Cumin Egg Rolls

I'm in love with cumin.

I go through these phases with spices where I use one particular spice in everything. I just got out of a curry phase, now comes cumin. (Which means I'll be making a chicken enchilada casserole soon!)

Anyways, back to cumin. It's not overly spicy, like curry or pepper. But it's strong and pairs well with garlic and basil. I was in the mood for cumin and for egg rolls, so I blended the two.

Ingredients:

Filling:
1 cup shredded or sliced thinly, carrots
1 zucchini, sliced
1 summer squash, sliced
4 or 5 mushrooms, sliced
2 chicken breasts, chopped
2 tbsp coconut oil
1-2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp garlic
1 tsp basil
Sprinkle salt & pepper

Rolls:
4-6 rice paper rolls
2 eggs
2-4 tbsp coconut oil

Sauce:

1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
A teensy weensy bit of hot chili oil (depends on your spice level preference, I like a medium)

For Filling/Rolls:

Start heating 2 - 3 cups of water in a sauce pan. DO NOT LET BOIL. (If it does boil, set aside and let it cool.)

Saute veggies and chicken in oil and seasonings until veggies are tender and chicken is cooked. Set aside.

Crack and scramble eggs in a small bowl.

Begin warming the coconut oil in a skillet. The pan needs to warm slowly so it doesn't burn the rolls.

Pour the warm (not boiling) water into a pie plate or cookie sheet with sides. Lay the rice paper in water until soft. Lay on a clean surface. (I used a plastic cutting board.) Place 3-4 tbsp of filling about 1-2 inches from the side of the softened paper. Fold closest edge in. Fold bottom up. Continue rolling roll to the other side, then fold top in. Dip roll in egg bath, then place in pan. Flip after 2-4 minutes depending on desired brownness. Repeat until filling is used or desired number of rolls is made.

(You can save the filling to make more rolls later or eat with a different meal.)

For Sauce:

Mix all ingredients in a small pan and warm slowly. (I started the sauce right before I started cooking the rolls in oil.)

Protein Pancakes aka Paleo in Wyoming

This post comes to you from the depths of Wyoming, where gluten-free is as existent as flying pigs. But compromise is out of the question for me, and I've already gotten good at improvising in a pinch.

Breakfast is always the hardest meal on Paleo. Smoothies and scrambled eggs just get old after a while. Enter protein pancakes. A delicious, nutritious alternative that melts in your mouth. I even got my grandpa to eat them multiple times.

I've been experimenting with this recipe for quite a while. The trick is all in how you cook them, so be careful or you'll end up with mush.

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2-3 tablespoons chopped almonds ( or coconut or almond flour, if you are not me and not in Wyoming for two weeks.)

Method:

Heat griddle to 350 degrees. These also cook well in a cast-iron skillet. Coat griddle with a bit of your oil of choice.

Mash bananas until mushy. Mix in remaining ingredients. The amount of nut flour will depend on how ripe the bananas are. The batter will be slightly thicker than regular pancake batter, but not lumpy pudding.

Scoop 1/3 cup batter onto griddle and spread around a little with cup or spatula to get a relatively normal shape. Let cook almost all the way through (2 -3 minutes) then loosen edges carefully and flip. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute more, or til brown. Remove from griddle. Repeat with remaining batter. Makes approximately 6 pancakes.

Top with peanut or almond butter, peaches, blueberries, coconut whipped cream, maple syrup or some combination thereof. Yum!

Cashew Tomato Pasta

This was my first introduction to the nuttiness of cashews in cooking creations. I was swept off my feet and haven't looked back since. For me, this is the closest I get to parmesan cheese. And it works surprisingly well. (Thankfully, nuts are one of the few things I'm NOT allergic to :) )

1/2 package of brown rice spaghetti
2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
3/4 cup cashews
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic
5-10 leaves fresh basil
Salt to taste
Black pepper (preferably coarse ground)

Begin boiling water to cook pasta.

