Pumpkin Sage Gnocchi

Hey friends,

I hope you're not all pumpkin'd out just yet... winter hasn't even begun so I'm still on the pumpkin train! I usually don't get off until spring has sprung. I've made the recipe a few times and I'm not sure why I haven't posted it yet. Its wonderful! My littlest boy loves it and it is really quite simple to make.

Most of the recipes for pumpkin or sweet potato gnocchi that I came across had a sage/brown butter sauce that was poured on top. I decided this time to try and roll some sage leave in some the gnocchi so you get the wonderful flavour along with the delicate chew of the pillows. It turned out fabulously and I ended up serving it with sage leaves fried in coconut oil as well and didn't need any butter or butter sub. And I really liked the combo of fresh tasting sage with the toasted sage. (As I'm typing this I'm thinking that adding a bunch of crumbled fried sage to the dough would be super-fantastic...) If you can tolerate dairy, a sprinkle of parm would be utterly delicious on top.

Please ignore my imperfect gnocchi... I've only made them a few times and I'm still trying to get the hang of shaping them properly. But, it doesn't matter how they look... they taste delicious no matter what!


Pumpkin Sage Gnocchi

2 c GF flour blend (I used Namaste)
1 1/4 c pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp sea salt
a few grounds of fresh pepper

sage leaves (about 10)
1 tbsp coconut oil
nutritional yeast for topping

Place flour, pumpkin and seasonings into a large bowl. Use your hands to combine and form a smooth dough. If it's too sticky add more flour. When you press your finger into the dough it should create a smooth indent without leaving anything stuck on your finger.
Form the dough into a ball and cut into 4 even pieces.
Take a chunk of dough and roll it out with your hands until you have an even log about the diameter of a nickle. Press it down with your fingers to flatten. Place small sage leaves along the length of the dough. Fold over and pinch to seal and create a smooth, rounded log again.
Cut into bite size piece and press onto a fork, if desired. (This is supposed to help any sauce stick better.) Set aside. *
Set a large pot of salted water on to boil over high heat.
Roll out remaining dough into logs and cut, omitting the sage or it will be too overpowering.
When all piece are cut and shaped as desired set a small frying pan with the coconut oil on to heat over medium.
When the water is boiling carefully add the gnocchi and boil until they float (about 3 minutes.)
While the gnocchi are boiling carefully add remaining sage leaves to the oil and fry until golden. Remove leaves from heat and place on a paper towel to drain, reserving oil.
Drain gnocchi when they are done. Drizzle with a tiny bit of hot coconut oil to keep them from sticking together.
Serve with fried sage, extra salt and pepper and a good sprinkling of nutritional yeast.

*The pieces with the sage inside are a little awkward to shape, but if you use small pieces of sage it won't be too hard!

See that little bit of sage tucked into at gnocchi? Yum.

Who's bored of seeing my same bowls over and over??? I need to invest in some fun dishes, placemats/fabric and props to make my photos better... if you've got anything that you'd like to donate to me, I won't turn your down! :)

Angela's Vegan (Tofu-free) Chocolate Pudding

Happy Weekend ya'll. I hope everyone is enjoying their Saturday.

I mentioned this recipe a little while ago in the 10 Things post and was dying to give it a try.

My problem is the I never know when avocados are ready. I always wait too long and they end up being full of yucky brown spots. I don't even know if you can eat them like this, or even if they taste good because I always end up chucking them into the compost without tasting them. This happened the first time I went to make this pudding. Good thing I read the recipe wrong and it was only two avo's instead of 4... when I went to make it the second time, I think the avocados were perfect. One seemed a little hard, but the pudding turned out lovely and creamy.

I ended up with WAY more than 1.5c of pudding so I guess my avocados were on the large side. That was my fault though since I didn't measure the flesh like I should have. But, no matter, having more pudding than you planned on having isn't necessarily a bad problem to have! All four of my kiddos loved it- even my girl who says she doesn't like chocolate! And they even ate it after I told them it was avocado!

I never would have thought you could make a pudding so creamy and luscious without dairy or soy, but it's possible - and delicious! Angela is a genius! Here is a link to her original recipe - I didn't change much other than giving some instructions about chilling. Give it a go - even if you're leery of avocados!

