Teff Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sorry it has been awhile since I have written.  I lost internet connection and have not had the chance to post anything.  But I have been doing a lot of cooking in the mean time.  


Last night I made delicious peanut butter cookies.  Super easy with just 6 ingredients and super yummy...I have only a few left.  That is the problem with healthy cookies, you feel like you can eat the whole batch.  I am still learning how to eat just one cookie...I have never been able to do it!


Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Courtesy: "Clean Food"


1 1/2 Cups teff flour
1/4 Teaspoon sea salt
1 Teaspoon baking soda
1 Cup chunky 100% peanut butter
1 Cup maple syrup
1/2 Cup semisweet dark chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


Combine all dry ingredients in one bowl and all wet ingredients in another.  Pour wet ingredients over dry and blend until just combined-do not overmix.  Fold in chocolate chips.




Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Drop batter by heaping teaspoons onto cookie sheet.  Leave cookies free-form or press down in crisscross pattern with tines of fork.  Place in oven and bake 13 minutes or until lightly browned.  The key to these cookies is not to overbake them!  Remove from oven and place directly on wire rack to cool.

Carrot Cashew Miso Spread

Good Morning.


I found this recipe in one of my cook books and have been wanting to make it for awhile now.  I thought it would be a great alternative to hummus.  I have been putting it on gluten free crackers, but I could see it on tortilla chips or bread!


Carrot Cashew Miso Spread
Courtesy: Clean Start


2 Large Carrots
3/4 Cup raw cashews
1 Cup vegetable stock
2 Tablespoons light miso
Toasted ivory and/or black sesame seeds


Peel carrots and discard dry ends.  Chop into 1/2-inch pieces and place in pot with cashews and stock.  Turn heat to high and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to medium and cook until carrots are cooked through (about 10 minutes).


Remove from heat and, using a slotted spoon, scoop carrots and cashews into food processor.  In separate bowl, measure out 1/4 cup of cooking liquid and dissolve miso in it.  Add to bowl with carrots and process until smooth.  Serve topped with sesame seeds, or refrigerate in airtight container for up to 4 days.

Final Product

Tofu Love

Hello, Hello...


I love how often I feel like I should post recipes.  For me, that means that I am making new and delicious food that I want to share with everyone else.  Sometimes I have to stop myself from blogging once a day.  But, that means lovely, healthy food for all of you!


Once again, Terry Walters is a genius.  I have been trying out so many of her new recipes and I am blown away each time.  Last night I made her ginger lime tofu with quinoa and kale with leeks.  I posted the kale recipe earlier this month.  This tofu is phenomenal - I can't say enough about it.  Just try it.

Pan-Seared Tofu with Ginger Lime Glaze
Courtesy: "Clean Start"


1 Pound fresh, firm tofu (not silken), drained
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 Tablespoons tamari
2 Tablespoons lime juice
2 Tablespoons maple syrup


Slice tofu into filets or cubes as desired.  Heat saute pan over medium heat.  Add olive oil and ginger and saute 1 minute.  In small bowl, whisk together tamari, lime juice and maple syrup.  Place tofu in skillet and add tamari mixture.  Saute tofu 3-4 minutes on each side.  If pan gets dry, deglaze by adding 2 tablespoons water and continue sauteing until both sides of tofu are browned and firm.  For a thicker glazed finish, deglaze pan with second mixture of oil, ginger, tamari, lime juice and maple syrup.  Remove from heat and serve.


Serves 3

LEKKER!!!

Peanut Butter Balls

Good Late Evening Everyone!


I literally just finished making these lovely little treats.  I know, I know, I shouldn't be up until nearly midnight cooking, but I just could not help it.


This recipe comes out of Terry Walters' new book, "Clean Start."  Once again, I love her and I love her book.  Out of the 5-6 recipes I have already made out of this book there is not one that I don't like.  They all make me feel so good after eating.  So, these might not be your Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, they aren't as overpoweringly sweet, but they are delectable.  Made with minimal ingredients, only 4, it is quick and easy to make.  


Eet Smaakelijk!




Peanut Butter Balls
Courtesy: "Clean Start"


1 Cup natural peanut butter
1/2 Cup maple syrup
1/2 Cup rice cereal, plus more if needed
2 Cups gluten- and dairy-free chocolate chips or 12 ounces dark chocolate


Place peanut butter and maple syrup in food processor and pulse to combine.  Fold in crispy rice cereal.  If your peanut butter is particularly runny, add more cereal until mixture holds together in balls.  Form penny-size balls and place on parchment-lined cookie sheet.


