Our obsession with avocado toast has gotten some Latin American populations into a real pickle – but there’s still hope for your favorite high-fat snack.

In the Apurimac region of Peru, villagers have learned to capitalize on our obsession with the fruit to cultivate high-margin, sustainable avocados and eke out a living for themselves in the process.

The Avocado Dilemma

Avocado has usurped kale as the top trendy health food in America – and that’s not necessarily a good thing. In Mexico, where about 40 percent of the world’s avocados are produced, growers have been cutting down acres worth of natural forests (the Independent notes that deforestation is growing at a pace of 2.5 percent per year) to keep up with the demand for avocado toast, avocado boats, and avocado everything else.

It’s no surprise that this mass deforestation has led to a number of problems, including a lack of biodiversity in the region, fumigation that has wrecked havoc on the health of locals, who are experiencing more and more breathing and stomach problems, according to the Independent, and even increased narcoterrorism linked to the money-making crop.

While these issues are certainly dire in Mexico, shoppers who opt for another provenance aren’t necessarily off the hook.

“The fact of the matter is that we know pitifully little about the environmental and working conditions of faceless people in faraway places who grow fruit for our tables,” reports the Guardian.

Some opt, instead, to buy local, but while California is rising to the occasion, producing  164,000 tons of the fruit (over 80 percent of total production in the U.S.), the effect of this crop on the already dry state is not the most environmentally friendly, and recent drought conditions have even led to an avocado shortage.

There are two solutions to this very real problem. The first is to cut back on avocado consumption, for example by subbing a tasty pea mash in for your regular avocado toast.

But cutting back doesn’t mean that we have to say goodbye to avocados forever — it just means that when we do choose the fruit, we need to choose fair trade avocados from reliable sources.

Choosing Sustainable Avocado Toast

Candelaria Pillaca hails from Apurimac, a region of south-central Peru. She had long been cultivating traditional regional crops such as corn, kiwicha, and beans when she learned about World Neighbors, a savings and credit program that not only would allow her to take out small loans to purchase and plant avocado trees but would also provide her with instruction in organic fertilization, water conservation, and basic accounting.

Five years later, Pillaca is supporting her family with her avocado plantation, adding $3,000 to her yearly income, a substantial amount that allows her to help support two of her children who attend university.

By adding avocados to her small, one-and-a-half hectare farm, Pillaca has created a sustainable way to produce the in-demand fruit. She is a strong proponent of agro ecology, incorporating drip irrigation and crop diversification into her farm and using organic fertilizers produced on her own land from animal waste and compost.

Perhaps most importantly, Pillaca is not contributing to widespread deforestation problems, but rather integrating avocados into an already diverse farm.

“The problem of deforestation may happen when practicing large scale of avocado planting and not integrating them with other tropical fruits,” says Pillaca.

“I didn’t have to cut down trees to plant avocados.”

Related on EcoSalon
3 Environmental Benefits of Farming You Probably Didn’t Realize
Care About Sustainable Food? Start Thinking About Soil: Foodie Underground
Growing the Cold Chain: An Essential Key to Reducing Food Waste

The post Your Avocado Toast Habit is (Probably) Unsustainable, But That’s About to Change appeared first on EcoSalon.

These 3 stuffed avocado recipes will delight your taste buds and inspire your kitchen creativity!

If an ingredient can be stuffed, it’s only a matter of time until we find millions of ways to do it. The avocado is no exception. Its flesh makes for a dense, creamy serving cup to balance a variety of textures, tastes, and colorful fillings.

The following three stuffed avocado recipes are my personal favorites. Enjoy!

1. Baked Avocado with Zucchini, Goat Cheese, and Balsamic Glaze

Serves 4

This recipe had me at “baked.”  Most people eat avocado in its raw state, but when baked, its flavors intensify and offer a more grounded flavor profile. This recipe takes it to the next level with light zucchini, digestion-friendly goat cheese, and a sweet balsamic reduction.

Ingredients

• 2 avocados, halved and pitted
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup Balsamic vinegar
• 2-3 ounces soft goat cheese
• Garnish: fresh basil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat add the olive oil and minced garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside.

