Blueberry Muffins

Its not only okra season but we have officially hit blueberry season too! I took the littles out blueberry picking in 103 degree weather and we had a blast! They ran around and picked a berry here and there and I relaxed and just picked. I thought of little. I just picked. Here is a vegan and sugar-free blueberry muffin recipe

2 cups flour blend (I used buckwheat, whole wheat and coconut flours)

1 and 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

½ c agave

1 cup Milk, any (I used almond)

1/3 cup Coconut Oil

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar

1 and 1/2 cups Fresh OR Frozen Blueberries

First Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Then combine the agave, milk, oil, vanilla and vinegar in a different bowl. Once well mixed add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix well. Fold in the blueberries and your just about set. The batter will appear more like cookie dough than cake batter but, hey, it works J

Spoon the batter in to lightly greased muffin tins, filling about ¾ full. Pop them into a pre-heated oven at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Because it is made with agave instead of sugar it will brown quickly but no need to cover it, they’re still super soft.

Okay, its mid-night… I’m going to bed J

Mushroom Okra Curry

Its okra season and I plan to take full advantage of it!

Ingredients:

4 chopped garlic cloves

1 inch fresh ginger, grated (if you keep it in the freezer, it grates nicely)

1-2 fresh chilies seeded and chopped

¾ c cold water

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp coriander seed

1 cumin seed

1 tsp ground cumin

2 green cardamom pods (seeds removed and ground)

Pinch turmeric

14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 lb mushrooms, quartered if large

8 oz okra, cut into ½ inch slices

2 tbsp cilantro

This pic is kind of sad. Once my pics are off the camera I don't do much more editing.
No biggie. I used some home-made paneer cheese a friend made.
Amazing dish!!

Place garlic, ginger, chilies and 3 tbsp of water in your food processor, process away. Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan. Add coriander and cumin seeds and let them sizzle in the pan a few seconds. Add ground cumin, cardamom and turmeric and cook for a bout a minute. Add the garlic paste from the processor, the tomatoes and the remaining water to the saucepan. Mix it up really good then add the mushrooms and okra. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove cover, turn up the heat a bit and cook 5-10 minutes more or until okra is soft. Stir in the chopped cilantro and you’re done! Around here we serve it over brown basmati rice… delish! Enjoy this summer, okra treat!

Heaven in a Pot

So, I’m having one of “those” kind of weeks. You know what I’m talking about. Nothing seems right, the kids are a little wild, I haven’t cooked one meal from the menu, we just had peanut butter and honey sandwiches with a carrot for lunch (again!), laundry is pouring out of the laundry room, I haven’t seen the bottom of my sink in a week, I was a royal b*%@& to the Man last night and all I really want to do is watch Felicity re-runs on Netflix. I know, its bad. When I have these little moments in life, it usually has something to do with hormones or season changes. Some of you are thinking, “She is so weird”, while others are yelling, “Me too! Me too!” Well, I have a little treat for the  “Me too”s out there! It is called heaven in a pot… at least it should be. If you’ve read the menus, you know I’m a little on the healthy side (or I pretend to be): I don’t eat ice cream,  I don’t devour a bag a chips, I try to hold myself back from mountains of chocolate. (Try is the key word, people!) Well, when I’m in a funk like this, I want to cry, I want chocolate, I want something REALLY REALLY bad for me… but then I think of how miserable I’ll feel after I consume something horrible for me. So, (enter stage right): heaven in a pot. I almost shed a tear today when I tasted it because it was what I NEEDED! My world was in harmony J Here you go “Me too”s, this one’s for you!! (Okay, and the “She’s weird”s too!)

Heaven in a Pot:

      In a saucepan, mix together 1/3 c. maple syrup, 1/3 c. almond milk and ¼ c. cocoa, bring it to a gentle boil and let it simmer for about 3 minutes. Add 3 tbsp organic peanut butter or almond butter to the mix and stir until its melted into the mixture. Once its well mixed, remove from heat, let it cool for about 5 minutes then stir in 1 tsp vanilla and if you just need an AMAZING chocolate sauce to dip fruit in, you’re done. If you want a cookie style treat, mix in 1 ½ c. oats. Spoon cookies onto a plate and refrigerate. In about 30 minutes it’s cool enough to munch on. Or you could eat it out of the pan with a spoon, like I did J

I got this recipe from Forks Over Knives.

Red Pepper Risotto

I love risottos and according to this website it is gluten free and a decent protein source, win-win! I don’t think it has much in the way of fiber so mixing in some fiber-full veggies sure does make it almost perfect!

Ingredients:

3 large red bell peppers (this is a good time of year to get them cheap! In the winter, 1 organic red bell pepper will cost you a fortune!)

