I will admit that this appetizer is not exactly the most attractive looking dish. I mean its green, and there is not much you can do to it to make it attractive. You could add a few springs of cilantro for a garnish , which is even more green :) But it is delicious as well as healthy so its ok in my book.
I try to eat lentils on a regular basis, and I do love them, but the idea of making a healthy dip that I could serve to guests or take to a party is appealing to me. I like to show people that they can eliminate the unhealthy stuff and eat well.
This dip is good on crackers and pita chips, but I would also serve it with veggie crudites, and perhaps spread on a sandwich.
Ingredients:
3 cups veggie broth
1 cup green lentils
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp ground cumin
pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 cup cilantro
pinch sweet paprika
In a saucepan combine the broth, lentils, bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to very low heat for 45 minutes. Uncover and allow to cool. Discard the bay leaf.
Put the lentils in the food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Chill and serve.
Who knew quinoa could be so darn good in pancakes? I was shocked how well these came out. And my husband loved them so these are a keeper. I will never make regular pancakes again!
I did not develop this recipe, it is from Jeanette's Healthy Living. This woman must be a genius! I've got to give credit where it's due.
Almond flour is a great substitute for white or whole wheat flour and I love using it. I buy it from Trader Joes and keep it in a freezer bag in the freezer. It will go bad quickly and this way I keep it fresh longer. I just take out the amount I need for a recipe and return the rest to the freezer. You can grind the almond meal a little more to make it lighter like a flour but I used it they way it is and it was fine.
I also found out that when I blended the batter in the vitamix it was extremely thick and hard to blend. The reaction is to add more milk, but if you do the pancakes will be too thin, more like a crepe, and they are extremely hard to flip. So try to keep the batter a little on the thick side. I also cooked mine in Ghee although the original recipe calls for coconut oil. I just prefer my pancakes cooks in butter for the flavor.
I also served mine with a small amount of butter, hot syrup, and freshly sliced strawberries. Any type of fresh berry would be delish.
Ingredients for pancakes:
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup almond flour, or meal
4 tbsp coconut oil
2 eggs
1/2 to 1 cup almond milk
4 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
Other ingredients:
Ghee
butter
maple syrup
fresh strawberries
Put all the pancake ingredients into a blender or vitamix and blend until smooth. Lightly grease a hot skillet and pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until brown, a couple of minutes, and very gently flip to other side and cook for about 1 minute more. Plate and top with butter, hot syrup and berries.
If you have issues with sugar, or are diabetic, serve without the syrup.
As I often do, I see a recipe and then later think about it and try to make it based on what I remember. This is one of those. Because of this, I don't have exact measurements. I just get in the kitchen and throw the stuff together and either it works or it doesn't. This one worked. And it worked well. These tomatoes were absolutely delicious!
It's summertime and the first thing I look for are local organic tomatoes. I like the farmers market the best and I can't get enough of them. This recipe is a great way to eat more tomatoes but not in the traditional sense. If you are lucky enough to have a garden full of tomatoes I know you are always looking for ways to use them up. You will love this.
Use large tomatoes. Cut the top off and reserve. Using a spoon, dig out some of the flesh from the tomato. Make just enough space for however much goat cheese you want to put into it.
In a small bowl, mix some goat cheese with some minced garlic, finely chopped basil, salt and pepper, and an egg. Add a bit of olive oil to make a smooth filing. Spoon it into the tomatoes. Put the top back on them, drizzle on some olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.
Roast on a baking sheet in a hot 425 degree oven for about 35 minutes. The cooking time may vary depending on how many you are making. Serve warm.
As you can see from the picture we like to eat outside. A glass of wine, a good meal, outside in nature with my hubby and dog, and I am a happy woman. Enjoy!
After making these I don't know that I will ever make artichokes any other way again. I loved these. Even if I don't use the same filling, cooking them this way makes it much easier and faster. I usually cook the whole artichoke in a pot of boiling water and it takes forever. Figuring out when they are done is also difficult so I tend to overcook them and then they fall apart. Cooking them this way allows you to tell very easily when they are done.
