Healthy Skillet Apple Crisp (Vegan, Wheat, Dairy and Sugar Free)
Posted: September 15, 2012 Filed under: Desserts, Fruit Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: apple crisp, apples, chia, coconut oil, flax, hemp, maple syrup, oats, pumpkin seeds 3 Comments
Healthy Apple Crisp
After returning from a recent trip where I travelled without Greg (“The Other Half of my Heart and Brain”), we paused and took inventory of all the things I lost along the way: some clothes, my credit card, my car keys (the kind with a computer chip that cost $70.00 to replace), and my camera.
Thankfully the credit card surfaced in a bag I’d left at home. The hotel found my camera and zipped it to me quickly, Fed-Ex. Three days later, my local library called to let me know that Frontier Airlines had my car keys in the Lost and Found. (My library card was attached to my giant key chain. I remembered then that I’d let my grandbaby Jackson play with them on the plane. Let this be a lesson to all: Never trust a 13 month old baby to put your keys back in your purse when he is finished playing with them.) Never found the clothes
Though Greg knows my absent-minded nature all too well, even he was amazed at all I’d managed to misplace in such a short time.
One morning soon after, he came upstairs to our bedroom to wake me up in time for a morning appointment. “Becky,” he asked, “How in the world did you ever wake up without me to help you all those years when you traveled alone, speaking?”
“Well,” I answered sleepily, “the hotels had this thing where you could ask them to call you and wake you up. But I forgot what they call it.”
Greg smiled. “A wake up call.”
“Yeah, that’s it!”
What is funny is the things my brain does remember: every word that Greg said to me when we fell in love, and the sweet things he continues to say to me almost a decade later. Dozens of quotes I’ve found meaningful over the course of my life . Then there are recipes. I have a remarkable taste memory, and can remember a long list of ingredients in recipes I’ve cooked and loved, simply by remembering the taste of it in my mind.
After cooking for years, I can now imagine a dish I’ve never eaten, but would like to try making, and somehow my brain clicks off the ingredients automatically. Thus, the recipe for this skillet apple crisp that turned out exactly as I imagined it would: buttery, not-too-sweet, crunchy and rustic. It has no refined sugars, but is made with natural coconut sugar and tad of pure maple syrup. (It is easy to find coconut sugar these days in the baking aisle: I found this bag at a local Wal-mart.) The topping has no flour: it is all oats and nuts and seeds, giving it a fabulous crunchy texture. It is loaded with fiber and protein, a comforting autumn dessert, and healthy enough to serve the next day for fruit-nut breakfast oatmeal – re-heated and served with a little milk, cream or almond milk.
Amazing Healthy Skillet Apple Crisp (Wheat, Dairy and Sugar Free)
Ingredients for Apple Layer:
2 T. Earth Balance Butter (or regular butter if you are not vegan)
2 T. coconut sugar
2 T. maple syrup
1 t. cinnamon
3 cups fresh organic apple slices, loosely packed, ¼ inch thick, peel left on (This took about 5 small apples, so I imagine 3 or 4 larger apples would do)
2 T. raisins or dried berries
Ingredients for Topping:
1 c. old-fashioned oats
½ c. nuts (I used walnuts)
2 T. hemp, chia or flax seeds
¼ c. coconut oil (or other healthy oil if you do not have coconut oil on hand)
3 T. coconut sugar
¼ t. salt (unless nuts above are salted, then omit)
1 t. cinnamon
1 T. pure maple syrup
Optional: 2 T. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds for garnish (may also use sunflower seeds or slivered almonds)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a 10 inch iron skillet, melt Earth Balance butter over a low flame. Mix rest of “Ingredients for Apple Layer” into the melted butter.
Put all “Ingredients for Topping” into a food processor, except the maple syrup. Process until mixture is crumbly, about the size of Grape Nuts cereal. Sprinkle over the apples. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of maple syrup over all.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until topping is brown, apples are soft and juices beneath are thick and syrupy. Top with pumpkin seeds, if desired. Serve plain or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, yogurt or coconut milk-based ice cream.
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The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Healthy Skillet Apple Crisp (Vegan, Wheat, Dairy and Sugar-free)
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Rustic Sausage & Peppers Skillet (Vegan)
Posted: September 13, 2012 Filed under: Pasta, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: apple sage field roast recipes, italian, sausage and peppers, vegan sausage 1 Comment
Sometimes the simplest meals are the best ones. I can tell this easy one skillet dish with classic flavors is going to be a family favorite.
The day I turned 17, I drove 20 miles out of my small town to look for a part-time job. That was how I chose to spend my birthday. I loved school and my friends, but I was eager to experience the world. The first place that was hiring was a restaurant called Johnny Carino’s Italian Kitchen, they’ve since shortened the name to Carino’s Italian. The managers interviewed me that day and offered me a job on the spot. It was one of my proudest moments. I had gone out into the world and “made it.”
