dairy free
Punjabi Rajma
02/16/10 Filed in: Beans
Red kidney beans are the stars of this creamy dish which can be used as an entre or as a side dish. I like to serve punjabi rajma by itself with some warm whole wheat pita, but it also goes nicely with brown basmati rice and some sauted greens.
This is an adaptation of another of Madhur Jaffrey's recipes. This recipe is dairy free so I replaced the butter and heavy cream with coconut milk and oilve oil. I chose So Delicious coconut milk to create the creamy texture that heavy cream would create without imparting a distinct coconut flavor. Other milk substitutes could also be used such as soy creamer or hemp milk. Both are thicker than regular soy or almond milk and thus would add to the creamy texture of the dish.
To save time, set your beans to soak overnight. Place the beans in a heavy cooking pot with water several inches above the beans and just leave on your counter while you sleep. In the morning you will find the water has been put to good use and the beans are swollen and ready to cook.
Alternatively, you can add your water and beans to a heavy pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off and let the beans sit for one hour.
Once beans have soaked, add them to your heavy pot with your three slices of ginger and water. Bring to a boil and let cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for one hour. Discard your ginger slices.
Take a potato masher and mash up about half of the beans. (You can also remove half of the beans and puree in a blender or food processor and return to the pot. However, you will have all the more to clean at the end.) Mashing the beans adds to the creamy texture of the dish. Add the salt, lemon juice, garam masala, and the coconut milk. Stir to mix.
Add oilive oil to a small frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and cook a few seconds. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until garlic starts to brown. Add the chilies whole, stir a few seconds and then add the entire spice mixture to the beans. Mix in.
Remove the chilies before serving.
Ingredients List:
11/2 cups red kidney beans
6 cups water
3 slices of unpeeled ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
2/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk- not canned
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 clove garlic
2 dried, hot chilies
A cup of cooked kidney beans provides 43% of the daily fiber requirements. Why is fiber so important? Soluable fiber forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract which binds with bile and moves it out of the body. Cholesterol resides in this bile. (Can we say, yum?) Insoluable fiber creates stool bulk and prevents constipation, which in turns helps prevent irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulitis. Fiber helps to stabilize blood sugars and lowers cholesterol levels. Those slow burning complex carbohydrates (Yes, carbs are good.) provide a steady store of energy.
Eating high fiber foods also helps to prevent heart disease. In addition to the fiber, kidney beans provide folate and magnesium. Folate helps to lower homocysteine levels. Elevated blood levels of homocysteine are an independent risk factor for heart attack or stroke. Elevated levels have been found in up to 40% of patients with heart disease. One cup of cooked kidney beans provides more than half of the reccomended daily intake for folate.
Magnesium also benefits heart health. When there is enough magnesium around, veins and arteries relax, which lessens resistance and improves the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Kidney beans provide 20% of the daily magnesium requirements.
Kidney beans are also a grat source of iron. Having addiquate iron in the diet is also integral in having enough energy to get through the day. Iron is an interal component of hempglobin, which transport oxygen from the lungs to all body cells. It also is part of the enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism. Pregnant, lactating, and menstruating women are all at risk of iron deficiences because of the increased need for iron. Kidney beans can provide 29% of the daily requirements for iron.
When combined with whole grains such as brown rice, kidney beans provide a great source of fat free high quality protein. A high quality protein is one that provides the eight essential amino acids. There are about twenty different amino acids commonly found in both plant and animal sources. When comsumed, proteins are broken down into their indvidual amino acids which are absorbed and used to make new proteins in the body. The essential amino acids are eight of those twenty which the body cannot manufacture on its own. Therefore, they must be supplied through the diet.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
0 Comments
Fried Green Tomatoes and Garbanzo Dill Salad
01/18/10
So I was in whole foods the other day and they had some gorgeous heirloom tomatoes that were local produce. Right in the middle was a huge green tomato that was wonderfully firm. I bought this with the intention of making fried green tomatoes. I have never made them before. Infact, I have never had them before, but they have always sounded yummy.
So I did some research online and found a recipe by Elise Bauer that looked easy and flexible to change. I used soy milk, spelt flour, and whole grain bread crumbs. If you are gluten free, you could easily use buckwheat flour and gluten free "bread" crumbs made from brown rice with similar results.
Sprinkle your tomatoes with salt and pepper and set aside. These are sliced slightly more than 1/2 inch think.
