Puffed Quinoa Squares

I make so many varieties of these treats depending on what ingredients I have in my pantry. They are like granola bars around my house and also make a great snack for traveling.

Ingredients

1-2 tablespoons butter or Earth Balance margarine

1/2 cup peanut butter or almond butter

1/2 cup brown rice syrup 

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

3 cups puffed quinoa

1/4 cup raisins or dried berries

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds, or hemp seeds or flaked coconut

Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.  

In a large pot over low-medium heat, melt and combine the butter, nut butter, salt and brown rice syrup. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla, puffed quinoa, dried fruit and seeds. 

Scoop onto the parchment paper and press gently into the pan. Let cool and cut into squares.

Chocolate Brownies

I have made many variations of this recipe for chocolate brownies. I prefer brownies with walnuts and chocolate icing, whereas my husband prefers them with mint icing. This time I made brownies and mint icing, but as a compromise I crumbled a mint chocolate bar over the top to add some extra chocolate!

Ingredients

1 cup gluten-free flour blend (see my pizza flour blend, if you would like to make your own flour blend)

pinch salt

3/4 bag of Enjoy Life chocolate chips

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 cup organic sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Line a 8x8 inch square pan with parchment paper.  I crease it in the corners to make it fit. 

In a heatproof bowl over boiling water, or a double boiler, melt and combine butter, chocolate chips  and cocoa powder.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs and vanilla. Slowly stir in the cooled chocolate mixture. Stir in the flour and pinch of salt until well combined. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top. Cover the pan with the lid or plastic wrap and let the batter rest for 30 minutes (this is an important step).

Meanwhile, adjust the oven rack to the middle and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let brownies cool for 2 hours. 

Using parchment, lift the brownies out of the pan. At this point, you can ice them and/or cut them into squares and serve them. Place the leftover brownies in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Carrot Cumin Soup

Carrot Cumin Soup is one of my favourite warming soup recipes. It is now the only carrot soup recipe that I make!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
10 - 12 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons honey or agave (vegan)
8 cups low sodium vegetable stock (gluten-free)
juice of 1/2 a lime
plain yogurt or dairy-free yogurt and chopped green onions or chives for garnish

Directions

Melt coconut oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, cumin seeds and salt. Stir often until the onions are softened. 

Stir in stock, carrots, potatoes and honey. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and cover and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are soft (about 25 minutes). 

Puree the soup with a hand blender until smooth.  Stir in the lime juice and salt and pepper if desired. 

Spoon into bowls and garnish with yogurt and chopped chives, if you wish.

Lemon Cranberry Shortbread (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

This cookie recipe is perfect if you have family or guests coming for the holidays who are vegan or gluten-free. These shortbread cookies are gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free and vegan.  However, they are not suitable for people with nut allergies.

This shortbread recipe is very versatile.  Last year, using this same recipe, I made Lemon Pillow Cookies that were filled with chocolate. This year I am making shortbread with dried cranberries. Omit the cranberries, and you could decorate each shortbread with half of a maraschino cherry. There are so many variations of shortbread that could be made using this recipe. Happy Holidays!

Ingredients

1 cup dairy-free, vegan margarine (such as Earth Balance), softened

1/2 cup icing sugar (organic, wheat-free)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup almond flour

1 1/2 cups brown rice flour

1/2 cup cornstarch or tapioca starch

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat together the softened margarine with the icing sugar.  Beat in the vanilla. Set aside.

Combine the almond flour, brown rice flour, cornstarch and baking powder. Stir in the lemon zest and dried cranberries. 

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the margarine mixture. Roll into 1 inch balls and arrange on parchment lined baking sheets approximately 1 inch apart. Press down the cookies lightly with the palm of your hand or a fork. 

Bake each sheet for about 17-20 minutes.  If you are baking 2 sheets at a time, you will need to rotate the sheets halfway through, until the cookie edges crack. 

Optional: Dust the cooled cookies with icing sugar.

