Without a doubt, the best part of publishing a personal post like my Why I Gave Up Running post is reading all of the amazing responses people share.
Seriously, thank you all so much.
I’ll try to make the blog a little more personal in the future, although it’s difficult because most of the personal stuff in my life involves other people. To respect the privacy of my real-world friends, I have a rule to not write about them or post their photos, which is why most of the pictures you see on this blog are of just me.
For today, you get another recipe… with chocolate. Hopefully you won’t mind. 😉
I’m honored to feature a recipe today from Tosca Reno, a New York Times best-selling author and one of the most well-respected and influential figures in the world of healthy food. This bread pudding recipe comes from her Eat Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook, which contains 150 meat-free recipes free of processed ingredients, refined sugars, and anything artificial (note to vegetarians: there is a chapter on fish).
The book, which comes with complete nutritional information for every recipe, is divided into ten chapters from breakfast to dessert. It also covers topics such as how to be a healthy vegetarian, eating vegetarian on a budget, and making fast-food and holiday recipes. Upon receiving the cookbook in the mail, I right away bookmarked at least fifteen things I wanted to make. With bananas, cinnamon, and chocolate chips, this healthy bread pudding was obviously on top of the list!
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Pudding
(Adapted from Eat Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook, reprinted with permission)
- 2 1/2 cups (640ml) milk of choice
- 3 tbsp (45ml) arrowroot or cornstarch
- 1/4 cup (60ml) sucanat or sugar of choice
- 1/3 cup (80ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 5 cups day-old bread, torn into 1-to-2-inch pieces, lightly packed
- 2 extra-ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 to 1 cup (120-240ml) chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F (177C). Grease a 1.5 to 2-quart ceramic dish and set aside. Thoroughly whisk together all but last three ingredients in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients, and stir to combine, mashing the bananas a little and allowing the bread to absorb most of the liquid. Scrape into the prepared dish, and press down to smooth the top. Let sit 15 minutes so bread absorbs more liquid, then bake uncovered until lightly brown and firm (about 30 minutes). Serve warm. For questions about this recipe or substitutions, please feel free to ask this recipe’s creator, Tosca Reno!
View Bread Pudding Nutrition Facts
Quick Giveaway!
For the chance to win your own copy of Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook, simply leave a comment answering the following question: What is your favorite meatless meal?
Thanks for the giveaway Katie. My favorite meal is probably veggie sushi, but that is more of a special occasion food so I end up eating a lot of rice and beans. It is fun to hear some meal suggestions here in the comments though! 🙂
I have so many fun meatless recipes, but my go-to is an egg-free, meat-free, crustless spinach “quiche”. I take a package of frozen spinach and let it thaw while I cook a sweet potato or yam in the microwave – enough to mash it up. I mix the mashed sweet potato with the spinach, and then I add in cheese (I’m not vegan so I use whatever I have on hand, but I’m sure vegan cheese would work fine). Cook it for about 30 minutes and YUM!
Anything with black beans! I love just black beans cooked with some onions and tomatoes. And then I’ll put it on a sweet potato. It’s a frequent go-to.
One of my favorite meatless meals ever has been Braised Bok Choy. My mom made it one night, as she was trying all these veggie recipes from a cookbook, and she said I could have some. Some turned out to be, “You can have some more,” which turned into me finishing the entire pan of it which was pretty much an entire head of bok choy! 😀
My favorite meatless meal is falafel served on a salad with a drizzle of tahini. The only thing that could top it would be homemade banana “ice cream” topped with peanut butter coconut oil magic shell and crunchy granola. Mmmm.
that’s a toughy one!! I have so many…. but right now I’m really craving my veggie chicken marsala!
ps – this is the first time I’m posting a comment (yay for give-aways), but I have been in obsessive adoration of your blog for awhile now & have LOVED everything I’ve made so far. I’m crossing my fingers for some delicious Thanskgiving day recipes 🙂
I love a nice spicy veggie stirfry, with plenty of tofu! Has got to be my favorite meatless meal at the moment.
I will definitely be trying this recipe, and I would love the new cookbook. I admit I own all her other cookbooks, but the vegetarian one sounds amazing!
I forgot to share my favorite vegetarian meal! There are so many, but I’d probably go with chickpea curry!
What is my favorite meatless meal? Gosh, I don’t know. Raw veggie lasagna? Sushi with quinoa and avocado? Maybe Tofu Stir fry? Yeah, I’ll have to go with the lasagna…or stir fry. Ugh! Okay, final decision, the stir fry.
Beans and rice with cheese and avocados. And pizza!
Because it snowed today, I’m going with something warm and hearty like mushroom risotto.
Lately my favorite meatless meals have been stews/chilis made with beans, kale, or sweet potato!
My fave meatless meal is falafel, most likely because it’s the only vegetarian meal outside of pasta I have found that my husband likes!!!!
I love lentil lasagna! Yum! 🙂 {with home-made sauce from fresh tomatoes, of course 😉 }
My Favourite meatless meal is black bean burritos. When the cheese is all melty, the brown rice is cooked to perfection and the tomato salsa is juuust right, it’s like heaven on earth.
Veggie filled omelets!