In a medium sized food processor, blend sauce, cashews, oil and seasonings, except pepper. Mixture will be slightly chunky.

Pour into a medium sauce pan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking.

After pasta is cooked, drain off water and return pasta to pan. Pour sauce over pasta and mix well.

Serve garnished with pepper and fresh basil.

Pumpkin Pie

It's funny the things you miss when you can't have them. Take pumpkin pie. I've always loved any food item that incorporated pumpkin, but I never ate much pumpkin pie. But with the leaves changing and Thanksgiving just around the corner, I decided I needed to make myself a pie.

The crumb crust was inspired by a cheesecake I used to make. Also, I'm having difficulties perfecting a good pastry dough. (I'm super close, as am I to perfecting a cinnamon roll recipe.)



Crust:

1 cup almond flour
1 cup pecans, crushed (put nuts in a plastic ziploc bag, seal and bang them with something very hard, like an ice cream scooper)
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp vegan butter or coconut oil
Sprinkle of salt

Sift almond flour and pecans together in bowl. Add maple syrup and melted butter. Mix with a fork until moistened. (It will be crumbly.)

Pour into pie plate and press around bottom and up sides.

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees, or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Pie:

10 oz  pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup coconut milk (This is the canned kind, for cooking, not the carton kind found in the grocery store by the soy and almond milk. I found it in the international food section.)
2 eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg

Mix all ingredients with a whisk or electric mixer. (Mixture will be runny.) Pour into pie crust.

Bake pie for 30-40 minutes, or until middle is set. Let cool to room temperature, then chill in refrigerator.

Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

Thai food. Spicy, limey, peanuty. Yum.

So this isn't exactly Thai, but it's one of the best impersonations I've come across so far...

I modified this recipe from this original source.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup soy aminos
2 tbsp coconut flour
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp peanut butter
sprinkle salt and pepper
2 chicken breasts, cubed
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 cups broccoli
1/2 cup cashews
1/4 tsp hot chili oil
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 eggs

Method:

Mix soy aminos, flour, garlic, peanut butter and salt and pepper in small bowl. Add chicken and mix to coat.

Pour 1 tbsp of both oils in a large skillet. Add chicken and broccoli. Cook and stir until chicken is done. Cover and simmer until broccoli is tender.

Meanwhile, whisk chili oil, honey, vinegar and sesame oil together.

When broccoli is tender, add cashews and chili mixture to pan. While cooking, scramble eggs and add to pan. Cook until eggs are done.

Serve with brown rice, brown rice noodles or quinoa.

Substitutions: IF you are allergic to nuts, or just to cashews, as I know some of you are, you might try adding chopped almonds to this. If you're allergic to peanuts, I'm not sure I can help you, though almond butter might work as well!

Curry Bake

This was one of my first non- rice and bean meals under my new lifestyle. This recipe can easily be prepped and cooked in 30 to 45 minutes. Take that Rachel Ray!  I'd like to experiment more with making an actual sauce with the leftover broth for the chicken, but that would lengthen the cooking time. So for now, we'll go with quick and simple.

Ingredients:

1 small head of broccoli
2 zucchini
2 summer squash
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1/2 medium onion
1 pound chicken thighs, approximately 6 (boneless skinless thighs are easier to work with, either will do)
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp curry
1 tbsp basil
Salt and pepper

Method:

Slice broccoli, zucchini, squash, bell peppers and onion. Spread in the bottom of a 13"x9" baking dish.
Lay chicken thighs in veggies. Pour broth over mixture in pan. Sprinkle with lemon juice, garlic, curry, basil and salt and pepper.

Bake 30-45 minutes at 375 degrees, or until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender. This is delicious on it's own, or over rice pasta, brown rice or sweet potatoes.

On the Go Tip No. 2

Apples and almond or peanut butter are a great snack away from home. Especially during the fall and winter, I keep a jar of nut butter and a few apples at work for easy access. For a special treat, add a few chocolate chips :-)

Beaver Bay Cookie Bars

This is probably my second most requested recipe following the banana bread.  I perfected it when I brought it on my church's camping trip. And we all gobbled them right up. I love this recipe because it's simple. I memorized the recipe the first time I made it and will spout it to anyone who will listen. What can I say? I like sharing the love...of baking that is ;)



Ingredients:

2 cups peanut butter (Adam's Peanut Butter is the best for this recipe, though I suppose you could use another brand)
1 cup coconut sugar
1 cup maple syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup almond flour
1-2 cups chocolate chips

Method:

Mix peanut butter, sugar, syrup, eggs and vanilla until 'creamed' with an electric mixer. This won't turn out like regular creamed cookie dough, but the eggs will get a little fluffy :) Add baking soda and almond flour and mix well. The dough will be slightly gooey due to the maple syrup. With a spatula mix in chocolate chips. (You can never really have too many chocolate chips, so use at your own discretion.)

Pour dough onto greased cookie sheet (mine was about 12" x 14"). Bake 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees.  The sheet will be golden brown on top and no longer gooey in the middle, but it won't be as solid as traditional cookie dough.

Let cool and set for 10 minutes or so, then cut into bars. Delicious for a morning snack with an americano, an after dinner treat with friends, or to munch on while journaling by the water.

Note: These make great traditional cookies as well. I cut the recipe in half to make approximately 10-12. As they bake, they spread out a little more than traditional cookie dough, so give them plenty of room to grow.

On The Go Tip No. 1

Find a salad bar. This one is from Whole Foods and has sweet potato chips crumbled on top. Yum! And it cost me approximately $7. Happy girl right here :-)

Pumpkin Quinoa Soup

This soup is amazing. You may think it sounds weird, but it is savory, tangy and deliciously smooth. It warms one up, while being filling and satisfying. Plus, it's incredibly easy to make and saves well for lunch leftovers.

This recipe is not my own, though I modified it slightly (as all cooks do). The lovely Sarah Desjarlais created this soup and has allowed me to post it here as it fits perfectly with the theme of this blog. Thanks lady!

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 small to medium onion
1 quart vegetable broth (recipe originally calls for chicken which you can use if you're not vegan)
2 15 oz cans pumpkin puree (or 1 29 oz can)

Water
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp dry rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup uncooked quinoa



In your soup pot, sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat until onion turns clearish. Add vegetable stock, bring to a simmer. Stir in pumpkin until smooth, maintaining a simmer. Add 1 quart of water, nutmeg and rosemary and stir to incorporate. Simmer anywhere from 1/2 hour to 3 hours (the longer you simmer, the more water you will need to keep adding to reach your desired consistency. Just watch it and don't let it cook down too thick.) Taste test, add salt and pepper. Remove from burner and let cool for a few minutes. In a heat-resistant blender, puree until smooth. 20 minutes before ready to serve, add quinoa and bring to a soft boil, stirring occasionally. (Cooking the quinoa will cook off about 1-2 cups of liquid.) Make sure it doesn't scorch on the bottom. Taste test frequently and adjust salt/nutmeg/water levels.


Serve with avocado or feta cheese (if tolerated) on top.


Enjoy!

Sweet Potatoes

I love sweet potatoes. Just ask my coworkers. I probably eat them 3-4 days a week at lunch. They say, " Really Bethany? MORE sweet potatoes?" Sweet and savory. Roasted in the oven to a light brown crunch on the outside and tender on the inside. They are just so delicious. And I can't get over how healthy they are.

I avoid eating "normal" potatoes, and I searched for a while to find a good replacement carb for recipes. I cycle regularly to work, so I still needed some sort of carbs to power my rides. Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A and are almost fat-free.  One baked sweet potato has approximately 135 calories, making it a good source of energy.

When preparing sweet potatoes, wash the skins and cook thoroughly. They are ground vegetables and are subject to a food poisoning known as botulism.

Roasting:

When roasting, I slice in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/8" to 1/4" pieces. Place on a cookie sheet and mix with 2-3 tbsp olive oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until tender when poked with a fork. (Rosemary and other herbs are also delicious on sweet potatoes. Experiment!)

