6 cups gluten-free oats
1 cup wolfberries or goji berries
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1 cup coconut flakes
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup applesauce
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients together. Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan, then add the maple syrup and applesauce and heat through. Pour this mixture onto the dry ingrediets and stir until evenly coated. Put the granola in a large roasting pan or on a large jelly roll pan with sides and place in oven. Stir every 10 minutes to ensure even cooking. Remove from oven when granola looks evenly toasted but don't let it get too brown. This could take from 40-60 minutes depending on your pan size and your oven. Let the granola cool off then store it in large glass mason jars.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
"This is good, mommy!"
These words are music to my ears! And NO, I wasn't feeding my son chocolate cake, cookies or ice cream. What was this wonderful food, then? Mung beans, broccoli and Quinoa! I went easy on the spices. I am so gung ho about ayurvedic cooking that I can often over-spice and then it is just too much for a 4 year old, even though I've been feeding him Kitchari since he was less than a year old. Kitchari is more of a winter food so we haven't had it in a while. Last night I didn't get a chance to go to the grocery store and wanted my family to have a healthy meal and I had all the ingredients on hand. I made sure to go easy on the spices to make sure my munchkin would eat his dinner. The maple syrup was really the clincher though. Once the syrup went on he was all over it and soon was telling me "This is good, mommy!" I think he was surprised that he liked it so much. He ate every last bite and it was a big serving too.
*You will need to go to your local Indian Grocery or go online to purchase split mung dal. It is really hard to find in a regular grocery store.
Kid-friendly Kitchari!
1 cup split mung dal
1 cup quinoa
3 cups chopped broccoli
8 cups water
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp celtic sea salt
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cardamon
Top with:
coconut oil (make sure it is a very high quality, extra-virgin, organic one!)
maple syrup (100% pure maple--not Aunt Jemima!)
Directions: Rinse the mung dal then soak in the water for 30 minutes. Bring to a boil then add the remaining ingredients. Bring back to a boil then turn down to a simmer until the beans are tender. Top with extra coconut oil and maple syrup to taste.
*You will need to go to your local Indian Grocery or go online to purchase split mung dal. It is really hard to find in a regular grocery store.
Kid-friendly Kitchari!
1 cup split mung dal
1 cup quinoa
3 cups chopped broccoli
8 cups water
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp celtic sea salt
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cardamon
Top with:
coconut oil (make sure it is a very high quality, extra-virgin, organic one!)
maple syrup (100% pure maple--not Aunt Jemima!)
Directions: Rinse the mung dal then soak in the water for 30 minutes. Bring to a boil then add the remaining ingredients. Bring back to a boil then turn down to a simmer until the beans are tender. Top with extra coconut oil and maple syrup to taste.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Peanut Ginger Dressing
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (all natural)
1 Tbsp Tamari
2 Tbsp Agave
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp wine vinegar
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
2 Tbsp sunflower oil
salt
pepper
dash of cayene
Whisk all ingredients together
Toss with sauteed veggies, salads, or pad thai
Tonight I tossed this sauce with brown rice fettucine and purple cabbage and broccoli sauteed in coconut oil with cumin seeds. Yum!
1 Tbsp Tamari
2 Tbsp Agave
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp wine vinegar
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
2 Tbsp sunflower oil
salt
pepper
dash of cayene
Whisk all ingredients together
Toss with sauteed veggies, salads, or pad thai
Tonight I tossed this sauce with brown rice fettucine and purple cabbage and broccoli sauteed in coconut oil with cumin seeds. Yum!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Revelations
Today I went to a gluten-free meetup at Turley's in Boulder. Meeting with other gluten-free/intolerant/celiacs was a good experience. Kind of like a support group. Discussing the similar challenges we've had with adapting to this diet was helpful.
I realized that it is for my own good to be assertive about my dietary restrictions when eating out or at a social event. I have a tendency to not want to be a bother. I often allow the questioning of others to convince me that I am exagerating the effects of gluten.
It is hard sometimes to really know what is the truth because there is not a strict guideline for labeling or a standardized test. The only way you can really know if there is gluten in something is to feel the reaction in your own body. And no one with celiac wants to do that on purpose.
As we cut the gluten out we become more and more sensitive to it as time goes on. Our bodies start to send us signals within a bite or two. We learn from the accidental glutening what it feels like and are reminded of what we used to feel like all the time but never noticed it because we never got away from gluten long enough to feel anything else.
I also realized today that I may be reacting to dairy products. I try to limit dairy but have not cut it out entirely. Going off of dairy may improve my health and its time to give it a 30 day trial. Tomorrow will be Day 1.
I realized that it is for my own good to be assertive about my dietary restrictions when eating out or at a social event. I have a tendency to not want to be a bother. I often allow the questioning of others to convince me that I am exagerating the effects of gluten.
It is hard sometimes to really know what is the truth because there is not a strict guideline for labeling or a standardized test. The only way you can really know if there is gluten in something is to feel the reaction in your own body. And no one with celiac wants to do that on purpose.
As we cut the gluten out we become more and more sensitive to it as time goes on. Our bodies start to send us signals within a bite or two. We learn from the accidental glutening what it feels like and are reminded of what we used to feel like all the time but never noticed it because we never got away from gluten long enough to feel anything else.
I also realized today that I may be reacting to dairy products. I try to limit dairy but have not cut it out entirely. Going off of dairy may improve my health and its time to give it a 30 day trial. Tomorrow will be Day 1.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Granola Bars
2 cups old fashioned oats (gluten-free Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw pecans
1 cup sliced or chopped raw almonds
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 cup applesauce
1 cup honey
1/3 cup sunflower oil
1 Tbsp chia seeds
2 Tbsp ground flax soaked in 3 Tbsp hot water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1.5 cups assorted dried fruit or raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast the oats, sunflower seeds, coconut and nuts on a large stoneware pan or jelly roll pan for 30 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven and then turn oven down to 300 degrees.
Combine applesauce, honey, sunflower oil, and chia seeds in a large mixing bowl. Combine flax and hot water together in a small bowl. After 5 minutes, combine the flax with the applesauce mixture. Stir in salt and cinnamon. Cut up any large pieces of dried fruit into 1/4 inch pieces.
When the oat mixture is finished toasting, remove from pan and stir it into the applesauce mixture until thoroughly moistened. Then stir in the dried fruit.
Prepare your jelly roll or stoneware pan by greasing with butter or vegetable oil. Then spread the mixture evenly onto the pan with a large spatula and firm it down. Bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes.
Let cool, then cut into squares.
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw pecans
1 cup sliced or chopped raw almonds
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 cup applesauce
1 cup honey
1/3 cup sunflower oil
1 Tbsp chia seeds
2 Tbsp ground flax soaked in 3 Tbsp hot water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1.5 cups assorted dried fruit or raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast the oats, sunflower seeds, coconut and nuts on a large stoneware pan or jelly roll pan for 30 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven and then turn oven down to 300 degrees.
Combine applesauce, honey, sunflower oil, and chia seeds in a large mixing bowl. Combine flax and hot water together in a small bowl. After 5 minutes, combine the flax with the applesauce mixture. Stir in salt and cinnamon. Cut up any large pieces of dried fruit into 1/4 inch pieces.
When the oat mixture is finished toasting, remove from pan and stir it into the applesauce mixture until thoroughly moistened. Then stir in the dried fruit.
Prepare your jelly roll or stoneware pan by greasing with butter or vegetable oil. Then spread the mixture evenly onto the pan with a large spatula and firm it down. Bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes.
Let cool, then cut into squares.
Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins (gluten-free and vegan)
1.5 cups old fashioned gluten-free oats (ground to a flour in food processor or blender)
1.25 cups Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp ground flax seed soaked in 2 Tbsp warm water
1 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 cup fresh blueberries
Directions
Soak chia seeds in the 1/2 cup of water. Soak the flax seeds in the 2 Tbsp water. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Mix dry ingredients in large bowl of a stand mixer. (Or you can just mix by hand.)
Combine the applesauce with the soaked chia seeds and ground flax mixture. Mix in the sunflower oil.
Add wet ingredients to the dry and blend until combined. Gently stir in the blueberries.
Line muffin tin with paper muffin liners.
Bake at 350 degrees approx 20 minutes
1.25 cups Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp ground flax seed soaked in 2 Tbsp warm water
1 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 cup fresh blueberries
Directions
Soak chia seeds in the 1/2 cup of water. Soak the flax seeds in the 2 Tbsp water. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Mix dry ingredients in large bowl of a stand mixer. (Or you can just mix by hand.)
Combine the applesauce with the soaked chia seeds and ground flax mixture. Mix in the sunflower oil.
Add wet ingredients to the dry and blend until combined. Gently stir in the blueberries.
Line muffin tin with paper muffin liners.
Bake at 350 degrees approx 20 minutes
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Chocolate Coconut Cookies!
This recipe is based on one from The Gluten-Free Vegan cookbook by Susan O'Brien. I have only made them once so far, but this is an amazing recipe. Everyone who tried these loved them. They taste more like chocolate candy than a cookie. But we can pretend : ) The good news is that they have some pretty healthy ingredients.
