Almond Crackers AGAIN

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp water

1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp chili powder
4 tbsp mesquite

2 cups almond flour

Almonds roasted with lime and chill

So, these aren't so much roasted as dehydrated. They still taste more raw. If you prefer a roasty flavour, boost the temp a little. I preferred to keep the keep the nutritional profile intact, if you know what I mean. 

raw unpasteurized almonds

apple cider vinegar
lime juice

chili powder
black pepper
mesquite powder
sea salt

1. toss the almonds with lime juice and apple cider vinegar
2. add chili powder, black pepper, mesquite, and sea salt and toss thoroughly
3. taste, and adjust seasonings if needed
4. lay out on a lined baking sheet and bake at 170 degrees for 3 hours, then turn off oven and let cool down
5. store in an airtight container

savoury snacks -- hemp and mesquite 'cookies'

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 eggs

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp chili powder

1/4 tsp chipotle powder

2 tbsp mesquite

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/2 cup flax meal

1 cup hemp protein powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup almond meal

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine ingredients in order listed

2. roll tsp of dough into balls, and flatten with a fork onto a lined baking sheet

3. bake at 345 for 16 minutes

Chili Con Broccoli -- Continuing Crockpot Adventures

Oops, I just realized that athough I had posted the cornmeal polenta that I made as a side for this dish -- actually, I sliced it and used it as a base, and put the chili on top -- yum -- I neglected to post this recipe. It was sitting there, languishing in my 'drafts' section. Sorry!

It's quite zesty and bright in its flavours -- not as mellow as the chickpea stew from a week or two ago. However, we enjoyed it very much, and the mellowness of the polenta was an excellent foil for these flavours.

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1 onion finely chopped -- about 1/2 cup

1 tbsp finely minced garlic

3/4 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup diced celery

1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans

5 or 6 cups diced organic roma tomatoes -- 1 1/2 or 2 lbs

1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp marjoram
1 tsp mesquite powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp basil
black pepper

1 1/2 cup cubed sweet potato

2 cups broccoli florets (either lightly steamed or defrosted from frozen) (250 g)


directions:

1. turn your crockpot on to High, and set the timer for 6 hours, (if you have that long -- a longer cooking time will mellow and meld the flavours more, and improve the dish)
2. layer as follows:
a) coconut oil
b) garlic
c) onion
d) celery
e) carrot
f) tomato
g) 1/2 of salt, pepper, herbs, mesquite etc
h) kidney beans
i) sweet potato and rest of salt
3. after the cooking has finished, turn off the heat and stir in the  broccoli florets.

Typical of tomato based dishes, this tastes great the next day. If you like you can serve it with polenta, quinoa, bagels, bread, nothing, or whatever else strikes your fancy.

My three year old enjoyed this very much, and for him I cut polenta into small cubes and ladled the stew on top. It was a big hit.

Ginger Bread People -- a spicy, seasonal treat

Gentle readers, after a few versions, I've come up with a recipe that tastes very good, and has a pleasing crisp crunchiness to it. Some of the ingredients will be a little surprising, especially if you are newer to my blog. It will be possible to leave out some of the 'superfoods', however, I do believe that these are what have allowed me to achieve the multi-layered flavour of which I was in pursuit. Oh, and of course they are low in sugar, high in protein, and good for you. They are also, I believe, gluten free, but I'm not 100% sure about some of the more esoteric ingredients such as maca powder and mesquite.

My husband confided that he thought they were okay, but he wouldn't sit in a darkened room with a glass of milk and eat them by the dozen.

So, with that caveat and no further ado, I present to you Ginger Bread People version 3.0. (Yes, that means I have dozens of (not quite successful) version 1 and 2 left that I have to somehow get rid of ...)

ingredients:

1 organic egg (extra large)

4 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil (unrefined)

1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar

4 tbsp clear agave

1 tbsp organic vanilla extract

1/4 tsp zest of organic orange, very finely chopped

1/2 cup organic coconut sugar (is there any other kind?)

2 tsp ground ceylon cinnamon (or just use regular cinnamon)

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp ground ginger (variation: 2 tbsp ground ginger)

1 1/2 tsp ground allspice

1 1/2 tsp ground vanilla

a little black pepper

1 tbsp raw cacao powder

1 tbsp carob powder (variation: 2 tbsp carob powder)

1 tbsp mesquite powder

1 tbsp maca powder

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup flax meal

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 cups almond flour

directions:

1. lightly melt the coconut oil, and add the agave, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, coconut sugar, and egg, mixing well

2. add the spices and orange zest

3. add the cacao, carob, mesquite, and maca (if using. if not, maybe just a couple extra tbsp almond flour)

4. add the salt and flax meal, mixing well

5. mix in the baking soda

6. mix in the almond flour

7. chill the dough in the fridge wrapped in parchment and tucked in plastic bag (chilling is sort of optional, but it makes it easier to work with)

8. cut the dough in quarters, and roll out each quarter between 2 sheets of parchment. Cut with your favourite cutter, and put on a lined baking sheet.

