Anti-Inflammatory Banana Bread

Ahhh Spring is in the air (or at least it should be!) and it's time to get rid of those cobwebs and surplus things around the house with some spring cleaning. But have you ever thought our bodies may also need a spring cleaning to stretch out those joints and muscles and aches and pains that have been harbouring within through the winter?

Whether you've had a cold or joint pains, inflammation is so common and lately I have become a bit of an obsessive about boosting my immunity and reducing inflammation. The one spice that speaks (or shouts, depending on how many clinical studies you have read) is Turmeric! I have been using it a lot (well more than usual for a Spice Queen!) in Golden Milk and more recently in the sweeter things in life.

We all know that sugar is an inflammatory food but, like anyone, I get cravings for that something sweet or  even cake, so I decided that I needed to face my baking demons (I am not a baker at all) to create something that would satisfy the craving but also use ingredients that help against inflammation.

Bananas, Nuts, Spices including True or Ceylon Cinnamon, Gluten Free flour and no refined sugars and voila, here's a banana bread that is both guilt free and tasty!

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY BANANA BREAD

Gluten Free; Dairy Free; Vegan ; Sugar Free

Ingredients:
2 cups Almond Milk (unsweetened)
2 frozen or really ripe bananas
3 Tbsp Apple Sauce (unsweetened)
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 tsp Baking Soda (aluminium free)
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1/2 tsp Spice Sanctuary Cardamom Ground
1/4 tsp Spice Sanctuary True Cinnamon
1/4 cup finely chopped walnut pieces
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1/2 Tsp Spice Sanctuary Turmeric
6 twists of Spice Sanctuary Peppermill Pizzazz Spice Blend (or 1/4 tsp if manually grinding)

How to Make:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F and grease a loaf pan with some melted coconut oil or line with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, mash the bananas and add in the wet ingredients: almond milk, apple sauce and vanilla extract and mix well.
3. In another bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients except for the coconut oil, turmeric and peppermill pizzazz.
4. Slowly combine the dry ingredients in with the wet until you get a fairly thick batter.
5. Melt the coconut oil and add in the turmeric and peppermill mix into the oil and combine well so that the anti-inflammatory properties get to work.
6. Now, add in the turmeric mixture into the batter and fold in really well.
7. Transfer the mixture into the loaf pan and bake in the oven for around 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
8. Allow the bread to cool before turning out. If you're feeling adventurous, you can ice the bread with my chocolate dipper sauce.

How to Enjoy:

You can cut into slices or squares and enjoy this guilt free with a cup of Golden Milk for a real turmeric boost or with any herbal tea!

Cinnamon Sweetheart Pancakes

One week away from Valentine's Day and I was invited back to Global Calgary to talk cinnamon and showcase a healthy pancake recipe perfect for sharing with your sweetheart!

There are a multitude of reasons why we should be incorporating more cinnamon into our diets but very few people know the differences between different types of cinnamon and which one is actually better for you. True Cinnamon is our bestselling spice and always receives stellar reviews from customers. To find out why you need it, click here to watch the segment and read more here.

 

It's time to share that recipe so that you can plan an extra sweet and healthy Valentine's Day breakfast for your sweetheart!

Cinnamon Sweetheart Pancakes
(gluten free)
(makes 12)

1 cup    Brown rice flour
1/2 cup Urad dal flour (found in most Indian grocery stores or ethnic sections in supermarkets)
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda (aluminium free)
1 Tsp    Spice Sanctuary Coorg Bold Cardamom Ground  (a known aphrodisiac)
10        Strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped
400 ml Water
1 Tbsp Cocoa powder (undutched preferably)
1 Tsp   Spice Sanctuary True Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Spice Sanctuary Sweet Delight Spice Blend (optional)
Coconut oil
Maple Syrup

How to Make:

1. Combine the flours, baking soda and cardamom in a bowl and mix well.

2. In a pan, reduce the strawberries down in about 100ml water on a medium heat until the berries soften and it is almost a puree consistency. 

3. Add the reduced strawberries into the dry mixture and add the remaining water and whisk into a smooth fairly thick batter. If you need to add more water, do so.

4. Lightly grease the inside of your heart moulds, if using, and heat a little coconut oil in a non stick frying pan on a medium heat. Ladle enough batter to fill up the mould or one ladle to make a round pancake. 

5. As soon as the outer edges start browning and you see holes perforating through, gently flip pancakes over. If you are using a mold, gently prize the edges away from the mold, lift the mold away before flipping the pancake.