Scoop some of the flesh out of the avocado halves, leaving a thin layer along the edges behind. Place a few slices of the zucchini in the bottom of each avocado cup, followed by a bit of the avocado flesh that was scooped out. Top with goat cheese.

Place the avocado halves, skin side down on a lightly greased baking dish and cook for 10 minutes, or until the goat cheese is melted and lightly browned.

While the avocados are cooking, in a small pot over medium heat, add the balsamic vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Stir occasionally. After 5 minutes or so, the vinegar will have reduced and become thicker. Remove from heat.

Take the avocado halves from the oven and glaze each with the balsamic reduction. Season each with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

2. Party Favor Stuffed Avocados

Servings vary

There is no strict recipe for this stuffed avocado tip, but it is perhaps the most approachable and delicious ways to enjoy stuffed avocados without the fuss. You can use any party dip as the stuffing, but I tend to stick to either salsa or hummus. They are guaranteed crowd pleasers!

Ingredients

• Avocados, halved and pitted
• Your favorite hummus, salsa, spinach artichoke, bean, or nacho cheese dip recipe
• Your choice of fresh herb, cheese, or spice garnish

Directions

Scoop some of the flesh out of the avocado halves, leaving a thin layer along the edges behind. Use the flesh as a garnish or eat it by the spoonful so you don’t waste it. Add in the chosen filling and top with garnish of choice.

3. Shrimp Ceviche Stuffed Avocados

Serves 6

This is one of more classic stuffed avocado recipes frequenting the interweb these days and for good reason. I love the balance of the cool, zesty shrimp ceviche and the creamy tenderness of the avocado. This recipe combines a variety of flavors and textures and keeps things sweet, zesty, savory, light, and dense all at once.

Ingredients

• 3 avocadoes, halved and pitted
• 1 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cooked
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1 small red onion, sliced thinly
• 1 cup diced pineapple
• 1 jalapeno, seeded, de-fleshed, and sliced thinly
• Handful of cilantro, finely chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• Juice and zest of 1 orange
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon mustard

Directions

In a medium-sized bowl, toss together the shrimp, tomato, cucumber, red onion, pineapple, jalapeno, and cilantro. Add the lime juice, orange juice, orange zest, garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, and mustard. Fold the ingredients together until evenly combined. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 1 hour to let all the flavors marry.

Take the avocado halves and use a knife to slice lengthwise and horizontally along the inner flesh, without puncturing the skin, ultimately making a grid-like design. This is an important step in order to allow the juices of the filling to make way throughout the entirety of the avocado flesh and making the stuffed avocado easier to eat.

Once the ceviche has marinated for an hour, remove the bowl from the refrigerator and toss the mixture to distribute the juices. Scoop a few spoonfuls of the mixture into each avocado half and garnish each with extra lime juice, orange zest, and sea salt.

Related on EcoSalon
Seasonal Eating: Avocados Stuffed with Wild American Shrimp
The Avocado Hummus Recipe You Didn’t Know You Needed
10 Absolutely Delicious Avocado Recipes to Try

Avocado Filled with Shrimp Image from Shutterstock

The post 3 Absolutely Filling Stuffed Avocado Recipes appeared first on EcoSalon.

We often associate the avocado with guacamole, and that’s it. But that would be doing the odd-looking fruit a great injustice.

Because of its creamy texture and impressive nutritional profile, the avocado is a prized ingredient in plant-based dishes. It provides the bulk and the consistency that are usually the product of milk, butter, or cream. These 15 unusual uses for the avocado explore the many ways you can expand your repertoire beyond guacamole.

You may already know that avocados are considered an excellent source of “good” fats. But they are fare more beneficial to your health than meets the eye. Avocados prevent breast cancer with oleic acid content and inhibit the growth of prostate cancer. Avocados also contain lutein for eye health and are known to help lower cholesterol levels due to its beta-sitosterol content. They contain 23 percent of the recommended daily value of folate, which lowers incidence of heart disease, and, they are high in glutathione, which prevents aging, cancer and heart disease. Put those nutrients to work with these 15 unusual uses for the avocado.

1. Pudding

Get your chocolate fix without the dairy and white sugar with this avocado chocolate pudding recipe. The avocado gives the pudding its trademark decadence and the lemon juice cuts the avocado flavor, allowing the cocoa and natural sweetener to shine through. It’s a great way to fill up on dessert without the sugar rush.