2 tablespoons coconut oil

3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 handfuls chopped spinach

About 20 oz diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

5-6 1/2 c. veggie stock

2 ½ c. Arborio rice

6 fresh basil leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place your whole peppers on a broiling pan and broil in the oven until the skins are blackened and blistered all over. Put the peppers in a bowl and cover them with a damp paper towels. Set them aside for about 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, peel off the skins and slice the peppers thinly. Toss out the core and seeds. Heat oil in a large saucepan. (I have a wide pan about 6 or 7 inches deep that is perfect.) Next add the garlic and tomatoes; gently cook for about 5 minutes. Add the pepper slices, spinach and bay leaves, cook for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. In a separate heavy, large saucepan, add the stock and heat until simmering. Now, put the rice in with veggies and stir and cook for about 2 minutes. Add about 2 or 3 ladlefuls of the hot stock to the rice/veggie mixture, cook while stirring occasionally until all the stock is absorbed. Continue to add the stock this way. Make sure all the stock is absorbed before adding more. Once the rice is tender, season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes before stirring in the basil… this will also help keep your kids from searing their tongues. An added benefit!

Homemade Larabars!

We make these delightful treats called Date Bars because that is what they are. I have one friend whose family refers to them as dookie balls, yes dookie, because she rolls hers into balls… and other reasons. Anyways, this is the homemade version of a Larabar, so you can put whatever you want in it until you like the consistency. You’ll eat them all in one day, I have no doubt.

• 1 ½ c. pitted dates (I have pitted my own before, not worth it, pay $2 for the pitted ones)
• ½- 3/4 c. various nuts (ex: almonds, pistachios, cashews, walnuts, whatever floats your boat)
• ½ c. coconut
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• Whatever else you want to put in (choco-chips, cocoa, oats, grated carrot, seriously, whatever sounds good to you in the moment)

Just after adding the coconut!

In your food processor (I use a ninja, its amazing) first toss in the nuts and give them a good grinding. Next put in the dates, I do it a little at a time because too much might just make it into a ball… of dookie, no, just kidding, but some times it will just clump together instead of mixing in with the nuts. So a scoop at a time. Next add the coconut and oil and your ‘extras’ and process away. The end product should stick together nicely but if for some reason it’s too dry add a little more oil and give it another whirl. At this point you can scoop the contents of your processing bowl into a small, glass, baking dish. Cut into pieces and serve. I refrigerate it afterwards just to keep it extra firm. Or you can roll them into balls… easier to transport, I hear. My kids think they’re cookies… success. 

Sleepy face :)

Curried Celery Soup

I’m the kind of person who enjoys soups for dinner. I don’t like having anything too heavy at night so soups and salads are my friends. The Man however likes his big meaty meals, (I mean, he IS a MAN) so with soups I like to throw in some good hearty bread so that he feels like he’s getting some real quality substance J I love him and I love using him as a culinary guinea pig! (He’s so good at it too.)

Here you go:

2 tsp-ish coconut oil

1 chopped onion

1 sliced leek

1½ pounds chopped celery

1 tbsp med or hot curry powder (we like it hot around here!)

8 oz. diced potatoes (the type is up to you, I’m using red ones this week because that is what I found at the farmers market today)

3¾ c. veggie stock (almost a box)

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

Fresh cilantro

Salt to taste

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan, toss in the onion, leek and celery. Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add curry powder and cook a couple more minutes after stirring
• Add potatoes, stock, cumin and cilantro. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until veggies are tender
• Set the soup aside and let it cool slightly then puree in a blender or food processor until smooth
• Add the fresh cilantro (about a small hand full) and salt until it tastes perfectly salty and process it super quick.
• Return it to the sauce pan and reheat until hot

This recipe is a variation from a cookbook called Vegetarian by Nicola Graimes. It has some good eats in there and I like to edit it a bit to my taste and dietary preference. I hope you enjoy the goods!

Crock-Pot Tikki Masala

Um, this recipe is delicious. Seriously, every time I make it, I feel sorry for everyone who isn't eating with us. It’s just that good.

So here's what you need:

Marinade:

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1tsp pepper

½- 1 tsp cayenne (this depends on you)

1 tbsp garam masala

½ c. almond or coconut milk

Whatever veggies you want to put in the mix. I usually slice up some zucchinis, eggplant, broccoli and bamboo if I’m feeling crazy J

It should total about 4 cups of assorted veggies.

In a plastic Ziploc place all the veggies as well as the other ingredients. Toss them around a bit in the bag and let all the goods get nice and mixed up and the veggies get thoroughly coated in the marinade. Refrigerate for an hour or so.

Masala:

1 can 28 oz diced tomatoes, or fresh if you are so lucky

1 can 5.5 oz tomato paste

About 2 inches of fresh grated ginger or 2 tsp if its ground (ground wont give you the same awesome flavor as the fresh stuff but it will be good, none the less.)

