Thursday 21 January 2016

Oil Free Chocolate Zucchini Walnut Muffins

I had some zucchini hanging around the fridge and went searching for a recipe that would inspire me.

Angela Liddon to the rescue once again! Her muffin recipe in Oh She Glows- and on her blog- is light in texture, rich in flavour and as about as healthy as you can get in the baking department.

I used coconut sugar in the first batch, and although I don't enjoy a lot of sweetness, it wasn't enough for me. So in the 2nd batch I used a combination of cane sugar and coconut sugar, and it was just right.

I'm hoping I can freeze these- otherwise I'm in big trouble. :)

Recipe link is posted below. Enjoy.















Link to recipe:

Monday 18 January 2016

Edamame Hummus and Tofu Wraps

From Isa Chandra Moskowitz's cookbook- Isa Does It, these wraps were simple to make and the edamame hummus is delicious. I didn't have wasabi powder, so I substituted horseradish to give it a little kick. 

Coupled with a simple salad this makes a great Monday dinner!










Edamame Hummus & Tofu Wraps

Ingredients

  • 14 oz. extra-firm tofu, drained & pressed
  • 1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil, divided
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • edamame hummus 
  • 4 whole-wheat tortillas

  • Edamame Hummus
  • Ingredients
    • 1/3 c. water
    • 1/4 c. lemon juice
    • 1/4 c. tahini
    • 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 1 1/2 c. shelled edamame (thawed if using frozen edamame)
    • 1/2 tbsp. (1 1/2 tsp.) wasabi powder
    • 1/2 tsp. salt
    Directions
    1. In a blender or food processor, add all ingredients in order listed. Process until the mixture is smooth.
    2. Refrigerate in a sealed container, up to 1 week. (If possible, refrigerate for a few hours before serving to allow flavors to fully blend.)
    3. Cut tofu into 8 equal pieces. Pat dry & set aside
    4. In a large skillet, heat 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil over medium heat. Add tofu to pan & sprinkle with salt. Lightly fry for 4-5 minutes, until lightly brown. Flip & add remaining 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil to pan. Continue to fry for another 4-5 minutes, until lightly brown. Remove from heat
    5. Assemble wraps: Layer, on tortilla, 2 slices cooked tofu, 2 tbsp. hummus & 1/4 c. broccoli sprouts. Serve immediately.

Saturday 16 January 2016

Black Lentil Winter Vegetable and Wild Rice Soup

I recently got an Instant Pot- an electric pressure cooker. I came across a sale on Amazon, and couldn't resist- even though I had no prior experience using one.
It took me awhile to get up the courage to use it. I read everything I could, thinking it would be complicated and scary (remember the horror stories of the early ones blowing up?!) Quite the contrary- as long as you know the settings before you start cooking, it is really easy and is now one of my favourite appliances.

So why is it so great? I love to cook, but not every single day. When it's a busy day, I like the simplicity of using one pot- and making a quick meal that would normally involve multiple steps, pots and long cooking times. I wouldn't eat a soup made in 20 minutes on the stove- it would be barely cooked, and the flavour wouldn't have a chance to develop. With an Instant Pot- it's like fast forwarding the process without compromising any of the flavour. We can always have delicious, nutritious soups on hand in a matter of minutes. And I like how energy efficient it is.

I bought a couple cookbooks to get me started: The New Fast Food by Jill Nussinow and Vegan Pressure Cooking by JL Fields. Both seem to be very good. The recipe below is from Jill's pressure cooking blog.

This soup took awhile to prepare just because of the chopping involved, but it was worth it to have all the wonderful vegetables in it. With a piece of homemade spelt bread a big bowl of this soup really hit the spot on a cold winter's night.

Recipe to the link is posted below:









Link to recipe:

Gluten Free Apple, Pear and Cranberry Crisp

I had some organic cranberries in the freezer and wanted to use them up. I love fruit crisps and this one was really good- couldn't resist having dessert first tonight!

Recipe:
My Gluten-Free Apple, Pear and Cranberry Cobbler is made healthier by making an oat topping. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
 In a bowl, add 2 pears and 2 apples cut into bite-sized pieces, 2 cups fresh or frozen  cranberries, ¼ cup coconut sugar, 2 Tbs. orange juice, 1 tsp. fresh orange zest, 1 tsp. cinnamon, ½ tsp. ground allspice, a pinch of salt, 1 Tbs. quinoa flour, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Toss so the fruit is well-covered. Transfer the fruit filling to your baking dish.
In another bowl, mix 1 cup gluten-free certified oats, ½ cup chopped walnuts, ¼ cup quinoa flour, a pinch of salt, 3 Tbs. maple syrup and 2 Tbs. melted coconut oil. Mix well. The topping mixture should be crumbly and a bit sticky.  Top the fruit filling with the oat topping. Press it down into an even level. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden-brown and the fruit is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let set for about 10 minutes.