Quinoa (not Rice) Pudding

Thought I'd take a quick minute to jot down this yummy recipe. With all the talk of Arsenic in our rice, I must admit, I am making quinoa more than ever (and I made it a lot before!). I adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart's wholeliving.com recipe.

1 1/2 c. quinoa
3 c. plain or vanilla almond milk, unsweetened

Cook covered on medium high, until liquid is gone (about 10 min.). Turn burner off, but leave pot on the burner.

Combine:
2 eggs
1 c. plain or vanilla almond milk, unsweetened
1/2 t. cardemom
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. raisins, or other dried fruit (chopped apricots, cranberries, etc.)
1/8 c. honey
1/4 c. unrefined cane sugar

Turn heat back on medium, and pour in egg mixture. Stir quickly to avoid eggs curdling, and continue cooking for a five minutes more. You can add more milk if you like your pudding a bit runnier. Cool slightly and serve with a dollop of whip cream if you can have it.

Yiaourti me Meli (Yogurt with Honey)

A few years back (OK, more than a few) my cousin and I had the wonderful privilege of travelling together. We were single, foot-loose, and fancy-free (and loving every minute of it)! We tried to conserve our $$ by making our own breakfast and lunch, which were quite meagre. But for dinner we splurged and went out. 

On one of our evenings out, we made our way into a Greek restaurant (which is funny, as we were in Germany at the time). The young male owners were also the young male waiters, and neither spoke English. Now, travelling with food sensitivities is difficult. Travelling with food sensitivities in a country where no one understands you is downright impossible.

Through hand signals and a lot of pointing at the menu, I managed to order something. Although I don't remember what dinner was, I never forgot dessert! For one thing, I could actually eat it. For another, it was delicious. And thirdly, it was served to us with much Grecian flourish, and numerous requests to accompany those young male waiters to the DISCO (the only word we understood from them).

A super fun memory, and a dessert that I'm excited to pass on to you. It is easy, but so good!

Serve it after your greek inspired meal, or sneak it as a guilt-free snack. Yes, a dessert thats actually good for you. Who knew that existed?

In individual bowls, put:

3/4 c. plain greek yogurt (balkian)

Drizzle with:

1-2 Tbsp. good quality honey

Top with:

1 Tbsp. walnut pieces

Baked Oatmeal

For Estelle! Thanks for reading!!

Last summer I took the kids (no hubby) to family camp with a friend of mine. Between the 2 of us, we had a 6 year old, a 3 year old, a 2 year old, an 8 mo. old, and a 6 mo. old. Yes, we were crazy. BUT we had a great time, so much so that we're doing the exact same thing this year.

The food at this place was AMAZING, and mealtimes were such a great time of relaxing for us moms, as we didn't need to cook a darn thing. One morning we were served baked oatmeal, which my friend had raved about (she had been the year before). Unfortunately for me, it was full of wheat, sugar and milk; more like a cake. When I came home, I made it my mission to find a baked oatmeal that I could serve to my family. Ta-da! Here it is:

3 c. rolled oats (I use quick, but I think any would work)

1/2 c. unrefined raw cane sugar, or sugar of your choice

2 t. ground cinnamon

2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 c. almond milk, or milk of your choice

2 eggs

1/2 c. butter

2 t. vanilla

1 c. dried cranberries, fresh blueberries, or any fruit of your liking

1/2 c. chopped pecans, walnuts, or sliced almonds (optional)

Combine dry ingredients. In separate bowl, mix wet ingredients and add to dry. Stir in fruit and nuts. Spread in greased 9x13" pan. Bake 350 for 30 minutes. This is great for breakfast or as a fast snack on the run. Serve it on it's own, or with a bit of milk and a drizzle of maple syrup. Yum!

The Perfect Boiled Eggs

The perfect boiled egg often eludes people, but it is really quite easy once you know the trick. I still remember making hard-boiled eggs for egg salad, and while I was peeling them, my friends son said, "Aren't the yolks supposed to be grey?" No, indeed they are not! When an egg is cooked to perfection, the yolk remains a creamy yellow. So, here's how you do it:

Put your eggs (shells on) in a pot. Fill pot with cold water, just until all the eggs are covered. Bring the water to a boil over med-high heat. Once it has come to a full rolling boil, turn off the heat, but leave the pot on the burner/element. Set your timer: 5 minutes for soft boiled
10 minutes for hard boiled.

Run them under cold water if you are using them for egg salad. Otherwise, drain the hot water, take out your eggs, and cut them in half with a quick whack, using a sharp knife. Scoop out the eggs with a spoon, and enjoy! I like mine with a dab of butter, salt and pepper.

My Mom's Quiche (My Way)

I think I've mentioned before that my parents used to own and operate a quaint little tea room. An abundance of delicacies were served, but aside from the sweet treats to enjoy with your cup o' tea, lunch was the main focus, and my mom's quiche was always the first thing to go. Here's the recipe we still enjoy today, although I've adapted it for our dairy-free diet. If you enjoy dairy, I've included the original ingredients as well. Pip Pip, Cheerio!

Start with a combination of all or some of the following:

1 Tbs. onion, diced fine

5 bacon slices, fried and crumbled

1/4 c. zucchini, chopped fine

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1/2 can of artichokes, chopped

1 fresh tomato, chopped

Saute your selection of veggies/meat, set aside.

Combine:

3 eggs, beaten

1 can coconut milk (OR 1 1/2 c. whipping cream)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. fresh spices, or 1 tsp. dried

In the bottom of a pie crust (I just use Tender Flake, but if you feel like making your own, go for it!), sprinkle 3/4 c. your choice of cheese (feta, swiss, cheddar, or cheese substitute). Add sauteed veggies. Top with egg mixture.

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, 350 for 30 minutes, or until it "doesn't juggle". Sprinkle salt on top, and pair it with a green salad. Great for breakfast, lunch, or a light dinner.

Best Pancakes Ever

I love pancakes. LOVE them! But because we limit both wheat and dairy, a good pancake recipe has been hard to find. Quite by accident this morning, I made a wonderful batch of pancakes that I want to share with you!

Upon rising this morning, my dd announced that she wanted pancakes. I was willing to comply, but realized that I was all out of baking powder. Well, you can't make pancakes without baking powder... Unless... I seemed to remember a substitution for that... Yes, it appears that 1 tsp. baking ponder can be substituted with 1/4 tsp. baking soda plus a 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar, both of which I DID have. Here's the resulting recipe:

2 eggs
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar in a measuring cup

Add almond milk to make 1/4 cup

1 c. More of almond milk

2 Tbsp. oil or melted butter

Mix and add:

1 1/4 c. Kamut flour

1 Tbsp. whole unrefined raw cane sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Let sit while your pan heats up (it will thicken). Oil your hot pan, pour batter in, and flip when bubbles form. Pancakes are done when the surface is soft to the touch. Serve with butter and maple syrup. Let me know if you like these as much as we did!

Banana Chocolate Shake

I have been thinking about raw food: how to get more of it, how to NOT cook it, how to get my family to eat it, and most importantly, how to make it taste good! I will share with you as my journey progresses, but for today, I have a dairy-free, sugar-free, yummy shake.

3 bananas (organic if you can - they are much tastier than plain ol' ones)

1 c. coconut milk or milk of your choice

4 T. plain yogurt

1/4 c. cocoa or carob powder

1/2 t. vanilla

Blend everything in your blender or magic bullet (if you don't have one of these, why not?? They're super-fab!). Enjoy!

Homemade Granola (wheat-free)

This granola has NO wheat flour in it. So full of yumminess, it is one of our faves for breakfast and snacktime.

6 c. oats

1 c. chickpea flour (available in the ethnic aisle)

1 c. oat flour

1 c. oil

1 c. honey

1/2 c. water

2 t. vanilla extract

2 t. salt

Mix together and bake at 250 for 1 hour. After an hour, stir in:

1 c. unsweetened coconut

1 c. dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, and/or apricots)

1 c. nuts (pecans, almonds, and/or cashews)

Bake for another 30-45 minutes, until nice and golden. Serve over yogurt, or simply eat with milk. D-liscious!!