I took my hostessing job very seriously, organizing systems to make sure every waiter got the same amount of tables, the kitchen didn’t get slammed, and guests were greeted and seated promptly or quoted an accurate wait time. I loved it. The multi-tasking, the smell of roasted garlic drizzled with olive oil and herbs, Frank Sinatra crooning over the speakers, the dim light, the kind and the quirky guests, the power of controlling the flow of the restaurant. Waiters, be kind to your hostess, for she knows who the $20 tipper is, she knows his kids’ names and she knows you can impress him by greeting him with his glass of Kendall Jackson Chardonnay. Be good to her and she may seat him in your section and share the inside scoop with you. She also knows the $2 tippers. Be kind to your hostess, waiters, and she’ll be kind to you.
From my hostess stand, I could see the open kitchen where the chefs pulled pizza out of the brick oven and sent out scalding hot plates of baked lasagna. I remember the sound of the skillets sizzling and the trail of smoke that followed the food runner as they delivered the piping hot skillet filled with spaghetti, spicy marinara, sausage, onions and peppers to the hungry guests.
Almost twelve years after taking that job in the “big city,” here I am living 20 miles in a different direction from that same Italian restaurant, back in a small town, happy to no longer work in the “real world.” Funny how life works and time changes us.
I got the hankering for Carino’s classic skillet dish the other day and created a simple vegan version using Apple Sage Field Roast grain meat sausages (100% vegan, soy-free). I don’t use a lot of fake meat products because they are so processed and full of non-organic soy, but these sausages are different. I know what every ingredient is: filtered water, vital wheat gluten, expeller pressed safflower oil, nonsulfered dried apples, yukon gold potatoes, yeast extract, onion powder, barley malt, garlic, hickory smoke, natural flavoring with torula yeast, sea salt, spices, sage. At least you know what’s in this sausage! Plus, it tastes delicious in this dish and packs 26 grams of protein per link. (I don’t have any ties to Field Roast, I just really like their product.)
Rustic Sausage & Peppers Skillet (Vegan)
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1/2 package of whole wheat pasta, cooked al dente (1-2 minutes less than recommended cooking time)
- ~2 T. olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced in thin strips
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced in strips
- 2 links of Smoked Apple Sage Field Roast Sausages, chopped into rounds
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, sliced into thin “chips”
- 2 cups of spicy pasta sauce (I used Emeril’s Kicked Up Tomato Sauce in a jar, my Arrabiata Sauce would be great too.)
Directions
Generously coat a large skillet (iron or stainless steel work better than a nonstick for this recipe) with olive oil and heat on medium heat. When warm, add onions and saute for a few minutes until they start to get soft. Add bell peppers and sausage and turn to almost med-high heat, stir every minute or so until the onions, bell peppers, and sausage are slightly charred. Turn off heat. Stir in garlic chips for a couple of minutes. Stir in al dente pasta and pasta sauce. You can turn heat back on to warm the sauce, but I didn’t need to. Serve immediately.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Rustic Sausage & Peppers Skillet (Vegan)
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
“Mess o’ Golden Fish” in Buttery Lemon Sauce
Posted: September 11, 2012 Filed under: Fish, Gluten Free, Seafood/Shrimp, Uncategorized | Tags: basil, butter, catfish, cod, fish, halibut, lemon, sea bass, talapia, white fish, wine 1 Comment
Mess o’ Golden Fish in Buttery Lemon Sauce
(Becky, the Mama.)
Yesterday was one of those Sunday afternoons that Greg and I love. I’d popped a roast in the oven before church and then Greg’s sons, a daughter-in-law , one nephew and one grandson showed up to enjoy a meal on the back porch. These are special days as we know summer is waning, the leaves are turning, but for now there are still flowers and green grass and perfect 70 degree weather.
Meals for our big gang of kids (even half our crew) means lots of food, mess, dishes. A virtual kitchen disaster, since I am a fast cook, but not a tidy one. In addition to lunch, I decided to make a quick casserole for my stepson to take home to his family as well. (Tortilla Flower Pie.) They adopted little six-year-old Anthony this year, and suddenly became foster parents to a toddler last week. At minimum, I felt, they deserved a night off from cooking. So more pots and pans were added to the sink creating a virtual mountain dirty dishes.
I took a deep breath and dove in to Dish Mountain, rinsing and washing with gusto, when I felt… not a few drops, not a trickle, but a sudden wave of warm water flooding my feet. A broken pipe. Several trips to the hardware store, lots of under-sink-laboring, not a few choice words, and many hours later…the pipes still leaked like an artsy under-the-sink fountain.
I loaded the dirty dishes into a big ice chest on wheels and alerted my neighbor that I might be rolling up to her door, the Bag Lady of Dirty Dishes, to borrow her sink. Thankfully a plumber showed up today and miraculously fixed the issue, to the tune of $200.00.
Welcome to reality. It is messy. “Mama said there’d be days like this,” and all that. I’ve found, however, that life’s “little aggravating interruptions” get a lot easier to deal with once you accept this truth: About 20 to 30 percent of life is handling hassles.
I’ve found I don’t lose my cool over life’s inconveniences when I…
1) Take care of it – or delegate….or hire someone to take care of it ASAP without wasting time stewing
2) Find something funny in the situation to write and laugh about
3) Remember that it is not a Greek tragedy, it is not cancer, it is not permanent. (This post will appear on 9-11, a reminder of how petty almost all our so-called ‘problems’ really are.)
4) I am not being picked on by God, stuff happens to everybody. Build “yucky interruptions” into weekly expectations
5) Try to think of myself as Molly Brown, and do my best to be that jolly, comforting, brave woman who makes the best of a sinking ship situation.