2 gloves minced garlic

1 diced onion

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp tikki paste or 2 tsp tikki masala powder (I like both, so no worries)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dried coriander

1 can coconut milk

Salt to taste

So you add the ingredients to the crock-pot and mix it all up. Let it cook for about 2-3 hours on high (or 4-5 on low) then add the veggies from the refrigerator in and cook for another hour. That’s it. Cook some rice according to the package (we usually go for brown or basmati) and you have a delicious dish! Right before I serve it some times I’ll add a pinch more cumin, chili powder and garam masala just to make the taste even more exciting… if that’s even possible! You can garnish with some fresh cilantro if you’re in the mood.

ENJOY!!!

Flax Crackers

Yeah, they're good. The littles love them and they're so easy to make it can be a 'last minute' thrown together snack.

 I got the idea here. This site has great gluten-free and vegan recipes- check it out, it is delightful! She has some great gluten free waffles and dairy-free whipped topping that I'm excited to try out on Big Breakfast Saturday- Woop! Woop!

Here is what I did:

1 ½ c. ground flax seeds (I ground  mine in the coffee grinder- works like a charm!)
1/2 c. sesame seeds

1 c water

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tsp nutritional yeast (makes it taste ‘cheesey’)

I mixed all the dry ingredients together in a bowl then added the water once it was all in a clump I put on some parchment paper on a cookie sheet. I rolled it out fairly thin. I kept saying to myself, “Cracker, it’s supposed to be a cracker.” So then I would go thinner. J I scored it with a fork to make little perforations so that they would snap off easily, then I popped it in the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Voila! Flax crackers. Boom, so easy.

Vegetable Pilaf

Vegetable Pilaf: Vegan

2 c. basmati rice

4tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp cumin

4 bay leaves

8 cardamom pods

8 cloves (I use a teaspoon ground cloves)

2 onions, chopped

2 carrots finely diced

2/3 c. frozen peas

2/3 c. frozen corn

½ c cashews (lightly toasted or fried)

½ tsp additional cumin

1 tsp salt

Let the rice soak for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a large pan. Sauté cumin, bay leaves, cardamom and gloves for a couple minutes. Add onion and cook until it is soft and light brown (about 5 minutes). Stir in carrots and cook for 3-4 more minutes.

Drain rice, add to the pan with peas, corn and nuts. Cook for 4-5 minutes at medium heat.

Add 2 cups water, ground cumin and salt. Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer over low heat for 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Let stand 10 minutes covered before serving.

Veggie Gumbo: Vegan

I got this recipe from a vegetarian cook book I have. Everyone needs a solid veg cookbook in my opinion.

Veggie Gumbo: Vegan

¼ c. brown rice

2 tsp Coconut oil

½ c. chopped onion

2 garlic cloves

4 c. veggie broth

28 oz. jar or can diced tomatoes

10 oz. frozen okra (or 2 c. fresh sliced!)

2 bay leaves

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp thyme

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

2 c. kale

½ c. frozen corn

Cook brown rice according to package instructions.

In sauce pan, heat oil at med-high temp. Add onions and garlic, sauté 3 minutes. Add stock, tomatoes, okra, bay leaves and spices. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes before adding kale, brown rice and corn. Cook for 2 additional minutes (or a bit longer for the flavors to ‘marry’).

I sometimes prefer to make soup the day before and put it in the refrige over night because all the flavors have time to mesh and it’s AMAZING the next day!

Week 1 Menu

Week 2

Happy father's day!!!! My littles have the greatest dad and I was so blessed to celebrate him today. I hope everyone had a great day with their fathers or enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate or remember the men who helped to make us who we are. 

So while the Man is our for a run, I will post a menu for this next week. I'm attaching some links to recipes as well as posting some of my own, so enjoy! I hope you're week is filled God's richest blessings and great health!

Monday:

Breakfast: Cinnamon, raisin steel cut oatmeal

Lunch: Almond butter and honey on homemade whole wheat bread w/ veggies and hummus

Dinner: Curried celery soup with homemade bread

Tuesday:

Breakfast: Date bars

Lunch: quinoa salad

Dinner: Creole Chickpea fritters w/ mashed cauliflower and a salad

Wednesday:

Breakfast: homemade granola

Lunch: Burlotti

• Basically, pasta with tomatoes, white burlotti beans and a handful of spices.

Dinner: Minestrone soup with pesto and bread

Thursday:

Breakfast: quinoa with blueberries and almonds

Lunch: black beans over brown rice

Dinner: Tikki Masala

Friday:

Breakfast: banana nut muffins

Lunch: Veggie Bok Choy wraps with hummus

Dinner: Vegetable Ribbon Pasta

If there is ever something we're eating for a meal and the recipe isn't listed, just let me know and I'll let you know how we do it around these parts.