Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes


Another simple one.  I've tried mashed potatoes with every liquid imaginable and it just doesn't work without milk and cream.  One day my Mom and I were discussing this issue and she suggested using a ricer and not adding anything.  As usual, my Mom was right!  These are light fluffy and tasty!

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes
2 Russet Potatoes - diced
1 large, 2 small cloves Garlic
Himalayan Salt
Fresh Chives

Boil potatoes in salted water.  With 5 minutes remaining push garlic through a garlic press and add to the water.  Drain excess water and place potato garlic mix in a potato ricer.  Serve fluffy, do not blend or mash down.  Sprinkle with salt and fresh chives.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Vegetable Pizza

I miss pizza! Pizza is bad in so many ways for a grain-free vegan.  It's the dish of pure evil!  hahahaha.  I came across a really cool bread mix that I had to modify, but it's really tasty!  The brand is Chebe.  I also discovered Daiya cheese, which is grain-free, vegan, etc. etc.  I'm excited!  I'll post the entire recipe here - from the crust to the pizza sauce.  This was SUPER yummy!

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Vegetable Pizza  - THE DOUGH
1 package Chebe Pizza Crust Mix
1 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
2 tablespoons Grapeseed Oil
3 teaspoons Egg Replacer
4 tablespoons Water
4 tablespoons Almond Milk

In a medium bowl add Chebe and xanthan gum - mix well.  With a fork, incorporate grapeseed oil.  In a small bowl, add egg replacer and water and mix very well until no clumps remain.  Add to Chebe and blend with fork.  Add almond milk  and blend with a fork.  Knead mixture until all the chebe is incorporated and a nice doughy ball remains.   Using the palm of your hand, spread the dough out into a 14" circle, or rectangle.

chebe!
Mixed with a fork
ready for pizza sauce!

 Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Vegetable Pizza  - THE SAUCE
2 tablespoons Tomato Paste - I use bionaturae
3/4 cup Water
1 teaspoons Herb Stop's Pizza Seasoning
dash Herb Stop's Onion Salt
1/2 teaspoon Herb Stop's Minced Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Arrowroot

Add all ingredients to a blender - I used my magic bullet.  Blend until all ingredients are incorporated.  If the sauce is too runny, add arrowroot 1/4 teaspoon at a time.

ready for blending
 Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Vegetable Pizza - PUTTING IT TOGETHER
Premade dough, rolled out
Premade, pizza sauce
Daiya Mozzarella "Cheese"
Veggies of your choice - I used red onion, zucchini and tomatoes

Preheat oven to 450.  Using all the premade sauce, cover the pizza dough, leaving the edges without sauce.  Sprinkle Daiya cheese on top, using less than what you would of normal cheese.  Keep in mind that Daiya is quite greasy.  Add toppings of your choice and bake for 15-18 minutes.  Crust will not brown, but instead will be crispy and hard to the touch.  ENJOY!!!!!

with pizza sauce
magic cheese
with Daiya cheese added
ready for the oven

fresh out of the oven



Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Simple Garlic Zucchini

Sometimes simple really is the best!  A yummy zucchini mixed with garlic, topped with some salt and voila ... YUM!

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Simple Garlic Zucchini
1 Zucchini - cut into matchsticks
1-3 teaspoons Herb Stop's Minced Garlic
Herb Stop's Toasted Onion Salt

In a medium frying pan add 1/3-1/2 cup water (depending on the size of the zucchini).  Add zucchini and garlic, heat over medium high heat.  Cook until zucchini is cooked, but not mushy and the water has been absorbed/evaporated - about 6-8 minutes.

Top with Toasted Onion Salt

Chopped into rounds
then chopped into matchsticks
matchsticks ready for cooking


Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Dr. Christopher-Style Dinners

I'm on a new journey....again!  I'm studying Dr. Christopher right now, whom I look up to as an herbalist almost as much as my Mom.  An amazing man, incredible courage, intelligence beyond imagination....I could go on and on.  As I'm reading Herbal Home Health, I find myself nodding and nodding and nodding.  Coming to the mucousless diet and reading about the pain that can ensue when you clear out all the caked on gross-ness in your colon, I felt inspired!  Perhaps this was what happened to me this last time.  All that cleansing really rocked something out of my body.  COOL!