Ingredients:
Salt
2 large artichokes
1 large lemon
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp anchovy paste
1/2 cup black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
2 tbsp capers, drained and chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
Cut the lemon in half. Cut the artichokes in half lengthwise and using a paring knife remove the chokes. Trim the ends of the leaves with scissors to remove the spikes. Rub the cut sides with lemon. Add the lemon juice and the lemons to the pot of water, add the artichokes. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the artichokes are tender. You can test for this by using the tip of the paring knife. Allow to drain completely in a colander.
In a heavy skillet heat the butter and olive oil. Add the garlic and anchovy paste and stir, then add the artichokes face down. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes to get a slight brown on them. Turn over and cook another 4 minutes.
Preheat the broiler.
Arrange artichokes cut side up in the skillet and fill.
To make the filling: in a small bowl mix together the black olives, capers, breadcrumbs and cheese.
Cook under the broiler only a couple minutes to get a nice brown crust on them. Serve immediately.
I make my own breadcrumbs. I always keep good quality multigrain bread in my freezer. I remove a couple of pieces and allow them to defrost. Then I remove the crust, cut them up into small pieces and put them in the food processor and pulse until I get the desired crumb.
This was my first time cooking with chickpea flour and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I'm always looking for gluten free recipes, and recipes that I can eat similar to bread, since I can't eat bread anymore. This recipe seemed promising so I thought I'd give it a try.
About chickpea flour: It is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. It is a good source of dietary fiber, magnesium, copper, folate, and manganese. It is also a low glycemic food and therefore I would recommend this product to my diabetic clients.
This recipe makes 6 pieces and you can use a 11 x 7 inch baking dish or a baking sheet pan. Its nice if you cook it up thin so it's not too heavy. I like to top it with tomatoes that I normally make for brushetta, but use your imagination. I also roasted some asparagus one night and put that on top. I've also done a pan of caramelized onions then added that to the pan prior to cooking so it cooks up in the flat bread.
If I serve this as a meal I serve two pieces along with a salad. If I serve them as appetizers for a dinner party I serve one piece per person. If it's cocktails I cut them into much smaller pieces and serve as finger food. You can easily double this recipe and bake it on a baking sheet pan. You would increase the temp to 450 and cook for 35 to 40 minutes.
This takes a little advance planning as it has to sit for at least 2 hours before baking. I prefer to allow it to sit for 6 hours or even overnight. I think it enhances the flavor.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chickpea flour
3 cups warm water
1 tbsp sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
Pour the water into a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the chickpea flour, salt and pepper. Let stand at room temp for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Stir in the rosemary and olive oil.
Brush a sheet pan with olive oil then pour the batter into the pan. It should be solid when done and slightly brown.
Bake 40 minutes.
Cut into 6 pieces.
Tomato topping: Cut up two tomatoes into small dice and put into a bowl. Add 2 to 3 cloves of minced garlic, salt and pepper, a tbsp or more or chopped basil, and two tbsp olive oil. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to develop.
Another topping I would recommend would be grilled veggies.
You could also other items prior to cooking:
caramelized onions
bacon
prosciutto
additional herbs
garlic
cheese, pecorino, Parmesan etc.
greens like escarole
As you can see there are lots of things you can do with this recipe.
This recipe is so simple that you might think it doesn't have much flavor, but think again. The flavors are somewhat supple but when you taste the combination of flavors you realize it all comes together in a beautiful way.
Ingredients:
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
large handful of cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp green olives, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp lemon olive oil
Sea Salt
Rinse the quinoa well. In a small saucepan heat the broth, add the quinoa, bring to a boil, cover with lid slightly askew, then reduce to very low and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Keep cover on and allow to sit for 10 minutes. (This cooks similarly to rice.)
Put the quinoa into a mixing bowl. Toast pine nuts in a hot skillet until just slightly toasted. Add to bowl. Chop the cilantro and add to the bowl. Cut each olive into 4 pieces, add to the bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over the quinoa, catching any seeds. Add the salt and approximately 2 tbsp of lemon olive oil. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Allow to come to room temp before eating. If it gets somewhat dry, add a little more olive oil.
You can easily double this if you are serving more people or want to add this to a buffet. I like it for summer picnics. But then I like everything for summer picnics.
Spinach. I always have it in the house. I use it in omelets for breakfast and in smoothies. I make salads a lot so sometimes I use half spinach and half other greens. Gotta get my greens in every day. It contains fiber, protein, lots of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K which is hard to come by, and calcium. Buy it. Wash it. Eat it.