2. Mayonnaise

Instead of spreading a layer of mayonnaise on a bun, add a few slices of avocado. You achieve the same creaminess and neutral taste in a lighter, vegan way.

3. Grilled Avocados

To raise the bar on presentation and infuse the avocado with a savory smoke flavor, get grilling! Slice the avocado in half, remove the pit, brush both open halves with lime juice, and then place them face-down on the grill. The grill marks are a feast for the eyes and you can serve the grilled avocados with a few spoonfuls of salsa in their concave centers.

4. Eye and Facial Skin Therapy

Avocados are packed with nutrients, such as vitamin E and A, B-vitamins, folic acid, and potassium, which are enriching to the sensitive area surrounding your eyes and face. Vitamin A helps to remove dead skin cells from the body and the amino acid glutamine helps to clean and protect the skin from environmental damage. Mash an avocado until smooth and apply it around your eyes and face. Allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry with a towel.

5. Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo sauce now has a better, healthier half.

Ingredients

• 1 large avocado
• 2 garlic cloves
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Small handful of fresh basil
• Up to 1/4 cup almond milk (or water) to thin it out

Directions

 Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Mix into your prepared noodles of your choice. Enjoy!

6. Hair Mask

To treat dry or lifeless hair, mash 1 avocado with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Massage into your scalp and hair, making sure the use your fingers to brush through hair strands, from the scalp to the ends. Tuck hair into a shower cap and allow to sit for 20 minutes. Rinse and then shampoo and condition hair as usual.

7. Baby food

Avocados are a great introduction to solid foods. Their buttery, creamy texture is easy for babies to chew on and swallow safely. Rich in omega-3s and other nutrients, the avocado offers babies a healthy source of plant-based fat. Be sure to pick an avocado that is gives slightly when squeezed but is not mushy. Blend the avocado in a blender with the optional addition of water to thin the mixture out.

8. Fried Avocados

In the world of weird fried foods, avocado takes the cake. Try your hand at this fried avocado with lime-cilantro dipping sauce recipe. It’s a unique, crowd-pleasing snack that is easy to make!

9. Whipped Cream

This recipe pairs well with as a creamy accompaniment to fish and as a dip for vegetables. Blend the flesh of avocado fast in an immersion blender and the fruit transforms into a decadent whipped cream, even with peaks to prove it. Add garlic and spices for extra taste, or make it dessert apropos with the addition of a sweetener and cinnamon.

10. Green Smoothie

Get your greens in with a creamy backdrop to make them all the more appetizing and filling. This recipe for a green smoothie can be made vegan by replacing skim milk with almond, rice, or coconut milk. Enjoy!

11. Crème Brûlée

This has got to be the recipe that piques my curiosity the most. Avocado crème brûlée is an innovative take on the traditional French dessert and is sure to introduce an earthier, deeper taste and texture.

12. Butter Substitute

Replace ½ the butter in any baked recipe with the same measurement of avocado. The result will be lower in calories and yield a softer and chewier result. If you want to replace all the butter in a baked recipe, the ration of avocado to butter is 1:1, but you have to reduce the oven temperature by 25 percent and increase baking time — this prevents the baked good from rising in the middle and then sinking after it’s removed from the oven.

13. Chocolate Cream Frosting

If you are anything like me, the frosting is the best part of any cake. Of course, it’s also the heaviest part. Luckily, the avocado makes a vegan alternative possible.

Ingredients

• 2 avocados
• 1 tablespoon almond butter
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 bar dark chocolate, melted

Directions

Blend all in a food processor until smooth. Apply to cupcakes or cake or eat it as it is!

14. Ice Cream

In the same way avocado brings creaminess to vegan pudding, the fatty fruit does the same for vegan banana ice cream. Alone, banana ice cream is enough, but the addition of avocado creates an even more textured, filling dessert dish.

15. Cheesecake

When I saw this recipe for a green cheesecake, I was floored by the presentation. It makes perfect sense that avocado would be the base to a vegan cheesecake, only because the avocado mimics the thickness and density of cream cheese. Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Ollesvensson, GlowKitchen, 

The post 15 Unusual Uses for the Avocado appeared first on EcoSalon.