Chocolate Coconut Cookies
1/2 cup coconut
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup pitted and chopped Medjool dates
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup almond butter
2 Tbsp agave nectar or honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or waxed paper)
2. Toast the coconut: Heat a small skillet on the burner over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the coconut and , with a wooden spoon or spatula, stir it around in the pan until is starts to brown. Don't let it burn, just toast it lightly. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and, when it has melted, place it in a large bowl to cool slightly. Add the rest of the ingredients including the coconut, and mix until thoroughly blended.
4. Drop by spoonfuls on the prepared platter and refrigerate until completely cooled.
Chocolate Coconut Cookies
1/2 cup coconut
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup pitted and chopped Medjool dates
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup almond butter
2 Tbsp agave nectar or honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or waxed paper)
2. Toast the coconut: Heat a small skillet on the burner over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the coconut and , with a wooden spoon or spatula, stir it around in the pan until is starts to brown. Don't let it burn, just toast it lightly. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and, when it has melted, place it in a large bowl to cool slightly. Add the rest of the ingredients including the coconut, and mix until thoroughly blended.
4. Drop by spoonfuls on the prepared platter and refrigerate until completely cooled.
Lemon Chia Seed Bread
I just made this for the first time today. It tastes just like lemon-poppy seed bread, but it is much healthier. No gluten and sweetened with Agave nectar. Here is the original recipe I found on a website. I made a few minor changes and may make some more after more experimentation. I used more liquid than the original recipe and I also used more chia seeds. This is a great recipe because no additional binder such as xanthan gum is necessary. Xanthan gum can be expensive and it may also be an allergen for some people. But so many of the gluten-free mixes on the market contain it. Let me know how this recipe works for you. I bake my in a stoneware loaf pan and it comes right out. I cool it for a bit in the pan on a cooling rack. But since the stoneware is nonstick, the bread doesn't get stuck to the bottom. I have ruined so many loaves until I discovered nonstick stoneware!
Lemon-Chia Seed Bread
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup milk
4 Tb lemon juice
3 Tb chia seed
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup agave syrup
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp lemon zest
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. (Or if you use a stoneware loaf pan, you just need to lightly oil or spray it first.)
2.In a small bowl, place the milk, lemon juice and chia seed. Allow the mixture to sit as this will give the chia seed a chance to begin gelling.
3.In a medium sized bowl, place the first six (dry) ingredients and blend.
3. In a mixing bowl put in your softened butter, agave syrup and blend. Add the eggs and grated lemon peel and blend again. Next add the chia seed mixture and blend. Then slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl. Mix until just blended taking care not to over mix.
4. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes. Then remove the bread and cover with aluminum foil. Return the loaf to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes or until a pick comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving.
Lemon-Chia Seed Bread
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup milk
4 Tb lemon juice
3 Tb chia seed
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup agave syrup
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp lemon zest
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. (Or if you use a stoneware loaf pan, you just need to lightly oil or spray it first.)
2.In a small bowl, place the milk, lemon juice and chia seed. Allow the mixture to sit as this will give the chia seed a chance to begin gelling.
3.In a medium sized bowl, place the first six (dry) ingredients and blend.
3. In a mixing bowl put in your softened butter, agave syrup and blend. Add the eggs and grated lemon peel and blend again. Next add the chia seed mixture and blend. Then slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl. Mix until just blended taking care not to over mix.
4. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes. Then remove the bread and cover with aluminum foil. Return the loaf to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes or until a pick comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Kabocha Squash Soup
1 Kabocha squash
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ground sage
dash of cayene
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 can coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste
Bake the Kabocha squash WHOLE at 350 degrees until tender (about 1 hour). Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Let cool until easier to handle then scoop out the flesh. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large Dutch Oven or soup pot. Remove bacon bits with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Add chopped onion to bacon drippings and cook on med-low heat until tender. Add spices and cook for a minute or two. Then add your Kabocha flesh and the chicken stock. Bring to a boil then turn down to a nice simmer for about 15 minutes until Kabocha is falling apart more easily. Use an immersion blender to puree (or a stand blender, in batches, being careful not to burn yourself) . Stir in coconut milk and blend again. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with bacon bits to serve.
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ground sage
dash of cayene
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 can coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste
Bake the Kabocha squash WHOLE at 350 degrees until tender (about 1 hour). Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Let cool until easier to handle then scoop out the flesh. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large Dutch Oven or soup pot. Remove bacon bits with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Add chopped onion to bacon drippings and cook on med-low heat until tender. Add spices and cook for a minute or two. Then add your Kabocha flesh and the chicken stock. Bring to a boil then turn down to a nice simmer for about 15 minutes until Kabocha is falling apart more easily. Use an immersion blender to puree (or a stand blender, in batches, being careful not to burn yourself) . Stir in coconut milk and blend again. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with bacon bits to serve.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)