Set up four dishes each with one of the following ingredients milk, flour, egg, and bread crumbs. Heat some olive oil in a skillet. I used my omelet pan, but I thought of my cast iron skillet after I was all cleaned up. Next time.....
Drag each slice through the the four ingredients in this order: milk, flour, egg, and bread crumbs. place in your pan once your oil is hot.
Once the tomato is browned on one side, about 4 minutes then flip it over.
Proceed through your remaining tomato slices.
I plated these with my garbanzo dill salad for lunch. They were definitely a hit with all in the family.
Ingredient List:
3 medium, firm green tomatoes 1/2 cup spelt flour 1/4 cup soy milk 2 beaten eggs 2/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs or cornmeal 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Buckwheat Oatmeal Pancakes with Pear and Apple Topping
01/17/10 Filed in: Breakfast
A good morning to all! Pancakes are are great for any meal on any day, but on Sunday, they are the best! I have been making pancakes so frequently since I discovered buckwheat pancakes, that I think I might invest in an electric griddle. Currently, I use my omelet pan, making one pancake at a time. I could seriously cut down on cook time if I could make three to four pancakes at once. Especially, since I make more than I need just so that I can throw a few in the freezer for a quick breakfast on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday!
This time I took my oatmeal pancakes and replaced one cup of oatmeal with buckwheat flour. This made the pancakes a little less dense, but still very hardy. The pancakes themselves are slightly sweet due to the banana in the batter.
For the topping, I sliced two pears and an apple into thin wedges. Then I cut them in half. I peeled the pears but not the apple (lots of nutrients in the apple skin.) I placed the fruit in a skillet and set the heat on medium low. I added about two tablespoons of Earth Balance, a tablespoon of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon, and a half teaspoon of ground ginger. I let that cook slowly while I made the pancakes.
While not a cereal grain, buckwheat is a fruit seed related to the rhubarb and sorrel. Buckwheat is an excellent grain for those who are sensitive to glutens. Nutritionally, buckwheat helps to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Buckwheat is rich in flavonoids, especially rutin, which are phytonutrients. These compounds help maintain blood flow and keep platelets from cloting excessively. Buckwheat also contains 86 milligrams of magnesium in a one cup serving. Magnesium relaxes blood vessels, improving blood flowand nutrient delivery.
Oatmeal is a complex carbohydrate. That means it will break down slowly helping to stabilize blood sugar. Oatmeal is also full of vitamin A, B complex vitamins, iron, and calcium. In addition, oatmeal provides dietary fiber making it beneficial to the digestive system.
So eat pancakes! And know that you are providing your body with good nutrition while filling your soul with comfort. Life is good!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Lentil Mushroom Kale Stew
01/14/10 Filed in: Soup
Brrrrr...... It is cold in Florida. And it has been for too long if you ask me! We normally dip into "winter" temperatures for a night, maybe two, but it has been two weeks of layers and jackets. Many of us in Florida have no heat. Why would we? So when the thermostat drops to the 30's, our houses become a balmy 50 F.
My car is now my heat refuge. It has seat warmers (heaven) and I can crank the heater to 80 F and go for a long drive until I am all thawed out. When I was a kid up north, my Mom used to turn the heater down to 65 at night, which I though was cruel and unusual treatment. Imagine waking up to a house in the 50's! Oh yeah, and a house with tile floors, on top of a concrete slab, in the 50's! Need I say more?
In weather like this I yearn for steaming bowls of soup or stew. Today I've made some lentil stew with mushrooms, kale and some apple smoked vegan sausage. Lentils are a great source of tryptophan, folate, dietary fiber, iron, maganese, protein, phosperous, copper, thiamin, and potassium. Not too shabby for this quick and easy legume. Lentils are also an inexpensive food source for those trying to manage a tight food budget.
This is hearty and satisfying for even your most dedicated meat eater. In fat, the brand Field Roast vegan sausage has such great texture that my husband often assumes I bought him some "regular" sausage. Heh Heh! Any sausage flavor can be used in this recipe. Personally, I am a huge fan of anything spicy.
So I started with a cup of chopped carrots, a cup of chopped celery, one onion chopped, and 5-6 cloves of garlic mashed and chopped. Saute this in a little olive oil unitl the onions are clear, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage from the casings and chop. Add your sausage to the mix and saute until the sausage starts to brown. Add one cup of lentils, either french or brown, to the pot and stir. Add one package of baby bella mushrooms cleaned and chopped. Saute until the water works its way from the mushrooms, about 7 minutes.
