Buckwheat Stir In

I have had a package of Bob's Red Mill Buckwheat sitting in the cupboard for a while. Given the extra time that I have right now, I decided to open it and use it in a recipe. I enjoy buckwheat, I am not sure why I do not use it more regularly in my cooking routine. Cooked buckwheat provides a good source of protein, fiber, minerals, and antioxidants. It may improve blood sugar control. Buckwheat may be used much like rice, as a side dish or as the star of a main dish as I explain below.

I made a batch pf buckwheat following the directions on the package, a 1:2 ratio of buckwheat to water. I took two cups of the cooked buckwheat and used it for the following recipe. I saved the rest for another meal.

Buckwheat Stir In Ingredients (2 servings)

• Lettuce
• 2 cups (cooked buckwheat)
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 4 cloves (medium size) garlic, peeled and diced
• 1 cup diced sweet potato (I use organic)
• 2 TBSP dried rosemary
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth (low sodium) 

Instructions:

• Satuee vegetables in a pan with just enough olive oil to cause them not to stick to the pan. 
• Add vegetable broth to soften the sweet potato
• Once most of the liquid is gone, add the buckwheat and rosemary and stir to combine
• Serve over a bed of lettuce

Shrimp Patties

I love making amaranth fritters and experimenting with flavor profiles. Some of my favorite flavor profiles include:

• Rosemary, Garlic, Onion
• Basil, Garlic, Red Bell Pepper
• Carrot and Tarragon

Amaranth makes a great hot cereal too! One recipe I have gone back to quite a bit is Amaranth Hot Cereal with Seasonal Fruit 

This recipe starts with the base amaranth fritter recipe and includes shrimp, leeks, and curry powder. Enjoy this with a side of potatoes and a salad or roasted vegetables.

Base Recipe: 
1 cup amaranth
2 cups of liquid (water or low sodium broth)
Instructions: Cook until liquid is absorbed

To Make Shrimp Patties:

• 2 flax eggs
• Leek
• Shrimp
• Curry
• Oil 
• Gluten Free Flour

VARIATION: Add diced chicken or salmon OR omit added meat and enjoy as a vegan meal as amaranth is a complete protein.

Instructions:

1. Prepare 2 flax eggs
2. Sautee 1 cup of diced leeks and six large shrimp (I use cooked frozen shrimp)
3. Dice the shrimp once cooked (small pieces)
4. Add flax eggs, leeks and shrimp mixture to cooked amaranth and stir well
5. Add 2 TBSP Curry Powder and 1/2 cup gluten free flour ... mix well
6. Form into patties and satuee on each side for about 5 minutes
7. Bake in oven (350) for 30 minutes ... turn after 15 minutes

The patties turn out a bit crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. OPTION: You can eat them as finger food  if you make them as bite sized balls. 

NOTE: The beautiful ceramics can be purchased from Bruce's Creative Ceramics. All of his work is table safe. For a full selection of his hand crafted ceramics contact him at bhaggerty39@gmail.com

Amaranth Pucks

The blank canvas I worked with for this recipe was AMARANTH! I love using Bob's Red Mill grains of discovery as they provide complete protein and you can be satisfied without eating a large portion.

I have made AMARANTH FRITTERS many times following the directions on the package. After making gluten free spaghetti and meatballs I decided to make amaranth balls. I planned to use the balls as bite sized treats with dipping sauces.

I made the amaranth according to package directions ... a 1 to 2 ratio of amaranth to liquid. I used water as I made a double batch to use in many recipes ... with different flavor profiles. You can add broth of you prefer to infuse the amaranth with flavor from step one!

The "balls" I was attempting to make turned out to resemble hockey pucks. As a sports fan, I am fine with that! How fun it would be to make amaranth hockey pucks for a hockey themes party ... Stanley Cup Party Ideas!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked amaranth
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup gluten free all purpose flour
• Oil to sautee the pucks
• Non-stick aluminum foil for baking the pucks

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350
• NOTE: The amaranth can be precooked.
• Whisk the 2 eggs
• Add in the amaranth and stir well. Break up any lumps. 
• Add the flour and stir well. 
• Add some oil to a pan and heat to medium high
• Shape the amaranth mixture into balls or pucks and add to the warm pan
• Cook 3-5 minutes on both sides
• Transfer to non-stick aluminum foil and bake for 3 minutes to finish the cooking process. 

The amaranth will turn out to have a slightly crispy outer shell and a soft texture inside.

Serving suggestions:
Serve with dipping sauces
Add to the plate with stir fry vegetables and gluten free rice noodles
Add to noodles made with zucchini and pasta sauce

Kashi Teff Crackers

When I started to eat a gluten free diet there were not many highly nutritious options in the marketplace. Fortunately, the number of healthy options has increased over the years! One way to eat gluten free is to use as few packaged foods as possible. When I do eat prepared foods, it is important to me that the product is nutritious and that the company believes in sustainable practices. Kashi products are ones I loved prior to having to be gluten free. I am excited to see they are continuing to add to their gluten free options!

The new crackers by Kashi use one of the Grains of Discovery, Teff. This ancient grain is high in fiber and a good source of calcium. The crackers are light and crispy. They are flavorful...it is a challenge to only eat a few!

The Lemon Chickpea Chili flavor tastes like a falafel and accompanies hummus well.
The Tomato Lentil Berbere is a great spicy side to a sandwich or salad.
The Red Sea Salt variety goes well with salsa.

Enjoy these new Gluten Free crackers made with good-for-you ingredients. 

Pomegranate + Amaranth = Bountiful Breakfast

Hot cereal is a satisfying meal to start your day. Amaranth is a good choice to use for hot cereal as it is high in protein and will keep you satisfied for a while. Use it before a morning work-out or before heading off to school. The texture and consistency is a bit thicker than Cream-of-Wheat. Add the seasonal fresh fruit of your choice (or diced dried fruit) to the dish when serving and enjoy!

Pomegranates tend to be expensive. You may be lucky and have a friend who has a tree or find a sale in the store. The fruit is worth the splurge from time-to-time as the antioxidant health benefits are tremendous.

Q: How does one remove the seeds from the pomegranate without getting red all over the place?

A: This recipe uses the antioxidant rich pomegranate as the fruit of choice. To remove the seeds from a pomegranate without getting the red color of the liquid to stain your hands and clothes, follow a few basic steps:

First, cut the pomegranate in half from top to bottom. I suggest you put a kitchen towel over the fruit and knife so any liquid sprays into the towel.

Second, put the sliced fruit into a bowl of water. Use your fingers to remove seeds from membrane while submerged into the water. The seeds will sink and the membrane will float.

Third, remove the membrane from the water and drain the water. This will leave the pomegranate seeds to be used in your recipe.

Base Ingredients and Variations:

 

3 3 cups of liquid (I use 1 part almond milk and 2 parts water)

1 1 cup amaranth grain (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

1 1 cup seasonal fruit (or diced dried fruit)

     (I used half pomegranate seeds and half banana slices)

11 1/2 cups nuts (I used slivered almonds for this recipe – look for a nut that goes with the fruit chosen)

1 1/2 tsp almond flavoring (substitute vanilla or maple – use a flavor profile that works well with the fruit you are using)

1 1 tbsp local raw honey (optional addition to top the cereal)

Instructions:

1. Amaranth grains need to be cooked with a ratio of 3 cups of liquid to 1 cup of amaranth. I increased this recipe so that I would have left-overs and used 4.5 cups of liquid to 1.5 cups of amaranth grain. I started by boiling 3 cups of water in a pot then adding the amaranth. As the liquid absorbed into the grain I added 1.5 cups of almond milk .5 cups at a time and stirred to integrate the almond milk.
2.  When the liquid is almost absorbed, add the flavoring and stir. 
3. Let hot cereal rest for 5 minutes and serve or store in an airtight container for later.

Apple Cinnamon Walnut Gluten Free Whole Note Muffins

I love Whole Note products as they are healthy and satisfying gluten free baking mixes. As a baked that likes to modify recipes to create fascinating mixes, Whole Note products provide a perfect base to create HEALTHY RECIPE VARIATIONS.

I used the Create-A-Muffin Mix to make Apple Cinnamon Walnut muffins. They turned out fluffy, moist, chewy, and flavorful. (I do love the muffin mix made without adding anything!) The muffins can be served either warm or cool. You can enjoy them with butter, Chia jam, or even a nut or seed butter.

Ingredients:
Whole Note Gluten Free Create-A-Muffin Mix
2 large eggs (I use free range)
3/4 cup of milk (I use almond milk)
1/3 cup of oil (I used walnut oil in this recipe)

Substitutions I made:
Added: 4 TBSP ground cinnamon
Added: 1 large apple - sliced thin and then diced into small pieces
1/2 cup homemade applesauce for the milk
Added: 1 cup of walnuts (diced so some are ground into a walnut flour)

Instructions:
Combine wet ingredients in a stand up mixer
Add dry and mix until combined - do not over mix
Line a muffin tin with "skirts" and fill "skirts" 3/4 full for small muffins or full for large muffins with significant "muffin tops"

Bake: 350 for 20 minutes (depending on size of muffins) then check by inserting a toothpick in center or largest muffin. If toothpick does not come out clean, continue cooking and checking every 5 minutes.

Amaranth Hot Cereal with Seasonal Fruit

Hot cereal is a satisfying meal to start your day. Amaranth is a good choice to use for hot cereal as it is high in protein and will keep you satisfied for a while. Use it before a morning work-out or before heading off to school. The texture and consistency is a bit thicker than Cream-of-Wheat. Add the seasonal fresh fruit of your choice (or diced dried fruit) to the dish when serving and enjoy!

Base Ingredients and Variations:

·      3 cups of liquid (I use 1 part almond milk and 2 parts water)

·      1 cup amaranth grain (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

·      I cup chopped seasonal fruit (or diced dried fruit)

·      .5 cups nuts (I used slivered almonds for this recipe – look for a nut that goes with the fruit chosen)

·      1.5 tsp almond flavoring (substitute vanilla or maple – use a flavor profile that works well with the fruit you are using)

·      1 tbsp local raw honey

Instructions:

1.    Amaranth grains need to be cooked with a ratio of 3 cups of liquid to 1 cup of amaranth. I increased this recipe so that I would have left-overs and used 4.5 cups of liquid to 1.5 cups of amaranth grain. I started by boiling 3 cups of water in a pot then adding the amaranth. As the liquid absorbed into the grain I added 1.5 cups of almond milk .5 cups at a time and stirred to integrate the almond milk.

2.    When the liquid is almost absorbed, add the flavoring and stir.

3.    Let hot cereal rest for 5 minutes and serve or store in an airtight container for later.

Serve:

Top with fruit and nuts of your choice and 1 tbsp honey

You may add additional almond milk if you prefer a thinner texture.

Reheating:

Add 6 TBSP milk to your bowl and stir prior to reheating in the microwave for 1-1.5 minutes depending on your microwave

Greek Inspired Quinoa

Quinoa is versatile and I find myself using it quite often. For a savory main dish or side dish, you can add sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and crumble feta cheese. An OPTION...add some olives for a salty flavor.

The dish can be made simple or complex...you chose the layers of flavor you wish to add. The portion size will determine if it is a side dish or a main dish for you!

Ingredients:
Quinoa
Water or Vegetable Broth
Sundried Tomatoes
Artichoke Hearts
Feta Cheese

Optional:
Beets
Olives
Lettuce

Instructions:

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions. The volume you make is determined by the number of people you wish to serve/desire for left-overs! For the liquid use water or low sodium vegetable broth. Using the broth adds depth of flavor to the dish.
2. In a pan add sundried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. For this recipe, I used sundried tomatoes in olive oil from a jar as well as diced artichoke hearts from a jar. I diced the tomatoes into small pieces and used some of the olive oil to sautee the tomatoes and artichoke hearts. 
3. Add beets and/or olives if you wish.
4. Add the quinoa to combine. 

To serve:
Place in a bowl and crumble feta cheese on top
Option...place a bed of lettuce on bottom of bowl for added texture and color!

Sugarless Chocolate Cookies TRANSFORMED into a Whoopie Pie Look Alike

I decided to modify my SUGARLESS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES RECIPE posted on Healthy Recipe Variations on February 14, 2015 to make my version of a “whoopee pie”.

I doubled the recipe and created cookies the size of my palm/the coaster on which my tea cup was resting. I made them about 1 inch thick so I could cut them in half and fill them after cooking and cooling.

The cooking time increased to 45 minutes…but I do caution you to check after 30 minutes and every five minutes after as ovens can be finicky.

When the cookies are done, I removed them from the oven. I used parchment paper on my cookie tray so I was able to lift the parchment and cookies from the cookie sheet and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Once cool, I cut in half and served with either Nutella (or Nutella and thin banana slices) or nut butter in the center.

Recipe Variation…Change Filler to:

• Your favorite Chia Jam
• Cream Cheese frosting 
• SunButter Sunflower Butter

Suzie's Gluten Free Quinoa

When you are in a hurry and need a quick and nutritious meal, Suzie’s Quinoa Pouches can come to the rescue! The quinoa pouches are fully cooked and just need to be reheated. They come in 9 ounce pouches in the following flavors: Olive Oil, Indian Spice, Asian and Tex-Mex.

You can heat the pouch and eat on the go or add vegetables and an additional protein and create a full meal. One pouch is a stand-alone dish for one person. A pouch plus additional vegetables and protein is a meal for two. When I added protein and vegetables I added 2 cups of vegetables diced and 2 cups of additional protein that I cooked separately and added the package to the pan to warm it and combine the ingredients. The flavor remained even when additional ingredients were added.

To the Asian Pouch I diced and sauteed: Shrimp, Onions, and Yellow Squash.

 

To the Tex Mex Pouch I diced and sautéed: garlic, onions, gluten free turkey sausage, and a yellow and red bell pepper. 

To the Olive Oil Pouch I diced and sauteed: gluten free turkey sausage, onions, garlic, and broccoli.

SunButter Smoothie Chia Pudding

 

When looking for inspiration for recipes I am drawn to flavors, textures, and nutritional value (not necessarily in that order). As an art historian, I find that I like food where all the elements and principles are unified. This recipe unifies my love for chia pudding and SunButter smoothies. Adding the SunButter to the almond milk, chia seeds, and banana creates a thicker and creamier texture to the pudding more so than playing with the ratio of chia seeds to liquid. The pudding is a satisfying dessert, post workout snack, or breakfast.

Take the time to add chia seeds to your diet. They provide you with omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and calcium.  

Base Ingredients:

1 RIPE banana

1 Cup Chocolate Almond Milk

1 Cup Original Almond Milk

1/4 Cup SunButter (I used no sugar added)

Instructions:

Mash the bananas in the container in which you will chill the pudding

Add the chia, SunButter, and milk

Stir to combine (until all chia seeds come into contact with liquid and bananas and SunButter are spread through the mixture

Refrigerate still set (30 minutes to 1 hour)

Healthier Options:

·      Serve as is

·      Add diced banana slices or raspberries as a garnish

·      Add 1-2 TBSP sunflower seeds as a garnish

Dessert Options Garnish With…

·      Add 1 – 2 TBSP Gluten Free chocolate chips (dark or milk or combination)

·      Add 1-2 TBSP sunflower seeds

Quinoa Clusters ... Snacks by I Heart Keenwah

Quinoa is an ancient grain with a name that is difficult for many to pronounce. I love the versatility of the grain for use in sweet and savory dishes. It is a go-to pantry staple of mine for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and baking. I was introduced to I Heart Keenwah at the Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expo in Del Mar, California in February. The idea of quinoa snacks drew me to the table! The Quinoa Clusters are great as a mid day snack (I enjoy the crunch of the quinoa with the chew of dried fruit) or as a topping to Greek yogurt.

I am excited to have more Quinoa Clusters. They have a crunchy texture with a sweet undertone. I love to travel and lead an active lifestyle so the clusters will be a great snack on an airplane or road trip. They could be carried on a hike or bike ride to provide energy while on an adventure.

Check out the I Heart Keenwah website to see where they can be found in a store near you.

I have taken a picture of the clusters alone as well as on top of Greek Yogurt. I purchase PLAIN Greek yogurt and add flavor with fruit. When berries are not in season I purchase organic frozen fruit and use a medley in my yogurt. This bowl contains peaches and strawberries with Cashew Cranberry Quinoa Clusters.

Chocolate Chia Pudding

 

I love homemade chia pudding for breakfast. I love bananas and Nutella. I found a way to combine both tastes into a dessert. My chia pudding involves only THREE ingredients…more can be added if you wish!

Base Ingredients:

1.5 Cups Chocolate Flavor Almond Milk

1/3 Cup Chia Seeds (organic if you can)

1 Large RIPE Banana or 2 small/medium

Instructions:

Mash the bananas in the container in which you will chill the pudding

Add the chia and chocolate almond milk

Stir to combine (until all chia seeds come into contact with liquid and bananas are spread through the mixture

Refrigerate still set – 30 minutes to 1 hour

Options:

Add more liquid for a runnier texture and less liquid for a thicker texture

Omit bananas if you do not like

Add crumbled cookies when serving for additional texture

Add coconut for additional texture

Use the milk you prefer (cow, camel, soy, etc)

For this recipe I experimented with garnishes:

I garnished with Enjoy Life Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies and a few extra slices of banana

I crushed two cookies and used them as a base and added the pudding on top 

The addition of the cookie added a nice crunch. 

 

Maple Cinnamon Super Seedz Granola

When I needed to begin eating a gluten free diet my husband and I became frustrated as we could not find many granolas on the market that were not loaded with sugar. Thankfully today many more options exist that are not loaded with sugar.  My recipes for granola add flavor via spices, extracts, and fruits.

I got used to experimenting with flavors and creating homemade granola.  I love the creativity of customizing the flavor profile!

Granola is great for breakfast or as a snack. It can be combined with the milk or yogurt of your choice for breakfast or used as a topping on chia pudding or frozen yogurt for a sweet treat. 

Base Granola Recipe:

·      3 cups of rolled oats

·      1 cup oil

·      1 cup grain – either millet or quinoa

·      4 tbsp extract of your choice

·      1 cup seeds – sesame, pumpkin, or sunflower

·      1 cup honey

Options:

1 cup coconut

1 cup dried fruit
1 cup diced nuts

Oils – I use coconut, walnut, canola, or olive depending on recipe

Brown Sugar (1/4 cup IF you PREFER added sweetness)

For the Maple Cinnamon Super Seedz Granola I used the base recipe and added quinoa. I used maple extract AND 4 TBSP of cinnamon. For the seeds I used Maple Sugar & Sea Salt Super Seedz that added a great crunchy texture and added flavor! I did add 1 cup of coconut, 1 cup diced walnuts, and I used canola oil. The extra added treat to this batch was a cup of DATES. Dates do add a sweet flavor but also fiber. I pitted and diced the dates rather than purchasing diced dates.

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Combine all ingredients in a standing mixer or bowl of your choice
• Line a cookie sheet with Reynolds Non-Stick Aluminum Foil (so you do not have to add fat to ensure the granola does not stick)
• Spread the granola evenly on the foil.
• Bake 3-40 minutes depending on your oven…check after 20 to gauge progress. You know the granola is done when the edges start to turn golden.
• When cooled, store in an airtight container. 

Granola with SuperSeedz

Homemade granola is simple to make and easy to customize. At the Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expo I learned about SuperSeedz and decided I needed to try to incorporate them into my granola. I have been including pumpkin seeds into granola from time to time to take advantage of its protein and iron. The idea of adding FLAVORED pumpkin seeds to add to the granola’s flavor profile and texture intrigued me.

Enjoy this granola with a subtle vanilla and chocolate flavor. Next time I will have to add dried strawberries to make it a true Neapolitan granola!

I started with:

·      3-4 cups of oats (I get Gluten Free Bob’s Red Mill)

·      1 cup  of coconut flakes

·      3 / 4 cup of uncooked quinoa

For flavor and texture I added:

·      1 cup of CoCo Joe SuperSeedz

·      2 tbsp vanilla extract

·      4 dried figs – diced

To add moisture I added:

·      1 1/2 cups of olive oil

I mixed the ingredients in my stand up mixer and put it on a foil lines cookie tray. I sprinkled 1 cup of honey to the top of the granola and baked in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes (depending on the heat of your oven). You know the granola is done when the edges start to turn golden.

When the granola is done I take it out of the oven and let it cool. Once cool I remove it from the foil and place in an airtight container. 

Enjoy your granola with your favorite milk or yogurt as a breakfast treat or top frozen yogurt or ice cream as part of a sweet treat.

You may not have noticed SuperSeedz on the shelves in your local store. This family owned business is growing nationally. Their website lists retail locations carrying their products (http://www.superseedz.com/pages/find-a-retailer). You can also buy the product on the SuperSeedz website. I'll certainly be sharing other recipes using other flavors!