Almond Butter and Raisin Cookies -- a great gluten-free, high powered snack

I haven't been posting much lately. Not sure why. I feel more tired than usual, so I'll just blame that. It's the heat. It's making my blood pressure drop. It's too hot to cook.

Truth is, I may have been creating less, but still creating plenty nonetheless. I've been stockpiling posts like some kind of deranged chipmunk preparing for the winter of my discontent. Whatever. I have just been way too lethargic to actually publish them. Lots of good stuff, too. Things I'd be excited about if only it weren't so darn hot and I weren't so darn tired ...

Well, I whipped up these cookies before taking my son to 'camp' so that he'd have a healthy snack to enjoy and share with the other children.

They taste good. They are good for you. They are easy. Hope that helps.


ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 eggs

1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon (I used saigon)
1 tsp ground vanilla

1/2 cup flax meal
2 cups pecan meal
1 cup almond flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup raisins


directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the coconut oil, almond  butter, and hot water
2. add the coconut sugar and apple cider vinegar
3. mix in the flax meal, followed by the eggs
4. add hte sea salt, cinnamon, and ground vanilla
5. add the pecan meal and almond flour
6. add the baking soda
7.  add the raisins

(hmm ... if you are a chocolate lover, chocolate chips would go well with them as they are)

8. drop by the spoonful onto lined baking sheets
9. flatten with a wet fork
10. bake for 20 minutes at 345
11. store in an airtight container when fully cooled.

makes 3-4 dozen depending on size (will fill 2 baking trays)

Cottage Cake with Strawberry Secrets -- Gluten free! Dairy free! Yummy! Good for you!

As I've mentioned before, I enjoy the challenge of creating something from a certain set of ingredients. When we came up to the cottage for a long weekend, I threw some stuff in a bag, and now I get to make a cake with just a few things. Not everyone knows how to coax the secrets from strawberries. It must be done gently, and patiently. But when they reveal their secrets, strawberries ascend to a new level of berry fabulosity. So, with the ingredients on hand and berries from Hi Berry, this is what I came up with: 




cake: 




ingredients:


1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup shelled hemp seeds (hemp hearts)
1 cup coconut sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp sea salt
2 1/2 cups almond flour
4 eggs


directions:


preheat the oven to 345


1. combine the boiling water with the coconut oil to melt it
2. add in the chia seeds and hemp seeds
3. mix in the coconut sugar
4. add the sea salt, cinnamon, and ginger
5. mix in the almond flour
6. stir in the eggs once the mixture is not too hot
7. bake at 345 for 45 minutes






strawberry secrets:




ingredients:


2 cups strawberries
2 tbsp coconut sugar
(teeny tiny pinch of sea salt)




directions:


1. wash and slice the berries, and toss with sea salt and sugar
2. set aside for at least 1 hour
3. stir before serving
4. spoon over squares of cake




YUM

Savoury Cottage Cookie Bars

Here I am, once again, in glorious Port Elgin, feeling very spoiled by the unspoiled beauty, the perfect weather, the mesmerizing thrum and roll of the lake, and the fact that I am away from home and from my to do list.

Last time we were here, I was inspired to make cookie bars, and they were so great that we have been making them non-stop since.

This time, I thought it would be fun to make a savoury dinner version of these gluten-free, vegan, high-protein treats. 

I don't know what it is they taste like, except for more. :)

ingredients:

1/2 cup flax meal
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup boiling water

1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp sea salt
black pepper
1 tsp thyme

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1 cup finely chopped grape tomatoes

3 cups almond meal

1 cup pumpkin seeds


directions:

preheat oven to 345

1. combine the flax meal and chia seeds with the boiling water and let sit for 10 minutes
2. add the sea salt, thyme, cumin, and pepper (or whatever seasonings rock your boat)
3. stir in the coconut oil, hemp seeds, a 1 cup of very finely chopped grape tomatoes
4. mix in the almond meal
5. stir in the pumpkin seeds
6. press the mixture into a rectangular glass dish lined with parchment. I use a 2nd sheet of parchment to press it in. Makes things much easier.
7. bake at 345 for 45 or 50 minutes

Chickpea and Vegetable Saute -- A gluten free, vegan, colour dish

I love the bright cheerful taste of this dish, and the tummy satisfying, comfort-food-ness of it. Simple yet savoury, it's a satisfying and homey meal. I'm already looking forward to the left-overs.

We ate our cheerful saute atop pretty colusari red rice. Colusari red is a whole grain rice that offers a change from the usual brown. It's a nice tasting rice with a moist, not sticky texture. We also use brown basmati, purple rice, black rice, red cargo rice, and short grain brown calrose. It's fun to try rices of different colours. Some of them have strong flavours (such as the black rice), and can help carry different dishes. It also depends on cooking time! When time is running out, brown basmati is ready super fast because it's such a skinny grain ...

I love the flavours in this saute, and it pleased all the members of my family. For some reason, when we ate left overs, I loaded up with a huge amount of freshly ground black pepper and chipotle tabasco (just  my own portion). I was pleased with how well the flavours of the saute held their own against my spicy onslaught. Equally delicious undoctored or doctored. Super yummy.

Additionally, this cooked up super fast, which is always a bonus in my books. I did a rough chop on the veggies aside from the garlic and onion (like them to cook fast and thoroughly), and although I gave the alliums (allia?) a little extra cooking time, mostly just dumped all the ingredients in together and let them do their thing, uncovered. 

Once the tomatoes were broken down and the juice had been absorbed or cooked away, I threw in my spinach and broccoli but just for a few minutes before I turned off the heat. I don't like to cook the greens  much ...

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1 tbsp finely mince garlic

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup sliced carrot

3/4 cup sliced celery

500g diced tomatoes

1/2 cup corn (from frozen)

1/2 cup (gulag) peas (from frozen)

1 1/2 cups chickpeas (already cooked!)

2 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp marjoram

250 g chopped spinach

250 g broccoli florets, bite sized