Crunchy Almond Butter Bites

These are best friends with peanut butter bites. They are ridiculously yummy but not as in your face. Nobody is as in your face as peanut butter. Even with the freezer door shut, I can hear the peanut butter bites yelling 'In Your Face'. Not the almond butter bites though. They are mannerly and refined.

equipment needed:
mixing bowl and mixing spoon
scraper and plastic spatula
measuring cups
measuring spoon
square silicone pan or square glass pan and baking parchment


ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut nectar
1/2 cup smooth almond butter

1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean

 2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup hemp hearts
1/4 cup buckwheat groats
1/4 cup dates, pitted and chopped


directions:
1. combine the coconut nectar with the almond butter and mix in the sea salt and ground vanilla bean
2. stir in the shredded coconut and hemp hearts
3. stir in the buckwheat groats
4. stir in the chopped dates
5. press with great force into the square pan. I like to cover it with parchment whilst pressing so it doesn't end up on my hands, but that's just me.
6. score into bites
7. chill or freeze
8. remove from pan and store in an airtight container (I keep mine in the freezer)

Crunchy Peanut Butter Bites V 2.0

The irony of these bites is that they are made with smooth peanut-butter. That smooth organic peanut butter you can buy in bulk at the bulk barn. It should really be a controlled substance. Maybe it's just me? I think it is highly addictive. The crisp toothsome joy of these bites is not alas from perfectly roasted peanut pieces. Rather, it comes from raw buckwheat groats which are delicate enough to yield under slight pressure, but keep their encouraging crunchiness when made into bites.

Don't skimp on the sea salt, friends.

Unless you use salted peanut butter.

equipment needed:
mixing bowl
mixing spoon
scraper
measuring cups
measuring spoons
silicone square pan or glass pan lined with parchment
plastic spatula


ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut nectar
1/2 cup smooth organic peanut butter

1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean

2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup hemp hearts
1/4 cup buckwheat groats
1/4 cup dates, pitted and chopped


directions:
1. combine the coconut nectar with the peanut butter and mix in the sea salt and ground vanilla bean
2. stir in the shredded coconut and hemp hearts
3. stir in the buckwheat groats
4. stir in the chopped dates
5. press with great force into the square pan. I like to cover it with parchment whilst pressing so it doesn't end up on my hands, but that's just me.
6. score into bites
7. chill or freeze
8. remove from pan and store in an airtight container (I keep mine in the freezer)

Fall crockpot

Since it finally feels like fall, I felt like making this. The rich, savoury flavours are both delicious and comforting. And if you are not familiar with seitan, it's a toothsome, chewy, dense food made primarily from the protein in wheat. So obviously, not for those with gluten intolerance or wheat allergy! This crockpot is great without it, so that part is totally optional. I added some chickpea flour to my seitan this time because I am totally a chickpea flour fan. A last minute addition of oven crisped chickpea flour tofu when the crockpot is finished would also be good, or chunks of tofu for extra heartiness when you fire up the crockpot. We ate this with oven roasted potato wedges one day, and with brown basmati another. Versatile, hearty, and perfect for fall.

equipment needed:
crockpot
 (or cook in a large pot on the stove, no prob)
measure cups
measuring spoons
cutting board
knife
mixing bowl
mixing spoon


ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 cups green cabbage, finely diced

2 cups uncooked green lentils, rinsed

2 cups chopped celery hearts
2 cups diced carrot

4 dried shiitake mushrooms


4 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp herbe de provence
1 tsp cumin

8 cups water


directions:

1. layer all ingredients in order listed -- that's my crockpot secret for you.



---------------------
for seitan:

1 cup gluten flour
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1 tsp vegetable bouillon powder (or sea salt, herbs, and seasonings to your taste e.g. 1/2 tsp sea salt, some marjoram, basil or oregano, some chili powder or garlic powder etc -- I was in a hurry hence the bouillon powder)
1 1/2 cup water


directions:
1. combine chickpea flour, gluten flour and seasonings, and mix well
2. add water and mix well
3. knead
4. roll flat, and place on top of other ingredients in crockpot.

