Nemesis Makes Dinner -- gluten free, vegan, vegerrific and palate pleasing

I managed to throw a bunch of stuff in a pot, throw it in the oven, and have it come out and be enjoyed by everyone. That's a bit of a win. Colin even had two helpings. Huzzah!!

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 cups black lentils -- they are called 'beluga' lentils
1/4 cup quinoa
1/4 cup crumbled dried mushrooms -- I don't think it matters too  much what kind you use

2 cups roughly chopped carrots

2 cups roughly chopped celery (I use celery hearts, but probably any celery will do)

3 cups halved and sliced zucchini
6 cups diced tomatoes (do not use romas or plum tomatoes -- you'll need juicy ones)

1/4 cup almond butter

1 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp chili powder

1 can coconut milk -- I highly recommend using organic and stay away from 'lite'

1/4 cup roasted buckwheat groats -- aka kasha
2 tbsp nutritional yeast


directions:

in a large casserole (or cast iron dutch oven such as Nemesis)
1. layer the ingredients in the order listed and do not stir
2. finish it off with the sprinkled kasha and nutritional yeast and bake for at least 90 minutes
3. stir well then serve with whatever turns your crank -- we had raw spinach leaves

Because only the liquid from the tomatoes and other vegetables, as well as the coconut milk, will be used in this, it will be extra flavourful.

Meat Bobs -- gluten free, meat free, and 4 year old friendly

Meatballs watch out there is a new Bob in town.  My four year old calls 'em meat bobs. They are made of lentils, seeds, and veggies, and they pretty fun to have around.

1 cup lentils

1 onion

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 1/2 cups water

sea salt

black pepper

marjoram

basil

oregano

1 clove of garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup flax meal

1/2 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup hemp seeds

1/4 cup ground sesame seeds

1/4 cup ground cashew

1 cup grated carrot 

1 cup almond flour 

1 sweet potato grated

2 eggs

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

salt and pepper to taste

directions:

1. cook the lentils with the water, onion, coconut oil, sea salt, black pepper, and any other seasonings that float your boat. I added some granulated dried garlic, and some italian seasoning (mixed herbs)

2. grate the carrot, and mix in the cooked lentils with the flax, chia, and hemp seeds

3. add the almond flour, and adjust the seasonings

4. add the eggs

5. roll into balls, and place on a lined baking sheet 

6. bake at 345 for 30 minutes

I made 'em about 1 to 1 1/2 inch in diameter

Delicious! For real. And really great at room temperature the next day.

Savoury Corn Muffins -- gluten free etc etc etc

I have a fondness for the savoury side of life. A lapse in concentration made these little muffins quite heavy on the chipotle. I am fond of chipotle, so that suited me just fine. Hey, I bet they would have been good with some mesquite ... I think next time I make them I will add 2 more eggs, to make them lighter and fluffier. However, I like them very much. They were a perfect addition to our breakfast feast.

ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1 1/2 cup water

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp chipotle

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp marjoram

1 tsp granulated garlic

1 tbsp dried oregano

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup flax meal

1/2 cup organic cornmeal

2 organic eggs

1 cup almond meal

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup corn kernels (go organic)

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the coconut oil, spices, vinegar, flax meal, chia seeds, corn meal, and boiling water

2. let it sit for 10 minutes

3. add the organic eggs, the baking soda, and the almond meal

4. add the corn kernels

5. scoop the batter into prepared muffin cups

6. bake for 30 minutes at 345

7. while you are waiting for them to be done, have a dance party with your three year old. You will be better for it.

Store in an airtight container when fully cool.

Pizza -- the healthy way

Our friends joined us for a fun afternoon of games, followed by a dinner of pizza (and sauteed broccoli -- what can I say, it's broccoli mania here).

Instead of making the pizza in to turnovers, we ate it big and flat. And it was good.

I sauce generously, and use two kinds of cheese -- a boring but organic mozzarella, and some raw milk parmesan.

If you've tried my recipe for panzarotto, this recipe will seem familiar. I thought the pizza bore revisiting, because it's always well received, and before I didn't have any pictures of pizza, only of the panzarotto.  At last, voila, a pizza mosaic:

pizza mosaic

dough ingredients:

1 cup warm water

1 1/2 tbsp honey

2 tsp bread yeast

1 cup almond flour

2 cups kamut flour

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

directions:

1. combine the water, honey, and yeast, and allow to foam up

2. mix together the flours, salt, oregano, and coconut oil

3. add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture, and knead until it is a smooth dough

4. allow to rise for a while

5. roll 1/2 the dough flat on a piece of parchment-- this recipe will make to xl pizzas that each fill a standard baking sheet. Repeat with the 2nd half of the dough

6. transfer the flattened dough to baking sheets

7. cover the dough generously with sauce

8. cover the sauce generously with cheese

9. add other toppings if you like. We often like sauteed onions and grape tomato quarters. I think mushrooms might be nice, too. Go wild. 

10. bake for 30 or 40 minutes at 345, swapping the positions of the trays halfway through if you are baking 2 at once.

11. Eat with gusto or make your own pizza mosaic.

Scrambled Oatmeal -- Eggs for Dinner

In my house, we like breakfast foods for dinner sometimes. Pancakes are great in the evening. And this eggs and porridge hybrid that we call Scrambled Oatmeal is always a rib-sticking comfort food. It's simple and super fast to make, filling, and healthy. You can season it up to suit the individual palates involved, or keep it simple. We tend to eat it savoury, with sea salt and pepper, bouillion seasoning, or even sauteed onion, but maple syrup would work, instead, if you prefer your sweet. Or for breakfast.

ingredients:

3 eggs + enough milk to equal 2 cups

1 cup almond flour

1 cup oatmeal

3/4 tsp sea salt

black pepper

1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

2 tbsp mesquite powder (optional)

directions:

1. beat the eggs and the milk together

2. add the seasonings

3. mix in the almond flour, then the oatmeal

4. for best results, allow the mixture to sit for at least 10 minutes (or up to 30 in the fridge) before cooking

5. cook as you would scrambled eggs (I use a cast iron skillet with a little coconut oil)

6. serve hot for dinner with sides of steamed broccoli and grape tomatoes

This quantity will more than fill 2 adults and a toddler.

We also make it without the almond flour, very successfully.

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!