The food mood connection is really undeniable. Think of a food that you enjoy or from a happy time and it’s hard not to smile. Think of a food that you ate too much of once or that made you sick and you immediately have a “yuck” type of reaction. Think of a family tradition type food and well let’s be honest, depending on your family, that one could go either way.
Last week I was travelling for a training and was able to stay with my parents. Even though I have not lived with my parents in well over a decade, and the house they live in now was never really my physical home since they moved there when I was a senior in college, I still feel such a comfort in being there. My sister, who also lives in the area, was coming over for dinner the one evening and my mom asked us each separately what our most favorite/memorable meal was as children so she could make if for dinner. Ironically, my sister and I both said chicken divan! Even as I type this, thinking about chicken divan brings about this simultaneous feeling of comfort and indulgence, it was absolutely delicious and worth every bite.
It is really never just about the food. Not only does food nourish our bodies, but also our souls. For most of us food has some type of emotional connection and this can work for or against us. I recognize that emotional eating can be quite problematic and oftentimes people are trying to fill an emotional void with food. I believe that we all can find a healthy balance between enjoying foods that are nutritious and delicious with some indulgence and pleasure, but this does require a level of self awareness so we are sure which hunger we are feeding.
The Vegan Banana Peanut Butter Cream Pie recipe below is a combination of several website recipes, quite honestly I am not really sure where all it may have come from. I was on a mission to make Mark, my husband, some comfort food after a tough day at work, and I had a mission focused mind! I wanted to find something, guilt free, delicious and indulgent that I could make for him as a way to offer some comfort and love. I hope you enjoy this as much as we both did!
Vegan Banana Peanut Butter Cream Pie
CRUST
- 1 heaping cup of walnuts
- 1 heaping cup pitted dates – soaked in warm water 10 minutes
In a food processor process dates until a ball begins to form. Remove from food processor and set aside. Process walnuts and a dash of salt until finely ground. Add the dates back in and process until just combined. Press into a pie pan lined with parchment paper. I think this works best when I cut the parchment paper to fit the pan and when I drop the crust into the middle and press out along and slightly up the sides. Freeze to set.
Filling
- 1.5 cups of raw cashew soaked in water overnight
- 3-4 Tbsp melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1/3 cup coconut milk (I use combo of the liquid and creamy top – more cream for thicker consistency)
- ½ tsp vanilla
- Dash of sea salt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 Tbsp peanut butter (optional, can leave this out and try adding in a dash of cardamom for a banana cream pie)
Blend together all filling ingredients and pour into crust. Place in refrigerator to set for several hours. Enjoy!