instead of the applesauce. Yields about 50 teaspoon sized cookies.

1/2 C coconut oil
1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar or Sucanat
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp non-dairy milk (I used almond)
1 C flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 C quick or rolled oats, uncooked
3/4 C fresh blackberries, chopped if large

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease or line a couple cookie trays.

Cream the coconut oil and sugars. Add in the applesauce, vanilla, and milk and beat until smooth. Do the same with the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Finally, beat in the oats. Fold or stir in blackberries, smooshing as much or as little as you'd like.

Drop teaspoons of dough (YES. teaspoons. Larger amounts of dough don't work very well) 2 inches apart on prepared pan. Bake about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Blackberry Peach Jam - vegan, gluten free, and free of just about everything else

Jam Week 2013 soldiers on! Yesterday afternoon, I shared some of what I've learned about jamming and canning over the past few summers, and I'd love to hear from you all. So head over and leave a comment!

Today's jam doesn't have a secret, glamorous name, but it is a yummy riff on a classic flavor combination. I made this when the fridge was broken during The Great Refrigerator Debacle of 2013, and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out, aside from the small mistake of cooking it down too far. My batch is rather...stiff..for jam, but it still tastes good, and since I only plan on gifting it to people with good manners, I probably won't hear any complaints. You, however, will take care to watch yours more carefully, eh?

Red & Black Raspberry Jam - vegan, gluten free, and free of just about everything else

Happy Monday, folks, and welcome to Jam Week! I've been a busy bee in the kitchen lately, and as a result, I have a week's worth of posts for you all about jam. If you have no interest in jam, I apologize, but really, tis the season. I started slowly in July with blackberry jam and apricot butter, but, lately, well, things have taken off.

First, our refrigerator broke right after we moved in and right after I stocked up at the farmers' market. So, really, I had to make some jam before the delicate summer fruits molded over. Then, I friend at work wanted to learn to can, and while I definitely don't consider myself an expert, at least I've done it a few times and I'm not nearly as terrified as I was when I started. So we visited the farmers' market near closing time and got some terrific deals. I'm talking $10 flats of gorgeous organic raspberries. oh. my. word. Let's just say my jam supply is in good shape now.

Blackberry Jam - vegan, gluten free & free of just about everything else

I'd been putting off going to the farmers' market (strange, I know) because I was afraid of going to early, getting seduced by gorgeous peaches, and then having my heart broken by those same peaches because it was too early. I am so glad I waited, because the stand where I get my peaches had about ten varieties of peaches and nectarines, with samples of all of them, and I swooned. Hard.

Oh, there were other things there, too, though, sadly, no apricots (major bummer. I had plans) Fresh peas, basil, tomatoes, and blackberries. Guys, it's summer.

Blackberry or Raspberry Coconut Macaroons - dairy free & gluten free

I'm sorry, people. I've been hiding these from you for a year. These, being these yummy, pretty, dairy and wheat free macaroons. Heck, I have more to apologize for if you consider the berries (chock full of antioxidents!), the egg whites (the only fat comes from the coconut!), and the ease of making these mini morsels (they took only two short commercial breaks to make!). To be fair, it took another couple to scoop them, but, still, you have my deepest apologies.

I've made these with both raspberries and with blackberries, and they're both winners. I think strawberries, huckleberries, marrionberries, or maybe even blueberries would work. So not only can you pick your favorite, you can further color coordinate your next party.

Peach Crisp - vegan & gluten free

Every summer since sometime in high school, I've made this fruit crisp. When I've been asked for my favorite dessert, I've responded with this one. Now, not to knock chocolate cake, but this is so, so, so good partly because there's only a small window each year during peach heyday when it's doable.

Black Tea-Blackberry Sorbet - vegan & gluten free

Last week, Mr Official Taster and I relaxed in Hawaii, along with some family. We had a lovely time, and, at least for me, one of the best parts of the trip was the literal escape it allowed. As I mentioned, Mr OT got a new job in the Bay Area, and as of Saturday evening, we're here.

Since approximately the week of Christmas, our life has been somewhat hectic, very detail-filled, and constantly in upheaval. Between January 1st and 5th, Mr OT left for SanFran, I got the house ready for movers, supervised the packing of all of our worldly possessions, sent off cars for transport, cleaned so we get our deposit back, took care of a hundred moving-related details, crashed at wonderful and generous friends' house, got the puppies to boarding and myself to the airport.

By the time I landed in Lihue, I was, to put it mildly, exhausted. My week there involved indulgent amounts of sleep, many books, much lounging, and lots of ocean viewing. There was minimal emailing, interneting, and texting. It was lovely and the perfect escape.

In the spirit of escape, I bring you a Black Tea-Blackberry Sorbet. If you were to make it in season, it would be warm outside, mosquitos might bother you at dusk, and, if you're lucky, you would see fireflies in the evening. However, if you need an escape from a dark and cold winter, I suggest using frozen berries and giving yourself a taste of the summer to come.

