Oatmeal Chocolate Chip -- 5 ingredients not including the salt/baking soda

Kim, Brooke, and Claire came over to play briefly yesterday. Brooke confessed that Claire had been wishing to make treats for him because in her 7 year old heart she felt it was terribly unfair that he couldn't have treats just because he's diabetic. They'd tried to make some chocolate chip oatmeal cookies from a recipe they'd found online (using krisda chocolate chips which are sweetened only with erythritol and stevia and taste great) but the results were sadly inedible. So I thought I'd put together a batch of something that centred on almond flour. Kim and Brooke don't cook a lot so I wanted to make these with few ingredients. I'm not counting the salt and baking soda, or the water (is that cheating, Kim????????) These whipped up in a flash, baked in 20 minutes, and were out of the oven before the trio had to leave, so everyone got to enjoy some.

So, here they are. Five-ingredient chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. No high glycemic sweeteners. Lots of wonderful, blood-sugar stabilizing almond flour.  And all ingredients easy to come by. If you need nut free, just grind up some raw sunflower seeds into flour and use those instead. That is what I will be doing to transform these into a lunch-box treat come September.

They are super-duper-delicious, which to me is of the point of cookies, diabetic-friendly or no.

1 cup oatmeal (I used large flake)
2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 cup coconut sugar

1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean (optional. OPTIONAL. DON'T HATE ME. You can use a tsp of extract if you want)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup water

1 cup krisda chocolate chips



1. combine ingredients excluding water and chocolate chips
2. stir well, then add water and mix into dough
3. add in chips, and stir well
4. scoop small balls of cookie dough onto a lined baking sheet (I use silicone liners, but parchment works)
5. flatten with a wet fork into rounds

preheat oven and bake at 345 for 20 minutes

They stuck to the silicone mat a little bit, so it was best to let them cool before removing them with a stainless steel spatula.

makes approx 3 doz depending on size

Autumn dinner

autumn vegetables:

ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 diced onion
2 green cabbage leaves, diced
1/4 cup dried mushrooms, crumbled
1/4 cup split mung beans

1 cup green peas
1 cup diced carrot
4 cups diced sweet potato
1 large pattypan, diced

1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tbsp marjoram
1 can coconut milk



layer in order into a cast iron dutch oven or covered casserole dish
bake for 2 hours. Stir and add more water if need and bake for up to 1 hour more.



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socca:

combine:
2 cups water
2 tbsp avocado oil
2 cups chickpea flour
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup sweet potato flour

saute:
1 onion, finely diced
2 tbsp coconut oil


mix the two and cook on a cast iron skillet for 1 hour -- sprinkle with coarse sea salt before baking if desired (and rosemary)

Vegetables Baked in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven

My beautiful sister and her beautiful family stayed with us recently, and it was joyous. One of the meals we made was this rustic baked vegetable dish, served with fresh spelt flour bread and fresh tomatoes and basil as a side salad. It was fantastic. This is one of those meals that somehow transcends and is far far more than the sum of it's parts. I highly recommend this as a scrumptious rustic meal especially if you want to impress someone with deliciousness. I made it in a cast iron dutch oven -- Nemesis, for those of you who remember my red pot. I imagine you can bake it in a large casserole dish, too, or a stainless steel dutch oven. Just make sure whatever you use has a lid. You can also vary the vegetables, but the ones chosen married together beautiful for maximum savoury awesomeness. Mostly, they were the vegetables that we found at the farmer's market in the morning. A tad opportunistic, perhaps? I'll never deny it.  In a word? Heavenly. A rustic peasant meal fit for an emperor. A naked emperor, perhaps ...?

I wish that you could smell how amazing, delectable, and savoury the house smelled when this was ready ...

ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil -- unrefined, extra virgin, organic, etc
1 medium onion, small dice
4-5 large green cabbage leaves, chopped
3 cups split chickpeas, cooked, or whole chickpeas cooked (or canned, rinse, drained)
1 kholrabi peeled and diced
4 celery ribs, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
3 large green zucchinis, diced

2-3 tbsp herbe de provence
4 tsp sea salt
1 can coconut milk (400 ml, full fat, organic)
1 cup water

directions:

heat oven to 345 and put your dish in to melt your coconut oil.

1. In a dutch oven I melted 2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil, and then threw in my diced onion.
2. I layered on 4 or 5 large green cabbage leaves that I had cut fairly finely
3. on top of this went 3 cups of split chickpeas that had been previously cooked. Whole chickpeas would be fine, too. Cooked or canned (well rinsed).
4. Next I layered a diced kholrabi
5. On top of this went 4 diced celery ribs
6. Next went 2 diced medium carrots -- fresh from the ground and wonderfully tender
7. This was topped with 3 large zucchinis, diced
8. All this was sprinkled with 2-3 tbsp herbe de provence and 4 tsp sea salt
9. I then poured 1 cup of coconut milk on it, which washed the herbs and salt through everything
10. I baked it covered for 2 1/2 hours at 345
11. Then I stirred it and added 1 cup of water, and stirred again
12. I then baked it for another 30-45 minutes at 345, lid still on.

