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

Almonds roasted with lime and chill

So, these aren't so much roasted as dehydrated. They still taste more raw. If you prefer a roasty flavour, boost the temp a little. I preferred to keep the keep the nutritional profile intact, if you know what I mean. 

raw unpasteurized almonds

apple cider vinegar
lime juice

chili powder
black pepper
mesquite powder
sea salt

1. toss the almonds with lime juice and apple cider vinegar
2. add chili powder, black pepper, mesquite, and sea salt and toss thoroughly
3. taste, and adjust seasonings if needed
4. lay out on a lined baking sheet and bake at 170 degrees for 3 hours, then turn off oven and let cool down
5. store in an airtight container

Vegetable and Lentil Soup -- vegan, satisfying, delicious dinner

So, here, once again, we are. Crockpot working hard and me resting on my laurels. Papa Ed is coming over tomorrow, and apparently he likes lentil soup. So, I made some. The thing is, the flavour combination in this is extraordinary. It's definitely more than the sum of its parts. Wish I could share it with you. This makes a batch big enough to fill my crockpot. If yours is little, divide the recipe in half. Or make the whole thing and invite someone over to share. So good.

ingredients:

3 tbsp extra virgin unrefined organic coconut oil
2 tbsp finely minced garlic
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
2 cups very finely chopped green cabbage

2 cups du puy lentils

2 cups frozen green peas

1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup coconut butter

2 cups diced carrots

6 cups diced sweet potatoes

1 cup diced broccoli hearts

4 tsp sea salt
2 tbps oregano
black pepper

9 cups water (I add boiling)

2 tbsp lime juice


directions:

1. layer the ingredients in the order listed, reserving the lime juice
2. cook (I did it on High for 4 hours)
3. turn off and add the lime juice, stirring thoroughly to make sure the coconut butter and almond butter are fully incorporated
4. serve or let the flavour mature and serve the next day
5. I will definitely serve this with homemade rolls or garlic bread. But it would be great with not-bread toast (plain or savoury) as well.

Mother's day vegetable salad

I like a light salad of sliced and chopped vegetables. I kept the dressing very simple with a dash of lemon juice, a sprinkle of sea salt, and a quick grind of black pepper. Bedded on a few leaves of baby spinach, this little salad added a refreshing counter point to the savoury dishes of our luncheon.

ingredients:

2 medium carrots, finely sliced into rounds
a few handfuls of grape tomatoes, quartered
3 stalks of celery hearts, finely sliced
2 small avocadoes, diced
a few handfuls of baby spinach, cut into ribbons
a baby cucumber

sea salt
black pepper
lime juice


directions:

1. combine all the vegetables in a bowl
2. dress with lime juice, sea salt, and black pepper to taste

Soup with Coconut milk and Lime Juice -- vegan and delicious

This is kind of a big cheat loosely based on a list of ingredients for soup someone once said was their fave. I made it up as I went along, and have cheated pretty much the whole way. 

But, if you don't mind me saying: yummy


This was one of those times when my reckless experimentation proved wholly successful.


For my husband it reminds him of his favourite green curry from up the street, but sans heat. For me it's just a complex melding of many many flavours into a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Yay!! I love alchemy.

making the broth:

ingredients:

12 cups water

dried shiitake mushrooms sliced 1 cup

dried kombu -- 1 piece 6  inches by 8 inches

add

sea salt and black pepper

fennel seed

peanut butter 2 tbsp

coconut milk 1 can

lime juice 2 tbsp

salt 

black pepper

chili powder or chile pepper flakes

directions:

1. In a large pot place a large sheet of kombu (dashi kombu -- a kind of seaweed for making broth) and a cup of sliced dried mushrooms

2. add sea salt, black pepper, and fennel seed, and 6+ cups of boiling water

3. simmer for 1 hour and then let sit until it cools

4. remove the sea weed and the mushrooms, and strain the broth

5. to 6 cups of strained broth add 1 can (400ml) coconut milk, 2 tbsp peanut butter (smooth), 2 tbsp lime juice, and salt and pepper/ chili powder to taste

to serve the soup:

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups broccoli florets in small pieces

1 1/2 cups steamed gluten -- cut into small pieces. You can substitute tofu if you prefer 

1 cup bamboo shoots sliced

1 cup water chestnuts sliced

1 1/2 cups nappa cabbage sliced into small pieces
1/2 cup carrot sliced

4 tbsp each green onion, basil leaves, and chilantro leaves finely chopped

To serve:

1. Bring the finished 6 cups of broth to a simmer, and adjust seasoning with lime juice, salt, and pepper. Feel free to add chili pepper flakes if you don't have a three year old

2. add nappa cabbage and carrot pieces and simmer for 10 minutes

2. add bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and gluten

3. let simmer for 10 more minutes
4. add broccoli and simmer for 5 minutes

5. add basil leaves, chilantro leaves, and green onion, turn off the heat and let sit 2 minutes

5. serve, making sure you get some of each of the goodies into each bowl.

It really is pretty darn fabulous.