Anyway....Dr. Christopher had some simple mucous producing food list.  This we call the No-No list.  Basically, no animal products - including meat, dairy and eggs, no salt (I don't know if I want to follow that part - unrefined salt is so healthy for you), no sugar (EEEK!), a few more things and of course, no processed foods.    A nice dinner, he suggested, would include a baked potato - skin and all, some steamed veggies, vegetable juice, a low temperature cooked grain (can't do this because of the allergy so I'll be using a lot of quinoa) and a huge vegetable salad.

So here I am, lost 7 lbs from being sick and I'm scared to eat for two reasons.  One - I don't want to have pain.  Two - as soon as I start eating I'll gain the weight back two fold.  Dr. Christophers plan was SOOOOOOOO much food!  Well, my husband was just going to have to love me even if I was huge.  I ate by his suggestion, minus the vegetable juice...I'm just not there yet, and I was full.  Now not like the Thanksgiving "ugh" full, but the "I feel really good" full.  I was nice and full until late the next morning.

So the big test was the scale.  I stepped on.  Uhhhhhh?  How did I lose a pound?  Must not have hit me yet.  Day two, lost another 1/2 pound.  Hrmmmmm.  Well here we are a couple week later and I'm down 12 pounds!  Almost at my wedding day weight!

So long story short.  I feel awesome.  I had to buy new pants.  I love Dr. Christopher <3

I'll be posting full a lot of full meals, because I really enjoy eating this way!  Enjoy!

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Dr. Christopher-Style Dinner #1

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Potato Squash Medley (My favorite mix)
2 medium Potatoes
1 Zucchini
1 Yellow Onion
Water
Seasonings

Using the french fry cutter on a mandolini slicer, slice all veggies into a medium pot.  Add 1/2-1 cup good water.  Heat on high until bubbling, reduce heat to medium (gas), low medium (electric).  Cook until potatoes are soft.  If there is left over water, take lid off and cook until water has evaporated. Add your favorite seasoning - I love using Herb Stop's Toasted Onion Salt.

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Beef-less Cashew Quinoa
2 teaspoons Herb Stop's Beef Flavored Broth or any broth of choice
1 cup washed Quinoa
2 cups Good Water
1 handful Cashew pieces
1/2 -1 teaspoon Herb Stop's Sprinkle & Rub Spice

Cover quinoa with water.  Mix in broth and spice.  Heat on high until simmering then reduce heat to low-medium.  Cover and check on water level every 5 minutes.  When water has about 5 minutes left to absorb, add cashews.  Sprinkle with your favorite salt - I also love Herb Stop's Toasted Onion Salt for this one too!

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Massive Salad
1 head of Lettuce, chopped/torn/however you like
1 handful of Cherry/Grape Tomatoes, sliced in half
1 Avocado, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup shredded cabbage
any other veggies you desire
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar (or Apple Cider Vinegar)
1 clove Garlic
In a large bowl, add olive oil and push garlic through a garlic press.  Mix well.  Mix in all veggies, except lettuce.  Add vinegar and mix well.  Add lettuce and toss well.
nom nom nom!!!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Consumption of a Vegan

After that last post of a sad story, I thought I'd write something that made me laugh when I was thinking about it today.

Have you ever wondered what the food consumption of a vegan is?  I sure haven't....I just eat!  hehehehe.  Having been on the potatoes and squash diet for a month now, I could tell you that is one short sentence.  Now, I've expanded my horizons!  I'm also reading Dr. Christopher's books and eating my main meal according to what he believes is the best: 1 potato, steamed vegetables, slow and low temp cooked grains and a large vegetable salad. Lots and lots of food!  So here we are at my daily consumption - I think really I eat a small backyard garden daily, lol.

1 handful of cashews
4 small apples (thanks to my in-laws!)
1 1/2 zucchinis
1 1/2 yellow straight neck squashes
1 1/2 yellow onions
3 medium potatoes
1 cup cooked quinoa
5 scallions
1/2-3/4 cup shredded green cabbage
1 head lettuce
6-8 cherry/grape tomatoes
2 carrots
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove
many many spices
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
of course my current herbs - marshmallow root, comfrey root, hawthorn and devil's claw

I'm especially laughing because the CDC says I need 2 serving of fruit and 2.5 servings of veggies - my goodness the potatoes alone are more than that!  So I'd say the apples are like 2 serving of fruit - done with that part, lol.  What about the veggies....lets be conservative, eh?  Zukes and Squash = 2, onion = 1, potatoes =3, scallions = 1/4, green cabbage = 1/2, lettuce = 1, tomatoes = 1/4, carrots = 1.

I add up 9 servings!  HA!  That is hilarious!  Yummy in my tummy!

Why Haven't You Posted Any Recipes!?!?!?!

As I sit here eating dinner, I'm feeling very guilty about not posting more recipes.  In the recent month, I've had some issues.  I get ahead of myself and think "Oh, I'm totally better!  Let me do a deep cleanse!"  Well, this ended up in disaster about a month ago.

I woke up in the middle of the night with that sense of pain.  Once I awoke I thought, oh no! no! no! no! there is no way my gallbladder is doing this!  Sadly, it was.  After throwing up my lunch and dinner from the previous day - still whole, I might add - I went outside with my doggie and called my Mom.  As I cried and cried telling her that I didn't have the strength to go through with this, I thought to myself that the alternative was either drugs or surgery.  I knew I didn't want either, but I'm still trying to recover from being sick for nearly two years.  How could I muster the energy to battle this?

Luckily my Mother came over and helped me with a million different herbs, teas, aloe, peppermint essential oil, lemon essential oil, reflexology and of course the backrubs to help loosen the excruciating spasms that shoot up to the right shoulder.  After an hour or so, the vomiting commenced.  Once that was done, my Husband went to my shop and got new treatments - ginger, alkaline water, etc.  Long painful story later, I recovered.....so I thought.

Couple weeks later my Husband and I are at our house down in Mesa.  I woke up with pain again.  I had nothing there. Not even a tea.  I decided I would mentally fight this!  I can do this!  I went to the dryer and heated up towels to put over my abdomen.  At the third round, I realized it wasn't helping.  On to hot water.  At around 6 in the morning, I woke my husband up.  My battle had failed.  I was having the worst attack of my life.  I told him we needed to leave, leave immediately.  He scooped up our toothbrushes and essentials and he put me and my doggie in the car.  Of course, Murphey's Law, we needed gas.  As I writhed in agony, moaning loudly, my husband filled up the tank and got me some peppermints from the store.  He got back in the car and we sped - I mean sped - back to Payson.

I never realized that you could vomit from pain until now.  On our way up, I was crying, writhing in pure agony and moaning all of a sudden I said "stop the car right now!"  My Hubby pulled over and I barely had time to open the door.  Up it came!

Finally we got to our house up here and I started with the heating pad and my husband said what do you need?  He had denied my previous begging of "take me to the hospital" knowing that I would be very upset with him the next day if he had listened to my pleading.  My answer:  drugs.  I wanted drugs!  Anyone that knows me, knows that this is completely out of character for me.  He searched the cabinets for something.  I had been prescribed pain killers from an accident I had where my little toe met the hard wood of my bed stand, and I never used them.  So I began to take them.  Finally I could stop thrashing around, although the pain was unbearable.  Of course, this episode would not be complete without vomiting one more time.  Of course that would be all stomach acid, which burned my sinus - making it impossible to breathe through my nose for two days, the end of my nose which is still raw and of course my esophagus right in the middle of my chest.  At the end of the day, I doped myself up and brutally exhausted, I slept.

Waking up the next morning was very scary.  As I silently cried to myself, I begged to please be able to at least have less pain.  I did!  I made it!  The pain was still there, but I could handle it.  I was very grateful my husband had taken such good care of me.  He made me teas that I would take one sip of and I would tell him "nuh uh, try another one" and he would check my temperature, check my eyes for jaundice.   My poor Mom, worried all day and night about me.  I was a rough episode for all of us.

So, this is why there is a lack of recipes as of late.  I have only been able to eat potatoes and squash for the last month.  Luckily, I was able to expand my horizons this past week.  I'm hoping in the next few weeks I'll be able to make some tasty treats for Thanksgiving!

Thank you for your understanding
<3 <3 <3
Natalie

Monday, November 7, 2011

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Green Beans & Pecans In Maple Sauce


I haven't posted in a long time....eeek!  Last night I made this delicious dish and I was excited to post it this morning!  The flavor is sweet and complex!  I love it!

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Green Beans & Pecans In Maple Sauce
2 cups Green Beans - cut into 1- 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup Pecans - I used the organic mini ones
2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup (only use the real stuff!)
1 clove Garlic - pushed through a garlic press
Herb Stop's Toasted Onion Salt

Steam/boil green beans until desired firmness.  I like mine only a little crunchy - which is about 8 minutes.  For very crunchy 3-4 minutes.  Strain and set aside.  In a frying pan, add pecans and turn the heat to medium to medium high.  Place pecans in the pan and "roast" until there is a nice toasty smell.  reduce heat to medium to medium low.  Add in the maple syrup and garlic.  Stirring constantly, let bubble and thicken.  After about 2 minutes, turn off heat and add in green beans.  Toss until well coated.  Once plated, sprinkle with Onion Salt.  ENJOY!

