nut, seed, & coconut granola. {grain-free & vegetarian}

26 January 2015

Happy belated New Year. I hope everyone had a beautiful, relaxing holiday with friends and family, I know that I certainly did. For the past few weeks, I felt a bit off the grid and I admit that it has taken me quite a bit of time to gain energy back and find a routine again.

Many of us create goals, formulate new habits, and make resolutions in the New Year, I have made a few as well. Since I now have job that requires me to sit many hours a day, I noticed a difference in my flexibility and feel stiffness in my joints and muscles. As a way to curb this detriment, I began doing Yoga in the morning, and have found that it is also a way to start a good habit and implement a beneficial morning routine. I have discovered that most days, I always have a 30-45 minutes to dedicate, and that I truly enjoy that time. What are some of your newest or most valued habits this year?

As far as nutrition, I have been been cooking from the heart and for comfort. This is my 4th granola recipe on WE.H., but for good reason--I have finally devised a delicious grain-free granola. Before I adopted a grain-free diet, I ate granola almost every morning (hence the 3 previous granola recipes). This recipe has been a blessing for busy mornings as it is easy to pack up for the go and sustains me until lunch. I have been eating it with almond milk or kefir, bananas and berries.

Nut, Seed, & Coconut Granola. 

makes about 5 cups

3 cups of raw nuts and seeds {I used 1 cup of almonds, 1 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup pumpkins seeds, 2 TBL sesame seeds, and 2 TBL chia seeds}
1 cup of unsweetened, shredded coconut

1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup raw honey {or maple syrup to make it vegan}
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract or the seeds from one pod, scraped out
a pinch of sea salt

1 1/2-2 cups dried fruit {I used equal amounts of organic apricots, dates, and Thompson raisins}

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or you can spray the baking sheet with oil).  
2. In a large bowl, whisk to combine oil, honey, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. 
3. Add the nuts, seeds, and coconut to a food processor. Blitz until everything is coarsely ground. This will be reminiscent to the oat-like texture of granola. Add the nut, seed, and coconut mixture into the bowl with wet ingredients. Stir until everything is evenly coated and spread evenly over the parchment paper. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the nuts & seeds begin to turn golden; stir occasionally. 
4. While the granola is in the oven, add the dried fruit into the food processor and blitz until roughly chopped (or you can do this with a knife). When the granola is done, take it out and stir in the fruit and let it cool on the baking sheet.*
5. Store in air tight container up to 3 weeks. 

*If you want the granola to be a little chunky & stuck together, pile the granola 1" thick to cool, then break apart.

happy eatings & cheers!

raw "caramel" dip.

3 November 2013

This sweet snack perfectly compliments slices of freshly cut apple slices. Since it is that time of year, this is a great treat to bring to work for an afternoon pick-me up. My work buddies spread this on "corn crisps" and on hunks of banana--so it can be versatile and not strictly for apple slices. This recipe is as easy as putting the ingredients in a blender or food processor--and voila! A healthy, autumn treat.

raw "caramel"

makes about 2 cups

Adapted from the Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

1 cup of raw cashews, soaked for 3 hours or up to overnight

1 cup of Medjool dates, pitted

1/4 cup raw honey (or if you want to go vegan you can use Maple syrup)

1/4-1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 TBL pure vanilla extract

a pinch of Maldon sea salt

apples of your choice...

1. To make the dip, drain and rinse the cashews then place them into a blender or food processor along with the dates, honey, 1/4 cup of the almond milk, vanilla, & salt. Blend until ultra smooth, scraping down the sides if needed. Add more milk, to get the creamy consistency you desire. 
2. Scoop into a small bowl and serve with sliced fresh apples.

happy eatings & cheers!

chocolate-almond brownies. {grain-free & vegetarian}

28 April 2013

It has been pretty nuts around here. Two weeks to graduation, & Jediah broke his foot last weekend. Needless, to say it has been non-stop around here. 

But, the snow has melted, the buds are out on the trees, the farmer's market is back outside with Spring greens, the sun is warm...so its not all bad. These brownies, are not bad either. They are damn tasty. 