Ingredient amounts for salad are always tricky for me. I eye ball it. How much do I need to serve two people? Four people? This recipe will serve four so I make approximately half of it for the two of us. You have to be exact. Just through in however much of each ingredient you want.
If you want this to be vegetarian simply omit the bacon.
Ingredients:
4 beets
1 green apple
8 strips bacon
4 cups raw spinach
Walnuts, a handfull
4 tbsp Goat Cheese
Dressing:
2 tbsp Sherry vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
5 olive oil
Sea Salt
Pepper, freshly ground
Make sure the spinach has been washed, de-stemed, and chilled well. You do not want the spinach to wilt when you add the dressing. It needs to be cold and crunchy.
Wash the beets well, dry and place on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven on 400 degrees for 1 hour. Allow to cool. Peel and cut into wedges.
Cook the bacon. Cool and cut into small pieces.
Toast the walnuts in a saute pan until slightly brown. Cool and cut into small pieces
Make the dressing: combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well. Add enough salt and pepper to season the entire salad.
When ready to assemble cut the green apple into very thin slices.
Dress the spinach and plate it. Then sprinkle on walnuts and bacon, then pile on the beets and green apple. Top with approximately a tablespoons of goat cheese for each serving.
I've tried so many gluten free recipes over the past year. I'm sorry to say that most of them are not good. And some are worse, horrible! So when I made these muffins and they actually came out I knew I had to share the recipe with you.
For this recipe you will need to grind some rolled oats or buy a good quality oat flour. There is very little sugar in this recipe which is another reason why I like it so much. And with the addition of nuts they are especially satisfying.
Dry Ingredients:
2 cups old fashioned oats, gluten free
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Wet Ingredients:
4 very ripe bananas
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Grind the oats into flour using a Vitamix or other grain grinder.
Put all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
Puree the wet ingredients in a food processor just until smooth. Do not over blend.
Pour wet over dry ingredients and mix with a spatula. Do not over mix.
Fill muffin pan with papers, or use cooking spray, and fill 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 22 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin should come out clean when done.
Makes 12 muffins. These freeze well.
Options: you could also add some fruit to this recipe. Perhaps some fresh blueberries, or some finely grated green apple. You will need to increase the baking time however.
Original recipe from Forks over Knives.com
I could live on soup. It's warm, it's comforting, it's delicious. You can make soup out of anything, and I can make a big batch of it and have it ready to eat for days. You know my motto, cook once, eat twice!
I have a gluten intolerance so I've been experimenting with grains. Buckwheat is gluten free and it's a good replacement if you miss pasta like I do. And it's inexpensive. I go to the local Asian market and buy a package that contains about 7 or 8 bundles, which equates to enough for 7 or 8 meals, and it's only a few dollars.
This soup takes some preparation so get into the kitchen and do all your chopping. Once that is done it comes together very quickly. For me it's always the washing and slicing and dicing that takes up so much time and energy. I try to get his done early enough so that once we are hungry I can just get into the kitchen and this will be on the table in 10 minutes.
This soup is aromatic and great for cold and flu season. The mushrooms and ginger are immunity building!
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive or coconut oil
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
4 scallions
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 oz shitake mushrooms
1 small sweet potato
4 oz buckwheat noodles
1 baby bok choy
1 handful sugar snap peas
1/2 cup white miso
Lime wedges
coarse salt
Peel and very finely mince the ginger.
Slice the scallions and separate the white and green parts. You will use the white parts to saute into the soup and green parts as a garnish when its done.
Mince the garlic.
Clean and slice the mushrooms.
Peel the sweet potato and cut into 1 inch cubes.
Wash and slice the bok choy into 1 inch slices.
Prepare the sugar snap peas removing any strings.
Dissolve the miso in a small amount of hot water so its ready to pour into the soup.
Cut the limes in wedges.
In a medium pot heat the oil, add the ginger, scallion whites, and garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Do not burn the garlic. Add the sweet potatoes and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender about 6 to 8 minutes.
Meanwhile cook the buckwheat noodles according to package directions. Pour into a colander and allow to drain well.
To the soup add the bok choy, mushrooms, peas, cook 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and add the miso. You never want to boil miso. Cook one minute more keeping the veggies crisp tender.
To serve: Put noodles into the bowl, add some of the soup, top with the scallion greens and a wedge of lime.
Serves 4.
