Have you ever wondered if there was a use for the fluid that comes with canned chickpeas? Yeah, I hadn't either. Of course that all changed one day when I saw some people in a group I'm in talking about Aquafaba. Aqua what?? What the heck is Aquafaba?? I quickly found out that it was bean fluids and is commonly used as an egg replacement. Needless to say I was skeptical, but I saw their beautiful pictures of Aquafaba meringue cookies and was curious. So off I went searching for recipes and I came up with a recipe for French Toast that blew my mind! Again, I was skeptical until I took my first bite and then I was hooked. Oh and an added bonus, Bean loves Aquafaba French Toast. This leads me to recipe one for today.
Aquafaba French Toast by Vegan Mother Hubbard (veganmotherhubbard.net)
1/2 cup aquafaba
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
2 tbsp granulated sugar (I skipped the sugar)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
6-8 slices of bread (We used Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free bread)
For cooking instructions visit Vegan Mother Hubbard at veganmotherhubbard.net :)
Toddler and hubby tested and approved!
Our next stop on our culinary journey was India. Luckily, we didn't have to fly there. Bean and I headed to my Mom and Dad's house after Bean's music class and like a good Indian Mom, my wonderful Mom made sure we were fed. Rice, Daal (lentils) and veggies were in the fridge so a quick zap in the microwave (yeah yeah, I know microwaves are bad, but I have not taken the no microwaving step yet) and Bean and I were enjoying a simple but yummy lunch. I thought I would get more than I did. Little stinker ate his portion and a lot of mine too.
From India we quickly got home and away to Jamaica we went. Tonights dinner was Jamaican Rice and Beans (http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/jamaican_rice_and_peas/) served with fried plantains. This was a winner! Hubby spiced his portion us by eating the habanero pepper while Bean and I enjoyed the recipe without the heat. Don't get me wrong, we both like spicy food but I was not about to dive into a habanero pepper and 19 month old Bean was definitely not munching on one. It took Bean a little time to warm up to the rice and beans, but he eventually did with the help of some blueberries (yes, I bribed him to take a bite) and he definitely seemed to like the fried plantains.
So let talk about fried plantains. I had heard about them, seen posts by friends about them, and even considered trying them, but just never did. Then I got pregnant with Bean and bananas could not even be in the house. My dislike for bananas has gotten a little better, but I still can't stand the taste or smell. Plantains on the other hand only made me gag when I smelled them. Once they were fried up in some virgin coconut oil they were delicious! Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside and full of wonderful flavor! They were a perfect compliment to the Jamaican Rice and Beans.
For dessert I whipped together a favorite in our house. What happens when you blend a can of chickpeas with 1/2 cup organic peanut butter, 1/3 cup of maple syrup, 1/4 salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, and a 1/3 cup of chocolate chips? You have Blondies! A protein packed dessert that satisfies the sweet tooth and is healthy. I throw all the ingredients, except the chocolate chips in my nifty Ninja blender, blend until is is smooth, pour it in a baking dish, and mix in the chocolate chips. Then bake at 350 degrees for 25 mins. The hardest part of this recipe is allowing them to cool a bit before diving in..lol!
Today's meals were a win and I felt good about what I served my family. I hope you are inspired to try one or all of these recipes. Let me know what you thing of them. Until next time, I wish you good eats and good health.
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