Almond Flour Cookies -- Faux Sugar Cookies, my friends

It's almost the end of July. Well, really, it's the end of July. No quibbling over a day or two between friends, right? I haven't posted Since June. It's not that I haven't cooked or invented recipes, because I have. Constantly But I've been in a slump, and haven't felt up to the task of pressing 'publish' on the posting page. Slump? Rut? Busy? Distracted? On vacation? I don't really know that I have a good explanation for you about why. But I do have for you these little vegan crispy gluten free, grain free, sugar free sugar cookies. I've been making a version that is delectably buttery for my husband using kamut flour. This is the version I enjoy best myself -- with coconut oil, coconut nectar, and my beloved almond flour. Super easy. Instead of making shapes with cutters, I roll it out in a big rectangle and score the rectangle into squares before baking. Then I dehydrate them in a low low oven after they've been baked. Then I put them in a cookie tin on the counter. The kids all seem to like them tremendously, and my dear friend Karen always snitches a few when she's here. Delish. Here's a helpful little fyi for you. When I roll out the dough, I do it in 2 parts. I roll on a silicone mat, and I place a sheet of parchment between the rolling pin and the dough. Ta da!

ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil -- melted if it's not already soupy due to summer conditions
1/2 cup coconut nectar
2 tbsp vanilla extract

(variation 2 tbsp ground vanilla bean)

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean
1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup white chia seeds finely ground
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour



directions:

1. combine the ingredients in the order listed
2. chill the dough
3. roll the dough  in two parts  and cut into perfect squares after trimming the  edges
4. bake at 345 in a preheated oven for 12 minutes then dehydrate for 2-3 hours at 170
5. cool and break into pieces
6. store in an airtight container


Now the thing about some of the ingredients versus more traditional grain flours is you can use a lot more flavour to get a nice taste. I use more vanilla and more salt even with almond flour and coconut flour. Especially coconut flour. Very useful flour, but can have a stultifying effect on flavours. So, extra vanilla, says I.

Flavourful Vegetable Soup

Weary travellers arriving need simple and delicious fare that won't keep them up. This definitely fit the bill with a fresh loaf of spelt bread fresh from the oven.

ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 onion finely diced
1 cup  purple cabbage finely chopped
1/4 cup dried mushrooms, finely crumbled

3 cups split chickpeas, soaked but not cooked
3 cups green peas

1/4 cup amaranth
1/4 cup buckwheat groats
1/4 cup milllet

1 kohlrabi, peeled and diced (approx 2 cups)

1 large carrot finely diced (approx 1 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup celery finely  diced

2 cups zucchini diced
4 cups sweet potato diced

4 tsp sea salt
8 cups boiling water


directions:

1. layer all the ingredients in the crockpot and let it cook. Pour the water on after you've added the sea salt btw.
2. stir, and season to taste

Delicious served with fresh baked bread ...

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.

Crockpot July 2013

Moong dal is great because it completely breaks down and makes the stew nice and thick. Yummy!

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 1/2 cup moong dal
2 tbsp millet
2 tbsp buckwheat groats
2 tbsp amaranth
3 cups frozen green peas
1/4 cup crumbled dried mushrooms
2 cup finely diced carrot
2 cups diced zucchini
2 cups diced sweet potato

4 tsp sea salt
3 cups water

1 cup finely diced celery



3 cups chopped broccoli florets, slightly cooked


directions:
1. layer the ingredients in the order listed (except the broccoli) and cook on high in your crockpot for 5 hours
2. stir well then add the broccoli
3. stir well, adjust seasoning if needed
4. let sit for 1 hour
5. serve

Cooking chickpeas for patties

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion finely diced
1 cup nappa cabbage, finely chopped
3 cups split chickpeas, well soaked
sea salt
water


1. saute the onion and cabbage in the coconut oil in a pot with sea salt to taste
2. add the chickpeas and water
3. cook until the water is absorbed and chickpea halves are falling apart
4. cool then mash with an immersion blender -- the beans will still be coarse
5. stir in up to 1/4 cup toasted buckwheat groats to form a stiff batter (if needed)
6. roll into balls
7. roll the balls in a layer of buckwheat groats and place on a baking sheet
8. bake at 345 for 60 minutes