These are my ode to the crack brownie. Okay, let me explain. My uncle is in a band, and every year they have a festival at the end of the summer. One of the nights, my aunt & I (Becca & Becky) were sitting backstage, ceaselessly eating these little brownie bites someone had brought from NYC. They didn't look particularly special, but they were so addictive, like crack (or so I hear). 

These chocolate-almond brownies are just as tasty, but are gluten-free, refined-sugar free, & even have a vegan option. They are super easy, & such a nice treat during those really insane times in your life. 

Chocolate-Almond Brownies. 

makes 12 brownies in a regular muffin tin or 24 mini-muffin brownies

Adapted from Slim Palate 

1 cup almond flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder 

1/4 tsp baking soda

a pinch of sea salt

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup neutral oil (like canola or grapeseed) or melted coconut oil

3 eggs, lightly beaten (if you want to go vegan, use 3 egg replacers, or 1 ripe banana mashed & add another 1/4 tsp of baking soda, or use 3 TBL of Vegenaise)

1 tsp of pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease your muffin tins with coconut oil (either the minis or the regular/ or line them).
2. In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda & sea salt. In a mixer combine oils and syrup. Slowly add your eggs (or substitutes). Add vanilla. 
3. Slowly add your dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Divide the batter evenly in the pans. Bake for 15 minutes, until the tops have risen & a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 
4. Once they are done, let them cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Then pop run a knife along the edges of the brownies & pop out (if you used liners, wait a few more minutes until you peel them all off). 
5. The brownies store the best in the refrigerator. They even taste better cold I think. 

Side Note: You can cook these in an 8x8" pan or an 8" cake pan instead of making them bites. If you do, you will need to cook them a little longer, about 25 minutes until the batter has set and when tested with a knife, it comes out clean. 

happy eatings & cheers!

power salad with creamy dressing.

Jediah loved this salad. It is hearty & filling, it has great texture & colours. It's the bomb. To make this vegan or detox, skip the eggs.

power salad with creamy dressing.
serves 4

1 lb. arugula
2-4 roasted beets, diced (depending on how big they are)
8 soft boiled eggs
1 avocado, diced
3/4 cup of millet
1 1/3 cup of veggie or chicken broth (or water, broth just gives the millet more flavor)
sea salt & cracked pepper
extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup roasted-salted sunflower seeds
creamy dressing*

1. To make the millet, add to a dry pot over medium heat. Toast for about 5 minutes. Slowly add broth. Bring to a boil, & simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, & keep the lid on for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Season with salt & pepper, & a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
2. To serve, put everything out on a board, to let people make their own power salad. This would also be a great take away lunch, because everything can be make ahead. It can be eaten warm, cold, or at room temperature.

creamy dressing.*

3/4 cup Vegenaise

3 TBL water

1 TBL canola oil

1 TBL apple cider vinegar

2 scallions, chopped

2 TBL parsley, chopped

1 clove garlic, grated

sea salt & cracked pepper

1. Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl. 

happy eatings & cheers!

cool. layered bean dip.

We have been getting so much snow here in the last few weeks, but I have a feeling that it is not going to last much longer. Less than a month until spring, buds will soon be out, snow melted, & I am sure, flooded rivers. So, I thought I would take some pictures of probably one of our last mornings waking up in Farmington to a sugar-dusted river front. 

For lunch we snack on this cool layered bean dip, similar to the Mexican seven-layered dips found at cook outs all throughout the summer. This one has just a few simple ingredients, it's packed with flavor, & relatively light--no weird shredded cheese here! You could easily double this for a larger get -together. It can also be made vegan by switching out the yogurt-chipotle cream for a creamy avocado dip instead.  

cool layered bean dip.

serves 4 as an appetizer 

Layer 1: black bean dip:
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 clove garlic
1/2 jalapeno
juice 1/2 lime
1/4 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil
2 TBL cilantro leaves
sea salt & cracked pepper

Layer 2: yogurt-chipotle cream:
a heaping 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced
1/2 tsp adobo sauce
sea salt & cracked pepper

Layer 3: 1/2 cup green olives, sliced

Layer 4: tomato salsa:
1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, minced
juice of 1/2 lime
2 TBL cilantro leaves
sea salt & cracked pepper