6. Cook the pancake for another minute or so. Repeat until all the batter is used up. The batter will also keep in the fridge for a few days.

How to Enjoy:

When you are ready to serve, mix together the cocoa powder and remaining spices, using a sieve, sift the mixture generously over the pancakes and drizzle with some maple syrup.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Delicious Appetizers With A Twist of Spice!

With the Holiday Season well underway, there is always so much to do and prepare for that it becomes more stressful than enjoyable when entertaining. The key to any dish is pairing ingredients that go really well together and then adding flavouring that also pairs with those ingredients too which is where I come in! So why not keep it simple yet delicious this year and take a little inspiration from my three appetizer ideas with a twist of spice!

You can watch the TV segment featuring these gorgeous creations here:

 Canada's Spice Queen on CTV Morning Live

Smoked Salmon & Cucumber Bites

Gluten Free Friendly

Winter Spiced Banana Mallow Dippers

Gluten Free, Dairy Free

Potato Wedges with a Curried Spinach Sauce

Gluten Free, Dairy Free

Try these and let me know which one was the show of your party!

The Spice for all Bellys: Asafoetida (Hing)

Do you end up avoiding foods that are good for you but give you gas?

 What if you could find a simple everyday ingredient that would allow you to digest these gas prone foods better?

Sometimes named the "Food of the Gods", this is the spice that every belly needs! Asafoetida (Hing) (pr. asa-fe-teeda) is traditionally used in Ayurveda and Indian sub-continent cuisine where the diet is predominantly lentil or bean based. Asafoetida is a resin that is extracted from a perennial herb plant. The resin dries to a dark red, brown colour and on its own is difficult to grate or ingest as it is so potent. It is, therefore, more commonly found and consumed in a compound form where the powdered asafoetida is mixed with wheat and gum arabic.

The hunt for a certified organic asafoetida which was suitable for celiacs was proving really difficult but with perseverance, research and development, we were ecstatic to finally source a very good version. It is gluten free, grain free and has a minimum of 30% asafoetida resin content, making a little go a long way!

HOW DO I USE IT?

If you've used asafoetida before, you will know that it has a sulphuric smell but don't let this put you off! As soon as you add it to your cooking, the smell and taste dissipates.

Our recommendation is that you always use about 1/4 tsp in any dish (doesn't have to be Indian!) that uses the following ingredients:

Beans

Lentils

Pulses

Brocolli

Cabbage

Brussel Sprouts

Asparagus

Starches like potatoes

It is also a great substitute for onions and garlic if you have none in the house!

WHAT ELSE IS IT GOOD FOR?

Apart from being heavily used as a digestive aid, Asafoetida is a proven anti-bacterial and thought to be excellent at fighting influenza and candida. In fact, scientists even found it really effective in fighting the H1N1 virus!

Let's Chat about Chaat

As I prepare for our  Indian Street Food booth (with a healthy twist of course!) at the Canmore Folk Fest, it is only appropriate to about the most common form of street food in India - the Chaat!

Chaat (meaning "taste" or "lick") is the umbrella name given to savoury snacks and appetizers in Indian and Pakistani cuisine. Most Chaat dishes originated in my state of Gujarat or Uttar Pradesh but it is widely popular all over the Indian & Asian Sub-continent now. It usually comprises of something crunchy, a vegetable or bean layer, chutneys or sauces and of course special spice mixes! Many are eaten cold and some hot. In India, these are typically offered by food carts or specialist restaurants and in the West, in most Indian restaurants. Just as there is so much diversity within Indian food (other than Butter Chicken!), there is just as much in the different types of Chaats.

What I love about Chaat is that it encompasses a real balance in flavours . Take the Chaat I will be making for the Folk Fest: a Healthy Chickpea Chaat. The crunch will be kale (and hemp seeds), the bean: chickpea to be served in a tamarind sauce and also a coconut yoghurt chutney as an optional. The organic spice mix will include cayenne, cumin, mango powder (amchur), coriander, salt and other spices This is quite a tangy dish given the tamarind and yoghurt chutney but the spice mix is well balanced with the hot, pungent, tangy, sweet and mild. Refreshing, gluten free and so good for you!

Other examples of Chaat are:

PAPDI CHAAT

(small, fried, wheat flour disk piled with potato or chickpeas, tamarind sauce, mint sauce and yoghurt)

 

BHEL

(puffed rice to which onions, green chilies, herbs and various sauces are added)

and of course the more popular Samosas and Pakoras!

If you haven't tasted Chaat, add this to your bucket list for sure! If you have, what's your favourite?