I added a water to a frying pan and added in the green beans. 
roasting nuts
cooking in the pecans and garlic
added in green beans

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Bread with Cinnamon Topping


Oh yummy banana bread!  A long time ago I invented a banana bread, but it wasn't vegan - only grain-free.  Well, the other night I came home and the bananas were almost on the rotten side - they were really getting on the brown/black side.  My husband hates when I over buy food and when some things end up turning (I'm working on this issue) so I said .... Noooooooo, don't throw that out!  I decided I was going to try banana bread.  I searched through the folders of my food creations and found my old recipe.  Sure enough - my old flour blend with almonds was at the top of the list (bummer - I was out of almonds) followed by milk and eggs. Well, I was determined to make this happen!  I invented a new flour blend off the cuff and the milk could be replaced by almond milk and the eggs by egg replacer.  I would have to tweak things a bit, but I have to do that all the time.  This was moist and the texture inside had small pockets, just like bread.  Everyone was loving this one! Score!

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Bread
2 cups Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Flour Blend #1
1/3 cup Vanilla Almond Milk (I haven't tried the unsweetened yet)
2 Over Ripe Bananas
1/4 cup Grapeseed Oil
1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer + 2 Tablespoons Water (1 egg)
1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar
2 teaspoons Herb Stop's Aluminum-Free Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Unrefined Salt (I used Herb Stop's Fine Sel Gris)

Cinnamon Topping
1/3 cup Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Flour Blend #1
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Herb Stop's Vietnamese Cinnamon
2 Tbsp Spectrum Organic All Vegetable Shortening (Palm Oil --- NOT SOY)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease the bottoms and sides of mini-loaf pan (mine has 8 loaves - which is perfect for this recipe)
In a small bowl, add all the cinnamon topping ingredients.  Using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening until well incorporated.  Set aside.
In a small dish mix egg replacer and water until completely dissolved, set aside.
In a medium bowl add bananas and mash very well.  Add almond milk, oil and mix well.  Add remaining ingredients, including egg replacer.  Mix until only a couple lumps remain - those should be the bananas.
Pour batter, in equal amounts, into mini loaf pans.  This recipe will make 8 mini loaves.  Generously sprinkle topping over the breads.  Bake for 15 minutes and check with a tooth pick to make sure it's fully cooked.  If the bread needs more time, only add 2 minutes at a time.  The cinnamon topping can burn and become bitter if cooked too long.
fresh out of the oven...mmmmmmmm


nice and moist

perfect loaf!

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan "Flour" Blend #1

Throughout the years of being grain-free I've come up with a bazillion "flour" recipes.  Many of them were amazing, many of them complete failures.  This recipe started off with almond flour and was pretty good, but if you baked anything a long time it would taste bitter - yuck!  So, one night I was wanting to try to invent a banana bread  recipe and as I was pre-mixing the "flour" I realized that I didn't have almond flour!  I had already been busy in the kitchen making cashew butter, pesto, etc. and I didn't feel like playing with the vita-mix again.  As I rummaged through my cabinets I saw an unopened bag of Garbanzo/Fava Flour.  I've made breads with straight garbanzo and I didn't want to have that flavor in the banana bread - I thought the Fava might tone it down.

Turns out the banana bread was unbelievably delicious (recipe to come)!  I haven't had the opportunity to use this "flour" blend in anything else yet, but I'm sure it's going to be great for breads.  There were beautiful pockets, the bread rose nicely and there wasn't any grit.  I'm excited!

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan "Flour" Blend #1
1 1/2 cup + 2/3 cup Potato Starch
1/2 cup Garbanzo/Fava Flour
1/3 cup Tapioca Flour
1 teaspoon Xanthan Gum

Mix all ingredients very well and store in a container for future use.


Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Coconut Curried Potato Leeks


Last week I was thinking that I use a lot of the same spices and it was time to change things up a bit.  Then a lady came into the shop asking about curry and as I was showing her the different kinds, I realized I was having a major craving for curry!  We were talking recipes, droooooling over ideas and I decided that it was time for some curry, but with a fun spin on it!

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Coconut Curried Potato Leeks
1 small Leek, diced (about 1/2 cup)
about 3-4 cups Potatoes, diced - I used red and Yukon gold
1/2-1 cup Cashew pieces
1 tablespoon Grapeseed Oil
1/2-1 cup Coconut Milk - I used sweetened
1 1/2 teaspoons Herb Stop's Organic Curry Powder
Unrefined Salt

Steam diced potatoes for 5 minutes over salted water, then add cashews and steam for an additional 2 minutes.  Only cook potatoes until they are done, do not let them get mushy.
While potatoes are steaming, in a large pan place grapeseed oil in a pan over medium high heat.  Once hot, add leeks and saute until limp.  Add curry powder and coconut milk.  Allow to heat to bubbling, which will allow the coconut milk to become thick.  Turn off heat.  Toss potato mixture in the curry sauce.  VOILA!

This was amazing hot, and I even enjoyed it cold ..... gave me some ideas for a curried potato salad...hmmmmmmmm.........
diced potatoes
curry coconut sauce

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Eggs/Frittata - Could it be?



I realize that it's been a really long time since my last blog....eeeeek!  Truth is, I've been harvesting from garden which includes tomatoes and squash.  Most of everything has consisted of those two ingredients - kinda boring.  I've also been experimenting and I've had many ..... many failures.  Well, I'm on a little break from the squash and have the itch to start trying new things again!

As I browsed the isles of Fresh & Easy this week, I noticed that the gluten-free section has been expanded.  Perhaps it's my annoying weekly suggestion cards asking for more gluten-free items?  *chuckle*  Well....I came across this interesting package called Lucini - Cinque e' Cinque.  The package read Tuscan Chickpea Frittata Mix.  I assumed it was dry eggs and some chickpeas.  I was wrong! The ingredients read: Chickpea Flour (Custom proprietary milled).  I thought....it's going to taste like a falafel - as all things chickpea do - but I was in the mood for falafels anyway.  The instructions were a bit strange - heat a dish at 500; while it's heating mix chickpeas with water and oil; add to the hot dish; bake; then bake with door propped open.  Well, whatever - I was going to check it out!  The recipe called for olive oil and olive oil turns to a trans fat at a very low temp, so 500 degrees + olive oil = not for me.  So as in true Natalie fashion, I changed the recipe and successfully used grapeseed oil. :)  

So....did it taste like a falafel? NOPE!  Did it taste like eggs?  YES!  Was I immediately nuts? YES! I said to my husband: we have to go back right now and buy more!  Does my husband know I'm nuts and a little bit of a food hoarder?  YES.  Did he say no?  Yup...he sure did.  hehehehe.  Well, I've been enjoying this amazing dish that tastes just like eggs!  I'm very excited to see what else I can do with it!  I first had it with a salad on top.  I've eaten it plain like a snack.  Last night I added fresh basil, an amazing heirloom tomato from my mom's garden, an onion and lots of fresh chives.  *drool*

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Eggs/Frittata (Lucini Tuscan Chickpea Frittata Mix)
1 package Cinque 'e Cinque by Lucini
Grapeseed oil for coating pan
750 ml Cold Clean Water
3 tablespoons Grapeseed Oil
1 1/2 teaspoons Herb Stop's Sonoma Salt - any unrefined fine grind will work

Follow instructions as show on the package.

To make the dish pictured above, allow frittata to cool completely.  Top with fresh basil, 1 tomato slice, 1 slice of red onion and finish with plenty of fresh chopped chives.

ENJOY!!!

So Yum!!!!

Friday, July 8, 2011

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Rainbow Salad


I am so excited to be harvesting from my garden!!  My salad is ready for the picking!  I make this type of salad often, but I've never posted the recipe.  This one will be a side salad.  If you would like this as a dinner salad, double or triple the ingredients and add some nuts for protein.  I love to eat all the colors of the rainbow and this salad surely does it!  I use a very light dressing, but any dressing will work!

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Rainbow Salad
8-10 various leaves of lettuce, cut/ripped into pieces
1/4 Orange & Yellow Bell Pepper, diced
5 Cherry/Grape Tomatoes, sliced into rounds
1 tablespoon Yellow/White Onion, diced
2 tablespoons Red Cabbage, Shredded
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar

If you have a salt block, dicing the ingredients gives them a nice salty flavor and does really well with the olive/oil vinegar dressing.

Add all ingredients to a salad bowl and drizzle with desired amount of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Toss until well coated.  If you don't have a salt block to dice the vegetables, add a pinch of Himalayan Salt.

Fresh salad from the garden

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Cheesy Potato Shallot Bake (Rakott Krumpli)


If I ever wonder why I had gallstones, all I have to do is look at this dish....well the original one that is!  My father was from Hungary and if you've ever encountered Hungarian food, then you know that it's really just fat layered on fat layered on potatoes, sprinkled with paprika!  No exactly a gallbladder's dream, ya know? In all seriousness, Hungarian food is delicious, comforting and very heavy - I do miss the occasional meal.

When I was growing up my father used to make a few signature Hungarian dishes and Rakkot Krumpli (stacked potatoes) was one of them.  The recipe went like this: Boiled salted potatoes sliced and layered into a dish.  Spread ample sour cream over potatoes.  Layer sliced eggs.  Layer bacon (I never did this because I don't eat pork - in my non-veggie days I used turkey bacon).  Repeat until ingredients run out.  End with potatoes and mound with cheese and paprika if you choose.  Bake and drool!

So now I think about this recipe and have fond memories, but it sounds so heavy and really really fatty.  So I decided to put a spin on this puppy and add some VEGETABLES! ENJOY!  (I also made a small Rainbow Salad to go on the side)

Grain/Gluten-Free Vegan Cheesy Potato Shallot Bake (Rakott Krumpli)
10 medium Russet Potatoes (organic russets usually don't come any larger), sliced into 1/4-1/2 inch rounds
Vegan Cheese-y Sauce - add an extra 1/2 tablespoon arrowroot to the mixture before blending
1/2 Red Onion, sliced into rounds and separated
5-7 small Shallots, cut off the majority of the greens and use mostly the bulb, sliced
1/2 Orange Bell Pepper, sliced into thin rounds and separated

Preheat over to 350.  Steam potatoes over salted water for 10-15 minutes, or until soft to a fork but still firm. Place one layer at the bottom of a baking dish.  Spread 1/4 of cheesy sauce over potatoes.  Sprinkle shallots and layer onion and bell pepper.  Layer potatoes on top and pour the rest of the cheesy sauce over the top.  Bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove cover and bake for another 10 minutes.  ENJOY!!

I noticed that it was yummy the first night, but the next day for lunch it was incredible reheated.  If you can, make this in advance and serve the next day.
First potato layer
added cheesy sauce
shallots, onion and bell pepper layer
last layer of potatoes
with cheesy sauce poured over the top
right out of the oven


Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Cashew Cookie Larabar Recipe


Which is mine and which is an original larabar???
Ah yes larabars.  I eat at least one of these incredibly delicious and scrumptious guys everyday.  They get expensive.  Making these seems easy, but to be honest....not so.  I understand now why they are $1.69/bar.  I used certified organic ingredients and the recipe yielded 7 bars for probably about 4.50 - 5 bucks.  If you use regular, non-organic ingredients, I'm sure this would be maybe 3 dollars for all 7 of them.  The recipe is very easy, it will just take patience for the right consistency.  I'm certain with each batch this will get easier.  So the GOOD NEWS.....they are fresh, creamy, delicious and organic!  After I made Cashew Cookie, I made the Chocolate Chip.  MMMMMMM!!  ENJOY!

Cashew Cookie Larabar Recipe
1 1/3 cup pitted dates (24 dates)
1/2 cup cashews
2/3 cup cashews

Add dates and 1/2 cup cashews to a high powered processor, such as a vita mix.  If using your vita mix, start the blending at a 7 until well chopped.  Reduce speed to a 3.  Allow to chop for several minutes until a giant ball is formed.  This will be the consistency of peanut butter.   (This part is tricky.  I burned the motor twice.  Make sure to look for the tell-tale signs your mixer is over heating - smell and heat.  Periodically turn your mixer off for a few minutes.)  Remove from vita mix and set aside in a medium bowl.   In a food processor, chop 2/3 cup cashews until small pieces remain.  Add to date mixture and knead with hands until well incorporated.  On a cutting board roll out or push out mixture until the desired thickness is reached.  I used a larabar as a template.  Trim sides to create a rectangle/square.  Cut into desired length and width.  Again I used a larabar as a template.  Take remaining pieces, knead and roll/press out again until all the bars are made and there is no mixture left.  Wrap in wax paper and store in the fridge.  ENJOY!!

Chopped Cashews

dates and cashews

with cashew pieces kneaded in

pressed out

trimmed up

ta-da!

sadly dates look like bugs or poop....i tried to make this pretty, lol