Or in my case, a sinking sink situation.
I had just a few minutes tonight to prepare dinner after the plumber left and the kitchen was put back in order. (Thank you to my husband and nephew for doing this for me. A gift!) What I wanted to make for supper was four perfectly formed and nicely browned fish fillets. What I got, instead, was a mess, as some of the fish stuck to the pan, and the meat was so fresh and flakey that it began falling apart. Then I remembered something a pro photographer said at the Foodista Blogging convention, “Life is messy. Make some of your photos messy.” Well, then…O-KAY!
Though this “mess o’ fish” dish did not turn out perfectly formed fillets, it tasted amazing. In fact, the broken pieces allowed the lemon-butter-wine sauce to better saturate the fresh white cod, resulting in moistness and flavor in every bite. The family served themselves whatever bits and pieces that looked most tempting to them.
The moral of today’s post is this: When life gives you lemons, slice them and use them to decorate your latest culinary mess. You might find you’ve fouled up your way into a new recipe masterpiece.
“Mess o’ Golden Fish” in Buttery Lemon Sauce
Serves 4
2 T. olive oil and 1 T. butter for browning fish
2 smashed garlic cloves
1.5 lb. white flakey fish fillets (I used cod, but you could use halibut, tilapia, mahi-mahi, catfish or sea bass)
1 large lemon, cut in half
2/3 cup white wine
1 T. butter (for sauce)
1 T. brown sugar
Sea Salt to taste
Few basil leaves or parsley for garnish
Directions:
Sprinkle fish fillets very lightly with sea salt on both sides.
Put 2 T. olive oil and 1 T. butter and 2 smashed garlic cloves into a large skillet over medium high heat. As soon as it is nice and bubbly, stir to let garlic permeate the oil and butter, then add fish. Turn fish when it is golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes or less. Don’t worry if it comes apart when you turn it: messy is fine. Messy is good.
Brown the other side of the fish. With a wide spatula, remove fish from pan to a large serving platter with about 1 inch high sides, and loosely cover with foil to keep warm. (I used a round Corning Ware tart pan.) In the same skillet, add 2/3 cup white wine, another tablespoon of butter, 1 T. brown sugar and juice from ½ the lemon. Let this mixture simmer and bubble until the sauce is reduced by about a third. Season with salt to taste at this point. Pour the sauce over the “mess o’ golden fish” and garnish with lemon slices (from the other ½ lemon) and a few sprigs of fresh parsley or basil. Serve family style with a spoon for dipping sauce.
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The Title: Mess o’ Golden Fish in Buttery Lemon Sauce
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Pumpkin Pie Dip with “Autumn Leaf” Apples (Vegan)
Posted: September 8, 2012 Filed under: Appetizers, Desserts, Fruit Dishes, Gluten Free, Snacks, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegan Options, Vegetarian | Tags: apples, caramel apples, cinnamon, dip, double dip apples, ginger, latte, nutmeg, pumpkin, pumpkin pie, spice 6 Comments
Pumpkin Pie Dip for “Autumn Leaf” Apples (with Extra Toppings for Double Dipping)
(Becky, the Mama)
Autumn. Nip in the air. Pumpkin Lattes and Pies. Crisp sweet apples. Back-to-School…..
I was thinking today about the days when my children were young and how hard it was for me to organize my own purse, much less try to get four children enrolled in school. I remember one day in late August, I took my youngest child Gabe with me to fill out the paperwork required to finish up enrolling his older three siblings in Lone Oak Elementary. I was at the school’s library, sitting in a pint-sized child’s chair, scooted up to a big a round table with a stack of intimidating forms in front of me. I had to concentrate so hard to remember all the kids’ birth dates and Who had What Vaccinations When — all while trying to keep one eye on three-year-old Gabe. Thankfully, my little boy was keeping himself entertained, quietly roving around looking at the childrens’ books on the shelves. He wasn’t even pulling them off the shelf, but seemed to be happy just gliding along touching the books. What a good boy, I thought.
It was only after I finished the final form and looked up that the truth came into clear focus. Gabe had found a brand new book of postage stamps in my purse and had been busily licking and sticking all of them to the library shelves, as he quietly walked and browsed. As an absentminded mom of four, this sort of thing happened with great regularity, which meant I never lacked material for my books, but also meant I was always exhausted.
To exhausted hard-working mothers of young children everywhere, here’s a hug and a super simple recipe for a Back-to-School pumpkin spice treat that I think you will love as much as your kids will. I’ve seen a few recipes for something similar on Pinterest, but these recipes call for Cool Whip and powdered pudding mix, and I really try to avoid food with ingredients with alien names I cannot pronounce.
This recipe is creamy and tastes exactly like pumpkin pie, but uses real food, and most of it is good for you! (Bonus: it is also vegan and dairy-free.) The fun thing about this recipe is that you get to “double-dip” your apple slices: once in the pumpkin pie fluff and again in any topping of your choice. (Or for “grown up parties” with less mess, guests can spoon desired toppings over their dipped apples on pretty plates.) I used ground almonds and mini-chocolate chips, but you could use coconut flakes, hemp seeds, crushed cereal, granola, or finely chopped (or ground) candied ginger. So many possibilities, probably sitting on your pantry shelves right now!
