Raw Banana Cannoli with Choco-cado Filling

I'm sure you've had the problem of too many bananas ripening all at the same time. It happens more during warm months. Often I freeze peeled ripe bananas for later use in smoothies or baked goodies. But last week I had 6 ripe bananas and decided to try this raw treat using my dehydrator. Here are the steps and ingredients with photos.  

1. puree 6 ripe bananas and spread on a dehydrator screen covered with non-stick sheet.You may want to oil this with some melted coconut oil

2. Dehydrate at 95 degrees for about 18 hrs until it can be peeled from the non-stick sheet. It should be the consistency of a fruit leather

3. Score the banana leather into 6 pieces

4. For the filling, process 1 ripe avocado, 1/3c Medjool dates, 1-2 Tbsp agave, 1/3 c raw cacao powder, pinch sea salt, small splash vanilla. Process until smooth.

5. Divide the filling evenly between the 6 cannolis. 

6. Fold the sides of the cannoli.

7. Cashew cream: process or blend 1/2 cup raw cashews that have been soaked for 2-3 hrs. Add water to create a creamy consistency. Add a splash vanilla and 1 tsp lemon juice. Add 1-2 Tbsp agave to taste.

8. Pipe the cashew cream on the cannolis.

9. Enjoy!

10. Store leftovers for 1-2 days in the refrigerator.                                                                                           

 

Gluten Free and Vegan in New Haven

On a recent trip to New Haven to spend time with a friend (it is somewhat halfway between our two towns) I had a chance to explore some veg and gluten-free menus. We had lunch at Claire's Corner Copia, a vegetarian cafe right across from the Yale campus which caters to vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free diets. The menu is posted on an enormous blackboard with everything clearly labeled and options for making your dish vegan and/or GF. There were so many choices it was actually hard to decide. I had the Avocado Plus Salad with spicy buffalo soy chicken which seemed to be a homemade seitan (not GF) deliciously spiced. Their bakery case displayed yummy-looking vegan cupcakes and other treats, unfortunately not vegan and GF. There is a cookbook, Claires Corner Copia Cookbook, which I had never heard of but my friend tells me has been around for a long time.

 In my quest for vegan-GF eats in New Haven I also came across a pizza placeCafe Romeo which offers vegan cheese and a personal-sized GF pizza; check out their menu.

And we walked by Lalibela, an Ethiopian restaurant offering vegan and vegetarian menu items. Be aware that injera, the Ethiopian sourdough bread served with the meal instead of utensils, is made from teff (gluten-free) but can have other non-GF flours as well.

My husband the architect gave us a lovely walking tour of Yale architecture, including the three on-campus museums designed by famous architects like Louis Kahn, and we enjoyed walking through the many Georgian courtyards. Definitely worth a day trip, easily accessed from Route 95, and not very far off the highway to parking which is only blocks away from the Yale campus (and Claire's!!!).