Layer 5: 3 butter-head lettuce leaves, washed, dried & shredded

-Corn tortilla chips-

1. For layer one, put the garlic, jalapeno, & cilantro leaves in a food processor, blitz until chopped. Add beans, lime  juice, and seasoning. Blitz. With motor running add oil. Scoop & smooth into a shallow serving bowl or dish. 
2. For layer two, whisk yogurt, chipotle, adobo sauce, & seasoning together. Scoop & smooth over beans. 
3. Add the olives evenly on top of the yogurt.
4. For layer 4, toss tomatoes, scallions, jalapeno, cilantro, & seasoning together with lime juice. Pour over olives.
5. Lastly, evenly scatter the lettuce on top of the tomatoes. 
6. Serve with tortilla chips that have been warmed in the oven for about 3-4 minutes (350 degrees in fine). 

happy eatings & cheers!

griddle cakes. with greek yogurt & berries.

I invented these little pancake-like concoctions at my mum's house a few weeks back. Everyone was highly impressed because there was, like, no food in the house, & I whipped these up out of nowhere. Making something out of nothing, is kind of my thing. They are quite good--fluffy, not too sweet, hearty. I have re-created them a few times now because Jediah really likes them. Everyone also loves having various toppings to chose from, it is kind of a buffet-style thing...a make-your-own griddle cake.

As you will see the recipe is a flexible to what you have on hand, & your dietary needs. Double up the recipe if you are cooking for a group.

griddle cakes.
makes 6 4" cakes

1/2 cup corn flour (if you don't have corn flour, you can use a fine corn meal)
1/2 cup GF rolled oats, blitzed until fine
1 tsp flax seeds, blitzed until fine
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of sea salt

1 cup milk, your choice (I used almond)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 egg, beaten (if you want to keep it vegan use 1 TBL canola oil)
1 tsp honey (again, for a vegan choice use agave nectar or maple syrup)

topping options:
Greek yogurt
blueberries (I buy Maine wild blueberries frozen & defrost them a bit)
honey
maple syrup
butter (for vegans, Earth Balance is a nice option)

1. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients. Add the milk, lemon juice, egg & honey. Whisk until just combined.
2. In a cast iron pan or on a griddle, bring it to medium heat with a knob of butter & a drizzle of olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add about 1/4 cup of batter for each cake. Cook about 3 minutes, until little bubbles raise around the perimeter of the cake. Flip & cook 2 more minutes. 
3. During each change up, add a little more fat. Cook until the batter is gone. Serve with toppings & some season fruit, & you're in business. (Personally I like mine with yogurt, berries & honey...just in case you were interested!).

Maude looking for birds.

happy eatings & cheers!

ginger fried jasmine rice.

Here is a super quick meal for lunch or dinner. It is lovely for those days when you may have had a little too much to drink the night before--it is filling, flavorful & healthy. We know we all need plenty of healthy in the busy days to come during the holiday week. 

ginger fried jasmine rice. 

serves 4

1 TBL butter, canola oil or coconut oil

2 eggs, beaten (if you want to go vegan, use 1/2 cup of silken tofu, drained & seasoned with sea salt & cracked pepper...you can skip this first step & just add the tofu at the step when you would add the eggs at the end)

1. In a large saute pan, heat butter over medium heat & scramble the eggs quickly, until they are almost cooked through. Take off heat & put back into the bowl you scrambled them in.

1 TBL butter, canola oil or coconut oil

1/4 cup scallions, chopped

1 thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled & grated

1 clove of garlic, grated

1 carrot, peeled & grated

1 TBL tamari (or soy sauce)

1 tsp natural cane sugar

1 tsp chili sauce

1 tsp cracked pepper

1/2 lime, juice squeezed (plus the other half for serving)

2 cups cooked jasmine rice (preferably cold)

1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1. In the same skillet, heat butter over medium heat & add scallions, ginger, garlic, carrot & cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the rice, & fry for a minute or so. Whisk together tamari, cane sugar, chili, cracked pepper & lime juice in a bowl. Add to the rice, stir. Add the cooked eggs (or tofu), cook for another minute or two.
3. Add half the cilantro, stir until combined. Serve with lime wedges, tamari & fresh cilantro. 

 happy christmas & cheers!

spaghetti squash with a quick cherry tomato sauce.