Add one bunch of kale that has been rinsed and chopped to the pot and mix in. I used purple kale, but any greens that you have will do the trick. Kale is a great source for vitamins K, A, and C, and, for me, it is all about adding nutrition to the dish.
Add four averaged sized tomatoes, chopped with juice. Add one quart vegetable broth, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, and about 2 additonal cups of water to the pot. Add a few shakes of red pepper flakes and a two generous teaspoons dried thyme. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until the lentils are soft, about 30-40 minutes.
Ideally, stews should be cooked a day before eating to give the flavors time to age and strengthen. Enjoy!
Ingredient List:
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup french lentils, uncooked
1 bunch kale
1 package baby bella or button mushrooms, chopped
2 sausages, uncased and chopped or crumbled
4 tomatoes, chopped or 1 can chopped tomatoes
1 quart vegetable juice
2 cups water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 generous teaspoons dried thyme
pinch red pepper flakes
salt to taste
pepper to taste
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
My car is now my heat refuge. It has seat warmers (heaven) and I can crank the heater to 80 F and go for a long drive until I am all thawed out. When I was a kid up north, my Mom used to turn the heater down to 65 at night, which I though was cruel and unusual treatment. Imagine waking up to a house in the 50's! Oh yeah, and a house with tile floors, on top of a concrete slab, in the 50's! Need I say more?
In weather like this I yearn for steaming bowls of soup or stew. Today I've made some lentil stew with mushrooms, kale and some apple smoked vegan sausage. Lentils are a great source of tryptophan, folate, dietary fiber, iron, maganese, protein, phosperous, copper, thiamin, and potassium. Not too shabby for this quick and easy legume. Lentils are also an inexpensive food source for those trying to manage a tight food budget.
This is hearty and satisfying for even your most dedicated meat eater. In fat, the brand Field Roast vegan sausage has such great texture that my husband often assumes I bought him some "regular" sausage. Heh Heh! Any sausage flavor can be used in this recipe. Personally, I am a huge fan of anything spicy.
So I started with a cup of chopped carrots, a cup of chopped celery, one onion chopped, and 5-6 cloves of garlic mashed and chopped. Saute this in a little olive oil unitl the onions are clear, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage from the casings and chop. Add your sausage to the mix and saute until the sausage starts to brown. Add one cup of lentils, either french or brown, to the pot and stir. Add one package of baby bella mushrooms cleaned and chopped. Saute until the water works its way from the mushrooms, about 7 minutes.
Add one bunch of kale that has been rinsed and chopped to the pot and mix in. I used purple kale, but any greens that you have will do the trick. Kale is a great source for vitamins K, A, and C, and, for me, it is all about adding nutrition to the dish.
Add four averaged sized tomatoes, chopped with juice. Add one quart vegetable broth, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, and about 2 additonal cups of water to the pot. Add a few shakes of red pepper flakes and a two generous teaspoons dried thyme. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until the lentils are soft, about 30-40 minutes.
Ideally, stews should be cooked a day before eating to give the flavors time to age and strengthen. Enjoy!
Ingredient List:
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup french lentils, uncooked
1 bunch kale
1 package baby bella or button mushrooms, chopped
2 sausages, uncased and chopped or crumbled
4 tomatoes, chopped or 1 can chopped tomatoes
1 quart vegetable juice
2 cups water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 generous teaspoons dried thyme
pinch red pepper flakes
salt to taste
pepper to taste
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Strawberry Banana Muffins
12/27/09 Filed in: Muffins
What do you make when you husband leaves his big bag of frozen strawberries in the fridge instead of the freezer? Why muffins, of course. I'm not sure how it happend, I just happened upon it; the defrosted bag of whole strawberries for his morning smoothie. Probably just one of those mornings that we look for our coffe cup in the freezer and put our strawberries away in the fridge. Happens all the time.....
Ingredient List:
1/2 cup Earth Balance melted
2 eggs lightly beaten or egg replacement (I generally use flax seed.)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup raw agave syrup
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 ripe bananas mashed
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries diced
2 1/4 cups whole wheat or spelt flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Place paper liners in a 12 cup muffin tin.
Melt the Earth Balance and set aside. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Mix eggs, vanilla, syrups, and bananas together. Add the melted butter and blend. Add the strawberries to the flour mixture and mix to coat the strawberries. Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture. Mix only until all the flour is mixed in.
Divide the batter into the 12 muffin cups. Bake unitl a toothpick comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Cool od a wire rack.
Enjoy!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Ingredient List:
1/2 cup Earth Balance melted
2 eggs lightly beaten or egg replacement (I generally use flax seed.)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup raw agave syrup
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 ripe bananas mashed
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries diced
2 1/4 cups whole wheat or spelt flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Place paper liners in a 12 cup muffin tin.
Melt the Earth Balance and set aside. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Mix eggs, vanilla, syrups, and bananas together. Add the melted butter and blend. Add the strawberries to the flour mixture and mix to coat the strawberries. Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture. Mix only until all the flour is mixed in.
Divide the batter into the 12 muffin cups. Bake unitl a toothpick comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Cool od a wire rack.
Enjoy!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Crowd Tested Zucchini Muffins
12/12/09 Filed in: Muffins
There was a lot of motivation to make these muffins.
1. I got to use my new mandolin to shred the zucchini, and I am getting better at using it!
2. I got to use the zucchini up in the fridge before it needed to head to the compost pile.
3. I had multiple taste testers available to verify as to its yumminess. (Is that even a word?)
I love recipes that have hidden nutrition. These muffins are full of zucchini and wheat germ. They use whole grain flour and have fun things like pumpkin seeds and cranberries. But the best thing of all, they are delicious! I have brought a batch to work and made them for friends and family. Everyone really seems to enjoy their moistness and flavor; even those that shun anything that smacks of being "healthy."
If you do not have a mandolin, a simple box grater will work just fine for grating the zucchini. It takes about 2 medium sized zucchinis to accumulate 4-5 cups once shredded.
I mix this recipe in one bowl. I start with all the wet ingredients, add the zucchini, nuts and cranberries, then the spices, salt and soda. This batter is fairly wet so the flour mixes in easily at the end with a spatula or wood spoon.
I use paper liners in my muffin tims because I am lazy and I hate oiling and cleaning muffin tins (but I love muffins, go figure.) If you do not have or do not wish to use paper muffin liners, just oil your pans with a spritz of canola or oilive oil, or use a little Earth Balance in the cups.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick. Let the muffins cool in the pans for 15 minutes and then move them to a wire rack to finish the cooling process.
Ingredient List:
2/3 cup coconut oil or Earth Balance
1 cup brown sugar or raw agave syrup
2/3 cup applesauce/yogurt
2/3 cup rice/soy/hemp milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
4-5 cups grated raw zucchini
2/3 cup dried or fresh cranberries
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup raw almonds (coarsely chopped)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt/sea salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup wheat bran
2 1/3 cups spelt flour
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
1. I got to use my new mandolin to shred the zucchini, and I am getting better at using it!
2. I got to use the zucchini up in the fridge before it needed to head to the compost pile.
3. I had multiple taste testers available to verify as to its yumminess. (Is that even a word?)
I love recipes that have hidden nutrition. These muffins are full of zucchini and wheat germ. They use whole grain flour and have fun things like pumpkin seeds and cranberries. But the best thing of all, they are delicious! I have brought a batch to work and made them for friends and family. Everyone really seems to enjoy their moistness and flavor; even those that shun anything that smacks of being "healthy."
If you do not have a mandolin, a simple box grater will work just fine for grating the zucchini. It takes about 2 medium sized zucchinis to accumulate 4-5 cups once shredded.
I mix this recipe in one bowl. I start with all the wet ingredients, add the zucchini, nuts and cranberries, then the spices, salt and soda. This batter is fairly wet so the flour mixes in easily at the end with a spatula or wood spoon.
I use paper liners in my muffin tims because I am lazy and I hate oiling and cleaning muffin tins (but I love muffins, go figure.) If you do not have or do not wish to use paper muffin liners, just oil your pans with a spritz of canola or oilive oil, or use a little Earth Balance in the cups.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick. Let the muffins cool in the pans for 15 minutes and then move them to a wire rack to finish the cooling process.
Ingredient List:
2/3 cup coconut oil or Earth Balance
1 cup brown sugar or raw agave syrup
2/3 cup applesauce/yogurt
2/3 cup rice/soy/hemp milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
4-5 cups grated raw zucchini
2/3 cup dried or fresh cranberries
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup raw almonds (coarsely chopped)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt/sea salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup wheat bran
2 1/3 cups spelt flour
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Pumpkin Spice Spelt Biscuits
11/21/09 Filed in: Muffins
Biscuits definitely fall under comfort the food category. I have had a long love affair with them since childhood. Biscuits and sausage gravy was a favorite on Sunday mornings. Strawberry shortcake made with biscuits versus angel food cake are still considered the "real" thing.
I have been experiementing for awhile with baked goods and have had a lot of just okay results. I gave up dairy a couple of years ago and I miss having baked goods in my diet. Especially this time of year. I am also limiting the amount of wheat in my diet, so I am exploring this incredible world of flours that I previously never knew existed. Many of the recipes I have tried leave me wanting in either the taste or texture category. These turned out great. Even better is that they take no time to make and limited dishes and mess!
Ingredients List:
1 1/2 cups spelt flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teapoon pumpkin spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup cooked pumpkin
1/4 raw agave syrup
1/4 cup soy milk or hemp milk
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. I use a convection setting but a regular setting will do fine.
Mix your dry ingredients together. Add the coconut oil or Earth Balance and using a fork or a pastry mixer cut the oil into the flour until it is corase and crumbly. Add your wet ingredients and mix until just blended. Using a 1/4 measuring cup, scoop the dough out and place on a cookie sheet. Shape your biscuit by flattening the top down slightly.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the bottom begins to brown. Cool and serve with honey. Yum!!!!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Jicama Salad with Avocado Dill Dressing for Meatless Monday
11/02/09 Filed in: Salads
So I have a new toy, a mandolin slicer. I purchased this over the weekend at William Sonoma. I know what you are thinking...all hoity toity shopping at William Sonoma, but it was the best quality mandolin for the the best price that I could find in our fair city. It is made by OXO Good Grips and was only $39.95.
And I have a new vegetable, the jicama (hee-ca-ma.) The jicama is a vine native to Mexico and also called a Mexican turnip. Jicama belongs to the legume family. The harevested vegetable is a tuber and can grow up to 50 pounds. It is brown and has a papery skin, while white inside resembling potato. The jicama is lightly sweet and crispy and most often used in salads. Jicama is a great source of vitamin C.
For the salad, slice all the salad veggies juliene style so that your salad will resemble slaw. I used my new toy for the jicama and the cucumber. I am still getting use to this new-fangled gadget, but I think they came out great.
The rest of the veggies I sliced the old fashioned way, with a knief. I also chose to saute my onions briefly to bring out the sweetness of the onion. (I am also carting this salad off to work and I do not want to offend the general public with any kind of onion breath.) I sectioned the grapefruit and added that at the end.
Hint: A great way to quickly slice spinach is to take a handful and roll it up like a cigar. Then just slice it with a sharp knief and it comes out beautifully.
For the dressing, just combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. If you find the dressing too thick, add some water till you find the right consistency for your taste.
Add the two together and you have a light and refreshing salad. Enjoy!
Ingredient's list for salad:
1/2 jicama
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 red pepper
2 carrots
1/2 red onion
1/2 seedless cucumber
2 cups baby spinach
1 grapefruit sectioned
Ingredients list for dressing:
1 Florida avocado or two Haas avocados
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
juice of one lime
juice of one grapefruit
pinch of salt
pepper to taste
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
And I have a new vegetable, the jicama (hee-ca-ma.) The jicama is a vine native to Mexico and also called a Mexican turnip. Jicama belongs to the legume family. The harevested vegetable is a tuber and can grow up to 50 pounds. It is brown and has a papery skin, while white inside resembling potato. The jicama is lightly sweet and crispy and most often used in salads. Jicama is a great source of vitamin C.
For the salad, slice all the salad veggies juliene style so that your salad will resemble slaw. I used my new toy for the jicama and the cucumber. I am still getting use to this new-fangled gadget, but I think they came out great.
The rest of the veggies I sliced the old fashioned way, with a knief. I also chose to saute my onions briefly to bring out the sweetness of the onion. (I am also carting this salad off to work and I do not want to offend the general public with any kind of onion breath.) I sectioned the grapefruit and added that at the end.
Hint: A great way to quickly slice spinach is to take a handful and roll it up like a cigar. Then just slice it with a sharp knief and it comes out beautifully.
For the dressing, just combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. If you find the dressing too thick, add some water till you find the right consistency for your taste.
Add the two together and you have a light and refreshing salad. Enjoy!
Ingredient's list for salad:
1/2 jicama
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 red pepper
2 carrots
1/2 red onion
1/2 seedless cucumber
2 cups baby spinach
1 grapefruit sectioned
Ingredients list for dressing:
1 Florida avocado or two Haas avocados
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
juice of one lime
juice of one grapefruit
pinch of salt
pepper to taste
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Mini Pumpkin Dairy Free Muffins
10/27/09 Filed in: Muffins
Meatless Mondays posted a pumpkin muffin recipe yesterday from A Life Less Sweet and I have twisted it around to meet my twisted needs: dairy free, egg free, and refined sugar free. I have eliminated dairy from my diet. I am experiementing with an eggless existance, and I do not buy refined sugar in any form. I made a batch yesterday using stevia, but I was not in love with the after taste of the stevia (probably used too much.) Today I mixed it up again and I really like these so I thought I'd post them up for you!
I am also experimenting with flours these days so I made mine with a combination of gluten free four and spelt flour. The original recipe uses whole wheat flour and all purpose flour. Which ever you prefer.......
I also experiment with spices all the time. The first batch I used the pumkin pie spice that the recipe calls for and that was good, but this batch I used five spice, a chinese spice blend, and I liked it even better. I think it is the star anise in the five spice. If you do not have either blend use cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, etc to your taste.
Ground flaxseed and the applesauce are the egg replacer.
The dry ingredients:
1 cup gluten free flour
1/2 cup spelt flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2-3 teaspoons five spice powder or pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons flaxseed
1/2 teaspoon salt
The wet ingredients:
1 can pumpkin (do not substitute pumpkin pie filling)
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup applesauce (natural and unsweetened)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 24 mini muffin pan or something comparable. You can use an olive oil mister or use a small slice of vegan butter and rub in the cups.
Blend these two groups seperately. Then blend them together until the flour is all mixed in. Spoon into the muffin cups until full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool on a wire rake and enjoy!!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Oatmeal Apple Pancakes
10/20/09 Filed in: Breakfast
Nothing makes any day feel like Sunday morning like pancakes. Indugent and comforting, pancakes hit a lot of those taste sensors that makes us grateful for slow, easy mornings. Padding around in our pj's and louging on the couch only compliment the joy of a tummy full of yummy.
This morning I was experimenting with oatmeal in an attempt to increase the nutritional content of my pancakes. They are heavier than a standard pancake, but they definitely passed the husband taste test.
Place all ingredients except the apple in a blender and mix until the oatmeal is all chopped. Slice the apple into thin pieces and set aside. Heat up a frypan on the stove with a little coating of cooking oil or vegan butter. Pour 1/2 cup of batter in the pan. Press two slices of apple in the pancake while cooking. When the edges of the pancake are brown and the batter is bubbling, flip your pancake and brown the other side.
If you have a warmer, keep your cooked pancakes in there until finished cooking to keep them warm and yummy. If you do not them place the cooked pancakes on a dinner plate and then flip another plate on top as a cover.
Also, if you have an electric griddle or one to put on the burners of your stove, definitely use it. It will reduce your cooking time as you can cook more than one pancake at a time.
Ingredients List:
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups soy or almond milk
1 ripe banana
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 apple cut into slices
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
First Signs of Fall
10/13/09 Filed in: Muffins
Having lived in Florida for the last 20+ years, I no longer have the visual cues that Fall has arrived. In fact, our five day fall season can be easily missed if you are not paying attention. Unfortunately, it has not arrived im Miami yet because we are still having days in the 90's and the humidity has not dropped. (Sigh.) Maybe it will get here soon.....
One great sign I have developed, that tells me fall is here (besides the on-slaught of fall catalogs and Halloween merchandise in the stores) is the itch to bake. Well I must have been jonesing today because I baked and balked and baked!
In honor of Vegan Mofo, I made recipes from my two new cookbooks, Vegan Yum Yum, by Lauren Ulm and Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. These ladies also happen to write two of my favorite cooking blogs. I have used many of their recipes sucessfully so I tried out several of their muffins today. These are dairy-free, egg-free, and wheat-free. Also, I use spelt flour versus whole wheat flour in all these recipes.Here's a little food porn......
Lemon Cranberry Muffins from Vegan Yum Yum. Here I replaced the sugar with stevia as well as the vegetable oil with coconut oil. Otherwise, the recipe stood as written. The stevia cuts back on the sugar and calories and the coconut oil adds more health and goodness.
Almond Quinoa Muffins from Veganomicon. This one is my favorite. I made one batch with coconut oil and one with canola oil and in this recipe the canola oil did a better job. I also played with the spices in the second batch. I used chinese five spice instead of the cinnamon and cardomon, and the result was yummy. And, because I never leave anything sacred, I also played with the dried fruit. I had some dried mandarin oranges that I put in the first batch intsead of the apricots and that added some real sweetness. Isa and Terry give the reader two suggestions for sweeteners, agave and maple syrup, and I tried both (of course.) The maple syrup gave more depth to the flavor of the muffin and was the clear winner.
Pumpkin-Cranberry Scones from Veganomicon. These scones are perfect to herald in the fall season. They are spicy, moist, and hmmm hmmm good. I did not have any pastry flour so I substituted brown rice flour to keep it light and it seemed to work out perfectly.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Broccoli Soup-Dairy free
07/20/09 Filed in: Soup
I love soup. It is one of my favorite foods. It gets better over time. It is easy to freeze. It provides a comforting warm meal. Soup is a great way to use up leftover vegetables, grains, and meats. And I could go on and on...
One of the challenges of soups as I changed my diet was to find replacements for my favorite dairy based soups. Here I am going to showcase my broccoli soup, but you can use it for a base for many vegetable soups that normally use heavy cream.
Start with a tablespoon or two of olive or canola oil in your stock or large sauce pan. Chop an onion and three cloves of garlic and saute until onions are clear. These do not need to be finely chopped as you will puree the soup later.
Dice two baking potatoes and add to your onions. You can leave the skins on or take them off, it is your choice. I usually leave them on since I am going to puree the whole thing and that way I am keeping maximum nutirtion. Saute until beginning to get soft about 8-10 minutes. Stir frequently to keep from sticking and browning. If they do start to stick, just add some chicken broth or water to the pan to loosen them up.
Chop up a bunch of broccoli coarsely including the stalk. Add to your onions and potato mixture and cook until the broccoli starts to turn bright green.
Add 32 oz container of chicken broth and 1-2 cups water depending on how thick you like your soups. Cook until the broccoli is soft but not overcooked.
Take the soup off the heat and use and emersion blender to puree the soup. Add a pinch of nutmeg and serve! Adding a squeeze of lime just before serving gives the soup a twang for those that crave salt.
This is a very forgiving recipe so use it to experiment and expand your use of veggies!
Enjoy!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
A dairy free, wheat free recipe.
One of the challenges of soups as I changed my diet was to find replacements for my favorite dairy based soups. Here I am going to showcase my broccoli soup, but you can use it for a base for many vegetable soups that normally use heavy cream.
Start with a tablespoon or two of olive or canola oil in your stock or large sauce pan. Chop an onion and three cloves of garlic and saute until onions are clear. These do not need to be finely chopped as you will puree the soup later.
Dice two baking potatoes and add to your onions. You can leave the skins on or take them off, it is your choice. I usually leave them on since I am going to puree the whole thing and that way I am keeping maximum nutirtion. Saute until beginning to get soft about 8-10 minutes. Stir frequently to keep from sticking and browning. If they do start to stick, just add some chicken broth or water to the pan to loosen them up.
Chop up a bunch of broccoli coarsely including the stalk. Add to your onions and potato mixture and cook until the broccoli starts to turn bright green.
Add 32 oz container of chicken broth and 1-2 cups water depending on how thick you like your soups. Cook until the broccoli is soft but not overcooked.
Take the soup off the heat and use and emersion blender to puree the soup. Add a pinch of nutmeg and serve! Adding a squeeze of lime just before serving gives the soup a twang for those that crave salt.
This is a very forgiving recipe so use it to experiment and expand your use of veggies!
Enjoy!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
A dairy free, wheat free recipe.
Mango Spelt Muffins
07/06/09 Filed in: Muffins
This recipe turned out the best muffins so far that are dairy free and egg free. I used mango as the fruit but I think it would work with bananas or peaches just as well. If you changed up the spices, other fruit could also be substituted. It is a simple recipe that is very forgiving.
Ingredient list:
1 single serving container of plain soy yogurt
1/2 cup applesauce
2 1/2 cup spelt flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground clove (I used a full tsp because I love clove)
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups diced mango (You can also puree the mango if you do not want chunks.)
3/4 cups golden raisens (optional)
zest of one lime
Mix together all dry ingredients and set aside. Mix together the yogurt, applesauce, mango, raisens, and lime zest. Blend the two together until all the flour is mixed in.
Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Ingredient list:
1 single serving container of plain soy yogurt
1/2 cup applesauce
2 1/2 cup spelt flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground clove (I used a full tsp because I love clove)
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups diced mango (You can also puree the mango if you do not want chunks.)
3/4 cups golden raisens (optional)
zest of one lime
Mix together all dry ingredients and set aside. Mix together the yogurt, applesauce, mango, raisens, and lime zest. Blend the two together until all the flour is mixed in.
Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
The Sweet Summer of Mangos
06/23/09
When I was a tweener, although that name did not yet exist in the 70’s, I use to come to Florida to visit my Dad. That first summer he lived in a house with a mango tree in the back yard. This was my introduction to what has to be my favorite tropical fruit. I ate so many mangos that summer while standing over the kitchen sink. The juice would run down my arms and the fiber would get between my teeth, but I did not care. I was in heaven.
Today, still in Miami, I seek out those who have mature mango trees during the month of June. My house came equipped with avocado trees (my other favorite fruit.) I have planted two mango trees, but as yet they are still young trees. My mother-in-law has the best tree and my stepdaughter brings me a bag on a weekly basis. Yum!
You know that old saying, “Be careful what you wish for.” Now I have more mangos than I can eat. Time to get creative. So I experimented with Mango spelt muffins, mango tea (that one did not work out), mango salsa, mango sorbet, and of course mango smoothies. My two favorites so far are the salsa and the sorbet.
Dairy Free Mango Sorbet
Get out your blender and start peeling mangos. Fill the blender about 2/3rds full with the sliced mangos, about 5 to 7 mangos depending on their size. Add a can of coconut milk or light coconut milk. Add about 1/4 cup of honey. Blend.
Pour into a pyrex or freezer proof dish. Place in the fridge. This takes all day to freeze, but you can stir it occasionally to aid it along. Once fully frozen, it may have to sit out on the counter for 15-20 minutes to soften enough to scoop.
Mango Salsa
Peel slice and cube one to two mangos. Dice one to two tomatoes. Dice one half an English cucumber. Chop 1/2 red pepper. Add one jalapena pepper diced. Add fresh cilantro chopped to your taste. Squeeze in the juice of one lime. Salt and Pepper.
Put it in a pretty dish and eat with your favorite snack chip.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
A dairy free and wheat free recipe.
Today, still in Miami, I seek out those who have mature mango trees during the month of June. My house came equipped with avocado trees (my other favorite fruit.) I have planted two mango trees, but as yet they are still young trees. My mother-in-law has the best tree and my stepdaughter brings me a bag on a weekly basis. Yum!
You know that old saying, “Be careful what you wish for.” Now I have more mangos than I can eat. Time to get creative. So I experimented with Mango spelt muffins, mango tea (that one did not work out), mango salsa, mango sorbet, and of course mango smoothies. My two favorites so far are the salsa and the sorbet.
Dairy Free Mango Sorbet
Get out your blender and start peeling mangos. Fill the blender about 2/3rds full with the sliced mangos, about 5 to 7 mangos depending on their size. Add a can of coconut milk or light coconut milk. Add about 1/4 cup of honey. Blend.
Pour into a pyrex or freezer proof dish. Place in the fridge. This takes all day to freeze, but you can stir it occasionally to aid it along. Once fully frozen, it may have to sit out on the counter for 15-20 minutes to soften enough to scoop.
Mango Salsa
Peel slice and cube one to two mangos. Dice one to two tomatoes. Dice one half an English cucumber. Chop 1/2 red pepper. Add one jalapena pepper diced. Add fresh cilantro chopped to your taste. Squeeze in the juice of one lime. Salt and Pepper.
Put it in a pretty dish and eat with your favorite snack chip.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
A dairy free and wheat free recipe.