Melt chocolate chips or chocolate in double boiler or in small pot over very low heat.  Drop 3-4 balls at a time into chocolate and roll them around until covered completely.  With a teaspoon, scoop out each ball individually, holding it against the side of the bowl to allow excess chocolate to drip off.  Place each chocolate-covered ball back on lined cookie sheet.  Repeat until all balls are coated and refrigerate until firm (at least 1 hour).  Serve cold or room temperature.


Makes: 30 balls.

Red Lentil Soup with Turnip and Parsely

Hello, Hello, Hello...
I am going to make this one short and sweet.  This is an incredibly easy, quick, delicious soup and I don't need to say anything else.  Just make it and enjoy.


Red Lentil Soup with Turnip and Parsley
Courtsey: Terry Walters' "Clean Start"


1 1/2 cups dried lentils
3 Cups water
Thumb-sized piece kombu
1 Medium yellow onion, diced
4 Garlic cloves, minced
3 Celery stalks, diced
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons mirin
1 1/2 Cups chopped tomatoes
1 Turnip
1 1/2 Cup cooked great northern beans
4 Cups vegetable stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 Cup fresh flat-leaf parsley


Rinse and drain lentils.  Place in pot with water and kombu and bring to boil.  Skim and discard foam.  Reduce heat to simmer, partially cover and cook until lentils are soft (about 20 minutes).  Remove from heat and set aside.


In soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, saute onion, garlic and celery in oil until soft (4-6 minutes).  Add mirin, tomatoes, turnip and beans.  Stir to combine ingredients.  Remove and discard kombu from lentils and add lentils to soup pot.  Add stock, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from heat.  Stir in 1/3 cup chopped parsley and serve topped with remaining parsley as garnish.


Serves 8

Okay, so it might not look so pretty, but give it a try!

Breakfast

Good Morning!


Happy Birthday to me!  Twenty seven, boy do I feel old.  Ha!  Actually, I feel the same as yesterday, sick.


I have been wanting to do a post about breakfast for awhile.  I love breakfast.  But since going gluten, dairy, egg and meat-free it has become a little boring.  I have gone out for breakfast a handful of times since eliminating certain things from my diet and I have had some lovely tofu scrambles, and some really awful vegan/gluten-free french toast.  Gluten free bread was not meant for french toast.  But I wanted to post some yummy breakfast ideas that you can quickly make at home.  I am sure that there will be more recipes later, the more adventurous I become.


I hope you all enjoy.


Mochi
Courtesy: Me


Mochi is something I fell in love with while living in Hawai'i.  It is basically pounded rice.  Delicious pounded rice!  It comes in a few different varieties.  I buy my mochi in the refrigerated section at the grocery store.  It comes in a hard block with about 4 different flavors.  My favorite is cinnamon raisin.  But the mochi in Hawai'i was soft and gelatinous and filled with sweetened coconut, not the best for breakfast.


1 Package Mochi
Maple syrup or agave nectar


Preheat oven based on directions for mochi, mine is about 450 degrees F.  


Cut the mochi into one inch pieces.  I usually end up making 8-10 little blocks.  You don't have to cook the entire package at once, just take as much as you want for one serving.  


Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the mochi a few inches away from each other.  


Bake for 8-12 minutes, depending on the packaged instructions.


When mochi is done, place on a plate and drizzle with agave nectar or maple syrup.  Grab and apple or pear and you have a full meal!

Mochi before cooking

Yumm...mochi after baking

Chia Seed Pudding
Courtesy: Choosing Raw


I have heard a lot about chia seeds since reading up on nutrition.  According to many sources it was a staple of the Aztec culture, known for its ability to sustain warriors for long periods of time.  But it is also great for other reasons.  It is an amazing plant based source of Omega-3 fatty acids and is easier to digest than flax seeds.  Who knew, the seeds that made the chia pet were such a nutritional powerhouse.  If you want to read more on chia seeds head to: http://www.living-foods.com/articles/chia.html


Chia seeds, when made into a pudding, kind of turn out like tapioca.  The seeds themselves become wrapped in a gelatinous coating, making for a very interesting texture.


Each recipe that I find for chia seed pudding is different.  The one that I have enjoyed most is this one.