Gluten-Free Flour Blend for Pizza Crusts

I prefer to make my own gluten-free flour blends instead of buying expensive "cup for cup" blends. I am not fond of some of the ingredients like cornstarch and xanthan gum in many "cup for cup" blends. I like to choose some healthier flours when I make my own blends. Here is a flour blend to make a crisp and chewy gluten-free pizza crust!

Ingredients:

1 cup millet flour

1 cup almond flour

1 1/3 cups brown rice flour

2 cups white rice flour

1/3 cup sweet rice flour

1 1/3 cups potato starch

3/4 cup tapioca starch

1/4 cup chickpea flour

Directions:

Combine the above ingredients together in a large bowl. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 months.

The above flour blend makes it quicker to whip up a pizza on a weekend afternoon. Another option is to wrap the cooled crusts in plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container to be frozen for up to 2 weeks. Frozen crusts can be topped and baked at 500 degrees for about 10-12 minutes.

We often have a vegetarian in the house, so we like to make a number of vegetarian pizzas. The pizza above is a caramelized onion, roasted sweet potato and feta pizza. However, you can choose whatever toppings you prefer after the initial baking time of the crusts.

Two Pizza Crusts

Ingredients:

4 cups above gluten-free flour blend

1 1/2 tablespoons psyllium husk powder (purchase in a health food store)

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (gluten-free)

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon instant yeast (Red Star bakipan yeast is gluten-free)

2 1/2 cups warm water

1/4 cup olive oil 

Directions:

1. Combine flour blend, psyllium husk powder, baking powder, salt and yeast in a large bowl (I prefer to use a glass bowl for watching it rise later). 

2. Combine water and oil in another bowl. Slowly add the water and oil to the dry ingredients and beat/stir in a kneading motion for about 6 minutes. The dough will be like a batter.

3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for about 1 1/2 hours (dough should be very bubbly).

4. Line two pizza pans with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper with a bit more olive oil (these two steps are very important). 

5. Transfer half of the dough to the centre of one pan and spread with an oiled spatula into a large circle. Then brush the top of the dough with more olive oil and use your hands to gently press dough out to almost cover the pizza pan. Repeat this step with the other half of the dough and the other pan.

6. Adjust the oven racks to the lower and middle positions. Place the pans in the oven and set the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake dough for 45-50 minutes, switching the pans halfway through baking. The dough should be golden brown on the bottom and firm to the touch on the top. Transfer the crusts to a wire rack and let cool. 

7. The cooled crusts can sit at room temperature for about 4 hours. Cooled crusts can also be wrapped in plastic and frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Crusts do not need to thaw before topping and baking. 

8. Parbaked crusts can then be topped with your choice of toppings and baked at 500 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Let the pizza cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving. 

Note: I find a pizza stone works best for this final step - to make the crust crisp. If you do not have a baking stone, use a pizza pan, heating it in the oven for 30 minutes beforehand.

Avocado-Lime Salad Dressing

This is dressing is delicious on vegetable salads, chicken salads or as a topping for barbecued burgers.

Ingredients

The flesh from 1 avocado

3 tablespoons lime juice

1-2 garlic cloves, crushed (to taste)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1/8 teaspoon sea salt or Herbamare

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon liquid honey or maple syrup

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Directions

Combine the above ingredients in a high speed blender (Vitamin or Blendtec) and blend until smooth.

Salted Chocolate Truffles

Inspired by raw food ingredients, these truffles are a healthy indulgence for Valentine's Day or any day!

Add to a food processor:

generous 1 cup raw pecans

1/4 cup cacao powder

scant 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Process until the pecans are in small pieces.

Melt and combine over very low heat in a small saucepan:

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 tablespoons coconut butter
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add the following to the dry ingredients in the food processor:

coconut oil and honey mixture from above

3 pitted dates, chopped and softened in 1/4 cup hot water for about half an hour (add dates and water to processor)

Process all the ingredients until fairly smooth and no large pieces remain.

Using a melon baller or a small cookie scoop, scoop up 12 to 15 equal portions. Spread 1/4 cup cacao powder, hemp seeds, coconut flakes or finely chopped nuts onto a plate. Gently roll each chocolate ball in the coating of your choice, coating evenly. Refrigerate until ready to serve (up to 5 days).