Gluten-Free Almond Hemp Breakfast Cookies

March 8, 2013 by aprilcball

I love making breakfast cookies for the kids! They’re so easy and make the best leftovers, perfect for mornings I’m in a hurry or don’t feel like cooking. Plus they’re perfect traveling! I usually make these Healthy Breakfast Cookies but my kids are sick of them. Time for something new!

These are a perfect way to use your leftover almond pulp! These “cookies” aren’t super sweet like traditional cookies but they are delicious and filling! They are fragile yet dense, probably because of the almond pulp. Both of my kids love these! I wasn’t sure at first but found myself eating a few today!

After baking them I stored them in the fridge, reheated them in the toaster oven the next day. I saved a bit of the “dough” to spread on sprouted muffins for the kids.

Gluten-Free Almond Hemp Breakfast Cookies

Cash loves them!!!

Feel free to cut this recipe in half if you don’t have that much pulp. I always make a double batch of almond milk so I have a ton of pulp leftover. I will continue to make these cookies and experiment with different additions!

Gluten-Free Almond Hemp Breakfast Cookies

Ingredients:

* 2 cups almond pulp (I’ll be testing a recipe using almond flour for those of you who don’t make your own almond milk!)

* 4 Tbsp almond butter

* 4 Tbsp hemp seeds (optional if you don’t have any)

* 1 medium banana

* 6-8 medjool dates, pitted and chopped

* 1/2 – 1 tsp ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Add all the ingredients into your food processor using your S blade

3. Pulse/blend until it reaches a doughy consistency

4. Scoop out using an ice cream scooper (or a spoon) and portion onto parchment lined baking sheet

5. Flatten and shape cookies (I flatten and round mine!)

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly brown. Let cool on the pan for 10-15 minutes before removing

Add all ingredients into food processor

Pulse/blend until it reaches a dough-like consistency

Scoop onto parchment lined baking sheet

Shape and flatten

I like bigger cookies!

Bake for 25-30 mins or until lightly brown. Let cool on tray for 10-15 minutes before removing

Awesome Guacamole

March 5, 2013 by aprilcball

I’ve been making this guacamole for years, it’s so easy and so good!! I’ve been dabbling in a mostly raw menu lately so this was perfect for our Raw Taco Night!!! This is great on chili or sweet potato nachos!

Awesome Guacamole

INGREDIENTS:

4 large avocados

8 dashes Tabasco or Cholula

3 T lemon juice, fresh

1/2 cup red onion, diced small

1-2 minced garlic clove

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1/4-1/2 tsp kosher salt or to taste

1/4 tsp ground cumin (optional but good)

1 tsp black pepper

1 small seeded diced tomato (optional but good)

smoked paprika for serving (if you’re serving this at a party, makes it look nice)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine all with knife – makes for a chunky guacamole!

2. Stir in tomatoes, sprinkle with paprika (optional) and serve.

Add all ingredients in the same bowl (I ran out of cilantro for this batch)

Add all ingredients in the same bowl (I ran out of cilantro AND tomatoes for this batch – oops!)

Combine with a knife

Sprinkle with smoked paprika and serve!

Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip

February 8, 2013 by aprilcball

This is my second favorite spinach artichoke dip! (First favorite here!) I’ve made this for a few gatherings and people love it!! My kids love it too, double bonus!! I serve this with fresh veggies on the side. I love using the leftovers in my collard wraps or on sprouted bread for the kids! 🙂

Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip

Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

2 (14oz) cans artichoke hearts (in water), chopped
16 oz frozen spinach
1 cup raw cashews
~ 1/3 cup water
juice of 1/2 medium-sized lemon (a little under 2 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
smoked paprika, to top (optional)

Instructions

Add frozen spinach and artichokes to large saucepan over medium heat and cook until thawed, stirring often.
Place cashews in food processor, process until your cashews become a flour then begin to pour in your water until you get a creamy consistency.
Once your spinach is completely thawed and it’s all good and warm, drain the excess water from your saucepan and add spinach and artichoke to a large bowl.
Add your creamy cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and seasons to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Place in pretty dish, sprinkle with smoked paprika and serve!
You can serve this now or stick it in the oven at 300 for about 10-15 minutes. Both ways are good!

Cook frozen spinach and chopped artichoke hearts over medium heat until thawed and hot

Process cashews into a flour using your food processor, slowly add water until it reaches a creamy consistency. (This was before I added more water to make it smooth)

Drain water out of spinach artichoke mixture and place in mixing bowl

Add creamy cashew mixture to spinach/artichokes and stir well. Add in lemon juice, nutritional yeast and all the spices and combine well. Serve immediately sprinkled with a little smoked paprika or bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 300 degrees

Yummy!

Original recipe from iknowsquat.com

Our Favorite Hummus & Sweet Potato Hummus (2)

January 21, 2013 by aprilcball

Here are two hummus recipes, the first one is our absolute favorite!

I make this first one at least once per week. I pack it in Ava’s lunch with snap peas or carrot sticks.

Our Favorite Hummus!!

Ingredients:

2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas drained and rinsed – OR – 3 cups cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup tahini
6 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
3-4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 heaping teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper – I use a few shakes of Seasonello herbal salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Drain beans and reserve the liquid when you do so OR use cooked beans.

2. Combine beans, along with the other ingredients in your food processor. Use the bean liquid or water to thin it out to your desired consistency. I use about 1/4-1/3 cup water. Adjust seasonings to your liking and enjoy on everything!

Blend ingredients in food processor until it reaches your desired consistency – use bean liquid or water to thin it out.

Taste and season to your liking!

Our Favorite Hummus!!

Sweet Potato Hummus

You may have seen this one on my Facebook page. A few people asked for it so I figured I’d better post it before it gets lost!