Black Tea-Blackberry Sorbet - vegan & gluten free
adapted from honey & jam
It occurs to me that this would be fun and unexpected for Valentine's Day - the color is great!

2 C water
2 black tea bags
1 C sugar
3 C fresh or frozen blackberries; if frozen, let thaw completely and drain
1 Tbsp vodka
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat, add tea bags and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, add sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Allow to cool completely.

Puree blackberries in a food processor, then push through mesh sieve to remove seeds. Pour vodka and lemon juice through the sieve to help get the blackberry through. Add the tea, then pour back through sieve.

Process the mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

It's All a Facade

I, and I suspect many other food bloggers out there, want you, the reader, to believe that I always make my own bread, cinnamon buns, and cake. We want you to trust our authority, make you feel like you can do it all (sometimes feel like you should do it all), believe that the recipes we share with you aren't one time things. They are part of our normal, day-to-day lives, and, gosh darn it, we love it.

But there's a dirty little secret in the world of blogging (or at least my world). Sometimes, we make cupcakes from a mix. {insert astonished intake of breath}

It's shocking, I know.

I'm not super-woman, and sometimes I just want a cupcake. Like now. With very little effort.

Enter: the box.

I do admit to helping the box a little, though. This time I added some almost-ready-to-be-done raspberries and blackberries to my batter. Fruit + cupcake = healthy breakfast. Right? Any type of berries will work, as will chocolate chips, syrups, chopped nuts, and lots of other things your cabinets already hold.

So, please, know that you don't always have to make cupcakes from scratch, and when you do use a mix, dress it up a little and then call it your own, because naming rights are half the battle.

Vegan & Gluten Free Apricot Blackberry Crisp

I hear that it's hot. It may have been mentioned once or twice by family, friends, and the news. However, it is far from hot here in supposedly-sunny Southern California. All week it's been cool, cloudy, and even a little rainy. In fact - and some of you will have trouble believing this - I was wearing corduroys and fleece this week. For real. Multiple days. The result? I keep craving warm comfort food even though it's July and I'm sure most of you out there aren't in the mood for warm food. Or using an oven.

So, I apologize. This delicious crisp uses the oven, but you can turn it on and go away for a while, so maybe it's not so bad? In any case, I think it's worth it. Fresh fruit crisps are one of my favorite desserts. Some of them may even beat out some chocolate recipes. Part of the appeal, I believe, comes from their limited make-ability, like gingerbread or s'mores. These crisps are really only best when the fruit is at it's peak. When you've just picked it up at the farmers' market because you just couldn't resist. When each fruit is equally fragrant and flawless. When you can't possibly eat the 3 pounds of apricots you brought home.
Some of you may remember the Apple, Blackberry, & Strawberry Crisp I wrote about in April. That was a vegan recipe, but I've upped the ante and created a vegan and gluten free crisp! For this one, I used the same Sorghum Blend (mix of sorghum flour, potato or corn starch, and tapioca powder) I used in the Patriotic Cupcakes. If you made a full batch for those, you should have enough left that you don't need to mix up more. Don't need to worry about gluten? Just use an equal amount of all-purpose flour instead. Likewise, regular rolled oats work fine. Certified gluten-free oats are important to people with Celiac disease because regular oats can be contaminated with gluten from the fields, processing plant, etc. Finally, I think this is delicious as written. Official Taster thinks it's a little tart. So maybe add a bit more sugar if your taste buds swing that way.

Vegan & Gluten Free Apricot Blackberry Crisp
2 lbs ripe apricots, quartered and pitted (about 12)
8 whole almonds
1 C packed brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
6 oz blackberries (1 clamshell)
1/2 C Sorghum blend
1/2 tsp nutmeg
6 Tbsp chilled vegan butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 C gluten-free rolled oats

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Place the apricots in a baking dish. I used a 9" glass dish.
2. In a food processor, grind the almonds with 1/4 C brown sugar, and 1 tsp cinnamon for about 30 seconds, or until it's a fine mixture. Scrape this sugar mix over the apricots and toss. Scatter berries across the top.
3. Combine sorghum blend, nutmeg, remaining 1 tsp cinnamon, and butter in a food processor, with several on-off pulses or only until the mixture looks like a coarse meal. Add the oats and pulse a few more times to break them up.
4. Spread topping over fruit. Bake for 45 minutes or until top is golden brown

Vegan Apple, Strawberry, and Blackberry Crisp

The farmers' market was a success! Even though it was cold and cloudy (yes, really) and I couldn't find what I specifically was looking for, I did find the makings for a delicious vegan fruit crisp. Crisps are definitely one of my favorite desserts, and sometimes I even like them better than cake (shh don't tell my mom). They are easy to put together, don't get lots of stuff dirty, and taste good pretty much no matter what. Exact measurements aren't as critical as in cakes, either. And, so, without any further ado: