Muffins with Date and Sesame

ingredients:

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

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp ground vanilla
1 tsp sea salt


1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup black sesame seeds finely ground
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

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the water, coconut oil and dates and let sit for 10 minutes then puree with a hand blender

1. add the rest of  the ingredients in the order listed

2. scoop into prepared muffin cups

3. bake for 40 minutes at 345

Socca for dinner -- hello, old friend, it has been a while

It has been a while since we had socca, but the smells are filling my kitchen and getting me all nostalgic.

ingredients:

4 tbsp coconut oil

1 1/2 cups water hot

3/4 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 cup chickpea flour

1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp dried oregano

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup ground flax seed -- just for fun

directions:

1. combine -- use a whisk if needed to de-lump -- and let sit

2. heat the oven to 345 with the skillet in it so it becomes a little warm

3. oil a skillet and pour it on

4. bake at 345 for 1 hour or so, until crispy and chewy

Shape cookies for school -- bigger better faster stronger. Still vegan, still gluten free, still sugar free, still nut free ...

My son doesn't really participate in the snack programme at school. Sometimes they are given veggies or oranges, of which he partakes. However, often it is cream cheese or jam sandwiches, of which he doesn't partake. So I always make sure his snack boxes are full. The total seed content gives a great balance of protein and fat to keep a small human revving evenly. The choice of sweeteners and the presence of chia seeds means these register super low on the glycemic index. There will be no crashing with this snack.

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup coconut nectar
1/4 cup coconut sugar

20 drops orange essential oil
20 drops lemon essential oil

1 tbsp ground vanilla
1 tbsp ceylon cinnamon
1 tbsp ginger
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda


1/4 cup ground chia seeds
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds, finely ground
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, finely ground
1/4 cup ground hemp seeds

1/2 cup coconut flour


combine, chill, roll out, bake at 345 for 12 minutes

Chocolate Energy Bars -- sunflower seeds and wheatgrass go completely mute

My husband and son managed to go through an entire batch of these in 5 days. So, today I'm getting crafty and making a double. That's what happens when you live with chocolate lovers. And honestly, these taste that good. But you don't have to worry about devouring them because there is nothing in here you shouldn't eat. Good tasting, and good for you, too!

ingredients:

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raw hemp hearts

1 cup raw cacao powder

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp stevia powder

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup wheat grass powder

1 cup pitted honey dates

1/2 cup coconut butter

1/2 cup coconut oil

directions:

1. combine the first set of ingredients (up to not including the dates) and process until fully powdered

2. add the  pitted honey dates (check for pits) and pulse until completely chopped

3. add the coconut butter and pulse until combined

4. add the coconut oil and pulse until combined

5. press into a silicone pan (I use 2 square ones), and score into pieces

6. chill or freeze until set

7. break along score marks and store in airtight containers in the fridge

Updated Vegan Bagels -- not gluten free -- adventures in spelt, quinoa, chia, and flax

Updated Vegan Bagels -- not gluten free.

ingredients:

1 1/2 cup warm water
1 tbsp unpasteurized honey
1 tbsp bread yeast

1 tsp egg replacer + 1/4 cup water

2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1/4 cup flax meal
1/4 cup chia seeds
4 cups spelt flour

big pot
water
baking soda (approx 2 tbsp)


directions:

1. mix the honey into the warm water, and stir in the yeast (the water should be about bath temperature). Set aside
2. mix the egg replace with the 1/4 cup water and set aside
3. in your mixing bowl add the sea salt, spelt flakes, flax meal, chia seeds, whole wheat pastry (soft) flour, and apple cider vinegar
4. add the egg replacer mixture, and the proofed yeast/water, and mix it into dough
5. knead the dough for about 15 minutes (thank you Obsidian Betelgeuse)
6. divide the dough into 24 equal balls, and make those balls into bagel shapes. I did mine by weight, and ended up with 24 x 54 g bagels.
7. rise the bagels uncovered for about 1 hour
8. preheat the oven to 345. Heat a big pot of boiling water, and boil the bagels for 2 minutes per side (you can probably do between 4 and 6 at a time, depending on the size of your pot)
9. drain the boiled bagels on a cooling rack before placing them on a baking sheet (lined with parchment or silicone is best)
10. bake for 26 minutes at 345, switching the positions of the trays halfway through

makes 24 bagels -- delicious while warm -- can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge once thoroughly cooled on a baking rack.


Now an important thing to mention is this:
The top side of the bagels will be dry and firm, while the underside will be soft and malleable after rising. For this reason, I like to pick the bagels up one by one, and put them top side down onto a slotted metal spatula to deposit into the water. This way the bagel won't get squished and compressed before boiling. I also like to make sure the original top side is up when baking the bagels after boiling, and if I put the top side down for the first side of boiling, the top side is naturally up after the 2nd side of boiling.

Also, it is possible to coat the bagel in seeds or sprinkles of some kind after boiling, when the seeds will stick to them because they are wet. You absolutely don't want to add these before boiling. ;)

I hope that made sense.

Old-School Chocolate Energy Squares -- vegan, raw, nut free

ingredients:

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raw hemp hearts

1 cup raw cacao powder

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp stevia powder

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup wheat grass powder

1 cup pitted honey dates

1/2 cup coconut butter

1/2 cup coconut oil

directions:

1. combine the first set of ingredients (up to not including the dates) and process until fully powdered

2. add the  pitted honey dates (check for pits) and pulse until completely chopped

3. add the coconut butter and pulse until combined

4. add the coconut oil and pulse until combined

5. press into a silicone pan (I use 2 square ones), and score into pieces

6. chill or freeze until set

7. break along score marks and store in airtight containers in the fridge

Chocolate and Peppermint Energy Squares -- V 2.0 -- more peppermint, no sesame. Yum!

ingredients:

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raw hemp hearts

1 cup raw cacao powder

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp stevia powder

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup wheat grass powder

1 cup pitted honey dates
25 drops peppermint essential oil

1/2 cup coconut butter

1/2 cup coconut oil

directions:

1. combine the first set of ingredients (up to not including the dates) and process until fully powdered

2. add the  pitted honey dates (check for pits) and pulse until completely chopped

3. add the coconut butter and pulse until combined

4. add the coconut oil and pulse until combined

5. press into a silicone pan (I use 2 square ones), and score into pieces

6. chill or freeze until set

7. break along score marks and store in airtight containers in the fridge

Savoury Tomato Chickpea Flour Cake

It's kinda like polenta.

ingredients:


2 cup carrot
4 cups sweet potato
1 medium onions



2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 tsp sea salt
black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
3 cups water tomato sauce
1 cup water

1/2 cup raw cashews ground
1/4 cup raw white sesame seeds, ground


1/4 cup ground chia seeds
1/4 cup ground flax meal
1 tsp sea salt
black pepper


2 cups chick pea flour

1/2 tsp baking soda



directions:

1. process the veggies in a food processor until course
2. add the veggies to a pan with coconut oil, salt, pepper, and 3 cups tomato sauce
3. once veggies are cooked to softness, add in the seeds, chickpea flour, and baking soda
4. mix with a whisk!
5.
6. pour into a greased 3 L glass baking dish
7. bake at 375 for 60 minutes

Chocolate School Muffins Again -- This time with a soupçon of orange ...

Chocolate muffins are the clear and ahead leaders when it comes to my son's taste buds. Here's a riff on the original chocolate school muffin. Next time, I think I'll skip the black sesame ....

ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil (organic and unrefined)

1 cup pitted honey dates

2 cups hot water

1 tbsp vanilla extract

4 eggs

1/2 cup raw cacao

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1tsp ceylon cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt
10 drops orange essential oil
1/8 tsp stevia powder

4 tbsp ground chia seeds

1/2  cup ground pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup of ground sunflower seeds

1/2 cup hemp seeds 

1/4 cup ground flax

1/4 cup ground black sesame seeds

1 cup shredded coconut -- ground

1/2 tsp baking soda

directions:

1. combine the dates, coconut oil, and hot water. Let sit for 10 minutes. Then, puree with an immersion blender. Alternately, you can use a food processor, or a regular blender.

2. add the cacao, vanilla, salt, ground chia seeds, ground pumpkin seeds (or sunflower seeds), hemp seeds, ground flax, ground seseame seeds and blend again

3. add the baking soda and blend

4. add the eggs and blend

4. stir in the ground shredded coconut

5. scoop into prepare muffin cups and bake at 345 for 45 minutes

Savoury Chickpea Flour Dinner Cake -- gluten free, vegan, and super delicious

ingredients:

For my four year old, this strikes the same place in his belly as a square of lasagna would, and he devours it both with gusto and greed. It's a good little piece to build a meal around if you are so inclined, bring some terrific veggies and lots of good vegetarian protein and fat to the equation. Tonight we will side it with some baked squash, some broccoli, and some homemade purple sauerkraut.


2 cup shredded carrot
4 cups shredded sweet potato
2 medium onions, finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 tsp sea salt
black pepper


1/2 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
1 tsp chili pepper
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 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 90 minutes

Chocolate Energy Bars -- Sunflower seeds and hemp hearts

If my son could, he'd subsist on these. Fortunately, there's actually nothing in these he should be eating, so I don't mind throwing a few in his lunch box every day. As he watches the other kids eating their jello and rice crispy marshmallow treats, he actually pities them they don't get to have these. 

ingredients:

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup raw hemp hearts

1/4 cup ground sesame seeds -- black

1 cup raw cacao powder

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp stevia powder

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup pitted honey dates

1/2 cup coconut butter

1/2 cup coconut oil

directions:

1. combine the first set of ingredients (up to not including the dates) and process until fully powdered

2. add the pitted honey dates (check for pits) and pulse until completely chopped

3. add the coconut butter and pulse until combined

4. add the coconut oil and pulse until combined

5. press into a silicone pan (I use 2 square ones), and score into pieces

6. chill or freeze until set

7. break along score marks and store in airtight containers in the fridge

Shape Cookies for School -- vegan, sugar free, nut free, grain free, gluten free

It's my son's first school Hallowe'en party, and I thought I'd send some healthy treats with him. I noticed that his friends all eat lunches almost entirely comprised of sugar -- white bread sandwiches, jello, packaged rice crispy bars, chocolate chips, packaged cookies, and juice by the gallon -- so I figured if these taste too healthy, they will wind up in the garbage. I upped the sweetness factor with some white stevia powder, but stuck to ground seeds and coconut flour. I think the taste is terrific, and hopefully the cute shapes will go a long way to winning over the raging sugar-food addicts that are my son's classmates. My son thinks they are delicious, and we made pumpkin shapes. Hopefully, success ...

ingredients:

1 cup boiling water
1 cup dates
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp egg replacer + 1/2 cup water

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp ground vanilla
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
black pepper
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp white stevia powder

1 cup raw cacao powder
2 tbsp carob powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1 cup ground shredded coconut
1/4 cup ground chia seeds
1/2 cup finely ground sunflower seeds
1/2 cup finely ground hemp hearts

1/2 cup coconut flour


directions:

1. combine the hot water with the dates, add the coconut oil and set aside for 10 minutes
2. add the egg replacer mixed with water and puree with a hand blender
3. add the apple cider vinegar, sea salt, vanilla, cinnamon, pepper, coconut sugar, and stevia, and puree
4. add the raw cacao and the carob, and blend
5. mix in the baking soda
6. add the ground flax seeds, ground shredded coconut and ground chia seeds, and mix in by hand.
7. add the coconut flour, and mix well
8. place the dough on a piece of parchment paper, wrap, and put in an airtight container in the fridge for a few hours
9. preheat the oven to 345 once dough is chilled
10. roll out the dough in small portions between 2 sheets of parchment paper
11. cut with your favourite cookie cutters
12. bake at 345 for 14 minutes +-
13. cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container

Savoury Chickpea flour and Carrot Dinner Cake -- gluten free, grain free, vegan

In as much time as it takes to grate a few veggies, this dish can be prepped and thrown in the oven. I cheated and used the grater blade on my food processor this time because I was in a big hurry to get it into the oven. I've been really into chickpea flour lately, but the simplicity of this dish makes it a winner as well as delicious. Great for siding other things, or as a meal in itself.

ingredients:

2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups shredded sweet potato

2 tsp extra virgin coconut oil
2 cups water warm
2 cups chickpea flour
1/2 cup ground flax seeds

1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp marjoram
1/2 tsp granulated garlic


1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 cups shredded carrots

2 cups shredded sweet potato

directions:

1. combine the batter ingredients with a whisk
2. add the shredded veggies
3. add the baking soda
4. add the apple cider vinegar
5. pour into a greased 3L glass baking dish and bake at 345 for 90 minutes

Chocolate Orange -- yes, be jealous!! -- another school snack

Chocolate and Orange? What the what? It's just, I wanted to!!!

ingredients:

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raw hemp hearts

1/4 cup ground sesame seeds -- black

1 cup raw cacao powder

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp stevia powder

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1 cup shredded coconut

1 1/2   tsp orange extract or 1 tsp peppermint extract

1 cup pitted honey dates

1/2 cup coconut butter

1/2 cup coconut oil

directions:

1. combine the first set of ingredients (up to not including the dates) and process until fully powdered

2. add the orange extract and pitted honey dates (check for pits) and pulse until completely chopped

3. add the coconut butter and pulse until combined

4. add the coconut oil and pulse until combined

5. press into a silicone pan (I use 2 square ones), and score into pieces

6. chill or freeze until set

7. break along score marks and store in airtight containers in the fridge

Savoury Movie Snacks -- gluten free, grain free, healthy options

My son announced to me that he would like to eat these during our 'family movie' night. Our family movie night ritual involves eating snacks while watching a movie that we take turns picking. When my husband picks, it's usually some classic like Swiss Family Robinson or The Nutty Professor. When my son picks, it's generally something he's seen before like Bolt or Robots. When I pick, it's usually something questionable like A Dolphin's Tale (that turned out to be pretty moving) or Big Miracle that involves animals in need and people who care enough to try to help them, or people in need and the animals that try to help them.

Movie snacks are along the lines of popcorn or breakfast cereal flakes or grapes, but for some reason my son became fixated on these for movies snacks. So: garlicky savoury goodness it is. I'm not gonna complain.

They don't just have to be for movies. I just ate one for breakfast.

ingredients:

3 cups water

6 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

4 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

4 tsp chili powder

4 tbsp mesquite powder

3 tsp granulated garlic powder

1 tbsp oregano flakes

1 tbsp marjoram

1 tbsp basil

black pepper

1/4 tsp chipotle powder

1 1/2 cup flax meal

1 1/2 cup shredded coconut, ground up

1/4 cup chia seeds, ground

6 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

3 cups almond flour

directions:

1. combine the ingredients in the order listed

2. pour into a greased 3 L baking dish

3. bake at 345 for 75 minutes

4. when fully cooled, can be sliced into quarters length-wise, then thinly sliced width-wise, laid single layer on cookie sheet, and baked at 250 for 180 minutes or until they are completely dry and crunchy.

crunchy spicy savoury snackiness ...

More School Muffins -- gluten free, grain free, nut free, apple-y goodness

More nut free muffins. After the success of last week's carrot and raisin muffins, I thought I'd try shredding apple to add to these. I used sunflower seeds and coconut flour in these ones, and the taste is wonderful. The texture is delicate, and they are very moist. Variety is the spice of life, or so I've heard.

ingredients:

2 cups water
1 cup dates
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1 tbsp lemon juice

4 eggs

1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp saigon cinnamon
1 tsp korintje cinnamon
1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup ground flax meal
1/4 cup ground chia
1/2 cup ground sunflower seeds
1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup coconut flour

2 cups shredded apple

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the dates, coconut oil, and warm water and let sit for 15 minutes

2. puree with with a hand blender

3. add the eggs, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and carob, and blend again

4. stir in the  chia seeds, flax meal, shredded coconut, sunflower seeds, baking soda, and coconut flour

5. stir in the shredded apple

5. scoop the batter into prepare muffin cups

6. bake at 345 for 50 minutes

School Chocolate Energy Bars -- no nuts!

Seeing as he is a raging chocolate addict, these little morsels please my son tremendously. The versions I make for home -- with almonds or almonds and peanut butter -- are verboten for school. However, the substitution of such goodies as pumpkin seeds and hemp hearts gives us super foods aplenty to replace our longed for tree nuts.

Now that I'm upping my game to contend with the school snack programme, I'm trying to bribe my son into forgetting the taste of the jam sandwiches he was given everyday at school without me knowing ... 

Call me crazy, but I just don't think kids need to eat junky food everyday for snacks. I don't think it fuels them, and I don't think it does them any favours. 

Now, I'll stop this post before I type out en entire dialogue between a chocolate energy-bar and a jam sandwich ...

ingredients:

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup raw hemp hearts

1/4 cup ground sesame seeds -- black

1 cup raw cacao powder

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp stevia powder

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup pitted honey dates

1/2 cup coconut butter

1/2 cup coconut oil

directions:

1. combine the first set of ingredients (up to not including the dates) and process until fully powdered

2. add the pitted honey dates (check for pits) and pulse until completely chopped

3. add the coconut butter and pulse until combined

4. add the coconut oil and pulse until combined

5. press into a silicone pan (I use 2 square ones), and score into pieces

6. chill or freeze until set

7. break along score marks and store in airtight containers in the fridge