A word about this recipe: It uses canned coconut milk, and it needs to be the full fat kind, preferably organic – the type that separates into a solid lump cream and liquid in the can. I’ve found that I can just shake the can when I’m at the grocery store (typically coconut milk is on the Asian aisle) next to my ear, and if it does not slosh, then it has already separated and is exactly what I want! I always keep a couple of cans in the fridge so that they are ready for whipping and serving in a variety of recipes, such as this one. I actually prefer it to “cow cream,” even though I am not on a dairy-free or vegan diet. You can serve this fruit dip right away, but it will get creamier and fluffier in texture if you refrigerate for an hour or so before serving.
Pumpkin Pie Dip for “Autumn Leaf” Apples
Makes 1 ½ cups
Ingredients:
1 can organic whole fat coconut milk, divided — separate “cream” from “milk” (Thai Kitchen, ORGANIC, not “lite” brand always works for me and is readily available in most regular grocery stores in the Asian aisle.)
1/2 cup mashed cooked pumpkin – fresh or from a can
2 t. pumpkin pie spice (or 1 t. cinnamon plus ½ t. nutmeg and ½ t. ginger, 1/4 t. ground cloves)
1 t. vanilla
½ t. salt
3 T. brown sugar
2 t. maple syrup
Extra cinnamon for sprinkling on top (Saigon cinnamon is especially good)
Some of the ingredients that go into this wonderful pumpkin spice dip
Small cups of toppings of your choice for “double-dipping” apple slices: mini–chocolate chips, ground or finely chopped nuts, seeds (hemp, sesame, pumpkin, sunflower), coconut, crushed graham crackers or cereal…use your imagination and what is in your pantry!
Sliced apples for dipping, about one apple per person. (An assortment of Green and Red and Yellow apple slices are so pretty on a plate — looks a little like autumn leaves.)
Directions:
Using a mixer, whip the solidified “cream” part of out of the can of cold, full fat coconut milk. Add the pumpkin and whip again until creamy. Slowly pour in the leftover liquid coconut “milk” from the can, continuing to mix until you have a consistency for the dip that you like. (If you are going to refrigerate this before serving, remember the dip will “set up” and become thicker as it gets colder, so you may want to use all the liquid in the can. If you are in a hurry and want to serve right away, you may not want to use much of the liquid.) Add the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle the top of the dip with cinnamon and gently swirl with a knife. Put in the fridge for an hour before serving, if you have the will power to resist eating it all right away, so the coconut milk will stiffen up a bit and yield a fluffier thicker dip.
For kids: Serve with a colorful array of sliced apples (you can call them “Autumn Leaves”) and small cups of toppings for “double dipping.” It will be a little messy, but this is part of the fun for kids. Fun treat for after school snacking, Halloween and Fall Festivals, or Thanksgiving dessert.
For grown-ups: For a less messy, more sophisticated way to serve — put little spoons in each of the cups of toppings and encourage “sprinkling” the toppings over the dipped-in-pumpkin pie dip apples, on their individual party plates. You can let grown ups use forks to spear the apples for dipping as well, if you prefer.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Pumpkin Pie Dip for Apples
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Raspberry Mocha Pudding
Posted: September 5, 2012 Filed under: Breakfast Foods, Snacks, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: coconut yogurt, coffee, dairy-free, gluten-free, mocha pudding, nuvia instant coffee, so delicious chocolate yogurt, vegan Leave a comment
Rasberry Mocha Pudding, a seriously energizing snack.
Rachel, the daughter
I used to be organized. My house used to be clean. I used to be prompt. I loved those things about me. I was that girl, that girl that appeared to have her life together.
Motherhood is humbling. I’ll leave it at that, without describing the current condition of my home.
This morning was Jackson’s first day of Mother’s Day Out. Last week at Meet the Teacher the teachers gave me a big cut out construction fish with, I’m sure, instructions on what to do with it.
At 11:00pm last night, just as my head finally hit the pillow, I remembered something about family photos for the fish. I think he needs pictures so they can decorate the fish, I thought. Of course, I’ve yet to print a single one of the 2,000 (I wish I was exaggerating) photos I’ve taken since Jackson was born. So I crawled out of bed and ordered some from a 24 hour Walgreens and set my alarm 20 minutes earlier so I could pick them up in the morning. I was so proud of myself for remembering the instructions and for pulling it off, even if I by the skin of my teeth. And though slightly late, we weren’t the last ones to arrive. I’ll take it.
I walked in and bumped into a friend whose daughter is in Jackson’s class. She was holding her daughter’s fish and it was the most beautifully decorated construction paper fish I’d ever seen. It had her daughter’s name in cute little die cut patterned letters, glitter, and a perfectly placed collage of their family’s recent professional photos.
We were supposed to decorate the fish?, I sighed. I thought the kids were going to decorate them!
I didn’t pull it off. I wasn’t the mom who had it all together. On the first day of “school,” Jackson had a sad blank fish.
Fortunately, he’s one and had no idea he was that kid with that mom.
Later, I got a text from his teacher that said “Good eater! He has done sooo well this morning! Perfect child. :)” And when I picked him up the teachers commented at how delicious his lunch looked. I may not be the craftiest mom or the most prompt mom, but I’m raising a good eater! He ate up most of his spinach, bean, and avocado rice pilaf and all of his grapes, and most of his coconut yogurt sprinkled with hemp seeds. He was happy and played well and didn’t cry when I left. He even took a nap on his big boy mat.
Maybe I’m not failing, maybe my priorities have just shifted with motherhood.
But you better believe he’ll have a pimped out fish to bring to school on Thursday morning.
After Mother’s Day Out, Jackson stood at the counter in his FunPod stool and munched on Super Green puffs, while I whipped up this deceptively healthy afternoon pick-me-up for myself. If I still worked at an office, I would totally pack this as my afternoon snack for that slump when you just need a little something to nibble on and a gentle jolt of energy to get through the rest of the day.
When you don’t have time for coffee and breakfast (or a snack)…
Raspberry Mocha Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 container of So Delicious Chocolate Cultured Coconut Milk (or chocolate pudding)
- Slightly less than 1 T. of instant coffee
- 3/4 cup organic raspberries (divided)
- Coconut milk (I used canned coconut milk, but I think any creamer would work — half and half, whipping cream, regular coconut or almond milk)
- Chopped nuts (I used hazelnuts)
Chocolate Coconut Yogurt, Nuvia Instant Coffee, Organic Raspberries
Directions
Blend the chocolate yogurt or pudding and instant coffee. Add 1/2 c. rasberries, pulse for a few seconds. With a spoon, stir in remaining raspberries, cream to taste, and top with chopped nuts (not pictured.)
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Rasberry Mocha Pudding
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Super Food Hemp Chocolate Treats (Candy & Mocha Frappuccino)
Posted: September 3, 2012 Filed under: Beverages and Smoothies, Desserts, Snacks, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: almonds, candy, chocolate, cranberries, frappuccino, hemp, mocha 3 Comments
I have recently been singing the praises of hemp seeds (“the new flax”), and telling everyone about their health benefits. Of course, every time I mention the word “hemp” someone jokingly asks if I get high from eating hemp seeds. I say, “No, the Getting High part of the plant is not in the Hemp Seed part. Really, this is just the way I am normally, organically, without any psychotropic help.”
Which is true. And probably why I’ve never understood the need or desire to smoke pot or even nibble on a THC-laced brownie. Life in my own natural born head is all the “high” I can handle, and certainly Life with “Normal Becky” is challenging enough for my family without any
“special enhancing.”
I spent a few days in a hotel room with my daughter Rachel last week at a food blogging convention. She was trying so hard to be patient but one morning, in exasperation, she said, “Mom, I know you are somehow trying to be organized, but there are six Ziploc bags on the bathroom counter and all of them are filled with miscellaneous stuff that doesn’t go together in any logical way. Here’s a bag with lipstick, a hair clip, a pen, and a bottle of aspirin. And even the aspirin bottle is filled with everything but aspirin!”
My mind is a place you probably would not want to go into alone, but somehow I’ve managed to get by in this world, probably through the kindness of strangers and an overworked, stressed-out team of angels.
So I don’t touch “recreational drugs,” but I am fascinated by Super Foods that may help boost brain function. When researchers found that dark chocolate was full of antioxidants and flavonoids — beneficial for the heart and brain –it was a happy day. When creamy coconut oil proved beneficial for digestion, healing and possibly even weight loss; and crunchy almonds were touted for their anti-inflammatory properties, Vitamin E and minerals — things got even happier. And then, hemp seeds were found to be a Super Food. They taste like slightly green sesame seeds and are full of protein (11 grams in 3 Tablespoons) with 10 amino acids, chock full of Omega 3’s and 6’s in perfect balance. A vegan’s dream.
I offer you not just one, but two, recipes that make use of Super Foods and taste irresistibly indulgent. The mocha hemp frappuccino makes mornings worth getting out of bed for. And the Super Food Dark Chocolate Hemp Candy – let’s just say you are about to meet your new best recipe friend. A couple of pieces of this sensuous dark chocolate treat is especially delicious alongside a few fresh berries and a cup of tea. (For health benefits it is hard to beat white tea.) The additional fiber in the candy makes it surprisingly filling, so as tasty as it is, I don’t find myself over-indulging.
Super Food Dark Chocolate Hemp Candy
Makes about 12 to 15 chocolate drops
Ingredients
1 3.2 oz bar of 70% chocolate (My favorites are Newman’s Own and Chocolove brands, they are both rich and smooth without bitterness)
2 T. coconut oil
2/3 cup hemp seeds (found in any health store and most large grocery stores on “organic aisle”)
¼ chopped almonds (I love the roasted salted version in this recipe)
2 T. dried cranberries or other chopped dried fruit of your choice (coconut flakes would also be yummy)
Directions:
Slowly and carefully melt chocolate and coconut oil together in a microwave, stopping every 10 seconds to stir and stopping just as soon as chocolate has melted. Stir in rest of the ingredients until well coated. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on a parchment lined plate or cookie sheet.
Put in fridge (or freezer if you are in a hurry) until firm. Keep leftover pieces in a tightly covered container in the fridge.
Hemp Mocha Frappuccino
Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
½ frozen banana
3 ice cubes
Instant Coffee granules (amount to your taste – I like an organic version that comes in individual sleeves)
1 T. organic corn-syrup free chocolate syrup (such as Ahlaska brand)
1 – 2 T. Hemp Seeds
Directions:
Blend until smooth, serve in a pretty glass cup and wake up happy!
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Super Food Hemp Chocolate Treats (Candy & Mocha Frappuccino)
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Broiled Fresh Peaches with Gorgonzola and Honey
Posted: August 31, 2012 Filed under: Appetizers, Desserts, Fruit Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegan Options, Vegetarian | Tags: Andrew Scravini, Blue Cheese, Foodista, Gorgonzola, honey, IFBC, International Food Bloggers Conference, Kathleen Flinn, peaches 6 Comments
Broiled Peaches with Gorgonzola and Honey
(Becky, the Mama)
So much to learn, so many creative foods and wines to try, so many wonderful chefs, photographers and food bloggers to meet at the Foodista sponsored conference (International Food Bloggers) in Portland last week. I have unpacked my suitcase stuffed with notes and free goodies, but it will take a month to unpack my brain and apply what I’ve learned. Andrew Scrivani, New York Times food photographer, gave us dozens of practical tips I cannot wait to try. (Be sure to click on Andrew’s name if you love food photography. If you aren’t hungry now, you will be soon.) In my photo above, you’ll notice the honey dripping slowly from the honey dipper. Who knew that drips and drops makes food look more tantalizing? Well, now I do. I also know that I probably need to upgrade from my $99.00 hot pink Samsung digital camera to a pricey grown up camera sometime in the near future. Sigh.
Another highlight for me, besides the chance to be with my darlin’ daughter Rachel, adorable grandbaby Jackson, and fabulous editor, Carolyn McCready, was to meet some bloggers and food authors I’ve admired. I had just listened to the audio tape of the book Kitchen Counter Cooking School (dubbed as Michael Pollan meets “What Not to Wear”), loved it and recommended it to many. How fun to meet Kathleen Flinn, the book’s author, in person. I’ve written dozens of books, but I still get starstruck when I meet an author-in-the-flesh whose work I admire. Kathleen was gracious, down-to-earth and charming. Be sure to click on her name to get more details about her life and books.
You may wonder if I was able to pull off this fairly new role as “professional food blogger” without being detected as the messy, clutzy amateur cook that I actually am. In two words: not really.
I’m not a fan of mingling, so I took a deep breath to suck in all the courage in the air, then entered the huge, elegant wine tasting party bustling with eager bloggers. Pausing near the door, I bravely introduce myself to a cheerful foodie. We exchanged business cards, just before someone informed me I was leaning on the light switches and had turned off all the lights in the room. I smiled weakly, and headed straight for a table of pinot noir, sipped a bit too eagerly, and began to choke so badly that I had to exit the room to the hallway to finish my coughing fit in private. When I looked up, there were two friendly and colorful conferees there, both offering to give me the Heimlich should I need it. Serendipitously, they turned out to be two of my favorite people at the conference. Some people, I hear, gracefully meet and greet their way around a room full of new people. I found that turning off all the lights, then choking and running out in the hallway also works as an attention-getting alternative.
The last evening of the conference was a Farm to Table dinner where beautiful local fresh food was served up on elegant platters, family style, around tables of eight. The food and the company were both amazing.
Pretty Vegan Appetizer of risotto, white asparagus, beets and pesto
Me, Rachel & Carolyn ready to dig in to the Farm to Table Meal at International Food Bloggers Conference
Here’s a peek at the menu.
My favorite was the grilled yellow watermelon and the buttery blackberry shortcake.
Inspired by the simple but flavorful use of fresh local fruits and cheeses and honeys, I came home and invented this easy, elegant sweet-savory recipe using tree-ripened peaches (broiled with just a touch of butter and sprinkle of brown sugar and sea salt), soft pungent Gorgonzola and silky sweet honey. It makes for a pretty appetizer or dessert, especially tasty on a summer eve with a glass of wine.
And you know that if this clutzy cook can make this dish – anyone can!
This is Jackson, exhausted after 5 days of food, fun and family in Portland. His mother and I felt the very same way!
The Littlest Foodie of the Family, Worn Out from All the Fun!
Broiled Peaches with Gorgonzola and Honey
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 fresh peaches, cut in half, pitted
1 oz. soft Gorgonzola or blue cheese
2 t. butter
Pinch sea salt
Pinch brown sugar
3 T. honey
Directions:
Put Oven on Broil.
Place peaches cut side up in a square Pyrex pan. Put 1/2 t. butter in peach pit indention. Sprinkle tops of peaches with tiny pinch of salt and sugar. Broil the peaches about 4 inches from heat source until the tops turn golden brown in spots. Serve each person two peaches, pour any juices in pan over them. Dot the tops of the peaches with soft crumbles of Gorgonzola or blue cheese. Drizzle peaches evenly with honey.
Vegan Option: Substitute Earth Balance for butter and finely chopped cashews for cheese.
