banana coconut cream pie

I wanted banana pudding. I ended up with a coconut pie with a graham cracker crust, and I threw some bananas in for good measure. This is adapted from the Lost Coconut Custard Pie from Veganomicon. It's sweet, but light - not a heavy, egg-based custard, but a coconut milk and agar custard. Agar powder (or agar-agar) is a gelatin substitute used in Asian cooking, made from seaweed. Don't get grossed out, if you've ever eaten commercial ice cream, you've already eaten agar. You can find it at any Chinese grocery store, in small packets by the puddings and desserts.

graham cracker crust

From Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook, makes one, regular-sized pie crust.

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp coconut oil

4 tbsp soy milk

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, combine coconut, graham crumbs and sugar. Add coconut oil, and toss to combine. Add soy milk, one tablespoon at a time, stirring with your hands until mixture holds together when you give it a squeeze. Press the crumbs into a 9-inch pie plate, forming a crust. Bake 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside to cool. 

Banana coconut cream pie

From Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook, makes one delicious pie. The custard part of this recipe also makes a great pudding - make it without the pie crust, and pour into bowls, and let cool for 2 hours in the fridge. 

1 cup soy milk

2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder

1/2 tsp agar powder

1 (14-oz) can of coconut milk

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

3/4 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut

3 bananas

1 graham cracker crust (previous recipe)

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of soy milk and the cornstarch. Set aside. In a heavy-bottomed pot, whisk together the other 1/2 cup soy milk and agar powder. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Let it boil for 1 minute, then reduce heat to medium low. Give your soy-cornstarch mixture another whisk (the cornstarch will have settled), and pour it into the pot in a slow, steady stream, all the while whisking constantly. Add coconut milk, lemon juice and sugar, and cook over medium-low heat for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and add vanilla, salt and coconut. 

Slice two bananas, and arrange slices in the bottom of the cooled pie crust. Pour custard on top. Let pie cool at room temperature for 15 minutes, then transfer to fridge. Leave the pie for at least 2 hours to set. Before serving, slice the other banana, and arrange slices on top. I added some shaved chocolate for fun. 

banana pancakes on a saturday morning

Before I get into all that delicious food I ate on vacation, here's what I've been enjoying about being home: my kitchen, which may not always be perfectly organized, but has the ingredients and equipment I need in the perfect place. I missed making breakfast in my pyjamas to CBC radio. I missed late night popcorn recipe inventions. I missed cooking in my favourite pots, on my perfect gas stove that almost never burns anything. I missed preparing food with my favourite cat buddies, Pipi and Luna.

Vacations are great, but it's always nice to come home. Here's yet another pancake recipe (and if it's not what you're looking for, try these: banana walnut pancakes, raspberry lemon pancakes or raspberry flax pancakes).

simple banana pancakes - makes around 10 3-inch pancakes

These are adapted from Jamie Oliver's 2012 Recipe Yearbook, a magazine special I picked up in England. I changed the all purpose flour to whole wheat pastry flour, and substituted half of the milk for yogurt, to add some tang (or maybe I had just run out of milk - but it tasted great).

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup yogurt (or just another 1/2 cup milk)
oil for cooking

2 bananas
2 tbsp butter
splash of maple syrup, plus more to serve

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add egg, milk and yogurt, and stir until just combined (some lumps are ok). Heat oil in pan, and cook pancakes in batches. Meanwhile, melt butter in another pan. Add sliced bananas and a splash of maple syrup, and saute until golden. Serve pancakes  with butter and more maple syrup.

vegan version: substitute 1/2 mashed banana for the egg, and use 1 cup soy milk. Cook the bananas in grapeseed or canola oil.

PS. I'm in the middle of redesigning the blog, so expect some changes. I loved the last layout, but it wan't the easiest to navigate or read.

PPS. You know it's a good day when you still haven't left bed, but you've gotten through brunch, four episodes of Seinfeld, AND posted a recipe!

more tapioca

It's my favourite dessert. I can't stop making it! Previous tapioca obsession can be found here: Coconut Vanilla Tapioca. This new recipe comes from a post on Food 52. I loved the cardamom flavour, but if that's not your thing, just replace it with a teaspoon of vanilla paste. And those bananas? They would be awesome on crepes, yogurt, pancakes, or oatmeal.

coconut pudding with cardamom and caramelized bananas
serves 4-6

3 cups of water
4 green cardamom pods
pinch of salt
 1/2 cup small pearl tapioca (not minute tapioca. check at asian grocery stores.)
2-4 tbsp of sugar

Slightly crush the cardamom pods with the flat of a knife. Bring water, cardamom and salt to a boil. Stir in  tapioca, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, for about 15 minutes. When the white dot in the middle of the tapioca has disappeared, it's done. Fish out the cardamom pods and discard.

Add sugar to taste, and coconut milk. Stir to combine, and divide among serving bowls. While the pudding cools slightly, make the bananas:

2 firm-ripe bananas
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp butter

Cut bananas lengthwise, then in half (you should have 8 pieces). Melt butter in a frying pan. Sprinkle sugar over pan, and lay bananas, cut side down, in sugar. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, turning once, until browned. Serve on top of the tapioca.

banana walnut pancakes

This is me playing around with photoshop. I'll be honest, I don't really know what I'm doing, beyond looking up tutorials, and following them step-by-step. I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually. And now the recipe! A little late for Pancake Tuesday, but where pancakes are concerned, better late than never. This recipe is adapted from Joy of Cooking's cornmeal pancakes. Seen here with applesauce - serving extra fruit with pancakes makes them a bit healthier, and helps you cut back on the maple syrup by adding some natural sweetness.

banana walnut pancakes
(makes about 15 medium sized pancakes)

1 cup cornmeal
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup boiling water
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp melted butter (or vegetable oil)
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup walnut pieces
2 or 3 bananas, sliced

Combine the cornmeal, honey and salt in a bowl. Slowly stir in the boiling water, whisking out lumps, and cover for 10 minutes. Stir in egg, milk and butter. Combine flour and baking powder, and stir into wet ingredients. Finally, fold in walnuts and bananas. Heat a pan or griddle on med-high heat. Flip away!

(For a vegan version, use sugar instead of honey, and 1/2 mashed banana to replace the egg.)