Fantastic ....

Remember to layer and not stir until after it has cooked for most of the cooking time. That's my secret I will share with you.

Split Chickpeas

I live just down the street from Little India, and enjoy going into my local tiny supermarket. This week I  found both split moong dal (split mung beans) and split channa dal (split chickpeas). Always  fun to try new things. I cooked a pot of split moong dal seasoned with just avocado oil, dehydrated vegetables, and sea salt. It produced a thick creamy dish. Today I'm playing with the split chickpeas. I did a quick soak on them this morning, and will now see what fun I can have.

ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 finely diced onion
4 cups finely chopped cabbage

3 cups split chickpeas -- soaked but not cooked

1/4 cup crumbled dried mushrooms

1 1/2  cup diced celery

3 cups diced sweet potato

4 cups diced zucchini

1 cup water

3 cups chopped broccoli florets -- lightly steamed, stirred in when the crockpot is finished cooking.

Baked Vegetable Cake

It's pretty much delicious, and that's about all I can say. My son calls it pasta. Good for you, and good tasting. Does it get any better than that?

ingredients:



2 cup carrot, coarsely pureed
2 cups green cabbage, coarsely pureed
4 cups sweet potato, coarsely pureed
1 medium onions, coursely pureed

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 tsp sea salt
black pepper


1 cup raw cashews ground
1/4 cup raw white sesame seeds, ground


3 cups water warm water
1/4 cup ground chia seeds
1/4 cup ground flax meal
1 tsp sea salt
black pepper
2 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp mesquite

1 cups chick pea flour

1/2 tsp baking soda



directions:

1. sauté the onion and garlic in the coconut oil
2. add the shredded sweet potato and carrot and 1 tsp sea salt, and  sauté
3. meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the ground chia seeds and ground flax seeds with the hot water and let sit for 10 minutes. Mix in the seasonings, cider vinegar,  chickpea flour, and baking soda
4. mix with a whisk!
5. when the shredded veggie mix is cooked, add it to the batter, and combine well
6. pour into a greased 3 L glass baking dish
7. bake at 345 for 75 minutes

Dipping sauce for giant green onion pancake

2 tbsp almond butter
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp tamari
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp honey

Date Cake -- gluten free, grain free, sugar free baby cakes

Delicious muffins fit for the lunchbox. I loves me some date cake ...

ingredients:

2 cups water
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup pitted dates

1 tbsp ground vanilla
3 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp saigon cinnamon (or 'regular' cinnamon)
3 tsp ginger
1 tsp sea salt


1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/4  cup flax meal
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup shredded coconut

4 eggs

1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup ground sunflower seeds

1 cup chopped apple -- or a little more -- I used 2 small pink ladies and diced them quite finely
1 cup raisins

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the ingredients in the order listed

2. scoop into prepared muffin cups

3. bake for 40 minutes at 345

Leek and Vegetable broth for Matza Ball Soup -- Passover 2013

This is a couple of separate elements. I took a bunch of leeks and washed them thoroughly -- sandy little veggies are they -- and then put the green part un chopped up into a pot with 12 cups water and a piece of kombu (optional) and simmered away for 2 hours. Meanwhile in a pan I sauteed the veggies. When I was content the leeks had simmered enough, I removed them and the kombu from the pot, drained them well, and then added my sauteed veggies and brought it up to boiling again, for a few minutes. I made this 2 days before, in the old adage that soup is better the next day. That is an adage, right? Anyway, I hate being rushed at the last minute, so anything I can make ahead, I do. 

ingredients:

2 cup celery, sliced

2 cup carrots, sliced

1 bunch of leeks, well washed (leeks can have a lot of dirt between the layers). Slice the 'whites' thinly, and leave the 'greens' in large pieces

4 tbsp coconut oil

4 tsp sea salt

black pepper

12 cups filtered water

(a 3 x 3 inch piece of kombu)

directions:

1. put the leek GREENS in a large pot with 12 cups of boiling water

2. simmer the leek greens for 120 minutes -- and if you want to use it, some a giant kelp leaf, about 3 inches by 3 inches -- KOMBU

3. meanwhile in a large saute pan: saute the celery, carrots, and leeks in the coconut oil with the sea salt until they are happy and sweaty

4. When the stock has finished, take out the leek greens and kombu, and add the sauteed veggies and simmer for 5 minutes

5. taste, and adjust seasoning

6. your broth is now ready!

7. before serving, reheat it with the matza balls in it.

8. put one matza ball in a bowl, ladel soup over it, and garnish generously and foolishly with copious amounts of parsley from your window garden

Vegetarian Pate -- Passover 2013

So, for Passover this year my mother wanted to make a vegetarian pate to go with the gefilte fish, so that the vegetarians among us could have a dish at the same time. In the spirit of fish, I added a soupçon of kelp to the mix, giving it a hint of the sea. You could call this vegan fish cake if you want to. Although fish cake doesn't sound as funny as meat cake. Meeeeaaaaaaat caaaaaaaaaaaake. Try it, you'll see. Vegan! Gluten free! Nut free! Grain free!

ingredients:

1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup carrot, grated
2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
black pepper

1  cups raw sunflower seeds, soaked in water with a little sea salt

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp kelp powder (optional)

2 tbsp ground chia seeds

1 1/2 tsp arrowroot powder


directions:

1. soak the sunflower seeds in water for at least 4 hours, then rinse

2. saute the onion and carrot in coconut oil until done

3. puree the sunflower seeds with all the ingredients except the sauteed vegetables and puree until smooth, then add the sauteed vegetables and process again

4. adjust the seasoning if you like

5. spread in a 8 inch square silicone baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 345

6. cool, and cut into squares

7. serve on a bed of greens 

Moong Dal Crockpot

One of the things I really liked about this dish was the way in which the moong dal completely break down in the cooking process, making a thick dal with firm chunks of veggies in it. Delicious.

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
2 tbsp finely  minced garlic
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
2 cups moong dal (split mung beans)


3 cups frozen green peas
2 cups finely diced carrots
2 cups finely diced asian sweet potato



4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tsp cumin
black pepper
3 tsp raw cacao



combine the following:

4 cups tomato sauce
4 cups water
1/2 cup coconut butter
1/2 cup almond butter


3 cups (steamed) chopped broccoli -- to be added after cooking is complete



1. layer the ingredients in the order listed
2. sprinkle the seasonings on, then pour on the liquid mixture of tomato sauce, water, coconut butter, and almond butter
3. cook for 6 hours in the crockpot
4. when done, add the broccoli, stir, and let sit for  a little while.
5. serve!

The moong dal will completely break down, but all the veggies will be more or less intact. This makes for a thick and rich stew, and it's pretty fantastic.

Crockpot Stew -- giant lima beans in the pink

You are probably sick of me going on about the goings on in my crockpot. But let me tell you that this one is too good to miss. Imagine the satisfying toothsome texture of giant limas simmered in a stew of veggies, tomato sauce, and coconut milk. The coconut milk mellows the bite of the tomato sauce, and the veggies all add sweetness and texture. Truly a delicious combination. Yo, vegans!!

ingredients:

3 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

3 cloves of garlic, very finely minced

1 large onion, very finely chopped

500 g frozen green peas

4 cups giant lima beans soaked but not cooked (bring to a boil in plenty of water for 2 minutes then turn off heat and soak for 1 hour. Rinse well)


2 cups diced celery
1 cup diced carrot
3 cups diced sweet potato

3 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp herbe de provence

4 cups tomato sauce (either make it using tomatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, or take some out of your freezer)

400 ml coconut milk


1. layer the ingredients in the order listed
2. cook for 4-6 hours on high in your crockpot

baked vegetables with leek and coconut milk -- vegan

Random ingredients in my fridge and pantry. Maybe I should try shopping with intent? Nah, Nemesis to the rescue. I loaded my ingredients into my favourite beast of a dutch oven. And presto, out came a delicious meal. Too bad my son is going through a rude phase. If it's not pasta, it sucks. Am I allowed to tell my 4 year old to 'kiss my @ss'? The good news is, once he was convinced to open his mouthy little mouth to do something other than mouth off, he found it delicious.

ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 onions

3 sweet potatoes

1 bunch of leeks

3 tsp sea salt

black pepper

500 g frozen peas

4 cups finely chopped green cabbage

1 can coconut milk

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp granulated garlic powder

1 tbsp marjoram

directions:

1. load the ingredients into a casserole or dutch oven in the order listed

2. cook at 345 for 60-90 minutes

3. serve with gluten free vegan crepes, fresh bread, socca, or a side of sautéed broccoli

Baby Cake Savoury Spinach Cake -- Baby Cake #3

Savoury Spinach Cake

Earth Day, St. Paddy's Day, Kermit the Frog Day, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday ... Just because you love me day ... Any day is a good day for little green cakes.

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup frozen spinach (to make 2 1/2 cups total, defrosted and pureed with water)

1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil, unrefined

2 eggs

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 1/2 - 3 tsp  organic vegetarian bouillon powder (we use Harvest Sun)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 cup ground flax seeds

1/4 cup hemp seeds, shelled

2 cups almond flour (blanched)

1 cup kamut flour

1/2 tsp baking soda 

directions:

1.     preheat oven to 345

2.     puree defrosted spinach with water

3.     add beaten eggs, melted oil, apple cider vinegar, and mix

4.     add seasoning, seeds, and almond meal

5.     add baking soda 

6.     add kamut flour

7.     mix

8.     put into prepared muffin cups (I use silicon baking cups)

9.     bake for 35 minutes at 345

makes 24 little green cakes