Angela's Vegan (Tofu-free) Chocolate Pudding

2 c avocado flesh (about 4 medium)
2/3 c maple syrup
1/3 c non-dairy milk (I used Coconut Milk Beverage)
1/4 c cocoa powder*, sifted
1 tbsp arrowroot starch or tapioca starch
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 c dairy free chocolate chips (optional)

In you food processor combine all ingredients except the chocolate chips. Process until combined and completely smooth.
Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or double boiler.
With the processor running, pour in the melted chocolate and process until evenly combined.
Transfer to an air tight container and chill in the fridge for at least an hour before eating - you don't want to eat it right away otherwise you'll really taste the avocado and it won't be nearly as good as it is after chilling. Trust me on this one.

*I used Cacao Berry Extra Brute. It was a good choice.

Here's Simon. Just to make you smile:

Pasta with Pumpkin Cheeze Sauce

Cheese spelled with the 'z' is cool.

And cheeze = non-dairy cheese.

I'm full of useful tips like that. You're welcome.

I adore cashew cheeze sauce and make it every few weeks. The boy and I have it over noodles for lunch all of the time and he just loves it. Right now my favourite GF pasta is from Costco. It's Felicia penne and it's a blend of buckwheat, corn and rice. Love it. It's a nice change from plain old rice noodles and since I'm allergic to a bunch of other grains, I can't enjoy some of the other pastas. This penne has a wonderful flavour and texture and I highly recommend you grab some if you have a Costco membership! I was toying with the idea of posting the cashew sauce on here but decided against it. Even though I can tolerate cashews, so many people are allergic to nuts and I want everyone to be able to enjoy the recipes I post on here.

But this recipe is great! I had seen a recipe for butternut squash pasta and was going to try and make my own version, so I bought a squash. It's still on the counter... This recipe would work wonderfully with roasted, pureed squash but I had pumpkin in the fridge (when do I not?) and searched for a pumpkin cheeze recipe instead. I love Angela's blog (Oh She Glows) - so many of her recipes are adaptable for me. I changed a few things and will write down my version below but you can view her recipe here. She also has the nutritional info there on her site. Nutritional yeast is good stuff - complete protein, fiber and good old B12 are in those delicious flakes!

Pasta with Pumpkin Cheeze Sauce

2 c dry GF pasta, cooked according to directions
1 tbsp Earth Balance or other dairy-free butter sub
3/4 - 1 c rice milk or milk of choice
1 tbsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch
2 tsp mustard powder
1/3 c nutritional yeast
1 c pumpkin puree
1/2 - 1 tsp sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg (or two)
1/2 tsp GF soy sauce or miso (optional)
pumpkin pie spice for serving (optional)

In a medium pot, melt Earth Balance. Add about 1/2 c rice milk and bring to a boil over med-high heat.
In a small bowl whisk together remaining 1/4 milk, arrowroot and mustard powder. Pour into the boiling milk, stirring to prevent lumps. Boil until thickened and reduce heat to medium.
Stir in yeast and whisk until smooth.
Whisk in pumpkin and spices and allow to come to a boil.
If sauce is too thick, pour in addition milk (about 1/4 c) until desired thickness. Remove from heat and stir in soy sauce/miso.
Taste and adjust the flavours to your liking. You may need to add more salt if you leave out the soy sauce/miso.
Pour over hot noodles and top with more fresh pepper and a dash of pie spice.
Inhale.


*Angela adds in 1/4 tsp garlic powder along with the arrowroot, feel free to add it in if you like!

Pumpkin Spice Granola

So it turns out that even though I'm pretty much at home most days with plenty of blogging potential, I don't often have access to our Mac for writing and posting... Even though I grew up using a PC, when I use the one we have for the kids it just feels so foreign now. I have no desire to try and plug my camera into the Piece of Crap and try and figure out how to upload pics when there isn't a proper photo program. With a Mac everything is just so easy and uncomplicated. Nothing to install - just plug your device in and it recognizes it! Wonderful.

Anyway... I've had a few recipe fails lately too and have been unmotivated to try new things. I'm tending to stick to my favourite, trust worthy recipes as well as baking some new allergy-FULL goodies for those in my family who can tolerate them. Have you tried the New York Times chocolate chip cookies? Dang skippy, they are delicious... I really shouldn't have them, but I just had to try a warm, crunchy, yet chewy cookie when they smelled so wonderful! I really wish allergy friendly chocolate chip cookies could be so good. Perhaps that will be my new mission... I need something to keep me motivated in the kitchen!
So, I've had my eye pumpkin spice granola for a while and I really don't know why I took so long to make it! I love granola but haven't made my own before. Its really very easy though! I'm imaging pumpkin muffins with this granola on top... yum!

Pumpkin Spice Granola

2 c GF rolled oats
1 c GF steel cut oats (or just more regular oats, if you don't have steel cut)
1 c crisp rice cereal (I used Nature's Path)
1 c popped amaranth
1/2 c dried, unsweeted coconut
1/4 c hemp seeds (I'm sure flax seed would be good too)
1/4 c pumpkin seeds/pepitas
1 c pumpkin puree
1/2 maple syrup (or honey)
2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat your oven to 300F.
In a large bowl combine oats, cereal, amaranth, coconut and seeds.
In a smaller bowl mix together the pumpkin, syrup, spice, salt and vanilla.
Pour the pumpkin mixture over the oat mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Make sure there are no dry pieces!
Dump the mixture into a roasting pan (or two rimmed baking sheets) and spread out evenly.
Bake for 1 hour to an hour and a half, stirring every 10 minutes, until crispy.
Allow to cool before grabbing handfuls and stuffing your face.

*If desired, you could add in some dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, etc.) after the granola had cooled.

Rosemary Rutabaga Maple Soup

Hi friends,

Can you believe it's fall already?! Although I'm a bit sad to see summer go, I love the cool and crisp mornings, beautifully coloured trees against bright blue sky, cozy sweaters and snuggling under blankets. And who could forget fall food? Pumpkin! Apples, pears, squash, root veggies - I love having a new palate of foods to work with! And I really love soup. It can come together quickly with whatever you have hanging around in the vegetable drawer and it warms you through and through on a chilly day. Grab a piece of GF bread and a salad and you've got a wonderful meal.

This soup is slightly sweet but hearty and filling. I got the original recipe from a chef at a restaurant that we used to go to almost every week with J's parents. One week for the buffet the chef made this soup and I didn't try it but after he came to the table and insisted we get a bowl, I was swooning over it! As you may know, I love rosemary... so I really couldn't go wrong! The sweet maple flavour and toothsome chunks of rutabaga and potato - delish! The recipe I was given called for butter and cream but I made a few simple changes and the result is an even better-for-you soup!

 

Rosemary Rutabaga Maple Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot (or small onion), finely diced
1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
1 medium rutabaga, peeled and diced into small (1cm) cubes
150 ml pure maple syrup (approx. 2/3c)
1L vegetable stock (approx. 4c)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into small (1cm) cubes
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 can navy beans, drained and rinsed

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add shallot, rosemary and rutabaga. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add maple syrup, cover and cook 1 minute.
Add potatoes and pour in stock (it should cover the vegetables.)
Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer.
Cover and reduce heat to medium/low.
Simmer until rutabaga and potato are done.
Season with salt and pepper.
When vegetable are nearly tender, place beans in a blender and blend until smooth (you may need to add some soup broth.)
Carefully add half of the soup to the blender and puree until smooth. Return to the pot and heat through.
Adjust seasoning.

Chocolate Chunk Banana Millet Muffins

Oh. Good morning...

That's quite the shadow you've got there.

Oh my. That's a bit scandalous... we just met...

Is that a little chocolate chunk I spy there?

I thought so... Mmmmmm. You've got some really good texture going on there. Fluffy but moist... a little chewy with a bit of crunch. And that chocolate...

Don't ever leave me.

I promise you've replaced my other banana muffin. Forever.

Oh. Oops.

I'm sorry, my love.

Well, at least I've got 11 more...


Chocolate Chunk Banana Millet Muffins
Adapted from Mama Pea's recipe

2/3 c millet, ground in your blender until powdery
1 1/2 c Namaste Perfect Blend (or white whole wheat flour, if you can tolerate it)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 bananas, mashed (or blended until smooth if you don't like chunks)
1/2 c coconut palm sugar
2 tbsp oil (I used canola, but will try coconut oil next!)
1/2 c rice milk or other non-dairy milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c Enjoy Life chocolate chunks or chips

Preheat your oven to 375F and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Combine wet ingredients - you can toss them all in the blender if you've used it for the bananas.
Add wet to dry and mix until just incorporated - don't over mix!
Fold in the chocolate.
Spoon into muffin cups and bake for 18 minutes.
Allow to cool in the pan for 10 mins before removing to a wire rack.
Enjoy!

The Best GF Pizza Crust

Hello my friends!

I made lasagna for friends who had a sweet little baby recently (hi Frances!) this morning and made an extra for some of my fam to have for dinner. Its my hubby's birthday and he loves lasagna. So even though we had spaghetti this week, they got lasagna anyway. No complaints though as everyone likes it! I do too and was tempted to eat a piece anyway, but didn't have to think very long before changing my mind! Smart choice :) My stomach is thanking me!

I made a pizza for the little boy and myself. I made this same recipe last week and loved it. I thought about posting it but at the time didn't want to take pics or anything. I just wanted to eat it!!! So I made a few small changes and have it for you today. The pizza I posted a while back was delish but there is just something about a yeasted dough that makes it sooo much better! It doesn't even taste gluten free!!! Or vegan! Thankfully we are okay with yeast... I'm sorry if you're not. Seriously... its very sad for you. But you can make the other crust and still have a yummy pizza!

So, here we go! The dough takes a while to complete (with the rising) so read it all and plan ahead before you decide at the last minute that you want pizza for dinner! Also, the recipe looks a bit complicated but its really not.

sorry for the yellowy pics... not good lighting in the kitchen and the table was already set!

The Best GF Pizza Crust

Place a pizza stone in the oven and turn on to 170F to preheat.

1/4 c warm water (115-120 degrees)
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp coconut sugar

Combine above ingredients in a small bowl and allow yeast to proof/foam (usually takes around 10 mins) If yeast doesn't foam, its probably dead or you may have used water that was too hot.

3/4 c tapioca starch (or tapioca flour, same thing)
3/4 c white rice flour
1/2 c brown rice flour
2 tbsp sorghum flour
1 1/2 tbsp coconut sugar
2 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 tsp sea salt

Combine these dry ingredients in the bowl of your mixer. Use the paddle attachment to combine on low speed.

2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp agave

Combine above ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

1/4 c water
3 tsp egg replacer

Whisk together replacer and water.

Add egg replacer mixture, olive oil mixture and yeast mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix on low until mostly combined.

Pour in an extra 1/2 c water and mix well - it will look like cake frosting.

Place a piece of parchment big enough for the pizza stone on the counter and turn dough onto it. Carefully spread dough out evenly.

Place parchment on the hot pizza stone. Turn OFF the oven and place pizza stone back in. Allow dough to rise for 40 mins.

After rising, turn oven on to 375F and pre-bake crust for 12 minutes.

Add sauce and toppings and increase oven temp to 425F. Bake until bubbling and golden (15-20 mins)

on my side - spinach, red pepper, yellow zucchini, mushrooms, pineapple and moz daiya 'cheese'

Allergy Free Brownies (Gluten Free and Vegan)

For the love of all things delicious.... make these brownies!!!

I had begun to think that I would never taste another brownie again - unless I wanted to double over in pain afterward. I stumbled across this recipe on the interwebs and had to modify it a bit to make fudgey fantastic brownies. They came together in a snap and the hardest part was waiting for them to cool!

Allergy Free Brownies

1/3 c brown rice flour
1/3 c white rice flour
1/3 c sorghum flour
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 c dark cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/4 c oil
1/4 c brown rice syrup (or date syrup, if you have it)
1/4 c agave nectar
1/4 c maple syrup
1/4 c unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 c water

Preheat your oven to 350.
Line an 8x8 pan with parchment or foil.
Whisk dry ingredients together in one bowl.
In another bowl whisk together wet ingredients - it will be sticky but then smooth out.
Add wet to dry and combine with a spatula.
Pour into prepared pan and smooth out.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Let cool completely before cutting.

Notes:
You can use 1 c all purpose flour instead of the other flours and xanthan gum.
After I poured in the canola oil I realized that I should have tried it with coconut oil - let me know if you test it out with coconut oil before I get a chance to!

Now please excuse me while I go eat the rest of the pan, if there's any left... I wonder if I have an coconut milk ice cream in the freezer?

Popcicles!

Hi everyone!

Sorry I've been a bit of a slacker in blogging... but my kids are all home and it's hard to think about blogging and take pics of food! Not to mention this super hot streak that we've been having... who wants to even do anything when its 40+ degrees outside?! Well, maybe make popcicles, but that's about it!

We did paint nails though.

Girl2 had art camp this week, which she enjoyed tremendously. She lost another tooth while there and she brought home lots of fun art pieces and I think just loved being able to be creative all day, every day, for 5 days straight! I asked her what she did during free time... three guesses.... drawing. Heh. What did she do at recess? Sidewalk chalk. The girl was in heaven!!!

Plus, she's really special.

We've been making tons of popcicles in our lovely Zoku that my friend Helen gave to my kids for their birthdays last year. Man, I love that thing... As long as I keep it in the freezer, ice pops are never more than a few minutes away!!! None of this chilling over night business. When I was at Golda's Kitchen last month, I saw a cookbook that I wanted real bad... it took a lot of self control to only look at it and then place it back where I found it... The book is Ice Pop Joy. How could I not want this book?!? Organic, healthy, delicious treats! After one quick scan through it, I was all inspired to make some popcicles when I got home. Then I forgot about it. Until we went to the library this week! What jumped out at me from the shelf!? Why, Ice Pop Joy!!! :) Now I can pretend its mine for a few weeks!

Boy1 took a peruse through and chose out the "Bluebird" pops to make first. We almost had everything in the house so I only had to make a few small changes. I don't have acai powder so I added in some greens+ kids that I use in their smoothies. And I added some tofu for a little bit of protein and creaminess. They turned out great! Loved by all 4 kids. And me.
Just pretend there is a picture of a purpley popcicle...

Bluebird Ice Pops
Adapted slightly from Ice Pop Joy by Anni Daulter

1/2 c blueberries
1/2 c blackberries or boysenberries
1 c chopped fresh pineapple
1 scoop greens+ kids (natural mixed berry flavour) or 2 tsp acai powder
4 tbsp coconut/palm sugar
1 c purified water
1/4 c silken tofu (optional)

Put everything into a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into your choice of popcicle molds and freeze until solid.

We also made tropical popcicles, not from the book though. From my head. They were delish too!!!

Tropical Popcicles

2 bananas
2 c R.W. Knudsen Pineapple Coconut juice
2 tbsp orange juice (optional)

Blend it up and freeze it!!! Easy shmeasy.

While we were at the library there was a lady from Starbucks handing out little samples of Passion tea and iced coffee. Both yummy. She also gave me a receipt for a $2 grande beverage, so I treated myself to a cup of icy deliciousness on the way to picking up the girl from camp. Passion Tea Lemonade. Oh my... so refreshing! Not so healthy with the sugar syrup but I knew I'd be able to make it at home without the crap. It doesn't taste exactly the same, but I'd need to do a side by side comparison to be the parts right. But its really very easy! Plus, it made some great ice pops too!!!

Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade

2 c water
4 Starbucks Passion tea bags
1/4 c agave nectar (or to taste)
1 carton Kiju Lemonade or other sugar free lemonade

Boil water and pour over tea bags. Carefully stir in agave. Allow to steep until cold, in the fridge.
When tea is cold remove tea bags, pour in lemonade and give it a good stir.

Make popcicles!

Or as my friend Sheena suggested, blend cold lemonade with ice for a slushy beverage!

Stay cool friends!

Rice and Black Bean Salad

Hi friends!
Happy Canada Day! We are enjoying this beautiful day together as a family! It's the first day of summer vacation and the kids have succeeded in trashing the house with Playmobil and Lego, they've played some sort of house/work game and now are outside in the blow-up pool testing to see who's Lego creations can float the best. From the looks of it, there are rigorous tests going on - splashing, wave making and canon firing. :) They are having a ball! I love my kids! And summer!!!

Here is a lovely recipe for you that I created. Its lovely cold or at room temperature and would be a great thing to bring to a pot luck. Just make sure to chill it for a few hours to bring out all of the flavours.

Rice and Black Bean Salad

1 c short grain brown rice
2 c water
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 red or orange pepper, finely chopped
1/2 c corn kernels (optional)
1 green onion, finely chopped (optional)

Dressing

1/2 tsp lime zest
juice from 2 limes (roll them on the counter to get the most juice)
1 tsp mustard
1-2 tbsp agave
pinch each salt, pepper, ginger powder
2 tbsp olive oil

Combine rice and water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 35-45 minutes or until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Allow to cool.
Add beans, celery, peppers and corn to the rice and mix with a wooden spoon to combine.
To make the dressing combine zest, juice, mustard, 1 tbsp agave, s&p and ginger in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Whisk in olive oil. Taste. Add in more agave if its too sour.
Pour dressing over the rice mixture. Stir well to distribute the dressing.
Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to allow the flavours to meld.
Sprinkle green onions on top.
Serve with nacho chips, if desired.

Yummy Lunch

Hi everyone,
It's a scorcher out there today!!! I don't usually love the heat, but so far this summer I've been loving every minute of the hot days we've had. Even though today feels like 42C with the humidity, I didn't even mind taking the boys out for a bike ride this afternoon. :) I'm just thankful for the air conditioning so we can sleep at night without sticking to the sheets!!!

Here is a recipe for buckwheat/millet bread that I made yesterday. I've made it before but wanted to try baking it differently before I posted it. It turned out great and thin enough to build a sandwich on. The boy and I love it and my favourite thing is that its chock full of goodness (unlike store bought rice bread which is not very nutrient-dense.) I was a little worried about using buckwheat flour... I really don't like buckwheat honey and I knew that the flour has a really strong taste. As I was mixing it up it smelled kinda grassy and I thought to myself, 'This should be interesting...' But it baked up wonderfully and I really love it!

Buckwheat contains 8 essential amino acids, is high in fiber and contains many minerals, including phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese. The buckwheat flour is offset by millet flour is this recipe. Millet is one of the least allergenic grains and is easily digestible. Like buckwheat, millet is high in protein and fiber. It is also high in iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. Chia seeds are used in the bread to help bind it. The original recipe called for half chia and half flax but I can't have flax every day so I opted to use all chia. Chia seeds are also packed with nutrients - they are the richest plant source of omega 3, contain antioxidants, fiber, iron and more. Tons of goodness packed into one tiny seed! Yay for goodness!!!

Now that you've all had a nutrition lesson.... here's the recipe! ;)

Buckwheat/Millet Bread
Adapted from the edible perspective

1/2 c plus 2 tbsp buckwheat flour
1/2 c plus 2 tbsp millet flour (I grind my own in a blender)
1/4 c chia seeds (or ground flax)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sucanat
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 c plus 1 tbsp rice milk or milk of choice
3/4 c water
2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 375F and line a 9x13 pan with parchment (cut the corners so it fits nicely.)
In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add in liquids and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth evenly.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the top is dry and has cracks. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then using parchment, slide the bread out onto the cooling rack to cool completely.
Cut into six large pieces for sandwiches or cut to whatever size you fancy!
You can keep it in a sealed container at room temp for a day but after that, leftovers should be refrigerated.

Spanish Black Rice

Hey friends!

We've had two beautiful days finally! I tried to spend as much time outside with the kids as possible enjoying the warmth and wearing them out with bike rides and park playing! And I love being able to just send them into the backyard and they make their own fun... yay for outdoors! One day it would be lovely to have a bigger backyard, but I'm grateful that we have a backyard at all. :)

I made this recipe a few weeks ago and decided to make it again since I enjoyed it so much. The kids liked it too! I used black rice this time to 'hide' the black beans since Girl1 thinks she doesn't like beans... but I made it the first time with long grain brown rice. I love it in lettuce leaves, but it would be yummy in a wrap too. I don't really like the rice wraps but I'm sure some people out there do! It would also be yummy in swiss chard leaves!

Spanish Black Rice

2 c water, salted
1 c black rice (or brown rice)
1 shallot (or small onion), finely diced
3 celery stalks, diced
half green pepper, diced
half red pepper, diced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c corn
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 c Daiya cheddar cheese shreds (or grated cheddar cheese if you can tolerate it)
lettuce leaves for wrapping

Boil water, add rice and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Boil 45 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is cooked.
While rice is cooking, dice shallot, celery and peppers.
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pan. Add shallot, celery and peppers and saute until the shallot is softened.
Add in tomatoes (with juices), beans, corn and spices. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes or until most of the juices are absorbed.
Add cooked rice into tomato mixture and stir to combine.
Fill lettuce leaves with rice mixture and top with cheese shreds.

 

 

Cocoa Dusted Popped Amaranth

Hey friends.

So today is ANOTHER rainy, dreary day here. Kinda just blah and I'm really hoping for some sun soon. We've been late to school the past few day 'cause its just too hard to get up in the morning! Sun just makes everything easier... To perk up my morning I decided to try a recipe for some popped amaranth with cocoa that I found on another blog because really, cocoa just makes everything better, right?!  Remember Count Chocula? I think I had it once in my life, but I remember thinking that chocolate for breakfast was pretty much the best thing ever!

Not sure if you can buy this as cereal in the store or not, but its really very easy to pop your own and I bet it tastes a whole lot better! Amaranth is a tiny seed/grain but it really is a superfood - thirty percent more protein, three times the fiber and 5 times more iron than wheat! Yes please! If you haven't tried it yet, aren't those reasons enough!? Its also good for baking with and adding to soups or stews. But I'm loving it as cereal!

Here's what un-popped amaranth looks like.

To pop amaranth, heat a heavy bottom pot over med-high heat (you might have to fiddle a little with the heat of your stove and find what works for you. I tested the heat with a small pinch of seeds so I didn't waste a whole bunch.) All you do is quickly pour the seeds into the dry, hot pan and put the lid on. They should pop right away and if they don't, your pot wasn't hot enough. Hold the pot over the element and shake/swirl until the popping stops. Keep it moving so that it doesn't burn. Once its popped, pour it into a dry bowl to cool.

Here's what I put into my bowl, but really the options are endless! If you can eat almonds, I think they would be especially delicious in here! Flax seed would be good. Cashews, strawberries, peanut/sun butter, raisins or pretty much whatever else you can think of to make it even better and keep you full! You could even put all of the dry stuff together and take it for lunch to work or where ever you're going and pour on the milk when you're ready. I've popped some extra so I'm going to see how well it keeps in a glass jar and if it gets stale easily. I'll keep ya'll posted!

*UPDATE* The popped amaranth keeps well in a glass jar for a few days! :)

Cocoa Dusted Popped Amaranth
Adapted from the edible perspective

1/4 c amaranth, popped 2 tbsp at a time, cooled
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp unsweetened coconut
1 tbsp coconut sugar (or other sweetener of your choice)
1 tsp chia seeds
1 banana
sprinkle of cinnamon
milk of your choice (I'm loving So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk Beverage right now!)

Stir together popped amaranth and cocoa powder. Add in the rest of the ingredients and enjoy!

Swiss Chard with Rosemary

Hi everyone!
I've had a bad week with headaches and feeling crappy - I'm blaming it on the weather... But feeling okay now and I've got a recipe for you! I had never tried swiss chard until last week. Not sure how I made it through 29 years without tasting this yummy veg but I'm totally hooked! Swiss chard everything!!! Bulk up your salads with raw chard, use the leaves in place of wheat wraps, saute it up - lots of possibilities! Delish and packed with goodness!

 

This recipe uses raisins, pine nuts, and my fav - rosemary! I served it over brown basmati rice which complements the pine nuts nicely. The kids didn't mind it either!!! Wooo! As long as the rosemary is subtle, they don't mind it. I could go for more though... One thing I love about the recipe is how quickly its done! If you have leftover rice cooked in the fridge, it comes together in just a few minutes once you've got the chard cleaned and prepped.


Swiss Chard with Rosemary

1 bunch swiss chard, washed, centers trimmed off and cut/broken into bite size pieces
3 tbsp unflavoured coconut oil (or 3 tbsp butter, if you can tolerate it - it adds better flavour! plus 1 tbsp olive oil)
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/3 c raisins
2 tbsp pine nuts
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oil in pan over med-high heat.
Add chard and rosemary, stirring to coat with oil. Cook 1 minute, stirring.
Add in raisins and pine nuts and cook until most of the moisture has evaporated (about 2-3 mins.)
Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately, over rice if desired

More Cookies!

We love cookies in our house! I can't remember where I got this recipe from but I've been making it for a few years now - handy that its something the B2 and I can both eat. They are soft, cakey cookies and are yummy with chocolate chips, if you're able to have them. I've even made them with added cocoa powder before and they were delish! If you're avoiding gluten make sure you use GF oats. The recipe can easily be doubled and the extras frozen for a quick lunch box treat.

Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Makes about 18 small cookies

1 1/2 c gluten free oat flour (you can make your own by whirling oats in a food processor)
3/4 c gluten free oats
1/2 tsp each baking powder, baking soda, sea salt
1/2 c coconut sugar or sucanat (or you could use brown sugar, but its refined!)
1/3 mini chocolate chips (allergy free, optional)
1 medium banana, mashed (about 1/2 c)
1/3 c rice milk or milk of your choice
1 tsp oil (I use olive)
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
In a medium mixing bowl combine oat flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt and coconut sugar. In in chocolate chips is using. Stir well to combine.
Measure out milk in a large measuring cup. Add in oil and vanilla. Stir in banana.
Add wet to dry and mix to combine.
Allow mixture to sit for a few minutes.
Scoop out using a small (1 1/4 inch) scoop and drop onto baking sheet.  Leave enough space to flatten but you don't need space for them to spread - because they don't! Flatten with a spoon or fork.
Bake for 12 minutes until lightly browned and set.
Allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a cooling rack.

Here's Simon. Because who doesn't love Simon?! 

Well... my husband... but THAT'S IT! 

Oh to be a kitty all curled up in a basket!

Sorry to wake you...

SunButter Greenies

Hi everyone,
So my kiddies are finally better and off to school today. Thank goodness. I think one more day cooped up at home would have drove us all crazy - especially with the rain today!
I baked up these fun cookies last night made with SunButter and maple syrup. If you've never tried SunButter I highly recommend it! It tastes like peanut butter but there isn't a peanut in sight! They have sweetened and unsweetened. Its awesome for kids with allergies and great to sending to school! There is some chemical reaction that happens with the sunflower seeds and baking soda as the cookies cool and the centers turn dark green! The kids thought it was pretty cool and wanted to eat them for breakfast. And I let them!

I followed the recipe and used about 2 tbsp of batter per cookie which resulted in huge cookies. Next time I will use a smaller scoop, bake for a shorter amount of time and that way I'll be able to fit them in their lunchboxes. This recipe uses pretty much a whole jar of SunButter and a lot of maple syrup... If you're leery and just want to try the recipe out, you could easily halve it. Also you could substitute some agave for the syrup.

SunButter Greenies
Adapted from The Allergen-Free Bakers Handbook by Cybele Pascal (I love this book!!!)
Makes 24 3-inch cookies

2 c plus 4 tbsp Namaste Perfect Flour Blend (or Basic Flour Mix plus 1/2 tsp xanthan gum)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 c SunButter (organic, unsweetened)
1 1/2 c maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c dairy-free, soy-free chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line to baking sheets with parchment or Silpat mats.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour mix, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Measure the SunButter in a glass, liquid measuring cup. Heat for about 1 minute in the microwave to soften.
Add the softened SunButter, maple syrup and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Once combined add the chocolate chips, if using.

For Large Cookies: drop 2 tbps of batter onto the baking sheet, then flatten slightly with the back of a spoon.
Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly golden.
Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies must cool all the way to turn green.

For Smaller Cookies: drop 1 tbsp of batter onto the sheet, flatten slightly with the back of a spoon.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden.
Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies must cool all the way to turn green.