Sweet Potato Hummus

1 large cooked sweet potato, cut into chunks
1 can or 1 1/2 cups chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
3-4 Tbsp tahini
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste (I did a pinch)
Black pepper, to taste
Water or bean liquid

Place ingredients in food processor, add water or bean liquid while its running until you get the consistency you like. Scrape sides, run again.

Yummy Black Bean & Corn Soup

September 20, 2012 by aprilcball

This soup is REALLY good! Both kids and my hubby asked for seconds, our 14 month old screamed “Mo mo” for more until we refilled his bowl. I pureed his portion because he doesn’t like a ton of texture to his food. I will be making this again soon!

Yummy Black Bean & Corn Soup

Original recipe from Vega.

Black Bean & Corn Soup

Ingredients:

Water/Broth for sauté
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp agave or other sweetener (I did not add this but you may like this addition)
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
4 cups vegetable broth or water
4 (15 oz cans) black beans
5 big tomatoes
2 (15 oz cans) corn or 3 cobs of corn, cooked and cut off
1/2 bunch of cilantro
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Avocado, diced (for garnish)
Cilantro (to garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Grind cumin and coriander seeds in a food processor or mortar and pestle until a coarse grind (I used my magic bullet). Set aside.

2. Puree 2 cans of black beans and tomatoes until smooth. Set aside.

3. Water/Broth sauté onions, carrots and celery. Cook until tender. Add agave (if using) and let vegetables caramelize slightly. Deglaze pan with balsamic vinegar.

4. Add spices and garlic to pot and cook 2 minutes.

5. Add vegetable stock/water, pureed black beans and tomatoes, black beans and corn to pot. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Cook 20 minutes to over medium heat. Adjust seasoning if needed. Add cilantro.

7. Garnish each bowl of soup with avocado and cilantro.

Saute onions, carrots and celery

Puree 2 cans of black beans and tomatoes together until smooth

Add garlic and spices, saute for 2 more minutes. Deglaze pan with balsamic vinegar

Add pureed beans and tomatoes, corn, broth/water and remaining black beans to pot. Season with salt and pepper. My tomatoes didn’t fully puree so I chopped the remaining ones up and added them in.

Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Add cilantro

Serve with diced avocado and cilantro!

Curried Quinoa and Adzuki Bean Burger Wraps

August 27, 2012 by aprilcball

You’re probably saying adzuki what? That’s what I said when I first heard about these little red beans. Burgers are a staple in our house lately (easy finger food for our 1-year old) and I’m always up for a new bean so I added some to my last Nuts.com order. To be honest, these burgers came out a little bland so I decided to spruce them up a bit with a few toppings and WALAH… YUMMY GOODNESS!!! Okay… enough with the caps lock, you get the picture 😉

Curried Quinoa & Adzuki Bean Burger Wraps

Both of our kids love these burgers smeared with a little hummus and topped with chopped avocado. I prefer the wrap thing myself. My best friend came over for dinner with her nephew a few nights ago when I served these burgers… he wasn’t a fan but our son was happy to eat his share!

First bite… not sure yet (Friend is NOT amused with these burgers!)

He likes them!! YES!!!! (Friend still not amused)

“Hey if you don’t want your burger, I’ll eat it…”

“No really… TAKE IT!”

Yummy! (Friend still not amused)

LOL!!! Had to share those pics, they’re too funny! Okay… onto the burger recipe.

NOTE: Once you make the burgers, here are the ingredients I used to make the wraps:

* Collard Greens – pick larger ones for wraps

* Mango Chutney (from Trader Joe’s)

* Plain Hummus (I make my oil-free hummus or use Trader Joe’s Mediterranean Hummus in a pinch)

* Lentil Sprouts (See my sprouting post)

* Avocado

Original burger recipe from Choosing Raw… great site!!!

Curried Quinoa and Adzuki Bean Patties (vegan, gluten free, soy free)

Makes 6-8 Burgers

1/2 cup quinoa, dry
1 3/4 cup cooked adzuki beans (I buy mine from Nuts.com – $3.99/lb for organic)
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4-1/2 cup chickpea flour
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
Black pepper to taste
Cooking spray (I use the spectrum brand) or a scant amount of coconut oil for sauteeing and grilling

1. Bring 1 cup water to boil and add the quinoa. Lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes WITHOUT OPENING THE LID! Remove from heat and let sit, fluff with a fork.

2. Sautee the onion till golden and tender.

3. When quinoa is done, add quinoa, onion, chickpea flour, and adzuki beans to a food processor. Pulse quickly until the mixture is forming a dough that is uniform and sticks together, but still has some texture. Add spices and pulse a few more times to incorporate. If at any point you feel as though you’re overprocessing, you can transfer the bean and quinoa mixture to a bowl and mix with your hands!

4. Shape mixture into six patties and spray a skillet or pan with coconut oil. Cook for five minutes over medium heat, flip, and continue to cook for another five minutes or so.

Add cooked quinoa, onion, chickpea flour, and aduki beans to a food processor. Pulse quickly until the mixture is forming a dough that is uniform and sticks together, but still has some texture. Add spices and pulse a few more times to incorporate.

Spoon mixture into hot pan and smash a bit to resemble burgers

When burgers are done, let cool a bit then assemble your wrap. I did this order: collard green. hummus, burgers, mango chutney, avocado then lentil sprouts. Ready to wrap!

Pretty little wrap!

Time to eat!

Kid Tested Firefighter Approved

Healthy plant-based recipes everyone in your family will love!

Category Archives: Soy-Free

Awesome Guacamole

I’ve been making this guacamole for years, it’s so easy and so good!! I’ve been dabbling in a mostly raw menu lately so this was perfect for our Raw Taco Night!!! This is great on chili or sweet potato nachos!