Snack Attack! - Endurance Crackers and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

I have a new favorite snack. It's high protein, high fiber, gluten free, nut free, dairy free, vegan, and totally delicious.  Looking back at that sentence, I should have put "totally delicious" first if I were going in order of importance. Because who wants to eat healthy food if it doesn't taste good, right? :)

From left to right: Endurance Crackers- adapted from OhSheGlows.com, and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, recipe from my sister-in-law, Becky. Hi Becky. Thank you! :)

Added endorsement for the crackers (which are an adaptation of a knockoff  ;D) : 

*My 10 year old will totally scarf these crackers.

*My husband took them to work today, and the guys in the office were asking for the recipe so their wives could make them. 

Endurance Crackers - adapted from Angela Liddon at OhSheGlows.com

See the original here

I didn't change much on this recipe. I simply substituted uncooked quinoa for the sesame seeds because that's what I had on hand - and I don't really care for sesame seeds.

Yield: 22 large crackers

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup pepita seeds (or pumpkin seeds)
• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 1 large garlic clove, finely grated
• 1 tsp grated sweet onion
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp Herbamare - any other dried herbs you'd like
• 2 dashes kelp granules (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix the seeds and quinoa together. In a small bowl, mix the water, grated garlic, grated onion, salt, herbamare, and kelp granules. Whisk well. Pour the water mixture onto the seeds and stir until thick and combined.  (It usually takes 2 or 3 minutes for the chia seeds to absorb the water and make the mixture thick.)
3. Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet with the back of a spoon until it’s less than 1/4 inch thick. Not to worry if a couple parts become too thin, you can just patch them up.
4. Bake at 325F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, slice into crackers, carefully flip onto other side with a spatula. Bake for another 30 minutes, watching closely after about 25 minutes. The bottoms will be lightly golden in color. Allow to cool completely on the pan. Store in a container or plastic baggie.

Check out all that high fiber, delicious seedy goodness in those crackers!

And for the second recipe:

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus - taken from Becky Greene

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp tahini
1 clove garlic
15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
¼ C water
1 C roasted red bell pepper (about 2 big peppers)
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
½ tsp honey

Directions:

1. Clean peppers. Cut into a few pieces. Put peppers and garlic clove on a cookie sheet and broil until sides blacken and it smells good. (About 7-10 minutes)

2. Add all ingredients to blender and puree until desired consistency.

3. Scarf down like there's no tomorrow. (Okay, I added that step. :D)

She's also done this hummus with black beans instead of garbanzo beans, and it's equally delicious. Go ahead. Try it out. Prove me wrong. ;)

And for those of you who like the menu plans, I plan on getting one up by the end of the week. I have it written out, I just want to test 2 of the recipes before I pass them on to you. :)

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup and Gluten Free Pasta recipes

Sorry for the absence lately, people. I have been going through some stuff for my thyroid - and doing a crazy restrictive diet for a month. Which means I have not been into researching recipes or meal plans. I've just been surviving. And dreaming of the day I could get back to eating foods other than organic fruits and veggies. I missed me some grains, and nuts, and beans. And now they're back. Hallelujah!

So this week I got back into recipe research. Hooray! :) And I tried 2 new recipes that I just have to share with you guys. Muy delicioso. And the secret ingredient in both of them is ............drum roll please......... beans!

Here's the first. - Gluten free Chickpea Flour Pasta

Image Source: Foodie Fiasco

Oh my gosh, you guys. This pasta is A-MA-ZING! I didn't think any pasta could be homemade, gluten free, and YUMMY all in one. But this one fits the bill. To. Die. For. Delish. You must try it.

Kelly, over at FoodieFiasco found it on the internet, tested it, and photographed it. And guess what, you guys? She's only 14. Fourteen! And she's one of my very favorite foodie blogs. You should really go check her out. Then you try to believe she's only 14.

*Taps fingers. Waits. Crickets chirping.*

Okay, you're back?