--------------------------

finally:
1. cook the concoction on high in crock pot for 5 hours
2. remove the seitan and cut into cubes
3. remove the mushrooms and cut into pieces
4. return the mushrooms and seitan to the crockpot, stir, and let cook for 1 final hour


This is a dish that tastes great the next day. It's really good as soon as it's made, but don't worry about making it ahead if that's more convenient.

Also would be great with some crusty bread for soaking up any residual (and delicious) broth.

pea crackerrrrrsssss

For realsies, these are one of my favourite nibbles. I just love that green pea flavour! These ones are so savoury and yummy, too. I've made them with just salt and pepper, and those are amazing, no joke.

Crackers are so easy to make at home. The secret is to score them before baking, and if they don't end up crisp enough, dehydrate them extra after you finish baking on a heat that is too low to brown them more but will drive out the moisture.

Totally fine for school, totally tasty for kids.

equipment needed:

2 silicone mats or baking parchment

2 baking sheets

rolling pin

mixing bowl

mixing spoon

measuring cups

measuring spoons

ingredients:

2 cups pea flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch

3/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp mesquite

1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar


1/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup water (a couple tbsp more)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar



salt to sprinkle on top (optional)

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine dry ingredients, then work the coconut oil in using a fork
2. add water and vinegar and mix into dough
3. divide the dough into two pieces
4. roll out each piece onto a silicone baking mat, by covering the dough with a piece of parchment,
5. score into cracker shapes, and sprinkle with salt
6.bake at 345 for 20 minutes

crackerrrrrrs

I love crackers. Crunchy, savoury little nibbles. My fave are the ones made with green pea flour. This are also awesome. Almond flour, coconut flour, and pea flour. You know what that means? Means they are good for you.

These ones are no good for school (obvi) but they sure taste good for a snack at home. Or have a small handful with an apple for a quicky lunch. I love chili powder more than I should, so these are awesome for me.

equipment needed:

silicone baking mats or parchment

rolling pin

baking sheets

mixing bowl

mixing spoon

measuring cups

measuring spoons

ingredients:

1 cup blanched almond flour
1 cup raw almond flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 cup green pea flour
1/4 cup coconut flour

1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp chili powder
dash stevia powder
1 tsp baking soda
(optional 2 tbsp nutritional yeast)

4 tbsp coconut oil

1 cup water
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar




directions:

1. combine in order listed -- work the coconut oil in using a fork before adding the water
2. roll flat on 2 pieces of baking parchment or 2 silicone baking mats
3. place on baking trays and score with a plastic spatula or something like that to make lines along which to break after baking
4. bake at 345 for 30 minutes
5. bake at 200 for 60 minutes

Crunchy Peanut Butter Bites**

We have a freezer full of decadent tasting little bites and balls that make a perfect quick snack. Cacao and date balls, almond butter balls, and crunchy peanut butter bites are in the rotation right now. The thing they all have in common is they are no-bake, raw, and can be whipped up pretty quickly.

My husband is a crunchy peanut butter bite addict.

It's not the peanut butter that is crunchy, it's the bites that are. And the secret, dear friends, is raw buckwheat groats. Have you ever seen one? They are the cutest little things. These tiny, triangular seed, from a type of grass. Grass! Not wheat. Anyway, buckwheat groats can be eaten raw, and are irresistible in these little bites.

The hardest part of this recipe is stirring at the end because it gets a little stiff. Second hardest is waiting until they chill and firm up.


For the peanut butter lovers in your life!!

equipment needed:

mixing bowl
mixing spoon
measuring cups
measuring spoons
silicone pans or glass pans lined with parchment
parchment to flatten down the mixture into the pan
spatula or other thin, blunt edge to cut into bites


ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut nectar
1 cup organic smooth peanut butter (I favour the one from bulk barn, which is lightly salted)
1 cup of shredded coconut
1/2 cup of hemp hearts
1/2 cup of raw buckwheat groats

(a pinch or two of sea salt if your peanut butter is unsalted)


directions:

1. stir together the coconut nectar and peanut butter in a mixing bowl. mix in the salt now if you are adding some.
2. stir in the shredded coconut
3. stir in the hemp hearts
4. stir in the buckwheat groats.
5. if you are using a square silicone pan, put the mixture in and press down. I find a piece of parchment helpful for this part.
6. if you are using a glass pan, line it with parchment before you put the mixture in. Press down!
7. using a blunt edged spatula, cut the pressed mixture before chilling
8. put in the freezer to chill
9. Remove the bites from the pan and store in an airtight container.