Something’s fishy about sushi.

Many people regard sushi as light fare – individual bites of effortless, diet-friendly goodness. However, the Japanese delight bears some danger zones that you should consider before making sushi a regular occasion.

Just like a salad, sushi can easily turn fattening if the add-ins begin to overwhelm the point of it all. One tuna roll has some 200 calories, but if you opt for the shrimp tempura roll, we’re talking upwards of 500 calories and 20 grams of fat. Many of us don’t even stop at one roll, either, so while each bite may feel light, the calories are adding up.

Other sneaky offenders include soy sauce, rice, and raw fish. Soy sauce may be low in calories, but it makes up for it with its high sodium content – one tablespoon of regular soy sauce contains up to 900 milligrams! White rice alone is adding both empty starches and extra calories to your diet while raw fish is putting you at risk of foodborne diseases by way of bacteria, viruses, parasites and mercury.

When eating out, avoid making tuna your go-to roll in order to reduce your risk of mercury exposure. If you can’t separate sushi from tempura, cream cheese, or any other fried or decadent add-ins, look at sushi as a rare indulgence rather than a daily pick-me-up. And if you want to keep things super safe, always order the veggie roll.

To keep the standards high and the mystery at bay, try making your own vegetable sushi. The following recipe is a homemade, frills-free way of doing just that. Packed with veggies, cauliflower rice, and the creaminess of the avocado, you can have your sushi and eat it too!

Homemade Cauliflower Sushi

Makes 6-8 rolls

Ingredients:

• 6-8 nori sheets
• 1 cup shredded cauliflower
• 1 carrot
• 1 cucumber
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 avocado
• 2 scallions
• Nama Shoyu for dipping
• Fresh ginger for a palette cleanse

Directions:

Place the pepper on a stove top on high heat, making sure to turn it occasionally until it is completely blackened. Immediately place into a paper bag, store, and set aside while you prepare the rest of the vegetables.

Julienne the cucumber, carrots and scallions. Slice, core, and remove the avocado meat – slice into thin pieces. All the vegetables should be the same size. When the red pepper has cooled, remove it from the bag and under warm water, use your hands to wipe off the blackened skin. It will come off easily. Remove the pepper’s stem and seeds and julienne it.

In a food processor, process cauliflower florets until rice-like in consistency. This will be the “rice”.

Lay out each nori sheet and on one end, parallel to the dotted lines on the sheet, layer the cauliflower rice, 2 slices each of cucumber, carrot, red pepper and avocado.

Roll tightly, folding the nori unto itself as you go.

Wet the edge with a bit of water to help it stick closed.

Slice into sushi-sized pieces and serve with Nama Shoyu, which is unpasteurized soy sauce, and fresh ginger. Enjoy!

Images: Avlxyz, Aylin Erman

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

The post Nutritional Breakdown: Veggie Sushi (Without a Speck of Rice) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Tis the season for picknicking-whip up one of our team’s 10 must eat dishes.

With record high temperatures soaring around the world, there’s no better time to keep the cool outdoors—under a tree and on a grassy knoll. And, foodie or not, the principles behind ecopsychology say there’s no better way to reconnect and nurture relationships than out in the fresh air. Breaking bread together with brie (or sticky chocolate cake), makes the whole picnicking affair that much more meaningful.

So, grab a blanket and try one (or  all 10) of our favorite picnic recipes—a compilation of our team’s favorites and enough to make a complete menu.

Snacks & Appetizers:

• Fruits & Nuts
• Brie & Bread
• Picnic-side Guacamole

Main dishes:

• Quinoa Salad
• Smokey Jicama Salad with Kale and Corn
• Cold Soba Noodle Salad

Desserts:

• Sticky Chocolate Cake
• Nutella Donut Muffins
• Strawberry Shortcake

Drink:

• Honey Ginger Sparkling Lemonade with Rosemary

1. Fruits and nuts

For our shelter writer, K. Emily Bond—who sometimes seeks refuge under trees—fruits and nuts are a staple picnic snack. While it may sound sinfully simple, we know that sometimes it’s the simple things that make life so much sweeter. All it takes is 5-minutes in your kitchen, and you have a delicious medley of homemade trail mix. We love this “Not Your College Boyfriend’s Trail Mix” from our archives.

2. Brie & Bread

If you’re anything like Behind the Label columnist Jessica Marati, whose picnic mantra is “take knife, dip in Brie, slather on baguette,” you’ll love this grab & go solution. It’s literally that simple.

Directions:

• Pick up your favorite brie & local, freshly baked bread
• Grab a knife and voila, enjoy!

3. Picnic-side Guacamole

Crowd pleasers like me, (your Vegan This columnist and fashion writer) will agree, there’s nothing like fresh, made-on-site guacamole to get a picnic party started. My boyfriend and I love this dish because it’s so versatile (avocados are your canvas), so fresh (see everyone’s eyes light up as you whip this up before their eyes), healthy (packed full of heart- and skin- healthy fatty acids and vitamins) and easy to tote (just pre-chop your garnishes, grab a few avocados and a to-go container, and you’re out the door).

Ingredients:

• Ripe avocados (as many as you need depending on the number of people you’re serving—to be safe, plan on 1 avocado per person)
• 1/2 onion
• 1 handful cilantro leaves
• 1/2 red or yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 lime
• 1 teaspoon, or so, salt
• 1 bag organic tortilla chips or crackers of your choice

Other:

• To-go container
• Serrated knife

Note: Adjust the lime, salt and garnish amounts according to taste and the number of people you’re serving

Directions:

Pre-chop the onion, cilantro leaves and bell pepper. Put in a to-go container large enough to hold the finished guacamole (this will also serve as your mixing bowl). Squeeze the lime and sprinkle the salt over the veggies and mix together. When you arrive at your picnic spot, simply cut your avocados open, remove the seeds and scoop out the fruit. Add to your veggie, lime and salt mix and mash together until you’ve reached the desired consistency. Grab some chips or crackers and enjoy!

4. Quinoa Salad

Life, according to Foodie Underground columnist Anna Brones, is all the better when quinoa is involved. “Quinoa salads are my go to summer meals. They’re easy to make and easy to pack, which means that if you make a big batch one day you have leftovers for a few more. They’re also the perfect picnic item, light enough that they feel like summer food, dense enough that you’re full after eating them. As a base I tend to do a mixture of red and white quinoa, greens and some type of vinaigrette. Then you simply add in whatever you have laying around the kitchen. Nuts, vegetables, fruit… whatever you’re in the mood for. But the Summer Carrot and Date Quinoa Salad is one that I can’t live without, so if you’re in need of a recipe, start there.”

5. Smokey Jicama Salad with Kale and Corn 

One of our resident raw foodies and trendy fashion columnists, Johanna Björk, packs her picnics with a healthy punch.
“This cold salad is super easy to make, which makes it perfect for an impromptu summer picnic. It also doesn’t get soggy easily, which means it can keep for a while in that picnic basket, even if you didn’t bring a cooler. The jicama is fresh, somewhat sweet and crunchy, the kale is hearty and nutritious, the fresh herbs are so summery delicious, and the chipotle gives it a bit of a kick. It also just happens to go really well with a cold beer.”

Ingredients:

• 1/2-1 jicama (depending on how large it is), thinly sliced or grated
• 6 leaves kale, thinly sliced
• 1-2 cups corn (leave out if you want it to be 100% raw)
• 1 large handful mint leaves
, olive oil, 
hemp seeds
, chipotle chili powder
, sea salt

Directions:

Mix the jicama, kale, corn and mint leaves together. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and chipotle chili powder and mix well. Finish with a sprinkle of hemp seeds.

6. Cold Soba Noodle Salad

Fashion and food really go hand-in-hand, and Rowena Ritchie, our west coast fashion editor, proves it with this dish from none other than Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop.

“Goop’s cold soba noodle salad is my go-to pot luck recipe because it’s so easy to make. I generally have soba noodles, mirin, soy, and sesame oil in my cupboards, so I just have to grab some scallions and cilantro. My meat-eating friends seem to love it as a side, and if it’s the only vegan dish at the party, it makes for a full and nutritious meal for me! If you can get hold of Eden Shake’s Furikake, I highly recommend using it—it’s full of protein, vitamins A, B & C and calcium and it tastes great. And, I’ve always found the recipes on goop to be top knotch. Gwyneth Paltrow is known for both loving food and for being health conscious.”