Your probably thinking spaghetti squash again!, but yep, I am kind of all about it right now. I saw a pint of local cherry tomatoes from Flying Pond Farms in Vienna, Maine & am pretty sure this will be the last of them. I can't believe I am still able to get local tomatoes at the end of November in Western Maine...pretty incredible. We had a mild, rainy fall which I guess worked perfectly for our autumn veg.

Anyway, this is an easy dish that can come together in a half hour or less. I actually cooked the squash earlier in the day when I was around. I made the sauce when I came home from class, & just sauteed the squash innards like I did in my last spaghetti squash recipe. So it really was only a 20 minute ordeal before I got to eat. Jediah, was on wine buying duty, he picked a dry Prosecco. How fancy for a week night--I love it!

spaghetti squash with cherry tomato sauce.
serves 4

1 spaghetti squash
olive oil
sea salt & cracked pepper

3 TBL extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
a big pinch of dried chili flakes
a big pinch of dried basil
sea salt & cracked pepper to taste

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
a shot of vodka, or splash of white wine

Pecorino or Parmesan for garnishing

1. To roast the squash, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle a little olive oil, season with sea salt & cracked pepper. Place the squash on the bottom rack, cut-side up. 
2. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Take the squash out, and place it cut-side down on a plate to let the steam & moisture out, about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium pot over medium heat, add oil, garlic, chilies, basil, salt & pepper. Cook for about 1 minute, until the oil is fragrant watching carefully so the garlic doesn't burn. 
4. Add the shot of vodka, cook about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes.
5. Scoop out the spaghetti squash innards and plate them up. Scoop some sauce over the squash. Garnish with some Pecorino or Parmesan (or skip the cheese to make it vegan). 

happy eatings & cheers!

summer-inspired tacos.

Here's an easy summer lunch. Serve with juicy watermelon for dessert & viola! Happy & healthy. 

summer-inspired tacos. 

serves 4

for the salsa filling:

1 cup vine-ripened tomatoes, diced

1 cup summer squash, diced & sauteed in a little olive oil

1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped

a big handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped

sea salt & cracked pepper

a drizzle of olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.

for the chipotle cream:

1/2 cup sour cream or Vegenaise

1 chipotle chili, chopped

1 tsp of abodo sauce (that the chili came in)

1. Mix together in a bowl.

for serving:

8 corn tortillas, heated in a dry pan over medium heat (30 seconds each)

1/2 head of red lettuce or lettuce leaves of your choice

1 avocado, mashed

lemon slices

1. Smear chipotle cream on the bottom of the tortillas, then the lettuce, then the filling & a dollop of avocado. Add a squeeze of lemon if you please...

happy eatings & cheers!

no-bake cookies. {gluten-free & vegetarian}

31 January 2012

Jediah wanted me to call these "Ain't -No-Bake" Cookies. They are cookies I am sure we've all eaten growing up. I like being able to make a cookie in a snap, but "No" Bakes tend to have a clawing sugary after-taste that I just couldn't shake. So I sought after creating a recipe without white sugar & even decreasing the insane amount of it.  I used brown rice syrup & maple syrup. If you haven't given brown rice syrup a try, you really must. It has a great flavor & is more nutritive (a better choice for those watching their sugar intake). Lundberg makes a great syrup, that is available at most grocery stores (& I should know--I live in Western Maine!). 

These came out great, while curing my hankering for that famous peanut butter/ chocolate combo we all know & love. 

No Bake Cookies. 

These are gluten-free & can easily become vegan treats by switching the butter for your favorite vegan option (like Earth Balance ). 

1/2 stick grass-fed butter or coconut oil

1/2 cup brown rice syrup

2 TBL pure maple syrup

2 TBL cocoa powder

--Combine in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil & take of the heat.

1/2 soy or almond milk

1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter (I used Skippy's natural PB for this application) or almond butter

2 cups organic rolled oats

1 tsp vanilla

--Combine thoroughly into the chocolate mixture.

--Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tinfoil. 

--Scoop spoonfuls of the batter onto the baking sheet & chill until set.

*Jediah told me that when he was growing up, he would roll the dough into little balls, then roll them into shredded coconut...this made the dough set faster. 

happy eatings & cheers!