Eat roasted sweet potatoes as sides with meals, on salads, in egg scrambles for breakfast or on top of brown rice pasta dishes.

Pear Bake

I came home with several bags full of pears today and it seemed that the only appropriate thing to do was prepare and bake them. I read an article that said if you bake pears, they should be firm, or they'll turn to mush. Basically, not as ripe as needed for straight-up eating. The one's I had were perfect.

Ingredients:

4 medium sized pears, sliced
2-3 tsp lemon juice
1-2 tsp coconut sugar
1 cup gluten-free oats
1/2 cup maple syrup (real maple syrup, not Mrs. Butterworths)
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Begin layering pears in a small round baking dish. I used a 6" ramekin. When there are 2-3 layers, sprinkle with a little lemon juice and coconut sugar.

See those little brown flecks in the picture? That's how much sugar you're sprinkling on. Not much at all.

I know it seems weird to put lemon juice on fruit, but the lemon juice and little bit of sugar will bring out the flavors and natural juices of the pears.

Continue layering the pears and every 2-3 layers sprinkle with juice and sugar. At this point, the pears and juice will start smelling AMAZING :)

In a separate bowl, mix together oats, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt. Pour on top of mixture in ramekin.

Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until pears tested with a fork are soft and topping is browned. This is scrumptious by itself or with a small scoop of coconut milk ice cream. Sometimes I save these bakes and eat them for breakfast as a special treat.

Fresh Apples

Go to Hood River. Buy fresh, cheap fruit. Be healthy. Done.

Banana Bread & Vanilla on My Cookbook

It all started with vanilla on my cookbook.

I was attempting to bake banana bread for the first time by myself. My family's kitchen was very small at that point in time (we remodeled it later) and I was prepping right inbetween the phone and the stove. The cookbook lay on the counter below me, guiding me each step of the way. Above this counter was the spice and baking cabinet. On the very top shelf, was this beautifully shaped jar of vanilla. Real vanilla. As in my mom's good friend brought it back from Mexico as a gift, real vanilla.

You see where this is going.

I was in an...'awkward' stage at that point in my development. I was gangly and tall for my age (that's another story). I reached to the very top shelf to get something; I really don't remember what.

Crash, all over the cookbook that lovely jar of vanilla went. My mom wasn't angry at all, but very gracious. We cleaned everything up, checked the banana bread for glass shards and wiped down the cookbook. She said the cookbook was mine now and it kinda became a joke. Funny thing is, I really don't use it much, but for a recipe here or there.

To this day, that cookbook still has faint hint of vanilla buried in the binding. And because my mother was understanding and let me bang around in the kitchen, even when I made messes, I now love cooking, baking and food. And I'm blogging about it :-)

So now, the moment you've all been waiting for: the release of the treasured banana bread recipe. I've tweaked it quite a bit, and I encourage you to do the same with any recipe you find.

Ingredients:

2 cups coconut sugar
2/3 cup organic vegetable shortening (I use the brand in this picture. You can buy it at Fred Meyer for $5 or $6 and it lasts for a while. If you can tolerate dairy, use butter!)

5 eggs

2 tbsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbsp cinnamon

2 tsp nutmeg

8-9 bananas (the riper, the better)

2 cups brown rice flour

1 1/3 cups almond flour/meal

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Cream (mix thoroughly with an electric hand held blender) sugar and shortening in large bowl. Add eggs and mix until fluffy. Add vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Peel bananas and mash with a potato masher or fork in a small bowl. Banana should still be slightly chunky. Do not over mash them, please!

Add bananas to sugar-cream mixture and mix.

Add all dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder) and mix.

If you are using tin or metal baking pans, grease the pans with shortening or a spray-on olive oil.

Pour batter into two loaf pans.

Bake for about 1 hour. Bread will be dark golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted will come out clean.

Let cool for a few minutes before enjoying ;-)