Mixed Berry Coffee Cake

There is just something about starting a brisk fall morning off with a good Cup of Joe and a piece of coffee cake that just warms me through and through. Today, I decided to make a mixed berry coffee cake. This recipe was adapted from a King Arthur Flour recipe for Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake. I subbed out some of the ingredients they used for either non-dairy or vegan ingredients, and I also used some ingredients that I prefer instead such as coconut oil over butter and as always, I added more cinnamon! 

This cake came out well, the texture a little chewier than I had hoped it would be, but it was still moist and delicious. 

Mixed Berry Coffee Cake

Streusel Topping Ingredients:

1/3 cup Coconut Sugar (I used Trader Joe's)

1/2 cup GF All-Purpose Flour (I use gfJules)

1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon Salt

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) Earth Balance Buttery Stick

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups GF All-Purpose Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup Coconut Sugar

1/4 cup White Granulated Sugar

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) Coconut Oil (at room temperature)

1 Large Egg (*use egg replacer to make this vegan)

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/2 cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk (in box, not the can)

2 cups Fresh or Frozen Berries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9" round cake pan that is at least 2" deep. 

To make the topping, mix sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Cut butter in with a fork until it reaches a crumbly state and set aside.

Blend flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together in a medium-sized bowl.

In stand mixer, beat together the sugar, butter, egg and vanilla extract. Begin to add in the milk and flour mixture a little at a time alternating between adding the two and ending with the flour mixture. Stop mixer and fold in berries until just blended. Batter will be very thick.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle the topping over the batter and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes. You can serve this out of the cake pan or you can remove it from the pan by loosening the sides of the cake with a knife. Tip the cake out into one hand and flip back over onto a serving plate. 

Yield: 12 to 16 servings.

This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free and vegan when you swap the egg for egg replacer.

Beautiful Beet Juice

There's something about homemade juices made from whole fruits and vegetables that just makes me want to drink them, and this beautiful beet juice is one of them. The color is just fantastic and it's packed with nutritional benefits.

Although beets have the highest sugar content of all vegetables, it is packed with other nutrients that can improve your health in a variety of ways. Beets can lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation, and they also are loaded with Vitamin C, Potassium, and Fiber. 

Other nutrient packed ingredients in this recipe are carrots, cucumbers, and tart cherry juice. This is one juice you can be happy about drinking with no guilt!

Now, here goes my semi-infomercial moment...

I recently made the financial decision to purchase a Vitamix. It literally took months of convincing from some family and friends. However, after a handful of failures trying to make green juice smoothies with my Nutri-bullet and Ninja, I decided to give the Vitamix a chance. How much better could it really be? I brought over the same exact ingredients that I had been trying to my brother's house, and attempted to make the same green smoothie in his Vitamix. The results were amazing! I couldn't believe the difference between the two. For the first time, I didn't have to chew my smoothie. 

Deciding to purchase the Vitamix wasn't a cheap decision by any means, but so far it has been worth every penny. The Vitamix I purchased cost me $449. (Which actually is now available for $439!) Yes, you read that correctly, I paid $449 US dollars. Yes, for a blender...a freaking blender! 

I know exactly what you are thinking...and the answers to all of these comments would be "No!"

"Is she stupid?" 
No.

"It's just a blender." 
No, no it is not.

"She must be out of her mind!" 
No. (Well, that's debatable, but for other reasons.)

"My Nutri-bullet (insert other blender here) is fine." 
Oh no it isn't!

I thought those same things about the people who tried to convince me as well. But, I can honestly say it is an AMAZING "blender." I say "blender" because this piece of equipment is not like any "blender" I have ever used in my life. This equipment is like a piece of food magic. Seriously, it is. It can juice, blend, and make hot soup. It can make ice cream and sorbet. It can make nut butters galore. It can puree, dice and chop veggies, and it can also ground coffee for crying out loud...what "blender" can do all of that? AND, what blender can do it all well!? None that I've ever used.

I've used my Vitamix at least once a day since I received it just about a month ago. I've only made soup, juices, and smoothies so far but, all with great success and no disappointments.

I make a green juice smoothies almost every day, although this morning I decided to try to make a beet juice smoothie instead since I had a bag full of beets from my local CSA share. I do like my green juice that I make every day, but man, this beet juice wowed me! By using the Vitamix, you get all the nutrients from everything included in the ingredients because you are adding the whole vegetable and fruit including seeds, skin, etc. And, it's not thick as you would expect from blending, it made actual juice!

One benefit to blending instead of juicing is that you get both insoluble and soluble fiber, which keep you sustained longer. A juicer will just extract the juice and leave behind the pulp removing the insoluble fiber. Here is a infographic of the benefits of juicing vs. blending.

Enough about the Vitamix and how great it is. Let's get to that Beautiful Beet Juice recipe you've been scrolling for:

Beautiful Beet Juice
Ingredients

2/3 cup Tart Cherry Juice (100% juice from concentrate, try K.W. Knudsen)
1/4 cup filtered water
1 Tbs bottled lemon juice
1/2 large beet, unpeeled and cut into chunks
1 small carrot, unpeeled and cut into chunks
     (or 4 or 5 bagged baby peeled carrots)
3" of an English Cucumber, unpeeled and cut into chunks

Directions:
Place ingredients in order listed into Vitamix. 
Turn on Low for a few seconds, then switch to High. 
Blend for about 45 seconds. 
Enjoy!

Yield: 1 pint, or 1 serving.
This recipe is gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan 

Sweet and Sour Refrigerator Pickles

If you love pickles like I do, then these easy-to-make pickles are for you! Not only are they really easy to make, they are so freaking delicious I've made two batches in the last week! I got this recipe from CherylStyle's website and only changed/added a few things from her recipe to suit my own taste. Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Refrigerator Pickles

Brine Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
4 cups water
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon black pepper corns
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seed
1 bay leaf

Pickle Ingredients:
3 lbs. cucumbers (I used regular cucumbers), sliced about 1/4"
1 yellow onion, sliced very thin with mandolin
2 tablespoons kosher salt
6-8 whole garlic cloves, pealed

Directions:
Place all brine ingredients into a medium-sized non-reactive saucepan such as stainless steel, enameled, or glass—not aluminum or copper. Bring brine to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside to reach room temperature.

While you are waiting for the brine to cool, prepare your pickle ingredients. Slice the cucumbers using a mandolin to about 1/4", slice your onions very thin at your lowest setting on your mandolin. Put cucumbers, garlic and onions in a large colander in the sink and sprinkle with kosher salt, toss to coat evenly. Let sit for 30-45 minutes letting any water the salt may draw out drain.

After the cucumbers, garlic and onions have sat and drained, and the brine reaches room temperature rinse the cucumbers mixture with cold water to remove excess salt. Put cucumber mixture into a large glass bowl. Pour room temperature brine over the cucumber mixture and cover with saran wrap. Place in the refrigerator overnight. 

The next day remove from pickles from refrigerator and stir a few times. Now you can place pickles in jars or plastic containers and keep them in the refrigerator. They are great the first day, but get even better with each day. The garlic stays sharp, so beware! But, give those enough time and they'll be pickled too!

They are not "canned," so don't put them in your pantry, they need to be refrigerated and eaten within a few weeks.

Yield: 5 jars.
This recipe is gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, and vegan.