9. bake at 300 for 20 minutes, followed by another 30 minutes with the oven heat turned OFF as the oven gradually cools down. This will give the crispy texture we want.

makes two trays of cookies. bake in the upper half of the oven, alternating positions halfway through ...

store in an airtight container.

share with friends!

decorate with raisins before baking!

dip in your tea!

:)

My Favourite Power Bar -- SsssssssssuperFoods SuperPower SuperBar

I feel like I'm eating big chunks of candy when I eat this. It's kind of spicy and fragrant, redolent of vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, with the taste of chocolate and berries tying it together. Not that it would float your boat if what you really want is some Callebaut or a corner store chocolate bar. But for me this is it. It satisfies, is a big chewy mouthful, and tastes great. This is chewier than the other power bars I've posted, and certainly will appeal to a different audience because of this.


ingredients:

2 cups pitted dates (or 1 cup unsulphured apricots and 1 cup dates or 1 cup apricots, 1/2 cup dates and 1/2 cup organic raisins ... etc. You get the picture. Any dried fruit you have (organic and unsulphured) that has dried out a bit too much to be enjoyable to eat can be salvaged in this recipe, too.)
1 cup raw almonds
4 tbsp coconut butter
1/4 cup flax meal

1 tbsp acai
2 tbsp pure green barley powder
2 tbsp maca powder
1 tbsp mesquite
2 tbsp hemp protein powder
2 tbsp raw cacao (or 4 tbsp raw cacao for true chocolate lovers)

1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger (or 1 tsp ginger for more zing)
1/2 tsp ground vanilla

1/2 cup raw pistachios
1/4 cup raw goji berries


directions:

1. in a food processor, pulse the almonds until they are finely milled
2. add the dates, and pulse until all is pureed together
3. add the coconut butter and pulse
4. add the flax, sea salt, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla, and pulse
5. add the acai, barley, maca, cacao, mesquite, and hemp, and pulse until thoroughly combined
6. add pistachios, and pulse until finely chopped
7. add the goji berries, and pulse until finely chopped
8. when the mixture is combined well and sticking together well, press it into a square glass pan, smooth the top with your hands, and put it into the refrigerator.
9. when it is thoroughly chilled and firm, cut into bars, squares, rectangles, triangles, circles, stars, rhomboids, trapezoids, hexagons, or octogons. Do not attempt a dodecahedron. Leave that to the professionals.
10. share with your friends, especially Zoe and Su. They really like them.

**note: if your mixture seems too crumbly, you can try adding a little extra coconut butter, or a tbsp or 2 of coconut oil. Or both ;)

update: Just for fun, I added a quarter cup of finely ground chia seeds and a quarter cup of extra virgin coconut oil


variation february 11: 1/4 cup hemp powder instead of 2 tbsp, 1/4 cup ground chia, 1/4 cup coconut oil, a little extra coconut butter, 1/2 cup goji berries instead of 1/4 cup, and 1/4 cup pistachios instead of 1/2 cup. :) (and 1/4 cup raw cacao instead of 2 tbsp, as usual)

Zesty Crackers

I'm an addict. I've been forced to acknowledge it. But I can't stop nibbling on these crackers ... so good. These are my favourite snack right now. They are high in protein, and chock full of zesty deliciousness. Must. Eat. More.

ingredients:

2 eggs

4 tbsp organic coconut butter (this is made from ground up coconuts and is delicious -- I use Artisana)

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp water

1/2 cup flax meal

2 tbsp mesquite powder

1 1/2  tsp sea salt

1 tbsp chili powder (not the same as chili pepper. and depending on how spicy yours is, you might want to adjust this. mine is not 'hot' at all, just savoury)

1/4 tsp ground chipotle (optional)

3 cups almond flour (JK Gourmet)

1/2 tsp baking soda

directions:

1. warm the coconut butter lightly to melt it.

2. add the water, vinegar, and beat in the eggs

3. add the flax meal, and mix thoroughly

4. add the seasonings and the mesquite, and mix

5. add the baking soda, and mix thoroughly

6. add the almond flour cup by cup, and mix thoroughly

7. bake the dough now, or wrap securely and save for later

8. divide the dough into four portions

9. roll each portion of dough between pieces of parchment, or on a silicone baking sheet, and covered by a piece of parchment. Don't try to roll directly on the dough on your counter,  because you will get a sticky mess and then you'll curse my name forever and stop reading my blog ...

10. once you have achieved a reasonably thin flat dough, score it into squares with a dull knife directly on the mat or parchment. Be careful not to get the edges thinner than the rest.

11. put the parchment or silicone mat onto a baking sheet, and bake at 300 for 24 minutes in the upper half of the oven. If you are baking 2 trays at once, switch positions half way through. Turn off the oven after 24 minutes, and leave the crackers in for another 30. This will make them nice and crisp, without burning them.

12. Break the crackers apart into squares and store them in an airtight container when thoroughly cool.

13. hide them so no one else knows they are there. Just kidding. Sort of.

update: if these last you a number of days, and have for some reason become ... uncrisp ... 30 minutes in a medium heat oven (around 250 or 275) will render them once again delightfully crisp. 

rainy day variation: 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar instead of 2, 1 tbsp chili powder instead of 1 1/2 tsp, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast -- still zesty and delicious ... but different. I like it!