Roasted Fennel, Jicama, and Apple Salad -- Refreshing and yummy

Our organic box included something I have never used: fennel. In addition, I had picked up a jicama when I happened to come across one. So, I thought it would be fun to see what I could do. The result was a refreshing, crunchy, and tasty salad that went nicely with our oven roasted potatoes.

ingredients:

preheat oven to 345

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 fennel, bulb cut into slices, then halves of slices

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 jicama, peeled and cut into 'matchsticks'

1 pink lady apple, cut into 'matchsticks' (or granny smith)

1 piñata apple, cut into 'matchsticks' (or royal gala)

2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp lime juice

3/8 tsp sea salt

directions:

1. melt the coconut oil in your baking pan by placing it in the preheating oven for a few minutes

2. add the fennel and 1/4 tsp sea salt, and toss well

3. bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until fennel is done

4. combine apples, jicama, and fennel, and toss to coat everything with the oil from the baking fennel

5. add the honey, lime juice, and sea salt, and toss well

6. add the parsley, and toss well

I found the roasted fennel to be sublime, and the jicama to be interesting. In future, I might try skipping the jicama, and add some oven roasted beet for contrast ... or perhaps oven roasted black radish.

The salad was enjoyed very much by all ages, including the unpredictable three year old, and my dear husband who has the tongue of a twelve year old.

Rainbow Chard and Zucchini Saute

We decided to try a 2-box trial from an organic produce delivery company. We received our second box and found in it as well there was a bunch of rainbow chard. So pretty. Sadly, I'm the only person in my house who will eat it. 

I decided to do a quick saute with zucchini and the chard, and it was quite pretty.

ingredients:

1 bunch rainbow chard, washed and cut width-wise into thin strips and ribbons

2 small zucchinis, quartered and sliced

3 organic unsulphured apricots, finely chopped

1 tbsp almond butter

1 tbsp ginger finely minced

sea salt

black pepper

lime juice

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp hemp seeds, shelled

directions:

1. saute the zucchini in the coconut oil, and add the ginger, almond butter, a little sea salt, blackpepper, and a bit of lime juice.

2. add the chard, and toss well, cooking until hot through but not soggy. Be careful not to over cook the chard or it will be soggy and lose its colour.

3. take off the heat and toss with the hemp seeds

Little Lime Cookies -- gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, and optionally vegan

As I am always on the trail of the elusive perfect cookie -- health speaking -- I made these. They are a sweet and tasty treat that will please a moderate sweet tooth but won't spike your blood sugar. They are gluten free, dairy free, high in protein, and made with sugar alternatives that are low on the glycemic index and good for your health. In addition to being high in protein because they are made with almond flour and coconut flour, they are also made with ground chia seeds, which in addition to being a nutritional power-house, have an almost miraculously stabilizing effect on blood sugar. And the cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar as well, in addition to being a yummy flavour boost.

Our friends Kim, Brooke, and Claire joined us for an afternoon of games followed by a pizza dinner. This presents a good challenge to me because in addition to being a diabetic, Brooke as well as Kim have a selective diet. So, I always feel like I've attained quite a success when Brooke pronounces something I've made as tasting good. He's always amazed the treats I can offer him that won't adversely affect his blood sugar.

I whipped up a batch of oven roasted cashews, these little lime cookies, a couple of pizzas, a big bowl of sauteed broccoli, and chased it all with some chocolate 'ice cream' that is so creamy and rich and yummy you'd never guess it's good for you.

ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup coconut nectar
1 egg (or 1 tsp egg replacer + 2 tbsp water)

1 1/2 tsp ground vanilla (or 1 tbsp vanilla extract)
2 tsp cinnamon (ceylon or other)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup finely ground chia seeds (aka salba seeds)

1 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup coconut flour

coconut sugar or xylitol for rolling (optional)


directions:

1. preheat the oven to 345
2. warm the coconut oil to melt it
3. mix the coconut oil, coconut nectar, lime juice
4. add the egg or egg replacer mixed with water
5. add the sea salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and chia seed
6. stir in the almond flour
7. stir in the baking soda
8. finally add the coconut flour, and mix thoroughly
9. make the dough into small balls, and roll each ball in a saucer of either coconut sugar or xylitol
10. flatten each ball onto a lined baking sheet
11. bake at 345 for 20 minutes

makes one baking sheet full -- cookie size can vary according to your preference

Broccoli and Gluten Make Friends with Cashew -- Broccoli and Gluten Stir-fry

IT'S LIKE A PARTY IN MY CERAMIC STIR-FRY PAN

I had some gluten left over from making it the other day, and broccoli left over from last night's oven roasted broccoli that we ate with the samosas. I decided to turn them into a stir fry, with which we topped some whole grain red cargo rice. My husband and I both thought it tasted great -- I'd buy that in a restaurant kind of yummy. My toddler spat it out. You can't please all of the people all of the time, apparently. :-/

ingredients:

2 cups of gluten, cut into bite sized pieces

2 cups of broccoli

1/2 cup of cashews (we only had raw, so that's what I used)

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp almond butter

1 tbsp organic tamari

1 tbsp maple syrup

a dash lime juice

2 or 3 cups of cooked rice

directions:

1. heat the coconut oil over low heat in a saute pan

2. add the cashews (you can cook these a bit before adding the next ingredients if you prefer them toasty)

3. add the gluten

4. add the seasonings

5. stir together, cover, and let cook over low heat for a few minutes, until bubbly and hot. This would be a good time to adjust the seasoning, if the flavour is not to your liking. Perhaps an extra dash of tamari?

6. add the broccoli. If it is already cooked, stir to combine and heat, then serve. If it is raw, stir to combine, then cover and cook for a few minutes longer, until the broccoli reaches your desired texture.

7.  spoon over bowls of rice of your choice

8. serves 2 adults and one recalcitrant toddler

Yum.