Maple Vanilla Baby Cakes

Sometimes people ask me for recipes and then I realize that the only thing I have that's remotely like what they are looking for is way too complicated and esoteric. Ugh. So, when an awesome neighbour (who usually bakes with very traditional ingredients) asked me for a cupcake recipe that was sweetened with maple syrup, I could have sent her a recipe that involved 12 different types of flour. But I thought that would be mean. So instead I came up with this one, that uses kamut flour and tapioca starch. Simpler. Few ingredients. Quick to mix up. Super tasty. Taste Testers: The Kid and The Husband (who by the way never leaves his socks lying around) snarfed 3 of them before I could ask them how they were. In my husbands words: "They were so terrible I had to have another just to make sure. And then another. Terrible."

They are this perfect mix of plain and delicious.

equipment:

1. kettle
2. mixing bowl
3. mixing spoon
4. whisk
5. measuring cups
6. measuring spoons
7. cupcake or muffin cups -- I use the silicone ones on a baking sheet, but you can use a muffin pan lined with papers if you prefer!
8. oven


ingredients:

a)
1 1/2 cups of water (warmed up a little but not hot)
2 tbsp coconut oil (the warm water will melt it)
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp raw apple cider vinegar

b)
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 1/2 cups kamut flour

c)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean (optional but awesome)
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
(you can use 2 tsp baking powder instead of cream of tartar and baking soda)



directions:

1. preheat the oven to 345!
2. in a mixing bowl, combine the warm water and coconut oil and let the coconut oil melt
3. add the rest of the ingredients from part a)
4. using a whisk, mix in the ingredients from part b)
5. still whisking, mix in the ingredients from part c)
6. scoop the batter into muffin cups, leaving room for them to rise
7. bake at 345 for 25-30 minutes, or until the top springs back when gently pressed

made 20 quite small cakes

Allow to cool and then store in an airtight container!

Easy Peasy Super Wholesome Trail Mix Cookie Bars***

September 1? WTF? How on earth did that happen?

With images of empty lunch boxes blurring my vision, poking at my psyche, and taunting me today, I started to think about nutritionally dense snacks.  I had a bunch of overripe bananas nagging me, and these cookie bars coalesced in my imagination.  They are simple -- really just mashed banana with ground chia, a little tapioca, shredded coconut, and large oat flakes. A few seasonings, a few mix-ins for flair, and presto here we are. But I have to tell you -- they are really delicious. A huge hit both with my kiddo and my dh.

equipment:

coffee grinder for chia seeds, or buy ready ground
hand blender for mashing bananas, or use a fork
2 x 8 inch silicone pans
1 baking sheet to put the pans on
measuring spoons
measuring cups
mixing bowl
mixing spoon
oven


a) base:
2 cups mashed banana (I used my hand blender but a fork will do, too.)

b) seasoning and leavening:
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon (or 1/2 tsp other cinnamon)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar

(or substitute 2 tsp baking powder  for the baking soda and cream of tartar!!)

c) batter:
1/4 cup ground chia seeds
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 cup shredded coconut
2 cups large flake rolled oats

d) add ins:
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)


directions:

preheat your oven to 345!

1. combine your mashed banana with the ingredients from group b)
2. mix in the ingredients from group c) in that order, stirring after each addition.
3. mix in your mix-ins. Don't be afraid to mix it up!!
4. divide into 2 silicone square pans
5. press it down really well
6. bake at 345 for 40 minutes
7. Allow to cool slightly then cut into bars -- gingerly. I used the blunt edge of a spatula, careful not to destroy either the bars or my silicone pans.
8. when fully cool, store in an airtight containers in the fridge