Other Options: Try this method with other juicy fruits (apricots, pineapple, plums) and other soft or crumbly cheeses.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Broiled Fresh Peaches with Gorgonzola and Honey
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-EN
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Kid-Friendly, Vegan-Friendly, Simply-Friendly – Alberta Street in Portland
Posted: August 30, 2012 Filed under: Reviews, Uncategorized, Vegan | Tags: alberta arts district, Alberta street portland, kid-friendly portland, oakshire overcast espresso stout, vegan buffalo wings, vegan chicken fried steak, vita cafe Leave a comment
Vita Cafe in Portland’s Alberta Arts District.
My first post-convention meal in Portland was a quarter of a mostly brown avocado and a peanut butter bagel I scrounged together from snacks I packed in my suitcase. Not exactly the kind of veg-friendly Portland grub I had been anticipating.
After the International Food Blogger Conference this weekend, my mom and I (and baby foodie Jackson) met up with my sister-in-law and nephew to explore Portland. By a miracle of God, we squeezed three adults, a baby in a car seat, a toddler in a booster, four suitcases, two backpacks, one diaper bag, two totes filled to the top with swag from the conference, a stroller, and a bag of legos into a little Toyota Corolla. Starving, we headed to the new hotel to unload and get ready for an early dinner, but the hotel didn’t have our room ready. Not willing to drive much farther in these cramped quarters, we settled on having dinner at little diner down the street. The vegan options were sparce, even the veggie burger had dairy in it, so I ordered a side of avocado and went to my car to make a pb sandwich from the food I’d packed for our trip.
At least Jackson didn’t mind eating a peanut butter sandwich, his new favorite lunch, for the fourth day in a row. He was much more interested in hanging out with his big cousin George than food anyway.
My nephew George, always on the look out for super hero attire, turned Jackson’s bib into a cape. Jackson watching the birds with his Nonny and big cousin.
I, on the other hand, was still hungry. I decided to hold out for the real deal. That night we headed to Alberta street, apparently the new up and coming vegan hot spot in Portland.
We walked into a hip little restaurant with big windows open to the street and a dessert counter that had my stomach growling before we even saw the menu. The cool air gently breezed through the restaurant and for a moment I thought it was November. It’s been so long since this Texas girl has felt cool outside air. Aaaah.
It must have been that feeling of crisp Fall air, but I looked at Vita Cafe’s menu with tons of vegan options and settled on beer and wings: an espresso stout (a coffee lovers dream beer) and a Buffalo Tofu Wrap. I actually made and blogged a very similar recipe back in 2010 on my old food blog, Life in Bites. This wrap took me right back to those early days learning how to cook a plant-based diet and finding my passion for being in the kitchen. The next day we came back to the same place for lunch and we ordered their Buffalo Things appetizer to share. Even someone with a tofu aversion would love these spicy fried bites. I continued with my fried food fest and had a Tempeh “Chicken” Fried Steak with mashed potatoes and almond gravy. The waiter told me they are known for that dish. I could see why. Amazing. Who knew I would find an old favorite southern comfort food in Portland, Oregon.
“Chicken” Fried Steak with Almond Gravy. Very close to what I remember a good CFS tasting like. Dare I say better?
Buffalo bites. Ooops, looks like someone dove right into the ranch before we took a picture. Capturing pictures while dining in a group with two kids is no easy task!
Night time pictures didn’t turn out great. It was much prettier in person!
Smooth, rich and slightly sweet, this local (Eugene, OR) Espresso Stout by Oakshire Brewing was one of the best beers I’ve tasted.
Mom’s Supergrain Salad and Thai Coconut Soup. (Sorry for the bad pics, but mom raved about this salad.)
Julie had a beautiful Mediterranean appetizer plate and Jackson had a delicious house-made veggie burger.
We ordered a piece of raw toffee cheesecake to go. I dropped the box on the side before I could get a picture of it, but it was one of the best desserts I’ve ever tasted. I would fly back to Portland just to have another slice.
Not only was Vita Cafe a really cool place with plenty of vegan options, they also encourage you to bring kids along. They had toy boxes in the waiting area and kids eat for $1 between 5-7 every day. The kids menu included a veggie burger, vegan mac-n-cheese, nachos (vegan or regular), among other items and all in really generous portion sizes. I forgot Jackson’s sippy cup in the car and they even had a sippy cup for him. Nice touch.
George was pretty thrilled with his cheesy vegetarian nachos.
Hanging out the open airy windows at Vita Cafe.
George, my nephew and mom’s grandson, lives in Seattle. He loves his Nonny even more than cheesy nachos!
Within walking distance, there were several other cool spots, like Back to Eden Bakery and Dovetail Bakery, both award winning vegan bakeries, Salt & Straw ice cream parlor, several veg-friendly food trucks, Caffe Vita Coffee Roasting Co, and more.
Sip – An all vegan drink truck on Alberta Street.
VegNews Magazine voted Back-to-Eden as 2012’s Vegan Bakery of the Year.
While the others had ice cream from Salt & Straw, I had an amazing chocolate cream pie from Back to Eden.
A funky little restaurant across the street from Vita Cafe.
Julie and George on Alberta Street on a quiet Monday afternoon.
Portland hipsters.
A funny little sign on Alberta Street. “…we hold no social bias and welcome all for non-authentic tacos and over-ambitious cocktails.”