7. Sticky Chocolate Cake

There’s nothing like a fika-style picnic to elevate the mood. Just take it from our Swedish chef and artist extraordinaire Johanna Kindvall. And, if you tend to picnic with a core group of friends, this sweet delight will never get old—change it up with a splash of rum, a dash of mint or even some licorice or cardamom.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs (or one large duck egg)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4-6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Valrhona)
• 1 teaspoon salt (less if using salted butter)
• 1 cup freshly milled almonds (or almond flour)
• 4 oz butter
• mint leaves (optional)
• powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:

Whisk eggs and brown sugar together in a bowl. Stir in the milled almonds, cocoa powder and salt. Add the butter and stir until smooth. Pour the mixture into a greased 9” spring form.

Bake the cake in the oven at 350 F for about 15 minutes. The cake should just be set on top and sticky inside. Let the cake cool down. Decorate with some fresh mint leaves and/or powdered sugar. Serve it plain or with whipped heavy cream.

Note: if you want to spice up the cake I suggest the following flavors: rum, cognac, mint, licorice or cardamom. Just add the flavor to the batter before baking.

8. Nutella Donut Muffins

If you’re picnicking with sensitive foodies like me (think vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and more), then this delicious, easy to pack recipe is the perfect picnic companion. All you need is a re-usable container to carry these in, and you’re sweet-tooth ready.

For the donut muffins:

• 1 ¾ cup flour – follow the following gluten-free flour blend:
  • ¾ cup sorghum flour
  • ¼ cup sweet rice flour
  • 3/8 cup white rice flour
  • ¼ tapioca flour
  • 1/8 cup almond flour
• ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup oil (I used cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg substituted (I blended 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons water)
•  ¾ cup non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Nutella (I made this homemade, vegan version)

For the coating:

• 3-4 tablespoons vegan butter (I used Earth Balance coconut spread)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F, and grease a muffin tray with vegan butter or coconut oil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together your gluten-free flour blend, and add in the baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, egg-substitute and non-dairy milk. Add the dry ingredients and stir only until fully combined.

Follow these instructions to whip up your Nutella hazelnut spread.

Place 2 tablespoons of the muffin donut batter into your prepared muffin tins. Add 1 teaspoon of Nutella and cover with approximately 2 more tablespoons of batter until the muffin tins are ¾ full.
Bake for 18-22 minutes. (Mine were perfectly done after exactly 18 minutes).

Prepare your coating by melting your vegan butter in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together your cinnamon and sugar.

While the muffins are still warm, shake them out of the pan on to a cooling rack.
Dip your muffin donuts into your melted vegan butter and then into your cinnamon sugar mixture.
Allow to cool for approximately 10 minutes. These are perfect when warm and still wonderful when cool (up to 3 days—especially if making these gluten free). Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator if storing longer.

Note: These would also be delicious filled with your favorite homemade jam, in lieu of the Nutella, or simply plain, filling-free.

9. Strawberry Shortcake

For an authentic taste of summer, strawberry shortcake embodies it all. Earlier this summer, I packed all the parts of this dish (biscuits, strawberries and cream) and assembled it on-site at a friends-of-EcoSalon picnic. I love this version, adapted from Martha Stewart, for its freshness and simplicity. Vegan, gluten-free or not, you’ll fall fast for this fresh delight.

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ pounds (6 cups) strawberries—rinsed, hulled and quartered (For the fullest flavor, I recommend using local and fresh strawberries.)
• 1 ¼ cups + 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 cups gluten free flour blend
  • 1 cup sorghum flour
  • 1 cup white rice flour
  • 1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
  • 1/2 cup potato starch flour, minus 2 tablespoons
  • 2 tablespoons almond flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons cold (1 ½ sticks) unsalted vegan butter, cut into small pieces (I used Earth Balance coconut butter)
• 2 cups coconut cream (I used So Delicious coconut creamer, blended with approximately 3 tablespoons of dissolved agar-agar to thicken)
• 2 egg substitutes (I blended 2 tablespoon ground flax seeds with 6 tablespoons warm water)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, toss the prepared strawberries with ¾ cup sugar. (I suggest starting with ½ cup and tasting to see if more sweetness is needed.) Let sit to bring out the juices.

In a food processor, pulse together your gluten free flour blend. Add the baking powder, ½ cup sugar and the salt, and pulse until combined. Add the cold butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles course meal with some pea size bits of butter remaining (pulse approximately 10-12 times).

In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cream (before the agar agar has been added to thicken) and the egg substitute. Pour over the flour mixture, and pulse until some large clumps begin to form (pulse approximately 20-30 times).

Using a half-cup measuring cup, gently pack dough into the cup, invert and tap out on to a lightly buttered or parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat to form 6-8 biscuits.
Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for at least 15 minutes.
Beat the remaining 1 ½ cups cream, with the prepared agar-agar mixture, 2 tablespoons sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy (Note, this will not form peaks like a traditional heavy whipping cream, however, I assure you the taste and texture will not leave you craving cream.)

Slice the biscuits horizontally with a serrated knife. Spoon the strawberries and their liquid over the bottom of each biscuit just before serving. Spoon your whipped cream over the strawberries, and top with the other biscuit half.

10. Honey Ginger Sparkling Lemonade with Rosemary

Amy DuFault, EcoSalon’s Editor-in-Chief says, “I am always the last one to leave the party because I won’t stop talking. This lemonade from our lovely Foodie Underground columnist Anna Brones is a sure cure for talker’s mouth. You can spend an entire picnic having good conversations and the ginger and honey make it so that your voice never breaks. Oh, and that you are of course refreshed. That’s important.”

Ingredients:

• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup water
• Juice of 7 Meyer lemons
• 1/2 cup minced ginger
• 6-10 full rosemary stalks
• 1.25 liter bottle of sparkling water
• Ice cubes
• Optional:
• Your liquor of choice. We recommend bourbon or vodka.

Directions:

To make simple syrup, place honey, water and two rosemary stalks in a saucepan and warm over medium heat while constantly stirring until honey is completely dissolved. Add in ginger. Leave on heat for a 2-3 more minutes, regularly stirring, to increase rosemary flavor. Let sit for 30-60 minutes to cool down. Note: for a stronger rosemary flavor, muddle the rosemary first and let the simple syrup sit for longer.

Strain simple syrup into a pitcher and add in lemon juice, top off with ice cubes and sparkling water.

Garnish with rosemary and serve in mason jars.

Images: Paul and Christa, Rich Anderson, Pink Mochi, Jennifer Barckley, Anna Brones, Johanna Bjork, Goop, Jennifer Barckley, Amy DuFault

The post EcoSalon Team Picks: 10 Picnic Foods to Impress Your Friends appeared first on EcoSalon.

A high protein breakfast that that you won’t be able to stop making. 

Earlier this year, pictures of eggs baked in avocado were the darling of the online food porn world. Not until recently did I test out the recipe myself, and the result was so good I wonder how I ever lived without this creation.

The concept is simple: bake an egg in an avocado. If you were looking for a way to put all those eggs from your backyard chicken coop to use you should certainly put this recipe on the breakfast list.

Avocados are jam-packed with fiber, potassium and vitamins, and if you like morning meals that are high in protein, this one’s for you. Because you can top off the eggs with pretty much any ingredient you can think of, you are only limited by your own creativity.

Ingredients

• 1 avocado (or more depending on how many you are serving!)
• 2 eggs
• Parsley
• Goat cheese crumbles
• Sea salt
• Ground black pepper

Optional:

You can garnish the egg with anything you want. Basil is a good place to start.

Directions

Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop out a little of the avocado from the center to make a little additional space for the egg. Place avocados in a cast iron skillet. (A baking pan works as well if you don’t have a cast iron skillet).

Crack an egg into each avocado half. Depending on the size of your eggs, some of the egg white may spill out into the skillet.

Bake at 425 for 20 minutes. This results in the eggs being well done, if you like your eggs a little runnier reduce the time.

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series. 

The post Sunday Recipe: Baked Egg in Avocado with Parsley and Goat Cheese appeared first on EcoSalon.