It might be my earliest memory: All I taste is salt and the flash of sun and the rush of waves all around me and the softness of sand. I am in the ocean. I am at the beach. The pulse of the earth is no different from mine. And all I see is the bright, bioluminescent glow of green ribbons of seaweed against slick lava rock. I am five senses deep in the wash of Hawaii.
In the words of my friend Beth, “This oil is a freaking unicorn!” Thrive Culinary Algae Oil is higher in monounsaturated fats than coconut oil, has the lowest levels of saturated fat amongst any vegetable oil, and has a super high smoke point, too. That high smoke point means it’s genius for roasting, frying, and baking. It really is a unicorn.
A unicorn made of my first memory: Algae.
Before I leave you with this incredibly easy, vegan recipe, let me tell you something else about this bread: IT IS MY NEW BFF. This bread and I are so tight we can’t barely stand to put down the phone at night. It’s a bread I dreamed about for so long, imagining the savory-sweet blend of tahini, honey, and apples.
This is a lovely, light yet satisfying quick bread that comes together in minutes and is as good fresh out of the oven as it is toasted for breakfast or tea the next day. There’s something epic, oceanic, about this flavor combination, something that speaks to my pulse. I just want more. I recommend drenching it in tahini.
I’m excited to share several recipes using Thrive with you over the next few months—as I mentioned, it’s taken on a multi-purpose vibe in my own home that crosses the line between kitchen and bathroom. Just how I like my food and body products to do.
But first: Honeyed Apple Tahini Bread. And a weekend hug.
HONEYED APPLE TAHINI BREAD.
Ingredients
dry
- 2 cups flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
wet
- 1 cup + 2 ½ tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/3 cup tahini (sesame butter I used salted; if yours is unsalted add another pinch or two of sea salt to the dry ingredients)
- ½ cup honey substitute maple syrup if you don’t want the bee product
- 1/3 cup Thrive Culinary Algae Oil or other mild vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
apple sesame topping
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh apple pieces peel on
- 1 tablespoon hulled sesame seeds raw or toasted is fine
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons honey
- two pinches sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Line a 5x9 loaf pan with parchment paper (I learned with this tutorial).
- Whisk together dry ingredients until fully combined and free of clumps. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together wet ingredients until fully incorporated. Slowly fold in dry ingredients until just combined. Pour into prepared loaf pan.
- In a small bowl, mix ingredients for apple sesame topping, incorporating honey throughout. Sprinkle mixture lengthwise down center of uncooked batter, leaving a couple inches on either side.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until a knife or toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