Alas, my quest for a veg-friendly, kid-friendly, simply-friendly Portland foodie experience was conquered. If you’re in Portland, skip the chain diner and run straight to Alberta street.
Food Bloggers Conference, Portland
Posted: August 28, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentAs I write this, it is getting late and Rachel and I have a 5:30 wake up call to head back to our respective cities after 5 glorious food-and-fun filled days in Portland. The first 2.5 days were spent at the convention with our editor, Carolyn McCready from Zondervan and 250 food bloggers from all over the country. On Sunday afternoon, my daughter in law Julie and grandson Georgie drove down from Seattle to join us for 2 nights and 2 days of additional food and play.
Since I’m too tired to talk, or write sensibly, I thought I’d just share some pictures from the past few days, with a promise to describe our foodie adventures in more detail once we’ve had a goodnight’s sleep and are back in our homes and routines. Love to all our readers!
Rachel and I at the Farm to Table Dinner, the last night of the Foodista International Food Blogger’s Conference. Such fun and our brains are bursting with new information, along with our waistlines from great Oregon inspired food
Rachel brought Jackson to the Food Bloggers Convention. She’s raising him in the kitchen, letting him teeth on measuring spoons!
Our wonderful friend and editor, Carolyn McCready, not only joined us at IFBC, and edits our books — but she served as a tour guide to downtown Portland. My favorite stop was Powell’s … a book lover’s dream.
From gourmet dining to eating-out-with kids. My daughter in law Julie and her grandson Georgie joined us on Sunday and we all fell in love with this place called Vitas, a fabulous vegan restaurant, in an eclectic and fast-growing “foodie” neighborhood.
Jackson closing his eyes, savoring a first bite of vegan burger. More photos, food pics and words to come…. when we get back home and rest up!!
Balsamic Blistery Potato Chips
Posted: August 24, 2012 Filed under: Sides, Snacks, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegan Options, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: balasmic oven fries, balsamic, chives, green onions, oven fries, potato chips, potatoes, ranch dressing, salt and vinegar oven fries, vinegar and oil potato chips 3 Comments
I do believe that if my husband Greg were to choose foods that make up his “dream meal,” it would no doubt have Kettle potato chips on the plate. I’m just not sure if they would be a side dish, or the main attraction. I dare not leave him alone in the house with a bag of thick cut potato chips because he cannot stop until he’s eaten them all, and by this I mean turned the bag upside down, shaking any remains of potato and salt into his mouth. He loves them too much to have them readily available, except for very special occasions.
“When did you start loving potato chips so much?” I asked him.
He grinned and said, “When I was a kid, I’d ride my bike home from school and of course I’d be starving. Then I’d plop in front of the TV with a bag of potato chips and eat the whole bag while I watched three episodes of Star Trek in a row.” He sighed,then added. “It was heaven. My favorite ones were Bar-B-Q and I’d lick all the goody off the sides before eating them. It was before my parents divorced, and I just remember it as a simple, happy time.”
My husband just gave a perfect example of “taste memory” – when something you eat triggers warm happy memories. I was inspired to create some potato chips that Greg could savor and enjoy, that would give him those warm fuzzy “taste memories,” but would do his body more good than harm. Last week I tried an experiment that turned out amazingly well. Rather than baking sliced potato rounds, I broiled them on both sides until “blistery.” In a word: fabulous. They are a great cross between an oven fry and a chip. Greg loves them!
The following recipe is just one version of my Blistery Potato Chips, made with a balsamic-pomegranate vinegar, but you can create 50 Shades of (Homemade) Lays (Potato Chips) with a little imagination, a couple of sliced potatoes, some olive oil and great variety of herbs or spices. Let your imagination go wild.
Try them as a healthy snack for you or the kids, or a quick, easy, delicious side dish with any meal. We especially love them with Chili Lime Catfish and coleslaw.
What are some foods that bring warm happy memories to your mind?
Blistery Balsamic Potato Chips
Heat Oven to Broil.
Serves 2-4 people (depending on size of potatoes and appetites)
Ingredients:
2 Idaho potatoes, washed but not peeled, sliced thin (about ¼ inch)
¼ cup olive oil
2 T. balsamic vinegar (I used pomegranate balsamic)
Sea Salt (fresh ground if you have it on hand)
1 T. chopped green onions or chives (optional)
¼ c. catsup, BBQ sauce, or Ranch dressing for dipping (optional)
Directions:
Place sliced potatoes in a shallow bowl and sprinkle with vinegar. Using clean hands, toss them around until they begin to soak up some of the vinegar. Add in the oil and do the same.
Lay “chips” on a big cookie sheet, spread apart and not touching each other.
Lightly sprinkle them with sea salt. Broil about 4 inches from broiler on one side for 3 minutes or so, or until golden brown in spots. Remove try from oven and turn over all the chips, sprinkle this side with more salt and put back under the broiler until the tops are golden brown. Remove from oven. The bottom side of the potatoes will have by now “blistered” and turned an even prettier shade of brown. Taste one as soon as they are cool to see if more salt may be needed. Garnish with chopped green onions or chives if you like. Serve with a side of Ranch Dressing, BBQ sauce or catsup if desired.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Balsamic Blistery Broiled Potato Chips
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-DQ
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Becky Johnson
Rachel Randolph
We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook 