almond cornmeal muffins with apricots

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup organic cane sugar
2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup low fat organic plain yogurt
1/4 cup organic maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil or unsalted organic butter, melted
1 lg organic egg
1/4 cup dried organic apricots, chopped
organic dry toasted sliced almonds

preheat oven to 350F.

combine flour, almond meal, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

combine yogurt, maple syrup, coconut butter/oil, and egg. add to dry. fold in apricots.

pour into muffin tins and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

bake 20 min.

mojito marinated chicken with mango, edamame salsa and coconut couscous

i jar trader joes cuban mojito sauce
1 green onion, chopped
4 boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts
1 red organic bell pepper, sliced

1 mango, diced
half of 1 onion, chopped
handful of chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup organic grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup cooked and cooled edamame
squeeze of 1 lime
sea salt to taste

organic whole wheat couscous
organic light coconut milk
water
bunch of parsely, chopped
1/4 cup organic, unsweetened shredded coconut

combine sauce and green onions. marinate chicken overnight or for a few hours. throw chicken onto grill pan with sliced peppers and cook until done. 10 min or so.

cook couscous according to package but use half light coconut milk and half water for liquid. add coconut while cooking. when done toss with parsely.

combine mango thru sea salt and let sit.

throw on a plate and eat!

vegan lemon raspberry muffins

yet another recipe adapted from renee louxs The Balanced Plate.
these were delicious and hearty. i'll post pics in the morning!

enjoy!

3/4 cup organic whole wheat flour
3/4 cup organic spelt flour
2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 pls 2 tbls organic coconut oil/butter, softened
1/4 cup agave syrup
1/4 cup organic grade b maple syrup
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
zest of 1 organic lemon
juice of 1 organic lemon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp organic apple cider vinegar
1 cup organic raspberries
raw organic wheat germ

preheat oven to 350F. grease or lin muffin tins with unbleached muffin cups.

combine flours, baking powder and salt.

beat coconut oil, agave syrup, maple syrup, almond milk, lemon zest and juice, vanilla and appple cider vinegar.

beat in dry until JUST combined...do not over mix.

fold in berries.

pour into muffin tin and sprinkle tops with wheat germ.

bake 20 minutes.

date and pecan sugar cookies

1/2 cup organic pure cane sugar
1/4 cup organic butter, softened
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 lg organic egg
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup organic spelt flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup finely chopped organic pecans, toasted
1/3 cup chopped pitted dates
Vegetable cooking spray

cream sugar and butter in a mixer until fluffy. add vanilla and egg; beat well. Combine flour, cornmeal, and baking soda. add to butter mixture and beat well.
stir in pecans and dates.
bake at 350° for 10 minutes; let cool.

orange ricotta pancakes

i got a free copy of martha stewarts everyday food magazine. this recipe just sounded amazingly light and fresh and perfect for the warm weather we have had. they are simple to prepare and easy to freeze after.
i do think its important to use fresh ricotta as the kind you get in regular coventional grocery stores is so rubbery and lacking in flavor.
i changed it by subbing whole wheat for unbleached white flour although next time i will use spelt for the added bonus. i also reduced the sugar. its amazing how many recipes contain such a useless amount of sugar. 1/4 cup was perfect and could've been even reduced to a few tbls. i made a yummy fruit salad with sliced plums, blackberries, tangerines and there juice and some pineapple, a perfect topping.

enjoy!

1 3/4 cups organic fresh ricotta cheese
1/4 cup organic pure cane sugar
2 lrg organic eggs
zest of 1 orange
2/3 cup whole wheat flour or spelt flour

whisk together ricotta, sugar, eggs and orange zest. add flour until just combined.

grease griddle and heat to med high heat. scoop pancake mixture by sant 1/4 cup and drop onto griddle. spread out with spoon just a bit. cook for a few minutes on each side.

serve warm with fruit!

vegan almond green tea cake

i adapted this cake from reneee louxs The Balanced Plate. the littlefoodie family is in some big "sweet lovin" (as littlefoodie would say) with this book. the recipe are amazing and a great way to try out some new ingredients. we changed the recipe a bit to suit our needs, which is not too much time in the prep department since the littlefoodie booty gets restless and evil these days.


the cake is super moist and crumbly but still a little dense. the flavors are really intense and fresh. bigfoodie dad loved it..i mean lurved it more than anything. and littlefoodie had a wonderful time making it cause he actually got to like the spoons and bowl this time since it is free of eggs.

enjoy!


1 cup organic whole wheat flour
1/2 cup almond meal or brown rice flour
1/2 cup organic spelt flour
6 tbl organic natural brown sugar
2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup organic brewed green tea
1/2 cup organic grade b maple syrup
2 tbl agave syrup
1/3 cup melted organic coconut oil (replaces butter)
1 tbl organic apple cider vinegar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup sliced organic raw almonds, toasted
1/4 cup organic medjool dates, chopped

preheat oven to 350F. grease 9" springform pan.

whisk together flours, almond meal, sugar, baking powder and soda, cinnamon and salt in a med sized bowl.

in another bowl, whisk together green tea, maple syrup, agave nectar, coconut butter/oil, vinegar and vanilla.

add the wet to dry and whisk until just combined. do not overmix.

pour half of cake battter into pan. sprinkle with sliced toasted almonds and dates. pour remaining batter on top and smooth.

bake 50 min. cool for 30 and remove from pan.

black lentil burgers with yogurt sauce and marinated heirloom tomatoes

1 yellow onion, chopped
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 cups organic vegetable broth
2/3 cup dried black lentils
2/3 cup organic crumbled feta cheese
2 grated organic carrots
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup raw organic wheat germ, toasted
1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

saute onion, oregano, red pepper, and garlic on med low until tender and cooked.

add broth and lentils bring to a boil. cover and simmer 20 minutes or until lentils are tender.

put lentil mixtureand remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined.

shape into patties and grill on med high heat grill pan for a few minutes on each side.

yogurt sauce
1 cup organic low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 yellow onion, grated
1/2 hothouse organic cucumber, grated
1 lrg garlic clove, minced
sea salt to taste

combine all together and serve with lentil burgers.

marinated heirloom/or grape tomatoes

1 cup heirloom or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup organic red wine vinegar
1 lg garlic clove, minced
handful fresh organic basil, chopped

combine and season to taste. serve with lentils.

s is for spelt

alot of people ask me what is spelt flour and why i use it. so i thought it would be a good idea to give some background and info on these types of ingredients that i use since some are not commonly used.

spelt, also called farro in italian is s popular grain in a lot of european cooking. it is higher in fiber and protien than regular whole wheat flour as well as high in those wonderful mood boosting B complex vitamins. this is also a wonderful flour for people with gluten sensitivites.

it has a nutty flavor and can be used to replace wheat in all kinds of recipes. once open i refridgerate it in a sealed bag to prevent it from going rancid and staying fresh longer.

arrowhead mills is my favorite brand of organic spelt flour and can be readily found at most health and natural food stores.