Now on to recipe number 2 that blew my mind this week.

Dairy free Creamy Mushroom Soup

Image Source: For the Love of Food

I grew up on Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup. If there was a recipe that involved said soup, you can bet my mom knew how to make it. :) And I loved cream of mushroom soup. 

But - it's not all that good for you. All kinds of processed crap floating around in that innocent looking little can.

Then, I found this DE-LI-CIOUS recipe from Sonnet over at For the Love of Food.  It's like the canned soup - on crack! I totally could have eaten the whole pot. By myself. No regrets. :) And as it was cooking, it filled my house with the aroma of sauteed mushrooms, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce. If heaven has a welcoming aroma, this would be it, in my book.

And - even though my kids thought it looked like barf (my presentation isn't nearly as pretty as Sonnet's) - they were troopers and tried it anyway. And they all loved it. Even my picky 6 year old, and my 10 year old who hates mushrooms.

Best thing - it's totally creamy and dreamy. And there's no milk. No almond milk. No soy milk. No rice milk. The creamy goodness comes from brown rice and white canellini beans. High fiber and high protein. Score!

So - go try this soup, you guys. Your taste buds will thank you.

And - lucky me - I have some leftover soup! So - tomorrow for lunch, I'm making myself some more gluten free pasta and topping it with the scrumptiously creamy soup. - Gluten free, high protein, guilt free comfort food. Now that's my cup of tea - er, bowl of soup. :)

Whole Wheat & Quinoa Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Whew! What a mouthful, right? I couldn't decide what to call these pancakes. What's the best feature?

That they're whole wheat?
That they have hidden quinoa for protein?
That they are sinfully delicious  and taste just like Pumpkin Chocolate chip cookies?

I don't know. You decide. :)

If you wanted to go uber healthy ( my 9 year old insists that uber is NOT a word :D ), you could omit the chocolate chips. I added them because my kids turn their noses up at pumpkin spice flavored things - UNLESS there's chocolate involved.

Or, if you had extra time and ambition, you could even make your own chocolate chips with this recipe here.

So, without further ado, here's my recipe for Whole Wheat and Quinoa Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes. Whew! It wears me out just to type it - check out them finger acrobatics. :)




Printable version here

Whole Wheat and Quinoa Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes
by Shana Galbraith

*Note: This recipe will make 24 -30 pancakes. I usually double the batch, however, because I buy the smaller can of pumpkin puree, and if I double the recipe, it will use up the whole can. They freeze beautifully and are great for hectic mornings when I don't have time to cook a breakfast from scratch.

Ingredients:

1/8 c water + 1 tsp chia seeds (to make a chia egg)
1/4 c sucanat
1/4 c agave nectar
3/4 c pumpkin puree
1/2 c melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
2 Tbsp wheat germ
2 Tbsp flax seed meal
1/4 c cooked quinoa
3 c whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
4 c water
1 bag dark chocolate chips (optional)

 Directions:

*Mix the 1/8 cup of water with 1 tsp chia seeds and set aside to gel for 3 or 4 minutes.

*In a large bowl, mix the sucanat, agave nectar, pumpkin, coconut oil, vanilla, sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, wheat germ, and flax seed meal. Once the chia seeds have had a few minutes to gel, add them to this mixture.

*When those are combined, add the quinoa, flour, baking powder, and water.  Mix well with a whisk.

*Pour batter by 1/4 cups full onto a hot griddle.

*Drop chocolate chips onto pancakes. I wait to put the chocolate chips on now so that they don't all sink to the bottom of the bowl of pancake batter.

*When edges start to look done, flip the pancakes. Cook another minute or two.

Serve, and enjoy!

My New Favorite Salad Dressing

My favorite color is green.

Green fruits and veggies are some of my favorite things.  I think God likes green too. He made an awful lot of it. :)

I love things like:

grapes
kiwis
apples
green beans
asparagus
kale
lettuce
brussels sprouts (yes, I really do love these - steam them with a little olive oil and herbamare - delish!)
broccoli
bell peppers
honeydew
herbs like dill, parsley, and basil
cucumbers

But the king of all of these, in my book is The Avocado. Wanna see a funny video about avocados? Click here. 

Anywho - I was trying to go more raw with my diet this last week, and I came up with this super simple, super delicious dressing.

Hooray for avocados!!!!!!

You'll only need 3 ingredients:

2 ripe avocados
1 tsp herbamare (or sea salt)
5 tbsp water

That's it! 

Dice the avocado, and add it to your food processor. (I use a tiny 1.5 cup capacity one for dressings)

Add in the herbamare and water and blend. Voila!
 

Delicious green avocado-ey (yes that's a word - I just invent-e-ted it ) goodness to spread on your salads.

I may or may not have also spread it on my hashbrowns, my quinoa, and my toast. :)

Good stuff, peeps. And good for you.

Who needs processed salad dressings when healthy ones are this EASY to make?

Enjoy!

Raw Brownie and Fresh Fruit Pie Recipe

Today (3/14) is National Pi Day. Fun stuff, peeps.

So - to celebrate, I made Pie. Because you know, Pi backwards is Pie.

Anyway - this is the pie I made.

Looks yummy, right?

It was yummy. :)

I saw this raw pie recipe on Pinterest. And then, because my dear friend Angela mentioned that she was craving chocolate, I got the genius idea to swap out the crust for a crust made from this raw brownie recipe.

Genius. Thanks, Angela.

To thank her for her contribution, and because I had extra brownie leftover from the crust, I made her a mini version:

I just pressed the leftover brownie mixture into mini muffin cups and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes, then topped it with all the goodies.

Anyway, here's the recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Printable Recipe Here

Raw Brownie Fresh Fruit Pie
adapted by Shana Galbraith

Ingredients:

Crust: 
2 cups walnuts
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
12 medjool dates, pits removed
pinch cinnamon

Toppings:
3 to 4 bananas
2 lbs fresh strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 small can mandarin oranges
3 kiwis, sliced


Directions:

To make crust:
1. Process walnuts in a food processor until they form fine crumbs.
2. Add cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt and process to blend.
3. Add medjool dates, one at a time and process until mixture is well combined.
4. Press mixture into a greased pie plate. (You will have some brownie mix leftover. I put mine in mini muffin tins to make individual brownies).
5. Put crust in freezer for 15 minutes to set.

To make filling: (after cleaning your food processor)
1. Add 5 large strawberries and 1/4 cup agave nectar to food processor. Blend to combine.

2. Slice bananas in half lengthwise and shortwise, and place in the pie crust. Top with 1/2 of remaining sliced strawberries.

3. Pour strawberry/agave nectar mixture over bananas and strawberries.

4. Open and drain can of mandarin oranges. Pile them in the middle of the pie.

5. Slice kiwis, and arrange remaining strawberries and kiwis around the mandarin oranges.

6. Refrigerate or freeze for 1 hour to set. I refrigerated it as recommended in the recipe I saw, but I would recommend freezing for next time so it sets better.

There you have it. Enjoy!

Food Storage - Whole Food Style

Image source

I LOVE eating fresh fruits and veggies. And right now, they are readily available at my local grocery store.

BUT, the worrywart in me can't help but worry about worst case scenarios. This whole foods way of eating has made me rethink what I'd do in an emergency if fresh fruits and veggies weren't available to me. A lot of food that people store in food storage is either really processed, or an animal product. Even in the event of an emergency, it would be awesome to maintain a whole foods, minimally processed diet.

So, here's my TOP 10 LIST  of the highly nutritious foods I consider "must haves" for food storage.

1. Frozen fruits and veggies. I keep a lot of frozen fruit on hand for smoothies. My favorite fruits are strawberries, blueberries, and mixed tropical fruit. I find them at Sam's club in bulk for the best price. My favorite veggies are corn, peas, lima beans, green beans, broccoli, and brussels sprouts.  Let's just hope I have power and my freezer continues to serve me well. ;)

2. Wheat. Wheat is great because you can grind it for flour and make wonderful things like tortillas, breads, cracked wheat cereal for breakfast, pasta, or you can sprout it for greens.

3. Quinoa. This is probably the one I'm most excited about. Because Quinoa is easy to store, easy to cook, and it's a complete protein - it has all the essential amino acids / protein that your body needs.

4. Chia seeds. I LOVE Chia Seeds ! They are a super food that have so many nutrients it's astounding. You can eat them as is, and they contain a lot of protein, calcium, and omega-3's.

5. Dried or canned beans. My favorites are black beans, garbanzo beans, and kidney beans. They're a great source of protein and fiber.

6. Coconut oil. Coconut Oil is a more heart healthy oil, and it can also be used for dry skin and lips.

7. Steel Cut Oats. My family loves oatmeal. And it is so filling! And the Steel Cut Oats have more nutrients left intact than the milled oats.

8. Canned tomatoes. I put these in everything from salsa to soup to pasta. Supposedly, cooked tomatoes are better for you than fresh anyway.

9. Nuts - My favorites are almonds, walnuts, and brazil nuts . They're a great source of protein and good fats. And brazil nuts contain selenium.

10. Vegetable seeds. I know that's not a food, but during good weather, with a little know how, you can grow your own fresh fruits and veggies. Yes!

So there you have it - my top 10 food storage ideas.

Now I wanna hear from you. What are your food storage must haves?


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"Throw it Together" Easy Weeknight Dinner

Yesterday, I was feeling pretty crummy. Headaches are one of nature's blessings, right? ;)

Anyway, I didn't wanna put a lot of time, effort, or thought into dinner. So I scoured my fridge and pantry to see what I had on hand. And this is what we did for dinner.

Green Smoothies:

Baked potatoes : Peel, dice, toss with olive oil and seasonings of your choice. Bake at 425F for 30 minutes.

And a Green Salad with diced apples, cooked quinoa, chopped brazil nuts, and honey mustard dressing.

 More specific deets on the salad:

2 c green leaf lettuce, shredded
1 c cooked quinoa
2 gala apples, diced
1 handful brazil nuts, chopped
Honey Mustard dressing - which is why the apples in the pic look yellow. :)
Toss all together, and enjoy.


This meal was satisfying - quick - and nutritious.
Not only do you get your whole day's worth of fiber from the green smoothie alone, but you also get plenty of protein from both the smoothie and the quinoa in the salad.

I LOVE me some easy dinners.

Quinoa , Mushroom, and Kale Bowl Recipe

I owe the credit for this dinner mostly to Angela over at Oh She Glows.

This is her meal that inspired mine:
 

Image Source: Oh She Glows

 Isn't her photography 10 times better than mine? :)

Anyway, I saw this on in my blog feed a couple of days ago and I had to try it. Mushroom gravy? You had me at hello!

So, I went to the store, got the ingredients I needed and headed home, happy as a clam.

Then I went to cook it.
And I was out of soy sauce.
Really? Out of soy sauce? Who in their right mind is out of soy sauce? If you looked in 90% of the refrigerators across America, you'd fine a bottle of soy sauce. But not in mine. :(

BUT - it was a happy accident. Because I decided to use Worcestershire sauce instead. I mean, what goes better with mushrooms than Worcestershire sauce?  Not much. And it was Divine!

So, I substituted:
*Quinoa instead of millet because it cooks more quickly - and I love quinoa!
*Worcestershire instead of soy sauce because crazy me was out of soy sauce
*and I left out the rosemary - because that was one more thing that I thought I had - and didn't.

Note to self - restock kitchen essentials!

So, here's my adaptation of the recipe. Head on over to Oh She Glows to find the original.

Printable version here

Quinoa with Mushroom/Kale Gravy

recipe by Angela Liddon, adapted by Shana Galbraith

• 1 1/2 c uncooked quinoa
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 & 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup fresh diced kale, stems removed
• Freshly ground black pepper & kosher salt, to taste

1. Soak quinoa in a bowl of water for 5 minutes to remove the saponin.

2. Meanwhile, bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan.When water is boiling, drain the soak water off the quinoa and add the quinoa to the boiling water. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, grab a large skillet and heat oil over medium heat. Add in chopped onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes.

4. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for about 12 minutes longer, stirring as necessary. Now stir in the  nutritional yeast and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for a few minutes. Chop the kale.

5. In a small bowl, whisk together  1 1/4 cups water and cornstarch until clumps are gone, and then stir into the mushroom mixture. Stir in kale. Cook for another 5-6 minutes or so, until slightly thickened.

Serve gravy over the quinoa and Bon Appetit!

Green Smoothie Girl's Homemade Whole Wheat Flax tortillas

So, I saw this recipe in Green Smoothie Girl's 12 Steps to Whole Foods. Which can be pretty pricey. But I got mine free by buying my Blendtec through Greensmoothie girl. You can do the same if you decide to buy a Blendtec. That's a $70 value, free. Okay - I'll stop now before I sound like an infomercial.

Anyway, on to the tortillas! They are not that hard to make, and they are SO much better for you. No preservatives, artificial gunk, etc. And they're whole grain with the added benefit of flax meal. Muy delicioso!

I did modify a couple of things, but I stuck to the recipe for the most part.
And they're good tortillas. My family loved them. :)

Green Smoothie Girl's Whole Wheat Flax Tortillas
adaptations made by Shana

5½ C whole-wheat flour
½ C freshly ground flax seeds (I just used Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal )
½ tsp. aluminum-free baking powder (I love Rumford brand)
2 Tbsp. seasoning (powdered garlic, powdered sage, chili powder are some options - I used taco seasoning)
1 tsp. sea salt
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 C warm water

1. Mix the dry ingredients, then add the wet. If it’s too dry, add more water a spoonful at a time. Mix until a ball forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Separate the dough into 20 pieces and form into balls. Roll each ball into a very thin 10" circle. Stack them on plate and cover with a damp cloth. (Here, I just rolled each ball into a circle one at a time when I was ready for them instead of rolling them all out first. It worked nicely because by the time I had a new one rolled, the previous one was ready to flip.)

3. Preheat a griddle to medium-high. Place the dough rounds on the griddle (ungreased), flipping when air
pockets form and piercing the air bubbles. Tortillas are done when they are golden on both sides.

4. Use immediately or store in a Ziploc bag in the fridge or freezer.

If you like this recipe, head on over to greensmoothiegirl.com for more great tips, recipes, etc. I LOVE her site.



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Will it Blend?

Do you have a Blendtec? If not, you're missing out on one of my favorite kitchen tools. 

I ♥ my Blendtec.

Reason 7,364,259 : Homemade slushies.

I don't know why I didn't think of it. I mean, if you watch any Will it Blend videos on youtube, you can pretty much blend anything in a Blendtec.

But one day, my 5 year old wanted a slushie. He suggested we just crunch up ice and pour in juice. Then - brain spark! I realized I could use my favorite kitchen gadget! And voila!

So - here you go - here's just how easy it is. :)

Step 1: Put a bunch of ice in your Blendtec. It doesn't matter how much, really. Just guess.

 

 Step 2: Blend for 30 seconds or less - and you get this awesome powdery snow!

Step 3: Put snow in cups.

 

Step 4: Pour in 100% juice - we used Apple.

   

 Step 5: Stick in a spoon-ended straw.

 

 Step 6: Slurp. :)

I love my little kiddos. And they loved the slushies.