1/4 Cup chia seeds
1 Cup almond milk or other milk alternative
1 Tablespoon Agave nectar
Cinnamon to taste
Cardamom powder to taste


Place all ingredients in a bowl or mason jar.  Mix well and let sit for 5 minutes.  Mix again and then refrigerate.  Let chill and then eat.  I find it best to make at night and then eating for breakfast the next morning.  Top with fruit and nuts.  It should keep for at least 5 days.


Get creative and add other flavors, like chocolate powder!

Coconut Rice Pudding
Courtesy: "The Gluten-Free Vegan"


I used to love oatmeal in the morning.  Recently it has been making me sick and my tummy very unhappy.  Since getting into the colder weather I have been wanting something warmer and thicker to eat for breakfast.  This recipe takes about 1 hour to make, so instead of waking up earlier than need be I make enough for a few days and heat it up in the microwave.   


1 Cup uncooked brown rice
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
14 ounces (measure using the above can) water
15 Cardamom pods, or about 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/4 Cup agave nectar
1/4-1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt


Nuts of your choice (I have a mixture that I have made myself of cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecans and hazelnuts.  I just place them all in a bag and crush them a little bit with a rolling pin.  You don't want to pulverize them!)


Fruit of your choice (Fresh berries, bananas or apples work great.  Frozen blueberries do too!)


Rinse the rice in a colander and place in a saucepan with the coconut milk, water and cardamom pods.  Bring to boil, then lower the heat to low.  Simmer over low heat until the pudding is thick and the rice is cooked through, about 45 minutes.  Turn off the head and add the agave nectar, cinnamon and salt.  Remove the cardamom pods.


Add chopped fruit and nuts to the top and enjoy.


Serves about 4

Chocolate Macaroons and Sauteed Greens with Leeks

Good Evening.


Tomorrow is November 3rd, my birthday.  I turn 27.  I wish I could be more excited about it, but I am not.  All that I wanted was to wake up and go for a nice fall run and then spend the day with people who care about me.  The run will not happen because I have a lovely little cold.  But I did learn how to use a neti pot...gross by the way.  And spending the day with people I love will not happen either.  My family is in Seattle and France and my good friends are in: Canada, Australia, Ohio, Vermont, California, and Texas.  But that is okay.  Tomorrow I get to wake up and skype with Tom and Olaf, my babies in London.  If I am lucky I get to help a friend clean her old apartment (I am slightly OCD).  And I am making a delicious sounding soup for dinner.  My birthday will be lovely because I will make it lovely.


Look forward to a post about my soup tomorrow.


But for today, I have a few recipes out of Terry Walters' new book, "Clean Start."  I bought myself this book for my birthday.  And I love it.  I encourage everyone to check out her website or pick up a copy of this book.


Today, I am going to start with dessert...


Chewy Chocolate Macaroons
Courtesy: "Clean Start"


2 Cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 Teaspoon sea salt
1/4 Cup coconut milk
1/4 Cup maple syrup
1 Teaspoon almond extract
1 Cup gluten- and dairy-free chocolate chips or 6 oz dark chocolate


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


In large bowl, combine coconut with salt.  In separate bowl, whisk together coconut milk, maple syrup and almond extract.  Add to coconut and stir until evenly moist.


Melt chocolate chips or chocolate in double boiler or in small pot over very low heat and pour into coconut mixture.  Fold until evenly combined.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Scoop batter by the tablespoonful and place on cookie sheet in equal size mounds.  Gently press to make each mound of mixture stick together.  Bake 18-20 minutes or until tops appear dry.  Remove from heat and place on rack to cool.


Makes 18

Macaroons pre-baking

Macaroons post-baking...yumm

Sauteed Greens with Leek and Garlic

Courtesy: "Clean Start"

I love my leafy greens.  I especially love Italian kale and collard greens.  But, as of late I have gotten bored of doing them the same way, sauteed with garlic, salt and pepper.  So, when I saw this recipe I had to give it a chance.  It is delightful.  There is a sweetness from the leeks and mirin and then this tartness from the ume plum vinegar.  Perfectly contrasting flavors.

3 Cloves garlic, minced

1 Large leek, sliced crosswise

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 Bunches assorted dark leafy greens, chopped

2 Tablespoons mirin

Ume plum vinegar

Toasted sesame seeds or gomasio 

In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, saute garlic and leek in olive oil until soft (about 3 minutes). Add greens and mirin and saute until greens are bright green and tender (about 4 minutes).  Remove from heat, drizzle lightly with ume plum vinegar, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.